Posted on November 24, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
A Christmas Story
Every year, when Christmas comes, I wonder what gifts I should give. Most people think – give to people?
No!, not me; I mean to give to the animals!
On previous Christmas’ I had planned a one-woman anti-fur action, as a kind of personal gift / action for the suffering fur animals. I had inspected all the big shops in the city near to where I live. All of them sold fur articles. In one shop, which was very noble and expensive, there was a fox jacket priced at 1.199.- Euros. “It is red fox”, the seller informed me, allegedly “something that was very special”! – yes special to the fox; it is its coat to keep it warm ! When I put on the jacket, as part of my plan; I already knew what I would give the animals this Christmas.
I bought lots of small, white, self-adhesive stickers.
I typed on the computer:
“Pelz ist Mord
Kein Pelz kaufen” which means – Fur is murder, don`t buy fur.
I printed out 60 labels; each which carried this wording.
I decided to stick each of my labels over the price label of the fur items being sold. There are 2 reasons why I decided to do this:
Spontaneously, if we want to buy something, we always first look at the price, and
The price label is not part of the article, it is cut off at the checkout. This meant that even if I had been caught, no action could be taken against me for causing damage to the property.
Theoretically! – But it would be best not to be caught in the first place !!
That’s why I had tested all the cameras in the store. There were cameras everywhere. At the department where there was the red fox jacket, there was even a discreet camera mounted on the wall.
My plan had to be as follows:
take the fur jacket in hand, look for the position of the price label, try as if I was thinking of buying, and then… zack, zack!! quickly stick my anti fur label over the price tag !
Then, job done, move on to the price tag of the next fur item !
I had already stuck about 40 labels to different garments, but still none on the red fox fur. And I really wanted that!
“What does this jacket cost?” I asked the saleswoman. “1.199” she said; “but it is worth the money, something you will not find anywhere” !
I tried the jacket on and the saleswoman stood next to me. I made a small turn around in front of the mirror to view it from different angles, I had to be convincing that I was interested ! “I have to think it over,” I said, “it is too expensive for me”.
The saleswoman went away, disappointed by what I had said.
I put the jacket back on, quickly put my sticker onto this prize fur and left the store as quickly as I could. It was the sticker number 41!
When I think at this action today, I must admit, it was not a big or a direct gift for the animals, I know that. I have only provoked a little bit of attention into a very bloody business called the fur trade, nothing more.
Maybe I could have done more, if I had other helpers and activists with me. Yes! maybe … but with “if and but” you cannot change society and the suffering of the animals. We cannot wait for great deeds, everyone does what he or she can personally, now and again. Small gifts and actions for the animals are better than nothing.
And it should not be only at Christmas time.
Best regards for you, dear Mark, and for all campaigners fighting for animals everywhere !
As well as working with German friends and campaigners regarding live exports and the need for an 8 hour maximum one off journey time; we are now also going direct to the EU.
With our German campaigners and using heir helpful advice and letter writing, we have already got things under way to target Chancellor Merkel in Germany; asking her to make representations on the subject at EU level.
We have also, now produced a petition to Bernard Van Goethem at the EU asking for an 8 hour maximum one off journey time for animals. You may well remember other posts on this site where Mr Van Goethem has held his hands up and said “we can do nothing” – even when presented with the most disgusting videos of animals suffering at the Turkish border when exported from the EU.
The wording of our letter to Mr Van Goethem – a Director at – European Commission, DG SANCO – Directorate G – Veterinary and International Affairs is as follows:
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Dear Sir (Mr. Van Goethem),
In the context of the 8hours campaign in 2012, more than 1,200,000 (1 million 200 thousand) citizens asked the EU Commission to limit all livestock transportation to a one off 8 hours maximum. Every year due to the existing and non enforced ‘EU legislation’, millions of farm animals suffer during long-distance transport across Europe and to other Third countries such as Turkey.
They are transported for very long period and exposed to extreme variations in temperatures, both of which are non compliant with the regulations set by EU regulation. In addition, only some animals (say those near to water dispensers) making up any particular consignment are lucky enough to receive very limited rations of food and water; often many get nothing. – In addition, the legally required rest breaks detailed in the regulation are also very often ignored by EU international livestock hauliers. Again, the EU Directorate; of which you are a Director, takes no action to make things any better for these animals.
