An undercover investigator for Mercy for Animals, a non-profit animal protection charity, captured the footage at a contract farm for the supermarket chain.

This comes soon after the charity exposed the names of major retailers that are lagging behind in their efforts to address welfare issues associated with chickens raised for meat.

Aldi is among the companies that ranked the lowest for standard practices in the chicken industry.

Animal cruelty on chicken farms

The hidden-camera footage shows tens of thousands of chickens packed into overcrowded sheds, forced to live in waste-soaked litter for weeks. The investigator also documented countless birds, including day-old chicks, suffering from severe open wounds, twisted necks and beaks, and other serious injuries.

Many of these conditions arise from the way chickens are routinely bred to grow unnaturally large over a short space of time. This inflicts a huge amount of physical and mental stress on the birds.

In the hard-hitting video, workers are seen hurling sick and injured live birds into buckets to die. Some were crushed under the weight of corpses piled on top of them.

In light of the footage, Mercy for Animals is calling on Aldi to adopt meaningful animal welfare standards for all its chicken suppliers. The charity is urging Aldi to undertake the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC), which requires extra space, litter, and lighting, as well as environmental enrichments. 

As a way for individuals to take action, Mercy for Animals encourages eliminating animal products altogether. It states on its Aldi Uncovered website: “We can end this cruel, unsustainable system. By choosing plant-based foods, we can build a food system that is good for animals, people, and our planet.”

The post New Investigation Uncovers Severe Animal Cruelty In Aldi Supply Chain appeared first on Plant Based News.

The bill, which acknowledges that vertebrates and some marine invertebrates are capable of experiencing feelings like pain, was one of a number of the Conservative Party’s promising, yet vague, plans to “lead the way on animal welfare.” And, to “revolutionize” the treatment of animals both here in the UK and abroad. 

Last month, the bill finally passed through parliament and received Royal Assent. Now, lobsters are one of the many animals officially considered capable of feeling emotions. Whether it will lead to any tangible improvements to their lives, however, remains to be seen.

Torture of lobsters

Lobsters are victims to probably the most horrific example of human-inflicted torture of animals, being thrown into pots of boiling water while conscious to be cooked as “food.” It can take them up to 15 minutes to die, and they will desperately attempt to escape until they do.

It had previously been assumed by the press and general public that a recognition of sentience would mean an inevitable outlaw of this method, but this is looking increasingly doubtful. 

The government confirmed that existing industry practices will not be affected by the bill, stating that there will be “no direct impact” on restaurant kitchens or shellfish catching.

In other words: despite the fact they are now legally recognized as able to feel pain, there are no current plans to ban boiling these animals alive. 

Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill

Here lies the problem with the bill. While it’s an undeniable victory in the fight for animal rights, it hasn’t (yet) proved itself as the “revolutionary” moment the government would have us believe.

It may be welcome, necessary, and long overdue, but it’s nowhere near enough as a standalone piece of legislation.

For the bill to make a difference to the lives of animals, it should come with proper plans to end cruel practices against those it deems as sentient.

Lobsters were included in the bill on recommendation from scientists from the London School of Economics. It was originally intended for just vertebrates (like mammals, fish, and birds), but the government amended the bill after experts found that cephalopods (including octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish) and decapod crustaceans (including crabs, lobsters, and crayfish) were also capable of feelings.

“It is not simply the capacity to feel pain,” the authors wrote of these animals. “But feelings of pain, distress or harm, broadly understood, have a special significance for animal welfare law.”

Empty promises

The recognition of animals’ sentience coupled with a refusal to put a stop to them enduring probably the worst pain it’s possible to imagine, is a hugely problematic move from the government.

These people are happy to give themselves a pat on the back for accepting that animals suffer, while turning away as they’re thrown – literally kicking and screaming – into pots of boiling water. 

While the bill does bring with it an Animal Sentience Committee, a panel of experts who will give advice on how future policies could affect animal welfare, the government will be under no obligation to act on their suggestions.

This means that – at present – the bill only brings the vague potential to ensure animal welfare is taken into account in future laws, but it doesn’t seem to be offering any concrete promises or solutions. 

