Category: Farm Animals

Farm Animals, General News, Live Transport

South Africa: Live Export Of Animals Under Fire Following Abhorrent Conditions In Which Animals Were Kept On The ‘Al Kuwait’ Vessel.

The National Council for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty for Animals (NSPCA) has called for a complete ban of livestock exports via sea following the discovery of the abhorrent condition in which animals were kept on the Al Kuwait, which docked in Cape Town last week to load feed on its way from Brazil to Iraq.

Cattle on board the Al Kuwait ship, which docked in Cape Town last week.
Photo: The National Council of SPCA

According to the NSPCA, the stench that came from the ship and raised concerns from members of the public was indicative of the awful conditions the animals, which had been on the sea for two-and-a half weeks up until then, had to endure due to a build-up of faeces and ammonia.

The NSPCA discovered diseased, injured and dead cattle among the 19 000 cattle aboard, and had to euthanise eight cows because of their poor condition. Treatment was given to the other animals to prevent further mortalities.

The NSPCA stated that the incident served as a stark reminder that the live export of animals by sea was a gruesome and outdated practice and underscored the urgent need for legislative reform and heightened global awareness to end this cruelty.

The Red Meat Producers Organisation of South Africa (RPO) clarified in a statement that the ship belonged to the international company Al Mawashi and that the current situation had nothing to do with the South African industry or Al Mawashi South Africa, which arranges and coordinates South African exports.

The NSPCA since 2019 had been in and out of court fighting for a live sheep export ban from South Africa, but it lost its case against Al Mawashi South Africa in 2021, with the exports allowed to continue subject to certain conditions.

Dr Frikkie Maré, CEO of the RPO, told Farmer’s Weekly that the RPO was concerned about the welfare of the animals on the ship, and recognised the rights of animals as noted in the Constitution of South Africa: “As primary producers, our animals are our pride. It grieves us to see animals receive poor treatment.”

Maré said that the industry was concerned about the possible influence the situation might have on the biosecurity of South Africa, with people moving on and off the ship and the possibility of dead animals being offloaded, especially because the Western Cape does not really have the capacity to handle livestock.

“As a country that is already struggling to regain its animal health status from the World Organisation for Animal Health, we cannot afford more breaches of our biosecurity.”

With the renewed call for a complete ban of live animal exports via sea, Maré pointed out that South Africa needed this alternative market to grow the industry, which in turn would contribute to rural development, poverty alleviation and job creation.

“We export both live animals and carcasses. We cannot move away from live animal exports as this is what the import markets desire, usually for religious reasons.”

He pointed out that government in collaboration with the industry had drawn up a protocol for live exports, with more than 300 inputs by industry taken up in the protocol to ensure that exports were done responsibly. Work is currently underway to turn the protocol into legislation.

Since the only livestock export harbour in South Africa is in East London, the Eastern Cape RPO has established a livestock export forum, which together with the SPCA and other institutions, ensures that exports from South Africa take place according to this protocol.

He added that live exports from South Africa by ship had a good record, with mortalities on board being lower than mortalities in domestic feedlots.

Dr Ivan Meyer, the Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, in response to the incident made submissions to the ad hoc Committee on the Powers Bill in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament for the inclusion of veterinary services in the bill.

He explained that the Western Cape Powers Bill called for the Western Cape Government to gain greater control over the management of the port and trade.

If approved, the Western Cape Powers Bill will allow the Western Cape Government to intervene in similar situations and safeguard animal and public health, defend animal welfare and advance biosecurity.

In the interim, he said, the department would continue to support the relevant authorities in addressing concerns related to veterinary care, public health, and biosecurity.

Regards Mark

Farm Animals, General News

USA: Please Oppose Prosecution of Activist (vs prosecution of neglectful farmer) Who Rescued Cows.

