SAN JOSE — The global health crisis caused by the novel coronavirus can also affect pets, not only because their owners can get sick, but also because of the ways COVID-19 has changed everyday routines.
For this reason, animal welfare organization Humane Society International recommends that pet owners prepare a pet action plan, in the event that they become ill or require hospital care and are unable to take care of their pets. This plan should include identifying a family member or friend who can care for the animals when their owners cannot do so.
HSI also recommends that people keep pet food in stock for at least two weeks, keep copies of their pets’ vaccine records, document pets’ needs for special care or medication, and ensure that pets wear a collar with an ID tag that includes a telephone number.
“We are experiencing an emergency situation and we must not neglect our pets. We need to be prepared and to have an action plan in case we get sick and cannot take care of them. And, of course, we must follow all hygiene protocols when we interact with them,” said Andrea Borel, executive director of HSI/Latin America.
Such protocols include handwashing before and after interacting with animals, washing and disinfecting their collars, leashes, and other accessories, and avoiding crowded places while exercising or walking them.
The World Health Organization has pointed out that there is no scientific evidence that companion animals like dogs or cats can transmit COVID-19 to humans.
Changes in people’s lifestyles – such as working from home and social isolation – can also affect their pets. “Most pets will be happy that we are working from home, but it is important to maintain their routine (such as set meal times and regular sleep hours), because this is a temporary situation and we do not want to create separation problems when we return to the office once the crisis is over,” Borel added.
Since people are going to be socially isolated, time at home can be used to encourage games and exploration with your dogs — by hiding treats in a room, for example. In the case of cats, their independence should be respected, since they are generally more comfortable being alone.
Media contact: Amanda Chaves, achaves@hsi.org
Humane Society International/Canada is urging pet owners to continue keeping animal friends safe by following science-based recommendations
Humane Society International / Canada
MONTREAL – In the wake of the unfolding crisis, Humane Society International/Canada is echoing the guidance of public health organizations – including the World Organisation for Animal Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control — that state there is no evidence at this time that companion animals, such as dogs and cats, contribute to the spread of COVID-19. For example, authorities are advising that it is still perfectly safe to continue taking your dog(s) for a walk outside so long as you practice safe social distancing.
Coronaviruses (CoV), including COVID-19, are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe respiratory diseases. While suspected to have originated from a wild animal source, it is now a human disease spread from person to person. The canine coronavirus we’ve known for years does not affect humans, cannot be transmitted to humans, and is not COVID-19.
Émilie-Lune Sauvé, HSI/Canada senior campaign manager for companion animals, stated: “We are urging pet owners to stay properly informed and to continue caring for their animal friends. Science tells us that our animals are not at risk and should be kept safe with us, their families.”
Dr. Gail Hansen, DVM, MPH of the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, added, “At this time we do not have evidence that pets can get or spread COVID-19, although it is always good for people to practice careful hand-washing after handling your pet and after picking up and disposing pet waste. When possible, have another member of your household care for your animals while you are sick, so you and your pet can get the best care.”
HSI/Canada is also urging those with the means to do so to contact their local animal shelters by phone or online and consider adopting or fostering animals to help reduce the potential strain on shelters during this difficult time.
For further information, please consult this COVID-19 and companion animals FAQ from HSI/Canada’s partner organization, the Humane Society of the United States, and help spread the facts. This FAQ exists to counter potentially harmful misinformation while giving human-animal families the means to stay safe and informed.
Companion animals are precious members of our families and a source of great comfort during difficult times. Please keep them safe with you at home!
To arrange an interview, please call or email the media contact below.
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Media contact: Christopher Paré, Director of Communications, HSI/Canada – office: 514-395-2914 x 206, cell: 438-402-0643, email: cpare@hsi.org
Humane Society International/India urges Government of Mizoram to end dog meat trade and promote a more plant-based diet to its citizens
Humane Society International / India
Alokparna Sengupta/HSI
Mizoram, India — Mizoram, India has taken the first step towards ending its dog meat trade, by amending the law to remove dogs from the definition of animals suitable for slaughter. In a move welcomed by Humane Society International/India, the Mizoram Legislative Assembly unanimously passed the Animal Slaughter Bill 2020. HSI/India now urges the Government of Mizoram to end the cruel and illegal dog meat trade.
