Latest news with #AnimalWelfare
Daily Mail
a day ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Man, 50, who battered his XL Bully with a baseball bat and threw bricks at her walks free from court - and dog had to be put down
An animal abuser who repeatedly hit his XL Bully with a baseball bat and threw bricks at her has managed to walk free from court with just a suspended prison sentence. James Campbell, a 50-year-old from Birkenhead, just outside Liverpool, was filmed chucking brocks and pans of water at 21-month-old dog Zeus, which he repeatedly abused in the back garden of his home on Harrowby Road. A witness who provided evidence in the case, heard at Liverpool Magistrates Court, said they also saw Campbell grabbing the dog by its neck, headbutting and violently shouting at her. Following an investigation and prosecution by the RSPCA, he was handed an eight-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and a six-year ban on keeping animals, as well as a £200 fine. He admitted to violating the Animal Welfare act at a previous hearing. Liverpool Magistrates Court was told that Zeus was removed from Campbell's care on August 8 2024 following concerns that he was abusing her. He told cops that his wrist was injured after the dog had bitten him, and that he had acted in self defence against the dog's 'frustrating' behaviour. He had owned her for just a few months, and failed to get an exemption certification to keep her, since she was a banned breed. As a result, she was put down by a vet after he signed her over to authorities. A vet who viewed footage of the incident told the court that significant swelling to the dog's head indicated just how hard she was hit. The vet said: 'Swelling of this size indicates the hit was relatively strong. A reasonable owner would have sought veterinary care in the case of any injuries noticed on the dog's body. That help was not provided. 'The owner admitted he threw bricks at the dog's abdominal area. This can lead to internal bleeding, organ injuries and death in extreme cases. Having reviewed the dog's body language, she is trying to avoid and escape the torment. 'This again indicates she is being exposed to a situation she does not want to be in. 'Dogs suffer mentally while beating, these sort of situations are very stressful for them, especially when they have no safe space to escape to or hide. 'Considering the video evidence and witness statements it is clear that Zeus suffered repeated acts of physical violence. 'These acts were forceful and caused significant injuries. Any dogs, especially newly rehomed dogs can behave in frustrating ways - that includes chewing objects and ignoring owners commands. 'That is not an excuse for beating. This sort of behaviour is unacceptable.' Campbell told RSPCA Inspector Anthony Joynes that he had hit the dog 'three or four times' with a baseball bat in self defence. Though he denied headbutting her, he admitted that he may have thrown small bricks at her at least twice. Speaking after the case Inspector Joynes said: 'Zeus was subjected to violent and senseless abuse at the hands of Campbell on a number of occasions. 'The witness said they had never seen her behave aggressively, and the self-defence injuries Campbell claimed to have suffered just didn't add up. 'It's heartbreaking that many dogs like Zeus have been and will be euthanised simply because they are considered to be dangerous because they look a certain way.' Since December 2023, it has been illegal to sell, give away, abandon or breed XL Bullies. It is also illegal to rehome or transfer ownership of the violent breed, and from February 2024 it has been a criminal offence to own one without an exemption certificate.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Dog lovers: Here's what's happening at Bark in the Park this year
The Animal Welfare Society is hosting its annual Bark in the Park event on Saturday, June 7. According to a community announcement, the event will take place at Jefferson Memorial Park on Forrest Avenue in Charles Town, West Virginia, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with registration starting at 9:30 a.m. This year marks the 73rd anniversary of the society and the 17th annual Bark in the Park fundraiser. Participants and their dogs can enjoy a variety of activities, including a Blessing of the Animals, an Interactive Dog Walk, and canine demonstrations. Games such as the Biscuit Walk and the Puppachino Challenge will also be featured. Canine contests will include Best Kisser, Best Tail Wagger, Best Vocalist, Best Trick and Best Dressed. 3 Dog Farm will provide a Lure Course for dogs to enjoy. Vendors will be present, including dog rescues and those selling handmade crafts. Food options will include hot dogs and snacks. A $10 donation per dog is required for registration, which includes a doggy bandana and a 'wag' bag. Dogs must be current on vaccinations to participate. For more information, go to the AWS website at or email Jane Tarner at jst107@ This event aims to benefit homeless pets at the Animal Welfare Society shelter. This story was created by Janis Reeser, jreeser@ with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at or share your thoughts at with our News Automation and AI team. The Herald-Mail is growing its local news: Send your news to us This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Animal Welfare Society Bark in the Park event in Charles Town, June 7
CBC
5 days ago
- Business
- CBC
The goal of 'farming under every panel'
Solar Sheep's Janna Grier and Capital Power's Wade Heuscher explain why animals are used at the Strathmore Solar site in Alberta.
