On 22 September, Latvia’s Saeima passed the final amendments to the country’s Animal Protection Law. Farming animals for the main or sole purpose of fur production will now be prohibited, with the ban is expected to come into effect on 1 January 2028.
Over the last 10 years, the animal rights association Dzīvnieku brīvība has campaigned for the ban on fur farming, backed by 42,000 citizens and 50 NGOs, who have all signed an open letter to the Saeima.
The amendments regarding farming of animals for their fur were submitted to the Saeima on September 9, 2021 by 11 MPs from different political parties. Now the Saeima has adopted the amendments to the Animal Protection Law with an overwhelming majority of votes (70 for, 3 against).
Over the course of the year, the Economic, Agricultural, Environmental and Regional Policy Committee evaluated various proposals and supported the wording of the law, which prohibits the breeding of fur animals and stipulates that fur farmers will not receive financial compensation, subject to a 5-year transition period.
Taking into account previous international cases, the members of the commission recognised this transition period as sufficient and adequate compensation for entrepreneurs, and that, in accordance with the principles of the rule of law, it would give fur farmers sufficient time to gradually end their activities and recover their investments. Accordingly, the ban will enter into force on January 1, 2028.
This is a historic moment for animal rights in Latvia – a huge victory for both animals and the people. By prohibiting the imprisoning and killing of animals for their fur, we, the people of Latvia, affirm our values and respect for animals as living beings. We show that, in our country, compassion and reason are more important than greed and ostentation. After all, our attitude towards the vulnerable – animals – is a mirror of our own humanity.
Katrīna Krīgere, Head of Dzīvnieku brīvība
Currently, at least 300,000 mink, as well as several hundred foxes and chinchillas, are killed for fur in Latvia every year. The number of fur farms operating in Latvia and the number of animals bred in them has been decreasing in recent years. For example, the total number of animals in Latvian fur farms in 2017 was 617,000, in 2020 – 580,000, and in 2022 – 274,000 animals.
Latvia has now become the latest EU member state to ban fur farming, joining Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and most recently Malta and Ireland.
The European Citizens’ Initiative Fur Free Europe is calling for a ban of fur farming across the European Union, as well as a ban on the sale of farmed fur products. Do you support this ban?
No animal welfare supervision in sight for millions of farmed fish in Denmark
22 September 2022
Dyrenes Beskyttelse
The Danish Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Rasmus Prehn, has failed to include both supervision and clearly defined animal welfare standards in his proposal for a new aquaculture strategy.
When veterinarians from the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration visit poultry farmers, cattle farmers, or pig farmers for inspections, they go to make sure that all animal welfare rules are being followed. No such supervisory measures currently exist for farmed fish in Danish aquaculture, and that is a major legal oversight according to Animal Protection Denmark.
New research shows that fish are highly developed, sentient beings, capable of feeling pain and suffering. Therefore, it should be a matter of course to implement animal welfare supervision for fish. Furthermore, there should be species-specific rules in place for breeding to protect fish from suffering
Nicolaj Lindeborgh, Biologist, Fish and Fish Welfare Consultant at Animal Protection Denmark
In a response to the Danish Parliament’s Environment and Food Committee, Minister Rasmus Prehn has confirmed that fish are to be seen as sentient beings. Yet animal welfare supervision is reserved exclusively for organically farmed fish, accounting for just 2 percent of around 50 million farmed fish in Denmark.
The Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries has developed a proposal for a new Danish aquaculture strategy that has been distributed for public hearing. One of the central aims of the strategy is that “the Danish aquaculture sector continues sustainable growth in production.” But there is no mention as to how the authorities will ensure the welfare of many millions of animals involved. Animal Protection Denmark asserts that the strategy should include and highlight fish welfare.
Animal Protection Denmark does not accept a lack of knowledge as a legitimate excuse for a lack of action.
The Ministry excuses itself by saying that there is not enough research into which species-specific needs various fish species have. But you need only to look to our neighbouring countries, Norway for example, where relevant welfare parameters have already been developed
Nicolaj Lindeborgh
In its proposal, the Ministry writes that a much bigger part of the Danish production of fish is to take place in recirculating aquaculture facilities on land. Recirculating facilities typically have a much higher density of fish than both traditional pond farming and sea farming. According to Animal Protection Denmark, this would only increase the need for animal welfare supervision.
