Latest news with #WorldAnimalProtection
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Emmerdale legend in 'terrifying dog attack' with ‘life-changing consequences'
Dominic Brunt has announced Paddy Kirk will be brutally attacked by a dog in a jaw-dropping Emmerdale storyline. But the aftermath is set to flip his life upside down. He's been playing vet Paddy Kirk for the past 28 years - so it's no surprise Dominic Brunt knows the Emmerdale rollercoaster better than most. But in upcoming scenes due on ITV, the village favourite's world is shaken after he's attacked by an aggressive dog. 'He's already scared of horses,' Dominic says, 'Now he's got something else to be scared of.' Everything kicks off when Paddy spots a sheep tangled in a fence. He steps in to help - but a protective dog lunges at him, leaving him badly injured. Paddy is saved from the worst by his father Bear Wolf (Joshua Richards) and rushed to hospital. The intense scenes were carefully choreographed with a highly-trained Alsatian and off-camera, Dominic had nothing but praise for the canine. 'That dog could do anything, he was amazing,' he remembers, 'He's an evil-looking thing. He'd growl and slabber everywhere but you felt really safe because as soon as someone pulled out his favourite food, he'd start wagging his tail. It was a big game to the dog but it was really impressive.' The attack triggers a huge shift in Paddy. Known for his dislike of hoses, it sends his confidence plummeting even further. 'He worries about the fact that he won't be able to do his job anymore,' Dominic says. 'He has no other skills and he's goning to have to work it out what he's going to do in the future.' And it's not just Paddy struggling. He's been increasingly worried about his father Bear, whose mental health has been deteriorating. 'Paddy's kicking himself that he hasn't noticed,' Dominic says, 'But the attack makes him see eye to eye with his dad.' Unfortunately, just as the two start to connect, Bear flees.'Bear leaves the village for a good, long while,' Dominic teases, 'But he has a big story coming up. We'll explain where he's been.' Amid the fallout of Paddy's attack, Emmerdale welcomes a new face: Jaye Griffiths joins the cast as Celia, a no-nonsense farmer who ruffles feathers and tries to strike a deal with Moira Dingle. Dominic was thrilled to work with her. 'She's just unbelievable,' he says, 'I was aware of her from various long-standing shows she's been in. I did her screen test. They auditioned lots of people and it was down to the last eight. All the actresses were brilliant but she did something else. It's one of those scenes where you think, 'This is something special.' I can't wait for people to meet her.' With almost three decades of soap under his belt, Dominic has built strong bonds off-screen too. For nine years, he co-hosted a zombie film festival in Leeds with pal Mark Charnock, raising money for the World Animal Protection. 'We don't do it anymore, I don't know why,' Dominic says, 'There's only so many zombie films you can show. We have children and we live quite far apart now.' Distance has never mattered in his friendship with Lisa Riley, who plays Mandy Dingle. 'We were still friends when Lisa left. We stayed in contact all the time and met up for lunch,' he says. 'She's a friend for life. When they brought us back together, it was like slipping on an old pair of shoes. We're very close, we know each other's thoughts.' He's just as warm about his other on-screen wives. 'I worked with Zoe Henry for years and we became really close. Then they put me with Lucy Pargeter and we were best friends for seven, or eight years,' Dominic adds. 'I was really pleased that, although I wasn't with them, I was back to my original best friend.' Despite saving all sorts of animals as Paddy, Dominic sticks to simpler companions at home: three dogs and a handful of cats. 'I'm more of a cat person but in recent years, I've swayed towards dogs. They get you out - we live in the middle of nowhere, and I enjoy taking walks,' he says. Dominic has also been vocal about wanting Emmerdale to show more of Paddy's ongoing mental health battle. In 2023, the beloved vet was diagnosed with depression after struggling with isolation and grief. Since then, he has been linked to Andy's Man Club, a national men's mental health charity. 'I'd like to see more mention of the fact that it still relies on the Samaritans and Andy's Man club, but they're going to sprinkle a bit of that,' Dominic says. 'He has to have one eye on the fact that this can come back and a dog attack can spring it back up. This happens to people with depression - they can feel well for years and then they're back there. Nobody's ever out of the woods.' Away from the cameras, Dominic keeps busy. He plays the mandolin and has a fascination for archeology - he's even studied it. 'I get these intense obsessions that last about four to five years, then I'll get bored very quickly and drop it all, it's weird,' he says. 'I return to them but they become more of a hobby than an obsession.' Still, it's Emmerdale that holds his heart. 'It's still an incredible job,' he says, 'I'm still nervous when I have masses of lines to do and really well-written scenes. But it's one of the best jobs in the world. As long as they keep writing these storylines, I'm sold. I'm very loyal to the show and I still love it to pieces.'
