Haiti’s animal survivors desperately need care

I’m in Haiti and the suffering is overwhelming. Please make an emergency gift today to our Disaster Relief Fund.

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January 22, 2010 Dear Friend, Just after 6 p.m. yesterday, I arrived here in Haiti from across the border — despite a flat tire, overheated engine, and two aftershocks — and am seeing firsthand the total devastation left behind in the wake of last week’s earthquake. Tent cities everywhere are teeming with tens of thousands of people now homeless. Mountains of rubble are all that remain of homes and buildings. And people are terrified of being crushed during the tremors that still rock the country. And amid all this human suffering, there’s something else: Animals are suffering, too. Will you please support our efforts to help with a special gift right now? The entire nation is overwhelmed by a lack of basic necessities — adequate food, water, shelter, and medicine. Thankfully, it appears humanitarian aid is reaching the people affected by this disaster. But the conditions for animals are still deteriorating. In our short time here, I’ve seen cattle wandering through fields and stray dogs by the roads. With food and water in short supply, it is only a matter of time before these animals — especially the injured — come under threat of dehydration, starvation, and disease. Our team of responders from The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International and Veterinary Care & Humane Services, Caribbean Project is now in Port-au-Prince, providing emergency care and treatment to the animal survivors and assessing conditions to help stabilize the situation for them. We need your help so we can remain on the ground to care for animals. Can you make an emergency donation today? We are working around the clock to mobilize more teams of responders, to obtain and ship food and supplies, and to coordinate with authorities and other organizations in Haiti. We are doing everything we can to provide immediate support to the animals who survived this disaster, as well as develop ongoing institutional support for Haiti’s animals and their human care-givers in the future. But we can’t do this work without your support. Will you stand by us today — and during future disasters around the world? We hope you will help by making a special gift now. Sincerely, Dr. Rebecca Berg, DVM HSUS/HSI/HSVMA Volunteer Disaster Responder Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Copyright © 2010 The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) | All Rights Reserved. The Humane Society of the United States | 2100 L Street, NW | Washington, DC 20037 humanesociety@hsus.org | 202-452-1100 | humanesociety.org

Ask your MP: Is that fur real or fake?

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7th January 2010 Dear Friend, Compassionate consumers have a right to know: Ask your MP to support fur labelling today! Every year, more than 50 million animals are raised and slaughtered on industrial factory farms or trapped in the wild so that their skins can be turned into frivolous fashion items. Clothing and trim made of real fur can be found on sale in UK High Streets and, with advances in quality of fake fur and the low cost of real animal fur, consumers may be buying real fur without even knowing it. Investigations have revealed that many designers and retailers have sold unlabelled or mislabelled fur-trimmed jackets. Judy Mallaber MP has introduced an Early Day Motion (EDM 253) calling on the government to introduce a measure to ensure that products made from real animal fur are clearly labelled. A labelling system would require manufacturers to clearly state if an item contains real fur, and would help shoppers make an informed choice – allowing compassionate consumers to choose not to support a cruel and unnecessary industry. Please ask your MP to sign the Fur Labelling Early Day Motion today. Laws have been introduced in the states of New York, Delaware and New Jersey in the United States, requiring all real fur and fur-trimmed clothing to carry a label. The Early Day Motion calls upon the government to immediately introduce this consumer-protection and create a labelling order requiring all real fur on sale to carry a label that clearly states that the item is made using real animal fur, whether or not it has been dyed, and the country of origin of the fur. Join us: Please ask your MP to support clear fur labelling for UK consumers. Sincerely, Mark Glover Director Humane Society International/UK Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Copyright © 2010 Humane Society International/UK | All Rights Reserved. Humane Society International | 30 Station Road, Carlton | Nottingham, NG4 3AX United Kingdom info@hsi.org | hsiuk.org

Scottish seals under threat

SCOTTISH SEAL SHOOTING SCANDAL.

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL ACTION REQUIRED NOW!

The Scottish Government has made it clear that they are going to support seal shooting salmon farmers and not the protection of seals in the forthcoming Marine (Scotland) Act.

