Author: Cassie Bodin-Duval

Humane Society International / Mexico

Hurricane Otis in Mexico
HSI

MEXICO CITY, Mexico—Today, leading animal protection organization Humane Society International launched a nationwide petition urging newly elected legislators to protect animals in Mexico’s supreme law, the Constitution. The earlier constitutional initiative by President Andres Manuel López Obrador, set to include specific provisions in art. 3, 4 and 73 of the Constitution to ban animal abuse, grant Congress powers to legislate on animal welfare and establish animal protection as a mandatory education guideline, was effectively paused by the 2024 election season. Now, Humane Society International is rallying the public to revive this crucial constitutional amendment against animal cruelty under the new government. 

Millions of dogs and cats roam the streets of major Mexican cities, suffering from cruelty, abandonment, disease and neglect. Mexico is home to billions of animals kept and killed for food, who are confined to cages or crates for months at a time, preventing them from extending their limbs or even walking, and forced to suffer in live transport and inhumane slaughter. As one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, Mexico is also a major source and distribution hub of wildlife for illicit trade; half of the wildlife trafficking seizures at US entry points originate from Mexico, which also supplies illegal markets in Europe and Asia. 

Anton Aguilar, HSI Mexico Executive Director, said: “Federal constitution-level safeguards would set a major legal precedent to prioritize animal protection in public policies, foster humane education and phase out cruel fiestas. It would reflect how social attitudes in Mexico have shifted away from cruelty and neglect towards a deep and genuine concern for animal welfare. We call on the incoming legislature, which will take office in September, to swiftly pass this consequential bill to turn Mexico into a leading example of animal protection legislation.”  

Animal protection in Mexico has emerged as a significant political focus. This commitment was solidified in 2017 when Mexico City’s constitution recognized animals as sentient beings. Most Mexican states have enacted animal protection laws, incorporating penalties for abuse into their penal codes. Bullfighting has been banned in five states, dogfighting has been criminalized nationwide, and animal testing for cosmetics was prohibited in 2021.  Moreover, President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum’s emphasis on animal protection during the presidential debate and her party’s majority position signal a promising path for a constitutional amendment securing animal protection.  

Sign the petition urging the new legislature to grant constitutional protection to animals.  

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Media contact: Magaly Garibay, +52 5538762199, mgaribay@idee.agency

Humane Society International / Global

A dog in the street in Antakya, Türkiye
Jodi Hilton/HSUS

Update, 9 August: The amendments to Animal Protection Law No. 5199 have been signed by President Erdoğan and published in the Official Gazette, which were the last steps before they could enter into force. Humane Society International will continue to follow the news from Türkiye and is ready to offer its expertise in the field of dog population management and collaborate with decision-makers on finding a long-term working solution. At the same time, we are very concerned about the news of mass graves of dogs found recently in different parts of the country and strongly condemn all forms of cruelty against street animals.

Update, 30 July: Despite our and other animal welfare groups’ efforts to reach out to members of Parliament, the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye adopted the amendments to Animal Protection Law No. 5199, which open the door for mass killing of stray dogs and at the same time do not allow for animals who are neutered and vaccinated to be returned to their familiar territories. Before the law enters into force, it needs to be signed by President Erdoğan.

ANKARA, Türkiye—Humane Society International is deeply concerned about recent developments in Türkiye regarding the treatment of community dogs and cats living on the streets. The ruling coalition has announced plans to introduce a law to allow the killing of roaming cats and dogs who, after a short period in shelters, are not claimed by their family or adopted. This represents a significant and alarming shift from Türkiye’s previously progressive stance on street animal welfare.

Türkiye has long been considered a model for its humane and effective approach to managing street animal populations, historically prioritizing the well-being of animals through policies that emphasize spay, neuter and return to their communities. These progressive and compassionate efforts have not only helped control street dog and cat populations humanely but have also garnered international praise.

The proposed legislation threatens to undermine these achievements, causing unnecessary suffering and death to countless animals in a short-term fix that won’t deliver a long-term solution. In light of these developments, HSI has written to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressing our profound concerns and offering our expertise and assistance to both local and central authorities in Türkiye to implement effective and humane street dog and cat management programs that align with global best practices.

