Category: Stray Animals

Environmental, General News, Stray Animals

Australia: Australians believe kangaroos should be protected from commercial killing as EU remains one of the biggest importers.

24 October 2023

Press Release

A new poll has found out that Australians want to protect kangaroos against commercial killing as non-profit organisations urge the EU, one of the biggest importers of kangaroo products, to ban imports.

98% of Australians think it’s important to protect kangaroos as part of a strategy to safeguard Australian ecosystems, while 64% believe that Australians should take a stance against commercial killing of kangaroos, a poll has found. More than 75% think it’s both unacceptable and inhumane how an estimated 400,000 of joeys are killed annually as part of this commercial killing.

Every year, approximately two million kangaroos fall victim to commercial slaughter for their skins and meat, with Europe wielding immense influence over what has become the largest commercial terrestrial wildlife slaughter on the planet. Kangaroo leather is used to produce football shoes, motorbike suits and other luxury fashion products while kangaroo meat is sold in European supermarkets, served in restaurants and used in pet food. 

Big businesses are however moving away from using kangaroo products, including Nike and Puma, who both announced that they will move on to synthetic materials instead.

67.3% of Australians agree that other nations should refrain from driving the commercial slaughter of Australian wildlife if it entails cruelty or ecological threats, akin to the EU’s ban on seal products. In addition, 64.2% believe that the trading of kangaroo body parts should stop. 

The EU has a key role to play to stop the massacre of millions of kangaroos, including dependent joeys. Just like the EU banned the import of seal products in 2009 because of cruel hunting methods, it is now time to act to end the suffering of these national Australian icons. This survey is a clear reminder that EU policy has an impact on animals and people beyond its borders and can champion a compassionate and sustainable movement.

Reineke Hameleers, CEO, Eurogroup for Animals

The Eurobarometer results that were published last week are unequivocal: Europeans want the EU to protect animals and their welfare. On behalf of all Europeans, we ask for ambitious animal welfare legislation now. This also means the end of kangaroo products imports. This cruel hunt does not align with the values of Europeans, nor Australians, and it is time for the EU to act.

Manuela Ripa, MEP (Greens/Efa)

This wildlife trade is poorly regulated, jeopardising kangaroo populations, and the brutal fate of countless healthy joeys is nothing short of barbaric. The Australian government is failing to protect our kangaroos from the legalised commercial wildlife trade, but this new national survey demonstrates that Australians genuinely care.

Mick McIntyre, Founder, Kangaroos Alive

The EU and Australia are nearing the end of negotiations for a free trade agreement, with both sides expecting talks to conclude soon. It is therefore critical that the partners take the opportunity of these final stages to achieve ambitious provisions on animal welfare in the agreement and put an end to cruel trade.

Nine out of 10 Australians said kangaroos should remain part of the Australian landscape and believe that co-existence is key, compared to a mere 9.7% that considers kangaroos to be a pest, mostly due to road hazards.

The survey was commissioned by Kangaroos Alive, a non-profit organisation committed to  campaigning nationally and globally for a moratorium on the killing of kangaroos. The organisation has been part of an ongoing campaign in Europe lobbying to stop kangaroo imports into the EU. 

Regards Mark

Environmental, Farm Animals, General News, Live Transport, Stray Animals

EU: The rules of the game: will the views of EU citizens make the Commission finally deliver the new animal welfare legislation?

23 October 2023

WAV Comment – In addition to making things a lot better, lets have EU wide legislation that gives stray (homeless) dogs and cats much more rights – they are homeless; not wild !

  • I could show you dozens more photos I have on file re EU strays, but I dont want photos, I want legislation.
  • Pack EU Commissioners in a livestock transporter for 2 days, urinating over each other – then see how quickly EU animal transport rules will change !

Opinion

Written by Reineke Hameleers

The past few weeks have been among the hardest in my position as the CEO of Eurogroup for Animals but also, in some respects, the most surreal. In the ten years I have proudly spent leading this organisation, I experienced many political hurdles. Together with my team and our member organisations, we went through long years of lobbying and campaigning that were met with political inaction on the part of the European Commission.

