Category: General News

Animal lives matter

The black people in the US have started fighting for their freedom again.

black lives matterjpg

When will we go out on the streets for the animals and protest massively and united against their slavery, against the fascist system of their exploitation?

When, if not now? Now, that the corona gives us the weapon, we have to use demonstrations to force criminal politicians to end the indescribable suffering of slaves in every animal industry.

Symbolic actions, candles, and selfies on the Internet may be profitable, but they don’t stop anyone, the animals will continue to die.

Kuh mit angebundenen Augen im Blutn

The current struggle of black people in the United States shows it clearly:
Each of these murderous mechanisms is man-made and can be broken by people.
Che Guevara said: “even the strongest walls fall when they get cracks”.

Now is the time for direct confrontation, the time of the cracks.

My best regards to all, Venus

Spain: Investigation; Chickens Suffer on Spanish Factory Farms – But Not Just Spain; This Is An EU Problem !

spanische flagge mit Stier

 

 

 

Hi Mark,

Animal Equality’s latest investigation, carried out with the Spanish news website Público, has shed a light on the atrocities that are common in chicken farms across Europe.

Selectively bred to grow to huge weights in a matter of weeks so that the industry has more meat to sell, and more money to make, many of the birds we filmed were unable to stand because of the sheer size of their bodies. With no veterinary care, the painful sores and burns on their skin went untreated, and the corpses of those who didn’t survive were left to rot on the urine-soaked floor. These shocking conditions are typical in Europe, and we’ve filmed similar scenes inside British chicken farms too.

Almost 700 million chickens are slaughtered each year in Spain, with many of them exported to other countries. This makes it one of Europe’s biggest chicken producers, although an even larger number of chickens are raised and killed in the UK – nearly a staggering one billion every year.

Our investigative work has again exposed the horrendous reality of conditions inside typical factory farms, shattering the idyllic image that the meat industry often tries to hide behind.

Tragically, it’s too late to save the chickens we filmed on this farm, but you can help countless others just like them, by choosing to eat plant-based options more often. For recipes, advice and more, head to our Love Veg website.

Thank you,

Abigail Penny
 
Executive Director, Animal Equality UK

 

 

 

 

South Africa / Australia: NSPCA WIN Court Case and STOP Live Exports From South Africa After Same Exporter Loses In Australia.

SAfrica

australia

 

VICTORY: South Africa's High Court puts hold on sheep exports!

 

Our past posts:

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2020/05/27/south-africa-27-5-20-live-exports-update-live-sheep-to-kuwait/ 

 

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2020/02/26/south-africa-the-nspca-and-gerrie-nel-head-to-the-high-court-against-live-export-by-sea/ 

 

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2019/11/15/south-africa-live-exports-nspca-lays-criminal-complaint-against-sheep-ship-stakeholders-and-kuwaiti-ban-raises-questions-about-eastern-cape-sheep/ 

 

 

SA sheep 2

 

 

Mark, this time last week we were building a case to stop 56,000 Australian sheep being shipped into the furnace of the Northern summer. Within 24 hours we would receive the news that the exporter’s bid to be exempted from new laws prohibiting these dangerous summer shipments had failed… and that not one of those animals would be stepping foot on board a live export ship.

The relief was palpable. But it would be short-lived. You see, the moment this company was turned away from Australia, it headed for South Africa — their sights set on 70,000 sheep they had been blocked from exporting just weeks earlier. And such was their confidence that they could simply sail in and take the animals, they even started loading them onto trucks.

But that’s where their journey would end… because our friends at the NSPCA were waiting. They had sought an urgent injunction from the High Court to stop the animals being loaded onto the vessel, and I’m glad to share the news with you that

THEY WON!

Thanks to your support of our work for animals with the NSPCA, 70,000 sheep are safe from ‘cooking alive’ on a live export ship, for now.

This is a landmark moment for animals, but the reprieve may be temporary because the full case will be heard in mid-July. But we know the team at the NSPCA (South Africa’s peak animal protection body) will give it their all. For now, these animals are safe from live export at the most dangerous time of year — when the risk of ‘cooking alive’ from heat stroke is very real.

As you would know, one of the live export industry’s key PR lines is that if they can’t get animals from Australia, they’ll just go elsewhere. In itself, this shows how little regard for animals they have. Australian authorities have determined that shipping sheep into the Northern summer is cruel and should no longer occur. So what does the live export industry do? What it has done for decades — ignore the science, ignore the evidence, disregard the risks to animals and attempt to carry on live exporting anyway.

