Category: General News

Environmental, General News

Landmark Resolution Recognising Animal Welfare Adopted By UNEA.

2 March 2022

The successful adoption of the pioneering resolution that ties animal welfare to people’s health and the environment is a first step towards animal welfare being addressed at a global level.

A resolution sponsored by six African countries and Pakistan was adopted today at the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA)’s 5th session. It unequivocally links the way humans impact the health and welfare of animals as a critical driver of biodiversity loss, the emergence of zoonotic disease, climate change and environmental pollution. 

The successful adoption of the resolution means that animal welfare is starting to be addressed at a global level.

We are proud of this watershed moment for the animal protection movement. It is a massive collective success for our members and partners and proves the impact of a worldwide coalition of animal NGOs. A holistic understanding of the links between animal suffering and environmental harm, and greater inter-agency collaboration with shared aims are critical stepping-stones for improving the well-being of animals across the globe.

James Yeates, Chief Executive Officer, World Federation for Animals

Animal welfare is not, currently, part of the UN Environment Programme’s mandate. This resolution calls on UNEP to prepare a report on the nexus between animal welfare, human wellbeing and a clean environment and include improving the wellbeing of animals into its work.

Eurogroup for Animals calls on European authorities to take this resolution into account in their development of the EU’s future Sustainable Food System policies.

Regards Mark

General News, Uncategorized, Vivisection

European Commission Disregards Wishes of the European Parliament by Failing to Take Concrete Steps to Phase Out Animal Experiments.

WAV Comment:  And who said that when big money and ‘favours’ are involved, some people ‘play it’ to ensure that they continue to get the perks; regardless of the rest ?

Whats more, the European Commission (EC) is made up of people who are UN ELECTED.

European Commission disregards wishes of the European Parliament by failing to take concrete steps to phase out animal experiments

2 March 2022

Press Release

In response to the European Commission follow-up to the European Parliament non-legislative resolution on plans and actions to accelerate a transition to innovation without the use of animals in research, regulatory testing and education, Eurogroup for Animals, Cruelty Free Europe and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Foundation issued a joint statement

Six months after the historic resolution of the European Parliament (EP) asking for an action plan to phase out the use of animals in science, the European Commission (EC) has failed to take note. The EP was resoundingly clear and nearly unanimous: an EU-wide Action Plan for the active phase-out of the use of animals in experiments with the inclusion of milestones and targets to incentivise progress towards the replacement of the use of animals is needed.

The EC provided, in a weak response, only a list of fragmented initiatives that could eventually lead to some reduction in the use of animals and it is not taking steps to implement the requested action plan to phase out animal experiments.

This leaves the EC with a status quo approach, leading to little impact and no sustainable reduction of the use of animals in areas where so much more can be achieved.

The efforts of the EC, even if slim at times, have helped to advance non-animal science and testing. However, we now need overarching scientific policies that can embrace the new science and technologies, making them the new normal in a stepwise approach.

To achieve sustainable changes towards a more effective and humane science, the current approach of the EC must set out broader coordination groups, as put forward by the EP, with clear objectives and processes for monitoring, assessing and ensuring progress and adapting strategies when appropriate.

Last September, the European Parliament took a strong stance for the phase out of the use of animals in Science, so the response from the Commission was eagerly awaited. A good element of this response is the intention of strengthening the private-public European Partnership for Alternative Approaches to Animal Testing. This partnership is essential to provide advice and build consensus in targeted areas of regulatory testing. But we need more: The action plan needs to involve Members States and the wider academic and industry community; it needs to establish concrete milestones and objectives for sustainable reductions of regulatory animal testing, but also of animal-based research and education, where the majority of animals are used.

Tilly Metz MEP (Greens/EFA, LU), President of the Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals

The Commission foresees no change for the funding of projects that aim to use and/or further develop non-animal models under Horizon Europe, when compared to the previous framework Programme, H2020, which spent 0.5% of its total annual budget on the development of non-animal models. This is not the message we were expecting from a Commission that stresses its goal of phasing out the use of animals in scientific procedures. The EU will not accelerate the transition to non-animal science with such a low commitment.