Source Tracy Murphy via IDA

Thanks to Stacey as always – Mark

Please Oppose Prosecution of Activist (vs prosecution of neglectful farmer) Who Rescued Cows | Our Compass (our-compass.org)

Please Oppose Prosecution of Activist (vs prosecution of neglectful farmer) Who Rescued Cows

Please click HERE to sign petition

Source In Defense of Animals

Asha’s Farm Sanctuary owner Tracy Murphy has a big heart for animals. When two cows wandered into her sanctuary, she provided them with a safe haven. Now she’s being charged for caring for the escaped cattle she named Ismael and Little Willow. Tell the district attorney to drop the charges against Tracy for having compassion for all animals, including those who usually are eaten by humans!

As founder and president of Asha’s Farm Sanctuary in upstate New York, Tracy was merely doing her job by rescuing two cows who wandered onto the sanctuary, which is a refuge for abused cattle, pigs, and chickens. She cared for the cows and immediately reported them to the Society for the Prevention and Cruelty to Animals in July 2022.

Tracy, acting on the advice of her attorney at the time, refused to hand over Ismael and Little Willow without proof of ownership. After another week, the police executed a search warrant and arrested Tracy. Sadly, authorities seized Ismael and Little Willow, and returned them to the purported “owner,” probably for slaughter.

Since her arrest, Tracy has faced significant financial and emotional hardships, along with facing one count of grand larceny and up to seven years in prison. Tracy was publicly humiliated when she was forced to wear shackles in court and suffered ostracization, harassment, and threats throughout this case.

Fortunately, the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project at the Sturm College of Law is defending Tracy. With its assistance, a superior court lifted the gag order placed on Tracy and two town justices have recused themselves from this case.

This summer, Tracy will go to trial for her compassionate actions. Her next court hearing is scheduled in the Town of Wheatfield for March 5. Help us urge Niagara County District Attorney Brian Seaman to dismiss the charges against Tracy to free her from the shackles of injustice and ensure the lives of Ismael and Little Willow were not taken in vain.

Other actions:

1. Make a polite call. Please call and leave a courteous message for Niagara County District Attorney Brian Seaman who has the power to end this legal nightmare and permit Tracy Murphy to continue her noble work for animals.

Dial (716) 439-7085 and leave a message for Brian Seaman.

You can say, “Asha’s Farm Sanctuary Founder and President Tracy Murphy was simply doing her job when she rescued two cows who wandered onto her sanctuary. She should be rewarded for her kindness and compassion, not punished. Please dismiss the charges against Tracy.”

2. Go Vegan. If you love animals and want to save cows like Ismael and Little Willow, try vegan meals today! Download our veg guide for fast and easy recipes.

www.idausa.org/vegguide

3. Post on Social Media. Show your support for Tracy Murphy on the Niagara County Facebook page and Instagram.

You can say, “Don’t convict Tracy Murphy for compassion for cows. She’s just doing her job. Sanctuary owners rescue animals. Please drop the charges against Tracy Murphy!”

I wonder why, when nonvegans and antivegans proclaim they “care” about animals, do they then malign, harass, and prosecute vegans who SAVE ANIMALS?

Why was the NEGLECTFUL FARMER whose harmful actions leading to Ismael and Little Willow just wandering away, NOT prosecuted?

Why do I have to write prosecutors almost EACH DAY to prosecute violent crimes against ANIMALS?

I’ll tell you why: because as long as vegans can be characterized as criminals/stupid/cultish/malnourished/blahblahblah/etcetcetc, non/antivegans can, somehow, comfortably ignore us and continue violently abusing and killing animals (yes, even if you personally don’t slaughter the animals you consume, you are still responsible for the violence and harm perpetrated against them). And prosecuting violent crimes against animals is an uncomfortable slippery slope for many nonvegans: if harming a cat is considered animal cruelty, why doesn’t the law consider harming a chicken animal cruelty? Like human animals, they both experience pain, fear, and suffering.

