In addition to AIA’s proactive advocacy work, outlined in its five year strategy 2022-2026, we also react to current situations of animal cruelty .
AIA’s International Campaigns Secretary, Marian Hussenbux is responsible for AIA’s global animal advocacy work. This involves writing to people of influence about animal suffering and cruelty around the world, often in support of campaigns run by other organisations.
AIA’S CAMPAIGNING ACTIVITY
February 2026 – May 2026
GREAT BRITAIN
We begin with our Submissions to government Consultations on four important issues. These concerned “trail” hunting, the castration and tail-docking of lambs, caged hens, and shooting seasons impacting on many species of birds, the most vulnerable of which is the woodcock.
In all these matters, we rely on specialist organisations who can advise on how to reply – that was particularly important in the case of the treatment of lambs on farms.
We wrote to Mike Toms, Head of Communications, at the British Trust for Ornithology, about the Guga Hunt on the small island Sula Sgeir in North West Scotland, unfortunately licensed by NatureScot.
The cruelty of this “hunt” is unconscionable – to beat to death gannet chicks, in front of their parents on the cliffs, is appalling. The fact that it is deemed to be traditional does not make it desirable or moral.
We wanted to elicit the BTO view on this, in respect of NatureScot’s claim that the killing is sustainable, an aspect which is well within the remit of the BTO.
NS did not license it over the 3 years passed, because of the avian flu which has seriously affected gannet populations. An organisation opposing the slaughter, Protect the Wild, maintains that:
“(this is) the only gannet colony in Scotland to have fallen below the population level it is legally supposed to be protected at…” www.protectthewild.org.uk
We had the following reply from the BTO:
“… As you will likely be aware, at the time of the last national seabird census, the UK was deemed to support up to 60% of the world’s population of the (Northern) Gannet. The guga hunt on the small island Sula Sgeir in North West Scotland is the last example of licenced harvest of seabirds in the UK and has been subject to increased scrutiny from the public. This has become even more of an issue after the outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza at seabird colonies in the last few years, which resulted in declines of 23% of Gannet numbers recorded across the UK.
NatureScot has commissioned periodic modelling to inform the numbers of Gannet chicks that can be taken under licence, on an annual basis, without having an adverse impact on the national population numbers. Such modelling approaches are reliant on good quality demographic data available through the Seabird Monitoring Programme and the Retrapping for Adult Survival Scheme, both of which are run by BTO. Our position is that any future modelling work should continue to draw on the most up to date information data, in order to ensure that any future activities do not result in further declines of these populations.”
To which we replied:
“Dear Mike – Many thanks for your very prompt response.
Leaving aside the callousness and – to our members’ minds – cruelty of this slaughter, we would have thought that NatureScot – to whom we have written on several occasions on this matter to no avail – would have been worried that an important population of a species has declined by 23% because of PAI and that they would have stopped this futile “hunt”.
We note your final paragraph and very much hope that, thanks to your good quality demographic data, “any future activities do not result in further declines of these populations.”
We wrote to Network Rail about the blocking of known swift nesting sites at Chapel Milton viaduct in Derbyshire.
Despite clear evidence being provided by local campaigners, including detailed identification of at least nine nesting sites, multiple swift nesting holes were filled with mortar during recent refurbishment works.
Swifts are a red-listed species in the UK, having declined by 66% since 1995, largely due to the loss of nesting habitat. They are highly site-faithful birds who return to the same nesting entrance year after year. When that access point is blocked, breeding pairs often fail to relocate and may stop breeding altogether.
We asked Network Rail to:
Urgently reopen all blocked swift nesting holes at Chapel Milton – Ensure no further nesting sites are sealed during maintenance or repair works -Work transparently with local wildlife groups to identify and protect nesting locations -Commit to long-term protection of swift nesting sites across all Network Rail infrastructure
POSITIVE REPLY SENT TO PROTECT THE WILD: Network Rail confirmed it is now taking further steps. These include:
• Seeking permission to reopen nesting holes in the areas identified by campaigners- Planning to install conservation-approved swift boxes – Working with local authorities and conservation organisations including the RSPB and Swift Conservation – Moving quickly to support a decision ahead of the swifts’ return.