The Independent
7 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Animal welfare concerns halt hotel's panda wake-up service
A Chinese hotel's unique red panda wake-up service, where the animals visit guests' rooms and climb on beds, has been ordered to stop. The Chongqing Forestry Bureau mandated the halt due to concerns over animal welfare, potential injury, and disease transmission. The Lehe Ledu Liangjiang Holiday Hotel in Chongqing attracted many guests specifically for this popular interaction with its four resident red pandas. Animal rights experts, including Sun Quanhui from World Animal Protection, stated that red pandas are a nationally protected species and should not be used for entertainment, citing their sensitive nature. The forestry bureau is currently conducting an on-site investigation at the hotel and will release its findings.
CBS News
05-06-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Push in Congress seeks to overturn California farm animal welfare law
A push is underway among some members of Congress that could overturn a measure approved by California voters aimed at improving the treatment of farm animals. At issue: Proposition 12, which mandated minimum cage sizes for animals raised for meat. California voters passed the proposition in 2018 by a margin of 2 to 1. It said that pork sold in the state must come from pigs that had at least enough space to turn around. A recent survey from the nonprofit World Animal Protection found that 80% of consumers felt concerned when they learned about the treatment of factory-farmed pigs. An estimated two-thirds of factory farms house sows in gestation crates with barely enough space to move back and forth. They aren't able to turn around, surrounded by metal bars where they're artificially inseminated and standing over their own waste. Under Prop 12, meat from these conditions is banned from being sold in California. Now, two new federal bills could allow meat from crated animals to be sold here again as long as they're raised elsewhere. Lawmakers that represent the highest pig-producing states are pushing for the law. Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) sent CBS News Bay Area a statement, saying, "Midwest farmers and ranchers who produce our nation's food supply should not be hamstrung by coastal activist agendas that dictate production standards from hundreds of miles away." Some pig farmers, including Brent Hershey in Pennsylvania, already changed his operations to comply with California's rules. "As that all evolved, I started to see that we can't defend this," said Hershey. Now he's left wondering where his business stands because he says he's made the change and spent capital to satisfy those markets. "We would say that that's very disruptive," said Hershey. At a farm in the Sonoma County community of Windsor, the sows and boars have much more than room to turn around. They have sunshine and mud. "I figure these animals are giving us so much, we might as well give them as good a life as they can," said farmer Jeffrey Kent. He's been raising pigs for as long as he can remember. For the approximately 100 pigs on his farm, it's a life of free range. "It creates a much more natural life and creates a much happier pig which in the end creates a much better product," said Kent, "To be honest, I don't think I really compete with (factory farmers) at all because the customers that I have aren't interested in buying that kind of meat." Kent says that when you get to spend some time with his pigs, you see that they all have different personalities and are really quite smart. He referred to a new litter of pigs and how their mother treats them. "She talks to them. You can hear the storing back and forth. It's pretty great to see the community and the mothering instincts that they have," said Kent. Of course, those babies will eventually end up slaughtered when Kent deems the time is right. During their time growing up at his farm, though, they're guaranteed the simple things in life: fresh air, mud, and a little room to roam. CBS News Bay Area reached out to the National Pork Producers Council, the American Farm Bureau, and the Iowa Pork Producers Association. They have all opposed Prop. 12 they all support the newly proposed laws, but no one wanted to go on camera to discuss it. Senator Adam Schiff (D-California) strongly supports Prop 12, saying in a statement, "Any attempt to overturn it will face strong opposition. Congress should continue to respect the decision of California voters — as it would the voters in any state — and I will push back on any efforts to undermine their voices."
