Day: May 27, 2023

About Us, General News, Uncategorized

England: It started With The Witnessing of a Sheep Transporter.

Y’ know, ever since I was a little boy, I had something inside of me in which wanted to help animals and their welfare.

When I was 8 years old I was out on my bike one Sunday and saw a 3 tier livestock transporter loaded to the max with sheep, heading down to the Kent ports and a Channel cross where they would be slaughtered in Europe (something I did not know at the time). 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1276&bih=543&q=kent+england&oq=kent+england&gs_l=img.3..0l7j0i5l3.5391.9629.0.15898.12.12.0.0.0.0.67.621.12.12.0….0…1ac.1.30.img..0.12.621.2HMLYuXgprU

It was raining, it was cold, and I could see all the sheep were suffering a lot; there was little space for them and they were unable to move around. 

There and then that day; I made a pledge with myself that when I grew up; if I could, I would do something to try and stop the suffering of those innocent, sentient beings.

Decades and decades later I am still fighting the fight against live animal transport.  I became very involved when I was around 17 to follow up that pledge I had set myself earlier to do something – over the years I worked as a volunteer with several animal organisations; doing legal work, investigation work, and becoming the EU rep associated with live transport for one organisation.  It became an obsession really, crazy busy; and only after 35 + years of campaigning have we now stopped all live animal shipments to Europe for either slaughter or further fattening.  The little kid made the pledge when he was 8 and only now has the dream become fruition and worked for better for hundreds of thousands of farm animals. 

My (proper) work took me to many places – as I say

“I had a bloody good time doing military fast jets for 24 years; ‘down and dirty’ with the best – ‘RAF Tornado’. 

.. but to be honest, the animal rights / welfare person in me has always been just as strong as the ‘proper’ day job Marky ever since I was 15 or 16 years old, and the creation of SAV and WAV is a kind of ultimate destination for me really; there is nothing quite like the satisfaction to be gained by anyone, anywhere, helping to save the lives of, and improving the welfare of animals in need; no matter how big or small their dedication, contribution or effort; everyone simply does what they can to make things better – and slowly they win !

– I am delighted to be an animals voice; one of many, in this crazy, cruel, (and unfortunately) money-driven world”

Today, nothing has changed – the animal rights / welfare person in me has never drifted.  I say that because I know the bloke quite well !

In 2005 I set up ‘Serbian Animals Voice’  to try and fight for the stray animals against the government of Serbia; and the rest of the Balkans.  You can visit the site here to see what was taken on:

About Serbian Animals  About Serbian Animals. | Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

The biggest win was for Serbian animals in the fur trade rather than strays which we fought for.  Working with buddy Mark Glover at ‘Respect for Animals’ here in England, we finally achieved the aim of getting Serbia to impose a fur ban which commenced on 1st January 2019 – check it out:  serbia | Search Results | Respect for Animals

Home  Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) | a voice for the voiceless

And here is a link which tells you a bit more about me and my campaigning.

About Us. | Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

If you are a bit of a fast jet head like me then there are several good videos of the military.

Oh yeah, we managed to stop the baby seal slaughter in Russia many years ago – check it out via this ‘about us’ link also.

I have full respect for, and like animals immensely; it is most humans that I don’t really want to be associated with – many humans humans are dangerous, as current global situations clearly show !

If you feel that you are right, and something is worth fighting for, then get out there and do it !

Time Out – I have to finish with some Wild Fly !

Regards Mark

(Hope the links work !)

Environmental, General News

USA: Victory !: Historic New Law Passes to Protect Wild Horses in Colorado!

     


Victory: Historic New Law Passes to Protect Wild Horses in Colorado!

In a stunning bi-partisan victory for wild horses, the Colorado General Assembly passed unprecedented and groundbreaking legislation known as the Colorado Wild Horse Project that was signed into law by Colorado Gov. Jared Polis during a special ceremony on May 20, 2023. The bill was created when legislators, advocates, and other stakeholders came together to provide protections from brutal roundups and removals for Colorado’s wild horses. LEARN MORE IDA - FacebookIDA - Twitter  

The bill’s primary sponsors were Sens. Joann Ginal (D) and Perry Will (R), House Majority Leader Rep. Monica Duran (D), and House Minority Leader Rep. Mike Lynch (R). These sponsors secured bipartisan support in both chambers of the General Assembly, where the bill was passed by an overwhelming majority after expert testimonies by advocates, including In Defense of Animals’ Senior Campaigner for Wild Horses and Burros, Ginger Fedak.

This new state law is necessary because nationally, the US Congress has struggled to pass laws favorable to America’s wild horses and burros for years. No wild horse and burro-friendly progress has been made on the national front since the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act was passed!

Gov. Polis and First Gentleman Marlon Reis have been staunch supporters of America’s wild horses and burros and have spoken out to halt the roundups in the state. However, the national government is solely responsible for “managing” wild equids, so there was little that could be done at the state level. The new law is the culmination of several years of work to allow the state to be part of the stewardship process.

The bill signing ceremony occurred in the Little Book Cliffs Herd Management Area (HMA) in the western part of the state near Grand Junction. Gov. Polis said they could see nine wild horses from where they stood. Before signing, Gov. Polis delivered some encouraging remarks. With the new law, he said, “We can ensure that our wild horse herds have a humane and sustainable future in western Colorado. We also want to highlight that this will set a national example. It’s a first-of-its-kind partnership for how the state, ranchers, advocates, local communities, conservationists, and federal land managers can come together to achieve the best outcome to successfully manage these majestic animals that are synonymous with the American West.”

State Senator Perry Will, one of the bill’s four original bipartisan sponsors, was also at the signing ceremony. He said, “I’m real excited about this bill. It’s a collaborative effort, and I think it’s really going to set the stage for management of our wild horses into the future. I see this as a win/win for everyone involved, and the big win is for the wild horses because that’s the whole purpose.”

SB23-275 prioritizes retaining healthy wild horse herds in Colorado’s four HMAs, thereby reducing costly and destructive roundups that have proven ineffective in the national plan. Thank you, Colorado!

For more on how to get involved in supporting efforts like this, visit our Wild Horses campaign.

Regards Mark