Household Brands Wreck Rainforests

Sumatran Orangutan Society:

Household brands including Kit Kat, Flora and Dove soaps have been linked to the mass destruction of Asian rainforests for palm oil plantations…

Report Highlights Cruelty Of Gamebird Rearing

League Against Cruel Sports: 

The Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) has released a report on the welfare of farmed gamebirds. The report highlights the cruelty involved in the intensive rearing conditions prevalent in the shooting industry and raises concerns over many of the techniques used such as beak trimming. The report states that ‘intensive breeding and rearing of these semi-wild species in confinement have the potential to compromise bird welfare’. It also calls into question the wisdom of importing large quantities of birds from abroad to meet demand…

Moggy Of Bodmin

Student Paul Dennys took a picture of a black creature convinced that it was the ‘Beast of Bodmin’, but a zoologist says: “With the best will in the world it is not a wild creature. I have no doubt it’s a large domestic cat.”

Full story: The Mirror

RSPCA Launch Campaign To Tackle ‘Status Dogs’

RSPCA:

The RSPCA is launching a campaign today calling for MPs to tackle the worrying trend in ‘status dogs’ being used in aggressive, intimidating and anti-social behaviour…

Former TV Exec Shoots Dead Neighbours Dog

71 year old former ‘Game For A Laugh’ director Phil Bishop shot his neighbours dog dead because its barking annoyed him.

Full story: Mail Online

Parvovirus Outbreak At Rescue Centre

BBC News:

A rescue centre for cats and dogs in Bath has been closed after an outbreak of a lethal canine virus…

Scottish Seals Demand A Ceasefire

From Seal Protection Action Group:

An estimated 5,000 seals are shot in Scottish waters each year by salmon farm and fisheries interests. The protestors, led by the Seal Protection Action Group, unfurled a banner reading ‘CEASEFIRE FOR SEALS’ outside of the Scottish Parliament and handed in a letter addressed to Alex Salmon.

The letter was signed by 27 leading conservation and animal welfare charities including the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), Advocate for Animals, PETA Europe, Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), Animal Aid, British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), Animal Concern, International Animal Rescue (IAR), Save our Seals Fund, Seawatch Foundation and Care for the Wild amongst many others. The letter has also been supported by the Labour Animal welfare Society and Scottish Green Party. 
 
Recently scientists from the Sea Mammal Research Unit revealed what they described as a ‘frightening’ decline in the number of common seals around the UK coast. Under present outdated legislation – The Conservation of Seals Act (1970) – salmon farmers can shoot seals, even during the breeding season, to prevent ‘damage’ to equipment or stock.
 
The campaigners believe that salmon farmers can deter seals and other predators by using properly maintained, tensioned nets and other devices, without resorting to lethal methods. 

“Scientific evidence now supports our view that this culture of killing seals must stop” said Andy Ottaway of the Seal protection Action Group’ “We are calling for a ceasefire for seals with immediate effect and the comprehensive protection of our disappearing seal populations from deliberate killing before it is too late.” 
 
The campaigners have also called on major retailers such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Marks and Spencer to insist that seals are not shot by their salmon suppliers. Sainsbury’s, the market leaders in Scottish salmon sales have just committed to end seal shooting as quickly as possible and are calling on their competitors to follow their lead. 
      
In January of this year a public opinion poll found that 75% of the Scottish public support the killing of seals being made illegal in Scottish waters with only 12% supporting Fish farmers and fishermen continuing to kill them. 
 
“Until the governments protect our seals as they surely must, we are also calling on the public to avoid Scottish salmon unless they can be assured that no seals have been killed. We know they support our view that dead seals is too high a price to pay for Scottish salmon”

For further details about the campaign please visit: Seal Protection Action Group or Protect Our Seals

RSPCA: Scottish Salmon Farmers Should Shoot Fewer Seals

Guardian:

Salmon farmers could be expelled from one of the UK’s leading animal welfare schemes if they continue shooting seals in large numbers, after scientists warned that common seals are suffering a catastrophic decline…

Beagle Has Face Transplant

A face transplant carried out on a Beagle in China has been considered a ‘Success’. The poor creature was forced to have the op to research human face transplants. The donor dog died.

Read more: The Sun

Man Shot By Dog

And I thought my dog was naughty:

A man is recovering after being accidentally shot by his dog…

Full story: Associated Press