What they didn’t count on is that our reach extends far beyond Australia. With your support, we are collaborating with advocates all around the world who, like you and me, are determined to protect animals from this global trade in animal suffering. If they show up in Romania, we are there. If they show up in South Africa, we are there. Wherever live export exists, animals will suffer — wherever live exporters go, we will too.

We are proud to work with and support the legal efforts of our colleagues at NSPCA and are enormously grateful to you for making this powerful collaboration on behalf of the victims of live export possible.

For the animals,

Lisa Chalk
Campaign Director

Animals Australia

 

 

SA sheep

Petitions (Sad News) and Good News.

 

 

Hi all;

Here are a few petitions which we would ask you to give your support to.

We have given a brief summary of what each is about, and then included a link to the petition.

Please support, sign and pass on to all your contacts.

 

That’s the bad news; we also have a few great news stories to oppose all this doom and gloom. I have included it all under this one post; we have to move from bad top good.

 

Thanks and regards – Mark

 

 

He dragged his dog for several kilometers

 

It is important that this individual does not get away with it

 

He kept him chained without food, then thought of ending up tying him with a chain to the bumper of his car and dragging him for several miles.

Petition link – https://www.sosvox.org/en/petition/it-is-important-that-this-individual-does-not-get-away-with-it.html?utm_source=highlight&utm_medium=title&utm_campaign=campaign-p090620&uuid=fd376f375efd72ffbb9b53f8573be8925cc4f75c7aa9a1671739edf280fb793a

 

 

Justice for Elephants Slaughtered While Seeking Water to Drink

 

 

 

Justice for Cats Beaten to Death as ‘Live Punching Bags’ at Gym

 

PETITION TARGET: Barranquilla Mayor Jaime Pumarejo and Colombian Ambassador to the United States Francisco Santos Calderón

In an appalling case of ongoing animal cruelty, innocent dogs and cats are reportedly being punched to death as ‘live boxing bags’ at a local gym in Barranquilla, Colombia, the lifeless bodies nonchalantly thrown in the trash.

 

Petition link – https://ladyfreethinker.org/sign-justice-for-cats-beaten-to-death-as-live-punching-bags-at-gym/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email

 

 

UPDATE: Craigslist Cat Killer Sentenced to Four Years in Prison

 

We have an update to the LFT petition calling for justice for a Missouri man who adopted over a dozen cats from Craigslist only to torture them to death. Last week, 20-year-old Kaine A. Louzader of St. Charles County, Mo. pleaded guilty to second-degree felony animal abuse, and has been sentenced to four years in prison for his crimes.

Four years is not nearly enough for a serial killer who poses a danger to both animals and humans; though sadly, most animal killers never even see a jail cell.

Louzader was initially charged with two counts of first-degree animal abuse in May after someone witnessed him discarding a dead cat on the roadside. Later, investigators realized the deceased animal was only one of numerous dismembered cats that appeared in the area between January and early May of this year.

Police connected the vehicle in question to Louzader, and while interrogating him, they noticed scratches on his arms, fingers, and hands. The suspect, who was employed at a hospital, claimed that an elderly patient caused the injuries, but after some additional probing, Louzader reportedly admitted to the scratches being from a cat he had killed the day prior. Then, he confessed to abusing and murdering numerous cats throughout the year, mainly by stomping on their heads or strangling them. Louzader also admitted to decapitating and dismembering several of his victims and disposing of their body parts throughout his neighborhood.

Due to the gruesome nature of the allegations against Louzader, St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney Tim Lohmar charged the suspect with felony animal abuse, rather than a misdemeanor.

“It becomes a felony if the animal was mutilated prior to death,” Lohmar told KMOV, noting that Louzader’s injuries indicated that the cats probably fought for their lives.

Thank you to the nearly 30,000 people who signed the petition calling for justice. We continue the fight in urging authorities to treat animal abuse cases with the severity they deserve.

 

 

 

Pakistan’s Loneliest Elephant Is About to Be Free for the First Time Since 1985

 

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An Asian elephant named Kaavan, who has earned the moniker “Pakistan’s loneliest elephant,” is set to be free for the first time since 1985 thanks to a landmark court decision that will release him from the Murgahazar Zoo in Islamabad after over decades in captivity.

Heartbreaking images of Kaavan living such a solitary life sparked a four-year campaign headed by the famous singer Cher, who fought tirelessly to release the helpless elephant from confinement.

