Category: Press Release

Dong Nai pilot project by Humane Society International in Viet Nam offers hope for the conservation of Viet Nam’s wild elephants

Humane Society International

HSI Wild Asian elephants in Viet Nam. Images captured by camera traps as part of HSI Viet Nam’s project to monitor the wild population and humanely mitigate human-elephant conflict.

DONG NAI, Viet Nam—Efforts to save Viet Nam’s wild elephants—currently listed as Endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List are being given a boost by a new collaborative, science-based project including camera trap IDs. The unique project is a joint effort between the government of Viet Nam* and animal protection partner Humane Society International and is part of Viet Nam’s new national elephant conservation action plan to protect the country’s remaining wild elephant herds. By using camera traps to create individual photo IDs and profiles for each animal, while also monitoring human-elephant conflict incidents and conducting elephant distribution surveys, the project aims to better understand elephants, their movements and behavior to help humanely mitigate human-elephant conflict which threatens this endangered sub-population of Asia’s elephants.

Viet Nam’s once thriving population of wild forest elephants has declined from around 2,000 individuals four decades ago to now as few as 100-130. Dong Nai is home to the second largest remaining wild elephant population in the country. Due to its significance, this region has been prioritized for elephant protection, and over the past two years researchers from HSI’s Viet Nam team have used camera traps to build a unique catalogue of the resident elephants, each with their own Vietnamese name and ID card of distinguishing features, behaviors, demographics, body condition and herd grouping. Male adult elephants such as Nga Lech, Cat Tien and Dat Do have been tracked and identified throughout the Cat Tien National Park, the Dong Nai Nature Reserve and the La Nga State-owned Forestry Enterprise of three districts (Tan Phu, Vinh Cuu and Dinh Quan).

The level of detail obtained from the project’s photographs and videos has never been achieved before for Viet Nam’s wild elephants. Among other results, it has enabled researchers to nearly double their estimates for Dong Nai’s sub-population from just 14 to between 25-27 individuals. HSI hopes this extremely encouraging data for Dong Nai’s sub-population might bring good news for a nationwide increase in population estimates should the project be applied across all elephant range provinces in Viet Nam, especially Dak Lak, Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Quang Nam which hold the other largest sub-populations.

Nguyen Quoc Tri, vice minister of the Viet Nam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said: “Unlike other efforts, this special project with HSI provides us with science-based and practical solutions. From the viewpoint of government management, I highly appreciate the diverse stakeholder engagement that the project has involved, including local communities, researchers and animal protection experts so that both human and wild animal voices are considered carefully as part of each recommendation impacting elephants.”

The joint project not only helps better track and understand this elephant sub-population, it also helps to monitor and better manage human-elephant conflict incidents. Over the past several years, researchers have gathered data on the type of locations where such conflict occurs, the level of conflict experienced, as well as the number and identities of the elephants involved in each incident. The data gathered from community questionnaires as part of an elephant distribution survey has also revealed the true size of the elephants’ home range and those areas shared between humans and elephants.

These initiatives confirm that confrontational deterrent tactics such as hitting elephants with sticks, banging cooking utensils, deploying firecrackers and homemade explosives, or even setting poison, are not only detrimental to elephant welfare but can also make elephants defensive and more aggressive in the presence of people, which further escalates conflict. With so few elephants left, even one fatality due to conflict is a disastrous outcome. Monitoring human-elephant conflict through this initiative will improve mitigation strategies by basing them on a deeper understanding of the wants, needs, habitats and habits of the elephants.

Vo Van Phi, vice chairman of Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee, said: “Dong Nai Province would love to pioneer new initiatives to protect threatened species. Losing the last Javan rhino in Cat Tien National Park questions and challenges us to save other endangered species to ensure Dong Nai is one of the highest biodiversity hotspots in Viet Nam. Obtaining these promising results for our wild elephants, we sincerely thank MARD/DOF and HSI for their technical and financial support over the last several years.”

Phuong Tham, Viet Nam country director for Humane Society International, said: “Viet Nam’s elephant population is now so small that unless we act fast to protect them, they face the very real possibility of extinction. The Viet Nam government has acknowledged that conservation priority with a very welcome national protection program which HSI is helping to craft, and this Dong Nai project is a key component. With elephants and people competing for limited habitat, conflict situations can arise and even be exacerbated when violent or frightening deterrent tactics are employed. These tactics also treat elephants as perpetrators rather than as stakeholders who need to be understood. With HSI’s new research data, conflict situations can be approached knowing the characteristics, behavior, range and habits of the specific elephants involved, so that custom-designed solutions can be implemented that have a far better chance of promoting peaceful co-existence between people and pachyderms.”

