30 out of 3,000 Taal horses rescued from volcano island

MANILA – Only 30 out of the estimated 3,000 horses on Taal Volcano island have so far been rescued, an animal welfare group said Tuesday night. 

In a Facebook post, the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) said the owners of the horses took action upon learning that "the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) will no longer evacuate the horses and that animal rescuers were not being allowed to go to the island."


"Wala namang maasahan so kami na lang (We were not expecting any rescue, so we did it ourselves)," one of them was quoted as saying by the animal welfare group. 

According to PAWS, the owners of the stranded horses "took turns using three to four wooden boats and rowed over 50 kms" to transport them to Balete, Batangas.

"PAWS found the group after doing its feeding rounds for the affected dogs, cats and cattle in Talisay," added the group, which called for donations and financial assistance for the animals.


Meanwhile, three members of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) rescue team have been stranded on the volcano island since Wednesday morning. 

"I think they were trying to rescue the animals pero naiwan po sila, kung sino man po iyong nagdala sa kanila doon (but they were left behind by the people who brought them there)," Anna Cabrera, executive director of PAWS, said in a radio interview. 

Cabrera also urged the Philippine Coast Guard to save the three-man rescue team.

Veterinarians have been reminding the public to bring animals in areas affected by ashfall indoors as these can bring health risks such as eye damage and respiratory problems. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Top US court upholds California foie gras ban

WASHINGTON - The US Supreme Court upheld California's foie gras ban on Monday, ending a long legal battle between animal rights activists and defenders of the delicacy.

The highest US court rejected an appeal filed by foie gras producers against a law prohibiting the sale of products obtained from force-feeding geese or duck to enlarge their liver.

The law, passed in 2004 by California in the name of animal rights, carries a fine of $1,000.

It took effect in 2012, was suspended by the courts in 2015 -- but then upheld on appeal in 2017.

Producers of foie gras from Canada and New York, along with a California restaurateur, then appealed to the Supreme Court in defense of this delicacy they called "perhaps the most maligned (and misunderstood) food in the world."

They argued that a state could not ban a federally authorized product.

They had support from France, which called California's law "an assault on French (gastronomic and cultural) tradition."

The high court threw out the appeal with no explanation.

As such, California's law remains in effect.

"This victory for animals follows tireless efforts from animal rights activists to oppose the archaic foie gras industry," the animal rights group PETA said.

"Now that California can enforce this ban, PETA urges diners to blow the whistle on any restaurant that's caught serving this illegal and hideously produced substance," PETA president Ingrid Newkirk said in a statement.

leo/mdl/oh

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Give love to animals

Mascots parade along the Makati business district, as part of a campaign organized by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) on Monday. PETA shared different ways to show love to animals, from supporting animal-cruelty-free products to a vegetarian diet, in celebrating Valentine’s Day.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Model Sandra Seifert, 'clothed' in oceans and continents, graces PETA's Earth Day ad drive

MANILA, Philippines - With the message “Save the Planet: Go Vegetarian,” the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) on Friday launched its new Earth Day advertising campaign featuring Filipina beauty queen and fashion model Sandra Seifert.

She was presented to the press, creatively “dressed” in body paint of primarily blue and green, representing the Earth's oceans and continents.

Various national and local government agencies nationwide, and private groups like PETA, have organized various activities to mark this year’s Earth Day.

The city government of Makati, through the Department of Environmental Services, is set to lead the celebration of Earth Day 2012 dubbed “Earth Day Everyday, Everywhere” on Sunday April 22, 2012, at 6am at the Ayala Triangle Gardens.

Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin S. Binay said Makati will host the event in partnership with Earth Day Network Philippines, Inc. (EDNPI), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Ayala Land Inc. (ALI), and Ayala Foundation, Inc.

Earth Day 2012 aims to demonstrate the shared commitment of all stakeholders, including government and the private sector, to promoting a healthy and sustainable environment.

Binay will be joined by DENR Secretary Ramon Paje and EDNPI Chairman Bert Guevarra.

source: interaksyon.com