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Celebrate Valentine’s Day without sacrificing animals!

Celebrate Valentine’s Day without sacrificing animals!

Celebrate Valentine’s Day without sacrificing animals!
09.02.2016
France
Celebrate Valentine’s Day without sacrificing animals!
Animal testing

Despite the 2013 European ban on exploiting animals for cosmetic testing, France refuses to monitor and regulate the corporations that continue to perform these experiments with impunity. Yet luckily, the One Voice label makes identifying ethically fabricated products easier than ever.

When will France jump on the « cruelty-free » bandwagon?

European regulation has had little effect on motivating French laboratories to change their stance on animal testing. Without penalties or other incentivizing measures in place, companies have no reason to change their routine practices.

The One Voice Label

Rabbits and rodents are the animals most frequently victim to experimentation. Even if the existing laws are not enforced and laboratories maintain outdated methods, alternative solutions do exist. The blue and orange One Voice label clearly marks products that have not been tested on animals—and they are even vegan!

Give compassion!

For Valentine’s Day this year, Melvita renewed its certification with One Voice’s label initiative. They offer a wide range of products to choose from, including those for both men and women, skin treatments, and perfumes.

One Voice wishes you an ethical Valentine’s Day!

Dog torturer receives exemplary prison sentence

Dog torturer receives exemplary prison sentence

Dog torturer receives exemplary prison sentence
08.02.2016
Canada
Dog torturer receives exemplary prison sentence
Domestic animals

Justice has been served for « Justice, » the aptly named dog who was discovered tied up and abandoned to die. The judge ruled that the culprit be registered in a DNA database for criminals, based on the conviction that a strong link exists between violence against animals and humans.

Rescued in the nick of time

At the back of a shopping center in Windsor, Ontario (Canada), a small dog, approximately seven years old, was left for dead. His snout was tightly bound with tape, along with his legs and neck. Luckily, a passerby spotted him, saving him from suffocation. When he was released, he was so weak that he could barely stand upright. Fortunately, the local organization Windsor/Essex County Humane Society was able to care for him during his recovery.

An exemplary judgment

Once the culprit was found during the investigation, a lawsuit ensued. The judge who handled the case condemned the offender to the maximum sentence: two years in prison and three years probation, along with a twenty-five year ban on owning animals. Additionally, he ordered that the animal torturer be registered in the national DNA database: it is widely known that criminals often start off as animal abusers. (read our article on the subject here).

And in France?

Abusive individuals target animals and humans alike, showing a lack of respect for all life, regardless of species. There is no exception to this rule in France: in Griffin’s case, the offender both hit his girlfriend and set her cat on fire.

Currently, convicted or suspected criminals are registered in a national DNA database (FNAEG) managed by the Ministry of Justice. One Voice has insisted that the Minister of Justice include animal abusers in these records in order to prevent crimes against people.

To support our campaign, sign and sign and spread our petition our petition!

South of Africa: One Voice investigates the trophy hunting

South of Africa: One Voice investigates the trophy hunting

South of Africa: One Voice investigates the trophy hunting
06.02.2016
South Africa
South of Africa: One Voice investigates the trophy hunting
Wildlife

One Voice fights to convince the international community to protect the last wild lions on the planet and end the suffering of lions in captivity. We reckon that these animals should be classified as high priority in Annex 1 of CITES, so as to put an end to all types of trade in them.

In 2015 One Voice investigators uncovered the suffering of lions in South African breeding centres. Held in cramped paddocks, they are often kept alone or forced to live alongside other cat species. Babies are torn from their mother within an hour of birth. Compelled to produce up to five litters every two years, captive lionesses are treated as mere breeding machines. The cubs are used for tourist photos. When they reach the age of three years and are less easy to control, they are sold to hunting businesses which go as far as to drug them to make them easy to stalk and kill.