Scoop
6 days ago
- Politics
- Scoop
SAFE: Proposed Welfare Code Betrays Animals And The Law
Press Release – SAFE For Animals The animal rights organisation says the code legitimises inherently harmful practices – including mud farming, feedlots, and painful procedures like castration and tail docking without pain relief – while continuing to allow animals to suffer without … SAFE is demanding that the Ministry for Primary Industries' proposed Code of Welfare for Sheep and Beef Cattle be scrapped, calling it a legal shield for cruelty that fails to meet even the most basic obligations under the Animal Welfare Act 1999. The animal rights organisation says the code legitimises inherently harmful practices – including mud farming, feedlots, and painful procedures like castration and tail docking without pain relief – while continuing to allow animals to suffer without access to shelter. 'If this code is accepted in its current form, it would effectively become a manual for animal cruelty,' says SAFE CEO Debra Ashton. SAFE warns that the code is not an isolated failure, but a symptom of a broken regulatory system that routinely favours industry convenience over animals' needs, experiences, and rights. 'We've engaged in good faith for years, but this draft proves the system can't be trusted. It's time to draw a line,' says Ashton. The organisation has written to NAWAC Chair Dr Matthew Stone, MPI Director of Animal Health and Welfare Carolyn Guy, Minister for Agriculture Todd McClay, and Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard, urging them to abandon the draft and take urgent action to address these systemic failures. 'It's a betrayal of our welfare law and the animals it's meant to protect.' SAFE's full statement reads: Proposed Code of Welfare Entrenches Cruelty and Undermines Animal Welfare Law The proposed Code of Welfare for Sheep and Beef Cattle, currently open for public consultation, represents a profound failure of New Zealand's animal welfare system. Rather than lifting standards or upholding the Animal Welfare Act 1999, this code would entrench practices that cause widespread suffering – including painful procedures without pain relief, intensive confinement in mud farms and feedlots, and a diluted shelter standard that puts animals' lives at risk in extreme weather. SAFE rejects the premise that this code provides meaningful guidance for compliance with the Animal Welfare Act. It does not. Instead, it offers legal cover to inherently harmful farming systems and practices that cause serious and avoidable suffering. For that reason, SAFE will not be participating in the consultation process for a code that attempts to sanitise cruelty. When animals are confined on mud farms, concrete, or barren feedlots, they are stripped of their most basic expressions of life – grazing, playing, resting comfortably, ruminating, and relating to one another. These are not abstract ideals, but the everyday needs of sheep and cattle. Codes of welfare are intended to support our animal welfare legislation — not undermine it. If this code is adopted, it will set a dangerous precedent: where cruelty is legitimised, public expectations are ignored, and the intent of the Animal Welfare Act is effectively nullified. This failure is not isolated. In 2023, the Regulations Review Committee recommended a prompt and substantive review of how secondary legislation under the Animal Welfare Act is developed – and whether existing instruments, particularly codes of welfare, are consistent with the purpose and intent of the Act. Almost two years have passed without action. It must now be prioritised to ensure that regulation genuinely reflects the law and protects the animals it exists to serve. SAFE is calling for the proposed Code of Welfare for Sheep and Beef Cattle to be scrapped. The code must be rewritten in full alignment with the Animal Welfare Act — not shaped to prioritise profit, productivity, or convenience over animals' wellbeing and legal rights. We urge the Government and the public to reject this code and demand a future where animal welfare law is not just symbolic but lived. It's time to build a system that reflects what the Animal Welfare Act already affirms: that animals are not merely commodities to be managed, but sentient beings with needs, feelings, experiences, and intrinsic worth.
Irish Times
27-05-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Bill to ban foxhunting in Ireland causes discontent in Dáil
Animal rights activists gathered outside the Leinster House on Tuesday today in support of People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger's Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2025, which seeks to ban foxhunting in Ireland. The Billseeks to ban trail hunting, snaring and fox trapping, which she says 'have all proven to be loopholes in the UK', where foxhunting was banned in 2005. 'There's no reason to be killing animals for entertainment', Coppinger said before introducing the Bill on Tuesday, describing the practice as 'an elitist so-called sport'. Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon said last week the Government is satisfied by 'voluntary codes of practices' established by the Hunting Association of Ireland. READ MORE These provisions account for the treatment of animals during hunts as well as concerns of landowners on which the hunt is taking place. Under the existing legislation, people may be prosecuted for animal hunting if 'a specific case of animal neglect or cruelty is identified'. Supporters of Ms Coppinger's Bill say this provision does not go far enough. Irish Council Against Blood Sports spokesperson Aideen Yourell spoke outside the Dáil of 'the most appalling conditions' suffered by both the foxes and the hunting hounds. She wasn't overly hopeful about the prospects of the Bill. 'We don't get support from the major parties, and Sinn Féin are hedging their bets', she said. Independent Ireland TD Michael Collins and Independent TD Danny Healy-Rae both opposed the Bill at its first stage, a departure from typical Dáil procedure. Ms Coppinger described this move as 'unprecedented' and 'a stifling of the freedom of debate and the freedom of speech'. Mr Collins labelled foxes as a 'pest species [who] can cause a serious concern to many farmers', while Mr Healy-Rae said 'they come into towns and villages, they go in and out of bins. They're everywhere, they've taken over the place'. Mr Healy-Rae said he was calling a vote on the issue before being told by Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy that he could not do that. 'If I'm going to call a vote, I let you know,' she said. Chief whip Mary Butler said the Government was not opposing the Bill at first stage but would consider it at second stage. – Additional reporting PA
