References for my blog posts!

Electronic References:

Animals and Us. (2008). Extracts from the Legislation of Animal Welfare Act 1999. Retrieved May 7th 2008 from:
http://www.safe.org.nz/images.php?oid=1835

Animals and Us. (2006). New Zealand Animal Rights. Retrieved May 7th 2008 from: http://www.animalsandus.org.nz/student-resources.html

Binning, E. New Zealand Herald (2008). Critics accuses shooters of leaving birds to die. Retrieved on May 7th 2008 from:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=1500945&objectid=10507647

Bio security New Zealand. (1999). Guide to the Animal Welfare Act 1999: Table of Contents. Retrieved May 7th 2008 from: http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/legislation/animal-welfare-act/guide/index.htm#care

BNET Australia. (2007). Animal Cruelty law needed. Retrieved May 7th 2008 from:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20070322/ai_n18763862?tag=rbxcra.2.a.1

BNET Australia. (1995) Crackdown on animal abuse – tougher laws against animal abuse. Retrieved May 7th 2008 from:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EPF/is_n12_v95/ai_17854286

O’Brien, J. Animal Cruelty Cases on the rise. Retrieved April 21st 2008 from:
http://www.bostonnow.com/news/local/2008/04/08/animal-cruelty-case-on-rise

PETA. (2008). People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Retrieved April 21st 2008 from:
http://www.peta.org/

SPCA Auckland. (2007). Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Retrieved May 1st 2008 from:
http://www.spca.org.nz/general/home.htm

The New Zealand Herald. (2008). Animals have emotions too. Retrieved on May 7th 2008 from:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=82&objectid=10496820

The New Zealand Herald. (2008). Bears find refuge in new Vietnam Centre. Retrieved on May 7th 2008 from:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10502712

The New Zealand Herald. (2008). Woman accused of starving puppy. Retrieved April 21st 2008 from:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=1500945&objectid=10507647

Wikipedia. (2008). Animal Rights. Retrieved May 1st 2008 from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_rights

Wikipedia. (2008). Animal Welfare. Retrieved May 1st 2008 from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_welfare

WSPA. (2008). Please help us free animals from pain, again and again. Retrieved May 7th 2008 from:
https://www.wspa.org.au/campaigns/animalpain_nz/index.asp?ID=R04084V01

WSPA. (2008). World Society for the Protection of Animals. Retrieved May 7th 2008 from:
http://www.wspa.org.nz/



You-tube video references:

Ana9519. September 18th 2007. SAA! Stop Animals Abuse! Second video. Retrieved April 30th 2008 from:
http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=mzXJEKBpi4o&feature=related

HaileyWitt. December 12 2007. Cruelty to Animals: The Facts. Retrieved April 30th 2008 from:
http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=90d74BiHPvI&feature=related

Horzelov3. November 27th 2007. Animal Abuse. Retrieved April 30th 2008 from:
http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=LhKq-zbk6xQ&feature=related

Final Post!

Hi guys, well this is my final post for my Animal Cruelty and Welfare blog!!

I hope my articles, videos, pictures, information have helped you in learning more about animal cruelty and welfare.

I feel that this is a very wide and debatable issue in the world..

Animal cruelty and abuse cases seem to be on the rise, which is very worrying and their needs to be some answers!!

I feel that new laws to prevent this cruelty from happening and harsher punishments need to be in place for people that treat animals unfairly..

Animals are very harmless creatures that only show love and affection to their owners, they make great pets and like they say "dogs are a man's best friend".

I hope my blog has helped others see how these poor innocent animal suffeer and that things need to change to ensure the safety of animals worldwide...

To help save the animals, donate or become a member of any one of the organisations or societys on my blog!

TVNZ Videos

To view some videos from One News about animal cruelty and abuse...

Click the URL link below to see a website of many different videos all about animal cruelty and abuse..


URL: http://tvnz.co.nz/content/?o=25&k=&style=tvnz&s=&b=&a=&ct=&ayear=&amonth=&byear=&bmonth=&q=animal+cruelty+videos&x=79&y=8


Some of them are very interesting to watch...
Make sure to watch the video under Title: Farmer Disqaulified for animal cruelty (1.33)

Animal Cruelty law needed

There are very sad occasions where poor innocent animals are tortured and treated poorly and the abusers get away free.
There needs to be tougher laws set up for people who harm animals. One example of this is:
Henry, a Chihuahua mix, who was blinded with a leaf blower and on another occasion placed in a heated over for five minutes. The abuser, Marc Vincent, was convicted of a Class A, misdemeanor but sentenced to six months in jail and fined $500. He was then released from jail about two months early and ordered to get counseling.
This example of animal abuse is disgusting, the poor innocent animal did not deserve to be put in a heated oven or be permanently blind because of a leaf blower.
Their needs to be harsher punishments made for animal abuse or it will continue to occur because no tough punishments are in place.

