It sounds good, doesn't it. Animal welfare has recently been included in Europe's Common Agricultural Policy’s ‘eco-scheme’ incentive programme. A recent amendment enables good animal welfare practices in the food chain; and the eco-schemes incentive programme will now encourage farmers who want to receive CAP subsidies to go beyond legal standards when it comes to the treatment of animals on their farms.
So why should animal advocates be disappointed?
Advocates are reportedly disappointed over missed opportunities to fundamentally reform the one...more >>
Plastic pollution is emerging as a top threat to ocean ecosystems. By 2025, it’s been estimated that there could be 1 ton of plastic for every 3 tons of fish in the ocean. Plastic debris affects nearly 700 species worldwide through entanglement and ingestion, alters natural biological and chemical processes, and provides a means for the introduction of toxins into the food web costing national economies millions each year. The majority of this debris comes from land-based sources (e.g., plastic manufacturers, processors, landfills, sewage overflows, litter).
As the issue of...more >>
A sniffer dog has had a £25,000 bounty placed on its head by criminals because it is so good at its job, its owner has claimed. Springer spaniel Scamp managed to detect £6m worth of illegal tobacco in a year, causing headaches for smugglers and black market dealers. His powerful sense of smell led to a string of court cases
Dogs are obviously an established part of our society. When people think about dogs, they usually think about them as pets. But take a moment to think about the wider roles that dogs fulfil to protect and serve the public. Scamp obviously works as...more >>
Issues of whales, conservation, and the tensions between country and international law are just some of the issues highlighted in the news about Japan withdrawing from the International Whaling Commission ("IWC") and resume commercial whaling. The commission, with 89 member governments, was established in 1946 to conserve whales and manage whaling around the world. It banned commercial whaling in 1986.
A Thai man has made it his life's mission to help people through their grief with animals. (https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/clm1wxp533pt/animals)
There's no doubt that when pets are lost or die, there are those who mourn their loss....more >>
So, you've heard about the bullfighting in Spain, right? And the debates questioning how the law can condone harming an animal for peoples entertainment?
Animal welfare groups have celebrated when the practice of bullfighting has been banned in certain areas. But in China, the practice is seemingly simply varied. the Chinese variant of bullfighting doesn’t involve swords or gore like it’s Spanish counterpart, but instead is a combination of wrestling and kung fu to bring down the animals involved.
Typically, a fighter approaches the bull head-on, grabs its...more >>