Two hunters are on the hunt in the forest, suddenly one of them collapses. He doesn’t seem to be breathing anymore.
The other calls out in panic from his cell phone to the emergency call and stuttered excitedly: “I think my friend is dead. What should I do now?”
Then the voice from the emergency number says: “Now calm down first, and then make sure that he’s actually dead. “
After a moment of silence, a shot sounds.
Back on the phone, the hunter asks: “Okay, now what?”
University of Hertfordshire psychologist Richard Wiseman had 40,000 submitted jokes rated by readers from around the world. “Jokes are a matter of taste,” he says, “but many people like this one particularly well. The situation of the two hunters got the best marks”.
Since then, this has been considered the funniest joke in the world.
And we can say… It would be nicer if that wasn’t a joke but everyday reality.
Performed 5 years in a row, would solve a lot of problems in one fell swoop.
Born to die: this is the fate of millions of male chicks in France’s farms.
Every year 50 million male chicks in France are shredded, gassed or suffocated in garbage bags. Because they don’t lay eggs – and don’t make any profits.
German chicks are still suffering this fate – but from 2022 chick shredding will be banned in Germany!
France also promised an end to the killing of chicks in 2019 – but nothing has happened so far.
SumOfUs members in France are calling on their government to follow Germany’s example – let’s support them now and ensure that chick shredding will soon come to an end across Europe.
Male chicks of laying hens are regarded as waste in the food industry: They put too little meat on for fattening and do not lay eggs – they therefore do not make any profit for the agricultural corporations.
The sex of the chicks can be determined three days after birth – during these 72 hours the chicks develop a level of consciousness similar to that of a three-month-old baby.
As a SumOfUscommunity, we have claimed the rights of many animals – from bees to orangutans and orcas.
Today we can together save the day-old chicks in France from the cruel death!
Call on French Agriculture MinisterJulien Denormandie to stop chick shredding!
And I mean…Worldwide, around seven billion male chicks are killed on the first day of their lives because they are not wanted in the egg industry, and the egg industry has enjoyed a steadily increasing consumption of chicken eggs for years.
In poultry production, rearing male chicks is not worthwhile.The chicks do not lay eggs and put on less breast meat.
The female chicks, on the other hand, are raised as laying hens.
But how do you get rid of the approximately 50 million male chicks that hatch each year in Germany?
The legislature has regulated that: chicks must not be older than 72 hours afterwards they are forgotten or shredded. However, this is valid until January 2022!
In May 2021, the Federal Council passed a ban on the cruel killing of male chicks in German laying farms. It will come into force in 2022.
The predominant method used is the gasification of the chicks with highly concentrated carbon dioxide (CO2)
An “alternative” method is to grind the animals. The chicks are thrown alive into rotating blades and thereby massacred.
The new law stipulates that killing the chicks in their millions shortly after hatching is prohibited from January.
Instead, methods should be used that determine the sex in the egg so that male chicks do not hatch in the first place.
In a second stage from January 1, 2024, the law provides for further regulations to avoid pain for the embryo.
Then methods for gender recognition in the egg should only be allowed if they are used at an earlier stage of the incubation.
Finally, the Federal Councilhas to deal with the law, which can delay the project but not stop it, although the poultry industry does not want to accept that!
The poultry lobby is promoting a voluntary industry agreement between food retailers and the poultry industry; and only from 2023!!
One of the industry’s pseudo arguments is that if Germany were to go it alone, the domestic economy would lose out and eggs would be imported from other countries with lower animal welfare standards to meet demand.
It sounds very suspect that suddenly the poultry industry is interested in animal welfare of other countries, although it has never shown interest and protection for the welfare of the animals in its own country…
The most effective way to protect chicks and other “farm animals” is to avoid consuming animal products.
Everyone who wants to work consistently for animal welfare must ban animals and animal products from their plates
Is the EU actually starting to listen to its voting citizens ?
On 23 June 2016 an EU referendum took place and the people of the United Kingdom (UK) voted to leave the European Union (EU).
The UK formally left the EU at the end of 31 January 2020, after being an EU member state since joining on 1st January 1973, along (at that date) with other nations Denmark and the Republic of Ireland.
