Dear All,
Welcome to the latest edition of the ACE e-newsletter!
The e-newsletter features campaigns which are predominantly e-based or are on a strict time limit. For those of you who have enquired, we no longer produce our bulletins due to time constraints - sorry.
Please note: The information reproduced in our e-newsletters is done so in good faith on the understanding that the originators have checked the validity of the content before posting. Nothing in this email newsletter is intended to encourage illegal action in whatever country you are reading it in.
We have included some telephone and fax numbers with some of the alerts, please remember to add international dialling codes where necessary.
Important: To make sure you continue to receive further emails from Animal Campaign Express, please add a.c.e@cooptel.net and campaigns@loftmail.com to your email Address Book. If you use a spam filter program, please assign these addresses a status of "safe" or "trusted." If you have an AOL, Hotmail, MSN or Yahoo email address, this is particularly important as we receive many "bounce backs" from these email addresses.
Many thanks to all those who continue to keep in touch and welcome to those who receive this for the first time.
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Wigan ruddy ducks next on hit list
http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/NEWS/news_wildlife/ALL/1674//
Despite opposition from Animal Aid, local bird groups and the local Community Action Party, Wigan councilīs Environmental Services Director Martin Kimber has given the go ahead to allow government killing gangs to slaughter around 140 ruddy ducks who have made their home on Wigan Flashes. If the killing proceeds, it will be a brutal, ugly business. Earlier 'trial culls' of ruddys in other parts of Britain resulted in birds being shot a dozen times and lingering for more than 90 minutes before finally expiring.
The ruddy was brought to this country from North America in the 1940s by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, as an 'ornamental' species. A few escaped and bred in the wild. Their numbers increased to several thousand and some of these were said to have reached Spain and mated with a rare duck called the white headed - rare because it had been hunted and its wetlands habitat destroyed by people.
'Conservation' zealots at RSPB headquarters decided that the product of this union between the ruddy and white-headed was offensive. Labelled an impure hybrid, it had to be hunted down and destroyed. In order words, itīs killing in the name of blood purity.
But nature is not pure, or fixed. It is in flux - not least because of the dramatic and continuing impact our own species has on the landscape. The mating of close genetic kin - hybridisation - is a fact of bird life.
Among those most vehemently opposed to the ruddy slaughter is the leading British ornithologist, Tom Gullick, who first alerted the Spanish authorities to the precarious position of the white-headed duck. The Spanish took action to preserve the main breeding grounds and their white headed population has since grown from just 20 or 30 birds to between 3,000 and 5,000.
Gullick told The Times that the cull proponents 'will never succeed in the total eradication of the ruddy duck'. He added: 'It's a scandalous misuse of rare conservation money. But I think too many people have stuck their necks too far up above the parapet to admit that they are wrong.'
Meanwhile, as a result of warmer British winters, ruddy duck migration to Spain has virtually stopped. Just four were spotted (and killed) in 2006. As a consequence, hybridisation - which should never have been seen as a problem - is probably no longer taking place. Given that arguments for the cull were founded on putting a stop to hybridisation, the pro-cull argument is dead in the water.
The ruddy duck 'cull' is about scapegoating. It is about cynical politics and muddled reactionary thinking. It is too easy to blame one species for the perilous condition of another, while failing to acknowledge our own environmental vices. The people of Wigan should resist this pointless and grotesque slaughter.
Take Action
Please write to Wigan Council Leader Lord Peter Smith asking him to reverse his decision to allow government gunmen access to Wigan and Leigh flashes to kill the ruddy ducks.
The Leader of Wigan Council
Lord Peter Smith, Town Hall, Library Street, Wigan, WN1 1YN
And also to:
Martin Kimber
Director of Environmental Services, Town Hall, Library Street, Wigan, WN1 1YN
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As you may be aware due to hundreds of letters sent to BA concerning the promotion of the Bull of Vega in their website , the company removed this promotion.
Nonetheless BA still announce bullfights on their website, in their section "other destinations". When we made the campaign against the bull of Vega we were aware of these adverts but it was important strategically to attack first the outrageous festival of the bull of Vega, since even BA could not justify this barbarity, before going after BA for promoting bullfights.
The section "other destinations" has several countries where BA flies and they list all kinds of "festivals and heritage" in those countries. We made a thorough search in those destinations and bullfights are announced in countries such as:
Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Portugal and Spain. Curiously concerning France no bullfights are mentioned.
