Animals news

• If the government was wrong on the badger cull, can it reverse ferret? | Gaby Hinsliff

  13-11-2018 12:33 via theguardian.com
  Badgers are not the main culprits for the spread of bovine TB, a new scientific report shows. Ministers mustn’t ignore thisPoor old badgers. Not since the hunting ban has a wild animal evoked such fierce passions, both in farmers convinced they spread TB to cattle and wildlife lovers implacably opposed to a government-backed cull which will mean the deaths of more than 42,000 badgers this year. Only now it seems we may have been barking up the wrong tree all along. Related: Farming industr
  
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• ‘Bulging skulls and protruding eyes’: Ten features dog owners should avoid

  09-04-2024 02:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Welfare experts say people need to choose pets with natural body shapes so their health doesn’t sufferWould-be dog owners should avoid bulging skulls, protruding eyes and shortened twisted legs and instead opt for a naturally healthy body shape, an international team of experts has urged.The health and welfare implications of extreme canine body forms has become a pressing issue, with experts repeatedly warning of the myriad problems faced by breeds with flat faces – from breathing c
  
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• World Bank’s funding of ‘hog hotel’ factory farms under fire over climate effect

  07-04-2024 13:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Environmental and animal welfare groups call on lender to phase out support for ‘industrial’ livestock operationsThe private sector arm of the World Bank is facing claims that it contributes to global heating and the undermining of animal welfare by providing financial support for factory farming, including the building of pig farming tower blocks in China.A coalition of environmental and animal welfare groups is calling on the World Bank to phase out financial support for large-scal
  
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• Skins and feathers are as cruel as fur, the fashion industry is told

  31-03-2024 06:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Copenhagen fashion week is hailed for raising the bar on animal rights. But will the organisers of other fashion weeks follow?Copenhagen fashion week has just announced that it will ban exotic skins and feathers from its catwalks next year, becoming the biggest industry event yet to do so.“Skål to Copenhagen fashion week for raising the bar for other events,” says the vice-president of corporate projects at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta), Yvonne Taylor. &ldq
  
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• Cute, cuddly, and often crippled: look where the love of dogs has taken the British | Martha Gill

  30-03-2024 20:00 via theguardian.com
  
  From dachshunds to pugs, our canine friends are bred to better serve as emotional crutchesor status symbolsYou may have missed a recent international incident. Last week, we Brits got wind of a very worrying development across the Channel. “Sausage Dogs to be banned in Germany,” ran alarmed headlines in the UK press. The Germans, for their part, were so baffled by this response that they reported on it themselves. “Brits Fear for the German Sausage Dog”, ran a puzzled art
  
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• Charity steps in to rehome 300 cats from ‘overwhelmed’ man in Canada

  24-03-2024 15:40 via theguardian.com
  
  Man says he ended up in ‘a crazy situation’ after he began taking in cats abandoned during Covid pandemicAn animal welfare charity in western Canada is scrambling to secure the resources needed to care for about 300 cats – all of them seemingly in good condition – after a call came in from a man who described himself as being “overwhelmed” by the sheer number of cats and kittens in his home.Bruce Robinson told the British Columbia SPCA that he had taken in cat
  
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• Global heating could cause an extra 1.2m lamb deaths in Australia each year, study finds

  20-03-2024 15:00 via theguardian.com
  
  University of Adelaide study finds potential lamb deaths from heat stress could increase from 2.1m to 3.3m per year under a 3C riseSign up for the Rural Network email newsletterJoin the Rural Network group on Facebook to be part of the communityRising temperatures due to global heating will decrease lamb survival and fertility rates in Australia’s sheep flock resulting in industry-wide losses of up to $166m annually, new analysis predicts.A University of Adelaide study, published in the jo
  
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• Grand National organisers will not seek injunction against Animal Rising

