Quarantine officers in Taiwan made the shocking decision Saturday 21 August to euthanise 154 stray cats that were being smuggled into Taiwan on a fishing vessel from China, sparking national controversy on International Homeless Animals’ Day.

Government officials claimed that the cats had to be euthanised due to biosecurity concerns, as the origin of the cats was unknown. This prompted outcry among animal rights groups and animal lovers in Taiwan, criticising the government for not considering other options, such as treating the cats or placing them in quarantine.

Courtesy of Ruby Tam.

Ministers in the UK have opened the door to expanding the use of animal testing to ingredients used in cosmetic products for the first time in 23 years. Cruelty Free International (CFI) said animal testing on ingredients exclusively used in cosmetics – which was banned in the UK in 1998 – could be required, after being told by the Home Office that the government had “reconsidered its policy.”

In a letter, the government said it was aligning itself with a decision made last year by the appeals board of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), which said that some ingredients used only in cosmetics needed to be tested on animals to ensure they were safe.

Courtesy of HKALPO

A 19-year-old design school student who called himself a fortune teller specialising in performing witchcraft, was arrested in Hong Kong for allegedly slaughtering animals such as rabbits, mice and frogs as “sacrificial offerings” in rituals. He appeared at the West Kowloon Magistrate’s Court on charges of animal cruelty and was remanded in custody.

Courtesy of Ruby Tam

An anti-smuggling operation by the Hong Kong police, and Customs and Excise officers resulted in the seizure of 28 puppies and kittens, the discovery of an alleged smuggler’s body, and the arrest of a second alleged smuggler. The man in the speedboat was arrested for, inter alia, animal cruelty. The animals were transferred to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.

Courtesy of Audrey O’Young.

Animal rights protestors were joined by alpacas on their march on Downing Street on 9 August 2021, in an attempt to save fellow alpaca Geronimo from being put down. The eight year old mammal has tested positive twice for bovine tuberculosis (“bTB”), leading the UK Government to demand he be euthanised.

However, his owner, Helen Macdonald, believes the tests have returned false positives and is urging the Department of Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (“DEFRA”) to have him checked for a third time, having failed in her High Court action challenging the refusal to allow the animal to be re-tested again.

Young marine turtles are swallowing large quantities of plastic, with ocean pollution changing habitats that were once ideal for their development into a risk, researchers have found.

The impact of plastic on wildlife is a growing area of research, and studies have revealed harrowing cases of marine animals sustaining injuries or dying after ingesting such material or becoming entangled in it.

Courtesy of Kat Mak

JULY 14 IS SHARK AWARENESS DAY!

A 10-year survey monitoring the long-term changes in the consumption of shark fin soup revealed a noticeable drop in shark fin consumption in Hong Kong and stronger support for government initiatives for wildlife conservation.

The survey results showed in significant change in the city’s attitudes towards shark fin consumption. In 2009/10, 58.1% of respondents said that their consumption of shark fin remained the same over the past five years; whereas in 2019/2020, the percentage dropped to 19.1%, and 53.9% respondents reported a decrease in consumption. A further 15.2% of respondents in 2019/20 said that they have stopped consuming shark fin products.

In the 2019/20 survey, more than 90.4% of respondents strongly agreed or agreed that the Hong Kong Government should do more to regulate shark fin trade in Hong Kong.

Please lend your support to the Hong Kong Shark Foundation 香港護鯊會 for all that they do for sharks in Hong Kong.

Courtesy of Nicole Liang

The Animal Sentience Bill was introduced by the UK government on May 11 as part of a raft of animal welfare reforms. It replaces EU legislation which legally recognised that animals can feel pain and experience emotions.

Currently the Bill currently only applies to “vertebrate” animals. However, scientific evidence has shown that decapod crustaceans, a group which includes crabs and lobsters, can feel pain and suffer and should be included in animal welfare legislation.

Whilst other countries such as Switzerland, Norway and New Zealand include decapod crustaceans in their animal welfare laws, decapods are not currently included in the definition of ‘animal’ in most of the UK’s animal welfare legislation.

Courtesy of Kat Mak