14/12/09

Hi,
 
We recently received an anonymous tip-off that there is a horse slaughterhouse in Co. Limerick (we were told that it used to kill other animals too, but only horses now). Apparently 30-40 are murdered there every week, on one designated day. In between "slaughter days", they are left outside with no food, water or shelter - and many are also riddled with disease and in pain.
 
I contacted the ISPCA about this, who then referred me to the Limerick SPCA - who are apparently "aware" of the situation "but have no inspectors" to check it out at the moment. I then rang the Irish Horse Welfare Trust for advice, and they suggested contacting the Dept. of Agriculture. I did so today, and they took down the report. They will be investigating the matter, and told me they will keep me informed.
 
As we all know though, the welfarist route never leads to anything significant - it would be an absolute miracle if this hell hole was shut down.
 
So, let's make things uncomfortable for these murderers (politely, of course!). Here are the details:
 
Ashgrove Meats
Dually,
Newcastlewest,
Co. Limerick,
Ireland.
 
Tel. 069 62347
Fax. 069 62079
 
Email: info@ashgrovemeats.ie
 
 
 
Thank you!
 
National Animal Rights Association

23/9/09

***UPDATE 25/11/09***

Email address for Fortknox Security is: fortknox@eircom.net

Also contact Spring Grove Sevices, who have dealings with Charles River Laboratories on a regular basis:

Spring Grove Services Limited,
Pottery Road,
Dun Laoghaire,
Co. Dublin,
Ireland.
 
Tel. +353 (0)1 636 2900
 
Email: info@springgrove.ie

***

Hi,
 
Both Charles River Laboratories in Mayo are protected by "Fortknox Security". This involves not only monitors and cctv cameras, but actual security staff.
 
We haven't found an email address (yet), but if you would like to ask them (politely, of course) to stop protecting animal abuse and murder, here are their contact details:
 
 
Fortknox Security,
37 Woodville,
Killala Road,
Ballina,
Co. Mayo,
Ireland.
 
Tel. +353 (0)96 72962,  +353 (0)94 925 7580 and +353 (0)87 224 2924.
 
 
Thanks!

National Animal Rights Association

List of Irish MEPs: http://www.europarl.ie/irish.html#list
 
Irish MEPs (Republic of Ireland):
 
Prionsias de Rossa
Mary Lou McDonald
Gay Mitchell
Eoin Ryan
Liam Aylward
Avril Doyle
Mairead McGuinness
Marian Harkin
Jim Higgins
Sean O'Neachtain
Colm Burke
Brian Crowley
Kathy Sinnot
 
Northern Ireland MEPs:
 
Jim Allister
Bairbre de Brun
Jim Nicholson
 

 
---------- Forwarded message ----------

PLEASE ACT NOW – MEPs VOTE ON VIVISECTION DIRECTIVE DUE 7 MAY

The Directive (86/609) governing animal research throughout the European Union is currently being updated. MEPs will be voting on amendments to the draft Directive on 7 May. The outcome of the vote is crucial to the future of animal experimentation throughout the EU.
 
Depressingly, a key EU parliament committee (Agriculture) has produced a series of proposals that dramatically weaken the draft Directive that was on the table. If adopted, the committee’s plans would: reduce the alleged scientific justification needed to experiment on monkeys; delay indefinitely the European Commission’s proposal to stop the trapping of wild monkeys; allow animals to suffer ‘severe and prolonged’ pain; and end the need to obtain formal authorisation or licensing for the majority of experiments.
 
Although the process offers no realistic opportunity to eliminate all use of animals, it does provide a chance to reduce the numbers used and to limit suffering. That is why it is vital to enlist the help of the maximum number of MEPs to vote against these damaging proposals.

Please could you contact your supporters and ask them to send a letter, via Airmail to each of your MEPs at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, as this is where they will be before the vote. They are currently getting hundred of emails so have stopped reading them. But posted letters do count, especially individualised ones!

The address of the European Parliament is:
Put MEP name here
European Parliament
Palais de l'Europe
Strasbourg Cedex
67006
FRANCE

A list of your MEPs can be found at: http://www..europarl.org.uk/section/your-meps/your-meps

Ideas and guidance for your letter can be found here: http://animalaid.org.uk/h/n/NEWS/news_experiments//2117// . We are optimistic that with groups in all EU countries asking their supporters to also write to their MEPs, the impact will be far greater. 