  20-03-2024 14:44 via theguardian.com
  
  Jockey Club says it has received no threats from protest groupLast year’s race saw more than 100 arrests and a delayed startThe Jockey Club has decided not to apply for an injunction to deter possible incursions on to the Aintree track by animal rights activists at next month’s Grand National.Protests before last year’s Grand National by Animal Rising, which included an attempt by protesters to scale a perimeter fence and glue themselves to one of the track’s famous obsta
  
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• Video shows koalas clinging to trees as gum trees cut down on Kangaroo Island – video

  20-03-2024 03:24 via theguardian.com
  
  WARNING: contains images some viewers may find distressingFootage supplied to Guardian Australia shows koalas clinging to falling blue gums as logging occurs on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. The footage was taken across two days in November 2023 and January 2024. Logging has been stopped while an investigation takes place.Investigation into logging on Kangaroo Island under way after release of ‘horrific images’ of dead koalas Continue reading...
  
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• Number of abandoned French bulldogs increases sharply in England and Wales

  16-03-2024 06:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Exclusive: Number of such dogs that have been dumped rose from eight in 2020 to 582 in 2023, RSPCA saysThey may be lauded in the show ring, adored by celebrities, and feature in myriad adverts, but the number of French bulldogs being abandoned has risen sharply in recent years, data suggests.According to the RSPCA, the number of such dogs in England and Wales that have been dumped rose from eight in 2020 to 582 in 2023 – an increase of more than 7,000% in three years. Continue reading...
  
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• UK politics: Abbott claims Labour leadership’s ‘real agenda’ is to prevent her getting the whip back – as it happened

  15-03-2024 18:19 via theguardian.com
  
  Hackney MP endorsed a post saying it was unlikely she would be allowed to rejoin Labour despite the support of senior figuresA reader asks:Is there anything other than convention which says elections must be on a Thursday?The reason for choosing Thursday, it is said, was as follows. On Fridays the voters were paid their wages and if they went for a drink in a public house they would be subject to pressure from the Conservative brewing interests, while on Sundays they would be subject to influenc
  
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• Abbott claims Labour leadership’s ‘real agenda’ is to prevent her getting the whip back – UK politics live

  15-03-2024 14:24 via theguardian.com
  
  Hackney MP endorsed a post saying it was unlikely she would be allowed to rejoin Labour despite the support of senior figuresA reader asks:Is there anything other than convention which says elections must be on a Thursday?The reason for choosing Thursday, it is said, was as follows. On Fridays the voters were paid their wages and if they went for a drink in a public house they would be subject to pressure from the Conservative brewing interests, while on Sundays they would be subject to influenc
  
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• Hunt claims Tories are ‘transparent’ about donations while row continues over further possible Hester £5m donation – UK politics live

  15-03-2024 13:48 via theguardian.com
  
  Chancellor refuses to say whether party has had more donations and highlights Electoral Commission rules saying donations do not have to be made public when receivedA reader asks:Is there anything other than convention which says elections must be on a Thursday?The reason for choosing Thursday, it is said, was as follows. On Fridays the voters were paid their wages and if they went for a drink in a public house they would be subject to pressure from the Conservative brewing interests, while on S
  
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• Dallas Seavey wins record sixth Iditarod title but race marred by dog deaths

  13-03-2024 12:34 via theguardian.com
  
  37-year-old wins the contest after nine days of racingThree dogs in other teams died during this year’s contestAlaska’s annual Iditarod dog sled race ended with one of the biggest names in the sport coming from behind after a moose attack to win the grueling, days-long contest for an unprecedented sixth time.But Dallas Seavey’s record-setting win late on Tuesday was overshadowed by the deaths of three dogs in this year’s endurance race across the Alaska wilderness, and re
  
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• Calls for legal action after ‘unimaginable suffering’ filmed at Devon pig farm

  10-03-2024 16:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Undercover crew finds cannibalism, untreated wounds and cramped and filthy conditions at Cross FarmWarning: this article contains some graphic imagesUndercover footage of pigs at a Devon farm showing them exposed to “unimaginable suffering” has prompted calls for legal action against the owners.The film crew said the video of pigs being kept in filthy, cramped conditions – featuring instances of cannibalism and malnourishment, as well as animals with untreated, bleeding wounds
  
