Tails from a Compassionate Planet

World Animal Week: Day 5 – Saying "Animals Matter to Me!"

Welcome to Day 5 - the last day of World Animal Week! This week has flown by and we've had so much fun celebrating animals with you! Our last topic of the week is saying "Animals Matter to Me."

As we've discussed this week, millions of animals around the world are suffering from a number of factors, including natural disasters, inhumane culling, factory farming and more. Because of this, we need a unifying, global solution to protect animals from cruelty now and in the future.

Today, we encourage you to please sign the "Animals Matter to Me" declaration!

By doing so, you'll join the more than 2.4 million people (including celebs like Simon Cowell, Leona Lewis, Igor Olshansky, Tiffani Thiessen and John Tartaglia) who have declared to governments and other decision makers that animals - and their welfare - matter to them.

As an added bonus, when you sign the declaration before this Sunday, October 10 at 9pm ET, you will be entered to win an amazing prize from WSPA! Our goal is to gather 10,000 new signatures to the declaration before Sunday, so please forward this on to your friends and family.

Good luck and thank you for making noise for animals!

New Year Rings in Hope for Bulls in Catalonia

Thanks to a citizens’ advocacy campaign, Catalonia is now one important step closer to becoming an anti-bullfighting region. The “Prou” (“Enough” in English) campaign, led by Spanish citizens and supported by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), scored a victory on December 18 when local politicians approved a debate on changes to the region’s Animal Protection Law that currently protects all animals except the bulls and horses used in bullfights.

 

The Prou campaign led a Popular Legislative Initiative (PLI) in favor of a ban on bullfights in Catalonia and collected 180,000 signatures from Catalonian citizens who had “had enough” of the parliament’s refusal to acknowledge their wish for a ban, over three times the required number to force a vote in the regional parliament.

 

Local politicians will now debate on changes to the Animal Protection Law during the first half of this year. Future votes would effectively results in the enforcement of a ban on cruel and inhumane bullfighting.

 

WSPA collected signatures of over 85,000 concerned citizens from over 140 countries, to support Prou. With this added encouragement from the international community, WSPA hopes members of Catalonia’s Congress will feel confident in boldly speaking out against the cruelty displayed in bullfights in upcoming votes.

An end in sight…

 

Changes to existing Animal Protection Law in Catalonia would not only lead to 100 less bulls being inhumanely slaughtered every year, it could also lead the way for the rest of Spain and other bullfighting countries to embrace culture without cruelty.

 

The anti-bullfighting movement is experiencing growing support throughout the world, with a surge of towns and regions across Europe and Latin America declaring themselves “anti-bullfighting” in the last two years.

 

Learn more about the Prou campaign and see a map of Spanish cities that have declared themselves anti-bullfighting

 

What you can do as a Compassionate tourist…

 

Annually, more than 250,000 bulls and hundreds of horses are maimed and/or killed during traditional bullfights and similar events in Europe and Latin America. While many locals boycott these practices, as in the case of Catalonia, it is tourist demand that is keeping bulls at the center of the ring, but compassionate travelers can be powerful agents of change. Tourists traveling to Spain or Latin America should boycott festivals and activities where bulls are taunted and killed for the sake of entertainment. By refusing to pay for a ticket, you are voting to end the cruel practice.

 

To learn more about what you can do to help animals, visit WSPA’s Compassionate Travel website.

For The Love of Equines

This week’s blog entry comes from Kristin Lajeunesse, Supporter Liaison for the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA). Read on for Kristin’s fascinating account of her experiences with horses.

 

They called her “the little bay mare.” I first noticed her big, soft brown eyes and how her coarse black mane and tail accented her deep brown coat. As she moseyed over to greet me, her ample hay belly adorably swayed from side to side. It was love at first sight. When I discovered that she and I were both eight years old, I knew it was meant to be. I named her Spirit and from that day forward I began an unparalleled relationship with this beautiful animal.

 

 

 

I spent every spare moment learning how to properly care for Spirit. My bond with Spirit, and my passion for everything equine, grew strong.

 

Over time, I came to understand Spirit's unique personality. She enjoyed walking alongside me when I was doing my daily barn chores. Though she was the shortest of all the horses she lived with, she was the leader of the herd. And yet, despite her commanding personality, she seemed visibly saddened when I’d give attention to another horse; she wouldn’t take her eyes off of us and after a while, turn and hang her head. For a few hours after, she would ignore me and walk away when I approached her.

 

I realized that she, like most other equines, was sensitive and exceptionally caring. Coupling these experiences with my degree in Equestrian Studies, it became even clearer that owning an equine involves a great deal of care and compassion.

 

While I was fortunate to enjoy the company of equines as companion animals, many people in other countries depend on these animals for their livelihoods. Unfortunately, these people often don’t have the resources—like hands-on training and formal education—to properly care for their equines. It is not uncommon for their equines to be subjected to ill-fitting equipment, neglect, and various health problems.

 

WSPA’s working equines program provides equine owners with humane education workshops and clinics, which cover topics like using the right equipment, proper hoof care, health, and nutrition. In 2004 WSPA assisted the Lampang Pony Welfare Organization in Thailand, and set up a clinic offering advice, veterinary treatment, and low cost supplies.  The clinic has been extremely successful and the health of the Lampang ponies has improved so dramatically that WSPA is replicating this project in Cambodia.

 

(Now, at the age of 26, Spirit is still in great health, living out her remaining years as a pasture pony with her equine companion, Amber.)