Humane Society International and its government partners (Viet Nam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee) formally announced the findings of the camera trap identification work, together with the human-elephant conflict monitoring and distribution survey, at a two-day workshop in Dong Nai on 30-31 Aug. Ten international experts joined with more than 50 Vietnamese delegates to share and discuss the best practices for elephant protection to apply within Viet Nam’s local contexts of small and fragmented elephant populations. It is hoped that the workshop will contribute significantly to assist Viet Nam’s decision makers in identifying which actions to adopt for Viet Nam’s national elephant conservation action plan, which will run from 2023 to 2032, with a vision to 2050. In the meantime, the data gathered and the methodology implemented will continue to provide the foundation for ongoing work in Dong Nai province, and the partners hope that it can be replicated in other elephant range provinces in Viet Nam to learn more about the local populations and mitigate human-elephant conflict across the country.

Download Photos/Video from the Camera Trap

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Media contacts:

  • Wendy Higgins, HSI’s director of international media, whiggins@hsi.org
  • Mai Nguyen, senior wildlife manager of HSI in Viet Nam, maitn@hsi.org,
*The government of Viet Nam is represented by the Department of Forestry under Viet Nam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Dong Nai Forest Protection Department of Dong Nai Department of Agriculture and Rural Development under Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee.

Humane Society International trains local authorities in Central America on forensic veterinary sciences

Humane Society International / Latin America

HSI

SAN JOSE—More than 250 government officials, veterinarians and other professionals in Costa Rica, El Salvador and Guatemala attended a series of trainings provided by the animal protection organization Humane Society International to reinforce their knowledge investigative techniques and forensic veterinary medicine to apply in cases of crimes committed against animals.

In all three countries, officials participated in a workshop that addressed topics such as crime scene inspection, evidence collection and errors that may affect the chain of custody. For veterinarians, trainings involved their role in identifying animal cruelty and crimes against wildlife and how to properly describe injuries and create expert reports and other topics.

Victor Gonzalez, veterinarian and director of the International Animal Forensic Science Working Group, carried out a simulation that allowed participants to put into practice their crime scene investigation knowledge.

“Through this training, we want to share different perspectives that must be taken into account in both civil and criminal investigation of cases where animals are involved. Today, many guidelines for crimes committed against humans are followed, but perhaps we should follow a different path, due to the context in which these types of illegal acts occur,” said Gonzalez.

“For example, understanding how to handle a crime scene—which is the starting point of any investigation—is crucial for all subsequent laboratory work and for the final interpretation, where different disciplines must participate. It is changing the paradigm of what exists until today, for a more comprehensive vision,” Gonzalez added.

“It’s important for law enforcement officials to be well versed in crimes committed against animals. Our work in Central America supporting local authorities with animal welfare is incredibly meaningful because it increases the chances that these cases will be properly investigated and prosecuted,” Andrea Borel, director of HSI/Latin America, said.

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Media Contact: Alejandra Zúñiga: (506) 7012-5598; alezuniga@outlook.com

High-level workshop bolsters battle against major threat to Costa Rica’s biodiversity

Humane Society International / Latin America

HSI/Latin America

SAN JOSE— This week, top officials from national judicial bodies and ministries convened at the National Police Academy in Pococi, Limon Province, to intensify their fight against the illicit trade ravaging Costa Rica’s native wildlife. Backed by Humane Society International, the four-day training is a direct response to the escalating plunder and trade of wildlife species.

Wildlife trafficking has become not only a threat to hundreds of species but also one of the most lucrative illegal trades in the world, with an annual value of up to USD 20 billion. Animals such as glass frogs and beetles are increasingly illegally extracted from the Costa Rican rainforest to be paraded as exotic pets while birds, sea turtles and butterflies are killed to turn their parts into trinkets.

“Latin America is a region with a great diversity of species and, in particular, Costa Rica is considered ‘megadiverse.’ This generates a spotlight on wildlife, which becomes a resource under pressure due to human action. Wildlife trafficking in this region is a considerable threat to our biodiversity,” said Jose Pablo Gonzalez, deputy environmental prosecutor and National Environmental Security Commission coordinator.

Enhancing coordination among law enforcement agencies and hands-on drills to identify wildlife crimes at airport checkpoints were some of the topics addressed at the second workshop of the series “Combating wildlife trafficking in Costa Rica and its manifestations at the regional and national level.”

More than 40 representatives of national authorities gathered to ramp up efforts in investigating and prosecuting wildlife crime originating or transiting through Costa Rica, including officials from the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Environment and Energy, the Judicial Investigation Agency and its Forensic Sciences Laboratory, the Attorney General’s office, and the National Animal Health Service.