As an organization dedicated to animal welfare with a long track record of successful programmes to humanely manage street animal populations, we believe killing is not only cruel, but also ineffective. HSI strongly urges the Turkish government to reconsider this legislation and instead to invest in solutions that prevent the suffering of animals while sustainably and effectively addressing public health and safety concerns.

ENDS

Media contact:  Yavor Gechev, communications director for HSI/Europe, ygechev@hsi.org ; +359889468098 ; +393515266629

Up to 2.5 million South Koreans identify as vegan

Humane Society International / South Korea

Rescued from a dog meat farm
Jean Chung

SEOUL—More than 20 Korean animal protection groups and hundreds of citizens are expected to gather in Seoul on July 13 to mark the start of South Korea’s first Bok Nal since the National Assembly voted in January to ban the dog meat industry.

Although appetite for dog meat soup (bosintang ) is at an all-time low, its consumption is most popular during Bok Nal, when it is believed by some to help beat the heat. This Bok Nal—which begins on July 15—Humane Society International/Korea is urging citizens to have a dog meat-free Bok Nal and believes the phase out plan and government support offers dog meat farmers an opportunity to leave behind them a dying industry with no financial future and embrace South Korea’s growing plant-based food culture.

A 2021 Statista survey estimates that up to 2.5 million people in South Korea identify as vegan and HSI/Korea believes instead of converting farms to rear other animals such as black goats or pigs, dog farmers should capitalize on consumer interest in eating for human health, animal welfare and the planet.

Since 2015 HSI/Korea’s Models for Change program has worked with 18 dog meat farmers, providing one-off grants to transition them out of the industry to a new life.

HSI/Korea’s dog meat campaign manager, Sangkyung Lee, says: “While some of the elderly dog meat farmers with whom HSI/Korea has worked have chosen to retire, most farmers have transitioned their businesses to humane, sustainable livelihoods such as growing crops, water delivery and other trades. With government support, it should be entirely possible for most dog farmers to switch to humane industries that don’t exploit dogs or any other animals such as black goats or pigs. With more South Koreans than ever before exploring healthier plant-based eating, it would be a smart move for dog farmers to switch to producing the fresh vegetables and herbs that consumers are seeking for meat-free cooking.”

The South Korean market for plant-based foods is booming. The Korea Vegan Union estimates that one-third of the population regularly enjoy vegetarian meals, and surveys show that Korean consumers are increasingly interested in eating more meat-free meals for health and environmental protection reasons.  In a Nielsen Korea opinion poll commissioned by HSI/Korea in 2023, 32.1% of respondents believe that no animals should be killed for meat. The Korea Rural Economic Institute forecasts that the domestic plant-based alternative food market size will grow to KRW 280 billion by 2026, and the Korean Tourism Organization has even launched the country’s first ever vegan food tour to capitalize on its vibrant plant-based cuisine.

In addition to the market opportunities of plant-based agriculture, HSI/Korea believes that transitioning to farming other animals such as black goats or pigs would simply replace one work intensive and environmentally polluting animal-based industry with another.

Sangkyung Lee explains: “With improved environmental protection regulations in South Korea, one of the most common complaints local authorities receive about dog farms is the noise and the smell. We know that this has caused major issues for many dog farmers, so why repeat those issues with pigs and goats when you can grab this opportunity for a more peaceful and sustainable arable farming venture that plugs into people’s passion for healthful plant-based foods?”

The Special Act on the Prohibition of Dog Meat Consumption will see the breeding, slaughter and sale of dogs for meat banned by 2027. Dog meat farms, slaughterhouses and restaurants that submit a closure implementation plan by August 5 will qualify for government financial support to close or transition to a new business. By September, the government will publish its Basic Plan to End Dog Meat Consumption which is intended to include practical details of how it intends to phase out the estimated 1,507 dog meat farms, 163 dog slaughterhouses, 2,276 dog meat restaurants and how to address the more than 500,000 dogs who are estimated to be living on dog meat farms.

South Korea now joins a growing list of countries, territories, provinces, cities and regencies across Asia that have banned the dog meat trade (with varying degrees of enforcement), including Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines, India, Thailand and Singapore, as well as the cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai in mainland China, Siem Reap province in Cambodia, and 45 cities, regencies and provinces in Indonesia. In 2022 HSI expanded its Models for Change program into Viet Nam where 5 million dogs and 1 million cats are trafficked and killed annually for meat; so far six dog or cat meat businesses have closed and transitioned as a result of the program.

