Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals
Encyclopedia
The Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals ( or De Dierenbescherming) is a Dutch voluntary animal protection organization, founded in 1864. Today it has about 200,000 members and about 65 permanent employees.
of dog and horse ears and tails, and better slaughter regulations (including mandatory anaesthesia). The group tried to prevent animal abuse by influencing public opinion through brochures and lectures and by drafting national laws. Early legislative accomplishments included an 1875 law on rabies
prevention, including punishments for intentional abuse of a dog or cat; and an 1880 law protecting species useful for agriculture and timber production, offering official protection to certain birds and mammals. A milestone was reached in 1886 when an article was included in the penal code that made abuse of all animals punishable. As enforcement of these statutes proved lax, in 1920 the Society set up a rural inspectorate, active until its replacement by the National Animal Inspection Foundation in 1975. Additionally, the Society backed a 1961 law on animal protection, which among other provisions banned using dogs as pack animal
s.
In the 1980s the Society actively campaigned against ritual slaughter
. In 1984 the State Secretary of Agriculture and Fisheries, relying on the DSPA Ritual Slaughter Commission report, decided to gradually eliminate the production of ritually slaughtered meat for export. The Ministry of Agriculture argued that this ruling didn't affect the production of ritually slaughtered meat for the consumption within the Netherlands
and therefore did not infringe upon religious freedoms. However, the Ministry of Interior ruled it a violation of the principle of religious freedom, and the decision was eventually cancelled
In 1984 DSPA started a national campaign promoting the sale of free range eggs . New distribution channels were created and special stickers were produced by DSPA, marking the bakeries and the restaurants that use scratching eggs.
In 1985 a new draft of the Dutch Animal Health Act was issued. It contained a new chapter on animal welfare, so its name was amended accordingly, to Animal Health and Welfare Act. Because the new Welfare Act resulted in few concrete measures, DSPA took the initiative for revising it. According to DSPA, the Welfare Act should implement the "no-unless" principle - no practices that injure animal welfare are allowed, unless specific regulations permitting it exist. As a result of DSPA efforts, the Dutch parliament requested the Ministry of Agriculture to revise the Welfare Act in accordance with the "no-unless" principle. The initial draft was met with caution by parliament in 1989, but after further changes and discussions it finally passed the revised version of the Animal and Welfare Act in 1992. The new animal welfare law also included a chapter on transgenic animals, which was a subject of study initiated by DSPA in 1985.
In 2005 a news story about a sparrow killed during the Domino day
preparations received worldwide media attention. The bird flew into the FEC exhibition centre in Leeuwarden, knocking down over 23,000 out of 4,321,000 domino tiles that had been arranged in preparation for a world record attempt. A hired animal expert, after failing to capture the bird, shot it with an air rifle. The event was widely reported and the death of the Domino Day sparrow was protested by animal rights groups. DSPA launched an investigation, which resulted in a 200 euro
fine issued by the public prosecutor to the shooter for the unlawful killing of an animal belonging to a protected species.
During its history, the Society has seen strong growth in membership: from some 2,000 in 1875, it had doubled by about 1900, and by 1920, it was large enough that it had to hire permanent staff. Growth continued after World War II
and during the environmentally-conscious 1970s, membership rose from 65,000 to 100,000. The mid-1990s saw another jump in membership, reaching 200,000 by 2009.
