OneKind supports fight to secure protection for cows.
Over 250,000 cow campaigners across Europe have been immortalised in a bold piece of bovine artwork handed to the European Commission in Brussels today (23 October 2013), in the finale of the Supporting Better Dairy campaign, calling for new legislation to improve cow welfare.
The campaign – a coalition between Ben & Jerry’s, Compassion in World Farming (Compassion) and the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) and supported by animal welfare organisations around Europe, including OneKind – aims to improve welfare standards for the 23 million dairy cows in Europe.
The aim is to persuade EU powers to pass legislation for dairy cows in Europe to have the same protection as other farm animals. Currently, there are no specific rules in place to protect dairy cows’ specific needs, unlike pigs and hens.
It is estimated that 10 million cows are currently suffering from issues such as cramped living conditions, a poor diet, health problems and inadequate care and would benefit from the protection of an EU Directive. Over a third of dairy cows in the EU in the EU are “zero-grazed”, with no access to pasture, and one of the biggest health problems is lameness. For example, in the UK, it is estimated that around 15 to 40% of cows are lame, depending on the farming system and management conditions. In Germany the range has been reported as 24 to 48%, and in the Netherlands similarly as 24 to 46%.
The closing of the year-long initiative was marked by a giant artwork made up of the first name of supporters from across Europe, by Worcester-based street artist and typographer 17th & Oak. The 1.3m high x 12m wide work of art (the width of approximately five dairy cows) was presented to Andrea Gavinelli (Head of Animal Welfare at the European Commission).
The artwork represents European citizens’ support for an EU-wide directive, to ensure dairy cows can enjoy improved health, housing, feeding and be able to express their natural behaviours.
Cows are sensitive creatures that are curious, sociable, and intelligent. That’s why the campaign is calling for “happy cows”; encompassing psychological wellbeing as well as physical health.