Sydney Pet Rescue & Adoption Inc.

Dear Ms Wallace,

Thank you for your letter. I am well aware that the conduct of circuses with performing animals is still a legal activity in NSW. This does not mean that it is right and good. Gambling, prostitution and smoking - for example - are all legal in NSW. This does not mean that they are right and good.

The objections to performing-animal circuses are moral and ethical and based on abundant evidence of behind-the-scenes cruelty to animals (which a pre-arranged veterinary inspection will, obviously, never encounter) and detailed, professional studies of performing-animal circuses which have concluded that animal welfare needs can never be satisfied in these situations (the Zoo-Check 'Performing Prisoners' report - available on the net - assembles all the detailed, expert evidence for this conclusion).

It is for these moral reasons that performing-animal circuses are banned around the world and around Australia (in some 40 local government areas). The ACT banned them decades ago. In the short time since I wrote to Council, Belgium has introduced legislation to ban them entirely from that country and the major city of Winnipeg in Canada banned them last week. The UK is set to ban them throughout that country in 2015 (they have been banned in Scotland for years) and when the legislation was introduced in the House of Commons a few months ago, all 600 MPs voted for a ban: there was not one negative vote or an abstention. And Colombia joined with several other nations in South America by banning them last month.

What we are requesting of Rockdale City Council is not - in spite of what some critics will say and, of course, the circus owners, whose livelihood depends upon using animals for performance - an extreme animal-liberationist agenda, but the way of the world today, in enligthened and progressive societies around the world.

All animal welfare organisations, including the RSPCA, are opposed to wild animals in circuses. When polls have been taken of the general public, opposition to performing-animal circuses routinely comes in as being in excess of 80%.

By continuing to approve performing-animal circuses on Council land in Rockdale, Council is, in effect, ignoring all the expert opinion, the moral and ethical arguments and the undeniable progressive movement, around the world, that is waking up to the fact that life in the circus is no life at all for animals consigned to captivity, transportation, cruel training and unnatural performance for their entire lives for the idle amusement of human beings. Circuses with human performers (such as Cirque du soleil) abound and are justly popular. Those performers have a choice whether they will perform or not. The animals have no such choice and must, under the whip, do their owners bidding, day in, day out, for their entire lives.

It is a moral disgrace that Rockdale City Council continues to ensure the survival of performing-animal circuses by allowing such circuses to use Council land year after year.

I would appreciate it if you would send this letter to your Councillors, none of whom has responded to the letter I sent to them a fortnight ago on this matter.

Yours sincerely,

(Professor) Barry Spurr
University of Sydney

BARRY SPURR | Professor of Poetry and Poetics
Department of English | Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
                                                                        
THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
N431, John Woolley Building A20 | The University of Sydney | NSW | 2006                  
T +61 2 9351 2689  | F +61 2 9351 2434    
E [email protected] | W http://sydney.edu.au

Director, BA Advanced Honours degree | Chair, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Board
Executive Member of HARN: Human Animal Research Network
http://sydney.edu.au/arts/research/harn

 

 

UPDATE: The public consultation is now closed. You can still give a much-needed voice to bobby calves by taking part in Animal Australia's online campaign here.

Help us stop the commercial killing of Brushtail Possums in Tasmania!

Dear Friend,

The Tasmanian Government is about to authorise the commercial killing yet again of Brushtail Possums for export to Asian markets. There is no excuse for this brutal and unsustainable trade, which the Department of Primary Industry, Parks, Water and Environment plans to actively promote and expand (see their website here).

The abattoir where possums are killed was secretly filmed by Animal Liberation in 1999 and revealed immense cruelty and suffering. You can watch this video by clicking here (WARNING: Graphic content).

As many letters are needed as possible, so please take action today by visiting our site http://www.wlpa.org/exploited_wildlife.htm.

The World League for Protection of Animals, Inc
‘Working for the rights of all animals, both native and non-native, since 1935’
Address: PO Box 211, Gladesville, N.S.W. Australia 2111
Web: www.wlpa.org, Email: [email protected], Ph: (02) 9817 4892
*Registered under the Charitable Fundraising Act, CFN 12896
**All donations over $2 are tax deductible

Petition to ban sales of kangaroo products by the EU Parliament

Dear All

The following was posted in the KIAA newsletter (NEWR) to it's members issue number 56 - May 2010

"Kangaroo Petition 

Please remember to sign the petition in support of kangaroo products in the EU.  The forces calling for a ban on sales of kangaroo products by the EU Parliament are getting active.  It?s vital that EU politicians are not led to believe that the general public support this call.  Please get all your friends to sign the petition calling on EU Parliamentarians to recognize the ecological importance of the kangaroo harvest.  This petition now has 25% as many signatures as the ?anti? petition which has been running for much longer.  It?s important this momentum be maintained."