This series of workshops, as well as a previous donation of specialized equipment, are part of a project funded by the United States Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs  and administered by Humane Society International/Latin America, in coordination with Costa Rica’s National Environmental Security Commission. The workshops were organized by the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

“At HSI, we view wildlife trafficking as a major threat to species around the world, including endangered ones. These animals suffer greatly and end their days as pets, decorations or souvenirs, and this is unacceptable. Therefore, we are pleased to support authorities in their investigation and prosecution efforts to reduce wildlife trafficking that originates or transits through Costa Rica,” said Andrea Borel, HSI/Latin America executive director.

“Wildlife trade encourages other illegal activities, is extremely cruel to animals, and represents a risk to human health. For this reason, we are very grateful and honored to collaborate with Costa Rican authorities in improving their capacities to combat this environmental crime,” said Joaquin de la Torre, IFAW’s regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean.

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Media contact: Alejandra Zuniga, alezuniga@outlook.com

Some of the iconic species include anteaters, kinkajous and howler monkeys

Humane Society International / Latin America

Santiago Billy/AP Images for HSI

PETEN, Guatemala—In a joint effort by non-governmental organizations Humane Society International/Latin America and Asociacion Rescate y Conservacion de Vida Silvestre—which is known as  ARCAS—40 animals of 14 different species were released in the Yaxha Nakum Naranjo National Park in Peten, Guatemala, after being rescued from illegal trafficking and going through a rigorous rehabilitation process.

With the authorization of Guatemalan authorities from the National Council for Protected Areas, or CONAP, the animals were released to the Maya Biosphere Reserve following rehabilitation after falling victim to wildlife trafficking or negative interactions with humans. Some of the rehabilitation activities included learning how to fly, jump, run, hide from predators and identify food in the wild.

“Keeping wild animals as ‘pets’ is a dangerous trend that is seriously affecting our ecosystems,” said Andrea Borel, executive director of HSI/Latin America. “Together with our local partner, ARCAS, we work to give these animals—who should have never been taken from their homes—a second chance in life to grow and flourish.”

Endangered species are highly valued in the wildlife trade because of their rarity, leading to overexploitation and black-market trade, and pushing these species further toward extinction. The rehabilitation of these animals is essential in strengthening the populations of endemic and endangered species in the Maya Biosphere Reserve, which have been considerably depleted and diminished in their natural habitats by human action. Release and rehabilitation of these animals is necessary to ensure that there are healthy populations capable of adapting and reproducing in their natural habitat.

ARCAS carries out the physical, medical and behavioral rehabilitation of victims of wildlife trafficking under strict scientific management standards and later releases animals into their natural habitat. HSI/Latin America and ARCAS have been working together in wildlife protection and conservation in Guatemala since 2004.

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Bite Me Softly commits to use 100% cage-free eggs by 2024

Humane Society International / Southeast Asia

HSI

Update: As of May 2023, Bite Me Softly has published that it no longer buys eggs from caged hens.

BANGKOK, Thailand—Bite Me Softly, a leading restaurant brand in Bangkok, is set to make a significant stride in animal welfare with its adoption of a cage-free egg policy. By 2024, the brand will exclusively use cage-free eggs (shell and liquid eggs) in all of its offerings, extending this commitment to the products it supplies to other restaurants.

Bite Me Softly began as an online retailer specializing in pre-order bakery and pies and has since transformed into a hidden café and restaurant. Serving home-cooked comfort Thai Chinese fusion food and bakery items, the company recognizes its role in fostering an eco-friendly society. In line with this responsibility, Bite Me Softly has taken a proactive stance by implementing a policy to exclusively source eggs from cage-free systems. This move is regarded as an important move towards sustainability underlining the company’s dedication to responsible practices for animals.

Ms. Tawjan Punyasingh, owner and executive chef of Bite Me Softly, says: “My wish is to be a small cog that encourages change for continuous improvement. My love for all animals immediately triggers me to say yes to this commitment and implementation. Our focus is to improve animal welfare and today, over 50% of our brand is cage-free and we can confirm that all eggs will be 100% cage-free in 2024.”

In 2020, Thailand kept 94.8 million egg-laying hens (according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations database), typically confined in wire cages so small that they cannot freely spread their wings. Cage-free production systems provide a much higher level of welfare, allowing the birds to express their natural behavior, including ground scratching and pecking, laying their eggs in nests, perching and fully spreading their wings, which are all scientifically documented behavioral needs.

Lalada Tangjerdjaras, program manager for Humane Society International in Thailand’s  Farm Animal Welfare and Protection program, celebrated the announcements: “Bite Me Softly has taken an important first step to improve the welfare of farm animals by providing these sentient beings with enough room to spread their wings, and HSI is excited to be part of this growing global movement by working with stakeholders here on the ground in Thailand. Bite Me Softly is sending a clear message to the egg industry and related stakeholders: in Thailand, the future of egg production is cage-free.”

