Lunch Time Links #16

 

I know it isn't Wednesday (or at least I hope it isn't because I thought yesterday was Wednesday...) but I am bringing a late Lunch Time Links to you this week in order to ensure you have a productive lunch hour.

Stop the Gracia Del Mar tragedy from happening again.

*US Residents Only* Get an advocate of Wild Horse slaughter off the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board.

Call on Uniqlo not to use wool from mutilated lambs.

Happy Easter!

Fluffy Friday #54

As today is Good Friday, I feel a bunny special coming on...

Have a lovely Easter weekend!

Campaign Update: 8 Hours

 
Despite bringing you news of many of the campaigns run by various animal welfare organisations, I am not so good at updating you very regularly how said campaigns progress.  I hope to get better at doing this so I will start as I mean to go on and update you on the CIWF and RSPCA 8 hours campaign.

Thousands of people wrote to their MEP's back in January urging them to sign a Written Declaration calling for the establishment of a maximum 8 hour journey limit for live animals being transported.  Only 369 MEP signatures were needed but 394 signed the declaration which means it will now become an official position of the European Parliament.  This will put pressure on the Commission to reconsider the current rules in place.

This is more proof that when coming together we really can make changes, no matter how small.  The RSPCA quite rightly says that "it may be a small step towards change, but it means the world to the millions of animals who suffer during long distance live transport each year."

There is always work still to be done so whilst waiting for further updates, please sign the Number 10 Petition, if you haven't already, calling on the Government for a reform of live farm animal export laws.

March: In Review

March has been a great month, not only weather wise but with the news of a planned ban on the use of animals in circuses and the announcement that Wales have decided to scrap their badger cull in place of TB vaccinations, could this lead to the proposed cull in the UK following suit?  

Here's what you may have missed in March...

Sometimes when campaigning for animal welfare, it feels like one step forward for can equal one step back and in the case of the elephants that were cruelly killed by poachers in a Cameroon National Park, it is definitely a big step back.

Throughout March we followed the tragic Gracia Del Mar vessel transporting livestock from Brazil to Egypt that was caught in a vicious snow storm resulting in the death of thousands of animals.  We still do not know what happened to the animals that eventually survived or in which nation they ended up.

Western Gray Whales in Eastern Russia are critically endangered with less than 130 left, their feeding grounds in Sakhalin Island are under threat from a proposed drilling platform.  WWF need our help to convince the banks funding the new platform to reconsider.

Not only are Harp Seals in Canada being cruelly killed as I type, sea lions in Chilean waters are at risk of needless slaughter, despite being a protected species in Chile they are being blamed for the scarcity of fish in Chilean waters even though it is the decades of overfishing really to blame.

There was some good news for harp seals, as the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan and Belarus passed a historic ban on the trade of harp seal fur cancelling an order for 100,000 baby seal skins.  The drop in demand takes us a step closer to ending the annual slaughter, however, there is still more to be done.

Jon Hickton has appealed for permission to expand an intensive broiler chicken farm in Worcestershire.  If permission is granted the farm will double in size resulting in misery for thousands more chickens.  We had a chance to put a stop to this, the deadline was 15th March but you can still read the article here.

I moved to London around 6 months ago and had no idea I was heading to the wildlife crime capital.  The future Mayor of London needs to seriously commit and take action against illegal wildlife trade.

Would you like to know how your food is farmed?  CIWF, RSPCA, WSPA and the Soil Association have come together and are campaigning for consumers to be able to choose higher animal welfare foods and for honestly labelled food.

WDCS have reported that the Scottish government is creating a network of protected areas for marine life, however, there is a risk that whales, dolphins and porpoises will not be included.

A polar bear named Yupi is still living in a small, barren holding pen in a Mexican Zoo after 20 years.  The terrain and climate is completely unsuitable as well as the lack of space, Yupi must be re-homed as a matter of urgency.

Fluffy Friday #53

We're off on holiday for a week!  I have prepared some posts in advance but I will only have sporadic access to Facebook and Twitter, just in case you wonder where I've got to.  In the meantime, I'll leave you with today's Fluffy Friday...


Animals do the funniest things!  

Have a lovely weekend!

Lunch Time Links #15

You are probably just about to head outside for lunch so you can make the most of this gorgeous weather, before you go do you have a moment for a few clicks please?

Where do you want your milk to come from?  Vote here


Stop Foie Gras Production in Europe

Ask the University of Virginia to Stop Using Cats in its Pediatrics Residency

Yupi the Polar Bear

Source: Care 2

Yupi the polar bear has lived in a small and barren holding pen in a Mexican Zoo for twenty years.  Polar bears need large spaces and natural terrain, they are not physically adapted to living in hot climates which means they can overheat easily, Mexico is home to a tropical climate which means that the Morelia Zoo is not a suitable place for Yupi to live.

Please join me in signing this petition contacting the Director of Morelia Zoo, the Municipal Mayor and the Governor of Michoacan expressing concern for Yupi's living conditions and requesting that she is relocated.  

Fluffy Friday #52

A week full of (mainly) sunshine and the weekend just hours away, there is plenty to laugh about!

Happy Friday!

Help protect Scottish whales, dolphins and porpoises

Image from WDCS.

The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) have reported that the Scottish government is creating a network of protected areas for Scotland's marine life, although this is good news there is a risk that whales, dolphins and porpoises will not be included in this protection.

 

Please add your name to this petition calling on the Scottish government to make sure that vulnerable whales, dolphins and porpoises are included in the marine protected areas.  The petition will close on 16th April 2012 so please do try and sign it before then.