News
The number of news found: 24.
11/30/2012 GERMANY TO BAN SEX WITH ANIMALS
The German government is about to reintroduce a ban on bestiality, after pressure from animal welfare groups. Newspaper die Tageszeitung reports that the governing coalition are soon to amend the country's Animal Welfare Act to make sex with animals punishable with a fine of up to 25,000 euros. Bestiality was legalised in Germany in 1969, the same year that gay sex was also removed from the criminal code. After that, sex with animals was only punishable if the animal was severely injured. However animal welfare groups have pushed for the ban to be reinstated, in an advertising campaign that used dramatic examples of "animal rape". Agriculture minister Ilse Aigner has agreed to change the law to make it illegal for people to "use (animals) for their own sexual activities or sexual acts of third parties" - which also bans the "pimping" of animals to others. The amendment to the law will be debated in the German parliament in mid-December.
11/29/2012 DYING RINO LEADS HER CALF TO SAFETY IN FINAL ACT OF MOTHERLY LOVE
A dying rhino summoned the strength to save her calf as poachers went on a killing spree on a game reserve in South Africa. The slaughter lasted between three and four days and left maggot-covered carcasses dotted across the landscape at the Finfoot Game Reserve near Sun City in North West province. Gamekeepers said after being shot at, the pride of the reserve named Longhorn realized she would die. But in a final act of bravery she led her 18-month-old calf to the reserve farm's lodge, where she would be safe. Longhorn, who was 24-years-old, was then butchered for her 3ft-long horn. Rhino horn is highly sought after and is sold for around $60,000 per kilo. Another calf found by gamekeepers did not escape the slaughter - it was found lying next to its mother, butchered for its tiny horn that measured just an inch, Times Live reported.
11/28/2012 STEVE-O NARRATES TOUCHING FARM SANCTUARY SHORT FILM
Merry pankster, comedian, and unwavering vegan/animal activist Steve-O has quietly launched a new video for Farm Sanctuary called "What Came Before." The touching film, which follows the lives of three former factory farm animals (now living at Farm Sanctuary) is another eye-opening short on the cruelties of the industry. Have a look at the 11 minutes short here – and kudos to Steve-O for once again speaking on behalf of animals.
11/26/2012 SEA SHEPHERD'S PAUL WATSON OFFERS $20K REWARD TO CATCH DOLPHIN KILLERS
Gulf of Mexico dolphin killings are getting worse, with authorities now suspecting an individual or individuals may be responsible for the "rampage." In an effort to help bring the killers to justice, Captain Paul Watson, President and founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, is personally offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perps responsible. Besides the incident of the screwdriver in September (as well as those shot earlier in the summer), a dolphin washed ashore last Friday with its lower jaw missing; while another was discovered with its tail cut off. Watson's reward adds on substantially to the original $5,000 offered by the Institute. If you have any information, visit the Sea Shepherd site here to contact them.
11/24/2012 LEA MICHELE HELPED CORY MONTEITH LOSE WEIGHT WITH VEGAN DIET
"Glee" star Lea Michele knew just what to do when boyfriend and costar Cory Monteith put on some extra pounds. According to sources, the actress convinced him to cut out the animal products and eat vegetarian and vegan foods. Contact Music reports that a source said, "Cory’s idea of a balanced meal was a bowl of sugary cereal followed by a handful of candy. He was also a big meat and potatoes guy. Lea made it clear she wanted him to hop on her fitness bandwagon and in June she convinced him to adopt a vegetarian diet. By August Cory was eating all vegan – things like quinoa salads and veggie burgers – and he was joining Lea on hikes and at yoga classes. He dropped more than 20 pounds in only a few months and Lea loves his new look."
11/23/2012 ELLEN DEGENERES IS THANKFUL FOR A RESCUED TURKEY
As for the not so common items to be thankful for this holiday, Ellen Degeneres chose an, as of yet, unnamed rescued turkey. The Gentle Barn, a sanctuary that Ellen supports, brought her home on Monday from a farm that allows families to come in and select their own turkey for slaughter for Thanksgiving. The Gentle Barn wrote about the conditions, "There is a horrible turkey farm where the animals are kept in awful and cramped conditions and people come with their children to select one to be killed and eaten for thanksgiving. We managed to save one today." To raise money, the sanctuary is auctioning off the privilege of naming her to the highest bidder. As of last night, bidding was up to $400. They will reveal the final name on Thanksgiving night. If you want to donate some cash and pick a name for this beautiful girl, head over to their facebook page.