And seriously? Shackles? Was it so terrifying being in the same room with a NONVIOLENT VEGAN who SAVES and RESCUES? Or was it to humiliate her? The mocking of injustice, and the representation of the judicial system with juvenile and bullying theatrics, is embarrassing and cruel. But people would rather immaturely deflect from the violent suffering of the most defenseless and vulnerable beings by ridiculing the humans who reject such injustice because otherwise the nonvegans would have to acknowledge their participation in the unrelenting, incalculable suffering of animals.

You indifferently dismiss the victims because you personally enjoy stealing from their bodies, and then you mock the humans who oppose animal suffering.

The most dangerous humans include those whose indifference towards animal suffering fuels their indifference towards human suffering.

This injustice is disturbing and disgusting and, quite frankly, criminal. You just enjoy a status quo of normalized violence towards animals and normalized, acceptable hatred and intolerance towards vegans.

And do remember: regardless of how humans define the suffering of animals in terms that provides humans comfort causing the suffering of animals (humane, welfare …) animals are required to suffer, their violent, cruel, unwilling deaths are inherent as are their brief existences of required pain, control, and separation of family.

FYI, again:

I’m going to link a couple previous articles here that establish the suffering animals are required to endure in each “phase” of “animal agriculture” as documented via recent exposes and, predominately, industry data from the USDA; I’m sharing them again here due to the fact that “anag” is responsible for the incalculable suffering of TRILLIONS of animals violently killed each year for “food”, either directly consumed, or during the “process”, such as those killed for AI or those who are killed as infants outside a slaughterhouse.

You don’t kill and consume animals because you honestly believe that NOT killing and NOT consuming animals is INhumane or UNethical, correct?

Why cause animal suffering that you can easily NOT?

One of These Things Is Not Like the Other

If your god demands unrelenting suffering and death, maybe you should invent another god NOT offended by nonviolence and least harm…

SL


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Click HERE to search.

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Click HERE for clothing without suffering

Click below for nominal, or no, fees to vegan literature that you can use to convince others that veganism is the only humane:

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

EU: Political Herds See Animal Welfare Votes In Europe’s Elections.

All pictures – WAV Archives.

This article is part of our special report Animal protection – in Europe and beyond.

Europe’s 340 million pets are unlikely to swing this year’s European elections, though with cats, one can never be sure. Jennifer Baker looks at Europe’s animal-related policy dynamics and how they could influence June’s electoral mix.

2024 is a bumper year for elections around the globe. In Europe, the cost of living, energy, environment, and migration are among the top concerns of voters at a national level. With the European Parliament, voting intentions can be a little different, allowing for broader areas of concern where local party-political questions tend to be less dominant. This means issues such as animal welfare can come to the fore.

According to the European Pet Food Industry Federation (FEDIAF), European households boasted 340 million pets in 2022 – including 127 million cats and 104 million dogs – across more than 90 million homes, so it would seem we are a continent of animal lovers, and yet animal welfare is not an issue that is routinely seen as a vote winner in national politics.

Dr Joanna Swabe, senior director of public affairs for Humane Society International/Europe, explained: “Animal welfare is one of those rare issues that is neither left nor right. Across the political spectrum and irrespective of nationality, you’ll always find politicians who care about the plight of animals. It is certainly not the exclusive domain of the Greens and the Left.”

Swade remarked that over the years she’s even encountered very conservative right-wing MEPs for whom animal welfare is paramount.

In the European Parliament, the Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals brings together more than 90 MEPs to work together to advance animal welfare and conservation in EU policy making.

Recent issues under discussion include a proposal for a regulation on the welfare of dogs and cats and their traceability, protection of wolves in the EU, the use of animals in science and a new proposal for a regulation on the protection of animals during transport.

The intergroup also advocates for Cage-Free Farming and a Fur-Free Europe, while highlighting the importance of Animal Welfare Labelling.

