Category: Press Release

Campaigners call for national ban on dog meat trade

Humane Society International

HSI

JAKARTA, Indonesia—Forty five dogs rescued from an illegal dog slaughterhouse have flown to North America to seek loving adoptive families. The dogs—including Sunshine, Oreo, Alice, Neo, Dave, Randy and Olive—were saved by police last November, with assistance from the Dog Meat Free Indonesia (DMFI) coalition which campaigns for a nationwide ban on the dog meat trade. DMFI rescuers discovered the dogs tied up in sacks on the back of a truck as it arrived at a notorious slaughterhouse that was reported to kill on average up to 30 dogs per day.

The 45 dogs—including puppies born to some of the dogs who were heavily pregnant when rescued—had been trafficked from West Java on a grueling 365-mile journey to Sukoharjo. Many of them had painful skin diseases at the time of rescue, and required treatment at DMFI’s shelter for shock, dehydration, malnutrition and deep wounds from the snares used to catch them. Once settled at Humane Society International’s care and rehabilitation centre in North America, they will be evaluated before being made available for adoption.

Bali-based Lola Webber, Humane Society International’s director of campaigns to End Dog Meat, was at the police interception to help rescue the dogs. Webber says: “Seeing the terrified and traumatized faces of these dogs huddled together at the slaughterhouse, is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life. They were skin and bones, dehydrated, weak and bewildered, suffering from profound trauma and horrific wounds from their capture. Now that they’ve recovered, flying them to North America will give them the best chance of a loving home where they will get to play with toys, sleep in soft beds and enjoy all the belly rubs they could they ever want. The dog meat trade has already been banned in 19 jurisdictions across Indonesia. I hope the government will take the next step of banning this awful trade for good so that no more dogs have to suffer this cruelty in future.”

Nationwide opinion polls from 2021 show that only a small minority of Indonesians (4.5%) consume dog meat, and 93% of all Indonesians support a ban on the dog meat trade. Despite this, conservative estimates suggest that more than one million dogs a year are stolen, trafficked, slaughtered and sold for human consumption. Many of them are pets snatched from their homes or the streets who are bludgeoned and bled to death at markets or slaughterhouses.

As well as being cruel, the dog meat trade jeopardizes Indonesia’s anti-rabies efforts and represents a substantial public health threat. Rabies is endemic across most of Indonesia, with only eight provinces holding rabies-free status. With dogs being routinely stolen from rabies positive areas and trafficked into rabies-free areas, the dog meat trade actively undermines attempts to control the deadly disease.

Karin Franken of Jakarta Animal Aid Network and national DMFI coordinator, said: “For the past ten months since their rescue, we’ve cared for these dogs at our shelter, healed their wounds and given them the love and care they needed to recover from their ordeal. The puppies born to dogs who were heavily pregnant when stolen for the meat trade, have only experienced human kindness, but the others have seen the very worst of humanity and it must have been extremely frightening. I’m thrilled that they will now be able to put all that trauma behind them and start new lives in loving, adoptive.”

Fifty-three dogs in total were rescued at the Sukoharjo interception which was conducted under COVID-19 health and safety restrictions, and a veterinarian was on site throughout. At the DMFI shelter the dogs received vaccinations against rabies, coronavirus, distemper and parvovirus. The dogs also underwent quarantine for more than 30 days, and received veterinary health checks in accordance with regulations prior to transport overseas. The remaining dogs will be open to local adoption and provided life-long care at the JAAN shelter as part of the shelter team family if needed.

Dog meat trade facts:

