BRUSSELS—A new online Master Class course to train scientists in testing cosmetics and chemicals without using animals is being hailed as a game-changer for cruelty-free testing worldwide. Featuring real-world case studies to walk scientists through animal-free testing step by step, the curriculum launched by the Animal-Free Safety Assessment Collaboration (AFSA) has attracted over 1,200 participants from nearly 70 countries since its debut in 2023, highlighting a global interest in innovative, ethical testing methods. Its final module is now open for registration, completing the ten-module course.
Created with input from industry, method developers, regulatory and animal protection experts, the course guides users through every stage of “next-generation risk assessment” culminating in advanced techniques like data integration to ensure robust consumer safety conclusions. These cutting-edge methodologies not only eliminate the need for painful animal-based testing but also provide more valid and reliable results concerning the safety of chemicals and products.
A result of wide-ranging contributions from global experts in animal-free safety science, the AFSA Master Class aims to provide the educational building blocks for lasting change, encouraging kinder scientific practices that will also better ensure human safety. Regulators, product developers, contract research organizations, and academic professionals from across the globe are all active in development of the course, illustrating the truly collaborative nature of animal-free safety science worldwide.
Dr. Catherine Willett, senior director of science and regulatory affairs at Humane Society International and principal coordinator of the AFSA Master Class, said, “Consumers and companies alike want to move away from painful and outdated animal tests, but learning more about the cutting-edge tools available in the animal-free toolbox, and how to use them to make safety decisions, can be challenging. The AFSA Master Class demystifies animal-free safety assessment, making it easier for companies to replace rats, rabbits and guinea pigs with advanced non-animal models and computer simulations.”
Course participant Mark Broussard, managing partner of Desert in Bloom Cosmetics Lab, said, “The AFSA Master Class really helped me understand the entire process of determining the safety of a novel cosmetic ingredient using non-animal methods, since I am working with a novel plant extract that has not before been safety tested or used in cosmetic/therapeutic products for human use. I think the new approach methodologies will yield more valid, more reliable results on the safety of cosmetic ingredients without subjecting animals to the painful animal-based testing procedures.”
“The safety of the cosmetics and personal care products that consumers use and trust every day is of the utmost importance,” said Dr. Julia H Fentem, EVP safety, environmental & regulatory science at Unilever. “Our unique AFSA Master Class program is focused on the safety assessment of cosmetic products and ingredients without generating new animal data and covers all aspects of using non-animal tools and data for internal company decisions-making as well as regulatory safety assessments.”
The AFSA Master Class will help equip key stakeholders with the right tools and knowledge to better explore animal-free methods of safety testing and contribute to the wider shift towards the cruelty-free future of cosmetic and chemical safety science.
The full AFSA Master Class is freely available online at AFSAcollaboration.org/masterclass.
Editor’s note: The AFSA Master Class is a product of in-kind contributions from the following member organizations: Avon Products Inc., Crème, Delphic HSE, DSM-Firmenich, Givaudan, Humane Society International, Institute for In Vitro Sciences, International Flavors & Fragrances, Inc., Lhasa Ltd., L’Oréal, Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, Procter & Gamble, Symrise, Unilever.
Investigative footage of wounded foxes and public health regulations being flouted released by HSI/UK
Humane Society International / United Kingdom
HSI
LONDON—Shocking new footage of animals suffering on fur farms in Finland—a country that supplies fur sold in the UK—reveals foxes with raw open wounds, weeping infected eyes and deformed splayed feet. The investigation, carried out in late October by leading animal protection organisation Humane Society International/UK in partnership with Finnish animal protection organisation Oikeutta Eläimille, also found zoonotic disease prevention measures being flouted on the fur farms visited, constituting an alarming public health risk. Investigators, who took biosecurity precautions, also filmed obese “monster foxes” with unnaturally excessive skin folds from selective breeding to increase their fur yield, and foxes displaying repetitive behaviours indicative of mental distress. The UK has allowed imports of more than £16 million of fur from Finland since 2000.
Finland is one of the last remaining European countries in which farming animals for fur remains legal, with the Finnish trade boasting that almost 100% of its fox fur farms are certified by the SAGA scheme (including the WelFur protocol), a set of guidelines promulgated by the Finnish auction house SAGA, which promises “the highest level of animal welfare”. However, the horrifying conditions documented—including on SAGA-assured farms—show the heartbreaking reality of the industry: foxes confined in small, barren cages for their entire lives, never able to feel the grass beneath their feet nor carry out natural behaviours such as running, digging and hunting. Fox fur originating from Finland is used by brands such as Woolrich, Ermanno Scervino, Yves Salomon and Fendi and can be found in UK shops such as Harrods.
