WORLD VEGAN NEWS & ARTICLES

---

Animal activists shrug and press on after a legal setback as a judge blocks subpoenas that could have exposed critical evidence of alleged abuse at Wisconsin’s beagle breeding facility. 

Los Angeles, September 15, 2024 — 

In a controversial legal development, a Dane County, Wisconsin judge has ruled against animal rights activists in a case involving a Wisconsin facility that breeds thousands of beagles for laboratory experiments.

https://unchainedtv.com/2024/09/15/animal-activists-press-on-despite-a-judge-ruling-against-them-in-beagle-breeding-case/

An Ohio man was sentenced to 54 months in prison and three years of supervised release in connection with his involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys.

According to court documents, Ronald P. Bedra, of Etna, conspired with others to create and distribute videos depicting acts of sadistic violence against baby and adult monkeys. The conspirators used encrypted chat applications to direct money to individuals in Indonesia willing to commit the requested acts of torture on camera. Bedra also mailed a thumb drive containing 64 videos of monkey torture to a co-conspirator in Wisconsin.

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/ohio-man-sentenced-creating-and-distributing-videos-depicting-monkey-torture-and-mutilation

Six men were arrested and had their initial court appearances yesterday after being charged in a five-count indictment with violating the Animal Welfare Act in connection with a cockfighting operation. A federal grand jury sitting in Providence, Rhode Island, returned the indictment last week.

The indictment alleges that on March 6, 2022, Miguel Delgado, 73, hosted a series of individual cockfights, known as “derbies,” at his Providence home. Delgado is also charged with sponsoring and exhibiting roosters in an animal fighting venture on multiple dates, buying and transporting sharp instruments or “gaffs” for use in the cockfights and unlawfully possessing roosters for use in an animal fighting venture.

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/six-men-charged-cockfighting-operation

67 Dogs Rescued 

A federal grand jury indicted Dun Terrius Bradford, 53, of Sale City, Georgia, on charges of illegally possessing 67 dogs for fighting purposes, manufacturing and possessing with intent to distribute cocaine base and possessing five firearms in furtherance of those offenses. The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia unsealed the indictment in conjunction with Bradford’s arrest today.

According to court documents, the defendant maintained a stock of 67 fighting dogs at his Sale City home. Following the execution of a search warrant, the dogs were seized and will be cared for by a program administered by the U.S. Marshals Service. Agents also recovered tools and supplies used in the training and keeping of dogs used for fighting, including modified treadmills to hold dogs in place for dog fight conditioning, injectable veterinary steroids, a home-made “breeding stand” used to immobilize female dogs who are too dog-aggressive to mate naturally and a “break stick” device used to break the bite hold of a dog during specified intervals in a dog fight. Officers also recovered cocaine base and five firearms.

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/georgia-man-arrested-federal-dog-fighting-firearms-and-drug-trafficking-charges#:~:text=A%20federal%20grand%20jury%20indicted,in%20furtherance%20of%20those%20offenses.

MPs passed legislation a year ago to ban advertising of unethical animal tourism – but it has not yet come into force

Growing numbers of travel companies are promoting holidays involving animal attractions through adverts that should be illegal in the UK under new legislation, campaigners say.

MPs passed a law more than a year ago that gave ministers the power to ban tourism adverts that offer animal attractions, including elephant rides, but it has not yet come into force.

Duncan McNair, a barrister who founded the charity Save the Asian Elephants (STAE), said that, in the first nine months of 2024, 1,201 companies had advertised unethical elephant attractions – many of them in Thailand – to people in the UK, and he expects that number to rise above the record 1,220 that advertised in 2022.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/20/adverts-cruel-elephant-rides-uk-law-legislation-unethical-animal-tourism

Mutant breed, starting to be offered for sale in UK, has short legs, no whiskers and suffers serious health issues.

People are being urged not to buy the feline equivalent of XL bully dogs, which have been created by breeders in the US.

The hybrid breed is understood to be spreading to the UK after being bred to resemble XL bully dogs, mixing the gene that causes hairlessness in sphynx cats with the gene responsible for the short legs of munchkin cats.

Experts have warned in a research paper that the breed is likely to have a life expectancy at least six years shorter than an average cat, as a result of suffering from serious health issues, the Telegraph reported.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/19/uk-experts-warn-against-buying-feline-equivalent-of-xl-bully-dog

Government accused of ‘shocking’ choice to dilute protection standards in first animal welfare policy.

Labour is using its first animal welfare policy since entering government to dilute standards by legalising the harmful practice of carrying chickens by their legs, charities have said.

European transport regulation 1/2005, which still applies in the UK, prohibits lifting chickens by their legs on farms and during loading and unloading, but the government is going to change the law to permit the widespread but illegal method, according to the Animal Law Foundation.

This comes despite the animal welfare committee of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) having previously said that it caused distress and injuries such as fractures and dislocations.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/oct/18/labour-to-legalise-harmful-practice-of-carrying-chickens-by-legs-say-charities

Invasive Species Council says 5 million native mammals, birds, reptiles and frogs are killed by feral and roaming pet cats a day in Australia.

The NSW government will recruit a team of expert shooters in a state-first program to remove feral cats from national parks.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service's (NPWS) first-ever dedicated feral cat control team will be based in either Dubbo, Bourke or Broken Hill in an attempt to control the invasive mammal from parks throughout the west of the state.

The NSW Department of Environment and Heritage estimates feral cats kill 1.5 billion native animal nationally per year — and the NPWS said its staff have reported an increase in native animal deaths, particularly in central and western NSW.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-14/feral-cat-specialist-ground-shooting-team-national-parks-nsw/104450578

As more cases of dogs being unnecessarily put down are revealed, activists want stricter reporting requirements for the racing industry.

Victorian MPs and animal welfare advocates are demanding an independent inquiry be held into the state's greyhound racing industry, following an investigation into dozens of dog deaths and evidence of animal cruelty.

