AR-News: (Italy) ANIMAL RIGHTS: CRUELTY TO ANIMALS AGAINST 7, 100 PETS

[Animalara2003 at aol.com]

Rome, Italy, Mar. 25 – According to the Italian society for prevention of 
cruelty to animals some 7,100 animals were subject to acts of cruelty, compared 
to a prior record of 4,000 in 2002. The figures are a conservative estimate 
according to the Lega antivivisezione, LAV (the Italian anti-vivisection 
league). LAV is hosting a four day event - March 27,28 and April 3,4 – aimed at 
collecting petitions in 400 Italian squares in favour of parliamentary bill on all 
forms of cruelty to animals. LAVÂ’s report indicates that abuse charges were 
levelled in 269 separate instances last year, compared to a prior record of 
100. In some 90 cases the charges led to formal prosecution which in turn have 
led to 9 convictions. LAV will use its open air event as a means to raise funds 
via the sale of traditional Easter eggs. A 9 euro donation will contribute to 
LAVÂ’s efforts in defence of animal rights and to the farming businesses 
involved in producing raw agricultural materials used in manufacturing the 
chocolate Easter eggs under equitable commerce schemes. On joining LAVÂ’s appeal 
subscribers can directly petition the Joint Parliamentary Justice Committee Chiefs 
in favour of the swift approval of the prevention of cruelty to animals bill 
which "despite a few setbacks
 – reads an association communique’ – is still a strong tool in 
countering abuse, abandonment and fighting bringing Italy in par with the rest of 
Europe”. The report specifies that 4,296 were subject to abuse in 2003 (61.15 pct 
of total cases of abuse), out of which 387 died; 250 cats (3.5 pct), of which 
105 died, and 2,479 other animals were equally mistreated. Total deaths due to 
abuse: 1,147 (16.32 pct). According to LAV animals are subject to all kinds 
of cruelty "indeed some forms of cruelty seem to have been picked out of a 
horror movie, some forms of abuse are akin to acts of sadism, which in turn is 
caused by intolerance, indifference, selfishness; the extent of the phenomenon is 
such that it may be rightly considered as a veritable social concern". 



full story:

http://www.agi.it/english/news.pl?doc=200403251612-1126-RT1-CRO-0-NF11&page=0&
id=agionline-eng.oggitalia 
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