After hitting the rubber wall so many times, we were thrilled by the prospect of new and updated animal welfare legislation, which the European Commission promised to deliver in line with the aims of the EU Green Deal and in the wake of our incredibly successful citizens’ mobilisations. It was refreshing for us to finally collect all the science, prepare our concrete asks, and talk about change for billions of kept animals. 

This week it became clear that, at least for this political term, the European Commission does not intend to deliver all of the promised and much-needed reforms of animal welfare legislation. There are reasons why this is happening and I won’t analyse them in detail here. All I can say is that none of them holds water in a healthy democracy because this backtracking represents a betrayal of the trust millions of European citizens had put in the European Commission to take action for farmed animals. 

Today, the disconnect between civil society and European politics has become even more evident. For one, the plenary debate at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on the European Citizens’ Initiative “Fur Free Europe” demonstrated that there is incredible cross-party parliamentary support for a ban on fur farming. Secondly, the results of the latest special Eurobarometer on animal welfare, only just published, show once again and without a shadow of a doubt that European citizens deeply care for farmed (and domestic) animals and want their policymakers to act.  We know, however, that the pressure from the industrial agriculture lobby is immense and that the stakes are high due to the impending European elections in 2024. 

We had anticipated that any attempt at passing legislation to reform animal farming would encounter fierce opposition from our opponents. I do not think we were wearing rosy glasses. After engaging for years with all stakeholders in countless meetings and occasions, and with all the scientific and field evidence on our side, we thought there were solid bases on which to build a revised farmed animal welfare legislation. 

But then the pandemic hit, then war, causing international instability and an ongoing economic crisis. The promises of a greener, more sustainable food and farming system and good lives for animals became controversial in light of the events. As elections approach, one must be “realistic”. What was promised to millions does not count anymore when there’s a re-election on the line. These are the rules of the game. 

Now that European citizens have spoken again, loud and clear, directly and through their elected representatives, what will the European Commission do? I believe the European Commission still can (and should) do the decent thing and put forward all the planned legislative proposals on animal welfare. When it does, we will be there to ensure that the new laws really make a difference in the lives of billions of non-human animals. 

Regards Mark

Younger days planning something ! – probably involving live animal exports.

Environmental, General News, Stray Animals, Uncategorized

“As Long As Men Massacre Animals, They Will Kill Each Other” – World Migratory Bird Day, Today 14/10.

Thanks Stacey

world migratory bird day | Our Compass (our-compass.org)

Yes, it is now a very troubled World.  Mark.

World migratory bird day

OCTOBER 14, 2023

by karenlyonskalmenson

❤️World migratory bird day 2023❤️

The 13th of May

The 14th of October

Today

For birds to fly

Far

Above the troubled world below

To navigate above us

In ways only they know

Regards Mark /Stacey.

Pythagoras

Pythagoras of Samos (Πυθαγόρας; c. 570 BC – c. 496 BC) was an Ionian Greek philosopher often revered as a great mathematician, mystic, scientist, and putative founder of the traditions referred to as Pythagoreanism.

Environmental, Farm Animals, Fur and Fur Farming, General News, Stray Animals, Uncategorized

Man Knows Best – I Think Not !!

Latest EFSA report on avian influenza cause for concern

5 October 2023

Infections now regularly occur not only in wild and domestic birds but in an increasing number of mammalian species, with occasional human cases.

According to the latest report published by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), between the end of June and 1 September 2023, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks continue to be reported worldwide. 

These are worrying results, especially regarding infections in mammals: numerous cases occurred in raccoon dogs, foxes, and American mink kept for fur, as well as in wild otters and seals. Occasional infections in domestic cats and dogs have also been recorded. Some strains now have developed mutations that improve the virus’ ability to infect human cells, increase its resistance to certain antivirals, and augment its virulence. Research is ongoing into the effects of such mutations, but these new subtypes could have a higher zoonotic potential (not yet demonstrated). 