  • Guruh Tri Susilo, the trucker driver, and Suseno, the slaughterhouse owner, were both found guilty of breaking Law 18 of 2009 chapter 89 regarding animal health and husbandry, and sentenced to 17 and 12 months in jail respectively. Suseno’s conviction marked only the country’s third conviction of a dog meat trafficker since the national government’s declaration in 2018 that “dogs are not food.”
  • The dog meat trade is banned in 18 cities and regencies across Indonesia. The regencies are Karanganyar, Sukoharjo, Semarang, Blora, Brebes, Purbalingga, Mojokerto, Temanggung, Jepara and Magelang. The cities are Salatiga, Malang, Semarang, Magelang, Blitar, Mojokerto, Medan and Surabaya.
  • In addition to the 18 locations in Indonesia, across Asia the trade in and slaughter, sale and consumption of dogs is also banned or otherwise ended in Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Thailand and two major cities in mainland China. In South Korea a government-initiated task force is currently considering the issue of a ban. President Yoon Suk-yeol has stated he would not oppose a dog meat ban provided there is social consensus, and first lady Kim Keon-hee has spoken publicly of her desire for an end to dog meat consumption.
  • The Dog Meat Free Indonesia campaign comprises local campaigners Jakarta Animal Aid Network and Animals Friends Jogja, and international groups Humane Society International, Four Paws and Animals Asia.

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Download photos and video of the dogs being prepared/ loaded at the shelter and at Jakarta airport

Photos and videos of the police interception and the dogs at the DMFI shelter

Media contacts:

Indonesia

  • Lola Webber, Humane Society International’s End Dog Meat campaign director, and Dog Meat Free Indonesia international coordinator : Lwebber@hsi.org ; +6281337408768
  • Karin Franken, Jakarta Animal Aid Network Founder, and  national coordinator Dog Meat Free Indonesia Coalition : jaan_adopt@yahoo.com ; +6282122487794

United Kingdom

  • Wendy Higgins, Humane Society International’s director of international media: whiggins@hsi.org

 

 

School meals in Sobral improve animal welfare, climate impact and health for 35,000 students

Humane Society International / Global

reproduction/City Hall of Sobral

SOBRAL, Brazil—An agreement signed by the Municipality of Sobral, in collaboration with Humane Society International and Mercy for Animals’ Alimentação Consciente Brasil program, will bring healthier and more climate-friendly food to almost 35,000 students attending the city’s public schools while improving the welfare of animals. Lectures on nutrition and plant-based culinary training sessions delivered in late Augustkick-started the implementation of the program.

The initiative seeks to replace 20% of ingredients from animals with vegetables, legumes, grains and fruits in more than 2.3 million meals every year. Teams from Humane Society International and Alimentação Consciente Brasil will train municipal kitchen teams in plant-based cuisine and will share knowledge with school education coordinators about the positive nutritional and environmental principles of making small changes to diets.

Food systems with high intake of animal products have been reported to increase health problems such as obesity, diabetes and cancer. Further, animal agriculture globally is a leading driver of climate change and is directly linked to serious environmental problems such as deforestation and excessive use of water.

The agreement is the result of the city’s participation in the first edition of the Urban Laboratory of Food Public Policies, organized by Instituto Comida do Amanhã and Local Governments for Sustainability, with institutional support from Alimentação Consciente Brasil and Humane Society International.

“We believe that food policies drive sustainable development, can contribute to the regeneration of the planet and also to the health of people in the present, as well as future generations,” comments Alice Martins, senior manager of food policies at Alimentação Consciente Brasil.

In Brazil, about 70% of grains are fed to farmed animals instead of people, a sobering statistic when many in the world face hunger and food insecurity. Indeed, the farm animal production sector is the single largest anthropogenic user of land globally, with meat, egg, dairy and aquaculture production systems using approximately 83% of the world’s farmland while providing just 37% of the world’s protein and 18% of calories. Animal agriculture is also a major contributor to the climate crisis, responsible for at least 16.5% of human-induced greenhouse gas emissions.  By changing our food system and consumption habits we can significantly reduce the environmental impact of our food system while also providing adequate nutrition.

“Several municipalities, food service companies, and public and private institutions around the world have implemented similar programs as a means to promote more resilient food systems that align with global commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while also improving animal welfare,” says Thayana Oliveira, food policy manager at the Humane Society International.

The sustainability assessment conducted by Alimentação Consciente Brasil and Humane Society International estimates that this agreement, which the participants signed in April 2022,  will:

  • Spare 4,200 tons of soy no longer destined for livestock, which is enough to feed about 50,000 adults for one year.
  • Preserve 1,400 hectares of land, the equivalent of 800 football fields.
  • Save 22 million liters of water, the equivalent to more than 160,000 showers of 15-minutes.
  • Reduce 5,000 tons of CO2eq emission, the equivalent of driving a car for 40 million km.