We also have a Briefing Sheet available, which would assist any campaigners who are confident enough to phone an MEP, with a view to having a conversation with them about Directive 86/609.  I can send you the text for this if you wish?

Animal Aid (www.animalaid.org.uk)

30/3/09

Hi,
 
There's a new Animal Welfare Bill going through the Northern Ireland Assembly at the moment.

Pro-bloodsports groups are campaigning against it, and as a result, the majority of correspondence received by Minister Michelle Gildernew is extremely anti-animal rights/welfare.
 
Even a few words of support for a new and effective animal welfare bill for Northern Ireland would be a great help, so please email:
sfadmin@eircom.net and michelle.gildernew@niassembly.co.uk
 
 
 
 
 
Many Thanks,
 
National Animal Rights Association

25/3/09 Urgent call-to-action from Animal Aid

Please take part in this action alert (details below), and forward it on to everyone you know!
 
Here are the email addresses for the Irish members of the Agricultural Committee:
 
mairead.mcguinness@europarl.europa.eu
liam.aylward@europarl.europa.eu
 
 
Thank you!

----------------------

A critical vote on the future conduct of vivisection is imminent. Your help is needed now.

An absolutely vital vote on the future of vivisection is taking place this coming Tuesday, March 31. The vote relates to the new Directive that will govern how animal research is conducted across the European Union – the UK included – and will replace the current rules, which are 23 years old. Tuesday's vote will be by the European parliament's Agricultural Committee, which has the biggest say of all the parliament's committees on how the new Directive will look.

On Tuesday, its members will be voting on a set of proposals produced by the committee's 'rapporteur' – an English MEP called Neil Parish. Parish's proposals have alarmed animal protection bodies throughout Europe for the way they would seriously weaken existing animal protection measures. They would, for example, permit animals to be subjected to 'severe, prolonged suffering'. And, instead of providing additional protection for primates – which is what the European Commission has called for – he wants monkeys to be used for curiosity-driven research that, for example, involves the infliction of severe brain damage, the withholding of food and water, and holding brain-damaged animals in restraint chairs, while they are forced to press icons on a computer screen over and over again.

Please send an email TODAY or TOMORROW to the eight UK members of the Agricultural Committee. Their addresses are as follows:

jim.allister@europarl.europa.eu
james.nicholson@europarl.europa.eu
neil.parish@europarl.europa.eu
brian.simpson@europarl.europa.eu
alyn.smith@europarl.europa.eu
struan.stevenson@europarl.europa.eu
robert.sturdy@europarl.europa.eu
jeffrey.titford@europarl.europa.eu

Some key points to stress are:

You are alarmed by attempts to weaken animal protection measures that the European Commission wishes to see introduced.
The Commission wants to phase out the use of wild-caught primates. Amendments that conflict with this goal must be opposed. Despite scaremongering by pro-animal research industry groups, there is no evidence that such a phase-out would damage medical research.

You oppose proposals that would allow any animal to be subjected to 'prolonged, severe' suffering.

Reducing animal use will improve the quality of science, as well as preventing animal suffering. This will make European laboratories attractive to business and academic researchers rather than – as has been threatened – lead to an exodus to parts of the world where standards are lower.

It is vital that all proposed 'projects' using animals are scrutinised rather than being given automatic approval. The Committee is faced with proposals that would allow most research projects to go through on the nod.

You support measures that call for regular thematic reviews of specific areas of animal use and replacement by non-animal systems. Without such a systematic approach, the introduction of non-animal methods will be an unnecessarily protracted process.

Increased accountability, transparency and access to information – as well as data sharing to avoid duplication of experiments – are all vital.

You urge Committee members not to bow to the powerful, self-interested biomedical lobby. They should vote instead for measures that increase animal welfare and which tackle unjustified secrecy and concealment.

23/2/2009

UPDATE - 4th March '09 - SUCCESS!!!

Hi everyone,
 
This morning, the entire town centre of Drogheda was leafleted, with the special flyers we had made about this disgraceful exhibition (with many shops in agreement and eager to take bundles!).
 
Before leaving, I went into the Arts Centre to check on the dogs - and they were gone! After speaking with the management, it was confirmed to me that the dogs had been rehomed, and that they wouldn't be replacing them or taking in anymore. They said that the pens etc will remain there for display, and that if anyone expresses an interest in homing a dog, they will be referring them to Louth Dog Pound. SUCCESS!
 