Activities
In the early years following its establishment, the Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals was an aristocratic movement seeking animal protection, similar to organisations elsewhere. Early objectives included abolishing draft dogs, improving living and working conditions for horses, banning the dockingDocking (animal)
Docking is a term for the intentional removal of part of an animal's tail or ears. The term cropping is also used, though more commonly in reference to the cropping of ears, while docking more commonly—but not exclusively—refers to the tail. The term tailing is also commonly used...
of dog and horse ears and tails, and better slaughter regulations (including mandatory anaesthesia). The group tried to prevent animal abuse by influencing public opinion through brochures and lectures and by drafting national laws. Early legislative accomplishments included an 1875 law on rabies
Rabies
Rabies is a viral disease that causes acute encephalitis in warm-blooded animals. It is zoonotic , most commonly by a bite from an infected animal. For a human, rabies is almost invariably fatal if post-exposure prophylaxis is not administered prior to the onset of severe symptoms...
prevention, including punishments for intentional abuse of a dog or cat; and an 1880 law protecting species useful for agriculture and timber production, offering official protection to certain birds and mammals. A milestone was reached in 1886 when an article was included in the penal code that made abuse of all animals punishable. As enforcement of these statutes proved lax, in 1920 the Society set up a rural inspectorate, active until its replacement by the National Animal Inspection Foundation in 1975. Additionally, the Society backed a 1961 law on animal protection, which among other provisions banned using dogs as pack animal
Pack animal
A pack animal or beast of burden is a working animal used by humans as means of transporting materials by attaching them so their weight bears on the animal's back; the term may be applied to either an individual animal or a species so employed...
s.
In the 1980s the Society actively campaigned against ritual slaughter
Ritual slaughter
Ritual slaughter is the practice of slaughtering livestock for meat in a ritual manner. Ritual slaughter involves a prescribed method of slaughtering an animal for food production purposes...
. In 1984 the State Secretary of Agriculture and Fisheries, relying on the DSPA Ritual Slaughter Commission report, decided to gradually eliminate the production of ritually slaughtered meat for export. The Ministry of Agriculture argued that this ruling didn't affect the production of ritually slaughtered meat for the consumption within the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and therefore did not infringe upon religious freedoms. However, the Ministry of Interior ruled it a violation of the principle of religious freedom, and the decision was eventually cancelled
In 1984 DSPA started a national campaign promoting the sale of free range eggs . New distribution channels were created and special stickers were produced by DSPA, marking the bakeries and the restaurants that use scratching eggs.
In 1985 a new draft of the Dutch Animal Health Act was issued. It contained a new chapter on animal welfare, so its name was amended accordingly, to Animal Health and Welfare Act. Because the new Welfare Act resulted in few concrete measures, DSPA took the initiative for revising it. According to DSPA, the Welfare Act should implement the "no-unless" principle - no practices that injure animal welfare are allowed, unless specific regulations permitting it exist. As a result of DSPA efforts, the Dutch parliament requested the Ministry of Agriculture to revise the Welfare Act in accordance with the "no-unless" principle. The initial draft was met with caution by parliament in 1989, but after further changes and discussions it finally passed the revised version of the Animal and Welfare Act in 1992. The new animal welfare law also included a chapter on transgenic animals, which was a subject of study initiated by DSPA in 1985.
In 2005 a news story about a sparrow killed during the Domino day
Domino Day
Domino Day was a world record attempt for the highest number of toppling domino stones, organized from 1998-2009 by Endemol Netherlands. Together with Weijers Domino Productions of Robin Paul Weijers, also known as Mr. Domino, parties teamed up to set a new world record...
preparations received worldwide media attention. The bird flew into the FEC exhibition centre in Leeuwarden, knocking down over 23,000 out of 4,321,000 domino tiles that had been arranged in preparation for a world record attempt. A hired animal expert, after failing to capture the bird, shot it with an air rifle. The event was widely reported and the death of the Domino Day sparrow was protested by animal rights groups. DSPA launched an investigation, which resulted in a 200 euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
fine issued by the public prosecutor to the shooter for the unlawful killing of an animal belonging to a protected species.
During its history, the Society has seen strong growth in membership: from some 2,000 in 1875, it had doubled by about 1900, and by 1920, it was large enough that it had to hire permanent staff. Growth continued after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and during the environmentally-conscious 1970s, membership rose from 65,000 to 100,000. The mid-1990s saw another jump in membership, reaching 200,000 by 2009.