Ricky Gervais, Joanna Lumley and Paul O’Grady support call for commitment to vital animal welfare improvements
Humane Society International / United Kingdom
Byrdyak/istock
London—In the month of the bicentenary of the UK’s first ever animal protection law—Martin’s Act of 22nd July 1822—some of the UK’s leading animal charities are joined by Larry the Downing Street cat (@Number10Cat) and celebrities including Ricky Gervais, Dame Joanna Lumley and Paul O’Grady to urge Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak to pass and strengthen more laws to protect animals from suffering if they become the country’s next Prime Minister.
In an open letter to the Conservative leadership contenders, the CEOs of the RSPCA, Humane Society International/UK, FOUR PAWS UK and others, ask Truss and Sunak for their public commitment to deliver on the promises the Government made in its 2021 Action Plan for Animal Welfare, only four of which have so far been delivered. Thousands of members of the public have also emailed the leadership candidates over the last few days, calling on them to support animal welfare issues.
Sunak and Truss have been asked to go public on three specific commitments:
Pass the Kept Animals Bill, delivering on manifesto commitments to end live animal exports for fattening and slaughter; introduce new laws to tackle low welfare puppy imports and pet abduction; and restrict the keeping of primates as pets, amongst other measures—the Kept Animals Bill has not been given Parliamentary time since November last year.
Progress legislation to protect the welfare of animals abroad suffering for the UK market, including bans on imports of hunting trophies, fur and foie gras, and the advertising of low welfare tourism activities overseas. These bans were derailed by dissenters in Boris Johnson’s cabinet in recent months.
Strengthen existing legislation to: introduce compulsory cat microchipping; phase out use of cages in farming; prevent inhumane trapping and killing of wildlife (e.g. banning snares and expediting an end to the badger cull); and strengthen and extend the current laws on hunting with dogs.
The letter welcomes the Conservative Party’s 2019 manifesto statement that ‘high standards of animal welfare are one of the hallmarks of a civilised society’ and asks: “Animals need a Prime Minister whose government will give them the legal protections they need and deserve, as sentient beings. Will you pledge such protections as part of your leadership campaign?”
A spokesperson for the group of animal protection NGOs said: “In the year where the sentience of animals has finally been enshrined in law, we must not lose this dedication to better animal welfare in the UK. Animals matter to voters of all political persuasions, including the 72% of Conservative voters who want more and stronger laws to protect animals. Ministers are constantly claiming that the UK is a world leader on animal welfare, so we’re calling on Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss to set out exactly what they’ll deliver to justify that title. Showing compassion and ambition to protect vulnerable animals could tell us a lot about the sort of leader they might be.”
National polling carried out in April 2022 showed that British voters want to see the government follow through on its promise to protect animals, with 72% of respondents—and 71% of those who voted Conservative in the last general election—stating they would like the government to pass more laws designed to improve animal welfare and protect animals from cruelty.*
Read the open letter and view the full list of signatories.
ENDS
Notes:
*Polling was run on the Focaldata platform. Data was collected from a nationally representative sample of 10,018 adults between 11th and 20th April 2022.
Animal protection & conservation NGOs unveil plaque in Brighton’s Hilton Metropole Hotel where historic whaling ban was agreed in 1982
Humane Society International / United Kingdom
Nature Picture Library/Alamy
United Kingdom—The 40th anniversary of the global ban on commercial whaling has been marked today, with a plaque unveiled to hail one of the most significant conservation victories of all time.
Almost three million whales were killed for their oil and meat in the 20th century, bringing many species and populations to the brink of extinction. In July 1982, member countries of the IWC held an historic meeting at the Metropole Hotel in Brighton and agreed a global ban on commercial whaling, which remains in place today.
A recent £300,000 funding award to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) from the UK Government is supporting its vital whale conservation and welfare work around the world, addressing significant threats such as bycatch and climate change. This funding is also supporting the participation of developing countries in IWC meetings, ensuring that decisions are representative of all members. This financial support will help to enable the IWC to continue with its excellent work providing an international framework for the conservation and management of cetaceans.
To commemorate the anniversary a permanent memorial plaque was unveiled at the Hilton Metropole Hotel, at a reception attended by past and present members of the IWC, dignitaries and local Members of Parliament. Caroline Lucas MP opened speeches, pledging her ongoing commitment to vital conservation efforts. The event was co-hosted by leading animal protection charities working on the IWC, including the UK representatives of the Animal Welfare Institute, Born Free Foundation, Environmental Investigation Agency, Greenpeace, Humane Society International/UK, IFAW, OceanCare, ORCA, and Whale and Dolphin Conservation.
International Environment Minister Zac Goldsmith said: “The moratorium on commercial whaling led the way four decades ago and remains one of the clearest demonstrations that conservation action works, moving from a bleak outlook where nearly 3 million whales were killed in the 20th century, to one where whale populations are coming back from the brink of extinction. The work of the IWC has been instrumental, bringing together global partners to deliver the science, conservation and management to support these majestic marine mammals, and the UK is proud to lend our full support to this work, including to uphold this vital moratorium.”
