Underwater factory farms are one of the biggest causes of suffering on the planet. Forcing billions of fishes to spend their lives swimming in endless circles in cages before suffering inhumane and painful deaths. We call on the European Commission to include the protection of fish welfare among the priority objectives of the revision of the EU legislation on animal welfare.
The new investigation
A new investigation by Essere Animali reveals the shortcomings of the current European Union legislation on animal welfare, which clearly fails to guarantee the protection of farmed fish. The shocking images filmed during the investigation — which was conducted at several trout farms as well as a few sea bass and sea bream farms — reveal farming, transport and slaughter practices that cause enormous suffering to the animals.
By releasing this investigation, Essere Animali joins and relaunches the Compassion in World Farming campaign, aimed at asking the European Commission to include the protection of fish welfare among the priority objectives of the revision of the EU legislation on animal welfare.
From cage to fur farming and fish welfare, key animal welfare concerns are being addressed very differently across the EU’s 27 Member States.
In this report, we break down the steps that different countries in the EU are taking on a range of animal welfare issues – or lack thereof. The stark differences in their approaches highlights the critical need for the EU to publish its long-awaited revision to the animal welfare legislation, which has not been updated for decades, and which is not sufficiently protecting the wellbeing of animals across Europe.
Only by modernising and strengthening these laws will the EU be able to effectively harmonise the approaches of all Member States to animal welfare: improving the lives of billions of sentient beings, easing compliance for farmers, ensuring fair competition, and aligning agriculture with its sustainability and resilience goals.
A new set of figures showing the scale of suspected illegal fox hunting and the havoc being inflicted on rural communities by fox hunts has been released today by national animal welfare charity the League Against Cruel Sports.
Nearly 1,600 incidents – consisting of 474 reports relating to suspected illegal hunting, which include 397 reports of foxes being chased, and 1,117 reports of hunt havoc – were recorded in the League’s end of season fox hunting report.
Emma Judd, head of campaigns at the League Against Cruel Sports, said: “These shocking figures underline why the government has announced it will launch a consultation to ban trail hunting later this year, something we are urging them to publish without delay.
“But, more than that, the Hunting Act also needs to be strengthened by removing its loopholes, which are exploited by hunts to avoid prosecution for illegal hunting, and for custodial sentences to be introduced for those who persist in breaking the law.”
The League’s figures reveal that the west of England was a particular fox hunting hot spot, with Gloucestershire, Dorset and Somerset recording the highest figures of all the counties in England and Wales.
Dorset and Somerset’s Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt, four members of which were convicted of illegal hunting this week, was the worst offending hunt in the country – with 61 reports relating to suspected illegal hunting, including 48 reports of foxes being chased and 83 reports of hunt havoc.
The Warwickshire Hunt, a member of which was convicted of illegal hunting last month after the court dismissed his claim that the hunt was following a trail, was also one of the worst offending hunts, with reports of the hunt chasing 20 foxes.
The figures cover the cub hunting season, which began in August, and then the main fox hunting season, from November 2024 to the end of March 2025.
The havoc caused by hunts includes anti-social behaviour and activities inconsistent with trail hunting, the discredited excuse used by hunts since the fox hunting ban in which they claim to claim to follow pre-laid trails.
These activities included hounds being struck on a busy road or railway line where no trail would have been laid, digging up badger setts to get to foxes that have fled underground, trespass – including in people’s private gardens – and causing harm or distress to other animals, such as family pets.
Trail hunting has been described by Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman, the national lead on fox hunting crime, as a “smokescreen for illegal fox hunting”. He has also described illegal hunting as “prolific”.
The figures are compiled from the charity’s confidential Animal Crimewatch service and hunt monitors’ reports by the League’s intelligence team, which is staffed by former police officers and civilian analysts.
Emma added: “These figures show the fox hunts have an appalling disregard for the law and are chasing and killing foxes as they did before the ban and inflicting misery on rural communities.
“The time for change is now. New stronger fox hunting laws are needed to consign this barbaric activity to the history books.”
Members of the public can contact the League’s Animal Crimewatch service on 0300 444 1234, email crimewatch@league.org.uk or WhatsApp at 0755 278 8247.
New statistics show the scale of suspected illegal fox hunting which took place over the latest fox hunting season – including hundreds of foxes seen being chased – and how urgent it is for the ban on hunting with dogs to be strengthened.
The government has announced that it will launch a consultation on banning trail hunting later this year. This is welcome and must happen soon.
But if we are to stop illegal hunting for good, the plans must go further and include removing exemptions in the law and introducing prison sentences for those who would break the law.
Please contact your MP and tell them it’s time for change. Ask them to write to the Environment Secretary to urge him to act quickly to close all the loopholes in the hunting ban.
