After Tory dither and delay, parliament FINALLY passes Animal Welfare Bill to protect farmed animals
On Tuesday 14 May, the UK House of Lords passed a landmark new bill on animal welfare. Of course, it’s a major win for animal rights. However, it likely could have happened a lot sooner if not for Tory wrangling on previous bills.
Animal Welfare Bill passes through parliament
The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill prohibits the export of cattle, goats, pigs, and horses for slaughter, and fattening for slaughter.
It aims to improve animal welfare in farming by ending long, arduous journeys to other countries. These journeys regularly put animals through overcrowding, exhaustion, dehydration and stress.
However, on 14 May (2024), the House of Lords passed the new bill that will bring this appalling practice to a close. It will now head for royal assent before becoming law.
Activists have been calling for the ban for decades. Emma Slawinski, director of policy, prevention and campaigns at the RSPCA animal charity, described it as “an extraordinary achievement” that activists had campaigned on for 50 years. She said that:
Back in the 90s we had more than a million animals going out from the UK. It’s an abhorrent trade. The suffering is intense and it goes on for a long time.
Some of those journeys were measured in days, not in hours, and they’re never going to happen again.
Activists launched particularly fierce and dedicated campaigning during this time. Notable among this was a coordinated wave of protests and direct action against the practice at the port of Brightlingsea in Essex in 1995. UK media dubbed the event “The Battle of Brightlingsea”.
In tandem with this, on February 1, 1995, Jill Phipps (photo above) was one of a few dozen animal rights activists who broke through a police line at Coventry Airport in central England. She was crushed to death under a lorry as she protested against the export of live calves for veal in 1995.
Sei whales, known for their impressive size and distinctive blue-gray coloring, have returned to Argentina’s Patagonian coast after more than a century of absence.
According to a report by India Today, the reappearance of Sei whales is evidence of the positive impacts of international bans on commercial whaling implemented decades ago.
During the 1920s and 1930s, the Sei whale population was nearly decimated due to rampant commercial whaling.
The global prohibition of this practice has allowed these majestic marine creatures to gradually recover, demonstrating the effectiveness of sustained international wildlife conservation efforts.
More than 500 candidate MEPs have pledged to do more to protect animals at EU level should they be elected to the European Parliament in three weeks.
The Vote for Animals campaign, run by Eurogroup for Animals and its members, asks candidates to take a pledge committing to do more for better protection of all animals at EU level.
The pledge addresses live animal transport, non-animal science, welfare of aquatic species, the conservation of wild animals, imports of animal-based products, and welfare of companion animals. It also addresses a future fur farming ban, the importance of sustainable food production and an ask for an EU commissioner for animal welfare.
Candidates spanning the entire political spectrum across 26 Member States have made the commitment. So far, Finland, Italy and France have the largest number of candidates supporting the pledge.
EU citizens have the opportunity to ask their candidates to sign the pledge, by sending a message through a dedicated platform, which is available in all EU languages. So far, over 9,000 citizens have sent a message to their candidates.
An estimated 400 million EU citizens are eligible to vote in the European elections set to take place between 6-9 June. The demand for improved EU legislation on animal welfare has been resoundingly voiced: 91% of Europeans believe that safeguarding the welfare of farmed animals is crucial, while 84% feel that current protection measures are not enough.
Taking the pledge for the animals is a commitment that in the next legislature, should I be elected, I will continue to push for better EU legislation to protect all animals across their lifespan. There is a critical need for action to phase out animals in cages, as per citizens’ demands, and a push for more ambitious legislation for animals during transport. The promised revision of the animal welfare legislation should be a top priority for the next Commission.
Niels Fuglsang, candidate MEP (Socialdemokraterne, Denmark) and Vice-President of the Intergroup for Animal Welfare.
The majority of EU citizens want animals to be better protected in Europe. To achieve this, we need more MEPs who want the EU to do more. Voting for candidates who have signed the Vote For Animals pledge is the best way to advance animal welfare in the EU. If I am re-elected, I pledge to continue to be the voice of animals and their defender in the European Parliament.
Caroline Roose, candidate MEP (Europe Écologie, France) and Vice-President of the Intergroup for Animal Welfare.
It is great to see so many candidates take a pledge for the animals. It is important that the next European Parliament represents citizens’ demands for better protection of all animal species, and MEPs can help to ensure that this topic stays on top of the agenda for the next term.
Over 60 organisations gathered in Copenhagen for the first General Assembly of the World Federation for Animals (WFA). They collectively committed to embark on a journey to ensure animal welfare is recognised as essential to the achievement of the global sustainable development agenda.
The event brought together leaders and advocates from five continents to solidify their commitment to integrating animal welfare into the global sustainable development agenda.
A Promise to Animals & Our Future
During the Assembly, the WFA launched its Promise to Animals & Our Future. This commitment builds on the understanding of the urgent need for systemic change in how animals are treated across sectors and underscores their profound impact on global health, biodiversity, and sustainable livelihoods.
The Federation has promised to work with international bodies, governments, corporations, and communities to establish animal welfare as a fundamental aspect of sustainable development.
This promise comes at a critical moment, as the world evaluates progress at the midpoint of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations member states in 2015.
With countries nowhere near reaching the Sustainable Development Goals, this initiative offers a new perspective on achieving a sustainable future that includes animal welfare.
The UN’s global policy agenda must include animal protection: not only for the animals but for humans, future generations and the whole planet. We can only achieve sustainable development, tackle the current environmental crises, foster resilient societies and ecosystems, and prevent the next pandemics if we transform how we treat animals.
Dr James Yeates, CEO, World Federation for Animals
WFA is a membership organisation founded in 2020 by and for national, regional, and international animal protection organisations. WFA is the result of these organisations’ decision to join forces and work together towards a broad representation of the interests of animals in international policy.
Eurogroup for Animals is proud to support the WFA as a founding member.
Ethical Farming Ireland succeeded in preventing a 45 year old transport vessel from coming into port at Greenore to collect Irish cattle for export.
The Sarah M was scheduled to dock at Greenore on Ireland’s northeast coast on April 30, to collect 2000 young bulls for export.
The ship had recently been classed with the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping, and was therefore subject to European Union sanctions which include denial of access to EU ports.
Ethical Farming Ireland alerted the Department of Transport of this breach, which resulted in the vessel being denied entry.
The organisation has long campaigned against live export from Ireland to mainland Europe and beyond, as thousands of animals are exported to countries as far afield as Libya, Jordan, Morocco, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt and Turkey each year.
The organisation has expressed disappointment that their intervention was necessary in order to ensure proper regulation of the vessel.
Such incidents are not uncommon amongst live transport vessels, as revealed in new research by Animal Welfare Foundation. Nearly half of the animal transport vessels approved in the EU are flying the flag of a country marked by the Paris Memorandum of Understanding as a black flag (for example Togo, Sierra Leone or Tanzania).
This flag indicates these vessels pose a high risk to maritime traffic, as well as to the animals, crew and environment.
A five year phase out plan and $107m support package has been promised by the Australian government, meaning live exports of sheep will end on 1 May 2028.
Agriculture Minister Murray Watt made the announcement on 11 May, noting that legislation will be introduced in this term of the Australian Parliament to end the trade in law.
The decision was taken after years of campaigning from animal welfare organisations, with polls revealing that the majority of Australian citizens want to see an end to the cruel trade.
The live sheep export industry has shown time and again that they are unable to meet the community’s expectations.
Murray Watt, Australian Agriculture Minister
Live export has also been in a long-term economic decline, and now accounts for only 0.1% of Australia’s agricultural exports.
This has directly corresponded with an increase in the trade of meat products, with trade in chilled sheep meat now 58 times the value of the live sheep export trade. Sales of chilled Australian sheep meat to the Middle East alone now represent $632 million, compared to only $77 million of profits from the entire live sheep export trade.
Decades of investigations have confirmed the stressful, dirty and overcrowded conditions that sheep are subjected to during long sea journeys from Australia. Heat stress can be fatal for animals aboard transport vessels, as tragically proven during the 2017 Awassi Express disaster where around 2,400 sheep died from heat stress whilst travelling between Australia and the Middle East.
While of course we wish it was sooner, we also recognise and respect the responsibility of the Government to consider all who are impacted by this historic decision… Considering the decades of dedicated effort and advocacy, it is understandable that some doubted whether this trade would end in their lifetime. Now we know differently.
But the abusers can run but no longer hide; as campaigners across the globe are now hunting them down, publishing their photographs and detailing their convictions for authorities across the world to use when bringing convictions. We are in the final stages of putting together all of our data which will be presented to the relevant authorities for actions.
You can see from the article below that despite the involvement of British and UK persons in these abuses; 2 people have also been imprisoned in Indonesia for same.
A very interesting article regarding UK animal torture. A British woman admits her role in monkey torture ring.
Click on link to see all photographs and a video of her arriving at court.
Copied from the article (link above) produced by The Sun – a UK newspaper.
Holly LeGresley today pleaded guilty to the charges Credit: Facebook
A probe found people were paying Indonesians to torture monkeys Credit: BBC
A BRIT known as The Immolator has admitted to her role in a monkey torture ring where fiends pay for the animals to be killed for sexual kicks.
Self-proclaimed animal lover Holly LeGresley, 37, led a secret life as a moderator in one of the global online groups.
She today admitted publishing an obscene article and causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
Co-defendant Adriana Orme, 55, indicated no plea to the charges at Worcester Magistrates’ Court today.
The pair, from Kidderminster and Upton-upon Severn, were released on conditional bail.
LeGresley, who will be sentenced next month, published 22 images and 132 monkey torture videos to online chat groups, the charge sheet states.
She also made a payment of £17.24 to a PayPal account to encourage cruelty.
Orme allegedly uploaded one image and 26 videos of monkey torture between April 14 and June 16, 2022.
She is accused of encouraging or assisting the commission of unnecessary suffering by making a £10 payment to a PayPal account on April 26, 2022.
The court was told the women had “not carried out monkey torture themselves”.
West Mercia Police confirmed the charges are in relation to causing, consuming and facilitating the torture of monkeys.
It came after the BBC exposed a global monkey torture gang following a year-long investigation.
They discovered hundreds were paying Indonesians to kill infant long-tailed macaques on video.
Torture methods include setting the animals on fire and putting them in blenders.
LeGresley was known as The Immolator, meaning someone who practises sacrifice.
She once ran a poll on which torture method should be used on a baby monkey.
The bird lover describes her love of gore on Facebook – branding Hannibal Lecter and Pennywise the Clown “horror icons”.
She has even lashed out at films that portray animal cruelty before, including Suicide Squad spin-off Birds of Prey.
Complaining about a scene where an aviary is set alight, LeGresley wrote: “That’s sick. You don’t do that s***, even [with] computer graphics because it’s too far.
“Shouldn’t be allowed to put such gratuitous animal cruelty in a movie when it doesn’t even really serve the story. Sick twisted people who made this film.
“Won’t be spending any more of my money on the franchise. What a disappointment.”