In the UK, we love to tell ourselves we’re world leaders of animals rights, but recognizing that animals can feel emotions while continuing to torture them isn’t quite the act of benevolence people think it is.

Animal sentience on farms

Lobsters are a new and extreme case, but they are far from the only victims of this cruel and paradoxical treatment. Mammals like pigs, sheep, and cows have all been offered legal protections since the passing of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, but has this really been enough?

Farmed animals are routinely – and completely legally – subjected to unimaginable torture in the UK. Animals like pigs and sheep are castrated and have their tails docked without anaesthetic, while many also have their teeth clipped. Meanwhile, farmers kill sick piglets using a method called “thumping,” which involves picking the young animals up by their feet and bashing their heads against the wall or floor. 

Usually, this torture doesn’t lead to legal proceedings. Prosecutions for animal welfare breaches on farms are exceptionally rare, meaning animals classed as sentient fall victim to all manner of legal and illegal mistreatment in their miserable lives.

For example, when these terrified animals arrive at the slaughterhouse, they are, in theory, stunned before being strung up and having their throats cut, but this is often done improperly.

An Animal Aid investigation into 11 UK pig farms found that the animals were improperly stunned in almost all of them. This means that, while they can’t be legally boiled alive, they are often plunged into scalding tanks while still conscious. 

Meaningful changes for animals

There is no doubt that the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill should be celebrated. Every step forward in the fight for animal rights should be. Nevertheless, we must not forget that this bill could just be the latest in a long line of measures that exist for show, not for all the animals it supposedly protects.

While people across the country are celebrating the news that lobsters are now considered sentient, the lobsters themselves continue to suffer slow and agonizing deaths in our kitchens. 

If the government really wants to position itself as the party for “animal welfare,” lawmakers should take urgent steps to bring in legislation that better protects animals, while properly implementing existing ones too.

The government has undoubtedly done a wonderful job of publicizing itself as a champion of the rights of animals. So let’s hope it becomes just as adept at making a real difference to animals’ lives.

The post If Lobsters Are Sentient, Why Can We Still Boil Them Alive? appeared first on Plant Based News.

But after June this year, the fair will no longer be welcome in Doncaster. A successful animal rights campaign brought its contract to a close.

After it was provided with evidence of animal suffering by the Animal Protection Agency (APA), Doncaster Council announced it will not extend the contract for the event.

The International Herpetological Society (IHS), which hosted the event, has been investigated a number of times by APA.

According to IHS, its shows allow its members to “buy and sell their surplus animals and offspring.” But a number of activists and councilors believe that animal markets should end for good in the UK.

An ‘abhorrent’ business

Councillor David Shaw, the chair of Doncaster Council’s licensing committee, said in a statement: “Whilst I accept that many exotic animal keepers care for their animals, I find this business abhorrent and something that should not take place in the UK – and certainly not in Doncaster.”

IHS’s event organizer Richard Brook accused APA of animal rights extremism, harassment, and “corporate bullying” in order to have the event canceled.

But according to APA, the UK “outlawed” market pet trading “almost forty years ago.”

This was “on the grounds that animal welfare cannot be ensured in temporary and makeshift environments.”

Images taken by APA at IHS events depict snakes kept in small boxes and geckos trapped inside small plastic tubs.

Reptile biologist Dr. Clifford Warwick says that reptiles are “highly sensitive” to these restrictive conditions. He praised APA and Doncaster Council for canceling the contract and “safeguarding animal welfare.”

Warwick said: “In my view, the reptile markets at Doncaster have for years been a blight on the welfare of these wild animals.”

The post Activists Put A Stop To Doncaster’s ‘Abhorrent’ Reptile Market For Good appeared first on Plant Based News.

Calling out corporations’ lack of animal welfare

In his letter, Icahn refers to McDonald’s 2012 pledge that it would source all of its pork from gestation crate-free suppliers within 10 years. The billionaire states that the fast-food giant has failed to meet that commitment.