What is clear is that some of the circulating HPAI variants have the ability to jump from one species to another. For instance, it is believed that A(H5N1) which carries markers for adaptation to mammalian cells jumped from chickens to cats in one outbreak in Poland. On Finnish fur farms, the virus jumped from wild birds to kept mammals and further mutated once inside the farms. For this reason, the EFSA recommends increasing biosecurity in fur farms and promptly culling all animals in case of a HPAI outbreak. As long as fur farming remains lawful in the EU, we can thus expect more mass culling events like those witnessed in recent years and even very recently due to COVID infections in animals. 

For now, human infections are infrequent and are therefore considered sporadic, usually as a consequence of direct human contact with infected poultry. However, the situation is evolving and the EFSA recommends consistent and continued monitoring of outbreaks in wild and domestic animals.

Recommendations from the report include:

Increased surveillance of the circulation of the virus both in wild birds and in free-living domestic carnivores;

Increased biosecurity in fur farms with prompt culling of all animals in case of a confirmed outbreak of HPAI, because of the increased risk of mammalian adaptation of the virus;

Timely and accurate reporting of cases in mammalian species for epidemiological purposes;

Both people and domestic carnivores should avoid contact with infected carcasses;

Hospitalised human patients with severe respiratory symptoms should be assessed for exposure risk to HPAI.

Of particular concern is the finding that “about 47% of the characterised viruses contain at least one of the adaptive markers associated with increased virulence and replication in mammals […]. These mutations with potential public health implications have likely emerged upon transmission to mammals.” 

Additionally, in April 2023 a HPAI virus identified in farmed dogs in China had a key mutation that would allow it to jump directly from birds to humans. 

As this report was published, South Africa was (and still is) dealing with the devastating economic consequences of its latest HPAI outbreak, which has resulted in the culling of several million broiler chickens and laying hens. A vaccination program will probably begin in the coming weeks.

Regards Mark

General News, Stray Animals

India: Fantastic News For Stray Animals. Animal Aid Unlimiteds New Hospital and Shelter will be one of the Biggest and Best Multi-Species Hospitals for Unowned Animals in Asia.

Check out all of our past AAU links by clicking here to read news and watch rescue videos – Mark

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/?s=animal+aid+unlimited

Dear Mark,   

We’re thrilled to share the latest developments of the land for our new hospital. Two years ago we purchased 14 acres of land just outside Udaipur where we will build Animal Aid’s forever home. We now have zoning permission (an arduous process required before construction) and electricity has been brought to the land. This month, we were thrilled to engage an Animal Shelter Facility expert who will work with us throughout the design and planning phase over the course of the next several years. With the experience of managing the facilities and construction at one of Asia’s best animal shelters, Soi Dog in Thailand, for 10 years, we are incredibly lucky to have an expert of the highest caliber joining us in this landmark phase of Animal Aid’s history.

Thanks to your outstanding support over Animal Aid’s life-time, the future Animal Aid hospital and shelter will be one of the biggest and best multi-species hospitals for unowned animals in Asia. We will be greatly expanding our hospital services to include diagnostics like X-ray and in-house laboratory; we’ll provide various types of housing to specifically accommodate animals based on their species, condition and length of stay; we’ll have large pastures, walking trails and off-leash areas; and great facilities for our staff such as an on-site cafeteria, and so much more! 

We look forward to sharing our milestones each step of the way. Thank you for making the future bright for animals. We couldn’t do it without you!

After chemo, Dev’s tumor shrank and his beautiful face returned

At first, Dev looked like he’d suffered a badly broken nose. Pus drained and his entire face was deformed from the swelling. We found him in a state of abject confusion and pain, pawing at his face. After catching him by net since he was very frightened and likely to flee as soon as we approached, we saw that it was a tumor open in several places and severely infected.