It is inconceivable that the EU Commission has completely ignored the requests of over 1,2 million EU citizens asking to limit animal transports to a maximum one off journey time of 8 hours. You are failing us, the citizens of the EU, and you are failing the animals of the EU.
According to EU Regulation No. 1/2005, which is supposed to ‘protect’ animals during transport, but does anything but protect; the following freedoms should apply to all animals during transport:
• Animals must be free from hunger and thirst,
• Animals must be free from pain, injuries and diseases,
• Animals must be free from anxiety and stress.
All of these freedoms are regularly being breached during long-lasting international transport, especially to locations such as Turkey from EU states.
Regulation 1/2005 exists only on paper to show the EU public there are so- called legislative rules. But the EU, of which you are a Veterinary Director, is not enforcing the existing regulation in any way; and so the legislation really means nothing – it is utterly useless paper ‘nothing’; and the livestock haulage industry know this as well as your failures to enforce the legislation. The demands defined in 1/2005 are not respected by several existing EU member states, and you do nothing legally to even try to enforce them. Examples of the failures we are talking about can be seen in the videos referenced below for example; especially in this case regarding animals exported from the EU to Turkey.
All the video evidence above as well as meetings between you and animal welfare organisations have ended with the disappointing but simple response from you: “We cannot do anything”. On behalf of EU citizens, we thus question the EU enforcement of Regulation 1/2005, and say that if legislation is not rigidly enforced, then why does it exist in the first place ? – as we said, just a paper, mean nothing lump of regulation.
EU officials / Commissioners, who could start to amend animal transport legislation immediately, have remained inactive and very quiet for a very long time. Regulation 1/2005 for animals in transport ‘protection’, which originally became law in December 2004, is utterly ineffective as EU officials including yourself take no action whatsoever to enforce it.
According to the Lisbon Treaty, one million people who have to come from several EU Member States, can use the ‘citizens’ initiative’ to ask the European Commission to submit new political proposals. These 1,2 million people calling for 8 hour transport legislation have not yet been able to stop the misery of the transport of animals for time periods over 8 hours. Times need to change and you need to be held responsible.
Therefore, we are now asking you, a ‘Veterinary Director’ at the EU, to make sure that these animal transports within EU member states, and also all exports to Third nations such as EU – Turkey transportation; are timed to a one off maximum journey time of no more than eight (8) hours.
Please use your influence as a ‘vet’ – someone who allegedly should care about the welfare of animals, so that the existing laws on the implementation on animal transports are finally adapted for once and all to reflect a one off maximum journey time of no more than 8 hours as the citizens of Europe request. This ruling must apply for transport across the whole of the EU and for export to Third countries such as Turkey. Only for specific situations such as Scottish animals being shipped from islands to the mainland should their be additional but limited hours.
Thank you for your time and consideration of our very important ‘citizens’ initiative’ request. We are watching your future actions to see if the ‘EU Veterinary Director’ actually does anything for the improvement of ‘animal welfare’ – and animals currently suffering during transport.
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You can sign our petition calling for 8 hours maximum (one off) journey time by visiting:
Please pass the link on to anyone and everyone you know.
We need to make this big for the animals that you have seen in the videos above.
Mr Van Goethem is a Director at European Commission, DG SANCO – Directorate G – Veterinary and International Affairs – so we must let him know how we feel about the current legislation (EU Regulation 1/2005 of December 2004) and now demand that a maximum 8 hour, one off journey time is introduced for all animals transported within the EU and for animals transported from the EU to Third nations such as Turkey.
Posted on November 15, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Here below are some truly superb animal rescue videos by our friends at Animal Aid Unlimited.Despite suffering some terrible injuries, the work and dedication of the team at AAU have proved successful every time.They deserve our support to enable them to continue with their brilliant work.
Between some of the videos you will see a donation link.Please try to give something to help this brilliant team with their continuing work to save animals of all shapes and sizes.
We take our hat off to the entire team; enjoy their uplifting videos and wish them the very best for the future. SAV.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful love of animals with Animal Aid Unlimited. We are so delighted to return that love by sharing these special love-packed stories and to introduce you to some unforgettable angels whose happiness was worth every day of treatment and care. Your loving support is behind each of these videos. You are an essential member of the rescue team. So as you watch these videos, we hope your heart will be filled with pride. These are your sweethearts.
How could anyone have abused this precious girl?
This beautiful older lady might have been deliberately hit. We found her bleeding from her head collapsed under brambles. Her recovery was slow and we feared she might have permanent brain damage. But suddenly the sunlight shown through.