The aquaculture strategy points to production that is more intensive and further removed from natural conditions. This is a concerning development that we have seen cause problems for animal welfare in other species. And when this development is set to take place without any planned measures of supervision, the government is gambling with animal welfare
Nicolaj Lindeborgh
The Danish Government’s aquaculture strategy is scheduled to enter into force later this year and set to apply for the next five years.
Milan Fashion Week: demonstrative action at the headquarters of the Italian National Chamber of Fashion
21 September 2022
ALI
Yesterday evening, 20th September, the opening date of the Milan Fashion Week, the associations LAV, Humane Society International/Europe, ALI – Animal Law Italia and Essere Animali have projected on the building at number 31 in Piazza Duomo where it is based the National Chamber of Italian Fashion (organizer of the Fashion Weeks) an important and urgent message: “Act now for a Fur Free Europe”.
An explicit call for mobilisation addressed to all European citizens to induce the EU Commission to launch a legislative initiative aimed at extending the ban fur farming in all Member States and, also, introducing a ban on trade (and import) of fur products.
After the recent great success achieved with the European Citizens’ Initiatives “End the Cage Age” (for the stop to cages on farms, reaching 1.4 million validated signatures) and “Save Cruelty Free Cosmetics” (for the stop to experimentation animal, collecting 1.4 million signatures), animal rights associations from all over Europe, represented in Italy by Essere Animali, Humane Society International/Europe, ALI – Animal Law Italia and LAV, have already started the ECI “Fur Free Europe”, once again enjoying a wide consensus: in the first 4 months about 350,000 signatures have already been reached.
The goal is to exceed the quota of 1 million signatures required to commit the EU Commission to follow up on the European Citizens’ Initiative.
The European Citizens’ Initiative is the tool envisaged by EU law to generate a more democratic decision-making process, for this reason the requests that benefit from a broad consensus (the procedure foresees at least 1 million valid signatures collected in 12 months and in at least 7 States members) must be considered by the European Commission.
In Europe, 13 Member States have already formally banned the farming of animals for the purpose of obtaining fur (Austria, Belgium – from 2023, Croatia, Estonia – from 2026, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Holland , Czech Rep., Slovakia, Slovenia); among these also Italy with the ban in force from 1 January of this year and thanks to which no less than 60,000 mink will be saved every year (which, according to the last useful production cycle, every year were specially bred to then be killed). Other Member States have imposed restrictions: in Germany there are no longer farms; in Spain it is not possible to start new ones. In the European area, also the United Kingdom, Norway (from 2025) Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia (from 2028), and also in Switzerland have banned particularly restrictive local provisions, which in fact prevent the ‘opening of farms.
For consistency, Fur Free Europe also calls for a ban on the trade and import of fur products; a ban that, in compliance with the rules of international trade, is already in force in California (from 2019) and in Israel (from 2021).
Although there are many national bans, in the European Union still 18 million animals (minks, foxes, raccoon dogs, chinchillas) are specially bred every year and then killed in order to obtain fur.
There are now many major global fashion brands that have made the fur-free choice an added value of their sustainability policies. Among the Italians: Elisabetta Franchi, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Versace, Prada, Valentino, D&G, Zegna, and YNAP Group. A trend that is also reflected in the numbers: in Italy the turnover of the fur trade fell from 1.8 billion euros in 2006 to 814 million euros in 2018 (source: Italian Fur Association).
“Legislative action is needed at European level to harmonize fur farming bans in all Member States and to introduce a ban on the trade and import of fur products throughout the European Union” – conclude the associations promoting the ECI Fur Free Europe in Italy.
On Tuesday afternoon, two animal rights advocates in inflatable shark costumes stood shoulder to shoulder in a small “tank” made of what appeared to be clear shower curtains tacked to a wooden frame outside of City Hall. This scenario, the advocates feared, could represent the fate of whichever sharks the Seattle aquarium decides to put in its new shark tank exhibit, the 325,000-gallon jewel of the new Ocean Pavilion between Pike Place Market and Piers 59 and 60.
At the demonstration, speakers from the Northwest Animal Rights Network and Humane Voters of Washington spoke against the Seattle city council’s recent decision to bail out the Seattle Aquarium’s stalled shark tank project with a $20 million loan, bringing taxpayers’ total contribution to the aquarium’s expansion to a cool $54 million. The $20 million will be paid back with interest, but the advocates would rather put that money elsewhere or use it toward another project.
“Whether it’s animals in cages at the Woodland Park Zoo or marine animals held captive at the Seattle Aquarium, people’s attitudes towards imprisoning wild animals is changing, and we need our leaders to change with us,” said Alyne Fortgang, a founding member of the animal rights group, Humane Voters of Washington.
Councilmember Andrew Lewis argued that the council’s vote last month did not approve the shark tank. Instead, the vote approved more funding so that the aquarium could open the Ocean Pavilion on time in 2024. However, the protesters want the Council to take back the loan and spend it on housing, or else use its leverage to force the aquarium to build a virtual shark tank exhibit instead.
Given that the $20 million comes from the Real Estate Excise Tax, which raises funds from property sales to pay for infrastructure, they argue that spending it on housing instead makes more sense.
But if the City is intent on keeping the Pavilion’s opening timeline, then the animal rights advocates argued that replacing the tank with a virtual exhibit would a good compromise, since it would cut down on energy and water waste and avoid potentially harming live animals. That harm starts, they argued, with the way aquarium sources its animals.
According to an email between Fortgang and the Seattle Aquarium, the aquarium will try to source sharks from “human care,” meaning animals that are already in captivity, but the email did not rule out taking a shark from the open ocean. The advocates worried “yanking a shark” from the wild would disrupt natural ecosystems.
Not only that, but the sharks and stingrays in the exhibit will be native to the South Pacific, which wouldn’t do much to educate tourists or locals about the waters near Seattle.
The Seattle Aquarium did not respond to requests for comment, but it responded to that criticism in a Seattle Timesarticle in 2019.
Tim Kuniholm, an aquarium spokesperson, argued that teaching people about South Pacific sharks would raise awareness about shark conservation everywhere. “It’s one big ocean. What happens on the other side of the planet is just as important as what happens here. We have orcas in peril here. There are animals like sharks that are also in peril over there,” he said.
The protesters called any illusion to conservation disingenuous. Real conservation does not involve profiting from the incarceration of animals under the guise of spreading awareness, they said. The aquarium’s plan is simply a tourist money grab that doesn’t benefit locals, said Hannah Thompson-Garner, director of advocacy and mission advancement for Northwest Animal Rights Network.
“We want to see the houseless crisis solved. We want to see plants planted in South Seattle for green spaces, and we want what everybody else wants for a nice city,” she said. “A shark tank is not a part of that.”
Last month, Councilmembers Kshama Sawant and Alex Pedersen both voted against the measure to loan the money, arguing it was a waste of taxpayer money, so they might find some allies there. That said, since the bill already passed, the Mayor would need to veto it and send it back for an amendment, which would be a heavy lift. The Mayor’s Office did not respond to requests for comment on the animal rights groups’ demands.
SINGER Morrissey has become the latest star to write to Taoiseach Micheal Martin seeking a ban on hare coursing.
Watch on Youtube:
The former Smiths frontman, an ambassador for animal charity PETA and a well-known vegan, has pleaded with the Irish Government to take action as he prepares to take to the stage at the INEC in Killarney on Saturday night,
Australian Pork Limited says most piggeries do not use sow stalls.(ABC Rural: Jane McNaughton)
Illegal investigation by animal rights activists uncovers pigs in sow stalls across Victoria
A lobby group has accused several Victorian farms of caging mother pigs for an “unacceptably” long period of time, releasing footage of the practice, which was meant to be phased out by the pork industry five years ago.
Key points:
Animal activists have accused several Victorian piggeries of using sow stalls for extended periods
The pork industry says a majority of sow stalls in Australia were voluntarily phased out by 2017
Farm trespass is illegal in Victoria, with penalties of $10,904 for an individual and up to $54,522 for an organisation
Animal rights activists with the Farm Transparency Project trespassed onto six farms across the state this year and installed cameras to obtain the footage.
Executive Director Chris Delforce said most consumers of pork would expect better welfare standards for Australian pigs.
“People are being led to believe by this industry that sow stalls are a thing of the past when they are still widely used,” he said.
“It’s clear to us that self-regulation by the industry has failed and it’s time for the government to step in and legislate a ban on these cruel cages.”