You can check these adverts at the following links:
Colombia:
http://eventsuk.britishairways.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=24845
Ecuador:
http://eventsuk.britishairways.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=40269
http://eventsuk.britishairways.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=159235
Mexico:
http://eventsuk.britishairways.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=158942
http://eventsuk.britishairways.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=24475
Peru:
http://eventsuk.britishairways.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=40782
Portugal:
http://eventsuk.britishairways.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=21805
http://eventsuk.britishairways.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=15725
http://eventsuk.britishairways.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=15727
Spain:
http://eventsuk.britishairways.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=53982
http://eventsuk.britishairways.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=13391
http://eventsuk.britishairways.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=13402
http://eventsuk.britishairways.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=13438
http://eventsuk.britishairways.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=149369
http://eventsuk.britishairways.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=13503
http://eventsuk.britishairways.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=13498
http://eventsuk.britishairways.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=13486
Please send polite letters to BA asking them to remove all advertised festivals involving abuses of bulls.
There is no email avaliable to BA therefore please leave your complaint letter at:
http://www.britishairways.com/travel/custrelform/public/en_gb
Dear Sirs
I was pleased to note that your web site no longer promotes the outrageous barbarity of the notorious festival known as the "Bull of Vega", and I congratulate you on this.
The site however still advertises several bullfights, and attempts to justify this by stating that these gruesome displays are an intrinsic part of the heritage of the countries concerned. Whilst you admit that many people are opposed to these practices, by continuing to promote them you are helping to perpetuate the myth that these spectacles are enjoyed by a majority of these populations. You would not have advertised flights to Britain by referring to fox hunting even before it was banned, and I would ask you to show similar respect to the majority of the people in other countries that take no pleasure from the suffering of animals.
Please don't allow British Airways to appear to condone cruelty and remove these adverts without delay.
Sincerely,
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The Irish Council Against Blood Sports has expressed disappointment at the news that Minister John Gormley has issued another licence to the Irish Coursing Club. The licence will allow coursing clubs around Ireland to snatch thousands of hares from the wild to be used as live lures. A decision has not yet been made on the licensing of the Ward Union but ICABS remains hopeful that this will become the first of our blood sports to be banned.
ICABS is saddened to think of the hares that will be removed from their habitats in the coming weeks and months and forced to run for their lives in front of greyhounds. As highlighted to the Minister in the weeks leading up to his decision, hares continue to suffer appalling injuries on the coursing fields. Some are so severely mauled that they drop dead or have to be put down. Sickening examples include:
* A hare "squealing in distress" after being caught by a muzzled dog
* A hare suffering with "a badly broken hind leg"
* A hare "carrying a hind leg"
* A hare with "a damaged hind toe"
* A coursed hare with a "badly broken hind leg [which] seemed to be in great distress"
* A hare in agony in a coursing enclosure with its leg "almost completely broken off".
Despite our disappointment, the campaign against coursing continues. With your help, we will continue to press Minister Gormley to ban this shameful blemish on the Irish countryside. Please follow our action alert below and share our confidence that the day is coming when Irish animals will be spared the cruelty and inhumanity of blood sports.
ACTION ALERT 1
Please contact Environment Minister, John Gormley, and appeal to him to reconsider his decision to licence hare coursing. Urge him to stand firm against the Ward Union and refuse a licence for their abuse of deer.
Sample Letter
(Please compose your own personal letter if possible. If you do not have time to do this, please send the short sample letter below. Be assertive, but polite, in all correspondence. Thank you.)
Minister John Gormley
Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Custom House, Dublin 1.
Email: minister@environ.ie
Tel: 01 888 2403.
Fax: 01 878 8640.
Dear Minister Gormley,
I am writing to express my great disappointment at your decision to licence hare coursing in Ireland. This licence not only disregards the awful animal cruelty of coursing but also the wishes of the majority of Irish adults who want this barbarism banned. I hope that you will find a way to urgently bring coursing to an end in Ireland.
I understand that you will be considering the licensing of carted deer hunting in the coming weeks. I implore you to stand firm against the Ward Union and refuse this licence.
In its pre-election manifesto, the Green Party pledged to ban blood sports when in government. You now have the opportunity to fulfil this promise and end the suffering of deer and hares.
Yours sincerely,
Name/Location
ACTION ALERT 2
Please contact your local TD and Senator and ask them to make an appeal to Minister Gormley on your behalf.
For the names of your TDs, please click on your county at:
http://www.oireachtas.ie/members%2Dhist/default.asp?housetype=0&HouseNum=30&disp=const
Contact your TD at:
Dail Eireann, Leinster House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
Tel: 01-618 3000 or 1890 337889 (1890 DEPUTY).
For a list of Senators, please visit:
http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=1&HouseNum=23&disp=mem
Contact your Senator at:
Seanad Eireann, Leinster House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
Tel: 01-618 3000 or 1890 732 623 (1890 SEANAD).