Catalysts for change

“MEPs can serve as catalysts to push for better animal welfare legislation,” explained Danish S&D MEP, Niels Fuglsang.

Fuglsang is one of many European Parliament candidates in the upcoming elections to have signed the Eurogroup for Animals’ “Vote for Animals” pledge: a commitment to push the European Commission to put forward ambitious legislation in areas critical to animal welfare.

Some of the legislative proposals are obvious, such as fur labelling in the revision of EU textiles Regulation. Others are more indirect. For example, the European Green Deal sets out the ambition to reach zero pollution for a toxic-free environment. The so-called REACH revision could be an opportunity to promote non-animal testing.

Landmark opportunity

And it’s not only animals’ rights groups that support better legal protection for our furry friends. Cefic, the voice of the chemical industry in Europe, described the REACH revision as a “landmark opportunity to accelerate development, validation and regulatory acceptance of human-relevant, animal-free approaches to assess safety of chemicals.”

“By making every effort to identify where animal-based testing can reliably be replaced by non-animal methodologies and reflect latest advances in science, we will create a triple win for the industry, regulators, and animal welfare. This requires a paradigm shift in safety assessment towards Next Generation safety assessment, similar to moves seen in the area of cosmetics or pharmaceuticals,” said the organisation.

The EU Pharmaceutical Package currently under co-decision could also encourage new technologies to reduce testing on live animals.

One national outlier where animal – specifically bird – welfare and safety is a hot button issue is Malta. During the last European elections in 2019, Malta’s powerful pro-hunting lobby, FKNK, urged its supporters not to abstain, but to vote for its preferred candidates.

Cannot ignore agriculture

In Malta it is the hunting lobby that pressures political parties. Elsewhere in Europe the influential farming lobby holds sway. The protests of recent weeks have shown candidates that they cannot afford to ignore the rural, agricultural vote.

The Humane Society International/Europe’s manifesto, which aims to encourage policymakers to take a more ethical stance on animal welfare, has farm animals top of its agenda.

Swabe pointed out that many politicians are happy to loudly trumpet their support for legislative action to end the illegal puppy trade but are conspicuously quiet when it comes to pigs and poultry kept on Europe’s farms.

“We are told the Commission is currently assessing whether the transition to cage-free farming is sustainable for the agricultural sector and that further consultations on, amongst other things, the costs and length of transition periods are needed,” said Swabe.

She added that for the millions of laying hens still confined to enriched battery cages, and millions of pigs who continue to languish in individual sow stalls for a significant proportion of their gestation, “ […] what is truly unsustainable is this failure to take decisive action to provide them with housing systems that meet their welfare needs.”

[By Jennifer Baker I Edited by Brian Maguire | Euractiv’s Advocacy Lab ]

Political herds see animal welfare votes in Europe’s elections – Euractiv

Regards Mark

One day soon lets hope !

Farm Animals, General News

Italy: Parma Ham’s Complicit Role In Sustaining Cruel Blood Farms.

23 February 2024

AWF

Calls are growing for supermarkets to remove Parma ham from their shelves after its production was linked to the mistreatment of mares on Iceland’s blood farms. At the heart of this controversy lies the extraction of equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG), also called Pregnant Mare Serum Gonadotropin (PMSG), a hormone extracted from the blood of pregnant mares.

Italian pig farmers who supply Parma ham producers use pharmaceuticals containing eCG; a hormone that improves sow fertility and stimulates and synchronises oestrus. The sows have no time to recover in between pregnancies, which leads to early slaughter. The use of eCG leads to bigger litter sizes; if the sows have more piglets than teats, surplus piglets often starve or are killed.

Until 2017, eCG used in Italy came mainly from Argentina and Uruguay. Since then, most European pharmaceutical companies have opted for Icelandic eCG following controversy about conditions on South American blood farms. 