ENDS

Media contact: Wendy Higgins, director international media ; whiggins@hsi.org

Notes

This survey was conducted online in August 2023, targeting 1,500 respondents aged 18 to 59, considering gender, age and regional demographics, with margin of error +-2.53%.

Cat farmer supports Humane Society International’s campaign to ban the cat meat trade

Humane Society International / Global

Meredith Lee/HSUS Quang Nguyen, Program Manager of Companion Animals for HSI Viet Nam, spends time with a kitten at the 6th Models for Change facility in Viet Nam, a cat fattening facility where cats are fattened before slaughter for the cat meat trade, on June 6, 2024 in Thai Nguyen province.

THAI NGUYEN , Viet Nam—The owner of a cat fattening farm and slaughterhouse in Thai Nguyen, where kittens were fattened up and killed for the cat meat trade, has expressed his relief at being able to leave animal cruelty behind him thanks to a charity program. Through working with Humane Society International’s Viet Nam team, the farmer has been able to close up shop and start a new life growing crops. An estimated 1 million cats a year are killed for meat in Viet Nam but recent opinion polls show that the majority of the population (71%) support a ban on both cat meat consumption and trade.

Sixty one-year-old Mr. Nguyễn Đức Thịnh, who ran the cat fattening farm and slaughterhouse for five years in Quyet Thang commune, Thai Nguyen city, received a one-off grant from HSI’s Models for Change program that enabled him to permanently close his business and transition the property to grow tea, guava and pomelo fruit for local markets instead. Mr Thịnh purchased kittens from local villages and fattened them to slaughter weight to be killed by scalding with boiling water followed by drowning. He said despite making a decent income, the guilt of causing so much suffering and becoming aware of the trade’s potential to spread deadly rabies weighed heavily on his conscience. Thanks to the collective efforts of HSI’s Viet Nam team and the provincial Department of Animal Health, he was relieved to be able to leave the cat meat trade behind him.

Mr. Thịnh said: “When I started the business five years ago, I had no idea that the cat and dog meat trades were linked to the spread of rabies and other diseases, and I never expected to be so affected by the suffering of the cats. Now that I am aware, I feel an immense sense of regret and I am hugely relieved to leave it all behind me. Scalding and drowning is a terrible death for any animal and I hate to think how many thousands of cats have endured that fate because of my business. I’m looking forward to leading a peaceful life growing crops instead. The cat and dog meat trades are a risk to the health of both people and animals, so I’m very proud to be a part of HSI’s Models for Change program. Without them my new life would never have been possible.”

HSI’s team in Viet Nam rescued 20 young cats—including some who had been born on the farm in filthy conditions—as part of the closure. The HSI team took the cats  to a custom-made sheltering facility at Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry to receive medical care. Sixteen of the cats will be flown to the charity’s care and rehabilitation center in the United States to seek adoptive families, while the kittens will join them once they are old enough to fly with their mother.

Mr Thịnh’s farm is the sixth dog or cat meat trade business to permanently close as part of HSI’s Viet Nam Models for Change program since it launched in the country in 2022. The charity has operated Models for Change in South Korea since 2015, succeeding in seeing a similar scheme become part of the legislative ban on the industry passed by South Korea’s National Assembly in January this year. HSI hopes South Korea’s ban creates a blueprint for change that the government in Viet Nam can follow.

Quang Nguyen, HSI’s Viet Nam companion animals and engagement program manager, said: “Our Models for Change program here in Viet Nam is demonstrating that cat and dog meat business owners like Mr Thịnh can be part of the solution to end these cruel and dangerous trades. Trafficking and slaughtering millions of cats and dogs for meat each year, whether they are stolen from the streets, smuggled into the country, or transported on journeys sometimes spanning the county from fattening farms, jeopardises human health and causes immense animal suffering. South Korea’s recent ban on dog meat farming and sales proves that legislative change is possible, and we believe the health of Viet Nam’s citizens, as well as the welfare of its cats and dogs, would be safeguarded by a similar ban in this country.”

