After the many years of existence of our blog (both new and old) it should be clear to most of the people that we are not only posting or translating articles that provide information and correct knowledge about the animals, but that we think it makes sense to take position on it.
We are convinced that the fight for animal rights is a political one and that is why we openly express our solidarity or support to groups such as ALF, whose activities are often criminalized in most countries.
Those who want to discredit the ALF’s tactics keep throwing up the word “terrorism”.
For example, the FBI, the US repression agency, describes the ALF as “the most dangerous terrorist threat after Al Qaeda”!
When we consider that not a single human or non-human animal has been injured since the ALF was founded in England in 1976, and the meat industry alone is responsible for the murder of millions of sentient individuals every day, then the question arises, who the real terrorists are.
On the contrary, ALF activists are compassionate people who risk their own freedom for those who cannot defend themselves.
The animal exploitation industry and the state go hand in hand.
The animal exploitation industry and the state make billions killing non-human animals.
The activists of the Animal Liberation Front are trying to stop the animal exploitation industry and that is why the cooperation partner “State” is fighting a growing social movement.
In view of the above, it is no wonder that members of ALF and similar groups are very careful with their private data, which we fully respect here.
The brand anticipates ‘enormous potential’ in the future plant-based sector within Spain Credit: Supplied
Flax & Kale Unveils 45 New ‘Revolutionary’ Plant-Based Products
The range consists of 14 vegan meat products and 31 vegan cheese items developed by renowned chef Teresa Carl
Flax & Kale, the brand under a renowned restaurant specializing in health foods, has announced it is launching 45 new ‘revolutionary’ plant-based products.
Moreover, it claims to be ‘the only’ multi-category brand to create local plant-based products in Spain.
Flax & Kale
The range will be one of the biggest Spanish-produced plant-based product lines to date.
It consists of 14 vegan meat products and 31 dairy-free cheese items such as gouda, cheddar, and mozzarella in different forms.Vegan meat on offer will include a beef and chicken alternative available in hamburgers, croquettes, nuggets, meatballs, and mince.
Prices will range between €1.99 and €2.99 for the vegan cheese products, and €3.59 and €3.99 for the meat alternatives.
Celebrated international chef Teresa Carles formed the recipes. Moreover, they have been tested in the group’s restaurants for three years.
All are produced in a modern research and development facility in Lleida, Catalonia.
‘Plant-based leaders’
The Flax & Kale brand is under the Teresa Carles Healthy Foods restaurant group.
CEO Jordi Barri told PBN: “Our ambition is to become a leader in the plant-based market in Spain over the next few years.
“With a very diverse range and truly competitive prices, which we can offer thanks to 100 percent local production and sizeable investment over recent years in the latest generation industrial production lines.
“This launch is just the first step in that direction, and there will be many more steps in the coming months.”It comes as the brand anticipates ‘enormous potential’ in the Spanish plant-based sector this year.
Additionally, restaurants are adding more vegan options to their menus across the country.
Veganism in Spain
According to figures published on Statista, vegans and vegetarians in Spain are limited.
This is according to surveys revealing almost 90 percent of the population ate both meat and dairy.However, these figures are from 2019 – and updated data shows an increase in stores offering vegan food.
The products are soon available online and in leading supermarkets and restaurants across Spain.
Specific dates surrounding the launch are yet to be released.
Regards Mark
RIP Amy (Winehouse) – taken far, far too early, as many of the best people are.
WAV Comment – we very much welcome this excellent news from Turkey, and congratulate all those who have campaigned for improvements to animal welfare legislation, and the politicians who are making it reality.
Quote – The legislation aims to curb incidents of violence toward animals in the country, following public outcry regarding the treatment of stray animals by government ministries.
So really excellent news regarding the treatment of stray animals – EU take note and do something about strays in Europe !
As we said in a recent post, England: People Power For The Animals. – World Animals Voice people power works; and this must never be forgotten. Politcians work for you, they are elected by you; and they can be deselected by you. You have the power to make change.
Regards Mark.
Stray – Homeless but not wild – Help Me Please.
TURKEY WILL NO LONGER CLASSIFY ANIMALS AS COMMODITIES
Turkey’s highly anticipated animal-rights bill is expected to be presented to the Turkish Parliament and enacted into law in the coming weeks. The new legislation will redefine animals as living beings instead of “commodities,” as is the case under current laws. It also seeks jail time for anyone who kills, abuses, or tortures animals.