In February 2015 the European Union introduced measures requiring member states to grant import licences for hunting trophies for six species, including African lions. One Voice considers these measures insufficient to protect these animals. We are putting pressure on politicians to get a total ban at European level on importing « trophies » and lion body parts. We also campaign against all forms of trophy hunting and urge tourists travelling to Africa to only take part in ethical activities.

One Voice works too to end animal abuse in French circuses. Plenty of countries have already implemented such a ban. However hundreds of circuses still roam our nation, and lions are the most common wild animal there.

Several years ago One Voice oversaw the freeing of three lions—Shada, Djunka and Nalla—who had spent their entire lives shut away in a circus caravan in the Dordogne. Kept isolated in tiny compartments measuring 1.83 m x 1.83 m, they were used as breeders. Their young were also taken away to be sold. Thanks to One Voice and the Born Free Foundation, these three lions were relocated to a sanctuary in South Africa.

Dozens of cows die of hunger

Dozens of cows die of hunger

Dozens of cows die of hunger
05.02.2016
France
Dozens of cows die of hunger
Other campaign or multi-campaigns of One Voice

Eight years ago, One Voice discovered dozens of cows dying of hunger and thirst on a property owned by the « B. brothers. » Following a seven year legal battle, they were eventually tried in court on the 5th of February this year.

The case

The B brothers may have been isolated from society, but were certainly not poor. According to psychiatric reports, they are mentally stable and able to be held responsible for their own actions, yet they were clearly disinterested in the wellbeing of their animals, who they were keeping solely to gain EU subsidies. They were even unable to recall the size of their herd, which according to investigators, could be estimated between 700-800 animals on 400-500 hectares of land. It was clear they placed no value on the lives of these beings, leaving them to die in excruciating pain, without food or water, when there was hay available. Neighbours testified to having heard their cries. In June and December of 2008, several corpses were discovered. But in February 2009, thirty-seven cows were found dead in the freezing cold, some hidden under tarpaulins. Identification was made possible using a helicopter. Twenty-six survivors were rescued from the brink of death and transferred to our partner, OABA.

The evidence

Farmers receive government subsidies for living animals, but also when they die. In 2007, the B brothers received 175,000 euros in bonuses and CAP subsidies (totaling a quarter of the region’s grants) for essentially leaving their livestock to perish. The discovery of bones on the property indicated that this neglect had been going on for some time. The investigating judge also revealed insufficient account charges, indicating that the brothers were embezzling the funds they received from the government to care for their animals. Additionally, the police discovered that some animal passports had « gone missing. »

For an exemplary judgment!

One Voice acted as civil prosecutors in the April 2009 proceedings, in which the brothers were charged for serious abuse, cruelty to domestic animals, and for detaining corpses. They lost the first trial in October 2009, as well as the appeal in September 2010. In June 2012 One Voice again took them to court in a new trial requesting that the brothers be banned from owning animals, which they achieved accompanied by a prison sentence for each of them and a fine. But the case was overruled. One Voice then appealed and managed overturn the judgement, invalidating any attempts to resubmit the facts of the case and publishing the arrests in the criminal records and information bulletin. However, the appeal court announced their final judgement in favour of the brothers, so we are now fighting a civil case instead.

Food supplements go cruelty-free!

Food supplements go cruelty-free!

Food supplements go cruelty-free!
04.02.2016
France
Food supplements go cruelty-free!
Animal testing

The brand Catalyons has made history by adopting the One Voice label! Now, for the first time ever, their vitamins and other dietary supplements are certified « free from animal experimentation » vegan, and/or organic.

A major first step

Catalyons’ decision to adopt cruelty-free labeling marks a highly anticipated first step in the fight for consumer rights/corporate transparency in France. Animal testing is still routine practice in the food supplement sector, although most consumers have no idea what goes on behind closed doors. Fortified foods and dietary supplements that extol consumer health benefits are almost always tested on animals, increasing profits for the animal experimentation lobby. Yet Catalyons has proved that ethical alternatives are both viable and accessible.