Without doubt the ban on commercial whaling has spared the lives of hundreds of thousands of whales and been instrumental in pulling many species and populations back from the brink of extinction — although some have never recovered.
Beyond whaling, whales still face many threats caused by human activities including fisheries bycatch; chemical, plastic and noise pollution; ship strikes; habitat loss and the urgent climate crisis. Of the 90 species, 12 subspecies and 28 subpopulations of cetaceans that have been identified and assessed to date, 22 are listed as ‘Critically Endangered’, 22 as ‘Endangered’ and 16 as ‘Vulnerable’.
Originally established in 1946 to conserve whales in order to manage whaling, the IWC has since evolved to address myriad anthropogenic threats, such as fisheries bycatch, that are estimated to kill hundreds of thousands of cetaceans a year. The IWC is now central to global cetacean conservation and welfare efforts, including overseeing regional efforts to prevent entanglement and vessel strikes, and advancing the scientific understanding of cetacean sentience and suffering. The UK’s funding therefore comes as a huge boost to global efforts to protect these ocean giants for generations to come.
Sue Fisher, acting marine policy director for the Animal Welfare Institute, observed: “Forty years ago, members of the public protesting outside this hotel and around the world convinced their governments to ‘save the whales’. Today they face new perils from our degraded oceans. We commend the United Kingdom for its commitment to ensuring that the IWC can do its vital work to save the whales again.”
Claire Bass, executive director of Humane Society International/UK, said: “Whales face an uncertain future in our degraded oceans, but there can be no doubt that the global ban on commercial whaling has saved many species from the brink of extinction. The ban’s 40-year anniversary is therefore a timely reminder of what can be achieved and should serve to strengthen our resolve to strive for even greater action against threats such as entanglements and pollution. The UK government’s funding for and renewed commitment to the vital work of the International Whaling Commission is a very welcome boost that will support international efforts for years to come to ensure the recovery of cetacean populations and the welfare of these astonishing ocean giants.”
Lucy Babey, ORCA’s head of science & conservation, and marine mammal chair at Wildlife and Countryside Link, said: “The IWC moratorium on commercial whaling was one of the biggest single conservation measures ever introduced, and its legacy resonates even today. To celebrate this milestone is a privilege that I know everyone involved feels lucky to be a part of, and we are delighted that the UK Government has decided to reaffirm its commitment to the IWC to ensure the legacy of this momentous decision is safeguarded for years to come. Future generations can look back on this watershed moment and see a time when people who cared about the ocean came together and did something special, and in that spirit we are proud to have been a part of marking this occasion.”
Sharon Livermore, IFAW marine conservation director, commented: “To this day, the global commercial whaling ban remains one of the most iconic and important conservation achievements of all time. But there is still much work to do to protect whales and dolphins from the many other threats they face; the International Whaling Commission is central to that work, so this new UK government funding is very timely.”
Mark Simmonds OBE, director of science for OceanCare, said: “Historically, the whales had been viewed as huge swimming barrels of oil, blubber and meat, ripe for the plundering. By 1982, when the moratorium was agreed, they were much better known, the grace and grandeur of these social mammals had been revealed by ground-breaking underwater cinematography, and we were increasingly concerned about the cruelty of whaling. And now, forty years on, we know so much more! New species and populations have been discovered and we also recognize cultural units with unique behaviours, and we are also busy exploring the contributions that the whales make to keeping our essential marine ecosystems healthy. Now is the time to make the moratorium complete and for all commercial whaling to end.”
Vanessa Tossenberger, Whale and Dolphin Conservation policy director, commented: “Working towards the recovery of whale populations is part of a nature-based solution to the climate and biodiversity crises. We appreciate that the IWC is leading efforts to better understand whales and their impact on ecosystem functioning. For this work to be successful, the IWC must urgently strengthen protections for cetaceans from the many risks they are facing and ensure the moratorium on commercial whaling stays firmly in place and is fully adhered to by all IWC members.”
Clare Perry, Environmental Investigation Agency UK senior advisor on ocean campaign said: “The ban on whaling has already saved the great whales from certain extinction and today it has an even more important role to play in securing the future of all whales, dolphins and porpoises from mounting threats including hunting, pollution, climate change and bycatch.”
Fast facts:
In the 20th century, commercial whalers killed 2,894,094 whales, including 874,068 fin whales and 761,523 sperm whales. At the peak of their operations, commercial whalers were killing an average of 70,000 whales a year.
The IWC’s commercial whaling ban was agreed in 1982 in a 25:7 vote, and came into effect worldwide in 1986. Catches fell to 6,361 that year. There are three countries that currently conduct commercial whaling: Norway, Iceland and Japan.
The degradation of the ocean has accelerated rapidly in recent years, with ocean temperatures warming up to 40% faster on average than the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change previously estimated.
Science estimates that the amount of plastic entering the ocean will increase three-fold between 2016—2040 if urgent action isn’t taken.
