Category: Uncategorized

Farm Animals, General News, Stray Animals, Uncategorized

India: August 2022 News and Rescue Videos From The Crew At ‘Animal Aid Unlimited’.

Dear Mark 

Rajasthan has received more rain this year than in the last 70 years! This meant the need for even more shelter around the hospital and sanctuary. We put up new roofing, did repairs, elevated and leveled earth and removed unstable trees.

As the saying goes, “when it rains it pours.” And indeed, not only is it the dreaded maggot season that comes every year during monsoon, but Rajasthan has been hit with an outbreak of a viral disease amongst cattle called Lumpy Skin Disease. Many of our hospital and sanctuary cows have already been affected and are under treatment. Sadly, we haven’t been able to save them all but most are recovering with supportive care. We are currently vaccinating and doing our best to treat those affected.

Just two tiny holes were left for air to enter. A traumatic face wound had injured her nose so badly that the entire tip was missing. In a state of shock, however, she surrendered any resistance she might have had to being caught and brought to the hospital. She simply seemed to give us permission to try to save her life.

But saving her was not going to be easy. She was in a great deal of pain and refused to eat for several days which made us worry if the injuries were deeper and affecting her ability to eat.

On day 4, something changed! And the rest of her sweet story is–ahead of her! Meet Lovebug now!

Every. Single. Soul. Precious. Please donate today

Children gathered around the struggling puppy, whose little hind legs flopped behind him after he was hit by a car. It was heartbreaking to see. Our rescue team scooped him up and found, to our relief, that he seemed to have no spinal injury, no open wounds, and no fractures. But still, he couldn’t bear weight on his hind legs.

We treated him for spinal injury, though he was completely unwilling to obey the “rules” of bed-rest and kept on playing. Within a few weeks, his balance was starting to catch up with his determination to have fun. His legs aren’t perfect, but they take him wherever he needs to go. And Neemo wants to go everywhere! 

Kindness is powerful: Please donate today

This beautiful boy had a massive wound on his chest. He had a family who stroked and loved him and seemed to somehow let him know he needed to go with our rescue team without any resistance. But he was terrified of the wound cleaning process, and it broke our hearts to see the fear leaping from his eyes.

Suturing the wound closed was not an option because of the place and size of the wound, so it would need to heal by daily bandaging. When the first treatment was finished his entire face changed to reveal trust and comfort as he began the beautiful process of bonding with his new hospital caregivers.

How wonderful it was to be able to return Kalu to his neighborhood and the people he simply loves!

Love means diligence, because serious wounds need weeks of treatment.

Please donate today

Piyush, at just 21-years-old, is already an experienced animal rescuer in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, who has formed a small team of volunteers to respond to emergencies in his locality. He came to volunteer at Animal Aid for a month to observe how a busy animal shelter works.

His bright and eager mind combined with a tremendous compassion gave us all a big dose of optimism. He and his team are helping as many animals in Jamshedpur as they can, focusing on street treatments, preventing small problems from becoming large ones, and they have managed to temporarily house recovering dogs who need immobilization into foster care.

We wish to Piyush and his team an amazing future!

We are delighted that our beloved Mangibai is back with us and all the animals who dearly missed her.

In mid-July, Mangibai and her husband were bitten by the most poisonous snake in India–a krait–in the middle of the night, and remained in critical condition for many days. We all were beyond worried, and the ICU ward she was recovering in was flooded with Animal Aid staff in and out at every time of the day. Miraculously, they both made it through the first critical days, and they were able to return home a week later. They would still need weeks of rest to completely regain their strength. 

A staff member for over 10 years, Mangibai is one of our most experienced care-givers, and a beautiful person. We celebrated her return with garlands, hugs and tears of joy – so incredibly lucky and grateful to have her back with us.

We’re excited to announce our partnership with FreeWill, an online tool that helps you write a will in about 20 minutes. This service is completely free to use and allows you to support animals in need by including Animal Aid Unlimited in your estate plan. Your planned gift costs nothing today and secures the future of our compassionate service to all animals we know you care for deeply. 

Join the 580,000+ people who have secured their futures with FreeWill this August!

