ANIMALS THROUGH THE WORLD
February 2009
www.iwab.org
IMAB@iwab.org
CONTENTS:
1. China - Urgent Action Needed for Cats
2. France - Action Against The Use of Stone Crush Traps
3. Jamaica - Say No to Greyhound Racing
4. Republic of Ireland - Urge VISA to Stop Giving Money To Shooting Group
5. U.S.A. - Coyote Solution: Kill Them All?
For the Animals
Maria Lopes
Coordinator of the International Movement Against Bullfights
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CHINA
URGENT ACTION NEEDED FOR CATS IN CHINA
Source: Antifursociety
Cats are skinned and boiled while still alive in Guandong, a south of China
province. For full story, please read this latest news, and take action for
the defenseless which are suffering unspeakable pain and agony.
http://www.wishtv. com/dpp/news/ international/ int_ap_beijing_ protest_decries_ custom_of_ eating_cats_ 20081218804
Please write to the Guandong authorities (cc to the Chinese Embassy) asking
them to stop this horrific practice.
Your message will be more effective if you fax it or send it by snail mail
in addition to emailing it. Regardless, please send them a message of
disapproval. NOTE: Since this information may bring emotions to a high
level, it is very important to keep it to polite messages or efforts to help
those most unfortunate beings maybe in vain. Feel free to use the letter
below, edit it or write your own. The important thing is to make it sincere
and polite on behalf of the defenseless.
OPEN LETTER TO THE AUTHORITIES OF THE GUANDONG PROVINCE IN CHINA
(with copy to a Chinese Embassy nearest you)
Guangdong Foreign Affairs Office
Tel: (8620) 81218888
Fax: (8620) 81218569
Email: webmaster@gdfao. gov.cn
Dear Sir or Madam,
Newspapers worldwide are reporting about the extreme torture of cats that
are skinned and then boiled alive by butchers in Guandong. Thousands of cats
are sold to the Guangdong restaurants, and most of these cats come from
other provinces where cat nabbers have become infamous all over China,
terrorizing cat owners who fear that their cats may be stolen to be sent to
Guandong restaurants. The shocking side of this story that's making human
beings all over the world shiver with indignation is that cats are skinned
and dismembered alive, and still alive when thrown into boiling water to
finally finish a most hellish suffering with their last breath.
It is with profound distress that I am writing to you regarding this most
Inhumane treatment of cats and ask you wholeheartedly that you put a stop to
it immediately. The West is horrified by so much vileness, and this will
certainly not be a postcard that China would want for the world to see. It
is because of these practices of a minority that the important and rich
Chinese culture and history have become so stained and repudiated by most
countries which have adhered to humane laws to protect the most defenseless
members of our planet: the animals. It will not be difficult for China to
adjust to this new era since most Chinese people abhor these extreme
cruelties. The minority in your society who delight themselves on this type
of cruel bloodshed are a few and they will only destroy China's
respectability around the world. Surely, not all Cantonese are proud of the
smell of blood tainting their culture and history.
Quoting General Secretary Hu Jintao on December 18, 2008 commemoration of
the 30th anniversary of the reform: "the spiritual poverty is not
socialism," can be translated also for non-humans as these practices are
certainly a great poverty of spirit and one that will bring shame to the
Chinese civilization. It is now a good oportunity to follow on his
Excellency Hu Jintao's footsteps to a rich and spiritual socialism.
Respected Guangdong Provincial party committee, the provincial government,
Guangzhou Municipal party committee, the municipal government leads: These
acts have driven people around the world beyond their limits of forbearance.
There is nothing that should justify such horror, let alone something as
selfish as the culture of food based on the suffering of the innocent and
the defenseless.
I appeal to your conscience and the compassion that you surely have in your
hearts, to put an end to so much suffering inflicted upon the most
defenseless members of your society: the animals. Please make it illegal
for butchers to inflict so much pain and agony on the voiceless and
defenseless animals. Please investigate these atrocities, and forbid any
food and beverage that is based on cruelty, and capture and destroy the
suppliers and sales of live animal companions for food, immediately.