Claire Bass, senior director of campaigns and public affairs at Humane Society International/UK, said: “Finnish fur farms describe having animal welfare as ‘a top priority’ but this investigation tells a very different story. Forced to spend their entire lives in cages only a little bigger than their own bodies, many of the animals we saw were chronically stressed, others had diseased eyes and mouths and some had raw, clearly untreated injuries. In addition, we saw regulations designed to stop the spread of avian flu on fur farms flouted. I’ve visited around 20 fur farms in the past six years and from what I’ve witnessed on every occasion it’s clear that the fur trade routinely disregards both animal welfare and public health.
These appalling conditions are worlds apart from the ‘luxury’ image the fur trade tries to portray, and stores like Harrods should rethink having their brands anywhere near this indefensible suffering. We urge MPs and the UK Government to back Ruth Jones’ Bill to bring an end to Britain’s involvement in the cruel and dangerous fur trade.”
Singer-songwriter and animal advocate Will Young said “Fur is disgustingly cruel and it breaks my heart to see foxes and other animals suffering for this outdated ‘fashion’ product. I’m proud to be joining Humane Society International/UK in urging the Government to support Ruth Jones MP’s Bill to ban imports. We need a Fur Free Britain!”
Outbreaks of both COVID-19 and highly pathogenic avian influenza on more than 500 fur farms in Europe and North America have alarmed scientists and public health officials. Since the avian flu outbreaks on fur farms in Finland in 2023, where the original source of the infection was believed to have been wild gulls, the Finnish authorities have introduced biosecurity measures and mandatory carcass testing periods. They have also introduced regulations requiring the use of netting to prevent wild birds from accessing the housed animals’ cages and their food and drinking water; the netting is required to be checked regularly and any birds observed inside must be removed immediately. HSI/UK investigators found farms risking public health by flouting these rules. In many instances the netting failed to cover the full length of the cages and, on one farm, the decaying body of a wild gull was found just underneath a row of caged foxes.
Kristo Muurimaa of Oikeutta Eläimille said: “Finnish fur farms are a disease disaster waiting to happen. The cages are open to the elements and there’s no way to reliably prevent avian influenza or other possibly dangerous viruses from spreading. We urge the Finnish Government to follow the path of 21 other European countries and ban fur farming, supporting farmers where necessary to secure a rapid closure of this industry.” Although fur farming has been banned in the UK on animal welfare grounds for over 20 years, this cruel and frivolous fashion product is still imported and sold here. HSI/UK estimates that the amount of fur imported into the UK over the five years 2019-2023 equates to approximately 7 million animals brutally killed.
HSI/UK leads the Fur Free Britain campaign for a ban on the import and sale of fur, which has gathered over 1.2 million petition signatures and support from a host of celebrities including Dame Judi Dench, Stella and Sir Paul McCartney, Leona Lewis OBE, Alesha Dixon and Strictly Come Dancing’s Pete Wicks.
In October 2024, Labour MP Ruth Jones introduced a Private Member’s Bill to prohibit the import and sale of fur; HSI/UK welcomed the tabling of this draft law as a significant step forward. The Bill proposes to extend existing bans on trade in fur from cats, dogs and seals to include foxes, raccoon dogs, mink, chinchilla, coyotes and other animals killed for fur fashion, and prevent the import and sale of new animal fur from all species. If passed into law, the ban would end the UK’s complicity in the cruelty and public health risk of the global fur trade.
Fur facts:
Tens of millions of animals suffer and die each year in the global fur trade. The vast majority of animals killed for their fur are kept in barren battery cages on fur farms.
In addition to the physical and psychological torment of being confined in small, barren cages for their entire lives, the methods typically used to kill animals on fur farms are equally distressing. Foxes are typically killed by anal electrocution and mink are gassed.
The UK was the first country in the world to ban fur farming and since then an additional 21 European nations have banned the cruel practice—most recently Romania and Lithuania.
HMRC records show that almost £40 million of fur (£39,703,694) was imported to the UK in 2023 from countries including Finland, China, Spain, Greece and Poland.
During the 2023 outbreaks of avian influenza on Finnish fur farms, where mammal-to-mammal transmission was believed likely to have occurred, the Finnish authorities ordered all the animals on infected farms (around 500,000 mink, fox, raccoon dog and sable) to be killed on public health grounds.
In a July 2023article published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in July 2023, Professor Wendy Barclay and Dr Thomas Peacock of Imperial College London warned that fur farming poses a risk for the emergence of future disease outbreaks and should be considered in the same category of high-risk practices as the bushmeat trade and live animal markets. The PNAS article states that “fur farming takes place in a high-density animal environment that allows for rapid spread of viruses with pandemic potential—and for virus adaptation to animals that would be unlikely to occur in nature.” The virologists also strongly urge governments to consider the mounting evidence suggesting that “fur farming, particularly mink, be eliminated in the interest of pandemic preparedness”.