The legislation aims to curb incidents of violence toward animals in the country, following public outcry regarding the treatment of stray animals by government ministries. In addition, in recent years, incidents of violence toward animals have made headlines, including an incident in which seven dogs and seven cats died after consuming chicken laced with poison. This month, a man was fined for killing and eating stray kittens. Under current laws, any act of torture or killing of a stray animal is punishable under “damage to commodities” and comes with a lenient fine. In the past, courts have also handed down light sentences in a few exceptionally brutal cases.
The law’s new definition will automatically put crimes like these on equal footing as violence toward humans and carry a jail sentence. The jail sentence sought for crimes against animals will be from six months up to four years, which will avoid criminals getting out on bail or converting the prison sentence to a fine.
Sweeping animal-rights legislation
The proposed legislation follows Parliament’s creation of an Animal Rights Legislative Commission in May 2019. The Turkish Grand National Assembly’s Animal Rights Investigation Committee spent several months meeting with animal-rights activists, nonprofit organizations, academics, experts, and other people involved in animal welfare and rights for a more comprehensive approach to the matter. The committee has since made its recommendations in the new legislation.
The recommendations also included banning zoos, circus animals, horse-drawn carriages, dolphin parks, fur farms, and pet stores, while restricting hunting and animal experimentation. However, the law deals largely with animal companions such as cats and dogs and does not address the cruelty to farmed animals, including fish.
Improving companion animal laws
Countries around the world have different laws for animals who are considered companions. Last year, China’s Ministry of Agriculture announced it was removing dogs from the “livestock” category to instead consider them companion animals. However, this reclassification largely affects the global dog and cat meat trade, which animal-rights organizations have been working to ban for decades. According to the Humane Society International, approximately 10 million dogs are killed for food annually in China. Recognizing that dogs are companions instead of “livestock” is the first step toward eliminating the consumption and trade in dog meat.
The supporters of the “Animal Liberation Front(ALF)” probably struck on the night from Friday to Saturday.
The perpetrators left a field of devastation in the Lower Saxony complex.
All metal parts such as slide valves and rotary bowls were stolen. The strangers also sawed wooden beams from roof structures and seating, which is why the police’s investigations will not only relate to property damage.
The perpetrators saw through the entire load-bearing wooden elements.
In addition, all foxes were released.
According to the sleeping facility operator, these hand-raised foxes have no chance of survival in nature.
According to the police, the total damage amounts to over 5,000 euros.
It is not the first time that attacks like this have occurred on full moon nights.
Not so long ago, another Lower Saxony sleeping facility was destroyed during a full moon.
The sleeping facility itself was also completely destroyed.
The sole purpose of these systems is to train hunting dogs for construction hunts in accordance with animal welfare standards.
Perhaps the self-proclaimed animal rights activists will understand at some point that such acts of sabotage cause animal suffering.
Incidentally, the affected hunters do not want to be named in this context.
Several threats against plant operators have been circulating on the Internet for some time.
It is announced that the hunters “must expect action in their private sphere”.
The UK government announced back in 2017 that it did not intend to transfer the hard won EU animal sentience regulation into (UK) national law as a result of leaving the EU (Brexit).
British animal welfare campaigners were outraged with this – so it was time to turn up the heat with the British government, who always talk loudly about animal welfare issues. Why suddenly, on leaving the EU, would UK animals NOT still be covered by laws that gave them some protection as an EU member state ?
Battle lines were drawn between the campaigners and the government. The campaigners won, and by the end of the year the UK government was forced into a major U turn.
Despite words from the government, legislation did not materialise. In 2019, a coalition of more than 40 animal welfare organisations joined together, along with over 100,000+ signatures from British activists on a Parliamentary petition, asking Ministers to:
(Note – it has to be remembered that under UK law, if a petition exceeds 100K signatures, then the issue concerned (whatever it is about) has to be debated in the British Parliament, London).
Demands from the people included;
Impose a legal duty on governments to pay all due regard to the welfare needs of animals as ‘sentient beings’.
Recognise animal sentience when formulating and implementing policies.
Ensure clear, consistent processes for for all Ministers to deliver against their animal sentience duties.