Brand engagement

The One Voice certification process requires real dedication on behalf of complying businesses. In order to obtain a label, One Voice asks that companies prove their commitment to cruelty-free practices at every step along the supply chain. After a thorough assessment, One Voice awarded its label to a series of Catalyons products, ranging from vitamins, food supplements (for humans and animals), and cosmetics. The blue label indicates that products have not been tested on animals and are free of animal by-products, while the orange label certifies that products are organic.

Support the movement

Animal-testing procedures that have become commonplace for the food industry can be easily replaced with more innovative techniques. Furthermore, consumers have the right to make well-informed decisions that reflect their convictions and consequentially influence supply and demand. Spread the word!

One Voice suggests that you to write to your favorite brand telling them that you would like to see them change their practices; let us know and we will support your efforts. Let’s continue encouraging companies like Catalyons to make strides toward a more ethical future.

Together, we can end animal testing!

Griffin: burned alive and thrown out of a window

Griffin: burned alive and thrown out of a window

Griffin: burned alive and thrown out of a window
01.02.2016
France
Griffin: burned alive and thrown out of a window
Domestic animals

Abusers are capable of causing undue pain to both animals and humans alike. Griffin lost his life at the hands of such unspeakable violence, while his human companion’s safety was also jeopardized. The only redeeming part of this story is that their tortuter was eventually tried in court.

Griffin’s human companion had been having relationship issues for some time when she decided to take action into her own hands and end things once and for all. However, her boyfriend had anger issues that she could not have foreseen. Unfortunately, Griffin became caught up in his attempt seek to vengeance. The boyfriend threatened to set fire to the cat unless she agreed to hand over her phone. When she did not comply, he doused Griffin in rubbing alcohol and approached him with a lighter. In this moment, words became reality. Griffin’s fur caught on fire.

The terror and pain Griffin endured did not stop there. In an effort to hide under the couch, Griffin set fire to the entire apartment. In response, the boyfriend grabbed him, hurling him out the window. The girlfriend was helpless; all she could do was call her ex-husband for help. Both of the owner and her ex-husband were subjected physical violence until the authorities arrived and intervened. Violence is blind and does not discriminate with regards to species.

The concerned neighbors, who were awakened by his cries of pain, took Griffin immediately to a veterinarian. But the damage was already done. After one and half hours of agony, the veterinarian had no choice other than to euthanize him.

One Voice appeared as the civil party in the trial that took place on February 1, 2016 in Nice. Griffin’s torturer was sentenced to two years in prison, a six-month suspended sentence with probation, and a lifetime ban on owning animals. He appealed the decision.

Rather than separating the human case from the animal during the legal proceedings, One Voice request that a single public prosecutor review the entire incidents. We believe that in order to strengthen the case against cruelty, the link between animal abuse and human violence should be recognized and every species treated equally under the law.

To support our campaig and spread our petition

Nepal: the land of sacrifice

Nepal: the land of sacrifice

Nepal: the land of sacrifice
20.01.2016
Nepal
Nepal: the land of sacrifice
Other campaign or multi-campaigns of One Voice

Within Nepal’s rich tapestry of cultural traditions, violent rituals have managed to endure despite the disapproval of most of the urban Hindu population.

Cruel traditions and superstitions

Gadhimai is the goddess of power. For the last 300 years, over 2 million people have gathered every 5 years to either participate in or view the sacrifice of thousands of animals–in 2009 alone, 250,000 were slaughtered and nearly 20,000 buffaloes were beheaded with swords. However, as a result of a collaborative effort between France and Nepal, which stemmed from a partnership between One Voice and AWNN, the number has decreased to 3256 in 2014. Furthermore, temple authorities have announced that as of 2019, Gadhimai will no longer be celebrated with blood letting. This is a huge victory and inspires hope that we can put an end to other cruel traditions that persist in Nepal. For instance, during the Khokana celebration, a five or six month old goat is thrown into a pond by young unarmed men and is skinned alive with their teeth. Although only one animal is killed, these victims endure unimaginable suffering leading up to their deaths. Superstitions also engender animal cruelty. For example, in 2013 the Nepal Football Association (ANFA) sacrificed five animals just to bring good luck for the South Asian championship. This sort of senseless cruelty should be illegal in 21st century.