 
Thanks so much to everyone who took part in this campaign, especially Justine, who put so much time and energy into fighting for their freedom - and to Ciara, who brought this exhibition to our attention in the first place.
 
Well done to all involved, we won!
 
 
Laura Broxson
 
National Animal Rights Association

-------

UPDATE: Please sign the petition - http://www.petitiononline.com/justine1/petition.html and lodge complaints with Louth Co. Council: vets@louthcoco.ie

Hi,
 
We've just been alerted to the fact that the Droichead Art Centre (Stockwell Street, Drogheda, Co. Louth) will be hosting an exhibition by Seamus Nolan, in which 2 live dogs are kept in pens, called "If Art Could Save Your Life". The dogs will be kept on display from 10am - 5pm, everyday, from wed. 25th Feb. - 20th March. What's even more shocking is the fact that the local dog pound actually gave the dogs to them, willingly, for the exhibition. For more info see: http://www.droichea dartscentre. com/whats- on/index. php?id=2# e_289
 
Please contact the following and demand that the dogs be removed and the exhibition cancelled immediately:
 
Droichead Art Centre: info@droichead. com  +353 (0)41 9833946
 
Louth SPCA: Hon. Secretary: Alwyn Mathews Tel: 087 2532716.
                    Hon. Inspector: Ms. Fiona Squibb Tel: 042 9335045
                    Email: fionasirena@ eircom.net
 
ISPCA: info@ispca.ie  +353 (0)43 250 35
 

Thank you!
 
National Animal Rights Association

**With thanks to SHAC ( www.shac.net ) for the info**

European Lab Animal directive EUROPEAN LAB ANIMAL DIRECTIVE WILL EFFECT 12 MILLION ANIMALS A YEAR

Don't let the vivisectors and industry lobby groups get their own way.

------------

At the moment, animal experiments in Europe are governed by a law known as
Directive 86/609/EEC:
http://ec.europa.eu/food/fs/aw/aw_legislation/scientific/86-609-eec_en.pdf (a
"Directive" sets provisions that EU countries must include in their own
laws.

After 20 years, the EU law that governs animal testing across Europe and the UK
is being revised. In November 2008, the European Commission published a
proposed new law intended to control animal experiments across the 27 countries
of the European Union. The proposal will now spend many months being considered
by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and EU governments before being
finalised. The politicians can change the proposal for better or worse so we
need your help urgently to get the best possible outcome for animals before it
becomes law.

The latest expose from inside HLS from 2007 - 2008, inside their primate units
at Huntingdon show once again, that legislation is failing lab animals, not
just primates. But we have to try every venue going to help the animals.

We understand that for some of you this kind of campaigning is different from
what you normally do and you, like us have little faith in governments and have
concerns about speciesist 'laws'. It's also true that those of us
who share an
absolute moral opposition to vivisection do sometimes disagree about how to
tackle it. The truth is, of course, we can't get what we all want from this
legislation or any other human 'law', unless we fight for it, for the
animals -
to end all animal experiments. SHAC doesn't want bigger cages or piped
music
for the animals being tortured inside Labs every day and we will fight with
every fibre of our being, in every way we can to end all animal abuse in the
world. We don't believe in 'human supremacy' and we will continue
to expose the
culture of the speciesist, economic society we live in, until all are free.

12 million non-human animals are used and killed in laboratories across Europe
each year and this law will be partly critical in deciding what can and will
happen to tens of millions of animals in the years after it is introduced.
Groups and individuals will continue to work for the end of all experiments but
the next few months give us all an opportunity to make a small difference to
the lives of those who will be imprisoned, fearful and suffering in
laboratories for years to come.

Although governments and industry have great vested interests, we can all make
a difference in many different ways. We all have a choice to act. This is just
one very easy way that everyone concerned with vivisection should be aware of
and act on. Most anti-vivisection groups are all doing work on this. So contact
your MEPs and hassle them to campaign against the lobbying work done by
pro-vivisection organisations that want to effect the Directive for the worse.

