Category: Farm Animals

Environmental, Farm Animals, General News

USA: Santa Fe – November Named as Vegan Awareness Month by Mayor Webber.

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As a Brit, I have (in the past) had some great times in New Mexico – wonderful people, beautiful towns, great history; not a cloud in the sky !  and a rather hot series of Balloon festivals !

Thanks to Mayor Webber for his outstanding initiative for animals and for the environment and bettering human health.     Regards Mark (WAV).

 

Image result for mayor alan webber

Mayor Webber

 

Exciting news for Santa Fe, New Mexico residents and the vegan community as the city’s mayor Alan Webber recently named November Vegan Awareness Month. Mayor Webber hopes this action will encourage residents to explore the many delicious vegan options available in their city and by doing so, make a positive impact on the environment, their health, and animal welfare.

The proclamation highlights the many benefits of a plant-based diet, including that every day it “saves 1,100 gallons of water, 45 pounds of grain, 30 square feet of forested lands, the equivalent of 20 pounds of CO2, and one animal’s life.”

Through this initiative, Webber says he hopes to continue Santa Fe’s legacy as “a leader in water conservation and earth-friendly practices, [. . .] support[ing] people who choose a vegan diet for whatever reason” and encouraging others to “learn about plant-based eating during November and beyond.”

The Mayo Clinic and the American Dietetic Association tout the multiple health perks of adopting a plant-based diet. The ADA states that plant-based diets “are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases” and are appropriate for any age. Consuming solely fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes helps lower and manage blood pressure and cholesterol and makes developing chronic heart disease less likely. Additionally, research shows that this diet “reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.”

In addition to the powerful impact a plant-based diet can have your health and the environment, eliminating animal products means no longer contributing to the rampant cruelty farm animals endure in the meat, egg dairy industries. Animals are frequently beaten, thrown, kicked, and discarded like trash.

Male chicks in the egg industry are sometimes ground alive as they do not produce eggs and therefore are seen as unimportant. Pigs are confined to such small quarters that they are unable to move or stand. These are only a few examples of the awful conditions in which these animals must live.

We applaud Mayor Webber for this initiative and hope it will inspire more civic leaders to follow suit.

 

Environmental, Farm Animals, General News

USA: Disturbing Footage Reveals Salmon Being Stomped On, Thrown, and Suffocated at U.S. Hatchery.

Us Flagge napv

 

 

In the first-ever undercover investigation into a fish hatchery in the United States, an investigator from animal advocacy nonprofit Compassion Over Killing worked at Cooke Aquaculture in Bingham, Maine. This hatchery raises millions of salmon each year and supplies Martha Stewart’s True North Seafood line. The investigator documented horrific treatment of salmon, including fish being thrown, stomped on, suffocated in barrels, stuck with needles, and left to die.

 

 

For salmon at the hatchery, life begins in giant metal tanks stuffed with thousands of tiny pink eggs. The dirty conditions are perfect for fungi and parasites, which grow in clumps on many of the eggs. Some babies hatch with severe deformities, while others develop them after being handled, as one worker explains: “Spinal deformity. Happens when they’re babies in B building. If you’re too rough with them, you’ll break their back and they’ll grow back like that.”

 

 

During vaccination procedures, many salmon are not properly anesthetized and thrash as workers inject them with needles. One worker says, “Once the needle’s in them and they flop, that tears a f**king huge hole in them.” Another worker describes the psychological effects of the process:

The vaccinating stresses them out, takes its toll on them. Some of them die off. Once you vaccinate them, it takes them like a week before they start eating again.

 

 

Salmon considered unprofitable are thrown away like trash. The video shows a worker tossing a fish into a giant barrel and raising his arms in triumph. Once in the barrels, salmon are left to slowly suffocate or are crushed by the weight of other fish. One worker seems to acknowledge the brutality of this treatment. “They just suffocate,” he says. “It’s so rough. Over the years you kinda get desensitized.”

