Day: February 17, 2020

Check Us Out – Will You ?

 

 

Check out all you need to know regarding animal issues via the following sites:

 

World Animals Voice https://worldanimalsvoice.com/

WAV has recently been formed after the operation of SAV (below) for about 13 years.

This new site deals daily with international animal welfare / rights issues and the environment. It Includes video footage, petitions and actions to take for a very wide range of issues.

This site is updated daily with current news and actions.

 

 

SAV Logo Red by Paola

 

Serbian Animals Voice https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/

SAV was formed back in 2005 specifically to concentrate on campaigning for stray street dogs and cats in the Balkans. WAV posts (from the above) are now added to this site as they are produced.

SAV is currently not updated as a site. Still very useful site which holds over 13 years of archive posts and photographs associated with the campaigns to better Serbian stray dog / cat legislation.

 

 

indoor dog 1

 

Serbian Animals Voice Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/SerbianAnimalsVoice/

This site specifically is daily on going and deals with shelters and animal issues in the Balkans. It provides the service of allowing some 1,300 members to post appeals and issues that are daily related to them. If you wish to find out more about these brilliant Serbian shelters and the wonderful animals and people which are living and working in them; then please visit this site.

This site is constantly updated every day by members of the group and it is an ongoing site. There are many animals seeking adoption and forever homes.

Apply to be a member if you wish and join up hundreds of other brilliant animal welfare people and be able to add your views and comments to this forever growing family.

 

 

Keep on keeping on !

Regards Mark and Venus

Founders – SAV and WAV..

China: Coronavirus – The environment creates a perfect system to spread viruses, he said: “You couldn’t do it any better if you tried.”

china

 

The Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan

 

WAV recent posts relating to this issue:

 

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2020/02/17/viet-nam-the-recipe-for-coronavirus-mk-2-does-anyone-ever-listen-watch-and-learn-in-asia-it-appears-not/

 

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2020/02/09/china-more-chinese-push-to-end-wildlife-markets-as-who-declares-coronavirus-emergency/

 

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2020/02/05/italy-oipa-article-the-coronavirus-outbreak-and-animal-welfare-in-china/

 

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2020/01/28/chinas-coronavirus-outbreak-will-the-chinese-government-learn-anything-about-introducing-animal-welfare-regulations-from-it/

 

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2020/01/26/china-horrifying-images-inside-live-animal-market-feared-ground-zero-for-coronavirus-the-real-question-is-will-they-learn-anything-from-it/

 

The Huanan Seafood Market in the central city of Wuhan is now under scrutiny

 

Animal trade in spotlight as China seeks source of coronavirus

 

Authorities believe new strain of coronavirus came from a market in Wuhan where wildlife was sold illegally.

Officials in China are searching to uncover the origin of the coronavirus outbreak, amid heightened scrutiny of the country’s poorly regulated animal trade.

Authorities believe the new strain of coronavirus came from a seafood market in Wuhan where wildlife was sold illegally. The World Health Organization has stated that an animal appears most likely to be the primary source, with experts suggesting it may have been carried by bats, badgers, rats or snakes.

The virus is from the same family of viruses as Sars, which was passed to humans from bats by the masked pam civets, and Mers, which was carried from bats to humans by camels.

Ian Jones, professor of virology at Reading University, said it was likely that the Wuhan virus had also been transmitted in the same way – passed from bats to humans through an intermediate host. “Something in the local area will have picked up this virus and it’s this something that would have been on sale in the wet market,” said Jones.

Though the 2002-03 Sars outbreak, which killed nearly 800 people, prompted efforts to regulate the wildlife trade in China, the tradition of eating endangered wild animals, or using wildlife to produce medicines, remains popular. Conservationists and health experts warn that such animals are being sold in unhygienic and cramped markets, allowing viruses to thrive.

Media reports suggest that about 50 wild animals, including endangered pangolins, were on sale at the market in Wuhan before it was closed at the end of last year. Photographs taken before its closure show snakes, porcupines and foxes crammed into cages. The sister of a vendor infected by the virus told China Business Journal, a state-owned paper, that snakes, ducks and wild rabbits were common at the market.