Modern laws and regulations must be instituted immediately to avoid this
type of traffic and the extreme suffering involved with it. No nation
should have to be embarrassed of their own country because of a minority
that can only bring shame and disgrace upon itself. It would be to the
great advantage of China to put an end to this horrific treatment of animals
to show the world that it is also compassionate and civilized, and has the
ability to be an effective part of the third Millennium.
Sincerely,
Name/Country
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FRANCE
ACTION AGAINST THE USE OF STONE CRUSH TRAPS IN FRANCE
Source: Proact
The background - a reminder
Back to the Stone Age
Since November 2005 thousands of songbirds may once again be trapped and
crushed to death under stone slabs - and subsequently eaten as delicacies.
The traps, set out on the limestone plateaux east of Avignon, are among the
most brutal instruments in the European hunter's arsenal.
A trap consists of a limestone slab weighing several kilograms which is
propped up on twigs and wood slivers and strewn with juniper berries as
bait. Birds coming to eat the berries brush against the twigs and are
squashed under the slab or trapped in a cavity under the slab. The victims
of this literally stone age hunting method are above all Thrushes, Robins,
Pipits and Finches. As many of these species are protected under EU
legislation the use of these indiscriminate traps (in French 'tendelles')
was up until now forbidden throughout the EU. Under no external pressure,
the French Minister for Ecology and Sustainable Development Mme Nelly Olin
signed a law in November 2005 which permitted this brutal hobby to be
practised again in the Départements Lozère and Aveyron. From the beginning
of November until the end of January 'tendelles' can once again be set out
in 31 communities between the Central Massif and the Tarn Gorge. The
Minister justified the lifting of the ban with the development of a new form
of trap in which the birds are only "trapped alive" under the stone slab
"but not killed".
Following an on the spot investigation by CABS an exponential projection of
the area searched in relation to the total area of the plateau gave a total
of between 75,000 and 125,000 stone crush traps in which countless migrant
birds meet a painful end every season. Many victims are not killed outright
but bleed to death, suffocate, die of thirst or die as a result of stress.
Those which survive relatively unharmed have their neck broken by the hunter
later.
The conclusion is that what the French hunters 'sold' the Minister as
'discriminate' , 'humane' and 'traditional' is in reality cruel and
environmentally- alien barbarism.
Support the CABS/Proact protest action by sending an email to the European
Commission and the new French Minister for Ecology :
To: stavros.dimas@ ec.europa. eu, ministere@ecologie. gouv.fr
BAN THE CRUEL AND NON-SELECTIVE USE OF STONE CRUSH TRAPS/STOPPEZ LES
TENDELLES
To:
Commissioner Stavros Dimas
M. Jean-Louis Borloo
Dear Commissioner Dimas,
The continued authorisation of the French stone crush trapping practice must
be rescinded.
This trapping method, reintroduced after a 100 year gap on the basis of the
use of a new, 'selective' trap, is in practice non-selective and inflicts
unnecessary pain to many birds (a lingering death from fractures,
hypothermia, suffication or permanent disability).
I request that you thoroughly examine all existing and any new evidence on
this matter and take the appropriate action with the French Government to
abolish this out-dated 'traditional' trapping practice as soon as possible.
In anticipation of swift action on the part of your directorate, and
feedback on the progress of your progress I remain.
Yours sincerely,
Name/Country
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JAMAICA
SAY NO TO GREYHOUND RACING
Source: South West Animal Protection
Greyhound Crusaders/SWAP team UK put out an alert to all our supporters last
year and more recently about the possibility of greyhound racing in Jamaica.
We have recently been informed there is now a rumour that they are trying to
go forward with the plan.
Please write to the sports minister in Jamaica The Honourable Olivia Grange
at- ogrange@micys. gov.jm telling her about the plight of the racing
greyhound.
We must nip this in the bud!!!
Honourable Olivia Grange
I have recently heard that there are plans to bring greyhound racing to
Jamaica. This has raised grave concerns for me as a greyhound lover and I
felt it was most important to bring this matter to your attention.