Yet the situation in Iceland is no better: pregnant mares are crammed into pens so that up to five litres of blood can be extracted via their jugular veins every week. Previous investigations by our member Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF) have revealed poor conditions on hundreds of blood farms across Iceland, where blood is drawn from an estimated 5,000 mares from the late summer to autumn every year. 

The eCG extracted from pregnant mares’ blood is exported around the world, including to EU countries (the largest importer of Icelandic eCG being Germany), to produce pharmaceuticals used on pigs in particular, as well as on sheep, cattle and goats.

The Icelandic government admitted in September 2023 that its current legal framework breached Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes, and committed to correcting its failures as of November 2023.

Supermarkets should prohibit the use of eCG in their meat supply chains. If their suppliers refuse to stop using eCG, then the consequence should be to stop the import.

Sabrina Gurtner, Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF)

eCG production and use is cruel and unnecessary. There are numerous alternatives available with similar efficacy, such as simple exercise routines, optimal nutrition, lighting, contact between sows in oestrus, and contact with boars.

The EU is the main destination for Icelandic eCG and the hormone, in addition to being produced in cruel conditions, only further supports an intensive and unsustainable model of livestock farming. Eurogroup for Animals calls for an EU-wide ban on the production, import and use of eCG.

To learn more: 

Watch Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF) – PMSG – the hormone of misery | Good reasons for a ban

Regards Mark

Check out our past posts on Blood Mares:

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/?s=blood+mares

Iceland: Iceland admits to breaching EU law on horse blood farms – hopefully another step towards closing this disgusting animal abuse.
Farm Animals, General News

Africa: Donkey Populations Under Threat Due To Brutal Skins Trade For Traditional Chinese Remedies. China Again !!

22 February 2024

The Donkey Sanctuary

The little-known demand for donkey skins, used in the production of ejiao (a traditional Chinese remedy), is driving a global trade that is opportunistic, brutal and unsustainable.

The Donkey Sanctuary’s new report reveals how donkeys are suffering in their millions, and animal dependent communities are severely impacted.

The Donkey Sanctuary (England) has released the Donkeys in Global Trade briefing report, which delves into the profound impact that the donkey skin trade has on donkeys across the globe and the communities that depend on them. 

The report sheds light on the often overlooked but devastating consequences of the donkey skin trade, including exploitation, cruelty, and population decline.

The donkey skins are used for the production of ejiao, a traditional Chinese remedy. Production has seen an estimated 160% increase over the past 5 years, meaning that around 6 million donkeys, and potentially many more, are being killed each year to fuel the trade.

This trade places pressure on donkey populations globally. This is particularly true in Africa where many people rely on donkeys for their livelihoods, transport, agricultural operations and to access essential resources such as food and water.

Donkeys in Global Trade briefing report, The Donkey Sanctuary

The trade has become so profitable that donkey populations have dramatically declined in many animal dependent areas; for example in Kenya, it is estimated that around half the country’s donkey population was slaughtered between 2016 and 2019 in order to sell skins.

To meet the relentless demand for skins, donkeys are bought, captured or stolen, including from donkey-dependent communities. In many cases donkeys are walked for days, often across national borders; they are transported and held with scant regard for their suffering; and they are slaughtered, often in the most horrific ways.

Donkeys in Global Trade briefing report, The Donkey Sanctuary

The impacts of the trade are severe and varied, with the top concerns being:

Donkey welfare;

Wildlife crime convergence;

Biosecurity risks;

The impact on women and communities;

Implications for the Sustainable Development Goals.

Following the report’s publication, African state leaders approved a continent-wide ban on the donkey skin trade at the conclusion of the African Union summit in Ethiopia on 18 February.

Regards Mark

Environmental, Farm Animals, General News

England: Thousands more badgers could be killed under proposal to raise target numbers in cull.

Thousands more badgers could be killed under proposal to raise target numbers in cull (msn.com)

Thousands more badgers than planned could be killed if the government gives the go-ahead next week to raising the target number of animals in certain areas, experts say.