“With this agreement the city of Sobral, recognized as the education capital of Brazil, is taking leadership in advancing public health and sustainability through school meals,” says Francisco Herbert Lima Vasconcelos, secretary of education of the municipality of Sobral.

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Media contact: Thayana Oliveira Soares, food policy manager for HSI in Brazil, toliveira@hsi.org ; (31) 98484-4890

HSI/India hands over successful street dog management program to Vadodara Municipal Corporation

Humane Society International / India

HSI/India

VADODARA, India—Humane Society International/India and Vadodara Municipal Corporation are celebrating the success of sterilizing 86% of the city’s street dog population, the highest sterilization rate ever achieved in any Indian city. The success comes as HSI/India officially hands over its street dog management program to the Vadodara authorities. HSI/India hopes that Vadodara becomes a model for other cities in India to follow to create a harmonious co-existence between street dogs and local communities.

HSI/India and VMC have worked together to spay, neuter and rabies vaccinate approximately 44,000 street dogs across the city since 2017, when they launched the sterilization program to alleviate animal suffering, reduce dog bites and decrease human-dog conflict. Humane surgeries have been combined with community engagement and awareness drives.

The program in Vadodara is part of HSI/India’s wider dog management program which provides a practical, sustainable and humane solution to India’s street dog population challenge. An estimated 75 million dogs live on the streets across India, with most puppies dying before they reach 12 months old. Without access to veterinary care, dogs can also die of rabies and other diseases, and live with painful and debilitating injuries from being hit by traffic. When the number of dogs exceeds the community’s capacity to care for them, street dogs can also suffer from malnutrition and may even face cruel behavior such as stone throwing, which can be exacerbated by a community’s fear of dog bites and rabies.

In 2014, HSI/India estimates that 17% of dogs in Vadodara were sterilized. A total of 23,696 dogs have since been sterilized, bringing the total percentage of community dogs sterilized to 86% in Gujarat’s second largest city.

“HSI/India is very proud to have been able to deliver a successful street dog management program in Vadodara. Effective planning, zero compromise in protocol and standard operating procedures being followed every day in the last five years have enabled us to achieve this target,” says Dr. Sanjay Ahir, Vadodara dog project manager at HSI/India.

Multiple dog population surveys, efficient usage of technology and innovation, in addition to work with the local community, also contributed to the success of this program.

“Meaningful and productive community engagement is central to any street dog welfare program,” says Parul Dholakia, assistant manager, community engagement program at HSI/India. In Vadodara, the community engagement methods included attending to city-wide, dog-related complaints, holding

workshops on dog behavior to familiarize residents with animal birth control and anti-rabies vaccination processes, legal measures regarding street dog welfare, volunteer outreach and first-aid workshops.

“Over time, we witnessed a drop in requests to relocate or remove dogs. This, I would say, is a good indicator of efforts reaping fruits,” says Dholakia.

The animal protection organization will now hand over the program to the VMC, whilst continuing the community engagement program. A closing celebratory event followed by an award ceremony will be attended by officers from the VMC, Vadodara Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, active community volunteers, dog feeders and residents.

“Post this milestone, we believe we are at a stage to do a lot more to make Vadodara a smart city for both people and street dogs,” says Dr. Vijay Panchal, market superintendent of VMC. “HSI/India has been a great partner and we hope to continue doing pioneering work to develop a model for other cities in India.”

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Media contact: Shaili Shah: 993-059-1005, sshah@hsi.org

Humane Society International/India’s “Fab Four” demonstrate peaceful co-existence of dogs with locals and tourists in yoga capital of the world

Humane Society International / India

Lennon, one of the four dogs named after the Beatles, in the context of HSI/India’s humane street dog program in Rishikesh, is helping raise awareness. HSI.

RISHIKESH, India—Four street dogs living in India’s tourist hotspot of Rishikesh, where the Beatles visited in 1968, have been named after the Fab Four as part of a mass spay/neuter and rabies vaccination drive. Lennon, McCartney, Starr and Harrison are among thousands of mainly female street dogs in Rishikesh being sterilized and vaccinated by animal charity Humane Society International/India to humanely reduce the city’s growing street dog population and promote peaceful co-existence between dogs, local residents and the thousands of tourists who flock to the city for yoga retreats and water sports.