For more information contact:
Irish Council Against Blood Sports
PO Box 88, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, Ireland
Email: info@banbloodsports.com
Website: www.banbloodsports.com
WAPsite: www.banbloodsports.com/wap
ICABS TV: www.youtube.com/icabs
ICABS on Bebo: www.bebo.com/banbloodsports
ICABS on MySpace: www.myspace.com/banbloodsports
- Sign our online petition -
Sign our "Ban Blood Sports in Ireland" petition at:
www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/784506550
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Protest in Ipswich as livestock exported
FURIOUS animal welfare campaigners turned out in protest last night as lorries carrying live exports destined for the continent arrived at a Suffolk port.
Earlier this week bosses at the Port of Ipswich gave the green light to start shipping livestock to Europe.
It is handling the trade for two weeks because the berth at Dover usually used for exports is currently closed for repairs.
Campaigners have been left horrified by the news and last night turned out in force to express their anger outside the port's West Terminal.
The protest, which had a police presence, saw around 50 campaigners wave banners, hold placards and shout criticism as the lorries, which were carrying calves, arrived to unload their cargo.
Sue Drake, who had come all the way from Southwold and is a member of the Suffolk branch for Compassion in World Farming, said: "It's just dreadful and in this day and age totally uncalled for.
"We know of other ports that have refused this trade and I think it's a shame Ipswich hasn't had the courage to do the same.
"These poor animals are only two or three weeks old and are taken away from their mothers as a by-product of the milk industry.
"Within days they are loaded into cramped conditions on a lorry with no bedding and are then taken onto a ship before reaching Europe and being killed. I feel it really is a very nasty business."
Helen Stolley, a member of Ipswich Animal Welfare, said: "We are entirely against this business and if it goes on at all it should go on the hook not the hoof.
"We showed in the 1990s that there is great public support for our view and that Ipswich does not want this terrible trade."
Roy Hugill, who was there with his wife Linda and his step-daughter, said: "If it continues then I think they will have another situation like Brightlingsea. People won't be happy to just stand there with signs and banners."
Mrs Hugill added: "It's at the grass roots where we will get change - not legislation. By applying pressure now and organising men and women and not making it easy for the lorries to come through - that's how we can stop it."
Between January and October 1995 thousands of campaigners tried to stop trucks from getting through at Brightlingsea in protest to live exports from the Essex town.
The demonstrations were often supervised by police in full riot gear and 598 people were arrested during the 10-month period, after which the exports were forced to stop.
A spokesman for Ipswich Port Authority confirmed it would be handling shipments of livestock while the berth at Dover was closed.
He added: "As the Statutory Harbour Authority for the Port of Ipswich, Associated British Ports (ABP) is legally bound to handle all legitimate traffic.
"The shipment of livestock is a legal trade in the United Kingdom, monitored and regulated by government agencies such as Defra."
Please contact the port, keep all protests polite:
ABP Ipswich
Old Custom House, Key Street, Ipswich, IP4 1BY
Tel: 01473 231 010
Fax: 01473 230 914
Alastair MacFarlane
Port Manager, East Anglian Ports
Email Port Manager - Alastair MacFarlane on amacfarlane@abports.co.uk
Matt Jukes
Port Director, Short-Sea Ports
Email Matt Jukes on mjukes@abports.co.uk
Mobile: 07885 707044
For all general and media enquiries: pr@abports.co.uk
For business enquiries: abpsales@abports.co.uk
For employment enquiries: personnel@abports.co.uk
Rebecca Downey rdowney@abports.co.uk
Pentland Ferries
Pier Road, St Margaret's Hope, Orkney, KW17 2SW
Tel: 01856 831 226
http://www.pentlandferries.co.uk/contact.asp
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FAMOUS PIGEONS SET TO STARVE AS MORE CIVIL LIBERTIES ERODED!
A new bye-law made by Westminster Council banning the feeding of birds and pigeons on the North Terrace of Trafalgar Square and beyond, came into force on Monday 3rd September.
Councillor Alan Bradley of Westminster Council appeared on London television and BBC London expressing his concerns about the nuisance caused and the health issues that could arise from feeding these poor creatures. Pigeons (and other birds) have been in the 'Square' for decades and are a traditional part of the London scene.
Many decades ago the London Council licensed and permitted the sale of food-stuffs for the feeding of pigeons in Trafalgar Square, millions of people, including visitors and tourists from all over the world have enjoyed feeding the 'famous pigeons'.
..... FOR ALL THOSE YEARS IT WAS ACCEPTED BY THE COUNCIL AND NOBODY SEEMED TO COMPLAIN OR OBJECT ON ANY GROUNDS!
