There was happiness, there was emotional tears and more to the point there was a fire burning inside the many who attended ARAN’s fourth ‘All-Ireland March and Rally Against Animal Abuse’ in Cork City on October 29. Media coverage leading up to and after the event was fantastic with local Cork newspapers such as The Cork Independent, The Cork News and The Evening Echo running hard-hitting stories on our rally and our campaign for new legislation. Radio stations such as 96FM, RedFM and Cork Community Radio also interviewed the group and helped promote the event.

Take two minutes to watch uplifting footage of our event here.

 
ARAN sent out an urgent call for people to come together to help increase the pressure on the Irish Agriculture Minister, Simon Coveney to bring in the proposed and revised ‘Animal Health & Welfare Bill’ as a matter of urgency and knowing that Coveney is Cork native and that he would be in his home town on October 29, we decided to rally ahead with a big protest to call on him to draft stronger, tougher laws to prevent animal abuse, and that’s what we did, with a massive turn out considering Cork City has not received animal rights activism in over fourteen years. Supporters came from across Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Clare, Galway, Killarney, Kerry, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow, Kildare, Dublin, Louth, Meath, Tipperary, Offaly,

Donegal, Belfast, more than a dozen animal rights campaigners from the United Kingdom, a couple from Germany, along with one from Italy and Scotland.
For many people who attended, it was their first time at an ARAN event despite much of them quietly supporting our work behind the scenes, for others it was their first time getting involved and the response received after the event has being truly magnificent with offers of help coming in and huge numbers of requests from attendees of the rally to get even further involved in ARAN’s work. Many also commented on how well the march was organized, and how inspiring people were feeling after leaving. This is exactly what ARAN is all about, inspiring people everywhere to get out on the streets and take action to fight animal abuse. It’s fair to say ARAN has truly embraced a new generation of animal rights activism amongst Irish society with a manner that people from across the nation want to be apart of. The Irish Gardai thanked ARAN for a well coordinated march and for our peaceful and well mannered presence.

 
The need for new legislation to protect animals is long over due considering our current law dates back to 1911. For years ARAN has been urging government Ministers and TD’s to bring in meaningful legislation that will carry stiff fines and lengthy jail sentences for those who abuse animals. Last year we organized numerous demonstrations, press photo-calls, behind-the-scenes lobbying, consultations and generated literally thousands of emails, letters and phones calls from our members and supporters urging the government to bring in new laws. Coveney recently announced that he is to push ahead with the legislation, however, we believe that the bill will not carry sufficient weight and to that end we insist on a draft being made available for our review before any legislation becomes law. 

We would like to thank each and everyone one of our supporters, members and volunteers for their active involvement with ARAN. We would also like to thank a special group of monthly giving supporters along with our sustaining donors who enable our work to continue on. ARAN does not have paid staff, all are volunteers and 100% of your donation will instantly go to help our work to unmask and fight animal abuse.