To introduce greyhound racing to Jamaica would be an absolute travesty due
to the thousands of greyhounds that are destroyed worldwide every year once
they are retired from racing, average age 3-4 years old. Additionally,
thousands of greyhound pups are destroyed each year because they are
considered 'unsuitable for racing'. The RSPCA in the UK (Royal Society for
the Protection of Animals) believes: "at least 20 greyhounds a day - either
puppies which do not make the track, or 'retired' dogs aged three or four -
simply 'disappear', presumed killed". Also the fact that many greyhounds
every year sustain serious, sometimes fatal injuries whilst racing.
(Please view the recent UK APGAW (Associate Parliamentary Group for Animal
Welfare) report at this link:
http://www.apgaw. org/userimages/ Report%20of% 20APGAW%20Inquir y%20into% 20the%20Welfare% 20of%20Greyhound s.pdf
Additionally, greyhounds have fallen victim to extreme abuse: Greyhounds
have been found drowned, poisoned, shot, abandoned, some emaciated, some
with their ears hacked off (or burnt off with acid) to remove identifying
tattoos. Some greyhounds are subjected to 'drugging' as a way of 'fixing'
certain races. Greyhounds taken on by rescues are often in a poor state of
neglect i.e. flea-ridden, worm-ridden, rotten teeth. Greyhounds that are
exported from Australia to Asia are often used for dog meat and some
greyhounds have been found hung on trees and thrown down wells in Spain.
Greyhounds are sometimes found with cigarette burns on their bodies,
greyhounds with missing toes due to past injuries, greyhounds who have had
to have many of their teeth removed due to previous neglect. Untreated
injuries that have poorly healed. The list is endless.
You may have read the horrific story of David Smith from Co. Durham in the
UK exterminating in the region of 10,000 unwanted greyhounds in a fifteen
year period by shooting them callously with a bolt gun and burying them in
his back garden. The Sunday Times along with other national newspapers
exposed this in 2006.
Please tell me what the fate of racing greyhounds will be in Jamaica, if
this type of carnage to greyhounds is happening worldwide then surely it is
inevitable that this may happen in Jamaica. Wherever there are profits to be
made, animal welfare is low on the agenda. What animal welfare laws are
there in Jamaica and are they upheld?
More recently, the Sunday Times in the UK have also exposed two disturbing
cases where healthy greyhounds are being sold to veterinary colleges by
those involved in the greyhound racing industry, to be exploited for
scientific purposes. On Sunday 2nd March 2008, a Sunday Times article
exposed the Royal Veterinary College (the oldest and largest veterinary
college in Britain) as having an agreement with a greyhound clinic in Essex
to buy body parts taken from healthy greyhounds that were being euthanased
regularly by the clinic, the healthy greyhounds were being supplied to the
clinic by greyhound trainers who no longer had a use for these dogs.
The full article can be viewed here:
http://www.timesonl ine.co.uk/ tol/news/ uk/article346671 2.ece
On Sunday 11th May 2008, a second article appeared in the Sunday Times, this
time exposing Liverpool University's Small Animal Teaching Hospital as being
supplied with healthy young greyhounds by the largest greyhound breeder in
Britain, a Mr Charles Pickering. Mr Pickering admitted to selling young,
perfectly healthy greyhounds who had failed to make the grade (i.e.chose not
to chase the artificial hare or considered simply too slow for the tracks)
to the university's animal teaching hospital to be euthanased and used for
scientific research. The article also revealed how greyhound trainer
'Richard Fielding' who was also supplied greyhounds by Mr Pickering, gave
his older (still healthy) greyhounds once they retired from racing to the
university veterinary staff to be euthanased so their organs could be
removed for teaching and research purposes. The full article can be viewed
here: http://www.timesonl ine.co.uk/ tol/news/ uk/crime/ article3908388. ece
I am sickened and outraged by the appalling atrocities inflicted upon the
racing greyhound and this is why am writing to you today to endeavour to
educate you about the disturbing reality of greyhound racing.
If you could spare a few moments to please view this short video
http://greytexploit ations.com/ awareness- videos please go into this link for
awareness videos and please scroll down to the last video called 'racing to
death' (volume up), as this supports the many reasons why I am are so
compelled to be a voice for the greyhounds.