This is a significant step forward. Reopening nesting holes was not part of the original plan and is now being actively explored.
You may remember from our last report our opposition to the import of long-tailed macaques into this country via Manchester airport.
In 2023 and 2024 we contacted the airport, local MPs and local councillors. We had very few replies and none were encouraging.
We learned from local campaigners that there is now public support for Manchester Airport to add the Endangered conservation status of the long-tailed macaques to the airport’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy and strategy.
With a growing awareness of the importance of wildlife, biodiversity and the environment, companies are adopting CSR strategies that align business operations with ethical, environmental, and social goals.
The global exploitation of this species of primate by the animal testing industry has been partly to blame for driving them from a Vulnerable to Endangered status.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the long-tailed macaque – Macaca fascicularis – as Endangered (IUCN 2022), appearing on the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species.
From 2008-2019, at least 450,000 live long-tailed macaques, and over 700,000 “specimens” from an unknown number of individuals were part of this trade, with over 50,000 termed as wild-caught.
Nearly all major airlines now refuse to transport primates destined for research and testing.
Furthermore, the trade in primates for laboratories is a cruel one. Welfare incidents involving long-tailed macaques transported into Manchester Airport have been reported:
Here is an update on Fur, and the lack of action from our government on banning it.
From Ruth Jones MP in March:
“Thank you for your email and your strong support for the ban on the import of fur and fur products.
You are well briefed and my Private Members Bill (PMB) has reached first reading but sadly it is unlikely to progress any further this Parliamentary term. The good news is that the new Parliamentary term begins in May so we can start the process again then.
You are quite right that there is a great deal of support for my PMB but we need to translate that into action. We have a number of hurdles to overcome but I am hopeful that the working group will make progress and confirm the Government’s intent to ban the imports soon.
I was heartened to hear that Poland had banned fur farming as we banned it 20 years ago but the frustration is that we are continuing to encourage this cruel inhumane practice by allowing fur imports to continue.
Please do continue to do all you can to work with MPs like me and other organisations to get rid of these imports and work towards a worldwide ban on fur farming.
Best wishes,
Ruth Jones Member of Parliament for Newport West & Islwyn| Aelod Seneddol dros Orllewin Casnewydd ac Islwyn”
So please let us continue to lobby our MPs on this long-promised ban.
GERMANY
We asked the Federal Council of Germany to vote against the inclusion of the wolf in the Federal Hunting Act (Bundesjagdgesetz).
The justification for the bill is based on a “rapid rise” in the number of conflicts and attacks in recent years… but, despite a growing wolf population, the number of attacks fell by a quarter in 2024, which demonstrates the success of livestock protection, not its limitations. And data from the Federal Documentation and Advisory Centre on Wolves (DBBW) has shown a stabilisation of wolf populations over the past two years, not an “explosive” increase.
Since the downgrading of the protection status in the EU, a strictly protected apex predator has thus been demoted to ordinary ”game “ within 18 months, without any change in the ecological circumstances of the species.
PORTUGAL
We complimented the Portuguese TV companies RTP, SIC and TVI for not having broadcast bullfights – but they are under pressure to do so.
We asked them to resist. We had a REPLY FROM SIC – they won’t televise them.
SWITZERLAND
We wrote to Dr. Severin Dressen of Zurich Zoo about the killing of 10 healthy monkeys, geladas, at the zoo, apparently because there was no room for them.
We appealed to the zoo to stop defending the killing of healthy animals, and move away from the cycle of captivity, display and disposal if the animals’ existence is no longer convenient for then – some of whom they have bred themselves.
We received a swift and comprehensive REPLY which continued to defend their actions.
