A daily miasma of frivolity by two wanna-be cultural critics. Or: just, like, some good links, dude.

Tag Archives: animal abuse

Nov 28 2012
Mark Twain, probably

Poland outlaws ritual animal slaughter as EU moves to approve it

Poland outlaws ritual animal slaughter as EU moves to approve it

BBC News report:

Poland’s top court has outlawed the ritual slaughter of animals weeks before the EU is due to allow the practice on religious grounds.

The Constitutional Tribunal said it was against Polish law to allow animals to have their throats cut and bleed to death without first being stunned. Poland has small Muslim and Jewish communities who use such methods.

However, it is unclear whether the ruling will be superseded by a new EU law allowing ritual slaughter. On 1 January, a new regulation takes effect in the EU allowing the practice and setting common standards.

This is probably one of the more bizarre tests of national vs. international law.

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Mar 10 2012
Mark Twain, probably

Debate intensifies over animal undercover filming

Debate intensifies over animal undercover filming

David Pitt, the AP:

Animal welfare groups reacted with outrage Wednesday after the Iowa Legislature made the state the first to approve a bill making it a crime to surreptitiously get into a farming operation to record video of animal abuse. … The Iowa measure would establish a new penalty for lying on a job application to get access to a farm facility, making it a serious misdemeanor. A second conviction would be an aggravated misdemeanor.

…

Sen. Joe Seng, a Davenport Democrat and veterinarian who sponsored the bill, said the measure strikes a balance by discouraging animal activists from sneaking into livestock facilities but not prohibiting someone who legitimately works there from reporting animal abuse. … He said the livestock industry has legitimate concerns about unauthorized people infiltrating their facilities because they could track in disease or let mice or other unwanted vermin into farm buildings.

These kinds of exposés are generally how we find out about instances of horrific animal abuse, but on the other hand, it really is trespassing. Theoretically it should be possible for legitimate employees to report this kind of stuff too, but we’ll see how it goes.

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