While stewards' reports show 18 greyhounds have died during races on Victorian tracks so far this year, research by the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds (CPG) has found a further 34 dogs have been also listed as both retired and dead after suffering injuries in their last races.

The CPG data found at least 62 greyhounds across the country who were listed as dead following on-track injuries, with Victoria home to the majority of these deaths.

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2024/oct/14/accidental-vet-email-further-evidence-of-euthanasia-of-healthy-greyhounds-in-victoria

Lab-grown meat could be on sale in the UK within the next few years, as the government funds £1.6 million worth of research into cell-cultivated products.

Awarded to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the regulator will launch a programme to learn more about lab-grown meat and how safe it is for people to eat.

Cell-cultivated products are made using cells from plants or animals, which are grown in a controlled environment to create food products. Sometimes called ‘lab-grown meat’ this is somewhat misleading, as they are not classified as meat, but products of animal origin.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/labgrown-meat-research-uk-b2625917.html

At any given moment, roughly 1.6 billion animals are suffering in barren confinement on factory farms, also called concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). These animals are often kept in cages and crates so small they can’t fully extend their limbs or turn around. Others are packed into giant warehouses by the thousands, with limited space to move and no access to fresh air or sunlight. These CAFOs produce huge quantities of manure, which in turn pollute the local air and water. On average, factory farms in the U.S. produce more than 900 billion pounds of manure each year — twice as much as the sewage produced by the entire U.S. human population.

https://www.mauiveganlife.com/articles/2024/9/27/vegan-news-for-october-2024

Switch4Good is one of a number of organizations calling on the USDA to stop recommending dairy consumption.

A new open letter is calling on the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to remove the dairy category from its upcoming 2025 dietary guidelines. 

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) is published every five years by the USDA and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The DGA is a set of recommendations on what US citizens should eat to promote health and reduce risk of chronic disease. 

Despite a growing body of evidence linking dairy with significant health concerns, the USDA continues to recommend that US citizens consume milk and other dairy products. It states that “Healthy dietary patterns feature dairy, including fat-free and low-fat (1%) milk, yogurt, and cheese.” The DGA also claims that 90 percent of Americans do not meet “dairy recommendations.” It does state, however, that soy milk can be used as an alternative to dairy.

https://plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/health-and-fitness/usda-urged-remove-dairy-dietary-guidelines/

16th August 2024 

Chris Packham, Peter Egan, and Carol Royle are among 26 signatories of a new letter sent to Merlin Entertainments to demand they address the issue of penguin exploitation across their Sea Life brand.  

Earlier this year we launched a campaign and a petition in response to longstanding public horror at the manner in which Sea Life keeps penguins. The campaign centers around the dismal conditions a colony of fifteen gentoo penguins endures in the basement of Sea Life London Aquarium. They have no daylight, no fresh air, and just a pitiful pool of a few feet in depth. 

 Open Letter Demands Freedom for the Sea Life Penguins – Vegan-News.net 

Canadian/American conservationist Paul Watson,  jailed since July 21,  2024 in Nuuk,  Greenland,  on a 15-year-old Japanese warrant for allegedly disrupting whaling operations,  will have to wait until September 5,  2024 to find out if he will be extradited to Japan. 

 Watson was arrested by Danish police flown from Denmark specifically to arrest him,  just moments after his vessel,  the John Paul DeJoria,  landed at Nuuk,  Greenland to refuel. 

 Captain Paul Watson Foundation chief executive Omar Todd initially attributed the arrest to a complaint issued from the Faroe Islands,  but advised media within the hour that,  “Paul faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison in Japan. 

 "Hurry up & wait," courts tell Paul Watson 

A wild horse appears to have been ruthlessly kicked in the head repeatedly by a worker at a wild horse roundup in Nevada, according to a video captured by an observer with American Wild Horse Conservation. 

The video appears to show a small horse surrounded by two people in cowboy hats riding larger horses. There is a lasso around the small horse’s neck. One of the people on horseback appears to pull on the rope, causing the smaller horse to crash to the ground. The other man dismounts and leans over the small horse who is lying helpless on the ground. He appears to pull the horse’s tail and then kick and hit the horse in the head. He later appears to kick the horse’s rear while the horse is on the ground.

 Wild Horse Allegedly Kicked Several Times During Deadly Nevada Roundup (ladyfreethinker.org) 

After three years and one lower court ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit made a significant decision. They ruled that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) violated the First Amendment when it decided to censor specific keywords — like torture, experiment, monkey, and even animals — on its Facebook and Instagram pages, Science reported. This ruling is of immense importance for freedom of speech and animal rights.

The NIH defended its ban on the words, arguing that they were part of “off-topic” subjects and statements. Considering the content of the NIH’s posts, the judges found this unbelievable.

“To say that comments related to animal testing are categorically off-topic when a significant portion of NIH’s posts are about research conducted on animals defies common sense,” the judges wrote in the ruling.

 NIH Violated First Amendment by Censoring Social Media Comments From Animal Advocates, Court Rules (ladyfreethinker.org) 

 Despite decades of advocacy, vegans and veganism remain deeply unpopular, even detested. Many influential animal activists are now debating a question that would have once seemed absurd: Is it worth the movement’s precious time and resources to keep advocating for meatless diets, an apparently lost cause? 

 The share of Americans who are vegetarian or vegan is incredibly hard to measure accurately. But one thing is clear: It hasn’t changed much in recent decades, and may have even decreased. 

 Vegans are radical. That’s why we need them. (msn.com) 

 Good news for dogs and cats in Kentucky: the state’s animal cruelty laws just received a massive update! Governor Andy Beshear signed HB 258 into law to better protect dogs and cats from torture. The legislation is also called Ethan’s Law — in honor of a dog who reportedly survived being beaten, starved, and abandoned.

The new law strengthens Kentucky’s definition of torture and abysmal animal cruelty laws, which have been noted as offering some of the worst animal protections in the country. Ethan was present when the bill passed.