Most cats killed for meat in Viet Nam are strays and pets snatched while roaming the streets. Traders use food baits to lure the cats into homemade spring-loaded snares. Others are smuggled in on trucks and buses from surrounding provinces as far south as Ho Chi Minh City and even internationally from countries such as Cambodia. Those who survive these ordeals go on to be crammed together in cages and loaded onto trucks to be driven incredible distances across Viet Nam, often travelling for more than 24 hours without rest, food or water in suffocating conditions, with many dying along the way. Cat fattening farms like Mr Thịnh’s are far less common; the kittens are sold to farms at such a young age, they are highly vulnerable to disease and many succumb to the squalid conditions.

The link between the dog meat trade and the spread of deadly rabies has been well established by the World Health Organization and others, but cats are also susceptible to rabies and so the combined trades undermine rabies elimination efforts. This is another compelling driver to end the trade, in addition to the suffering and killing of 5 million dogs and 1 million cats a year for meat in Viet Nam.

Cat meat trade facts

  • Cat meat dishes called “thịt mèo” (cat meat) and “tiểu hổ” or “little tiger” are particularly common around the capital, Hanoi, and in northern provinces.
  • Northern Viet Nam shares a large border with Southern China where cat meat and cats are readily available and easily trafficked. In 2015 a truck loaded with thousands of cats in bamboo crates being trafficked from China was intercepted in Viet Nam. Despite animal groups pleading to offer help, the authorities buried the cats alive. In 2017, Vietnamese officials stopped a truck transporting5 tons of rotting cat and chicken carcasses which were on their way to the cat meat consuming “hotspot” of Thai Binh province. In 2018, nine cooler boxes containing almost one ton of frozen cats was intercepted between Dong Nai province in the south and Thai Binh province in the north.
  • In 1998, the Prime Minister issued a directive banning the hunting, slaughtering and consumption of cats in efforts to encourage cat ownership to keep the rat population under control. However, little to no action was taken to combat the trade, and the directive was eventually repealed in 2020.
  • A Nielsen opinion poll conducted in October 2023 and commissioned by HSI shows that cat meat is consumed by a relative minority of the Vietnamese population (21%). By far the top reasons for not consuming dog and cat meat are a belief that they are companion animals and an aversion to animal cruelty.
  • The poll also shows an astonishing 87% of people have either had a pet stolen or have an acquaintance whose pet has been stolen. Pet theft is becoming a growing societal issue in Viet Nam, with the increasing animal-loving and pet owning population frustrated with the lack of law enforcement to protect their animals from unscrupulous thieves and traders.

Download video and photos of the cat slaughterhouse closure operation HERE

ENDS

Media contacts:

Nielsen’s online survey of Vietnamese citizens was conducted in September 2023 with recipients aged between 25 – 60 years old, with a total sample size of 800 and a margin of error of +- 2.53%.

After being rescued from a farm where they were confined in small metal cages, the pigs are enjoying their new-found freedom

Humane Society International / United Kingdom

Sally Ivens / HSI

LONDON—Two mother pigs, who have spent around a quarter of their adult lives confined in metal cages barely bigger than their bodies, have been rescued from slaughter and rehomed by leading animal protection charity Humane Society International/UK. The pigs, who gave birth to multiple litters of piglets at a UK farm which cages sows for weeks around the time they give birth, were willingly relinquished to HSI/UK in support of the charity’s Crate Escape campaign to ban use of the cruel cages known as farrowing crates. 

Every year on UK farms, around 200,000 sows are confined for up to five weeks at a time, several times a year, in metal cages so small they can’t even turn around, causing them physical and mental suffering. At just a few years of age, having been repeatedly bred but no longer considered productive, the two pigs were due to be sent to slaughter but instead the farmer entrusted them to HSI/UK to live the rest of their lives in freedom and as campaign ambassadors.

Photos and video footage of the two pigs before and after their rescue, can be downloaded here.

Photos of pigs in farrowing crates on the farm, including a range of health problems, can be downloaded here.

The farmer who gave up the pigs wishes to remain anonymous but believes that farrowing crates are cruel and hopes the pigs’ story will help HSI/UK persuade politicians to ban the practice. The farm has used farrowing crates for over 35 years, but the farmer now believes that farmers should be supported financially to end their use because of the suffering endured by pigs. The farmer told HSI/UK: “It’s hard watching them so upset. When an animal’s telling you ‘I do not want to be in here, I’m going to do my best to escape’ and then you’re like, ‘I’m going to have to tie you in’, that feels cruel. It bothers me every day.”