If you think that the action taken is cruel and unjustified you may
consider e-mailing Councillor Bradley with your views, you could also politely ask him for a full explanation.
Email: abradley@westminster.gov.uk
Hazel Blears MP
Hazel Blears is the Secretary of State for the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and would have made the final decision to pass the new law, her e-mail address is:
Email: blearsh@parliament.uk
The semi-domesticated birds WILL perish and die without a regular fixed amount of food, according to leading bird experts.
THE AUTHORITIES SHOULD CONCENTRATE ON CRIMINALISING 'REAL CRIMINALS' AND
STOP VICTIMISING CARING PEOPLE!
KEN LIVINGSTONE'S DRACONIAN CRUEL ANTI-PIGEON BYE-LAW
It was Ken Livingstone who originally set the ball rolling by introducing a feeding ban on Trafalgar Square's main area in 2002, if you feel London needs a more caring compassionate Mayor, then don't vote for him at next years election! He cannot be elected without votes!
Remember some of Ken's controversial (alleged) recent history:
Wasting hard earned London taxpayers money.
Fracas with photographer.
Upsetting the Jewish community.
Unwanted London congestion charges affecting visitors and small businesses.
Bye-law responsible for the destruction of pigeons and other innocent wildlife.
Ken's e-mail address is: mayor@london.gov.uk
Consider voting for another candidate who may be more thoughtful and compassionate.
Also
In the light of the recent decision by the Government to agree Westminster's application for a byelaw banning pigeon feeding, there is talk of other Councils applying for similar byelaws. Indeed a petition on the Downing Street website calls for a nationwide ban, although it only has six signatures!
The prospect of law-abiding people up and down the country becoming criminals simply for giving birds a crust of bread is preposterous.
We have now added our own petition to the Downing Street website asking the Government, as a matter of policy, to reject all future applications for byelaws to ban pigeon feeding.
Please sign it now, it will take you 30 seconds!!! It's at http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/pigeon-feeding/
If we get just 200 signatures then the Prime Minister or other relevant Minister is required to reply to us.
UK residents only may sign
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Please write to the Presidents of the Political Groups in the Portuguese Parliament urging them to establish and enact the proposed new animal protection law which is aimed at strongly protecting companion, wild and farm animals, and at banning bullfights, animal circuses, the fur trade, animal experimentation and other barbarities in Portugal You can help to achieve a pioneer legislative step for animals in Portugal Please support the "Manifesto ANIMAL", to end the crimes without punishment.
Please write to the Presidents of the 6 political groups in the Portuguese Parliament and urge them to adopt, establish and enact the proposed Animal Protection Code presented and outlined in the "Manifesto ANIMAL", the new legislative animal protection step that ANIMAL is working hard to implement in Portugal. By sending these messages, you will be greatly helping these campaign and lobbying efforts to succeed in advancing the legislative protection of animals in Portugal.
This will only take you 5 minutes. However, for millions of animals, it may save their lives.
Please always make sure that you send the messages copying (Cc) info@manifestoanimal.org into the
e-mails, so that we can monitor how many supportive messages for the animals are being received by the political leaders in Parliament:
Write to the President of the Socialist Party Parliamentary Group expressing your support to the "Manifesto ANIMAL"
http://www.manifestoanimal.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=35
Write to the President of the Social Democratic Party Parliamentary Group expressing your support to the "Manifesto ANIMAL"
http://www.manifestoanimal.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=36
Write to the President of the Communist Party Parliamentary Group expressing your support to the "Manifesto ANIMAL"
http://www.manifestoanimal.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=37
Write to the President of the Popular Party Parliamentary Group expressing your support to the "Manifesto ANIMAL"
http://www.manifestoanimal.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=38
Write to the President of the Left-Wing Block Parliamentary Group expressing your support to the "Manifesto ANIMAL"
http://www.manifestoanimal.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=40
Write to the President of the Ecologist Party Parliamentary Group expressing your support to the "Manifesto ANIMAL"
http://www.manifestoanimal.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=41
If you run an animal protection group, please consider adding your group to the list of animal protection organisations which already support the "Manifesto ANIMAL" and its goals
Please contact us at info@manifestoanimal.org
Main Objectives of the "Manifesto ANIMAL"
The "Manifesto ANIMAL" is a comprehensive guideline for a much needed and desired Animal Protection Code in Portugal. It aims to show the way forward for the legislative protection of animals in this country, where these have been, and still are, so desperately unprotected, unattended and, moreover, victims of all sorts of aggressions in an environment of total impunity. More than just calling the Parliament to establish and enact such a law, the "Manifesto" also aims to show to the Portuguese Parliament how exactly the Portuguese State can and should correct its faults in this field. Among many other legislative landmarks for animals it seeks to institute, the "Manifesto" and its supporting campaign aim to:
- establish general basic obligations of the Portuguese State, with its institutions and agents, towards animals and the protection of their health, welfare and lives;
- establish the obligation of the Portuguese State, with its institutions and agents, of defining, in a very restrictive way, what exactly should be legally permitted in terms of using / exploiting / killing animals, of formally and specifically authorising and regulating these activities in a strict and clear way, and of defining and forbidding, again in a strict and clear way, which activities are forbidden, also establishing strong penalties to enforce when illegal acts are practised;
- establish the obligation of the Portuguese State of educating the public, especially children and youngsters in schools, about animals, their characteristics, their needs and their dignity;
- establish a set of obligations of veterinary doctors towards animals and the protection of their health, welfare and lives as their main professional duty and responsibility and to establish penalties for those veterinarians who, in the course of their practise, act contrarily to, or refuse to act in favour of, the protection of the health, welfare and lives of animals; among these obligations, veterinarians working in fields in which the infliction of pain and/or death to animals is legally permitted and specifically authorised by the State, are especially mandated to ensure, as strongly and satisfactorily as possible, that the animals are subjected to the minimum suffering and distress as possible and that the animals are treated with as much dignity as that situation may allow;
- establish the obligation of people and companies holding animals under their care, regardless of the purpose they have to do so, if and once they are unable to keep and treat the animals accordingly to what this proposed Animal Protection Code is called to stipulate, to immediately give them to the care of animal protection organisations which are prepared to take them - and establishing the obligation of the person or company taking this step to become responsible for providing financial assistance for the care of the affected animals until the natural end of their lives;
- establish the obligation of law enforcement agencies, especially the police and veterinarian authorities, of intervening promptly in the cases in which the above obligation is not spontaneously observed by the entity keeping the animals, with these authorities seizing the animals immediately and placing them under the care of an animal protection organisation which is prepared to take them - and to make sure that that entity will not fail to take responsibility for providing financial assistance for the care of the affected animals until the natural end of their lives;
- ban all forms of amputation / mutilation of animals (clipping of ears, tails, etc.), regardless of the species, except when that is medically recommended and when that medical recommendation is based on a health necessity of the animal or on the need to prevent the animal from being able to breed (sterilisation);
- establish all acts of passive (e.g., abandonment) or active (e.g., aggression) violence to animals a crime punishable with up to 1 year of imprisonment, and with up to 3 years of imprisonment when the act of violence causes severe harm, lesions and / or death to the abused animal;
- establish simple and quick legal procedures for police and veterinary authorities to take action to prevent, fight and penalise animal cruelty;
- establish the obligation of municipalities of collecting, recuperating when injured or ill, vaccinating, spaying/neutering and rehoming stray animals, except in which concerns feral cats, which municipalities should trap, vaccinate, spay/neuter and return to the safest public places where they can be relocated and where they can feel integrated in their natural habitats;
- ban the sale of live animals in pet shops, markets and fairs, except in animal markets which meet all the new law's regulations and which are licensed to operate;
- ban the keeping, selling and buying of wild animals (birds, fish, rodents and alike included) as pets;
- make the trafficking and currently lawful trade of wild and exotic animals a crime;
- forbid holding great apes, cetaceans and elephants in captivity, and to forbid inflicting pain and death to animals of these species;
- to establish only two exceptions to these prohibitions: 1) the permission to keep these animals in non-profit-making sanctuaries and rescue centres for their protection, and only when these facilities have all the necessary conditions to keep the animals safe, comfortable and as free as possible; and 2) the permission of inflicting some necessary pain/suffering when that is a necessary implication of medical treatments and/or procedures to treat them for any possible illness or injure that they may suffer, and of killing them, in the cases in which true euthanasia is advisable, in their best interest, to end their suffering when i) they are severely injured or ill, ii) when they cannot be satisfactorily recuperated from that severe injure or illness, and iii) when they cannot lead lives free from suffering;
- forbid the breeding, farming and/or killing of dogs, cats and horses for their skin, fur and / or for any part of their anatomy; to forbid the trade of any product resulting from the breeding, farming and/or killing of dogs, cats and horses;
- forbid the hunting or breeding, farming and killing of animals for their skin and fur, except when those animals are bred for meat consumption and only when their meat is traditionally and widely used for food in Portugal, but forbidding the farming and killing of rabbits for their skin and fur, despite the lawful use of their meat;
- forbid the sale, purchase, importation and exportation of any kind of skin and fur except of those animals which are bred for meat consumption and only when their meat is traditionally and widely used for food in Portugal, but forbidding any trade in rabbit fur;
