Category: General News

Farm Animals, Fur and Fur Farming, General News

Poland: Shocking Footage From Mink Gassing, Minks Dying in Agony on a Polish Farm.

Shocking footage from mink gassing, minks dying in agony on a Polish farm

18 December 2020

Otwarte Klatki

Otwarte Klatki LOGO

Slow death in a gassing box, beating the animals to death with a metal rod, crushing the still breathing minks by the dead ones – shocking footage from a mink farm in Długie Stare near Leszno, the Greater Poland Voivodeship, was published by Otwarte Klatki. The activists informed the prosecutor’s office about the incident.

The investigation was conducted at the turn of November and December 2020 by the activists from Open Cages Poland (Otwarte Klatki) and the German organization SOKO Tierschutz. Hidden cameras were installed at the mink farm in the village of Długie Stare. For several days, they recorded the slaughter of mink – both inside and outside the gassing box. These are the first recordings of this type from Polish fur farms.

The videos show three people who carry out slaughtering with a gas box. They throw the minks into the gassing box carelessly, and the animals who survived the gassing are hit with a metal rod or killed by hitting against a wooden joist. It is also visible that one mink is killed by kicking. In the cart, into which dead animals are thrown, you can clearly see the minks, which are still breathing, and their bodies are crushed by the bodies of their companions.

Read more at source

Anima

Farm Animals, General News

Australia: Governments Cannot be Counted on to End the Misery; So, Help Him Fly !

The fact is that governments cannot be counted on to end the misery; we will have to rely on people power; count us in.

Mark, this is what animals in factory farms would dream of:

It’s now 12 days since we launched our new television campaign on behalf of farmed animals, and we’re thrilled with the response from people of all ages and from all walks of life:


I can’t tell you how much it means to read those words, Mark. If you haven’t yet experienced the ad,

you can watch it here:

Thanks to the magnificent support of Animals Australia donors, we’ve brought this message of kindness and hope to prime time TV, and it’s sparking meaningful conversations in living rooms and around dining tables across the country.

Many of the calls, emails and comments our team has been so touched to receive are highlighting the value of seeing these animals just before Christmas: a time when pigs, turkeys and other ‘food’ animals suffer so greatly in factory farms and slaughterhouses.

Thankfully, awareness is growing that the ‘traditions’ advertisers and animal industries encourage us to uphold have led to a tragic outcome — Christmas becoming one of the two peak times of animal suffering in the world each year (the other is the Festival of Sacrifice).

At a time that people are bombarded with advertising that reduces these animals to products and ‘roasts’, we knew we needed to give them a living presence on television and remind people that they too are beings with beating hearts.

Our powerful ‘Somewhere’ television commercial is so beautifully achieving this. It is evoking an all-important emotional connection with these unique and precious animals and within that a desire to create a new family tradition is born — one based on kindness, care and compassion for all beings.

Mark, showing what animals in factory farms endure presented us with a great challenge; with the ever-present risk of factory farm vision being knocked back by the broadcasting authority for being “too graphic” or people changing the channel because they “don’t want to know”. That is why the magical needs to be entwined with the sad reality that these animals face: to ensure people could and would watch, while empowering their hearts to have an all-important say.

The strategy is working. Hearts are opening and responding. People are realising just how greatly governments have failed these animals and are seeking out the numerous ‘plant-based’ alternatives that now exist, knowing that within them lies the key to freeing these animals from suffering.

Getting ‘Somewhere’ on prime time was our first challenge; allowing it to have a transformational presence in 2021 is an even greater one.

Help him fly !

Donate to keep this ad on TV (animalsaustralia.org)

We know that this little pig has the potential to change the future for so many of those like him. Every time he’s seen or heard, he’s doing so on behalf of every animal locked away from view and denied a voice.

Mark, inspiring a new tradition of kindness and heart-based living has to start ‘Somewhere’… 🙂 How wonderful it would be if it can start with us. I so hope you will join us on this journey.
My warmest wishes to you and your family for a kind, peaceful and joyful festive season.

For the animals,

Lyn White AM
Director of Strategy

P.S. You might be wondering how farmed animals like our little flying pig can be subjected to routine cruelty when we are supposed to have laws to protect animals in Australia. I know I was shocked when I discovered this was the case. Here are answers to questions that you might have about this and our ‘Somewhere’ campaign.

P.P.S. If this little piglet has inspired you and your family to think differently this holiday season, you might enjoy this useful list of delicious plant-based festive foods we’ve put together.

Farm Animals, General News, Live Transport

France: New L214 Investigation Shows Horrifying Footage of Turkey Slaughterhouse in France.

New investigation shows horrifying footage of Turkey slaughterhouse in France

17 December 2020

L214

Today, Eurogroup for Animals’ member L214 reveals the immense suffering endured by turkeys at a slaughterhouse in Blancafort, Cher in France. Every day, 15,000 turkeys are killed in this slaughterhouse, which flagrantly violates the regulations governing the killing of animals.

The investigation which was initiated thanks to a whistleblower working at the facility, shows that as soon as the turkeys arrive at the slaughterhouse, they are hung upside down with their legs stuck on hooks. This causes acute pain to these birds, which can weigh up to 15 kg. The turkeys are forced to hold their heads up in order to not to scrape the ground. The chain they are hung on goes on for more than 50 metres, making these animals being suspended conscious for more than 2 minutes. These are two flagrant violations of the regulations.

L214 reports that they asked the veterinary services and the Ministry of Agriculture to close this slaughterhouse. Yet, the prefecture only told the slaughterhouse to put in place “immediate corrective measures and a comprehensive structural action plan” within the next 48 hours. In a public petition, L214 calls for the immediate closure of the slaughterhouse as “no immediate corrective can correct such structural problems”.

“A life of suffering, from their first to their last day” – L214 makes a case against the poor rearing and transport conditions of the turkeys:

Before arriving to the slaughterhouse in Blancafort, the turkeys are raised in huge buildings, piled on top of each other and fertilized for 3 to 4 months. In these intensive farms, there are on average 8 turkeys per square metre, often plucked or injured. They will never walk on grass, but wade through the excrement that accumulates over the weeks.

During the transport, L214 reports that they are piled up in crates that are far too small. Their heads touch the ceiling, which does not allow for good ventilation and can cause heat stress for the turkeys as they struggle to breathe and lower their body temperature. Some turkeys get their heads stuck when they are unloaded from trucks, and the slaughterhouse bins are filled with the bodies of those that did not survive the transport.

In view of the flagrant violations of the regulations, L214 reported to have filed a complaint against the transporter and the Blancafort slaughterhouse for animal abuse.

Read more at source

L214

General News, Stray Animals, Uncategorized

The Crew at LMT K14 KFOR of the Italian Army Show Their Compassion By Supporting the Local Work Associated With Sterilisation of Stray Dogs in Kosovo.

WAV Comment: we send our best thanks to all the crew at LMT K14 KFOR of the Italian Army, for their incredible local work and financial support of this project. The dogs are not wild; just homeless !

From OIPA; Italy:

KOSOVO, THE ITALIAN ARMY “DEPLOYED” TO HELP STRAYS IN DECANI AND JUNIK: DONATIONS FOR NEUTERING AND VACCINATIONS. OIPA INTERNATIONAL WILL SUPPORT THE PROJECT

A big thanks to the Italian Army personnel of the West Regional Command, KFOR, with headquarter in Belo Polje – Kosovo, that besides monitoring the socio-economic development of the Country and helping to preserve security and stability for the population, have not turned away taking to heart the serious problem of strays present locally.

The Kosovo Force (KFOR), currently under Italian command, is an international military force led by NATO and represented by 27 contributing Nations, responsible for keeping the peace according to the UN Resolution No.1244 in Kosovo, and guaranteeing with the international support the presence of a fully democratic system.

In August the team LMT K14 KFOR of the Italian Army, in view of a high number of dogs and cats observed in the area, started a constant an attentive monitoring of strays located in the municipalities of Decani and Junik, in the western part of the Country. They noted a lack of awareness among the population and the unavailability of funds and means by local authorities in order to implement attempts to solve the problem.

Italian soldiers, talking with both municipalities, has exposed the issue and the serious consequences that a bad management of the phenomenon, including the lack of neutering and spaying activities and the non-activation of vaccination programmes, can bring in terms of security, hygiene and public decency but mostly in terms of respect for animal rights, animal protection and safety.

Local administrations have been willing and opened to discuss and asked for support in the creation and drafting of a long-term project that can face and limit the phenomenon, in collaboration with local and international animal welfare associations, including OIPA International, local veterinary services and agricultural organizations.

While waiting to define a long-lasting plan, the Italian soldiers of the KFOR West Regional Command did not sit back but donated funds to a consortium of local veterinarians to encourage the sterilization and vaccination of strays in the two municipality.

This first project was entirely financed by the Italian Ministry of Defense and carried out by the 5th “Superga” Rocket Artillery Regiment of the Italian Army through CIMIC funds (Civil and Military Cooperation) and has already allowed the spay and vaccination of about 30 dogs.

A virtuous example of the Italian Army and a demonstration of great sensitivity, love and courage in defence and in aid of those who have no voice, of those who are the most vulnerable and of those that often remain invisible because they are “just animals”.

You can support the project and help the homeless dogs and cats of Kosovo to be spayed/neutered and vaccinated. Make a donation writing “OIPA for KOSOVO”.

All photos – OIPA / Italian Army

Environmental, Farm Animals, General News

More Positive News: European Council Sets the Course for a Comprehensive Labelling System That Should Benefit the Whole Animal Food Production Cycle.

Putting animal welfare first: Council sets the course for a comprehensive labelling system that displays the well-being of animals over the whole animal food production cycle

14 December 2020

WAV Comment: Well done German EU Presidency for moving this issue forward. Finally; is the EU listening to what its citizens want ?

Press Release

Under the German Presidency, the Member States have agreed on a way forward in the development of an EU wide animal welfare labelling system that goes beyond voluntary labels and includes all species over their entire lifetime. Eurogroup for Animals sees the next step in introducing a mandatory EU animal welfare label for all animal-based food products.

On December 15, the Council of the European Union on Agriculture and Fisheries made considerable progress in adopting Council Conclusions that call for an EU-wide animal welfare label aimed at improving animal welfare for as many food producing animals as possible. Eurogroup for Animals welcomes the conclusions as the Council clearly sets the starting point for improving the treatment and well-being of farmed animals.

The Council Conclusions are an important step forward toward the comprehensive “Method-of-Production” label proposed by Eurogroup for Animals. We need a label that covers the entire lifetime of animals, including factors such as transport, slaughter and all of the living conditions of the animals. Eurogroup for Animals will gladly support the Commission in the further development of any scheme moving forward.

Says Gemma Willemsen Chair of Eurogroup for Animals’ labelling  working group. 

In a report launched in October, Eurogroup for Animals asks for adoption of a mandatory “Method-of-Production+ label” based on a core set of animal welfare indicators that measure animal welfare over the entire lifetime of the animals. 

“A multi-level label required on all products and for all species by law would be most effective in harmonising practices and setting improvement targets easily identifiable for producers. But it is all about how the conclusions will be implemented. It is  important that the label clearly distinguishes between minimum as well as ambitious lower and higher standards. We commend Member States, and the German Presidency in particular, for moving things in the right direction.”

Comments Jürgen Plinz, Treasurer of Deutscher Tierschutzbund.