Until now, official policy has been that culls aimed to reduce badger numbers by 70 per cent within in each cull area and across most of southwest England.

But The Independent understands that ministers are preparing to allow that target to be raised to 100 per cent in “exceptional” circumstances, subject to a consultation.

The announcement could be made as early as next week – during the National Farmers’ Union annual conference.

The permission would be similar to that granted to sugar-beet farmers to use bee-killing pesticides – which has been given four years running.

The change to the 100 per cent target would begin after January 2026, if it is approved after a consultation.

More than 260,000 badgers in England – over half the population – are thought to have been killed since culling began in 2013, as the government has sought to eradicate tuberculosis in cattle, which is costly for farmers.

The cull has repeatedly been expanded, including as late as last year.

The spread of the disease is blamed on badgers but wildlife defenders dispute this, saying cattle are 800 times more likely to spread the disease than badgers are.

One expert said “exceptional circumstances” was poorly defined so feared the policy could become standard practice.

Tom Langton, an ecologist who has challenged culling in the courts, said the toll of extra badgers killed would depend on how many areas got the go-ahead, but if it was the entire “edge area” – that is medium-risk – up to 20,000 or more a year could be killed.

He said: “If the exception is just a badger with bovine TB is found or trapped within say 1km of a farm, it could just become the new normal to cull every year over wide areas. So this risks being the cull anywhere, for ever moment.”

Especially with a General Election on the horizon this year.

The government had promised the culls would end next year and be replaced by increasing vaccinations, but last year landowners and farmers were given the go-ahead to kill tens of thousands more badgers.

Mr Langton said 100 per cent culling was tried in 2018 around Penrith in Cumbria in cattle imported from Northern Ireland.

“They went in and shot 1,115 badgers – all of them – but could not then attribute change in TB rates to culling as seven farms were quite clearly reinfecting themselves because of the failed testing regime,” he said.

A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “Our approach to disease control continues to be informed by science (WAV – What !!) and deploys all tools at our disposal.

“We are moving to the next phase of our strategy which will focus on wider scale badger vaccination – but as we clearly set out in the 2020 Godfray Review response and subsequent consultation and response in 2021, culling remains an option where epidemiological assessment indicates that it is needed, alongside other measures in our bovine TB eradication strategy.”

Regards Mark / Diana

Dr Brian May

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/?s=badgers

Safe if I have anything to do with it – a Badger in my own garden:

Farm Animals, General News

Belgium: European Court of Human Rights SUPPORTS BAN on Slaughter Without Stunning.

14 February 2024

GAIA

A new ruling maintains that a ban on slaughter without stunning in two Belgian regions is proportional and pursues a legitimate objective, that of ensuring animal welfare, in line with the ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union and the Belgian Constitutional Court.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has validated the Walloon and Flemish bans on slaughter without stunning, ruling that it does not constitute an illegitimate obstacle to freedom of religion, or a violation of the prohibition on discrimination.

Slaughter without stunning exposes animals to severe and prolonged suffering, in some cases lasting up to 12 minutes. EU law establishes that animals can only be killed after stunning, however it provides derogations for ritual slaughter.

The ban on slaughter without stunning in Flanders came into force in January 2019, with Wallonia following shortly after, in response to years of activism against the practice. Only the Brussels region continues to allow ritual slaughter, with hundreds of animals being slaughtered consciously every day. 

Other EU member states such as Sweden, Slovenia and Denmark have placed bans on slaughter without stunning.

 This is one of the happiest days of my life as an animal activist. This decision confirms that the fight for greater respect for animals is legitimate. It now fully paves the way for a ban in the Brussels Region, the only region in the country to make an exception.

Michel Vandenbosch, President, GAIA

GAIA calls on the Brussels-Capital Region to comply with the various court rulings and finally ban slaughter without stunning.