A September 2024 study published in Nature reporting on viruses found on Chinese fur farms found 39 viruses identified as a ‘high-risk’ for potential to spread to humans, including 13 potentially high-risk novel viruses and 11 zoonotic viruses. Study author Professor Edward Holmes of the University of Sydney, described the fur trade as ‘a roll of the dice’ and noted that fur farms present a ‘clear epidemic or pandemic risk’.
A Decree of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry sets out precautionary measures to prevent the spread of avian flu from wild animals to fur animals. Visiting the farms, investigators took full biosecurity protection measures, wearing new bio-suits, shoe covers, and face masks for each farm, and returned negative COVID-19 tests prior to visits.
ENDS
Media contact: Sally Ivens, HSI/UK: 07590 559299; sivens@hsi.org
Humane Society International / Latin America
HSI
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica—This month, Humane Society International/Latin America provided advanced training to Costa Rican government authorities and other animal welfare institutions to enhance their capacity to combat illegal dog fighting and cockfighting. The two-day educational session engaged more than 50 representatives from Costa Rican agencies and organizations including, but not limited to, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) and the National Animal Health Service (SENASA).
The training addressed issues such as the link between animal cruelty and human violence; the regulatory framework concerning animal fighting in Costa Rica, and the connection of animal fighting to other illegal activities, such as drug trafficking and organized crime. Other specialized training covered investigative techniques and evidence gathering for cases involving organized dog fights and cockfights.
Andrea Borel, executive director of HSI/Latin America, said: “With this training, we are pleased to empower local authorities to investigate and prosecute these illegal and cruel instances of animal fighting in Costa Rica. Abusing animals for human entertainment has no place in our society.”
Cockfighting is a bloody practice in which two or more birds bred specifically for fighting are placed in a ring or “cockpit” for the sole purpose of fighting for human entertainment and gambling. Dogfighting is also an illegal and extremely cruel activity, in which dogs are bred, conditioned and trained to fight for the same purposes.
These fights usually result in the death of one or both animals involved. Those animals who do not die suffer terribly from their injuries and from not receiving treatment. Dogs are sometimes killed by their owners via the most horrible methods. Both types of animal fights often co-occur with other illegal activities, including drug, arms and human trafficking.
In Costa Rica, the Penal Code (Article 279) punishes, with sentences of three months to one year in prison, anyone who organizes, encourages or carries out fights between animals of any species, without exceptions in the national territory.
Animal protection organizations HSI/India and People For Animals, along with Acharya Prashant encouraged devotees not to transport animals illegally across Indo-Nepal border
Humane Society International / India
HSI/IndiaA press conference held in Patna ahead of the Gadhimai festival. While addressing the media, Alokparna Sengupta (MD, HSI/India); Acharya Prashant (founder PrashantAdvait Foundation), and Gauri Maulekhi (trustee, PFA) urged the devotees not to sacrifice animals during the Gadhimai festival this year.
PATNA, India— In a press conference held in Patna, spiritual teacher and author Acharya Prashant joined animal protection organizations Humane Society International/India and People For Animals, to urge devotees to refrain from sacrificing animals during the Gadhimai festival. The animal sacrifice event will take place between December 7th to 9th.
Held every five years in the Bariyarpur district of Nepal, Gadhimai is the world’s largest animal sacrifice event, where thousands of animals—including buffalo, goats, pigs, pigeons and chickens—are beheaded as sacrifice to appease the goddess Gadhimai. A significant proportion of the animals killed at the festival are illegally transported into Nepal from India, with a large percentage coming from the state of Bihar.
Prior to the press conference, representatives of both organizations along with Acharya Prashant met the chief secretary of Bihar to request a directive to police and law enforcement officials ensuring no illegal transport of animals and a statement urging devotees to refrain from animal sacrifice. Additionally, former Member of Parliament Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, Acharya ji, HSI/India and PFA wrote to the Government of Bihar urging preventive action.
The organizations’ representatives quoted orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 881/2014 titled Gauri Maulekhi v. Union of India & Ors which acknowledged the smuggling of animals across the Indo-Nepal border and directed authorities to ensure that no live animals are exported out of India into Nepal, except under licence mandated by the Foreign Trade Act 1992.
During the press conference, Acharya Prashant joined the animal welfare groups in encouraging devotees to celebrate the festival with compassion and to honour traditions without harming animals. “Devotion should inspire compassion, not cruelty. Slaughtering animals in the name of the divine diminishes the spirit of worship. Let us honour the Goddess by upholding the sanctity of all life during Gadhimai,” he said.
Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, chairperson of People For Animals, added: “Protecting animals is not just about preventing suffering, it’s about fostering a society that values compassion and respect for all living beings. We must challenge outdated traditions and create new ways to celebrate festivals that honour life and not take it away.”
To assist in the prevention of illegal border transportation of animals for mass sacrifice, teams from HSI/India and PFA will deploy at strategic border checkpoints to help the border police who will inspect vehicles crossing the border, register cases and confiscate animals.
Alokparna Sengupta, Humane Society International/India’s managing director said: “Just as we did in 2014 and 2019, this year too we stand firmly against the cruelty of animal sacrifice, which is highly regressive and has no place in today’s society. We can honor traditions without the need for animal suffering, creating a better, kinder world for animals and people alike in the future.”
HSI/India and PFA have been working since 2014 to stop animal sacrifice at the site. Following their combined persistent efforts, the gruesome animal sacrifices at Gadhimai have considerably reduced from an estimated more than 500,000 animals killed in 2009 to around 200,000 animals in 2014 and tens of thousands of animals in 2019 including an estimated 3,500 buffaloes.
Owner Mr. Cuong will start a gas cylinder supply business with support from Humane Society International
Humane Society International
Nhan Tran/AP Images for HSI
DONG NAI, Viet Nam—A dog meat restaurant and slaughterhouse in the Trang Bom district of Viet Nam’s Dong Nai province has closed after 20 years as part of the Models for Change program by animal protection charity Humane Society International. Launched in Viet Nam in 2022, the program helps people transition out of the cruel and dangerous dog and cat meat trade to tackle animal cruelty and rabies transmission in partnership with Dong Nai’s Department of Livestock, Animal Health and Fishery. Forty-year-old owner Mr. Dao Van Cuong plans to set up a business selling paint and subsequently also supplying household gas cylinders to local residents with a one-off startup grant from HSI.
Dong Nai province, situated in the south of Viet Nam and bordering Ho Chi Minh City, has around 500 restaurants serving both dog and cat meat. It is also a trafficking route for dogs headed for slaughter in the north of the country. HSI began working in the province at the request of city officials and to date HSI has supported rabies education activities for children, trained government veterinarians in spay/neuter techniques and conducted rabies prevention workshops throughout Dong Nai.
Phuong Tham, Humane Society International’s Viet Nam country director, said: “Here in Dong Nai and in Thai Nguyen we are proud to be helping the government achieve its goal of eliminating human rabies deaths from dog interactions by 2030, including by addressing the dog meat trade. Viet Nam cannot hope to eliminate rabies and meet that 2030 target without tackling this trade. We hope our Vietnamese Models for Change program will become a key component of Viet Nam’s strategy to provide alternative, economically viable livelihoods for those like Mr. Cuong who are dependent on the trade, and that the program will serve as a practical complement to legislative and regulatory reform.”
For more than two decades, the restaurant and slaughterhouse now run by Mr. Cuong has received shipments of thousands of dogs from across the country, who have been killed and served for human consumption. Across the province, live dogs are delivered to facilities like this, tightly packed in cages on trucks driving for hours from neighbouring Mekong Delta province. Many dogs are also supplied by local traders collecting dogs via motorbike from nearby residents who sell their pets or breed puppies for the meat trade. Mr. Cuong took over the business nine years ago but the guilt and stress he felt from killing dogs contributed to his decision to leave the dog meat trade once and for all and switch to an alternative livelihood.
Mr. Cuong said: “For nine years I’ve killed dogs and chickens, butchered them and served them to my customers. The money is okay but this work doesn’t make me happy at all. I don’t want to kill these animals anymore, it makes me feel bad. Selling paint and gas cylinders to local residents will be a much more peaceful business. I’m looking forward to a business where I have a clear conscience and I am not involved in slaughtering dogs. I couldn’t have made this move without the support of HSI’s Models for Change program and the Dong Nai authorities, so I’m grateful for all their support.”
On Mr. Cuong’s final day of business, HSI rescued the last remaining 16 dogs who were found cowering in cages at the back of the restaurant. HSI moved them to a temporary facility where they are receiving veterinary care—including neutering and vaccination against rabies and distemper—and will be assessed for local adoption. Many of the dogs have matted fur, skin conditions and infected eyes.
HSI’s Tham said: “These dogs were clearly terrified when we found them. They’ve been through an ordeal and came close to death for the dog meat trade, but thankfully we got them out just in time. For these dogs, the dog meat trade is over and no more dogs will ever suffer and die at this facility again. But for the millions of other dogs for whom the suffering continues across Viet Nam, and the millions of citizens whose health is put at risk from the spread of rabies and other diseases, we will continue to campaign to end this cruel and dangerous trade.