At a crucial committee debate on the proposed Act, Scottish Government representatives strongly opposed moves to keep the close seasons which give seals at least some protection during the breeding seasons. Instead the Government wants to allow fish farmers and others to shoot heavily pregnant seals and mother seals with dependant young thus leaving baby seals to starve to death. Blatant barbarism.

The Save Our Seals Fund, Animal Concern and the Animal Concern Advice Line all called for a ban on allowing salmon farmers to shoot seals. Apart from any moral, welfare or conservation issues the fact is that salmon farmers can exclude seals from their floating factory farms thus removing any need to shoot them. The problem is that exclusion is more expensive than shooting seals. The Scottish Government not only opposes banning salmon farmers from shooting seals, it will not even support a compromise calling for salmon farmers to at least try all the exclusion methods before resorting to shooting seals.

There are many reasons for the SNP Government to deny seals any realistic protection but the most obvious one is that salmon factory farmers, commercial fishery interests and those that work in these industries can vote – seals cannot. The SNP have a terrible record on Marine conservation and continually lobby for bigger catch quotas for Scottish fishermen while fish stocks continue to decline due to commercial over fishing.  In Scotland the same Government Minister is responsible for protecting seals and the environment AND for protecting the industries which are in direct and deadly conflict with seals and the habitat which is their home.

The time has come to tell Scottish politicians that their failure to protect the globally important seal populations which live in Scottish waters is a very serious matter with extremely serious consequences for the Scottish economy.

Below are two versions of an e-mail to the Scottish First (Prime) Minister Alex Salmond. One is for people in Scotland and the other is for people living outside of Scotland. Please add your own name and address and customise the e-mail as you see fit. Also please circulate this appeal for action as widely as possible. Those of you on internet social network sites (I don’t have a clue how to use them!) please distribute this message to your friends. Those of you who are supporters/members of other groups, especially the big international groups, contact them and ask them to back this campaign and ask their supporters to join in. Make sure you ask them for a reply – Scottish seals desperately need their support. We need thousands of international protests so that Alex Salmond knows that killing seals in Scotland is just as unacceptable as killing seals in Canada, Norway or South Africa.

Protest e-mails should be sent to:    FirstMinister@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

Scottish supporters may wish to copy their e-mails to their own MSPs.

SUGGESTED PROTEST E-MAIL FROM PEOPLE IN SCOTLAND

INSERT YOUR DETAILS & DATE HERE                                                                                   Rt. Hon Alex Salmond MSP,

The First Minister,

St. Andrew’s House,

Regent Road,
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG

Dear First Minister,

I write to you as a person who is proud to be a Scot but is totally ashamed at the failure of your Government to offer seals protection in the forthcoming Marine (Scotland) Act.

I understand that at the recent Stage 2 Committee debate on amendments to part 5 of the Marine (Scotland) Bill representatives of your Government opposed keeping the close seasons which give seals protection from being shot when heavily pregnant or nursing their young. I understand also that not only does your Government oppose banning salmon farmers from shooting seals; you even opposed making it necessary for the farmers to try all non-lethal deterrent methods before resorting to shooting.

Until your Government changes the Marine (Scotland) Bill to give seals proper protection I will be encouraging my friends and relatives here and abroad to boycott Scottish salmon and other Scottish products and to cross Scotland off their list of acceptable holiday destinations. I will also ask my friends and relatives in Scotland not to vote for the SNP in future Westminster, Holyrood and local elections.

The killing of seals in Canada, Norway, Russia and Africa attracts international outrage and condemnation. I would like you to reply to this communication and tell me why you think that the Government endorsed slaughter of seals in Scotland is acceptable?

Your Government is condemning seals, including new born baby seals, to death and by refusing to stop this cruel and  unnecessary slaughter you are damaging the reputation of Scotland across the globe.