I hope that my correspondence to you today will explain the reasons for my
concerns upon hearing the news that there may be plans to introduce
greyhound racing in Jamaica and I politely and respectfully ask that you
support me in opposing any such plans.
Ghandi once said "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be
judged by the way it treats its animals".
Please do all you can to stop this vile trade of sentient beings.
Many thanks.
Very best wishes
Name/Country
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REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
URGE VISA TO STOP GIVING MONEY TO SHOOTING GROUP
Source: ICABS
The Irish Council Against Blood Sports is appealing to MBNA/VISA to stop
contributing to an Irish shooting organisation. NARGC (whose members kill
tens of thousands of creatures every year) receives money from the company
every time someone uses a specially produced credit card. Please join our
appeal to MBNA/VISA now.
In a letter to ICABS, it was confirmed that "MBNA makes a contribution to
the NARGC" every time one of their VISA cardholders uses the card for a
purchase. The spokesperson tried to defend the arrangement by saying that
the money goes into the group's "Irish Habitat Trust" conservation fund.
MBNA has since been informed that when shooters refer to "conserving"
creatures, they are talking about conserving them to later kill them.
Pointed out to the credit card company is the following statement on the
NARGC website: "Shooting people have a vested interest in investing in
conservation and ensuring that the game species which they hunt are cared
for and that their populations are not threatened."
Elsewhere on NARGC's website, it is stated that "The National Association of
Regional Game Councils is the main organisation concerned with the hunting
of waterbirds in Ireland.In 1997 the NARGC established, in partnership with
FACE Europe and Ducks Unlimited in the US, the Irish Habitat Conservation
Stamp Programme, which raises finance for conservation projects with the
emphasis on wetlands. Currently, the NARGC is the sole promoter of this
initiative under the new title of the Irish Habitat Trust."
Further evidence of the Irish Habitat Trust's connection with hunting can be
seen in the prizes awarded at the trust's national draw in April 2008. These
prizes included three shotguns, a gunshop voucher, a hunting knife, a
stuffed pheasant, animal traps and a subscription to shooting magazine,
Irish shooters Digest.
Please respond to our action alert below and demand an end to MBNA's
financial contribution to an organisation whose members kill tens of
thousands of Irish birds and animals every year. Among the species gunned
down are: fox, hare, mink, deer and many bird species, including geese and
ducks. Previously listed as a target species on the NARGC website was cats.
Please write to MBNA Europe and ask them to stop contributing to a group
whose members kill animals for sport.
Gail Powell
Vice President
MBNA Europe Bank Limited
P.O. Box 1004
Chester Business Park
Wrexham Road
Chester
CH4 9WW
UK
Tel: +44 1244 672 000 (MBNA UK Head Office)
Tel: 1800 409 511 (MBNA Ireland)
Fax: +44 1244 672 055 (MBNA UK Head Office)
Email: customeradvocate. office@mbna. com
Dear Ms Powell,
I am writing to appeal to MBNA Europe to stop making a financial
contribution to Irish shooting organisation, NARGC, every time one of their
card holders makes a purchase.
I understand that MBNA has tried to defend this arrangement by pointing out
that the money goes towards the group's Irish Habitat Trust "conservation"
fund. The creatures conserved by shooters are the creatures that they hunt
and you may be interested in the following statement on the NARGC website -
"shooting people have a vested interest in investing in conservation and
ensuring that the game species which they hunt are cared for and that their
populations are not threatened."
May I also draw your attention to the list of prizes awarded at the Irish
Habitat Trust's national draw in April 2008. These prizes included three
shotguns, a gunshop voucher, a hunting knife, a stuffed pheasant, animal
traps and a subscription to a shooting magazine.
Irish shooters are responsible for the killing of tens of thousands of Irish
animals every year. Among the species gunned down are: fox, hare, mink, deer
and many bird species, including geese and ducks. Previously listed as a
target species on the NARGC website was cats.