Published: April 11, 2025 at 02:10 PM Author: PENNY EIMS
Live Oak, FL – On March 31, Eric Ivan Roldan viciously attacked a young puppy, causing severe injuries. The Live Oak Police Department said they were contacted by Jenny Lynn Mayes with an animal abuse complaint; responding officers found Mayes holding a bloodied, injured, 10-week-old puppy.
The authorities described the pup’s injuries, writing:
Officers observed the puppy had several cuts around her ear, swollen eyes, and blood coming from her nose and ears.
Describing the severe injuries found at a local veterinary hospital:
Officers later transported Mayes and the puppy to a local veterinarian where she was assessed, treated, and determined to have a skull fracture and severe swelling around the head and skull. The puppy was in obvious physical distress and pain as she yelped each time she was touched or moved.
Mayes told officers that 45-year-old Eric Ivan Roldan was responsible for the puppy’s injuries.
In her statement to law enforcement, she described Roldan wrapping the puppy in a blanket and then simultaneously kicking, stomping and slamming the puppy against the ground. The blanket, which had obvious blood stains on it, was observed on scene and photographed.
This tiny, 10-pound puppy suffered horrific injuries because of Roldan’s violent behavior. This grown man brutalized a tiny, innocent puppy – it is quite literally a miracle that she is alive today.
If you are disgusted by this vile man’s actions, please add your name to the petition and help Animal Victory hold him accountable for the pain and suffering he inflicted on this young puppy!
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UPDATE: MEDICAL CONDITION OF PUPPY “Sweet Pea”
The puppy, dubbed Sweet Pea, has been taken under the wing of the Livin’ Like Larry Sanctuary, and is receiving care from Oviedo Veterinary Hospital. On 4/11/25, the organization let social media followers know that Sweet Pea underwent surgery to repair her fractured skull. She made it through surgery and is stable! A portion of the update following surgery:
Mesh over skull pieces to hold everything into place while it heals. +/- removal of mesh depending on if it becomes an issue later. Will monitor with CT scans on a routine basis through the next several months. Was able to flip large part of displaced skull back which Is great! They removed piece that had died, then left a small fragment out of place bc it had adhered to her brain and removing it was too risky. Flushed brain due to some pus. Not unexpected. Sending out culture and sensitivity to lab to ensure right antibiotics on board.
SULALA is one of the very few organisations in the area providing urgent support and care to the animals trapped in this horrific conflict – and let us say openly here: Outright Genocide of the Palestinian People by Israel! – and is in dire need of funds to carry on doing so.
Once again, however, they are, as are many who work on the “wrong side” of this issue (especially in the US these days), targeted by anti-Palestinian sentiment. This recent development with “GoFundMe” seems even more proof of that.
URGENT GLOBAL OUTCRY: END CRUEL LIFELONG TETHERING AND THE HORRIFIC, REPEATED DEATHS OF DOGS IN YOUR SISTER PROVINCE OF CHUNGCHEONGNAM DURING WILDFIRES
South Korea’s pursuit of the 2036 Summer Olympics is marred by a profoundly concerning issue: the ongoing, severe neglect of animals. Despite legal revisions, the cruel practice of lifelong dog tethering continues, leaving countless animals in misery. Tragically, this neglect leads to horrific and preventable deaths of burning alive during disasters like wildfires, where chained and caged dogs are abandoned to burn alive. The International Olympic Committee must consider this stark reality. Awarding the Games to a nation with such demonstrable animal welfare failures would contradict the values of compassion and respect the Olympics should represent.
We urge you to take immediate action. This campaign demands that the IOC recognize the ethical imperative to prioritize animal welfare in their decision for the 2036 Olympics. By adding your name to this petition, you directly amplify the global call for South Korea to end lifelong tethering, strengthen animal protection laws, and ensure the safety of animals during emergencies. Your signature sends a clear message: the world is watching, and we will not stand by while such cruelty persists. Join us to break these chains of suffering and prevent future tragedies. Our collective voice can influence the IOC and compel South Korea to enact meaningful change. Take a stand for these vulnerable animals now.
Published: August 23, 2023 at 05:29 AM Author: PENNY EIMS
Weatherford, TX – A former employee of the Weatherford Parker County Animal Shelter is accused of killing an estimated 80 kittens at the facility. The authorities have identified 21-year-old Gabriel Skyler Caswell as the person responsible for the innocent kittens’ deaths.
Caswell started working at the shelter facility in February 2023 and he was terminated on July 14. During that span of time, there were 80 “unexplained” kitten deaths.
including a review of the shelter’s surveillance video; the footage was shocking. Weatherford Police Sgt. Tiffany Vanzant commented about what the footage revealed:
“It’s something we don’t want to have to put out there in detail, but it’s just enough for these kittens to have died… so it’s graphic in nature. We’re all shocked and disgusted by this case.”
