Month: May 2025

Birds, Environmental, Farm Animals, Fish, Fur and Fur Farming, General News, Live Transport, Stray Animals

EU’s Long Term Budget Must Support Farmers In The Transition Towards Better Animal Welfare.

I sadly accept that there will always be some folk who enjoy eating dead animals as part of their diet. Saying that, a reduction in meat consumption and the associated reduction in animal murders (slaughter houses) can only be seen as a positive from my corner.

But I am a realist also, accepting that everyone on the planet will never move to plant based. Thus as welfare campaigners, we have a responsibility to ensure that we get the best for animals that we can. The global tide is rather rapidly moving towards plant based diets – and that can only be positive; very positive. In other ways, a negative global tide is surrounding us in the form of global warming and the ‘master human’ who knows best – no, ask the whales !

The more posts I can write about on this site re the ‘killing factories’ (they are SLAUGHTER HOUSES, not abattoirs – a place where animals are killed for their meat) BEING CLOSED DOWN; then the better.

We all saw that the recent closure of Arley ritual slaughterhouse; a closure really attributed to their own non conformances with national UK laws which are supposed to give animals the maximum protection ?? at the times of their deaths. Does frightening the shit out of a sheep about to be slaughtered by playing a recording of a howling Wolf in the background constitute UK laws regarding slaughter legislation? – no, they do it for kicks which really shows the types they are.

They failed in many areas, they were closed down – end of. WONDERFUL.

England – Arley Slaughterhouse License Revoked After Formal Investigation – Excellent !

So, as the EU Parliament now commences votes on its priorities for the next long term EU budget, all of us in the welfare camp are calling for higher funding in the transition to better animal welfare practices in accordance with the vast majority of EU citizens demands.

The ‘Multiannual Financial Framework’; or MFF, is a seven year framework regulating the EU’s annual budget. The current long term budget runs until the end of 2027; so now we have to start work !

Ahead of the proposals in the next long term budget; expected in July; the Budget Committee of the European Parliament; has set out its priorities in an own-initiative report. It emphasises the need to meet more ambition to meet citizens expectations in the context of the US retreating from its global role; Russia’s war on the Ukraine; economic and social challenges, EU competitiveness and the worsening climate and biodiversity crisis.

The report implies that the budget should finance public goods, support the resilience and competitiveness of EU small scale farms and better help protect the environment. It highlights that the ‘Common Agriculture Policy’, or CAP, is crucial for food security, and that spending must persue EU objectives.

The Eurogroup for Animals call for the long term spending on the CAP to consider the expectations that EU citizens have on improved animal welfare. These expectations are not yet fully met, and the importance of animal welfare as a public good has been repeatedly demonstrated by the European Citizens’ Initiative ‘End The Cage Age, as well as the latest barometer on animal welfare. More than 9 out of 10 Europeans state that it is important to protect the welfare of farmed animals; with an absolute majority deem it as very important. More than 8 out of 10 believe that farmed animals in their countries should be given more protection than they are at present.

There is a crucial need for adequate funding from the long term budget for the transition to new animal welfare rules and regulations. The proposal for a review of the EU farm animal directive is envisaged in 2026.reduce production costs;

Financing better animal welfare in the EU is not just an ethical priority, it is a financial security for the EU’s future. Improved animal welfare can and would reduce production costs, enhance the product quality, drive innovation and strengthen the EU’s global market postioning.

Adequate funding from the MFF for the CAP is crucial to support farmers in transitioning to the new animal welfare rules. There needs to be higher funding for farmers to transition to higher animal welfare standards; and the need to support early transitioners is a vital element.

As someone with a special interest in campaigning for, and stopping long distance live animal transports; enough evidence has been supplied over decades by investigators to show the abuses with the ‘EU system’.

It is now time for them to step up to the plate; ACCEPT THE MASSIVE ABUSES UNCOVERED, and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT !!

General News, Hunting, pets, Uncategorized, Wildlife

(Germany – Thuringia) Hunter sets Dog on Pet Cat
Hobby-Jäger lässt Katze mit Jagdhund zerfetzen

Hobby hunter has cat torn to pieces by hunting dog

In Triebes in the Free State of Thuringia, a hobby hunter was filmed committing a serious offense.

Disgusting scenes in a video from the everyday life of hobby hunters were leaked to IG Wild beim Wild by a whistleblower.