MALTA
In 2019, a Court of Appeal ruling confirmed that development and associated impacts at Dwejra were incompatible with its status as a Natura 2000 site and Dark Sky Heritage Area. That judgment upheld the need for strict protection, recognising the site’s ecological, scientific and conservation value – including the importance of maintaining natural darkness.
The government is now proposing legislation that would permit artificial lighting at Dwejra, directly contradicting both the Gozo and Comino Local Plan and the principles confirmed by the court.
Scientific evidence shows that light pollution disrupts ecosystems, disorients seabirds such as shearwaters – we know that many birds are grounded in the wrong places for them and have to be rescued by concerned residents.
We joined with BirdLife Malta, together with other environmental, heritage and scientific organisations, in calling for the law to reflect what was already confirmed by planning policy and the courts: Dwejra must remain dark from sunset to sunrise, with no exceptions.
THE EUROPEAN UNION
We wrote to the College of Commissioners about the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) Fur Free Europe. Every year, millions of animals on fur farms across the EU are kept and killed in conditions that raise profound welfare concerns. Via this ECI, over 1.5 million Europeans have asked the Commission to address this issue with the seriousness it deserves.
We asked them to ensure that it:
* Fully reflects the scale and clarity of citizens’ calls for an EU-wide ban on fur farming and on the placing on the market of farmed fur products;
* Takes into account European Food Safety’s scientific conclusions on the welfare needs of fur animals;
* Aligns with the EU’s broader objectives on improving animal welfare and phasing out cages in other areas of farming;
* Provides a clear, future-oriented vision for a responsible and fair transition.
Fur farming also affects several broader EU policy areas. It raises public health and biosecurity concerns due to the documented susceptibility of mink to zoonotic diseases; it presents environmental challenges linked to waste, emissions and resource use; and ıt creates internal market inconsistencies, as 24 Member States have already fully or partly banned fur farming or imposed conditions that effectively end the practice. The sector also has low socioeconomic relevance and is in clear structural decline: with a negative €9.2 million in gross value added (GVA), it reduces rather than contributes to the EU economy.
More information here:
We also wrote to Commissioner Várhelyi, Commissioner for Animal Welfare, about the fact that their own public records show he and his cabinet met at least 40 times with the farm industry to discuss animal welfare in the last 15 months. But with animal welfare NGOs, only 4 times.
At the same time, 190,000 citizens demanded a cage ban in the last public consultation. Yet not once did the word “cage” appear in his meeting subjects over the same period.
So – he is drafting an animal welfare revision while overwhelmingly listening to those who profit from animal suffering.
The clear public mandate was: by 2026, deliver a proposal that includes a ban on cages and ends the killing of male chicks.
We stressed to him that our alliance is a member of the Eurogroup for Animals.
We made the same request to Christophe Hansen, Commissioner for Agriculture & Food, adding foie gras to our request.
REPLY RECEIVED APRIL 15 – this was addressed to AIA formally – which is not always the case! and acknowledged our membership of the Eurogroup for Animals. But did not really take us further forward.
We asked the EU Commission for urgent action on Europe’s industrial megatrawler fleet and the public money that continues to fund it.
Europe’s seas are being emptied and the industrial megatrawler fleet sits at the heart of that collapse. The largest of these vessels stretch over 140 metres, catching and freezing hundreds of tonnes of fish per day.
The owners of these ships have received tens of millions in European public subsidies. And when these vessels are caught breaking the rules, the fines do not come close to the value of what was illegally taken or the cost of the damage left behind.
Taxpayers’ money must not continue to fund the destruction of the very marine ecosystems Europeans depend on and overwhelmingly want to protect.
We also asked them to push for the retirement and scrapping of Europe’s largest industrial fishing vessels. These ships should be decommissioned for good.
SOUTH AFRICA
Very perturbed to learn of plans to allow hunting export quotas for elephants, black rhinos and leopards, we wrote to Nomfundo Tshabalala, Director General of South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.
We placed on record our ethical opposition to the hunting of wild animals everywhere it is permitted.
