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Amazon urged to stop selling donkey-skin products
“Amazon must set the example and remove all products containing ejiao from its online platform” – Jim Hamilton.
Petition delivered to company as part of campaign against ejiao trade.

A petition urging Amazon to ban the sale of donkey-skin products on its platform has been delivered to the company’s headquarters at Crystal City, Virginia.

The petition, which had more than 370,000 signatures, was delivered by hand following a rally held in the nearby Metropolitan Park.

The rally involved organisations including Brooke USA, the Animal Welfare Institute, the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Alliance, the Humane Society of the United States, the American Association of Equine Practitioners, the American Fund for Alternatives to Animal Research, and Ekō.

Donkey-skin gelatin is used in ejiao, a traditional Chinese medicine. An estimated five million donkeys are slaughtered each year globally to meet demand for the product, including in China, Africa, and South America.

Not only does the trade in donkey skin cause animal welfare issues, it also has a negative impact on poor communities that rely on working animals. Both Brooke USA and its UK sister-organisation Brooke are calling for a global ban on the trade in ejiao.

The sale of donkey-skin gelatin products has already been banned on eBay, but they are still available on Amazon.

A bill to ban the sale of product in the USA, that was originally introduced in 2021, has been reintroduced in the House of Representatives. Brooke USA is lobbying for the legislation to be passed. Earlier this year, the African Union voted to ban the the slaughter of donkeys for their skin across Africa.

Jim Hamilton, chairman of Brooke USA, said: “The international trade in donkey-hide gelatin products is leading to the mass slaughter of donkeys, resulting in widespread harm to impoverished communities around the world.

“We should act immediately and help shut down this illicit trade that leads to substantial harm to humans and animals worldwide. The first step is to reduce the demand by shutting down product access.

“Amazon must set the example and remove all products containing ejiao from its online platform.”

Image © Shutterstock

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Birmingham Dogs Home makes urgent appeal

News Story 1
 Birmingham Dogs Home has issued an urgent winter appeal as it faces more challenges over the Christmas period.

The rescue centre has seen a dramatic increase in dogs coming into its care, and is currently caring for over 200 dogs. With rising costs and dropping temperatures, the charity is calling for urgent support.

It costs the charity £6,000 per day to continue its work.

Fi Harrison, head of fundraising and communications, said: "It's heart-breaking for our team to see the conditions some dogs arrive in. We really are their last chance and hope of survival."

More information about the appeal can be found here. 

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News Shorts
Avian flu confirmed at premises in Cornwall

A case of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 has been detected in commercial poultry at a premises near Rosudgeon, Cornwall.

All poultry on the infected site will be humanely culled, and a 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone have been put in place. Poultry and other captive birds in the 3km protection zone must be housed.

The case is the second avian flu case confirmed in commercial poultry this month. The H5N5 strain was detected in a premises near Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, in early November. Before then, the disease had not been confirmed in captive birds in England since February.

The UK chief veterinary officer has urged bird keepers to remain alert and practise robust biosecurity.

A map of the disease control zones can be found here.