Do you think Mr. Vincent’s sentence was good enough for what he had done to the poor dog?
Mr. Vincent also got out of jail two months early; do you think this is fair?
What do you guys think about tougher laws being made for animal cruelty?


To find out more about the animal laws and more visit the link below:

URL:http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20070322/ai_n18763862?tag=rbxcra.2.a.1

Desire for Power

Experts have stated that animal cruelty seems to occur because of a desire of power. Abusers exercise their power over helpless animals. Experts also say that animal abuse is becoming a very dangerous sign, especially with young children and teenagers.
It has been state that many notorious killers in the United States including Jeffrey Dahmer, David Berkowitz and Albert de Salvo all had a history of torturing animals when they were younger.
These facts about these killers show how alarming animal abuse in children and teenagers can be; it could be the start of very disastrous actions in later life. Parents need to be aware that if there children are into abusing their pets in their young lives it could be a sign they are troubled which could lead to worse thing in later lives, moving from their pets to real humans.
It has been seen that people are not in the mood to let animal abusers get away with their crimes now. It has become too common and is now a very alarming problem throughout many countries around the world.

Do you think that children who hurt their animals could be troubled and rebel in later life?

Why do you think people abuse animals because they have a sense of power?


To find out more information about desire of power over animals and animal abuse with children and teenagers then click on the link below:

URL: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EPF/is_n12_v95/ai_17854286

Tougher laws against animal abuse

People convicted of animal abuse would usually be charged with a misdemeanor, a minor crime and be forced to pay a fine. But not now, Florida laws have changed and Animal Abuse is now a felony, a major crime equal to burglary or assault.
One example of this is Allan Laboy:
Mr. Laboy was trying to take a nap on a hot day when he was kept awakened by a puppy outside his house. In a rage, he went outside and grabbed the puppy by its legs and slammed it against the concrete footpath. The puppy’s owner a young boy stood their watching as Laboy killed his puppy.
A police officer arrived shortly after but it was to late they puppy was dead but Laboy was arrested straight after. Laboy was then sentenced in court to ten years in jail for brutally killing the puppy. Laboy’s lawyer thought the sentence was outrageous but there were many people who didn’t agree with Laboy’s lawyer because they were sick of the amount of animal cruelty cases occurring around them.
There have also been 15 states that have imposed stronger penalties on animal abusers because of the recent rise in animal abuse cases.

Do you think that Laboy’s sentence was too outrageous?

Do you think that having stronger penalties will stop the animal cruelty and abuse?

To find out more information on other animal abuse cases and about tougher penalties click on the link below:

URL: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EPF/is_n12_v95/ai_17854286

WSPA

WSPA stands for the World Society for the Protection of Animals. WSPA is another society in the world that is against animal abuse and cruelty and is trying very hard to help protect the animals in our world today.
The WSPA website has many articles about animals being treated poorly around the world.
For example:
The WSPA website had an article on Norwegian’s killing young whales. The Norwegian’s were out to kill 1,052 whales and they started with a minke whale calf. Data in the article showed that 1 in 5 whales suffer long and painful deaths, some even taking an hour or longer to die after being hit with an explosive harpoon.
WSPA Programme Manager Claire Bass said: “The appetite for whaling in Norway is dwindling: only 1 in 4 Norwegian’s under 30 strongly support the continuation of whaling in their country. Its clear that this is a cruel and outdated industry is on borrowed time in a progressive country like Norway”.
This article is very sad; it is bad enough they have to kill that many whales but a calf that is just pathetic. Also, Claire Bass has stated that only 1 in 4 believes that they whaling should still continue so it shows that many people see whaling as a cruel act. But it is good to see that finally some people do have their say about these sorts of bad issues.
There are also many other articles on the WSPA website about animal abuse and cruelty. There are also other links on the website about the sort of work WSPA do, ways to support WSPA, how to get involved, news, how to donate and also how to adopt animals.

What do you guys think about the WSPA organization?

Do you think that with less people supporting whaling it might finally be banned one day?