Ocean acidification has increased by 26% since pre-industrial times, and global maritime traffic as well as underwater noise levels from shipping, seismic surveys, exploration and military activities, have also significantly intensified.
An estimated 300,000 cetaceans are killed annually as bycatch in fisheries.
ENDS
Media contact: Sally Ivens, Humane Society International/UK: sivens@hsi.org
Humane Society International / Global
HSI
Humane Society International has operated successful dog and cat welfare and population management programs around the world for more than a decade. Our Monitoring, Evaluation and Impact Assessment (MEIA) work helps us design and customize humane, effective and sustainable solutions to address companion animal welfare issues at a local or national level. Humanely reducing free-roaming dog and cat populations and improving their health and welfare requires locally tailored interventions supported by data and ongoing analysis. Over the years, HSI’s MEIA team has provided support to local animal welfare organizations and governments to integrate effective monitoring and evaluation practices into their programs.
What is MEIA?
Monitoring, Evaluation and Impact Assessment (MEIA) is a process of data collection, data analysis and the subsequent explanation of program results and recommendations. MEIA is essential in any dog or cat population management program to:
Design an evidence-based and effective program, ensuring sufficient budget planning and realistic goals, impacts and timelines.
Gain insight and understanding into the community’s knowledge of animal welfare, their attitude towards animals and their practices.
Monitor and evaluate the program with the latest scientific methods.
Determine whether the program achieves set objectives.
Enable program teams to adjust goals and focus based on data/evidence.
Share measurable progress and success data with stakeholders, donors and media.
Identify potential barriers and/or challenges ahead of program implementation.
Types of surveys
Prior to beginning any program to address dog and cat populations, two types of surveys are generally used.
A population survey helps us to understand the size and composition of the roaming dog and cat population and determine a baseline for several impact criteria used to measure progress, such as percentage of lactating female animals, percentage of puppies and health and population density. An accurate dog and cat population estimate helps to determine with more certainty what resources need to be allocated to a program. For example, in Quezon City (QC) in the Philippines, city officials believed there to be 10 dogs per 100 humans. Those figures guided the city’s rabies vaccination campaign, which was not being very effective. Following a collaboration, in which HSI led a dog population survey, HSI determined that there were 20.6 dogs per 100 humans. With the new accurate data, the rabies control program was revised, resulting in significant decline in dog-cat rabies cases and cases of canine mediated rabies in humans being brought down to zero in District 3, Quezon City.
A Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) survey facilitates a more accurate and unbiased understanding of what people in the targeted area know about animals and their welfare, and what they think and do in relation to their coexistence with owned and unowned dogs and cats in their community. It also helps us understand each community’s ability to properly care for their animals, given availability and access—including financial access—to services and information. For example, in La Paz, Bolivia, we recorded an important difference in the ability of households to keep their dogs confined based on the districts where they lived, with one district having most of the dogs, 91.9%, inside the house and another district with only 25.1% of dogs inside the house.
From outside sources, our MEIA team gathers information such as the veterinary capacity in a given area, number of dog bites and rabies cases in humans and number of street animal nuisance complaints to government authorities. In this way, we can determine what programmatic barriers or challenges may exist and what considerations need to be taken prior to and during program implementation.
Monitoring and impact assessment
Subsequent periodic surveys and information gathering provides accurate data to monitor progress, and adjust program needs and strategy, if necessary. In the long term, monitoring helps us to measure the impact of the program on animals and people.
Please visit here for HSI MEIA reports and published papers.
Mobile applications
Given our expertise in the implementation of field work and our need for tools that help us measure the impact and success of our interventions, HSI has developed mobile applications to gather and track data for spay/neuter, catch-neuter-vaccinate-return (CNVR) of dogs and mass vaccination programs.
Spay and neuter program mobile application
HSI currently uses this app to track the data and measure the progress of the catching and sterilizing of dogs (CNVR). It records each dog’s GPS location when caught and creates a map to assist with the release of street dogs to their original location. In addition, the app helps us track the steps between catching and release, such as pre- and post-op care, surgery data, as well as a photograph to identify each dog.
Mass vaccination mobile application
HSI currently uses this app in areas where mass vaccinations campaigns are implemented to monitor rabies vaccinations done in that area and calculate outputs. The app creates geo-fencing to guide vaccination teams, restricts vaccination effort to a desired area, records dog photos and welfare details, records GPS location and produces reports.
Humane Society International is the leading expert on data-driven dog and cat population management.
Please visit here for links to other useful mobile applications for monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment.
The dogs were due to be killed after local authorities closed the farm
Humane Society International
Jean Chung for HSI
SEOUL—Twenty-one dogs left behind when authorities closed an illegal dog meat farm in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, have been saved by animal groups just days before the start of Bok Nal—the three hottest days of summer during which most dogs on farms are sold and killed for dog meat soup, known as “bosintang.”
Humane Society International/Korea and Korean K9 Rescue saved the young dogs after Ansan city authorities shut down the facility for operating without a licence. The government officials removed 38 dogs to their shelter for rehoming but left 21 behind with a deadline for removal or they would be at risk of being euthanised or sold to a slaughterhouse. The farmer had been breeding dogs for human consumption at the site for six years.
