Animal laws are a crucial and integral part in our bid to conserve and protect our environment which also encompasses our dearly loved beings called animals. In the prevailing legal status quo in our motherland there is existence of legislative provisions that protect animals but they are not comprehensive enough particularly on the notion of advancement of animal welfare and rights. Concise and precise animal legislative provisions have to be enacted so that we achieve sustainable levels of animal conservation and so that we also manage to legally lobby for the impartial advancement of animal rights and welfare. Animals are beings that deserve to be loved, cared for and be protected indiscriminately. There is need for the enactment of animal laws that are embedded on the protection of animals due to their intrinsic value rather than focusing only on their extrinsic value.
The mantra of SOFA is “ They Can’t Speak But We Can” and this statement by its own virtue elicits that we have to become the voice of the voiceless and advocate for the protection, conservation and advancement of animal rights and welfare in our country. These animal laws need to be enforced so as to make sure that perpetrators of animal law violations are apprehended. Added to that, enforcement will also lead to the reduction of animal law violations cases and will also act as a deterrent to would be offenders.
On the 11th of October 2018 we had the occasion to officially launch the most awaited for Wildlife Legal Guide book which will serve as a premier source of Wildlife Law in the country with clear and simplified content. The wildlife legal guide was authored by Advocate Ever Chinoda with the assistance of staff members.
Speak Out For Animals has case monitored a number of wildlife contravention cases and has successfully collaborated with the National Prosecuting Authority to ensure the effective prosecution of such cases.
The organisation is also case monitoring a number of cases that are also still ongoing and we are very confident that convictions will be secured in the cases.
