Galway
SPCA join ARAN In voicing their sorrow at the passing of Tony Gregory
TD who truly was a voice for all the animals he will be sadly missed
both the animals and the people who fight daily for the right of all
animals.
STATEMENT
FROM ARAN ON TONY GREGORYS DEATH
ARAN is extremely
upset by the news of Tony Gregorys untimely death. He was a great
friend to animals and used every opportunity to speak out against senseless
cruelty. We always thought Tony was a perfect fit for ARAN because,
just like us, he not only hated cruelty to animals and loved animals
dearly but also couldn't be ignored, and no matter what people thought
of him, they always had an opinion, one way or another. A long-time
animal advocate who worked tirelessly to end bloodsports and even introduced
a bill in Dail Eireann to ban Harecoursing, his staunch support to see
and end to bloodsports in Ireland will be dearly missed and he will
be a TD we are going to find hard to replace in Dail Eireann, weve
lost a devoted voice for animals.
It is a tragedy
when anyone passes away before their time, but with Tony Gregory, animals
have lost a true hero and ARAN has lost a good friend. We will miss
him, Said Stephan Wymore, Research Coordinator for ARAN."
Please
sign the Petition started on the link below, asking Fingal County Council
to build the Marine Conservation centre as they have promised for the
past number of years.
Watch WSPAs
Bear Sanctuary series on Animal Planet Learn all about our Bear Sanctuary in Romania which is the focus
of the up and coming Bear Sanctuary series on Animal Planet. Starting
on Thursday 13th November at 9:00 pm, share the joy of the bears as
they start their new lives in the sanctuary. Bears like Miro, a lonely,
orphaned cub and Benny and Allah who have lived their whole lives in
captivity. To celebrate the show Victor Watkins, Senior Wildlife Advisor
here at WSPA, has created a blog where you can learn more about the
work of the sanctuary, share your views and comment on the show and
most importantly meet the stars of the show. Meet
the bears >>
Catch Bear Sanctuary
on Animal Planet (SKY channel 525, Virgin Media channel 215 and Tiscali
channel 107).
An historic moment
for animals
Every year on Remembrance Sunday and Armistace Day, we remember the
thousands of men and women who have given their lives in conflicts all
over the world. Actress
and WSPA supporter Miranda Richardson chose to remember the animals
that have served and died alongside them. Remembering
their sacrifice >>
Hurricane damage
in Cuba Helping animals in Cuba
Last weekend Paloma left a trail of destruction over Eastern Cuba adding
to the widespread devestation caused by hurricanes Fay, Gustav and Ike.
Whilst the
Cuban Government and aid agencies are battling to help the people of
the country WSPA is the only animal welfare organisation in history
to undertake a large scale operation to help Cubas animals. Helping
Cubas animals >>
Dominic Brunt
at World Animal Week event WSPA supporters and schools raised over £5,500
The wonders of the week included Emmerdale actor Dominic Brunt taking
part in our "Its A Piece Of Cake" event. Thanks
from WSPA >>
Read WSPA News
now The autumn/winter issue of WSPA News is now available
Read about our successes and the challenges facing us in our vision
to create a world where animal welfare matters, and animal cruelty ends. Read
WSPA News and subscribe online now >>
Peta are pleased
as punch to report thatthanks to the hard work of many of youtwo
important ballot initiatives passed yesterday, making history for animals.
California voters approved Proposition 2, which will ban some of the
worst cruelty to animals raised for food in that state: keeping egg-laying
chickens in battery cages so small that they can't spread their wings,
keeping veal calves in crates for their entire miserable short lives,
and keeping pregnant
pigs in crates so small that they can't take a step forward or backward
or turn around. Farmed animals in California will be given these basic
necessities by 2015, but we will continue to spread the message that
the best thing that people can do to help animals is to stop
eating them altogether. Thank you to all the Californians who responded
to our phone calls or who got involved after seeing PETA's remarkably
lifelike pigs-in-stalls displays outside grocery stores. Millions of
chickens, pigs, and cows will be spared horrific suffering, thanks to
you.
On the other side
of the country, Question 3 passed, which will ban greyhound
racing in the state of Massachusetts by 2010. We have long supported
the fabulous team of activists there and thank all of you who have worked
so tirelessly to see this victory become a reality. Dogs who are used
for racing typically spend 20 hours per day confined to cages measuring
only 32 in. by 42 in. by 34 in. Many of the dogs can't even stand completely
upright. The animals are also highly susceptible to injuries, including
fractures, dislocations, lacerations, and amputations. And because injured
dogs are no longer of use to the industry, they are often simply killed.
The impact of both
these important initiatives is tremendous for the millions of animals
whose lives will be affected by them. Our heartfelt thanks go out to
each and every one of you who worked toward their passage. While you
celebrate these hard-earned victories, please do something extremely
important: Remember the words "One can make a difference"
and commit to keeping the momentum on the animals' side by redoubling
your efforts. Leaflet this weekend at KFC.
Talk with more friends about buying cruelty-free products and clothing.
Visit our Action
Center for dozens of great ideas on how you can take action, and
choose some that appeal to you.
Together, we can
keep the momentum going!
Sincerely,
Ingrid E. Newkirk
PETA
501 Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510
United States
We
found your email address while researching on Wikipedia, dmoz.org and
worldanimalnet.org for websites related to the protection of animals
and animal rights. We are a registered German charitable non-profit
organization named "Docs 4 Dogs", and we are currently running
a campaign for the closure of all animal camps in Bulgaria.
Despite
the Bulgarian animal protection act having come into force in January
2008, stray dogs are still being abused, slain and poisoned. The former
isolators (death camps) are now called "animal shelters".
A report on our website gives you an idea about the appalling situation
of those poor animals:
We
need your help to urge the politicians who could prevent these cruelties
to close down the death camps for stray animals in Bulgaria. Right now
we are focusing on the isolator in Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second largest
city, where two animal keepers slayed 14 stray dogs with iron bars on
February 8, 2008. If you have a website, blog or mailing list, please
publish the following link were people can sign our protest against
the massacre of stray animals in Bulgaria:
PETA
has had a cooperative relationship with Liz Claiborne Inc. for many
years. Through our work together, the company has madeand continues
to makemany great strides to reduce the suffering of animals who
are used and abused in the clothing industry.
We would like to
share an exciting development that has resulted from our discussions
with Liz Claiborne Inc.: Juicy Couturea high-end clothing company
owned by Liz Claiborne Inc.has now adopted a permanent fur-free
policy. While Juicy Couture is still selling some fur items that were
stocked before this policy was adopted, it has assured us that no new
fur items will be procured and that as soon as the current stock of
items has gone, the company will be completely fur-free.
