Close Green Hill

 

Green Hill 2001 is a company based in Italy, that breeds beagle dogs for vivisection labs.  More than 250 dogs per month end up in vivisection labs.  There are up to 2,500 adult dogs and several litters inside Green Hill.  There dogs live in closed animal shelters in row upon row of cages without natural air or light.

Green Hill's clients are University laboratories, pharmaceutical companies and trial centres such as the notorious Huntingdon Life Sciences in England.

An American firm called Marshall Farms Inc have purchased Green Hill, Marshall is an infamous name throughout the world as the largest "factory" dog lab and "the Marshall Beagle" is now a standard variety.  Marshall's dogs are shipped all over the world but now with the purchase of Green Hill and the construction of a huge farm in China, more and more dogs are doomed to a life of suffering.

As well as selling dogs, including pregnant mothers, Green Hill and Marshall also offer surgical treatments on the dogs which include the cutting or removal of the vocal cords of some glands - so they cannot bark.

Basically, Green Hill and Marshall simply see animals as commodities, simply there to breed and sell.  There is no objection to the mental and physical pain and suffering that the dogs will undergo after being kept in inhumane conditions before being sentenced to torture and death.

Please join thousands of other animal lovers, including actress and dog lover Joanna Page, and sign this petition asking for Green Hill to be closed down and all dogs being held there be put up for adoption. 

Will animals in circuses really be banned?

A phase-in ban on wild animals in circuses, with a licensing scheme to be implemented in the meantime was announced on 1st March.  People all over the country were victorious and thought their hard work and campaigning had finally come to fruition.  It is now two months on and now the documents from the government have been studies in detail, people are less confident about the governments commitment to a ban.

This is because a deadline for the ban has still not been set and the details about the full ban are vague.  

Worryingly, the licensing scheme that is now in force will not safeguard the welfare of animals as it relies on circuses themselves to adhere to the welfare guidelines.

The most telling thing has been a letter from a Defra civil servant stating "I am not aware we have ever suggested that the licensing scheme would be a 'temporary' measure".  Other documents were enclosed with the proposal that were "littered with contradictions and inconsistencies" which leads the RSPCA and CAPS to question whether the government intend to keep their promise of a ban.

CAPS managed to secure a meeting with the relevant Minister towards the end of April, during the meeting the Minister confirmed that licensing will be temporary and that a ban would be in place before the end of this government's term (2015).  This is longer than hoped for, but better than the licensing system continuing for ten years or becoming permanent.

The Minister also confirmed that the ban will apply to all wild animals in circuses, with no clause allowing animals that are already in circuses to remain so.  From the date the ban begins it will be illegal for wild animals to be used in the travelling circus environment.

There are a few negative aspects to the meeting, the government are proposing a ban via primary legislation which will take a long time to implement.  Placing the ban under the Animal Welfare Act would speed up the process and reduce the suffering of animals.  Unfortunately the government don't agree, or choose not to.  

The government are determined that licensing will go ahead despite it not protecting the animals and being a complicated and expensive stop gap which takes focus away from the ban.  Despite there being a lack of support of the licensing system, it will still continue.

After the meeting CAPS believe that the intention to ban the use of wild animals in circuses is genuine.  There is still something that you can do to help, please click here and join the RSPCA in urging Defra to commit to a deadline.

Fluffy Friday #59

Dolphins were my first love. (Well, dolphins, elephants and dogs).  It was these beautiful creatures that first made me aware of how amazing animals were and just how cruel people could be towards animals.  

I just had to share these pictures of some gorgeous bottle-nosed dolphins playing freely in the sea, this is the kind of life they are meant to live.

Enjoy!

Save Lennox

For quite some time I have noticed people mentioning "Save Lennox" on social networking sites.  I assumed that they were talking about a person who needed votes on a TV show or something and feel mortified that I didn't realise the true nature of the campaign till the end of last week. I am now 100% behind the cause!

Lennox is a 7 year old American Bulldog Labrador Cross, back in May 2010 he was wrongfully seized by Belfast City Council Dog Wardens who plan to euthanise him.  Lennox had not committed any crime and his owners had responsibly neutered, licensed, insured, DNA registered, Pet Safe registered and micro chipped him whilst a puppy.  