 

 

Some of the fish die from infections with parasites and fungi that thrive in the filthy environment. A worker says, “They get, like, lesions and stuff from the fungus, and it kinda eats away at them and they start bleeding from that.” The undercover investigator captured footage of salmon whose faces were partially eaten away.

 

The fish who manage to survive are kept in overcrowded, stressful conditions and often underfed, which can have tragic consequences. “If the fish aren’t fed enough, they’ll actually think the little pupil on the other fish is food, and they’ll come after it and they’ll peck the eye out,” one worker explains. “You happen to see some missing eyeballs, that’s the reason.”

 

After going through all this horror, adolescent salmon are usually transported to cages in the ocean to be fattened up for slaughter. In these cages, salmon often suffer sea lice infestations and are fed a diet that includes ingredients from wild-caught fish, who are taken from increasingly depleted oceans. And because these cages are stationary, the salmon cannot flee certain dangers. Harmful algal blooms can suffocate and kill millions of fish at a time.

 

Although the aquaculture industry treats these animals like unfeeling objects, fish are complex, sensitive beings, many of whom use tools and recognize themselves in mirrors and all of whom feel pain.

 

You can make a difference for fish and other animals by choosing more plant-based meals.

 

Get started by ordering your FREE Vegetarian Starter Guide today.

https://mercyforanimals.org/disturbing-footage-reveals-salmon-being-stomped

 

veganfaces2

 

 

 

Environmental, Farm Animals, General News, Live Transport, Stray Animals

Serbian Investigations – An ‘EU Candidate Country’. Do we Expect This from EU Member States ?

 

I want to pick up again on some of our (SAV) past work in Serbia; not for any specific reason; just that it fits well into the recent post by Venus which deals with stray animals within the EU -here is the link: https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2019/10/14/stray-animals-abandoned-friends/   – I have also added some links and video footage at the end of this post.

Firstly, welcome to everyone and anyone who visits the site from around the globe – it is good to see you and I hope you and I hope you find our articles of interest.

Secondly, and very importantly; never judge the way of a nation by the actions of just a few folk that live there. Serbia has some brilliant animal campaigners, and it has been my pleasure over the last 15+ years to work with many of them – people who have my full respect and people that I can call friends. There are some great little private, individual shelters where people are doing everything they can for animals – check out this SAV Facebook site of ours to see what I mean: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SerbianAnimalsVoice/

 

I threw together some information about Serbian animal welfare legislation some years back – visit here for more of the same: https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/about-serbian-animals/

Today I want to track back to an issue we dealt with many years ago – that of the welfare of animals on some Serbian farms. Please remember, Serbia is currently a nation which is a ‘Candidate Country’ to join the EU. To become a member state, it will supposedly enforce all the legislation required of it under EU rules. But we know these don’t work anyway, and the EU never enforces its own legislation; as we have proven so many times with animal transport breaches over the years regarding Regulation 1/2005.

So, the (EU) rules say that all farm animals must be kept to certain standards – which is a joke really considering how many times we have helped to expose EU wrong doings in the past:

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2019/08/19/england-breaking-news-viva-win-against-hogwood-after-years-of-showing-pig-animal-abuse-tesco-stores-ban-meat-from-supplier-after-expose-of-conditions-and-animal-abuse/

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2019/08/02/eu-and-germany-the-champions-of-propaganda/

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2019/05/10/germany-the-export-champion-of-the-eu/

 

Going back; we looked into specific farm animal welfare in the past. As part of the CIWF investigation / campaign team in the past; https://www.ciwf.org.uk/ I was able to call on their extensive experience to help me with regard a few things about EU / Serbian farm animal welfare legislation. Phil helped me a lot and contributed to one of the articles I did on SAV.