Three people including suspected ringleader Michael Macartney have been charged in the US.
The 50-year-old, who went by the alias “Torture King”, ran several chat groups from around the world on encrypted messaging app Telegram.
The groups shared sick ideas for custom-made torture videos, which were then sent with payments to Indonesia.
According to US court papers, Macartney is accused of distributing videos depicting the “torture, murder, and sexually sadistic mutilation of animals, specifically juvenile and adult monkeys”.
The BBC reports he has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy charges and faces up to five years in jail.
He previously described joining his first Telegram monkey group, saying: “They had a poll set up. Do you want a hammer involved? Do you want pliers involved? Do you want a screwdriver?”
Macartney, from Virginia, said it was the “most grotesque thing I have ever seen”.
At least 20 people have been investigated over the sick videos – including three women living in the UK who were arrested in 2022.
Two people have been imprisoned in Indonesia, while David Christopher Noble and Nicole Devilbiss have been charged in the US.
WAV Comment – Please use this link to see all the photographs and a video:
We are experiencing huge problems (like many others around the world) in being able to present our petitions to the Chinese authorities. Until we do, then the petitions remain.
Thousands of cats have fallen victim to Chinese cat abuse groups, including many mothers. Some of them were tortured while they were still pregnant, others were tortured when they had just given birth, and some of them were tortured while their babies were tortured and others were forced to take their offspring or unborn children. Some had to watch themselves being eaten. They were unable to provide their babies with the maternal love that their tormentors clearly never experienced. Today, they and their babies are sleeping peacefully. We offer this prayer in memory of the cat's mother and her children who lost their lives at the hands of Chinese torturers.
Posted @guardianes_felinos En memoria de las madres gatunas y sus hijos que han perecido en manos de los torturadores chinos.
Thank you everyone for sticking with us; and a special welcome to all our new visitor friends from Australia and Singapore. Check out our visitors – https://clustrmaps.com/site/1a9kn
If some of you are new to the site and not aware, animal buddy Pauline often sends me a collection of her animal photos taken in and around South East London / Kent County.
Tonight I have a new set of photos which you can see below. Hopefully, Pauline and I will be meeting up for a coffee on Wednesday and a Veggie / Vegan Ruby (Ruby Murray – Curry) – https://youtu.be/XRVVCbXmYJo in the next few weeks; so really looking forward to it. Animal talk on the menu as always – her hedgehogs and birds in nesting boxes; and my badgers and foxes who come round for scoff every night; – below, a badger in my garden.
So here below are all of Pauline’s latest shots; which we are sure you will enjoy.
Regards Mark and Pauline.
Below – Spring Lamb
Above – Singing Whitethroat
Below – Whitethroat
Above – Male Blackbird
Below – Female Blackbird
Below – Oyster Catcher
Below – Peacock Butterfly
Below – Gray Herons At Nest – and Youngsters
Below – Gosling
Below – Canada Geese
Below – Young Grey Wagtail
Below – Grey Wagtail
Below – Goldfinch
Below – .. and Thirsty
Below – Swans Nesting – Can You See the Egg Within ?
New Delhi: After lodging an FIR against animal cruelty in east Delhi’s Jagatpuri, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India has offered a reward of Rs 50,000 for the whereabouts of the abuser.
A video being circulated on social media showed a person, allegedly from Jagatpuri, beating a dog. The CCTV footage, which was a few weeks old, showed the dog being severely beaten with a stick, resulting in a broken leg and head injuries. PETA and local activist Divyansh Sharma registered an FIR on May 2 under Section 429 (animal cruelty) of Indian Penal Code 1860 and Section 11 of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960.
After the attacker could not be traced, PETA decided to announce the bounty. “PETA India is offering a reward of up to Rs 50,000 to anyone who provides information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for torturing the dog,” stated the organisation.
It further said those who abused animals would often end up harming human beings. “PETA India recommends that perpetrators of animal abuse undergo psychiatric evaluation and receive counselling as abusing animals indicates a deep psychological disturbance,” said PETA India cruelty response coordinator Sunayana Basu.
“Research shows that people who commit acts of cruelty to animals are often repeat offenders who move on to hurting other animals, including humans. A study published in Forensic Research & Criminology International Journal stated that those who engage in animal cruelty were three times more likely to commit other crimes, including murder, rape, robbery, assault, harassment, threats and drug/substance abuse,” Basu added.
WAV Comment – we have been working a lot recently on the relationship between initial animal offenders then moving on to human violence. Here is our post and section link relating to this:
The scheme named The Animal Welfare Fund with an investment of €85,000 from the Government will provide financial assistance to animal shelters and voluntary or non-governmental organisations that care for animals. This was announced during a conference by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Animal Rights Anton Refalo, together with the Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Animal Rights Alicia Bugeja Said.
The Animal Welfare Fund is established with a commitment to support those organisations and shelters providing services to animals, with the aim of raising more awareness about the importance of domestic animals in our community and furthering animal rights in our country (Malta).
Minister Anton Refalo emphasised, “Through this government initiative, we continue to uphold our commitment outlined in the Electoral Manifesto ‘Malta Together.’ What we are witnessing today is the continuation of the diligent work we have already done in this field, with recent achievements such as the renovation of the Animal Hospital and the initiation of the veterinary course in the academic year ahead. This progress is a testament to the dedication we have shown in the field of animal rights through a series of measures implemented in recent weeks, months, and years, to ensure ongoing support for our partners.”
Schemes like these are incredibly important as they provide tangible evidence of the valuable work being done by shelters and animal welfare organisations, Bugeja explained.
“The Government acknowledges this work in favour of animal protection and rights being carried out by voluntary organisations and shelters. Without their work, we certainly cannot curb the number of animals being neglected currently,” continued the Parliamentary Secretary.
She concluded by stating that this scheme is merely a gesture of appreciation to continue supporting these organisations and shelters in their service provision, while easing their financial burdens.
The Director of the Department for Animal Welfare, Joseph John Vella, outlined the criteria for applying for these funds and how they will be allocated according to three defined priorities: education and awareness, medical expenses, and animal allocation.
Animal advocates are celebrating after parts of a controversial Ontario agriculture law that made it illegal to get a job on a farm under false pretences to expose conditions inside were deemed unconstitutional.
Justice Markus Koehnen struck down parts of Bill 156, the Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, earlier this month after advocacy group Animal Justice, along with an activist and a journalist, launched a Charter challenge in 2021.
They argued the new law infringed on their freedom of expression because they could not tell the outside world what was happening inside a farm if they gained access to the property through a false pretence.
The act required consent from the owner to be on a property where animals are kept, raised or slaughtered. That consent was voided under the law if someone lied to get on the land.
“The act limits the mode of expression by preventing undercover exposes or even eyewitness descriptions of the conditions in which animals are raised or slaughtered if the person providing the description gained access to premises using false pretences,” the judge wrote in his decision.
“In light of the foregoing, I find that one of the purposes and one of the effects of the act and the regulation is to infringe on the applicants’ freedom of expression.”
The province enacted the legislation in response to demands from the agricultural industry and about 120 municipal resolutions calling on the government to do more to control trespassing, the decision said.
Ontario argued the legislation was aimed at “protecting animal safety, biosecurity, and the safety of farmers as well as preventing economic harm that can arise from threats to animal safety and biosecurity.”
Part of the case focused on lying.
“If lies can amount to protected speech in a context as odious as Holocaust denial, they should be equally protected when someone denies having a university degree or being affiliated with an animal rights group to obtain employment at or entry to an animal auction, petting zoo, rodeo, fair or circus,” the judge decided.
The judge agreed with animal rights activists
The news thrilled Camille Labchuk, executive director of Animal Justice.
“It’s a decisive victory over unconstitutional ‘ag-gag’ laws that were designed and had the effect of covering up serious animal cruelty on farms,” she said.
“In light of this ruling, we’re looking forward to getting back to doing investigative work in Ontario as soon as possible.”
The animal advocates had submitted undercover video of farms that were eventually aired on national television broadcasts and led to criminal charges and convictions in some cases. None of that would have happened without lying to get a job in the first place.
“The expression is of public interest,” Koehnen wrote.
“Publicizing the way in which animals are treated is an issue of interest to at least some members of the public. It is an issue about which the public is entitled to be informed if they want to be.”
The advocates who brought the case also argued undercover operatives would follow the rules on farms, only deviating to take pictures of video of what was happening with the animals.
The judge agreed.
“For a potential employee to deny any association with animal-rights groups in a job interview does not threaten biosecurity, the food supply chain or animal safety,” the judge wrote.
“Nor does the follow up act of such an activist communicating what they see in an agricultural facility.”
The bill also made it illegal to interact with animals inside transport trucks, a law seemingly designed to target one group in the province: Toronto Pig Save. The group is part of the large Save Movement whose members “bear witness” and hold vigils for animals en route to slaughter.
They often gave water to the pigs inside trucks stopped at intersections to “show kindness and compassion to animals in their final moments,” the decision noted.
The Ministry of the Attorney General may appeal
Two days after the bill came into force in June 2020, a truck hauling a load of live pigs ran over and killed Regan Russell, 65, who was protesting the new law outside a slaughterhouse in Burlington, Ont. The driver, Andrew Blake, pleaded guilty to the provincial offence of careless driving causing death. He was fined $2,000 and given 12-months of probation.
The Regan Russell Foundation intervened in this case, arguing the law interfered with both its constitutional right to protest and freedom of expression.
The judge disagreed and held up that portion of the act.
“The purpose of protecting freedom of expression is to do just that, allow people to express themselves,” Koehnen wrote. “It does not allow people to appropriate, even momentarily, the property of others as a means for that expression.”
Russell’s stepson, Joshua Powell, was disappointed with that part of the decision.
“It is upsetting, but we are very, very elated that the judge upheld the ability to hold vigils at these sites as a protected act,” Powell said.
“And, most important, we are really happy that undercover exposes, from journalists or activists, won’t be illegal anymore. It was one of the main reasons Regan was out there that day.”
The Ministry of the Attorney General said it is reviewing the decision and has not yet decided if it will appeal.
We want to send congratulations to Lyn and our friends at AA on getting this amazing result. Being a UK live export campaigner for 35+ years I personally know the immense amount of work that is needed to achieve results such as this.
All the time you are speaking for them, your mind never distracts from the continual suffering to the animals that this trade brings. Without doubt, Australian live exports are probably the biggest nut of all nations to get victory over in this sordid trade.
We all want an immediate ban, but in this instance the head rules over the heart. Despite our feelings; it has to be accepted that ‘meat’ in some form will continue to be exported from Australia. As we say in the UK, better on the hook than on the hoof ! – sadly the process of killing animals will not stop, but the suffering on the ships will. In the next few years there will be a lot of things that need to be addressed by both Australia and the states they currently export to; a change from meat on the hoof to that on the hook. New slaughterhouses may need to be built in Australia to process the animals; and maybe methods with all involved to store and export meat by refrigeration. It is not what I want to see and probably what you all do not want to see; but it will happen; animals will be killed as always but they will be saved immense suffering on shithole rust buckets as they currently are. A large cruelty chunk of the puzzle will be removed; and that is something I at least welcome.
