WAV Comment: We are really pleased to be able to give to Harmony Fund every month – and it is great to see the donations being put to such great use as shown in the video. We would encourage everyone to give to HF if possible, to make the world for animals a better place – and to fill their bellies !
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Those of you who have walked with us on this journey for the past 11 years know that Harmony Fund is a small charity doing BIG things. We throw our arms around underdog animal rescue squads all over the planet, creating circles of care to deliver food, shelter and veterinary care to thousands of animals each month. We recently brought food in for all the dogs, cats and horses at the beautiful Fundatia Sky rescue center in Romania…and it was breathtaking.
Two 18 wheeler trucks drove all the way from Germany to Romania, more than 1,000 miles, with 40 tons of kibble and canned food for hundreds of dogs and cats at Fundatia Sky shelter. This food will also be shared with many homeless animals in the community. Pet food is much less expensive in Germany and a higher quality and quanity of food can be bought here, making this the most efficient option.
But that’s not all. Another 40 tons of locally sourced hay was then brought in for the horses, and they started eating right off the lorries long before the men could unload the bales.
These animals suffer some of the worst cruelty inflicted by humans. Because they’re female.
To animal industries, the ability to have babies is a valuable commodity. As a result, mothers of many species suffer physical and psychological stress that few of us can imagine.
Furtada Island, off the coast of Brazil, is known as the “Island of the Cats, is 20 minutes by motorboat from the city of Mangaratiba, at one extreme of Brazil’s Green Coast, a vast swath of mountainous tropical forest and sandy coves dotted with hundreds of islands.
Hundreds of furry felines call the island home, but they’re not doing well. The island abounds with dangers, including poisonous pit vipers and lizards who attack and bite. On top of that, there are no natural sources of fresh water on the island, meaning that the animals there are often at risk of dehydration and kidney diseases.
Luckily, kind souls have spent years caring for these abandoned and feral animals. Fishermen throw fish scraps onto the island for the cats, while others dock on the land in order to set up bowls of packaged cat food and water.
But ever since the pandemic started raging through Brazil, confining humans to their mainland homes, things for the cats have gotten extremely dire.
All the locals knew the island just west of Rio de Janeiro was teeming with cats. They left food and even brought tourists.
Then the coronavirus pandemic hit, and human support dried up, resulting in a gruesome scene witnessed by fishermen: a group of cats devouring others’ corpses.
Now numbering around 250, the population started with just two cats around 20 years ago. Their humans used to live on the island but eventually left — and when they did, they also left their pets behind.
All on their own, the two animals spawned a whole generation of more cats, and in response, local people began using the island as a sort of ‘dump spot’ for any unwanted or stray felines.
For decades, former pet owners would boat up to the island, deposit their animals, and leave.
Brazilian lawmakers have passed legislation to increase the penalties for such animal cruelty, but the situation still continues. Even worse, the cat population also keeps growing through natural means — i.e. mating and producing little baby kittens.
But even though producing such offspring is natural, it’s still dangerous in an environment as treacherous as Furtado Island.
Volunteers are stepping up and trying to do everything they can to help these little furry creatures, searching for adoptive pet-families, but they can’t be expected to do everything on their own. They need help!
Urge the Brazilian government to help resolve this situation by spaying and neutering these wild, abandoned cats, and funding efforts to help the cats who already live on the island!
Authorities are looking into ways to stop people from abandoning animals on the island. It’s already a crime, but signs noting that have had little effect.
The volunteers transport cats ashore for therapy or surgery. They try to find someone to take down any animal, otherwise, they ship it back to the island again so they can take care of others who need medical help.
“It’s a Sisyphic endeavor”, said Joice Puchalski, the coordinator of the volunteer group.
“We actually want someone who can be part of the forces with us to try to cure this crime, which for us is cruelty,” she said.
Sign the petition to demand that the government fund efforts to feed and care for these animals, and set up catch-and-release spay and neuter programs!
And I mean…There is a Chinese proverb that says “solve the problem first, not the guilt question”.
Until the authorities find methods to get this misery under control, the animals are starving and dying.
Castrations are urgently needed, the number of animals must not increase.
And castration means catching animals, bringing animals to the doctor, being there.
Even adopting a cat would be helpful.
With almost 210 million inhabitants in Brasil, it should be feasible that a dozen people can help the activists, who are definitely at the limit of their strength.