They added: “I really hope that we move on from this sort of barbaric cage. It doesn’t have to be this way, there are loads of different kinds of free farrowing systems but why aren’t retailers and consumers asking for them? It feels like they don’t know the reality of what’s going on behind farm gates. I think we do really need to change the script. We’ve got to have support from governments – both the money and the right policies. I don’t think putting sows through weeks of crate confinement six, seven or eight times in their lives can be justified any more.”

Claire Bass, senior director of campaigns and public affairs at Humane Society International/UK, who helped to rescue the pigs, said: “Across the UK right now some 200,000 mother pigs are hidden away suffering behind bars. Such big numbers can mask the fact that each one is an intelligent, sensitive individual. Studies have found that pigs are smarter than dogs and even 3-year-old children, and yet they are routinely subjected to this appalling cruelty. That’s why it is so important that we were able to rescue them and tell the stories of these two mums. The farmer’s account of the suffering caused by crates is heartbreaking and dealing with distressed and depressed animals takes its toll on farmers’ mental health.

Almost two-thirds of British people have never heard of farrowing crates, meaning that they’re also unaware of the intense suffering that they cause. Few people would dream of keeping a dog confined in a metal crate so small they couldn’t even turn around for five long weeks, and our Crate Escape campaign aims to create the same compassion and respect for pigs. We’re urging all governments in the UK, as well as retailers, to commit to supporting farmers financially to get rid of these cruel and unnecessary cages for mother pigs.”

The pigs – who will soon be named by HSI/UK’s supporters – have been given a permanent home at Hopefield Animal Sanctuary in Brentwood, Essex. At the sanctuary they will be free to stretch their legs on grass, root around in the mud, and carry out all the other natural behaviours that were denied to them during their time in farrowing crates.

HSI/UK is calling on all political parties to commit to banning farrowing crates and providing support to farmers to help them move away from using these archaic and cruel confinement devices. Take action for mother pigs by signing the petition here.

Notes

  • Polling data shows that 63% of British people have not heard of farrowing crates. 
  • Fewer than one in five people in Britain (19.8%) support the use of pig farrowing crates once the intended purpose (protecting piglets from being crushed) and the movement restrictions imposed by farrowing crates are described to them.  
  • Two-thirds of those polled would support governments providing financial support to farmers to transition away from using the devices, and only 15.5% would oppose a ban.  
  • Polling was carried out by Survation via online panel, with 1,074 total UK respondents, in March 2023. 
  • The full interview with the farmer is available here. 

ENDS

Media contact: Sally Ivens, media and communications senior specialist at HSI/UK: sivens@hsi.org  ; 07590 559299

Humane Society International / Europe

Simon Eeman/Alamy Stock photo

BERLIN—In an interview published yesterday evening, former Botswana President Ian Khama called on the German government to ban the import of hunting trophies, countering a recent political push to squash commitments made by Minister Steffi Lemke to protect species already threatened by trade. As the EU’s largest importer of such species as hunting trophies, Germany has the opportunity to enhance national regulation to safeguard against the illogical trade protection exemptions for hunting trophies currently permitted under the Convention on Threatened and Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

“Many species that are now endangered were not at risk before; some have already become extinct,” said Ian Khama in the interview. “Animals whose populations are relatively stable today could one day face the same danger. We all bear responsibility for this world. I urge the German people and government to take this courageous step. Ban the import of hunting trophies.”

Sylvie Kremerskothen Gleason, country director for HSI/Europe in Germany, stated: “Attempts to politicize the issue of trophy hunting imports won’t change the facts that there are real biological, ecological and social detrimental impacts from trophy hunting. Germany must take responsibility at the national level to promote alternative sustainable solutions to protect wildlife where Germany has a direct influence, such as through their own international trade in hunting trophies. Commitments to reduce hunting trophy imports, made by Minister Lemke, are in line with public opinion in Germany, and must be progressed.”