Lennon, McCartney, Starr and Harrison have all been sterilized by HSI/India, and their personal stories are helping spread awareness of the program as well as fostering an appreciation of street dogs as individuals. Seven-year-old Harrison lives in the city’s Ganganagar district where community members make sure she regularly receives her favorite foods–biscuits and roti. Now a happy and cared-for dog, Harrison’s life on the street had been tough–all her puppies from multiple litters died, and she also lost her dog companion in a road accident. One-year-old Lennon is a third-generation community dog born in the neighborhood, and McCartney is the only living survivor of a litter of seven who struggled to protect herself from bigger dogs before community carers stepped in. Starr is a young dog who lives with her mother and sister in Awas Vikas Colony where local residents feed her eggs and buns.

Piyush Patel, HSI/India’s senior manager for the Dog Management program, explains: “An estimated 75 million dogs live on the streets across India, with most puppies dying before they reach 12 months old. Without access to veterinary care, dogs can also die of rabies and other diseases, and live with painful and debilitating injuries from being hit by traffic. When the number of dogs exceeds the community’s capacity to care for them, street dogs can also suffer from malnutrition and may even face cruel behavior such as stone throwing, which can be exacerbated by a community’s fear of dog bites and rabies. In Rishikesh we aim to sterilize 80% of female dogs like Lennon, McCartney, Starr and Harrison, because this is the most effective way to control the population growth. We will monitor this approach over the next few years but if successful, this female-focus could shape all animal birth control projects in the future.”

In addition to sterilization and vaccination, the program will also focus on community engagement to ensure public awareness of the program, mitigate human-dog conflict and address dog welfare concerns.

Download photos and video of the “Beatles” dogs of Rishikesh

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

 

 

European Citizens’ Initiative reaches over one million signatures

Humane Society International / Europe

HSI

BRUSSELS—For the second time in seven years, more than one million people across the European Union have called for an end to animal testing by signing a European Citizens’ Initiative.  Introduced by the Treaty of Lisbon in 2007 to facilitate participation by EU citizens in policy development, ECIs are an established and respected participatory democracy mechanism to which the European Commission is required to respond within six months.

As the deadline for signatures passed at 23:59 yesterday, 1,414,383 people had signed the latest ECI calling for the European Commission to end the cruel use of animals in cosmetics and chemicals tests, as well as an ambitious plan to bring all experiments on animals to an end.

More than 10 million animals each year are used in laboratories around Europe for research and testing procedures that can cause them agonizing pain and suffering. This includes cruel and needless re-testing of cosmetic chemicals at the behest of the European Chemicals Agency, contrary to the EU’s longstanding ban on animal testing for cosmetics.

The Save Cruelty Free Cosmetics ECI was launched by a coalition of animal protection organizations including Cruelty Free Europe, PETA, Eurogroup for Animals, Humane Society International/Europe, and the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments, is supported by global beauty and personal care companies Dove, The  Body Shop, Lush, Herbal Essences, Aussie and is actively promoted by a coalition of groups and campaigners from every corner of Europe.

Joanna Swabe, senior director of public affairs for Humane Society International/Europe, said: “We are delighted that more than a million EU citizens have added their voices to the call to save cruelty-free cosmetics. It is a travesty that the landmark legislation banning cosmetic tests on animals has been undermined by EU authorities who continue to exploit a loophole in the legislation and demand that animal tests are carried out on ingredients used in lipsticks and eyeshadow. Not least because there are so many non-animal methods to ensure the protection of consumers and workers who are exposed to these chemicals, as well the environment.”

Aviva Vetter, Humane Society International senior manager for cosmetics, added: “This European Citizens’ Initiative is a wake-up call to EU institutions that continued erosion of the EU’s cruelty-free commitment will not be allowed to stand. Moreover, the European Commission must come forward with substantive legislative proposals to phase out  animal  experiments,  end  the  suffering  of millions of animals in laboratories.”

Vetter continued: “We are incredibly proud of this collaborative landmark and look forward to successful validation of the signatures. European citizens have made the task for the European Commission clear: it must come forward with substantive legislative proposals to phase out all animal experiments and end the suffering of millions of animals in laboratories in Europe. We demand change in testing and research. It is time for Europe to evolve past cruel and outdated animal testing.”

