George Bernard Shaw

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AUSTRIAN lawmakers today approved one of Europe's toughest animal rights laws, an anticruelty measure that forces farmers to uncage their chickens and prevents pet owners from clipping their dogs' ears or tails.

The law, enacted by a unanimous vote in parliament, outlaws the use of lions and other wild animals in circuses and makes it illegal to restrain dogs with chains, choke collars or "invisible fence" devices that administer mild electric shocks.

Those found guilty of animal cruelty would be subject to fines of 2000 euro ($3430) and up to 15,000 euro ($25,740) in extreme cases.

Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel hailed the law as a "pioneering example" for the world on how to respect animals and said he would press for similar legislation across the European Union.

"This new law will give both producers and consumers a good feeling, and it lifts animal protection to the highest level internationally," Schuessel told lawmakers during a five-hour debate.

The measure had broad support among all four main parties in the National Assembly, where Minister of Social Affairs Herbert Haupt drew laughter by holding up a small stuffed toy dog while addressing lawmakers today.

Haupt, a veterinarian, had pushed for the law since the 1980s.

"Animals and consumers are the clear winners with this law," said Ulrike Sima, a lawmaker specialising in animal protection issues for the opposition Socialist Party.

A key provision bans the widespread practice of confining chickens to small cages on farms and makes it a crime to bind cattle tightly with ropes.

Pet owners and breeders no longer will be allowed to cut puppies' ears or tails, a common practice with certain breeds.

"This is a first step in the right direction," said Andreas Sax of the Austrian animal rights organisation Four Paws.

But Sax said the law won't do enough to improve conditions for cattle and pigs, which often suffer injuries in cramped pens with slatted floors, and he criticised vaguely worded sections that he said could be open to interpretation.

The law, which needs the president's signature - a formality, given its strong passage - will take effect in January, imposing harsh fines on those who violate the new rules.

Agence France-Presse

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