To find out more information on the WSPA organization then click on the link below:

URL: http://www.wspa.org.nz/

WSPA is al about helping animals to live healthy and happy lives. WSPA wants your support to provide practical solutions to help stray dogs and other animals in need around the world. With peoples help they can provide mobile clinics to give proper veterinary care for dogs, educate the public on responsible dog ownership and work with governments to enforce legislation.
There are also innocent tiny cubs that are been snatched from their mothers. They have thick ropes forced through a hole drilled in their sensitive muzzles and their days are spent ‘dancing’. It is torture that has them swaying on their hind legs in response to beatings from a wooden stick. WSPA can also save those bears from a life of torture with your help.
WSPA wants your support to improve the lives of animals, WSPA believes that every animal has value, a right o live free from abuse and deserve to be rescued from cruelty. You can help this happen by becoming a member of WSPA Animal Rescue by giving $25 or more each month.
“Together we can make this a world where animals matter and animal cruelty ends”.

Do you think that supporting WSPA is worth it?

Would you become a member and pay $25 a month to help the animals?

To find out more information on WSPA or become a member or donate money to the organization click on the link below:

URL: https://www.wspa.org.au/campaigns/animalpain_nz/index.asp?ID=R04084V01

New Zealand Animal Cruelty

The Animal Welfare Act 1999 is the law designed to prevent animal cruelty in New Zealand. While this law offers protection for most New Zealand animals, there are number of animals that are not fully protected from animal cruelty.
These are:
animals used in battery farms (layer hens, pigs, rabbits)
animals used in zoos and circuses
animals used in rodeos
animals used in experiments and research
animals hunted for sport.
Although these animals are protected by special 'codes of welfare' that set standards for animal treatment, these codes generally allow some animal cruelty to occur. This is so that farmers, zoo and circus operators, scientists and hunters can continue to operate business that rely on animal cruelty.

To find out more information on the Animal Welfare Act 1999 and look over the Act visit the link below. It also has a table of contents that explains everything that is in the Welfare Act 1999.

URL: http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/legislation/animal-welfare-act/guide/index.htm#care

To find out information on Animal Rights visit the link below. It has many resources on animal abuse, animal cruelty and the Welfare Act. There are magazine article resources and non-fiction extracts relating to animal abuse and cruelty on the website.

URL:http://www.animalsandus.org.nz/student-resources.html

To also find out more information on the legislation visit the link below:

URL:http://www.safe.org.nz/images.php?oid=1835

Another example of Animal Cruelty

I also found another article from the New Zealand Herald website.
(Tuesday, April 8th 2008).

This article is about how bears have been treated badly for the use of traditional medicines. In Vietnam it is illegal to extract the bile from bears or to advertise the trade, but authorities and wildlife groups estimate that more than 4000 “moon bears” (which are known from their white crescent mark on their chest) are caged and mistreated in farms across the country. Many of these bears have been rescued and are now under the care of forest authorities and international wildlife veterinarians at the Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre in Tam Dao National Park. It is located 70km north of Hanoi; this centre will eventually house around 100 bears.

Jill Robinson, the founder of Animals Asia Foundation said that “I think that’s a very good message that we don’t need bears today in traditional Chinese medicine”. National Park Director Do Dinh Tien said the new centre has a role in trying to influence a cultural change in the Southeast Asian country, where wild animals and hunted and animal parts are still widely used in traditional medicines. “This is a kind of model to educate all people so that they will not abuse the wildlife” said Tien.

Do you think it is wrong that the bears have been used for traditional medicines?

Do you believe the National Park could help save bears from being used for traditional medicines?

To read the original article and find out more information on this topic from the New Zealand Herald website then click on the link below:

To visit this website go to:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10502712

Animals have emotions too!!!

Crocodile mothers show their tender side by caring for their offspring.

This article is also from the New Zealand Herald website.
(Saturday, 8th March, 2008).
This article is about animals that have emotions quite similar to humans. When people talk about crocodile tears, dogged determination or laughing like a hyena they might not be too far off the mark.
Marc Bekoff, Professor of Biology at the University of Colorado has said that scientists have moved on from the presumption that the way animals act is the result of programmed behavior. “It’s not a question of it they have emotions but why they have evolved” he said.

Dr Bekoff has said that elephants can experience grief, mice feel empathy, rats get excited about playing with a friend, sharks get mad and koalas have likes and dislikes. Crocodile mums care for their kids, squid can be shy, fish can have addictive personalities and even coyotes get the blues.
Dr Bekoff says recent research in cognitive ethology (animal behavior) and neuroscience shows that animals have similar brain structures and chemistry to humans.

Dr Bekoff also says that it’s easy to recognize emotions in animals like dogs and chimpanzees because they are familiar to us. There is data to show that reptiles and certainly birds and even fish show fear responses.
Animals can also develop psychopathology, says Dr Bekoff.
For example, he says he has come across a coyote that “fulfilled the criteria of autism”. It is not surprising that animals have emotions because they serve the evolutionary purpose of ensuring survival and reproductive fitness says Dr Bekoff.