- forbid all types of bullfights;
- forbid all sorts of fights between animals and between animals and humans (affecting more directly dog fights and cock fights);
- forbid the keeping and use of domestic and wild animals in circuses and in any sort of exhibition, except in licensed zoos operating accordingly to the proposed regulations in the Animal Protection Code being called for;
- forbid the use of wild animals in publicity (of any sort);
- forbid target shooting with live animals;
- forbid game bird shooting;
- forbid horse races and dog races (greyhounds and other dogs);
- establish much stricter zoo regulations, also making them applicable to all kinds of zoos which are allowed to operate, and have their activity regulated, under this proposed new law; to permanently forbid the construction of new zoos in the country and to forbid the breeding of animals in zoos, except in the cases in which these belong to endangered species and there is an officially supervised breeding program to try to ensure the survival of the species through the breeding of captive specimens in zoos which are officially recognised and authorised to perform that work;
- forbid all forms of experiments on animals;
- establish strict rules for rescue centres, rehabilitation centres and sanctuaries for animals, be they official or non-governmental, and to make mandatory their non-profit making standing;
- establish stronger rights and duties for non-governmental animal protection organisations, namely to make their intervention powers broader and stronger - as much as their responsibilities;
- establish stronger animal welfare regulations for animals farmed for their meat, milk and eggs, forbidding the force-feeding of animals, the keeping of farm animals in cages (laying hens and rabbits), crates and stalls (sows and veals), forbidding the ritual slaughter of animals, except when 1) these belong to species which are usually and widely used for food in Portugal, when 2) the animals' flesh will be necessarily consumed after the animals are slaughtered, and when 3) the ritual slaughter takes place in a licensed slaughterhouse with the animals being adequately stunned before the slaughter; and generally making animal welfare legal requirements for the exploitation of farm animals much stricter, so that extensive / organic farming becomes progressively mandatory through legislation.
ManifestoANIMAL.org - http://www.manifestoanimal.org/index.php?lang=en
No More Crimes Without Punishment :: Animal.org.pt - http://www.animal.org.pt/
Please do not keep this message only for yourself : Forward it to those you know who also care about animals
About ANIMAL
ANIMAL is a non-governmental organisation working to educate the public about animals, their characteristics, needs and rights, investigating and exposing the exploitation, torture and killing of animals and campaigning to abolish all forms of animal abuse in Portugal. ANIMAL also carries lobbying efforts to forward animal protection through legislation and takes legal action to enforce animal protection legislation, also involving the media in highlighting the suffering and killing of animals and how important and urgent it is to end it.
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Firstly a reminder that there will be a demo next Friday 19th October to coincide with the planning application decision meeting by Bedfordshire County Council. Meet at 9am outside Mid Beds District Council offices at Priory House, Monks Walk, Chicksands, Shefford, SG17 5TQ. For directions visit Mid Beds District Council website at http://www.midbeds.gov.uk/Images/COLMAP_tcm5-14343.pdf#False. Please try to make it if you can and please crosspost this email to anyone you feel may be able to attend.
Local radio stations have reported that Mid Beds District Council will be objecting to the planning application. Bedfordshire County Council's report on the planning application also states that they received 234 letters of objection from members of the public as opposed to 140 letters in support of the application. The full report and details of the meeting can be found at:
http://democracy.bedfordshire.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.asp?CId=114&MId=1181&Ver=4&J=3.
Members of the public are allowed to speak against the planning application at the meeting and will be given an allotted amount of time to speak, probably no more than a few minutes. Speakers can read from a prepared script if desired. We already have some people planning to speak at the meeting but if anyone else feels able to speak out against the NIRAH project they need to register with Greg Jeffrey, Committee Advisor, by Tuesday 16th October at the latest. Greg Jeffrey can be contacted at greg.jeffrey@bedscc.gov.uk or on 01234 228903.
Please note that due to recent circumstances the BAA website page for NIRAH contacts is currently out of date as contact details have changed and some companies are no longer involved with the NIRAH project. We would therefore ask you not to contact people via the website details until these have been updated, however a week of action alerts is due to commence from today asking people to contact NIRAH and major companies involved with the NIRAH project. Please try to find the time to contact these companies to politely register your opposition to this project.
More information about the NIRAH project can be found on their website at www.nirah.org. Further information and arguments against the NIRAH project can be found on Bedford Animal Action's website at www.bedfordanimalaction.org, CAPS's website at www.captiveanimals.org or EAARC's website at www.eaarc.com.
Please help us to stop this aquarium and research laboratory from going ahead. Your support is much appreciated.
