Support Israel’s Fur Trade Ban

Every year, approximately 70 million animals are killed for their fur — that is more than one animal every second, day and night, throughout the year. All for unnecessary and cruel fashion items.

On September 2nd, politicians in Israel will vote on a bill that — if it becomes law — will make Israel the first country in the world to ban fur. But that bill is now under threat from lobbying efforts by the fur trade.

TAKE ACTION
The Israeli Minister for Trade is under pressure from the fur industry to withold his support for the ban. Please write to him today to let him know you support the ban, that the world is watching and that passing this historic legislation for animals would be seen as a very positive step for Israel to take.

For more information visit The Humane Society’s Website

50% Of UK Dogs Are Overweight, Charity Warns

Pets People Place:

A major UK pet charity has released figures that reveal pets are struggling just as much as their human owners with their weight.

For the last four years, veterinary charity The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) has been assessing the weight and general health of nearly 30,000 dogs across the UK. In 2006, around one-in-five (21%) of dogs were considered overweight. In 2009, this has risen to more than one-in-three (35%). The charity says that if the data continues this trend then nearly 50% of dogs in the UK will be overweight by 2013. Within the United Kingdom, the South West, Midlands and Scotland areas have the highest percentage of overweight dogs, and Northern Ireland and the South West have the highest year-on-year increase. London is the only area to experience a decrease in overweight dogs – there were 1% less in 2009 than in 2008…

Budgens Criticised For Selling Grey Squirrels For Food

Telegraph:

Budgens, the grocery chain, has been criticised by animal rights groups for selling grey squirrel meat.

The shop claims it has seen huge demand for the rodents because they are high in protein and low in fat.

Squirrels were once widely eaten in Britain and regularly cooked in pies and casseroles.

But the move has been criticised by animal welfare group Viva…

Number Of Animal Experiments Performed In UK Labs Falls

Guardian:

The number of scientific experiments carried out on animals in the UK dropped by 37,000 last year to just over 3.6m, according to data released today by the Home Office.

The drop came despite an increase in the use of genetically modified mice, a crucial tool in medical research and genetics.

While the number of experiments on new world primates, such as marmosets, increased by around 250, those carried out on old world primates, such as macaques, fell by 590…

Jubilation As Catalonia Lands A Death Strike On Bullfighting

The Herald:

Spain’s Catalonia region made history yesterday by outlawing bullfighting for the first time on the country’s mainland.

After nearly two years of debate, Catalonia’s parliament voted to give a striking blow to advocates of the most emblematic and controversial Spanish tradition.

Cheers broke out in the local 135-seat legislature after the speaker announced the ban had passed by a vote of 68 to 55.

The ban in the wealthy seaside region centring on Barcelona, Spain’s second city, will take effect in 2012.

Campaigners said it was a historic victory and claimed it signalled the beginning of the end of Spain’s “la fiesta nacional”…

Dog Friendly Holidays In Ireland

Tourism Ireland have pulled together a “Ruff guide to Ireland” with great tips, ideas and advice on taking your canine companion away with you this summer.

Unlike other holidays with your dog, you won’t need a passport or a stressful session in quarantine for your four legged friend. You can just pop your pet into the car, and get onto the next ferry to Ireland. With less than a two hour ferry journey and no luggage restrictions, your holiday can start almost straight away!

Most of the ferries don’t even charge an extra fee to bring your dog! So with miles of sandy beaches for those long scenic dog walks, friendly locals and some pet friendly accommodation why not take a look at Tourism Ireland’s guide to a Dog friendly holiday?

Animal Experiments Statistics Total 3.6million – “A Shameful Legacy Of Science’s Complacency About Animal Suffering”

Humane Society International has reacted strongly to Home Office statistics released today revealing no significant decrease in animal experiments conducted in Britain, still totalling 3.6 million experiments in 2009 The Home Office emphasises that most procedures were on rodents (82 percent), but HSI research (see below) reveals mice and rats often experience significant suffering in UK laboratories. The Coalition government must commit to alternatives, says HSI.