The consumption of dogs is prohibited under India’s food safety regulations. However, this is poorly enforced and thousands of dogs each year are illegally captured from the streets or stolen from their homes, stuffed into gunny bags with their mouth stitched or tied, and transported over many days to Mizoram districts such as Aizawl. There have even been reports of dogs transported from neighboring countries such as Myanmar and Bangladesh. The cruel transport and slaughter of dogs violates several provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, the Indian Penal Code, and Food Safety and Standard Authority (FSSAI) regulations.
HSI/India, a former member of the State Animal Welfare Board of Mizoram, has been working to end the dog meat trade in Mizoram since 2016, including helping to rescue more than 150 dogs from the brutal trade.
Alokparna Sengupta, managing director, HSI/India said, “This is a very welcome and much-needed move by the Legislative Assembly to remove dogs from the definition of animals for slaughter. We hope that this law will now ensure an end to dog slaughter in Mizoram, but in order to shut down the trade completely, we urge the Government of Mizoram to take action to ban the sale and consumption of dog meat too. This comes at a time when the world is facing a pandemic believed to have been caused by the trade in wild animals for consumption. In Mizoram we have witnessed dogs and other animals being transported and slaughtered in horrific conditions, violating India’s health regulations. So in addition to raising awareness about the illegality of slaughtering dogs for meat, we urge the government to proactively promote the human health benefits of moving towards a more plant–based diet, and reducing and replacing the consumption of all animals.”
Around 30 million dogs and 10 million cats a year are killed across Asia for human consumption, with the trade most widespread in China, South Korea, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and parts of northern India. However, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Singapore have dog meat bans in place.
HSI is one of the leading organizations in the world working to end the cruel dog meat trade. Public education about the cruelty involved plays a key part of the strategy, and support from local governments and communities can also play a significant role in ending the misery these dogs endure in the dog meat trade.
Media contact: Shambhavi Tiwari, stiwari@hsi.org, +91-8879834125
Humane Society International / Mexico
Shutterstock
MEXICO CITY—Global animal protection leader Humane Society International and ONG Te Protejo have welcomed a move by Mexico’s Senate to outlaw the practice of animal testing for cosmetics, as well as the manufacture, import or marketing of cosmetics tested on animals anywhere in the world after the law comes into force. Yesterday evening a bill supported by HSI and Te Protejo was unanimously endorsed by both the Senate Health Committee and the full Senate, and will now move forward to the Chamber of Deputies. Mexico is positioned to become the first country in North America to outlaw cosmetic animal testing, and the 40th globally.
Anton Aguilar, executive director of Humane Society International/Mexico, said: “We commend Senators Ricardo Monreal, Jesusa Rodríguez and Verónica Delgadillo for sponsoring this bill, and we congratulate the Health Committee and all Senators for supporting our #BeCrueltyFree campaign and voting in favor. This brings us one step closer to ending unnecessary animal cruelty in the cosmetics industry, and demonstrates Mexico’s leadership within the Americas.”
Mexican consumers are increasingly concerned about animal welfare and disturbed by such practices, and many of them prefer products that do not involve animal suffering. A 2019 Parametría poll commissioned by HSI and Te Protejo shows that 78% of citizens place importance on making sure their cosmetics are cruelty-free when purchasing a product.1 Since last November, over 20,000 people have signed the HSI-Te Protejo petition at www.selibredecrueldad.org to ban cosmetic animal testing in Mexico.
HSI’s global #BeCrueltyFree campaign was instrumental in driving the European Union to become the world’s largest cruelty-free cosmetics market, and in securing similar victories in India, Taiwan, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, Guatemala, Switzerland, seven states in Brazil. HSI has been at the forefront of the campaign to end cosmetic animal testing in Mexico since 2017, working with public officials and the cosmetics industry to broker an agreement on legislative reform.