 Petition Update: KY Cracks Down on Chaining Dogs & Animal Torture With New Law (ladyfreethinker.org) 

A red fox caught in a piece of litter was rescued by wildlife biologists from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), as reported by local news.

DEEP posted that the biologists found the fox with plastic wrapped around their neck, inhibiting the animal’s ability to move freely.

“Unfortunately, wildlife can easily become stuck, entangled in, or ingest improperly discarded trash,” DEEP said. Animals often succumb to injuries struggling to free themselves, or because they are unable to digest the materials they have eaten.

 Thanks to the kindness of a stranger, a speedy whippet named Wardy is back home with his family in San Francisco, local news reported. And now his guardian, Bob Eicholz, is hopeful he can find the man who cared for Wardy despite having no home of his own.

Whippets are known for their lively, affectionate personalities — and they’re also known to be particularly athletic dogs. Wardy demonstrated his agility when he jumped a fence while staying with a sitter and used his speed to evade capture. When a woman saw him and was able to grab his collars, he easily shrugged them off and continued running.

 Heroic Homeless Man Lovingly Cares for Lost Dog, Reunites Pup With Worried Family (ladyfreethinker.org) 

 In a victory for the welfare and rights of chickens, cows, and pigs, a Massachusetts judge upheld the enforcement of the Massachusetts Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act, according to local news. The law bans the sale of pig meat, veal, and eggs that have come from confining animals “in a cruel manner.”

The Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act — which was approved by 78% of voters in 2016 — bans the use of confinement spaces too small for the chickens, cows, and pigs to move. Gestation crates are known to prevent a pregnant female pig from lying down, standing up, fully extending her limbs, or turning around freely

https://ladyfreethinker.org/victory-massachusetts-upholds-law-banning-the-sale-of-products-made-from-cruelly-confined-animals/?_gl=1*ct0ayc*_up*MQ..&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjZTdwdPmhwMVCkT_AR2_EDU8EAAYASAAEgKs2_D_BwE

 Two animal rights activists connected to PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) temporarily interrupted Pope Francis’ Wednesday audience in Vatican City, calling on the 87-year-old pontiff to take action against bullfighting.

The female activists, wearing white shirts with the slogan “Stop blessing corridas,” jumped over a barrier that separated a seating area from the central walkway within the Paul VI Hall and waved banners that read “la corrida e peccato” (“bullfighting is a sin”) before the pope and approximately 6,000 pilgrims.

https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2024/08/07/animal-rights-activists-plead-with-pope-francis-to-end-bullfighting/

Do dogs have a sixth sense for when people are upset? Not quite — but their sense of smell does give them special insight into our stress levels which may impact their own emotions, according to a groundbreaking new study.

The study revealed that even stress from an unknown human can significantly impact a dog’s emotional state, causing empathetic dogs to experience more despondent or gloomy feelings.

The University of Bristol, Cardiff University, and the British charity Medical Detection Dogs were behind the study, which involved 18 dogs and 11 humans. While performing tasks meant to elevate their stress levels, cloth squares were placed under the participants’ armpits to collect their scent.

https://ladyfreethinker.org/dogs-can-sniff-out-stress-new-study-says/?_gl=1*1wyn531*_up*MQ..&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjZTdwdPmhwMVCkT_AR2_EDU8EAAYASAAEgKs2_D_BwE

Officials with The Dolphin Company, which owns and operates the Seaquarium, held a news conference Wednesday, a day after the county filed the lawsuit to evict them from the property.

 The owners of the Miami Seaquarium are vowing to fight an eviction lawsuit Miami-Dade County filed against them this week, as company officials say the negative press they've received from the county has been driving ticket sales down. 

https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/miami-seaquarium-vows-to-fight-frivolous-eviction-suit-says-ticket-sales-down-

 A 3-year-old gelding has died after suffering a racing injury at Del Mar, track officials confirmed Sunday.

Handsome Red was injured at the five-eighths pole in Saturday’s third race. The official race chart said he was “pulled up and was transported off the track via equine ambulance.” The San Diego Union Tribune reported that the horse “broke down on the backstretch … and was euthanized on the track” after suffering a right leg injury.

 Saturday was the fourth career race for Handsome Red, including one first-place finish. He was owned by Bret Lewis and Rainmaker Racing LLC and trained by Craig Lewis. His jockey was Kazushi Kimura. 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/cycling/handsome-red-death-marks-third-racehorse-fatality-at-del-mar-summer-meet/ar-AA1odFPa?

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) violated the First Amendment rights of animal rights activists whose social media comments were deleted by the agency, a federal appeals court ruled last week.

The agency had been deleting all comments on its Facebook and Instagram pages that contained certain keywords related to criticism of the agency's use of animal testing. Comments containing words like animal, testing, and cruel were singled out for deletion as part of a broader policy of deleting "off-topic" comments.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-nih-deleted-comments-criticizing-animal-testing-a-federal-court-says-that-violates-the-first-amendment/ar-AA1olIQ8?ocid=BingNewsSerp#

Boy band Seventeen member S.Coup donated 30 million won ($21,809) to animal rights organization Weact on Thursday to celebrate his birthday.

The donation was made in the name of Seventeen’s fan club Carat to help treat dogs and cats in dire conditions and rescue dogs being abused, according to the singer's agency Pledis Entertainment.

 The Seventeen member previously donated 30 million won last September to the same organization to help rescue and treat stray animals.  

S.Coups has also made several donations to animal-related organizations before, according to his agency Pledis Entertainment.  

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/seventeens-scoups-donates-30-million-won-to-animal-rights-organization-for-birthday/ar-AA1orydv?ocid=BingNewsVerp#

An animal-rights activist accused of glitter bombing Harvard University’s interim President Alan Garber during an Alumni Day address in May is facing three felony and three misdemeanor charges, according to prosecutors.

