As you know, I do not only knit and sell shirts, but also classify myself as an animal welfare activist. If anyone in my readership feels for animals as well, here's some quick actions for you:
First, the Irish fur farming scandal. No-one I know in Ireland wants to have the 6 fur farms that operate here, and thousands have signed a petition and it has been delivered to the Ministry of Agriculture. However, see what they respond in a letter:
"Fur Farming is currently a legitimate farming activity in many Member States of the European Union" and that the licensed fur farms in Ireland are all "operating in compliance with current legislation".
It also goes on to say that "Given that the licensed fur farms in this country meet current national and E.U.requirements there is no reason why what is, after all, a legitimate farming activity, which is permitted in the greater majority of E.U. Member States, should be banned."
Please voice your objections to Ireland's fur trade immediately (details below). There are 5 mink farms here in Ireland - all of which are licensed by the Department of Agriculture. There is also at least 1 fox farm in the country, but as these farms don't need to be licensed, the exact number is uncertain.
Please contact the Minister of Agriculture, who is responsible for the deaths of over 150,000 mink and over 300 fox every year, asking her to ban fur farming in Ireland:
Minister Mary Coughlan
Office of the Minister for Agriculture & Food,
Agriculture House,
Kildare Street,
Dublin 2,
Ireland.
Tel. +353 (0)1 6072000
I wrote like this:
Minister Coughlan,
I am appalled to hear that the Department of Agriculture and the Irish state are not concidering to ban fur farming in Ireland. Thousands of Irish and European people are against this cruelty, which the Department refers to as "legitimate farming activity". Am I mistaken, but is it not the Department, Government and the State who decide what is legitimate and what not? Should the Department, Government and the State not listen to it's citizens?
Here you have a loud citizen who strongly requests that you ban fur farming in Ireland for once and for all. This is Ireland's chance to show the EU that this country is progressive, and abolishes old, cruel "farming activities" before the majority of EU does. There is no doubt that the EU will follow.
Once again, please ban fur farming as soon as possible. Thank you.
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Second, the "Between Bull and Man" exhibition, which is to promote bullfighting in the European parliament. Bullfighting is cruel and unnecessary - help to scrap the bullfighting exhibition
which is due to take place next month. Sample latter after the click.
Please copy the sample letter below into an email and send to the president
of the European Parliament. Thank you.
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Hans-Gert Pöttering
President of the European Parliament
Rue Wiertz 60
PHS 11B11
B-1047 Brüssel, Belgium
hans-gert.poettering@europarl.europa.eu
Dear Mr Pöttering,
I wish to register my strong objection to the "Between Man and Bull"
exhibition which is due to take place at the European Parliament early next
month. Considering the extreme animal cruelty involved in bullfighting and
the fact that millions in Spain, France, Portugal and all across Europe want
this barbarity banned, I believe that bullfighters should not be invited
into Parliament buildings.
These heartless animal abusers describe their sport as a noble tradition
that should be preserved but you will surely agree that there is no place in
a modern Europe for the slow torture to death of animals for entertainment.
It is now time for bullfighting to be banned and I urge you to cancel this
exhibition and to work towards ridding the EU of this, and all, blood
sports.
Thank you very much.
Yours sincerely,
[Name/Location]
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