To be specific, in common with Born Free, we urged the South African authorities to suspend the proposed 2026–27 hunting export quotas of the species mentioned above. Apart from the cruelty of hunting, these species are globally threatened and socially complex.
We asked the Minister to prioritise non-lethal conservation approaches that protect biodiversity, respect animal welfare, and support sustainable community livelihoods.
UNITED STATES
Puppy mills are notorious for inhumane conditions, improper care, poor genetic practices, and the spread of disease.
We have been in contact over several years with retired Senator Ray Lesniak of New Jersey and understand from him that S434 / A2049 would prohibit the retail sale of puppies sourced from puppy mills in New Jersey, helping to close the puppy mill–to–pet store pipeline. Similar policies have already been adopted in five states and more than 400 localities nationwide, demonstrating both feasibility and broad public support.
We wrote to Senators Nilsa I. Cruz Perez and Shirley K. Turner and 2 Assembly Members requesting their help in posting S434 / A2049 for committee consideration and a vote.
New Jersey again:- S405/A1951 establishes a two-year Statewide Animal Advocate Program in the Administrative Office of the Courts. The bill authorizes a court to appoint an advocate in certain criminal cases that affect the welfare or care of an animal.
We thanked Senator Brian P. Stack and Assemblywoman Annette Quijano for sponsoring this Bill and asked the Committee Chairs to schedule the Bill for a hearing. We are informed by Senator Ray Lesniak that this is not a new concept, being directly modeled after “Desmond’s Law”, named after a dog who was abused and strangled by his guardian.
Every June the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) returns to New Jersey to conduct lethal management of Canada geese by gassing in portable CO₂ chambers.
We wrote to those who have their own contract with USDA Wildlife Services to come in and kill and also to the USDA partners who own property that lies in the flight path of airplanes who allow the USDA, in partnership with Teterboro Airport in Bergen County, to come on their property and round up and gas the geese.
Instead of allowing the USDA in year after year to kill, they all should be looking into habitat modification which is the clear humane, long-term, effective winner when it comes to options for keeping geese out of a specific area.
We wrote to Lynn Schulman NYC Health Committee Chair of New York City about horse-drawn carriage accidents. Horses can be skittish and easily frightened, causing hundreds ofaccidents in crowded streets. There is also much pollution in city traffic which must affect the horses’ welfare. As more people witness horses collapse and die while pulling heavy loads, more cities are banning horse-drawn carriages.
We asked the Committee Chair to ban horse-drawn carriages in NYC. This is an issue we have complained about before.
The California Department of Fish & Wildlife plans to eradicate Catalina Island’s mule deer through lethal methods. These deer were introduced long ago.
We asked them to pause lethal operations and require humane, publicly accountable alternatives—such as expanded fertility control/sterilization, targeted nonlethal management, and truly transparent independent review.
We found it quite ironic that, on their 2024 Warden logo, they featured the mule deer.
The No Flight, No Fight Act (H.R. 7371), is a critical piece of federal legislation designed to close a major enforcement gap in U.S. animal fighting law and disrupt the global cockfighting trafficking pipeline.
While the interstate and foreign transport of cockfighting birds is already a federal crime, this law is being violated on a massive scale. Cockfighters are shipping possibly hundreds of thousands of fighting birds each year via major international airlines to the Philippines, Vietnam, and Mexico. Investigations by Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy with whom we have worked before, have documented repeated large-scale shipments, including transports to the Philippines, a central hub of the global cockfighting organized crime network.
Federal enforcement has been virtually non-existent. Cockfighters routinely misrepresent the purpose of transport, and airlines and authorities have failed to intervene, allowing illegal trafficking to continue openly and year-round.
The No Flight, No Fight Act addresses this problem directly by prohibiting the air transportation of adult roosters, while preserving a narrowly tailored and carefully crafted exemption for legitimate commercial poultry operations.