Going veggie or vegan for sure is the way forward and the way to reduce this suffering. Every rust bucket livestock carrier that ends up going for scrap is a real positive as far as I am concerned; it is every time, another nail in the coffin and another page written to put this disgusting abuse of animals into the history books.
Well done and big congrats to everyone who has showed year of tenacity to get this news today,
I wanted to write to you this evening to express the most heart-felt ‘thank you’.
Today, because of our combined efforts, we now know the date that the live sheep trade will end. Australian Agriculture Minister, Murray Watt, announced this morning that the live sheep trade will, after some 60 years of operation, end on May 1st 2028.
Importantly, the Minister also announced that this end date will belegislated in this term of government.
While of course we wish it was sooner, we also recognise and respect the need to consider all who may be affected by this historic decision. Considering the decades of dedicated effort and advocacy behind today’s announcement, it is understandable that some doubted whether this trade would end in their lifetime. Now we know with certainty that it will. We can now count down towards the day that the last sheep shipment will leave our shores.
And that is why, aside from my great relief at this announcement, I am filled with overwhelming gratitude to you Diana. Truly, this day would not have come without you. You supported our investigations. You refused to get disheartened. You achieved something extraordinary: you convinced an Australian government that animals deserved better and that an industry that had long enjoyed political support, should be concluded.
We now know beyond any doubt, that so powerful is human compassion, it can make the seemingly impossible, possible. The resilience so needed to stay the course was born of compassion. The courage we needed on the most difficult days was fuelled by compassion. The commitment to write letter after letter to politicians was driven by compassion. To witness together a government decision based on compassion for animals, is, I am sure you will agree, a momentous day. A day to long savour. Please remember your part in this, as I always will.
My deep appreciation today also extends to our colleague groups for their exceptional efforts that ensured the animal protection sector spoke for Australian sheep with a strong and united voice. They have been magnificent.
And it is so very appropriate that I also mention my wonderful colleague, friend and co-investigator Shatha Hamade. My time as an investigator in the Middle East had to come to an end, as my face had become too well known. When Shatha joined Animals Australia, it was as our lawyer, not an investigator. Yet she didn’t hesitate to say ‘yes’ when I told her she was needed.
Since then, as you know, Shatha has given her heart and soul to being where Australian sheep have needed her to be. And finally, my gratitude goes to Fazal Ullah, the crewman, who in witnessing the suffering before him, chose to act, rather than accept.
We will all be forever grateful for this young man’s courage. It is so very clear that today’s historic announcement has been the result of a team effort like no other.
Thank you so very much for the critical part you have played. For the animals,
After years of campaigning, the sentience of animals is now officially recognised in the Constitution of Belgium. The Constitution takes precedence in the hierarchy of Belgian legal norms, and now includes a reference to ensure the protection and well-being of animals.
After a lively debate in a plenary session of the Chamber of Representatives, including concerns raised by the agriculture sector, a critical two-thirds majority was ultimately reached to approve the addition.
Belgium is now the 6th EU Member State to include animals in its Constitution, following Italy, Germany, Luxembourg, Slovenia and Austria. Other nations have also acted to enshrine constitutional animal sentience, including Switzerland, Egypt, Brazil and India.
The following passage has now been officially added to Article 7 of the country’s Constitution:
In the exercise of their respective powers, the Federal State, the Communities and the Regions ensure the protection and well-being of animals as sentient beings.
Animal sentience is also enshrined in law at EU level, as Article 13 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union mandates EU Member States to consider animal welfare as a significant commitment. Animals are recognised as sentient beings, acknowledging their capacity to experience pain and suffering, and emphasising the moral duty to treat them with care and respect.
As well as sending a strong message about the commitment of Belgium to protect animal welfare, the inclusion should also have a direct impact as regulations made by federal and regional parliaments, as well as local authorities, must comply with the Constitution. It could also have the impacy of strengthening enforcement of animal welfare laws.
This is a historic victory for GAIA and all those who defend animals’ interests. Only 30 years ago, such a breakthrough was simply unthinkable. Today, animal welfare is becoming a constitutional value in its own right, joining other fundamental principles. This recognition reflects a major change in society and highlights the growing importance of animal protection in our country. It is this kind of progress that GAIA has been fighting for since it was founded.
(Note: this – special Polish Characters – is not displaying correctly)
TRANSLATION
Where does evil come from?/if so where/from man/always from man/and only from man
“Unde Malum”? – where does evil come from?
If you have a pet, close your eyes and think about it. You probably feel sympathy, maybe love, tenderness. Every day you make sure to provide it with the best possible conditions: a warm bed, toys; in the store, you read the labels and make sure to buy food containing 100% meat (God forbid the one with 99%!). I think similarly because I also have animals. And did you know that at the same time – perhaps this very second – cats in China are being tortured and killed? I would like to tell you about “Death (Torture) Groups” on Telegram, an inconspicuous communication application.
STRUCTURE
The Internet in China is subject to censorship. The Communist Party is closing access to all social media that most of the world is accustomed to. So how is it possible that Death Groups use Telegram? How does content flow to Instagram? For this purpose, a VPN service is used – it encrypts data in such a way that the Internet provider cannot locate the place from which the user connects. In practice, members of the Circles of Death can use Western applications quite freely.
Abusers focus mainly on Telegram. You can usually join groups if you provide a recording or photo of a self-inflicted act of torture. In this way, members minimize the risk of “moles” infiltrating the circle. Tormentors also organize streams where they broadcast their terrible deeds live for entertainment.
Torture materials are distributed around the world. Customized films sell well – in this case the customer can decide on the course of the execution. The second giant in this category are crush fetish films: recipients of such content gain sexual satisfaction from the sight of animals being crushed. Cao Shan, known to Chinese activists, operates under the guise of a shoe store. Customers can choose the type of footwear with which the animal will be killed.
Fot: Instagram/guardianes_felinos
Teenagers are also encouraged to get involved in the practice. Members of Death Groups are not necessarily middle-aged men and adult women who run a business on fetishists. Many of the perpetrators are students and even high school students. In fact, it happens that their parents are prominent members of Chinese society: bank heads, activists of the Communist Party; sometimes they even take part in adopting cats.
TORTURE
March 2024, China
One of the co-administrators of the Death Groups, Xu Ruiyang, was not accepted into the master’s program at Nanjing University despite excellent exam results. This state of affairs is probably due to activists who informed the public about Xu’s activities.
In December 2023, the owner of Monika, a long-haired red cat, loses her pet at the airport in Shanghai. Unfortunately, Monica encounters people with bad intentions. In March, members of the Circles of Death, in revenge for the activists’ activities, publish information about the kidnapping of Monika. The rejection of Xu’s application is the final straw. This is how the cat’s torture begins.
The perpetrators periodically pass the victim on to each other. During this time, Monica is beaten, electrocuted, and pricked with needles. One of the torturers cuts off her leg. The torture takes place to the accompaniment of jokes and mockery in Telegram messages.
The distraught owner reports the kidnapping to the Shanghai police three times. Besides, he’s trying to pay a ransom. He fails at this because of the complex cryptocurrency system. According to reports from Feline Guardians, attempted transactions are carried out by… customer service of telegram groups. Degenerates have created a real business. The police’s slowness does not lead to a breakthrough in Monika’s case.
March 26, 2024, probably Guangdong, China
A tri colour kitten is skinned alive. After the torture, it was still alive.
Fot.: Instagram/Feline Guardians Without Borders
April 2024, China
A woman adopts a ginger kitten through Xianyu – the Chinese equivalent of OLX. The cat will probably not survive to adulthood. The tormentor twists the kitten’s claws with pliers. Then he sticks toothpicks into it. As a “joke”, she pins a Hello Kitty badge on his body. The kitten is then doused with boiling water.
March 14, 2023, Fuyang, China
Xu Zhihui, a well-known blogger in China (nickname: Jack Latiao), kidnaps a homeless cat. The cat is burned with a hot iron. The next day he ties the animal to a tree. In this position, Latiao brutally beats the cat. Finally, he puts it in a plastic bag and sets it on fire. The cat burns alive.
Fot.: Instagram/Feline Guardians Without Borders
CONSEQUENCES
Here is just a sampling of several confirmed cases of telegram torture and murder. The scale of the crimes is shocking. Unfortunately, the perpetrators do not receive adequate punishment. There is no law in China that criminalizes animal cruelty. That’s why Lei Li, a torturer with twenty years of experience in harming animals, boasted to his colleagues that he legally tortured cats. The same man even appeared on TV. The “Today” program exposed Lea’s acts of cruelty. However, this man did not suffer any consequences.
One of the most famous admins of the Circles of Death, Wang Chaoyi, was sentenced to… 15 days of detention; not for torture, but for damaging the car window. Among other things, the man allegedly cut open the belly of a pregnant cat, which he forced to eat the remains of her own unborn kittens.
When the law fails, social pressure makes the most sense. Thanks to their activism, several degenerates were dismissed from their jobs. That is why it is important that we do not turn our eyes away from the harm – signing petitions, informing schools and workplaces of perpetrators; it all matters. It is worth mentioning all those who fight against the activities of Death Groups: the community centers around the volunteer group Feline Guardians Without Borders. People of good will from all over the world gather in local branches of the FG. In Poland, the topic was first discussed by YouTuber Dama Hearts in this video. I invite you, Reader, to read the interview with the spiritus movens of Polish activities for the victims of the Circles of Death.
Julia Koral: How did you find out about Death Groups?
Dama Kier: I learned about Death Groups from several people in the Spanish community I belong to. After the film about the cat in the blender, a considerable debate arose and people began to look for the source of the film. The thread has grown to gigantic proportions. I did not get involved in this case myself, suspecting that it was a one-time situation, and when they find the culprit, they will (according to the old rule of the Internet) make sure that this person will never commit similar acts again. I was quite devastated when I learned that the recording came from China and was part of a larger puzzle. I also know that different people learned about animal torture networks from different sources, ultimately ending up in one thread. Pseudo-Satanist and Nazi groups on Facebook and Whatsapp used these recordings as their edgy content.
J.K.: What is the estimated scale of the problem?
D.K.: This is really a difficult question. When consulting the problem with activists from China, I received information that similar cases of brutal animal torture have recently been reported in many countries around the world. We have a situation in Lithuania where several cats were crucified. In Canada, a teenager was brutally lynched for torturing a cat during a live broadcast and throwing it out of a window. In Turkey, animal torture is linked to promoting terrorism. In Russia, minors, on the orders of group administrators, murder their animals and write the names of the groups they belong to in their blood, and all this takes place in a sect-like atmosphere.
In Poland, we had situations where birds were boiled alive and a cat was cut with a guillotine. According to my findings, which we should not trust one hundred percent because OTOZ [Polish Society for the Protection of Animals] did not provide me with the necessary information, the case with the guillotine is a bit more complicated. Most likely, the teenagers were simply in possession of the video and did not kill the cat.