Jytte Guteland MEP, (S&D, SE)

Notes

Resolution on plans and actions to accelerate the transition to innovation without the use of animals in research, regulatory testing and education

Eurogroup for Animals represents over eighty animal protection organisations in almost all EU Member States, the UK, Switzerland, Serbia, Norway, and Australia. Since its foundation in 1980, the organisation has succeeded in encouraging the EU to adopt higher legal standards for animal protection. Eurogroup for Animals reflects public opinion through its members and has both the scientific and technical expertise to provide authoritative advice on issues relating to animal protection. Eurogroup for Animals is a founding member of the World Federation for Animals which unites the animal protection movement at the global level.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Foundation along with the PETA international entities in France, Germany and the Netherlands, is dedicated to establishing and protecting the rights of animals. Working through education, research, legislative and policy change, outreach and international harmonisation, PETA seeks to accelerate the transition to animal-free science and advance the development and use of non-animal testing approaches to improve the protection of human health, the environment and animals.

Cruelty Free Europe is a Brussels-based network of animal protection groups working to bring animal testing to an end across Europe. With 19 associate members, we act as a force for animals in laboratories across the EU and the wider European neighbourhood. Working with elected Members of the European Parliament, governments, regulators, officials and supporters, our experts coordinate efforts to secure change for the animals currently suffering in experiments in Europe. We believe there is no rational moral justification for using animals in experiments. Instead, we champion progressive, humane scientific research and cruelty free living. 

Regards Mark

Farm Animals, General News, Stray Animals

India: 2/3/22 – Latest From ‘Animal Aid Unlimited’.

Dear Mark,

We’ve rescued thousands of animals, yet we are still in awe of each and every animal’s uniqueness. Some animals take time to get to know, while others wear their heart on their sleeve. We’ll never know what an animal is really thinking, in a human sense, yet the presence of life and of feeling, not different from ours, is unmistakable. They probably don’t know that they feel better because of the injection we just gave them, or the splint now stabilizing their fracture, but in the moment when their worried eyes become soft, and their tense shoulders relax, we rejoice in just knowing that we’ve helped them feel better.

Watch these wonderful recovery videos below and know that you, wherever you are in the world, have helped a tail wag, given a peaceful night’s sleep, made a hungry belly full, and surrounded a worried animal with love.

Despite a ruptured eye,Sunny hugged his rescuer!

Sunny’s tail wags in every single frame of this video. Unusual under any circumstances, but incredible that he shared joy even with the excruciating pain he suffered having a completely ruptured eye. His eye was damaged beyond repair, but he pulled through surgery with flying colors and immediately seemed to show–not fear, but gratitude! It’s simply awful to imagine such a joyful puppy suffering in pain. Without rescue, his tail would soon have stopped wagging forever. This little sweetheart is simply Love Itself in a puppy package.

Keep tails wagging. Please donate today!

Rose’s love helped heal her baby Petal’s horrific wound

Rose’s little boy, Petal, was terribly injured on the back of his neck with a deep wound filled with maggots. We knew they needed to be together but the day we rescued him we didn’t have room in our ambulance to bring them both. The next day our ambulance pulled in with a big beautiful surprise for this little angel: his mommy! Happily together with Mom, his healing process galloped along! Daily wound cleaning and fresh dressings enabled that awful wound to close within a couple of weeks.

Meet Petal and Rose now! Donate today.

Giving peace and safety to sweethearts like Shaney who have a long healing journey ahead

When Shaney arrived she was a suffering sweetheart who had a fracture on her shoulder. Her ears were also wounded in the accident. She needed medical care for her ears, and for her fracture, she needs rest and limited mobility. Here she is now, completely at home in the our sheep and calf area where there are, of course, no passing vehicles and where tension is completely lifted and all her energy can go into further healing and strengthening her leg.