This hobby hunter, too, is completely numb and internally crippled. Typical symptoms of years of hunting. A hunting license always gives you two things: a license to kill and a license to become stupid. The faces, eyes, and activities of these older hobby hunters speak volumes.

Video on Page

As is so often the case, the hobby hunter has absolutely no control over his dog. Time and again, we receive videos of hobby hunters setting their dogs on defenseless animals. It’s hard to imagine what happens in the forests, where wild animals are defenselessly at the mercy of these sadists. These are not isolated cases, so hobby hunting must finally be banned, and the children of hobby hunters must be protected.

The person who recorded the video is an old man who can only move with pain using a walker and therefore could not intervene.

Little Luna was unfortunately the victim of this cruel act. She was a very special and trusting kitten. However, because of this act, she never even lived to be two years old.

The cat’s owner is shocked. The community is wondering how sick the alleged former managing director of the German Hunting Terrier Club (name withheld from the editors) is to give his hunting dog such commands, or even to watch.

The cat presumably suffered for a few more minutes before succumbing to her injuries. Her body has not yet been returned to her owner. This suggests that the hobby hunter later disposed of little Luna after her death.

Legal action has been initiated and the local animal welfare association is providing support.

The hobby hunter—the police have no doubt about this—is a 64-year-old local man. Officials are now investigating him on suspicion of violating the Animal Welfare Act.

Dogs are abused for hunting

The abuse of dogs for recreational hunting is systematic. For their “training,” they are forced into obedience with electric shock devices, spiked collars, kicks on the paws, pinches in the ears, and sometimes even beatings.

The wild animals that hobby hunters set their four-legged friends on also pose a great danger: When dogs are forced to chase foxes or badgers out of their dens, bloody life-and-death fights often ensue. It’s not uncommon for the four-legged friends to be bitten by the terrified wild animals. Because the animals are sent headfirst into the den, they often suffer injuries to their eyes, lips, jaws, and necks. However, most dogs are injured by wild boar. Training dogs on live foxes in dens or on ducks is common practice.

Environmental, General News, Uncategorized, Wildlife

(US) North Carolina Dolphin Found With Head Missing (+ Petition)

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/north-carolina-dolphin-found-head-missing

May 12, 2025

NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information.

Stranded bottlenose dolphin in North Carolina marsh. Credit: UNCW

NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement is investigating the death and decapitation of a dead bottlenose dolphin on Lea-Hutaff Island. We are asking the public for any information about who may have been involved. We are offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to a criminal conviction or the assessment of a civil penalty. 

A member of the public originally reported the stranding of a dead dolphin on Lea Island, near marker 105, to the Southeast Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline on April 15. The area is a remote, undeveloped barrier island north of Wilmington, North Carolina, only accessible by boat. When our stranding network partner, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, went to the reported location, the 8-foot dolphin had been intentionally mutilated and its head removed. They determined that someone intentionally removed its head between April 16 and April 18, after they received the initial stranding report. 

Based on their initial health assessment of the dolphin, the University suspects the animal is carrying Brucella, a bacteria that causes the infectious bacterial disease brucellosis. The disease can be transferred to humans through direct contact. Our stranding network partner performed a necropsy (animal autopsy) and complete results and cause of death are pending.

Approximate location of dolphin carcass, Lea-Hutaff Island, North Carolina.

This animal was intentionally decapitated, a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The remote location where the dolphin was found adds to the difficulty of investigating this incident and cause of death. We are calling on your help to find those responsible.

Anyone with information about this incident should call the NOAA Enforcement Hotline at (800) 853-1964. You can leave tips anonymously, but to be eligible for the reward you must include your name and contact information.

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https://www.thepetitionsite.com/966/553/593/

Demand Justice for This Decapitated Dolphin

China Cat Torture, Environmental, Farm Animals, Fish, Fur and Fur Farming, General News, Hunting, Live Transport, Stray Animals, Vegan Recipes, Vivisection

Introducing ‘Our Compass’ – Exposing The Suffering Of All Animals Due To Human Exploitation. A Site Dedicated To Going Vegan / Veganism.

We would like to introduce you to an excellent site; named ‘Our Compass’ https://our-compass.org/about/ which is run by friend Stacey in the United States.

OC, as will now refer to it, is a ‘vegan abolitionist community focused on nonhuman animals, the harm inflicted on them due to human exploitation and speciesism, and the necessity of veganism as the only meaningful and humane response to support animals and their liberation from humans’.