Emotions drive behavior, provide for appropriate responses to threatening situations and act as a social glue for animals that depend on living in a group.
Dr Bekoff also says “we can say were taking good care of animals but there are still existing laws and regulations that allow you to mistreat them”.
Some of the facts and information Marc Bekoff has talked about in his article is very interesting. It shows just how much animals are like humans; they have a lot of the same feelings as humans meaning that when humans hurt animals they feel the same sort of emotions that humans do when they are in the same situation of being abused. But does that stop humans from abusing animals? No way! They just don’t care about the animal’s feelings or emotions; they only care about their own.

Does it make you see animals any different knowing they have the same emotions as humans?

Do you think animals would feel the same as humans do when they have been treated cruelly or abused?

To find out more information on animals emotions and feelings or find out more about Marc Bekoff’s research and facts then click on the link below:

URL: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=82&objectid=10496820

Duck Shooting

This is also another article from the New Zealand Herald Website.
(Saturday, 3rd June 2008).
This article is about the new craze of Duck Shooting which is now in season for the next three months.
More than 40,000 shooters will be out to take their first crack at the birds, because of the three month shooting season. National Animal Advocacy organization (SAFE) says that up to 275,000 ducks, geese and swans will be left crippled to die a slow and painful death and a further million birds will be shot and killed during the duck shooting season.

In Australia three states have banned Duck Shooting but there is no such look as yet in New Zealand. Fish and Game communications and marketing manager Ric Cullinane said hunters agreed with SAFE in the fact that wounded birds should not be left to die. The vast majority of hunters aren’t happy with all the wounded birds.

“Nobody goes out there are takes pleasure in wounding birds” he said.
Mr. Cullinane also said many people these days were accustomed to buying their meat in the supermarket and because of this they believed that shooting was cruel”.

There are many different views about this topic because some people see Duck Shooting as seasonal sport and there is nothing wrong with going out and killing thousands of birds for a bit of fun . But, there are many other people that think Duck Shooting is cruel, it is not a sport it is just people going out with guns and killing innocent birds over the three month season.

I personally think it is cruel because the birds do not deserve to be killed when they haven’t done anything wrong and what makes it worse is that many of the birds are left crippled on the ground to die a slow and painful death from hunters shooting them. To me I don’t see this as a sport, I think it is cruel and sick and it needs to be permanently banned in New Zealand to save the birds.

If hunters aren’t happy with leaving the birds to die then why do they still continue to go out and kill them? What do you guys think there reasons are?

Do you think Duck shooting should be banned in New Zealand?

Do you see Duck shooting as an appropriate sport in New Zealand?

Do you think the innocent ducks should be left crippled on the ground to die a slow and painful death?

To find out more information about Duck Shooting in New Zealand and the article from the New Zealand Herald website then click on the link below:

URL: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=1500945&objectid=10507647

Look at these!!

Look at these pictures!!!

This is what you call Animal Cruelty...

What could these innocent animals have done to deserve this??

It is abuse!!

SPCA

SPCA stands for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals..

This link takes you to their website.

URL: http://www.spca.org.nz/general/home.htm

SPCA is all about helping animals, so they do not get treated cruely and abused. They also find them safe enviroments to live in.

Visit their website to find out more information about other things the society does and donate, become a volunteer or even adopt a pet!

Definitions for Animal Welfare and Rights

The man is holding the monkey with a limb missing by a rope around her neck. The scene epitomizes the idea of animal ownership.

Animal Rights:

Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the interests of animals, such as the interest in avoiding suffering, should be afforded the same consideration as the interests of human beings.Although animal rights advocates approach the issue from different philosophical positions, they argue, broadly speaking, that animals should no longer be regarded as property, or used as food, clothing, research subjects, or entertainment, but should instead be regarded as legal persons and members of the moral community.
The idea of awarding rights to animals has the support of legal scholars such as Alan Dershowitz and Laurence Tribe of Harvard Law School and animal lawcourses are now taught in 92 out of 180 law schools in the United States. Steven Wise, also of Harvard Law School, argues that the first serious judicial challenges to what he calls the "legal thinghood" of animals may only be a few years away.
Critics argue that animals are unable to enter into a social contract or make moral choices, and therefore cannot be regarded as possessors of rights, a position summed up by the philosopher Roger Scruton, who writes that only human beings have duties and that "[t]he corollary is inescapable: we alone have rights."An argument that often runs parallel to this is that there is nothing inherently wrong with using animals as resources for human purposes, though there is an obligation to ensure they do not suffer unnecessarily, a view known as the animal welfare position.

