Category Archives: Animal welfare

Bullfighting firm in Seville to give free tickets to under-eights

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Company says move is best way to introduce tradition but critic claims it could psychologically damage young children

A firm managing bullfights at Seville’s bullring is to give free tickets to children under eight, adding to a national debate about the controversial Spanish tradition.

The company, Pages, said adult spectators with a ticket for the “novilladas” – practice bullfights involving younger bulls – at Seville’s Maestranza may be accompanied by a child free of charge, which it said was “the best way to introduce the little ones” to the world of bullfighting.

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Scottish salmon industry challenged over move to drop ‘farmed’ from labels

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Fish welfare campaigners say Defra decision facilitates greenwashing and will mislead consumers

Animal welfare campaigners are challenging the decision to allow producers of Scottish salmon to drop the word “farmed” from labelling.

An application by the industry body claimed changing the protected name wording on the front of packaging from “Scottish farmed salmon” to “Scottish salmon” made sense because wild salmon was no longer sold in supermarkets, which consumers were aware of.

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Dog gone: Italy bans ‘puppy yoga’ after reports of alleged mistreatment

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Health ministry rules that only adult dogs can be used for ‘animal assisted’ wellbeing activities

Passionate yogis in Italy have been taking their downward dog to the next level in studios offering “puppy yoga” classes.

But the health ministry has curtailed the growing trend after banning the use of pups to protect the animals’ health and welfare.

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World Bank’s funding of ‘hog hotel’ factory farms under fire over climate effect

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Environmental and animal welfare groups call on lender to phase out support for ‘industrial’ livestock operations

The private sector arm of the World Bank is facing claims that it contributes to global heating and the undermining of animal welfare by providing financial support for factory farming, including the building of pig farming tower blocks in China.

A coalition of environmental and animal welfare groups is calling on the World Bank to phase out financial support for large-scale “industrial” livestock operations. More than $1.6bn was provided for industrial farming projects between 2017 and 2023, according to an analysis by campaigners.

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Skins and feathers are as cruel as fur, the fashion industry is told

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Copenhagen fashion week is hailed for raising the bar on animal rights. But will the organisers of other fashion weeks follow?

Copenhagen fashion week has just announced that it will ban exotic skins and feathers from its catwalks next year, becoming the biggest industry event yet to do so.

“Skål to Copenhagen fashion week for raising the bar for other events,” says the vice-president of corporate projects at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta), Yvonne Taylor. “Now all eyes are on other fashion week organisers, who must follow suit.”

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Charity steps in to rehome 300 cats from ‘overwhelmed’ man in Canada

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Man says he ended up in ‘a crazy situation’ after he began taking in cats abandoned during Covid pandemic

An animal welfare charity in western Canada is scrambling to secure the resources needed to care for about 300 cats – all of them seemingly in good condition – after a call came in from a man who described himself as being “overwhelmed” by the sheer number of cats and kittens in his home.

Bruce Robinson told the British Columbia SPCA that he had taken in cats that had been abandoned during the Covid-19 pandemic but that the cost of caring for them had become a herculean task after he lost his job.

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Abbott claims Labour leadership’s ‘real agenda’ is to prevent her getting the whip back – UK politics live

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Hackney MP endorsed a post saying it was unlikely she would be allowed to rejoin Labour despite the support of senior figures

A reader asks:

Is there anything other than convention which says elections must be on a Thursday?

The reason for choosing Thursday, it is said, was as follows. On Fridays the voters were paid their wages and if they went for a drink in a public house they would be subject to pressure from the Conservative brewing interests, while on Sundays they would be subject to influence by Free Church ministers who were generally Liberal in persuasion. Therefore choose the day furthest from influence by either publicans or Free Church clergymen, namely Thursday. Although these influences are much less significant today, the trend towards Thursday becoming a universal polling day has continued, because Urban District Councils and Rural District Councils all polled on a Saturday until they were abolished under the 1972 Local Government Act. Their successor District Councils poll on a Thursday and the Parish Council polling day was changed from Saturday to Thursday at the same time.

If it ends up being an autumn election as Sunak has indicated, how does that impact the conference season - do they still go ahead? - and does the summer recess have any affect on when a government can call an election?

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Guinea pig abandoned at London tube station with note asking for new owner

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RSPCA take in young rodent after Canning Town staff discover cage in alleyway

A guinea pig has been found abandoned outside an east London tube station, with a note reading: “I need a new owner.”

Staff at Canning Town station discovered the animal, which has been named DiscoPig, alone inside a cage with the piece of paper taped to it.

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Pigs don’t fly: Louisiana piglet rescued after being thrown in Mardi Gras

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Lieutenant governor ‘pardons’ animal and Republican local politician adopts it after it’s saved in New Orleans

A piglet that was rescued after being tossed like a football near a Mardi Gras event in New Orleans was “pardoned” on Wednesday and has found a permanent home with a Louisiana lawmaker.

The weeks-old pig – dubbed Earl “Piglet” Long, a play on the name of the 45th governor of Louisiana – was ceremoniously pardoned by the lieutenant governor, Billy Nungesser, on the Louisiana capitol steps.