Humane Society International is a leading force for animal protection, with active programs in companion animals, wildlife and habitat protection, marine mammal preservation, farm animal welfare and animals in research. Humane Society International together with its partners, constitutes one of the world’s largest animal protection organizations. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty worldwide – on the Web at www.hsi.org
ONG Te Protejo is an organization that promotes the use of products not tested on animals in Latin America and other environmentally friendly and animal-friendly initiatives. It works in four main areas: information and consumer education; mass dissemination events; cruelty-free brand certification; and campaigns to impact public policies.
More information at www.ongteprotejo.org; Facebook: Te Protejo México; Instagram: Te Protejo México; Youtube: Te Protejo.
1Poll conducted by Parametría polling agency, between October 26 and November 2, 2019, using a national random sample of 880 cases, with a margin of error of (+/-) 3.3%.
Humane Society International / Global
WASHINGTON – Sixty-five animal charities and pet shelters from across China have signed an open letter calling for compassion rather than cruelty to dogs and cats, in response to the coronavirus outbreak. News that an elderly dog in Hong Kong belonging to a COVID-19 patient has died following weeks of quarantine and testing, has raised fears of an increase in pet abandonment. Although the dog ultimately tested negative, and the World Health Organisation has made clear there is no evidence that dogs can infect humans, animal groups across China remain vigilant, with some shelters reporting higher than usual numbers of animals found wandering the streets.
Groups in Beijing, Dalian, Shanghai, and beyond have appealed for people not to abandon or harm their pets, and urge local police forces and community officers not to carry out lethal culls of dogs. Last month there were a number of recorded incidents of dogs being brutally beaten to death in the street in Yongjia County, Zhejiang, and in Chengdu and Nanchong in Sichuan province. And most recently video emerged of a pet dog being roughly caught by the neck by local dog catchers outside a Shanghai apartment block, and swung through the air into a cage on the back of a truck. The local government in Shanxi, north China has also called for the closure of all pet hospitals and public dog walking.
Dr. Peter Li, China policy expert at Humane Society International which works in China alongside other animal groups to protect companion animals, said: “It is very sad news that the elderly dog in Hong Kong has passed away. It must be remembered though that he ultimately tested negative for the virus, showed no signs of illness at any point, and at 17 years old it is possible that the stress of weeks of quarantine, testing, and being separated from his owner contributed to his passing. We simply don’t know, but what we do know is that the World Health Organisation advice is clear that there is no evidence dogs can pass the virus to people. It is critical that citizens and officials alike do not over-react or respond in a way that will cause harm or injury to animals. Family pets do not deserve to be turned out on the street, or beaten, or denied exercise or access to veterinary care.”
Dezhi Yu, director of Vshine, said: “Our team has been responding to help calls from different cities where local animal lovers have taken in or have spotted abandoned dogs and cats which we suspect were not allowed to be kept in their apartments, or these might be dogs or cats released by the breeders.”
HSI has been a resource for Chinese groups in coordinating public education efforts since the COVID-19 virus broke out, as well as supporting HSI’s Chinese partner group Vshine in rescuing abandoned dogs, as well as providing food and water for dogs and cats left behind when people have been evacuated and not able to return.
