Norway’s Supreme Court handed down a final verdict that the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel dog breed is too sick and inbred for breeding to continue. They also ruled that the breeding of English bulldogs must fit with new frameworks, with breeding falling outside such frameworks to be illegal.
Extreme breeding has become a major animal welfare concern, especially with the surge in popularity of brachycephalic (flat-faced) dogs and other companion animals showing extreme features.
Selecting for specific physical traits (e.g. flat nose, round skull, skin folds, droopy eyes) and unrestrained inbreeding has led to hereditary disorders impacting both the physical and mental health of the animals.
In Norway, Section 25 of the Animal Welfare Act (2009) clearly states that “breeding shall encourage characteristics resulting in robust animals that function well and avail of good health”. It goes on to specify that breeding cannot happen if offspring will likely have natural behaviour affected or if it could lead to ethical issues.
The Norwegian Society for the Protection of Animals sued the Kennel Club of Norway, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club and the English Bulldog Club, along with six individual breeders, claiming that the breeding of these specific breeds contravenes Section 25.
The case was first brought to the Oslo District Court, then to the Oslo Court of Appeal and finally to the Supreme Court who concluded in an indisputable way that further breeding of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with the current genetic material is in violation of the Animal Welfare Act.
Extreme breeding is a cause of unnecessary and widespread physical and mental suffering in dogs and many other animals. Norway’s verdict on unethical breeding will have major ripple effects in Europe. Eurogroup for Animals will continue working for EU-wide legislation stating that unethical breeding causing discomfort, pain and/or disease is illegal.
Some were recorded kicking, striking, and stamping on chickens too (Animal Justice Project / SWNS)
Catcher gangs are used at chicken farms across the UK as part of a depopulation process when chickens come to the end of their natural egg-laying life at around 76 to 80 weeks old. Release date October 16, 2023. See SWNS story SWMRchickens. Shocking footage shows RSPCA-approved workers kicking and stamping on hens. The secret footage of workers known as ‘catcher gangs’ was taken at Kettleby Farm in Leicestershire which supplies some supermarket chains. RSPCA Assured have since suspended the company, Norfolk-based abattoir AD Harvey, whilst they investigate the alleged abuse. AD Harvey say that staff in the footage are no longer employed and their remaining staff are undergoing retraining. Catcher gangs are used at chicken farms across the UK as part of a depopulation process when chickens come to the end of their natural egg-laying life at around 76 to 80 weeks old. The birds are then usually used for cheap meat, soups, stock, or stews as a ‘by-product’ of the egg industry. The video was released by animal rights group The Animal Justice Project, who claim that in one ‘shocking’ incident, around 30,000 hens at the end of their egg-laying life were caught in one night at the farm.
Undercover footage appearing to show workers from an RSPCA-approved company kicking and stamping on hens has seen it suspended from the charity’s farm animal welfare scheme – and reported to government investigators.
The footage has been released by animal rights group The Animal Justice Project, and shows workers known as “catcher gangs” from Norfolk-based abattoir AD Harvey working at four farms, including Kettleby Farm in Leicestershire. Catcher gangs round up hens who have come to the end of their natural egg-laying life for transport to abattoirs, with the birds typically used for cheap meat, soups, and stock.
The video shows workers kicking and throwing hens from their perches by their tailfeathers, even striking them with objects as they made their way through the facility, leaving birds lying injured or dead in their wake.
Workers were caught breaching RSPCA guidelines by carrying large amounts of hens to crates by just one legs, before shoving them in and slamming the crates closed – sometimes on their wings and heads. Catchers filmed by the group also appeared to be aware of their inappropriate methods, with one catcher saying: “It only takes one idiot to just come in here and film what we do… and all the animal rights lot will be down here. They all think chickens walk around in fields, think 20 chickens in a field will feed the nation.”
The Animal Justice Project were now calling on the RSPCA to cut all ties with AD Harvey. Spokesperson Claire Palmer said the “appalling” footage showed “indisputable violence” against hens. “The RSPCA must take decisive action – beginning with the permanent severing of ties with AD Harvey and the launch of criminal proceedings against potential law violators.”
RSPCA Assured has since suspended AD Harvey while they investigated the alleged abuse. An AD Harvey spokesperson told SWNS that the staff in the footage were no longer employed and their remaining staff were being retrained.
“It is totally unacceptable for any animal to be treated in this way and we have reported this incident to the Animal and Plant Health Agency – an official government body that is fully equipped and resourced to investigate and take action,” an RSPCA Assured spokesperson said. “The behaviour in this footage goes against everything RSPCA Assured stands for and falls significantly below the high standards we demand of our members.
“We have suspended the membership of the catching company involved, pending investigation,” they added. “This means that the workers in the footage, as well as all other employees of the catching company, cannot work with any animals being raised under the RSPCA Assured scheme.”
Of the four farming sites featured in this footage, only one, Kettleby Farm, was RSPCA Assured certified. “We are urgently investigating this farm, as well as the associated transport company and abattoir, and are unable to comment further whilst our enquiries are ongoing,” the spokesperson added.