I find it incredible that MBNA is happy to help fund a shooting
organisation. I appeal to you to side with the majority who love and
appreciate wildlife and immediately stop making these financial
contributions.
Thank you. I look forward to your positive response.
Yours sincerely,
Name/Country
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U.S.A.
COYOTE SOLUTION: KILL THEM ALL?
Source: Kinship Circle
VIDEO of neck-snared coyote (WARNING: graphic content)
http://video. google.com/ videoplay? docid=-448807025 7573285313
Project Coyote
http://www.projectc oyote.org/
Animal Welfare Institute
http://www.awionlin e.org/joinus
Humane Society of the United States
http://www.humaneso ciety.org/
Mr. Steven Koblik, President
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
ph: 626-405-2100
skoblik@huntington. org, publicinformation@ huntington. org
CC to:
The Huntington Board of Trustees
Stewart R. Smith, Chair:
ssmith@kinsmith. com
Peter K. Barker:
peter.barker@ gs.com
Paul G. Haaga, Jr.:
pgh@capgroup. com
Anne F. Rothenberg:
rothenberg.anne@ gmail.com
Geneva H. Thornton:
genevathornton@ earthlink. net
Dear Mr. Koblik,
I am dismayed to learn the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and
Botanical Gardens has one solution for coyotes on its property: Kill them. I
respectfully ask you implement enduring and nonviolent means to coexist with
wildlife. Visitor education and humane deterrents would certainly enhance
your image more than neck snares and death.
Wiping out indigenous wildlife commonly triggers more problems than it
resolves. Coyotes are integral to Los Angeles basin ecosystems. Killing them
offsets natural cycles. For example, coyotes and foxes prey on rodents; when
coyote numbers drop, rodent and smaller carnivore populations rise.
Ultimately, coyotes offset the decline by reproducing more quickly and
boosting their numbers to pre-slaughter levels or higher.
Moreover, snaring is ruthless. The steel-cable loop designed to strangle an
animal within minutes usually fails. Necropsies of snared coyotes reveal
that 63% suffer hemorrhaging (evidenced by grossly swollen heads), bloodied
eyes, and broken teeth from trying to gnaw through the snare. Some animals
break their own limbs to escape the pain.
A trap-and-kill approach to coyote conflicts is never ecologically or
ethically defensible. Please stop Huntington's "coyote abatement program."
I encourage you to partner with wildlife organizations that can help devise
site-specific solutions for humane coexistence instead of extermination.
Thank you,
Name/Country
cc: Stewart R. Smith, Chair
Peter K. Barker
Paul G. Haaga, Jr.
Anne F. Rothenberg
Geneva H. Thornton
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Elephants Back In Circus: RSPCA Angry Over Decision By Great British Circus
Act
http://news. sky.com/skynews/ Home/Elephants- Back-In-Circus- RSPCA-Angry- Over-Decision- By-Great- British-Circus- Act/Article/ 200902415231223? lpos=Home_ First_Home_ Article_Teaser_ Region_5& lid=ARTICLE_ 15231223_ Elephants_ Back_In_Circus% 3A_RSPCA_ Angry_Over_ Decision_ By_Great_ British_Circus_ Act#comment
============ ========= ========= ========= ========= ========= ==
Good news - Viana do Castelo, Portugal, the first anti bullfighting city
INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENT AGAINST BULLFIGHTS
www.iwab.org
IMAB@iwab.org
Dear Friends
Viana do Castelo has declared itself the first Portuguese anti bullfighting
city.
Sometime ago the Mayor bought the bullring to transform it in a Science
Center.
Today in a meeting held at the City Hall the Mayor declared that permission
would not be given to hold bullfights in the city in future.
He added: "The defense of animal's rights is not compatible with spectacles
of torture that provoke injustifiable suffering".
For the Animals
Maria Lopes
Coordinator
International Movement Against Bullfights
www.iwab.org
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Disclaimer: All items published in this magazine were received by us and we
pass them on in good faith. We are not responsible for incorrect email
addresses, errors, omissions etc. by the originators.
INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENT AGAINST BULLFIGHTS
www.iwab.org
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