Thank you for giving us the means to provide complete rehabilitation for those who need time to heal.

Compassion in our Community

A community street animal care-giver often evolves beginning with giving the adorable dogs outside their home leftovers and table scraps. Gradually the bright eyes of the dogs or cows invite irresistible pets and cuddles. For many people, this blossoms into a friendship.

Photographed here, this elegant boy’s guardian brought him in their car and drove him to Animal Aid when they noticed he had a puncture wound that looked infected. Sure enough it was infected, but with antibiotics and their close monitoring, he did not need to be admitted into the hospital and he could heal happy in his own neighborhood with his caregivers near by.

Biggest thank you to the people in Udaipur and across India who have opened their hearts and hands to the angels on their path. 

New vegan purses!

Every purchase helps save someone Beautiful!

Hand-crafted earrings, necklaces, bracelets!



Go shopping here!

Regards Mark

General News

Italy Celebrates Animals Being Recognised in Constitution.

1 March 2022

LAV

On March 9th LAV is organising a conference at the Italian Senate to understand what concrete changes this milestone decision will bring about. The event will be accessible online with English interpretation

On March 9th the protection of animals, environment, biodiversity and ecosystems will be officially recognised in the Italian Constitution. What changes and what impact will this have?

These questions will be discussed the same day, during a conference organised by our member LAV, who, back in 1998 wrote and deposited the first draft law for the recognition of animals in the Constitution. 

The event, which will take place at the Italian Senate, in the same building where the Constitution was signed in late December 1947, can be also attended online, with the support of English interpretation.

Our CEO Reineke Hameleers and Massimiliano Conti, Commander of CITES Carabinieri, will take the floor for a welcome address. Gianluca Felicetti and Carla Campanaro, respectively LAV President and Legal Office Manager, will moderate the conference. 

Speakers include Professors Diana Cerini (UniBicocca Milano), Francesca Rescigno (UniBologna), Maria Vittoria Ferroni (La Sapienza Roma), Luigi Lombardi Vallauri (formerly UniFirenze and Cattolica Milano), Alessandra Valastro (UniPerugia), Sanja Bogojevic (University of Oxford). 

On behalf of the political groups that supported the approval process of the new law, the first signatories of the bill and rapporteurs will take the floor: Loredana De Petris, Alessandra Maiorino, Valentina Corneli, Patrizia Prestipino, Michela Vittoria Brambilla, Doriana Sarli, Rossella Muroni and Gianluca Perilli.

The event takes place on Wednesday 9 March from 2 to 5PM CET.

All the details on how to attend online will be available on LAV’s website on Monday March 7th.

Regards Mark

Farm Animals, General News

Unsettling Developments On Slaughter Without Stunning in Greece.

2 March 2022

Hellenic Animal Welfare Federation

Instead of complying with the ruling of the Supreme Court, the Government amends the law on which the ruling was based

After having been defeated in Court by animal protection organisations who had appealed a ministerial decision allowing ritual slaughter of animals without prior stunning, the Greek government took the unprecedented step of getting rid of the existing animal protection law that stood in its way. 

In October 2021, in a ruling that made history, the Supreme Administrative Court of Greece annulled a ministerial decision which, in 2017, had introduced ritual killing of animals without prior stunning, a killing practice until then prohibited under Greek national law. 

The Court ruled that the Greek State had not made use of the “margin of appreciation” and the “level of subsidiarity” provided by the EU regulation which gives Member States the possibility to ensure wider protection of animals, by maintaining their national rules or adopt new ones – taking into account the evolution of values and perceptions in their society – especially given the fact that Greece has had a legislation prohibiting any killing of animals without prior stunning since 1981.

The government decided to remove the inconvenient article from the law, downgrading Greek animal protection standards to pre-1980s levels. This unacceptable amendment was slipped into a massive bill on corruption which was submitted three days ago and will be voted by Parliament with expeditious procedures.