The tumor was so big that one of his eyes was completely closed shut. We determined after testing that the tumor was a less common presentation of a cancer called a transmissible venereal tumor (TVT). TVT usually manifests in the reproductive organs but occasionally migrates to the face. TVT can be treated with chemotherapy, administered over the course of many weeks, and sometimes even months, depending on the dog’s condition.

With a tumor as big and infected as his, we could only hope that the chemo would take effect quickly. Thankfully he responded well, and the tumor began to shrink in size.

After enduring so much pain, Dev not only healed but his face returned to his base-line “handsome!” And best yet, he got back the sparkle in his eyes.

Make a donation today for street animal rescue.

It looked like half of Jeeyo’s face was gone. But look at him now!

Our rescue staff who caught Jeeyo had to keep a cool head. To lose him now would be his death for sure. It was simply astounding that he was still alive. And strong enough to stand! Strong enough to try to get away. Maggots had filled a facial wound and consumed an unbelievable amount of tissue. 

We did not know at all whether we had reached him in time to save his life. Indeed, when you see him thrive in the happy part of this video, you’re going to be amazed. We don’t like to use the word “miracle” when so much human effort has gone into the treatments, but even with all this effort, his complete recovery feels nothing short of miraculous. Meet Jeeyo today!

The magic word is “Try.” Make a donation today.

Thank you Bernie, for 4 years of non-stop loving help

When Bernie (UK) arrived at the gates in late 2019, she she was expecting to volunteer here for about a month. She’d closed her boutique shoe shop in London, rented out her house, and started a life of new adventure helping animals along the way.

And then came Covid. Travel became hugely problematic and Bernie decided to wait it out. Well, what the animals got in the deal turned into almost 4 years of non-stop loving help. Each day Bernie conducted nose to tail checkups for more than 100 dogs (including many disable) who live here permanently; she did daily care including cleaning eyes and ears; she became a massage artist, a dog whisperer, and regularly drenched herself in all kinds of weather to make sure dogs needing hydrotherapy received it. 

A few weeks ago Bernie left for Sri Lanka to continue her adventures, scouting out new animal help centers where she can once again throw herself into assisting in whatever way she’s needed. 

Saying goodbye was hard. Bernie has left a gap that only she can fill, and we look forward to whatever times ahead will bring her back to the family of Animal Aid, to which we feel she will forever belong.

New mailing address for donations by check! (cheque)

For those of you who donate by check, please save the address of our new PO box:

Animal Aid Unlimited

PO Box 94001

Seattle WA 98124-9401

Help an animal glow like you!

100% of the proceeds go to our street animal rescues

Go shopping here:  Animal Aid Unlimited Shop

We thank you deeply for all you do, are, and inspire for animals.

Founding family Erika, Claire and Jim,

and the Animal Aid Unlimited team.

Regards Mark

Environmental, Farm Animals, General News, Live Transport, Stray Animals

India: Major Animal Rights Rally In Commemoration of Mahatma Gandhi’s Birth Anniversary .

Rally on animal rights at Jantar Mantar on Sunday | Pune News – Times of India (indiatimes.com)

Read more at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/104069266.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

PUNE: In commemoration of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary ..

Regards Mark

Farm Animals, General News, Live Transport, Stray Animals

South Korea: Disturbing As Always – Videos and Action Links.

Above – click on ‘Watch on YouTube’

Link to all of our past South Korean dog meat links / actions : https://worldanimalsvoice.com/?s=south+korea

Merck Life Science: 

Tell your Partner, South Korea, you oppose the torture and consumption of dogs and cats.

The Korea Herald reported on 5/3/2023, “Merck, a leading science and technology company based in Germany, said Wednesday it plans to build a bioprocessing unit in Daejeon, South Korea. Under a three-way memorandum of understanding signed by the firm with Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the government of Daejeon, they will discuss detailed plans for building the international pharmaceutical company’s new bioprocessing unit that can produce raw materials for drugs.”