Bite Me Softly joins other local restaurants like Gyudon House, Trust Me I’m Chef, and Go Coffee & Ice Cream along with multinationals like Minor Food and Marriott pledging to stop buying eggs from caged hens. With more than 2,000 corporations all around the globe—such as Burger King, Bimbo, Accor having committed to go cage-free­—Thailand is part of a global trend toward cage-free eggs.

HSI’s work to improve the welfare of animals in agriculture is both science-based and collaborative. The organization works with companies, farmers, processors, scientists and certifiers to support a transition to cage-free housing systems, and offers a wide range of support to companies including farm visits, consumer education, and corporate roundtables and workshops to enhance their supply chains.

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Media contact: Lalada Tangjerdjaras, farm animal protection program manager at HSI : ltangjerdjaras@hsi.org

Humane Society International / Southeast Asia

HSI.

HANOI, Viet Nam―The People’s Committee of Dong Nai Province and Humane Society International in Viet Nam have signed a unique three-year agreement to work together to tackle the dog and cat meat trades and promote companion animal welfare throughout the  province. This first-of-its-kind agreement will see the Dong Nai authority and HSI collaborate with local stakeholders to implement a vaccination program against the deadly rabies virus, using HSI’s unique mobile phone app to track vaccination rates.

Public awareness campaigns will also be rolled out to discourage dog and cat meat consumption, in addition to law enforcement activities to tackle the illegal trafficking of dogs and cats for slaughter, and assistance for dog and cat meat industry workers to transition to alternative livelihoods. Helping these workers switch to new livelihoods is a key component of HSI’s unique Models for Change program, which was launched in Viet Nam in Thai Nguyen province in November 2022 with the closure of a dog meat slaughterhouse and restaurant which now operates as a general store.

Tham Phuong, Viet Nam director for Humane Society International, said: “Safeguarding the welfare of our dog and cat companions not only brings animal welfare benefits, but also protects our communities from preventable diseases. We are delighted to be working in cooperation with Dong Nai province with the strong support of the provincial leaders of The People’s Committee, the leaders of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Sub-Department of Livestock Production and Animal Health to implement this exciting program. Together we will improve rabies vaccination coverage and implement humane dog population management, as well as end the trade in and slaughter of dogs and cats. We know that as well as being immensely cruel, the dog and cat meat trades also pose a very real and grave risk to public health by facilitating transmission of the deadly rabies virus. Our joint program will bring the province practical ways to tackle those threats for the benefit of people and animals.”

Nguyen Truong Giang, director of Dong Nai Sub-Department of Animal Livestock Production and Animal Health, said: “The province has been trying to build an animal disease-free zone as recommended by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for its two cities and all towns for the period 2021-2030. Therefore, through the main activities of this project including the control of interprovincial dog transport and applying HSI’s cell phone app information technology to manage rabies vaccinations and accurately record the population of domestic dogs, we expect that these localities will soon become rabies-free zones and contribute to our goals.”

The link between rabies transmission and the dog meat trade in Viet Nam has been clearly identified by the World Health Organization[i]; the elimination of rabies is being hindered by the continuation of dog meat trade activities. Data from the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology shows that a significant proportion of patients infected with the virus after contact with dogs were not bitten by the dogs but had either slaughtered or eaten them.  Studies of brain samples of dogs collected from slaughterhouses in northern and southern provinces of Viet Nam have also detected the presence of the rabies virus. Such is the link between rabies and the dog meat trade that in 2018 and 2019, the authorities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City respectively advised people not to consume dog meat to reduce their risk of contracting and spreading the disease.

Dog meat facts:

  • Slaughtering an estimated 5 million dogs and 1 million cats per year, Viet Nam is home to the most prolific dog and cat meat trades in Southeast Asia.
  • While the sale and consumption of dogs and cats is not illegal in Viet Nam, the unregulated trans-provincial movement of dogs and cats has been illegal since 2009, and pet theft was made a punishable offence in 2016. While several cities including Hanoi and Hoi An have pledged to end the trades, enforcement of laws is rare and trucks continue to openly transport hundreds of dogs and cats on national highways.
  • A belief by some consumers persists—despite no scientific evidence—that dog and cat meat holds medicinal properties and can increase male virility.
  • Dogs are usually killed with a knife to the jugular and heart, in full view of other dogs, while cats are mostly killed by drowning.
  • A 2016-2017 study of dog brain samples from small slaughterhouses in Hanoi commissioned by Asia Canine Protection Alliance (of which HSI is a member) in partnership with Viet Nam’s National Center for Veterinary Diagnosis showed that nearly one in every 100 dogs had been infected with rabies, which is a high incidence rate.
  • Academic papers published in 2008 and 2011 are among those that establish the connection between the dog meat trade and rabies. Detailed references are available upon request.