Large-scale entertainment

Even though the bloodshed that took place during Gadhimai will soon be a distant memory, other similar rituals endure in temples and even in some public spaces throughout the year. In a discourse largely dominated by the religious authorities, we hope to open a dialogue that incorporates alternatives to violence. All clans, ethnic groups, and sometimes even the government and the army are involved in sacrifices. Once a year, for the Dashain celebration, both civilians and the military kill hundreds of thousands of goats, cows, ducks, and chickens throughout the country. Some rituals, such as the Navadurga dance, require drinking blood directly from the jugular of the animals as their necks are slit. This barbarity extends beyond religious rituals. Animals are also abused for the sake of entertainment in Nepal: polo is still frequently played on the backs of elephants, and snake charmers and bear tamers are easy to come by.

Far-reaching consequences

These mass sacrifices pose significant risks to people. But even more serious are the consequences of trivializing animal cruelty. Studies conducted by the Link indicate that insensitivity towards living beings is normalized from a very young age. Much like the Buddhist scriptures, Hindu texts advocate for compassion towards animals and certainly do not promote animal sacrifices. Instead, these barbaric traditions are perpetuated by those who exploit superstitious beliefs for profit. For a country that endorses democratic, egalitarian, and modern values, it is essential that laws are put into place to outlaw archaic forms of brutality towards animals.

PCBs threatens extinction of killer whales in Europe

PCBs threatens extinction of killer whales in Europe

PCBs threatens extinction of killer whales in Europe
18.01.2016
Europe
PCBs threatens extinction of killer whales in Europe
Natural habitat

Ban Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been banned worldwide since 1986 and pose a serious threat to cetaceans in Europe.

According to a study published on January 14th 2016 in Scientific Reports, blue and white dolphins and European killer whales have the highest concentrations of PCBs in their fat in the world. The researchers who conducted the study say that these massive concentrations are likely to ultimately lead to the decline of these populations.

Products since 1929, polychlorinated biphenyls have been used in flame retardants and coolants or insulation as well as in many types of plastics. But when PCBs were found to cause serious health problems in both human and non-human animals, they were eventually banned. Unfortunately, such products do not break down so quickly. The PCBs or Parylene’s that impregnated the sediments were transported by the streams to the sea. They still persist there.

As super-predators placed at the very top of the marine food chain, killer whales are particularly threatened by this pollution. They eat the flesh of polluted prey, which themselves feed on contaminated prey. In doing so, killer whales accumulate large quantities of PCBs and PBDEs, which are transmitted through breastfeeding.

These products severely affect thyroid function and vitamin A metabolism. They also interfere with neurological and reproductive development and immune function. Because PCBs are fat soluble, they can accumulate at extremely high levels in marine mammals with a high fat mass.

During research, they were levels of PCBs present in fats that were analysed in 1000 cetaceans, whales, orcas, dolphins and porpoises.

Porpoises are the only species that does not show record levels. On the other hand, the researchers were surprised to find that the concentration rate was the same for both males and females, whereas the latter should have got rid of excess PCBs when they were breastfeeding.

Their long life span and their position as superior marine predators make orcas and dolphins particularly vulnerable to the accumulation of PCBs in their bodies.