Why did the UK vote ‘out’ – or ‘Brexit’ ? – a lot of UK citizens were seeing the EU and many (most) of its MEP politicians and Commissioners, as monolithic invertebrates who did little for the wishes and demands of the electorate; the requests of the ‘normal’ EU citizen, it was simple a case of the politicians riding the EU ‘gravy train’; often bettering themselves (in many ways), whilst dismissing the wishes of good European people with ‘yukspeak’ returns to their letters and e mails, asking them why this and that was not being addressed in the EU Parliament.
So, after years of basically very little worthy of mention from the EU, the vertebrate citizens of the UK said they had been given enough rubbish by the EU; and so they voted out, to leave, Brexit. People wanted their personal parliament back with regards rules and regulations, free to decide rather than be told to by the EU.
Personally I was one of them – an ‘outer’. It was not a simple question to ask yourself at tea time one day – do I stay or do I go ? type thing; I debated the issue with myself for months in advance; largely keeping my opinions to myself. There were reasons for this which only other animal campaigners probably understand.
As an animal activist, and having been to the EU in Brussels many times on animal issues; and authoring endless amounts of complaints, reports and investigations into animal suffering issues within the EU, I had over the years, simply been lied to, given false promises, and made to believe time and time again that there were all the regulations and rules in place by the EU masters which thus prevented the evidence I presented at the table from being ‘true’. In other words; the EU political system was basically calling me a liar, and the evidence which I personally presented, along with many other wonderful groups and people in the EU, was simply being dismissed and put into a file known as the ‘EU trash bin’.
As a person with decades of experience dealing with animal transport abuses along with many others; a voice had to be shouted and my opinion noted. Consequently, I voted out of the EU, monolithic, invertebrate, gravy club; and decided that ‘going it alone’ would be the only way for the UK to get back the legislation needed as required by the citizens of the UK. For example; for decades I had been attending demonstrations all over England asking for a ban on the live transport of animals. But, under EU rules, and this is still the case for other EU member states; they (member states) are not allowed to introduce their own national legislation to ban live animal transport. The EU says ‘No’, so no it is; despite overwhelming evidence from a multitude of EU animal welfare organisations showing the EU legislation, in the form of Reg. 1/2005 for the so called ‘protection of animals in transport’, simply was not working. It never has worked, it does not work now, and it never will work in the future. ‘Yukspeak’ to the EU citizen from Brussels; as I have said before.
So, I have been somewhat surprised and amazed to read over the last few weeks, that there is going to be progress in the form of bans on animal cages in the EU.
And the news this morning, 12/7/21; that the European Parliament, is answering to a call from cross party MEPs to clarify how the Commission is planning to deliver on its commitment to proactively reduce and replace the use of animals in EU laboratories
Finally, is the requests of the EU citizen; the ‘normal’ person; being listened to, and more importantly, acted on, by the hierarchy in the ivory tower known and EU Brussels ?
Is there a reason for this ? – are all the years of bullshit and non sensical returns from the EU starting to show them that there are dissident things brewing around Europe ? – is it finally a case of bullshit no longer; the common man now sees clearly through the smokescreen that we, as a EU Parliament and Commission(s), have hidden behind for decades ? – is the emperor starting to lose his clothes ?
The link (source) given at the end is very interesting reading:
Italy would be the most likely of the “Big Four” member states to consider exiting the European Union if Brexit proves to be beneficial to Britain, according to a Euronews-commissioned poll.
Data from the Redfield and Wilton Strategies survey found that nearly half of Italians would be likely to support their country leaving the EU if the UK and its economy are regarded to be in good health in five years.
In the event, France and Spain both showed moderate support for changing its relationship with the bloc, while Germany was the member state least likely of the four major players to consider leaving the Union.
The time came many years ago when the EU should have listened and acted to the wishes of its voting electorate. They failed big time; and only now are we witnessing this rash of new promises and proposals which should make life a bit better for suffering animals. The truth will be in the results and the realities.
On animal transport; as always, there is nothing in the way of real improvement. I read nothing about a ban on live animal long distance transport; instead, I am fed spoonful’s of ‘farm to fork strategies’ on how things are going to be so much better – or in other words; am kind of acceptance by the EU masters that the current system does not really work. Hmm; has this not been said by many for decades ? – why now does the sleeping monolith awaken ?