Following the rescue, HSI’s Viet Nam team held a round table meeting with Department of Animal Health officials from both Dong Nai and Thai Nguyen provinces at which provincial leaders agreed to propose a directive to their respective provincial People’s Council to ensure the strong enforcement of laws and regulations on rabies and cross provincial animal transport and slaughter, that would make it more difficult for the dog and cat meat trades to operate.
Rabies kills more than 70 people in Viet Nam each year, according to the World Health Organization, with almost all cases caused by dog bites, including verified cases and data from Viet Nam’s National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology showing human infection after killing, butchering or eating dogs. International organizations, including the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Organization for Animal Health and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have set the goal to eliminate dog-mediated human rabies by 2030, with Viet Nam being one of the key target regions for achieving this milestone. Tackling the dog meat trade in Viet Nam is key to eliminating rabies.
Mr Nguyen Truong Giang, director of Dong Nai Provincial Department of Livestock Production and Animals Health, said: “When it comes to tackling rabies, we must address every way in which this disease is spread in Viet Nam. It’s clear that the dog meat trade contributes to the spread of the virus, which is why we are pleased to be working with HSI’s Models for Change program to help dog and cat meat trade workers transition to better and safer livelihoods for themselves and their community.”
Dog meat facts:
Viet Nam’s dog meat trade is largely supplied through snatching dogs from the streets or stealing pets from private homes. Traders frequently use poison bait such as meatballs laced with cyanide, and catch the dogs using painful taser guns and pincers.
Traders also go village to village to purchase dogs from rural communities that occasionally sell “excess” dogs for extra income.
For long distance transport, dogs are tightly packed into small cages and driven for hours or even days without food and water, many sustaining injuries as well as enduring exhaustion, dehydration, suffocation, heatstroke and even death to reach a slaughterhouse, market or restaurant.
The sale and consumption of dog meat is not illegal in Viet Nam, but the unregulated trans-provincial movement of dogs has been illegal since 2009, and pet theft was made a punishable offence in 2016. While several cities including Hanoi and Hoi An have pledged to end the trade, enforcement of laws is rare and trucks continue to openly transport hundreds of dogs at a time on national highways.
Most people in Viet Nam don’t eat dog meat. An Aug./Sept. 2023 Nielsen opinion poll commissioned by HSI found that around one quarter of the population (24%) had consumed dog meat (thịt chó) in the last year, with 64% and 68% of respondents respectively supporting a ban on dog meat consumption and trade. A belief by some consumers persists—despite no scientific evidence—that dog meat has medicinal properties and can increase male virility.
HSI’s Models for Change program came to Viet Nam in 2022 after successfully operating in South Korea since 2015, where the HSI has closed down 18 dog meat farms, rescuing more than 2,500 dogs and helping dog farmers transition to more sustainable livelihoods such as chili or water parsley growing.
Media contact: Wendy Higgins, director of international media: whiggins@hsi.org
Mexico’s Constitution is one step closer to enshrining animal protection, granting Congress to enact animal welfare laws, and mandating humane education in schools
Humane Society International / Mexico
Victoria Razo/AP Images for HSI
Update (11/26/24): 17 State Congresses have approved this historic amendment, which means the bill has passed, since it had already been approved by the Senate and Chamber of Deputies.
MEXICO CITY—Humane Society International/Mexico celebrates a landmark victory for animal protection in Mexico as the Chamber of Deputies officially approved a constitutional reform on animal welfare. This historic reform would, for the first time, enshrine animal welfare in Mexico’s Constitution, strengthening the nation’s commitment to protecting animals from cruelty and neglect.
The constitutional amendment introduces significant changes to articles 3, 4 and 73, formally enshrining animal protection and empowering Congress to legislate on animal welfare. The reform also establishes humane education as a mandatory guideline in all educational institutions nationwide. By granting animal protection the highest importance in Mexico’s legal framework, the reform safeguards the legal protection granted to animals from being easily undone by future legislation. As the Constitution defines a nation’s most important values and ideals, this constitutional reform serves as a strong symbol of a growing societal shift towards empathetic and caring attitudes with regards to animals, positioning Mexico as a leader in animal welfare legislation.
Anton Aguilar, executive director at HSI/Mexico, stated: “This is a historic moment for animal protection in Mexico that sets a powerful precedent for future generations. With this constitutional reform, the government has taken a significant step toward ensuring that the protection and welfare of animals become a priority in public policy. This landmark constitutional reform has the power to transform the lives of millions of animals—from street dogs and cats enduring cruelty, disease and neglect, to the billions of farmed animals exploited for food, and the countless wildlife threatened by illegal trade. On behalf of these animals, we are grateful to the Chamber of Deputies and the countless advocates who have fought for this reform, and we look forward to seeing this bill passed in the Senate shortly.”