“The animal welfare part of this is obvious, but much more hidden is this stashing and mixing of all these species together in a very small area, with secretions and urine mixed up together,” Christian Walzer, executive director of the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society, told Reuters.

 

Two workers are skinning rodents

 

The environment creates a perfect system to spread viruses, he said: “You couldn’t do it any better if you tried.”

Research published on Wednesday in the Journal of Medical Virology, which used analysis of the protein codes favoured by the new coronavirus, suggested it may have been snakes at the market that passed the virus to humans.

Some argue that the virus is more likely to have been passed on by a mammal. “In my view it’s very unlikely to be a snake because the jump from a reptile to a person is evolutionarily quite a long way,” said Jones, who added that while snake handling is common in the region, he is not aware of any individuals contracting this kind of virus after direct handling of snakes.

Badgers and rats were both cited as possible sources by Chinese government medical adviser Zhong Nanshan. The sale of live poultry has been banned in Wuhan, where all outbound public transport has also been suspended.

Identifying the origin of the virus would not only enable officials to prevent its circulation, but could also allow scientists to understand if the virus has further evolved after infecting people.

On Wednesday, China’s national health commission vice-minister Li Bin told reporters there was evidence of respiratory transmission of the virus from patient to patient. Among those infected are 15 medical staff.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/jan/23/animal-trade-in-spotlight-as-china-seeks-source-of-coronavirus

 

 

Vegan Chocolate – Uncompromising Flavour & Ethics.

Vegan Chocolate – Uncompromising Flavor & Ethics

 

Image result for vegan chocolate

https://www.vegan.com/chocolate/

 

Not only is vegan chocolate easy to find, the best brands offer truly exceptional quality. If you’re new to eating vegan foods, vegan chocolate won’t disappoint you.

The first thing you need to know about chocolate is that most of the good stuff is vegan. In fact, most chocolate connoisseurs consider milk chocolate to be an abomination. Dark chocolate is the real stuff.

That raises the question: is dark chocolate vegan? Most of the time it is. Unfortunately, several brands of dark chocolate, including Hershey and Ghirardelli, contain whey or other milk products. So always check the ingredients.

Vegan Chocolate Varieties

 

When it comes to chocolate, the spectrum of quality is as wide as that of wine. Every brand of dark chocolate that aspires to being taken seriously will list its percentage of cocoa mass on the package. The higher the percentage, the stronger the chocolate flavor, but this also bring more bitterness. Once you reach 80 percent you’re heading into the territory favored by chocolate connoisseurs. Lindt and some other brands even have 90% offerings, which is only for the seriously committed, and akin to drinking Wild Turkey 101 neat.

Dark chocolate might initially seem unpleasantly bitter. If you grew up devouring Hershey Kisses and Nestle Crunch Bars, it may take you some time to acquire a taste for 80+ percent chocolate. Perhaps the best way forward is to start with vegan chocolate in the 70 percent range, and then gradually work your way up to higher percentages.

But if what you’re really craving—chocolate snobs be damned—is the mild flavor of milk chocolate, fear not; three all-vegan companies offer what you’re seeking:

 

Fair-Trade Dark Chocolate

 

Much of the world’s chocolate—even expensive gourmet vegan dark chocolate—is produced by exploited or enslaved workers. Fortunately, many vegan chocolate brands carry a fair-trade label. The best resource to learn more about fair-trade chocolate is through this regularly-updated list published by the Food Empowerment Project.

Although Amazon.com has great prices on most products, they fall short when it comes to chocolate. Many of the vegan chocolates they carry are quite overpriced. But they do have a few good deals. Here are the vegan fair-trade chocolates Amazon generally keeps in stock:

 

Vegan Chocolate Companies

 

There are plenty of companies that make both vegan chocolate and non-vegan varieties. But more than a dozen companies churn out only vegan products, and pretty much all of these companies are fair-trade as well. Here’s our list.