11/22/2012 A PEACOCK'S LOVE SAVES A TURKEY FROM SLAUGHTER
A female turkey named Miss McFeathers who was bred to become a Christmas meal was being harassed by her peers. So the farmers at Hopetoun farm in Scotland separated her from the other turkeys and let her roam. That's when an unlikely interspecies romance saved her life. Pendragon, the resident male peacock, noticed Miss McFeathers and found himself smitten. Since then, the two have become quite the item. Farm manager Mike Eagers said about the pair, "We are far too attached to Miss McFeathers to resign her to a turkey's usual fate at Christmas – this is one relationship we want to see grow and grow. We have all enjoyed watching the love story unfold as they undertake their courtship. The two are inseparable and Miss McFeathers has even rejected her fellow turkeys in favour of Pendragon's company." Of course, that's just one turkey saved out of the many. She's a lucky girl, to both be spared and to have found a devoted companion.
11/22/2012 BRITISH ARMY SNIPERS SHOOT LIVE PIGS FOR SURGEONS TO OPERATE ON
It has emerged that 18 pigs had circles drawn on their underbellies and were fired upon by sniper teams to damage their organs but not kill them at NATO's training facilities in Jaegerspris, Denmark. The animals were kept alive by British Army surgeons operating on them for two hours before being put down. Animal rights charity PETA condemned the practice, which was previously known as Operation Danish Bacon.
11/21/2012 ANIMALS DIED WHILE MAKING HOBBIT TRILOGY
Animal wranglers involved in the making of "The Hobbit" movie trilogy say the production company is responsible for the deaths of up to 27 animals, largely because they were kept at a farm filled with bluffs, sinkholes and other "death traps." The American Humane Association, which is overseeing animal welfare on the films, says no animals were harmed during the actual filming. But it also says the wranglers' complaints highlight shortcomings in its oversight system, which monitors film sets but not the facilities where the animals are housed and trained. A spokesman for trilogy director Peter Jackson said Monday that the deaths of two horses were avoidable, but added that the production company moved quickly to improve conditions after they died. The spokesman says other deaths were from natural causes.
11/21/2012 CAMERON SENDS ARMY TO DEFEND BORDERS FROM SUDANESE POACHERS
Cameroon announced it has mobilized its special forces units to prevent Sudanese poachers from entering its territory to hunt elephants for their ivory, in an operation it called "a first of its kind". According to information obtained by WWF, this is the same group of poachers that in early 2012 travelled more than 1,000 km on horseback from northern Sudan across the Central African Republic and Chad to kill over 300 elephants in the Bouba N'Djida National Park in northern Cameroon. This information says that the group had decided to return earlier than usual this year in order to take advantage of the greater ground cover available during the rainy season and to catch the park guards by surprise by arriving sooner than expected.
11/20/2012 CIRCUS LION ESCAPES ENCLOSURE IN MACEDONIA
Several hundred spectators got an unexpected shock at a circus in Macedonia after a lion broke through a safety enclosure during a performance. The incident occurred late Sunday in Kavadarci, a central town about 100 kilometers (60 miles) south of the capital Skopje. The spectators fled in panic when the lion charged through metal fencing at the Hungarian circus Safari, according to circus officials and witnesses. Children were crying and some women even fainted, they said. The lion was stopped using a tranquilizer gun, while two other lions used in the performance were caged by handlers.
11/19/2012 CHINO SLAUGHTERHOUSE TO PAY $300,000 IN SETTLEMENT
The owners of a Chino slaughterhouse that was at the center of the largest beef recall in U.S. history four years ago have agreed to pay more than $300,000 to settle a lawsuit that alleged fraud against the U.S. government. Donald Hallmark Sr. and Donald Hallmark Jr. were two of nine defendants in a federal False Claims Act suit brought by the Humane Society of the United States. As part of the settlement, the Hallmarks also agreed to a nominal $497-million judgment against the now-defunct Hallmark Meat Packing Co., which will not be collected because the company is bankrupt. The suit stems from a 2008 video released by the Humane Society that was surreptitiously shot by an activist posing as a worker. It showed employees at the slaughterhouse using forklifts, electric prods and high-pressure water hoses to force cattle to their feet. The video sparked outrage at the animals' treatment and led to food safety concerns because the Hallmark plant was the second-largest supplier of ground beef to the National School Lunch Program.
