Demand legal rights for animals in Europe

We, the European public, demand legal rights for animals in Europe as animals should no longer be classified as objects. Sufficient evidence has proven that animals have feelings and clearly feel pain:

1. Abusing animals, including zoophilia, is still an undeniable issue in our society and is not sentenced based on an adequate law. It is still very common that sentences are purely arbitrary and inadequate for the crime that was committed. The rate of relapse shows that we need a proper law with tougher sanctions to serve as a deterrent.

2. A new “EU Animal Health Law” should not be passed that considers stray domestic animals (such as cats and dogs) as “wild animals”. Instead they should be defined under a new category of “non-owned animals of domesticated species”. Spay and neuter programs help to decrease the huge number of strays and prevent the spreading of the pathogens as well as pathogenic germs. Programs and legal animal shelters should be subsidized by the EU and controlled by the European law.

3. Euthanasia of animals must be carried out due to medical reasons only. The methods may never distress animals and have to work fast and as efficient.

4. No longer should animals be considered mere “products” just in order to achieve quick profit:

- All breeders must be certified and state-controlled. Animals may no longer been sold in random shops or on the internet (auction sites). Sales have to be controlled by a European passport for every individual animal and registered in a pan-European database.

- Animals should not be kept in captivity to provide amusement, they should not be used for entertainment purposes (aqua park, circus, zoo, entertaining shows, TV spots etc.) and must not be abused or murdered for art exhibitions.
- Hunting should not longer be deemed a leisure activity or “hobby”. Huntsmen have to be state-controlled and certified as preservers. Their main focus must not be killing, but caring.

- Vivisection and animal testing needs to be reevaluated and should only be performed when it serves the definite purpose to aid human welfare. Statistics tell that 92 % of pharmaceuticals tested on animals showed no effects or even negative effects when tested on humans (www.aerzte-gegen-tierversuche.de).

- The trade with animal parts (such as fur, but also teeth or claws) has to be reevaluated and serve a clear purpose. Our well-informed modern society has no need for any animal parts, as the belief in their “powers” is rooted in superstition. Fur can easily be replaced with synthetic fibers. Trade with animal parts should be put under pro-animal law.

- The well-being of livestock has to be monitored closely and violations have to be punished immediately. Advertisement promoting healthy food should no longer focus on animal products but offer suitable vegetable alternatives.

Help us to stop cruelty due to animal rights missing in Europe:
Your signature will help us to strengthen our law suit for animal rights!

www.projectanimalwelfare.eu  ONLY TOGETHER WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE!