Month: February 2023

Environmental, Farm Animals, General News

USA: The federal government is investigating the possible human trafficking of children who cleaned slaughterhouses.

The federal government is investigating the possible human trafficking of children who cleaned slaughterhouses

There is no indication that the sanitation company is under investigation for trafficking the children who worked there.

Federal investigators are looking into whether 50 children — some as young as 13 — who were allegedly illegally employed cleaning Midwestern slaughterhouses were victims of labor trafficking, three officials from the Department of Homeland Security told NBC News.

Homeland Security Investigations agents have interviewed children who worked cleaning a JBS Foods slaughterhouse in Grand Island, Nebraska, the officials say.

There is no indication DHS is investigating the company that hired the children, Packers Sanitation Services Inc., or PSSI, for human trafficking. Instead, said two DHS officials, DHS is investigating to rule out the possibility that outside traffickers may have forced children to work for PSSI and profited off their labor.

Continue reading at:

The federal government is investigating the possible human trafficking of children who cleaned slaughterhouses (nbcnews.com)

Regards Mark

General News, Uncategorized

England: Remembering Vicki Moore –  British Animal Activist – Died 6/2/2000. “The fleece of the lamb could not hide the teeth of the wolf.”

By Danny Penman

VICKI MOORE was a leading light in the animal-rights movement and a tireless campaigner against bloodsports across the world. Even the most vociferous of bullfighters acknowledged her determination and bravery.

Moore first hit the headlines in 1987 when she saved Blackie the donkey. Blackie was destined to be crushed to death in Villa Nueva de la Vera, Spain, during the village’s annual fiesta. Every year, the villagers forced a donkey to carry the fattest man around the streets until the unfortunate creature was crushed and died of exhaustion.

After hearing of the donkey’s plight, Moore vowed to stop the festival. Sensing a fight, Britain’s tabloid newspapers all despatched reporters to the fiesta. Within hours of their arrival, rival newspapers started out-bidding each other to buy Blackie and fly him to a British donkey sanctuary.

Over the ensuing days, television crews and journalists from all over the world arrived in the tiny village. Drama soon descended into farce when Blackie was sold to both the Sun and the Star simultaneously. The resulting confusion led to a fist-fight between rival photographers and bitter exchanges between their editors. Moore settled their claims in characteristic style by declaring that “everyone had helped save Blackie”.

She was born Victoria Seel. Her mother was a club singer and gave birth to her daughter whilst touring Northamptonshire in 1956. Vicki followed in her mother’s footsteps and left home in London at the age of 18 and worked as a bunny-girl at the Kingsway club in Southport. It was here that she met Tony Moore, her future husband. The pair married when she was 20 and formed their own band. In the late Seventies, the couple became involved with the RSPCA and soon had a house full of rescued animals.

The publicity generated by Blackie’s rescue in 1987 turned the spotlight on Spain’s blood fiestas. Moore realised that nations could be humbled by exposing their cruel truth to the outside world. To do this she and Tony set up Fight Against Animal Cruelty in Europe in September 1987 in their Southport home. At great risk to herself, she exposed the scale of animal suffering in the blood fiestas using the simple power of the home video camera.

Her first video expose focused on the village of Manganeses de la Polvorosa in 1989. Every year, the villagers celebrated the feast of St Anthony by dropping a live goat off the church tower. Once captured on video, and shown to a horrified world, the festival was quickly outlawed by the Spanish government. Later she would pose as a tourist at fiestas across Spain, all the while gathering the evidence to shut them down. It was during one of her campaigns that she suffered the injuries which eventually led to her death.

In June 1995, in Coria, she was gored by a bull being chased through the village streets. Argentino inflicted massive injuries and no one expected her to survive. But her spirit refused to be cowed. Her first words after regaining consciousness were, “What happened to the bull?” When she discovered the bull’s name, she giggled: her favourite song was “Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina”. In subsequent years, when the pain of her injuries became too great, she would quietly call on the spirit of Argentino to help her.

Despite her ongoing suffering, requiring constant medication, Moore continued to fight for animal liberation. She was a determined campaigner against hunting, and never tired of reminding Labour politicians of their promise to ban blood sports. She also took the fight against bullfighting to Macao.

