A Nation can be rated by the way it treats its animals and its elderly. Australia fails miserably on too many occasions. Along with Russia, Turkey, and Romania, we are rated on the international animal welfare scale of A to G, an embarrassing “D”.<\/strong><\/p>\nConcerns surrounding the continued use of battery cages, live exports, and painful farming practices without anaesthetic, have garnered negative international attention.<\/p>\n
Australia faces significant, on-going domestic animal cruelty issues.<\/p>\n
Annually, the RSPCA processes between 55-60,000 reports of animal mistreatment \u2014 the most common charges being a failure to provide adequate food, water, or veterinary care.<\/p>\n
It is difficult to comprehend the depth of the offending in the surfeit of media reportage and court coverage. It makes for gloomy reading.<\/p>\n
Animals \u2014 particularly mammals \u2014 are sentient beings. Regrettably, unlike New Zealand\u2019s Animal Welfare Act 1999, there is no national Australian law pertaining to animal welfare defining basic principles and protections for animals. Animal sentience is not explicitly recognised in Australian law at Commonwealth, state, or territory level.<\/p>\n
Animals experience a range of basic emotions analogous to humans \u2014 fear, joy, anger, sadness \u2014 consider an elephant standing guard over a dead calf \u2014 disgust, and even surprise.<\/p>\n
Research shows they feel, in varying degrees, love, empathy, jealousy, and distress \u2014 dogs suffer separation anxiety and howl when they fear ownership abandonment.<\/p>\n
Australia has limited national animal protection laws. Domestic animals are seen as a disposable commodity. Owners have been known to drop-off pets at animal shelters on their drive to the airport. Animals are deserted when owners move house.<\/p>\n
Moggy, having been dumped, moved-in. Microchipped, the owners were located, easily. It was catergoric: \u201cNo, we don\u2019t want her no more!\u201d How many times in the summer do you have to tell people not to leave their children and animals locked in cars?<\/p>\n
Our paucity of regard is troubling. Bullfighting is barbarous. Any sentient being watching the brutal slaughter of another sentient \u2014 in the erroneous name of sport \u2014 could not fail to be sickened by the spectacle.<\/p>\n
Bulls have limited vision and are colourblind to red. They react to the movement of the cape \u2014 waving gratuitously for the crowd\u2019s entertainment.<\/p>\n
The dog meat trade is repulsive. Annually, across Asia, approximately 30-million dogs are killed for human consumption.<\/p>\n
There is a PhD in the relationship between homo sapiens and canines. They are remarkable. They alter the vibration of the house; love you unconditionally \u2014 how many partners jump for joy on sighting their mate? Dogs are excited after you have been to the letter box! They are life-time companion pets. They think visiting the lavatory is a joint effort!<\/p>\n
Their three children notwithstanding, some believe Liudmila and Kon Petropoulos\u2019 blatant, recidivistic contravening deserved a jail sentence.<\/p>\n
Their litany of animal cruelty is disquieting. The severity of the offending unfathomable. The felons intentionally flouted the law and repeatedly operated in direct contravention of court orders. Were they truly deserving of the court\u2019s compassion?<\/p>\n
My late mother, Beria, was a regular St. Francis. Billy the goat and Mary the lamb followed her across the flat to the post-office; they liked grazing near the railway line but only if she stayed with them.<\/p>\n
When Beria sat down under the passionfruit vines the chooks jumped onto her lap! Wongi the galah bit everyone \u2014 except her!<\/p>\n
People who don\u2019t like animals are odd!<\/p>\n
Roland talks with Brett Macdonald radio 3BA Monday 10.40am.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
***ROLAND ROCCHICCIOLI banner, please*** A Nation can be rated by the way it treats its animals and its elderly. Australia fails miserably on too many occasions. Along with Russia, Turkey, and Romania, we are rated on the international animal welfare scale of A to G, an embarrassing “D”. Concerns surrounding the continued use of battery […]<\/p>\n
Read More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":148,"featured_media":104800,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-104799","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-living"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFrom the office of Roland Rocchiccioli - Golden Plains Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Roland Rocchiccioli highlights Australia\u2019s poor animal welfare record and the need for stronger protection laws.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/goldenplains\/living\/from-the-office-of-roland-rocchiccioli-5\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"From the office of Roland Rocchiccioli - 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