The Islamabad high court finally decided last Thursday that Kaavan deserves his long-awaited freedom. Wildlife officials have 30 days to find a suitable sanctuary for him.

Moved to tear by the decision, Cher thanked the Pakistani government for its decision.

“This is one of the greatest moments of my life,” the international icon tweeted. “Kaavan is free.”

Originally from Sri Lanka, Kaavan arrived in Pakistan at just one year old as a gift to General Zia-ul-Haq, the country’s former dictator. He spent decades in a small enclosure with very little grass and a dirty pond, often chained up because of alleged violent tendencies, which were likely due to mental health issues. Kaavan’s mental health deteriorated further in 2012 when his cage mate, Saheli, passed away, leaving him in complete isolation.

Kaavan’s upcoming release from captivity marks a major milestone in the fight for animal rights, and this victory reminds us that he is one of countless elephants who deserve to be free from solitary confinement.

 

 

 

 

 

Spain: the betrayal of the Podemos to the animals

The Spanish Ministry of Culture enables the bullfighting sector to benefit from the CREA Fund for “Fine Arts Professionals” (!!!)

spanische flagge mit Stier

Once again, the government, administrations, and political parties have sided with those who enjoy torturing and killing animals.

PSOE (Partido Socialista Obrero Español) and Podemos (Left Party Spain`s) have given in to the pressure from the bullfighting sector and are offering financial support (especially with public funds) to save bullfighting, which the vast majority of society rejects.

With the crisis caused by COVID-19, there is a risk that bullfighting will be condemned to inevitable disappearance.
However, the PSOE and Podemos have decided to save this sector and prolong the agony of thousands of bulls, oxen, heifers, and other animals tortured and killed in bull rings and streets.

stier mit lachendem Matadorjpg

The Minister for Culture and Sport, José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, published and announced financial support for the cultural sector last Friday.
For example, the bullfighting sector can make use of the CREA fund, for which a credit line of EUR 40 million is planned for the ‘professionals of the fine arts’ (!!!)

Stier und Matador

The outrage did not last long and hundreds of users on social networks agreed to refuse to compare the torturers and killers with the real artists.
The president of the animal welfare party PACMA Laura Duarte was also irritated and criticized Podemos, the party that promised during the election campaign to subject the bullfighting to a popular referendum.

Podemos are now revoking their campaign promises and denied having ever proposed a referendum.
However, the video in which they promised the referendum will continue to be published on Twitter.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the bullfighting sector has requested preferential treatment. Especially with the mention of cultural heritage, firmly anchored in the Spanish tradition.

stier und böser matador pg

PACMA has given a voice to the society in Spain, which is calling for a ban on bullfighting, and encouraged the Minister of Culture to immediately listen to the outcry from the citizens. However, the government has decided to betray the absolute majority of society and to continue torturing the animals.

Only PACMA fights for the defense of all animals.
PACMA is the only party that dares to call for a ban on bullfighting.

Quote PACMA: “And we continue to fight until it is abolished!”

(https://pacma.es/

… and we help and support PACMA sign and share our petition.

We have already collected 60,000 signatures. With catalogs full of documents, we want to prompt the Spanish managers to rethink them at short notice.

https://www.change.org/p/die-grausame-tradition-der-stierk%C3%A4mpfe-in-spanien-und-mallorca-m%C3%BCssen-beendet-werden-es-gibt-keine-rechtfertigungen-f%C3%BCr-die-grausamen-schauspiele/u/26845161?cs_tk=Anotbf774kpEIVpY3l4AAXicyyvNyQEABF8BvL-wBviTZn3gZeEwMfcOr5E%3D&utm_campaign=bf74a1de86eb44aa8fb641b1ac71e311&utm_content=initial_v0_4_0&utm_medium=email&utm_source=petition_update&utm_term=cs

 

And I mean...It is a corrupt political decision, a betrayal of the animals.
It only shows the decay of the left.

The Podemos’ promise for the abolition of bullfighting proves to be a propaganda staging before the November 2019 elections in order to capture new voices.

“We don’t have to worry about the anti-capitalist alternatives because capitalism has no alternatives, no enemies other than itself,” the left said in the 1980s.

In the case of Spain, we are actually not worried about capitalism, but about the Podemos.
They are our enemies now.
Traitor and loyal to the powerful! those were formerly our enemies and now these are the Podemos.!

And not only the Podemos, but that is also the left today. At least in Europe.