HSI/Mexico has advocated for this reform, together with civil society organizations including Igualdad Animal and Movimiento Conciencia, by reaching out to legislators and mobilizing public support through online petitions in English and Spanish that gathered tens of thousands of signatures. The new President of Mexico, Dr. Claudia Sheinbaum, announced on her first day in office that she would prioritize passing this bill as one of the 100 top commitments of her administration. Today this promise is much closer to being fulfilled, pending approval by the Senate and two-thirds of the State legislatures, as required for constitutional amendments. HSI/Mexico will continue working alongside the government to ensure these new protections are effectively adopted, implemented and enforced.
ENDS
Media contact: Magaly Garibay: +52 5538762199; mgaribay@idee.agency
Oaxaca was the last state in the country lacking such legislation
Humane Society International / Mexico
HSI
OAXACA, Mexico—Today, the state of Oaxaca passed its first animal protection bill. The new law recognizes animals as sentient beings, sets provisions to prevent and ban animal cruelty and abuse in its various forms, establishes responsible pet ownership as an educational guideline in public schools and mandates spay-neuter campaigns for companion animals across the state.
For several years now, HSI/Mexico has provided advice during the legislative process to improve the bill’s language, joined academic and regulatory discussions hosted by Oaxaca’s Autonomous University and the state’s Veterinary Association, and helped facilitate dialogue with interested parties. HSI will continue to assist authorities with implementation of the bill through trainings and conferences.
Dr. Claudia Edwards, program director for HSI/Mexico, said: “It is inspiring to see that, with political will, open dialogue between all interest holders, and the technical guidance of veterinarians, Oaxaca now has a law that not only protects animals but also safeguards their welfare and recognizes them as sentient beings. Congratulations to this legislature—and in particular Congresswoman Melina Hernández—for making this significant step toward a more compassionate and humane society.”
Campaigners urge newly elected President Prabowo to end the cruel and dangerous trades
Humane Society International
Garry Lotulung/AP Images for HSI
JAKARTA, Indonesia—Lawyers from the Dog Meat Free Indonesia coalition have submitted three legislative proposals to the House of Representatives to transform companion animal protection in Indonesia, including a ban on the cruel dog and cat meat trades. If passed, these would be Indonesia’s first ever laws dedicated to the protection of companion animals, and would make Indonesia the sixth nation in Asia to explicitly ban the dog and cat meat trades.
The draft laws were officially handed to Dr. Bob Hasan S.H., M.H., Head of Legislation, along with an open letter to newly elected President Prabowo on behalf of DMFI supporters from around the world urging him to take decisive action to end the trades.
DMFI—a coalition comprising national and international animal protection organizations Jakarta Animal Aid Network, Animal Friends Jogja, Humane Society International, Animals Asia and FOUR PAWS—has campaigned for an end to the dog and cat meat trades for years, conducting numerous shocking investigations into Indonesia’s underworld network of dog and cat thieves, traffickers, traders and slaughterers. As a result of DMFI campaigns, more than 70 cities, regencies and provinces ―including the Special Capital Region of Jakarta—have introduced directives and regulations to prohibit the trades. Despite this, there is no national ban in place, without which effective enforcement remains a challenge.
These groundbreaking proposals seek to significantly strengthen Indonesia’s national laws which currently are too weak to afford animals the legal protection they need from abuse and neglect. The three draft national legislative regulations comprise a national companion animal protection law, a government regulation to ban the dog and cat meat trades and a Presidential regulation to establish a taskforce to tackle deadly rabies. Combined, these would not only broaden the scope of what constitutes animal cruelty, abuse and neglect, but would also ensure penalties in line with the amended Criminal Code of 10-50 million IDR and up to 18 months in prison.
Karin Franken, DMFI national coordinator, said: “These historic legislative proposals provide a vital opportunity for Indonesia to eliminate the brutal and dangerous dog and cat meat trades once and for all, safeguarding the welfare of both people and animals. More than a million dogs and cats every year are stolen, trafficked and killed for meat in a trade that directly jeopardizes the health of the nation’s citizens. These animals endure grueling journeys, heatstroke, dehydration and disease, only to be bludgeoned, blowtorched and killed for a meat that virtually no-one in Indonesia eats.”
Lola Webber, DMFI international coordinator, added: “The cruel dog and cat meat trades also represent an unacceptable risk to human health and jeopardize Indonesia’s commitment to the Global Target of ‘Zero Deaths Due to Rabies’ by 2030. The dog meat trade and efforts to eliminate rabies are totally incompatible, given that the dog meat trade encourages the mass movement of dogs of unknown disease and vaccination status across provincial borders, disrupting canine vaccination efforts and facilitating the transmission of the deadly disease. The dog meat trade operates in breach of canine rabies elimination recommendations by all leading human and animal health experts and there is quantitative and qualitative evidence from throughout the region highlighting the risk these trades pose to public health. With rabies still endemic in 26 provinces nationwide, these are extraordinarily compelling reasons why we urge the parliament and President Prabowo to support the passage of these regulations and make Indonesia the next nation in Asia to ban the dog and cat meat trades.”