As you will see by clicking on the above link, OC provides an insight into many major animal abuse / suffering issues, as well as photos, videos, and sample letters which you can use as a baseline for taking your own campaigning further.

For example:

OC has many different resources and subjects. I (Mark) know that Stacey (OC) will agree with myself and Diana when I say that like this WAV site, it is often harder; no, impossible; to give every subject animal around the world the coverage that they deserve for their individual cases – by trying to cover everything, you simply touch on a host of activities – Fur; Live transport; Intensive farming; Donkeys in the brick brick industry; Vivisection and big pharma; Hunting; The environment; Saving the Whales; Veganism; Cruelty free; AND Human Rights when coverage is necessary; human traffiking; or in our case, being a voice for the wonderful Tibetan people and their suffering under Chinese rule; – we become an information / reference source on so many issues rather than the ‘specialist’ covering just one.

Whatever; both OC and ourselves are more than happy to push for the day when ALL the cages are opened and the occupants liberated; when you do not cover your body with the skin of an animal that has lived and died under the barbaric fur production industry; when the hunts no loger hunt or animals are spared from the suffering of live transport / live exports.

If you have not visited OC yet; we know that you will find an endless resource the of information and links:

Enjoy this amazing site – we do !

https://our-compass.org/

Regards Mark, Diana and Stacey (OC).

Birds, General News, Hunting, Uncategorized, Wildlife

(UK) Royal Artillery Hunt: We just want police to protect us like everyone else

Hunt master claims authorities failing to act despite increase in attacks by masked saboteurs

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/05/17/royal-artillery-hunt-want-police-protect-us-everyone-else/

17 May 2025 3:00pm BST

The Royal Artillery Hunt said it had been the victim of more than 200 incidents since fox hunting was banned in 2004 Credit: John Eccles

The demands of the Royal Artillery Hunt seem simple – they just want law enforcement to treat them like everyone else.

But after years of attacks by masked saboteurs – and an alleged lack of action from authorities despite dozens of police reports detailing harassment, abuse and physical assault – they are beginning to lose hope.

“If what happened to the trail hunting community happened in other walks of life, then people would almost immediately be arrested, but it doesn’t happen with the sabs,” James Harris, a hunt master, told The Telegraph.

For the first time, the hunt has released its record of attacks by saboteurs. It shows that while there have been more than 200 incidents since fox hunting was banned in 2004, the number of cases has increased dramatically in recent years.

Over the course of the two seasons from 2022, a period covering 14 months, there were 103 incidents recorded and 67 police reports. But there was not a single prosecution.

Perhaps it is no coincidence that the start of the spike was the year that Jim McMahon, Labour’s then shadow environment secretary, vowed to ban trail hunting.

Have the political attacks emboldened the activists? “They have upped the ante,” Mr Harris said. “They smell blood.”

He described his hunt as a “prime target”. As a military pack, they hunt a trail on Ministry of Defence (MoD) land, so following them and making complaints to the landowner allows the activists to put pressure on the Government.

“The hunt saboteurs claim to be monitoring trail hunts but that is a misnomer – the clue is in their title,” Mr Harris said. “Their remit is to incite and upset and disrupt our activities.”

He added: “They are continually masked and they claim to the public that that is for their own protection but that is an out-and-out lie.

“We know their names, we know exactly who they are, they are masked because they are constantly breaking the law and with intent to do so. Hiding their identities means that they cannot be prosecuted, that is the true reason why they are masked.”

….

A member of the Royal Artillery Hunt is confronted by an activist

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Please also visit ..
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/hunting/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/02/22/hunting-ban-came-in-20-years-ago-our-culture-poorer-for-it/

20 years on the Hunting Act remains an attack on the rural working class

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https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/03/27/downton-abbey-peter-egan-bully-league-against-cruel-sports/

Downton Abbey actor accused of bullying boss of anti-hunting charity

Peter Egan, who played ‘Shrimpie’ in the hit TV series, denies claims by former head of League Against Cruel Sports

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https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/02/14/trail-hunting-ban-labour-government/

The Government’s latest attack on the countryside proves Labour hates our way of life

The party’s plan to ban trail hunting is class war pure and simple

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https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/12/10/cyber-security-expert-hacked-huntsmen-abi-waddell-uk/

Cyber security expert used award-winning IT skills to hack huntsmen

The confidential details of thousands of hunt workers were hacked

General News, Hunting, Uncategorized, Wildlife

(EU) EU eases hunting restrictions on wolves after Ursula von der Leyen’s pony killed

(and this is clearly all it takes to de-list an endangered/protected species – an attack on a powerful politicians’ pet)

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/09/25/eu-vote-hunting-wolves-conservation/

25 September 2024 5:33pm BST

Predators were once virtually extinct in Europe, but thanks to conservation efforts their numbers have rebounded

Wolves face being hunted in greater numbers after the European Union voted to downgrade their protected status.