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Cape Town hit by ‘unimaginable’ stench from 19,000 cattle on live export ship

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Animal welfare groups say smell from the build-up of faeces and ammonia on the ship are indicative of the conditions animals endure

Authorities in Cape Town have launched an investigation after a foul stench swept over the South African city.

Officials inspected sewage facilities for leaks and an environmental health team was activated before the source of the smell was discovered: a ship docked in the harbour carrying 19,000 live cattle from Brazil to Iraq.

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Australian greyhounds being adopted to US in increasing numbers as welfare advocates call for greater transparency

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More than 500 dogs sent to US for rehoming as local industry breeds more dogs than needed and demand for homes outstrips supply

Greyhound welfare advocates are calling for more transparency after figures emerged that at least 500 dogs have been sent to the US for rehoming as the racing industry continues to breed far more dogs than are needed.

Australia is one of seven countries where commercial greyhound racing is legal – New Zealand, Mexico, Ireland, the UK, US and Vietnam (where no races occur) also allow the sport.

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Man accused of throwing beloved chicken to alligator will plead not guilty to animal cruelty, NSW court hears

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The 57-year-old allegedly threw a silkie bantam chook known as Betty White into alligator pen, shocking onlookers at Oakvale Farm and Fauna World

A man accused of throwing a chicken known as Betty White into an alligator pen in front of shocked families at a popular NSW wildlife park has indicated he’ll plead not guilty to animal cruelty.

The case against Peter William Smith, 57, of Singleton, was briefly mentioned in Raymond Terrace local court on Monday.

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Cat dies after being thrown off Russian train by conductor

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State-owned railway company RZhD apologises as conductor faces calls to be sacked and potentially prosecuted

A cat has died in Russia after being thrown off a train in freezing temperatures by a conductor who has faced calls to be sacked and potentially prosecuted.

The state-owned railway company RZhD has apologised to the owners of Twix, the ginger-and-white cat who was dumped into the snow in Kirov on 11 January.

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Rescuers in daring bid to save sheep trapped by Iceland volcano

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More than 200 animals abandoned by farmers after the eruption have not been fed or watered for days

A daring operation is being launched to rescue more than 200 sheep left to their fate by farmers after a volcanic eruption near the evacuated Icelandic town of Grindavik.

With molten lava setting homes ablaze and the ground surface cracking, rescue teams are seeking to bring out an estimated 270 animals from their fields and indoor pens.

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South Korea passes bill banning production and sale of dog meat

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Animal welfare campaigners hail decision as ‘historic victory’ after years of pressure at home and abroad

South Korea’s parliament has voted to ban the production and sale of dog meat, in a decision campaigners hailed as a “historic victory” for animal welfare.

The country’s national assembly voted overwhelmingly to ban the breeding, butchery, distribution and sale of dogs for their meat on Tuesday, after years of pressure at home and abroad.

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Hope for rare singing gibbons as pair are released into the wild

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Two Siamang gibbons rescued from the illegal pet trade have been rehabilitated in a new Indonesian centre

The forest chorus of South Sumatra in Indonesia has some of its finest singers back: a pair of rare Siamang gibbons, rescued from the illegal pet trade, have been released into the wild.

Siamang gibbons (Symphalangus syndactylus) are known for their distinctive large throat sacs. But their powerful, haunting voices, used for communication and marking territory, are a blessing and a curse.

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‘Appalling abuse of animals’: Chris Packham tells Ant and Dec I’m a Celebrity is like dog fighting

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The conservationist compares ITV reality show to pursuits that are ‘the sad preserve of psychopathic criminals’

Chris Packham has written a letter to Ant and Dec, accusing I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! of exploiting animals.

In the missive, released on X (formerly Twitter), he states that this is not the first time he has tried to engage with the show’s presenters about animal welfare standards on the reality show, but that his previous “polite, reasonable and constructive” attempts were ignored so “this time I’ll be a little more frank and forthright”.

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Bone cows bred in Australia provide base material for dental grafts

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Use of cattle from country free of mad cow disease means product is safe, experts say, and patients can still donate blood

Bone cows, specially bred in mad cow-free Australia, are being used instead of human donors for dental and medical bone grafts.

While bovine grafts have been tested for spinal fusion, foot reconstructions and to fix skull traumas, the Australian versions are predominantly used in dental work to strengthen degraded jaws before tooth implants.

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Animals to be recognised as sentient beings under proposed Victorian cruelty laws

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New draft of animal care and protection act may make Victoria first state to explicitly recognise animal sentience

The Victorian government will follow the ACT and could become the first Australian state to recognise that animals are sentient beings, under a draft overhaul of cruelty laws to be released in the coming weeks.

Guardian Australia understands a long-awaited draft of the new animal care and protection act will be released for public consultation next month, before a final bill is tabled in parliament in 2024.

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Premature death of 80m chickens raises concerns over UK’s fast-growing breeds

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Animal welfare groups urge retailers to switch to slow-growing birds in face of record deaths last year

More than 80 million chickens died before reaching slaughter weight in the UK last year, with mortality rates the highest for at least a decade, reveal official figures.

Animal welfare organisations say the fast-growing chicken breeds that dominate production have higher mortality rates, lameness and muscle disease than slower-growing breeds. They are calling on retailers to switch to slower-growing breeds and provide more space for the birds.

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