Have a look at these pictures that we published at the time – taken on a Serbian farm:

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farm ok 2

farm ok 3

farm ok 4

 

If you are / have been a meat eater in the past; would you want to eat meat that has been raised in this way ? – this is footage that was taken undercover on a Serbian farm a few years back. It is totally non compliant with EU standards; as detailed in the following links:

watch the video

http://rs.n1info.com/Vesti/a232606/Farma-krava-u-Ruskom-Krsturu.html

 

 

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2010/11/23/serbia-november-2010-conditions-ok-at-a-farm-according-to-serbian-veterinary-ministry-and-complaining-campaigners-dont-pressure-us/

 

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2017/03/08/serbia-terrible-animal-suffering-on-farm-but-serbian-agricultural-ministry-say-all-is-ok/https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2017/03/08/serbia-terrible-animal-suffering-on-farm-but-serbian-agricultural-ministry-say-all-is-ok/

 

Remember, Serbia is now a Candidate Country to become an official EU member state.

We provided our evidence and photographs to the EU Commissioner for Enlargement – Commissioner Hahn; several years ago; as a result, we were ignored; as many animal welfare groups are when they show up the EU for the non enforcement of its own EU standards. We accept that our evidence will be ignored; whilst we hear great words regarding standards coming from EU ‘mouths’.

We also provided photographic evidence of dead pigs which had literally been dumped on the roadside. See the pictures here. Why had they died ?; of what ?; and why were their bodies not disposed of in accordance with proper legislation requirements ?

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2011/12/11/serbia-dead-farm-animal-bodies-just-dumped-near-the-highway-a-perfect-food-source-for-stray-animals-a-perfect-method-of-spreading-disease-and-a-perfect-way-for-corrupt-politicians-to-keep-catchin/ 

 

Stray animals (Dogs) are a big issue in Serbia as we have recently pointed out. Do farm animal carcasses such as these pigs strewn over the roadside not act as a source of attraction for hungry and desolate stray dogs ? – the whole system fails for animals, whilst at the same time the EU opens its arms to new member states; with the ‘EU Utopia’ prophecy in which there is nothing wrong !

 

Finally, we also took the issue of Serbian live animal transport to the authorities; who were adamant that sheep exported to Israel for slaughter had not been sent live from Serbia. Some Serbian shelters were also targeted with closure if we carried on with our expose.

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2015/09/26/further-news-about-exports-to-israel/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2015/09/18/serbia-breaking-news-serbia-exports-live-sheep-to-israel/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2015/09/21/england-sav-now-write-to-eu-commissioner-hahn-regarding-serbia-israeli-live-animal-transport/

serb sheep 2

serb sheep 3

serb sheep 5

serb sheep 8

Now you know why we hate live animal exports !

 

In the end, the Serbian authorities had to come clean and confirm that the sheep had been shipped live from Serbia. And just for the record, all the shelters threatened with closure by the authorities as part of this expose were left to carry on with their excellent work.

 

Remember – Serbia is a EUROPEAN NATION – we expect better animal welfare standards of it.

 

Still to come – out expose of Serbian Zoos and the terrible conditions which animals have to endure – fighting to survive daily whilst the authorities ignore meeting their legal requirements to undertake inspections.

 

Best regards to all;

For the animals – Mark.

 

 

Farm Animals, General News

My Dream – Lets Act Together for Success !

 

 

I can remember making my way through ol’ London Town in England when I was 17 or so – a long time ago; to see Motorhead in concert.  Lemmy has gone now – RIP Lemmy; along with the brilliant David Bowie.   ‘Heroes’ has been the soundtrack music to many issues in the animal rights world – and anyone who fights for the rights of animals, in my little world, is a real Hero; the best of the best !.

We see a lot of the Bowie version of ‘Heroes’ – and superb it is.  The closing track to ‘The Cove’ film re the Japanese dolphin slaughter at Taiji.  Here is a Motorhead tribute to Bowie; and in my opinion a really hard rock enjoyable tribute.  Bringing back memories of good nights spent in London town.

Enjoy – Mark – with thanks to all you global animal Heroes the world over !

 

 

 

 

dolphins free

Farm Animals, General News, Live Transport

South Africa: LEGAL BATTLE AGAINST THE DEATH SHIP.

