Association of animal protection organizations calls for a long overdue amendment to the law and launches an online protest campaign
Vienna (OTS) – 20 years ago, in 2004, a nationwide animal protection law was passed in Austria for the first time. It brought regulations that were respected throughout Europe, such as the ban on fur farming and the keeping of laying hens in cages. A ban on torture breeding was also included in the law, but was repealed in 2008 by a “transitional regulation”. Two years ago, the National Council, with a three-quarters majority, called on the government to amend the Animal Protection Act in order to finally make the ban on cruel breeding effective. However, the legislative process is blocked by the ÖVP. A coalition of FOUR PAWS, ASSOCIATION AGAINST TIERFABRIKEN, Tierschutz Austria, the animal protection umbrella organization pro-tier and the Vienna Animal Protection Ombudsman are demanding that the ÖVP no longer hold up the already promised amendment to the law. The first three animal protection organizations mentioned are therefore starting a joint protest today: animal lovers can send an email to Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer, ÖVP club chairman August Wöginger and ÖVP animal protection spokesman Josef Hechenberger.
“The ÖVP’s lack of willingness to improve animal welfare is really annoying. The ban on cruel breeding has been in place for almost twenty years now – and yet countless animals continue to suffer from shortness of breath, deafness, joint problems, lameness, epilepsy, heart defects, thin skulls and much more. They owe this to the stubbornness of a party that does not want to alienate its clientele, the breeding associations, before the upcoming elections,” says FOUR PAWS campaign manager Veronika Weissenböck.
The ban on breeding animals in such a way that hereditary suffering or damage is to be expected is made ineffective in the same law by a “transitional regulation” without an expiry date. This constitutionally absurd situation has existed for 16 years now, even though, according to the Constitutional Court, such long transition periods are not permitted. Brigid Weinzinger, board member of pro-tier, said: “In my worst nightmares, I would never have imagined that 20 years later the torture breeding situation would still be as bad. This is a catastrophe for the animals affected and a political failure of the first order.”
Martin Balluch from the ASSOCIATION AGAINST TIERFABRIKEN adds: “The breeding associations, especially the Austrian Canine Association (ÖKV), are mobilizing against the improvements for the animals demanded by the National Council with absurd false reports, which are now also supported by the ÖVP. The ÖKV even speaks of a “ban on keeping”. This logic is truly strange: If the ÖKV is no longer allowed to engage in torture breeding, Austrians will no longer be able to keep dogs?”
Tierschutz Austria is also calling for an immediate repair of the animal protection law, especially since the trend towards dog and cat breeds that suffer from serious health problems continues unabated. “As animal shelter operators, we know only too well the suffering that animals are subjected to as a result of absurd breeding goals. And in addition to the animals affected, the owners are also let down by politicians and have to bear high veterinary costs, which often overwhelm them,” says Animal Welfare Austria President Madeleine Petrovic indignantly.
The ÖVP would have many reasons to end its current blockade against animal protection: it itself approved the National Council resolution two years ago. The provision that continues to allow torture breeding is probably unconstitutional. And in a recent online survey conducted by the Market Institute on behalf of FOUR PAWS, 83 percent of those surveyed supported a ban on cruel breeding.
The animal protection organizations are therefore calling on Chancellor Nehammer to speak out and finally give up his party’s incomprehensible resistance to improving animal protection.
Questions & Contact:
Mag. Elisabeth Penz
Press Office Austria
FOUR PAWS – Foundation for Animal Welfare
Linke Wienzeile 236, 1150 Vienna
Tel: + 43 (0)1 895 02 02 – 66
Fax: + 43 (0)1 895 02 02 – 99
Mobil: + 43 (0)664 3086303
elisabeth.penz@vier-pfoten.org
www.vier-pfoten.at www.vier-pfoten.org