The organizers of the initiative now have three months to submit signatures to member state competent authorities for validation before they can take it to the European Commission and Parliament for action. To date, only six ECIs out of a total of 90 that have been registered have successfully completed this validation stage; a further four are currently in the validation phase. To have attracted 1,413, 383 signatures is a strong signal that this ECI could join them.

Background information:

Download pictures from our newsroom here

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Media contact: Cassie Bodin-Duval, international coordinator media relations: cbodinduval@hsi.org ; +32 (0) 469 149 469

Two women find their beloved pets among 150 cats saved by police and animal activists; 29 sparrows set free

Humane Society International / Global

HSI.

BEIJING—Members of a criminal gang in the city of Jinan, in east China’s Shandong province, have been arrested by local police for using live-caught sparrows to lure cats who they sold to the meat trade, according to the Chinese animal protection group Vshine. Thirty one sparrows–a protected species in China–were retrieved at the scene along with seven cages crammed with 148 cats who had been captured by the thieves; two kittens were born post-rescue. Jinan Zhuang Qiu District Police Office also found the gang’s fleet of mopeds fitted with cages for collecting captured cats, and reported that the thieves caught curious local pet and community cats by placing the flapping and chirping sparrows inside a wire bag within a remote controlled trap.

Although China has no national animal protection laws with which to prosecute the gang for cruelty to the cats, Chinese law generally prohibits possession of protected sparrows and given that two local Jinan residents identified their stolen pets among the caged cats, the individuals who were arrested may also be charged with violating laws prohibiting property theft.

Mr Huang from Vshine, who was at the scene, said: “We had been tracking this gang of cat thieves and traders for a while and finally found the place they stored all the cats they stole from the streets. These poor animals were tightly crammed together in rusty cages waiting to be shipped off to south China to be killed for meat. It was shocking to see the state they were in, many of them emaciated and crying out. Our discovery of dozens of live sparrows used as bait to lure the cats was also a big shock, but shows the lengths these ruthless traders will go to. We are really grateful that the local Jinan police accompanied us on the rescue and detained the cat traders. Although sadly the men responsible won’t face charges for the suffering they caused the cats, we are pleased to see the police increasingly using other laws at their disposal to crack down on this cruel trade.”

The cats are now being cared for by Jinan activists and local shelter groups. Vshine will also look after some of the cats at their shelters in northern China, which are partially funded by global animal protection organisation Humane Society International, which campaigns across Asia for an end to the dog and cat meat trades.

Peter Li, HSI China policy specialist, said: “These cat thieves were using quite sophisticated techniques to catch cats for the meat trade—baiting traps with sparrows, using remote controlled electronic devices to close the cages after catching a cat, and moving around the city on motorcycles to transport cats to the holding depot. This sparrow method is mostly used in urban communities where cat lovers feed as well as spay and neuter roaming community cats. Unlike neglected and hungry street cats who can be caught with fish or meat, these cats are well fed but would have been attracted by the flapping birds. We don’t how long these poor cats had been caged up without food or water in China’s extremely hot weather, but had it not been for the police and rescuers, they would have gone on to suffer even more being driven for miles across China to be killed in markets and slaughterhouses in Guangdong and Guangxi provinces in south-west China to satisfy a dwindling number of people who consume their meat. These are China’s two main cat meat eating hotspots. Throughout the rest of mainland China, cat meat is not part of the food culture at all.”

The 29 sparrows who survived were released back into the wild. Once the cats have received immediate veterinary care, the shelters will determine the options for adoption. They will also appeal for owners of missing cats to come forward for further possible reunions. The street cats, who would not adapt well to longer term shelter care or home adoption, will be released back to community carers.

Facts:

  • Most people in China don’t eat dogs and cats. In fact they are only eaten infrequently by a small percentage of the Chinese population. Even so, it is estimated that as many as four million cats a year could be killed for the meat trade.
  • In 2020, two major cities in mainland China–Shenzhen and Zhuhai–banned the consumption of dog and cat meat, a decision polling of 378 million people in mainland China by news site ifeng.com shows is supported by nearly 75% of Chinese citizens.
  • Sparrows are protected by China‘s 2000 State Protected Wildlife List of Animals of Important Economic and Scientific Research Value, items 634 and 635.