With funding from Lady Freethinker (LFT), local partner and nonprofit ARAF-Plateau Dogon gifted 20 former dog meat traders life-changing farming equipment to start their new livelihoods growing crops. These are the first of 37 more dog meat dealers transitioning to a cruelty-free means of sustenance.
This transformation was officially marked and celebrated in a ceremony chaired by the Sébougou mayor. The celebration included local village chiefs and other officials, according to ARAF-Plateau Dogon.
The switch will save thousands of lives, as former dog meat sellers in Mali give up the trade and turn to plant farming for their livelihoods. The former traders are now speaking out against selling and eating dogs, too.
“Lady Freethinker applauds the courage and determination of these former dog meat traders for turning to a more compassionate livelihood,” said LFT President Nina Jackel.
LFT funding is going toward a quarter of a hectare of land for each farmer. It also helps provide supplies to grow the crops, which will include tubers, vegetables, and small fruit trees with short cycles.
Most dog meat sellers are eager to give up the trade and only take part to feed their families. By growing crops, they’ll have a sustainable means of income. The initiative benefits the entire community, where some people live on less than $1 per day and urgently need resources.
This is part of a larger effort between LFT and ARAF-Plateau Dogon to help raise awareness of animal cruelty in the Ségou region of Mali, where more than 300 dogs are killed each day for meat.
Dogs are rounded up from villages — either taken off the street or sold by guardians who no longer want them — forced to walk for days without food or water, bludgeoned with sticks, and roasted over a fire.
In addition to encouraging dog meat traders to give up the trade, activists are traveling to villages to raise awareness of the campaign and encourage humane treatment of dogs.
The dog meat trade has grown in recent years there, with Mali’s growing population and lack of adequate food sources (partly due to climate change-related effects), according to ARAF-Plateau Dogon.
Lady Freethinker is proud to be a part of this initiative and take this big step toward ending the dog meat trade in Mali.
Above – After the Rescues – Cutting the Chains for a new life of Freedom – see below.
From Mark; WAV;
This post is advanced information on an issue which we would like you to help with.
We are setting up a donation link with ARKA at the moment; and hope this will be ready in the next few days. An amended version of this post will be produced when the donation link is ready. In the meantime you can see what this involves;
Regards Mark and Venus (WAV founders).
Current Information:
We (WAV and SAV) are currently trying to help out some old friends back in Serbia who we have known (via SAV – https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/ ) for many years. They are dedicated ‘animal people’ as you can see and run the association named ‘ARKA’ which is based in Novi Sad in Serbia.
ARKA are currently taking care of 50 stray dogs, 25 stray cats and 3 brown bears, which were rescued dancing bears; and which ARKA have a problem in being able to provide adequate food for them. They are not starving and going without, but more support is needed.
The dogs and cats are rescued from the streets and the bears were confiscated from illegal owners who often used them for dancing bear performances. You can see the conditions in which they lived in a couple of the photographs below.
After official confiscation of the bears which was done in cooperation with the relevant authorities, and which took place in the year 1999, the court decided to hand over (at that time) 7 bears to our ARKA; to care for them as sanctuary. It was originally planned that bears should be with ARKA for only one or two years whilst another sanctuary was to be built in one of the national parks.
But then everything changed ! – the bombarding of Serbia and the Balkans wars arrived and the bears were never found their national park home.
Today, some 21 years later, 3 ex dancing bears named Marija, Uske and Bozana are still surviving and with ARKA (see the video above). For the last 10 years the relevant Serbian government Ministry has helped ARKA with about 20% of the total costs for their food. The bears have a good, healthy diet and are being fed with fruits, vegetables and meat; a much better diet than when they were dancing bears – see the photos of their situation then..
Now we need your help and support to aid ARKA in purchasing food for the dogs, cats and bears they have at their facility.
Above – Before Rescue
Below – After Rescue
Here is the link to the ARKA donations:
CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS – maybe a few days more.
You can make donation via this link.
As we have said, long before WAV was started; we had some links for (Pavel and Branka) at ARKA and the bears on our ‘Serbian Animals Voice’ (SAV) site. Here is one of the links from the past which show the bears many years ago:
Well this is the best news ever to start the weekend. As many of you will know, we have been very critical of the South Korean government for not taking action on this issue several years ago – it was one electoral issue that the government campaign was won on – read more:
Regardless, now people power is getting the changes; with or without the help of governments. They should take note; especially with the issue in the USA on 3/11/20.