However, I have no proof that OTOZ does not have some modified version of the recording, I do not know what prompted them to draw such conclusions, because the accusations are specific. I also don’t know if they even have a cat’s body – if so, that changes things. This type of killing of an animal has been seen before, and the method of murder is consistent with the methods used by Chinese torturers. It’s the same with blender videos. This wasn’t a single situation. More than one person has committed such an atrocity. This raises another question: whether the guillotine teenagers downloaded the movie from the top of the page, or maybe someone is playing the Polish version of Chinese red rooms and reposting content from China to the community that is just being built.
So we have a network of dependencies that should be looked at by the relevant services.
When I was making a film about red rooms, the scale of abuse seemed extraordinary to me. The brutality and the number of victims exceeded my wildest expectations. It is also worth noting that the problem is not, as it might seem, local. The ranks of Chinese groups are swelled by people who plan to go abroad to study. Australia, the United States, and also Europe are targeted. One of the cat torturers with the most extensive achievements left his country. He currently resides in the USA, specifically in Brooklyn.
Fot.: Feline Guardians Without Borders
J.K.: How long do such groups last?
D.K.: All this macabre came to light in the spring of 2023, but some members of these groups have a surprisingly long history of producing snuff films. Before they united into a collective, they operated independently. Several of them had been torturing animals occasionally for over a decade. Now that they have established structures, they operate en masse. They have their own pages, groups and subgroups. Chinese communities of this type are characterized by a high level of organization. They have IT experts, recruiters who are focused on recruiting easily manipulated teenagers. There are people responsible for segregating between open and closed groups. What surprised me the most was the support team that offers connecting one user to another and special teams that manage communities on Telegram. I think it took them at least several months to reach this level of organization, and since they were operating efficiently when detected, I guess it all had its beginning during the pandemic – just like the increase in interest in child pornography.
J.K.: What would you say to people who say that the average Chinese person does not have access to Telegram, so there is no social reaction?
D.K.: This is a simple lie that no thinking person will swallow. There is such a global dependency in the virtual world – the more oppressed a nation is, the more ways it finds to fight for its independence. To move freely on the Internet, all you need is a VPN. Government organizations may go on and on about the Great Firewall, penalties for using non-government-approved applications, and possible consequences for breaking the rules, but the truth is that it’s all publicly available. New generations coming online are taking advantage of the array of opportunities to take full advantage of banned apps, media and websites. This is also the case with Telegram.
J.K.: How do you deal emotionally with dealing with this topic?
D.K.: It doesn’t affect me emotionally. I understand the importance of this case and the level of macabre we are dealing with, so this is not the time to let my emotions dictate what I do. However, I will not hide the fact that I am disappointed with the direction we are heading.
J.K.: What was the response to your material?
D.K.: Due to the level of violence, most people did not watch the material until the end, but even without detailed descriptions, many people decided to get involved in helping. Apart from a few individuals seeking applause by making statements that are not entirely logical, I have not noticed any negative reception. After the material was published, the number of signed petitions increased rapidly. We are planning protests that would raise public awareness. People plan to put up posters and inform about the pathology on a wide scale. This reflects very well on us as a global online community. We turn words into actions. We stand without fear in front of the threat and strongly oppose it. We are an oppositional collective fuelled by the mutual strength of fighting for justice.
J.K.: What is the reaction of Chinese society to the activities of activists?
D.K.: I don’t have enough data to comment on this matter honestly, but I know that due to the degree of cruelty of the Death Groups, special attention began to be paid to disturbing behaviour towards animals. Recently, a man was caught trying to catch several stray cats. He broke one animal’s leg. Passers-by who witnessed the entire incident intervened. It turned out that he was a member of the network who studied at Hunan University. We are trying to expel him from the university, just like the previous two tormentors.
Chinese activists also scattered leaflets informing about the situation from the roof of the building, thus paralyzing traffic, and this event spread on Weibo. At another university, where one of the students dropped off murdered animals on the campus, a campaign was organized to lay flowers and bring cat toys to honour the memory of those who could not be saved. In China, thanks to streams from feeders for homeless cats, public awareness has increased and there are many indications that it will continue to grow. It’s not ideal, because recently a dog that was a pet at the local equivalent of a junior high school was beaten to death with a baton. The reason was the lack of vaccination against rabies. The recording ended up online, and since the act of cruelty was carried out in front of students, debates about morality arose. Every change starts with taking small steps. This is also the case here.
As you know we do not specialise in any particular issue like many organisations – we try to cover different animal issues from many different places. If there is one thing that I really work on, then it is live animal transport. https://worldanimalsvoice.com/?s=live+exports
Today I am going to concentrate on animals, legislation and welfare organisations in Nepal.
Below you we see I have included many links for you to access. There is too much to cover in each so I advise you just look at any / each to see the wonderful animal work being done by our animal buddies out there. Without any decent legislation (I have included that in the links); our friends must be finding it very hard. I salute them for all their endeavours ! in a situation that I appreciate must be very difficult.
If you can give anyone a donation, please do; I am sure it will be greatly accepted.
…… and with a General Election just months, the League Against Cruel Sports (LACS); and all of us, want to see all the loopholes which the hunts are using under the guise of ‘Trail Hunting’ hut down for good.
Fox hunts have been using the excuse that they are ‘trail hunting’, a deception invented by them after the legislation to ban hunting was introduced, to fool the police, courts, politicians and the public about what they are really up to; which is targeting and killing foxes.
Last year, the government in Scotland, which has different legislation on fox hunting to England and Wales; banned trail hunting and toughened its hunting laws.
In 2023, Chief Superintendent Matt Longman, England’s most senior police figure on fox hunting crime, highlighted that hunts are claiming to be trail hunting, when in reality, they are using the practice as a ‘smokescreen’ for the continued illegal persecution of animals. He described illegal fox hunting as “prolific” and said the law needed “revisiting”.
With a General Election just round the corner now, the LACS will be pressing all the main political parties to include a manifesto commitment (ie what they will do if elected) to indicate their policy position to strengthen the Hunting Act and BAN trail hunting in England and Wales.
The LACS have already had backing from the Time for Change Coalition Against Hunting which currently consists of 35 animal welfare charities. People in the countryside are fed up with fox hunts and their anti-social behaviour, in which they trespass on people’s property, hunt over roads and railway lines, and intimidate Sabs brave enough to stand up to them.
In January, a helper at an animal sanctuary near Loughborough, watched in horror as the Quorn Hunt rampaged through neighbouring fields with several foxes; which it had nursed back to health and released locally, were sent running for their lives. At one point, the hounds gathered in a crazed scrum, yelping frenziedly, indicating that they had caught one of the foxes and were tearing it apart.
This is the tragic reality and it is now time for change.
Above photo – Mark (WAV) and East Kent Hunt Sabs.
Please visit league.org.uk/strengthen-hunting-act to see more.
For a great day out to see and help wildlife and the LACS, please support ‘Baronfest’ on Saturday 13th July 2024. 10am – 6pm; Tickets include all materials for issues, lunch and refreshments. Hurry, space is limited !
The LACS is 100 years old this year, 2024.
Cheers ! -for the foxes; Mark / LACS
Stop the Bloodbath – Do the right thing politicians. Your future depends on it !!!
At the old office I used to get a wild fox come in, climb the stairs and sit with me while I worked. After a while, he would go downstairs, through the door and return to the wild. My friend the fox.
I love taking photos of foxes: All following photos – Mark (WAV).
“At the moment we are planning our next move about this. Please stay tuned”.
Well, all I (Mark) can say now is that we have sorted our next move out.
It is on the advice of someone who has been helpful, knows their stuff, where we should try and who wants to fully support us in getting some results.
I am not going to say now what we are doing and who we will be in contact with, but we hope that it will have a big impact on the whole issue of the cats. It is taking lots to get a package together but it is well in progress.
So, now things are moving, and we hope that come Tuesday 7th May we will have things fully prepared so that we can forward the data to those who are in a position to do something about it; they are not anything to do with the Chinese embassies or authorities, but we are hoping they will become involved when we have forwarded our data.
Recently we said – :
“The embassy refused to accept our petition signatures”.
We are experiencing exactly the same re our UK and German petitions for cats being tortured in China.
Currently we have tried many ways to present petitions to the Chinese Ambassadors. With every message we send we are being completely ignored. We have attempted to get contacts via UK politicians, the UK Foreign Office and UK and German Ambassadors in China.
Everything we have tried has just been ignored.
The petitions thus continue, until we do find a way to formally present the petitions.
How you can support animal protection organisations in Ukraine
1 May 2024
Four Paws
In the third year of Russia’s war in Ukraine, inflicting suffering on both humans and animals, many are still looking for ways to show practical support. We’ve updated our list of ways to provide aid to animal protection organisations working on the ground.
Donations
Some of our members are actively working, or collaborating with other organisations, on the ground. If you would like to support those protecting the animals caught up in Russia’s war on Ukraine, you could consider making a donation to these organisations:
Please note that we cannot verify the work of each actor on the ground in Ukraine, and it is the responsibility of the donor to review these sources before making a gift. We have made every effort possible to verify the quality of work of the organisations listed above. Splitting your donation among several NGOs may help to improve the effectiveness of your gift.
NGOs
NGOs can get involved by coordinating collections of aid to be sent directly to Ukraine, in collaboration with local NGOs (see the Humanitarian aid law). Organisations can also raise awareness about what is happening to animals in Ukraine.
Want to learn more? Reach out to our Ukraine Task Force if you need help with making a donation, to learn more about organisations working in Ukraine or with translations.
Inhabitants of rural areas strongly oppose cruel and unjustified hunting and only 12% feel well-represented by hunting interest groups, a new survey shows. With rural inhabitants most affected by hunting policies, it’s time to change the rules.
The survey which focused on large carnivores like wolves, highlighted the broad support of rural communities towards their protection.
Rural communities show a similar progressive approach when it comes to hunting of other species. 67% prioritise the protection of biodiversity and animal welfare over the maintaining of hunting traditions. While hunting is currently regulated differently in each Member State, 65 % of respondents called for an harmonisation of hunting practices throughout the EU, based on scientific knowledge and in application of EU legislation, especially regarding the protection of biodiversity.
7 out of 10 respondents believe that each wild animal is a sentient being that needs to be protected, and want effective non-lethal and humane wildlife management methods to be researched and implemented.
A larger group (75%) are demanding a ban of hunting methods causing avoidable suffering to wild animals (underground hunting with dogs, glue-trap hunting, etc). This approach is largely supported by recreational hunters (68%) themselves showing broad support for policy change.
64% of respondents want a limitation of hunting to cases where independent scientific assessments conclude that the species poses a risk to the environment or public health, clearly calling for the end of leisure hunting. Besides its impact on animals, hunting also raises public safety concerns as only 31% of respondents feel rather safe going out during hunting season and a larger group (39%) avoids going out altogether.
The survey highlights the negative impact of hunting practices on the livelihoods of EU citizens living in rural areas, and demonstrates the need for the EU to promote humane practices in the management of wild animals and finally issue clear guidelines for an efficient regulation of hunting.