Harvard Police arrested Brittany A. Drake on May 31, according to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan’s office.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/animal-rights-activist-facing-felony-charges-after-throwing-glitter-on-interim-harvard-president/ar-BB1r3ahE?ocid=BingNewsVerp
 

 Guernsey, a British Island, has just approved the most significant animal welfare legislation package the States have seen in approximately a decade. The updated regulations — which include bans on farming animals for fur, feathers, or hides, as well as force-feeding geese, and using wild animals for circuses — mark a promising shift towards a more compassionate world.

These updates follow a growing body of research proving that animals feel pain, fear, and other emotions like humans. Sentient beings should not be forced to suffer in the name of fashion, food, or entertainment, or for any other reason.

https://ladyfreethinker.org/good-news-british-island-of-guernsey-bans-foie-gras-fur-farms-and-other-cruel-practices/?_gl=1*8i094p*_up*MQ..&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjZTdwdPmhwMVCkT_AR2_EDU8EAAYASAAEgKs2_D_BwE

 A new study from the University of Exeter has found that industrialized farming may increase the chances of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) developing and may increase the risks of new diseases spreading from animals to humans.

The study points out that biosecurity measures (efforts taken to reduce risk of diseases spreading) are often very loosely enforced, given the cost. While factory farms in England are often in old, hard-to-maintain buildings, those in the U.S. that are open air still face the same breaches, risks, and disease spreading. The study suggests that factory farms are not the controlled environments many believe them to be, and that industrial farming of animals may contribute to increased risks of zoonotic diseases spreading.

https://ladyfreethinker.org/study-shows-factory-farms-may-raise-the-risk-of-future-pandemics/?_gl=1*473be*_up*MQ..&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjZTdwdPmhwMVCkT_AR2_EDU8EAAYASAAEgKs2_D_BwE

In a remarkable show of compassion for the majestic ocean creatures, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed legislation protecting sharks from harmful stainless steel fishing hooks. Recent studies have shown that this kind of hook can stay lodged in sharks for the rest of their lives.

Senate Bill 9341 extends the authority of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) — allowing it to ban stainless steel, offset circle hooks when fishing for sharks. The DEC, a key player in wildlife conservation, will be responsible for enforcing this law. New York joins other states, such as Florida and Texas, in passing legislation to protect sharks from these painful fishing hooks.

https://ladyfreethinker.org/new-york-bans-brutal-fishing-hooks-that-can-get-stuck-in-sharks-bodies-for-the-rest-of-their-lives/?_gl=1*5yuzv2*_up*MQ..&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjZTdwdPmhwMVCkT_AR2_EDU8EAAYASAAEgKs2_D_BwE

 Today, the 1st August 2024, World Animal Protection and a coalition of 14 organizations gather outside TUI's Berlin headquarters to demand the travel giant end its support for dolphin entertainment and other forms of wildlife exploitation.

This peaceful protest is crucial in our ongoing campaign to promote ethical tourism practices and protect wild animals from suffering.

 TUI Group, one of the world's largest travel companies, continues to offer and promote attractions that involve the captivity and exploitation of wild animals. These activities, which include dolphin shows, cause immense physical and psychological harm to the animals involved. 

https://www.worldanimalprotection.org/latest/news/tui-city-break/

Veteran anti-whaling activist Paul Watson could be extradited to Japan after arrest in Greenland, his foundation says.

Veteran environmentalist Paul Watson was arrested in Greenland on Sunday and faces possible extradition to Japan allegedly over anti-whaling activities in the Antarctic years ago, his organization said in a statement.

“We were immediately boarded by a SWAT team and … police who wasted no time in cuffing Paul Watson, our founder, and arresting him on a decades old Red Notice at the request of Japan,” Ship Operations Director Locky MacLean said in a video message onboard the John Paul DeJoria.

Police can be seen boarding the vessel and leading Watson away in handcuffs in the video.

 Paul Watson: Anti-whaling activist arrested in Greenland faces extradition to Japan, CPWF says | CNN 

Charlotte Dujardin was one of Britain's top medal hopes for the 2024 Olympic Games and was on course to make history for Team GB.

However, on the eve of the Olympics in Paris, she announced she had withdrawn from the event.

Dujardin is under investigation from the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) and the British Equestrian Federation and British Dressage. The case is related to a video, dated four years ago but that surfaced in the days leading up to the Paris Games. 

 The equestrian star admitted the footage showed her "making an error of judgement" and that she would "withdraw from all competition" while the investigation runs its course. 

 What did Charlotte Dujardin do? British Olympic equestrian star withdraws from Paris Games after video showing 'error of judgement' (msn.com) 

 Neigh-sayers galloped outside Manhattan Criminal Court Monday afternoon to call for a shutdown of the city’s carriage horse industry as a handler of a horse that died two years ago faced his first day of trial — or so they thought.

Ian McKeever, who is facing animal abuse charges in connection to the death of his carriage horse Ryder in 2022, was not able to appear in court Monday due to a scheduling conflict with his attorney, The Post learned.

Despite the adjournment, roughly 30 demonstrators remained in the scorching heat for the “Criminal Horse Abuse Trial for Ian McKeever” protest co-organized by non-profit NYClass (which has fought to ban or restrict carriage horses), PETA and Marine veteran-led Unbridled Heroes Project.

 Advocates call for Central Park carriage horse ban ahead of driver’s animal abuse trial (nypost.com) 

Five activists of the Just Stop Oil environmental campaign have been handed prison sentences for their involvement in organizing protests that blocked a major London highway in 2022, PA media reported, sparking a wave of criticism from climate advocates.

‘Just Stop Oil’ co-founder Roger Hallam, 58, Daniel Shaw, 38, Louise Lancaster, 58, Lucia Whittaker De Abreu, 35, and Cressida Gethin, 22, agreed to cause disruption to traffic by having protesters climb onto gantries over the M25 highway that encircles London for four successive days in November 2022, Judge Christopher Hehir said at the sentencing hearing at a court in the British capital on Thursday, according to the UK news agency.

Hallam was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment while the remaining four defendants were each handed four years in prison each.