Putting animal welfare first: Council sets the course for a comprehensive labelling system that displays the well-being of animals over the whole animal food production cycle | Eurogroup for Animals

Etiquette Bien-Etre Animal

Consumers want the label: the Eurobarometer from 2015 showed that 82% of European consumers ask for increased welfare of farmed animals and more than half of the population actively looks for animal welfare labels. In some Member States, different voluntary labels (see Étiquette Bien-être animal from France) have been introduced. Such a label at EU level  would empower consumers to make their choice for products with the highest animal welfare scores over the animal’s lifetime, including breeding, transport and slaughter, provided that it becomes mandatory. The success story of the EU energy label which played a pivotal role in consumers’ contribution to reducing the energy consumption clearly shows the impact. 

The European Commission is going to start a study on animal welfare labelling in 2021, leading to a proposal following this, expected in 2022.

ENDS

Farm Animals, General News

Animal Welfare Victory: 17/12/20 – The European Court of Justice (CJEU) Ruling Confirms Member States Have the Right to Introduce Mandatory Pre-Slaughter Stunning.

Animal welfare victory: the CJEU ruling confirms Member States right to introduce mandatory pre-slaughter stunning

17 December 2020

Today is a historic day for animals, as the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) clarified that Member States are allowed to impose mandatory pre-slaughter stunning.

The case raised from the ban adopted by the Flemish Government (BE) in July 2019 which made stunning compulsory also for the production of meat by means of traditional Jewish and Muslim rites.

The verdict ruled that the EU Governments can legitimately introduce mandatory reversible stunning in the framework of Art. 26.2(c) of the Council Regulation 1099/2009 (Slaughter Regulation), with the aim to  improve animal welfare during those killing operations carried out in the context of religious rites.

It clearly states that the Slaughter Regulation “does not preclude Member States from imposing an obligation to stun animals prior to killing which also applies in the case of slaughter prescribed by religious rites” .

 This judgment considers the latest development on reversible stunning as a method that successfully balances the apparently competing values of religious freedom and animal welfare, and it concludes that “the measures contained in the (Flemish) decree allow a fair balance to be struck between the importance attached to animal welfare and the freedom of Jewish and Muslim believers to manifest their religion”.

Eurogroup for Animals has followed the Court case closely and in October it released an opinion poll showing that EU citizens do not want to see animals slaughtered while fully conscious.

“It is now clear that our society doesn’t support animals to unduly suffer at the most critical time of their lives. Reversible stunning makes it possible to successfully balance the apparently competing values of religious freedom, and the concern for animal welfare under current EU law. Acceptance of pre-slaughter stunning by religious communities is increasing both in EU and non-EU countries. Now it’s time for the EU to make pre-slaughter stunning always mandatory in the next revision of the Slaughter Regulation” commented Reineke Hameleers, CEO, Eurogroup for Animals

Throughout the years, experts have raised concerns about the serious animal welfare implications of killing without pre-cut stunning (FVE, 2002; EFSA, 2004; BVA, 2020), as acknowledged by the Court itself, in another case (C-497/17).

The case will now go back to the Flanders’ constitutional court which will have to confirm and implement the CJEU’s ruling. Furthermore, the imminent revision of the Slaughter Regulation, as announced by the European Commission in the framework of the EU Farm to Fork strategy, gives the chance to further clarify the matter by making pre-slaughter stunning always compulsory and move towards a Europe that cares for animals.

ENDS

Notes

Opinion poll on slaughter 

Summary of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) case C-336/19

Amicus Curiae on CJEU case

Advocate General opinion

Additional from WAV:

Electrical stunning

An electrical stunning device (applied to the head only) must pass sufficient current through the brain of the animal to interrupt normal brain activity and render the animal immediately unconscious. Electrical stunning (or electronarcosis) is reversible as it disrupts normal brain function for a short time only. An electrical stunning system requires the correct voltage, current and application time to be delivered for the stun to result in instantaneous and painless unconsciousness.

How are animals stunned prior to slaughter?
Farm Animals, General News

New Zealand: Demand the Government Now Follows the Court Victory and Has a Commissioner for Animals. All Links Below for Action.