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Download video and photos of the cat rescue

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

Two-thirds also oppose canned lion hunting and the hunting of specific species

Humane Society International / South Africa

Two male lions named Netsai and Humba in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe.
Dex Kotze

CAPE TOWN, South Africa—South African citizens have spoken out against the cruel practice of hunting wild animals for trophies. A new 2022 IPSOS survey, commissioned by animal protection charity Humane Society International/Africa, reveals that 68% of the South African population oppose trophy hunting, and the majority (65%) oppose the practice of canned lion hunting. The poll also demonstrates the public’s opposition to the trophy hunting of specific species, including the hunting and export of trophies of black rhinos, elephants and leopards for which the 2022 hunting and export quotas were released earlier this year.

South Africa is Africa’s largest exporter, and the second largest exporter globally (behind Canada), of mammal species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

Dr Matthew Schurch, wildlife specialist for HSI/Africa, said: “This new survey shows without a doubt that most South Africans reject the unjustifiable practice of trophy hunting, including canned lion hunting—and opposition to trophy hunting continues to grow. The South African government is out of step with public opinion because it allows people to hunt wild animals for the purpose of collecting their remains to adorn their homes. Trophy hunting does not significantly contribute to conservation. In South Africa one-third of hunting trophies of CITES-listed mammals are from captive bred animals, and most are non-native or species not subject to science-based population management. This senseless killing of wild animals is not only unethical and cruel, but a disgrace to brand South Africa.”

This significant IPSOS survey reports only on local data sourced from a diverse South African demographic across all provinces. The key findings from the IPSOS survey include:

  • 68% of South Africans fully oppose or oppose to some extent the practice of trophy hunting—an increase from 56% in a similar 2018 survey.
  • 65% of South Africans fully oppose or oppose to some extent the practice of canned lion hunting—an increase from 60% in a similar 2018 survey in 2018.
  • 64% of South Africans disagree with the trophy hunting of elephants, rhinos, and leopards.
  • 63% of South Africans disagree with the trophy hunting of lions.
  • 66% of South Africans disagree with the trophy hunting of hippos.
  • 60% of South Africans disagree with the trophy hunting of giraffes.
  • Regarding the 2022 hunting and export quotas announced by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) in February 2022, 63% oppose the quota for 150 elephants, 62% oppose the quota for 10 black rhino, and 61% oppose the quota for 10 leopard.

HSI/Africa released the survey report leading up to Part B of its litigation against the DFFE, challenging the 2022 hunting and export quotas of 10 leopards, 10 black rhinos and 150 elephants. In April 2022, the High Court of the Western Cape handed down judgment in the application for an interim interdict against the DFFE’s 2022 hunting and export quotas for leopard, black rhino and elephant. The judgment confirmed that, on the face of it, the 2022 trophy hunting quotas, as issued by the DFFE’s Minister Barbara Creecy, may be invalid and unlawful. That will be determined in Part B of the proceedings, now in process.

A previous  study detailing South Africa’s role in the international trade in hunting trophies of mammal species listed under CITES during 2014-2018 (the most recent five-year period for which data is available) demonstrated that about 83% of CITES-listed mammal trophies exported from South Africa are captive-bred animals or non-native species, and native species with no national conservation management plan nor adequate data on their wild populations or how those populations are impacted by of trophy hunting. This data directly undermines the claim that trophy hunting promotes conservation.

Trophy hunting by the numbers in South Africa:

  • South Africa is the second largest exporter of hunting trophies of CITES-listed mammal species globally, exporting 16% of the global total of hunting trophies—4,204 on average per year.
  • South Africa is the biggest exporter of CITES-listed mammal species in Africa. South Africa exported 50% more trophies than Africa’s second largest exporter, Namibia, and more than three times that of Africa’s third largest exporter, Zimbabwe.
  • Between 2014 and 2018, South Africa exported:
    • 574 African leopard trophies, or 115 per year on average. 98% of African leopard trophies exported from South Africa were wild-sourced, while 2% were bred in captivity.
    • 1,337 African elephant trophies, or 268 per year on average, virtually all wild-sourced. 47% of the total were exported to the United States.
    • 21 black rhino trophies, or five per year on average, all wild-sourced.
  • 68% of CITES-listed mammal trophies exported from South Africa were from wild-sourced animals, while 32% were from captive animals—19% bred in captivity and 13% were born in captivity.

