Animal Welfare

The 1998 Lambeth Conference acknowledged Environmental Resolutions including those relating to the welfare of animals.

Resolution 1.8 (b)
This Conference recognises:
v) that we as Christians have a God given mandate to care for, look after and protect God's creation.

Lambeth Conference 2008

Encouraged by the Environmental Resolutions made at Lambeth in 1998, including the one above, and in light of the worsening situation for many animals across the world, the Executive Director of Animals Australia, and the Ambassador for Compassion in World Farming, have each lobbied the Archbishop of Canterbury asking that animal concerns be part of the Lambeth agenda.

Newcastle Synod Motion

In August 2004, the following motion was proposed by the Very Rev’d Graeme Lawrence, and unanimously accepted.

This Synod, recognising that all Christians have been given the stewardship of God’s creation including the animal kingdom, expresses its concern at unnecessary suffering inflicted on animals by human beings.

This Synod calls upon the Diocese to seek ways to challenge the Australian community about the care and welfare of animals.

It further calls upon the Parishes to take the opportunity provided by St Francis-tide (4th October) to focus on the Christian responsibility to God’s animal kingdom and requests the Diocesan Social Responsibilities Committee to consider ways in which the Church might be assisted to a better understanding of its role and responsibilities in the care of animals.

Support from the Rev'd Professor Andrew Linzey
Congratulations to the Bishop and the Diocese. It was Archbishop Robert Runcie who said that in the light of the ”interdependence of creation”, exclusive preoccupation with human welfare is increasingly parochial. So glad that the Newcastle Diocese is pioneering attempts to put animal welfare on the Christian agenda.

The Revd Professor Andrew Linzey
Director, Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics

Thanksgiving for Creation Service
This will be held at Christ Church Cathedral on Sunday, October 12, 2008 at 6pm. All welcome, including animals!

Links

Anglican Society for the Welfare of Animals The mission of the Anglican Society for the Welfare of Animals is to promote within the Anglican Church and wider human community thankful awareness of God’s animal creation and practical and prayerful concern for its well being.
Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics The Director, the Rev'd Professor Andrew Linzey describes the centre as a theological and ethical think tank on animals.
RSPCA Aims to prevent cruelty to animals by actively promoting their care and protection.
Animals Australia The peak body for 40 animal-related organisations in Australia.
Voiceless Voiceless will work to promote respect and compassion for animals, to increase awareness of the conditions in which they live and to take action to protect animals from suffering. Voiceless is particularly active in education of the young, in encouraging ethical corporate practices and is a leader in promoting animal law.
Compassion in World Farming The world's foremost organisation working to improve the lives of farm animals. This site gives an overview of their work plus trends and developments in Europe and of international significance. In particular, the news archive will allow you to focus on Australian concerns.
World Society for the Protection of Animals
WSPA exists for the sole purpose of raising the standards of animal welfare throughout the world. WSPA works in co-operation with over 600 member organisations in more than 135 countries.

Items of Interest

ASWALfA_Letter.pdf

As a corporate member of the Anglican Society for the Welfare of Animals, the Diocese receives several copies of the ASWA Bulletin. If you would like to read the Letter from Australia in the current issue (reprinted with ASWA permission), click on the link above.

Free range eggs to be used at the University of Newcastle
Responding to a campaign by students and staff to replace battery-produced eggs used in University food outlets with free range eggs, the Board of University of Newcastle Services agreed to a trial of free range eggs during November and December 2007.

Following further discussions, the catering company now supplying the University of Newcastle– Newcastle Catering Partnership – has confirmed that they intend to use fresh free range eggs permanently. This is a great outcome and makes Newcastle University the first in Australia to take this step, which has already been taken by 160 colleges and universities in the United States. Students at two other Australian universities have plans underway to run campaigns for a switch to free range eggs on their campuses.

Live Exports
Due to international concern about the suffering caused by long-distance transport by sea and land to animals destined for slaughter in other countries, and the cruelty of the slaughtering process (from Australia, for instance, in excess of four million sheep are sent annually to the Middle East where slaughtering is nothing short of horrific), a global coalition has been formed, led by the World Society for the Protection of Animals. Among the many groups supporting the campaign are Compassion in World Farming, Animals Australia and RSPCA Australia. For informtation on the Handle with Care Coalition visit www.handlewithcare.tv/au. The aim would be for exporting countries to export frozen and chilled meat only.

Help with the cost of spay/neutering of pets
Hunter Animal Watch works with over 30 veterinary practices in the Lower Hunter to offer pensioners a subsidized cost to desex their cat or dog. If this program could assist you, or someone you know, please call 49664344 or 49641823 any Monday or Tuesday between 1pm and 4pm.

Books

The Lives of Animals
Elizabeth Costello
Disgrace
All by J.M. Coetzee

Animal Rites
Written by the Rev’d Professor Andrew Linzey in 1999, this is an ideal book for parishes wishing to provide services which are animal-inclusive.

Animal Gospel
By Andrew Linzey, Westminster John Knox Press, 1999.
Christian faith as though animals mattered.

Reflection

“Animals are God’s creatures, not human property, nor utilities nor resources nor commodities, but precious beings in God’s sight…..Christians whose eyes are fixed on the awfulness of crucifixion are in a special position to understand the awfulness of innocent suffering. The cross of Christ is God’s absolute identification with the weak, the powerless and the vulnerable, but most of all with unprotected, undefended innocent suffering.”
Andrew Linzey, Animal Gospel, Westminster John Knox Press, 1999.

Contact

For information on animal issues, please contact Olga Parkes, Ph: (02) 49 521358. Or email her at animals@networksmm.com.au.

Olga Parkes is the Australian representative of the Anglican Society for the Welfare of Animals.