Animals are living creatures, not gadgets, toys or accessories and no products or means to entertain people. Animals deserve proper protection. This starts with the recognition of their rights and respect for their own nature and needs. It defines the limits of the purposes for which animals may be used.
We want to move away from the automatic assumption that animals can be used for just any purpose. Entertainment, sports, advertising purposes and fashion are not good reasons to use, harm or kill animals.
The welfare of animals is in peril due to the manner in which they are bred, traded, held and slaughtered. Any abuse or neglect of animals by humans calls for immediate and strong action.
An official audit by the European Commission confirms that far too little is done to prevent serious animal suffering in long-distance sea transport, particularly in Romania. "This check confirms what we have known for a long time: animal transports by sea that Romania facilitates are unacceptable," said MEP Anja Hazekamp. Last year she called on the European Commission to take action, but it deci...