Non-U.S. residents: FreeWill’s self-help estate planning solutions are valid for the disposition of property located in the fifty states and DC. Will-makers residing outside of the United States should consult with a local lawyer before using FreeWill’s tools.

Go shopping here:

Animal Aid Unlimited Shop

Regards Mark

General News, Uncategorized

Should Vets be Vegan? Verterinary Nurse Argues It Is Contradictory to Treat and Save the Lives of Some Animals; and Then Go Off To Eat Others.

‘Do we have a moral obligation to be vegan?’ asks veterinary nurse Leanne Dalton in the flagship journal of the British Veterinary Association© Provided by Daily Mail

Should vets be vegan? Nurse argues it is contradictory to treat and save the lives of some animals; and then go off to eat others.

Britain’s top veterinary organisation has published an article suggesting that vets should go vegan.

Saving the lives of pets, then eating other animals, could be seen as ‘contradictory’, according to the article in the flagship journal of the British Veterinary Association (BVA).

The article, written by veterinary nurse Leanne Dalton, is given the headline: ‘Do we have a moral obligation to be vegan?’

The text states: ‘We are expected to treat all our patients equally, but equality should extend to animals beyond those in our care. Is it not contradictory to perform life-saving surgery on one animal and then eat a chicken sandwich straight after?’

It comes as fashionable veganism sweeps across public bodies, from Oxfordshire County Council banning meat at County Hall events to universities banning beef.

There is even a movement encouraging people to feed their dogs and cats vegan food.

The BVA does not have an official stance on whether vets should eat meat. But Mrs Dalton, who works at Vets4Pets in Loughborough, Leicestershire, writes: ‘Studies in farm animals, decapods and cephalopods have shown that they are able to demonstrate a wide range of cognitive abilities equal to, and in some cases superior than, the small animals that many of us see in practice.’

Decapods include crabs and lobsters, and cephalopods include the octopus and squid.

Mrs Dalton concludes: ‘If we are against cruelty to animals, we should stop contributing to harming them and collectively adopt veganism.’

Responding to the article, published in the journal Vet Record, Professor Victor Kumar, a moral philosopher at Boston University, said: ‘The problem with articles telling people that they should be vegan is that they can backfire, since people who eat meat feel they are disapproved of, or perceive that vegans are claiming to have moral superiority.

‘It might be better to encourage people to reduce the amount of meat they eat, or to look for ethically sourced meat, as most people do not like the cruelty involved in factory farming. We need to remember that meat is a big part of many people’s lives, from summer barbecues to Christmas dinners.’

Mrs Dalton could not be reached for comment.

Sean Wensley, former president of the BVA and author of Through a Vet’s Eyes, said: ‘Some people take an animal rights-based view, which promotes an end to the use of animals by humans, while others have an animal welfare-based view, which accepts animal use, so long as the animals have a good life and a humane death.

‘The veterinary profession largely adheres to an animal welfare-based view. But veterinary professionals who adopt veganism have a legitimate philosophical view and must be respected.’

Justine Shotton, president of the BVA, said that the journal Vet Record is editorially independent and does not represent the views of the BVA.

She said: ‘Diet is a personal matter and vets are well-placed to make educated decisions about the best way that they can consider sustainability and animal welfare in their choices as consumers.

‘At the British Veterinary Assocation, we encourage everyone to consider the environmental impact of their dietary choices and have long campaigned for a ‘less and better’ approach to consuming meat.’

Should vets be vegan? Nurse argues it is contradictory to treat (msn.com)

Regards Mark

General News, Live Transport, Uncategorized

USA: Bella Hadid calls to end carriage horse abuse after animal collapsed in New York City: ‘Barbaric’.

Bella Hadid calls to end carriage horse abuse after animal collapsed in New York City: ‘Barbaric’

Bella Hadid calls to end carriage horse abuse after animal collapsed in New York City: ‘Barbaric’ (msn.com)

Bella Hadid has encouraged her followers to end carriage horse abuse following the collapse of a carriage horse in New York City.

In a recent Instagram post, the 25-year-old supermodel shared photos of the horse, Ryder, while it was collapsed on the street, and screenshots of an article about him.

She also shared an image that reads: “Take action to end carriage horse abuse with one call/email.”