The three draft regulations explained:
National Law on the Elimination of Violence Against Companion Animals: This would criminalize a broad array of cruel acts including torture, neglect, electrocution, poisoning, cruel chaining or confinement, as well as physical and sexual abuse (bestiality). It would also enshrine in law the principles of responsible pet guardianship as well as establish an animal welfare committee to, among other things, advise on the formulation and implementation of animal welfare laws. This law also Includes prohibitions on all aspects of the dog and cat meat trades including stealing, catching, breeding, trafficking, selling or slaughtering dogs and cats for human consumption as well as selling dog and cat meat for such purposes.
Government Regulation on the Nationwide Ban on Dog and Cat Meat Trades: This would be Indonesia’s first ever nationwide law banning the dog and cat meat trades for both commercial and non-commercial purposes. Under this law it would become illegal to catch, transport or slaughter dogs and cats for consumption and to store, pack, process, distribute or sell their meat either through traditional or electronic markets.
Presidential Regulation on the creation of anti-rabies-transmitting animal meat trade: In recognition that rabies is a priority zoonotic disease endemic in 26 Indonesian provinces, with clearly established links to the dog meat trade, this law would support Indonesia’s One Health Roadmap to eliminate the disease in humans nationwide by 2030 by establishing a legal taskforce to work with law enforcement agencies to directly tackle the dog and cat meat trades. The taskforce would be empowered to carry out inspections and investigations and to advance enforcement and legal prosecutions in cases of infringements.
A Nielsen opinion poll in January 2021, commissioned by DMFI, revealed that 93% of Indonesians support a national dog meat ban with fewer than 5% having ever consumed dog meat and 88% agreeing that the issues of the dog meat trade and consumption of dog meat need to be addressed immediately by all political parties.
Across Asia the trade in and slaughter, sale and consumption of dogs and cats is explicitly banned in Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Thailand and South Korea (coming into force 2027). In other countries such as Singapore and Malaysia, while there are no explicit bans, the trade is essentially prohibited under existing animal welfare, animal cruelty and animal or food hygiene laws. In addition, the trades are banned in two major cities in mainland China (Shenzhen and Zuhai) and the city of Siem Reap in Cambodia. If passed into law, the proposed regulations would make Indonesia the sixth nation or territory in Asia to explicitly ban the trades.
Now that the regulations have been submitted to Parliament, a period of review and discussion will take place later this month to decide if the national law is approved for inclusion in the national legislative program. If approved, and following a public hearing, a dog and cat meat trades ban could be in place within five years. The government regulation would then be created no later than two years afterwards as an implementing regulation of that new national law. President Prabowo himself has full discretion to ratify the Presidential regulation at any time following discussion with the Parliament.
The release is part of a joint project between NGOs Asociacion Rescate y Conservacion de Vida Silvestre (ARCAS) and Humane Society International/Latin America
Humane Society International / Latin America
Rodrigo Pop/Images for HSI Latin America
PETEN, Guatemala—Thirty-six wild animals, who were rescued from adverse situations including the illegal pet trade, returned to their natural habitat in the Peten jungle, Guatemala, thanks to the joint work of non-governmental organizations Asociacion Rescate y Conservacion de Vida Silvestre (known as ARCAS) and Humane Society International/Latin America.
Six coatis, eight chachalaca birds, seven opossums, five pygmy owls, three kinkajous and two gray falcons, among others, were released in the Mayan Biosphere Reserve, after undergoing an intense rehabilitation process, and with the authorization of the Guatemalan National Council of Protected Areas or CONAP.
Many of these wild animals were illegally removed from their wild habitat to be used as pets. For example, a rescued woolly opossum, whose fur changed color (from brown to almost completely white) because of the inappropriate food provided by the local family that kept him.
Fernando Martinez, director of ARCAS Peten, said: “After carefully monitoring the opossum’s diet and keeping them away from human contact, the fur returned to its natural color and the animal no longer sought human interaction. We also released a white falcon who came to the rescue center with damaged feathers and a leg injury, as it had apparently been tied up for a few days. After treating the wound, its feathers regenerated and the bird once again had the appropriate plumage to fly and return to freedom.”
Andrea Borel, executive director of Humane Society International/Latin America said: “The capture of wild animals for the national and international pet trade is a real problem in Guatemala. These animals are often kept in cramped, inadequate conditions not suitable for their species and denied the ability to exhibit their natural behaviors which can further cause them physical and psychological distress.”
