European Union. Ban on Canadian Seal Products. May 2009. The Market is Closed.

Some great news from across the pond. So great you could almost hear the seals bark in joyous symphony. Today, the European Union officially said NO to all products stemming from the cruel Canadian seal hunts that have irrevocably stained that country's reputation. We've heard about this rejection for some time now, but now it has become official. Those seal hunters will just have to find a real job with real skills, like landscaping a frozen tundra. No more hacking away at innocent, sentient beings; no more wading in the warm blood of freshly killed seals. How lucky of them! Not all murderers get a second chance in life. I am sure that in the future these hunters will present themselves as involuntary participants in this most cruel business, just following orders, just earning a living, all those lame excuses.

Let's do some math, shall we? According to the Humane Society International, the price of canadian seal fur declined 86% since 2006 to $ 15 per skin, and that's just from the news of EU's impending ban against the business. This year's kill is also down at 57,622 when the quota allows for 338,200. According to HSI, many of the hunters have simly opted to stay home because it wasn't cost effective to hunt at those prices. The Humane Society of the United States tells us that the industry will lose approx. $6.6 million each year and last year's hunt earned only $7 million. So, it looks like hunting seals will no longer provide the profits that made the business viable.

So, somehow and at some time, the good guys do win and the bad guys go down in flames although this all seems like a pyrric victory to me.

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Philippines. Reporting Animal Cruelty. Emergency Numbers. RA 8485.

Because I belong to an group of animal welfare advocates in the Philippines, I can read the numerous discussions between group members and people who, seems to me, just signed up to make an urgent plea for help. There were two this week who begged for assistance concerning two dogs who were tied up under rain and sun with no food nor water. One was described to be on the verge of a heat stroke. The images that filled my mind disturbed me immensely, but I am also encouraged at the same time. There is a growing number of animal welfare advocates in the Philippines and ordinary citizens are beginning to reject animal cruelty, willing to take personal action against it. Just from this website, I can see from the visitor data that many are seeking information on how to report animal cruelty in the Philippines. You can find my previous post on the subject HERE . Keep in mind that your complaint has legal standing via the Philippine Animal Welfare Act which is also known as the RA 8485 .

Three Members of the Philippine Shooting Team and the Killing of Protected Philippine Wildlife

When a member of the animal or plant kingdom goes extinct, there will be no second chances. Evolution will simply not repeat itself. There are reportedly eighty bird species that are unique to the Philippines and many of them have already made it to the endangered list. And we, to a great extent, have indiscrimate hunting to thank for it. In spite of two national laws protecting Philippine animals, the carnage continues unabated. The killings could occur as arbitrarily as guys getting together for macho time, or as a result of a well-planned hunting trip involving speed boats, bird callers, and camouflaged outfits. Either way, the outcome is the same. Philippine wildlife, our natural treasures, inches closer to a state of irreparable vacancy. Not too long ago, we learned about the Bacolod Air Rifle Club (BARC) whose unbridled killing of Philippine birds and ducks became the subject of an online petition calling for immediate government intervention. My post on that most disturbing c

Antipolo. Philippines. Dog Fighting. Dan Sy Tan Arraigned.

It looks like the noose is getting tighter around the neck of Dan Sy Tan , the alleged but obviously guilty ring leader of a vicious dogfighting ring in the town of Antipolo, Rizal in the Philippines. He was finally arraigned on June 5, 2008 for his crimes, illegal gambling and violating the Philippine Animal Welfare Act of 1998 . Caught redhanded by undercover cops posing as spectators, Dan Tan and his business associates face overwhelming evidence. Included in the ring are three Thai nationals who fled the country last year. They are on videotape. There are gate receipts, eye witnesses, veterinary statements, all point to their guilt. These guys made money from the blood of fighting dogs. What a way to make a living! It's been a full year since the night of the raid, but we'll take every bit of victory we can get. I say " We " because I am a member of the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) who worked with the police to capture these poor excuses for human be

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