Regards  Mark

General News

The Munich Philharmonic is now Russian free!!

Do you remember?
Exactly 4 days ago, on February 26, the Western press broke the news about the imminent dismissal of the Russian and chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra Valery Gergief if he does not want to renounce Russian politics.
https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2022/02/26/ultimatum-to-munichs-chief-conductor-gergiev-distance-himself-from-putin-or-dismissal/

Gergiev has since been thrown out. His offense: he did not comment!
As of today, the Philharmonie is free of Russians.
In order not to miss the circular conclusion to the “classic”, so one can say that something like this is a “fascist classic”.

At first glance, one might think that the unwanted Russian conductor Valeri Gergiev could now feel like a Jew in Munich in the 1930s.
Surely that’s pure exaggeration, but it’s guaranteed that Valerie Gergiev will soon think about whom to click his heels in the future.

Valery Gergiyev, Chief Conductor of the Mariinsky Theatre, with the symphony orchestra at Moscow’s Zaryadye Concert Hall – May 2, 2021

The artist agency that represented Gergiev canceled the contract with him.
“In the light of the criminal war waged by the Russian regime against the democratic and independent nation of Ukraine, and against the open European society as a whole, it has become impossible and clearly undesirable for us to represent Maestro Gergiyev’s interests.” said the head of the agency.
And with that, the highest level of mental shallowness in this banana republic has been reached.

Munich has always been an interesting place for Nazis.
This has apparently not changed to this day, although this time fascism is making its debut in a different neo-dress.

By the way: an Edeka supermarket branch manager in Kiel (Northern Germany) also drew the “right” conclusions and banned Russian President Putin from his shop: “No beer for Putin and nothing else either!”

Putin will tremble when there is such missionary zeal for sanctions against Russia!

Venus

Farm Animals, General News, Stray Animals, Uncategorized

28/2/22 – More Ukraine Links.

Hi all;

We all know the current terrible situation in the Ukraine; and obviously there is concern for animals as well ass humans.

Here is a link to WAN Ukraine which will provide you with names, sites and contact links if you wish to further follow things up yourself:

Results (worldanimal.net)

This post is additional to the Ukrainian info we provided recently at:

How You Can Support Animal Welfare Organisations In Ukraine. – World Animals Voice

Below (at the end) is additional info provided by friend Di;

Please note that it is possible that info is repeated in some cases; but that is not a problem.

The WAN info at Results (worldanimal.net)

Should be up to date and is a good starter.

https://www.surgeactivism.org/articles/ukraine-the-animal-photos-helping-to-tell-the-story-of-an-invasion

Info from Di:

Food will soon run out for stray animals as Russian invades, fear Ukraine’s shelters 

A list of shelters and charities you can support

  • Casa lui Patrocle – the Romanian animal rescue charity, located 25 miles from the Ukrainian border, has pledged to help families fleeing by providing veterinary care to their companion animals.
  • Sirius – the largest shelter for stray animals in Ukraine, established in 2000.
  • Happy Paw – a charity that cares for homeless cats and dogs.
  • UAnimals – works in Ukraine to protect animals from exploitation and abuse.
  • Shelter Ugolyok – recently announced via its Instagram account that it is in need of help, with some animals having been moved to basements.

Regards Mark

Environmental, General News, Hunting, Stray Animals

USA: A Message From Camilla Fox – Project Coyote. Speaking Up For The Underdog.

Dear Mark,

On February 10, wildlife advocates across the U.S. celebrated a federal district court ruling to relist wolves after the Trump administration removed federal protections for wolves in January 2021. The Biden administration failed to reinstate emergency federal protection, thereby opening up expanded slaughter across their range. Last week’s ruling reinstates federal protections for gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act across the lower 48 except for three separate groups of wolves. The first two groups, Mexican gray wolves and red wolves, are already federally protected. Tragically, the third group of wolves in the Northern Rockies states of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, are not included in that ruling and still face intense persecution under state management with new laws allowing liberalized killing through trophy hunting, trapping, snaring, baiting, aerial gunning and night hunting. We’ve been advocating for wolf protections for a long time and now is no time to let up

Project Coyote‘s new billboard campaign in Idaho and Montana challenges this egregious mismanagement, calling for the relisting of wolves in the Northern Rockieswhere populations continue to attract millions of visitors to famed Yellowstone National Park from all over the globe to glimpse a wolf in the wild.