In South Korea, there are numerous dog farms, slaughterhouses, markets, and restaurants where the dogs, who have been tortured their entire lives, end up being slaughtered in the most inhumane ways, such as by electrocution, hanging, or beating, and then thrown into boiling water – sometimes while they are still alive. In many places, dogs are being killed in full view of other terrified, caged dogs, and this takes place in broad daylight. 

Therefore, we are asking that Merck Life Science reconsider any affiliation with South Korea and that they cancel plans to build a bioprocessing unit in Daejeon.

👉 Click HERE to take action.

👉 Click HERE to sign and share the petition.

Photo: The Korea Observer. Documentary: The Dog Meat Professionals: South Korea.https://koreandogs.org/dmp/

Actions: https://koreandogs.org/vestas/?utm_source=brevo&utm_campaign=Merck-Chuncheon%20dog%20slaughterhouse%20CARE%20arrest_copy&utm_medium=email

Petition · Merck Life Science: Tell your Partner South Korea, you oppose the torture/killing of dogs! · Change.org

Chuncheon arrested CARE activists working to shut down illegal dog slaughterhouses

While working to shut down multiple dog slaughterhouses in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth (CARE) activists have been unjustly arrested by the Chuncheon Police. We have sent emails to Chuncheon’s Friendship city, Vejle, Denmark, and Gangwon province’s Sister State, Colorado, asking for their help in releasing the activists immediately and shutting down the massive illegal dog meat industry in Gangwon province.

Read more:

Partnership Campaign – South Korea – Vestas Wind Systems – Stop the Dog and Cat Consumption in S. Korea! (koreandogs.org)

Donate to Care:

(사) 동물권단체 케어 – 언제나 동물들의 편으로 남겠습니다 (careanimalrights.or.kr)

📣 We still need a volunteer to translate our “Suggested Message” into Estonian for our campaign. Please contact me if you can help. 📧 KoreanDogs.org@gmail.com 

  📣 Click HERE to continue taking action and share our urgent campaign:  No World Expo 2030 in South Korea, the nation of horrific cruelty and mass murder of millions of dogs and cats!  

📣 Animal Rights Korea (ARK) Shelter needs your help today. Click HERE to learn more.   Thank you! 🐶🙏👍

Regards Mark

Environmental, General News, Stray Animals

EU: Wolves in the EU at risk of having protection downgraded.

Wolves in the EU at risk of having protection downgraded

6 September 2023

Protection for the species is under threat following movement from the European Commission towards a proposal that would downgrade wolves’ status of protection, which could give Member States more flexibility to authorise culling.

In light of “conflicts with local farming and hunting communities”, The European Commission issued a press release stating that they will collect data until 22 September 2023 on wolf populations and their impacts. This will inform their decision on proposing to downgrade the conservation status of the species.

Wolf populations in the EU remain fragile

EU efforts towards the recovery of wolves are paying off. Wolf range has increased over 25% in the last decade, and they are now present in all mainland Member States. Yet, this success remains fragile as 6 out of the 9 transboundary wolf populations in the EU did not yet reach a favourable conservation status. The downgrading of the protection status of wolves would jeopardise the efforts invested and further threaten the viability of populations. 

The current legal framework allows sufficient flexibility

The high protection status granted to wolves under the Habitats Directive already provides the possibility of derogations under article 16. In 2017, a fitness check of the Birds and Habitats Directives concluded that the Directives remain relevant and fit for purpose. In 2019 and 2020, Member States reported 772 derogations for the killing of large carnivores to prevent serious damage to livestock. In 2018, it was estimated that over 900 wolves were killed each year in the EU. 

The use of such derogations should be strictly regulated as they are only permitted when no alternative solutions could be identified, and should not jeopardise the conservation status of the species. The European Commission issued guidelines for Member States to comply with these requirements. In this context, the use of such derogations have been subject to multiple infringement procedures, including against Sweden that remains pending.