In this regard, Paul Jepson, a member of the London Zoological Society and author of the study, said the situation was worrying: « We believe that there is a very high risk of extinction for orcas in the industrialized regions of Europe. »

What about the future of another super-predator infinitely more ferocious and voracious than the orca, namely the human being? Is the survival of this species also threatened, as it eats so many fish and in some countries even devours the flesh of cetaceans? Paul Jepson’s study does not say anything…

References

The world according to wolves

The world according to wolves

The world according to wolves
13.01.2016
France
The world according to wolves
Wildlife

The wolf is sitting at the top of the summit. A large dark furred Alpha male, his chest is pushed forward in a solemn pose. He fixes his two yellow eyes on the valley stretching out below him, scattered with forests, fields and a few small roads encompassing the rocky sides of the Alps. This is his pack’s territory.

He listens. On the grassy slopes, a marmot dashes into his burrow. Further away, an owl skims the bushes in soft flight. A panicked shrew can be heard running. Far away in the distance, more than two hundred kilometres from here, another clan howls.

The kingdom of senses

He observes. The night falls gently over the land, while the fog settles and the temperature drops. Like a cat, the glowing eyes of the wolf catch the slightest snatch of light. His long distance vision is limited, but his 250° peripheral vision detects the even the most subtle movement in the multiple shades of grey in the evening dusk.

Stretching out his wet nose, he deeply inhales the air pulling it down to his Jacobson’s organ, the olfactory amplifier situated behind his upper incisors. With a sense of smell nearly 20,000 times stronger than ours, we can only try to imagine what he perceives. Painting a landscape of fragrances in his brain, these scents portray the wind, the stones, the trees, and the animals. He takes a more delicate breath… Surprise! Whilst he was sleeping, a stranger had had the audacity to cross the trail towards the lair! A three year old Beta male, measuring around a metre at the withers, had marked his path with a provocative spray of urine. He will have to deal with him soon.

Genuine love

Behind him, the pack wakes from a long afternoon nap. He hears footsteps: the female Alpha wolf climbs to meet him. He watches his companion approach. She is beautiful, with her pale grey coat, almost white. His heartbeat quickens. They have been together many years…… But the years pass quickly for wolves, who don’t live much longer than big dogs.

They play; teasing each other, rolling around, biting their manes for amusement, playing like children amidst growls. They are still very much in love. If ever one of them should be taken away, killed by a gunshot, the one left behind would be broken hearted but would rebuild a relationship. And if one of them should ever be in danger, ill, or injured, their partner would do everything they could to help them, even risking their own life, as would any of the pack members. Their love is a force that binds and strengthens the clan.

Squeaking, the dishevelled wolf cubs emerge from the den. Wobbly on their feet, they blink their eyes. Today is the first day they have come out of the deep tunnel dug under a hollow tree, between two roots, where the female wolf has nursed them for the last three weeks.

Live for the family

The rest of the clan gather immediately around the little cubs. Big brothers, big sisters… In total, ten people keep a watchful eye on them, coddling them as if they were their own. Whilst under the Alpha couple’s authority, no pack member is permitted to have their own children. But under their guardianship, they form a solid clan: efficient, inventive and dominating a vast territory that they won’t share with any other tribe.

The Alpha couple protect every one of them, their combined intelligence ensures that they are all well fed. One day, some will leave. The mother wolf will be happy to let them go and create other families, on other territories, as much as the humans will leave to them.

The wolf drops his head for a moment, pensive, assembling all of the information he has absorbed in his mind. Later, using physical gestures, in a show of yelps, growling and succinct barks, he will ensure that his troop understands the decisions he has made on how the night hunt will proceed.

The wolves’ message

It’s time to go. So the wolf turns to his clan and points his muzzle to the sky, neck stretched out. He howls. Or rather, he sings an E note, resonating progressively higher, soon be joined by the female wolf, her voice entwining his like ivy.

The other clan members join in, in their individual tones, reflecting their position in the hierarchy. The Alpha couple sing the deepest, the Omegas sing the highest and the Betas form a barking choir. Each wolf has his own trademark sound, recognisable to his comrades. This song unites the tribe, as the rest of the tribe return to join in.