Yours sincerely,

SUGGESTED PROTEST E-MAIL FROM PEOPLE OUTSIDE SCOTLAND

INSERT YOUR DETAILS & DATE HERE,                                                                                   Rt. Hon Alex Salmond MSP

The First Minister
St. Andrew’s House
Regent Road
Edinburgh EH1 3DG,

Scotland

Dear First Minister,

I have just learned that the shooting and killing of seals is not only allowed in Scotland, your Government has been blocking moves to gives seals some legal protection.

Until Scotland bans the killing of seals I will not be visiting your country as a tourist, will most definitely not be buying Scottish salmon and will also avoid other Scottish products.

Please tell me why your new Marine Act will allow fish farmers and others to shoot pregnant seals and mother seals with dependent pups? Tell me why your new law will not force fish farmers to use existing technology to protect their stock without resorting to shooting seals?

Bring Scotland into the 21^st century – outlaw the killing of seals and give seals and their marine environment proper legal protection.

Yours sincerely,

*******

In addition to e-mailing the Scottish First Minister, distributing this communication to your personal contacts and like-minded groups, please also consider writing letters to the newspapers to make more people aware of the Scottish Seal Shooting Scandal. Anything up to 5,000 seals are legally killed in Scotland every year. With your help we may finally put an end to this scandal.

Thanks for your help.

John F. Robins, Secretary, Save Our Seals Fund (SOSF), C/O Animal Concern, P.O. Box 5178, Dumbarton G82 5YJ. Tel: 01389-841-639, Mobile: 07721-605521. Fax: 0870-7060327.  SOSF is a recognised charity:  RCNo. SC025489.

E-MAIL: sosf@jfrobins.force9.co.uk website: http://www.saveoursealsfund.org/

Help ARA to ban Ukweshwama rituals

Animal Rights Africa (ARA) is in the process of taking legal action to try and end the cruel way the Ukweshwama ritual is practiced. ARA has exhausted all other remedies to meet with and discuss the issue with the parties concerned, to no avail.

To assist with this precedent setting legal challenge please go to: Help The Bull Donation Page

During this cruel ritual a group of men torture and kill a bull with their bare hands. The bull suffers tremendously. According to an eyewitness description of the killing, “For 40 minutes, dozens trampled the bellowing, groaning bull, wrenched its head around by the horns to try to break its neck, pulled its tongue out, stuffed sand in its mouth and even tried to tie its penis in a knot.”

The Ukweshwama ritual does nothing to strengthen nation building, social cohesion or peace. ARA is also concerned that the ritual will also desensitise participants and on-lookers. Violence begets violence and violence to animals and violence to fellow human beings is interlinked. There is solid scientific evidence of a definite link between violence to animals and violence perpetrated against people.

ARA has the support of animal welfare groups and organisations all over Africa. At Pan-African conference on animal welfare, held in Nairobi, Kenya, on 21- 24 September 2009, delegates signed a petition calling on the South African Parliament to halt, with immediate effect, the ukweshwama ritual. According to Mr Josphat Ngonyo, the Director of the Africa Network for Animal Welfare, “The cruelty meted out to these animals is barbaric, inhumane and retrogressive. It is conducted in the name of ‘culture’ but culture of this nature needs to be abandoned as swiftly as the culture of female circumcision…..This is not the face of Africa that will see us contributing to global discourse as competent and dignified participants.”

There is nothing stopping the practice from embracing change. Traditions and cultural practices by their very nature are fluid, dynamic and ever evolving. Crucially, tradition is not an excuse for cruelty, and many societies have ended or are working to end ”traditional” practices that cause animals or humans to suffer, such as slavery, human-trafficking, cannibalism, infanticide, female circumcision, foot-binding, bullfighting and fox hunting.

As commentator Fred Khumalo has aptly pointed out, “culture is about taking the beautiful, spiritually fulfilling, inspiring manifestation of life, as lived by our ancestors, and striving to improve these instead of reliving the hurtful, nonsensical aspects of life in the past.”

