800 Dogs Seized

TUCSON, Arizona - About 800 small dogs, including Chihuahuas, terriers and Pomeranians, were seized from a triple-wide mobile home whose occupants were overwhelmed trying to care for the animals…

Full story: CNN

Peregrines Moving Into Cities

The fastest creature in the world – the peregrine falcon – is increasingly opting for city living in the UK. More and more people are now seeing this beautiful bird whilst walking to work or to the shops. And with its striking black hood and speeds of over 100 miles an hour its an incredible spectacle.

Read more: Wildlife Extra

Godliness Is Next To Dogliness

A man loses his job, house, and money, so decides to get drunk at his local. On the way he sees a sheepdog in the middle of the road about to get flattened by a lorry – he calls the dog – the dog runs over and is saved. This is the beginning of a fascinating new journey for Graeme Sims as he discovers DOG and GOD.

Full story: Telegraph

Kangeroo Cull

Efforts by the new Australian government to establish itself as caring and animal friendly have run into trouble with its refusal to stop a plan to kill 400 kangaroos on a former military base.

Read more: Herald Tribune

Co-op Help Convert Poultry Farms To A Higher Welfare Standard

The Co-operative has worked with its suppliers to convert 96 poultry farms across the UK to meet its’ higher-welfare ‘Elmwood’ chicken standards.

Read more: Farmers Guardian

Yorkshire Barn Owl Project A Huge Success

An Environment Agency partnership project is proving hugely successful in increasing barn owl numbers on Yorkshire rivers.

Full article: Waterscape.com

Olympic Clean-Up – Beijing’s Shocking Death Camp For Cats

I’ve just been sent this piece of news from my good friend – and animal friend - Magda:

Thousands of pet cats in Beijing are being abandoned by their owners and sent to die in secretive government pounds as China mounts an aggressive drive to clean up the capital in preparation for the Olympic Games.

Hundreds of cats a day are being rounded and crammed into cages so small they cannot even turn around.

Read the full news story: Daily Mail

PETA Call For Ban Of Bearskin Hats

PETA (People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals) are calling for a ban on the use of bearskin in the military:

PETA, which is asking the MoD to use synthetic materials when it needs replacements for the hats, has figures showing £321,000 of taxpayers’ money has been spent since 2002 at Canadian fur auctions to buy black bearskins to refurbish its stock of 2,500 hats at a cost of £650 per pelt. The Army needs about 50 bearskins a year, anti-cruelty activists say.

Full article here: The Independent
 

Canada Plans The Slaughter Of 275,000 Harp Seal Pups

Conservation and animal welfare groups, including the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), have condemned Canada’s announced plans to kill 275,000 harp seals in this year’s commercial seal hunt, which is expected to start in a few weeks’ time.

Read more: Politics.co.uk

Japan Denies Buying Votes For Whaling

Japan on Monday denied paying for delegates of small states to attend international whaling negotiations after the premier of the Solomon Islands said he received an offer from Tokyo. Japan has long faced accusations of vote-buying as a growing number of developing countries with little tradition of whaling enter the International Whaling Commission (IWC).

Read more: AFP