Hello Mark,

Printed trays imitating a gingham fabric that evokes French tradition and Sunday picnics: this is the packaging frequently used in supermarkets to market horse meat.

But behind the packaging, we are far from the French art of living. Most of the time, the meat marketed comes from the New World, including Argentina, Canada and Uruguay.

Several surveys conducted since 2021 by Animal Welfare Foundation/Tierschutzbund Zürich (AWF/TSB) with the support of Welfarm have shed light on the conditions of horse slaughter in Uruguay.

Beaten, emaciated, injured, sometimes seriously, left without care in the pastures, horses slaughtered in Uruguay are regularly kept in slaughterhouses in deplorable conditions before being killed: lack of water, food, care, access to shade and shelter against bad weather….

Hidden abuses during the audits of European inspectors, whose visits are always announced in advance, found AWF / TSB: animals present in good physical condition, distribution of fodder …

The latest survey of the association proves the ineffectiveness of these audits to detect the real conditions of detention of horses on a daily basis:

Investigation: bogus horse meat audits in Uruguay on Vimeo

These animals are not bred for human consumption: they can be culled draft horses, mares from blood farms, racehorses too old for competition, etc.

In France, a lucrative market for SNVC

Société Normande de Viandes et Courtages (SAS SNVC), based in Toutainville, Eure, markets horse meat from the Clay slaughterhouse, imported by the meat import-export company P. Harinordoquy & fils, based in Bordeaux. However, the Clay slaughterhouse and the two French companies are all owned by French entrepreneur Yon Harinordoquy. The Harinordoquy Group therefore controls the entire sector, from slaughter in Uruguay to the plate of the French consumer.

AWF/TSB’s Uruguay survey was conducted in the country’s three slaughterhouses approved by the European Union: Sarel, El Amanecer and… Clay, the slaughterhouse owned by the Harinordoquy Group. SNCV, which markets horse meat from that slaughterhouse in France, can therefore only be aware of the conditions of detention and slaughter of horses on the Uruguayan site.

Welfarm is calling on the European level to ban imports of horse meat from states that do not respect high standards of animal protection in slaughterhouses.

Several media, such as Libération, Loopsider or Vakita have already taken up this subject today. To allow us to continue to disseminate these surveys in France and to challenge professionals and political decision-makers, you can support us with a tax-free donation.

Thank you for your support,

WELFARM.

Welfarm – Association whose mission is recognized as a public utility, WELFARM works for a better consideration of the well-being of animals, at all stages of their life (breeding, transport, slaughter).

Regards Mark

Animal rights campaigners urge Pope Francis to denounce bullfighting

Animal rights campaigners urge Pope Francis to denounce bullfighting | Reuters

VATICAN CITY, July 28 (Reuters) – A group of animal rights activists gathered near the Vatican on Friday dressed in red capes and fake horns to urge Pope Francis to denounce what they see as the barbaric practice of bullfighting.

The corrida, in which the animal usually ends up killed by a sword thrust by a matador in shining costume, is seen by supporters as an age-old tradition to be preserved, but condemned by critics as a cruel ritual.

“Catholic Church: Silence is Violence! Denounce bullfighting,” read a banner held up by the activists near the ancient Roman Castel Sant’Angelo fortress on the banks of the River Tiber, in view of St Peter’s Basilica.

Since bullfighting events “are often held in honour of Catholic saints or during holy Christian celebrations, the Catholic Church can and must help end this abuse by publicly condemning bull torture in the name of religion,” animal rights group PETA said in a statement.

“We are asking the pontiff, the pope, as the representative of the Roman Catholic Church, to publicly condemn, to denounce the torture that is done on bulls in the corrida,” Patrizia Re, a spokesperson for PETA Italy, told Reuters.

The Vatican’s press office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In 1567, Pope Pius V did outlaw bullfighting, calling the practice “alien from Christian piety and charity” and “better suited to demons rather than men”, but his ban eventually lapsed.

Reporting by Antonio Denti Writing by Alvise Armellini Editing by Peter Graff

Bless you my children !

Regards Mark

Wow, what a start! We’re just four days into our crowdfunder and we are already at £13,000, meaning we are nearly a third of the way to reaching our target of £40,000.

Thank you to everyone who has donated so far – our advert will have a huge impact in changing people’s minds and we appreciate your support.

If you haven’t yet, will you donate today to help us keep the momentum and reach our next goal of £20,000?