The dogs—Romeo, Henry, Tori, Juliette, Brown Bear, Christian and all the others—will now receive veterinary care, vaccinations and undergo quarantine, before eventually being flown by HSI to North America to seek adoptive homes.
The rescue comes just days before South Korea’s first of three “Bok” days when dog meat consumption is most popular and the country’s usually low consumer demand increases. It is also the first Bok Nal since President Yoon Seok-yeol took office and comes as the government’s task force deliberating a nationwide dog meat ban has, for the second time, delayed announcing its recommendations for a phase out. President Yoon and first lady Kim Keon-hee—both of whom have voiced support for an end to dog meat—share their home with four dogs including Tori a rescued Jindo, a breed typically found on dog meat farms. The 21 dogs left on this illegal farm are Jindo crosses.
Sangkyung Lee, HSI/Korea’s dog meat campaign manager, said: “This dog farm is typical of so many across South Korea where thousands of dogs are languishing in filthy, deprived conditions, enduring the unimaginable frustration of being confined in tiny cages their whole lives until they are brutally killed by electrocution. Thankfully, we are able to bring a happy ending for these young dogs who will receive all the medical care and attention they need before flying to North America later in the year to seek adoptive homes. We urge President Yoon to ensure the national government immediately takes action to end the dog meat industry, so that no more dogs like these will have to endure this suffering for a food that most people in South Korea no longer wish to eat.”
The farmer, Mr Hwang, has signed a legally binding agreement never to farm dogs again. He said: “I make most of my money from doing handyman jobs, so that’s what I’ll continue to do now. When I took over the farm, the seller deceived me and my partner by telling us it would be a profitable business but it simply hasn’t been true.”
Gina Boehler, executive director of Korean K9 Rescue, said: “Korean K9 Rescue is happy to work in partnership with HSI in dismantling, and rescuing animals from, the Ansan dog meat farm. As the animals are suffering in the sweltering summer heat, we have moved quickly to remove them from an unbearable situation that no living being should endure. It’s important we keep pushing for reform and change to the agriculture laws within South Korea and effectively promote change from within. We are grateful for our collaboration with HSI and we know these dogs will go on to live a better life. We have seen and recognized the approval of most South Korean citizens who actively oppose the dog meat trade and lobby for change, which keeps our mission strong and alive.”
HSI/Korea, which has permanently closed down 17 dog meat farms in the country and assisted local groups and law enforcement in rescuing dogs from other farms and markets, campaigns for legislation in South Korea to end the dog meat industry. A recent opinion poll commissioned by HSI/Korea and conducted by Nielsen shows nearly 84% of South Koreans say they don’t or won’t eat dog, and almost 60% support a legislative ban.
Dog meat facts:
Although most people in South Korea don’t eat dog, the belief that dog meat soup will cool the body and build stamina during the hot summer, particularly during Bok Nal season, still holds with some, especially the older generation.
Since 2015, HSI/Korea’s Models for Change program has seen the organisation permanently close 17 dog meat farms, rescuing more than 2,500 dogs who find adoptive homes in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, with a small number rehomed in South Korea. The program also helps dog farmers transition to new, more humane, animal-free and profitable livelihoods such as chili plant and parsley growing or water truck delivery.
Dog meat is banned (with varying degrees of enforcement) in Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines, India, Thailand and Singapore, as well as the cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai in mainland China, Siem Reap province in Cambodia, and in 17 cities and regencies across Indonesia.
Despite these growing bans, an estimated 30 million dogs a year are still killed for meat across Asia.
This rescue was conducted under careful health and safety restrictions, and all the dogs will receive veterinary care including tests for the presence of the H3N2 virus (“canine influenza”) as well as receiving rabies, distemper, hepatitis, parvo virus, parainfluenza and Leptospira vaccines. The dogs will be quarantined and health certified prior to transport overseas, in accordance with international export and import requirements.
Nielsen online research conducted August/September 2020. Total sample size 1,000 people across six major cities in South Korea (Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Daejeon, Ulsan) weighted and representative of South Korean adults (aged 18+).
Humane Society International / Global
Syldavia/istock
Every year, approximately 180,000 bulls are killed in bullfights around the world, with many more killed or injured in bull fiesta events. The bulls suffer from a protracted death in the bullfighting arena, weakened and tormented both physically and mentally including with spiked lances, before the matador enters the rings and stabs them to death with a sword. After the bullfighter, or matador, stabs the bull with banderillas (wooden sticks with spiked ends), his objective is to kill the bull with what is often claimed is “a swift clean kill” by driving a sword blade between the bull’s shoulders. In truth, most matadors miss the target, injuring the bull’s lungs and bronchial tubes, causing blood to flow and bubble through the animal’s mouth and nose.