Download photos and video of HSI and other groups in China assisting companion animals:
Social law research center of Zhejiang Sci-Tech University
Animal protection research center of Shandong university
Taiwan Life Caring and Animal Rescue Organization
Cat and Dog 119
Life Caring and Animal Rescue Organization Companion
Wenzhou Happyness Work Center
Red Pomegranate Stray Animal Rescue Center
Miao Stray Cat Rescue Team
Kuntun Small Animal Protection Association
Shenyang Micro Couplet Pet Love and rescue alliance
Beijing Warm House Rescue Center
Changsha Animal Protection Association
Zhuzhou Small Animal Protection Association
Xian Small Animal Protection Association
Huaibei Small Animal Protection Association
Suzhou Tiantian- Baby House
Xian 701 Stray Animal Shelter
Qin Huangdao Small Animal Protection Association
Xian Weiai Animal Protection Association
Changsha Small Animal Protection Association
Nantong Small Animal Protection Association
Hohhot Small Animal Protection Association
Harbin Small Animal Protection Association
Mudanjiang Animal Protection Volunteers Association
Dalian Love Animal Rescue Association
Haimen Animal Protection Volunteers Association
Foshan Companion animal Protection Association
Zhenzhou Animal Protection Association
Changchun Douwang Team
Lanzhou Stray Animal Reacue Station
Guilin Baby Home Stray Animal Welfare Station
Jilin Small Love Stray Animal Adopt Home
Liuzhou Hope Home Small Animal Protection Association
Dog’s Love Group
Jilin Small Love Stray Animal Rescue Center
Huludao Stray Animal Center
Xinjiang Changji Wangwang’s Home
Gansu Pingliang Stray Dog Rescue Center
Nanjing University of the Arts
Sanmenxia Stray Cat Rescue Team
China Pet Animal Protection Public Welfare Team
803 Ecology and Animal Protection Public Welfare Team
Hohhot Qishan Animal Welfare Association
Jilin Puai Action Group
Jianghai Stray Animal Rescue Center
Hohhot dog rescue
Tianjin Yishan Stray Animal Rescue Team
Lanzhou Stray Animal Love Relay Station
Inner Mongolia Alxa Stray Animal Rescue Station
Yantai Stray Animal Rescue Station
Xi ‘an Stray Animal Protection Station
Qiqihar Small Animal Protection Association
Qinghai Xining Small Animal Protection Association
Xining Small Animal Protection Association
Urumqi Outdoor Rescue Group
Zhuhai Stray Animal Rescue Group
Xian Stray Animal Rescue Group
Pinggu Rescue Team
Zhengzhou Rescue Group
Guangdong Stray Dog Rescue Center
Xining Stray Animal Rescue Team
Baotou Stray Animal Rescue Center
Humane Society International / Canada
MONTREAL – At a time when African nations are contending with an elephant poaching crisis that has caused devastating population declines, it has come to light that the annual Toronto Sportsmen’s Show continues to allow three vendors to sell elephant trophy hunting excursions that further threaten these magnificent animals. The Ivory-Free Canada Coalition, a partnership of Canadian non-profit organizations, including Humane Society International/Canada, the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada, World Elephant Day, Elephanatics, and the Global March for Elephants & Rhinos – Toronto, are calling on organizers to drop these outfitters from the event, and demand the Canadian Government take immediate action in banning the import, domestic sale, and export of all elephant ivory, including hunting trophies.
Recently The Ivory-Free Canada Coalition helped to thwart the Calgary chapter of Safari Club International from auctioning off an elephant hunt in Botswana. This latest exposition includes three vendors attempting to profit from African elephant trophy hunting.
Michael Bernard, Deputy Director – HSI/Canada, stated: ” Elephants suffer horribly in trophy hunts. They are shot and left in agony for extended periods of time, they die painfully, and their social groups are disrupted, all to produce trophies for wealthy hunters who enjoy killing for fun. There is nothing sporting about the destruction of animals already contending with the devastating impacts of ivory poaching. In Canada, we are calling for a federal ban on elephant ivory trade, which would prevent hunters from bringing ivory tusks back to Canada, and remove a major incentive for elephant trophy hunting. In the meantime, this event should certainly respect Canadian values by excluding such exhibits.”
Fran Duthie, President of Elephanatics, added: “Science shows trophy hunting causes physiological and psychological effects to elephants. It increases their stress levels, which has led to aggressive behaviour towards humans and communication breakdown within their social structure. The long-term impact of ‘traumatic conservation’ methods on elephants is evident and needs to end”.