Create an Animal Welfare Commission to monitor the government performance against animal sentience law.
As stated, with over 100k signatures on the petition, the petition was debated in Parliament as it had to be. The result being that Victoria Prentis MP (Defra) stated that the government would introduce the necessary legislation on animal sentience as soon as they could.
The people had won with their campaigning ! – efforts had resulted in victory.
But they still had to keep up the pressure for over a year longer to get the legislation. In the Queens Speech on 11th May 2021, defining the schedule for government legislation in the next parliamentary session, the government finally announced legislation would exist under UK law to recognise animals as thinking, feeling (sentient) beings.
The ‘Animal Welfare Sentience Act’ was introduced to parliament 2 days later, and will:
Formally recognise animals as sentient beings under UK law.
Establish and ‘Animals Sentience Committee’, or ASC, to ensure that across all government departments, policy making and implementation considers animal sentience.
Requires Ministers to respond to reports from the ASC, to ensure that they remain politically accountable.
This new law ensures that all farm animals are treated with respect and kindness, and that their experiences and feelings DO matter. This new law is a critical step towards the final goal of ending factory farming and replacing it with sustainable, compassionate alternatives, such as organic and free range farming.
The new legislation is currently working its way through parliament at this very time to become law.
What do we learn ?
Victory is never delivered on a plate.
As with the sentience Bill; the Brits had to work and fight hard to get it; but they did, and they achieved result. Brits are generally good animal welfare people; (II am one of them) – tell them that sentience does not matter and they will probably manhandle you out to the nearest airport, and put you on a one way ticket flight to a distant land.
But importantly, as we always ay in the UK, ‘politicians work FOR YOU’; they are not gods; as they can be put out to pasture whenever the electorate feels the need. So activists everywhere; keep on with your fights, whatever issue it is for, and in the end you will achieve. Personally, I have fought live exports in the UK for over 32 years; but only now, this year, 2021, have we seen the government listen to us and make first moves to get a ban on. Never give up; unite and fight the fight; good (us) always overcomes evil (them) in the end.
I take inspiration from wonderful Jill at Animals Asia (video above), and the multitude of other excellent campaigners dotted all over the globe; unsung heroes who fight endlessly for better welfare and the rights of animals – you all have my greatest admiration and respect. Look at the fur industry – it is on its knees and desperately hanging on in there attempting to survive much because the good, normal people have said ‘No’ to the disgusting abuses that are placed before them by the fur rabble humans.
It is a victory of the people, by the people, for the people but very much for the animals also.
Compassion In World Farming (CIWF) London, has launched a new programme designed to help build the grassroots movement for farm animal welfare in Japan, Indonesia and South Korea.
The programme offers grants to individuals and organisations already working within farm animal welfare advocacy, climate change or environmental protection; or looking to take their first steps into improving farm animal welfare in their region.
The sight of young foxes playing is one of the most beautiful pictures that our domestic animal world has to offer.
Very few people know, however, that many fox pups are already shot by hunters in their parents’ den or caught in trapping instruments such as the so-called “young fox trap” and then killed.
Fox pups do not have a closed season in most federal states!
Foxes are hunted in most federal states without a regular closed season.
Hunters kill them during the mating season, during the gestation period, while rearing the young, while migrating in search of a territory.
They are hunted with traps and bitten out of their den with dogs, the supposedly safe haven for the birth of the puppies.
The highly social animals are kept captive in barren kennels in order to train construction dogs on them. They are victims of driven hunts and are tracked across territories during fox weeks.
Every year well over 400,000 red foxes in Germany die from hunting – five million in the last eleven years!
Foxes can neither be used as food, nor is the fur of these beautiful animals sold.
About 97 out of 100 foxes killed are thrown into bushes or, at best, buried.
This is neither ethically responsible, nor is it a reasonable reason in terms of the Animal Welfare Act.
Engineering structures for foxes: they are artificial dwellings built by hunters themselves, which serve as camouflaged traps, and trick their victims into a deceptive idyll that they are safe from persecution.
So sure they will start a family here and raise their young ones.
The whole thing works like this: “Sharp” hunting dogs, which have previously practiced on a captured living object, are sent to the burrow to scare the animals out
The young animals living there are eliminated and their parents chased outside. The murderers are already waiting at the exits with their rifles loaded.