“By supporting and working with our local partner, ARCAS, in rescue, rehabilitation and release efforts, these animals are being returned to freedom and their wild populations are being increased to ensure future breeding in their natural habitat where they belong. We also work together on raising awareness to urge citizens not to buy wild animals as pets and to report any such suspicious activity to the authorities.”
ARCAS carries out the physical, medical and behavioral rehabilitation of victims of wildlife trafficking and exploitative human activities, under strict animal welfare standards. HSI/Latin America and ARCAS have been working together in wildlife protection and conservation in Guatemala since 2007.
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Media contact: Wendy Higgins, HSI’s director of international media: whiggins@hsi.org
Response to Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal's press release on non-lethal solutions to manage approximately 30 so-called ’problem elephants’ in the KwaCeza areas
Humane Society International / Africa
iStock.com
On October 24, the provincial conservation and management authority Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife issued an urgent call for non-lethal solutions for elephant conflict mitigation of roaming elephants following the recent movement of approximately 30 elephants into the Esidakaneni area, posing a potential threat to the safety of the community and the elephants.
The herd of elephants originated from the privately owned Mawana Game Reserve, where they were originally introduced in 2003. Often in cases like this, to mitigate human-animal conflict these animals are killed under a culling or Damage Causing Animals permit by the provincial wildlife authority.
In response to EKZNW’s urgent request for NGOs to assist, Humane Society International/Africa , with support from Wildlife Warriors Africa and another team who wish to remain anonymous, and representatives from Mawana and Loziba game reserves, immediately stepped in and responded with the facilitation and coordination of drones to move the elephants away from the community areas, as a helicopter was not immediately available. The delicate task of humanely shepherding the elephants back to safety was undertaken on October 24 and deemed to be successful. The herd was monitored until after sunset and were seen moving further away from the community areas. The situation was reassessed the next day, and whilst the elephants remained distant from the community areas, a decision was made to dispatch a helicopter with support from HSI/Africa to push the elephants back to Mawana Game Reserve. Teams on the ground confirmed that both the elephants and the community residents are calm.
This is not the first time that these elephants conflicted with local communities. Earlier this year nine so-called “problem” elephants were killed due to supposed overpopulation and human-wildlife conflict. One of the elephants was carrying an unborn calf whilst another elephant was lactating, though her calf was not found.
EKZNW acts as the conservation and management authority and whilst NGOs may be able to conduct activities such as collaring or deploying mitigation strategies NGOs cannot do so without authorisation.
Contrary to a EKZNW press release on October 24, HSI/Africa with Elephants Alive have submitted proposals for humane elephant conflict mitigation solutions for the Mawana elephants since May 2024. This includes a temporary fencing solution, elephant shepherds and workshops, as per their requested mandate providing immediate relief to both the community and elephants. A consortium of other NGO’s also submitted other short to long-term solutions including permanent fencing. Every effort has been made by HSI/Africa and the relevant NGO consortium to have this proposal discussed and either modified or finalised. Since then, this proposal has been submitted multiple times and feedback has been requested from EKZNW, but no approval has been granted. Suggesting a working relationship with EKZNW is nothing new; HSI/Africa has been implementing humane non-lethal elephant population control in line with South Africa’s National Norms and Standards for the Management of Elephants since 2020.
Dr. Audrey Delsink, senior wildlife director for Humane Society International/Africa, states: “We are relieved that our efforts to mitigate human-wildlife conflict and prevent potential harm to the Mawana elephant herd and community this week have been successful. We are grateful to work alongside like-minded partners and EKZNW in the last two days’ interventions. However, the time and opportunity to address this matter should have been taken when the proposals were first submitted more than five months ago. We have been trying to work with EKZNW towards a vision of coexistence between the elephants and surrounding communities and coordinate a meeting for months. Now EKZN has arranged to have a meeting with the NGO grouping towards the end of November entitled ‘Towards Co-existence: Government working with NGOs and the communities in Mawana.’ We hope for an open, collaborative and transparent discussion that will craft a viable solution based on prior proposals and constructive dialogue. As conservation NGOs supporting EKZNW in their role as management authority, we are aligned with their guidance and await the urgent decisions concerning this elephant herd.”
HSI/Africa has requested EKZNW to confirm that no destruction of the elephants is to take place within the legal framework whilst deliberation and implementation of the non-lethal proposals takes place.
HSI/Africa and its partner organisations remain committed to assisting EKZNW as the management authority to conserve these animals and protect communities alike.
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Media contact: Leozette Roode, Media Specialist for HSI/Africa: Lroode@hsi.org; +27 (0)71 360 1104