Bedford Animal Action, PO Box 1263, Bedford, MK40 9AT
Tel: 07779 129269 or 07939 536877, Email: info@bedfordanimalaction.org
Website: www.bedfordanimalaction.org
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Some of you may not be aware of the enormous opposition Celia Hammond is facing from the authorities on the Olympic site. You can all help her by signing the petition, she desperately needs as many signatures as possible.
The story is this: A very long time ago when it was learned that the site at Stratford, East London, was to be developed for the Olympics, Celia quickly realised that such sites would be teeming with homeless cats. She contacted them re trapping the cats before work actually commenced, but they assured her there were no (or hardly any cats) there, and they were handling it themselves. She was not convinced, but could not act without their permission. A couple of months ago she received a phone call from them one Tuesday, acknowledging that there were indeed a number of cats there, and was told that demolition work would commence the next day. If she wished to rescue the cats it would have to be that very night. Of course, this was an impossibility. Trapping cats, just a couple, can take many nights of patient waiting, observing and leaving out food to tempt them. She went that night, and was horrified to learn of the enormity of the problem, she quickly assessed there were many hundreds there. Consequently she asked for an extension of time, which was granted for just a couple of weeks, but much time had to be spent doing a safety course...not just Celia but a number of helpers. Celia has spent every night out trapping, getting to bed towards 6 a.m every night (morning!!) and she is completely exhausted. To date she has rescued over 150, many of them now at the Canning Town centre. Mothers and little kittens. Cats and kittens coming out of our ears, one could say, but the blow delivered to Celia is that she is now forbidden to enter the site any more, and that the remaining hundreds of cats will have to face a terrible death. Celia needs as many people as possible to sign a petition that she can continue her good work till all cats are safe.
So, please, please spare just a couple of minutes to sign her petition...a modest 1000 signatures is what she wants...but more than that would be even better. A letter to Ken Livingston, or whoever else might be of influence, would also be an enormous help. Tell all your friends and family...time is of the essence.
Go to www.celiahammond.org and click on to the petition.
Thanks very much to every person who does this.
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Celebrate World Vegan Day ( 1st November) and join us at Hope Animal Sanctuary (Horse & Donkey Sanctuary Registered charity number 504003)
FANTASTIC OPEN DAY
Sunday 21 October 10.30am-3pm
Featuring:
Food Stall by Leeds Veggies and Vegans
A wide selection of goods for sale
Stalls and workshops
Lots of fun things to see and do
Raffle - lots of great prizes to be won
Free parking
All money raised goes to looking after and feeding the animals at the sanctuary
For more details about the open day and the sanctuary please visit
www.hopepastures.org
tel: 0113 2614344
Weetwood Lane lS16 5PH
For more details about Leeds Veggies and Vegans and our monthly events please visit;
www.leedsveg.co.uk
For World vegan day recipes and more information about vegan lifestyle visit: www.vegansociety.com
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International Animal Rights Day
Please support and participate in the 10th annual International Animal Rights Day on (or around) the 10 December. Last year there were more actions than ever before in almost every corner of the world, including several large marches for animal rights. Please help us to make this unique campaign event bigger and better than ever for the sake of animals everywhere!
So, how can you do this?
1. ATTEND THE CANDLELIT PROCESSION - Central London, Sunday 9 December
We were so inspired by the marches and processions in places such as Ireland, Brazil and Chile that we decided to organise a powerful, dignified, candlelit procession in Central London in order to remember the billions of animals killed every year; peacefully demonstrate our support for animal rights; and to call for fundamental political changes.
· Meet at 2.30pm at Lincoln's Inn Fields in Holborn, London for speeches, moving off at 4pm through Central London to finish at the Houses of Parliament.
1 Bring yourselves, friends and family and candles and lanterns (no megaphones, I'm afraid).
2 Spread the word by email, websites, and social networking sites. Contact us for flyers.
3 Organise transport (eg. car, minibus, coach). This really helps get people along. Let me know if you can & how many spaces there are.
2. Organise a candlelit vigil at a local place where the rights of animals are abused/ignored
Many were organised last year, and received a good deal of regional media attention (send out those news releases). Sites included: offices and shops of companies, universities, government departments and charities that conduct, support or promote animal testing, factory farms, abattoirs, butchers, fast food outlets, greyhound stadia, racetracks, bookies, live export docks, bull-rings, hunt supporting organisations, or even at a prominent or historical site in the town centre. You will need: candles, lanterns, banners, warm clothes! If you have plenty of candles, lanterns, banners and posters etc. the vigils look very powerful and effective - even if there are only a few of you.
