We hope to raise awareness in relation to local and international animal law and welfare by presenting the latest news stories and articles from around the world. Sign up to our newsletter to keep informed about the latest news.
Two men who threw 30 animals out of a Hong Kong apartment window will not face prosecution. The Department of Justice has said the evidence available did not support a reasonable prospect of conviction and that the decision was made after an objective and professional assessment of the available evidence and applicable law.
Courtesy of Thomson Ying & Kim J McCoy
Read MoreLearn more about the nature of dog-human relationships among homeless people, and understand what animals mean for homeless people and how they care for their four-legged friends.
Courtesy of Amelia Wang.
In the past two days, a total of 15 dead animals have been found in pet carriers, washed up onto the beaches of Hong Kong. The cases may be linked to animal-smuggling activities via Hong Kong to the Mainland.
Read MoreA Japanese cargo ship, the MV Wakashio, struck a reef off the coast of Mauritius more than two weeks ago and has now leaked more than 1,000 metric tonnes of oil into the waters and unique ecosystem of the island nation.
Read MoreOn 17 August 2020, the UK Supreme Court dismissed the application to appeal against Court of Appeal decision in May on the Ivory Act 2018.
Courtesy of Thomson Ying
Read MoreThe German Federal government has proposed new regulations, including requiring owners to walk their dogs twice a day for a total of at least 1 hour, in order to safeguard dog welfare. If passed, the new regulations could take effect as early as next year.
Courtesy of Christopher Jay.
Read MoreNew research has demonstrated for the first time that artificial intelligence (AI) can recognise individual birds in the wild. It is the first successful attempt at performing individual recognition on small birds and uses technology which is similar to software that remembers faces on social media.
Courtesy of Amelia Wang.
Read MoreTwo ten year old beluga whales have been rescued from a life of captivity and cruelty in Chang Feng Ocean Park, Shanghai, China, and released into the world’s first open water sanctuary in Klettsvik Bay in Iceland.
Courtesy of Kt Dallison
Read MoreA federal judge in New York has invalidated rule changes by the Trump administration that allowed individuals and corporations to kill large numbers of migratory birds as long as they could prove they did not intentionally set out to do so.
Read MoreFrance will be outlawing hunting birds with glue traps after the European commission has threatened legal action and fines.
Courtesy of Arial Ng.
Read MoreThe New Zealand High Court has ordered the Department of Conservation (“DOC”) to reconsider its controversial tahr cull programme for the next season after a successful judicial review brought by the New Zealand Tahr Foundation.
Read MoreA traveller who smuggled 16 kilograms of rhino horns from South Africa to Hong Kong was sentenced by the District Court to 24 months’ imprisonment.
Read MoreHong Kong has recently opened a second pet quarantine facility in Sha Tin necessitated by a recent spike in Covid-19 cases in the city.
Read MoreRead about three of the more recent cases of cruelty to birds in Hong Kong.
Courtesy of Jamia Lam
Read MoreIs there any charm in snake charming? Learn more about the practice that has existed since ancient Egyptian and why it is that the snake charmers show no fear despite being within striking distance of one of the world’s most venomous animals. See how these reptiles, worshiped by many as Gods, are still captured, placated and worked until their death.
Courtesy of Amelia Wang.
Read MoreOUT NOW - July 2020 Newsletter
Read MoreAccording to a global study conducted by Dalhousie University, sharks are now “functionally extinct” in nearly 20% of the world’s coral reefs.
Courtesy of Arial Ng
Read MoreVietnam has banned the import of wildlife and wildlife products to reduce the risk of new pandemics. The move also bans wildlife markets for such items, including online sales. However, some conservation groups still believe that the government directive is still insufficient as some uses of wildlife, including medicinal use and exotic pet trade, are not covered.
Read MoreEarlier this month, there were reports of a suspected case of animal cruelty in Hong Kong which may have involved the use of a broomstick. The dog involved was found vomiting and suffering from urinary incontinence, surrounded by broken broomstick handles.
Courtesy of Jamia Lam
Read MoreThree pet dogs are believed to have been poisoned to death over a 72 hour period in Hong Kong island last week, which has sparked a police investigation. The dogs involved were a Japanese Spitz, a Labrador and a mongrel. No arrests have yet to be made.
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