We applaud Liz Claiborne
and Juicy Couture for making this move, which will spare animals from
suffering all the torment and abuse inherent in fur production.
Unfortunately, some
companies continue to sell fur despite the fact that new evidence of
horrific cruelty is exposed year after year. PETA Asia-Pacific's recent
undercover
investigation in the Shandong region of China, for instance, produced
video footage of rabbits who kicked and screamed as they were slaughtered.
Another investigation into rabbit fur farms in France showed similar
cruelty.
We need you to speak
out and let the world know that it
is never OK for any company to sell fur. Please let your voice be
heard by urging these holdouts to go fur-free once and for all!
Armani
After watching PETA's shocking new exposé of the rabbit-fur industry
you'll understand how urgent your voice is needed! Please contact Armani
immediately and forward
the video on to everyone you know!
Donna
Karan
Donna Karan's top competitors have made fur-free commitments, and it's
past time for her to do the same. Please urge Donna Karan to discontinue
the sale of all fur items immediately.
Zappos.com
Online shoe retailer Zappos.com prides itself on good customer service,
but no compassionate shopper wants to buy from a company that promotes
the awful cruelty of the fur industry. Please demand that Zappos institutes
a permanent fur-free policy today.
Canada
Goose
Canada Goose, an outerwear retailer, knows about the suffering that
goes into every fur-trimmed garment, but the company continues to contribute
to it by using fur. Please ask Canada Goose to remove fur from their
collections permanently!
Please also add
PETA's recent
exposé of rabbit fur farms to your social networking pages
or personal Web site to show friends and family why they should never
wear fur.
With constant vigilance
and your continued support, we will see a completely fur-free shopping
season. Thank you for contacting the companies above and for helping
make the world safer for fur-bearing animals.
Wealthy businessmen
in China are pushing their government to overturn China's 1993 ban on
trade in tiger parts. These businessmen run for-profit tiger parks in
China, and want to be able to sell tiger body parts from captive tigers.
But with fewer than
4,000 wild tigers in the world, any increase in tiger part trade, even
from captive tigers, could spell extinction for these majestic cats.
Ask
McDonald's to take a stand against cloned animals
Will
McDonalds hamburgers be made from clones?
As part of the companys
recently launched See What Were Made Of campaign,
McDonald's is inviting consumers to learn about the ingredients that
make up their menu items. However, McDonalds has no policy on
serving milk and meat from cloned animals or their offspring, which
means that consumers will have no way of knowing if the McDonalds
BigMac® is laced with the animal cruelty associated with cloning.
Despite years of
research, cloning remains an incredibly inefficient technology that
results in a significant loss of animal life. From grossly oversized
heads, twisted limbs, and bloated fetuses, cloned animals and their
surrogate mothers suffer from a variety of severe health problems, abnormalities,
and deformities.
Take Action: Ask
McDonald's to go clone free
WSPA is supporting
a campaign by our member society, the American Anti-Vivisection Society
(AAVS), to keep meat and milk products from cloned animals out of the
food supply. It would be a major victory for animals if McDonald's,
one of the world's most well-known brands, refused to buy meat or dairy
products from cloned animals or their offspring. Join us in asking the
president of McDonalds to be a leader in the food industry by
making a public pledge that cloned animals and their offspring will
never be a part of McDonalds menu.
Here we expose the
barbarity of blood sports in Ireland. Witness for yourself the abusive
treatment of foxes, hares and deer in this collection of video footage.
Please also have a look at our videos showing the humane alternatives
- drag hunting and drag coursing. Other videos deal with the cruelty
of badger snaring, illegal animals traps, hunts on public roads and
hunts and landowners.
Re:
If there is just one thing you do for animals this year attend
ARANs Big Event on October 5th!
Dear ARAN Members
and Supporters,
We are hoping that
we can count on your attendance at our upcoming peaceful rally in Dublin.
Held during World Animal Week, ARAN is using this opportunity to call
for tougher animal protection laws in the new animal welfare bill and
to raise nationwide awareness of cruelty inflicted upon animals in Ireland.
This important rally is sure to create a positive frenzy on the streets
of Dublin and with the national media and we hope you will be a part
of this exciting experience!
We have been very
fortunate to receive countless offers of support from various kind people
across the country thank you to everyone who offered to help;
we cannot overly state how much we appreciate your support! There is
still people out there whom we need to hear from, is it you? To make
this event the biggest and best it can possibly be, we are once again
asking for your help. Please promote the event to your family, friends,
and co-workersyou would be surprised the amount of people you
can reach by simply telling them about the rally!
To help you spread
the word more easily, we have produced a snappy 1 minute promotional
video of our rally. Please note this video is not gory, but is a perfect
tool for encouraging anyone who wants to put an end to cruelty to animals
to attend the event. Plus it features exciting footage of ARANs
previous 2006 rally which was also a tremendous success!!!
Click
here to see the short 1 minute video. Once you have finished watching
this, please send this video clip to as many people as you can. Post
it on your BEBO, My Space and Facebook and anywhere else where you think
it will reach people! Please, dont leave it to someone else, be
pro-active, help us spread the word and ensure that this event will
be one of the best we have held for animals in 10 years. Without youre
support we cannot make a difference and the animal abusers will go unnoticed
and it is they who will have the last laugh!
Thank you from us
here at,
ARAN
Animal Rights Action
Network
www.ARAN.ie
Fighting Animal
Abuse Across Ireland
Ps. We cannot overly
emphasize how important your support and attendance will be in the run
up and on the day to our rally. Our rally will be staged on October
5th
I
remember speaking in a debate on hair coursing and blood sports in 2006
in the Dáil. This is an issue I am passionate about. The level
of vindictiveness and pettiness from FF and FG TDs was a sight to behold.
There are a large number of such individuals in each party, so it is
clear that with just six seats, getting a ban on blood sports was never
going to happen with either of parties.
A pre election
manifesto outlines your party's position in terms of what it wants to
achieve in Government. The proportion of what you get to implement depends
on the number of seats. So if you have a majority, I.e. 84 seats then
you can do pretty much what you like within the confines of the Constitution.
We got six. And
Fianna Fáil, with 78 seats were not budging on the hare coursing
issue.
So the only way
our Minister can do something is to find that issue illegal. He tried
it with the Stag hunt, got it delayed, but ultimately lost in the courts.