The reason Lennox was seized was after Dog Wardens measured Lennox's muzzle and rear legs with a dress maker's tape measure and claimed that he was a possible "Pit Bull type breed" they sought no professional advice to ascertain the accuracy of this claim.

Lennox has not seen his family since the fateful day in May, over two years ago.  The family do not know where Lennox is being held or of his general well being, for reasons that have not been explained by the Belfast City Council.  Recently, photographs of Lennox emerged showing him dwelling in inhumane conditions which clearly oppose the Animal Welfare Act 2006.  

I can't imagine how the family must feel knowing that Lennox is living in these conditions whilst they wait the outcome of their campaign to save his life and welcome him home.

Local Belfast MP's, Animal Rights groups, Animal Welfare organisations, Vets and Dog Breed and Behaviourist experts are all behind the Lennox campaign which has quickly gone global with hundreds and thousands of supporters.  The campaign still needs more of us to step forward and stand behind Lennox and his family.

This is the Save Lennox website, please visit and read the full story as my post is simply a summary.  The website contains a list of ways you can help, complete with template letters and contact addresses.

Finally, please do sign the petition and I can't stress enough how important it is that you spread the word about this campaign.

Lunch Time Links #19

Happy Wednesday!  It is a four day week here in the UK due to our May Day Bank Holiday, four days at work seems somehow more manageable.  

The blog has had a bit of a face lift over the past week, if you look to the right of your screen and scroll down you will notice some new campaign buttons, if you have time give them a quick click.  You will then be able to check out how you can help make a difference.  I hope you like them, please do let me know if there are any other campaigns you would like to see featured on The Animal News.

Time to catch up with some campaigns though, please check out today's lunch time links.

Ask the US Coast Guards to stop killing goats as part of their training. 

(Warning: Upsetting description of animal cruelty)

Prosecute Culver Modisette for cruelty to his horse. 

(Warning: Upsetting description of animal cruelty)

Please help stop the proposed foie gras production unit in China.

Image from The Telegraph Newspaper.

It's back to the Far East again, this time it is geese that are being cruelly treated.  

HSI and CIWF have learnt of plans to open a huge foie gras producing unit which just happens to be next to a vital wildlife habitat and water source.  

The facility aims to confine millions of geese with a goal of producing 1,000 tonnes of foie gras each year.  In order to produce foie gras, ducks and geese are force fed an unnatural amount of food via a long pipe which reaches directly into their stomachs.  This causes the birds livers to become enlarged and diseased.

This practice is prohibited in most of Europe as well as Argentina, Israel and more recently in the U.S state of California.

Despite this, a British company has recently been exposed by CIWF and HSI as helping to fund the development of this foie gras factory farm.  Creek Projects Investments PLC has invested millions of pounds into the project, both organisations have written to Creek Projects urging them to stop funding animal cruelty.

Please click on this link to ask the Chinese government to stop plans for the cruel foie gras production facility.

Stop the illegal dog meat trade.

  
After digesting the shocking news and witnessing the horrific images of 505 dogs destined to be served up as food in Chinese restaurants rescued in China's Yunnan Province last month, I was alarmed to hear of smugglers in North Eastern Thailand exporting around 30,000 stray dogs to Vietnam each month charging $10 per dog.  Although eating dog meat is regarded as being uncivilized in Thailand, grilled dog meat sells for three times the price of pork in Vietnam.

Echoing the disturbing images from China, stray dogs are crammed into wire cages and smuggled through illegal river borders.  Most are sent to Vietnam but a minority are butchered and sold as "meat" in Thai open markets despite residents complaining about the disgusting practice.

Wit, the boss of a dog collecting crew, says "We have to pay the police to leave us alone."

Please sign this petition to encourage the authorities in Tae Rae to crack down on the dog meat trade.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) MUST take action

In the last few months I posted several times about the Gracia Del Mar tragedy in which thousands of cattle died.  CIWF have reported that over 20,000 of you wrote to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about tragedy asking them to resolve the appalling situation and ensure that their guidelines to protect transported animals are properly enforced.  The OIE did absolutely nothing.