11/17/2012 CATS ABUSED IN ANTWERP
A Belgian artist has received 20,000 complaints and been physically attacked after he staged a performance hurling cats up a flight of stairs. Jan Fabre held his piece of work at Antwerp City Hall in Belgium recently where he launched several vulnerable cats into the air which could be heard screaming in fear. They then endured a hard landing onto a flight of stairs beneath that was roughly padded. The performance, which was posted online, has prompted a torrent of outrage. According to Belgian newspaper La Libre Belgique, Mr Fabre has received 20,000 emails slamming his act. He has also been attacked seven times by men carrying clubs whilst out jogging in the park and been forced to sleep in a different location every night.
11/15/2012 FOUR ARRESTED FOR TRADING IN RARE WILD BIRDS
Detectives in Limburg and Utrecht provinces have arrested four men in connection with an investigation into illegal animal trading, the public prosecution department said on Monday. Nine homes and offices were searched in Noord-Brabant, Limburg, Zuid-Holland and Utrecht where a quanty of paperwork was seized. Last week, two homes in eastern Europe were also searched in connection with the investigation, the department said in a statement. Dozens of rare birds were confiscated during the investigation, including hornbills and finches. The four suspects are accused of the large-scale illegal trade in animals, money laundering and fraud. The main suspect has a legal animal trading company but uses it to obscure the origins of some of the species by forging certificates, the public prosecutor said.
11/12/2012 CLINTON SAYS US TO INCREASE ANTI-POACHING EFFORTS
Alarmed that rebel militias could be profiting from a sharp increase in the poaching of elephants and rhinos, the U.S. plans to step up efforts to build a global coalition to combat the illegal wildlife trade, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says. Speaking before animal activists and several international ambassadors, Clinton told a crowd in Washington on Thursday that poachers are using helicopters, night vision goggles and automatic weapons to hunt down wildlife. She wants world leaders to increase their focus on combating the problem and said that she and President Barack Obama will speak to Asian leaders about it next week at the East Asia Summit. Clinton said the U.S. will reach out to leaders around the world to forge a consensus on wildlife protection. The U.S. also plans to launch initiatives and expand and strengthen enforcement of wildlife laws. She noted with regret that the U.S. is the second-largest destination market for illegally trafficked wildlife.
11/12/2012 MONKEY MISERY INSIDE THE THAI THEATER
At first glance it may appear like a harmless holiday fun, cute monkeys performing a succession of tricks for amused tourists. The star performers at Samui Monkey Theatre bounce around playing musical instruments and interacting with visitors to their show in southern Thailand. But these happy pictures disguise a different story - and scores of tourists have taken to travel website tripadvisor to describe their disgust at the appalling treatment of the animals. Viewers of the show on the Thai resort island of Koh Sumui described the performance as "shameful" and "horrific" after watching trained and physically weak monkeys perform demeaning tricks while stood in their own excrement. While some tourists appear to find the lengthy animal show hilarious, others vented their shock at what they saw inside the theatre.
11/10/2012 KRISTEN STEWART IS "OBSESSED WITH RESCUING THE POOCHES"
Kristen Stewart has an obsession that saves lives. Stewart was on "Live! With Kelly and Michael" talking about her new rescue dog named Bernie. The actress said Bernie knew just how to play it to get adopted. She said, "She was very emotionally manipulative. She really milked it. Then I got her home, and she was like, 'I have arrived.'" Once home, the pooch didn't waste any time getting situated. Stewart continued, "She was very comfortable instantly taking Bear's stuff. I was like, 'You need to slow your roll, girl. You need to watch it!'" As for why the "Twilight" actress decided to adopt again, she said, "I'm just sort of obsessed with rescuing the pooches."