“We take complaints of poor animal welfare about any of our RSPCA Assured members very seriously and would always urge anyone with any concerns to contact us straight away, without delay. This is so that we can immediately investigate, visit the premises and address any welfare issues as a priority.”
In a statement issued by AD Harvey, the company told SWNS that the behaviour of their staff had fallen below standards. “AD Harvey have been made aware of a film which was produced, covertly, by an activist working on behalf of an animal rights organisation.
“The edited footage seeks to compare RSPCA Assured standards with what the activist actually witnessed whilst ‘working’ as part of our team at a poultry farm,” a spokesperson wrote. “As a result, RSPCA Assured have suspended AD Harvey Catching teams from their scheme.”
They said they had viewed the footage, and it “clearly shows some members of the AD Harvey bird catching team acting in a manner which was completely at odds with the standards of animal welfare to which we require our staff to work to… Those staff members are no longer employed by AD Harvey, and all other members of our bird catching staff are being retrained in the correct procedures.”
AD Harvey said its partners “totally condemn any breaches of animal welfare legislation” and their teams were trained to deliver a service which ensured that birds are treated with respect and care. “We will work closely with both RSPCA Assured and all of our customers to ensure that our teams act in a professional and caring manner at all times.”
Investigation reveals intense suffering on rabbit farms in Spain
17 October 2023
AnimaNaturalis
Despite a marked decrease in rabbit meat consumption, Spain continues to be the leader in production and consumption in Europe, followed by Italy and France. Rabbits are currently the second most raised and slaughtered animal for human consumption in the EU, with 180 million rabbits killed every year.
In a new undercover investigation, AnimaNaturalis accessed 10 farms in Castilla y León, Catalonia, Aragón, and Castilla-La Mancha; some of the regions with the highest concentration of rabbit farms in the country. They discovered deplorable conditions and failure to adhere to animal welfare regulations. The images and footage obtained show animal suffering throughout the whole production cycle, from mothering and breeding to fattening.
Click ‘Watch on YouTube’ to view.
Our research offers undeniable evidence that the rabbit sector is based on a cruel system, far removed from any minimally acceptable standard of welfare. The use of cages in itself prevents rabbits from developing any of their natural behaviours, which causes them a high level of physical and psychological suffering throughout their lives.
In 2020, The European Food Safety Authority reported that Spanish farms use the worst possible production system in terms of animal welfare and that 20% of rabbits die before reaching the slaughterhouses.
The European Citizens’ Initiative End the Cage Age, which received over 1.2 million signatures of support, made it clear citizens want to see the end of cruel farming practices that keep animals caged for the majority of their lives.
Rabbits are particularly vulnerable since they do not have specific regulations that protect them. But their situation could soon change if the European Commission keeps its promise to review animal welfare laws in the coming months as planned.
Following the investigation, AnimaNaturalis is denouncing the mistreatment suffered by millions of rabbits in Spain and urges the authorities to immediately develop regulations that protect them and guarantee minimum conditions of well-being.
Jill, the founder and CEO of Animals Asia, has been in touch today.
The latest and most exciting news relates to the AA new bear sanctuary in Vietnam.
The new sanctuary, complete with rescue teams are READY TO GO !
Vet and bear care teams are equipped and prepared to put the first of 300 remaining desperate bears on the long path to recovery.
Phase 1 of the new sanctuary in Bach Ma National Park is now complete and operational. This includes a new quarantine area, two big double bear houses, and a bear hospital.
Thuy Hoang is the new sanctuary manager, and we wish her every success with this new venture.
On 2 October 2023, Animals Asia made “one giant leap for moonkind” by rescuing the first bears to our new sanctuary in Bach Ma, Vietnam.
The new sanctuary signals the end of bear bile farming in Vietnam. It will be home to the last remaining few hundred bears that still live on bile farms across the country.
I will finish with this wonderful news and leave you to explore and donate via the ‘Home’ first link above;
Democratic failure: European Commission backtracks on its commitments for animals in work programme
16 October 2023
Note – WAV have included bold text, colour and underline as necessary.
Press Release
The European Commission has failed to deliver on its commitment to better protect billions of animals, despite clear calls by citizens demanding better legislation.
A leaked 2024 work programme, set to be presented in the European Parliament plenary tomorrow, shows that the Commission is backtracking on its promise to EU citizens and only committing to publish one of the four promised regulation proposals by the end of the current term, failing to uphold its democratic responsibility to answer to European Citizens’ Initiatives.
In 2020, the European Commission (EC) committed to revise the animal welfare legislation as part of the Farm to Fork Strategy, but with the current political term coming to a close, according to the leaked work programme, the EC has now failed to include all the proposals, committing only to delivering one of the four promised regulations (Transport Regulation), set to be published in December.
This leaves behind the Kept Animals, Slaughter and Labelling Regulations. Particularly worrying is the absence of a clear timeline for the Kept Animals Regulation (KAR) through which the EC was expected to deliver on its commitment to transition to cage-free systems, an ask by 1.4 million citizens in the End the Cage Age ECI.
