ALLIANCE FOR ANIMAL RIGHTS (A.F.A.R.)

GET ACTIVE FOR THE ANIMALS

The SHAC campaign is all about action. Action is everything. Words and tears mean nothing to the animals trapped in their cages inside HLS waiting to die. They deserve nothing less than our utmost commitment to take action every day to close down the lab that holds them captive and slowly kills them.

Taking action is coming on demonstrations, writing letters, making phone calls, sending emails or faxes, telling other people about the campaign, distributing leaflets, fundraising, putting up posters and stickers. Action is whatever you can do to close down the hell-hole that is Huntingdon Life Sciences. We all have our part to play and we can all take effective action to close HLS down.

See www.shac.net and spare one hour if you care enough!

WHEN-TUESDAY 26th MAY 2009

DEMO TIME-1pm until 2pm.

WHERE-ASTRAZENECA

College Park House,

20 Nassau Street

Dublin 2

Tel:+353 1 609 7100

Fax:+353 1 679 6650

See you all there. Drop me an email if you are coming.

Bernie

SHAC IRELAND

Subject: Independent .ie Puppy hanging 'an act of pure evil'

Puppy hanging 'an act of pure evil'

• By Conor Kane

Monday February 23 2009

GARDAI and animal welfare experts are investigating the death of a dog which was alleged to have been hanged by a seven-year-old after being dragged behind a bike through a housing estate.

The terrier puppy was dead by the time volunteers from the Tipperary SPCA were notified of the sickening incident, which occurred in Clonmel last week. One animal worker described the act as "pure evil".

Photographs of the dead puppy, with what appears to be a bathrobe belt around its neck, have been given to gardai and the animal's death is now under inquiry.

Conor Hickey of the TSPCA, said welfare officers were coming across more and more cases of dogs and other animals being tortured and killed by children -- thrown from heights, tied to railway tracks, burned or beaten.

"Our problem is that it's hard to prove it was one person. Most people don't want to get involved, even if they know who was responsible," he said.

Gardai are also investigating an incident in Clonmel in which a woman found her dog's head on the back door.

Gardai hunt youths who beat and tortured sheep /Independent.

By Anita Guidera

Saturday May 02 2009

A GARDA investigation is under way after a sheep was allegedly beaten to near death by a gang of youths in a housing estate.

The animal's injuries were so severe that it had to be put down by a local vet who was contacted by gardai.

The incident, which took place in Crana View in the Cockhill housing estate on the outskirts of Buncrana last Wednesday morning, was allegedly filmed by mobile phone and circulated.

Neighbours in the estate awoke to a disturbance at around 2.30am and witnessed a number of young men, not from the locality, on the street.

According to local reports, a group of youths in their late teens had earlier stolen the sheep from a nearby hill and brought it to the estate where they allegedly beat and tortured it, in public view.

One local person contacted gardai who called in a local vet but the animal's injuries were so bad it could not be saved.

Buncrana-based superintendent Paul Glynn confirmed yesterday that the matter was under active investigation.

"We are looking into all the circumstances surrounding this incident. There are rumours and information that something happened to the sheep which would be of great cause for concern. We are very anxious to find out what happened," he said. He added that gardai expected there would be criminal prosecutions arising out of the incident.

There have been a spate of attacks in the region in recent weeks.

A man in Derry's Waterside reported a half-dead calf that was tied to the roof of a car with a Donegal licence plate, and just last month a pig was found slaughtered in an estate close to where the sheep died.

ISPCA inspector Kevin McGinley said he believed the sheep had suffered "substantial injuries" after being beaten, and the fact that "it was brought there suggests that it was premeditated".

- Anita Guidera

http://www.staffycampaign.org.uk/

 this is a new campaign to:

"Publicise widely the plight of The Staffordshire Bull Terrier in

 terms of the effects of overbreeding; ownership for ‘status symbols’;

 the high rate of abandonment; and the amount of Bull Terriers being

put to sleep in the UK."

Dairy: 09 May 2009

IRISH FARMERS JOURNAL

British and Irish Dairy Council pool resources

The GB and Irish Dairy Councils have agreed to form an alliance that will strengthen their research pool, reduce costs and improve the promotion of dairy products. The new entity will be known as the GB Alliance.