Coexistence is the solution

President von der Leyen’s claim that “wolf packs in some European regions have become a real danger for livestock and potentially also for humans” is false. We estimate the presence of 19,000 wolves in the EU, which is insignificant compared to the 86 million sheeps reared. Between 2012 and 2016, the annual number of sheep compensated because of wolf depredation corresponded to 0.05% of the over-wintering sheep stock. 

More than 80 projects funded through the European Commission LIFE programme since 1992 have demonstrated the efficiency of coexistence measures such as livestock guarding dogs and fencing. These measures have proven more effective than culling large carnivores to protect livestock. Farmers across the EU should be appropriately supported to install and maintain such protection systems. In addition, risks of attacks in the EU are minor and wolves usually move away when encountering humans.

Benefits from wolves

Besides potential damages to livestock that can be efficiently prevented, wolves provide important services to the environment and the economy. They are keystone species, bringing back biodiversity, preventing the spread of diseases and reinstating a natural balance in the ecosystem, as demonstrated in Yellowstone National Park. Such services can also provide important economic benefits. In light of the global biodiversity crisis, the EU must ensure the continued protection of these important species and promote coexistence in the interest of all. 

We trust the European Commission will uphold their commitment to preserve existing protection levels. We also call for increased transparency on the data received and considered to be publicly available.

Local communities, scientists and all interested parties are invited to submit data by 22 September 2023 on wolf population and their impacts to the following email address:  EC-WOLF-DATA-COLLECTION@ec.europa.eu

Regards Mark

General News, Hunting, Stray Animals, Uncategorized

Wales (UK): Victory – Snares Are Banned In Wales Despite Intensive Lobbying By The Hunters / Shooters.

For those of you who are non UK residents, the United Kingdon comprises of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.  Each has its own Parliament.

Great news – on June 27th, members of the Senedd in Wales voted through a total ban on snares as part of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill.

The next step is to make sure that this historic achievement is replicated by English, Scottish and Northern Ireland governments.

Snares are often used in areas to ‘protect’ the millions of purpose bred gamebirds (until the start of the shooting season) which are then shot and killed for fun by hunters each year – the sick ‘sport’ as they call it.  In the UK, lots of wildlife conservation organisations do not allow the use of snares on their land; which proves that despite the arguments put forward by the hunting fraternity, the use of snares is not necessary in modern conservation.

Snares are not selective as they often catch non targeted animals such as dogs, cats, and even our loved and protected badgers.

The ban on snares in Wales has been a difficult and long campaign; especially with pressure from pro-shooting lobbyists who wanted to allow the continued use of snares under a new name of ‘humane cable restraints’.  There is nothing humane about snares, they are simple killers, and yes, animals are restrained until their deaths which can be long and cause great suffering.

The Minister for Rural Affairs in Wales, Lesley Griffiths, stood firm and rejected the allowance of ‘humane cable restraints’ by the hunters; citing animal welfare concerns and the indiscriminate nature of snares, which can cause long term suffering to many species.

The victory in Wales is a wonderful result for the movement and one which will save countless animals from appalling suffering.  We thank the Welsh government (Senedd) for their decisive action to protect all animals from suffering.  The next step is to make sure that this historic achievement in Wales is replicated in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The Scottish government already has the issue under review, and there is an opportunity ton ban snares under the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill which is currently in its early stages.

England and NI; a parliamentary petition on nares obtained more than the 100,000 signatures required, resulting last year in a Westminster (London) debate in Parliament at the tart of this year.  Sadly, as we all know the regard current animal welfare s, the government is again dragging its feet in taking any action.  I wrote about this recently – https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2023/08/11/england-here-we-go-again-government-bullshit-promises-on-actions-already-making-their-way-through-parliament-which-would-have-given-animals-more-protection/

It is now vital that pressure on snares is kept on MP’s and the government; and that they know that action to ban nars throughout the UK is taken.  As a General Election is not far away now, there is never a better time to let the government know that in your opinion, THEY are failing animal in every sense.

Regard Mark