Patricia Sims, Founder of World Elephant Day and President – World Elephant Society, also stated: “The trophy hunting of elephants is atrocious and unnecessary, and hurts their vulnerable populations. Elephants are a vital keystone species, they are the caretakers of their habitats and climate change mitigators in their role of maintaining biodiversity. Killing elephants ultimately destroys habitats and Canada needs to take a stand now to ban elephant ivory and protect elephants for their survival and the health of our planet.”
Heather Craig, Co-Founder and President Global March for Elephants & Rhinos – Toronto, stated: “The world woke up to the horrific practice of trophy hunting in 2015 when Cecil the lion was killed by an American trophy hunter. Despite global outrage, hundreds of elephants and rhinos are killed every year. It is beyond our comprehension that the Toronto Sportsmen’s Show continues to allow outfitters to sell hunting trips, contributing further to a declining wildlife population.”
A staggering 20,000 African elephants are killed each year. Scientists anticipate they will be extinct in the wild within 20 years if threats continue. While poaching is the main threat to elephants, legal trophy hunting only exacerbates the threat and drives up the demand for elephant ivory.
Both the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Flora and Fauna (CITES) and members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have asked all countries to ban their domestic trade of ivory to save elephants. At least nine countries and 10 US states have done so. At the last IUCN Congress, Canada – along with Japan, Namibia and South Africa – refused to support the motion on domestic ivory trade bans.
Over 100 African elephant tusks were imported into Canada as hunting trophies over the past decade, according to the data Canada reported to CITES in its annual trade reports. Yet exporting countries reported that over 300 African elephant tusks were exported to Canada in this same time period. The reason for the discrepancy is unknown.
In order to press the Canadian government into action, the Ivory-Free Canada Coalition launched a petition to ban elephant ivory and hunting trophies at change.org/ivoryfreecanada. With over 540,000 signatures, it is one of the largest Canadian petitions on Change.org for 2019. The Ivory-Free Canada Coalition has been actively campaigning on this issue since 2016 and will continue to do so until a ban is put in place.
For interviews and/or more information, please call or email the media contact below.
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Media contact: Christopher Paré, director of communications, HSI/Canada – office: 514-395-2914 x 206, cell: 438-402-0643, email: cpare@hsi.org
The Ivory-Free Canada Coalition is a partnership of non-profit organizations petitioning the Canadian government to ban the import, domestic trade and export of all elephant ivory, including hunting trophies. The coalition includes Elephanatics, Global March for Elephants & Rhinos – Toronto, World Elephant Day, Humane Society International/Canada and the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada. Sign the Petition: www.change.org/ivoryfreecanada
Newly released research exposes the horrific and preventable deaths of hundreds of thousands of farm animals
Humane Society International / Canada
iStockphoto
MONTREAL—Humane Society International/Canada has released a report, the first of its kind in Canada, detailing the scope of the preventable tragedy of barn fires and how the near total absence of mandatory safety measures has resulted in the deaths of countless farm animals.
Barn fires happen regularly and frequently. In the five-year period between 2015 and 2019, at least 740,000 animals died in barn fires in Canada, and this is a conservative estimate. Despite fires being a regular occurrence, the government does not require that farm buildings include sufficient fire prevention equipment and safety protocols because these structures are generally of “low-human occupancy.”
“It is unacceptable that the animal agriculture industry is not required to better protect animals from dying such horrific deaths,” stated Riana Topan, farm animal welfare campaign manager for HSI/Canada. “Just imagine the suffering of being burned alive, along with thousands of others, with no way to escape. No animal deserves to suffer so inhumanely. We urge building and fire code officials to reduce the risk of barn fires by amending our national construction model codes to require that farms have basic safety features, such as sprinklers and industrial-grade smoke detectors.”
The Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes, established by the National Research Council of Canada, is currently preparing to publish the 2020 editions of the National Building Code and National Fire Code. These model codes will include farm building requirements related to fire protection, structural design and dangerous goods. However, the requirements for large farm buildings are intended to safeguard humans and not animals, who are considered “property.” The updated codes will be adopted by all provinces and territories, who are responsible for regulating and enforcing construction standards.