SAfrica

 

LEGAL BATTLE AGAINST THE DEATH SHIP

AL_SHUWAIKH another 4

 

On Friday, 4 October 2019, sorrow and anguish filled the harbour as Inspectors from the National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) and SPCAs watched the last sheep being loaded onto the Al-Shuwaikh vessel, along with an estimated 57 000 other sheep destined for the Middle East for inhumane slaughter. There were inspectors monitoring the loading at the feedlot and on the harbour for the entire process.

Inspectors on the feedlot and the harbour worked tirelessly from the early morning until late at night monitoring the loading of these sheep on 1 and 2 October 2019, finally working a 27 hour shift on 3 October 2019 until the morning of 4 October 2019 when the last sheep was loaded.

“We were standing on the harbour after a final inspection of the vessel was undertaken, the atmosphere and sheer devastation was suffocating, we all knew what it meant for the sheep on board. However, the evidence collected over the last four days will protect millions of animals from ever being loaded onto these death ships in the future” said Meg Wilson of the NSPCA.

Dr Molefe, the Director of Veterinary Public Health of the Department of Agriculture, accompanied the NSPCA’s veterinarian and a Senior Inspector on an inspection of the vessel on 3 October 2019. Dr Molefe appeared to be horrified at the conditions on board the ship, including dangerously high ammonia levels on some of the decks, parasitic conditions including faeces in food and water troughs, among other serious concerns, this was only on day 2.5 of the loading – the sheep still have to endure these worsening conditions for their entire journey. Curiously, later that day, two veterinarians from the provincial government department undertook an inspection and advised our inspectors that nothing was wrong.

At the insistence of Al Mawashi, the loading process continued throughout the night of 3 October 2019. The NSPCA appealed to the provincial government representatives to put a stop to the loading as animals were being manhandled as a result of exhausted handlers and the dark conditions but the intransigent government officials stood by and did nothing.

The NSPCA called upon Dr Shawn Morris, an experienced veterinarian and feedlot expert in South Africa, to attend an inspection of the loading site on the harbour, as well as the vessel itself following the NSPCA’s horrific findings on board the vessel and during the loading process.

“Having had an opportunity to attend the unloading on the Al-Shuwaikh on Thursday evening and having been granted access to the vessel itself, it was evident that the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development’s (DALRRD) lack of concern and more importantly, their absence at the loading point as well as on the vessel (save for short periods of time) is of serious concern”, said Dr Morris, “I would describe the role of DALRRD as nothing more than window dressing”.

The NSPCA asked Dr Morris to describe this shipment, and others like it, using one word, his response was “disaster”.

The only authority in attendance during the entire loading operation at both the feedlot and on the harbour was the NSPCA, with the assistance of Eastern Cape SPCAs, whose personnel, including their veterinarian worked around the clock to ensure that no sick, injured or lame animals were loaded, clearly a role that should have been fulfilled by DALRRD veterinarians – especially if welfare was a primary concern.

“Our authorities, in my opinion, have not given enough thought and consideration to the problem at hand and have certainly not applied their minds when it comes to the welfare of the animals” explained Dr Morris, “the authorities, in this instance, DALRRD, who have the powers vested on them should do the right thing and not simply turn a blind eye when it comes to animal welfare.”

The NSPCA will be laying charges in terms of the Animals Protection Act No 71 of 1962 against the South African Government, including the Provincial Government, as well as animal cruelty charges, assault charges and multiple charges of obstruction against the personnel that handled the animals inhumanely, those that assaulted and hindered NSPCA Inspectors from fulfilling their duties, and personnel of Al Mawashi who have a registered company in South Africa.

Furthermore, the NSPCA will take the necessary legal action to ensure that there is an end to the unacceptable and unnecessary cruelty involved in the live export trade.

“Seeing the suffering of these sheep even before their departure, and watching the Al-Shuwaikh depart has been heart breaking, but it has also affirmed our determination.  We may have lost this battle – but we have not lost the war. We will do everything in our power to ensure that no animal is ever loaded on board these death ships again” said Wilson.