 Just Stop Oil: UK court sentences climate activists to prison for 4-5 years over highway protest | CNN 

 More than 22 animals died or had to be put down after a large cattle truck crashed into a bridge in inner-city Melbourne.

The semi-trailer with a herd of 75 cattle on board hit the bridge on Alexandra Ave in South Yarra at 8.25pm on Tuesday.

The impact damaged the truck and some animals escaped and were later seen wandering on the road.

Vets and Agriculture Victoria personnel attended and treated the animals, however, 22 died in the accident or had to be euthanized at the scene.

 Cattle truck crashes into South Yarra bridge, inner Melbourne, with 22 animals now dead | 7NEWS 

Dangerous seas threatened to capsize a rescue boat that came to the aid of a humpback whale 'anchored to the ocean floor' off the New South Wales North Coast. 

The eight-metre long humpback was trapped in fishing trawler cabling about half a kilometre off Iluka Bluff. 

The Sea World Foundation said it was first told about the animal's plight on July 3 and launched a rescue mission the following morning. A juvenile humpback whale was rescued after it was pinned to the ocean floor by a wire cable off the New South Wales coast for up to eight days.

 Divers pull off dramatic rescue of whale 'anchored to the ocean floor' at Iluka off NSW North Coast - ABC News 

MOOREFIELD, Wv. (WHSV) - Animal rights groups around the region are calling attention to a troubling situation at a Hardy County home where a large number of cats are living under concerning conditions.

Organizations like Shirley’s Angels in Winchester and To The ResQ in Eastern West Virginia were able to help remove some cats from the property back in the winter. But now, the cat population there has exploded again.

 Animal rights groups concerned about cats living on Hardy County property (msn.com) 

Richard Couto, founder of the Miami Beach-based animal activist group Animal Recovery Mission, said he had witnessed the killing of a retired racehorse named Funny Biz in what he’s calling an illegal act. According to Couto, the horse was tied to a tree, shot in the head, and then repeatedly stabbed until it died. The incident was recorded on video (edited versions were posted to Facebook and Vimeo), showing men dismembering the carcass with electric handsaws and then bagging the meat. 

How This Farm Became the Focus of a Florida Horse-Meat Investigation (msn.com) 

 Protestors for PETA disrupted Thursday night's premiere of "Twisters" in Los Angeles, calling out a "distressing scene" in the film as an "inhumane" glorification of rodeos and for the use of live animals in the film.

Th People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) organization protested the LA premiere of the film at the Regency Village Theatre over the "distressing scenes" involving rodeo animals. Protestors wearing cow masks and carrying signs reading "Calves' Necks Are Twisted at Rodeos" and "The Rodeo Hurts and Kills Animals" were positioned outside the theater.

 But one protestor also found her way inside the screening and jumped in front of the audience while director Lee Isaac Chung was introducing the film's cast, including Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, and Anthony Ramos, who were all in attendance. 

 PETA Protest Disrupts ‘Twisters' Premiere, Org Blasts Film's Rodeo Depiction as ‘Inhumane' (msn.com) 

 An animal rights group has pledged to place a billboard near the site of a Milton crash where hundreds of chickens were killed earlier this week. 

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said it will put the billboard near Hwy. 401 and James Snow Parkway in honour of the chickens, “reminding everyone that the crash victims were thinking, feeling individuals.” 

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said it will put the billboard near Hwy. 401 and James Snow Parkway in honour of the chickens, “reminding everyone that the crash victims were thinking, feeling individuals.”

The crash was still disrupting traffic on the highway 48 hours after it was cleaned up. The chickens were going to the Maple Lodge processing plant in Mississauga.

“Chickens died in terror and pain because of this crash, and the traumatized survivors no doubt continued on to face the slaughterhouse knife,” said PETA president Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA urges everyone to please go vegan, saving animals from making the journey to the slaughterhouse in the first place.”

Animal rights group says Milton billboard will honour dead chickens | INsauga 

 Be it summer’s day on the beach or the festive season, there is one particular beverage that people love to celebrate with. And no, it’s not alcoholic (unless you add a touch of rum or vodka). 

It is, of course, Coca-Cola.

Referred to widely as just Coke, Coca-Cola’s carbonated caramel-colored liquid was first developed in the late 1880s by a US pharmacist. And, by the turn of the century, Americans had developed a real taste for the beverage, drinking hundreds of thousands of gallons per year. Now, the rest of the world has joined in, too, and today, the company is worth more than $272 billion. Its main rival, PepsiCo (which, of course, produces a very similar carbonated drink called Pepsi) is worth more than $224 billion.

 Is Coke Vegan? And Is Coca-Cola Doing Enough for the Planet? | VegNews 

In November 2022, President Joe Biden hosted a number of high-profile guests at his first state dinner at the White House. To mark the event—which was attended by French president Emmanuel Macron and intended to celebrate the relationship between France and the US—around 200 live lobsters were flown in from Maine, the heart of the US lobster industry before they were killed and served with caviar.

But the choice to serve lobster at the prestigious event sparked controversy. Many activists and environmentalists, for example, were outraged. Not just because research suggests boiling lobsters alive is inhumane due to the creature's capacity to feel pain, but also because catching them in their masses is having a major impact on another species: the North Atlantic right whale. 

 To Save the Whales, We Need to Stop Eating Lobster—Here’s Why  | VegNews 

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A western lowland gorilla at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park has died due to a string of age-related conditions, zoo officials announced, and is being remember as representing "the best of us" Monday.

Winston, 52, died Saturday and had been receiving medical treatments for heart disease, degenerative joint disease and kidney disease. Wildlife care teams monitoring Winston's heart noticed signs of decline in recent years, according to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

https://www.10news.com/news/local-news/winston-well-known-gorilla-at-san-diego-zoo-safari-park-dies-at-age-52

 Friendship is a key component of human social relationships. Is this also true for animals? 