Some key points are:

1. The new Directive will affect what is and isn't allowed to be done to
more
than 12 million animals in the EU every year.
2. It's is a slight improvement on the existing 'law' but a very
long way from
what anyone opposed to vivisection would want to see - total abolition.
3. It isn't yet finalised but there's a relatively short window of a
few weeks
and months to stop our opponents from making it worse for the non-human animals
and to do what we can to make it better. Every improvement we can make in this
'law' will save some laboratory animals from suffering - every change
for the
worse will increase their suffering.
4.The process of changing the law is allegedly open to democratic
accountability. MEPs will be voting on this and they know our supporters can
vote for them. Whatever your views on the political process and politicians, we
can influence them.
6. Our opponents are strong and they're already acting to water this
directive
down (see www.ebra.org and their "points for concern" on that page).
The more
of us who campaign effectively and intelligently for the animals over this, the
better chance we stand of helping.

ACTION

Please write to one or all of your MEPs in your area to urge them to support
the amendments to help animals. A letter is much more powerful to write in your
own words, telling your representative(s) about your own beliefs and
experiences and has less chance of being blocked or ignored. (Although a sample
letter is enclosed, below)

List of Irish MEPs: http://www.europarl.ie/irish.html#list
 
Irish MEPs block email:
proinsias.derossa@europarl.europa.eu, marylou.mcdonald@europarl.europa.eu,  gay.mitchell@europarl.europa.eu, eoin.ryan@europarl.europa.eu, liam.aylward@europarl.europa.eu, avril.doyle@europarl.europa.eu, mairead.mcguinness@europarl.europa.eu, marian.harkin@europarl.europa.eu, jim.higgins@europarl.europa.eu, sean.oneachtain@europarl.europa.eu, colm.burke@europarl.europa.eu, brian.crowley@europarl.europa.eu, kathy.sinnott@europarl.europa.eu

Time is short - the first key vote will take place within six weeks.

SAMPLE LETTER: (but feel free to write your own.)

Dear [insert MEP's name]

I am writing to you as an MEP to request that the Irish government do everything
in its power to make the new Directive of EU's law on animal
experimentation truly humane and progressive.

Under the current law, 12 million animals in the EU each year are caged,
poisoned, restrained, cut open, given brain damage, genetically manipulated,
killed, and subjected to painful, distressing and unnecessary procedures.
Inflicting severe animal suffering is perfectly legal and experiments designed
to kill or severely disable animals are an every day occurrence. Animal
experimentation can never predict human outcomes and 90% of drugs passing
animal trials fail in humans. There is ever-increasing scientific recognition
that animal research must be replaced with modern, effective scientific
techniques focused on health and illnesses in humans. We have no right to
inflict such suffering on animals, and I urge you to do everything you can to
ensure that the new law offers genuine protection to animals in laboratories
and moves us towards an early end to this cruel and outdated practice.

In particular, I urge you to support measures to do the following:

- End the use of all non-human primates in experiments

- End all experiments causing substantial suffering to any animal

- Bring genuine transparency to the system by making available all
non-confidential information on the licensing of every experiment

- Strengthen measures to promote the development and use of methods replacing
animal experiments

- Call for an urgent independent study into the efficacy of animal
experimentation.

Thank you for your time,

[insert your name]

2/12/08

Hi,
 
When I arrived at the Department of Agriculture on Kildare Street today to leaflet, I was horrified to see sheep corralled in a pen outside the building - as part of a protest being held by the Irish Farmers Association.
 
I proceeded to argue with the people there, and then made a number of calls to the ISPCA, DSPCA, IFA, Department of Agriculture's Animal Welfare Division and the Gardai - all of which didn't result to much, unfortunately.
 
So I am asking everyone to please complain to:
 
Irish Farmers Association:
postmaster@ifa.ie, kerry@ifa.ie, galway@ifa.ie, tipperary@ifa.ie, roscommon@ifa.ie, donegal@ifa.ie, wexford@ifa.ie, cork@ifa.ie, kilkenny@ifa.ie, offaly@ifa.ie, limerick@ifa.ie, monaghan@ifa.ie, kells@ifa.ie, mail@ifabrussels.be
 
Irish Farm Centre, Bluebell, Dublin 12, Ireland.
Telephone: 00 353 (1) 4500266
Fax: 00 353 (1) 4551043
Fax: 00 353 (1) 4565146
 
ISPCA:
National Animal Centre,
Derryglogher Lodge,
Keenagh,
County Longford,
Ireland.

t. 043 250 35
f. 043 250 24

info@ispca.ie
 
DSPCA:
Dublin SPCA, Mount Venus Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16, Ireland.
Tel: +353 1 493 5502/4
Fax: +353 1 493 7674
Email: info@dspca.ie
 
Department of Agriculture:
Animal Health & Welfare Division, Kildare Street, Dublin 2, Ireland.
 