Vicki Moore’s life was, perhaps, best summed up by a Spanish newspaper after she was gored by Argentino: “The fleece of the lamb could not hide the teeth of the wolf.”

Victoria Lucille Seel, animal-rights campaigner: born Western Favel, Northamptonshire 24 December 1956; married 1977 Tony Moore; died Liverpool 6 February 2000.

Copyright 2000 Newspaper Publishing PLC

Regards Mark

Obituary: Vicki Moore (indexarticles.com)

Farm Animals, General News

Russia: Chinese-American animal rights activist has been jailed for walking a young cow near the Kremlin.

A Chinese-American animal rights activist has been jailed for walking a young cow near the Kremlin, state media reported Wednesday.

Alisa Dey, 34, told the state-run TASS news agency she had bought the calf online “so it wouldn’t be eaten.”

Police detained her as she walked with the animal, reportedly chanting “Animals are not food,” on Red Square.

She was sentenced to 13 days of arrest on charges of disobeying police orders and fined 20,000 rubles ($286), while the calf was sent to an animal rehabilitation center.

Continue reading at:

American Animal Rights Activist Jailed for Walking Cow on Red Square (msn.com)

Regards Mark

General News

US: The Carden International Circus is in Springfield February 3-12.

The Carden International Circus is in Springfield February 3-12.

Animal rights activists plan to protest outside the Shrine Mosque Saturday, February 4, as circus goers arrive for the Carden International Circus’s afternoon performance.

Jessica – who gave her last name only as Animal Advocate – is the event’s organizer. She tells KSMU their goal is to convince the circus to retire its animals.

“As the public becomes more aware of the cruelty that the animals endure for the circus industry, they decide, you know, that a circus can be more fun, in fact, if they don’t have to subject that animal to, for example, confinement,” she said.

She claims Carden uses bull hooks to train its elephants and has made them work when they’re sick.

Continue reading at:

Animal rights group plans to protest the use of animals in circuses outside Shrine Mosque Saturday (ksmu.org)

Regards Mark

General News, Vivisection

USA: Great News – Major Success in the USA: New Drugs NO LONGER Have to be Tested on Animals for Approval.

Major success in the USA: new drugs no longer have to be tested on animals for approval

7 February 2023

DAAE

For the first time in more than 80 years, a change in U.S. law will allow new drugs to be tested using modern, animal-free, human-based methods.

Eurogroup for Animals welcomes this huge step forward and calls on the EU to follow suit by developing and implementing a strategy for human-relevant drug development without animal testing.

The new law, signed by U.S. President Joe Biden at the end of December 2022, allows the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve new drugs without requiring animal data. Previously, pharmaceutical companies were required by law to test the safety and efficacy of their drug candidates in multiple animal studies, including toxicity tests on one rodent species such as a mouse or rat, and one nonrodent species such as a monkey or dog, before testing the drug candidates in human clinical trials.

A large amount of data clearly demonstrates the failure of the outdated system based on animal testing. On average, 92% of drug candidates that successfully pass all animal tests are later abandoned during human clinical trials, mainly because they do not work or cause significant side effects.”

Dr. Dilyana Filipova, scientist at Doctors Against Animal Experiments

Thanks to the new law, modern, human-relevant approaches, such as human mini-organs (“organoids”), organ-on-a-chip and computer-based methods can now be used for regulatory purposes in the U.S. instead of standard animal test methods. Many non-animal methods have already been shown to be more accurate and reliable than animal testing. For example, a recent study used a human-liver-chip to demonstrate the toxicity of several liver-damaging compounds, whereas previous animal tests had incorrectly classified the same compounds as harmless.

Such examples show the potential of this legislative change to not only save countless animals from barbaric testing and a cruel death, but also to ensure better safety for patient.”

Dr. Dilyana Filipova, scientist at Doctors Against Animal Experiments

However, animal testing is not banned under the new law and is still allowed as a possible testing approach. Nevertheless, it is a huge step forward that pharmaceutical companies will no longer be legally obliged to conduct animal tests, and will be free to use accurate, human-relevant, non-animal methods.

While the U.S. is introducing this modern, forward-looking legislation, some animal testing is still required by law  for drug approval in the EU.