Five-day recommendation
Sow stalls are cages measuring a minimum of 0.6 metres wide and 2.2 metres long which inhibit pig movement, and were introduced to control aggression during pregnancy and make pigs easier to manage.
Sow stalls in Victoria are legally required to be a minimum of 0.6 metres wide and 2.2 metres long.(ABC Rural: Warwick Long)
Australian Pork Limited CEO Margo Andrae said the gestation cages were used to protect pigs and people working with the animals.
“There is a short time frame sows are in the stalls, for certified Gestation Stall Free [status] … up to five days to make sure the sow is looked after while she is mating,” she said.
“Over 88 per cent of industry have voluntarily phased out the use of sow stalls for a period longer than five days.
“Trying to understand that footage [taken by the Farm Transparency Project] and look at those time frames is very hard when you don’t know the context and we can’t be sure of what those times are.”
Ms Andrae said the pigs’ welfare was jeopardised by the farm trespass, and the footage was obtained illegally.
“The activists breached biosecurity regulations and have put those farms at risk with diseases like African Swine Fever and foot-and-mouth disease on our doorstep,” she said.
“The activists have broken the law and need to be held accountable. (Oh dear, how wonderful – WAV)
“Animal welfare is a priority — we do the utmost to protect our sows and our piglets to make sure that we are world-leading in how we operate as an industry.”
But Mr Delforce said his organisation found piggeries exceeding this five-day recommendation and caging pigs for up to 27 days.
“They have enough room to take maybe one or two steps [in the cages] and they’re unable to turn around, a number of them have pressure sores because they are pressed up against metal bars or the hard concrete floor,” he said.
“These are designed to cram as many pigs in as tight a space as possible to make it as efficient as possible but it has nothing to do with the welfare of the pigs.”
“Unfortunately it’s the only way that consumers are ever going to see inside these places,” he said.
“I think rather than implementing laws that target whistleblowers who expose this cruelty, there should be laws targeting the cruelty.”
Recognising sentience
Victoria is currently in the process of upgrading animal care and protection laws, including potentially recognising that “animals have the capacity to feel, perceive their environment, and to have positive and negative experiences like pleasure and pain”.
However, the new legislation would also distinguish between companion animals and commercial livestock in the application of laws, stating animals can be owned and used for lawful purposes, including farming.
There are no intensive piggeries in the Australian Capital Territory and sow stalls have been banned in Tasmania and countries of economic similarity, such as the United Kingdom, New Zealand and some US states.
Tonight I have sent a letter to my MP on the issue of Liz Truss (Prime Minister), animal welfare, the environment and international Free Trade Agreements (FTA).
Being simple, I am a little confused.
First, lets look back at the letter I had from the Department for International Trade (Dated 22/6/22) when I first wrote with concerns about animal welfare issues in the Australia – Uk Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Here are a couple of links which link which allows you read both my original letter of concern, and also the reply from the Department of International Trade (DIT), which forms the basis of my new letter of concern relating to the ‘Truss’ led government.
There appear to be many conflicts between what the DIT and the press (links given in letter) are saying about FTA’s. I hope I have expressed my concerns well enough in the new letter to try and explain this.
So now the letter of concern has been sent and I await a response which I hope will be soon.
As always and as shown in the above links, I will be publishing a response on this confusing subject (?) when it comes my way.
For me, animal welfare and the environment are 2 issues which should be sitting right at the top of the UK government inbox. With Liz Truss working for Shell in the past, along with her record working at UK Defra Ministry (see letter); the environment and animal welfare are both subjects which seem to have vanished from her radar.
The electorate will decide if the environment and animal welfare are important in the lead up to the next UK General Election. Be assured, we will be doing our bit to keep the issues ‘up the tree’ right up until the next voting day.
Regards Mark
With thanks to our friends at ‘The Guardian (London)’ for the write ups in the following links.
Mulesed Sheep n Australia. (Flesh removed without painkillers)
Here is a copy of my (MP) letter dated 21/9/22.
Dear Mr Holloway;
You recently (22 June 2022) sent me a letter from Penny Mordaunt MP; who at the time was Minister of State for Trade Policy – at the Department for International Trade.
It related to concerns which I had for animal welfare in Australia – relating to the UK – Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Ms Mordaunt, who I personally very much wished had become the PM, made several statements in her response.