WAV Comment:

17/12 – We have had the following in to us from SAFE, New Zealand. 

They have achieved major wins legally for animals over the last few weeks; now it is time to ramp up the pressure even more and get the government to act.

From SAFE:

Kia ora Mark

We achieved victory for mother pigs, now we need Government action 

Today SAFE and the New Zealand Animal Law Association (NZALA) have published a full-page open letter in the New Zealand Herald, asking the Prime Minister to appoint a Commissioner for Animals. 

Last month, the High Court found that the Minister of Agriculture and his advisors from the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) acted illegally when they failed to phase out farrowing crates and mating stalls for mother pigs. 

Now that the Government has accepted the Court’s decision, it is time to take animal welfare seriously. We need you to add your voice to ensure this happens. 

TAKE ACTION – Demand the government now has a commissioner for animals.

The High Court has ruled that the Minister of Agriculture and his advisors from the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) acted illegally when they failed to phase out farrowing crates and mating stalls for mother pigs.  

The Court’s decision shows that NAWAC did not perform its legal duty well and was biased, consciously or unconsciously, towards industry interests. It also highlights that although New Zealand has some of the best animal welfare laws in the world, there are significant shortcomings with regulation and enforcement of the law. 

The Government has accepted the Court’s decision, and we are now asking for some essential changes, starting with the appointment of a Commissioner for Animals. 

A Commissioner for Animals should be appointed to oversee NAWAC, advocate for animals and ensure that NAWAC is accountable. 

The Government must now take the Court’s decision seriously and show respect to animals and our animal welfare laws. With the appointment of a commissioner for Animals, New Zealand could once again be a world leader in animal welfare.

ACT NOW:  Go to –

Demand a Commissioner for Animals and an independent NAWAC – SAFE | For Animals

Demand a Commissioner for Animals

Write a polite email to Prime Minister Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern and Agriculture Minister Hon Damien O’Connor telling them why you want a Commissioner for Animals.

Key points you can make:

  • Following the High Court’s decision on farrowing crates, it’s time for the Government to take animal welfare seriously and appoint a Commissioner for Animals.
  • New Zealand needs a Commissioner for Animals to oversee NAWAC, advocate for animals and ensure that NAWAC is accountable. 
  • New Zealand has some of the best animal welfare laws in the world, however we need to ensure that these laws are properly enforced.  
  • If New Zealand wants to consider itself a world leader on animal welfare, then it’s clear that NAWAC needs oversight from an independent commissioner that reports directly to Parliament. 
  • NAWAC must undergo structural and cultural changes to be able to exercise its legal duty, starting with a Commissioner for Animals to oversee NAWAC and ensure the needs of animals are met.   

Thanks – it time for action and demands to be met;

WAV.

General News, Hunting

Italy: the Hunter Website takes a break

Received anonymously from Frente de Liberación Animal:

The official website of the Italian Hunting Federation <www.federcaccia.org> has been hacked by the Animal Liberation Front.

ALF Hacks Italian Hunting Federation Website (Italy)

We wish the hunters a lot of fun repairing the hacked page.
Especially now in Corona times, you have to employ hunters, otherwise, they will come up with stupid ideas

Regards and good night, Venus

General News

WHO scientists will travel to Wuhan (China) in January 2021 to investigate origins of Covid-19.

WHO scientists will travel to Wuhan in January to investigate origins of Covid-19 after months of negotiating with China for access

  • The coronavirus pandemic is believed to have originated from Wuhan in China
  • A year on from the start of the pandemic, the mission is expected to visit the city
  • U.S. has called for a ‘transparent’ WHO-led investigation and criticised its terms
  • Specifically, it was unhappy that Chinese scientists did the preliminary research

Read the full article at:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9060429/WHO-scientists-travel-Wuhan-January-investigate-origins-Covid-19.html?ito=push-notification&ci=60710&si=17774922