Animal Law News

Animal cruelty police force needed in Hong Kong

In the past four years, Hong Kong has done little to make animals better off, according to activists and law experts. No animal police squad has been set up, but more cruelty cases have been exposed, mainly by social media users.Experts said the recent case of a man throwing and kicking a dog in a Tuen Mun supermarket showed that current loose regulations were not serving as sufficient warnings for would-be offenders.

“The main problem is that we still don’t have a duty of care,” said Amanda Whitfort, an associate professor at the University of Hong Kong’s...more >>

European live animal trade
Animal welfare is being neglected on long journeys across Europe amid a booming livestock trade, the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme found.
Livestock hauliers were found to routinely break EU laws for the protection of animals in transit.
 
It follows monitoring by welfare charities in Bulgaria, an EU entry point to Turkey and the Middle East.
 
The UK government said it would "take steps to control the export of live animals for slaughter" post-Brexit.
 
UK exports of live...more >>

What is the EU withdrawal bill? (Animal sentience)

Questions have been raised about the impact of Brexit on animal welfare. Relevant discussions include reference to the EU withdrawal bill.The EU Withdrawal Bill – once known as the Great Repeal Bill – is going through the House of Commons to repeal the 1972 European Communities Act and transpose all existing EU legislation into domestic UK law, which will avoid a 'cliff-edge' change on the day after we leave the EU. 

 
Parts of the bill have been highly controversial, and MPs have tabled hundreds of amendments to try and change its wording...more >>

English MPs deny voting animals are not sentient

MPs have been forced to deny that a Commons vote last week means animals are not recognised in the UK as sentient life forms.

An amendment to the European Union (withdrawal bill to transfer the EU protocol on animal sentience into...more >>

UK law will specifically recognise animal sentience
Michael Gove has promised to make “any necessary changes” to UK law to recognise that animals can feel pain, after a social media campaign accused Conservative MPs of voting down proposals to accept they are sentient beings.
 
The environment secretary issued a statement to the House of Commons insisting that it was a misconception to say Tory MPs voted against the idea that animals are sentient and feel pain.
 
But he clarified that the government was now looking at making UK law specifically recognise animal sentience,...more >>

Dogs raced against cheetahs

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If Trump reverses elephant trophy ban…
The announcement that the Trump administration is considering overturning the US ban on elephant trophy imports from Zambia and Zimbabwe is one that directly threatens the lives of African park rangers who are tasked with protecting elephants and their ecosystems.
 
Over the last 10 years, more than 1,000 rangers – who are employed by governments, NGOs and private companies – have lost their lives in the line of duty.
 
 
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Put 6th and 7th December in your diary
Webinar dates to put in your calendar...
 
 
Wednesday, December 6: Factory farming, food
  • Is it realistic to think that there will ever be an agreed worldwide standard for animal care and protection?  
  • Webinar title: “Putting the sentiment animal in a global model of animal welfare”
  • Antoine F. Goetschei , President Global Animal Law Association
Thursday, December 7: Veterinarians, front-line conflicts of interest...more >>

November Webinar dates to put in your calendar...

Wednesday, November 1: Factory farming, food

  • What do you think about raising animals as a source of food? 
  • Webinar title: “Will law's sentient animal spell the end of factory farming? An NGO perspective.” 
  • Philip Lymbery, Chief Executive, Compassion in World Farming

Thursday, November 2: Veterinarians, animal abuse

  • Would you expect veterinarians to "get involved" to protect animals that are being abused? Would you be surprised...more >>

Don't miss your OCTOBER 11 and 12 webinars

From the September webinars, you should now be able to:

  1. State what the lawyer sees as the 3 elements of the “sentience” legislative definition; 
  2. Have clarity around the...more >>