 

 

https://nspca.co.za/news/legal-battle-against-the-death-ship/

 

LEGAL BATTLE AGAINST THE DEATH SHIP

Farm Animals, General News

USA: East Fork Farms near Brownstown, Indiana. Video shows piglets dying slowly in crates, out of reach of their distraught mothers.

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A new eyewitness video reveals pigs’ agony and slow death amid filth at East Fork Farms near Brownstown, Indiana.

The farm supplies JBS USA, the nation’s second-largest pig slaughterer, which sells pig flesh branded Swift Premium and La Herencia. The company is a subsidiary of Brazil-based JBS S.A., the world’s largest slaughterer of farmed animals.
The video shows piglets dying slowly in crates, out of reach of their distraught mothers, while others rot just a few feet away.

There is routine and rampant cruelty in the pork industry.

Please spare pigs enormous pain and suffering by choosing to stop eating them.

You can make a tremendous difference today for the intelligent, sensitive pigs who are suffering right now at East Fork Farms—and bring millions more pigs closer to a day free of unrelenting stress, fear, misery, and agony—by lending them your powerful voice.

 

Take Action:

https://headlines.peta.org/indiana-pig-farm/?utm_source=PETA::E-Mail&utm_medium=Alert&utm_campaign=1019::veg::PETA::E-Mail::PE%20DEVBreaking%20Video%20Nonstop%20Misery%20Slow%20Death%20for%20Pigs%20Indiana%20Farm::::aa%20em

 

Thank you for all that you do for animals.

Sincerely,

Daniel Paden
Vice President of Evidence Analysis
Cruelty Investigations Department
PETA

Farm Animals, General News

EU: More Promises for Animal Welfare ? – Hmm….. No Breath Held.

Pro-Brexit supporters burn an EU flag during a UKIP demonstration in central London

 

WAV Comment – the EU Commission has always been a slave to the meat mafia; and regardless of what EU citizens and the EU Parliament ask for in the way of change; the Commission does nothing thanks to the meat mafia lobby. Do we actually expect changes now ? – watch this space !

 

Korruption

 

Donald Tusk & Jean-Claude Juncker

Korruption

https://www.eurogroupforanimals.org/find-out-whats-on-the-horizon-for-animals-at-the-ep-this-week

Did you know that hundreds of millions of animals in the EU are still kept in cages, either for their entire lives or prolonged periods of time? That more than 11 million animals are used in research every year with no guarantee that the experiments translate to better healthcare? That huge numbers of animals – 4 million cows and 28 million pigs in 2019 alone – are transported on journeys of more than eight hours, often without food or water?

All this and more will be at “What’s on the Horizon for Animals?”, an exhibition co-hosted by Eurogroup for Animals and the Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals, which will be on display at the European Parliament from 8th-10th October.

The exhibition will take visitors on a journey through the situation for animals in Europe today, which isn’t a happy one. The problems hampering the welfare of farm animals, equines, cats and dogs, wildlife, animals in science and traded animals as diverse as animals are themselves.

While the Treaty of Lisbon acknowledges the sentience of animals, current legislation is inefficient and ineffective in ensuring their welfare. The last Commission failed to adopt any new legislation, despite repeated calls from civil society and MEPs. Major negative effects for animals weren’t the only result of this stagnation; it also affected citizens’ confidence in the functioning of the EU. In surveys and the Future of Europe consultation, the people of Europe have stated time and time again that they want better welfare for animals.

With a parliamentary term, though, the future could look brighter – but only with the help of our new MEPs. The exhibition will invite MEPs to take the Act4Animals commitment: fourteen realistic, measurable solutions to achieve better welfare. We’re looking forward to seeing the 117 elected MEPs who earlier this year signed our VoteforAnimals2019 pledge return and deliver on their promise and turn words into action, and to welcome other new MEPs who also want to make a change for animals, perhaps by even joining the Intergroup.