Download video and photos of the closure of a dog slaughterhouse in Thai Nguyen province as part of HSI’s Models for Change program HERE.

Media contact:

[i] Hampson, K., 2009. Mission Report: Vietnam. WHO

Humane Society International / Europe

HSI

BRUSSELS —The European Commission today kick-started a plan to phase out animal testing for chemicals across Europe but will not protect the EU ban on animal testing for cosmetics in response to the “

Save Cruelty Free Cosmetics – Commit to a Europe Without Animal Testing” European citizens’ initiative (ECI) signed by 1.2 million European citizens.

While campaigners welcome the plan to ultimately eliminate animal testing for chemicals and the longer-term proposals to reduce and phase out the use of animals in research and education, the Commission  ignored citizens’ calls to uphold the ban on animal testing for cosmetics; a ban established by legislators over a decade ago.

Despite the introduction of an EU ban on animal testing for cosmetics ingredients in 2009, animal tests for chemicals handled by industrial workers or which may be released into the environment are still being required under the EU’s REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) regulation. Disturbingly, proposed updates to REACH indicate that animal testing for chemicals is set to surge over the coming years. Rather than waiting for the EU courts to resolve this issue, citizens’ demands must be addressed to prevent further animal suffering.

In the EU and Norway, a shocking 7.9 million animals suffered in laboratories in 2020 – among them rabbits, mice, cats, and dogs. Substances are forcibly administered down their throats, and they are infected with debilitating diseases, genetically manipulated, given brain damage through surgery, exposed to severe pain, and used in breeding programs that perpetuate this cycle of suffering. Although the Commission is exploring actions to accelerate the development and use of non-animal methods, these do not constitute the root-and-branch reform demanded by EU citizens via the ECI.

The ECI was launched in August 2021 by animal protection groups Cruelty Free Europe, Eurogroup for Animals, the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments, Humane Society International/Europe, and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, with the backing of beauty brands The Body Shop and Dove. The ECI called for the strengthening and protection of the ban on animal testing for cosmetics, the transformation of chemicals regulations to bring an end to testing on animals, and a commitment to phasing out all testing on animals in Europe.

Positive commitments made by the Commission in response to the ECI include the following:

  • To develop a roadmap to end all mandated tests on animals for industrial chemicals, pesticides, biocides and human and veterinary medicines
  • To explore the creation of an expert scientific committee to provide advice on the development and uptake of non-animal approaches
  • To propose an action of the European Research Area to coordinate national policies to replace the use of animals in laboratories and speed up development and implementation of non-animal methods
  • To organise one or more workshops with experts to determine future priority areas of research to accelerate the transition to animal-free science.

Citizens will now expect that everyone involved works to ensure that the measures suggested by the EC have maximum and meaningful impact, and we will continue to advocate for more action where it is needed.

“The people of Europe have made it clear that experimentation on animals has no place in our modern society,” says Sabrina Engel, chair of the ECI organising committee. “While we welcome positive actions to replace the use of animals in experiments and chemicals tests, we wholly condemn the Commission for failing to end the suffering of thousands of animals used in cosmetics tests. The Commission must now propose meaningful changes to existing legislation and policies to set member states, regulators, and assessment bodies on the path to phasing out all uses of animals in laboratories. Therefore, we are calling on all actors to pursue the goals of the ECI.”

Notes

  • Here is a briefing on the “Save Cruelty Free Cosmetics – Commit to a Europe without Animal Testing” ECI.
  • “Save Cruelty Free Cosmetics” is the second ECI on the issue that has surpassed 1 million signatures, after “Stop Vivisection” in 2015, and only the ninth ECI that has been successful out of more than 100 that have been submitted.
  • Across the EU, approximately 8 million animals are used in experiments or for the breeding and maintenance of genetically altered animals each year. A further 10 million animals languish in cages without being used in procedures or are used as part of the laboratory supply chain, either for breeding or so that their body parts may be used in experiments.

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

Scientists call on governments to consider evidence for the elimination of fur farming

Humane Society International / Europe

Stock Photography

BRUSSELS―In an article published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, virologists Dr Thomas Peacock and Professor Wendy Barclay of Imperial College London have issued a stern warning regarding the risks fur farming poses for future disease outbreaks. The concerns have intensified due to recent avian flu outbreaks on mink and fox fur farms in Spain and Finland, sparking increasing fears that fur farms can act as breeding grounds for zoonotic diseases. Responding to this alarming development, leading animal protection organisation Humane Society International/Europe urges the European Commission to act fast to introduce a ban on fur farming and imports throughout the EU.