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• Investigation into logging on Kangaroo Island under way after release of ‘horrific images’ of dead koalas

  07-03-2024 07:54 via theguardian.com
  
  Logging stopped as Australian Agribusiness Group says its teams have resolved to increase efforts ‘on the protection of the local animal population’ and that they ‘are operating well beyond what is considered best practice for wildlife management’WARNING: contains images some viewers may find distressingFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastGovernment and RSPCA inspectors are investig
  
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• Dozens of koalas allegedly killed or injured during plantation logging on Kangaroo Island

  04-03-2024 07:20 via theguardian.com
  
  Exclusive: Ex-employees of Australian Agribusiness Group allege dozens of injuries occurred as blue gums cleared for agricultural use, claims which the company rejectsWARNING: contains images some viewers may find distressingGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastDozens of koalas have been killed or injured and left for dead during logging of blue gum plantations in South Australia, according to former employees of the harvesting company and a conservation organ
  
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• Guinea pig abandoned at London tube station with note asking for ‘new owner’

  03-03-2024 19:16 via theguardian.com
  
  RSPCA take in young rodent after Canning Town staff discover cage in alleywayA guinea pig has been found abandoned outside an east London tube station, with a note reading: “I need a new owner.”Staff at Canning Town station discovered the animal, which has been named DiscoPig, alone inside a cage with the piece of paper taped to it. Continue reading...
  
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• Out with the animal cruelty. In with … mushrooms? These farmers are leaving factory farming behind

  03-03-2024 17:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Some farmers have turned from livestock to crops to avoid the financial pitfalls and thorny ethics of industrial agricultureFarmer Tom Lim had been raising poultry for 20 years when the company he worked for as a contractor terminated him without warning, leaving him saddled with debt and unsure of where to turn. “My heart just dropped,” he said. “I didn’t know where to make money to pay off our loans.”Lim was born in rural Cambodia, where his parents tended rice fi
  
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• ‘Killed in vast numbers’: Horseshoe crabs under threat from overharvesting

  02-03-2024 11:51 via theguardian.com
  
  The crabs’ blue blood is used to test vaccines, saving millions of lives – but there are synthetic alternativesThey are some of the most spectacular images currently on display at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition in London. Huge pictures of weird creatures with golden carapaces and multiple legs scuttling across the seabed now adorn the walls of the city’s Natural History Museum.The award-winning photographs, taken by Laurent Ballesta, could be visions of extrat
  
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• Peta protesters disrupt Victoria Beckham’s Paris fashion week show – video

  02-03-2024 11:29 via theguardian.com
  
  Victoria Beckham’s show at Paris fashion week was interrupted by protesters from the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta), who invaded the runway to protest against her use of animal products. Protesters wore white T-shirts that read: 'Turn your back on animal skins' and 'Animals aren’t fabric'. They walked alongside models on the catwalk, holding up placards that read: 'Viva vegan leather'. The European president of the group said on Friday: 'No gar
  
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• Pigs don’t fly: Louisiana piglet rescued after being thrown in Mardi Gras

  29-02-2024 00:59 via theguardian.com
  
  Lieutenant governor ‘pardons’ animal and Republican local politician adopts it after its rescue in New OrleansA piglet that was rescued after being tossed like a football near a Mardi Gras event in New Orleans was “pardoned” on Wednesday and has found a permanent home with a Louisiana lawmaker.The weeks-old pig – dubbed Earl “Piglet” Long, a play on the name of the 45th governor of Louisiana – was ceremoniously pardoned by the lieutenant governor,
  
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• Carrying chickens by their legs should remain unlawful, say UK campaigners

  27-02-2024 01:01 via theguardian.com
  
  Defra proposal to relax farming rules accused of breaking Tory pledge to raise standards post-Brexit as the practice can cause painProposals to legalise the carrying of chickens by their legs in the UK would represent an unacceptable dilution of animal welfare standards and the first such weakening of regulations in the area since Brexit, campaigners have said.The government’s Animal Welfare Committee (AWC) has made the recommendation despite acknowledging it to be a “welfare comprom
  
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• ‘A soul killer’: what’s behind the US’s critical veterinarian shortage?

