“Zoo staff decided it would be kinder to kill the youngster” BERN––The Dahlholzli Zoo in Bern, the Swiss city named for bears, and infamous for centuries of exhibiting bears in pits, on June 25, 2014 reignited controversy over zoo culling practices by announcing that the remains of a healthy young bear called Cub 4 would […]
Did Holocaust comparison cost vegan her RSPCA ruling council seat?
Petra Watson-Smith ousted LONDON––Vegan Society activist Peta Watson-Smith has lost her seat on the 25-member ruling council of the Royal SPCA of England and Wales, but fellow vegan and “radical” candidate Joseph Piccioni, a past ruling council member whom Watson-Smith nominated, was elected. The RSPCA on June 5, 2014 announced the winners in the six-way […]
Will vegan anti-hunters seize the RSPCA?
Six candidates for five board seats LONDON––Ballots to elect the Royal SPCA of England & Wales ruling council are due on Tuesday, June 3, 2014. Just under 25,000 RSPCA members are eligible to vote, down from a reported peak of about 38,600 in 2004. They will choose among six candidates for five available seats. Among […]
Vesna Jones, 60, founder of Greek Animal Rescue
Vesna Jones, 60, founder of Greek Animal Rescue, died on May 15, 2014 after a long illness and brief hospitalization. Shocked by the many homeless dogs she saw during a month-long vacation in Greece with her husband Paul in 1987, Jones finished the “vacation” by volunteering for several days at an animal shelter near […]
U.K. amends Dangerous Dogs Act, but fails to close “Staffordshire” loophole
Bull mastiff mauling came two days before amendments took effect MANCHESTER, U.K.––Amendments to the Dangerous Dogs Act that permit prosecuting people whose dogs attack other people on private property took effect two days too late to satisfy Paula Kudray, 33, of Moston, a district of Manchester. The amendments took effect on a Tuesday, explained Dan […]
Donkeys, mules, & ponies struggle to survive Kathmandu brickyards
But some of the equines may outlive the brickyards themselves LALITPUR PATAN, Nepal––Some of the donkeys, mules, and ponies who have survived hard use in the brickyards of the southern Kathmandu Valley may long outlive the local brick industry. Given good sanctuary care, some of these hard-used equines […]
Humane innovator Clarissa Baldwin retires from Dogs Trust
Saved former National Canine Defence League LONDON––Clarissa Baldwin, who took charge of the then-faltering National Canine Defence League in 1986 and turned it into the globally influential Dogs Trust, on March 11, 2014 announced her retirement. “I joined Dogs Trust in 1974 as head of public relations on a six-month contract and ending up staying for […]
Lithuania advised against plan to kill 90% of wild boars to fight African swine fever
“Has little or no chance of success” VILNIUS, Lithuania––The European Food Safety Authority on March 17, 2014 reported that a Lithuanian government plan to fight African swine fever by killing wild boars has little or no chance of success. “No evidence was found in scientific literature proving that wild boar populations can be drastically reduced by […]
The 2011 Dutch “animal police” plan, viewed in 2014
by Alexandra Semyonova The politics of assembling the present Dutch coalition government were expected to put 100 new “animal cops” on the beat in the Netherlands by the end of 2011, and to eventually increase the Dutch animal police force to 500 officers, according to election […]
Denmark bans slaughter without pre-stunning
“Animal rights come before religion” COPENHAGEN––Telling the Danish TV2 network audience that “Animal rights come before religion,” Denmark minister for agriculture and food Dan Jorgensen banned livestock slaughter without pre-stunning, effective on February 17, 2014. Coinciding with outrage over the killing of a “genetically redundant” young giraffe at the Copenhagen […]