McDonald’s has also recently claimed that by the end of this year, it “expects to source 85 percent to 90 percent of its US pork volumes from sows not housed in gestation crates during pregnancy.”

But Icahn claims to see through these statements.

He writes: “That assertion is a cynical fabrication intended to fool us into believing this egregious form of animal abuse in McDonald’s’ supply chain is largely not occurring.”

“In reality, these sows, who have multiple litters of piglets each year, are confined in gestation crates during each pregnancy for approximately four to six weeks, 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” he continues.

“They will spend these weeks immobilized in tiny crates, not much bigger than their bodies, where they can’t even turn around.”

Among other commitments, Icahn is demanding that McDonald’s eliminates gestation crates completely by the end of next year. He adds: “which it failed to do this year, despite having a decade to do so.”

In the scathing letter to Kroger’s CEO Rodney McMullen, Icahn took a similar tone. He wrote: “You’ve helmed a company that certainly has the gravitas to steer change, yet instead have condoned cruelty towards those who are the most defenseless.”

The post McDonald’s Under Fire For Failing To Meet Animal Welfare Commitments appeared first on Plant Based News.

Pig abuse in the meat industry

This is not the first time PETA has called out F.B. Purnell Sausage Co for abusing animals. Last year, the non-profit obtained the “disturbing report” of a pig receiving six electric shocks on her head and over her heart.

At the time, PETA called for an investigation.

Every year, the meat industry slaughters around 1.5 billion pigs. And F.B. Purnell Sausage Co is far from the only company in the industry that abuses its animals.

In Aberdeenshire last year, workers on a farm supplying major UK supermarket chains Tesco and Lidl (who later cut ties) were filmed hitting piglets with hammers and swinging them around. Activists also found pigs in filthy conditions, and some had meningitis.

Animal Equality UK released the undercover footage, which it claimed depicted several legal violations.

Vet and professor of animal welfare Andrew Knight told the Independent at the time: “The suffering of these ill and injured pigs would have been very considerable, yet no signs of appropriate veterinary care were visible.”

The post Federal Reports Unveil Pig Abuse At Major US Sausage Company appeared first on Plant Based News.

The footage, hosted on the news and entertainment website Joe, has been seen more than one million times. But one brand is saying it’s far from accurate.

According to vegan chicken producer VFC, KFC is misleading consumers to believe that the welfare on its farm is much better than it actually is. The brand claims it paid a follow-up visit to the same farm used in KFC’s promotional video and came across a very different situation. 

VFC states it witnessed very little straw on the ground, which was “sodden with animal feces.” It also reported plastic-wrapped bales, perches that were unavailable to the birds, dead chickens on the floor, and a number of sick and injured animals. 

A ‘misleading’ representation

After VFC’s co-founder Matthew Glover visited the farm, he claimed that KFC’s “Behind the Bucket” marketing campaign was “disingenuous” and “utterly misleading.”

He said in a statement: “People have a right to know how filthy and crowded these farms are; how birds suffer and die right there in the sheds; and that the bins overflow with the carcasses of the poor animals who could not survive even a few weeks in such conditions.”

“We were not surprised to find that things were this bad because this is the everyday reality of intensive chicken farming,” he added. “But it leaves us with just one question: did the farm lie to KFC about its welfare standards, or is KFC lying to the rest of us?”

The realities of chicken farming

Every week, around 20 million chickens are slaughtered for their meat in the UK.

The majority of these animals are kept in cramped, unhygienic conditions. While VFC’s exposé is shocking, it’s not the only investigation to show the reality of the industry.

Last year, Viva! discovered “abhorrent conditions” on farms supplying some of the UK’s biggest supermarket chains. For example, one expedition found that one of Tesco’s suppliers was cramming 30,000 birds into one single shed, leaving each animal “desperate for space.”

At the time, Lex Rigby, Viva!’s head of investigations, said: “Our insatiable desire for cheap chicken has led to an alarming rise in US-style mega-farms that prioritize profit over welfare.”

The post ‘Humane’ KFC Chicken Farm Under Fire As Exposé Discovers ‘Filthy, Crowded’ Conditions appeared first on Plant Based News.