My best regards to all, Venus

England (London): SPANA – Providing Free Veterinary Care To Working Animals Around The World.

England

 

 

 

SPANA is a wonderful animal organisation as you can see from the links below. I am pleased to be a SPANA supporter knowing that my monthly donation goes towards assisting animals in so much need around the world.

Take a trip here and see how working animals are being supported without cost to the owners; all from donations and funds provided by supporters.

Regards Mark.

 

 

SPANA; or the Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad; is based in London, England. It also has an office n Australia:

https://spana.org/contact-us/

 

https://spana.org/about-us/   – Established in 1923, SPANA’s goal is simple: to improve the welfare of working animals in the world’s poorest communities. Through three key areas – treating, training and teaching – we’re inspiring others to act in the best interests of working animals while also providing practical, professional and sustainable solutions today. We recognise that the fortunes of working animals and people go hand in hand: in the developing world, just one working animal can support an extended family of up to 30 people. SPANA’s work improves the lives of working animals while supporting the communities that depend on them. We rely entirely on our loyal supporters to help us in our huge but vital task.

 

Our History

In 1923, Kate Hosali and her daughter Nina set off for North Africa as tourists; it was a journey that would last a lifetime. As they travelled through the countryside, passing bustling souks, remote communities and rural farms, they were inspired by much of what they saw. But they were also struck by the awful sight of donkeys, mules and camels – malnourished, weak, buckling under the weight of huge loads; suffering with wounds inflicted by poorly fitting harnesses.

 

Nations in which they currently work include:

 

Tanzania – https://spana.org/about-us/our-work/tanzania/

Somaliland – https://spana.org/about-us/our-work/somaliland/

South Africa – https://spana.org/about-us/our-work/south-africa/

Sierra Leone – https://spana.org/about-us/our-work/sierra-leone/

Peru – https://spana.org/about-us/our-work/peru/

Namibia – https://spana.org/about-us/our-work/namibia/

Mongolia – https://spana.org/about-us/our-work/mongolia/

Liberia – https://spana.org/about-us/our-work/liberia/

Kenya – https://spana.org/about-us/our-work/kenya/

India – https://spana.org/about-us/our-work/india/

Ghana – https://spana.org/about-us/our-work/ghana/

Cameroon – https://spana.org/about-us/our-work/cameroon/

Jordan – https://spana.org/about-us/our-work/jordan/

Morocco – https://spana.org/about-us/our-work/morocco/

Myanmar – https://spana.org/about-us/our-work/myanmar/

Botswana – https://spana.org/about-us/our-work/botswana/

Zimbabwe – https://spana.org/about-us/our-work/zimbabwe/

Mali – https://spana.org/about-us/our-work/mali/

Tunisia – https://spana.org/about-us/our-work/tunisia/

Mauritania – https://spana.org/about-us/our-work/mauritania/

Etheopia – https://spana.org/about-us/our-work/ethiopia/

 

 

Click on the following link to see all the areas of the world where SPANA is helping to make the lives of working animals so much better:

https://spana.org/about-us/our-work/

 

Via this link you can make donations and also sign up to the SPANA Newsletter.

 

New Zealand: Pigs have had their day in court because of you. Now We Wait for Courts Decision.

NZ

 

Kia ora Mark

 

Thank you for helping us make history.

We wake today knowing we put everything in to the court case challenging the use of farrowing crates. The past two days have been a rollercoaster for the legal team and for those who joined us for this historic moment, either in the High Court or online. 

The Judge has gone to consider the arguments from both sides and will come back to us with a ruling. We are now anxiously waiting for any updates, and you will all know as soon as we do. We will also post updates here on our website.

 

Thank you for your support for mother pigs leading up to this case.

Thank you for the petition signatures, for the meetings with your MP, for the emails to government.

Thank you for joining as we stood on the steps of Parliament and handed over the largest petition in five years, for watching us as we presented to the Select Committee. 

Thank you for your generosity and kindness as we worked with the New Zealand Animal Law Association to see this through in the High Court, and as we spoke in front of a Judge for those that do not have a voice. 

Thank you for your kind words, your time, and your donations. Pigs have had their day in court because of you. 

We will be in touch as soon as we hear from the Courts.

Until then, as always – for the pigs,

Debra Ashton
Chief Executive Officer

 

P.S. Keep your eyes on our website and on Facebook for updates on the outcome of this case, and where to next.