Population and Conservation Status of IPSOS species surveyed:

According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (date of last assessment indicated):

  • The African savanna elephant is globally assessed as endangered, with a decreasing population trend (2020).
  • The black rhino is globally assessed as critically endangered, with an increasing population trend and number of mature individuals at 3,142 (2020).
  • The leopard is globally assessed as vulnerable, with a decreasing population trend (2015).
  • The African lion is globally assessed as vulnerable, with a decreasing population trend, with an estimated number of mature individuals between 23,000 – 39,000 (2014)
  • The hippopotamus is globally assessed as vulnerable, with a stable population trend and 115,000-130,000 at the last assessment (2016).
  • The giraffe is globally assessed as vulnerable, with a decreasing population trend and 68,293 mature individuals (2016)

Download the IPSOS Survey Report.

ENDS

Media contact: Leozette Roode, HSI/Africa media and communications specialist: +27 (0)71 360 1104; LRoode@hsi.org

Humane Society International

HSI Global

SEOUL—South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has introduced an amendment to its Biologicals standard and test method guidelines, and will no longer require the Abnormal Toxicity test. The outdated method was carried out for batch quality control of pharmaceutical and biological products, using mice and guinea pigs. Humane Society International/Korea welcomed the ministry’s decision to end this obsolete animal test for biological products.

The World Health Organization guidelines recommended the removal of the Abnormal Toxicity Test in 2018 and it is no longer required in the European Union, the United States and Canada. In Japan and India the test can be waived for some products.

The test was originally introduced in the 1950s using mice and guinea pigs to detect external non-specific contaminants in pharmaceutical and biological products and has remained a standard despite mounting scientific evidence questioning its reliability and value to the detection of quality and safety issues.

Borami Seo, HSI/Korea’s senior policy manager said “We welcome this much-awaited amendment that does away with an obsolete animal test. This test was required for regulatory purposes despite evidence showing its lack of scientific value. Korea has a demonstrated capacity to adopt and refine rapidly advancing technologies. We hope that with this important step, Korea will move even faster, showing its commitment to developing new technologies and reforming regulatory guidelines with non-animal methods.”

Introduced in December 2020, the ‘Act on the Promotion of Development, Dissemination and Use of Alternatives to Animal Testing Method’ urges governments to collaborate and coordinate to provide proactive measures in advancing science without animal use. Passage of this bill will provide a legal basis for governments and industries to keep pace with advancing science and enable the global regulatory community to move towards adopting non-animal approaches. In addition, it will encourage regular reviews of obsolete tests for elimination from regulatory test guidelines.

HSI received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to work with regulatory authorities and industry stakeholders across the globe to eliminate or replace redundant animal regulations for human and veterinary products.

Additional resources:

 

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Media Contact: Borami Seo, bseo@hsi.org

The organization, along with independent rescuers and local and state government, will conduct two types of surveys in the streets of Aguascalientes

Humane Society International / Mexico

HSI Global

AGUASCALIENTES, Mexico—Mexico’s first ever dog and cat survey will be conducted in the city of Aguascalientes, coordinated by animal protection organization Humane Society International/Mexico, A.C.

Starting August 15, a team of volunteers from local associations, independent rescuers, university students and state and municipal authorities will conduct a count of free-roaming dogs in the Aguascalientes area and surrounding communities. The census will also include house-to-house surveys. The data gathered will provide evidence-based insights to help stakeholders better understand cultural attitudes and behaviors toward both dogs and cats in Aguascalientes. The focus is to better support the needs of both the animal and human inhabitants of the area and promote harmonious interaction and coexistence.

“This is an effort that is unprecedented in all of Mexico. Having accurate dog and cat population counts and understanding the attitude and behavior of dog and cat owners is essential so that the authorities, academia, organizations and citizens can design and agree on impact-driven projects that improve the lives of animals and people alike,” said Felipe Márquez, animal cruelty program manager of Humane Society International/México, A.C.