Bans increasing
Bullfighting is already banned in many countries including Argentina, Canada, Cuba, Denmark, Italy and the United Kingdom. There are only a few countries throughout the world where this practice still takes place: Spain, France, Portugal, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru and Ecuador. Although legal in Spain, some Spanish cities, such as Calonge, Tossa de Mar, Vilamacolum and La Vajol, have outlawed the practice of bullfighting. Spain’s Balearic Islands have made several attempts to ban bullfighting, but this has been overturned by Spain’s constitutional court.
Likewise, although legal in Colombia, bullfighting has been temporarily banned in the nation’s capital, Bogota and in the second largest city, Medellin, and in Mexico bullfighting is banned in the five states of Sinaloa, Sonora, Guerrero, Coahuila and Quintana Roo (but remains legal in 27 Mexican states). Mexico’s Supreme Court has declared that bullfighting is not cultural heritage, and in June 2022 a provisional suspension of bullfights at Mexico City’s Plaza México—the largest bullring in the world—became a definitive ban.
Bull fiestas
A number of cruel bull fiestas are also still practiced across Spain, from bull runs such as Pamplona where the bull is chased by groups of baying participants through the narrow streets and into a bullfighting area where he is fought by a matador; to fire bull events such as El Toro Jubilo where a device attached to a bull’s horns is set alight and he is tormented by spectators pulling at his tail and firecrackers exploding around him; to the Toro de la Vega, where the bull is chased out of town and into a meadow by spear-wielding participants on foot and on horseback who surround him, tormenting, goading and stabbing him.
After many years of campaigning by PACMA and HSI to end the Toro de la Vega fiesta, restrictions have now been placed on the annual event which limits the number of participants and ensures the bull can no longer be killed by them as part of the event. While this does not remove animal suffering from the event, it is nonetheless a significant step in the campaign to end such cruelty, one that also applies to other events in the region and which was upheld by Spain’s Supreme Court in 2019.
In India, the Jallikattu event is a cruel practice in which crowds of young men pursue and torment bulls, taunted by the crowds, their tails twisted and broken, hit, wrestled to the ground and beaten and prodded with nail studded sticks. Chili powder is often thrown into their eyes and they are forced to drink alcohol to anger them. In South Korea, bulls are made to fight each other in a bullring, a process that can lead to facial and head injuries from the sharp horns.
Declining support
In Spain, data collated by the Ministry of Culture and Sport continues to show a decline in the number of bullfights held annually: 1,425 events were held in 2019, compared to 2,684 events in 2009, an almost 50 percent decline in a decade. The same data also shows a continued decline in attendances at bullfights, with just 8 percent of the population attending such events in 2018-2019.
Opinion polls show that the Spanish public are opposed to these cruel spectacles: An Ipsos MORI poll for HSI in 2013, revealed that only 29 percent of Spanish citizens supported bullfighting while 76 percent were opposed the use of public funds to support the industry. On bull fiestas, 74 percent of the Spanish public were opposed to the Toro de la Vega bull fiesta (Ipsos MORI, 2014).
Bullfighting and bull fiestas rely on money from tourists. The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) lists both types of events as “unacceptable practices” in its Animal Welfare Guidelines, which have been created to offer guidance to ABTA members and the wider tourism industry.
The COVID-19 pandemic stopped many bullfights and bull fiestas, including the annual Pamplona bull run, from taking place in recent years. With so many events dependent on income from tourists, it is to be hoped that financial pressures will cause even more events to end for good.
You can help:
Never attend a bullfight or a bull fiesta
Avoid any tour operators who support these types of events; take your custom elsewhere
German shepherds, Labradors, huskies, golden retrievers among dogs found alive
Humane Society International / Global
Vshine
As the infamous so-called dog meat “festival” ends in south China’s city of Yulin, some 1,000 miles away in Shanxi’s Fufeng County in north central China, 126 dogs have escaped a brutal death at the hands of dog meat traders thanks to a remarkable rescue operation by Chinese activists and local authorities.
In a show of unity to crack down on the dog meat trade, animal advocates from Vshine, local Xi’an activists, Baoji Small Animal Protection Association and a group of police, law enforcement officers and the mayor from Fufeng County worked together to close down an illegal dog slaughterhouse. Inside they found a gruesome scene with dead dogs on the floor, pools of blood, dehairing machines and knives. The activists also reported that processed dog meat was found at the facility. A pile of pet collars was found in the corner of the slaughterhouse, and some of the 126 dogs found alive were also wearing collars, disturbing proof that pet dogs—likely stolen from homes, streets and farms many miles away—are all too often being killed for meat.
Vshine released video and photos from the scene to its international partner, Humane Society International, which campaigns across Asia for an end to the dog meat trade. The shocking visuals show large and small dogs of all breeds including golden retrievers, German shepherds and huskies huddled together in the filthy slaughterhouse, many emaciated and panting. Despite their ordeal, many of the dogs were eager to receive reassurance and comfort from the activists who believe most of the dogs were once pets.