Troy Seidle, director of research and toxicology for Humane Society International, says:

“The Home Office’s announcement year after year of unacceptably high numbers of animals used in experiments is becoming depressingly familiar. Such high levels of animal use expose the shameful legacy of science’s complacency about animal suffering where sentient creatures from mice to monkeys are still treated like dispensable research tools. Animal experiments fail to meet the sophisticated needs of modern science. Whilst the previous government’s default position was to defend animal research at all costs despite its clear deficiencies, we need a new vision from the Coalition government that grasps the opportunity to make a genuine commitment to advanced alternative techniques. That would not only save the lives of millions of animals but also improve the quality and pace of medical progress.” Nearly 3 million mice and rats were used in 2009 but HSI scientist Gemma Buckland PhD has reviewed a sample of recent experiments and reveals that rodents can endure significant and sustained suffering.

Shocking examples of rodent research in British universities and laboratories involved:

 ·         severe viral infection of lungs without pain relief;

·         addiction to mega-doses of cocaine;

·         baby mice enduring 28 days of painfully inflamed eyes after corneal grafts;

·         severed leg ligaments and inflamed joints with acute then chronic pain for 16 weeks without pain relief.  

Click here for referenced summaries of these 2009 rodent experiments.    

Says Gemma Buckland PhD, Science & Policy Officer for HSI: “These small creatures have an acute ability to experience pain and yet in British laboratories they endure procedures often involving high levels of suffering, sometimes for prolonged periods and without pain relief. Their suffering is made more troubling because their relevance as surrogates for human conditions remains highly questionable. We must not forget that behind the statistics are real animals’ lives and those lives can be highly distressing.”  

There was a 1% drop in procedures since 2008. Use of mice, reptiles, birds, sheep and GM animals increased.

Click here for HSI’s full statistical summary.

On The Menu: Animal Welfare

In her new book On The Menu: Animal Welfare Sue Cross examines how the animals we eat are bred, reared, fed and slaughtered: the chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese; the laying hens, quail and pheasants reared for sport; the pigs, lambs, dairy cattle, beef cattle, veal calves, fish and shellfish.

How do these animals feel? How intellegent are they? And can they suffer?

On The Menu shows how all animals are farmed and processed for our food are individuals. Like our pets they too have feelings and like them they feel pain and fear. Yet in the most intensive conditions there is nowhere they can find safety and comfort. Crammed into vast sheds they suffer both physically and mentally as they are turned into – and treated as – agricultural products.

For more information about the book visit On The Menu

Call For A Ceasefire For Bears

Unbearable Cruelty:

PETA is calling on the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to stop using bear pelts to make headpieces for the five guards regiments and to have the hats fashioned from luxurious faux fur instead.

Bears are cruelly killed for their hides; they are either shot during hunts or ensnared, possibly for days, in painful traps. During hunts, as many as one bear in seven is not killed immediately after being shot, and some escape wounded, possibly dying later from blood loss or starvation. In some Canadian provinces, there are no restrictions on the shooting of mothers who have nursing cubs, leading to the slaughter of entire families during hunts.

For nearly two centuries, the MoD has waged a war on black bears while doing nothing to further the search for synthetic materials. In fact, when it was presented with high-tech synthetic materials by PETA – sourced from leading faux-fur manufacturers around the world and made to the MoD’s own specifications – the MoD was quick to make negative comments about the faux fur, saying that it “lacks life” and “doesn’t bounce back”.

Instead of financially supporting the shameful slaughter of black bears, Great Britain should set a compassionate example by switching to a humane and progressive alternative and committing to stopping the killing…

Pet Insurance

With veterinary bills rising faster than the rate of inflation, more and more people are considering pet insurance.

For those who do not have much in the way of savings, veterinary bills can become unaffordable. So it is a good idea to think ahead – before your pet gets ill.

If you decide to take out pet insurance, make sure you have chosen the correct policy for you and your furry friend before signing on the dotted line. The cheapest insurance quote may look like the best deal on the surface, but always check how much you will need to fork out in excesses if your pet needs treatment.

The excess fee for vets’ bills varies considerably between insurers; some providers will ask for a fixed fee, others will expect you to pay this fee plus a percentage of the final bill – which may work out very expensive.

Most insurance companies do not cover your animal for existing medical conditions, and some will have a time limit on treatments – for example if your dog has a long term illness he/she may only be covered for a year – so read the terms and conditions of your policy very carefully.

If your pet is already ill, and you have no insurance, don’t be afraid to talk to your vet. Explain your financial situation before any procedure has taken place, that way you may be able to arrange to pay off your bill in installments. Another option is to contact a charity or organization that offers veterinary services for people who are unemployed, or on a low income such as The Blue Cross or PDSA.