The European Commission’s proposal, backed by a qualified majority of EU ambassadors, would allow greater flexibility in organising hunts by downgrading the wolf from “strictly protected” to “protected”.

Ministers will meet to formally vote on the proposal on Thursday, with only Ireland and Spain expected to vote against it, diplomatic sources said. Other member states are expected to abstain.

Wolves were virtually extinct in Europe a century ago but, thanks in part to EU conservation efforts, numbers have rebounded, with more than 1,000 of the predators in some countries.

Amid a backlash against the burden of EU green rules triggered by the cost of living crisis, farmers have complained that rising numbers of the predators are endangering their livestock.

However, conservationists have criticised the “outrageous move” to ease the hunting restrictions.

Hunting of problem wolves is already allowed under exceptions to the EU protections. Limited legal wolf hunting is carried out in Finland, Norway, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Bulgaria, Romania and Slovakia, but it could now become more widespread.

The vote comes after European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen’s favourite horse, Dolly, was killed by a wolf in September 2022 at her home in Germany.

Ursula Von Der Leyen with her pony ‘Dolly’ who was killed by a wolf Credit: Instagram

The keen equestrian and mother-of-seven said her family was “horribly distressed” by the loss of the 30-year-old horse at the lower Saxony compound.

The culprit was identified through DNA evidence as a wolf known as GW950m. But a permit to kill it expired before it could be hunted down, meaning it could still be at large.

The keen equestrian and mother-of-seven said her family was “horribly distressed” by the loss of the 30-year-old horse at the lower Saxony compound.

The culprit was identified through DNA evidence as a wolf known as GW950m. But a permit to kill it expired before it could be hunted down, meaning it could still be at large.

Brussels was forced to deny that Mrs von der Leyen had intervened in the permit process to take revenge for the death of Dolly. The permit was applied for before the horse was killed.

The Eurogroup for Animals said wolf populations had increased but had not reached “favourable” conservation status, as it decried a move that “seriously jeopardises the conservation efforts of the past decade and prioritises politics over science”.

‘Long-overdue’

“Wolves are our allies, not our enemies and it is crucial to protect them,” said Léa Badoz, of the Eurogroup for Animals. More than 300,000 EU citizens had signed a petition to stop wolf hunting.

“This is a very outrageous move and shows that member states are ignoring their citizens’ calls and science,” she said. “We urge the other parties to the Bern Convention to reject this proposal.”

Centre-Right MEPs from Mrs von der Leyen’s European People’s Party (EPP), which campaigned to loosen the protections before June’s EU-wide elections, said the decision was the start of a “long-overdue process” to bring wolf populations under control. 

“As these populations grow, their conservation status must evolve too,” said Alexander Bernhuber, an EPP member of the European Parliament’s environment committee.

Italy was among the most vocal countries demanding protections be weakened. The wolf was pushed to the verge of extinction in Italy by the 1970s, when the population dipped to just 100 individuals. Numbers are now estimated to be about 3,300.

“It is a step forward that fills us with satisfaction,” Paolo Borchia, an Italian MEP from the Right-wing League party, said on Wednesday. “It is unacceptable that it took years to come to terms with a situation that is clear for everyone to see.”

Birds, Environmental, Farm Animals, General News, Hunting, Live Transport, pets, Stray Animals, Uncategorized, Wildlife

(UK) Chris Packham is no saint. He’s an environmental extremist to us country folk

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/05/16/chris-packham-is-an-environmental-extremist/

(It was only a matter of time when the backlash would come …)

The Springwatch host saw no issue being likened to St Francis of Assisi, making his holier-than-thou attitude worse than ever this week

Vanity is a bewitching drug for some of the BBC’s biggest stars. Jostling for most luminous position in the media firmament this week, next to Gary Lineker (who completely by mistake, and in the knowledge that the media watches his every social media move, managed to post to Instagram the suggestion that Jews were rats) was Chris Packham. …..