Sheet 2 – “the government has made it clear in its manifesto that in all our trade negotiations, we will not compromise on our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards”.
She continues:
“As the PM (then Boris) has said, we are proud that we are global leaders on animal welfare
But, now Liz Truss has unfortunately become the PM, I am reading a lot of statements which contradict the above.
George Eustice (was Minster at Defra, now thrown out by Truss) says rival Rishi Sunak has made clear there will be no compromise on welfare standards
George Eustice was speaking at the Conservative Environment Network Tory leadership hustings on behalf of Rishi Sunak, and said he faced “challenges” in trying to get Truss to enshrine animal welfare in trade deals.
Liz Truss has refused to recognise the importance of animal welfare in post-Brexit trade deals, the environment secretary has said.
So, Ms. Mordaunt says “the government has made it clear in its manifesto that in all our trade negotiations, we will not compromiseon our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards”; whilst new PM Liz Truss allegedly fails to recognise the importance of animal welfare in post-Brexit trade deals.
So Mr. Holloway; who is right and who is wrong ? – Mordaunt or Truss ?
The Green Party MP Caroline Lucas accused the pair of “bunking off”, adding: “Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak can’t even be bothered to take to a virtual Zoom stage for an hour on a Wednesday morning to discuss the greatest crisis we face.”
Eustice said: “To be fair to Boris Johnson despite him having many people around him saying ‘dial back the animal welfare, get the barnacles off the boat’, he did press on. This is something which I personally agreed with; unfortunately now, with Truss at the helm, times are a changing !
Quote – “the Government is committed to ensuring that any deal we sign includes protections for the agriculture industry”. It also states that “we have secured ground breaking provisions on animal welfare”.
So why is Liz Truss refusing to recognise the importance of animal welfare in post Brexit trade deals ?. The department for international trade say one thing to me in a letter response a few months ago; and now Liz Truss appears to want to kick these sae words into the long grass with her approach. Confused ? – well yes, sort of !
I am an animal welfare campaigner; and I am confused as to what exactly the current Conservative government policy is regarding animal welfare and future international trade deals; maybe you can clarify the situation for me, or maybe you are just as confused as the majority of people are ?
For me, my future vote will be cast on issues such as animal welfare and the environment rather than getting few hundred quid off an energy bill, which Truss seems to think will have the masses clambering at her feet – how wrong. It is time she woke up and considered animal welfare and especially the environment.
Personally, I consider the appointment of Truss as the PM to be one of the worst moves the Conservative Party have taken for many years. In just a few days, we have seen
Many green campaigners remember Truss as the secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs from 2014 to 2016. Privately, they say she made little impact, other than to agree to cuts to the department’s budget that further reduced enforcement of environmental regulation, including of sewage polluting the UK’s waterways.
Truss appears to be handing out top jobs to all of her cronies and supporters, whist ignoring the campaigners and organisations who have provided evidence of their standings in so many important issues over many years including evidences when it comes to animal welfare abuses both abroad and in the UK.
The co-chairman of the Conservatives, who raised tens of millions of pounds for the party’s general election campaign, one Ben Elliot, resigned hours after Liz Truss won as PM.
Ben Elliot announced he was stepping down from the role leaving Miss Truss with the headache of trying to find a powerful replacement. Mr Elliot spearheaded the drive to amass a £56millon war chest in the run-up to the 2019 election, of which £23million was raised in the four weeks before polling day.
You could say that being in the sewage is something close to Liz Truss’ heart in many ways since she was (Defra) secretary of state from 2014 to 2016. Under her current premiership, she will drag the Conservative Party into the stench, and probably lose the next General Election with the ignorance and anti environment stance she takes. It is time for the Truss to wake up to the most important issues.
Regards Mark
Rees Mogg – a new appointment in the ‘Truss’ camp I believe:
In 2014, Rees-Mogg was referred to the Parliamentary Standards regime after he repeatedly spoke in the House of Commons chamber in support of the oil and gas, tobacco and mining industries without first declaring that he was the founder and director of Somerset Capital Management, which then held millions of pounds worth of investments in those sectors.