 

USA: Sanctuary Sues Wisconsin City to End Cruel “Pioneer Day Chicken Toss”.

usa-flagge-im-grunge-stil-auf-einem-weißen-hintergrund

 

WAV Comment – Good luck with your work Quincy; lets hope you get success.

 

https://vegnews.com/2020/2/sanctuary-sues-wisconsin-city-to-end-cruel-pioneer-day-chicken-toss

 

 

 

Sanctuary Sues Wisconsin City to End Cruel “Pioneer Day Chicken Toss”

 

VegNews.Chicken3

 

 

Farm Bird Sanctuary is asking the town of Ridgeland to enforce existing animal cruelty laws to prevent Pioneer Day events that see hundreds of pigs and chickens abused for entertainment each year.

 

Wisconsin-based Farm Bird Sanctuary is moving forward with legal action to end the cruel “Chicken Toss and Greased Pig Wrestling events at the annual Ridgeland Pioneer Day in Ridgeland, WI.

Farm Bird Sanctuary founder Quincy Markowitz filed for an emergency injunction earlier this month in an effort to prevent this year’s events on February 15, asking the town of Ridgeland to enforce the law that states animal cruelty is a criminal offense. Currently, multiple Wisconsin statutes refer to the handling and care of animals, with violations involving fines or imprisonment.

The events, which have been happening in the town of 300 for nearly 40 years, involve a greased pig chase where frightened pigs are tackled by young children, and a “chicken toss” where as many as 200 terrified chickens are thrown into the frigid winter air, one or two at a time, from a rooftop into a crowd of people below. “No one owes us their body, or their suffering, for human entertainment,” Markowitz told VegNews. “The chickens that live with us bear the emotional and physical scars from being thrown off of a roof in below-freezing temperatures.

We owe it not only to our chickens but to as many as possible to fight injustices against them as best as we are able.” The judge declined to apply the emergency injunction because of the short timeframe, however, Markowitz has been asked to refile the complaint within 30 days to continue the lawsuit. Additionally, activists and animal rescuers will continue to protest, and nearly 150,000 people have also signed a petition to end the cruel events.

 

Viet Nam: The Recipe For Coronavirus Mk 2 – Does Anyone Ever Listen, Watch and Learn ? – In Asia, It Appears Not.

viet nam flag

 

Two workers are skinning rodents

 

WAV Comment

 

Some of our recent posts associated with Coronavirus:

 

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2020/01/26/china-horrifying-images-inside-live-animal-market-feared-ground-zero-for-coronavirus-the-real-question-is-will-they-learn-anything-from-it/

 

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2020/01/28/chinas-coronavirus-outbreak-will-the-chinese-government-learn-anything-about-introducing-animal-welfare-regulations-from-it/

 

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2020/02/05/italy-oipa-article-the-coronavirus-outbreak-and-animal-welfare-in-china/

 

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2020/02/08/china-experts-believe-the-new-coronavirus-was-passed-onto-humans-from-wild-animals-so-patients-at-wuhans-coronavirus-hospital-are-given-turtles-for-dinner-yes-its-true/

 

Porcupines on sale in the market

 

They just don’t seem to get the message do they ?

Now we move to Vietnam; animal welfare aside for a second, just look at the state of the container in which the live frogs are being kept; shit black dirt all up the sides; workers taking not one glimmer of any hygiene controls – clothing; gloves, anything. It all looks like a super recipe for Coronavirus Mk2 from where we stand – see the images from the Chinese markets in our links above – notice the commonality ?. Are the Asians attempting to kill off the entire planet or what ? – no; only killing off innocent animals which are being abused for their selfish food fetish needs.

“We also saw the mangled bodies of dead or dying frogs scattered across the market floor – frogs who managed to jump out of these tubs while being sorted ended up squashed under the feet of passers-by or under the wheels of motorbikes speeding down the hectic market corridors. It was shocking.”

‘France is the biggest consumer, eating 4,000 tons a year, but America has been catching up, and they are also popular in Asian cuisine’.

  • ‘Research shows that the mass movement of frogs for human consumption – often unregulated or mislabelled – also plays a role in ecosystem collapse and spreading disease’.