For more information go to: http://www.animalrightsafrica.org/RitualKilling.php

To contact ARA directly email: info@animalrightsafrica.org

Greyhounds petition – please sign and pass on

Give a holiday gift that helps animals in disasters

December 4, 2009 In October of this year, several deadly typhoons hit the Philippines. People and animals struggled to survive in flooded areas, taking refuge on roofs and wherever they could find high ground. Humane Society International’s emergency responders arrived on the scene, navigated by boat through submerged streets and provided food, clean water, and veterinary care to animals in need. We could not provide this life-saving work if it wasn’t for supporters like you. This holiday season, give something a little different—honor someone you love with a gift that helps HSI provide emergency care to animals all over the world whenever disaster strikes. Give a Humane Gift today! “Provide Emergency Disaster Relief” is just one of dozens of virtual gifts in our online catalog. Once you purchase this gift, you can instantly send a personalized eCard to the recipient. Or, print a card to send or give in person later. Give the gift of disaster relief or browse our online catalog to choose other gifts that support HSI’s critical work. HSI is on the frontlines, fighting cruelty and protecting animals around the globe. We are in the Philippines, wading through waist-high water to feed and vaccinate pets. We are on the ice floes of Canada, documenting the atrocities of the annual commercial seal slaughter. We are providing spay/neuter training in Ethiopia, India, and throughout South America. We are rescuing puppy mill victims in Québec. By giving a Humane Gift you’ll help us continue to respond to animals in need worldwide. Start a new tradition this year with a gift that gives twice. Give a Humane Gift. Sincerely, Andrew Rowan President & CEO Humane Society International P.S.: Want to ask your friends and family to give you Humane Gifts this year? Spread the word on Facebook, Twitter, or with one of our email postcards.

Copyright © 2009 Humane Society International (HSI) | All Rights Reserved. Humane Society International | 2100 L Street, NW | Washington, DC 20037 USA info@hsi.org | 301-258-3010 | hsi.org

4.5 million animals saved from testing

4.5 million animals saved from testing At the request of HSI and others, the European Chemicals Agency recently announced that companies will not have to perform duplicative animal tests for some types of toxicity when registering chemicals. In that one stroke, approximately 4.5 million mice, rats and rabbits were saved from suffering and death in European laboratories. Read more>> Support for farm animals in India Animal protection, rural development and environmental advocates were inspired to take action on behalf of farm animals through a workshop co-hosted by HSI in Bangalore late last month. These events are building a groundswell of support to stop factory farming in India. Read more>> Stamping out rabies September 28 marks World Rabies Day, which aims “to raise awareness about the impact of human and animal rabies, how easy it is to prevent it, and how to eliminate the main global sources.” HSI is doing our part through our Street Animal Welfare program. Read about our recent work in China, Bhutan and India [PDF]. Donate to our special fund for the sterilization and vaccination of dogs in China. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter » Canada refuses to ban dog & cat fur imports » Planning a vacation? You can help animals! » Last chance to join the cyber-rally for animals in EU labs! » U.S. citizens: Support the Shark Conservation Act » You can save the lives of street animals » Give a Humane Gift to help animals

Copyright © 2009 Humane Society International (HSI) | All Rights Reserved. Humane Society International | 2100 L Street, NW | Washington, DC 20037 USA info@hsi.org | 301-258-3010 | hsi.org

Ethical Shopping – Up In Flames?

New survey reveals shoppers often forget higher welfare when buying for the BBQ -

The RSPCA has launched an online consumer campaign, called ‘BBQ Source’ offering help and advice to welfare-conscious but budget-driven consumers who don’t want to forget the ‘source’ of their meat when cooking on the BBQ.

This comes as new research* shows that one in four shoppers (28%) actively seek higher welfare meat when doing a normal shop, but this desire to buy welfare-friendly produce drops to just one in six (17%) when shopping for the BBQ.

“With around 93% ** of the population eating meat, we know that people’s buying habits can have a very direct influence on how farm animals reared for meat are raised. That is why we feel it is so important that as many people as possible are informed about and encouraged to choose meat raised to higher welfare standards,” said Mel Andrews, campaign manager for the RSPCA.

“If more people go out of their way to choose or ask for welfare-friendly food such as RSPCA Freedom Food labelled products, more of the 900 plus million animals reared for food each year in the UK will be raised under higher welfare standards,” she added.