In Brazil, correspondent Tom Phillips says the mood isn’t so much downbeat as downright violent. Bolsonaro appears likely to lose to veteran former president Luiz Inacio da Silva (nickname Lula, which means ‘squid’ in Portuguese) and his running mate Geraldo Alckmin (known as Chuchu, which is a sort of squash). The ‘Trump of the tropics’ is not giving in without a fight.
“Fact 1 – Bolsonaro doesn’t look like he can win this now,” Tom says, pointing to support ratings of little more than 30%. “Fact 2 – he’s desperate to stay in power because he fears prosecution for mishandling Covid, and for the various corruption allegations that have enveloped his family. So one would imagine he will fight tooth and nail to stay in power.”
That has led to an ugly atmosphere in which political violence is rife. Tom says life is very different for foreign correspondents in Rio these days.
“When I was first posted here in 2005, foreign correspondents didn’t receive hate mail, insults, threats of physical violence on social media,” he says. “I’d never heard of a foreign correspondent being attacked. But now it’s different – and worse for Brazilian journalists and even worse for female Brazilian journalists – with whom Bolsonaro has deliberately clashed.”
He says the murder this year of colleague Dom Phillips is just part of that wretched tendency. “The rhetoric has become so violent and so much hostility has been stirred up against environmental activists and mainstream media journalists that everyone feels on edge.”
Can Lula undo all the damage that Bolsonaro has done in four years? Tom feels it’s a tall order.
“He is not a miracle worker. He would represent a change of direction, away from Amazon destruction and growing authoritarianism though.
“Lula told me recently that he would stop illegal gold mines, tackle deforestation, and set up a ministry for indigenous people. But he will face huge challenges, there’ll be an economic crisis, and you don’t just reverse these things overnight.”
Holly, Ray and Powder, 3 incredible animals featured below, are a testament of just how much your support does for street animals every day at Animal Aid. Our rescue teams admit around 25 injured and ill animals each day and providing so many animals with the medical treatment and care they need is our greatest privilege. We couldn’t do it without you. We believe that wherever you are, you are a part of our rescue team. You’re one of our caregivers helping a weak dog eat their first meal in a long time. You’re one of our nurses giving life-saving treatment to an animal who had given up hope. When you virtually meet Holly, Ray and Powder today and read about their recoveries, we hope you can feel yourself a part of the magic.
Holly had suffered an unimaginable injury: a 3rd degree burn covering her entire shoulder and chest, up to her back. When we first examined her on the treatment table, we heart-brokenly considered whether with a wound so large euthanasia would be the kindest option. But taking into account her otherwise good body condition, and an intense sparkle in her beautiful eyes, we decided to try to heal her. Despite pain we can only imagine, a quiet love radiated from her, touching everyone around her.
Each day, wecleaned and covered the wound. Healing began within just a few days, but the final closure of this terrible wound took months.
Babies are so fragile, and this little sweetheart’s wound was deep, and in a very risky location at his throat. For several days he couldn’t stand, needed help even to eat, and swallowing was difficult. But gradually, we saw something brightening in his little button eyes.
He still couldn’t walk without wobbles; he was sleeping most of the time, and the wound itself was still very painful. But yes, there was life and joy awakening inside him. He showed us a ray of hope, and that’s what we called him as he got stronger and stronger. Meet Ray now!
This desperate boy was covered in mange scabs, and pain covered every inch of his body. Kind passers-by were able to catch and hold him in their car while waiting for our rescue team to arrive. We were so grateful for their profoundly compassionate help because dogs with this level of severe mange usually stay on the run and are very difficult to catch.
He was incredibly gentle and hardly moved a muscle while we administered pain medicine, antibiotics, and began his life-saving treatment. Although he didn’t love his first medicated bath, he must have felt so much relief to rest with a full belly after eating a big meal. Day by day, his crusty skin healed, and a beautiful soft powder-white angel began to emerge from what had been pure wreckage. Meet sweet Powder now!
Spencer Duru, diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis when he was just 22, has raised a whopping $5000 for Animal Aid Unlimited in a 42 km charity walk in August.
He along with 23 friends completed the walk at his home in Manchester (England UK).
Quoting this wonderful guy: “The thought that if this walk and fundraising could alleviate just the suffering of even one animal, it makes my MS disappear :)” Spencer, for the hundreds of animals whose lives you have touched, comforted, and saved by this donation, we thank you for yourcourage, strength, and love.
World Animals Voice 
