Pope Francis and Cardinal Konrad Krajewski are receiving criticism from animal rights activists for organising a circus outing for over 200 marginalised individuals in Rome. The International Organisation for the Protection of Animals (OIPA) has claimed that the animals are subjected to “painful constraints” for human amusement by the circus, known for its animal acts. Read more
Christ Church Cathedral is now feline-free for the first time in years after the capture of Bonnie and Clyde. The pair were the last two cats left roaming the earthquake-damaged cathedral and the surrounding square after more than 25 cats were rescued from the area in the past two years. Read more
An atheist group in Teteboro is suing to stop an annual blessing of the animals at a New Jersey shelter. NJ.com reports American Atheists Inc. claims in a federal lawsuit the Bergen County Animal Shelter’s blessing of the animals by a Roman Catholic priest violates the First and Fourth Amendments. Read more
There’s no shortage of controversy regarding so-called ritual slaughter, ie, the Kosher and Halal requirements that animals be alive when their throats are cut. Such religious practices have traditionally been exempt from the oversight of civil government Animal welfare activists have embraced the thinly disguised anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim sentiments rising across Western Europe as a Read more
Last month in Belgium, Fr. Francis Lallemand celebrated what is thought to be the first religious funeral service for a dog. A white crib placed in front of the altar had the cremated remains of a Chihuahua called “Miss Chiwa,” which had been a model for dog “clothes” in magazines and TV advertisements. During the Read more