To mark the launch of ‘BBQ Source’ the RSPCA has posted lots of barbecue-related hints and tips on its campaign website www.giveanimalsavoice.org.uk. There is also a shopping guide with information on what labels to look out for when choosing higher welfare, as well as price comparisons, ideas on how to use leftovers and a portion calendar to help cut down on food waste.  It also includes information on the key welfare issues affecting farm animals.

With the economic situation still uncertain, it is unsurprising perhaps that the survey found price was seen as a major factor when buying higher welfare. When respondents were asked what would convince them to buy higher welfare meat, 72% said it was dependent on price, or if it was on special offer.

“Price can sometimes be seen as a barrier when buying higher welfare meat, and this is where the RSPCA’s online shopping guide can come in handy,” adds Andrews. “ You can still save money when buying higher welfare meat by preparing the food yourself, getting the portions right and using up leftovers for another meal the next day.”

According to the government funded ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ campaign*** which sets out to encourage shoppers to make the most of the food they buy, and waste less of it, in the UK we throw away the equivalent of 33 million chicke ns and 3 million pigs per year.

This is a waste of money and animals’ lives.

Vote Cruelty Free

RSPCA – Quash the Squash

	QUASH THE SQUASH! Our Quash the Squash campaign explains how the welfare of meat chickens in England is under threat as the government considers new EU legislation. Since then over 6,000 people have written to the minister for animal welfare, Jim Fitzpatrick MP, urging him to ‘quash the squash’ and reject this backward step for chicken welfare. A massive thanks goes out to all those who have taken this action. However we still need many more people to write to the minister. If you haven’t already, please take a few moments to join us in writing to him, his decision is imminent. PLEASE TAKE ACTION NOW. We urgently need your help to ensure the government makes the right choice for chickens. Even at current minimum standards, so many chickens are crowded into a shed that each bird has less space than a sheet of A4. It’s hard to walk or even flap their wings. But this legislation could allow yet more birds to be squashed in. The RSPCA, Compassion in World Farming and WSPA are all campaigning on this issue to prevent a backward step for chicken welfare in England. Email Jim Fitzpatrick Thank you so much for getting involved, Melanie Andrews Farm Animals Campaign Manager For further information: Read a joint letter to the Minister from the RSPCA, WSPA and Compassion in World Farming Read an article in the Guardian about the issue Watch the ‘Irritating Chicken’ campaign You Tube video

International Animal Rescue – Free the dancing bears

International Animal Rescue – Free the dancing bears

IAR has been campaigning to free the bears since 2002 when our first sanctuary opened in Agra, India.

The trade in dancing bears has been illegal in India since 1972, but kalandar nomads still use bears on the streets to beg money from tourists. Indian dancing bears are sloth bears, poached from the wild as tiny cubs. Any cub that survives this trauma is destined for a life of misery and pain, beaten and abused to make him ‘dance.’

Dancing bears have been on the streets of India for centuries. As more and more tourists visited the country, so the pitiful sight of these wonderful sloth bears being forced to perform could be encountered right across the country. In 1972 the Indian government finally outlawed this cruel practice. But at that time there was no facility to house any animals that were confiscated. Read more »

Take action against bullfighting in France!

Take action against bullfighting in France! The French seaside resort of Mimizan is holding a novillada, a bullfight with young bulls on 5 August. Although picadors, the men on horseback, who thrust their lance into the bull’s flesh during a corrida, are absent in a novillada, the bull is still mutilated during the fight. It still suffers horrendous injuries and is eventually killed by the matador. What’s more, no bullfighting has ever taken place in Mimizan and the mayor wants to “revitalise” the city with the event. Don’t let this happen! Urge the mayor of Mimizan to cease plans to hold a novillada by clicking here. We need your support to stop this event from happening. We need you to help us make bullfighting history! Many thanks for your support. Click here now to email the mayor

Animal Aid updates

New factsheet

Come along to our primary and secondary school speakers’ workshops

National Anti-Shooting Week 21-27 September 2009

Please get involved in Animal Aid’s National Anti-Shooting Week, which takes place just before the start of the pheasant shooting season. We would like you to take to the streets to set up information stalls, collect petition signatures or give out leaflets, to help raise awareness about the cruelty and callousness involved in this so-called ’sport’.