My guess would be that a ban on individual hare coursing events would
be subject to similar legal challenge unless it was to be banned outright.
With 2 out of 15 cabinet Ministers, including an FF Minister for 'Sport',
this is not going to happen.
The choice when
entering Government as a small party is to either try and achieve something
positive over your term of office, while not getting a lot of what you
want. The alternative is not to go into Government at all, which is
very tempting, as you retain your moral 'purity', but sit watching even
worse policy decisions being made.
I and others will
continue to fight against hare coursing and other cruel sports. But
a critical mass of people power is needed to help us in this fight,
because unless the FF and FG TDs in rural constituencies feel their
seats are under threat on this issue, they will never relent from their
cosy cultural barbarity.
Time
is running out to make the case against horse cruelty
Dear
Supporter,
Every
year, thousands of horses and other animals suffer illness, injury,
exhaustion and stress as they are transported across Europe for slaughter.
The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) is part of the
Handle with
Care coalition of animal welfare organisations that are determined
to end this cruel and unnecessary trade.
As
well as being horrifically cruel and illegal - horses travel from Spain
to Italy for up to 36 hours in extremely hot, dirty, cramped conditions
- these journeys have long been rendered unnecessary by the chilled
and frozen food trade.
Currently,
EU laws protecting animals from the worst abuses during transport are
not strongly enforced, allowing this cruelty to continue. But this October
offers a chance for change.That's why WSPA needs you to act now.
Next
month, the long distance transport of horses and other animals will
be debated by those with the power not only to enforce and improve welfare
regulations in Europe, but to put an end to long journeys for live animals.
Before
decisions are made in October that will affect thousands of animals
annually, the Handle with Care Coalition will present signatures to
the EU Commissioner to demonstrate the strength of public opinion.
With
your backing, we will ask them to spare thousands of horses, sheep,
cattle and pigs from pain and distress.
There
is strength in numbers. Help us make the strongest possible call for
better animal welfare in the EU next month by signing a letter to the
Commissioner.
Japan
Stop Killing Dolphins, Join Our Phone Blockade this Wednesday!
Re:
Please Call the Japanese Embassy on Wednesday to Protest Them Killing
Dolphins
Dear ARAN Members,
In Japan, fishers round up and slaughter approximately 23,000 dolphins
and small whales each year. In the small fishing village of Taiji, entire
schools of dolphins are driven into a hidden cove after a prolonged
chase. Once trapped inside the cove, the fishers kill the dolphins by
cutting their throats with knives or stabbing them with spears. The
water turns red with the dolphins' blood, and the air is filled with
their screams. This horrific massacre goes on for six months every year.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhJcyK6Y-J4>
It is commonly assumed that Japanese fishers hunt dolphins to supply
a small minority of Japanese people with dolphin meat. But the real
reason the Japanese government issues permits to kill dolphins has nothing
to do with
food culture. As shocking as it sounds, dolphins are viewed as "pests"
who need to be eradicated in huge numbers
<http://getactive.peta.org/ct/lpAtRXS1UY6L/> in order to preserve
the ocean's fish for humans. What's even more scandalous is that members
of the international dolphin-display industry take advantage of the
dolphin slaughter to obtain animals for use in captive-dolphin shows
and swim-with-dolphins programs.
On 3rd September, concerned citizens are asked to call the Japanese
embassy in Dublin to politely register their protest over the phone.
Please call their main switchboard to raise your voice for the dolphins.
Call
01-202-8300
Thank
you for taking action for animals.
Sincerely,
Stephan Wymore
Research Coordinator
Animal Rights Action Network <http://www.aran.ie>
www.bebo.com/StephanW73
The
Irish Council Against Blood Sports has made an 11th hour appeal to Minister
John Gormley not to grant licences to coursers to snatch up to 7,000
hares from the wild for use as live lures before greyhounds at enclosed
coursing events, where hares are made to run in terror for their lives
before greyhounds.
We have appealed to him on both prevention of cruelty and on conservation
grounds, and we pointed out to him that now more than ever, there are
compelling and urgent reasons to stop the hare netting. We sent the
Minister what can only be described as a catalogue of cruelty in which
is outlined hare hits/maulings, injuries and deaths, which
occurred at over 30 meetings last year, and documented by National Parks
Conservation Rangers who monitored the events (see below).
Only last May, the Minister himself issued a report on the Status of
EU Protected Habitats and Species in Ireland, which signalled grave
cause for concern about some of our native species, including the Irish
hare, whose overall conservation status was rated 'POOR', with reasons
given as loss of habitat, increased urbanisation and hunting. We warned
the Minister that Ireland may now be in breach of Article 14.1 of the
EU Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and Wild Fauna
by permitting the exploitation of the Irish hare whose conservation
status is now listed as 'POOR'. Meanwhile, in Northern Ireland, all
hare hunting as been suspended since 2004, because of conservation concerns,
and ironically, the two remaining hare coursing clubs there are now
the guests of coursing clubs in the Republic.
* Please scroll down for urgent action alert and for more details on
animal cruelty from the last coursing season *
Aideen Yourell
Spokesperson
Irish Council Against Blood Sports
Irish Council Against Blood Sports
PO Box 88, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, Ireland
Email: info@banbloodsports.com
Website: www.banbloodsports.com
ICABS on YouTube: www.youtube.com/icabs
ICABS on Bebo: www.bebo.com/banbloodsports
ICABS on MySpace: www.myspace.com/banbloodsports
Mobile WAPsite: www.banbloodsports.com/wap
ICABS RSS Feed: http://blog.myspace.com/blog/rss.cfm?friendID=201867779
________________________________________________
VERY URGENT ACTION ALERT
________________________________________________
Please urgently contact Environment Minister, John Gormley, and demand
that he prohibits all forms of hare persecution, including hare hunting
and hare coursing.
SAMPLE LETTER
(If you have time, please compose your own personal letter. Otherwise,
send the short sample letter below. Be assertive, but polite, in all
correspondence. Thank you.)
Minister John Gormley
Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government
Custom House, Dublin 1.
Email: minister@environ.ie
Tel: 01 888 2403. Fax: 01 878 8640.
Dear Minister Gormley,
I am writing to implore you to refuse a licence to the Irish Coursing
Club for any further hare coursing activities.
As you are aware, the conservation status of the Irish Hare has been
described as "poor" in the recently published "Report
on Status of Habitats and Species in Ireland". Furthermore, the
NPWS has confirmed that hare "numbers have decreased in recent
years". This is cause for enormous concern to myself and the majority
of Irish people who value the hare as an important part of our precious
heritage and who want the species protected from the appalling cruelty
of coursing and hare hunting.