A mother’s love meets Animal Aid’s love and the result?
Baby donkey Genevieve was attacked by a wild animal. Her many bite wounds were not only painful, the danger of sepsis from infection was acute. Treating her in the hospital was a must, but someone WASN’T ok about being separated. Genevieve’s mom was not about to let strangers take her baby–so of course, we packed up Mama and took her along. Watch how her mother made SURE she’d get better.
This utterly lovely girl could not gain a perch in this well, and she had exhausted all her energy swimming and searching for a way out of her prison. Without rescue she would died from either drowning or hypothermia. What a beautiful angel to save.
Two bulls locked horns in a busy Udaipur market, and one of them was hurled through a glass shop window. This poor bull was so upset he lost consciousness and crashed to the floor. Rescuing him was not so easy, but it sure felt good when he recovered and stood all by himself at Animal Aid.
This is the biggest porcupine quill we’ve EVER seen. And it went through her eyelid!
This gentle old girl got herself in terrible trouble after we presume she went after a porcupine. We found her with a massive quill embedded several inches under her eye-lid. It was a miracle her eye wasn’t punctured. Watch our just-in-time rescue of this stunned and dazed sweetheart.
Frozen in pain, donkey’s shoulder gashed on busy highway.
What could be more heart-wrenching than a gentle donkey bleeding from a traffic accident, stuck in the roar of traffic unable to move? Watch Hobnob’s crisis turn to slow and steady relief and joy.
Maybe his tail wagged because he sensed his moment of rescue had finally come. Meet gracious Dylan whose shredded ear had become unbearably painful and infested with maggots was life-threatening. He’s a new boy after several weeks of treatment–meet a super hero of sweetness.
Posted on November 13, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
We are combining with German anti export campaigners to continue pressing for a one off 8 hour MAXIMUM journey time for all animals in transport.
This will be very much to the benefit of all animals, who currently endure the un- monitored and rather pathetic EU Regulation 1/2005 for animals in transport, which is the EU standard.Under this existing EU Regulation, journey times are:
Un-weaned Calves, Lambs and Foals – 9 hours of transport – followed by a minimum 1 hour break; with then another 9 hours of transport.Total time – 18 hours on the road with a minimum 1 hour rest period, which is taken ON the vehicle.
Pigs – 24 hours transport in a single journey.Animals should officially have access to water throughout then journey, but we very much question if this is often the case.
Cattle, Sheep and Goats – 14 hours of transport – followed by a minimum 1 hour break; with then another 14 hours of transport.Total time – 28 hours on the road with a minimum 1 hour rest period, which is taken ON the vehicle.Animals officially to be fed and given liquids during break if necessary, but we very much question if this is often the case.
Horses – except registered horses – can be transported for a maximum period of 24 hours.Must officially be given liquids, and if necessary fed every 8 hours; but we very much question if this is often the case.
Note in all cases above the ‘rest period’ is officially 1 hour minimum.There is NO maximum; but animals normally take the rest period STILL LOADED ON the vehicle.So you could have an example where cattle can be officially transported for 28 hours on the road.The rest period could be 1 hour but it could also be, for example, say 8 hours.There is no maximum rest period; but the rest period is normally taken with the animals remaining ON the vehicle.Hence for this example you get 28 hours on the road with say an additional 8 hours rest still on the vehicle.This would mean that animals are confined on a truck for a minimum of 36 hours, which we consider is outrageous.
We and others are calling for a ONE OFF MAXIMUM journey time of 8 hours or less.
We are mailing German Chancellor Merkel to ask her to put pressure on the EU to reduce animal journey times to a one off 8 hours maximum. She has influence at EU level; but also has German elections next year – she needs votes ! – we want something in return.
Below you will find a sample letter which you can copy and then send to chancellor Merkel.
E mail your copy of the sample letter to the following address:
You can of course use the sample letter as a guide and amend it to your own requirements.
Here below is the Sample Letter – we provide both English or German versions for you to select; copy and send.
SAMPLE LETTER
German Version
Sehr geehrte Bundeskanzlerin Frau Dr. Merkel,
im Rahmen der 8hours Kampagne im Jahr 2012 haben mehr als 1,2 Mio. Bürger die EU-Kommission aufgefordert die langen, qualvollen Tiertransporte mit lebenden Tiere auf acht Stunden zu begrenzen.