The stunt has been widely condemned. Plant Based News has reached out for comment on the app’s LinkedIn page but we’ve not received a reply as yet.

Animal exploitation

Vegan dating app Grazer got in touch to give us its take on the stunt:

“From one dating app to another, it’s disappointing to see the use of animals as props for marketing… and in this case, as a live billboard. ‘Thursday’ is great at thinking outside the box, but this was a step too far. Marketing is not an excuse for animal exploitation.”

Grazer co-founder and CMO, Charlotte Elizabeth, says: “Camels don’t belong at London Liverpool Street, and live animals aren’t walking billboards for marketing stunts.

“Animals have long been used for advertising gain, but in 2022 we should be way past this. We obviously think live animals don’t belong in ads at all, but even the advertising guidelines from the British Veterinary Association would have a problem with Thursday’s ad.

“The BVA state; the animal must be ‘shown in a suitable environment (place to live) for its species and/or breed?’ I don’t see that here. ‘Thursday’ has some brilliant ideas, so it’s disappointing to see them take a step back in time and resort to using animals for clicks.”

After posting the ad on Instagram, ‘Thursday’ turned its comments off due to the negative backlash.

Charlotte commented, “Maybe they don’t care, I’m sure they just see the attention as good for brand awareness but we need to hold brands accountable.”

Animals for hire

The camel was hired from a company called Joseph’s Amazing Camels. The company specializes in hiring out camels for camel racing, camel polo, and camel rides. They also sell camel’s milk.

It’s not just camels the company has for hire, they also hire out pigs for pig racing.

Joseph Fosset, the man behind the company, is a member of the oldest circus family in the UK.  He has been using animals for his income for over 35 years, including lions, tigers, elephants, bears, horses, and camels.  

A gallery of the company’s activities can be viewed here. The images show camels being whipped in races and used as props in an array of public events.

Animals in advertising

Camels are often used for entertainment, and this isn’t the first time one has been exploited for advertising —this ad from 2013 had the same idea.

Any time animals are forced outside of their natural habitat, it causes them stress and trauma.

Not all animals are able to outwardly show stress, but for a camel to be paraded in central London would have been extremely upsetting for the animal.

It’s unacceptable for any animal to be used in the promotional stunts of a company, which is a message ‘Thursday’ is now hearing loud and clear, on the channels that they still allow commenting.

The post Dating App ‘Thursday’ Called Out For Using Camel In PR Stunt appeared first on Plant Based News.

Participants rallied together from all corners of the world, with people partaking from 228 countries and territories. Every country in the world was represented, besides Tajikistan and North Korea where internet is either banned or extremely limited.

The hype motivated mammoth corporations to get involved too. Not only did companies collectively launch at least 1,561 new vegan products and menu options during January (according to data gathered by Veganuary), but a myriad of businesses encouraged their employees to eat plant-based too.

More than 100 organizations – including Harrods, Papa John’s, Domino’s, Superdrug, Volkswagen Group UK, Sky, and Adept Care Homes – signed up for the 2022 Veganuary Workplace Challenge.

‘A vegan world’

In a statement sent to Plant Based News, Veganuary’s CEO Ria Rehberg acknowledged there is still a long way to go. But, that the snowballing popularity of the campaign is proof that humankind is “a step closer” to ending animal suffering.

“At Veganuary we share one common dream: We want to live in a vegan world. A world without animal farms and slaughterhouses. A world where food production does not decimate forests, pollute rivers and oceans, exacerbate climate change, and drive wild animal populations to extinction,” Rehberg explained. “A world where everyone is able to enjoy an endless variety of delicious and nutritious foods while protecting the planet and animals.”

“And while it will take the effort of countless people, organizations, and initiatives to make this dream a reality one day, each January, I can feel us get a step closer to that vision,” they continued.

“Veganism isn’t standing in the corner anymore; it’s become a popular choice that many of the world’s largest food businesses are embracing as the big new thing.”

