Animal Law News

You can tell by the pig's face - look!
Is there an easy way to tell if a sentient animal is experiencing what the scientists referred to as "positive states" or, as the rest of us would say, "is the animal happy"? There are those that say it is just as difficult to tell if an animal is happy as it is with some people, but science is giving us a few more tools to help us with that assessment. 
 
For example, scientists are using facial recognition technology to assess the emotional state of pigs.Previous studies have already already shown that pigs can communicate with each...more >>

Not Woodstock, "Woofstock"
How do you make an animal charity successful? There are literally thousands of organisations who through the dedication of their volunteers and supporters, strive to make a difference to improve the lives of animals, and the rules that govern the "human-animal relationship". Some organisations are more successful than others so it is helpful to look at what some of the successful organisations that are doing, as a model for moving forward.
 
Paw Justice is one of those organisations. 
 
Paw Justice is a New...more >>

Would you want to be a seabird in New Zealand?

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 >>

£25,000 bounty for a dog's head

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 >>

CCTV in abattoirs - to doggie daycare centres?
Poland’s Chief Veterinarian has ordered controls in slaughterhouses after television footage showed a company killing sick cows and selling the meat for human consumption.
 
Poland produces about 560,000 tonnes of beef a year, with 85 percent exported to countries including Britain, Spain, Italy and Germany. The footage showed sick cows being transported to the slaughterhouse where they were mistreated and killed.
 
It raises the old question about putting CCTV cameras in abattoirs, dairy cow milking sheds, shearing sheds, and...more >>

You do know the latest about the whales, right?

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.

 
So how does that work, and "what are the facts" that clearly accompany the emotion and subjective opinion about that news?
...more >>

Do animals experience grief?

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 >>

The Chinese variant of bull fighting

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 >>

Live exports: What underpins the controversy?

So when you hear the term “live exports”, what do you think of? And are you a supporter, or a non-supporter, or …?

New Zealand is a country that has made a lot of its alleged ban on live exports. In 2003 the Government banned the export of live sheep after a disastrous shipment went wrong and 4000 sheep died en route to Saudi Arabia. The export of live sheep for slaughter was suspended in 2003 and in 2007 the Government introduced a Customs Export Prohibition Order (CEPO) on all livestock for slaughter.

In early 2014, MPI Minister Nathan...more >>

Have you seen alligators at your airport?
When someone comments on "the human-animal relationship", many of us nod sagely in agreement that there's obviously an inseparable connection between people and animals - but would you have picked that alligators at the airport would be used to foster that relationship, and provide benefits to human travellers?
 
In recent years, airports around the world have recognized the power of cute, cuddly animals for soothing harried, stressed-out flyers. Flyers travelling through Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport this winter are being...more >>