Lobbyist 1

The exhibition will launch on 8th October with an event co-hosted by MEPs Pascal Durand (Renew, FR), Tilly Metz (Greens/EFA, LU), Anja Hazekamp (GUE/NGL, NL), Sirpa Pietikäinen (EPP, FI), Maria Noichl (S&D, DE), Jadwiga Wiśniewska (ECR, PL), Emil Radev MEP (EPP, BG), and Younous Omarjee (GUE/NGL, FR) which will feature talks and round table discussions.

“The aim of today’s event is to show a groundswell of support towards the new European Commission to reverse the tide and deliver positive change for animals,” says Reineke Hameleers, Director of Eurogroup for Animals. “Solutions exist for animals, and with political will from the Commission and the support of MEPs in the Intergroup, we could be in a much more positive situation in five years than we are now.”

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Farm Animals, General News

South Korea: Their Voices Are Being Heard!

South Kores

 

Their Voices Are Being Heard!

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Lady Freethinker’s groundbreaking investigation into a factory dog-meat farm in S. Korea is still making headlines with a new article in the Daily Mail, which reaches millions of people each day:

Ruthless dog dealers tried their best to hide the sickening conditions, keeping the dogs deep in the farmland behind rows of tarps. And when LFT’s investigation team found this farm of horrors, the “dog meat mafia” approached menacingly and chased the camera away. But they could not stop us from exposing the truth to the world.

 

Trapped in dark, filthy, lonely metal cages, these dogs never even get to feel the sun on their faces before being brutally slaughtered for meat. It’s time to stop the cruelty.

TAKE ACTION

Speak out to help end the suffering. Contact Ambassador of the Republic of Korea Cho Yoon-je at generalusa@mofa.go.kr and respectfully urge him to work toward finally outlawing the killing of dogs and cats for meat in Korea.

Lady Freethinker will continue working to expose and end the dog and cat meat trade in Korea and around the world. But we can’t do it without your support.  Will you please donate to help us keep saving animals’ lives?

 

Thank you for adding your voice to help stop animal cruelty.

 

 

 

 

Farm Animals, General News

Animal Welfare: Commission designates a second European Union Reference Centre

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1630 GMT 4/10/19 – Mark telephones the EU and says that he has been given the info (below) by the EU.

He then asks what violation action is being taken by the EU regarding the 70,000 sheep exported recently from Romania (EU) to Kuwait and Iran in temperatures which do not comply with EU Reg 1/2005 on the welfare of animals during transport.

The man on the phone cannot find anything or provide answers regarding this. He takes Marks contact details and assures that they will ask EU authorities for updates on the situation.

We now wait to hear back via e mail from the EU to find out what, if anything, has happened. We actually doubt if anything at all has taken place. Regards Mark.

 

Animal Welfare: Commission designates a second European Union Reference Centre
Today, following a public selection process, the Commission has designated, as EU Reference Centre for the welfare of poultry and other small farmed animals, a consortium formed by the Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de l’Alimentation (France), and also composed of the Institut de Recerca I Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (Spain), Aarhus Universitet – Institut for Husdyrvidenskab (Denmark), and Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna (Italy). A first centre was designated in March 2018, with works focusing on the welfare of pigs. This second Centre will expand the technical support and coordinated assistance to the Member States to carry out official controls on animal welfare. It will also contribute to the dissemination of good practices, as well as carrying out scientific studies, training courses and disseminating research and information on technical innovations. Improving the enforcement of the legislation is one of the Commission’s priorities in the area of animal welfare. Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis welcomed this designation, stating that “it confirms the Commission’s consistent and long term policy to support strong enforcement on animal welfare. After the designation of a first centre on the welfare of pigs, a second centre on poultry and other small-farmed animals was essential since these animals are subject to intensive production methods”.

 

WAV Comment _ All looks good on paper – but we still have had no action taken against Romania about the 70,000 sheep they exported in conditions which were NON COMPLIANT with EU Animal Transport Regulations.  Words are one thing, action is another.