Though the Veganuary campaign lasts for a limited time, research has found that thousands of participants stay vegan once the month is up. A follow-up survey of Veganuary 2021 pledgers revealed that around a third of participants who were not vegan when they signed up had maintained a fully plant-based diet six months after the fact.

Further, 82 percent of non-vegan individuals had dramatically reduced their animal product consumption once the campaign came to a close.

The post 2.16 Million Animals Were Spared In Just One Month Thanks To Veganuary 2022 appeared first on Plant Based News.

Here are eight women and groups worth celebrating this International Women’s Day, and every day after.

Akashinga

Once you hear about the Akashinga women, it’s hard to forget about them. The name of the all-female anti-poaching unit, based in Zimbabwe, translates to “the brave ones,” and is aptly named to say the least.

Akashinga, a plant-based group, is a branch of the International Anti-Poaching Foundation (IAPF).

Established in 2017, the ranger unit is made up of survivors of domestic abuse, single mothers, and women orphaned by AIDS. Together, they undergo military-like training and – while armed in case of conflict – take Africa’s poachers head-on. 

Since its inception, Akashinga has arrested hundreds of poachers and helped spare the lives of countless wild animals. In fact, in areas where IAFP operates, poaching is eliminated by more than 80 percent, the organization says.

Importantly, Akashinga also helps women secure autonomy, providing them with the freedom to buy property, obtain a driver’s license, finish high school and enroll in college, and send their children to school.

Further, Akashinga is the subject of a James Cameron-backed documentary, which can be viewed here.

Visit Akashinga’s website here

Toni Sestak 

An animal lover from childhood, California-born Toni Sestak has made it her life’s work to rescue and rehome kittens and cats. 

Sestak – a parent to five and a grandmother to eight children – began fostering companion animals when her cat passed away in 1995.

While volunteering at a local shelter, Sestak discovered that the youngest cats living there were suffering the most, with many of them dying before they were old enough to be adopted. Moreover, most shelters don’t accept very young kittens at all; those animals are simply killed, Sestak says.

So in 2003, she founded Toni’s Kitty Rescue, a San Francisco-based non-profit that has helped save the lives of around 10,000 kittens under the age of eight weeks, with Sestak personally fostering more than 1,500 of them.

And her efforts haven’t slowed down. Sestak’s volunteer-run organization currently takes in 800 to 1,000 orphaned kittens every year, its website says.

She also advocates for feral cats, and provides care for six who are living in her backyard. And while these stray animals cannot be socialized as family pets, Sestak stresses that they are still deserving of protection.

Visit Toni’s Kitty Rescue website here

Charlotte Maxwell-Jones

Last year, Charlotte Maxwell-Jones refused to evacuate from Afghanistan in the midst of escalating conflict, despite threats from the Taliban and the US withdrawing all of its military support. Why? To help save nearly 300 stranded dogs and cats and the 40 rescue staff that were helping to care for them. 

Maxwell-Jones helped initiate “Operation Hercules,” which aimed to transport them all out of the country to safety. Kabul Small Animal Rescue (KSAR), founded by Maxwell-Jones in 2018, worked against the clock to pull it off – with only a handful of hours to spare before the Taliban took over the country.

With the help of SPCA International, No Dogs Left Behind, and countless supporters from around the globe, Maxwell-Jones raised thousands for the cause. Finally, on February 1, close to 300 animals flew from Afghanistan into Vancouver, Canada. They were either returned to their families, or kept in the care of KSAR to be rehabilitated and rehomed.

Visit Kabul Small Animal Rescue’s Facebook page here

Greta Thunberg

Thunberg was just 15 when she made headlines for protesting against climate inaction outside the Swedish parliament. Holding a sign that read “School Strike for Climate,” the vegan teenager skipped school every Friday to urge the government to do more to meet carbon emissions targets. 

By the end of 2018, more than 20,000 students from around the world were doing the same – rallying during class hours so that their voices would be heard. 

Now 19, Thunberg has built an impressively large platform, sporting more than 14.3 million followers on Instagram. As well as pushing for more sustainable policies, the Swedish activist speaks out about humankind’s use of animals for food. She has encouraged people to go vegan and to consider not only the environmental implications of animal agriculture, but the “thoughts and feelings” of animals too.

