'Never doubt that a small group of concerned citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.'

With this Margaret Mead's statement we start the tenth issues of our e-newsletter which we dedicate to all activists for animal rights, welfare and liberation. So let's make long story short and start activistic!

In this issue:

- Animal Friends ‘charmed’ Youth Associations Fair
- People of Virovitica against circus, too!
- Animal Welfare Bill finally gets to Parliament!
- Families at seaside and dogs on the streets, again?!
- Flash news

Animal Friends Croatia on Youth Associations Fair

This year, for the first time, Animal Friends Croatia participated in Youth Associations Fair which was held on May 20-21, 2004, in Zagreb. Among organizations from all parts of Croatia and all scopes of interest, our organization was presented with attractive stand, promotional materials, short lecture and two short video projections on subject of vivisection and vegetarianism. After the program, our activists prepared tasting of delicious vegan specialties, what perfectly fitted with announcement of our stand of the most creative one on the Fair!

Advice: We advise all activists to pay special attention to decoration of their info stands. It's not so important if stand wins awards and compliments, but visually attractive stand will certainly attract more visitors and give you greater opportunity for interaction with citizens. Tasting is great way for presenting healthy and tasty diet which doesn't require sacrifices. Use every opportunity to lobby for animals!

Activists against circus!

Persistent circus that annoyed citizens of Varazdin, what we reported on in previous issue of this e-newsletter, this time hit Virovitica. Nevertheless, when they arrived to Virovitica, 30 May 2004, they had a surprise in store!

Even though our branch office in Virovitica is the youngest one, in cooperation with colleagues from Varazdin, they did a professional demo. According to the report we received from the spot, fifteen activists positioned themselves in front of the circus and held giant banner. It didn’t result only with insults and verbal assaults of circus-men, but also made some visitors change their mind and not enter circus, what was covered in media!

Advice: Although still green and making first steps as activist, with persistence, courage, and help of more experienced colleagues, every activist can stand against exploit and torture of animals. This case confirms saying: ‘United we stand, divided we fall’ or ‘Hand in hand, you can make a stand!’

New Animal Welfare Bill gets to Parliament!

Animal Friends Croatia started huge and long campaign of changing existing Animal Welfare Act. It's already well known that Croatian legislators under term animal mean only fish, birds and mammals, so we don't want to annoy you and make you feel appalled and revolted with other nonsense of the existing Croatian Animal Welfare Act.

In cooperation with the Liberal Party, on 3 June 2004, a proposal for new Animal Welfare Act, which was being made by AFC organization for past 18 months, finally reached the Parliament's door. After the press conference in the facilities of Parliamentarians' Club, the bill is now officially awaiting for parliamentary discussion, which is expected to take place sometime in September.

As a part of campaign of lobbying for new Act, our organization created leaflets with a slogan of the campaign – Croatian animals are part of Europe too! - which were handed out in front of the Parliament on June 17, 2004, and officially delivered to every parliamentarian.

We'll write more about this campaign (we expect sparks will be flying on the discussion over this bill), and we'll report on it regularly. Everyone who's interested in the proposal for new Animal Welfare Act, can visit www.prijatelji-zivotinja.hr/zakon and send an e-mail of support of the change of the existing Act.

Advice: The strongest weapon of each animal rights activist is his knowledge; therefore get educated and educate others, too. Activists, use all legal means you can to fight for the rights of the oppressed!

Families at seaside, dogs in the streets, again?!

Third year in the row, in cooperation with City Department for Agriculture and Forestry, Animal Friends Croatia lead educative campaign for protection of companion animals before oncoming holidays. The campaign started off even before its official announcement on June 25. Suitable leaflets are printed and distributed on our info stands, and we received numerous phone calls about the abandoned dogs, and the campaign is still heating up!

Gigantic billboard will be set on one location in Zagreb warning the citizens that planning of their holiday vacations isn’t just about their own fun, but they should also adequately take care of their four-legged family members. This doesn't include dumping on the street or euthanasia, they should take the pets with them or find them appropriate place to stay while the family is absent.

On 25 May 2004 a lecture will be held on the subject of relationship between man and a dog. Mr. Damir Kranjc, worker in Control Service of Nature Park Medvednica, will be talking about the reasons and criteria by which people choose particular breeds of dog, about the canine psychology and temper, the most common mistakes in raising, teaching and socializing of dogs, and other similar topics.

As a part of this campaign, AFC organization will, via web site, also be helping in re-homing of dogs placed in animal shelter Dumovec www.zagreb.hr/Skloniste.nsf. Some of the photos from Dumovec shelter will be placed on our web site classified ad as well.

Advice: It's always better to be safe than sorry! Make people aware that animals aren't toys and point out the importance of responsible treatment for a lifetime.

Flash news

If this was your favorite section so far, we'll try not to let you down this time as well!

:) Government of Austria unanimously banned keeping of hens in battery cages up to 2020! Additionally, lions and tigers will be banned from Austrian circuses, and the new law will also make illegal painfully cropping procedures on the dogs’ tails and ears, restraining dogs with chains, choke collars and invisible electric fences that can hurt animals, etc. We believe that these significant decisions will influence on Croatian parliamentarians when voting on the suggestion for new Animal Welfare Act.

:) In cooperation with Iskorak (Outreach), Group for sexual minorities’ rights, on web page www.gay.hr, Animal portal is set and edited by our member Marko.

:) In Bozidar Adzija library in Zagreb, the exhibition of organizations from Zagreb is taking place, and promotional materials of our organization can be seen there. The exhibition is opened on the occasion of the birthday of our town on May 31, and will last up to July 20, 2004.

:) On HRT (Croatian national television) the advertisement 'Life on the end of a chain isn't life' is running again. AFC tries to draw attention to inhuman conditions of keeping dogs on chains. We are convinced that new version of advertisement will encourage many people to more human treatment of animals, and we believe that other televisions as well will broadcast this advertisement.

:) We had the honor to meet foreign activist this month too! Our branch in Rijeka met British animal rights activist Anne, who was in touch with activist Barry Horne during his last days in British prisons. Barry opted for a hunger strike instead of living in the world of false promises and injustice for animals. We hope he didn’t die in vain, and that his courage will become our courage in our fight for animals.

:) Finally, our bulletin is out of print! It did take us a while, but now our 20-page informative bulletin with the topics of vivisection, vegetarianism/veganism and the history of our organization through our campaigns and actions is available to everyone in Croatia.

:) We're happy to present you new free browser of e-news concerning farm animals issues. FAW (Farm Animal Watch) is part of Farm Animal Net www.farmanimalnet.net, and all interested can subscribe at: http://en.groundspring.org/en/go?j=3822433&u=15234.

:) If you still haven't had enough, we remind you on approaching of 'Running of the nudes', race against races and abuse of bulls in Pamplona. Human Race is scheduled for July 5, 2004, and if you want to participate, you can apply at PETA's web page www.runningofthenudes.com.

On the very end, as always, we thank for your attention and support, material and verbal, and we ask you to stay on our side further on. We appreciate your loyalty and therefore give you this great cartoon about life of veal calves. You can see it at: www.noveal.org/forgetaboutit/index.htm

Activistic greetings!