Day: October 27, 2024

General News, Stray Animals

Caring for cats: Cartagena’s commitment to stray animal welfare

IN a significant step towards animal welfare, the Cartagena Department of Health has signed a contract aimed at managing over 110 stray cats in the area. With a budget of €11,641, the plan includes sterilisation, vaccination, deworming, and microchipping these cats, ensuring each one is properly identified.

Image – Shutterstock/ rbkomar

The CER method: Effective strategy for stray population control

This plan follows the successful implementation of the CER (Capture, Sterilise, and Return) method, which has been a priority for the department, especially after the pandemic. The agreement, formalised with Los Molinos Veterinary Clinic, allows for essential medical care for cats in various neighbourhoods, including Canteras, Perín, and La Magdalena.

Future funding and commitment to animal welfare

The council highlighted that this contract aligns with the new animal rights law and continues ongoing efforts to control the stray cat population in collaboration with local animal protection organisations. Since the start of the program, about 400 cats from different colonies have already received care. With further funding opportunities on the horizon, Cartagena aims to strengthen its commitment to the health and welfare of its stray cat community.

Benefits of caring for our feline friends

  • Improved Health for Stray Cats: With sterilisation, vaccination, and deworming, the program ensures that stray cats receive essential medical care, leading to healthier feline populations.
  • Reduced Overpopulation: By implementing the CER (Capture, Sterilise, and Return) method, the program helps control the stray cat population, preventing overcrowding and the associated issues that come with it.
  • Community Safety: Fewer stray cats can lead to reduced incidents of territorial behavior, making neighborhoods safer and more pleasant for everyone.
  • Support for Local Animal Welfare Organisations: The program promotes collaboration with local animal protection groups, strengthening community efforts to care for animals in need.
  • Increased Awareness of Animal Rights: By aligning with the new animal rights law, the program highlights the importance of treating all animals with compassion and respect.
  • Microchipping for Identification: Microchipping ensures that stray cats can be easily identified and returned to their caretakers if they are lost, promoting responsible pet ownership.
  • Enhanced Quality of Life: With proper care and support, stray cats can thrive in their environments, improving their overall quality of life and contributing to a healthier ecosystem.

https://euroweeklynews.com/2024/10/27/caring-for-cats-cartagenas-commitment-to-stray-animal-welfare

Excellent – well done them !

Mark

Farm Animals, General News, Live Transport

European Animal Welfare Organisations Demand An Import Halt For Horsemeat.

Photo – AWF/ TSB/ GAIA

15 October 2024

GAIA

Press Release

The German Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF) and the Swiss Tierschutzbund Zürich (TSB) present a new film documentation on horsemeat from Argentina. The footage, taken between 2022 and 2024, shows cruelty and poor animal welfare in the handling of horses at Argentinian horse slaughterhouses and assembly centres and during transport on unsuitable cattle trucks.

Together with Eurogroup for Animals (Brussels), Welfarm (France) and GAIA (Belgium), AWF and TSB are calling on the European Commission to stop the import of horsemeat from Argentina. In a resolution in 2021, the European Parliament also spoke out in favour of an import suspension. The Belgian Meat Federation FEBEV and the Swiss importer Skin Packing, on the contrary, want to prevent reporting on the cruel conditions in Argentinian slaughterhouses by taking AWF and TSB to court. 

Since 2010, investigations carried out by AWF, TSB and GAIA have shown that horsemeat producers in Argentina do not comply with the EU’s import requirements. The animal welfare organisations criticise the EU Commission for not imposing the same measure against Argentina as that already imposed against Mexico and Brazil, from which horsemeat imports have been suspended. EU audits conducted in Argentina identified very similar issues regarding food safety and animal welfare, confirmed by EU Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi, who said that “the specific issues raised, such as residues of veterinary medicines, animal welfare, illegal cross-border movement and traceability, were all identified during the audits the Commission services have conducted (…)”. Nevertheless, horsemeat from questionable sources continues to enter Europe. 

“Our investigations are disturbing the European importers. They want to prevent the publication of our findings by taking legal action against AWF and TSB. The EU audit reports, however, have repeatedly confirmed what is shown in our film documentaries”, explains Sabrina Gurtner, AWF|TSB project manager. 

Argentinian media regularly report on criminal organisations that abuse the horsemeat business, yet even horse traders who have been under police investigation for years and have been banned from the animal trade remain in the business illegally. They are known to use the uncontrollable network of slaughterhouses, assembly centres and horse suppliers for their criminal business. “From official sources, we have received a list of 2,600 addresses of horse assembly centres and suppliers. This network is an ideal hiding place for criminal gangs”, reports Sabrina Gurtner. 

For example, the Lamar slaughterhouse near Buenos Aires has repeatedly been the target of police investigations. The media reported a raid in 2022 at the Lamar slaughterhouse and its supplier in Ibicuy. The latter is being investigated by the police for forming a criminal organisation, money laundering, tax evasion, possession of weapons and animal cruelty.

The new film by AWF and TSB shows the state of horsemeat production in Argentina – with seriously injured and highly emaciated horses left unattended, driven limping from the transporters into pens. Foals born in the slaughterhouse wander unprotected between nervous, thirsty and hungry horses. The presence of foals also indicates that heavily pregnant horses continue to be transported, despite being unfit to do so. The film also shows workers beating the horses incessantly with sticks and brooms. The horses are not adequately supplied with food or water, nor do they have sufficient protection from the weather. These horrific animal welfare conditions are present despite the fact that the visited slaughterhouses participate in the European importers’ “Respectful Life” project. 