 

 

Watch the disgusting video by clicking on either of the following:

 

 

watch the video

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/frogs-market-food-vietnam-asia-animal-cruelty-disease-a9334901.html

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/frogs-market-food-vietnam-asia-animal-cruelty-disease-a9334901.html?jwsource=em

 

Live frogs are being crammed together in tubs and sold in food markets in east Asia, destined for painful deaths, an investigation has found.

Thousands of the amphibians were filmed being poured into large buckets at street markets in Vietnam, where workers frantically rifle through them, then stuff them into bags for sale.

Animal-welfare experts say the trade is not just “agonising” but also increases the risk of the extinction of the species, as creatures are taken from the wild.

Studies show the practice also damages natural food chains. And scientists say piling up live frogs in such conditions risks spreading disease among the amphibians.

In a joint investigation by the Moving Animals group and The Independent, bins full of living frogs were found in the seafood section of Binh Dien market.

“They are taken from stacked delivery crates and poured into buckets, where workers frantically grab them by hand to sort them,” said one investigator. “The sorted frogs are then stuffed into a bag, ready for sale – all while still alive.

“We also saw the mangled bodies of dead or dying frogs scattered across the market floor – frogs who managed to jump out of these tubs while being sorted ended up squashed under the feet of passers-by or under the wheels of motorbikes speeding down the hectic market corridors. It was shocking.

It is estimated more than three billion frogs are eaten worldwide each year, which are mostly caught from in the wild in Indonesia, but they are also farmed. France is the biggest consumer, eating 4,000 tons a year, but America has been catching up, and they are also popular in Asian cuisine.

Fears of falling populations have long been raised, leading France to ban farming and capturing frogs in the country in 1979.

However, the EU still imports the legs of tens of thousands of the amphibians from Asia each year, to the dismay of conservationists.

 

Activists claim frogs are often “forgotten” in welfare laws. They are “often skinned, and have their snouts and rear legs cut off with scissors or a blade while still alive. Their torsos are then tossed aside in a pile of other bleeding frogs and they endure a slow, agonising death,” according to the Washington-based Animal Welfare Institute.

A 2011 report, Canapés to Extinction, by international animal groups, said scientists had found frogs’ pain perception was similar to mammals’ and when their legs were cut off they struggled “until they reach complete exhaustion”.

Other witnesses have reported that in many cases only the hind legs are used for food, with the body thrown away.

Worldwide, amphibians are already suffering “catastrophic population declines” from interacting pathogens, scientists say. Fungal disease chytridiomycosis is thought to have caused the extinction of 90 species and marked declines of at least 491 others. Globalisation and the wildlife trade have been given most of the blame for the pandemic.  

Research shows that the mass movement of frogs for human consumption – often unregulated or mislabelled – also plays a role in ecosystem collapse and spreading disease.

Wiping out frogs leaves snakes starving and allows disease-carrying mosquitoes to multiply, new research has found.

Until 1987, India was the world’s primary exporter of wild-caught frogs, leaving populations heavily depleted and farmers dependent on large quantities of pesticides to control pests and mosquitoes. Ecologists fear that Indonesia, now the source of more than two-thirds of frogs’ legs in supermarkets worldwide, is heading the same way.

And keeping frogs in such cramped conditions, without water, allows them to succumb to viruses.

Jonathan Ball, professor of molecular virology at Nottingham University, said although the risk to humans was probably very small, there was certainly the risk of spreading disease among frogs.

The 2011 report said: “Due to the mounting evidence that the chytrid fungus and ranaviruses are distributed through frogs traded live, in 2009 the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), specified conditions for handling processed and live frogs (eg health certificates and risk mitigation measures) in its Aquatic Animal Health Code.”

A spokeswoman for Peta Asia said: “Not only is this cruelty and suffering abhorrent, but eating animals – whether it’s frogs or chickens – fuels the demand for live animal markets. The typically filthy conditions of these markets are hotbeds for deadly viruses to multiply and spread. For the good of all living, feeling beings – including humans – they must all be shut down immediately.”