The key focus at the outset will be on dairy nutrition and research, legislation and issues management. The group intends to expand the scope further in due course, covering other areas like communications and marketing.

The formation of the new alliance was announced last week at a photo shoot on the farm of John and Caroline Murphy, Glanbia liquid milk suppliers based outside Newcastle in Co Dublin.

National Dairy Council chief executive, Helen Brophy, said the move will "assist us greatly in achieving our strategic objective of becoming a centre of knowledge and expertise on all aspects of dairy-related nutrition and research''. She said this move will also insure that the levy paid by farmers is yielding a return.

Dr Judith Bryans, the Great Britain Dairy Council CEO, echoed this sentiment and said "the challenges we face in dairy are global, and we need to drive home the message of the nutritional benefits of dairy products. This initiative will help us to keep up to date with the changes in the market and provide a constant flow of information to consumers and GPs, etc.''

Dr Bryans is chair of the Nutrition Working Group of the European Dairy Association, and her team manage four sports nutrition studies. They are also tracking dairy-related stories, particulary in the run-up to the 2012 Olympics.

"There are mixed messages out there when it comes to the health benefits of dairy products, and we need clarity and accurate scientific-based information to inform consumers,'' Dr Bryans said.

One such example is the fact that nearly 50% of adults believe that soya milk is as good as its dairy counterpart. NDC nutritionist Dr Catherine Logan informed the Irish Farmers Journal that soya milk isn't as fortified as dairy milk, and there is now legislation to prevent the use of the word 'milk' to describe these types of products.

The alliance is part of the NDC's five-year strategic plan. Benefits to farmers and the industry include greater value for money on dairy nutrition research and promotion of the dairy industry.

"Our alliance with the Dairy Council, Dr Bryans and her team provides us with a cost-effective way to increase our capacity by putting in place a structured system to share emerging relevant research and global information, and to proactively engage with the critical issues that are evolving,'' explained Brophy.

Medium-term goals for the NDC and the alliance will be to gain more access to research on dairy nutrition.

Outbreak of brucellosis denied by dog breeder

KITTY HOLLAND and CLAIRE O'BRIEN Monday, May 4, 2009

AN ALLEGED outbreak of canine brucellosis on a puppy farm in the midlands poses a serious public health risk as the disease is transmissible to humans, the Dublin SPCA and the Ulster SPCA have warned.

They say the owner of the farm, on which there are 700 breeding bitches and up to 300 puppies, refused to sign an undertaking this weekend not to move the dogs off-site before tomorrow when officials from the Department of Agriculture or Environment could assess the situation.

The claims were rejected by a spokeswoman at the breeder’s facility, claiming instead that the two welfare agencies were involved in “intimidation”.

Jimmy Cahill, chief executive of the DSPCA, said a cordon must be put around the farm, which is near Moate, Co Offaly, and warned of a possible epidemic among dogs if any of the animals were moved.

Canine brucellosis is transmissible to humans and causes liver damage and arthritis. In dogs it causes pregnant bitches to miscarry and infertility.

“We got accurate information on Friday that this man was intending moving and selling these dogs and we acted on it,” said Mr Cahill. “He did admit he had an outbreak and our inspectors spent 4½ hours at the farm trying to contact officials from the Departments of Agriculture and Environment to come and close the farm until this is dealt with.

“The guards were very helpful but the owners refused to let us see the dogs or any of the carcasses. If there is an outbreak of canine brucellosis it could have a devastating impact on the greyhound industry,” he said.

A spokeswoman at the facility last night claimed that “nobody has confirmed positive test results. There are no tests for any results to be done. There is no confirmation or results to say there is an outbreak.” She also rejected any claim that they were a “puppy farm”, saying: “We don’t do puppy farming. We are dog breeders and reputable ones.”

She said that she did advise the USPCA that no animals would leave the premises over the weekend and confirmed last night that while she would not be moving anything, she could not stand over what anyone one else on the farm might do.

She questioned the motives of the DSPCA and USPCA and said the approach of the welfare organisations was one of “intimidation”. She said her vet would be speaking to animal welfare officials on Tuesday. Last night a Department of Agriculture veterinary source said an outbreak of canine brucellosis would be extremely unusual.