Jedes Jahr leiden Millionen von Tieren im Fernverkehr in ganz Europa.
Sie sind für Tage oder sogar Wochen in überfüllten LKWs oder Schiffen eingepfercht und extremen Temperaturen ausgesetzt.
Zudem erhalten sie nur sehr wenig Nahrung und Wasser – häufig werden auch die gesetzlich erforderlichen Ruhepausen ignoriert.
Es ist unfassbar, dass die EU-Kommission die Anforderung dieser 1,2 Mio. Bürger, Tiertransporte auf max. acht Stunden zu begrenzen, völlig ignoriert hat.
Laut EU-Verordnung Nr.1/2005 gelten für/und während der Tiertransporte folgende Richtlinien:
Tiere müssen frei von Hunger und Durst
Tiere müssen frei vom Schmerz, Verletzungen und Krankheiten,
Tiere müssen frei von Angst und Stress sein
Darüber hinaus ist es verboten, ihnen unnötige Schmerzen oder Leiden zuzufügen.
Dies sind nur einige der Punkte gegen die bei diesen lang andauernden Transporten verstoßen wird.
Leider existieren diese Anforderungen für einen humaneren Tiertransport oft nur auf dem Papier. Wirklich respektiert und eingehalten werden diese Anforderungen gerade bei Tiertransporten über acht Stunden nicht.
(Dies können Sie auch dem beiliegenden Video entnehmen.)
Alle Gespräche, die die Organisation EyesonAnimals mit den Herren Andriukaitis und Bernard van Goethem geführt hatte, endeten mit der enttäuschenden Antwort: “We cannot do anything“.
Somit sind die verantwortlichen EU-Kommissare lange untätig geblieben.
Laut Lissabon-Vertrag, können eine Million Menschen, die aus mehreren Mitgliedsstaaten kommen, mit Hilfe der Bürgerinitiative die Europäische Kommission auffordern, neue politische Vorschläge unterbreiten.
Diese 1,2 Mio. Menschen konnten die EU-Kommission bisher nicht dazu bringen das Elend der Tiertransporte über acht Stunden zu beenden.
Deshalb fordern wir Sie nun auf, sich dafür einzusetzen, dass diese Transporte zeitlich auf max. acht Stunden begrenzt werden. Bitte machen Sie Ihren Einfluss geltend, damit die Gesetze zu Durchführung der Tiertransporte endlich angepasst werden.
Vielen Dank!
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English version
Dear Chancellor, Dr. Merkel,
In the context of the 8hours campaign in 2012, more than 1.200.000 citizens have asked the EU Commission to limit the long, painful livestock transportation to 8 hours. Every year millions of animals are suffering from long-distance transport across Europe.
They are confined for days or even weeks in overloaded trucks or ships and exposed to extreme temperatures. In addition, they receive only very little food and water – often the legally required rest breaks are also ignored.
It is inconceivable that the EU Commission has completely ignored the requirement of these 1,2 million citizens to limit animal transports to max. eight hours.
According to EU regulation no. 1/2005, the following bids apply during transports:
• Animals must be free from hunger and thirst
• Animals must be free from pain, injuries and diseases,
• Animals must be free from anxiety and stress
These are just some of the points that are being breached in these long-lasting transports.
All this is up to now only on the paper, it was never really respected, as you can see from the enclosed videos.
All the talks conducted by the organization Eyes on Animals with Mr Andriukaitis and Bernard van Goethem ended with the disappointing answer: “We cannot do anything”.
Thus, the responsible EU commissioners have remained inactive for a long time.
According to the Lisbon Treaty, one million people who have to come from several Member States can use the citizens’ initiative to ask the European Commission to submit new political proposals. These 1,2 million people have not yet been able to stop the misery of the transport of animals over eight hours.
Therefore, we are asking you to make sure that these transports are timed to max. eight hours.
Please state your influence, so that the laws on the implementation of the animal transports are finally adapted.
Thank you
………
Here below are 3 video links from our friends and fellow campaigners at ‘Eyes on Animals’ (NL) which show a typical day with animal transport investigations.After watching the videos, which are also included in the sample letters above, we hope you will agree with us campaigners that EU animal transport regulations at the moment are very wrong, and you will add your support to the call for a one off 8 hour maximum journey time by sending the sample letter to Chancellor Merkel at the e mail address we have given earlier.