The bill also provides critical protections for public health: unchecked international transport of live fighting birds poses serious biosecurity and zoonotic disease risks.
For much more see: www. animalwellnessaction.org
Their mission is: “Helping animals by influencing legislation and policy shaping animal protection and welfare laws to ensure better lives for wild and captive animals.”
We wrote in support of CompassionWorks International’s request that Betty the elephant who is kept captive by Brett Carden should be confiscated.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has finally cited Carden for failing to adequately care for Betty, but the numerous years of neglect have led to a precarious situation for Betty. As an elderly elephant, she needs skilled and caring people to attend to her many needs. This is unlikely to be accomplished while the same elephant handlers who failed her before continue to present her to the public.
We understand that APHIS has the power to confiscate Betty and find a better life for her in a skilled sanctuary environment.
Compassion Works International : www.cwint.org
SB 1021 would require California’s Fish and Game Commission to create a programme that increases opportunities for certain youth — including youth with life-threatening illnesses and youth who have lost a parent in service to the state or country — to participate in fishing and hunting, including big game and migratory game birds.
The protection and education of our young people is very important and we are very much in favour of supporting them, worldwide.
However, we contend that to be steered toward killing animals as a state-supported path to healing is an extremely misguided way to do this.
It is also worrying that SB 1021 directs the Commission to consult primarily with non-profits representing licensed hunting/fishing interests. These leave out many people who should be involved — including disability advocates, grief support leaders, conservation educators, and animal protection organisations.
As usual, we made many Submissions to the Hawai’i Legislature: on the capture of reef fishes, veterinary prescriptions to be made more affordable, no arbitrary bans on companion animals in council housing, on firework restrictions, and the killing by dogs of feral pigs.
On the valuable advice of the Hawaiian Humane Society, we strongly opposed the following: to introduce and pass legislation to establish strict liability for individuals who keep, harbour, or feed certain animals – usually cats – in a manner that results in damage to property.
The Free-Roaming cat population is a result of companion animals being abandoned and fertile cats breeding outdoors. The trap-neuter-return-manage strategy, used in so many countries to good effect, requires feeding to build trust with the cats, lure them into traps and maintain their ongoing health.
Links with the cock fighting mentioned above: the feral chicken population in Hawai’i is a result of the cock fighting industry being allowed to operate with impunity in that state.
Giant pandas for the San Francisco Zoo. In light of recent reports that the city may provide millions in public funding to stabilize the zoo, it is especially important that these resources be used responsibly. The zoo’s well-documented financial challenges, infrastructure concerns, and ongoing questions about animal care make it clear that taking on the immense responsibility of housing giant pandas would be the wrong priority.
We asked the zoo to focus instead on improving conditions for the animals currently at the zoo, halt any new exotic animal acquisitions, ensure full transparency and accountability for any public funding, and support the transition to EcoPark SF – a forward-thinking, humane vision that reflects San Francisco’s values.
In December 2024, Sloth World admitted that 21 sloths had died due to a “cold stun” that resulted from the warehouse storing the animals lacking appropriate heating. Ten more sloths died in February 2025.
Compassion Works International requested all records from the City of Orlando and Florida Fish and Wildlife and have also filed an emergency complaint with the USDA. As of several weeks ago, reporting suggests that “Sloth World” has not obtained licensing. We asked for the exhibitor license to be refused to Sloth World, and to any related entity connected with the proposed sloth attraction in Orlando.
Update – On April 25, we read: “Ben Agresta, owner of Sloth World, told a local news outlet that Sloth World will never open and is headed for bankruptcy.”
Fewer than 400 North Atlantic right whales remain and protections put in place to prevent extinction are in jeopardy. Vessel strikes and fishing gear entanglements are a leading cause of the decline in North Atlantic right whale population. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is now moving to weaken and potentially eliminate vessel speed rules designed to protect North Atlantic right whales. We wrote to the Under Secretary to show our support for the current vessel speed rule and oppose any deregulatory changes.