In 2020, a viral video of an unusual interaction between a badger and a coyote charmed the internet. Filmed by a remote sensor camera in California's Santa Cruz Mountains, the footage showed the two animals entering a culvert to cross under a highway. Tail wagging, the coyote bounded toward the badger and then away from it, pausing to see if the badger would follow. The badger hurried to catch up with its companion, and they trotted into the tunnel together.

Their playful behavior suggested that the pair shared a friendly bond. But can animals truly be friends, as humans are? 

https://www.livescience.com/animals/do-animals-have-friends

 The animal control officers in cooperation with the Miami County Sheriff’s Office arrived with a search warrant at Our Farm Sanctuary, 6595 Agenbroad Road near Tipp City, to investigate the complaints, according to a release issued Tuesday by Rob Craft, county animal shelter director. 

 “While investigating, officers found over 100 cats, many of which had serious upper respiratory infections, in unsanitary and overcrowded conditions. The poor air quality prevented the animals from receiving proper medical care,” the release stated. 

https://www.daytondailynews.com/local/43-cats-removed-from-local-animal-rescue-due-to-unsanitary-conditions-overcrowding/A2GGFQGRQJG4PCN6SLHVBLPAUQ/

OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. -- Three Crestview women were arrested last Friday after Okaloosa County deputies and Panhandle Animal Welfare Society rescued dozens of neglected animals 

 These woman are each charged with 14 counts of aggravated animal cruelty and 14 counts of animal cruelty from a home last month. 

https://weartv.com/amp/news/local/worst-we-have-ever-seen-3-crestview-woman-arrested-41-animals-seized-in-cruelty-case

 A crew of 18 Animal Rising activists have been charged in connection with a burglary after a break in at an animal testing center that saw 20 beagle puppies set free.

The gang of activists stormed a medical testing site at MBR Acres in Wyton, Cambridgeshire, just before 6am on December 20, 2022.

The group said it managed to get 12 of its supporters inside the controversial facility and 'rescue' 20 of the animals. 

 Crew of 18 Animal Rising activists charged with burglary after break in at animal testing centre that saw 20 beagle puppies set free | Daily Mail Online 

 She urged the equestrian world to be prepared to explain why we think it is ethically justifiable to keep involving horses in sport – and to do so, be prepared to educate themselves on the latest science and challenge their own behaviors.  

Why focusing on animals’ welfare over their rights will better ensure horses’ wellbeing was highlighted by a top professor to leading experts at a recent conference.

Madeleine Campbell, an owner, breeder, vet and chair of Defra’s animal welfare committee, brought up the conversation surrounding public acceptance of horse sport, at the event, titled “Equine cognizance and mental maturity – what do we know?” on 24 May.

 Focusing on welfare over animal rights will do more to improve horses’ lives (horseandhound.co.uk) 

Under the shade of a leafy green apricot tree on a scorching summer afternoon, Gokcen Yildiz scoops up a squirming ball of light-brown fur.

It licks her all over the face and she breaks out in giggles.

But laughter gives way to a more serious tone as she points to the dog's back legs, which are missing paws. A sign, she says, of the abuse some of Turkey’s street dogs are subjected to.

Ms Yildiz is a secondary school physics teacher by day, street-dog advocate by night. The canine she’s holding is one of 160 she’s collected on the property where she lives on the outskirts of Turkey’s capital city, Ankara.

Her dogs are a small fraction of the estimated four million that make up the country’s street-dog population.

It’s a problem that has fiercely divided public opinion: are stray dogs a neighborhood fixture to be looked after and loved?

Or does the government need to take more drastic solutions, like those state media are reporting that it's considering - including euthanasia?

 Rescue street dogs, or euthanise them? Turks split over its strays (msn.com) 

A motorcyclist says he fears for his safety after his wife's car was seriously damaged in a collision with a deer.

Simon Ingle has called for a cull of the animals after a rise in collisions in Lincolnshire in recent months.

His wife Joanne was unhurt in the incident near Welby on Monday morning, but Mr. Ingle warned motorcyclists were vulnerable.

"Every time I get on my bike, I'm effectively playing a game of Russian roulette," he said.

Lincolnshire Police issued a warning to motorists in May after receiving 50 reports of incidents involving deer within a month.

Mr. Ingle believes a cull is the only way to control the numbers.

He said: "In my mind, a business or organization that can cull these deer humanely is the only solution."

The Lincolnshire Deer Group, which is called to collisions to humanely put animals down, agreed that may be the only answer.

"Deer travel all over the place at night and can cause mayhem,” Stephen Heath, a volunteer with the group, said.

"They have no predators other than cars and bullets. In the current situation, humane culling is the only option.

 Motorists warned as deer crashes increasing on Lincolnshire roads (bbc.com) 

 A hippo goes for a swim, a crocodile lounges on a beach, elephants wade into a pool and a parade of rhinos makes its way down a winding trail. 

Brookfield Zoo Chicago aims to create that “Gateway to Africa,” one of the many highlights of a bold, $500 million plan to redesign nearly half the campus and expand its role in conservation science and research.

When zoo leaders say they wanted to “dream big” in mapping out the “Next Century Plan,” it’s an understatement. Their goal is to put $400 million into improvements and another $100 million toward the zoo’s endowment and maintenance. At its core, the plan re-imagines the zoo as you know it.

https://www.dailyherald.com/20240716/news/a-500-million-plan-for-the-future-brookfield-zoo-chicago-to-revamp-campus-introduce-new-animals/

Nearly six years after being caught with the illegal possession of 81 pangolins, a former police officer has received one of the longest jail sentences Malaysia has imposed for a crime involving the world’s most trafficked mammal.

Mohd Sharwandy Sollahudin, arrested in August 2018, was sentenced last month to a total of 15 years and 9 months in prison on four charges, including the illegal possession of juvenile and female pangolins under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.