Please ref. to previous post:

(UK) Chris Packham poses as St Francis of Assisi in new portrait

General News, pets, Uncategorized

(UK) Pictured: The Queen’s new dog

New eight-week-old Jack Russell called Moley will be featured at the Chelsea Flower Show

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2025/05/18/pictured-the-queens-new-dog/

Queen Camilla is the patron of the Battersea Dogs and Cats home Credit: Instagram

The Queen has shared a picture of her new rescue dog.

The image of Moley, who was adopted from Battersea Dogs and Cats home, shows the animal perched on a wooden chair.

The King and Queen are expected to see the names of their dogs featured in a Chelsea Flower Show garden when they visit the attraction on Monday.

Monty Don, of BBC Gardeners’ World, is behind a dog-friendly garden which aims to celebrate the UK’s reputation as a nation of dog lovers and garden enthusiasts, opening to the public on Tuesday.

The Queen, who is the patron of Battersea Dogs and Cats home, took the step of adopting an eight-week-old puppy after the death of her beloved rescue terrier Beth.

…

Environmental, General News, pets, Stray Animals

EU: The EU Could Save Member States Billions Of Euros With Mandatory Registration Of ALL Cats And Dogs Throughout ALL Member States – Here Is Our Evidence For MEP’s.

Microchipping and registering animals is not only essential for improving the welfare of cats and dogs; as well as ensuring public health; it could also save EU stated up to 25 BILLION euros per year.

As the European Commission’s proposal on the welfare of dogs and cats; including their traceability; makes its way though Parliament; the mandatory identification and registration of all companion animals remains a crucial element of the legislation.

Under current legislation proposals, certain animals are at risk of being excluded from the mandate to microchip and register pets. Leaving gaps in the legislation will allow the illegal pet trade to continue unabated, resulting in lost revenues for tax authorities and a continued burden on the public sector related to the maintenance of unwanted and abandoned animals.

With almost 6 MILLION dogs in demand across the EU each year; a staggering 79% come from unverified sources. With a conservative purchase price of around 800 Euros per puppy, dogs coming from un verified sources constitute up to 3.8 BILLIONG in lost revenues and VAT annually. With around 78 million cats in EU households, and some purebred prices reaching a disgusting 50,000 Euros; cats are a vital element of this proposal.

The uncontrolled trade and breeding of dogs and cats leads to striking costs of managing free roaming populations. Feral and abandoned pets constitute 30% of all cats and dogs worldwide, with the number of abandoned, homeless cats and dogs in EUROPE most likely underestimated to be 100 MILLION animals. In Italy alone it costs 180 – 200 million Euros of public funds to keep ABANDONED DOGS in shelters, If we look at the numbers throughout the EU, then the numbers and prices become staggering.

The lack of EU wide requirements could be costing EU member states, municipalities and EU citizens up to 25 BILLION Euros per year, an equivalent of 0.15% of total EU GDP. However, this money could be saved if the European Parliament acts responsibly when handling the current legislative proposals.

Currently, 24 EU member states require the mandatory of dogs; and 7 EU member states require it for cats; with more countries anticipated in coming years.

The obligation is especially important for stray and street animals – we campaigned for them when we were fighting the government in Serbia from 2005 onwards under ‘Serbian Animals Voice’ or SAV – – https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/about-serbian-animals/ and https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/about-us/

An EU wide system needs to be implemented to ensure that animals are traceable and that information on ownership, health and any disease history is fully recorded on an EU database.

The average annual ownership costs amount to approximately 1,129 Euros for cats and 1,305 Euros for a dog. THE ONE OFF COST OF MICROCHIPPING works out at around 40 Euros per animal – just 3-4 % of the annual ownership for a dog or a cat. Therefore making microchipping mandatory feasible for all EU animals throughout all EU member states. With adapted transition periods and local solutions in place; this highly practical solution is within reach.

In the development of a sound and reliable identification and registration system throughout ALL EU member states, the costs related to the acquisition of animals from unknown sources as well as the management of ‘unwanted animals’ will reduce over time; and thus leading to more responsible breeding and keeping of animals throughout ALL EU member states.

Thus this our evidence – we hope it is enough for EU citizens to this site to be able to ask their MEP’s to fully support this legislation.

Regards; Mark and Diana.