Thunberg has now picked up three Nobel Peace Prize nominations, and is Time magazine’s youngest-ever Person of the Year. She has also made Forbes’ list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women. 

Curiously, Thunberg has also had several newly discovered animal species named after her, with scientists keen to pay homage to the young activist. The names of a beetle from Kenya, a land snail from Borneo, a freshwater snail from New Zealand, and a huntsman spider from Madagascar were all inspired by Thunberg.

Visit Thunberg’s Fridays For Future campaign website here

Andrea Richey

Legal-recruiter-turned-conservationist Andrea Richey raised eyebrows when she up and left a Wall Street law firm to help save sharks. But Richey, now lovingly known as “The Shark Lady,” stands by her decision. And with shark populations dwindling at an alarming rate – with a third of sharks nearing extinction – her work is needed now more than ever. 

Richey began her journey by volunteering with the Hong Kong Shark Foundation (HKSF), a non-profit organization committed to raising awareness about shark conservation. Particularly, the shark fin trade, which takes the lives of more than 100 million sharks every year.

Now executive director of the foundation, Richey says we are living in a “global shark crisis.” But, that humankind is “the solution.” With HKSF, the vegan environmentalist works to educate individuals and companies, push for meaningful policy changes, and end the consumption of all shark products. 

Visit the Hong Kong Shark Foundation’s website here

Jill Robinson

British animal activist Jill Robinson founded the Animals Asia Foundation in 1998, with a view to rescuing Asiatic black bears (or moon bears) from the bile industry. Animals in the trade live in squalor, and are confined to cramped cages for up to 25 years. Farmers extract bile from the bears’ abdomens, and sell the product for medicinal use. 

Moved and infuriated by the concept, Robinson set out to tackle the issue. Her foundation has since rescued dozens of bears, and established animal sanctuaries in Vietnam and China. It conducts investigations into various facilities – including locations keeping animals besides bears captive – and pushes for legislative changes.

Notably, the same year she founded the Animals Asia Foundation, Robinson was named an MBE by Queen Elizabeth of England for her services to animals.

Robinson also lends her support to the Doctor Dog initiative, which brings in homeless dogs from various parts of Asia and helps integrate them into animal-assisted therapy programs. Robinson currently lives with various rescue dogs and cats, as well as a rescued tortoise. 

Visit Robinson’s website here

Tracye McQuirter

Best-selling author and nutritionist Tracye McQuirter has a plan: help one million Black women go vegan in just a decade. To light a fire under the initiative, McQuirter founded 10 Million Black Vegan Women, a public health movement that aims to give Black women more control over their lives.

“Black women experience the highest rates of chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer, but most of these illnesses can be prevented and often reversed by eating healthy plant-based foods,” McQuirter, who has been vegan for 35 years, said in a statement. “We’ve seen the devastating impact these pre-existing conditions can have, especially during the pandemic. The 10 Million Black Vegan Women Movement gives black women the tools we need to take back control of our health.”

The platform is centered around its signature 21-day program, Vegan Fresh Start, which includes online cooking classes, recipes, and nutrition tips. A six-week Vegan Transition course and an ongoing Group Coaching program is also available. So far, McQuirter has supported more than 15,000 women in taking charge of their personal health. 

“The evidence is clear that now is the time to accelerate the sweeping changes needed to address the crisis in black women’s health,” McQuirter stated. “Now is the time for the 10 Million Black Vegan Women Movement.”

Visit McQuirter’s website here

Jane Goodall

When speaking about conservation, it’s usually not long until Dame Jane Goodall’s name comes up. The 87-year-old ethologist (referencing the study of animals in their natural habitats) is best known for her vital work in primate research.

Goodall conducted a 60-year study on the social interactions between wild chimpanzees, unearthing information that has expanded humankind’s understanding of the species. But also, Goodall’s findings have helped foster a widely supported notion to protect the animals.