3 Videos (by Eyes on Animals)
Note these video links are also included in the sample letters given above:
He’s rescued hundreds of bears from bile farms but, for Animals Asia Vietnam boss Tuan, those still caged and suffering never leave his thoughts.
In 2011, an Animals Asia team was in Vietnam’s Gia Lai province to rescue a sun bear from a bile farm. As is always the case with bear bile farms, the animal, now known as Nelson, was kept in appalling conditions.
Animals Asia’s Vietnam Director Tuan Bendixsen remembers the tiny, rusting cage that had held Nelson for his entire life (pictured below).
Bear farms take their toll in myriad ways. Nelson’s teeth were shattered and infected from desperate attempts to chew through the iron bars, while the surface of his eyes were scratched affecting his vision.
Over 11 years rescuing bears from the bile industry, Tuan has no shortage of bad memories. He knows better than anyone what bear bile farming looks like: hopeless, fearful eyes, balding skin, open wounds, malnourished bodies and shattered teeth.
Tuan said:
“I’ve rescued over 150 bears in Vietnam and I’ve never yet seen a bile farmed bear held in conditions that are anything other than deplorable. Five years ago in Pleiku for Nelson’s rescue it was the same. I’ve lost count of how many farms I’ve been on, but they never fail to fill me with dread.”
So when local Forest Protection Department (FPD) officials told Tuan there were more bears being held in the province, he knew he had to act to spare them the horror he had seen repeated elsewhere so many times.
That day he made them a promise: if you can convince farmers to give them up, we can save the bears – anytime and we’d be back.
That pledge was vital. Vietnam’s Forestry departments are woefully under funded. If they were to find evidence of bear bile extraction they would most likely be forced to turn a blind eye. They simply have no facilities to care for confiscated bears.
Tuan’s promise changed all that. It empowered the FPD to go after those farmers, watch them closely for any mistakes and convince them every day that there is no future in the cruelty of bear bile farming.
This month, more than half a decade later, that pressure looks to have paid off as hopes grow that these bears (pictured above) can finally be saved.
“For five years I’ve known these bears were suffering unimaginable torment. Underfed, unable to stretch their bodies, sickness, pain and mental agony. We’ve seen it all before, but I know when I set foot on those farms it’ll be as horrific as the first time. The disgust of bear bile farming never dulls. The bears you can’t rescue, haunt you – they’re never far from your thoughts.
“Now we just hope we can rescue these bears and start to turn their lives around. We can’t give them back the years they’ve lost but we can make them free from pain. If we can get them back to our sanctuary we can give them sunshine, open air and bear friends to play with.”
As we, the English say – “remember, remember, the 5th of November – a gunpowder treason and plot; there is no reason why gunpowder treason should ever be forgot”.
Guy Fawkes, who had 10 years of military experience fighting in the Spanish Netherlands in suppression of the Dutch Revolt, was given charge of the explosives.
The plot was revealed to the authorities in an anonymous letter sent to William Parker, 4th Baron Monteagle, on 26 October 1605. During a search of the House of Lords at about midnight on 4 November 1605, Fawkes was discovered guarding 36 barrels of gunpowder—enough to reduce the House of Lords to rubble—and arrested. Most of the conspirators fled from London as they learned of the plot’s discovery, trying to enlist support along the way. Several made a stand against the pursuing Sheriff of Worcester and his men at Holbeche House; in the ensuing battle Catesby was one of those shot and killed. At their trial on 27 January 1606, eight of the survivors, including Fawkes, were convicted and sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered.
A gruesome death
To be hanged, drawn and quartered was from 1351 a statutory penalty in England for men convicted of high treason, although the ritual was first recorded during the reigns of King Henry III (1216–1272) and his successor, Edward I (1272–1307).
Convicts were fastened to a hurdle, or wooden panel, and drawn by horse to the place of execution, where they were hanged (almost to the point of death),emasculated, disembowelled, beheaded and quartered (chopped into four pieces). Their remains were often displayed in prominent places across the country, such as London Bridge. For reasons of public decency, women convicted of high treason were instead burned at the stake.
SAV Comment – many people were behind the views of Guy Fawkes and the other conspirators – he was an explosives expert for his time. His actions were betrayed by a letter sent in secret.
There is a saying in England today – “Come back Guy Fawkes; all is forgiven !”. With the political system as it is now, many feel the need for a major overhaul of the system.
Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) 