This survey clearly shows that the hunting lobby does not represent the interests of rural communities. Rural citizens across the EU demand change, they want protection for themselves and for wild animals victims of cruel, unnecessary and unjustified culling, whether it concerns wolves or other species. It is time for the EU to seriously look into this and promote solutions.
Léa Badoz, Wildlife Programme Officer, Eurogroup for Animals
10,000 inhabitants of rural areas in Germany, France, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Poland, Denmark, Sweden and Romania participated in the survey, which was conducted by Savanta in November 2023. The survey was commissioned by Eurogroup for Animals, Humane Society International/Europe, Fondation Brigitte Bardot, Dierenbescherming, Djurskyddet Sverige, Deutscher Tierschutzbund, World Animal Protection Denmark, World Animal Protection Netherlands, World Animal Protection Sweden and LAV.
British conservationists have launched an urgent appeal to rescue five shellshocked lions from Ukraine.
The Big Cat Sanctuary, based in Kent, hopes to evacuate a group of African lions who are currently living in critical conditions in war-torn Kyiv.
They include Rori, a male lion, and four lionesses – Vanda, Yuna and sisters Amani and Lira.
The lions, who are temporarily living in a shelter, have already had a traumatic life – with some rescued from private homes where they had been kept in dreadful conditions.
The charity is working alongside the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) to relocate them and build a new rescue centre at the Sanctuary.
Wild black bears are dressed in human clothing and being forced to fight for a circus show (social media /east2west news)
Sickening bear boxing matches at twisted circus cause uproar over animal cruelty
Images of wild black bears dressed in human clothes have sparked uproar and calls for an end to the use of circus animals in Russia as a prominent activist speaks up in favour of a total ban
The horrific animal cruelty can be seen in images that show wild black bears, who have been torn from their natural habitats, dressed in shorts and wearing boxing gloves with ropes tied around their waists being forced to wrestle each other in the middle of a circus ring in Russia. Circus shows such as this where animals are forced to perform are popular in some areas of the country, especially in resorts like Sochi on the Black sea.
Well it is the 1st of May today; so our Clustrmap, showing our worldwide visitors, https://clustrmaps.com/site/1a9kn has started afresh in showing locations.
As the month progresses, so will our visitor ‘red dots’ which shows their basic location in the world.
By clicking on the above link you will be taken to our new map, and see the national flag of each visitor.
Animal abuse is very hard on all involved; but we try to look forward to working with others to make this (currently very disturbed world) a better place for all; so we try to live forward looking, and don’t look back in anger.
Currently we have tried many ways to present petitions to the Chinese Ambassadors. With every message we send we are being completely ignored. We have attempted to get contacts via UK politicians, the UK Foreign Office and UK and German Ambassadors in China.
Everything we have tried has just been ignored.
The petitions thus continue, until we do find a way to formally present the petitions.
At the moment we are planning our next move about this. Please stay tuned.
Mark and Diana.
Did you know that India is the largest milk producer in the world and one of the leading exporters of beef and leather? And at the same time, the animal welfare guidelines in India are enormously low. Undercover investigations by Animal Equality reveal serious abuses of cattle and calves in Indian dairy farms, slaughterhouses and animal markets. Germany also plays an important role in this, as our country is the second most important sales market for leather from India.
We call on the Indian government to implement stricter animal welfare guidelines and end the cruel practices.
We have contacted the Ambassador of the Republic of India to Germany, Harish Parvathaneni, several times to personally hand over the voices of citizens against animal suffering to him.
Unfortunately, our requests went unanswered and the embassy refused to accept our petition signatures.
Nevertheless, on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, we protested with posters in front of the Indian mission abroad to educate employees and passers-by about the suffering of cattle. With our team in India, we will continue to work to improve animal welfare guidelines on farms and animal markets.
Undercover Investigations Show Cruel Abuse
In India, the image of the “sacred” cow prevails, but the reality for Indian cattle and calves in dairy farms, slaughterhouses and animal markets often means massive violence, as our undercover research shows. In order to move cattle, they are beaten with sticks and chains by the workers and stabbed in the genitals.
The animals’ tails are broken and chili is rubbed into their eyes. Footage from the slaughterhouses documents how cattle and buffalo are beaten to the head with hammer blows and how the animals’ throats are often cut several times if the first stab is not fatal.
It is best not to wear or eat animal products at all. In this way, you can reduce animal suffering every day. You can find great inspiration for a variety of plants on your plate on Love Veg
An estimated 1.5 million rabbits are kept as pets in the UK, but many owners and veterinarians have little experience with caring for the species. Rabbit Welfare works to educate the public, veterinarians and legislators about the need for better understanding, protections and care for rabbits.
We interviewed Rae Walters, CEO, to find out more about the organisation’s work.
Tell us a bit about Rabbit Welfare and its main battles?
We are focussed only on rabbits that are kept as companions, not those who are farmed, or used in science, but there is still so much work to do. We are based in the UK, where rabbits are the third most popular pet, but still so misunderstood and mistreated. We have welfare problems relating to so many areas, the main ones being:
Rabbits are often thought of as a cheap and easy pet, but have a lifespan of 10-12 years. Most only live to be 5 years old because they are not properly cared for .
Rabbits are hugely misunderstood and many are kept alone, with inadequate housing, a poor diet, and lack of vet care.
Pet suppliers typically sell unsuitable housing and give incorrect care advice.
There has been a boom in unregulated internet sales.
The number of abandonments is thought to be the worst in over 25 years, at an estimated 100,000 animals every year.
There is a lack of protection in legislation, and where it does exist, it is not enforced properly. Legislation needs to be improved so that rabbits have the same protection as other companion animals like dogs and cats.
What about you? Tell us a bit more about your role within Rabbit Welfare and why you joined.
I have been involved with the RWAF for over 25 years ! I joined first as a member in 1997, then offered to help at local events giving advice, and manning the helpline on a regular basis. I became a Trustee the following year. We knew we needed to attend as many meetings and get as involved in as many things as we could because we need to raise the profile of rabbits, and that is still the case today. So I started to attend meetings and my role grew and grew. It is now a full time job! I work on the strategy to improve rabbit welfare, as well as the admin, and run the rabbit friendly vet directory.
Richard Saunders BSc (Hons) BVSc MSB CBiol DZooMed (Mammalian) MRCVS. He works with me on all of the strategic stuff and assesses all of the rabbit friendly vet applications. He has been part of the team since 2010, and we are very fortunate to have him.
Image
When did Rabbit Welfare join Eurogroup for Animals and why?
RWAF joined Eurogroup for Animals in 2023. We had three reasons for joining
to keep in touch with like minded organisations in Europe after Brexit
as a relatively new and small organisation we felt as if we could learn from the Eurogroup for Animals network and see how it is working for change
to raise the profile of companion rabbits with the hope that they would be included in future legilslation
What were Rabbit Welfare’s main achievements in 2023?
Rescue crisis
We launched an urgent appeal for people to support our breeding amnesty and sign our petition to demand government action to make rabbit breeders require the same licensing as dog breeders.
Anyone is legally allowed to breed and sell rabbits. This results in uneducated and inexperienced rabbit owners having multiple litters which they can’t look after and are too many to sell to responsible pet owners.
We believe that a change in legislation would mean an immediate improvement in the welfare of rabbits being sold, and a subsequent drop in the number of rabbits being abandoned or dumped.
Our breeding amnesty campaign calls for:
An immediate pause in the breeding of rabbits.
Retailers to stop selling rabbits.
Classified sites to stop allowing adverts for baby rabbits.
Members of the public to support rescue and “adopt don’t shop”.
We had a great deal of support for the amnesty. The RSPCA, Blue Cross, Raystede Centre for Animal Welfare, Wood Green Pets Charity and Burgess Pet Care were all behind it. It was also supported by Gumtree and Preloved who both suspended adverts for new baby rabbits over the Easter 2023 period. This was a great start to the campaign and something we will build on for 2024.
Educating and supporting rabbit owners is key to improving welfare
Our free helpline is open to everyone, from rabbit owners to concerned neighbours alike. In 2023 the helpline received around 2,000 phone calls.
Every 12-18 months we print 50,000 of our comprehensive rabbit care booklet: On the Hop. These are sent to vet practices and rescues, given out at shows and events, and sold on our website. On the Hop is also available as a free download.
The ‘Good Practice Codes for the Welfare of Pet Rabbits in England’ was launched in 2021 and revised and relaunched in 2023. We were instrumental in this and have sent a link to as many businesses and local authorities as possible. We are also pushing Defra to adopt the Codes.
Farm parks, petting zoos and animal encounters
In our experience, the majority of these places do not care for their rabbits properly, and often allow handling sessions for children which is extremely stressful for the rabbits. We have written to every farm park, petting zoo and animal encounter in England to share the updated Codes of Practice and try to make changes.
We have had some great feedback from this, with some asking for more information, asking us to give lectures, and send On the Hop booklets for visitors.
Unlicensed breeders
For the last seven years we have had the benefit of the brilliance of Mark, our Welfare Officer, who investigates and reports unlicensed breeders. Unfortunately, despite providing local authorities with a comprehensive dossier of evidence each time, we can probably count on one hand the number of breeders that have been investigated and licensed as a result. This is another example of the system not working and why we want all breeders and sellers to be licensed.
Not all vets are rabbit savvy
Because of their complex care needs, rabbits are classed as an exotic pet, which is a surprise to many owners. Whilst in training, vets spend a worryingly little amount of time learning about rabbits. This does vary between vet schools, but to become rabbit savvy, it means the vet has to go out of their way to do more training and continual professional development (CPD) on rabbits. We have a rabbit friendly vet list on our website and a big part of our resources are dedicated to keeping the list online and up to date.
In 2023 we ran CPD courses free of charge and hosted three webinars on The Webinar Vet. This was at a cost to us of around £9000, but we had almost 3000 views in over 65 countries! This will make a difference to many practices and improve the outcomes for many pet rabbits.
Local Authorities are supposed to enforce the legislation that does exist to protect rabbits. We report many cases a year where for example a farm park has poor welfare. Sadly the results are usually disappointing. Local authorities have limited resources, and priorities mean they do not enforce the legislation. Different authorities can also have very different approaches, which we think should be standardised. In 2024 we aim to produce a pack for anyone who works with rabbits so they can see which legislation applies to them. This will provide clarity and should help with enforcement.
Brachycephalic (flat faced) breeds
This is a huge area of concern because brachy rabbits suffer many health problems. We are working with other organisations to try and make a change here but it is a long, hard process. Internally we have stopped using any images of brachy breeds on our website, magazine and marketing because we need to stop normalising these breeds and the health problems they suffer from.
How can the public act for Rabbit Welfare?
We would love for everyone to add their signature to our petition to amend legislation to ensure rabbit breeders require the same licensing as dog breeders. We’re close to 100,000 signatures!
Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital in the UK shared a post on Facebook on an injured pigeon it received that had been dyed pink. A spokesperson urged people to “think before you follow these social media trends”.
