Communication Office

Press Department

To the Editor of the MTI News Agency

The Press Department of the Ministry of Environment and Water is asking the publication of the following release on this day:

Budapest, 12 July 2003

Regards:

Battai Eszter

Deputy Chief of Department

Miklós Persányi’s move against animal cruelty

Press release

Miklós Persányi, the Minister for Environment and Water, this Saturday, 28. June 2003. at 14:00 hours, is arriving on a visit to Fadd-Dombori, where a few days ago a defenceless dog was tortured to death by three security guards. The Minister is meeting at the scene with the representatives of the local animal defence charities.

The purpose of the visit of Miklós Persányi is, to raise his voice against the inhuman acts of a similar nature. For this reason he is handing in a private paper to Parliament for a change in the law so, that in future the cruelty to animals, the organizing of animal fights and poaching should all become crimes. The current regulations regard these as misdemeanours for which the maximum penalty is a 50 thousand forint fine.

The Minister will be the first to sign the Petition initiated by the Tolna County Animal and Nature Defence Charity Foundation, the Fauna Animal Defence Association and other charities. These organizations are also aiming to achieve a change in the law. They are planning to collect the necessary 50 000 signatures for a Parliamentary debate – signatures, of which the first will be the head’s of the environmental portfolio – in a two months period.

There will be a press conference following the signing and apart from the charities mentioned, there will be representatives of the Union of Hungarian Animal Shelters and the Misina Animal Defence Association, together with Veterinary Officers and lawyers, who are all fighting against the repetition of the cruelty seen in Fadd-Dombori.

Information: Battai Eszter, tel.: 06 30 475 1552