With these regulations failing to be mentioned in the work programme, it is now highly likely that they would be handed over to the next Commission, leaving millions of animals unprotected for years to come, and the future of the proposals hanging in the balance. It also ignores the clear democratic call reflected in the European Citizens’ Initiatives, in which citizens have asked the EU to do more for animals.
Another important file missing in the document is the Legislative Framework for Sustainable Food Systems (FSFS) which was also expected by the end of 2023. Postponing this Farm-to-Fork flagship will hinder much needed food system transformation and fail aligning agricultural and food policies with the EU’s sustainability and climate change objectives.
In addition to its Farm to Fork Strategy, the much anticipated revision of the REACH regulation under the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability is also notably absent from the programme. The cornerstone regulation has long been discussed as a centrepiece of the EU Green Deal towards the goal of achieving a toxic free environment and a key element to help further promote a chemical strategy which advances in more concrete terms the phase out of animal testing for regulatory purposes.
We are extremely dismayed that the EC did not have the political will to commit to its promise, turning its back on citizens and science. Decades in the making, we had numerous dialogues, impact assessments and scientific opinions. Petitions, ECIs and the 2016 special Eurobarometer clearly show that European Citizens want more for the animals, and yet, big business continues to have the leading hand. We will not give up but keep pushing for the EC to commit on a clear timeline for the other Proposals. The time is now. We simply will not accept any more delays.
Reineke Hameleers, CEO, Eurogroup for Animals
Last week, animal protection organisations, MEPs and advocates gathered in front of the Berlaymont and publicly called on President von der Leyen to publish the promised full proposals for a revised animal welfare legislation. MEPs called the EC’s failure to deliver the proposals a ‘“democratic failure”.
Renowned ethologist and conservationist, UN Messenger of Peace and founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, Dr Jane Goodall, PhD also joined the call and asked EC President Ursula von der Leyen to meet with her to discuss the issue.
This site is primarily animal rights and welfare and always will be.
That does not mean that when necessary, and if we feel strongly, then the site will publish the odd post(s) relating to human rights issues. Tibet, the Ukraine and Gaza (Palestine) are such issues.
Today (14/10/23) in London alone; over 100,000 people marched in solidarity with the people of Gaza – read more about it here:
Despite Prime Minister Rishi announcing a few days ago that citizens of the UK supported Israel, this is not exactly the case as the London, plus other demo sites across the UK, have shown with Palestine support protests today. It is not a case of being pro or anti Hamas, it is a case of showing support for the citizens of Gaza who are being displaced in their hundreds of thousands.
The scenes of complete and utter destruction in Gaza can simply be compared to those which we have now seen for many months in the Ukraine. What will it take to stop this ? – will anything stop this ?
I have no answers; like the vast majority of global citizens, we can only hope that sense will prevail over destruction; and those responsible for such destruction will get their ‘Karma’ in the very near future.
A devastating tragedy occurred in Al Falah area of Abu Dhabi, a few days ago. Rescuers uncovered a horrific scene of over 100 cats and some dogs who had been cruelly dumped in the desert (close to renowned Falcon Hospital) and left to die in scorching temperatures without food, water and shelter from the heat.
Rescuers in tears found approximately 60 (however they can be much more) dead bodies in different stages of decomposition that were lying on the sand or just beneath the surface. Animals have died enduring unimaginable and unacceptable suffering. Other 92 cats and a dog were luckily found alive but in critical conditions. All very weak and dehydrated they have been transferred to vet clinics for health care.
To worsen the cruelty against these animals, rescuers have reported a disturbing fact. Almost all of the cats had been microchipped and had been neutered, some of them not even two weeks earlier as surgical stiches were clearly visible and some others still inside carriers.
Presumably, these cats had been taken to Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital for TNR programs but there are no evidence (at the moment) whether they had been dumped there intentionally and by whom.
Sentence innocent animals to death in such a tremendous way is ethically unacceptable.
While collecting additional info and evidence, we need your cooperation to spread awareness! We shouldn’t forget that the cruel and inhumane practice of dumping animals in the desert is a systematic method of animal population control carried out in the UAE.
UPDATE 04 OCTOBER 2023
Following the outrageous act of cruelty perpetrated against hundred animals in Al Falah area, we are glad to read on the news and the official website that the Abu Dhabi’s Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT), in collaboration with other relevant authorities, has condemned the episode and has taken action launching a prompt investigation. They also called on the public to report any abuse or neglect that exposes animals to danger by contacting 800 555.
We truly hope investigation will continue and the issue will be taken into high regard.
We take the occasion to thanks independent rescuers who rushed on site to save survivors and veterinarians who gave first aid and are now providing medical care. However, we shouldn’t forget all local and international animal lovers and activists who made the news went viral.
UPDATE 05 OCTOBER 2023
OIPA writes an open letter to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to express deep concern about the recent horrific case of animal cruelty discovered in the Al Falah area of Abu Dhabi and asking to supervise the investigation (Open letter_OIPA_October 2023)
World Animals Voice 