11/09/2012 PETA GIFTS MITT ROMNEY WITH VEGAN CONSOLATION PRIZE BASKET
The 2012 presidential campaign race is officially over with President Obama's reelection and Mitt Romney left in the dust. PETA announced they are delivering Romney a vegan consolation prize basket. The animal rights group discovered that while on the campaign trail the Republican candidate was seen devouring several vegetarian treats including a veggie breakfast burrito and veggie burgers. In honor of Mitt's healthy choices, PETA thought this would be the right choice. As PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk says, "Turns out the most reliable polls were those showing an increase in the number of people eating vegetarian and vegan foods." No word on what type of vegan goodies are included in the basket, but hopefully, Romney enjoys his treats!
11/08/2012 AIR INDIA RESUMES SHIPPING LABORATORY ANIMALS
On August 23, 2012 Air India issued an order to their staff stating that Air India would no longer be transporting any animals destined for laboratories and "strict compliance" was expected, following pressure from a PETA campaign. However, just two months later Air India has bowed to pressure from the Indian vivisection industry and announced that they have withdrawn their ban on lab animal transports. In one recent study in India, beagle dogs had their legs cut open so that transmitters could be inserted into them, had tubes forced into their penises, and were repeatedly injected with experimental drugs. Air India allow themselves to be complicit in such horrific animal cruelty by withdrawing their ban.
11/07/2012 MAKE VEGAN PANCAKES WITH JARED LETO AT YOUR OWN PERIL
When Jared Leto says, "vegan pancakes or death," he really means it. In a video he made for Vyrt, his project to sell digital tickets to live events, the 30 Seconds to Mars frontman cooks up some vegan pancakes while wearing a faux fur hat... and nearly sets the kitchen on fire. Leto, who apparently likes super thin crêpe-like pancakes, accidentally left a piece of paper next to his open flame. You can guess what happens next. Watch Jared Leto, possibly the messiest cook on earth, go nuts with some vegan goodness.
11/06/2012 MARION COTILLARD WILL NEVER GO BACK TO A SEA WORLD
Animal rights activists weren't the only ones upset by the scenes of captive killer whales in the new film "Rust and Bone." Actress Marion Cotillard has declared that she will never again visit Sea World because of her experiences on set. Cotillard said, "I'd rather see whales in their own environment and not in a swimming pool. I will never go back to a Sea World." Animal Defenders International is asking the public to boycott the film. Cotillard has been vocal about her feelings on the subject of marine animals in captivity. You normally don't hear an actor being critical of their own film. Based on her quotes, perhaps Cotillard herself would even support the boycott.
11/05/2012 SIR ROGER MOORE SPEAKS OUT AGAINST PIG FARM
Former 007 Roger Moore is making headlines for openly denouncing the development of a giant pig farm in the Foston, Derbyshire area of England. Debates about the development have been going on for more than a year, with residents expressing concern about the smell, noise pollution, traffic, health implications and pig welfare. Now Moore has stepped into the ring, describing the potential 25,000-sow operation (and other factory farms in general) as "concentration camps for animals." Moore also said that he believes meat produced on such farms to be "unhealthy." Midland Pig Producers, the company behind the project, waved away his concerns, with a spokesman saying that "the farm would be focused on high welfare and said there was a need to produce more meat in the country."
11/03/2012 ANIMAL RIGHTS GROUPS IN MALTA URGE POLITICAL PARTIES TO BAN ANIMAL CIRCUSES
The Maltesian animal rights coalition has called on political parties to include the ban of animal circuses as part of their electoral manifesto. "When public opinion both in Malta and overseas is turning against animal circuses and other exploitation of animals, Malta should be more proactive in this regard and circuses featuring animal acts should no longer be issued with permits to visit Malta. Instead, more emphasis should be given to promote and bring to Malta non animal circuses as a means of cruelty free entertainment," the NGO said.
11/02/2012 INTERNATIONAL 269 TATTOO DAY TO OPPOSE THE ANIMAL HOLOCAUST
On October 2, 2012, World Farm Animals Day, three animal rights activists in Israel got branded with a hot steel brand. They were branded with a number of a specific calf ("269") as a symbol of immortalization and identification with the farm animals, conveying the demand to acknowledge their inner value and rights (not to be a property) and the message of animal equality - the blood is the same blood, the suffering is the same suffering. Tens of thousands people watched this shocking video on its very first days on YouTube and three activists also launched an official website www.269life.com. Now they launched a big 269 tattoo event on November 1 in order to amplify the animals' silent cry. Everyone interested can join this event here.
The number of news found: 24.
