Labelling Matters

The RSPCA believe that all animal products should be labelled based on how they were produced so that consumers can make an informed choice about what they buy therefore they are calling for action at EU level for better labelling for food produce.  Many products imply that food is high welfare by the use of certain words ("farm fresh," "natural" or "high quality") or pictures (free range animals, sunshine) however, the small print shows otherwise.  The word "farm fresh" alongside an image of a gazing cow couldn't be further from the truth.

Next time you are out shopping if you sport an example of a misleading label and have a smart phone, take a photo of the label, including the bar code and send it to campaigns@rspca.org.uk along with the date the photo was taken, shop, town and country you saw the product.  Also include your name, country of residence and daytime phone number if you are happy for RSPCA to contact you with any queries.

RSPCA are particularly looking for:

Chicken meat labels: Pre-packed whole chicken, chicken breasts, chicken drumsticks e.t.c.

Pig meat labels - Pre-packed sausages, ham, pork e.t.c.

Cow' milk labels - bottled milk, cheese, yoghurt e.t.c.

Look out for words like "farm fresh", "natural" or "high quality" and for images of free range animals, sunshine, trees, fields or attractive rural scenes.  Remember that if a product really is higher welfare it will be part of a certification scheme such as RSPCA Freedom Food, Soil Association (in the UK) or Label Rouge (in France)

If you do find other examples of misleading labels please send them as well.

Photos will be used to put pressure on policy makers to enforce existing rules and to introduce better legislation so that labels make it clear how food is produced.

As well as labels found on products sold in the UK, the RSPCA are also keen to see labels from other EU countries.

Please submit all photos of labels no later than 30 September 2012.

Pup Aid 2012

Just a reminder that Pup Aid is taking place on Saturday at Primrose Hill in London.  In case you weren't already aware, Pup Aid is a celebrity judged fun dog show that aims to raise awareness of the horrific practice of puppy farming.  Now in it's third year Pup Aid is back bigger and better promising a fun packed day with trade stalls, fresh food, music and fun dog shows.

The Pup Aid website has been updated with the programme for the day and some useful travel advice, check it out.

We will be attending and Suki is going to be competing in the dog show for Prettiest Bitch, wish us luck and hope to see you there!

Pup Aid Website.

Pup Aid on Facebook.

Pup Aid on Twitter.

Paul O'Grady: For The Love Of Dogs

Finally a reason to look forward to Mondays!

I was blown away by the first episode of Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs shown last night at 8pm on ITV 1.  Much loved comedian, television presenter, actor, writer, radio DJ and passionate dog lover Paul was absolutely fantastic as he investigated just what it takes to look after the thousands of dogs travelling through Battersea Dogs and Cats Home every year.

ITV are finally showing a responsible prime time animal programme in this seven part series showing Paul O’Grady getting to know both the dogs and the staff at Battersea.  Each episode is 30 minutes long and the series promises to be humorous, emotional and inspiring as Paul gets involved with everything from cleaning kennels to rehoming dogs.  Last night’s episode hilariously saw him grilling Radio DJ Neil Fox who wanted to adopt a puppy even going so far as to ask him if there was any chance the family could be expecting a baby!

Heartbreaking scenes in last nights episode featured a young Staffordshire Bull Terrier, christened “Sparkles” by staff, who was thankfully rescued after being deliberately starved and abandoned in a London park.  Paul quite rightly exclaimed “And they call us a nation of animal lovers!”  After miraculously surviving her first night at Battersea and being fed little and often, Sparkles was on the road to recovery.  I am sure that the little beauty won many hearts last night, her beautiful eyes glistened with love, trust and hope despite the horrific treatment she had received.  Her tail didn’t stop wagging and she soon transformed from an emasculated downtrodden pup to a happy, healthy and boisterous Staffie who was swiftly rehomed as soon as she was given a clean bill of health.

Paul spent just over two months at our London centre and got to know everyone here at Battersea. He says: “This has been one of the nicest jobs I've ever had. Everybody knows Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, it’s one of the jewels in London’s crown and it’s a joy to be there; I feel so at home. I’m hoping that people will watch this programme and see what a happy, professional environment it is. There is humour, sadness, pathos, genuine concern – it’s going to be different to everything else that’s on the telly.”

(Source)

Catch up with this weeks show on ITV Player and catch all subsequent episodes each Monday at 8pm on ITV 1.

Follow Battersea Dogs and Cats Home on Twitter @BDCH and become a fan on Facebook.

What did you think of the show?

Ask the DRDC to consider non-animal training methods



Source.



A recent PETA study has found that the U.S and Canada are among six NATO countries that continue to use animals in military medical training exercises.

Last year the U.S Army replaced its use of animals in a chemical warfare training program with advanced simulators but unfortunately this cruel practice continues in Canada.  During "live agent training" drill at the Defence Research and Development Canada live pigs are exposed to toxic chemical weapons and subsequently suffer from seizures, irregular heartbeats, breathing difficulties and bleeding.  Sometimes they die. 

The U.S Army have demonstrated that modern non-animal training methods can replace DRDC's use of animals in these exercises.

Please click here in order to urge Canadian military officials to stop using animals in these cruel modernize training methods. (Warning: The aforementioned link leads to a site with an image you may find disturbing).

Lunch Time Links #25

It's been a few weeks since the last Lunch Time Links so I hope you enjoyed a nice rest and are ready to get clicking!