“The pigeon was most likely used for a gender reveal party and is absolutely shocking,” they added. “It has become a horrendous trend and we are urging you to spread the message about the effects that this can have. Quite simply, it is an act of cruelty and is no way to celebrate the gender of your baby.”
The spokesperson said that the dye made the birds an easier target for predators, while toxins could cause them to become unwell if swallowed or inhaled. They added that due to the birds being bred in captivity, it was likely they also had no sense of how to survive in the wild.
“This pigeon sadly didn’t make it, he was incredibly malnourished, dehydrated and had significant wounds caused by the cat,” they added.
“The sentence reflects Korean society’s increasing concern for animal welfare and intolerance for senseless cruelty such as this,” said Borami Seo, a director of the South Korea office of the Humane Society International.
“This cruelty case also emphasizes the importance of passing the Civil Act amendment that will legally recognize animals as living beings and further strengthen their protection in law,” Seo added.
A local business owner in Oklahoma walked outside her establishment one day to find a horrific sight: a dead puppy was lying outside.
After she called local authorities, they discovered security video footage showing exactly what had happened. It started when a man appeared, dragging the small dog by its back legs up the street, scraping the poor thing’s nose along the pavement. <https://www.care2.com/go/z/e/A0guo/zYC./d2EQY>
After he dropped the animal on the curb, that’s when the beating started. The man repeatedly punched, kicked, and stomped on the puppy. Finally, he picked the limp animal up and threw it on the ground, before walking away. After so much violence and trauma, the puppy passed away from its injuries.
The man’s ex-girlfriend ultimately identified him from the footage and turned him into the police, sharing that he had been abusive to her and her own puppy. This demonstrates the clear link between cruelty to animals and domestic violence.
Authorities have since arrested the man, but it’s clear he needs intensive psychological counselling to address his rage and violence. Sign the petition to demand authorities ban him from ever owning or living with animals again, and also mandate therapy sessions! <https://www.care2.com/go/z/e/A0guo/zYC./d2EQY> <https://www.care2.com/go/z/e/A0guo/zYC./d2EQY>
P.S. A man dragged an innocent puppy along the street, beat and kicked it, then threw it on the ground before walking away. Sign the petition to ask officials to intervene now. <https://www.care2.com/go/z/e/A0guo/zYC./d2EQY>
From left to right: MEPS Francisco Guerreiro, Tilly Metz, Caroline Roose, Sirpa Pietikäinen, Senior Political Advisor at Eurogroup for Animals Andreas Erler and IFAW Representative Filip Molnár
Candidate MEPs take the Vote for Animals pledge
25 April 2024
Press Release
MEPs of the Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals celebrated their achievements for the last legislative term, while candidates for the next one pledged to continue to advocate for better protection of all animals at the EU level.
The Intergroup, which met for the last session for this term, brings together 94 MEPs from across all political groups, and provides a cross-party platform for discussions and initiatives on animal welfare in the European Parliament (EP). For the past four decades, it has been a crucial catalyst for action on this front.
Some of the noteworthy achievements of this term include:
The set-up of a Committee of Inquiry on the Protection of Animals during Transport (ANIT), which pushed for the revision of the outdated Regulation on animal transport.
The resolution on actions to accelerate a transition to non-animal science.
The working group on the ECI End the Cage Age, which contributed to get a resolution in the EP and a subsequent European Commission (EC) commitment.
The adoption of a resolution on improving Regulations on wild and exotic animals to be kept as pets in the EU, through a positive list.
The support for a campaign calling for an EU commissioner on animal welfare.
A working group on companion animals.
During her intervention, President of the Intergroup Tilly Metz said that the Intergroup has continuously made animal welfare visible in the EP, through reports, working groups, resolutions and parliamentary questions. She expressed her disappointment at the EC’s failure to put forward a full package of proposals to update the EU animal welfare legislation, despite continuous pressure by members of the Intergroup and animal protection NGOs.
In the run-up to the European Elections in June, candidate MEPs are taking a pledge stating a clear commitment to strive to improve animal welfare if they are elected, through the Vote for Animals campaign, run by Eurogroup for Animals and its members. The pledge, composed of ten asks, addresses live animal transport, imports of animal-based products, welfare of aquatic species, non-animal science and the conservation of wild animals, among others.
These were five intense years of fighting for better animal welfare. We have seen overwhelming civil mobilisation, which shows the willingness of EU citizens to better protect animals at an EU level. We need legislation that protects all animals, including aquatic ones, which are currently unprotected. We have yet to see a ban on cages, on fur farms, and fur products in the EU market,
MEP Caroline Roose (Greens/EFA, FR), Vice President of the Intergroup
Without the civil society – the ECIs, campaigns and other initiatives – we wouldn’t have been so strong. We require species-specific legislation, for example for octopus, and other animals which are unprotected. We must continue to bring animal welfare on the table in important discussions,
MEP Sirpa Pietikäinen, (EPP, FI) Honorary President of the Intergroup
As 300 million animals continue to suffer in cages, we need the European Commission to deliver on the End the Cage Age ECI. We need to push for a roadmap for a transition to non-animal science, and a ban on the transport of vulnerable animals
MEP Niels Fuglsang (S&D, DK), Vice-President of the Intergroup
To you, and to the average citizen, running over coyotes and wolves with a snowmobile sounds inhumane, barbaric, and just plain cruel. But unfortunately, this practice is legal in Wyoming and Idaho (wolves and coyotes), and Montana (just coyotes), where wildlife policy is stacked against wild carnivores.
If wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains received the federal Endangered Species Act protections they deserve, Cody Roberts wouldn’t have felt emboldened to commit the heinous act of running over a yearling wolf before further torturing her in a bar and finally killing her.
Unfortunately, even if wolves are relisted to the Endangered Species Act (which is essential to prevent decades of conservation work from being undone, and why we’re suing the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service), it would still be legal to run over coyotes with snowmobiles and other motorized vehicles. Therefore, we’ve joined the Center for Biological Diversity and other groups in calling on the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to ban the use of snowmobiles or other vehicles to run down wolves and other wildlife.
This practice is utterly barbaric, and one would think that banning it would be straightforward. However, both Wyoming and Montana had the opportunity to prohibit this practice in 2019 and FAILED to do so.
It’s high time to hold wildlife policymakers accountable. They are failing wildlife. They are failing all of us. Thank you for standing with us to show Wyoming, and the rest of the country, that we will not allow wolves, coyotes, or any wild animals to be legally tortured. Last week, the Wyoming Fish and Game Commission convened and heard impassioned testimony from wildlife advocates across the country regarding the disturbing Cody Roberts’ incident.
Many individuals urged the Commission to support a ban of “whacking.” We MUST continue this call to end egregious practices like “whacking” and create a more compassionate world where wolves are safe from all persecution and inhumane practices and policies. Stay loud and join us in demanding justice and stronger protections for wolves, coyotes, and all wild carnivores. Here’s how you can create a safer future for wild lives:
If you haven’t already, sign this change.org petition calling on Sublette County officials to bring more severe charges against Cody Roberts.
Contact Wyoming State officials urging harsher punishments for Cody Roberts and strengthened protections for Wyoming wolves and coyotes—including banning “whacking.” Please remember to be polite and respectful in your comment. Call 307-777-7434 for Governor Mark Gordon Call 307-777-4600 for WY Game & Fish Department Director Brian Nesvick
Sample script:
olf & coyote “whacking.” The use of snowmobiles and other motorized vehicles to chase and down and kill wolves and coyotes goes far beyond practices of fair-chase and is purely cruel and inhuman; it must end. Please take action to ensure this never happens again. Thank you. Support our efforts to sue USFWS over their negligence in not relisting Northern Rocky Mountain wolves to the Endangered Species Act and our ongoing litigation in Montana in defense of wolves by donating today or monthly. It’s high time to hold wildlife policymakers accountable. They are failing wildlife. They are failing all of us. Thank you for standing with us to show Wyoming, and the rest of the country, that we will not allow wolves, coyotes, or any wild animals to be legally tortured.
For The Wild Ones, Carnivore Conservation Director
U.S. health and agriculture officials are ramping up testing and tracking of bird flu in dairy cows in an urgent effort to understand — and stop — the growing outbreak.
So far, the risk to humans remains low, officials said, but scientists are wary that the virus could change to spread more easily among people.
In putting together posts for WAV, you learn quite a lot.
One thing that has been interesting me lately is the issue of children who abuse animals during their childhood have been shown (by lots of research) to often progress more into domestic offenders, sexual offenders, women beaters / abusers, and serial killers and murderers of humans.
Unfortunately, in the past this link between the two has been largely overlooked by persons in authority; ie. those who can make a difference; when in fact, realisation, earlier intervention and acceptance of ‘something (weirder) being there’ by these very same may in some cases have stopped things getting more out of hand.
Obviously; not every person who abuses animals has committed or will commit other crimes. But harming people is statistically more likely when animal cruelty is previously involved. So, animal cruelty must be taken seriously.
Kip Kinkel, before his attack on Thurston High School parents and students, blew up cows and decapitated cats.
Luke Woodham, who murdered his mother and two schoolmates at Pearl High School, wrote in his journal about setting his dog Sparkle on fire.
“Animal abuse is often the first sign of serious disturbance among adolescent and adult killers,” Gail F. Melson, professor emerita of developmental studies at Purdue University, wrote in Psychology Today.
Domestic violence survivors have reported in studies that their abusers threatened to kill, torture, or otherwise harm their companion animals — or actually followed through on the threats — to prevent them from leaving their abusive situations.
88% of families surveyed that had incidents of child abuse also had incidents of animal abuse.
63% of children entering shelters admitted to incidents of pet abuse in their families.
More than 80% of families being treated for child abuse reported animal abuse in their homes.
Engaging in sex with animals is actually legal in four states — Wyoming, Hawaii, New Mexico, and West Virginia — and the District of Columbia. In more than 20 states, bestiality (sex with an animal) is only a misdemeanor crime.
Jeffrey Dahmer, the “Milwaukee cannibal” who dismembered 17 people three decades ago had first practiced his butchery by cutting up dogs and cats and impaling their heads on sticks.
Ian Brady, the (UK) Moors murderer who tortured and killed five children in the 1960s, boasted of killing his first cat when he was just 10, and went on to burn another cat alive, stone dogs and cut off rabbits’ heads before going on to target people.
Robert Thompson and Jon Venables (UK) would shoot pigeons with air rifles and tie rabbits to railway lines to watch them be run over – until in 1993 they killed toddler James Bulger.
Many infamous serial killers harmed animals when they were children, including Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, Gary Ridgeway, John Wayne Gacy, and the Boston Strangler. It’s long been a popularly held belief that children who are abusive toward animals are serial killers in the making.
If there is a trait in the triad that’s especially concerning, it may be animal abuse.This behaviour is a well-established early indicator of future assault, murder, rape, partner abuse and child abuse. Again, not all kids who harm animals will go on to hurt people — but some will.