 

Colombia: Spain: 5,000 cattle found in awful conditions in a vessel bound for Egypt.

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Spain: 5,000 cattle found in awful conditions in a vessel bound for Egypt

5 June 2020

 

FM SPIRIDON, Livestock Carrier - Details and current position ...

 

5,000 cattle were found in appalling conditions on the F. M. Spiridon docked in Spain at the end of last month, despite its authorising country, Colombia, having signed up to the World Animal Health Organisation (OIE)’s Terrestrial Code. Given the frequency of serious welfare issues in live export by sea, Eurogroup for Animals calls on the Commission to use the opportunity of the revision of the Transport Regulation to ban this trade for good.

According to Spanish media, the F. M. Spiridon, which is blacklisted under the Paris Memorandum, was inspected by Spanish authorities because of suspected narcotic substances after arriving in Las Palmas in Gran Canaria, Spain on 27th May. However, the  authorities were unable to carry out their inspection due to the deplorable conditions of the animals on board. 5,000 cattle were being transported in overcrowded conditions, standing  on a thick layer of excrement and showing clinical signs of starvation.

Evidently several cattle had died during the journey from Colombia (South America) towards Egypt, as bodies were piled in another part of the vessel. Due to the ammonia and the smell of the animals’ bodies decomposing, the Spanish authorities wore breathing equipment before entering.

 

F.M.Spiridon (ship, 1973) | F.M.Spiridon (ship, 1973) in the… | Flickr

 

The F. M. Spiridon was approved by French authorities in September 2015 and inspected by the Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF) in March 2016 at the port of Rasa in Croatia. Even then the investigation revealed, among other things, a risk of injury due to the design and construction of the pens, insufficient deck height for adequate ventilation, inadequate handling of the animals and overcrowding.

Since the beginning of 2020, the F. M. Spiridon has been exporting animals from Spain and Croatia to non-EU countries. Confronted with this latest evidence, AWF immediately contacted the EU National Contact Points asking for in-depth inspections every time this vessel enters a EU port. In addition, to prevent animal suffering, it urged the French government to immediately withdraw the vessel’s certificate of approval.

Despite Colombia, the departure country, and France both being members of the World Animal Health Organisation (OIE), the conditions on the F. M. Spiridon are out of line with the requirements laid down in the OIE terrestrial code for sea transport (Chapter 7.2).

Although Eurogroup for Animals ultimately wants to put an end to this horrendous trade, in the meantime it is calling on the EU Commission to urgently develop harmonised and binding standards for the authorisation of livestock vessels, as well as to centralise the issuing of certificates of approval.

 

https://www.eurogroupforanimals.org/news/spain-5000-cattle-found-awful-conditions-vessel-bound-egypt 

USA: Trump’s Unjust Executive Order–We’re Fighting Back.

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CBD Logo

 

https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/ 

 

Hi Mark,

Just minutes ago we launched a lawsuit against President Trump for illegally ordering federal agencies to waive laws like the Endangered Species Act in order to ram through oil pipelines, mines and other pet projects.

For Trump it’s an “emergency” to make sure polluters get what they want. For wildlife and people — all of us depending on clean air and water and a safe place to live — it’s an invitation to disaster, a recipe for more death and extinction.

We’re not going to stand for it. Please support our effort with a gift to the Saving Life on Earth Fund.

Trump’s executive order last week was the latest escalation in his drive to wipe out wildlife, including some of the rarest, to clear the way for corporate profits and reward his rich, powerful friends.

One of his earliest acts as president was to open up Alaska’s wildlife refuges for wolf pups to be gassed in their dens.

Then last summer he took an axe to the Endangered Species Act.

Now he’s directing agencies to ignore the most fundamental environmental laws protecting wildlife from extinction.

We see this for what it is. Our action today is directed at Trump for violating the Endangered Species Act by ordering the government to fast track bulldozing, clearcutting, mining and drilling projects anywhere and everywhere.

The Trump administration is doubling down on authoritarianism designed to dominate nature at all costs.

It comes from the same dangerous place that also allows kids to be put in cages, white supremacy to flourish, women to be abused, climate agreements to be ripped up, science to be ignored and citizens to be tear-gassed while protesting peacefully on city streets.

The status quo is not just toxic, but dangerous, hateful, cruel and fatal.

It won’t stand, and we’re fighting it with all we’ve got.

Please consider a gift to the Saving Life on Earth Fund to help.

For the wild,

Kierán Suckling
Executive Director
Center for Biological Diversity