To arrange an interview, please call or email the media contact below.
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Media contact: Christopher Paré, director of communications, HSI/Canada – office: 514-395-2914 x 206, cell: 438-402-0643, email: cpare@hsi.org
Humane Society International
sidsnapper/iStock.com
SEOUL—Humane Society International congratulates Assembly member Jeong-ae Han on the National Assembly’s passage of her amendment to the Chemical Consumer Products and Biocides law, promoting alternatives to animal testing.
Assembly member Han, who previously sponsored and helped to pass a similar bill revising the Act on the Registration and Evaluation of Chemical Substances (K-REACH) to prioritize alternative methods, said, “I am very pleased to see another major amendment prioritizing alternatives to animal testing. With the K-REACH amendment, we learned that policy support is very important not only for government authorities but to encourage chemical companies and research institutions to collaborate on the development of better and more humane safety tests for consumers. With these two amendments, it is my hope that Korean chemical industries will have the stimulus necessary to become global leaders in advancing ethical approaches for consumer safety.”
Han’s measure adds to existing law the principle of minimizing vertebrate animal testing and includes support and incentives for small- to medium-sized enterprises to avoid repeated animal testing and to develop and disseminate alternatives to vertebrate animal testing.
HSI’s Senior Policy Manager for Korea Borami Seo said, “Through stakeholder meetings with policymakers and others, HSI has been advocating for the inclusion of language in Korean chemical legislation that promotes the development and adoption of human-based approaches. Many Korean chemical industries support the idea of replacing animal testing with better predictive tools for chemical safety. We hope that with this bill, environmental authorities will provide strong implementation plans to accelerate the move away from animal testing.”
Background
Last December, Korea’s Presidential Advisory Council on Science & Technology published a report on chemical management that advises a shift away from animal testing toward a predictive paradigm based on molecular characterization of chemical activity. This includes supporting Adverse Outcome Pathway research and biotechnology such as omics-based data analysis (comprehensive genetic or molecular profile evaluation of human and nonhuman animals), 3D models or organ-on-a-chip.
In 2019, the US EPA announced that it will eliminate all mammal studies by 2035 and committed significant funding to advance non-mammalian safety testing, in order to “ensure production of human health and the environment.”
HYDERABAD—With the Holi festival around the corner on 9/10th March, festive spirits are high and many people are ready to revel in the burst of colours. Unfortunately, the rainbow of coloured powder or gulal that is traditionally used to celebrate Holi can pose a risk to our pets and street animals who can become stressed or frightened by being sprayed or rubbed with the dyed powder, and even suffer health consequences.
Alokparna Sengupta, Humane Society International/India’s interim executive director, says: “Holi festival celebrations can be a vibrant spectacle of colour for people, but a distressing ordeal for pets and street animals forcibly sprayed or rubbed with dyed powders. By respecting the animals around us and leaving them in peace, everyone participating in the Holi festival can have fun with fairness to our animal friends.”
HSI/India’s top tips to give animals a happy Holi!
Children and animals: Children are understandably excited at the sight of Holi colours and the splashing water. To avoid their excitement causing animals distress, use Holi as an opportunity to teach children about respect and kindness to animals. By taking the time to explain to children that dogs and other animals can easily be frightened, and discouraging the throwing of water balloons and paint, they can learn that their fun shouldn’t be unfair to animals. Street dogs are the most common victims of the toxic colours during the festival, so teach children that no animal, including street dogs, should be hurt during the festival.
As responsible animal guardians, we can also play our part by avoiding taking our dogs to places that are likely to be the focus of Holi activity. When dogs are afraid and anxious to escape, they may end up injuring themselves or those around them, so being fair with fun keeps everyone safe.