With the UK being out of Europe, it does not mean that we wipe our hands of EU animal issues; far from it. It does mean though that by getting out, we can set our own better standards in the UK as well as continuing the fight for animal rights with all of our wonderful friends in Europe.
Oh, and by the way; since the UK left the EU a little while ago; the UK government is now putting legislation through parliament which will BAN the export of live animals from British shores.
There is hardly a farm in Lower Saxony that earns its money raising and selling pigs, chickens and cows.
Most farmers have specialized in keeping one species of animal in order to meet the world’s highest standards.(!!)
For many farmers, however, the legal requirements and standards were also a reason to give up their animal husbandry.
For example, the strict regulations of the new fertilizer ordinance, the prohibition of non-anesthetized castration and the renouncement of the docking of curly tails in pigs as well as the requirements for keeping sows in crate stalls.
This trend has accelerated especially in the past three years, writes the “Landvolk =(one of the largest regional farmers’ associations in Germany)- press service”.
Image: SOKO Tierschutz
“Before the farmers convert or renew their stables with high investment sums in an uncertain market situation, they prefer to opt out, especially since there are usually major hurdles to overcome for building permits,” says “Landvolk” Vice President Manfred Tannen, who only gave up sow farming a few years ago .
He and his professional colleagues miss clear, reliable statements on how they can face the challenges of the future.
According to the results of the 2020 agricultural census, of all 35,348 farms in Lower Saxony, only 25,431 farms (71.9 percent) kept livestock in 2020. This means that the number of livestock farms has fallen by 22.3 percent over the past ten years.
The number of dairy cow farms has fallen by 41.8 percent over the past ten years.
On the dairy farms there is a clear structural change towards fewer but larger farms.
The number of pig farmers decreased even more than the number of dairy farmers.
Therefore, more and more pet owners would also opt out due to the immensely increased construction costs and the lack of planning security.
And I mean …The world’s highest standards?
In Germany? in the pig farms?
In the last few years one scandal chases the next other, corrupt veterinarians and authorities sell the “black- sheep”– theory and cover animal cruelty and the worst animal abusers.
Undercover activists who bring this to the public are being criminalized.
The “Landvolk” do not mention it.
These abuses in German companies can be found on almost every farm, but the Ministry of Agriculture is silent in order to enable the slaughterhouses to do their business.
This is how perpetrators are made victims
Well.. from now on, when the farmers cannot sleep, forget the sheep, because from today only pigs will be counted!
MEPs say now is the time for a comprehensive plan to end European animal experiments and transition to human-relevant science
8 July 2021
Press Release
Today in the European Parliament, answering to a call from cross party MEPs to clarify how the Commission is planning to deliver on its commitment to proactively reduce and replace the use of animals in EU laboratories, Commissioner Adina Ioana Vălean described the Commission’s actions. MEPs from all political groups unanimously agreed that progress in replacing the use of animals has been slow and more needs to be done.
Members of the European Parliament are calling for a coordinated action plan to move Europe towards more humane and human-relevant science without the use of animals in research, regulatory testing and education.
Cross party Members of the European Parliament have joined forces to request that the Commission sets up a high-level taskforce to work with Member States and relevant stakeholders in putting together an EU-wide plan to phase-out the use of animals in Europe’s laboratories.
An oral question to the Commission on this issue has been debated today and the Parliament will formally adopt its position in September.This has been a major objective of the Animals in Science working group of the Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals.
Opinion polls show that ending animal experiments is a priority for EU citizens.
Nearly three quarters (72%) of European citizens agree that the EU should set binding targets and deadlines to phase out testing on animals.
The Members of the European Parliament’s comments:
Jytte Guteland, S&D“Today’s scientific landscape is not the same as 50 years ago. Today we have the knowledge and technology to plan for human-centred science, where animals are no longer the gold standard. But to get there, the Commission needs to set out a series of steps to reach concrete objectives that replace step by step the use of animals in specific areas.”
Tilly Metz, Greens“EU citizens have voiced their demand for non-animal science too many times, but EU investments are too slim and scattered to have an impact. The Commission needs to establish a high-level inter-service taskforce to work with member states and relevant stakeholders to draw up an EU-wide Action Plan that can drive an efficient phase-out of the use of animals for scientific purposes.”