Through the #NotInMyWorld campaign, Humane Society International/Europe is advocating for national and EU-wide bans on the import of wildlife species threatened by trade, a policy that several EU member states have already partially or fully implemented, including Belgium, France, Finland and the Netherlands. According to a survey, 89% of German citizens support such a ban, which would represent a significant step toward wildlife conservation. HSI/Europe is working with champions across Europe to support countries in moving from extractive, harmful industries such as trophy hunting, into sustainable, humane industries that could provide a much wider suite of benefits for both animals and humans alike.

END

Media contact: Eva-Maria Heinen, communications senior manager at HSI/Europe: emheinen@hsi.org; 3338608589

This is a great victory against cruel blood spectacles, says Humane Society International/Latin America

Humane Society International / Latin America

Heather Severt/The HSUS

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica—The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has rejected a complaint against Costa Rica for banning cockfights, in what animal protection organization Humane Society International called a great victory against animal fighting.

The complaint was presented by the National Association of Cockfighting Breeders in 2017, challenging the prohibition of cock breeding and fighting established in Costa Rican Animal Welfare Law, by alleging that they are a “cultural tradition” and a “human right”.

However, the Commission concluded that banning cockfights “pursues a legitimate purpose, which is the protection of the right to a healthy environment and the protection of fauna (…) and is necessary for the protection of roosters raised in private venues” The Commission added that the prohibition of cockfighting and animal breeding for fighting purposes is a legitimate and proportional restriction.

Andrea Borel, executive director of HSI/Latin America, said: “This is a great victory, both nationally and regionally, against cruel blood spectacles and sets an historical precedent for other fights against cruel shows involving animals. At HSI we strongly oppose cockfighting, which results in injury, suffering and death for the animals who are forced to fight. Such activities amount to animal abuse for entertainment and have no place in modern society.”

Cockfights are a bloody practice in which two or more birds bred specifically for fighting are placed in a ring, also known as a “cockpit”, for the sole purpose of fighting for human entertainment and gambling. A typical cockfight can last from several minutes to more than half an hour and generally results in the death of one or both birds. Birds suffer terribly from wounds inflicted by the use of sharp spurs attached to their feet. These spurs can be made from hawksbill, which is interrelated with other crimes such as wildlife trafficking, as it comes from the hawksbill turtle, a species in critical danger of extinction and protected by national and international legislation.

Natalia Cordoba, legal director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said: “In this particular case, emphasis was placed from the beginning on the analysis that the Constitutional Chamber had previously carried out, as well as on the legitimacy and proportionality of the restriction questioned by the plaintiffs, as the IACHR ended up confirming. An unprecedented feature in this process was that various civil society organizations, including HSI joined in support of state action and the prohibition of cockfighting. As this decision was made by one of the main bodies for human rights protection in the region, we do not doubt its impact level on processes that protect the environment and animals.”

Since cockfighting is still legal or illegally practiced in many countries around the world, including India, Indonesia, the Philippines and parts of Mexico. HSI estimates that tens of millions of roosters suffer from this cruel and bloody practice globally.

ENDS

Media contact: Alejandra Zuniga, alezuniga@outlook.com

Polling data reveals cracking down on animal cruelty could be a seat winning pledge in marginal constituencies as 23 leading animal groups launch new campaign

Humane Society International / United Kingdom

HSI

LONDON—With the general election just weeks away, UK political parties are being urged to harness the untapped ‘paw power’ of animal-loving voters after a new report shows that political parties are failing to match the British public’s high level of demand for strong animal protection policies. Analysis of opinion poll data suggests there are opportunities for candidates pledging anti-cruelty policy actions to influence thousands of animal-loving voters, especially in tightly contested seats. 

The report analyses several national opinion polls, including constituency-level MRP polling. It concludes that despite a supermajority of public support for progressive policies to prevent animal cruelty, voters’ expectations are insufficiently reflected in British political discourse, policy commitments and government policymaking. In a 2023 YouGov poll, nearly one third (33%) selected animal welfare as one of their top three most important causes and Focaldata 2023 polling revealed that one in six (15.4%) ranked ‘whether or not a party will protect animals from cruelty’ as one of their top three most important policies that will influence which party they vote for. 

Analysis of the top 10 target seats for major parties reveals that while the top Labour target seat requires only a 128-vote swing, and the top Conservative target seat requires just a 66-vote swing, more than 3,800 people in those constituencies have signed a sample of 10 government e-petitions on animal protection between 2017-19 alone. 