Lo-call 1890 200 510 also (01) 6072000 & (01) 6072049
info@agriculture.gov.ie
 
 
Thank you!
 
Laura Broxson
 
National Animal Rights Association

The Captive Animals' Protection Society

www.irishcircuses.org  


Action Alert, 7 May 2008

Dún Laoghaire County Council to vote on animal circus ban

Dún Laoghaire County Council is the latest council to discuss a ban on animal circuses on council-owned land.

A motion tabled by Green Party Councillor Nessa Childers is due to be voted on some time in May - possibly as early as next week.

Please write to councillors asking them to support this motion. The ban would be an important step in showing that animal circuses are not acceptable and to promote animal-free shows.

Cork County Council recently introduced a ban, as did Fingal County Council last year. CAPS is now working with several other councils across the country to introduce local bans.

Please send a quick e-mail to councillors:

jbailey@cllr.dlrcoco.ie,
mbailey@cllr.dlrcoco.ie,  
mbaker@cllr.dlrcoco.ie, 
jbyrne@cllr.dlrcoco.ie,  
bconway@cllr.dlrcoco.ie,  
louisecosg@cllr.dlrcoco.ie,  
Gareth.Crowe@oireachtas.ie,  
aculhane@cllr.dlrcoco.ie,  
cdevlin@cllr.dlrcoco.ie,  
jdbyrne@cllr.dlrcoco.ie,  
cfallon@cllr.dlrcoco.ie,  
genefeighery@cllr.dlrcoco.ie,  
tonyfox@cllr.dlrcoco.ie,  
phand@cllr.dlrcoco.ie,  
ghorkan@cllr.dlrcoco.ie,  
tjoyce@cllr.dlrcoco.ie,  
tkivlehan@cllr.dlrcoco.ie,  
dmarren@cllr.dlrcoco.ie,  
tmatthews@cllr.dlrcoco.ie,  
lmccarthy@cllr.dlrcoco.ie,  
mmoconnor@cllr.dlrcoco.ie,  
denisoc@cllr.dlrcoco.ie,  
tohiggins@cllr.dlrcoco.ie,  
gokeeffe@cllr.dlrcoco.ie,  
joleary@cllr.dlrcoco.ie,  
carriesmyth@cllr.dlrcoco.ie,  
nbhreathna@cllr.dlrcoco.ie  


You can use information from CAPS' website www.irishcircuses.org to help with your letter.

Keep your email brief and if you are from the Dún Laoghaire area please mention this in your letter.

Thanks for your support!

The Captive Animals' Protection Society
PO Box 4186, Manchester, M60 3ZA, UK
info@captiveanimals.org
Tel: 0845 330 3911
www.captiveanimals.org  
www.irishcircuses.org  

***UPDATE*** 6th May 2008

------------------------------------------------------------------------

There are 5 mink farms here in Ireland - all of which are licensed by the Department of Agriculture. There is also at least 1 fox farm in the country, but as these farms don't need to be licensed, the exact number is uncertain.


Please contact the Minister of Agriculture, who is responsible for the deaths of over 150,000 mink and over 300 fox every year, asking him to ban fur farming in Ireland:


Minister Brendan Smith 

Office of the Minister for Agriculture & Food,
Agriculture House,
Kildare Street,
Dublin 2,
Ireland.

info@agriculture.gov.ie  

Tel. +353 (0)1 6072000

***UPDATE*** March 08

We were in the shop recently, and there wasn't any skulls or horns/tusks for sale. After a rummage around, we did find about 4 fur rugs stuffed in a shelf at the back, but would imagine that they are the last of them and that they won't be buying in any more.

We'll keep monitoring the shop though!

Well done to everyone who contacted Decor!!

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was brought to our attention that Decor, a furniture and accessories store, is selling crocodile skulls, monkey skulls, horns/tusks and fur pelts.

We sent them a letter asking them to discontinue the sale of such items, but they never responded to us and are still dealing in animal cruelty.


Please contact them (politely, of course) and ask them to reconsider their part in the deaths of animals:

Decor
14A Wexford Street,
Dublin 2,
Ireland.

decor_ireland@hotmail.com  

Tel. +353 (0)1 4759010