• Order an information pack, and don’t forget to include your name and address

Support our work – make a donation now.

Join Dogs Trust’s biggest ever sponsored walk

Supporter number 3265874 Dear Mr Antill Let’s go walkies with Dogs Trust! On October 18th 2009 at 11.00am Dogs Trust are holding ten simultaneous sponsored walks around the country and we need you to help us make it the biggest dog walk in the UK. You don’t even need to have a dog to take part, why not get your face painted or bring along a toy – or if you’re feeling daring dress up as a dog yourself! So simply fill in a registration form for your chosen walk and come walkies with us! If you can’t attend one of this years walk don’t worry our lovely three legged mascot dog Jake will be taking part in the London walk so why not sponsor him here. If you’re under 16 please ask a parent or guardian’s permission before you register. All Waggy Walkers under the age of 16 planning to walk with a dog must be accompanied by an adult. Waggy Walks Whereabouts Bath Darlington Belfast Glasgow Brighton Leeds Cardiff Liverpool Coventry London
Fancy a bigger challenge?
	Dogs Trust has teamed up with renowned challenge trip organisers Voyage Concepts for the third year running to bring you the ultimate trip of a lifetime! Join us for a week in February or March 2010 and raise funds for all the dogs in our care! For more info phone 020 8399 6327 or email leonie@voyageconcepts.co.uk

NEW FOREST BADGER GROUP

Humane Society International Campaign update

Stopping seal slaughter around the world Last week, the European Union Council of Ministers endorsed the seal product trade ban voted on in May. In response, Canada threatened a challenge at the World Trade Organization. Read more>> Meanwhile, animal advocates are searching for ways to stop Namibia’s commercial seal slaughter, too. Read more>> A happy first for puppies! Recently, “Your Pet Pals” in Victoria, British Columbia became the first Canadian store to sign HSI’s Puppy Friendly Pledge. By promising to sell pet supplies only, this shop is helping both to promote adoption from shelters and put puppy mills out of business. Read more>> “The Cove” brings dolphin misery to light Ever dreamed of swimming with dolphins? Find out why you shouldn’t. The new film “The Cove” illustrates the tragedy of the Japanese dolphin drive fishery and the grim connection between the blood in the water and the captivity industry. Download our brochure and see if the movie is opening near you. Read more>> Share on Facebook Share on Twitter » HSI CEO meets with HH The Dalai Lama » HSI co-sponsors China forum on humane rabies control » Tell WAZA: Don’t ignore drive fishery cruelty » Join HSI on Facebook! » Support our campaign to end cruel seal hunts » Wedding or birthday coming up? Give a Humane Gift

Copyright © 2009 Humane Society International (HSI) | All Rights Reserved. Humane Society International | 2100 L Street, NW | Washington, DC 20037 USA info@hsi.org | 301-258-3010 | hsi.org

Urgent action needed – the race to protect greyhounds ends tomorrow!

Dear supporter, Time is running out to help protect greyhounds. Every year at least 10,000 greyhounds are retired from racing. The fate of many of these greyhounds is unknown and huge numbers simply ‘disappear’. Join us in the race to protect greyhounds by responding to the government’s public consultation – but hurry, it closes at 5pm on Wednesday, 22 July. This will only take a minute and we’ve provided a simple template letter to make it as easy as possible. If you’ve already taken action, then thank you for your support! Please take action today, forward this mail to other animal lovers, and help us protect these fantastic animals. We need the government to know that the public believe the quality of life of thousands of racing greyhounds is very poor.  Thank you.

	We need the government to know that the public is unhappy about the uncertainty around racing greyhounds. We need them to know that thousands of people support legislation that will protect each and every racing greyhound, by law, from cradle to grave. And we need to let them know by Wednesday, 22 July so that we don’t miss our chance. Please sign the campaign letter now, then forward this email on to other animal lovers so we can reach as many people as possible, as quickly as possible.