Ziyang Huang from Vshine told HSI: “This was an horrendous slaughterhouse and we are so grateful to the tip-off by the Xi’an activists so that we could rally together and get this place shut down before any more dogs suffered and died there. The dogs we found alive were whimpering and distressed but very happy to see us. They were standing in their own filth with blood and dog fur all around, and slaughter equipment just nearby. They will likely have witnessed dogs killed and butchered right in front of them. The amount of pet collars we found was really shocking, and the gentle, friendly nature of these dogs tells us probably most of them were once part of a home and somehow ended up at that terrible place. That’s just one of the reasons why we campaign to end this cruel dog meat trade.”
Animal campaigners from Vshine had just days before helped other activists rescue almost 400 dogs from a truck headed for Yulin that was intercepted by police. Once again, the operation saw China’s animal advocates working with the police to thwart the dog meat trade.
Dr Peter Li, China policy specialist for Humane Society International, which supports the care of dogs rescued from China’s meat trade and is providing funds to help care for many of the
126 dogs saved from the slaughterhouse, said: “This slaughterhouse rescue, and the truck interception before it, show the passion and determination of China’s animal advocates to end the brutal dog meat trade, and are great examples of how effective local police and law enforcement authorities can be when they crack down on this illegal activity. The agencies in Shanxi are to be applauded for acting so quickly and decisively to close this slaughterhouse and save the lives of the dogs. If all police across China followed their example, the dog thieves and traffickers would find it very hard to continue their illegal and dangerous activities. China’s growing pet loving population is increasingly calling for action, and this proof that once again beloved pet companions have fallen victim to the dog meat trade will surely renew calls for it to end.”
Facts about China’s dog meat trade:
Most people in China don’t eat dog meat and it is not part of China’s mainstream culinary culture. There is significant Chinese opposition to the dog meat trade as concern for animal welfare grows.
In 2020, China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs made an official statement that dogs are companion animals and not “livestock” for eating. That same year, two major cities in mainland China—Shenzhen and Zhuhai—banned the consumption of dog and cat meat, a decision polling showed was supported by nearly 75% of Chinese citizens.
Dog meat is banned in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines, as well as in the cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai in mainland China, Siem Reap province in Cambodia, and in 17 cities and regencies in Indonesia. An estimated 30 million dogs a year are still killed for meat in other parts of Asia.
Media Contacts: Wendy Higgins, HSI director of international media: whiggins@hsi.org
The dogs will receive veterinary care before being placed for adoption
Humane Society International / Mexico
Meredith Lee/HSI
AGUASCALIENTES, Mexico—Twenty-three dogs have been rescued from a house in Aguascalientes, Mexico, in what rescuers describe as some of the most squalid and filthy conditions they have ever witnessed. The State Attorney for Environmental Protection (PROESPA), teamed up with Humane Society International/México and Amigos Pro Animal to seize the desperate animals after receiving a report of serious animal cruelty and neglect. On entering the house, the dogs were found living in tiny enclosures without food or water, many of them emaciated, and the floor covered in feces.
Felipe Márquez Muñoz, animal cruelty program manager at Humane Society International/México, who was one of the responders on the scene, said: “These dogs had been left to fend for themselves in absolutely squalid conditions, some of the worst I have ever seen. Their paws were red and sore from standing in their own feces, many of the animals were emaciated and dangerously dehydrated. When we arrived, they were extremely excited to see us and desperate for attention. If we had not intervened, I dread to think what would have happened to them. Now they are getting the care they so desperately need and will have a chance to be adopted into loving families.”
The report that alerted PROESPA to this case is one of hundreds received by the agency. Records up to October 2021 show that 65% of the 1,500 reports the agency received pertained to animal abuse.
The dogs’ owner voluntarily surrendered the dogs to the authorities, and they were immediately transferred to a temporary shelter funded by HSI/México and set up specifically for the case, where they are receiving urgent veterinary treatment and behavioral assessment so that once they are recovered they can be put up for adoption. Amigos Pro Animal in association with HSI/México, holds weekly adoption events and activities in Aguascalientes to find homes for neglected, abandoned and abused animals.
Media contact on behalf of Humane Society International/México: Magaly Garibay: (+52 55) 5211 8731, ext. 104; mgaribay@idee.agencia
Humane Society International / Global
Guven Polat/istock
SEOUL—Humane Society International/Korea has issued an urgent call for the National Assembly to enact legislation to reverse the alarming and unconscionable increase in cruel animal testing. Statistics published this month by the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency reveal that animal use has increased dramatically over the past five years, from 3.08million in 2017 to 4.9million in 2021, with nearly half (45%) of all animals subject to the most severe pain and suffering since 2017. These statisitcs show no commitment from the government to reduce, refine and ultimately replace the use of animals for testing.
So-called “Grade E” experiments subject animals to extreme distress, unrelieved pain and death. The proportion of these especially cruel experiments occurring in Korea (45%) is dramatically higher than in Canada (1.8%), the European Union (11%) or any other developed countries. A common example of “Grade E” experiments are lethal poisoning tests in which animals are forced to swallow or inhale a massive dose of industrial chemicals, pesticides or other products and are observed for up to two weeks for signs of toxic reactions. These can include seizures and other neurological impairment, hypersalivation, diarrhea, lethargy, coma and death. Other examples include extremely invasive surgical procedures induction of severe stress or shock, burn or trauma infliction on unanesthetized animals, or any experiment where pain cannot be prevented or effectively managed.