Thanks to Turtle Island Restoration Network for this report – TIRN is a leading advocate for endangered sea turtles and the oceans that sustain them.
Over the years I have depended on the messages they send out, reporting on their excellent work on Turtle Island, as the Indigenous Peoples call North America. In their creation stories, they say that the earth was formed on the back of a giant turtle.
CANADA
In a huge victory for animals from the Federal Court of Appeal, the Court overturned a previous lower court ruling and confirmed that the federal government can regulate plastic-manufactured items under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) in order to prevent pollution that kills millions of animals each year.
Also, we sent our compliments on the excellent news that Canada announced a very welcome $3.8 Billion investment for nature across the country. This is a significant step toward protecting 30% of Canada’s land and oceans by 2030 and advancing nature’s recovery generally.
PM Mark Carney said: “It’s a good day to be a polar bear in Canada.”
That might be true, but it is still a very bad day, month, year, decade, to be a baby seal and her grieving mother.
Apart from the utter cruelty of the practice, the killing is futile as there is a steady decline in the market for furs – in Britain we gave up farming fur on ethical grounds in 2000 and we do not import sealskins from any source – nor does the European Union.
We asked the PM for his considered thoughts on this matter.
Again, on the subject of polar bears: We urged Polar Bears International (PBI) to unequivocally end their support for polar bear ‘trophy’ hunting and to publicly commit to support the uplisting of the species to Appendix I at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, ending the international commercial trade in polar bear body parts. We also urged PBI to make its position on these matters clear and public.
‘Trophy’ hunters kill a significant number of polar bears every year, despite the fact that the species is threatened with extinction. Canada is the only country that supplies the global market with polar bears shot from its own population, with countries such as China and Norway being the biggest importers.
Whilst the number of polar bears entering the international market fluctuates annually, in the past 15 years the skins of over 2,000 polar bears have entered commercial trade. That is from a current global population of only 26,000 bears. PBI’s chief scientist has referred to these bears as a “renewable resource”.
PBI has previously joined the World Wide Fund for Nature in opposing the uplisting of the polar bear from CITES Appendix II to I, thus enabling the continuation of the commercial skin trade. Furthermore, PBI has made historical statements in support of the selling of tags (permits) to kill bears to ‘sports hunters’.
This stance is shocking, coming from an NGO that collects millions of dollars in the name of protecting the polar bear.
UPDATE: We received a very comprehensive reply from this organisation which did not give cause for optimism.
AUSTRALIA
After years of advocacy and a groundswell of public pressure, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) recommended the removal of the most dangerous rat poisons, Second-Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides (SGARS), from retail shelves.
If this recommendation is accepted, it will mark one of the most significant conservation wins for Australian wildlife in recent years.
The APVMA’s recommendation must now be signed off by Julie Collins, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and assistant Minister Anthony Chisholm. We wrote to encourage them to do so.
Also, the company Bunnings announced they will be the first major Australian retailer to remove these products from their shelves following the regulator’s recommendation.
TripAdvisor – we requested a review of the animal welfare compliance label currently displayed on the Coffs Coast Wildlife Sanctuary, New South Wales, listing, which reads: “Meets animal welfare guidelines.”
Photographs from the attraction and from Tripadvisor reviews show trainers using whistles to direct dolphins to approach visitors and perform behaviour such as touching interactions and dolphin rides. These trainer-controlled interactions suggest the behaviour is not initiated naturally by the animals. As the dolphins are confined to a small artificial pool, they cannot disengage from interactions at will.
This appears inconsistent with the policy requirements for interactions with captive wild animals and the restrictions on captive cetacean attractions.
Bella, Zippy and Jet were all purpose -bred to live in captivity and Zippy suffered from papilloma virus and painful tumours, but was still made to perform tricks for tourists throughout his treatment. A young dolphin named Ji died at the facility after swallowing litter and metal that hadn’t been cleared from his tank.