 

They clearly are very worried which makes it all the more important that we maintain our advantage.

Everyone you know and especially and importantly those in the EU, relatives, friends, Cyber contacts, whoever they may be, should be encouraged to sign OUR petitions.
We have now joined forces with VIVA and placed a facebook page on the internet as well as petitions and letters to MEP's in the European Parliament.
Figures just in show that we now have over 10,000 supporters (62% from EU) but we will need many many more for this to work.  The seal ban was brought in when over 300,000 people complained. With what we all know of the kangaroo industry we should easily be able to get that many.

SYDNEY PROTEST MEETING
WEDNESDAY JULY 7TH  OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT HOUSE MAQUARIE STREET 12.00PM - 12.45PM
Can you please dress in black to signify the mourning of all the poor kangaroos and joeys who will have sadly been massacred by then.
The world needs to know what is happening.
We have to be their voice.
************
MEDIA RELEASE 21/6/10
CANBERRA CULL WILL KILL 1000 JOEYS

2009 Nature Conservation Council of NSW

The Labor Government is once again doing deals with the Shooters Party. Media reports suggest Labor has made an offer to allow hunting in 13 national parks in exchange for the support of the two Shooters Party MPs in the NSW Upper House to help pass government legislation.

Tell the government that you won't stand by as they sacrifice our national parks to blood sports. Shooters are not conservationists. Killing native wildlife is their form of recreational pleasure. Only the power of public opposition will remove this legislation from the negotiating table.

Please email the following MPs and express your strong opposition to any deal that would allow shooting in national parks:

“Stop shooting in our national parks”!

Sydney Pet Rescue & Adoption supports CatRescues' very important initiative. We would appreciate your support

27/11/08
Good Morning

Some time ago you sent an email to your local MP, requesting that they vote yes on the Animal “Regulation of Sale” Bill.

Today, we heard back from him. We quote “So far, all we have received is an email from yourself and another from a person who also lives outside the electorate. Mr Greene will always respond to his constituents and welcomes emails or letters from them on State matters such as this one.”

We think he needs reminding. The purpose of this email is to ask if you can again assist this cause. Well over 140 constituents from your area also wrote to the Minister.

You can call his electorate officer (see below) to share your thoughts with him on the Animal “Regulation of Sale” bill.

Tim Martin
Electorate Officer - Kevin Greene MP
Minister for Sport & Recreation, Minister for Gaming & Racing, Member for Oatley
8 Ormonde Pde Hurstville  NSW  2220
Tel: 9580 9349  Fax: 9580 9103

As you are probably aware the new Animal “Regulation of Sale” bill has been released. This resolves many of fringe issues and is a workable and real solution,
Please help us to remind our politicians to listen to the will of the people. We appreciate your feedback and support.

CatRescue NSW Limited

[email protected]
http:// www.catrescue.com.au

CFN20088

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A CatRescue Project – CFN20088, A DGR with Charity Status

 Every year, more than 60 000 healthy animals are killed in NSW Pounds . . .
meanwhile tens of thousands more are bred and sold for money by the Pet industry.

Please sign our petition calling for a moratorium on commercial and non-commercial kangaroo killing in NSW, SA and QLD.
Kangaroos are being killed in areas where they are quasi extinct.
Learn more at http://www.stopkangarookilling.org

Our petition is based on government statistics showing that kangaroos are quasi-extinct across most of those hunting states (i.e. less than 5 kangaroos per sq.km as defined by the Murray Darling report) until a full independent enquiry is carried out determining the risk to kangaroo species, and the results presented to the public.
Due to the drought and other factors, kangaroos have declined up to 70% across the nation from 2001-2006 and in SA and NSW most of the hunted species are at the lowest recorded numbers and yet the quotas are still very high.

Thanks,
Menkit Prince (member of Friends of the Pound)
7/11/08

Due to the recent seizure of 101 poodles and other dogs in appalling conditions from a property south of Brisbane on Wednesday 9 January 2008, I have started a petition:

"SAVE OUR ANIMALS! BAN PUPPY MILLS IN AUSTRALIA"
 
If you saw the news, the RSPCA and Police in QLD raided Waterford Boarding Kennels and Cattery. All of the dogs were in poor condition, with matted fur clotted with urine and faeces, ear infections, and some infested with maggots. My heart aches for the dogs and I am still wondering how they are progressing since being in the great care of the RSPCA?  It deeply saddens me that those poor dogs have been mistreated.

From this occurrence, I am so against puppy farming or back yard breeding as you could call it, which is not monitored strictly by local and animal health authorities. 
My wish is for authorities to look into the matter further and stop puppy farming of poorer quality.  

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Save our animals from imprisonment and inhumane cruelty and allow them the opportunity to live a wonderful life. 
 
So please join in the fight to ban puppy mills by signing my petition today!

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/save-our-animals-ban-puppy-mills-in-aus