She tagged multiple New York City Instagram accounts, including mayor Eric Adams and the NYC council in the caption, and asked them to “phase out cruel carriage horses” and “protect them while it’s still here”.

Hadid also acknowledged that she hopes the horses will one day be replaced by “a humane & electric alternative”.

WAV Archives.

Hadid went on to show her support for Ryder by asking the Manhattan district attorney and the New York police department to do an investigation on the horse’s owner, Ian McKever, who was driving the carriage when the animal fell.

“This has been going on for WAY too long in this kind of environment,” she wrote. “Another sick, malnourished carriage horse collapsed in distress on the hot pavement of New York City while his driver whipped him repeatedly.”

“We are also calling on the Manhattan District Attorney & the NYPD to investigate criminal animal abuse charges against Ian Mckeever for his abusive behaviour,” Hadid continued. “Ryder needs immediate help and to be released from his abuser.”

She concluded the post by expressing how “barbaric” it is that horses have to “pull” large carriages through NYC and specifically called out Mayor Adams.

“It’s barbaric to force horses like Ryder to pull heavy carriages in extreme heat in the busiest part of the busiest city in America without a place to break or eat,” Hadid wrote. “We have to do something now. This should have been done years ago. Eric Adams, The world is watching!!

Please do what is right for these animals. Take action.”

WAV Archives

Hadid then included a link to NYClass Act, a non-profit organisation with the “core mission of saving NYC carriage horses, enacting animal rights legislation into law, and electing pro-animal candidates to office”.

Ryder collapsed and buckled at the knees on 10 August in midtown Manhattan, at 45 St and 9th Avenue. Videos online showed the carriage driver yelling at the animal and slapping his back. The owner also appeared to be pulling on the horse’s reins, even though onlookers told him to stop.

Following the incident, Tony Utano, president of the local Transport Workers Union, which represents carriage drivers in New York, gave an update on Ryder’s condition.

“The veterinarian believes Ryder has EPM, a neurological disease caused by possum droppings,” he said. “This is another example why people shouldn’t rush to judgement about our horses or the blue-collar men and women who choose to work with them and care for them.”

WAV Archives

Multiple animal rights charities, including non-profit organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), have also spoken out about ending carriage horse abuse.

“Horses don’t belong in big cities where they’re put in constant danger because of cars, humans, weather, and more,” PETA said.

Bella 🦋 on Instagram: “Hi friends ❤️- we need to tell @nyccouncil, @NYCSpeakerAdams and @NYCMayor to pass legislation (Intro 573) (thank you @bobholdennyc )) to…”

Regards Mark

WAV Comment – Horses belong in the fields enjoying life, not pulling brain dead tourists through the streets of cities.

General News, Stray Animals, Uncategorized

Ukraine: The ‘Animal-Loving’ Ukrainian Sniper Who Rescues Abandoned Pets From Battlefield.

Oskana Krasnova and her husband Stanislav Krasnov have rescued almost 30 pets they discovered when passing through abandoned villages. (Oskana Krasnova/PA)© Provided by The Independent

‘Animal-loving’ Ukrainian sniper rescues abandoned pets from battlefield

An “animal-loving” Ukrainian sniper and her husband fighting on the frontline have rescued dozens of pets after discovering them abandoned on the battlefield.

Oksana Krasnova, 27, uses her wages to pay for food and supplies to nurse the animals back to health before arranging for them to be transported on military vehicles to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, to be rehomed.

Oksana Krasnova (left), 27, and her husband Stanislav Krasnov, 35, holding a rescued cat. (Oksana Krasnova/PA)© Provided by The Independent

Ms Krasnova had previously worked as a lawyer in the capital until Russia invaded the country six months ago and she joined the Ukrainian frontline defence, fighting in the Donetsk region.

In between working as snipers, Ms Krasnova and her husband Stanislav Krasnov, 35, have rescued almost 30 pets they have discovered when passing through abandoned villages.

Speaking to the PA news agency from the frontline, Ms Krasnova said: “I love animals a lot and I used to help rescue animals with my husband even before the Russian invasion.

“I come across a lot of abandoned pets when I am going about my duties and I can’t just leave them.