Europe must follow the example of the U.S. as soon as possible, and end the use of animals in drug testing. If we want to develop better therapies and not fall behind in the global drug market, we should also rely on the most modern, successful and reliable human-based methods and not on pointless animal testing.”

Dr. Dilyana Filipova, scientist at Doctors Against Animal Experiments

Read more at source

Doctors Against Animal Experiments

Regards Mark

Environmental, General News, Hunting

Malta: Quail Hunting Competition Must Not Go Ahead – From 3/2/23). ? More to come when we get info.

Malta – A quail hunting competition scheduled to take place at L-Aħrax, Mellieħa tomorrow (this was Friday 3/2 –  Mark) must not go ahead, three animal rights organisations have insisted.

FKNK, GħKNK Mellieħa and KRPE are organising a ‘field trial’, a competition which will see hunters search for some 180 quails that had been bred in captivity, using their dogs to flush them out before shooting them.

An international jury will judge the kills and issue prizes for a number of categories, with a focus on the dogs’ performance and obedience, in line with international rules for field trials.

Regards Mark

Continue reading at:

‘Stop The Slaughter’: Animal Rights Groups Insist Mellieħa Quail Hunting Contest Must Not Go Ahead (lovinmalta.com)

Environmental, General News, Uncategorized

Brazil: Sinks Warship in Atlantic Despite Maritime Pollution Concerns.

Brazil sinks warship in Atlantic despite maritime pollution concerns

Brazil on Friday sank a decommissioned aircraft carrier, the Navy announced, despite environmental groups claiming the formerly French ship was packed with toxic materials.

Though defense officials said they would sink the vessel in the “safest area,” environmentalists criticized the decision, saying the aircraft carrier contains tons of asbestos, heavy metals and other toxic materials that could leach into the water and pollute the marine food chain.

Read the full article at:

Brazil sinks warship in Atlantic despite maritime pollution concerns (msn.com)

Regards Mark

General News, Vivisection

Canada: Proposal to alter Food and Drugs Act could see animal-tested products outlawed in Canada.

Proposal to alter Food and Drugs Act could see animal-tested products outlawed in Canada

Canada could ban testing of cosmetics on animals, a move which some animal rights activists say makes them “very hopeful” for the future.

“There’s a lot of support from this across parties,” said Camille Labchuk, executive director of the organization Animal Justice.

The ban aims to change the Food and Drugs Act to outlaw the sale of cosmetics that were tested on animals or contain animal-tested ingredients. These include products such as make-up, nail polish and perfume.

Read more:

Canada trails other nations on banning animal-tested cosmetics. A new plan aims to change that | CBC Radio

Regards Mark

Environmental, General News, Uncategorized

USA: Big Wins for Animals At Iditarod As More Sponsors Pull Out.

Urge Companies to Stop Sponsoring The Deadly Iditarod | Take Action Today

As the 2023 Iditarod dog-sled race approaches, we have some good news to share:

After hearing from PETA and over 40,000 of our supporters, Cue Health dropped its sponsorship of the deadly race! But that’s not all: Healthcare companies Capstone Clinic and Greenbrook TMS were also removed from the race’s sponsorship page after they heard from PETA supporters.

This is a huge victory for dogs used in the Iditarod, who are forced to pull heavy sleds for about 100 miles a day for nearly two weeks in subzero temperatures. More than 150 dogs have died in the race’s history, not counting all those who died during the off-season while chained outside in all weather conditions or those who were killed because they lacked the rare speed and stamina to make the grade.

Cue Health, Capstone Clinic, and Greenbrook TMS now join other companies—including Alaska Airlines, Chrysler, Coca-Cola, ExxonMobil, and Millennium Hotels and Resorts—that have already cut ties with the race, and the list will only grow.

Let’s end the Iditarod’s cruelty by urging the remaining sponsors to stop funding dog abuse.

Take action;

The Deadly Iditarod Race Should Be Terminated: Here’s Why (peta.org)

Thank you for speaking up for dogs suffering because of the Iditarod. Please help spread the word by forwarding this e-mail to everyone you know.

Sincerely;

Melanie Johnson
Manager
Animals in Entertainment Campaign
PETA

Regards Mark