Fur farming has faced significant restrictions and outright bans across Europe, with a total of 19 countries, including 14 EU Member States, taking a stand against this controversial industry. Despite these advancements, millions of animals, including mink, fox, raccoon dog and chinchilla continue to be bred for their fur in EU countries, such as Finland, Poland, Greece, Spain, Romania and Sweden.

In the PNAS article, Dr Peacock and Professor Barclay write that “fur farming takes place in a high-density animal environment that allows for rapid spread of viruses with pandemic potential—and for virus adaptation to animals that would be unlikely to occur in nature.” Reports in Science and Nature have raised fears that the avian flu virus could be demonstrating the potential to mutate and spread mammal-to-mammal, which in turn increases concerns of a future pandemic. Peacock was quoted saying that the outbreak is “incredibly concerning” and “a clear mechanism for an H5 pandemic to start.”

Peacock and Barclay go on to say in the PNAS article: “We strongly urge governments to also consider the mounting evidence suggesting that fur farming, particularly mink, be eliminated in the interest of pandemic preparedness. Fur farming should be in the same category of high-risk practices as the bushmeat trade and live animal markets. These activities all increase the likelihood of future pandemics.”

Dr Joanna Swabe, senior director of public affairs at Humane Society International/Europe, said: “It is completely unacceptable that millions of animals continue to suffer terribly for fur fashion across Europe, and this is compounded by the equally outrageous fact that their exploitation poses a very serious threat to the health of EU and global citizens. As the outbreaks of COVID-19 and avian influenza on fur farms have amply shown, factory farming mammals in small wire cage conditions is simply unsustainable from an animal welfare and pandemic prevention viewpoint. We’re essentially putting public health at risk for cruel products that no one needs. With the EU Commission due to deliver its proposals to revise EU animal welfare legislation, now is the perfect time to relegate the cruel and dangerous fur trade to the annals of history.”

Earlier this year, an EU-wide “Fur-Free Europe” European Citizens’ Initiative petition calling on the European Commission to ban the farming and sale of fur in the EU, gathered 1.5 million validated signatures in under ten months. The Commission now has until December 14 this year to formally respond to this ECI and outline the actions it intends to take with regard to fur farming in the EU. As the European Commission prepares to deliver later this year legislative proposals to revise and expand the scope of the existing animal welfare legislation,  a coalition of more than 70 European animal groups, including Humane Society International/Europe, is calling for that revision to include an EU-wide ban on fur farming and trade.

Notes:

  • Mink and foxes tested positive this month for highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 on 10 fur farms in Finland, with more farms under suspicion for the virus and awaiting test results. In October last year, the first recorded outbreak of avian flu on a fur farm took place on a Spanish mink fur farm intensively breeding 52,000 mink, reigniting calls for an end to global fur farming.Since April 2020, mink on 487 fur farms across North America and Europe have been reported as having tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.  The virus has been shown to pass from mammal to mammal on intensive mink fur farms and reports of farmed mink to human transfer has been reported in at least six countries. The most recent outbreaks were recorded in Poland in March 2023 and in Italy in April 2023.
  • Fur farming is already banned in many European countries, including Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Croatia, Estonia, France, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and the United Kingdom. Lithuania, Poland and Romania are currently considering fur farming bans.
  • In June 2023, Austria, Germany and the Netherlands tabled an information note on fur farming, which was co-signed by the Belgian, Czech, Estonian, Lithuanian, Luxembourg and Slovak delgations, for discussion at the AGRIFISH Council. During the debate, 18 Member States voiced their support for a full ban on fur farming in the EU.

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

Humane Society International and Animal Friends Manado Indonesia save 25 dogs and 3 cats as Tomohon’s network of slaughterhouses finally close

Humane Society International / Indonesia

WARNING: This content includes graphic descriptions of animals being killed

HSI

JAKARTA, Indonesia―Indonesia’s notorious Tomohon “Extreme” Market in North Sulawesi province has officially banned the dog and cat meat trade in an historic agreement that will spare thousands of animals from being bludgeoned and blowtorched to death for human consumption. Twenty five dogs and three cats found alive at the slaughterhouses that supplied the market were rescued by Humane Society International as part of the deal, and have been taken to a nearby partner sanctuary to receive emergency veterinary treatment and care until they are ready to find their forever homes.

The last six remaining dog and cat traders signed an historic agreement to permanently close and end all trafficking, slaughter and sale of dogs and cats. The agreement will also disrupt the vast supply network of dog and cat thieves and traffickers involved in the punishingly long-distance transport of these animals that spans the entire island of Sulawesi.

The mayor of Tomohon, Caroll Senduk, also signed into law a ban on all future dog and cat meat trading at the market in recognition of the grave risk of rabies transmission, bringing an end to one of the most shocking and barbaric practices at this notorious market.