  26-02-2024 13:00 via theguardian.com
  
  As vets turn away from the profession citing poor mental health and high costs, experts say public health is at riskA longstanding shortage of veterinarians in areas across the US has caused crises for some pet owners; contributed to mental health issues among veterinary staff; and could leave the country at risk in terms of food safety and public health, experts have warned.The lack of veterinarians and veterinary professionals has been attributed to the high cost of entry, long hours and the s
  
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• More than 2,700 dangerous wild animals kept in homes in Great Britain

  22-02-2024 14:07 via theguardian.com
  
  Venomous snakes, primates and wildcats among creatures in domestic settings, wildlife charity Born Free findsFrom camels in Wiltshire to bush vipers in Redditch, a veritable menagerie of wild animals is being kept in homes across Britain.According to data by the wildlife charity Born Free, there are more than 200 wildcats, 250 primates and 400 venomous snakes living in domestic settings across England, Wales and Scotland, with cobras, crocodiles, tigers, kangaroos and bison among other residents
  
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• ‘Disturbing’ St Kilda penguin attack prompts authorities to ask public to help find alleged culprits

  20-02-2024 05:30 via theguardian.com
  
  Onlooker rescues little penguin from tram tracks at Alfred Square and the Esplanade after allegedly seeing three people kick the birdFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastVictoria’s wildlife watchdog is hunting three people accused of attacking a little penguin in the middle of tram tracks in Melbourne.The Conservation Regulator on Tuesday pleaded for help to find the males, who were allegedly seen kic
  
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• Cape Town hit by ‘unimaginable’ stench from 19,000 cattle on live export ship

  20-02-2024 01:47 via theguardian.com
  
  Animal welfare groups say smell from the build-up of faeces and ammonia on the ship are indicative of the conditions animals endureAuthorities in Cape Town have launched an investigation after a foul stench swept over the South African city.Officials inspected sewage facilities for leaks and an environmental health team was activated before the source of the smell was discovered: a ship docked in the harbour carrying 19,000 live cattle from Brazil to Iraq. Continue reading...
  
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• ‘Incomprehensible’: Madrid plans huge firework display on nature reserve

  16-02-2024 10:49 via theguardian.com
  
  Opponents lodge legal appeal against Sunday’s planned mascletà, a celebration of noise, near recently restored Manzanares riverEnvironmentalists and animal welfare groups are protesting against Madrid city council’s plans to stage an especially noisy firework display in a nature reserve created on the recently restored Manzanares river.Opponents say the mascletà, a celebration of noise rather than light, planned for this Sunday lunchtime will lead to a “massacre&r
  
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• ‘A scented awakening’: how The Body Shop influenced generations

  13-02-2024 17:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Readers share their memories of discovering the shop’s products and ethos in the 70s, 80s and 90sWalking into The Body Shop was like “entering a sweet shop”. It “literally made your mouth water”, says Stasia Smith-Turpin, who would head to the Lancaster store after school with friends when she was 16 in the 90s. She recalls how a wave of fragrance would hit her as she entered the shop, and she would test and smell the soaps, creams and potions while planning how to
  
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• ‘There’s still a stigma’: UK raccoon rescuer on mental health, animal wit – and not startling skunks

  11-02-2024 16:41 via theguardian.com
  
  Iain Jenkins, now leading the hunt for the Sunderland fugitive Meeko, says a breakdown led him to devote himself to animals“Saving animals pretty much saved my life,” says Iain Jenkins, a raccoon rescuer whose semi-detached home in Hartlepool appears as ordinary as they come but is anything but. This is a house that Jenkins shares with raccoons, a parrot and a friendly skunk and previously a whole host of exotic animals including a crocodile in the conservatory.Jenkins’ far-fro
  
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