Dr Steven McCulloch, Senior Lecturer in Human-Animal Studies at the University of Winchester, said “Polls consistently show supermajority levels of support for stronger animal protection laws across England, Scotland and Wales, and for voters of all main political parties. And one in six British voters place animal protection within the top three concerns that will influence their vote.”   Paul Chaney, professor of policy and politics at Cardiff University School of Social Sciences noted “Parties and candidates with a strong offer to tackle animal cruelty could speak to a significant cohort of voters in the upcoming election. Additionally, polling indicates that such policies provide indications to voters on parties’ and candidates’ broader values, including association with competence and compassion.” 

The report coincides with the launch of ‘Crackdown on Cruelty’, a joint campaign by more than 20 leading animal protection organisations. The groups aim to mobilise half a million compassionate voters to contact their candidates and urge them to commit to be a voice for animals in Parliament if elected.  

Candidates are being called on to pledge to 10 key commitments which would strengthen legal protections for millions of animals, such as bans on trading in cruelty including stopping imports of fur and hunting trophies, government support to help farmers transition away from factory farming, stronger protections for wildlife including a ban on snares in England, and the appointment of an Animal Protection Commissioner. Pledge commitments will be shared on the website votesforanimals.org.uk, which will also host copies of animal protection pledges made by major political parties in their manifestos. 

Claire Bass, senior director of campaigns and public affairs at Humane Society International/UK, said: “We identify as a nation of animal lovers and there is keen voter interest in politicians cracking down on cruelty, so we’re urging parties and candidates to pledge action. On 4th July we’ll see thousands of dogs proudly posing outside polling stations, there is a lot of paw power to be won at the ballot box! MPs elected in July will hear from their constituents about animal protection more than any other issue, so progressive animal protection policies could very well help swing voting decisions.” 

Iain Green, Director of Animal Aid, said: “Supported by so many animal protection organisations, Votes For Animals will mobilise hundreds of thousands of voting public who care about animals. Together, we will ensure that the Parties and candidates understand that we want them to pledge to crackdown on cruelty if elected, we want strong laws that will protect all animalkind. But moreover, we are at the forefront of a movement that will change hearts and minds forever – and will ensure that all animals have rights, and are treated with respect and compassion.” 

The report, titled ‘Political animals’ and authored by Dr Steven McCulloch, Dr Lisa Riley and Professor Paul Chaney, from Winchester and Cardiff Universities, is fully referenced and available to view here. 

ENDS

Media contact: Sally Ivens, HSI/UK,   sivens@hsi.org ; 07590 559299

This is a rejection of once-in-a-generation opportunity to end slaughter at sea, says Humane Society International

Humane Society International / Global

Minke whale
Nature Picture Library/Alamy

REYKJAVÍK, Iceland—As news breaks that Iceland’s Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Bjarkey Olsen Gunnarsdóttir will renew a one-year commercial whaling licence to whaling company Hvalur hf., despite clear evidence of immense animal suffering, global animal protection charity Humane Society International calls it a devastatingly disappointing decision.

An independent report published last year by the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority revealed some whales killed in Icelandic hunts had taken up to two hours to die, with 41% of whales suffering immensely before dying for an average of 11.5 minutes. Such suffering was deemed in contravention of the country’s Animal Welfare Act.

Adam Peyman, director of wildlife programs at Humane Society International, said: “It is devastatingly disappointing that Minister Gunnarsdóttir has set aside unequivocal scientific evidence demonstrating the brutality and cruelty of commercial whale killing and allowed whales to be killed for another year. There is simply no way to make harpooning whales at sea anything other than cruel and bloody, and no amount of modifications will change that. Whales already face myriad threats in the oceans from pollution, climate change, entanglement in fish nets and ship strikes, and fin whale victims of Iceland’s whaling fleet are considered globally vulnerable to extinction. With the need for whale protection so critical. This is a rejection of a once-in-a-generation opportunity to end the slaughter at sea. There is a new shameful entry in the conservation history books―Iceland had a chance to do the right thing and it chose not to.”

Fast facts:

  • The International Whaling Commission agreed to enact a global moratorium on all commercial whaling in 1986.
  • Iceland left the IWC in 1992 but returned in 2002 with an exception to the moratorium, despite objections from multiple nations. Since re-joining the IWC, Iceland had killed more than 1,500 whales, including fin whales.
  • Iceland suspended hunting fin whales in 2016 due to a declining market for whale meat in Japan. Hunting resumed for the 2018 season when 146 fin whales were killed, including a pregnant female and a rare fin-blue hybrid whale, plus six minke whales. Icelandic whalers killed a single minke whale between 2019 and 2021, and 148 fin whales in 2022.
  • Fin whales are classified by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as globally vulnerable to extinction despite decades of recovery since the commercial whaling moratorium.

ENDS

Media contact: Wendy Higgins, director of international media: whiggins@hsi.org

The new Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, if passed, will set stricter penalties against animal cruelty and recognize five fundamental freedoms for all animals

Humane Society International / India

Erin Van Voorhies

DELHI, India—With the newly formed Government assuming office this month, Humane Society International/India and People for Animals urge the Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a letter to expedite passage of the long-awaited Prevention of Cruelty to Animal (Amendment) Bill 2022 in the upcoming Monsoon session of the Parliament. The draft bill introduces amendments to the current animal law including stringent penalties for animal cruelty, newer cognizable offenses, and establishes five fundamental freedoms for every animal—freedom from hunger and thirst; freedom from discomfort; freedom from pain, injury, and disease; and freedom to express normal and natural behavior.  

Despite India having some of the strongest animal laws in the world, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 has remained unchanged since its adoption, giving scope to animal offenders to go scot-free after committing serious crimes against animals. Currently, the maximum fine for even the most heinous crime against animals—including beating, poisoning, raping or burning an animal—is a mere Rs. 50 (and Rs. 100 for repeat offenders).  

The pressure to update this law has been increasing since 2016, with over 400,000 signatures submitted on petitions to amend the animal welfare laws. In 2022, over 180 parliamentarians demanded such an amendment, echoed by the 50,000 emails and letters sent in 2023 by animal advocates and the general public to PM Narendra Modi to amend the 1960 Act. 

Alokparna Sengupta, managing director of Humane Society International/India, said: “There is an urgent need for bringing the new act. In the long run, the lack of a better law poses a great threat to society at large. In the pursuit of compassion, justice and a more humane society, the time to act is now and we need urgent reforms from the newly elected Government that will act as a deterrent against animal cruelty and be applicable to both individuals and institutions.”

Gauri Maulekhi, trustee of People for Animals, said: “Amending the PCA Act is imperative and long overdue. It is wellknown that violence against animals is a precursor to violence against other vulnerable members of our society, be it women, children or our elders. Strengthening this law protects animals and serves as a pivotal step towards cultivating empathy and respect, fostering a society where compassion thrives, and brutality finds no haven.” 

Some recent cruelty cases of a highly disturbing nature include that of Jai, the community dog in Mumbai being brutally killed ; a pet golden retriever in Gurgaon thrashed in an elevator by a dog walker; and a street dog being beaten brutally in Jagatpuri, Delhi. The passage of this law is expected to set a strong precedent by raising fines and punishment for cruelty offenses against animals and helping to build a society that treats domesticated and wild animals with care and compassion.    

Urge the new government to keep up with the times and adopt better laws against animal cruelty by signing the petition. 

Facts:

  • Apart from the meager penalties, many offenses against animals under the current laws are bailable and non-cognizable, which means accused individuals can seek bail easily and prevent immediate police action without court permission.  
  • The main objective of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act is to prevent unnecessary pain or suffering on animals, to adopt guidelines regarding  experimentation on animals for scientific purposes and to empower a committee to make rules with regards to such experiments, and to restrict the exhibition and training of performing animals.         
  • #NoMore50 campaign was started by HSI/India and PFA after Shaktiman, a white horse, was beaten brutally by n member of the Legislative Assembly in 2016. #NoMore50 is a call to demand social justice and amend the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, by increasing the penalty from a mere Rs. 50. Since 2016, the campaign has received enormous support from people from all walks of life including eminent judges, celebrities and members of the Legislative Assembly.  
  • Several MPs in the past including Hema Malini, Pankal Chaudhry, Arjun Lal Meena, Dr. K. Laxman, Margani Bharat Ram, Dr. Mohammed Jawed and Raja Amreshwara Naik had written to the Prime Minister requesting that the proposed Amendment Bill be brought up for discussion.

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