Regards Mark

Farm Animals, General News

England: London; Are You An Animal Lover ? Or Just Some Really ?.. – So Make The Connection.

Animal rights activists staged a protest in London (Image: SWNS)

WAV Comment – Completely behind this protest; it is about time that people opened their eyes to what goes on with meat production and the killing of animals involved.   As Juliet says – Tens of millions of people in the UK eat factory farmed animals but very few are happy to look at them dead, see how they are farmed or witness how they are killed.

Well now they can see them dead; so MAKE THE CONNECTION !

Are you an animal lover?

———————————————–

Animal rights activists launch horrific protest as they hang dead dog, cat and pig on van

The awakening call was carried out by farm investigations group Viva! across various London landmarks – including the London Eye, Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square

Continue reading at:  Animal rights activists launch horrific protest as they hang dead dog, cat and pig on van | UK | News | Express.co.uk

Juliet Gellatley, said: “As a society we treat cats and dogs as part of our families but see animals such as pigs, chickens and cows as commodities. Tens of millions of people in the UK eat factory farmed animals but very few are happy to look at them dead, see how they are farmed or witness how they are killed.

Regards Mark

Picture – WAV Archive

Farm Animals, Fur and Fur Farming, General News

China: Skinned Alive In Public ! – FUR – Fashion Week New York.

Diana has been working on this:

Investigation: Horrific Cruelty on Chinese Fur Farms on Vimeo

Animals Stacked in Cages on Truck (Lady Freethinker Investigation)

(Lady Freethinker Investigation)

Lady Freethinker Undercover Investigation Exposes Shocking Violence on Fur Farms

As fashion week descends on New York, a new investigation from Lady Freethinker and Paws of China reveals the hidden, horrific realities of fur. Foxes cowered in fear in filthy, wire cages where they waited to be skinned alive on Chinese fur farms so their fur coats could be used in luxury fashion.

Thousands of young foxes were seen suffering in horrific conditions before being pulled out of cages with iron tongs or metal poles and violently killed.

Fox Pulled From Cage By Tail (Lady Freethinker Investigation)

The undercover investigator documented:

A skinned fox who was documented blinking and moving his or her jaw for five minutes.

A fox who lashed around while being skinned alive by a worker.

Animals pulled from tiny cages with iron tongs or yanked by their tails.

These young animals – mostly juveniles under a year old – suffer terror and painful deaths because there is still a significant demand for their fur in fashion – including from the United States.

Animal Skins (Lady Freethinker Investigation)

We are demanding that retailers and designers stop funding this gruesome industry.

You can help by spreading the message that fur is cruel, by vowing to never purchase fur products, and by signing the petition to stop the sale of fur in the United States.Animal Skins (Lady Freethinker Investigation)

We are demanding that retailers and designers stop funding this gruesome industry.

You can help by spreading the message that fur is cruel, by vowing to never purchase fur products, and by signing the petition to stop the sale of fur in the United States.

Action – Please sign the petition here:

SIGN: Justice for Animals Crammed into Filthy Cages & Skinned Alive on Chinese Fur Farms (ladyfreethinker.org)

PETITION TARGET: Retailers that sell fur

Thousands of terrified foxes and raccoon dogs were crammed in row after row of tiny, barren, wire cages. Some cowered in fear in the backs of enclosures; others paced back and forth or swayed.

That’s what an investigation into fur farms in Hebei and Jilin, China – conducted by Lady Freethinker and local Chinese organization Paws of China – revealed.

Animals were pulled out of enclosures using iron tongs or a metal pole. Others were yanked by their sensitive tails.

Then, the cages of petrified animals were carted to a different location on site to be killed. Others were thrown onto a truck and taken to an outdoor fur market where they would be skinned in public view, according to investigators.

Investigators documented one fox being skinned by a worker. The animal lashed around as the skin was pulled from his or her body. 