Last year, the Ministry of Environment announced its ambition for most new chemical test data to be non-animal by 2030. However, the new statistics reveal a 119% increase in animal use for chemical testing, suggesting that a major regulatory intervention is necessary to meet MOE’s 2030 vision.
The statistics also show a 50% increase in animal use for basic research. This research studies fundamental biology, physiology, biochemistry, etc. This trend illustrates a failure by research funding bodies in Korea to prioritize funding for human-centered, non-animal technologies. This preferred testing includes computational systems, organoids and organ-on-chips, which are ideally suited for studies of basic biology.
These negative animal welfare trends are further exacerbated by government and private companies’ decisions to fund the expansion of animal testing infrastructure by constructing new laboratory animal buildings. For example, Jeju National University secured 123,000 dollars of budget to build a new laboratory animal center by 2024.
The Act on the Promotion of Development, Dissemination and Use of Alternatives to Animal Testing Methods (Paam Act) was designed to reverse these backward lab animal testing trends by requiring Korean regulatory and research ministries to work together to develop long-term roadmaps with the goals of:
prioritizing research development of state-of-art methods that better mimic human biology rather than cruel and outdated animal models.
encouraging authorities to revise regulatory testing requirements to more rapidly phase-in animal-free approaches which support advancements in medicine and consumer safety without harming animals.
HSI/Korea Senior Policy Manager Borami Seo said, “The increase of laboratory animals does not correlate to the advancement of medicine, consumer safety or environmental protection. Modern non-animal technologies can simulate human biology more accurately than tests on monkeys, mice or dogs. We are living in an era that celebrates innovation, and it’s time for Korean central ministries to commit to a future without animal testing. Assembly members can lay the foundation for this shift by enacting the Paam Act.”
CANNES, France—Save Ralph, the star-studded stop-motion animated short film by Humane Society International, has been awarded the Grand Prix for Good, prestigious recognition as the top non-profit film entered into this year’s Cannes Lions Festival. Save Ralph, which HSI created to build support to ban cosmetics testing on animals worldwide, also was awarded Gold in the non-profit film category. The Cannes Lions Awards are recognised as one of the most prestigious global awards in creative excellence and the Grand Prix for Good recognizes and celebrates the use of creativity to positively impact brands and the world at large.
Save Ralph features a star-studded cast including Oscar-winner Taika Waititi as Ralph, along with Ricky Gervais, Zac Efron, Olivia Munn, Pom Klementieff and Tricia Helfer. The film was also produced or subtitled in multiple languages to support HSI’s efforts to influence lawmakers in Canada, Brazil, Chile, Europe, Mexico, Southeast Asia, South Korea and beyond. The film was written and directed by Spencer Susser and produced by Jeff Vespa and the Arch Model studio of puppet-maker supreme Andy Gent.
Donna Gadomski, Humane Society International’s senior director of external affairs and Save Ralph executive producer, was in Cannes to accept the Grand Prix for Good award and said: “We are absolutely ecstatic that Save Ralph was awarded the Grand Prix for Good. This prestigious recognition by the Cannes Lions jury is an honor and a testament to Ralph’s powerful message that testing cosmetics on animals is cruel and needs to stop. It was truly a privilege to accept this award on behalf of the extraordinary Save Ralph filmmakers and the brilliant HSI team working tirelessly around the world to end cosmetics animal testing for good. We are very grateful to Cannes Lions for this high-profile opportunity to keep the issue in the global spotlight and we hope that it adds momentum to our efforts to end this unnecessary cruelty.”
Andy Gent, Save Ralph puppet maker and set designer said: “A few small stop motion frames in camera and one giant leap forward for animal testing kind.”
Although banned in 41 countries, cosmetics animal testing is still perfectly legal in most of the world, and tragically is making a comeback in Europe, subjecting untold thousands of animals to needless suffering and death. Save Ralph features HSI’s spokesbunny Ralph, as he goes through his daily routine as a “tester” in a lab—using the story of one bunny to shine a light on the plight of countless rabbits and other animals suffering in laboratories around the world, engaging citizens to become part of the solution.
In some parts of the world, rabbits like Ralph are locked in neck restraints and have cosmetic products and chemicals dripped in their eye and on to the shaved skin on their back. Guinea pigs and mice have the chemicals spread on their shaved skin or on their ears. None of these animals are given pain relief, and all of them will be killed at the end.
Europeans can help animals like Ralph by signing the citizens’ initiative at SaveCrueltyFree.eu, and others can help by signing HSI’s global petition.