Walk your dog before celebrations begin: To avoid potentially stressful encounters, walk your dog early in the morning on the day of Holi before the festivities begin, and ensure your pets are kept safely indoors during the celebrations. Provide them with food, water, their favourite toy and a comfortable place to rest, so that they can retreat from the noise outside if they wish. This will also prevent children from startling or irritating them.
Don’t colour animals: Animals don’t enjoy being covered with coloured water or powder, and it has the potential to harm them. The colours typically used to play Holi are synthetic dyes containing ingredients that are potentially toxic and can lead to skin allergies and even blindness in humans and animals. The dry powder which is often mistakenly thought to be safe to be used on pets contains lead which can build up in the body as a poison. Inhaling the powder may cause nasal irritation, and even respiratory infection. Dogs and other animals also tend to lick their body to clean themselves, unwittingly ingesting the Holi colours and very often this becomes the chief source of poisoning.
Remove colours with mild shampoos: If your pet does become dyed with Holi colours, gently wash them with a mild dog/pet shampoo. Never use kerosene or spirits to remove colours or hard paints off your dog’s coat. If the dog has been hit in the face with a water balloon or colours have entered their eyes, nose or mouth and been ingested, carefully and thoroughly wash the affected areas with clean water, and take them to a veterinarian as soon as possible to get checked over.
Watch out for warning signs of poisoning: Symptoms of poisoning can include excessive salivation, vomiting, loose motions, and behavioural changes like aggression or stupor in your pet. If you observe any of these signs, take your pet to a veterinarian immediately. Bringing the suspected source of poisoning (colour) will help the vet take the most appropriate remedial action.
Sensitize your community: Request your community secretary and building managers to put up an advisory asking occupants to keep pets indoors during celebrations and not to throw water or colours at street animals.
Don’t feed sweets to your pets: Eating sweets and sugar can cause serious digestive illness in dogs and other animals, even resulting in seizures in some cases. Be vigilant around your companion animals to make sure your guests or children do not offer sweets to your pet. Similarly, fried or high-calorie foods can also cause animals digestive upset so make sure if you give your pet a Holi treat, it’s suitable for animals!
ENDS
Media contact: Shambhavi Tiwari, stiwari@hsi.org, +91-8879834125
Say NO to elephant rides, dolphin shows, fur fashion, mouse poisons and traps, animal souvenirs, delicacy meats, cruel circus tricks and sad selfies!
Humane Society International / Global
Franky_Pictures/iStock.com
Around the world, many thousands of wild animals are exploited for human entertainment, food, fashion and frippery, or killed or injured through poisons and traps, not only causing immense animal suffering but also threatening many species with extinction. According to a UN report, species extinction is accelerating at an unprecedented rate, with direct exploitation by people a top threat. So here are Humane Society International’s top tips for how to be a wildlife warrior.
Teresa M. Telecky, Ph.D. vice president of wildlife at Humane Society International, says: “The best way to stop animal cruelty is to refuse to take part in it. By saying no to riding elephants in Asia who have been brutally captured and trained, by refusing to pose for selfies with wild animals exploited for their whole lives for tourism, and by mouse-proofing our homes and habits instead of reaching for the poison, we can all be wildlife warriors. Change starts with each of us, we have the power to make a difference for wildlife.”
Be an animal-friendly traveller
Avoid cruel and exploitative activities such as riding elephants and camels when on holiday. Elephant rides, treks and interactions are promoted to tourists in South Africa and across Asia, especially in India and Thailand. The elephants are usually caught as babies from the wild and brutally ‘broken’ to accept riders. A similar fate can face camels forced to give endless rides to tourists in Egypt. These animals perform repeated tourist duties without rest breaks or proper shade and refreshment. They receive little or no veterinary treatment for injuries, can be chained for hours, and suffer cruel training methods such as beating with whips and sticks. Instead of riding animals, hiring bicycles is a fun alternative, or take things slow on foot under your own steam.
