'When I was still in high school, I started using cosmetic products that were not tested on animals. This was prompted by a documentary that shocked me and which made me aware of how these experiments were being performed on animals. As a consumer of that type of products, I felt responsible and decided to change my habits – which was quite simple – I simply started buying products that were on the White List,' says Ivana Radovnikovic, a Croatian singer, for the campaign 'Beauty Springs up from Compassion'.

In this issue:
- Fight Global Warming With Diet Change
- Croatian Consumers Demand Ethical Products
- Drama on Newfoundland Ice
- Vodnjan Rejects Dolphinarium
- Beauty Springs up from Compassion
- Protect Nature, Protect the Dolphins
- Jailed for Life
- News and Announcements

Fight Global Warming With Diet Change

On the occasion of Earth Day, Animal Friends Croatia took part in 'Eko-plac' organized by Green Action (Zelena Akcija) that took place on April 21-22 in Zagreb. At the info stall AFC activists informed Zagreb's people about the connection between animal breeding and global warming, and also sent a letter to all Croatian environmental and ecological organizations asking them to jointly appeal to the public to make a change to their diet which would result in decreasing of global warming.

Croatian Consumers Demand Ethical Products

On the occassion of the World Day for Laboratory Animals (April 24), Animal Friends Croatia announced the results of an independed official poll done by SPEM Communication Group Zagreb, according to which 83,3 percent of the citizens have stated that cosmetics and cleaning products should have a label declaring whether they are tested on animals, while 73,7 percent of citizens would rather choose products which are not tested on animals.

As a member of the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments (ECEAE) Animal Friends Croatia also presented the new, more strict list of companies which test or do not test their products and ingredients on animals. New companies on the Croatian White List are BioMelisssa, L'Erbolario, Laboratorij Dr. Dzanic, Paul Mitchell, TIGI Haircare, and TITANIA Fabrik, whilst more information on the new list can be found at www.prijatelji-zivotinja.hr/index.en.php?id=333.

Drama on Newfoundland Ice

Animal Friends Croatia reported the Croatian public about the recent events in April with regard to the seal slaughter in Canada. Namely, nature itself also started to defend seal pups by trapping some 400 sealers in heavy Newfoundland ice. It is interesting that Desmond Adams, a seal hunter, said for the media, 'we all go out for the love of it rather than the money, which isn't there anymore,' which contradicts the position of the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans that the seal hunt is an economic necessity.

The opposition to this shameless slaughter is growing each day in Europe, and after the bans in Belgium, Germany, Italy, Croatia, and Slovenia, also Austria and the Netherlands voted in support of a complete ban on the import, processing and distribution of all seal products.

Vodnjan Rejects Dolphinarium

On May 10, upon launching the campaign against the construction of a dolphinarium more than two months ago, Animal Friends Croatia received the official statement from the Mayor of Vodnjan, Klaudio Vitasovic in which he states that Vodnjan steps back from the dolphinarium. AFC welcomes this decision and thanks Mayor Vitasovic and the town council of Vodnjan for making this ethically correct decision.

AFC once more thanks all the individuals, groups and media who so far supported the campaign which continues towards the complete ban on keeping dolphins in captivity and an even grater protection of dolphins in the dolphin reserve at Mali Losinj. AFC also thanks Mr. Richard O'Barry of Earth Island Institute, who only for this purpose came from distant Florida and the World Society for the Protection of Animals which made this campaign possible.

Beauty Springs up from Compassion

Wanting to show how unnecessary and cruel animal testing is, two Croatian celebrities Ivana Radovnikovic and Damir Hoyka also joined the AFC action. With the 'Beauty Springs up from Compassion' headline, Ivana Radovnikovic posed for billboards that appeared in Zagreb, Split, Osijek, Varazdin, Rijeka, Zadar, and Dubrovnik. The photo-shooting was done in Damir Hoyka's photo studio while Ana Rajic took care of the make-up.

This action was also supported by Adorea, Arto, Avon, Europlakat, Media, Lotusgraf, Oglasnik, Skola Restaurant & Lounge Bar, Vector Design, and Zale.

Protect Nature, Protect the Dolphins

On May 22, the International Day for Biological Diversity, AFC organized info stalls on Petar Preradovic Square in Zagreb, where they presented the new promo leaflet entitled 'Croatia – a Dolphin Friendly Country'. At noon, AFC activists were joined by 20 pupils from the Animal Friends group at King Tomislav Primary School, who distributed leaflets and present posters in order to inform the citizens about dolphin protection.

Jailed for Life

On May 26, AFC held a demo in front of Zagreb Zoo in Maksimir Park in order to draw attention to the very bad living conditions for animals in Croatian zoos and to protest against the very idea of confining animals in zoos. AFC members handing out leaflets and holding posters called citizens to boycott zoos and to stop supporting the caging of wild animals in – prizoons.

News and Announcements

- In past thirty days AFC took part in numerous public discussions, events and lectures, from which we would like to point out a few, like the public discussion in Bogdan Ogrizovic Public Library, a lecture in Zagreb Health School, I Technical School Tesla and 10th Gymnasium, and as guest during the open doors in King Tomislav Primary School. The next lecture titled 'Ethics on our Plates' is scheduled for May 31 in Matica Hrvatska in Zagreb.

- AFC representatives took part in the EVU Talks which took place from April 26 to May 1 in Vienna as well as in the Animal Liberation Workshop on May 26-27 in Maribor, also joining the protest which was organized in front of McDonald's in Maribor.

- On May 19 AFC took part in marking the Dolphin Day in Pula, organized by the group Green Istria, and held a lecture 'Towards the Legal Ban on Dolphin Captivity' presenting Ric O'Barry's documentary film Dolphin Project. Other groups – Blue World and Pirana from Veli Losinj in Croatia, Morigenos from Slovenia and Italian Marine Life Conservation – also attended this event.

- AFC invites to this years Running of the Nudes in Pamplona. More information about the race and the registration form can be found at www.prijatelji-zivotinja.hr/index.en.php?id=768.

- On the AFC web site you will find a link on the groundbreaking film 'Safer Medicines', which showcases state-of-the-art approaches to ensuring that drugs in the future will be safer than they have been in the past and questions if animal testing is the best way to ensure 21st Century drug safety. It's available to watch/download or purchase at: www.curedisease.net/safermedicines/. You can see other news in the homepage section New on the Web.

- After strong reactions of the citizens and animal protection groups, RTL Television aproved the AFC demand not to repeat the show 'Changing Wives', where a controversial faked scene showed the washing of a cat in a washing machine, apologizing to the public.

- Good news come from the United States where President Bush has signed the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act 2007 into law which will increase penalities for both dogfighting and cockfighting. Dogfighting is illegal in all fifty states, while cockfighting remains legal only in Louisana.

- PepsiCo - the multibillion dollar food conglomerate (owners of Pepsi cola, Frito-lay, Tropicana and Gatorade) - has vowed to put an immediate end to animal testing and will no longer work with any animal-testing partners. Being that Pepsico is such an enormous player in the food market and will be encouraging other companies to stop animal testing - this is a major step in animal welfare and in large part because of PETA's tireless efforts.

- The Lush company approves anniversary 11% discount to all AFC members who paid their membership fee, since exactly 11 years Lush products are available to the consumers in Croatia. As a token of appreciation to every member who pays his/her membership fee we are planning on organizing similar actions which will bring up new discounts.

We invite you to check out on the AFC web site for news of our future activities, in which you are also more than welcome to participate.

Your Animal Friends Croatia