ENDS
Media contact: Cassie Bodin-Duval, international coordinator in media relations: cbodinduval@hsi.org
Campaigners saved 50+ terrified dogs from his slaughterhouse; dogs to be available for adoption in Canada
Humane Society International
Ekky Bogor/AP Images for HSILola Webber hugs the dog once more to show what kind of treatment that it deserve as a living being.
CENTRAL JAVA, Indonesia—A dog slaughterhouse owner in Sukoharjo, Indonesia who bought and killed thousands of dogs every year for human consumption has been sentenced to 12 months in jail and a fine of 150 million Rupiah ($10,000 USD). More than 50 terrified dogs were rescued during a police interception at his property last year, and were cared for by campaigners from the Dog Meat Free Indonesia (DMFI) coalition. The dogs had been trafficked from West Java on a grueling 365-mile journey, tied up in sacks and many had their muzzles bound shut. DMFI member groups Humane Society International and Jakarta Animal Aid Network are preparing to fly the dogs to Canada to seek adoption and help them put the trauma of Indonesia’s dog meat trade behind them.
Suseno, the slaughterhouse owner, was found guilty of breaking Law 18 of 2009 chapter 89 regarding animal health and husbandry. The trade within which he operated sees pet and roaming dogs stolen from the streets in West Java to meet demand in dog meat eating hotspots in Central Java. One such hotspot is the city of Solo, the birthplace of Indonesia’s president Joko Widodo, where an estimated 13,700 dogs are killed for meat every month. Across Indonesia, an estimated one million dogs are killed annually. The DMFI coalition is calling for a national ban on the brutal trade.
This marks 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 Free Indonesia coalition applauds the Sukoharjo police for pursuing the case but says only a nationwide ban and zero-tolerance enforcement will stamp out the cruelty of this dangerous trade.
Karin Franken of Jakarta Animal Aid Network and national DMFI coordinator, said: “The Sukoharjo police are to be congratulated for not giving up, and using the laws available to them to secure this conviction. But our police forces could be greatly helped in cracking down on this cruelty if only the government introduced an explicit national ban on the dog meat trade. The brutal trafficking and butchering of companion animals is rife in many parts of Indonesia, including president Jokowi’s home city, making a mockery of the government’s public statements that dogs are not food. Criminals like Suseno need to be brought to justice to protect animal welfare and public health from this crime-fueled, disease-spreading and cruel trade.”
Bali-based Lola Webber, Humane Society International’s director of campaigns to End Dog Meat, was at the police interception to help rescue the 50+ dogs. Webber recalls: “Seeing the terrified and traumatized faces of those dogs huddled together in the back of the truck is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life. They were skin and bone, dehydrated, weak and bewildered. But at the Dog Meat Free Indonesia shelter we’ve been able to heal their fragile bodies and give them the love and care they deserve. Soon, we will fly them to Canada where they will be available for families to adopt them into loving homes. It’s very satisfying knowing that the man who caused them so much suffering is going to prison, but many more dogs will continue to suffer until a definitive law is in place.”
Nationwide opinion polls show that only a small minority of Indonesians (4.5%) ever consume dog meat, and 93% of all Indonesians support a ban. Despite this, over one million dogs are still stolen, trafficked, slaughtered and sold for human consumption every year across Indonesia, jeopardizing anti-rabies efforts and representing 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.
Dog meat trade facts:
Dog theft for the meat trade is a serious problem in Indonesia. Dog Meat Free Indonesia has interviewed many residents who have described their terrifying ordeal with armed traders stealing their pets at night. Despite the obvious law-breaking, thefts are rarely taken seriously by law enforcement, so the thieves often go unpunished.
The dog meat trade in banned in 17 cities and regencies across Indonesia: Karanganyar, Sukoharjo, Salatiga city, Malang, Semarang city, Semarang Regency, Blora Regency, Brebes Regency, Purbalingga Regency, Magelang city, Jepara, Blitar city, Mojokerto City, Mojokerto Regency, Temanggung, Magelang Regency and Medan city.
Across Asia, opposition to the dog and cat meat trades is increasing, with an ever-growing number of countries and territories (Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Thailand and two major cities in mainland China) banning the trade in and slaughter, sale and consumption of dogs. In September 2021, South Korea’s then President Moon Jae-in suggested it could be time to consider a dog meat ban, and a government-initiated task force is currently considering the issue. President Yoon Suk-yeol has stated he would not oppose a dog meat ban provided there is social consensus.
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.
The rescue of dogs at the Sukoharjo interception was conducted under COVID-19 health and safety restrictions, and a veterinarian was on site throughout. At the DMFI shelter the dogs received rabies, DHPP, coronavirus, distemper and parvo vaccinations. The dogs also underwent quarantine for at least 30 days, and will be health certified again prior to transport overseas.
Lola Webber, Humane Society International’s End Dog Meat campaign director, and Dog Meat Free Indonesia international coordinator; Tel: +6281337408768 E-mail: Lwebber@hsi.org
Karin Franken, Jakarta Animal Aid Network Founder, and national coordinator Dog Meat Free Indonesia Coalition Tel: +6282122487794 E-mail: jaan_adopt@yahoo.com