It’s a vision that is more important than ever; in 1900, Earth was home to an estimated one million chimpanzees, according to Goodall’s website. Now, there are just 340,000.

Working alongside her eponymously named conservation institute, Goodall has helped protect nearly 1,500 acres of habitat, in which more than 5,000 chimpanzees and gorillas live. 

Time magazine considers Goodall one of the most influential people in the world, and she has been named a United Nations Messenger of Peace. 

Visit Goodall’s website here

The post 8 Women And Groups Who Have Devoted Their Lives To Protecting Animals appeared first on Plant Based News.

But as hateful acts ripped through the second-largest European country, after Russia, people came forward for one another, forcing light into an otherwise dark and horrific situation. 

One of those sources of light has been the public’s love for, and commitment to, animals.

‘They deserve to be protected’

Andrea Cisternino, a photographer who runs a farm animal sanctuary in Ukraine, announced he will not be evacuating the country. Instead, Cisternino says he is staying to care for his shelter’s 400 animal residents. And, that he would “rather die” than leave them behind.

“I will die here for my animals… I have to think about saving the refuge and its 400 guests who deserve to be protected at any cost,” Cisternino wrote on his Facebook page, which now has 70,000 followers.

It’s there that the animal-lover shares updates on his circumstances. One clip shows Russian military helicopters flying overhead the shelter, which is home to cows, pigs, horses, goats, sheep, dogs, and cats. At other times, Cisternino can hear gunfire outside.

“There’s the curfew from 10 pm to 7 am, we have to turn everything off,” Cisternino said, per Euronews.

“I’ve never seen a war before. This morning I was looking out of the window, one kilometer away there was a mortar hit and I smelt gunpowder,” he explained. “I was not used to it.”

He later added: “Now there are shots coming from two opposite sides, the smoke is arising from the right and left. But mainly they start from [the airport], I think. But now they’re fighting not far from here, so…”

Cisternino’s posts ceased on February 25, but a Facebook user wrote yesterday that they had spoken to his partner, Vlada. Vlada reportedly confirmed that Cisternino and the animals are safe, as well as three other people who are with them. Those interested can donate to the sanctuary here.

Devotion to animals

Similar scenes are unfolding elsewhere in Ukraine, with many people choosing to stay with their companion animals, despite the risks.

Rishabh Kaushik, a software engineering student at Kharkiv National University, intended to fly home to India with his family last week but changed his plans when he did not get clearance to bring his rescue dog, Maliboo.

“I decided then that if my dog can’t leave, I won’t either. I know that there is risk in staying on but I can’t just abandon him. Who will take care of him if I go?” Kaushik, whose family is now back in India, said to The Times of India.

“I have my family members to take care of me. But for Maliboo, I am his whole family. Nobody will take care of him if I leave him here,” he added. “I have taken his responsibility, I will take care of him no matter what happens.”

Courageous volunteers at animal rescues are making similar sacrifices.

Volunteers at Shelter Ugolyok, Happy Paw, Sirius, and Shelter Friend, for example, are working tirelessly to protect thousands of dogs, cats, and other animals amid the warfare.

These non-profits are in desperate need of food and other supplies; those interested in donating or contributing financially can head to their Instagram pages (linked above) for more information. There is another list of charities at the bottom of this article.

Kyiv Zoo employees have also stayed behind to care for the facility’s roughly 4,000 animals, with staff moving in to provide 24-hour supervision.

Nearby missile strikes and other forms of combat have been extremely distressing for the zoo’s inhabitants, which includes Ukraine’s only gorilla, Tony. Elephants and other vulnerable species are being given sedatives during the missile strikes and shootings.

Animal shelters hit

According to the Ukrainian animal rights organization UAnimals, at least four shelters have been hit by Russian shelling. Disturbingly, Russian forces were shooting both people and animals at wild animal shelter The Ark.

Further, the Best Friends Shelter has been completely destroyed by shelling, with first reports stating that more than 1,000 dogs died in the resulting fire.

It was confirmed today that workers at the facility were able to open the cages so that dogs and cats could escape (although, many of the animals stayed anyway). The dogs who left are now running around outside of the shelter amongst “constant shelling” with no food or water, UAnimals said.