We at WAV have also tried to play our part and support our wonderful friends at ‘Korean Animal Rights’ (KARA) https://m.facebook.com/karakoreaanimalrights/ – ‘Korean Dogs’ and the ‘Humane Society International’ (HIS) https://www.hsi.org/ in getting these hell holes closed down. It now looks as if, with your support and actions; a much changing (pro animal welfare) stance by younger Koreans, and the fate of the suffering dogs being given world attention; South Korea is now on the way to closing down all of its dog meat farms – and that is the word from a dog farmer himself (Mr Kim), who declares that “There is no future in dog meat at all, it’s already dying and will fall apart completely,”.
So; people sometimes ask us the big question if signing a petition or sending the odd e mail; to authorities does really make a difference. Here is your proof it does, that with constant tenacity by animal welfare organisations to continue the fight; un questionable evidence showing the cruelty involved; supported by realistic video footage; be in no doubt; your actions do make a huge difference, so keep it up.
The closure of Yuliin is the next big target on the dog meat issue.
Check out some of our campaign work on Yulin by clicking on the following:
Before we go; please spare a thought for all the dogs of the meat trade who are not with us any more. They were cold, they were fed the worst scraps ever; and their end was the most despicable ever. All for the want of some human beings. Now we move on and will turn corners to stop this obscene abuse.
Regards Mark
WAV.
From ‘The Independent’ (UK national newspaper) – London;
South Korea starts to close dog meat farms as attitudes change
‘There is no future in dog meat at all, it’s already dying and will fall apart completely,’ says former dog meat farmer
A charity has closed its 17th dog meat farm in South Korea as more people in the country support a ban on dog meat consumption.
Washington-based animal rights group, Humane Society International, announced it closed a farm that had nearly 200 dogs, which were bred and raised for slaughter in the dog meat trade.
The dogs, mainly Korean jinxes and mastiffs, were rescued and taken to the US to be adopted.
The farm was operated by a farmer named Kim Il-hwan, who had been in the industry for around 40 years. In exchange for closing the farm, he was given financial compensation and career assistance from HSI.
Mr Kim said the industry was shrinking and business had been difficult for the past decade.
“There is no future in dog meat at all, it’s already dying and will fall apart completely,” he said of the industry. “And dog farming is physically hard and I’m getting old, so I want to get out. 40 years ago it was different, but now it’s over for dog farming.”
An opinion poll commissioned by HSI suggests that Mr Kim is right – 84 per cent of those polled said they do not or will not eat dog and almost 60 per cent supported a legislative ban on the trade.
The poll, conducted by Neilsen, also found 57 per cent of South Koreans believe dog meat consumption reflects poorly on the country, an increase from 37 per cent in 2017.
Nara Kim, HSI’s dog meat campaigner in South Korea, said: “More people in South Korea are interested in animal welfare and the environment, and so when they see footage of our dog farm closures on the news showing the animals suffering and filthy conditions, or read about dog meat exposés by other Korean groups, they are really shocked and upset.
“The inevitable drop in sales is leading more dog farmers to help them start a new life. But we hope in time the Korean government will adopt this type of approach to phase out the dog meat industry for good.”
The dogs rescued from this farm will arrive in the US on Friday and will be housed in temporary shelters in Washington DC and Montreal, Canada.
According to Kitty Block, CEO of HSI, the dogs will then go to animal shelter partners in Maryland, Ohio and Pennsylvania after several weeks to be adopted out to the public.
“This is the 17th dog meat farm that HSI has helped close, part of a campaign to show dog meat farmers, the South Korean government and the South Korean people that there is a better path forward for us all, humans and animals, a path that celebrates the human-animal bond in the most special of ways,” she added.
Dog meat has long been a part of South Korean cuisine and around one million dogs are believed to be eaten every year. However, the popularity of the meat has declined and consuming dog meat has become taboo among the younger generation.
In 2018, a city court in Bucheon ruled the killing of dogs for meat is illegal. The ruling was hailed by activists who said it could pave the way for outlawing dog meat consumption entirely.