The RSPCA is a charity registered in England & Wales no. 219099

Make animal testing history !

Historic 1.5 million-strong petition calls for road map to end animal experiments

At 12.30pm on Thursday 2nd July 2009 Uncaged will submit a historic 1.5 million-strong petition to 10 Downing Street calling on the UK Government to work in Europe to develop a ‘road map’ to make animal experimentation history. The huge total of signatures – understood to comprise the largest animal protection petition in British history – is the culmination of 15 years of epic effort covering hundreds of towns and cities across the UK. It is also clear evidence of the British public’s strong desire for action towards eliminating animal experiments.

We are submitting this petition now because we are at a critical point in this historic controversy – the UK Government is currently asking for the public’s views on animal research ahead of discussions with other Governments over a new European Union law.

The petition cites moral and scientific reasons to prohibit animal experiments. Even animal researchers themselves admit that laboratory experiments inevitably cause pain, suffering and distress to animals, which can often be severe. There is also growing confirmation that the results of animal experiments are an unreliable – and sometimes dangerous – guide to human biology, while non-animal methods offer greater accuracy and safety assurance.

But the Government has repeatedly ignored advice from ethical experts who have recommended that targets should be set towards ending animal tests. Instead the number of animal experiments in Britain has been increasing since 2001.

These are some of the specific measures that Uncaged is asking the Government to support as part of the new European law on animal experiments:

• explicit and active support for the over-arching goal of eliminating animal experiments
• a targeted strategy to replace animal experiments with more advanced non-animal methods
• ethical limits on animal experimentation that reflects the public’s ethical stance, starting with a prohibition on severe pain in experiments, rapid phase-out of the use of primates, restrictions on the infliction of pain in ‘blue skies’ research
• thorough retrospective review to identify priority areas of animal research to be replaced with non-animal methods
• genuine public accountability, independence and transparency in animal experimentation and its regulation

WHAT YOU CAN DO

The UK Government is currently asking for the public’s views on animal research ahead of discussions with other Governments over a new European Union law. The Government’s public consultation period ends on Friday 3rd July. They have made the consultation process very difficult for the public to participate in due to its complexity. However, you can click here for a sample letter – please personalise if possible – to send to:

aspd-brp@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

or

Animals Scientific Procedures Division
Home Office
4th Floor SW,
Seacole Building
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

We also invite you to attend our photocall to accompany the petition submission, from 11.30am to 1pm on Thursday 2nd July, Whitehall, by the entrance to Downing St. We have costumes, banners and placards to wear/hold! Please contact us to let us know if you are coming (info@uncaged.co.uk / 0114 2722220).

Protecting Animals in Democracy is a project of Uncaged Campaigns.

Uncaged
5th Floor, Alliance House
9 Leopold Street
Sheffield
S1 2GY
England
(44) (0)114 2722220
www.uncaged.co.uk

Uncaged Campaigns Ltd is a not-for-profit organisation, company limited by guarantee, no.: 3241514

Please help WDCS call on the USA to stand together with its European Allies in opposing Greenland’s expansion of its hunt!

Please help WDCS call on the USA to stand together with its European Allies in opposing Greenland’s expansion of its hunt!

We write this direct from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting in Portugal where we urgently need your help

The USA delegation has been trying to bring pressure to bear on the European Union countries to support the Danish application on behalf of Greenland to expand its hunt to include humpback whales.

It would appear that the commitments of the new USA Administration have not reached the USA IWC delegation. We are still waiting to see the new administration’s positive impact at the IWC.

President Obama pledged to make decisions based on sound science – yet his delegation seems poised to accept an arbitrary, last-minute proposal that has not been given full scientific scrutiny.

You have already helped secure a large number of European votes to protect these humpbacks. Please help us ensure that the USA does not undo all that good work you have already achieved.

Please send this urgent action alert now – EVERY email will count.

Thank you again for your support.

Chris Butler-Stroud

Chief Executive

WDCS, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society