By Avanti Deshpande, student at ILS Law College, Pune, India In June 2020, a pregnant elephant died in Kerala, India after consuming a pineapple stuffed with firecrackers. This event caused massive outrage in the media and sparked a conversation about wildlife-human conflict. Upon investigation, it was found that the explosives-filled fruit was intended to ward off wild boars. As an explanation, this is perplexing, since it does not seem justifiable to allow this mechanism to be used on any […]
by Ankita Shanker, BPTC This piece is published in recognition of International Animal Rights Day, which occurred on December 10. Beginning in 1998, individuals, organisations, and associations around the world have celebrated International Animal Rights Day every December 10, as it is the date when, in 1948, the UN adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This day serves to remind society that humans are not the only species deserving of freedom, justice, and dignity. More than a century […]
By Francesca Nicholls, BPTC student The Canadian Horse Defence Coalition (‘CHDC’), a collective organisation of people and national groups, has lobbied since 2012 to ban the transport and export of live horses from Canada to other countries for the purpose of human consumption. Thousands of horses are shipped overseas by air cargo. In 2016, public records show that 5,839 horses were shipped to Japan for this purpose. Videos taken by CHDC at both Canadian and Japanese airports appear to provide […]
By Paula Sparks, A-law chairperson With a recent article citing claims that celebrities posing with monkeys could be ‘fuelling the extinction of our nearest living relatives’, we ask: are celebrities promoting poor animal welfare, from cropped ears to primate pets? What do you think? There is no denying the influence of celebrities on modern culture, so when celebrities are not properly informed about animal welfare, their actions can have wide-reaching, and often unintended, impact. This impact is exemplified by the recent clash of cultures […]
By Sophie Mills, Trainee Solicitor The Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris) is one of the few native predators left in Scotland. With only 35 recorded in northern Scotland in recent years, they are at risk of genetic extinction. Three main factors have contributed to this: (1) hunting for sport; (2) loss and fragmentation of their habitat; and (3) hybridisation and associated disease. In 1988, the Scottish wildcat gained legal protection under schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, […]
By Randi Milgram & Michelle Strauss, Companion Animal Special Interest Group co-chairs This past week, we joined with the Animals & Society Institute (ASI) in the United States in celebrating Human-Animal Relationship Awareness Week. ASI studies and promotes human-animal relationships with the aim of honouring and raising awareness of the importance and variety of these relationships, highlighting benefits and potential problems “in order to create safer and more compassionate communities for all – people and animals.” In the UK, […]
By Rebecca Jones, clinical research professional A recent public Zoom event called “From the Courtroom to the Farm: What We Learn From Cows”, chronicled Canadian law student Edith Barabash’s journey from cow farm worker to animal advocating law student. The event was presented by Friends of Animals (FAM) at Monmouth University, New Jersey, and is a must-watch for anyone looking to understand the role that sanctuaries can play in animal welfare education, and specifically the role that cows can […]
By Sophia Di Giovanna, student of Animal Welfare & Society at University of Winchester National Pit Bull Awareness Day occurs annually October 26. Since 2007, advocates hope that the celebration of this day sheds light on the true nature of this much-maligned breed. In the early 1800s, the pit bull terrier was imported into the USA from the UK to fulfil the role of family protector, as well as for chasing away barn pests. In the UK, pit bulls […]
Frances Allen and Reuben Solomon, public law barristers at Goldsmith Chambers References in square brackets are to paragraphs in the Supreme Court judgment Issue in the appeal The issue for the Supreme Court was to determine whether: “the Divisional Court and District Judge Cadbury were correct to decide that the two offences charged under regulation 30(1)(g) of the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (England) Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/1782) (“WATOK Regulations 2015”) – namely the breach by […]
by Dr. Joe Wills, Leicester University Introduction There is now growing awareness that the struggles for animal rights and human rights are interconnected. The industrial exploitation of animals in the farming sector and other settings is not only horrific for the animals themselves, but also has array of terrible consequences for humans. For example, the intensive exploitation of animals for food has been linked to the present COVID-19 global pandemic, environmental devastation, inhumane working conditions, and greater propensity for violence against humans, to give just a […]