Animal Law News

Animal Law News

Chinese antibiotic use 'threatening Australian food safety'

Scientists have warned that Australia could be importing superbugs in its food supply because of China's rampant use of antibiotics on farms. US scientists say antibiotics are in such heavy use on Chinese animal farms that it could lead to wide human antibiotic resistance on a vast scale.

A research team from Michigan State University carried out tests on manure from three large commercial pig farms in China. The researchers discovered large concentrations of genes which are capable of conferring resistance to all major...more >>

Farmer jailed for two years and one month

On 7 February 2013, the New Zealand High Court sentenced a 40-year-old farmer by the name of Lourens Barend Erasmus, to two years and one month in jail. Erasmus was charged with severe animal cruelty, having broken 115 of his cows’ tails ( many of them demonstrating multiple breaks) and hitting them with steel pipes and milking cups. During the farm inspection conducted by the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries, investigators found cows with broken jaws, broken limbs, open wounds and infections. 25 cows were euthanised on humane grounds.

Rasmussen was originally...more >>

Why Animals Matter: Animal Consciousness, Animal Welfare, and Human Well-Being

Judy MacArthur Clark has provided a review of a book written by Marian Stamp Dawkins titled Why Animals Matter: Animal Consciousness, Animal Welfare, and Human Well-Being.

Judy MacArthur Clark is a veterinarian and past-president of the UK Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. She has been a consultant on ethical policy development and on improving the public understanding of science for over 20 years and works actively on research regulation and policy development in Europe and the United States. She is currently head of the Animals in Science Regulation Unit in the...more >>

International Transdisciplinary Congress on Fauna Protection (Brazil)

The International Transdisciplinary Congress on Fauna Protection holds its second Congress on 25-26 April 2013 in Goiânia, Brazil.

The Congress provides professionals from multiple disciplines with the opportunity to address controversial issues, including related topics involving animals and their relationships with man. One of the objectives of the Congress is to explore ways of how to achieve harmony of procedures involving animals. In exploring this topic, the Congress will provide the opportunity to monitor the progress and contribution of scientific, legal and...more >>

Mama bear knows what's best (Canada)

Mama bear appears to know what's best when it comes to selecting a place to call home, according to a new University of Alberta study.

The research, which may ultimately help protect Alberta's dwindling population of grizzly bears, is among the first of its kind to test the nature-versus-nurture debate on how large, free-ranging wildlife select habitat.

The grizzly study, conducted in the foothills of west-central Alberta, tracked 32 adult and young grizzly bears that had been fitted with GPS radio collars. The animals' movements were monitored from 31...more >>

Further evidence crabs and other crustaceans feel pain

A study has revealed that the shore crab, a close relative of the species we use for food, responds to electric shocks and then goes on to avoid them.Previous research has shown that prawns and hermit crabs also react to painful situations.

Scientists say the findings suggest the food and aquaculture industry should rethink how it treats these animals.

The work is published in the Journal of Experimental Biology

Reconciling Safety and Fairness in Global Agri-Food Standardization

Private food safety standards have recently emerged as a dynamic power in the global value chan. Good agricultural practices (GAP) is one such standard currently gaining popularity as a prominent field-level food quality assurance system. Achieving private GAP certification, most notably of GlobalGAP, is a dif- ficult option for low income producers in the Global South due to the high costs required for necessary investments and certification. This paper critically analyzes the ethical implications of private food safety standards in light of three theoretical perspectives from...more >>

Do cultural differences exist among dogs?

Although it is known how cultural identity affects behaviours among the human population, it is still unknown whether this notion can be applied to man’s best friend.

The answer may be just round the corner following research being carried out by three universities in the UK, Austria and Hungary.

The study aims to find out if cultural differences exist among dogs by looking at how dogs from different countries react to various problems.

£300m off Tesco market value in horsemeat scandal

Nearly £300m worth of market value has been knocked off the value of Tesco following reports that a number of its burgers were found to contain horsemeat

Tesco, along with rivals Lidl and Aldi were found to be selling burgers that contained horse DNA. Both Asda and Tesco have now cleared products off their shelves as the Food Standards Agency launched an investigation. In one Tesco product, 29 per cent of the 'beef' content was actually horsemeat. Suppliers in continental Europe are suspected of being the source of the horsemeat, a processing firm has claimed.

National Link Coalition’s LINK-Letter

The Link

The January issue of the National Link Coalition’s LINK-Letter has been published, providing up-to-date information on public policy, programs and research at the intersections of animal abuse, domestic violence, child maltreatment and elder abuse.

You can review the newsletter at http://nationallinkcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/LinkLetter-2...

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