Further to the information from Four Paws about Royal Canin and bear-baiting in the Ukraine, Kate investigated and here is her report.
Royal Canin’s head office in the Gard (France) knew nothing of this; when the video was published and the news exposed by 4paws, they were as horrified as we are.
They have disassociated themselves from the events, as has the subsidiary in the Netherlands, and have given the explanation that it was “a serious lack of vigilance by one Ukrainian distributor.” This one distributor offered the banners, cups for the winners, etc., but none of the main offices or distributors were aware of it. (In fact, it’s possible that even that distributor didn’t know what TYPE of competition he was agreeing to sponsor.)
So let’s be glad 4paws exposed it and that it’s in the news and everything and has been stopped, rather than blaming and hating Royal Canin, a company which I think manufactures rather good catfood and dogfood, compared with many.
Four Paws have been taking special interest in and action for them in co-operation with the Ukrainian Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. so there’s a lot on their website and here are two other reports. It’s worth reading and refelcting on the comments below the Globe and Mail article. http://tinyurl.com/ovwj7ad and http://tinyurl.com/pkyawyf
I also looked up the addresses of Ukranian embassies, as emailing or writing to them is always worthwhile. I keep thinking about England (and Britain, presumably) not so very long ago – there were “dancing” bears who were led around the country by their traveling masters. You still see pubs and inns called “The Bear” and there’s one in Havant with the Bear Post that had the last dancing bear in England tethered to it.
I also knew people in France who had bears; they’d had their front claws and their teeth removed as cubs. They were circus bears. Apparently there were reports of a dancing bear in Spain in 2007. There are still some in Eastern Europe and in India and other coutries.
Note the tourists.Bears are horribly treated, especially in the far East, in China and around. The worst, I think, are the bile farms. http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2008/03/dancing-bears-stopping-the-exploitation/
Thank you, Kate, for investigating and reporting on this.
One of my neighbours worked as a photographer for a national UK newspaper many years ago (he was one of the first to photograph the ‘hanging dogs of Spain) and after a visit to Romaina, he and his wife helped establish a rescue centre for the dancing bears and worked hard to get it prohibited there. I fear that the vile practice is rearing its ugly head again
Comments
2 responses to “Update on Royal Canin in the Ukraine”
Oh yes, I’ve read about the reserves for rescued bears in Romania and Bulgaria. That’s what is happening now in Ukraine. I think that now they’re part of Europe, the problem will be solved there. The really horrific thing is the bile farming http://tinyurl.com/nh3c395
Owing to public protests, Vietnam has banned the practice and China has pledged to follow suit, but there are still 7,000 and what is odne to them is hard to believe – except that there’s really no limit to human callousness, so I’ll believe anything.
And let’s not forget that most of our household, industrial and cosmetic products hav e been tested on animals and that all ouir plastic and e-waste is killing animals and fish and birds and nature in general. We’re not innocent and I think we should try to make things better without judging and condemning others – motes and beams, you know. Anger’s useful if it motivates us to action, but not if it just lurks and festers and makes us spread hatred.
Rhttp://www.yeartohelp.com/day-203-those-who-rescue-bears-are-very-tired-indeed/egular readers may remember Martin Usborne and his visit to Malaga to learn about the galgos and podencos. He’s still on his journey round the world ‘A Year to Help’ and here’s where he met a dancing bear in India and the man who is trying to help them. He also met a lady who is fighting the bile farming but I can’t find the link on his site. Maybe someone else can.
Thanks Kate, and I agree, man is the worst perpetrator bespoiling this planet.