If you can’t donate right now, we completely understand. You can still help by sharing our page with friends, family and colleagues so we can reach as many people as possible.

Also, take a look at a behind the scenes interview with actor, Antonia, who starred in our advert, below.

Thanks again for your support. We wouldn’t be able to do this without you.

Yours for the animals

Juliet Gellatley
Founder & Director

Donate to the tv campaign –

Vegan TV Ad – Takeaway the Meat Crowdfunder | Viva! The Vegan Charity

Regards Mark

NCBA President Hits Back at Animal Rights Activists and Policymakers Attacking the Beef Checkoff

Read more:

NCBA President Hits Back at Animal Rights Activists and Policymakers Attacking the Beef Checkoff (agnetwest.com)

The second worst animal welfare problem in Europe? Here’s what’s really happening to dairy cows

24 July 2023

Are you clued up when it comes to what factory farmed dairy cows in Europe go through? Millions of these animals are spending nearly their whole lives sick, confined and in pain. Here are some of the main problems they face – and how policymakers should address them as they continue to revise the animal welfare legislation.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a ‘healthy’ dairy cow in a factory farm. Forced to produce massive amounts of milk and subjected to zero-grazing systems, inadequate housing and improper monitoring and treatment, millions of these poor beings spend nearly their whole lives in pain. In fact, their health problems are so severe that they’re considered by the European Union to be the second-worst animal welfare problem in Europe. With that said, the welfare laws for dairy cows have not been addressed for decades. It’s time that changes.

The stats listed below are from the 2021 No Animal Left Behind report.

Across factory farms in the EU, dairy cows commonly suffer from two major challenges:

Lameness, which hinders their movements and increases their susceptibility to mastitis and other metabolic disorders. There hasn’t  been a meaningful  reduction in the prevalence of this illness for the past 20 years, which affects up to 31% of dairy cows in industrial farming systems

Mastitis, which can permanently injure their udders and is caused by physical trauma and infections. It affects between 20% – 30% of cows per herd, and it can be very hard to treat and has a high chance to come back.

Lack of access to pasture is a big reason why these dairy cows are suffering so much

Cows have evolved to thrive on pasture, where they can graze, exercise, socialise, and explore the environment at their will. These natural habits are critical for their welfare, and are something they’re strongly motivated to do. Dairy cows have been known to push against weighted gates to access pasture, even when they’ve been hungry and exhausted – clearly, their desire to be in these spaces is deeply-rooted, regardless of their physical state.

Cows simply need pasture. There’s no long-term replacement for it. However, surveys show that there has been a decline in grazing dairy cows across Europe over the past decade, with evidence concurrently showing that this lack of access to the outdoors has contributed to health issues like mastitis, dystocia, lameness, and teat trampling. 

Dairy cows and calves also spend too much time alone, bored and starving

The indoor environment millions of dairy cows are forced to live in is nowhere near good enough to keep them satisfied, comfortable and sickness-free. Numerous cows are tethered within ‘tie-stall systems’ where they find it incredibly difficult to lie down and relax, and where they are far more likely to get sick (as opposed to cows in ‘loose-housed’ systems, who can roam and look after themselves more effectively).

Cows are commonly lonely on factory farms, too. 60% of Europe’s dairy cows are housed individually for at least the first eight weeks of their lives. This impedes their ability to learn, socialise, and develop good coping mechanisms, as well as restricts their behaviours and ability to move. Adult dairy cows can be tethered throughout their lives, as well. 

The grass is greener on the other side: the European Commission must free Europe’s dairy cows and protect their welfare.

These problems clearly cannot be allowed to continue or worsen. The EU’s dairy cows desperately need changes to be put in place for their welfare as the European Commission continues to revise the animal welfare laws, including provisions to:

Enable them to access good-quality pasture more frequently

House calves socially, so they don’t have to grow up alone

Improve their indoor environment – so when dairy cows do have to be indoors, they have plenty to do to keep themselves healthy and entertained. A simple measure that could be implemented is the use of mechanical brushes, which can reduce boredom, stress and frustration, as well as improve their hygiene and make them happier

Fed sufficient amounts of nutritious food

Tethering of dairy cows should be banned, so no cow has to endure being tied to the same place for months in a row.

Dairy cows deserve to be free, comfortable, healthy, nourished and happy – as does every other living thing. Share this tweet if you agree – dairy cows and all other kept animals need stronger laws for their welfare! 

Regards Mark