“It’s hard to evacuate animals from the frontline but these poor pets have been used to living with humans so they can’t survive on their own.

“I have my own pets who are being looked after by my parents in Kyiv and I could never dream of abandoning them.”

Ms Krasnova said her most memorable rescue to date was the first abandoned animal she saved on the frontline.

The first animal the couple rescued was a black dog they found in an abandoned house. (Oskana Krasnova/PA)© Provided by The Independent

The couple had heard “some strange sounds” while walking through an abandoned house and found a small, black dog trapped in the building.

Ms Krasnova said the animal was “clearly traumatised” and had been surviving off raw potatoes when they discovered her.

“I think she had been there for about a month – it was awful,” she said.

“She was just lying on the floor and we placed a pillow under her head while she was barking and crying and foaming at the mouth.

“We had to push her into a box and transport her in our military vehicle.

“She was having seizures and we didn’t think she would survive.”

Ms Krasnova fed the dog every hour and cared for her around the clock until her health began to improve.

“We have a friend who has some volunteers out in Kyiv who work with traumatised animals and he took in the poor dog,” she said.

“Months on, she’s now okay and she lives with a foster family.”

Ms Krasnova said she mainly rescues dogs and cats but has occasionally helped smaller creatures like birds and rabbits, which she tends to release into the wild once healthy.

“At the moment where we are based we have a herd of pigs with us from one of the nearby villages,” Ms Krasnova said.

“Obviously we can’t rescue them as they won’t all fit in our military vehicles but we are making sure they are okay and have enough food.”

The rescued animals have become a huge part of the couple’s life and even when Mr Krasnov was wounded, he was joined by a small kitten while he was strapped to a stretcher receiving medical treatment.

“The animals we rescue are really very grateful and loyal,” Ms Krasnova said.

“Sometimes it’s really hard (to say goodbye to them) mainly because I spend so much time treating them.

“But I feel relieved because I know that they won’t starve and suffer again,” she added.

‘Animal-loving’ Ukrainian sniper rescues abandoned pets from battlefield (msn.com)

Regards Mark

A rescued kitten sits on Stanislav Krasnov while he receives medical treatment after being injured. (Oskana Krasnova/PA)© Provided by The Independent

Environmental, General News, Uncategorized

Demand Disney Take Responsibility for Its Horrific Massacre of Lemmings, and the Myth It Spread to Cover it Up!

Demand Disney Take Responsibility for Its Horrific Massacre of Lemmings, and the Myth It Spread to Cover it Up!

Ever heard the phrase “don’t be a lemming?” It generally means to not follow the crowd, and make decisions for yourself. But the phrase has nothing to do with actual lemming behavior, and became widely circulated after a dangerously misleading 1950s nature documentary, White Wilderness, faked the mass suicide of these creatures to draw attention and make a profit. Using its grotesque movie magic, Disney was able to make it look as though hundreds of lemmings were intentionally jumping from a cliff to their deaths. 

In reality, the tiny animals were being forced off the ledge and plunged into icy water where they would slowly drown. 

Mass suicide is not a risk for lemmings. But these adorable, short-tailed voles are threatened by climate change like so many other arctic mammals. Their tundra habitats are at great risk as the planet continues to warm.

Disney has made money off of portrayals of animals for decades “and it is time it takes responsibility for this most dangerous and false one. Disney should not only set the record straight about the fact that lemmings do not commit mass suicide, but the multi-billion dollar corporation must also apologize for its actions in the 1950s documentary and immediately donate funds to create Arctic refuges for lemmings and other cold-habitat mammals.

Sign the petition now if you agree!

Regards Mark

P.S. In the 1950s, Disney massacred lemmings en masse and filmed it as a suicide to draw profit-boosting attention for its documentary.

Sign the petition 

Environmental, General News, Uncategorized

Norway: The Tragic Death of Freya the Walrus.

Photo – Act for wildlife

Norway: the tragic death of Freya the walrus

22 August 2022

Freya, a five-year-old, 600-kilogram walrus who spent the summer lounging on boats and docks in the Oslo fjord, inadvertently becoming a summer attraction for onlookers, tourists and residents, has been killed by Norwegian authorities, who say she posed a threat to human safety.