Since this tragedy CIWF have received footage of inhumane animal slaughter in Egypt, the destination of the Gracia del Mar.  The footage is so shocking and described as "the worst that Compassion has ever seen; completely in breach of international slaughter guidelines and so utterly horrific that we are unable to show it publicly."  Once again it is down to the OIE to take action as they are responsible for the development of the slaughter guidelines, once again they are failing abysmally.

CIWF have received reports that the animals who survived the Gracia del Mar tragedy may be returned to Egypt to face these disgraceful slaughter conditions.

It is time for us, once again, to contact the OIE and tell them this is far from acceptable.  The OIE have a conference next month and CIWF are doing everything in their power to ensure they address their failings on transport and slaughter.  Please click here to contact the OIE, CIWF have provided bullet points to include in the message but to make it easier I have created a template e-mail you can use below so please copy and paste this in the box if you don't have the time to compose your own message.

Subject: Animal Welfare during transport and slaughter

Dear Dr Vallat,

It is with great anguish that I have been following the developments of the Gracia del Mar vessel containing thousands of animals who died, I am extremely angry and disappointed at your seeming lack of action during this occurrence.  I am pleased that the OIE have developed guidelines on animal welfare but it is very disappointing that these guidelines are not being implemented.  The OIE have a responsbibility to mediate between member states when a situation such as the Gracia del Mar disaster occurs, however, the only visible response to this disaster was vague press statement one month after the event.  It is still unclear what happened and whether or not you actually took any action, will this ever be explained?  

I have been prompted to write to you after hearing about the acquisition of evidence of extremely cruel slaughter practices in Egypt received by Compassion in World Farming.  These sickeningly cruel slaughter practices seriously breach OIE guidelines on both transport and slaughter, these are not isolated cases as CIWF have informed the OIE about cruel slaughter practices that breach OIE guidelines in several countries.  A World Bank report has revealed that there are serious animal welfare problems in a range of countries across the world, the report concludes that animal welfare at all the slaughter facilities visited "requires significant improvement".

It is likely that the cattle which survived the Gracia del Mar tragedy are heading to Egypt to be slaughtered, in light of the evidence of inhumane slaughter practices in this country the OIE must take steps to ensure that these animals, who suffered enough on the sea journey, aren't subjected to such practices.

I strongly feel that the OIE must do more to ensure that its member countries implement the guidelines.  Your global conference on animal welfare in November is an ideal opportunity to focus on this issue.  It is vital that the conference produces a strong commitment by OIE member countries to comply with OIE recommendations, as well as a clear action plan as to how animal welfare across the world can be dramatically improved.

Thank you for your time.

Fluffy Friday #58

Imagine finding this little cutie snuggled up in your bed!  This small, unhealthy looking young vixen sneaked into the house and up into the bedroom after the back door was left open, I can't say I blame her!

It makes me think about what might happen to this sweetie when she grows up, I hope she is not a victim of fox hunting.

Read the full article here and check out League Against Cruel Sports campaign against cruelty. 

Happy Friday!

Lush V's Animal Testing

My favourite shop, Lush, hit headlines recently when they confronted shoppers with the shocking reality of cosmetics tests on animals by enacting the tests on a 24 year old woman.  Read more here and watch the live stream (although obviously it won't actually be live at this point!)

The volunteer was relentlessly smeared in creams, injected with fluid and roughly man handled by a "scientist" all in the name of progress for beauty products.  

Lush states that, "people's reactions ranged from shock and bemusement to a total refusal to engage with the suffering confronting them in the 'safe space' of a shop window.  This was a truly shocking first for the high street.  The collective horror provoked by the performance, and the resulting reflection on our own role as consumers and potential changemakers, marks an important step in telling the story of animal testing for cosmetics.  No longer can cosmetics companies hide behind the screen of secretive laboratories, their cruelty is on show for all to see."

 

Please join Lush and support the fight against animal testing by spending a moment of your time signing this petition.  As well as this please check out Lush products that are 100% cruelty free (and smell divine).