Don’t mistake exploitation for entertainment
Exploiting wild animals in captivity is not acceptable as entertainment. The natural marine habitat of whales and dolphins, for example, cannot be replicated in captivity, and swimming with dolphins increases demand for captive animals, including from brutal “drive fisheries” such as the Taiji hunt in Japan. Unfortunately, dolphinariums can still be found in countries such as the United States, Japan, China, the UAE and many European countries like Greece and the Netherlands.
Poor quality zoos can also be an animal welfare nightmare, keeping wild species in deprived conditions which fail to meet their complex physical and psychological needs, and denying them proper care. Sadly, these can be found all over the world, and in countries like Indonesia, Thailand and China display can also involve forcing animals to perform circus-like acts for which they are subjected to repetitive and stressful training. It’s far better to see animals in the wild on a safari where you can observe their natural behaviour without disturbing them.
Don’t buy wild!
Souvenirs made from wild animal parts such as sea turtle shell, fur or ivory means that an animal has suffered for your trinket, and you may be supporting the poaching and trafficking of wild animals. Instead, support the local community by buying a painting, carving or animal-free craft item by a local artisan.
Say no to sad selfies!
Never pay to have your photo taken with wild animals such as parrots, monkeys or wild cats such as tigers at temples in South East Asia. These animals are often stolen from the wild and sedated with drugs to make them easier to handle. They can also be beaten, and have their teeth or claws removed. In South Africa, thousands of lions are bred in captivity and taken away from their mothers at an early age to be used as photo props for tourists. Once the cubs have grown bigger, they are used for ‘walking with lions’ tourist experiences, and then eventually sold to be killed in canned hunting operations or for the lion bone trade.
Reject ‘delicacy’ meat
The capture and consumption of wild animals such as bats, primates and rats sustains a vast global trade that not only causes immense suffering for hundreds of thousands of animals every year, and encourages exploitation of endangered species, but also poses a severe human health risk. The coronavirus crisis has been linked to the trade in wild animals for human consumption in wet markets in Wuhan, China, and this trade has spawned a number of global health crises in the past. More than 70 million sharks are also killed annually for shark fin soup. The trade involves cutting off a shark’s fin, often while the animal is still alive, and dumping the shark back into the sea to die slowly. Don’t be tempted to eat wild animals as “bucket list” items when traveling, as it merely perpetuates this brutal and often illegal trade.
Don’t wear fur
Millions of foxes, mink, raccoon dogs and coyotes die every year for fashion. Confined in small, wire-mesh cages on factory farms or captured by painful metal traps in the wild, their fur is turned into frivolous trim on coats, hats and accessories. These terrible conditions can create psychological disorders, causing animals to repetitively pace and even self-mutilate. Killing methods are brutal; mink are gassed and foxes and raccoon dogs are electrocuted or, in some countries like China, beaten to death. Fur is also incredibly polluting, as the dressing and tanning processes which stop the animal’s skin and pelt from decomposing naturally rely on toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde, cyanide, lead and chromium which can be released into waterways and devastate wildlife. The future of fashion is compassion, so choose a cruelty-free alternative fabric instead and leave fur where it belongs, on the animals!
Be nice to mice and rats
Wild animals like mice and rats are often subjected to cruel extermination methods such as slow poisoning or glue traps. Glue traps immobilise but don’t kill animals who get stuck in them. Small animals may be left to starve to death or die of their injuries over the course of hours, sometimes pulling or biting off their own limbs in a desperate attempt to escape the traps, or even suffocating from falling face-first into the glue. Using poison can not only cause mice and rats to suffer a slow and agonizing death, it is also a threat to other wildlife and pets who come into contact with the poisoned animal. It’s far kinder to rethink rats and mice as wild animals who live alongside us, but sometimes in unwanted places from which we must encourage them to leave. HSI advocates the use of non-lethal deterrent and eviction methods that are not only more humane but also more effective in the long term. By blocking access points, removing food sources, using welfare-friendly deterrents such as mouse-mesh, and as a last resort relocating individuals using a live-capture trap, we can keep our homes and gardens rodent-free. More information can be found here: https://www.hsi.org/news-media/humane-rodent-solutions/