Minister, the alarm bells are ringing for the hare species. Please listen
to them and firmly refuse a licence to the Irish Coursing Club.
Thank you. I eagerly await your positive response.
Yours sincerely,
[Name/Location]
________________________________________________
*** HARE COURSING CRUELTY (2007/08 SEASON) ***
Source: National Parks & Wildlife Service (Freedom of Information)
________________________________________________
Dundalk & Dowdallshill, December 26/27, 2007
According to ranger reports, a total of 7 hares died as a result of
being hit by muzzled dogs.
Gorey, Co. Wexford, 21/22 October, 2007
13 hares hit by dogs over 2 days of coursing, with five dying as a result
of their injuries.
Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, Nov 24/25, 07
9 hares hit by dogs over 2 days, with 5 dying of injuries, according
to NPWS report, and 1 hare 'escaping' from paddock. Meanwhile, the ICC
control steward in his report claimed that 5 hares died of 'natural
causes' and 1 'escaped' from paddock.
Tradaree, January 12/13, 2008
8 hares hit over 2 days, with 3 dying from their injuries. Meanwhile,
ICC control steward states these 3 died from 'natural causes'.
Tubbercurry, January 11/12/13, 2008
26 hares hit by dogs over the 3 days of coursing, with 14 described
as being mauled. 1 hare was found dead.
North Kilkenny, Dec 22& 23, 2007
4 hares hit on Day 2, with 4 injured and 4 dying of injuries, according
to ranger, while ICC Control Steward reported 5 hares hit and 4 dying
of 'natural causes' ??
Ballyheigue, Co. Kerry, October 13 & 14, 2007
12 hares hit , 3 killed, 1 injured, 1 put down, 1 died of 'natural causes'.
10 hares were deemed unfit for coursing by vet, T. McCarthy
Kilflynn, Co. Kerry, December 1st/2nd, 2007
6 hares hit by greyhounds over two days, with one killed and two dying
of 'natural causes'. It was noted on the accompanying vet's report that
3 hares were 'sick or otherwise unfit after coursing event' on Day 1,
and 10 on day 2. This corresponds with the ranger's report, which states
that 3 hares were released on Day 1, and 10 on Day 2. ???
Castleisland, Co. Kerry, October 28 & 29, 2007
7 hares hit over 2 days of coursing, with I hare killed and 2 died of
'natural causes', while veterinary report states that 7 hares were unfit
for coursing on day 1 and 2 'escapes/deaths' on morning of 30th.
Abbeydorney, Co. Kerry, October 20 & 21, 2007
6 hares hit by greyhounds, 2 injured and 2 put down, with 1 killed.
Ballyduff, Co. Kerry, November 16/17/18
4 hares hit over 2 days, according to ranger. 1killed 1 injured and
1 put down because of injuries, and 2 died of 'natural causes'.
Rathcormac, Co. Cork, Nov 24 & 25, 2007
10 hares hit, with 2 injured and "planned to be put down, but not
done in my presence," according to Ranger, and 1 'dying late in
the evening of the 24th'. The ranger stated that "during one of
the courses, a hare ran to the side of the coursing park, followed by
the 2 muzzled greyhounds. The hare got through the fencing out into
the general field
and the two dogs jumped the fencing. One dog dislodged the muzzle and
caught the hare. The hare was not killed but was badly injured and was
left in a box with another injured hare. They were both too injured
to be released and were to be put down but this was not done in my presence."
Ranger could not state if hares were re-coursed. 3 hares were unaccounted
for at the end of the event. Meanwhile, the ICC Control Steward claims
that 72 hares were released - conflicting with ranger's release no.
Wexford & District, Dec 12 & 13
16 hares hit. According to veterinary return, 8 hares were injured,
but there is no mention of how these hares were treated, with all 73
hares, which were present at start of meeting, reported by CR to have
been returned to wild. This raises concerns about releasing injured
hares back into the wild. In addition, veterinary return cited 6 hares
unfit
for coursing on Day 1 and 12 hares unfit on Day 2. Were these hares
coursed?
Balbriggan, Co. Dublin, 24/25 November, 2007
Two rangers attended this event. One of the rangers noted that one of
the hares was bleeding from its hind leg, as hares were being boxed
on Day 1. He noted one hare hit, which was seen by a vet. Another ranger
reported that the dogs pinned the hare. One of the dog's muzzles seemed
to loosen, according to the ranger, and the dog held the hare in the
air. On Day 2, Ranger was shown two dead hares, including the hare that
was seen by the vet on the previous day. A ranger who attended Trim
and Balbriggan made the following observations: "At both meetings
the odd
hare will cry out while being handled when the ear tag is being identified,
causing more stress to the animal...as I mentioned before, micro chipping
is far more humane...And will not come off, tearing the ear, leaving
it open to infection. "I have also noticed at several meetings
down through the years that if the dogs hit and pin the hare, the guy
on the horse always gets in front of the Ranger to prevent us from seeing
what is happening."
Castletown-Geoghegan, Westmeath, 15/16 December, 2007
11 hares were hit by dogs over 2 days. It was stated that 3 were caught
and treated by a vet. 4 uncoursed hares died. A vet concluded that their
body condition was poor. Meanwhile, the ICC control steward claims in
his report that only 2 hares were hit.
Cavan & District, November 16/17/18
5 hares hit according to coursers, 3 of which were 'released' and one
'escapee' (according to coursing club). Coursers also told ranger that
a further five animals had "either escaped or disappeared during
the holding period following capture". A leveret was born in captivity,
indicating that a pregnant hare had been captured, which is a breach
of
licence conditions.
Freshford, Co. Kilkenny, November 3 & 4, 2007
3 hares hit, with 2 dying from their injuries, according to ranger's
report. Meanwhile, ICC control steward states that no hares were hit,
and 2 died of 'natural causes'.
Listowel, Co. Kerry, November 9/10, 2007
8 hares hit, and 2 put down because of injuries, with one hare dying
of 'natural causes' according to ranger. The vet deemed 23 hares in
total (13 on day 1, and 10 on day 2) as 'sick or otherwise unfit after
coursing event' ???
Glin, Co. Limerick, Oct 6
8 hares died before coursing meeting. Post mortems revealed enteritis
(haemorrhagic).
Templetouhy, Jan 5 & 6 2008
5 hares were found dead in the paddock prior to the coursing event.