Norway’s fisheries directorate said the decision to euthanise the walrus came after the public ignored repeated warnings to keep their distance from Freya. A sad reminder that our actions can have dramatic consequences for wildlife: animals are not here to entertain us and their need for space must be respected.

In recent months, Freya had also been spotted along the coasts of several European countries, including Britain, Denmark and the Netherlands, without ever causing any problems.

Walruses normally live in the ice-covered waters of Canada, Greenland, Norway, Russia and Alaska.They usually rest on the sea ice between feeding episodes but as the climate warms, melting sea ice is forcing the walruses to rest on land more often, taking them away from their traditional fishing habitats.

Our Norwegian member Dyrevernalliansen is infinitely sad that the decision was made to euthanise Freya because of human behaviour:

Nature is in crisis because of us, but we do not seem to care, the government has decided that there is no room for Freya in Norwegian waters”.

Siri Martinsen, veterinarian and director of the Norwegian animal welfare organisation NOAH, said:

 Freya was an endangered animal, she was on the Norwegian red list of vulnerable (or threatened) animals and the killing could only be justified in an emergency situation or for animal welfare reasons, which was not the case here.”

The walrus is a species protected under the Appendix II of the Bern Convention meaning that it is a strictly protected wildlife species. Norway has ratified the Bern Convention and, according to Article 6 of the Convention, must take all appropriate and necessary legislative and administrative measures to ensure the protection of such species. Given the importance of protecting wildlife in the biodiversity crisis we face, Norway should have investigated more to find an appropriate solution to ensure the protection of the walrus and people.

Regards Mark

About Us, General News, Uncategorized

England: 8//22 – Back.

Hi all; hope you are good.

18/8 – well back home tonight as I have been released from hospital which I have been in for the past week.  It relates to an old accident I had with a motorbike and rider when I was on my bike about 40 years ago doing some time trials.

Some of you have commented that that you are not getting ‘new data’ through – well there has been none due to situation described.  Venus has moved on now so resources are limited and posts stop or are minimal until thins get back on track. I think this is the main issue with people as they think something has happened.

It is simply that circumstances over the last week have caused issues.  I hope to start pushing out posts for you very soon; in the next day r so.

Sorry for the delay but hopefully tings are now getting back to more normal;

Regards Mark

Enjoy:

General News, Uncategorized, Vivisection

EU: Citizens Initiative – Animal Cosmetic Testing – EU Citizens ONLY. Please Sign and Pass on; Completion Date End August 2022.

It is essential that we obtain over 1 million signatures for this from EU citizens only as possible.

The target has not yet quite been reached –

Please sign, share and pass on, thank you.

https://eci.ec.europa.eu/019/public/#/screen/home

Deadline: 31/08/2022

Objectives

With the EU ban on cosmetics tests on animals came the promise of a Europe in which animals no longer suffer and die for the sake of cosmetics. That promise has been broken. Authorities still demand animal tests on ingredients used in cosmetics, which goes against the expectations and wishes of the public and the intention of legislators.

Yet, never have we had such powerful non-animal tools for assuring safety or such a golden opportunity to revolutionise human and environmental protection. The European Commission must uphold and strengthen the ban and transition to animal-free safety assessment.

We call on the European Commission to do the following:

1. Protect and strengthen the cosmetics animal testing ban.
Initiate legislative change to achieve consumer, worker, and environmental protection for all cosmetics ingredients without testing on animals for any purpose at any time.

2. Transform EU chemicals regulation.
Ensure human health and the environment are protected by managing chemicals without the addition of new animal testing requirements.

3. Modernise science in the EU.
Commit to a legislative proposal plotting a roadmap to phase-out all animal testing in the EU before the end of the current legislative term.

Start of the collection period

31/08/2021

EUROPEAN CITIZENS’ INITIATIVE – Central online collection system

SAVE CRUELTY FREE COSMETICS – COMMIT TO A EUROPE WITHOUT ANIMAL TESTING

Info about (Progress of) Initiative:

https://europa.eu/citizens-initiative/initiatives/details/2021/000006_en

With thanks to Di for getting this;

Regards Mark