Ban Fur Farms in Ireland

Reduce Animal Testing in the UK

Help Mali the elephant

Mali the elephant is the only captive elephant in the Philippines, for almost 35 years she has been confined to a small, barren concrete enclosure in Manila Zoo which itself only covers up to 0.055 square kilometres.  In the wild, elephants cover territories of up to 80 kilometres every day.

Mali is unable to engage in activities that are natural for elephants such as grazing, plucking fruit and leaves from trees, taking mud baths and swimming and playing in water.  She has not met another elephant in 30 years.

PETA Asia has offered to pay for Mali to be transferred to a sanctuary where she would be able to roam freely, bathe and forage alongside other elephants - but, authorities are stalling PETA's efforts.

Please click here and fill in a few details to write to the Ambassador of the Philippines in the UK urging him to help move Mali to a sanctuary.

Olympic Shame

London is buzzing.  


I have heard that phrase so many times over the last few weeks but now I can actually feel it, the sun is finally out, the Olympic volunteers are out in force with their bright pink and purple uniforms, Union Jacks are strung high looking extra patriotic against the beautiful blue sky and tonight is the night.  Unfortunately, all of this wonderful, exciting atmosphere has been tainted with the knowledge that over 100 live animals will be used in tonight's opening ceremony which means that they will be exposed to large crowds, loud noise and flashing lights.

When the plans were announced by creator Danny Boyle back in June, animal lovers around the UK were dismayed.  Captive Animals' Protection Society immediately set up a petition opposing the use of live animals in the opening ceremony and this gained a huge amount of support (over 63,000 signatures, which is more people than will be attending the opening ceremony).  

Leading animal welfare charities wrote to the London 2012 organisers asking them to rethink their plans and highlighted the unnecessary stress that would be caused to the animals (not to mention the  unrealistic and misleading portrayal of the British farming industry).  

After the petition was delivered to the head of London 2012 committee, Bill Morris, Boyle reassured the concerned parties that genuine care would be taken of the animals and they would be re-homed in sanctuaries after the performance.

Morris has chosen to ignore the plea of over 63,000 people and keep the animals in the opening ceremony.  CAPS has branded Morris's response as "shockingly dismissive".  To add insult to injury, Morris stated in a letter to Animal Defenders International that the animals will remain in entertainment after being used in the ceremony, which completely refutes Boyle's previous promise.

Boyle has said that he would "vigorously" look into retiring the animals to sanctuaries after the ceremony, please click here in order to contact him reminding him to do everything he can to keep his word and spare the animals used in the ceremony from a life of working within entertainment before eventually ending up in a slaughterhouse.

Tonight the use of animals in the Olympic opening ceremony will go ahead as planned and the world will be watching.  CAPS have stated that they will be following the ceremony closely throughout and monitoring the movement of the animals afterwards whilst continuing to raise awareness about the use of animals in entertainment in the future.

Horrific Kitten Experiments at Cardiff University

It has been discovered by the BUAV that horrific experiments are being carried out on kittens at Cardiff University.  Details of the experiments have been revealed by BUAV who have reported that some kittens were raised in complete darkness and others were deprived of sight in one eye by actually having their eyelids sewn shut.  As if this wasn't cruel enough the horror continued when the kittens were anaesthetised, artificially ventilated and paralysed with a drug to prevent eye movements.  You can discover more details about the experiment at the petition link below but I must warn you that it makes very difficult reading.

The experiment was inhumane and completely unnecessary for human health.

Animal loving actor Ricky Gervais has called for an end to these experiments saying “I am appalled that kittens are being deprived of sight in one eye by having their eyelids sewn shut. I thought sickening experiments like these were a thing of the past. I support the BUAV in calling for this research to be stopped.”

Please join Ricky and the BUAV in calling for an immediate halt to these sickening and needless experiments on innocent animals by signing this petition.

Needless experiments like this happen frequently to all sorts of animals, please check out BUAV's website for ways you can help end the suffering of animals with no voice of their own.

Dangerous Dogs Legislation

Dogs who have irresponsible owners can be victims of cruelty and neglect, in some cases dogs may suffer violence at the hands of their owners in attempts to try and encourage aggression.  Owners must be held accountable for their actions and take responsibility for their dogs training and behaviour.

Although I am pleased to hear that the Welsh government are serious about tackling the owners of dangerous dogs, I am alarmed that, like the British government, they are considering introducing just compulsory micro-chipping of dogs in order to do this next Spring.  

Although compulsory micro-chipping is better than nothing, it will not be any real benefit to dogs unless some other important elements are included in new regulations, for example, the abolition of Breed Specific Legislation (which is the legislation Belfast County Council hid behind when seizing and murdering Lennox) a registration scheme and education and engagement.

Current legislation is failing to tackle the problem of irresponsible dog ownership and since the Dangerous Dogs Act was introduced in 1991 the situation has increasingly worsened.

If you live in Wales you can tell the Welsh government what you think by taking action and contributing to their consultation which closes on Wednesday 8th August.

The English government consultation is now closed but ,if you live in England, you can still help take action against irresponsible dog ownership by signing The Sun newspapers petition calling for compulsory micro-chipping AND registration of dogs as the first step to ensure owners are made accountable for their actions.

Lunch Time Links #24

I apologise for the lack of blog posts of late, it has been a busy summer and once again change is afoot!  Things remain the same as usual with this weeks Lunch Time Links so kick back, relax and click...

Save Pigs from Slaughter in Chile

Stop Killing Animals in Military Training Exercises

Ask Tesco to Replace Cruelly Raised and Imported Veal