The findings of a post-mortem were consistent with coccidiosis, a condition
which is exacerbated by the stress of being taken from the wild, i.e.
netting, handling, transport, etc. There were 4 hares hit by greyhounds
over the 2 days. 1 injured hare was brought to a vet and declared fit
to be released, but 'showed limited mobility' when released. It was
stated that 'two hares were pinned on
day one of the coursing meeting. These animals were boxed and kept separate
from the main bunch of hares till inspected by attending vet. Both hares
were considered unharmed and were returned to the main paddock. There
was a query re hares being brought down from the paddock to be boxed
again, and whether these hares were separated from coursed hares.
Tralee, Co.Kerry, December 26 & 27, 2007
2 hares hit, 1 killed, 1 injured and put down, with 1 dying of 'natural
causes), according to ranger, while ICC Control Steward's report states
that 2 hares were hit, 1 hare killed, and 1 put down, with no hare dying
of natural causes??
Killimer/Kilrush, Nov 24 & 25
9 hares hit , with 1 injured and 1 put down because of injuries, according
to CR report.
Glanworth, Dec 4/5/6
5 hares hit over 2 days, with no injuries or kills cited by CR, while
69 hares released, leaving 7 hares accounted for, given that there were
75 hares on Day 1. No explanation is given for this. Meanwhile, Control
Steward for ICC states that 5 hares were hit over the three days, with
1 hare being killed and 1 injured, 1 put down because of injuries and
1
dying of 'natural causes' and 1 'escaped from paddock', a total of 5
hares, still leaving 2 unaccounted for.
Ballinagar, Co. Offaly, Oct 27 & 28, 2007
5 hares hit on Day 1, 2 injured and 2 died from injuries, while on Day
2 1 hare was hit and 1 died from injuries. Meanwhile, ICC control steward
cites only 3 hares hit on Day 1, with 2 dying of 'natural causes' on
Day 1, while 2 hit on Day 2 and again 2 dying of 'natural causes', which
conflicts with NPWS ranger report. Ranger observes in his report that
"62 hares were used for coursing and I noticed this year that the
number and the quality of hares appeared to be poor, compared to previous
years..I also noticed that the number of coursing events had to be cut
because there was an insufficient number of hares." In addition
he stated that a club official pointed out to him that they found "this
particular year the most difficult ever to find and capture wild hares.
He said more man-hours were spent this year looking for hares and yet
the number caught was low. He said that the hares are just not out on
the land anymore. He also told me that his club might have to amalgamate
with Edenderry as the Ballinagar club is
struggling to find hares any more."
Mallow, Co. Cork, Nov 11/12, 2008-06-02
There were 72 hares boxed at the start of the meeting, with no ear-tags,
but green dye, while 4 hares had "twine tied in their ears",
according to CR. 7 hares were hit (according to ICC Control Steward).
69 hares were released, according to CR, leaving 3 hares unaccounted
for.
East Donegal, Dec 29/30
Ranger attended on Day 2 only and cited 1 hare hit by muzzled dogs.
65 hares were released, leaving 2 hares unaccounted for.
Blarney (Macroom Coursing Club) Jan 16/17 08
5 hares hit by dogs over 2 days, with 1 killed and 1 injured (broken
femur) which had to be put down. At the release there were 4 hares missing,
which the club claim had escaped.
Loughrea, Co. Galway, 19, 20 & 21 October, 2007
There were 76 hares at the start of the meeting. 4 hares were hit over
the 3 days, according to ranger. 1 hare was found dead in paddock on
day after meeting, and 2 died while being put in boxes for release,
which post-mortems were not carried out on. Rangers supervised the release
of 69 hares, which leaves 4 hares unaccounted for. Meanwhile, the control
steward for the ICC in his 'report' stated that no hares died at the
meeting in contrast to the ranger's report above. He claimed, however,
that 3 hares 'escaped from paddock' and 1 hare was 'unaccounted for'.
Milltown Malbay, October 27 & 28, 2007
6 hares were hit over 2 days. 1 hare 'escaped' according to ICC control
steward's report.
Galway & Oranmore, Nov 17/18, 07
Ranger stated that there were 55 hares in captivity before the meeting.
He was contacted on Nov 11 by the coursing club and told that 6 hares
had 'escaped', leaving 49 hares. 4 hares hit over 2 days. 1 hare died
during release, which was sent for post-mortem, results of which are
unknown.
Clonakilty, Co. Cork, January 112/13, 2008
4 hares hit, 4 injured and 1 died of injury with 2 'found dead'.
Have
Your Group Represented at Animal Welfare Rally
As
you will know, the Irish government is currently drafting new legislation
for the upcoming Irish animal welfare bill and this is going to be a
very critical and crucial time for animals in need in Ireland. We have
the opportunity to stop many heartbreaking acts of cruelty to animals,
from homeless abandoned and abused dogs and cats seeking shelter on
the cold wet streets to animals that are chained and confined in the
circus, to greyhounds suffering in the Irish racing industry, tortures
bloodsports, cruel fur farming, painful and unscientific animal experiments
and much more, the list is endless and much goes unnoticed, but we must
not allow this to happen.
Never before have we issued such an important call for your support.
Right now our volunteers are busy working day and night trying to coordinate
a huge peaceful rally that we are organizing during World Animal Week
to generate much needed support for the new animal welfare bill. We
need your group and volunteers to join us on the day and help hold signs
and placards and show you care about animals.
Please join us.
When: Sunday, October 5th 2008, 1:30 p.m.
Where: Garden of Remembrance (Please meet outside here)
Contact: John Carmody, Christina Lynch, Mary Cashin, Stephan Wymore
or Shane Kiely 0876275579
Our peaceful and important rally will aim to do the following:
1. Raise awareness in the media and to the public about cruelty to animals
2. Call for stronger laws to protect animals
3. Bring people and groups who work with animals together
Year round Animal Rights Action Network supporters and volunteers are
busy helping animals. Many often work up to 11/12 hours a day trying
desperately to raise awareness of cruelty to animals and bring attention
to the animals' plight. We are also busy educating people and helping
to stop animal abuse directly.
Please consider coming along to support our important rally. Wherever
it is you live in Ireland, we simply ask that you please mark your diaries
and set aside just one day to be in Dublin and take part in our peaceful
rally, as we will not be organizing an event of this size for many more
years. Please take this unique opportunity to meet other kind, caring
and compassionate people, show you care about animals and raise your
voice against cruelty to animals. You don't want to miss this opportunity.