The dog meat trade is rampant on the island of Sulawesi, with investigations suggesting more than 130,000 dogs are slaughtered at its markets every year. Tomohon Extreme Market―which sells live and slaughtered dogs and cats alongside butchered pythons, bats and rats―is the most notorious of them all, even listed at one point on tourist websites as a gruesome must-see destination until the listing was removed following protest led by the Dog Meat Free Indonesia coalition. Upsetting footage taken by HSI at the market in March this year, shows dogs cowering and panting in transport cages, then being yanked out by the neck to be bludgeoned to death. Rows of blowtorched dog and cat carcasses are shown on display at market stalls. As a founding member of the Dog Meat Free Indonesia coalition, HSI has been exposing North Sulawesi’s cruel trade for the past six years, including the first ever in-depth exposé in 2017 showing dogs being beaten over the head and blow-torched while still alive.

Lola Webber, HSI’s director of campaigns to end the dog meat trade, said: “With Tomohon Extreme Market going dog and cat meat-free, in addition to the permanent closure of the slaughterhouses that killed hundreds of these animals every week, the impact will be far-reaching, shutting down business for the traders’ vast network of traffickers, dog thieves and slaughterers. North Sulawesi is an epicenter of Indonesia’s cruel and dangerous dog and cat meat trade; the cruelty is obscene and the public health risks from open slaughter and contaminated meat are unparalleled. It is a huge victory for animal welfare and public safety that never again will dogs and cats be bludgeoned and blowtorched at Tomohon market, and we hope this unprecedented agreement will set the standard for other markets and leaders to follow.”

In addition to directly decreasing the supply of dog and cat meat in this hotspot city, HSI hopes this ban will increase pressure on the government to take more seriously the enormous public health risk posed by Indonesia’s dog and cat meat trades nationally. Trans-provincial trafficking of dogs into densely populated cities facilitates the spread of the deadly rabies virus. Studies reveal growing evidence that dog slaughter, butchery and consumption help transmit rabies and expose people, and rabies-positive dogs have been found for sale at markets throughout North Sulawesi, including Tomohon Extreme Market. Rabies is rampant in many parts of Indonesia, endemic in all but eight of its 37 provinces, including all six of Sulawesi’s provinces. Perhaps unsurprisingly North Sulawesi Province has some of the highest rates of human deaths attributed to rabies in Indonesia every year.

Professor Louis Nel, executive director, Global Alliance for Rabies Control, said: “The catching, transport, and killing of dogs for consumption undermines rabies control and elimination plans as it significantly increases the risks of human exposures to infected dogs. The public health threat of rabies can be eliminated by mass dog vaccination programmes, strict dog movement controls and reducing human exposures to infected dogs, all of which are undermined by the illegal dog meat trade.”

Tomohon Extreme Market was officially declared dog and cat meat-free with a banner erected at the entrance of the market and a ceremony at the mayor’s office. Mayor Senduk said: “I am very proud that Tomohon Extreme Market is the first to introduce a ground-breaking agreement between traders and animal welfare campaigners on a dog and cat meat-free declaration. In addition to ending public displays of cruelty, this is an important step in protecting our communities against the threat of rabies and other diseases.”

Elvianus Pongoh, who has traded and slaughtered dogs and cats for meat at the market for over 25 years, agrees that the time has come to end the trade. He said: “I have probably slaughtered thousands of dogs for Tomohon Market over the years. I would try not to think about it too much but every now and then I would see the fear in their eyes or see their tail wag hopefully as I came for them, and it made me feel bad. I know that this ban is best for the animals and also best to protect the public and our families too. If Indonesia is on a path towards banning the trade completely, then we at Tomohon have played a small part in making history.”

The dogs and cats saved by HSI and partner group AFMI are now recovering at AFMI’s nearby sanctuary, the only companion animal sanctuary operating in the province. The severely traumatised and dehydrated dogs and cats received emergency veterinary care on arrival and will have a loving home alongside the sanctuary’s other animal guests until they find their forever homes.

Frank Delano from AFMI said: “We are thrilled to welcome our new companions to our sanctuary where they will never have to fear pain and abuse ever again. With love and patience their physical and mental wounds will heal from the trauma they must have experienced at the hands of the dog meat traders. The trucks packed with hundreds of terrified dogs and cats have driven past our sanctuary on their way to Tomohon Market virtually every day. It was the saddest scene to witness and we are so happy we will never see those trucks again.”

