ReportWire

Tag: Animal Protection

  • Animal Welfare: How Far Have We Come from the Code of Hammurabi | Animal Wellness Magazine

    Have you ever wondered how much society’s view of animals has changed? Ancient laws treated animals as mere property. Today, many countries have laws protecting their well-being. How far have we truly come?

    The Code of Hammurabi

    The Code of Hammurabi, dating back to 1755-1750 BC, reveals a lot. It primarily focused on animals as property. Laws 241–252 detail the value of animals. They outline compensation for damages caused by animals. These laws were more about economics than animal welfare. Hurting or killing someone’s animal was a crime against the person, not the animal. This code shows a world where animals had little intrinsic value. Their worth was tied to their usefulness to humans.

    Given are some provision from The Code of Hammurabi: 

    • If someone hires an ox and harms it by breaking off a horn, cutting its tail, or hurting its muzzle, they must pay the owner one-fourth of the ox’s value in money.
    • If an ox is hired and it is killed due to bad treatment or blows, the person responsible must compensate the owner with another ox.
    • Injuries to the hired ox require the payer to pay one-half of the ox’s value.
    • The veterinary surgeon who performs a serious operation to cure an ox or an ass shall be paid a fee, but if the operation kills the animal, the surgeon must pay one-fourth of its value to the owner.
    • Additionally, there are regulations ensuring that animals aren’t mistreated during work, such as “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.”

    Modern Laws Show A Shift Toward Welfare

    Modern animal welfare laws mark a significant shift. Today, every North American state and province has animal cruelty laws. These laws prohibit torture, neglect, and abandonment. Many legislations have increased penalties for animal abuse. The PACT Act of 2019 makes animal crushing a federal crime. This act shows a growing recognition of animal sentience. It acknowledges their capacity to suffer. These laws aim to protect animals from harm. They also promote responsible caregiving.

    Current Rules about Protecting Dogs and Cats

    Current rules and regulations focus on preventing cruelty. They ensure basic needs are met. Many laws address abandonment, neglect, and direct harm. Some states have specific laws for dogs and cats. These address confinement, tethering, and to humanely manage stray populations.

    We have come a long way from the Code of Hammurabi. Animals are no longer viewed as mere property. Modern laws recognize their right to be free from cruelty. Despite progress, challenges remain. Enforcement of animal welfare laws varies. Public awareness and education are crucial to bring further improvements. We must continue to advocate for stronger protections . Our journey toward animal compassion is ongoing.


    Post Views: 286


    Animal Wellness is North America’s top natural health and lifestyle magazine for dogs and cats, with a readership of over one million every year. AW features articles by some of the most renowned experts in the pet industry, with topics ranging from diet and health related issues, to articles on training, fitness and emotional well being.

    Animal Wellness

    Source link

  • Horse Carriage Ban: Chicago’s 2020 ‘Feel Good Story’

    Horse Carriage Ban: Chicago’s 2020 ‘Feel Good Story’

    Amidst a Year Full of Deaths and Misery from the COVID-19 Pandemic Sweeping the Planet

    Press Release
    –


    updated: Dec 29, 2020


    CHICAGO, December 29, 2020 (Newswire.com)
    –
    ​​As COVID-19 began to tighten its grip on the world last April, at least one humane event made 2020 more than just a year to forget – the third largest city in the U.S. became one of a growing number of cities worldwide to ban horse-drawn carriages.

    Chicago’s City Council overwhelmingly approved the measure to not renew licenses for horse-drawn carriages as of Jan. 1, 2021. The ordinance languished for more than two years before it came up for a vote around the time the pandemic began.

    “The Chicago Alliance for Animals is overjoyed that Chicago officials finally acknowledged that humane tourism is the way of the future and banned this inhumane, archaic and dangerous relic before a human or horse suffers or dies from this unnecessary activity, like so many have in other cities,” Chicago Alliance for Animals Executive Director, Jodie Wiederkehr, who has worked on the ban since 2017.   

    Wiederkehr was named an “Outstanding Activist” of 2020 by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), with PETA President Ingrid Newkirk noting, “Horses have a true ally in Jodie, whose unwavering commitment and compassion have helped make Chicago the largest city in the country to shut down the cruel carriage industry.”