At the base of this mismanagement of wolves and other apex predators is a governance system that is out of sync with current science and public sentiment. Such a broken system is reflected in myriad other states where wildlife commissions continue to allow and even expand the wanton killing of wild carnivores. Some recent examples of where we’ve been countering the actions of commissions that simply shills for a small contingent of hunting and agricultural interests include: expanded opportunities to trophy hunt black bears in California and North Carolina, hound hunting of coyotes in Vermont, wildlife killing contests in Virginia and trophy hunting of wild cats in Colorado. We’re also part of a newly formed coalition called Wildlife For All that aims to reform state and federal wildlife agency governance structures and institutions pushing for change that reflects diverse values for wildlife, more democratic decision-making and recognition of wildlife as a common good to be conserved for the benefit of all. Across all these issues and more, Project Coyote is on the front lines, advocating on behalf of North America‘s wild carnivores who have no voice and are often still seen as vermin needing to be expunged from the landscape. 

On another front, we’re excited to expand our reach into the Midwest through the Big River Connectivity project in collaboration with The Rewilding Institute, the Half-Earth Project and BeWildReWild. Through this partnership we aim to restore at least 9 million acres in the Midwest to create a wilder, more beautiful, more biologically diverse and more enduring Mississippi River watershed. We will do so by shifting the paradigm from traditional agricultural practices to a more holistic, sustainable and humane approach of interacting with land and wildlife. 

Our work is defensive and offensive — working to stop wanton wildlife killing while concurrently seeking to educate, empower and inspire action for wildlife and wildlands. Read more about these efforts below and our expanded team who will help bring these bold goals to fruition.

We could not do this work without you — our supporters and the many foundations who believe in our vision for a wilder world. Thank you for helping foster compassion for the other beings with whom we share this planet.

For the Wild Ones,

Camilla Fox
Founder & Executive Director

https://www.projectcoyote.org/

Regards Mark

Speak up for the underdog !

General News

Ultimatum to Munich’s chief conductor Gergiev: distance himself from Putin – or dismissal

More and more Russian artists are coming under pressure in the West because of the “Russian invasion” of Ukraine.
Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter has asked the chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic, Valeri Gergiev, to distance himself from “ruler Putin”.
Otherwise he will be fired (!!!)

Valery Gergiev during a performance at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow on May 2, 2021

Munich’s Lord Mayor Dieter Reiter has asked the chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic, Valeri Gergiev, to distance himself from the so-called Russian invasion of Ukraine.
This is reported by the Bayerischer Rundfunk. Otherwise, the chief conductor is threatened with dismissal, according to the mayor.
Reiter literally:

“I made my position clear to Valery Gergiev and asked him to also clearly and unequivocally distance himself from the brutal war of aggression that Putin is waging against Ukraine and now especially against our twin city of Kiev.”
“If Valery Gergiev has not clearly positioned himself here by Monday, he can no longer remain chief conductor of our Philharmonic.”

In a letter addressed to Gergiev, Reiter was “stunned” by the “barbaric act of the Russian ruler Putin, who is pursuing his nationalist goals with all brutality and without regard to human life” (!!!)
He expects Gergiev to send a clear signal to the city leaders, the public, the musicians of the Munich Philharmonic and their audience by Monday, February 28th.

“Otherwise we will have to end the contractual relationship as chief conductor.”(!!!)

The 68-year-old Gergiev has been chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic, a city orchestra, since 2015.
The musician from the Caucasus is considered one of the world’s most famous conductors.