Another fox who had been skinned was documented blinking and moving his or her jaw, meaning the animal had been skinned while still alive and conscious.

The fox continued to struggle and show movement for 5-long-minutes before succumbing to an agonizing death.

The animals’ bloody carcasses are then sold for human consumption, according to investigators, while their fur is sold to the fashion industry.

With so many fashionable, durable, and warm alternatives to animal fur, there is absolutely no justification for torturing and killing animals for fashion.

Sign this petition urging retailers to stop selling fur immediately and remember to always leave animal fur and skins out of your wardrobe.

Investigation: Horrific Cruelty on Chinese Fur Farms on Vimeo

Regards Diana and Mark

Additional Link – Respect for Animals

HOME

China: ‘Crush’ Information. – World Animals Voice

China: Did You Hear the One About the Sick Pervert of a Doctor Who Lures Teenage Girls Into Pornography and Then Uses Them In An Animal ‘Crush’ Video Website ? – World Animals Voice

China: INVESTIGATION: Inside the sadistic world of the gruesome cat torture craze, campaigners call on Chinese authorities to act NOW. – World Animals Voice

EXPOSING AND COMBATING CAT TORTURE NETWORKS. 6/1/24. – World Animals Voice

China: Cat Torture Actions Follow Up – No. 1 – World Animals Voice

China – Cat Torture – Major Information and Actions – Follow Up No. 2 – World Animals Voice

New – A new Chinese cat torturer is identified and exposed:

Farm Animals, General News

USA: Cage Free – If California Can Do It Now, Then Why Not The Monolithic EU ?

A ban on cages that applies to imports? California makes it a reality

8 February 2024

As of January 2024, California is now cage-free. This rule applies to all products, including imports, a precedent that should pave the way for the EU.

The ban on cages, known as Proposition 12, was put to a vote and approved by more than 62% of voters in 2018. The legislation bans extreme confinement of laying hens and calves raised for veal from 2022, but pig producers (the biggest sector impacted by the legislation) were given a transition period until the end of December 2023.  As of January 2024, the legislation applies to all sectors.

This is one of the most progressive pieces of animal welfare legislation in the world. It will significantly reduce suffering for animals as it sets specific minimum space requirements for animals raised for food, effectively banning cages for laying hens, sows, and calves. The legislation has the potential to improve the lives of millions of animals in California, but also around the world as it bans sales of imported products derived from animals raised in these conditions.

Businesses and producers exporting to California, the biggest economy in the US  valued at around $3.8 trillion in 2023, will have to comply with the ban. Producers such as the Canadian pig company DuBreton announced it was Prop 12-certified in November 2023. In the UK, the Red Tractor Certification scheme, which already assesses farms to ensure they meet certain animal welfare requirements, will also give farmers the option for Prop 12 checks.

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) had challenged the cage-free rules considering they breached the Commerce Clause of the US Constitution. However, the Supreme Court upheld the right of California to set its own animal welfare standards for all products, regardless of their origin.  

Now, the legislation is  having a spillover effect across the country. The wheels are turning in Massachusetts, which will impose housing requirements for animals. Michigan also passed a bill which mandates cage-free conditions for laying hens and prohibits the sale of caged eggs by December 2024. At least 15 other US States have already banned sow stalls, battery cages for hens, crates for calves raised for veal, and other practices that negatively impact animal welfare. 

Proposition 12 paves the way to include imported products in the much awaited revision of the EU’s animal welfare legislation. At the moment, most of the EU’s animal welfare standards do not apply to imports, thereby making low welfare products from abroad cheaper to import, which fuels cruel animal production in third countries. 

As shown in the latest special Eurobarometer on animal welfare, 84% of Europeans believe that something has to be done to change the way we import animal products, either by imposing import requirements or a very strict labelling system. 

The European Commission must take the opportunity to listen to EU citizens and adopt more import requirements related to animal welfare.

Regards Mark

So, …. EU

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