However, he is expected to serve only six and a half years, as Alor Setar Sessions Court Judge Rohatul Akmar Abdullah ordered that the jail terms for the four separate charges run simultaneously.

https://worldanimalnews.com/ex-police-officer-is-sentenced-to-almost-16-years-in-prison-after-being-caught-with-81-critically-endangered-pangolin-in-malaysia/

Following an earlier Notice of Intent to Sue, a coalition of organizations has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for their refusal to give Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections to the Western gray wolf, in violation of the ESA and the Administrative Procedure Act (APA).

Three years ago, this coalition—Animal Wellness Action, the Center for a Humane Economy, Project Coyote, Kettle Range Conservation Group, Footloose Montana, and Gallatin Wildlife Association—along with dozens of other organizations filed a petition with the FWS requesting federal ESA protections for gray wolves in the Western United States.

https://worldanimalnews.com/lawsuit-filed-against-u-s-fish-wildlife-for-failure-to-protect-imperiled-western-gray-wolves/

 The Bornean elephant has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to threats posed by human activities. Around 1,000 Bornean elephants are remaining in the wild, with roughly 400 being breeding adults.

The Bornean elephant, also known as the Borneo pygmy elephant, is a subspecies of the Asian elephant native to the island of Borneo. It holds the distinction of being the smallest among the Asian elephant species.

The Asian elephant is one of three elephant species living today – the other two being the African savanna and forest elephants. With an estimated 40,000 individuals surviving in the wild across 13 countries in southern Asia, the Asian elephant has been classified as Endangered by the IUCN since 1986. 

https://worldanimalnews.com/facing-extinction-borneo-elephants-now-listed-as-endangered-with-only-1000-remaining-in-the-wild/

 These top vegan musicians are advocating for animal rights and sustainable living through their music and personal choices.

Many musicians, some of whom are the most famous people on the planet, have made the switch to becoming vegan, with the number sharply increasing in recent years.

Being a musician in this day and age requires an enormous amount of energy, with huge amounts of touring, recording, being ever-present on social media, media commitments and more, and vegan musicians prove plant foods give them all the power to do it.  

And, by no coincidence, the out-of-the-box thinkers below are making some of the most progressive and exciting music available on your favourite streaming platform.

Let’s find out who some of the most famous vegan music stars are — perhaps some will surprise you!

https://www.veganfoodandliving.com/features/vegan-musicians/?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1721154529

 According to one 2015 study, more than half of all Americans suffer from galeophobia. It sounds a little like a rare disease, but it’s actually not a physical ailment at all. It simply means to be terrified of sharks. In fact, the same study found that nearly 40 percent of Americans will not swim in the ocean because they are too afraid of the apex predators. But while movies like Jaws have painted an aggressive, malevolent image of sharks, they actually aren’t a major threat to us. When it comes to humans threatening sharks, however, the story is quite different. 

 Every year, there are fewer than 10 deaths globally due to shark attacks on humans. To put that in perspective, around 2,000 people die every year from being struck by lightning. This means that a human’s chance of dying from a shark attack is beyond minimal. For sharks, the odds aren’t so good.

https://vegnews.com/how-many-sharks-are-killed-a-year 

 Modern celebrity culture as we know it today hasn’t been around for that long. In fact, Sarah Bernhardt, a theatre star of the 19th century, was widely considered to be the first-ever A-lister. 

Throughout the 20th century, stars of the stage, screen, and music became increasingly famous for their public (and private) lives. 

Now, with the growth of social media, celebrity followings have grown bigger than ever, and this has led to many embracing a “multi-hyphenate” status. They’re not just singers, models, or actors, but they’re entrepreneurs, too. And, thankfully, many are using their brands and businesses to make the world a better, more vegan, place.

https://vegnews.com/celebrities-with-vegan-brands

 The Queen is using her privilege to set a moral example, writes Chas Newkey-Burden – if only the government would follow suit.

When I started campaigning for animal rights as a teenager in the 1980s, I was really inspired by an iconic poster created by anti-fur campaigners. Alongside an image of a smartly dressed woman holding a bloody fur coat was a corker of a slogan: “It takes up to 40 dumb animals to make a fur coat. But only one to wear it.”

Of all the animal rights issues I campaigned on, fur seemed the most straightforward. Why should animals be caged and killed, just to produce a weird coat? If you’d told me back then that we’d still be discussing the issue four decades on, I wouldn’t have believed you. Surely this vain cruelty would have been eradicated long before 2024?

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/queen-camilla-real-fur-ban-animal-rights-peta-b2545427.html

  Mark Powell commemorated the anniversary of his wife Regan Russell's death Wednesday, joining a group of advocates at the spot where she was killed four years ago. The Hamilton woman died when she was hit by a transport truck on June 19, 2020, while protesting outside Faermans Pork Inc. in Burlington, as she had done every week for years. She was 65.Russell and some friends, as part of the activist group Toronto Pig Save, protested controversial provincial legislation that had just passed that hiked fines for trespassing on farms and food-processing facilities. Powell, and dozens of animal rights advocates — many of whom did not know Russell — gathered outside the farm and threaded flowers through a barbed wire fence, letting drivers in the area know about Russell.

4 years after animal rights activist's death, family still seeks the 'truth about what happened' | CBC News 

Marc Jacobs declares defeat: fur dropped after aggressive campaign from “bullies” New York, NY – 

One year campaign climaxes in week of broken windows, arrests, and a major designer dropping fur. Fur is out, designer Marc Jacobs announced today following a siege of protests that included visits to executives' homes, damage to company headquarters, collaborators stores, and more.The campaign was led by Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT), who said: "CAFT. “CAFT has a 100% success rate. Marc Jacobs learned the hard way that we never rest, we never go away, and we always win." In his concession statement today, Marc Jacobs blamed the targeting of his employees as the final straw.

Press Release: MARC JACOBS DECLARES DEFEAT | Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (caftusa.org)  
 

  A recent count of the pigeons showed that there were around 700 birds living in the town, German news agency dpa reported.Last November, the town’s council decided that a falconer should be commissioned to decimate Limburg’s pigeon population, likely killing them by breaking their necks. The decision was met with fierce protests from animal rights activists and a petition for signatures, after which a referendum was initiated, dpa said. A recent count of the pigeons showed that there were around 700 birds living in the town, German news agency dpa reported.