Download video and photos of the last remaining dogs and cats being rescued

Download video and photos of the dog meat trade at Tomohon Extreme Market (May 2023)

ENDS

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Scientists call on governments to consider evidence for the elimination of fur farming

Humane Society International / United Kingdom

Stock Photography

LONDON―Virologists from Imperial College London’s Department of Infectious Disease have warned of the public health threat posed by the global fur trade, after outbreaks of avian flu (H5N1) on mink and fox fur farms in Spain and Finland increased fears that fur farms could act as reservoirs of zoonotic diseases. In an article published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Professor Wendy Barclay, head of the Department of Infectious Disease and chair in Influenza Virology at Imperial College London, and Dr Thomas Peacock, a virologist in the Department of Infectious Disease at Imperial College London, warn that mink farming poses a risk for the emergence of future disease outbreaks and should be considered in the same risk level category as the bushmeat trade and live animal markets. The UK banned fur farming in 2000 but still imports fur from other countries including Finland, Spain, Canada and Poland, leading animal protection organisation Humane Society International/UK to call for a UK fur import and sales ban.  

In the PNAS article, Dr Peacock and Professor Barclay write that “fur farming takes place in a high-density animal environment that allows for rapid spread of viruses with pandemic potential—and for virus adaptation to animals that would be unlikely to occur in nature.” Minks are highly susceptible to infection with several viruses that also infect humans, and the article draws attention to the many outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 (the causative agent of COVID-19) that have been identified in farmed mink in Europe and North America since 2020.  

The PNAS article comes as animals including minks and foxes tested positive this month for highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 on 10 fur farms in Finland, with more farms under suspicion for the virus and awaiting test results. In October last year, the first recorded outbreak of avian flu on a fur farm took place—on a Spanish mink fur farm intensively breeding 52,000 mink, reigniting calls for an end to global fur farming, and for the UK to take action by ending fur imports. Reports in Science and Nature have raised fears that the avian flu virus could be demonstrating the potential to mutate and spread mammal-to-mammal, which in turn increases concerns of a future pandemic. Thomas Peacock was quoted saying that the outbreak is “incredibly concerning” and “a clear mechanism for an H5 pandemic to start.” 

Peacock and Barclay go on to say in the PNAS article: “Fur farming is banned across many European countries and North American states or territories. Several other regions have set dates for phasing it out. These bans have historically been a response to ethical concerns about the treatment of these animals. We strongly urge governments to also consider the mounting evidence suggesting that fur farming, particularly mink, be eliminated in the interest of pandemic preparedness. Fur farming should be in the same category of high-risk practices as the bushmeat trade and live animal markets. These activities all increase the likelihood of future pandemics.” 

Fur farming has been illegal in the UK since the Fur Farming (Prohibition) Acts came into force in 2003. Despite this, HMRC records show that £41,970,308 of fur was imported to the UK in 2022, from countries including Italy, China and France. Humane Society International/UK leads the #FurFreeBritain campaign urging the Government to end this double standard by banning imports and sales of fur in the UK. 

Claire Bass, senior director of campaigns and public affairs at HSI/UK, said: “In addition to the appalling suffering animals on fur farms are subjected to as fashion victims, the fur trade also poses a very real danger to public health. These very worrying outbreaks of avian flu on fox and mink farms in Spain and Finland follow many hundreds of outbreaks of the COVID-19 virus on fur farms across Europe and North America and show that factory farming animals for fur is playing Russian roulette with public health, for an entirely frivolous product. The UK led the way by banning fur farming two decades ago, but to stop being complicit in this cruel and risky trade we need to ban fur imports and sales too. A fur trade ban has the backing of over three quarters of the public, more than 250 cross-party MPs and Peers, and now virologists are also advising we call time on fur. The Government has been dragging its heels on fur for years, but stopping the global fur trade from creating the next pandemic demands decisive and urgent action.” 

National polling in April 2022 shows that 77% of people in Britain think the Government should ban the import of animal products such as fur, where the production methods are already banned in the UK. More than 1.1 million petition signatures have also been gathered. 

In May 2021 the UK Government launched a Call for Evidence on the UK fur trade, with the stated intention of using the findings to inform possible future action. Almost 30,000 responses were submitted before the consultation closed in June 2021, but over two years on, officials are yet to release the results or set out a policy response. 

ENDS

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

Notes:

  • Since April 2020, mink on 487 fur farms across North America and Europe have been reported as having tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.  The virus has been shown to pass from mammal to mammal on intensive mink fur farms and reports of farmed mink to human transfer has been reported in at least six countries. The most recent outbreaks were recorded in Poland in March 2023 and in Italy in April 2023. 
  • In its Action Plan for Animal Welfare in 2021, the Government stated: “Fur farming has been banned on ethical grounds in England and Wales since 2000, and since 2002 in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Whilst there are existing import restrictions on seal, cat and dog fur, it is still possible to import other fur from abroad, so we will explore potential action in this area.” 

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