    CAA said that horse-drawn carriage bans are increasingly being passed around the world with officials citing animal cruelty as the prime reason.

    Chicago joins other U.S. cities that have banned horse-drawn carriages, including Las Vegas, NV; Asheville, NC; Salt Lake City, UT; Biloxi, MS; Camden, NJ and the Florida cities of Key West, Palm Beach, Pompano Beach and Treasure Island.

    Other cities worldwide include Montreal (Canada), Amsterdam (Netherlands), Istanbul (Turkey), Barcelona (Spain), Cozumel and Guadalajara  (Mexico), San Juan (Puerto Rico), Mumbai (India), and cities in Belgium, Chile, Egypt, Italy and the Dominican Republic.

    “Chicago is no Second City when it comes to the humane treatment of animals. We don’t need to depend on animal exploitation for a vibrant tourism industry,” emphasized Wiederkehr, who convinced more than 200 businesses to support a ban that, she says, “translated to millions of people wanting horse suffering off our streets.”

    In 2017, Chicago issued 334 citations for violations of the city’s horse-carriage regulations, according to CAA. That was the first year that Wiederkehr and her volunteers began monitoring the industry, which paid at least $20,000 in fines to settle the violations.

    Citations were for working horses for more than six hours at a time, working them in temperatures of 90 degrees or hotter, not providing water and breaking traffic laws meant to protect the public.

    Background:  https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-life-horse-carriage-ban-chicago-10102019-20191028-g2disatrevf3llx2ctgaki2jmu-story.html%3foutputType=amp 

    -END-

    Source: Chicago Alliance for Animals (CAA)

    Source link

  • Unprecedented Sentence in One of the Worst Cases of Animal Cruelty Ever Documented

    Unprecedented Sentence in One of the Worst Cases of Animal Cruelty Ever Documented

    First-ever sentence handed down for farm animal cruelty in Spain, thanks to US-based international advocacy organization, Animal Equality.


    Los Angeles, CA, September 27, 2016 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Today, Tuesday, September 27, two of three farm workers accused of horrific animal cruelty at El Escobar Farm in Murcia, Spain, were sentenced.

    Both men received a one year prison sentence and have been banned from working with animals for three years. The third man is on the run.

    “This is the highest penalty for abuse to farm animals in the history of Spain and we are glad that the animal abusers were found guilty,” said Javier Moreno, International Director of Animal Equality who exposed the case.

    Javier Moreno, International Director

    “This is the highest penalty for abuse to farm animals in the history of Spain and we are glad that the animal abusers were found guilty,” said Javier Moreno, International Director of Animal Equality who exposed the case.

    He added, “At Animal Equality we will continue exposing the suffering of animals in the meat industry to create a society in which farm animals are protected.”

    Warning Graphic Content
    ​
    In February 2012, international organization Animal Equality shared a video with images of the animal abuse inside El Escobar farm, located in Murcia, Spain.

    The images, which were captured by one of the workers, showed farm staff brutally hitting pigs with iron bars and stabbing them with swords while mocking their suffering in front of the camera. The video also shows one of the workers opening up a pregnant pig’s abdomen and uterus with a knife in order to remove her babies while she was still conscious.

    In an interview (in Spanish), the whistleblower admitted to Animal Equality that those were standard practices that took place every day at the farm.

    The police detained three workers 48 hours after Animal Equality reported the crimes and turned over the evidence.

    The three former employees at the farm faced trial over animal abuse charges today (Tuesday, September 27th) at criminal court No. 3 of Cartagena. Animal Equality represented the public at the trial.

    Notes to Editors

    ·      Animal Equality’s campaign video (in English): LINK

    ·      Gallery of images: LINK

    ·      Video of animal abuse at El Escobar farm (in Spanish): LINK

    ·      Interview with former farm worker (in Spanish): LINK

    Animal Equality is an international farmed animal advocacy organization working in Spain, the United States, England, Italy, Germany, Venezuela, and India. Animal Equality has over two million supporters and works through education, advocacy, and investigations in order to promote social and legislative changes that benefit animals.

    MEDIA CONTACT

    For more information or to interview Javier Moreno contact: Sarah Pickering, Int. Director of Communications, Animal Equality at sarahp@animalequality.org or on cell: +1 (424) 305-0165.​​​

    Source: Animal Equality

    Related Media

    Source link