 A German town's referendum on culling pigeons has led to an uproar by animal rights activists | AP News  

 Ahead of the Paris Olympic Games, anti-cruelty messages have been projected onto the city’s famous landmarks to protest LVMH’s use of exotic skins and fur. In the lead-up to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, animal rights activists have displayed anti-cruelty messages across the city to protest against LVMH, one of the event's partners. Known for its numerous high-end brands, LVMH has faced criticism for its use of animal-derived materials such as fur and exotic skins. 

‘Sponsored with blood money’: Olympic partner LVMH slammed for animal abuse — Species Unite
 

   With animal farming accounting for 14 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions, Denmark's groundbreaking tax agreement is set to transform the food industry.  The historic move follows five months of negotiations between the government, agriculture organizations, trade unions, NGOs, and other groups. It aims to help Denmark achieve its legally required 2030 target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 70 percent from 1990 levels.“We will be the first country in the world to introduce a real CO2 tax on agriculture,” said Taxation Minister Jeppe Bruus in a statement. “Other countries will be inspired by this.”r.” 

Denmark announces world's first climate tax on animal agriculture — Species Unite  

  Five years after a bill banning the sale and serving of foie gras in New York City was signed into law, the legislation has been overturned.  The New York State Supreme Court has overturned New York City's 2019 ban on the sale of foie gras, claiming that it violated state agricultural laws.Foie gras has repeatedly come under fire for its cruel production methods, in which geese and ducks are force-fed - often through tubes inserted in their throats - until their livers become unnaturally engorged.New York City passed a law in 2019 banning the sale of foie gras in the city’s stores and restaurants - an estimated 1,000 establishments were serving the controversial product at the time. The ban was set to go into effect in 2022, but La Belle Farms and Hudson Valley Foie Gras, two foie gras farms based in Sullivan County, New York, sued to challenge the decision. 

Foie gras ban overturned in New York State. Here’s why that’s bad for birds — Species Unite  

  For many holidaymakers enjoying their summer vacation, seeing animals is high on their list of priorities. Statistics report that the wildlife tourism industry is estimated to be worth over $2 billion in the next decade – which is understandable, as few things compare to seeing an elephant, a dolphin, or another majestic wild being in their natural habitat. But tourism that involves animal attractions (where animals have been removed from their habitats and placed in captivity, or bred in captivity) is virtually always harmful and rife with abuse.   

Animal rights group PETA launch a campaign against the Toronto Maple Leafs - HockeyFeed  

  More than 50 puppies have been rescued, after the farmers decided to exit the dog meat trade completely.  Health authorities including the World Health Organization have well-established the link between the spread of deadly rabies and the dog meat trade. In Vietnam, the dog meat trade is said to be undermining public and government initiatives to eliminate rabies, as it encourages a large and unregulated production and movement of puppies and dogs. This threat of rabies has led local governments in the region to collaborate with HSI on the Models for Change program, which not only helps transition dog meat farms but also implements rabies vaccination programs as well as public awareness campaigns to discourage dog and cat meat consumption. 

 Two puppy fattening farms that supply Vietnam’s dog meat trade close down — Species Unite  

 Central Park carriage horse drivers gave rides during last week’s heat wave despite the city’s work suspension for all horse-drawn carriages — cruelly “overdriving” exhausted elderly equines, an animal rights group alleged.

Under the city’s administrative code, carriage horses must stop working and return to their stables when the temperature hits 90 degrees.

On Wednesday, the city Department of Health issued a heat suspension at 11:08 a.m., but at least two carriage drivers violated the order, charged NYCLASS, a non-profit that has fought to ban or restrict carriage horses. 

Central Park carriage horses suffered in sweltering 90-degree heat: animal rights group (msn.com) 

 Around 91,000 chickens were killed following an outbreak of bird flu in Germany, authorities said on Tuesday. The virus was detected in Bad Bentheim.

The virus has impacted chickens, with several farms reporting high mortality rates among their animals. The affected birds showed symptoms such as severe respiratory distress and a rapid decline in health.

The region where bird flu was confirmed is known for its high density of chicken farms. German authorities enforced strict biosecurity measures in the area to contain the outbreak and prevent its spread to nearby areas. The region is close to the Dutch border, where there are also many chicken farms.

One of the measures is that chickens must be kept in barns. They are not allowed to be outside, even on free-range farms. In total, almost 1.5 million animals are affected in the restriction zones. 

 91,000 chickens killed after bird flu outbreak in Germany (theanimalreader.com) 

 Florida carpenter ants, reddish-brown ants from the southeastern United States, perform amputations to help injured friends survive, a new study revealed. Ants amputate limbs if necessary, just like humans do.

These ants clean wounds with their mouths or bite off damaged limbs. If the injury is higher on the leg, they amputate. If it is lower, they do not.

“This is the first time we’ve seen a non-human animal perform amputations to save another’s life,” Erik Frank, a researcher from the University of Würzburg in Germany, told news agency 

 Ants help injured friends by cutting off limbs to save their lives (theanimalreader.com) 

 A humpback whale tangled in 800kg of fishing equipment was rescued off Victoria’s Gippsland coast in Australia. The whale was first seen in trouble almost a week earlier.

On Saturday, specialized whale rescue teams cut off the 800kg of ropes and buoys that restricted the whale’s swimming. The ropes were lifted from the water to prevent further danger to other wildlife.

Rescuers removed about 185 meters of the 200 meters of rope entangling the whale. James Dalton of Victoria’s water police emphasized the whale’s distress due to the tight entanglement. The animal could barely move. He praised the rescuers for successfully freeing the whale.

 Humpback whale tangled in 800 kg fishing gear rescued in Australia (theanimalreader.com)