In addition to directing the Russian prestigious Mariinsky Theatre, which he has held for decades, he also regularly conducts some of the largest and most well-known orchestras in the world.
Gergiev is under contract in Munich until 2025.
He conducts 30 to 40 concerts a year.

Now the star conductor is again threatened with a work ban in the West. For example, he will not perform as planned with the Vienna Philharmonic in New York’s Carnegie Hall – “due to recent events in the world” (!!!)

In addition, according to media reports, it was said that the Scala Gergiev in Milan also issued a similar ultimatum as Reiter in Munich.

“Bayerischer Rundfunk” points out that in the past Gergiev had tried “to convince the public of his pacifist attitude”.
Shortly before his debut concert in the Bavarian capital in 2015, Gergiev told the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” that he wanted to work to improve German-Russian relations.

Valeri Gergiev

“We must do whatever it takes to avoid another major tragic conflict,” he said at the time.
“Big means: up to a third world war, which I hope will never happen.”

https://de.rt.com/inland/132578-ultimatum-an-chefdirigent-munchner-philharmoniker/

And I mean…First the following remark: This post comes as a declaration of solidarity to a man who works in the theater business, as I have been for 36 years.
But that’s not the only reason.
A legitimate question arises: if attitude control is to be introduced in the West, how will it differ from totalitarian regimes?

Wanting to force people to say something specific so that they can continue to practice their profession is illegal and has only the worst role models in Germany’s history.

Why does Gergiev have to take a stand? Are people now also being thrown out and put under pressure whose political opinions do not conform with those of their employer?
We thought we had a democracy here.
The right to speak, to express one’s opinion, regardless of whether the Lord Mayor likes it or not, is contained in the Basic Law on which Mayor Dieter Reiter swore his oath of office.

We live in an outrage society.
People who disagree will be defamed.
People who criticize the corona measures are Nazis, people who understand the need to respect Russian security interests are anti-democrats, etc.
The main thing is that we are the morally superior, the good guys.

Dieter Reiter emulates the Lord Mayor of Munich during the Nazi era, who freed the city’s orchestras from Jews.
Russian-free anyway.

So… That’s it for freedom of expression…
The racist little minds have taken over Germany again.

Venus

Farm Animals, General News, Stray Animals, Uncategorized

How You Can Support Animal Welfare Organisations In Ukraine.

25 February 2022

With tensions involving Ukraine having descended into war, we find ourselves in deeply troubling times and stand in solidarity with everyone affected.

Donation

If you would like to support those protecting the animals caught up in this conflict, here are organisations working in Ukraine: 

Deutscher Tierschutzbund – Shelter Tierschutzzentrum Odessa 

Donation page

Vier Pfoten – Bear Sanctuary Domazhyr

Donation page

Help from Romania

The Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries has shared a list of Romanian Animal Shelters who are accepting refugee animals from Ukraine (some offer shelter for any species, including farm animals): 

The National Veterinary Health and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA) also informs about the temporary abolition of compliance with certain conditions for the entry of pets from Ukraine to Romania.

Due to the exceptional conditions generated by the situation in Ukraine and in order to avoid possible difficulties with refugees coming from this country with pets, in accordance with Article 32 of Regulation (EU) 576/201 3 on the repeal of the conditions for non-commercial animal movement as a company, Romania authorizes non-commercial traffic on their  territory as follows:

Animals that meet the conditions for entry into the EU (identified, vaccinated, with/or without the title of antibodies) will be allowed to enter.

For animals that :

  • are not correctly identified by microchip/tattoo,
  • are not vaccinated against rabies or whose vaccination is no longer valid,

the responsible person will fill in the animal tracking form, which can be downloaded from the ANSVSA website.

The owner of the animal will be able to carry out all formalities and procedures after his entry into Romania.

To facilitate the access of refugees from Ukraine with animals, ANSVSA has sent instructions on the territory and at the border crossing points.

Regards Mark