Caswell was captured on video physically abusing kittens. One instance involved a black kitten who was beaten so severely that the spine was severed.
beat the kitten to death – discarding the body in the trash the next day.
Staff and employees at the shelter are heartsick over the kitten deaths. Dustin Deel, Weatherford Director of Municipal and Community Services, said:
“Our shelter team of staff and volunteers take a lot of pride in the love and care that we provide to the animals that visit our shelter. For something like this to happen is unfathomable.”
Gabriel Skyler Caswell was arrested twice in July on animal cruelty warrants. He is currently free on bond. Please add your name to the petition to help us put this man behind bars for as long as possible!
We the undersigned demand that Gabriel Skyler Caswell face the maximum punishment for each and every charge stemming from the kitten deaths at the Weatherford Parker County Animal Shelter between February 2023, and July 2023. It takes a truly sadistic person to intentionally hurt and kill innocent, vulnerable kittens. Caswell must be punished severely enough to prevent him from ever harming another living being and he must never be allowed to work with, or live with, animals in the future.
Individuals are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law. Animal Victory relies upon the authorities and the court system to determine guilt or innocence.
Update March 20, 2025: Just in! Gabriel Caswell has been sentenced to MORE time in prison after pleading guilty to 12 remaining charges. This week, Caswell was sentenced to 40 years in prison. The sentences will run concurrently but will be stacked on top of the 30 years he had already received in three previous trials, Parker County District Attorney Jeff Swain said. Animal Victory is thrilled with this impressive sentence, and we thank everyone who helped to make it possible!
Final update 9/17/2024: VICTORY!!! Animal Victory is thrilled to announce the sentencing of Gabriel Caswell! On September 11, Caswell was sentenced to 10 years in prison – the maximum sentence for his crimes! He is also ordered to pay over $20,000 in fees/fines. We thank each and every person who signed our petition, helping us achieve this incredible victory. Together, we will continue our quest to end animal cruelty. Please see linked PDF for details of Caswell’s sentencing.
Update 11/30/2023: Animal Victory sent petition to the attorney and judge.
Update 11/28/2023: Gabriel Caswell has an arraignment hearing on December 6, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. C.S.T. at the 43rd District Court.
Update 11/21/2023: On November 16, 2023, a Parker County grand jury indicted Gabriel Skyler Caswell on 15 counts of animal cruelty. District Attorney Jeff Swain said, “If Mr. Caswell is convicted of cruelty to non-livestock animals, he will face a sentence of two to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, His cases were assigned to the 43rd District Court, Judge Craig Towson presiding.” A court date has not been set yet.
Update 10/24/2023: Gabriel Caswell does not have a case number because he has not been indicted by a grand jury yet.
Update 10/16/2023: Caswell has been charged with 32 separate cases of cruelty and remains out of jail on bond.
Update 9/6/2023: Gabriel Carswell posted bond – bond was set at $25,000 on one charge, and $10,000 on the second charge. Investigation Record number: I230001794.
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Comment of our own:
40 years!!!
A truly exceptional sentence, and a great victory for all those who worked so hard to see justice done for these 80 Innocents. Even a fraction of that would go a long way in China, where animal abuse of this kind is rampant and basically legal ….
Banks the puppy was just four months old. He should have had a long life of trips to the park, walks, and treats ahead of him — but instead, he died a slow and horrible death because of someone’s cruel neglect.
Banks was found starving to death and soaking wet under a carport in Florida. Despite rescuers’ best efforts, he died not long after being rushed to the emergency vet.
Sign the petition to demand justice for Banks!
The video of Banks at the emergency vet is just heartbreaking — he is clearly terrified and in immense pain from his starved state. You see, rescuers had received a call about a dog in bad shape, so they went to investigate. That dog was Banks, and he was barely alive.
Banks was entirely skin and bone.
We don’t know the exact details of the case yet — like who is responsible and how things got to this point — but we do know that there is no excuse for the state this puppy was in. It takes a long time for an animal to become that malnourished — weeks or even months of slow, cruel starvation. Whoever let Banks suffer this long must be held responsible.
Even if someone is struggling to feed their pet, there are resources available at shelters or other charitable organizations. Whoever Banks’ owner or caretaker was, they clearly were not willing to do what was necessary to keep the puppy alive and healthy. That’s why we’re asking that, when authorities identify the person responsible, they suggest a sentence including a lifetime ban on animal ownership. Caring for a pet is an immense responsibility…one that this person clearly wasn’t ready for.
We must demand justice in memory of Banks so that no other animals suffer his sad fate. Sign the petition and demand that whoever killed Banks never be allowed to own an animal ever again!
World Animals Voice 