Several audits carried out by the EU as well as investigations of the animal welfare organisations show that the traceability of horses is not guaranteed. This leads to an increased risk to food safety and there is no information about where the horses actually come from. Stolen horses have frequently entered the slaughter pipeline.

A public petition calling on the EU Commission to stop horsemeat imports from overseas, has so far collected more than 213,000 signatures. “On behalf of several European animal welfare organisations, we are calling on the Commission to require equivalent animal welfare standards in exporting countries and to suspend any horsemeat imports from countries where no effective traceability system is in place”, explains Iza Arrieta, Programme Manager, Cats & Dogs and Equines, Eurogroup for Animals.

Sébastien de Jonge, COO GAIA, says: “The investigations carried out by the animal welfare organisations have led many supermarket chains to stop selling horsemeat from countries that violate animal rights. In Belgium, all supermarkets have ceased selling horsemeat from South America. It is now crucial for Europe to follow the example set by these private actors and close its borders to products resulting from the worst practices towards animals.” 

Ghislain Zuccolo, CEO WELFARM, says: “It is unacceptable that some supermarkets in France still sell horsemeat from South America. This situation is in total contradiction with the ambitions of these same distributors with regard to animal welfare. They can no longer ignore the sufferings involved with this trade.”

Mark.

Farm Animals, Fur and Fur Farming, General News, Live Transport

EU: Animal Welfare Commissioner Must Show More Concrete Commitments.

23 October 2024

In the run-up to the candidate hearing of EU Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare Olivér Várhelyi, the European Commission (EC) published the answers to the written questions.

While Eurogroup for Animals welcomes aspects of the candidate’s answers to questions on animal welfare, it stresses the need for much more ambitious actions and concrete commitments to improving the lives of all animals in Europe, and to respect the wishes of citizens who have been calling for the EU to do much more in this respect.

In his answers, candidate Várhelyi promised to work on “policies [that] leave no one behind, creating conditions for truly inclusive health and animal welfare systems catered fairly to the needs of people and animals”.  

Eurogroup for Animals welcomes the commitment to modernise animal welfare legislation in line with the latest science, and acting on the End the Cage Age ECI through the phasing out of animal cages.

The answers however, are far from ambitious enough, and the candidate makes no reference to:

  • A clear timeline of the revision of the legislation
  • Comprehensive species-specific regulations that take into account the unique needs of certain species, like fish and meat chickens
  • A ban on fur farms, as per the demands of the Fur Free Europe ECI. 
  • Plans for a transition to animal-free science
  • Actions to tackle the illegal pet trade
  • Ensuring that animal welfare standards apply to imported products
  • The introduction of and EU-wide Positive List for animals that should be kept as pets
  • Enabling food environments that make healthy and sustainable diets widely available and affordable – this is crucial for a OneHealth approach.

Despite the introduction of Animal Welfare in the Commissioner’s name, a news that was widely welcomed, the mission letter barely mentioned animal welfare (only 1 of 14 items).

In reaction, in September, Eurogroup for Animals sent an ideal mission letter to EC President Ursula von der Leyen, detailing the priorities that were missing. MEPs are invited to sign the mission letter during an event that Eurogroup for Animals will host with GAIA at the European Parliament during the week starting 4 November.

With animal welfare being right there in the title of his role, we expect much more ambition on the part of candidate Várhelyi. After decades of new scientific evidence, and resounding calls from citizens, we urgently need more concrete commitments and timelines that ensure better standards for all animals in the EU, with none left behind. We call on MEPs to represent the demands of citizens and request specific answers during the hearing.

Reineke Hameleers, CEO, Eurogroup for Animals

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Related news

Animal welfare commissioner must show more concrete commitments

Silent Suffering: photo exhibition highlights cruel realities of animals in Europe

Strategic dialogue urges EC to deliver the revision of animal welfare legislation by 2026

Mark

Farm Animals, General News, Live Transport

EU: Animals are dying at Europe’s borders. Who is responsible? – We Say EU Commissioner Politicians.

25 October 2024

Last week, 69 pregnant heifers suffered a terrible death after being stranded at the border between Bulgaria and Turkey for over four weeks.

Because the cows were coming from Brandebourg, which is considered an epidemic area for the bluetongue virus, Turkish authorities stopped the animals, and legal bureaucracy did not allow a return to the EU.

Despite many reports from animal advocacy groups, the cows were left stranded in their own faeces, with many dying in the truck. No authority chose to take responsibility for these animals. 

The cows that survived were eventually slaughtered without stunning, a practice that causes severe suffering. 

Another tragedy looms

Just days after this terrible event, another situation surfaced at the same border. This time, 47 cows are stranded without food and water. Animals have started to fall ill, and two have already died.

Animals suffer greatly while being transported for days on end, with journeys lasting for up to three weeks. Cramped tightly in vessels that are often filthy and hazardous, they endure injuries, sickness and heat stress.

The effects on vulnerable animals, like young and pregnant animals, can have long-term effects. Evidence shows that in the case of calves, issues sustained during transport can lead to lifelong problems with their digestive and respiratory systems.

What needs to be done?

The EU is not doing enough.

The transport file, where the new legislation is being discussed, is still at a standstill, and it is still legal to transport animals to non-EU countries.

Animal protection NGOs call for legislation that meaningfully protects animals during transport, and an end to all live transport from the EU to third countries.

Regards Mark