Dozens of animals, including pet cats, dogs, alpacas, horses and donkeys were chased and attacked during the most recent hunting season, anti hunt campaigners say.
In addition, they also harassed sheep, pheasants and reindeer according to a new analysis of reports by anti hunt organisation ‘Protect The Wild’.
In all, 89 animals were said to have been caused distress by hunt hounds over a 10 month period.
Members of Parliament (MPs) will hold a major debate on the practice of ritual slaughter – Kosher and Halal – on animals; as over 109,000 Brits signed a petition demanding better animal welfare at slaughter, along with a much clearer food labelling system informing the public on which slaughter method was used to produce their meat.
The debate is a direct result of a Government Petition for the public; which reads ‘In a modern society, we believe more consideration needs to be given to animal welfare, and how livestock is treated and culled. We believe that non-stun slaughter is barbaric and doesn’t fit with in with our culture and modern day values; and should be banned, as some EU nations have done’. Here is the link to the petition, WHICH IS NOW CLOSED – https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/700557
Halal slaughter does not stun the animal before it is killed – Photo Getty images.
In a landmark case, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled that a BAN on the ritual slaughter of animals without prior stunning DOES NOT VIOLATE the ECHR. In other words, a ban could be imposed.
The court case considered that the protection of public morals, to which Article 9 of the Convention referred, was not indifferent to the living environment of individuals covered by its protection, and including animals.
A Government response issued on 10th January defended the current practice, arguing that ‘it would prefer to see all animals stunned before slaughter, but respecting the rights of Jews and Muslims to eat meat prepared in accordance with their own religious beliefs’.
Mr Rupert Lowe MP very recently tabled an Early Day Motion in Parliament also calling for a ban on non-stun slaughter. he argued that there was a substantial body of veterinary evidence arguing that pre-stunning greatly reduces the amount of animal suffering at the time of slaughter.
He called on the Government to urgently review the legislative framework around non-stun slaughter; consider restricting or banning the practice, and introduce mandatory clear labelling of meat products by the method of slaughter used so that the public can make an informed choice.
A 2019 poll suggested that 83% of British adults believed the law should be changed to ensure that animals killed for food production ARE stunned before they are killed.
Additionally, 86% want all meat sold in the UK to be clearly labelled stating how the animal died.
Around 114 million animals are slaughtered each year in the UK using the Halal method; and around 2.1 million using the Kosher method. Although the polls taken in 2019 give impressive figures for the implementation of change, we suggest that despite this, the Government WILL NOT make legislative changes especially regarding religious minorities and their preferred methods of killing.
As to clear public meat labelling stating its slaughter method; why not ? – food labelling in many sectors has failed the consumer in being able to make an informed choice for decades. It is now time for change.
This year alone, 140,000 unweaned calves have been transported on the route between Ireland and France.
This is a journey that under normal circumstances takes around 18 hours; which breaches EU regulations as the calves ARE NOT fed a milk replacer as required. If weathers conditions are bad, then the journey can be even longer.
These very vulnerable calves, deprived of the milk from the mothers they will never see again, experience hunger, overcrowding, exhaustion and stress on these lengthy journeys. Following these sea journeys, their suffering continues as they are shipped on lengthy road journeys to the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and Poland.
Photos – PMAF / Welfarm
There is an EU Regulation that requires the unweaned calves that travel from Ireland to France; and deprived of their natural mothers milk; should be fed with a milk substitute. THIS IS NOT HAPPENING, meaning that EU rules are being BREACHED by these ferry companies.
The EU Commission also has the view that the shipment of the unweaned calves from Ireland to France BREACHES REGULATIONS.
Ask the ferry companies involved with this trade TO STOP NOW – they are Brittainy Ferries, Irish Ferries and Stena Line; all involved in these shipments of suffering. For the calves; please take action NOW – https://action.ciwf.org.uk/page/172354/action/2
We all worked together for the UK live animals export ban in 2024; and we will win this also with your help and support – Thank You.
We have personally been familiar with the excellent work of Welfarm, under the leadership of Ghislain, since they were affiliated with CIWF back in the 90’s – see ‘History’ below for more:
A year and a half after after turning away from the terrible intensive cage system; pig farmer Laurent Gugliemi has been amazed at the way his sows have now behaved after being given both their freedom and the ability to raise piglets in groups. Read the full article here:
They may appear to be in good condition, but a Hotel in China using red pandas to wake up guests for ‘that ultimate experience’ has been rapped by the local Forestry Commission over concerns about animal rights and hygiene concerns.
Guests can feed chunks of apple to the animals who visit them in their bedrooms for ‘that ultimate wake up experience’ – but there are also concerns about what could happen with children experiencing this encounter.
The Lehe Ledu Liangjiang Hotel offers Red Panda Themed Holidays for its guests; but experiences posted on social media attracted the attention of the Forestry Commission who have taken action by closing down all contact between guests and the very attractive animals.
The hotel is located in South West China.
Why the netting ? – are the animals as free as they declare ?
Children, the animals, and hygiene is of particular concern to the authorities.
Wake up to ‘that ultimate experience’.
Whilst we support anything in China that works more to promoting the better treatment of animals; we are not sure that this is the way. Farm animals; for example, desperately need national legislation to be introduced for their protection, and as we have covered on this site especially; the abuse and torture of cats, using the dark web, is something that also really needs attention and action by the Government. We have provided information; so why no action ?
PETA used the Club World Cup in Philadelphia to call out the killing of homeless animals in Marocco.
2 pitch invaders held up signs saying ‘Morocco – Stop Shooting Dogs And Cats’.
PETA has been critical regarding Morocco’s government treatment of stray animals; with dogs being gunned down. set on fire, and killed in other terrible ways, just for the sake of a soccer match said a PETA executive, Tracy Reiman.
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI issued a royal order in 2019 to end the country’s policy of killing homeless animals; but PETA claim that authorities have not followed through with that pledge.
Morocco has over 3 MILLION stray dogs; and as we always say, but appear to be forever ignored by by authorities; you do not solve the issue by simply killing. A nationwide, government funded Trap, Neuter and then Release program is the only wat to reduce stray numbers over time. We argued this in the past with the Serbian Government when we were working to help strays out there; again, an authority which thinks it knows better and thus ignores friendly advice.
World Animals Voice 