It would therefore be inadvisable to attract the custom of misguided tourists who want to swim with dolphins, with all the harm to the animals that implies. The dolphins are already forced to live in inadequate surroundings with, as is shown, very poor care.
UPDATE:
Within days of the Animal Justice Party NSW launching a campaign challenging Tripadvisor’s animal welfare assessment of Coffs Coast Wildlife “Sanctuary,” a Coffs Harbour facility housing the last three captive dolphins in New South Wales, Tripadvisor has reversed its position.
The listing now reads: “Does not meet animal welfare guidelines”.
Tripadvisor has also removed booking capability from the facility listing entirely, with a notice stating: “Tripadvisor does not provide bookings for this experience because it does not meet our animal welfare guidelines.”
New South Wales licenced racehorse trainer Daniel Stanley, owner of D.A.S. Racing, Breaking and Pre-Training in Granton NSW, demonstrated to a new staff member how to break in a racehorse including the use of “positive punishment”.
We were informed by Australian colleagues that the actions of Mr Stanley were being investigated and later a confirmation that an official inquiry into Mr Stanley was to be held on 25 February. However, the NSW Racing Integrity Unit stopped responding to requests for updates on the case.
We asked if Mr Stanley is still now conducting his business as usual, with no action taken.
We are very much hoping that the NSW racing industry will take a strong stance against the beating of racehorses into submission. Just as here in Britain, they are the ones who claim horses love to race and that their horses are treated like royalty. We hear this all the time from the racing people at the Aintree Grand National, despite the numbers of horses killed in this race.
We asked the regulatory body to take immediate and appropriate action against the violent treatment of young, vulnerable racehorses in training under Mr Stanley – or any other trainer who uses his type of method.
We wrote to the Queensland Minister of Primary Industries, who is responsible for animal welfare, about a serious incident at the Miriam Vale Rodeo in Central Queensland. After collapsing in the arena, a horse was restrained and the crowd’s view was blocked. It was announced that a veterinarian was “on its way.” The horse was then moved into a horse float to be transported out of the arena and, we understand, was subsequently euthanised.
There is no legal requirement for an onsite veterinarian at Queensland rodeos, unlike in other animal-use industries such as horse racing. Animal Welfare Officers are required, but they are not able to provide emergency veterinary treatment or pain relief.
We urged consideration of a mandatory requirement for a qualified veterinarian to be present at all rodeos in Queensland. And, in 2027, there will be a review of calf roping guidelines, which may provide an opportunity to consider broader welfare standards across rodeo events.
For thousands of native animals in NSW, their peaceful homes are about to become a living nightmare. Glenbog State Forest in South-East NSW is one of the last places where greater gliders and yellow-bellied gliders still thrive. It is home to gang-gang cockatoos, kookaburras, lyrebirds, flame robins and bare-nosed wombats and offers sanctuary for many species on the brink of extinction.
But commercial logging for products such as wood chips and firewood is planned.
Logging has been stopped before, so we asked Premier Chris Minns to stop the destruction of this refuge.
May I end on a very positive note:
UPDATE ON WORLD ANIMAL PROTECTION BRASIL
The most recent victory is Proposta de Lei (Bill) 466, which regulates the Wild Animal Crossing and protects ecological corridors for wild animals, approved in early May in the Chamber of Deputies and now on its way to approval in the Senate.
Two projects on the 2025 Animal Agenda became law in Brazil:
Legally guaranteed rescue of animals in disaster situations such as floods and wildfires, creating a legal basis for prevention, rescue and refuge (PL 2950/2019);
An end to tests on animals for cosmetics, perfumes and personal hygiene products. (PL 3062/2022).
More victories are to come:
A law which prohibits the forced feeding of ducks and geese in Brazil for foie gras production was recently approved and now awaits Presidential sanction (90/2020);
Increased penalties for trafficking in wild animals – this Bill has passed in the Chamber of Deputies and continues to the Senate.
www.worldanimalprotection.org Thank you for your patience! Marian Hussenbux. May 12 2026.
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