This beautiful song is sung for that reason, and to send the message far and wide that the pack is strong. The voices spiral upwards until the moon, as the wolves lift their heads in turn, happy. This is the world according to the wolves, one of courage, love and beauty.

If you would like to know more: See One Voice’s campaign.

A mink far from his river

A mink far from his river

A mink far from his river
05.01.2016
France
A mink far from his river
Fashion

One Voice is steadfastly opposed to the fur industry that is responsible for torturing cats, dogs, foxes, chinchillas and other victims of fashion (see the history of our fight here). The mink example demonstrates just how cruelly different from the natural environment these fur farms are. It is really time that France bans these fur farms, as have Holland, the United Kingdom and Denmark.

Minks are independent creatures: living a secluded life on their territory of three or four kilometres along the watercourse. The male only leaves in Spring to meet neighbouring females, who accommodate them and two to three other suitors in their domain. The females raise their annual litter of a half a dozen babies on their own. No fight will stop a reproductive male, sometimes coming from far away.

The rest of the time, the solitary mink roams on the humid ground, the muddy banks, the lakeside or on a sleepy branch of a creek. In this little universe he scampers in silence, day and night, his long supple body snaking through a forest of reeds or diving into the dark water of a pond. He catches a frog, a bird in flight. Below the surface, his long whiskers detect crayfish movement and on the bank, the shrew cannot hide from his sharp intuition, or his refined hearing. He chooses how he lives his life, on his own. He doesn’t need anyone. The stomach full, he returns to his nest under a tree stump to rest, a burrow stolen from a river rat. Minks don’t live long, some six or seven years only, but they live a calm and perfect life, made up of fishing, hunting and adventures.

From birth however, the captive mink has a different life. It doesn’t take him long to get to know his jail: a rectangular cage, 70cm long, 40cm wide and 45cm high, constructed from metal grill, including the floor. The little ones feet get scratched on this structure, passing through the gaps. A bit of water drips from an old tube, some meat is thrown at them once a day, occasionally including the flesh of dead minks. Under the cages, mountains of excrement accumulate, emitting a foul odour. If he climbs up the iron wires, the little mink can sometimes see around, in the immense hangar, the hundreds of cages like his lined up as far as he can see. To live piled up together is a nightmare for the solitary mink, but the absence of water to swim in is also dreadful. The inmates comfort themselves by reproducing mad behaviour; an endless sequence of jumps and movements, repeating the same senseless dance in these tiny cages.

Some burrow into a corner, the tail sliced off, the back bleeding, the eye torn out, or worse. Others no longer move, dead amongst the living, their cannibalised flesh covered in blue flies. Brute violence reigns here, there is constant noise, and cries, fear, and death.

At around eight months of age, having reached the size of an adult with a beautiful winter coat, men with thick gloves grab them with a claw. They are thrown together into a crate on wheels pushed between the cages on the central bay. When the lid is closed, a lethal gas suffocates the minks who jump in all directions against the observation window. Death is sometimes slow for these animals, who are capable of staying underwater for a quarter of an hour whilst holding their breath. Some breeders break the animal’s necks or administer them with a lethal injection.

75 generations of tortured minks have not been sufficient to transform this wild mustelidae into a domestic animal. Originally hunted by trappers, the American mink has been raised in fur farms since 1872. Not arriving in Europe until 1926, small breeders everywhere launched themselves into the lucrative luxury fur business. Bankrupted by the war, thousands of minks were released into the nature. When released, some die of stress, but most quickly adapt to wild life.

Even today, many minks manage to escape the farms and swell an already invasive population. They are also sold as pets where they are often freed as it proves to be difficult to keep a semi-aquatic predator in their living room.

This invasion of farmed minks is having a negative impact on the European mink. Smaller and more nocturnal, it has not been exploited by the fur industry, but is in danger as a result of it.