Islamabad High Court Holds that Animals Have Legal Rights
By Nicole Pallotta, Senior Policy Program Manager
Summary: The Islamabad High Court has held that animals have natural rights and are entitled to protection under the Pakistani constitution. The case before the court was threefold, involving an elephant held in solitary confinement at a zoo, a rescued bear who had been forced to “dance” and perform tricks, and the killing of stray dogs. Despite at times anthropocentric framing, the ruling unequivocally recognizes that animals have legal rights and is highly critical of humanity’s treatment of wild animals in particular.
“Do the animals have legal rights?
The answer to this question, without any hesitation, is in the affirmative…. Like humans, animals also have natural rights which ought to be recognized.
It is a right of each animal…to live in an environment that meets the latter’s behavioral, social and physiological needs.” – Justice Athar Minallah, Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court (p. 59)
In a groundbreaking decision, the Islamabad High Court in Pakistan1has recognized that animals have legal rights and are entitled to protection under the nation’s constitution. In a 67-page ruling — dealing mainly with the treatment of an elephant at a zoo — Justice Athar Minallah asked whether animals have legal rights and found, “the answer to this question, without any hesitation, is in the affirmative.”
The ruling contains striking language about the rights of animals. In addition to their physiological needs, Justice Minallah repeatedly references animals’ social and behavioral needs and their right to an environment in which these needs can be met. He is highly critical of zoos that keep wild animals (whom he refers to as “inmates”) in captive conditions that are nothing like their natural habitats, and thus prevent them from engaging in normal behaviors.2
Although the decision — which draws on religious doctrine and quotes extensively from the Quran3 — repeatedly refers to humans as “superior beings,”4 and at times frames animals’ rights in the context of human survival,5 it unequivocally recognizes that animals have natural and legal rights.
In addition, despite its at times anthropocentric framing, the ruling is highly critical of humanity’s treatment of wild animals — e.g., destroying their natural habitat and consigning them to zoos — and refers to humans as an “invasive species.”6
The case before the court combined three separate petitions. The first involved an elephant named Kaavan,7 who was being kept in deplorable conditions at the Marghazar Zoo, and whom petitioners sought to relocate to a sanctuary. The second petition involved a rescued black bear who had been abused and forced to perform tricks.8
The third petition, discussed in least detail, regarded “the killing of stray dogs allegedly in a cruel manner.“
An Opportunity to Rethink our Relationship with Animals
Pre election promises that, once elected, become non reality.
President Moon of South Korea was elected in 2017; one of his election promises was that he was going to tackle, and make ‘war’ with those involved in the live dog meat farming business. We all remember him smiling while holding the little dogs – here was the hero who would tackle the trade. See one of our past posts with pictures of him cuddling dogs at:
In our post; which related to Covid disease, we stated:
“President Moon; you have failed your nation and you should have lived up to your pre election promises to take action for meat dogs. Kind of ‘Karma’ from the dogs one could say” !
We know that Covid came from wet markets and from deplorable conditions for animals who had to suffer in them. Korean dog meat farms are NO different – animals constantly under stress; no hygiene, no veterinary care – the perfect breeding ground for disease and Covid 19.
President Moon failed to tackle the dog meat industry early on when he was elected. Illegal dog farms continue to be exposed to this very day. Covid is still a major issue to this day. Would you not have thought that unsanitary conditions such as those at illegal dog meat farms would have been tackled early on in 2018; rather than the constant ignorance we have witnessed from the Korean government ?
As we said in our post, the suffering that Korean citizens have endured due to Covid is a kind of ‘Karma’ from the dogs on the illegal farms; the government failed them since the 1027 elections, fails them now and probably will continue to fail them.
TAKE ACTION
Korean dog campaigners have this to say:
We were very hopeful when South Korean president Moon Jae-In, took office in 2017. President Moon Jae-In has a pet dog, and we hoped that he might finally bring the dog and cat meat trade to an end in South Korea. However, President Moon has done absolutely nothing to improve the lives of companion animals.
The dog and cat meat trade continues while President Moon’s administration supports the shameful and illegal industry by turning a blind eye and taking no action to end it. Let’s urge President Moon to end the unethical and cruel dog and cat meat trade in his country once and for all, and to bring honour to his country and their citizens. Please take action today!
Please do what you can to spread the word for action to stop the dog meat trade.
Thanks and regards
WAV.
Visit the Koreandogs.org website at https://koreandogs.org/ for a huge range of actions that you can get involved with. Select your language from the list at the top.
World Animals Voice 