3. Conduct a campaign stall
Inform the public that 'animal rights' is not scary, frightening and irrational, but a logical, well thought out, peaceful and sensible way to think about our relationship with animals. You may wish to conduct your stall on Saturday 8th when it will be busier. Send news releases to your regional media too. We will have leaflets, posters, petitions available.
4. Write letters
Write to national, regional papers (including the freebies), magazines, comments sections of websites, online animal forums etc.
I look forward to hearing from you soon, and seeing you in London for what promises to be a major and exciting event!
Yours for animals' rights
Max Newton
Campaigns Co-ordinator
Email: max@uncaged.co.uk or tel 0114 272 2220
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National Anti-Fur March & Rally
Saturday 1st December
Meet 12 noon, Belgrave Square, London SW1 (nearest Tubes Victoria, Hyde Park Corner and Knightsbridge)
There will be a National Anti-Fur March and Rally in London, on Saturday 1st December. After a rally in Cavendish Square, we will be marching around the Knightsbridge area of London, which is home to some of most notorious designers of fur, including Gucci, Versace, Fendi, Armani, Dolce and Gabanna, as well as campaign targets such as Escada, Joseph, Burberry, and of course we will be marching past Harrods, Europe's largest store, and the only department store in the UK still selling fur.
Unlike the rest of the UK where the fur trade has largely been stopped, London, and in particular the area around where the march will take place, is still a major centre of the fur trade. Fur of all kinds is a common sight in the area both in the shop windows, and draped on pedestrians, tourists for the most part, but quite a few residents as well. London activists are fighting an uphill battle to finish the fur trade in the capital, this is a chance for the rest of us to show our solidarity. Please bring placards, banners, friends and enthusiasm. We are discussing the route with the police, and the march will have official permission.
More details to come, but please keep the date free and start planning transport.
National Anti-Fur Week
Saturday 24 to Saturday 1 December
The march and rally in London will be the culmination of National Anti-Fur week, which will be from Saturday 24th November to Saturday 1st December. During this week, we are asking groups and individuals to organise events, demos, info stalls etc. in their own areas to highlight anti-fur week. More details to come, please let us know if you are planning anything so we can feature it on the website.
More details of both to come but please start planning now.
Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT)
CAFT, PO Box 38, Manchester, M60 1NX
For details of the March and Rally or events in London, contact london@caft.org.uk or 07899 775493
For the week of action and other CAFT enquiries contact caft@caft.org.uk or 0845 330 7955
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International Week of Action against Hunting
17-24 November 2007
Hunters are persecuting and killing animals worldwide and thankfully saboteurs are also operating alongside them worldwide. Shooting is prevalent across Europe where wild boar, foxes pheasant and other birds are shot, stag and elk, ducks, mink, fish and many other animals are killed in the name of sport.
Sabs are active across the world:
* In Austria they use umbrellas to obscure the hunters whilst they are trying to conduct a days shooting.
* In France, local police tell the hunt to go home every time the sabs show up.
* In the US where guns are the norm, sabs have allegedly said they will also carry guns too.
* At the White Marlin Open - the largest fishing competition in the world, boats were sabotaged by divers.
* In New Zealand, sabs wade into rivers and sabotage boats to prevent duck shooters.
* In Italy thousands of pheasants have been released, cages and equipment damaged.
Hunt sabbing is well organised and established in the UK but many other countries are just starting to take action against hunters. To support them and encourage the wider animal rights community to get involved,
the Hunt Saboteurs Association have launched an International Week of Action against Hunting - 17th -24th November 2007. Groups across the world have already pledged their support together with a desire to globalise the anti-hunt movement with the same success as other animal rights campaigns. Those not wishing to sab will be encouraged to fundraise, plan events and street stalls, engage with the press and public to bring more attention to the range of bloodsports carried out all over the world.
What you can do
You can help raise funds for your local sab group, running a vehicle is costly - fuel, maps, phones, walkie talkies and videos cameras are essential. Video cameras can be a powerful weapon against illegal hunting, these are often targeted by the hunt and many are damaged or taken. More importantly, protecting wildlife actively in the field is something sabs need help with every week in the season. If you don't fancy sabbing, then letters to local and national papers work well to keep the issue of hunting in the spotlight, and street stalls can also help raise needed funds and help recruit new supporters.
Please download the leaflet
http://nwhsa.redblackandgreen.net/global_anti_hunt_week.pdf (in pdf format 1.2MB) and display where appropriate!!!
You can make a real difference.
Join the HSA and find your nearest local sab group at http://www.huntsabs.org.uk
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Many thanks for your continued support. Our e-newsletters can now also be viewed on-line at
www.anthony-dacko.net , Anthony puts them in the 'Latest News' section of his excellent site.
Until next time...
For the animals.....ACE