BAGGAGE CLAIMS: Dogs count as ‘cargo’ for airline liability, European Union court rules
BAGGAGE CLAIMS: Dogs count as ‘cargo’ for airline liability, European Union court rules
The European Union’s top court ruled that a dog traveling in an airplane’s cargo hold counts as baggage, meaning airlines are not required to pay higher compensation if the animal is lost. The dog ‘Mona’, which had to travel in a pet carrier in the aircraft’s hold due to its size and weight, escaped while being taken to the plane and was never seen again. The passenger’s lawyer said he was “very disappointed” with the ruling, calling it a “missed opportunity to give visibility to the rights of animals and the people who care for them.” “Even though the ordinary […]
JUMPING THE GUN: A post-mortem on veganism and plant-based meat is premature
JUMPING THE GUN: A post-mortem on veganism and plant-based meat is premature
“Plant-based eating has lost its appeal”, “Vegan burgers are losing the culture war over meat”, and “Why the vegans lost”. These eulogies for veganism tend to downplay this critical point: taking on the meat industry — a monster machine with unparalleled lobbying and marketing resources — was never a fair fight. Since the rise in popularity of plant-based meat alternatives, the meat industry has actively campaigned to undermine them, portraying these products as unhealthy and unnatural. This is not the time for a plant-based post-mortem. The success or failure of the vegan movement cannot be measured solely by profit, market power […]
It’s Asymmetry: When animal rights advocacy is expected to carry human struggles (and not vice versa)
It’s Asymmetry: When animal rights advocacy is expected to carry human struggles (and not vice versa)
Animal rights activists are expected to center human struggles — whether through labor justice, racial equity, or anti-colonial narratives — to be seen as relevant or inclusive. Meanwhile, their own cause — the liberation of nonhuman animals from systemic use, commodification, and enslavement — is treated as secondary, optional, or even distracting. This reveals a structural bias: inclusion is not mutual. Animal rights activists are asked to stretch their ethics across species and systems, while others remain comfortably within anthropocentric boundaries… The concept of collective liberation is often invoked to justify the expectation that animal rights activists should integrate human […]
