European Convention for protection of pets and stray

A member of the European Parliament, Mr. Alain Hutchinson, is committed to cooperate with animal welfare and to get a "European Convention Protecting Pets and Stray Animals" passed as soon as possible.



He needs 1 million signatures in order to present the project to the Parliament. That means we need to get hard at work and collect those signatures.



The preamble of the proposed European Constitution states that "The Union plans to advance towards progress and civilisation". Respect for animal life is a hindrance neither to progress nor economic and social development. A Union that wishes to be coherent and to advance on the road of civilization is under every obligation to deal with the issue of animal welfare and to ensure that it is dealt with properly by all of its Member States. An ever progressing Union must respect life in all of its forms and do everything in its power to put a stop to the massacres currently being perpetrated on animals.



It should also take the initiative to use its legal competence to vote in a European directive on the subject or at least a framework law on animal protection. The images of cruelty with which we are constantly confronted are shocking and only serve to damage the image of the countries concerned.



Contents of the Framework Law



Severely punish those who publicly abandon an animal;



Animals should be identified upon purchase by their owner with an electronic chip as the law foresees across Europe as of 2007;



Severely punish all mistreatment of animals in accordance with a future law to be applied throughout the European Union; and



Establish a policy of birth control, i.e. draw up a budget with the aim of:



o Organizing and funding a Europe-wide trap, neuter, release and vaccination program for millions of stray animals in Europe;



o Constructing shelters that conform to the norms in place within the EU;



o Subsidizing these shelters to ensure that the animals are comfortably housed, fed and treated in time; and



o Financing the post of a shelter director for each shelter and ensure that his role is carried out to a minimum Europe wide standard.



o Financing education programme at schools