As the population of owned and free-roaming dogs and cats increases, resources can become scarce, increasing the number of dogs and cats who do not get their needs met in terms of food, nutrition or veterinary care. This can result in poor health and welfare and increase the risk that these animals may carry diseases that could impact other animals and people. The innovative assessment, monitoring and evaluation component of HSI’s work is based on the One Health concept, which recognizes that human health, animal health and environmental health are interdependent.

The household surveys will be conducted according to a specially designed methodology and are completely voluntary, with no personal data collected.

The participation of the community is welcomed and appreciated as teams will be randomly surveying households in various neighborhoods. For more information, or to help, contact Felipe Marquez at fmarquez@hsi.org

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Media contact: Magaly Garibay:(+52 55) 5211 8731ext. 104, mgaribay@idee.agencia

Humane Society International / Global

HSI

HO CHI MINH CITY, Viet Nam—Yesterday, Humane Society International and the National Agriculture Extension Center of Vietnam hosted “Animal welfare in food supply chains: from commitment to implementation.” The corporate roundtable highlighted the need for improving farm animal welfare policy and practices and how the collaboration between stakeholders throughout the supply chain can help with implementation of corporate animal welfare policy. This in-person event follows a series of virtual webinars hosted over the past two years.

Nearly 60 attendees, including experts from the hospitality sector, food processors and retailers, egg and pork producers, government officials and academics, gathered in Ho Chi Minh City. Participants discussed the importance of obtaining animal welfare expertise to help educate and align acrosss teams, the value of direct engagement with suppliers and how government can support the transition from cages and crates to more humane, higher-welfare housing systems and other topics.

Speakers from multinational corporations including Marriott Hotels and Mondelez International shared their animal welfare commitments and why the commitments are so crucial to their companies, as well as their plan for implementing those commitments.

The Vietnamese producer V.Food showcased their cage-free egg facilities, which provide hens space to move, dustbathe, nest and forage. V.Food began their journey last year in response to the growing demand for cage-free eggs in Vietnam. Representatives of Nguyen Khoi Farm, a pork producer in the midst of transitioning to group-housing, spoke about their decision to stop using gestation crates and communicating that to consumers through their label.

Dr. Ha Thuy Hanh, deputy director of the National Agriculture Extension Center, said in the opening speech: “Farm animal welfare is one of the core programs that the Vietnam government has prioritized, as it is growing around the globe. As a representative from Vietnam government, I’m very delighted to see the level of commitment by the food industry to higher animal welfare, and the pioneering producers who are supporting them to address the welfare of farm animals. NAEC is committed to collaborate further with HSI to provide support to producers and other stakeholders.”

Hang Le, Southeast Asia manager for HSI’s farm animal welfare program, stated, “We are pleased with the positive feedback we received from this event and look forward to continuing to foster open dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders in the country to improve the welfare of animals on farms.”

HSI animal science and policy experts  covered animal welfare science and its importance, as well as the tools and assistance they can provide to support companies and producers as they transition. Dr. Saravanakumar Pillai, HSI’s senior advisor on animal welfare briefed attendees  on the  cage-free progress in Malaysia and how it could be applied to Viet Nam.

Around the world, every year, more than 6 billion hens and an estimated 75 million sows are confined in cages and crates so small that they are unable to engage in important natural behavior, including walking or stretching their limbs. These animals suffer tremendously as a result of spending nearly their entire lives in such physically and behaviorally restricted conditions.

Animal welfare is a corporate social responsibility issue for companies in Viet Nam resulting in a major shift in the country’s food industry towards more ethical sourcing of animal products. Dozens of food industry leaders in Viet Nam, including Mondelez International, Marriott International, Unilever, Fusion, 4P’s and Accor, have committed to sourcing exclusively cage-free eggs in their supply chains.

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Reference in this article to any specific commercial product or service, or the use of any brand, trade, firm or corporation name is for the information of the public only, and does not constitute or imply endorsement by HSI or any of its affiliates of the product or service, or its producer or provider, and should not be construed or relied upon, under any circumstances, by implication or otherwise, as investment advice.

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