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times

Dog breeders refute 'puppy farm' allegations

Published Date: 06 May 2009

By Staff Reporter

A local dog breeder is continuing to maintain that there are no confirmed cases of canine brucellosis on their farm, while animal welfare officers persist in their belief that animals are at risk there.

At the time of going to press (Tuesday), no action had been taken by the Departments of Agriculture or Environment in response to the alleged outbreak, an indication perhaps that the incident may not be as serious as alleged.

Gardaí from Tullamore were called to assist the Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals when they visited what the Society described as a 'puppy farm' in Offaly on Saturday. The DSPCA has stated on its official website that they are concerned about "a potentially devastating outbreak of a virulent disease among animals kept on the premises."

On Sunday night and again yesterday, the owners rebutted the allegation, saying "there is no confirmation or reports to say there is an outbreak."

The animal welfare officials, acting on information from what they call "reliable sources" attended the premises between Horseleap and Moate on Saturday. Stephen Philpott, Chief Executive of the Ulster SPCA was also present.

They will not confirm whether their source is in the Republic of Ireland or in the North or whether the investigation was being led from the Dublin or Ulster branch.

Canine brucellosis is spread among mating dogs and causes abortions in bitches, which are thereafter infertile. It is also carried by males who may have physical symptoms.

In limited circumstances, the disease can be contracted by humans working in close proximity to infected dogs, their excrement and urine and aborted foetuses. It leads to arthritis and liver problems.

In a statement posted on their website on Sunday evening, the DSPCA describes the site as "one of Europe's largest mass breeding establishments," and "a puppy farm," which is strenuously denied by a spokesperson for the family.

"We don't do puppy farming. We are dog breeders and reputable ones." However, she refused to confirm or deny whether the DSPCA's figure of 700 breeding bitches was accurate.

She said the officials behaved in an intimidating and humiliating manner.

"It's absolutely humiliating on a reputable breeder," she said. "Why not come and approach us in a nice manner, knock on the door, speak to us and tell us about the issues? Why bring media people and the Gardaí?"

"We have the most healthy, well-kept dogs," she said and added that there are regular veterinary checks. She showed a letter on headed paper from a vet who said that there were no remarkable breaches of animal welfare legislation evident on the farm when he visited it in September.

She denied categorically that anyone had confirmed four positive tests for canine brucellosis in the last month and refuted comments made in the DSPCA statement that they refused to commit to not removing dogs from the site until the Departments of Agriculture or Environment took responsibility for the alleged outbreak.

"It is completely wrong that four tests were done and four tests were positive.

Nobody confirmed four positive tests.”

The DSPCA claims that if the disease is present, the farm may have to be depopulated. There will also be concern for those who have bought dogs from the premises in the last month as they may not breed and may be carrying the disease into the wider environment.

DSPCA Chief Executive Jimmy Cahill says they are concerned not to allow the disease into the East of the country where half the nation’s dogs live. He says the source of their information that the disease is present on the farm is extremely reliable and says Gardaí were present when the admission was made.

He said they had “no interest in destroying the man’s business” but added that they are “not lovers of puppy farms.” Animal welfare was their sole reason for attending the site, they say.

Last Updated: 06 May 2009 9:02 AM

• Source: Offaly Express

• Location: Tullamore

Evidence is emerging that traces swine flu to giant factory pig farms that are dirty, dangerous, and inhumane. Sign the petition to the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization to investigate and regulate these threats to our health:

No-one yet knows whether swine flu will become a global pandemic, but it is becoming clear where it came from – most likely a giant pig factory farm run by an American multinational corporation in Veracruz, Mexico.(1)

These factory farms are disgusting and dangerous, and they're rapidly multiplying. Thousands of pigs are brutally crammed into dirty warehouses and sprayed with a cocktail of drugs -- posing a health risk to more than just our food -- they and their manure lagoons create the perfect conditions to breed dangerous new viruses like swine flu. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) must investigate and develop regulations for these farms to protect global health.

Big agrobusiness will try to obstruct and scuttle any attempts at reform, so we need a massive outcry that health authorities can't ignore. Sign the petition below for investigation and regulation of factory farms and tell your friends and family and we will deliver it to the UN agencies. If we reach 200,000 signatures we will deliver it to the WHO in Geneva with a herd of cardboard pigs. For every 1000 petition signatures we will add a pig to the herd:

http://cdn.avaaz.org/en/swine_flu_pandemic

Last week the flu was all that we talked about -- Mexico has been nearly paralysed and across the world leaders halted air travel, banned pork imports and initiated drastic controls to mitigate the spreading virus. As the threat shows signs of subsiding the question becomes where it came from and how we stop another outbreak.