To find out more information from wikipedia go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_rights

Animal Welfare:

Animal welfare refers to the viewpoint that it is morally acceptable for human beings to use animals for food, in animal research, as clothing, and in entertainment, so long as unnecessary suffering is avoided. The animal welfare position is that there are no animal interests that cannot be overridden if the consequence of doing so is sufficiently beneficial to human beings. The position is contrasted with the animal rights position, which holds that animals should not be used by, or regarded as the property of, human beings.

To find out more information about this go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_welfare

Video of animal abuse and cruelty

These links are to videos of animal abuse and cruelty.

Watch them to find out what happens to these innocent animals for no apparent reasons...

URL: http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=mzXJEKBpi4o&feature=related

URL: http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=LhKq-zbk6xQ&feature=related

This video also shows many statistics about animal cruelty and the consequences...

URL: http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=90d74BiHPvI&feature=related

Animals been treated poorly

I found an article on the New Zealand Herald website that really made me feel sick inside.
The woman was accused of starving her puppy. The SPCA found a Staffordshire bull terrior locked underneath a Glenn Innes in the Eastern Suburbs on Christmas Eve.

The dog is known as Eve, looked like a carcass and apparently survived by eating her own faecas. Paulette Taki, faced charges including failing to provide Eve with protection from significant injury and disease. Paulette failed to appear in court to face her three charges. There was an arrest warrant made for Paulette after she made a no show in court.

I found this article very disturbing, it was bad enough this women left her 11 month old puppy to starve to death but she couldn’t even face up to the consequences and go to court. It is good that an arrest warrant was made so that Paulette could not get away with her cruel actions she did to her puppy. I cannot understand how anyone could leave their puppy to starve to death, why have a pet if they don’t want to care for it. I hope this women gets her just deserves and faces up to the consequences for her actions.

What do you guys think should happen to Paulette for failing to appear in court?

Do you think people like Paulette should not be able to have pets?

To read the original article from the New Zealand Herald website click on the link below:

URL: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=500834&objectid=10496556

PETA

PETA stands for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) are an organization with over more than 1.8 million members and supporters. It is the largest animal rights organization in the world.

PETA focuses its attention on the four areas n which the largest numbers of animals suffer he most intensely for the longest periods of time; on factory farms, in laboratories, in the clothing trade and in the entertaining industry. PETA also work on a variety of other issues, including the cruel killing of beavers, birds and other “pests”, and the abuse of backyard dogs.

PETA works through public education, cruelty investigations, research, animal rescue, legislation, special events, celebrity involvement and protest campaigns.
PETA also has many celebrities backing their organization including Oprah Winfrey and many more. This organization takes their work very seriously and only wants animals to have their rights known to the world.

You can become a member of the PETA organization and help to support them in what they are trying to achieve for the animals.

Would you become a member of the PETA organization to help the animals?

Do you think this organization will ever be able to stop animal cruelty and abuse?

To find out more about the PETA organization or to be become a member or support PETA then click on the link below:

URL: http://www.peta.org/

Animal Cruelty Cases on the rise

It is being said that animal cruelty cases are on the rise. Since 2005, statewide animal cruelty complaints have climbed 15% while voluntary surrenders for neglect have soared 370%.

Chief Richard Le Blond of the MSPCA Law Enforcement Departments said that ‘When the economy is bad, when people are having a hard time, they’re more apt to take out their frustrations on an animal”.

With animal cruelty casers on the rise it just shows how many innocent animals are suffering. Because there are no harsh laws in place for animals cruelty their owners don’t care and take their frustrations an danger out on their pets because they don’t get in trouble for it like they would if it was a person they had done it to.
If there are harsher punishments in place then we wouldn’t have to worry about rises in animal cruelty cases because people would be too scared to hurt animals because of the consequences they would face.
But if would solve they problem, don’t you think they should give it a go?

Do you think if the laws were tougher on animal cruelty then the amount of cases would decrease?

What sort of laws do you think should be in place for animal cruelty and abuse?

To find out more information on animal cruelty cases on the rise then click on the link below:


URL: http://www.bostonnow.com/news/local/2008/04/08/animal-cruelty-cases-on-rise

Topic: Animal Welfare

My blog is going to be about animal's and their welfare and also some of the rights that they have. I am going to disucss how animals are treated cruely and what needs to be done about the situation. I will also post links to show articles of animals being treated cruely around the world and some of the consequences.