Residents at the Gostomel animal shelter also suffered, with multiple animals dying from heart attacks due to nearby explosions.

Others were hit by bullets, and homeless animals living nearby the rescue have also died. Thousands more remain at risk; there are an estimated 50,000 stray animals living in Ukraine.

European Commission calls on member states to help families with pets

One million people have fled Ukraine since Russia’s invasion, according to the United Nations’ refugee agency. But due to border restrictions, among other factors, many are forced to make a decision between staying in the warzone or leaving their companion animals behind.

In an effort to help such families, the European Commission has advised all 27 EU Member States to loosen their veterinary paperwork requirements for pets, so that those with companion animals can cross borders more easily to seek refuge. 

Animal rights charity Humane Society International/Europe (HSI) commended the “precedent setting” and “compassionate” sentiment. The organization’s executive director, Ruud Tombrock, released a statement in response. 

“We are deeply concerned for the people and animals impacted by Russia’s military action in Ukraine, and so we welcome the European Commission’s recognition that people fleeing the conflict care deeply about their companion animals as beloved members of their family and will want to keep them safe,” Tombrock said in a statement sent to Plant Based News.

“Those seeking refuge will be greatly relieved to know that they can make evacuation plans to EU countries with their pets without unnecessary delay. This is a precedent-setting compassionate stance from the EU that we very much hope will be replicated around the world during similar conflict situations.

“People should not have to jeopardize their own safety in efforts to prevent their animals from being left behind to fend for themselves.”  

At the time of writing, Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia have all relaxed entry restrictions in order to assist those who need it, PETA reports.

Animal charities in Ukraine, and where to donate

PETA

PETA, thought to be the world’s largest animal rights organization, is one of the many working tirelessly to assist people and animals in Ukraine. 

A team from PETA Germany traveled to the Polish and Romanian borders to provide on-the-ground assistance. The non-profit has picked up at least six refugees as well as dogs and cats. One “caring guardian” had carried her cat Crimsee more than 37 miles out of the warzone, according to PETA. The charity said that when she arrived, the woman “was so exhausted that she could barely stand.”

PETA Germany is also helping deliver supplies like blankets, and coordinating the drop-off of 40,000 pounds of pet food to shelters in Ukraine. 

The animal rights charity has also released a video report on the situation in Ukraine in collaboration with vegan streaming service UnchainedTV.

You can donate to PETA here

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) 

IFAW is providing emergency aid to Shelter Pif – located in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, which is home to more than 800 dogs – and the Holivka Shelter, located in Gorlovka in eastern Ukraine with 300 dogs. The latter rescue was recently hit by shelling, resulting in the death of one animal. Despite the damage, staff have remained at the facility to continue caring for the animals.

You can donate to IFAW here

Save the Wild

Save the Wild, an animal protection organization, manages White Rock Bear Shelter which rescues bears suffering in private zoos and circuses, for example.

The team are now working relentlessly to save as many animals as possible from the disaster in Ukraine. Lending their support to fellow rescue centers, White Rock Bear Shelter has helped transport several lions and tigers, an African wild dog, caracals, and a monkey.  

The animals were transported from Wild Animal Rescue to a Zoo Poznań in Poland for temporary shelter. It was uncertain whether the animals would make it to the Polish border, when “tragic news” emerged that Russian tanks had surrounded the convoy, the zoo wrote on Facebook.

But the animals “miraculously survived the transport through the area covered by war and fire,” the zoo said. It added that the animals “are a symbol of saving life, the value of which is enormous, especially when we witness war crimes committed against people and animals in Ukraine.”

You can donate to Save the Wild and White Rock Bear Shelter here

UAnimals

Providing support to shelters in need across Ukraine, UAnimals has sent supplies to at least 14 facilities so far.

You can donate to UAnimals here

And a list of resources for those fleeing Ukraine with their pets can be found here

The post How People Are Coming Forward For Animals In Ukraine, And Where To Donate appeared first on Plant Based News.