Fashion Value Chain
05-06-2025
- Fashion Value Chain
Responsible Human Behaviour Needed to Protect Animals, says World Animal Protection on World Environment Day
On World Environment Day this year, World Animal Protection takes serious note of a recent incident whereby an Indian tourist was mauled by a captive tiger he was walking in Tiger Kingdom zoo in Phuket in Thailand. Expectedly, this unfortunate incident has raised questions on the nature and desirability of these actions that bring people in proximity to potentially dangerous wild animals like tigers and elephants in captive situations. Reports indicate the tourist survived, but the whole popular spectacle of coming close to wild animals in captivity in Thailand and other venues, raises grave concerns on the nature of human animal relations this World Environment Day. Elephants in Haathi Gaon in Jaipur : Shubhobroto Ghosh World Animal Protection has consistently raised the issue of abuse of wildlife entertainment worldwide. This includes displays like tiger selfies in Thailand, elephant rides in Amer Fort in Jaipur in Rajasthan in India and dolphin shows at SeaWorld in several venues in the United States of America. World Animal Protection has conducted investigations on captive tigers in Thailand, captive elephants in Thailand, India and Indonesia and captive dolphins in USA, Netherlands and Thailand. These researches show that the welfare of these captive animals is severely compromised in these wildlife entertainment venues, and especially so in situations where they are compelled to come into proximity with humans. Close contact between wild animals and humans can cause undue stress to animals and additionally risk injury and spread of diseases(zoonoses) between humans and animals. After coronavirus, these interactions are risky and antithetical to harmonious man animal relationships. Tiger in Rohtak Zoo in Haryana: Shubhobroto Ghosh 'The recent incident of tiger mauling an Indian tourist in Thailand makes us reinforce the necessity of responsible choices in tourism,' says Gajender Kumar Sharma, Country Director of World Animal Protection in India. 'Spectacles like tiger selfies and elephant rides in Amer Fort represent a travesty of nature that is inimical to animal welfare and environmental preservation. Wild animals like tigers and elephants should be cherished where they belong, in the wild and not exploited in captivity to serve vested interests of humans.' To raise awareness on ethical wildlife tourism, World Animal Protection encourages tour companies to desist from offering captive wildlife entertainment as part of their itineraries. There are more than two hundred companies that have taken the wildlife friendly pledge of World Animal Protection worldwide. The latest company to become wildlife friendly in India is Her Expeditions, a travel company promoting women's travel. Her Expeditions has now decided to highlight the cause of animal welfare alongside those of women as part of their company policy. World Animal Protection is also highlighting wild animal abuse persistently in the media and Bearing environmental preservation in mind, World Animal Protection also raises awareness on the harmful effects of factory farming and excessive meat consumption that leads to destruction of habitat for wildlife. Growing concern for the environment and awareness on the welfare of animals are intertwined in the modern world. Tackling wildlife in entertainment and changing our diet can make the world a more habitable place, that, as the astronomer Carl Sagan stated to be a pale blue dot, 'the only home we have ever known.'