Research has revealed that 25 percent of aggressive inmates had committed multiple acts of animal abuse as children. Forty-five percent of school shooters had histories of alleged animal cruelty, and 21 percent of serial murderers admitted to childhood animal abuse.
Psychologists point to harming animals as proof of a lack of empathy. Such behavior also indicates a propensity towards aggression. While there isn’t any hard data claiming the percentage of infamous offenders who began their career of pain by hurting animals, many believe that this is a serious warning sign.
Many of these offenders have admitted that harming animals was the first time they realized that they liked to cause suffering and, in fact, wanted to hurt people. Often neighborhood cats, dogs, and even crabs were the earliest victims of these menacing childhood “games,” which often led to painful demises. One notorious offender even began targeting animals after seeing his father do the same.
“This is a worrying development, but no surprise really. It reinforces what was said earlier, that youthful individuals engaging in animal abuse pose a high threat to Humans in adult life. A taste for cruelty developed in early life, and at a time when a personality is impressionable and as yet to be formed, tends to take firm hold, and influence a person’s conduct in later life”.
“This is why the activity of these “Cat Torture Rings” is so dangerous, and must be dealt with severely – they must be destroyed wherever they are found. Once and for all”.
“Young kids of school age appear to be the primary members of many of these groups. As we have said before, and it is shown many times over, people often start as animal killers and then move on to being human killers. SO WHAT IS CHINA ACTUALLY DOING ABOUT THIS ? – Very little it appears”.
Further, here in the UK, and again as published on this (WAV) site recently:
“It is getting worrying now – animals killers go on to kill humans”. FACT
“Children using catapults to kill and torture animals before sharing ‘sick’ images on WhatsApp”.
“A Sky News investigation finds hundreds of members of catapult groups on WhatsApp, where pictures and videos of animals killed or injured with the weapons are shared”.
“The youngsters – including some of primary school age – have been sharing footage and photos of their kills in groups on the messaging app.
In some videos, injured animals are shown dying slowly after being shot with hand-held catapults.
Sky News has discovered 489 members – including young children, teenagers and some young adults – across 11 catapult groups on WhatsApp”.
“In one video shared on a group, a deer lies twitching on the ground, severely injured with a head wound, having just been shot with a catapult by a child.
The young person who attacked the deer then stands over the animal while bringing a hand-held catapult in front of the camera for viewers to see”.
We say that the written word is mightier than the gun. Here we attempt to let the written word speak.
How many videosare uploaded toYouTube every day? Around 3.7m new videos are uploaded to YouTube every day – that’s around 271,330 hours of video content based on an average length of 4.4 minutes.
Over 1 billion messages are sent on WhatsApp every day.
Call me a liar for sure if you wish; but I suggest that neither YouTube, WhatsApp or Tik Tok, despite what they say, have any real control over what is published daily on their sites.
Or, by showing and allowing such communications, are we saying that WhatsApp are perfectly supportive of animal abuse and cruelty being shown on their site ?
Sky News has discovered nearly 500 members of catapult groups on WhatsApp, in which more than 350 photos and videos have been shared of animals that have been killed or wounded with the weapons.
They will say they don’t condone animal abuse – so the question is, why are they allowing it to be shown by such groups on their sites ?
Organisations such as these have a massive responsibility to control what is being shown on their sites. As said, with the huge quantities of uploads each day it is just not physically possible to control what is going on. So what is the driving force with these which allow this uncontrolled mass relay of abusive data to be beamed around the globe each day ? – can I suggest ‘money’ ?
Until we see more action by CEO’s etc of these organisations to actually do as they preach – that is taking action and taking down such sites; are we moving each day to a more frenzied; anti social; abusive; don’t give a damn as long as I get ‘likes’ situation. When will these sites be just as abusive as the dark web in allowing footage that currently shows kittens having screws driven into their eye sockets and their nostrils as the norm ?
Through these sites, how many additional animal abusers and human killers are going to be matured into further grievous action ?
These sites should have a responsibility; one of taking action to remove data which breeds killing and abuse. I do not see it; thus I close by saying; “through these sites the world is becoming amore abusive and harmful to both animals and humans each and every day. CEO’s, it is over to you to take action, and ACT NOW !”
Today, 24th April, is the World Day for Lab Animals.
24 April 2024
Every year on 24 April, World Day for Animals in Laboratories serves as a stark reminder of the millions of animals used in scientific research around the globe. At present, we are faced with a critical decision: whether to perpetuate existing policies that neither incentivise the development and uptake of innovative non-animal technologies nor lead to significant reductions in the number of animals used for scientific purposes, or to implement coordinated and concrete policies and mechanisms that empower stakeholders to embrace non-animal technologies.
In response to growing calls from Members of the European Parliament, EU agencies, citizens, academia and industry for a transition towards more biologically-relevant non-animal approaches, the European Commission took action in 2023. It committed to develop a roadmapto phase out the use of animals for chemical safety assessment, and to explore the possibility of a European Research Area (ERA) action to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of non-animal approaches in biomedical research and testing of pharmaceuticals.
These two initiatives represent significant opportunities to establish the necessary policies and mechanisms at EU level to accelerate the transition to non-animal science. The roadmap will serve as a framework for coordinating concrete actions to move away from animal testing in the context of the EU chemicals legislation. In doing so, it will set a precedent for other policy areas that still rely on the use of animals.
An ERA action has the potential to foster increased collaboration and coordination between Member States, and to identify specific areas where animal use can be avoided and where investments should be directed to advance non-animal technologies. It can also improve access to essential infrastructure for non-animal research, and facilitate the development of harmonised education and training programmes. This will ensure that students, educators, researchers and regulators are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively advance innovative non-animal approaches to address scientific challenges.
Eurogroup for Animals and its member organisations call on all stakeholders, including policy makers, scientists, industry, regulators and funders, to join forces to develop and implement forward-looking policies and mechanisms in order to move towards a future where humans, animals and the environment are better protected.
Today, we also take the opportunity to shine a spotlight on the recent achievements of several of our member organisations in advancing human-based science:
LAV is currently involved in legal proceedings against a contract research organisation in Italy which carries out tests on animals, including dogs and non-human primates. Following complaints from LAV, the Italian authorities carried out an inspection which revealed numerous irregularities. As a result, the former director and veterinarian were charged with mistreatment and unnecessary killing. The authorities seized all the dogs and non-human primates.
Doctors Against Animal Experiments (DAAE) engaged with 800 political decision-makers to request the correct transposition of Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes into German law. Furthermore, DAAE granted two Herbert Stiller Research Prizes to advance animal-free research.
The RSPCA ran an event with the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) to discuss steps that the industry is taking to avoid, replace and reduce animal use, and opportunities for further progress. The RSPCA also launched their AWERB Directory, collating key resources to help institutional Animal Welfare (and Ethical Review) Bodies effectively challenge whether and how animals are used in research and testing. Furthermore, the RSPCA organised its third annual Focus on Fish event to share knowledge and ideas for reducing the suffering and improving the welfare of fishes used in science, as well as their fifth international meeting promoting practical approaches for avoiding and reducing ‘severe’ suffering.
GAIA contacted the Brussels and Walloon Ministers for Animal Welfare to encourage the establishment and implementation of an action plan to replace and reduce animal testing, similar to the Flemish Action Plan, in their respective regions. In its response, the Brussels Minister announced that a five-year strategy to reduce animal experimentation will be included in the Brussels Animal Welfare Code.
Djurens Rätt submitted 27,847 signatures to urge the Swedish government to reinstate dedicated funding for the Swedish 3R Centre.
Humanimal Trust published an updated edition of Humanimal, a children’s book focusing on the similarities between humans and animals. Moreover, Humanimal Trust also launched the First Global Creative Awards for children and young minds in order to captivate a broad audience with the concept of One Medicine via creative media, as well as online One Medicine Webinar series showcasing where collaboration between human and veterinary medical professionals can deliver better health for all species.
Menschen für Tierrechte (People for Animal Rights Germany, PARG) joined forces with the Berlin Greens to make “Animal-free Research Methods Development” a mandatory component of all relevant undergraduate courses offered at universities in Berlin. In addition, PARG also published an extensive University Guide that provides comprehensive information for studying life science subjects without the use of animals. PARG’s initiative “Exit from Animal Testing. NOW!” lead a government action plan and a commitment of two million euros for the development of a strategy aimed at reducing animal testing.
Animalfree Research launched a petition calling on the Swiss Parliament and the Federal Council to make a binding commitment and establish a concrete plan to gradually phase out harmful animal experiments, and take measures to systematically evaluate the benefits of state-funded research involving animal experiments and publish these results on a regular basis. Furthermore, Animalfree Research organised a forum on advancing personalised medicine with animal-free research.
Footage recorded at a python farm in Thailand has revealed that pythons are fed chicks before they are violently killed to make snakeskin accessories.
PETA Asia’s investigation into a facility with ties to Gucci’s parent company, Kering, shows that chicks are attached to sausages so that pythons will eat meat they otherwise wouldn’t consume.
Workers then pin the struggling pythons down, bash them on the head with a hammer, and drive metal hooks through their skull. Lastly, the snakes are inflated with water and skinned, all in the name of fashion.
Please ask Kering to stop selling snakes’ skin through Gucci or its other brands:
Tell Kering to Cut Ties With Cold-Blooded Snake Slaughter
A yearlong PETA Asia investigation into two python farms that supply skins to Caravel – a tannery owned by Kering, whose brands include Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent – revealed cold-blooded treatment of snakes. Workers pinned struggling pythons down by the neck and bashed them over the head with a hammer before driving metal hooks through their head. The snakes were inflated with water, even as their bodies continued to move, and skinned. Please take action for snakes by urging Kering to drop exotic skins now.
Pythons Bashed With Hammers, Impaled With Hooks
The investigators documented that workers pin struggling pythons down by the neck and bash them over the head with a hammer before driving metal hooks through their head. To make their skins easier to remove, workers inflate the snakes with water, even as they continue to move. According to Dr Clifford Warwick, a reptile expert who reviewed the video footage, it’s likely that most of the animals were conscious during this horrifically painful process. The snakes were then skinned.
CCBI’s owner claimed that his workers put pythons in a chilled room for one day before slaughtering them, but there’s no scientific evidence that imposed hypothermia (intentionally causing a reduction in core temperature) has any meaningful effect on reducing sensitivity or awareness in snakes.
According to the owner, at the time of the investigation, CCBI confined some 15,000 pythons at a massive factory-farm operation – one of the largest that PETA Asia has investigated. It slaughters approximately 2,000 snakes during its busy season, typically killing 20 to 30 pythons a day. The owner told an investigator about the farm’s contract with Caravel to supply it with 5,000 skins in 2024.
Kering’s Complicity in Snakes’ Suffering
Despite indisputable documentation of abuse at facilities that supply Kering with exotic skins – including PETA Asia’s 2021 investigation into an Indonesian slaughterhouse that provides Gucci with lizard skins – the company continues to tout its Animal Welfare Standards, which specify that animals must have “room to move around freely” and be “managed to promote good health and treated immediately should disease or injury be discovered”. The standards also require “humane handling at end of life”. Claims of upholding these standards were proved false by PETA Asia’s investigations.
Foxes are true survivors, at home in all regions of the Earth. Nowadays, the smart animals also feel at home in our cities. As an example, a close-knit clan has been living in Berlin’s government district for many years. High up in the North on the German coast, a vixen raises her litter alone. Rarely is there enough to feed everyone. Like after a storm, for example, when the vixen finds a lot to eat in the drift line on the beach. The little ones have to grow up fast, as once the autumn arrives, their single parent mother’s reserves are exhausted and she drives them out of her territory. For more than two years, filmmakers Roland Gockel and Rosie Koch kept track of the foxes in Berlin, Hamburg and on the North German coast. With the help of hidden cameras, they were able to unearth many secrets of the clever animals.
Without an arrest, investigators fear the still-at-large suspect will continue to torture animals, and potentially one day people. Cops and animal officials’ investigation, as of writing, remains ongoing
‘It’s important that these individuals are identified because usually these things progress,’ said Gary.
Animals went missing, died and suffered disease because of continued failings at a zoo once dubbed “the worst in the UK”, campaigners say.
An “emaciated” meerkat struggled to find enough food, bear cages were left uncleaned for too long and a baby kangaroo drowned at Cumbria Safari Zoo, it was claimed.
Other kangaroos were thought to have a disease and lemurs were injured because their “overcrowded” enclosures caused aggression, according to Freedom for Animals.
An activist for the animal-rights organisation who posed as a volunteer helper at the zoo for nearly a year found what they said was a “shocking” string of animal-welfare guideline violations, including “appalling” conditions, mistreatment and neglect.
Bosses at the zoo near Dalton, which is thought to house about 1,000 animals, insist they have no concerns over the work of their vets, who are “unrivalled” in their field. They also claim much of the video “pieces together snapshots in time, many pre-dating” their running of this zoo.
Four years later, a council report revealed 486 animals had died between 2013 and 2016.
Barrow Council refused to renew the zoo’s licence after inspectors raised concerns, but a firm formed by the staff took over managing the site and the council granted Cumbria Zoo Company Ltd a licence.
Now Freedom for Animals, which carried out a fresh investigation, says nothing has changed, despite the change of ownership.
The group claims a missing baby kangaroo was found drowned in a lake – described as “an unforgivable fatality that could have been avoided”.
A keeper was secretly captured on film talking of how one kangaroo had died, possibly of “lumpy jaw”, a bacterial disease linked to stress, poor diet or faecal contamination at feeding stations.
The campaigner investigating also filmed an “emaciated meerkat struggling to find food and warmth in its enclosure”, and its tail appeared injured.
Meerkats in pens that were said to be cold and draughty were filmed huddling together under heat lamps for warmth.
It was too difficult to get Andean bears out of their enclosure to clean it, another worker was recorded saying, and they added: “We’re trying to do it every other day because this pair are a pain in the arse.”
As a result, the cages – shared by lemurs – got dirty with waste very quickly, it was claimed.
And in one case mouldy food in those cages was left rotting, the footage suggested.
According to one keeper, a lemur was presumed to have frozen to death after failing to return indoors overnight.
Lemur mothers often abandoned their babies, while overcrowding caused by aggression led some to attack others, keepers were recorded admitting.
Some suffered injuries that required stitches, and one keeper said: “They’ve got big teeth so they do a fair bit of damage to each other.”
Freedom for Animals questioned why the zoo was still breeding them in an “already overcrowded environment that is clearly causing significant illness and injury”.
One lemur, called Bruce, vanished regularly, the campaigner said, after filming a keeper hunting in trees for the animal. A keeper said another lemur found dead “had stuff on his liver”.
Footage showed visitors feeding a giraffe on what the activists said was more than 300 pieces of carrot – a high-sugar food not in the animal’s natural diet. The giraffe was later filmed twisting its neck unnaturally.
Carrot-feeding is arranged twice a day, every day, according to the investigators.
It was also claimed flood damage to an electric fence left baboons, who normally spend most time outdoors, locked inside for almost five days.
The undercover investigator said one keeper told how the baboons’ housing was so “grim” that the animals chewed at the wooden walls.
The council, which issues zoo licences, has previously raised some of the concerns.
Freedom for Animals wants all the animals moved to sanctuaries.
“It is appalling that animals in this country are being treated this way and is a gross breach of the Animal Welfare Act and the Zoo Licensing Act,” a spokesperson said.
Karen Brewer, chief executive of Cumbria Zoo Company Limited, said: “The organisation making these allegations is anti-captivity by nature. We continue to welcome feedback, advice and guidance from those qualified to comment on the way in which the zoo is run.
“We are aware of a video now in circulation that pieces together snapshots in time, many pre-dating our running of this zoo, as do many ‘facts’ that surface in these reports.
“We have no concerns over the standard of veterinary care given to the animals who reside with us. Our veterinary team are internationally recognised and unrivalled in their field.”
The Independent has asked Barrow Council to comment.
25 animals, including dogs and primates, were rescued from a research facility in Verona where serious mistreatment of animals was discovered. The facility, which carries out animal testing on behalf of international pharmaceutical companies, is being charged with the neglect and unlawful killing of animals including beagles, marmosets and macaques.
The Court of Verona has brought forward charges against officials of the multinational pharmaceutical research company Aptuit, for the mistreatment and unnecessary killing of animals in the facility. The veterinarian and the company’s former president have been included in the register of suspects.
The prosecutors asserted that the company failed to comply with even the minimum criteria of animal management required by law, resulting in serious physical and psychological damage to the animals. These charges can lead to a fine of up to 30 000 € and imprisonment of up to 18 months.
Within this laboratory, thousands of dogs and monkeys were subject to injections, withdrawals and toxicity tests that lead to agonising deaths in deplorable conditions. The animals lacked fundamental necessities such as kennels, left on cold tile floors with no sunlight.
Due to the ongoing legal case, full details about the mistreatment are yet to be released.
A report released by LAV three years ago highlighted a shipment of several beagles to the Aptuit Company, which led to national demonstrations and demands for an official inspection. Following continuous pressure, 25 animals were rescued and appointed to LAV’s care after the Public Prosecutor’s Office ordered an inspection of the facility.
The 7 beagles are now cared for by competent staff in veterinary clinics. The primates, 7 macaques and 11 marmosets, have found refuge at the Animanatura Wild Sanctuary Rescue Centre in Semproniano, who are rehabilitating over 50 primates rescued from laboratories, aiding their recovery from years of physical and psychological trauma.
This seizure of animals from a laboratory represents the largest of its kind in Italy.
If these very serious irregularities were found in what is considered ‘excellence’ in pharmaceutical research, what is happening now, at this very moment, in the more than 500 Italian laboratories? We trust the authorities and hope that this is the beginning of a process that will discover what has been hidden until now.
Gianluca Felicetti, LAV
My wish is that for the time they have left to live, they can live in complete serenity, doing what they were born to do, which is simply to be animals.
Lorenza Zanaboni, LAV
LAV are calling for signatures of their petitionasking the Italian Minister of Universities and Research to finance non-animal methods, speeding up the transition away from animal testing.
We have cracked the 10,000 mark for the petition in Germany now – 10,077 to be exact. – thank you to everyone who made this possible!!
Unfortunately, we have nothing positive to report from China – our colleagues on the ground continue to report cases of extreme violence to us. Cat feeding stations in towns are now also being targeted – footage (as these are equipped with cameras) from last week shows a person taking cat body parts from a garbage bag and throwing them into the food area.
Unfortunately, actions like these are often acts of revenge for the pressure that the members of these cat torture groups have come to feel through the protests, online actions and publicity of their involvement.
Very good news – At least two parties involved have now been rejected by Chinese universities on the basis of their involvement in these machinations.
Thus, the “problem” is known, and our work is yielding cautious success.
We have to stay tuned!!
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At this very moment we are in the final stages of completing a Press Release (PR) ready to go out to any press and media in the world over the coming weeks.
We are covering who we are, what we are doing re the Chinese cat torture campaign work; and making a special point that in both England and Germany, we are unable (at this present time) to obtain Chinese Ambassador e mails in order that we can forward electronic copies of the petitions; which would include peoples comments.
Also, there will be several images (as those above) and information taken from these perverted sites so the press and media will know of and see the exact types of torture and suffering we are dealing with.
You would think that in order to cut down on the huge negative publicity they are getting from all of this, the Chinese authorities would contact us and give details of where we can send our petitions; effectively wrapping the petitions up. But no, they don’t; so we continue with the petitions; building on a huge global audience who are now aware of what is being done in the name of China. We don’t mind; every day is extra publicity for us to show the terrible suffering animals are enduring.
If it was not for the work of several groups and the pressures they are now putting on this issue; the fate of the tormented animals would have remained veiled in secrecy by these demented perverts – but now the torment and suffering has already gone global; and will continue to reach out to nations even more until the Chinese authorities both take action to prosecute the perpetrators; shut down these sites (with proof); and probably most importantly, introduce Chinese national legislation (law) which will prevent actions such as we no witness by providing animals in China with a legal voice.
We in the WAV Camp are determined; as are many others, to continue until we get positive results as said about above. The tortured animals no longer suffer in silence; yes sadly, they still suffer terribly, but the positive is now the world is being shown what is happening in China and elsewhere by these perverts.
As Diana says above, we know for sure that at least two parties involved in these tortures have now been rejected by Chinese universities on the basis of their involvement in these machinations.
For us that is a big positive; hopefully with continuing exposure it will increase.
Although the Republic of Azerbaijan joined the European Convention for the Protection of Pets in 2007, according to which the government was supposed to adopt possible measures to reduce the number of homeless animals (through neutering) without causing them suffering, pain, or discomfort, stray dog killings in the capital Baku and other regions have never stopped for all these years.
The mass killings are directly ordered and performed by government’s executive authority, but often government’s cruel behaviour towards homeless animals shapes the same attitude among citizens, who feel free to get around shooting and poisoning innocent dogs at night, in broad daylight and many times even if front of children.
No dogs are safe in Azerbaijan. Every day, dozens continue to be exterminated despite being neutered/spayed, notched on ear homeless dogs or roaming owned pets.
OIPA International has been exposing these slaughters for years, becoming the voice of local volunteers and animal activists who have never been heard.
This time, we ask for your help to call on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change secretariat to reconsider their decision to host the next 2024 UN Climate Change Conference, commonly known as COP 29, from 11 to 22 November 2024 in Baku. A country that does not respect and protect its animals and its humans, it cannot be a country able to respect the climate, the environment and a positive example of a global #OneHealth approach.
As if more evidence were needed, here’s the trophy display of one such sick, perverted Chinaman.. How many more?
Until the government takes action and introduces legislation to prosecute such bastards; and also introduces legislation to protect animal abuse and suffering; that’s how long this will continue – and we will continue to expose anything and everything UNTIL THEY DO.
Until then; BOYCOTT EVERYTHING CHINESE.
FG has a list of mail contacts for CN embassies in Europe:
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