Smithfield Corporation, the largest pig producer in the world whose farm is being fingered as the source of the H1N1 outbreak, denies any connection between their pigs and the flu and big agrobusiness worldwide pays huge sums of money for research to argue that biosafety is ensured in industrial hog production. But the WHO has been saying for years that 'a new pandemic is inevitable'(2) and experts from the European Commission and the FAO have cautioned that the rapid move from small holdings to industrial pig production is in fact increasing the risk of development and transmission of disease epidemics. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn that scientists still do not know the extent that infectious compounds produced in factory farms affect human health.(3)

Studies abound of the horrific conditions endured by pigs in concentrated large-scale operations, and the devastating economic impact on small farmer communities of bloated large-scale operations.(4) Smithfield itself has already been fined $12.6m and is currently under another federal investigation in the US for toxic environmental damage from pig excrement lakes.(5)

But even with all of this damaging evidence, a combination of increased global meat consumption and a powerful industry motivated by profit at the cost of human health, means that instead of being shut down - these sickening factory farm operations are propagating around the world and we are subsidising them (6). In the wake of this swine flu threat, let's hold industrial pig producers to account. Sign the petition for investigation and regulation:

http://cdn.avaaz.org/en/swine_flu_pandemic

If we resolve this global health crisis boldly by reassessing our food consumption and production, and urgently calling for an inquiry into the impact of factory farms on human health, we could put in place tough farm practice rules that will save the global population from future animal borne lethal pandemics.

http://cdn.avaaz.org/en/swine_flu_pandemic

in hope,

Alice, Pascal, Graziela, Paul, Brett, Ben, Ricken, Iain, Paula, Luis, Raj, Veronique, Milena, Margaret, Taren and the whole Avaaz team

(1) Biosurveillance report tracing the disease to the Smithfields farm: http://biosurveillance.typepad.com/biosurveillance/2009/04/swine-flu-in-mexico-timeline-of-events.html

Reports on the link between the Mexican factory farm and the flu:

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/for-la-gloria-the-stench-of-blame-is-from-pig-factories-1675809.html

http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-fg-mexico-flu28-2009apr28,0,1701782.story

http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=can-swine-flu-be-blamed-on-industri-09-05-01

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20227063.800-swine-flu-the-predictable-pandemic.html?full=true

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/swine-flu-outbreak----nat_b_191408.html

(2) WHO pandemic information

http://www.euro.who.int/influenza/20080618_19

(3) FAO, EC and CDC reports on the risks of industrial farming on public health

FAO and CIWF and http://www.cdc.gov/cafos/about.htm

(4) CIWF and PETA video reports of the disgusting conditions for animals in factory farms and the disease ridden manure swamps:

CIWF and PETA

(5) Reports on Smithfield's animal welfare and environmental damage

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/for-la-gloria-the-stench-of-blame-is-from-pig-factories-1675809.html

http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/press/releases/new-report-highlights-the-trouble-with-smithfield-article03132008

http://avaazimages.s3.amazonaws.com/SmithfieldJan08.pdf

(6) Reports on UK tax payers subsidising factory farms http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/agriculture/farming/5225298/Taxpayers-forking-out-700-million-for-factory-farming-in-England.html

---------

Growth in dog fighting rings sparks appeal for crackdown

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/growth-in--dog-fighting-rings-sparks--appeal-for-crackdown-1728501.html

ANIMAL rights activists have appealed to the public for help in their attempts to clamp down on a suspected dog-fighting ring operating across the south of the country.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1173668/Calls-angling-banned-study-shows--fish-DO-feel-pain.html

Calls for angling to be banned after study shows... fish DO feel pain

By David Wilkes

Buying from a puppy farm is not a rescue, it keeps the evil business going

 http://www.independent.ie/national-news/buying-from-a-puppy-farm-is-not-a-rescue-it-keeps-the-evil-business-going-1047197.html

THE Dublin and Wicklow branches of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recently discovered and rescued dogs from a horrendous site of puppy breeding.