Cision Canada
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Cision Canada
Landmark Bill Re-Introduced in Ontario to Protect Captive Wildlife and Regulate Zoos
TORONTO, May 29, 2025 /CNW/ - Two Ontario MPPs have taken a groundbreaking step towards improving animal welfare and public safety with the introduction of the Captive Wildlife Protection Act, 2025. World Animal Protection, a global leader in animal welfare, joined MPPs Lucille Collard, MPP for Ottawa-Vanier, Karen McCrimmon, MPP for Kanata-Carleton, and Dolf DeJong, CEO of the Toronto Zoo to announce the bill today. The Act aims to address the lack of provincial oversight for captive wildlife, which currently allows anyone to collect wild animals like lions and tigers and operate as a zoo, resulting in the proliferation of dangerous and cruel "roadside zoos". These attractions often keep wild animals in substandard conditions, risking public safety and causing animal suffering. Ontario is the weakest jurisdiction when it comes to regulating the keeping of wild animals, and so it's no surprise then that Ontario is home to the highest number of these dangerous facilities across Canada. No licence or permit is needed to keep non-native wild animals in a zoo, leaving municipalities to manage with ineffective and inconsistent bylaws. Shockingly— anyone can own a zoo in Ontario. Furthermore, Ontario is also the weakest jurisdiction for not having public safety standards or strong enough, adequately enforced animal welfare standards. The proposed bill introduces mandatory licensing for zoos, along with annual inspections to enforce high standards of care and safety. It also prohibits the use of wild animals for entertainment purposes, such as petting sessions, photo opportunities and performances that compromise their welfare. Facilities will be required to meet clear licensing requirements, including proof of financial resources and emergency preparedness plans. The bill covers well-known locations and tourist attractions, all the way down to backyard operations. Under this bill, attractions like Marineland —an entertainment park that keeps marine and terrestrial animals captive, with a deeply concerning record of animal welfare practices and a string of animal deaths—would almost entirely cease to exist. It represents a major shift towards protecting vulnerable animals and creating safer communities across Ontario. Quotes "Ontario has a troubling history of unregulated facilities keeping wild animals in unsafe and inhumane conditions. The Captive Wildlife Protection Act is a critical step to protect animals and safeguard our communities." – Colin Saravanamuttoo, Executive Director, World Animal Protection "Keeping exotic wild animals in inadequate conditions is not only harmful to the animals but also dangerous for the public. Owning and caring for wild animals should be restricted to qualified individuals and organizations who are subject to proper government oversight. It is long past time for Ontario to implement a regulatory framework for the keeping of wild animals in order to ensure the well-being of the animals and keep the public safe." – Lucille Collard, MPP for Ottawa-Vanier "We owe our communities the safety and peace of mind that comes with properly regulated zoos. That means safety for guests, for employees, and for animals. The humane treatment of these exotic animals is not a burden, but the bare minimum for a safe and ethical industry in Ontario." – Karen McCrimmon, MPP for Kanata-Carleton "The safety and well-being of both animals and people depend on these regulations. This act sends a clear message: substandard conditions and neglect have no place in Ontario. As wildlife advocates, we are committed to being a leader in wildlife conservation and education. Your Toronto Zoo strongly supports these steps to protect animals and communities alike." – Dolf DeJong, CEO, Toronto Zoo Quick Facts Ontario has approximately 30 roadside zoos—more than any other province in Canada—operating without provincial license and much regulation. 88% of Ontarians support provincial licensing and oversight of zoos. Nearly half of Ontario's municipalities have no bylaws governing the keeping of wild animals, leaving communities vulnerable to safety risks. Roadside zoos often house wild animals in substandard conditions, leading to psychological distress and safety risks for animals and visitors. There is no centralized registry in Ontario tracking where exotic animals are kept or how many exist in captivity, leaving communities vulnerable to unreported escapes and safety incidents. The Captive Wildlife Protection Act 2025, brings Ontario in line with regulations in other provinces for the treatment of captive animals, setting a precedent for better welfare protections. This legislation is supported by leading animal welfare organizations, municipalities and cross-party members of the Ontario Legislature. About World Animal Protection World Animal Protection is an international animal welfare charity with 75 years of experience advocating for the humane treatment of animals worldwide. In Canada, the organization works to protect wild and farm animals through evidence-based solutions that benefit both animals and people. We have been assessing the conditions of zoos in Canada and advocating for stronger regulations for three decades. We have been members of the Ontario government's animal welfare advisory table to provide input on animal welfare regulations and standards, to further improve the lives of animals across the province. About the Toronto Zoo At your Toronto Zoo, we envision a world where people, animals and wild species thrive. Our mission is to connect people, animals, conservation science and traditional knowledge to fight extinction. The reality for many species is simple: Out of sight, out of mind and off the planet. Climate change and biodiversity loss are accelerating at an alarming rate, and we know we can make a difference. Over the last 50 years, we have hosted over 60 million guests, creating memories that last a lifetime while educating them about the realities facing our planet, and what they can do to help. Our Zoo is a zoo for all, a place for people from all walks of life to join us in our mission to create meaningful and lasting change, and to become Guardians of Wild.