Please log onto our website at www.ARAN.ie
to learn more.
We really do hope that we can count on you to be there with us for this
important event. It simply won't be the same without your support and
attendance. Thank you for everything that you do to help those with
no voice,
Best Wishes,
Stephan Wymore :-)
Rally Coordinator Volunteer
Animal Rights Action Network www.ARAN.ie
Ps, please remember we are asking for you to be with us on October 5th
for a couple of hours, we won't be organizing an event like this for
many more years to come.
Bodies
of mutilated dogs found in river
PADDY CLANCY
ANIMAL WELFARE workers were stunned by the extent of cruelty behind
the deaths of two unwanted greyhounds. The badly mutilated bodies were
recovered this week from a tributary of the river Foyle near St Johnston,
Co Donegal.
Experts reckoned they were about three years old when dumped with weights
in the water. They had probably ended their racing lives either through
injury or for some other reason and their owner was no longer prepared
to give them
a home. The ears, where racing greyhounds carry identification marks,
were cut off one of the dogs, a male.
There was part of a rope around the neck of the other, a female, indicating
a weight had been attached before she was dropped in the river, probably
from a bridge over the Suille river near the Northern Ireland Border.
The
female's head had been almost entirely eaten by rats.
The bodies were spotted floating on Wednesday morning by a local farmer
near St Johnston.
ISPCA inspector Kevin McGinley removed the carcases from the river.
He was still shocked when he spoke yesterday about the discovery. "It
is mind-blowing that such wanton cruelty exists. It just reminds us
of the need
for people to have a change of attitude towards animal welfare."
Mr McGinley said it was not possible to say if the dogs were dead or
alive when dumped, because of the decomposition.
"This is as bad as it gets. People who are capable of doing something
like this to animals could be just as capable of human abuse and that
worries me."
(c) 2008 The Irish Times
In
the past month, over four hundred penguins have washed up on the beaches
of Rio de Janeiro, lost on the way to their annual migration site of
the Argentine Patagonia. Although penguins get lost every year in Brazil,
there have been an astounding number this year.
It's currently a
mystery why there are so many penguins washing up on Brazil's shores
this year, but scientists have posed several environmental theories,
such as overfishing, pollution and global warming.
Fortunately, concerned
citizens have stepped up and taken action. Niterói Zoo, the largest
in the state of Rio de Janeiro, has taken in many of the surviving penguins.
Soon, the Oceanographic
Museum in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul will be taking in
the survivors to rehabilitate them and prepare them to go back to the
wild.
Please
join us in sending thanks to the Niterói Zoo, president Giselda
Candiotto of the Zoonit Foundation, the zoo's rescue relief foundation,
and all of the staff and volunteers. May our feathered friends waddle
back into the wild soon!
Thanks for taking action!
There's a lot to
celebrate about the Summer Olympics in China: The many nations of the
world put politics aside and come together in peace so that the greatest
human athletes on Earth can compete.
But there's an ugly
side for animals living in the Olympic host country, a side that you
won't see in this week's nonstop coverage: the Chinese fur industry's
horrific abuse of animals.
By making an urgent
donation today to support our work, you can help us draw the world's
attention to the cruelty of the Chinese fur industry and keep people
from unwittingly supporting it.
An estimated 2 million
cats and hundreds of thousands of dogs are tortured and slaughtered
for their fur in China every year. PETA's undercover video footage shows
terrified animals crouched in tiny cages that are crammed so full of
animalsboth dead and alivethat the animals are unable to
move. Some of the dogs and cats shown in the footage were still wearing
the collars that their former families put on them. Animals are often
hung upside-down by their legs or tails, and their skin is ripped off
their bodies as they writhe and struggle.
China's fur industry
unrepentantly continues to torture and kill animals for their skins.
China is one of
the world's largest suppliers of animal fur. More than 95 percent of
China's finished fur garments are exported for sale overseas, and many
of them go to North America. Dog and cat fur is often intentionally
mislabeled as "Asian jackal" or "rabbit" fur.
With so much attention
focused on China right now, this is the time to demand an end to the
Chinese fur industry's terrible torture of animals. Please help us stand
in the way of the fur industry by taking the following two simple steps:
* Sign
our pledge to go fur-free. Thousands of peopleincluding gold-medal-winning
Olympic swimmer Amanda Beardhave already pledged never to buy
or wear fur. Please also forward this pledge to all your friends, colleagues,
and family members. This simple act is one of PETA's most successful
weapons in the fight against fur because it gets new people to take
the pledge and think about the cruelty that goes into making fur garments.
* Make
a generous donation online to support PETA's worldwide anti-fur
campaign. Your gift will allow us to keep working hard to end the horrors
of the fur industry in China and around the world. Please help us stop
the slaughter of animals for fashion!
We know that the
fight against the fur trade is one that we can win for animals if we
push hard enough, long enough, and vigorously enough. PETA's efforts
to expose the true cost of every piece of fur has already helped convince
some of the world's leading designers and retailersincluding Calvin
Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Polo Ralph Lauren, and Ann Taylorto adopt
permanent fur-free policies. With your help, we can work to ensure that
animals, including dogs and cats who are treated like trash by the Chinese
fur industry, don't suffer for their fur.
Don't let this important
moment pass without doing all that you can to help cats and dogs and
other tortured animals in China. Sign
the petition, and make your gift now.
Thank you for supporting
our work to end senseless cruelty.
Daring
confiscation of two bear cubs in Pakistan a success
Member
society's dedication saves cubs from bear baiting
Surprise raids,
roadblocks, even being taken hostage and tortured - these are just a
few of the difficulties and dangers faced by wildlife officials and
staff from WSPA member society Bioresource Research Center (BRC) in
Pakistan each time they attempt to rescue a captive bear. Yet these
brave workers continue to confiscate and save bears who are being held
for use in cruel bear baiting events. Just recently BRC and wildlife
officials rescued two bears who had been taken captive by poachers who
killed their mother. While the bears are now resting safely as the WSPA-funded
Kund Park Sanctuary, their journey there was anything but easy.
AMSTERDAM
(Reuters) - A newborn red panda rejected by its mother in Amsterdam's
Artis zoo has been adopted by a domestic cat, the zoo said on Friday.
The cat is nursing
the red panda, currently about the size of a kitten, along with her
own four kittens, the zoo said.
The red panda was
born on June 30 and rejected by its mother soon afterwards.
Red pandas look
like raccoons and when fully grown are slightly larger than a domestic
cat -- substantially smaller than the black and white giant panda.
"They are skilful
climbers that, when not foraging on the ground, spend most of their
time in the trees curled up with their long, bushy tails wrapped around
their heads," the World Wildlife Fund conservation charity said
on its website.
(Reporting by Niclas
Mika; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
New
Critique of Fur Farming in Ireland Challenges Government's Lame Excuses
Fur
Farming in Ireland is not a Legitimate Activity, Says Group Ireland
- ARAN is today sponsoring
a new critique of fur farming in Ireland that finally exposes the Government's
arguments, refuting all claims of legitimacy. Today's Irish fur farms
breed more than 170,000 mink and hundreds of fox in small barren cages.
The animals do not leave these cages until they are gassed or electrocuted.
The Irish Government claims that fur farming is "a legitimate activity,"
voting down a ban introduced by the main opposition parties in 2005.
Following close examination of the Government's arguments, disturbing
facts emerge:
* Irish Statutory law requires that animals be allowed to exhibit normal
behavior, based on scientific knowledge. The European Scientific Committee
produced a welfare report detailing the problems of mink and fox, with
recommendations on how to increase welfare. The problems and recommendations
were dismissed by current-Minister Brendan Smith. He argued that the
welfare report's conclusions were dependent on future research - a
deliberately false claim to stonewall the opposition.
* Licenses for mink farming are discretionary, based on a 1965 amendment
that removed all restrictions on Ministerial power. The Minister also
requires that mink be kept in cages, directly contravening statutory
welfare law going back to 2000.
* Fur
farming will not be legal until mink and fox are provided with zoo conditions,
which will of course destroy profit margins. Since the industry refuses
to acknowledge behavioral needs and consequently refuses to implement
zoo conditions, fur farming as an institution is legally unacceptable
in Ireland.
* The
industry argues that farmed mink are domesticated. A close examination
shows all arguments to be false and unscientific. Animals, like humans,
cannot adapt to small barren cages, and all wild mink in Ireland originally
escaped from fur factories.
* Both
the industry and the Government claim that fur is like meat. Their claim
is only correct on economic grounds. Meat and fur are commodities, not
creatures. These comparisons have nothing to say about how we treat
animals.
"The Government has taken a back seat, allowing the fur industry
to ignore welfare legislation. Irish people do not want animals to suffer,
but nothing will happen until the Government is publicly challenged.
The solution is
quite simple: join the UK and Austria, and ban fur farming in Ireland."
(Alan Donohoe, spokesperson for ARAN).
What's wrong with fur farming? Animals are bred and slaughtered specifically
for their skins at a time when cruelty free alternatives exist. Currently
there are five fur farms in Ireland which cage up to 170,000 mink, arctic
and silver fox. These animals are intensively reared in small cages
before being killed at about six months old for their fur, by painful
methods which include gassing and anal electrocution. A scientific report
by the European Commission's Scientific Committee on Animal Health and
Animal Welfare (published in 2001) concluded that typical farm conditions
do not provide for the important needs of mink and foxes. Mink are semi
aquatic but on fur farms they have no water for swimming, and foxes
like to dig but cannot do so in their cages. Stereotypical behavior,
where the animals carry out
repeated meaningless actions is commonly seen on fur farms, is a recognized
sign of stress. Animals on fur farms may chew at their own fur through
stress and boredom.
We need your help with two of our latest Action Alerts (please scroll
down for full details).
One relates to a bullfighting scene in Vodafone Ireland's current television
advert while the other is a renewed call on Paddy Power to scrap its
bullring bets. For your convenience, we have prepared sample letters
which can be quickly copied and pasted into your messages.
May we also take this opportunity to remind you that a week from today
(July 11th) is the deadline for receipt of submissions to the new draft
Animal Health & Welfare Bill. Individuals and groups are being encouraged
to make submissions.
Thank you very much for your continued support of our campaign.
With best wishes.
Yours sincerely,
Philip Kiernan
Irish Council Against Blood Sports
PO Box 88, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, Ireland
Website: www.banbloodsports.com
ICABS on YouTube: www.youtube.com/icabs
ICABS on Bebo: www.bebo.com/banbloodsports
ICABS on MySpace: www.myspace.com/banbloodsports
Mobile WAPsite: www.banbloodsports.com/wap
ICABS RSS Feed: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=201867779
_______________________________________
ICABS calls on Vodafone to drop bullfighting from ad
_______________________________________
The Irish Council Against Blood Sports is calling on Vodafone Ireland
to drop a bullfighting segment from its current "Roaming"
television advert. The offensive scene shows a Vodafone character waving
his hands in the air as a matador taunts a bull.
In a letter to the company's CEO, Charles Butterworth, ICABS appealed
for the advert to be modified to exclude the bullring scene.
"Matadors, like the one in the Vodafone ad, are responsible for
the slow torture to death of thousands of bulls every year," we
told Mr Butterworth. "Each bullfight event sees the merciless killing
of six or more bulls. Horseback riders firstly weaken the bull by stabbing
its body with sharp lances. To force it to drop its head, spears are
then driven into its neck muscles. The cruelty culminates with a stabbing
through the heart with a sword."
Incredibly, despite being told of the barbarity of bullfighting and
the extreme suffering endured by the bulls, Vodafone responded by defending
the inclusion of bullfighting in the advert. Although stressing that
the company does not "endorse or support the practice of blood
sports", a Vodafone spokesperson went on to claim that bullfighting
"is seen as an important part of Spain's tradition and culture".
ICABS has told Vodafone that we strongly disagree with this statement,
pointing out that over 70 per cent of Spaniards do not support bullfighting.
"In modern Spain, bullfighting is widely considered an embarrassment
to the country's international image, an anachronism whose demise is
not being resisted." we commented. "The idea of bullfighting
as a cultural identifier is offensive to most Spaniards."
ICABS is disappointed that Vodafone Ireland is defending the bullfighting
scene and very surprised that the company is content to allow its reputable
image to come anywhere near what is the most appalling animal cruelty
- an activity that, we are sure, the majority of Vodafone customers
would find abhorrent and unacceptable.
Please respond to our urgent action alert now.
ACTION ALERT 1
Please write to Vodafone Ireland and ask for the bullfighting scene
to be immediately dropped from the advert.
Charles Butterworth
CEO, Vodafone Ireland Ltd.