Katalin Cseh, Renew“Animal tests are slow, inefficient and cause immense suffering. This has no place in 21st century science. The European Union has traditionally done better than the rest of the world, but even here, progress is too slow. We need a credible plan ‒ a plan with measures, targets and a binding, ambitious timeline. We need to promote and fund cruelty-free alternatives. This is what we are asking from the European Commission.”
Michal Wiezik, EPP “What we are asking from the Commission is to do more of what it already does, but in a coordinated manner and with concrete goals that can replace animals in specific scientific areas. Targeted funding, education and broad collaborations are key to making innovative advanced models and technologies the new normal.”
Anja Hazekamp, GUE/NGL“Scientific change, like any change we seek, needs a political strategy. The EU has strategies for climate change, gender equality, and even for research and innovation. But it does not yet address the scientific and ethical problems that have been dragged by animal experimentation for decades. An EU action plan to accelerate the transition to non-animal science can change that.”
Today’s debate has shown that despite the positive investments from the Commission on non-animal models, they are not usually linked to concrete objectives that can significantly reduce the use of animals and change the current scientific landscape.
A European Parliament resolution on a coordinated Union-level plan to facilitate the transition to animal-free innovation can lay out the strategic elements necessary to place the EU in the forefront of innovation, health and environmental and animal protection.
The “Have you met” is a monthly interview to raise awareness for our Member Organisations, their work, main battles and achievements for animals.
Let’s start this first edition with an interview of Guillermo Moreno, Equalia’s co-founder and Executive Director.
Tell us a bit more about Equalia and its main battles.
Equalia is a non-profit organisation dedicated to improving the living conditions of farmed animals with the lowest standards of animal welfare.
Our mission is to achieve agreements with companies, institutions and stakeholders that positively impact the greatest possible number of farmed animals.
Our vision is a world where intensive animal farming and intensive aquaculture makes way to food production models that respect sustainability and animal welfare.
We have 4 lines of action:
Awareness rising,
Effective animal advocacy (movement construction and capacity building),
Corporate outreach,
Political campaigning.
Our main battles this year include:
Mandatory CCTV in all Spanish Slaughterhouses,
Cage-Free Initiative,
Higher welfare standards for broilers within the European Chicken Commitment initiative,
We also cooperate closely with international coalitions, such as Aquatic Animal Alliance and Open Wing Alliance, in order to generate a global positive impact for farmed animals.
What about you Guillermo Moreno? Tell us a bit more about your role within Equalia.
I am the co-founder and current Executive Director of Equalia. I come from a social background, with almost 15 years of experience in the animal welfare movement. I am a psychologist and I put all my knowledge at the service of the organisation.
My role is to be at the service of the employees and to surround myself with employees, volunteers and advisors who have more knowledge than me and complement me.
When did Equalia join Eurogroup for Animals and why?
Equalia joined Eurogroup for Animals at the beginning of 2021 with the aim of creating collaborative synergies to give a voice to European proposals in Spain.
The political lobby of the Spanish agri-food system in Europe is very strong, therefore it was required to strengthen the presence of a Spanish group to create effective collaborative ecosystems between Europe and Spain.
One of our main achievement this year is the fact that after two and a half year of intensive campaigning, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs published earlier this year a draft Royal Decree that will oblige the ~700 Spanish slaughterhouses to install video surveillance cameras.
The Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition-AESAN (an autonomous body of the Spanish Government, attached to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs), has announced that the Royal Decree will be approved by the end of this year.
Spain will become the first EU country to approve the mandatory installation of CCTV in all slaughterhouses.
How can the public act for Equalia? (e.g. donation, sign campaigns, volunteering, ect.)
If, after learning about our work, anyone is interested in making a one-time donation or becoming a member of Equalia, it can be done here.
If any philanthropist or philanthropic entity is interested in making a donation, please contact our Fundraising Manager at joseramon.mallen@equaliaong.org.
Also, anybody can find skilled volunteering opportunities with us or other effective animal advocacy nonprofits in Animal Advocacy Careers’ Skilled Volunteering Boardhere
What is your life motto?
It comes from a great friend:
In a world as fragmented and individualistic as this one, where we also have endless responsibilities and live under constant stress that prevents us from even feeling, weaving authentic and deep relationships is almost like a miracle of life.”
Image: SOKO Tierschutz
World Animals Voice 