SNAIL SLURRY CREAM – A COSMETIC PRODUCT MERCELESS EXPLOITATION! 💔🐌
In recent years, starting established from South Korea an animal product from the cosmetics industry – snail slime cream.
Very few consumers are aware of the horror behind this alleged “rejuvenating agent”, but it is ubiquitous on snail farms.
Like all living things in factory farming, the little animals are exploited and mistreated here.
Unrecognizable woman picking snails in farm.
The slime of the snails is needed to make this cream.
As the name suggests, snail slime is produced by snails.
The small animals generate it to protect against injuries, dehydration and for locomotion.
This secretion makes even razor-sharp razor blades an obstacle that is easy to overcome.
The production of this liquid is extremely strenuous for the animals and always associated with stress.
If the stress increases, the amount of secreted mucus also increases. And this is exactly where the factory farming industry comes into play on snail farms.
For this animal product, snails are kept anything but appropriate to the species in small cages.
In order to be able to harvest as much secretion as possible, the animals are put under artificial stress and pain using various methods, and all of them are cruel and ethically absolutely reprehensible.
So that the mucus settles outwards, the poor little creatures are centrifuged.
Damage is done to them to increase stress.
This happens through chemicals, salt, dehydration with salt water, acids, cold water, knocks with sticks or electric shocks, among other things.
All of this is officially not considered animal cruelty globally, as it is claimed that animals are not harmed and do not die in the process.
This abuse is also not covered by the Animal Welfare Act, since snails are invertebrates and, in an incomprehensible manner, are said to be completely insensitive to pain.
But even though they only have a simple nervous system and a tiny brain, they are still able to feel pain.
They are breathing creatures and therefore not the plaything of humans.
There is no conclusive research result anywhere in the world about the allegedly rejuvenating and healing properties of this cream.
We condemn this kind of cruelty to animals against sensitive living beings in the strongest possible terms.
It is absolutely immoral for the mass production of a questionable anti-aging product to harm wonderful living beings and to deny their ability to experience pain.
We also appeal to all consumers not to participate in this disgusting system of exploitation, because, as is so often the case, it is up to the end consumer to alleviate the suffering of the animals.
Please do not buy any products that contain snail slime, because after all, anyone with common sense should understand that the life and the integrity of breathing creatures weigh more than the illusion of beauty.
The best thing to do is to look out for items that are completely cruelty-free.
AND ALSO APPLIES TO SNAILS: EVEN IN THE SMALLEST BODY, A HEART BEATS !!! 💖🐌
And I mean…There has always been a public interest in snails, but not because of the snail cream, but because many meat eaters are interested in eating bred snails (i.e. several million snails are bred and killed each year)!
A well-known snail farm in Vienna alone, for example, breeds 200,000 Roman snails on 2000 m², that’s 100 snails on a single (!) Square meter.
Since ancient times, escargots have been regarded as a delicacy. They are particularly valued in France, Spain, Italy and Portugal in local kitchens.
There are people who say that snails don’t suffer. There are people who say the opposite.
But the answer today is simple: we don’t know.
Or rather: we don’t know yet.
The situation is somewhat reminiscent of the problem with fish not so long ago.
After all, it has long been thought that fish cannot feel pain and have no feelings.
It was only thanks to dedicated advocates for Pisces that we now all know that this is not the case. Today we can safely say that Pisces feel pain.
It is quite likely that snails will feel pain too, and just as likely that science will find it out in the near future.
But even if we don’t know for sure, it is better to harm someone in the vague hope that they will not suffer anyway, or it is better not to harm someone if there is a possibility that it will harm them or suffers?
So if we don’t know whether someone is capable of suffering, it is better not to hurt them
Seeing a squirrel in the wild is always an exciting moment, but we rarely get to see the cute creatures up-close. Most of the time, you might just see a flash of fluffy red fur scurrying up a tree or darting across the forest floor. However, Swedish photographer Johnny Kääpä has earned the trust of his local squirrels, who now curiously approach his camera and pose for snapshots.
The perpetrators saw through the entire load-bearing wooden elements.
The sleeping facility itself was also completely destroyed.
We also appeal to all consumers not to participate in this disgusting system of exploitation, because, as is so often the case, it is up to the end consumer to alleviate the suffering of the animals.
World Animals Voice 