Mountain View
Leopardstown
Dublin
Vittorio Colao
CEO, Vodafone Group Plc
Vodafone House
The Connection
Newbury, Berkshire
RG14 2FN
England
Sample Letter
(Please compose your own personal letter if possible. If you do not
have time to do this, please send the short sample letter below. Be
assertive, but polite, in all correspondence. Thank you.)
* Note: If you are a Vodafone customer, please mention this in your
letter. *
Dear Vodafone Ireland,
I wish to add my voice to the calls on your company to drop a bullring
scene from your "Roaming" television advertisement.
Matadors like the one depicted in this ad are responsible for the cruel
killing of thousands of bulls every year. The animals suffer slow and
agonising deaths in what is considered one of the world's worst examples
of animal cruelty.
I hope that as a modern and compassionate company, Vodafone will act
urgently to drop the bullring scene from the advert and disassociate
your brand from this horrendous activity.
Thank you. I look forward to your positive response.
Yours faithfully,
[Name/Location]
_______________________________________
Urgent: Demand stop to bullring bets in Burgos
_______________________________________
From 5.30pm today, Friday 4th July, six bulls will be slowly tortured
to death in the Spanish bullfighting city of Burgos. To Ireland's great
shame, Dublin-based company Paddy Power is accepting bets based on the
number of ears sliced off the heads of the blood-soaked bulls at this
venue today.
After the bleeding and severely injured animals collapse to the ground,
a bullfighter will approach with a dagger and carve off one or both
of their ears (as a grisly trophy for the matador). Each bull will have
endured around 20 minutes of unimaginable suffering during the bullfight
and will suffer even more if they are still conscious when the ears
are
removed.
The Spanish section of the Paddy Power website invites punters to either
guess the total number of ears cut off or predict whether the number
will be even or odd.
We need your help to convince Paddy Power to put compassion before cash
and end its bullring bets. Please respond to our action alerts below,
forward this email to your friends and post our video on your website.
ACTION ALERT 1
Please urgently contact the CEO of Paddy Power and demand an end to
its bullfighting bets. Ask as many of your friends as possible to respond
to this action alert and post it on your website and social networking
pages.
Patrick Kennedy
Chief Executive
Paddy Power Plc
Airton House
Airton Road
Tallaght
Dublin 24
Sample Letter
(Please compose your own personal letter if possible. If you do not
have time to do this, please send the short sample letter below. Be
assertive, but polite, in all correspondence. Thank you.)
Dear Mr Kennedy,
I am writing to express my absolute disgust that Paddy Power is accepting
bets on the number of ears carved off the heads of bulls at Spanish
bullfighting events.
Removed after the tortured bulls collapse in agony, the ears are kept
by the matadors as grisly trophies. Sometimes the animals are still
alive when the ears are hacked off and this can be seen in video footage
at www.youtube.com/icabs
As bets are being placed on the Paddy Power website, bulls are stumbling
around bullrings with blood spurting from their backs and spraying from
their noses and mouths. How can your company justify making money from
this disgusting animal abuse?
Paddy Power - Stop the bloody bullring bets NOW!
Yours sincerely,
Name/Location
ACTION ALERT 2
Please help highlight the shocking cruelty upon which Paddy Power's
bets are based. Display our campaign video on your webpage
ICABS video in English:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5toij_paddy-power-stop-the-bullring-bets_animals
ICABS video in Spanish:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5vafi_paddy-power-acaben-con-las-apuestas_animals
To display the English language version of the video, please copy the
following code into your page.
Please show your opposition to Paddy Power's appalling Spanish bullring
bets by downloading a copy our new Protest Page. Simply print, sign
and present to the manager of your local Paddy Power betting shop.
Alternatively, place in an envelope and post to the manager.
http://banbloodsports.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/protest_page_paddypower.pdf
Download Now (pdf, 190 Kb)
ACTION ALERT 4
Please register your disgust at Paddy Power's barbaric bets. Order some
"Stop Barbaric Bets" campaign postcards for yourself and your
friends to send in to Paddy Power's head office in Dublin. If you run
an animal welfare group, please distribute postcards to your supporters
and ask them to urgently send them.
To order cards, please email your name and address to info@banbloodsports.com
or write to ICABS, PO Box 88, Mullingar, Co Westmeath.
ACTION ALERT 5
According to a 2006 Gallup poll, a mere 7 per cent of Spaniards are
"very keen" on bullfighting. Urgently contact the Spanish
Prime Minister and tell him that bullfighting is a blemish on Spain's
reputation and must be brought to an end. If the continuation of bullfighting
makes you choose a different holiday destination, please point this
out in your
correspondence.
Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero
Presidente del Gobierno
Complejo de La Moncloa
28071 Madrid
Spain.
Email: jlrzapatero@presidencia.gob.es
_______________________________________
Submissions invited for new Animal Welfare Bill
_______________________________________
A new animal-related bill is currently being drafted in the Department
of Agriculture and submissions are being invited from interested individuals
and groups. Please take this opportunity to highlight all of your animal
welfare concerns. In your submission, stress the need for ALL Irish
animals to be afforded protection from cruelty and a major increase
in penalties for those involved in animal cruelty.
The submission guidelines can be downloaded from:
http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/animal_health/AHWBill_PublicConsultationPaper280508.doc
Written submissions should be made no later than Friday 11th July 2008
and should be emailed to AHWBill@agriculture.gov.ie and/or posted to:
Mr Peter Fallon
Animal Health & Welfare Bill Section
4th Floor, Agriculture House
Kildare Street, Dublin 2
Telephone 01 607 2000 Ext 3123
This
week, people from around the world are joining together to tell the
Australian Government that the live export trade is cruel and should
no longer be tolerated.
Australia
is the largest exporter of animals for slaughter in the world, and each
year millions of Australian sheep are loaded onto ships and transported
long distances to ports in the Middle East, simply to be slaughtered
at the journey's end.
These
terrified sheep spend up to three weeks on crowded ships, where they
have little room to move and are given unfamiliar and low quality food.
During the journey they will suffer from heat exhaustion, stress, and
disease, and many will die on board. In 2007 alone over 35,000 Australian
sheep died during sea voyages to the Middle East.
For
sheep that survive the journey, a much more cruel fate awaits them in
the hands of countries that have no animal welfare laws. Despite Australian
industry claims that it is helping to improve welfare standards in the
Middle East, it is common for sheep to be horrendously handled and slaughtered
in ways that would not be legal nor tolerated in many countries.
Australia
already has a growing trade in chilled meat from animals that have been
humanely transported and slaughtered in Australia - this makes the transport
of the live animals unnecessary and all the more cruel.