🦺 SITE IN CONTRUCTION - EXPECT CHANGES

Empathic Times is different.

Here is what distinguishes us.

I. Challenging an Anthropocentric Worldview

Animal welfare is also human welfare

We live in a deeply anthropocentric world, where animals are often valued primarily according to the benefits they provide to humans. Their interests, needs, and capacity to experience suffering are too often overlooked.

Yet many people care deeply about animal welfare and feel a strong ethical responsibility towards animals. Their concerns are frequently dismissed or marginalized—not only in everyday interactions and public discourse, but also by political institutions, the media, and businesses.

We believe that people should be able to express and act upon their ethical concerns about animal welfare without being dismissed or excluded because of their convictions. When legitimate concerns are systematically disregarded on the basis of deeply held ethical beliefs, this can raise important questions about fairness, inclusion, and discrimination based on belief.

Our aim is to give greater visibility to these perspectives and contribute to a society where concern for animal welfare is taken seriously in public debate and decision-making.

II. The Power of Local Action

Support locals to grow impact

We believe that animal protection can become stronger and more effective when it is supported by a network of small, active, and locally rooted citizen initiatives.

Large organizations can play an important role in animal protection, but they cannot always respond effectively to the specific problems faced by local communities. Local volunteer groups are closer to the realities on the ground, understand the welfare issues affecting animals in their region, and can engage directly with local authorities and decision-makers.

Local initiatives can also act quickly and mobilize citizens around concrete problems. Through awareness campaigns, petitions, public demonstrations, and other forms of civic action, they can create meaningful pressure for change at the local level.

We believe that strong local awareness and citizen engagement can sometimes achieve what large-scale mobilization cannot. By supporting grassroots initiatives and empowering people to act where they live, more resources can be directed towards concrete animal-welfare action rather than organizational administration, fundraising, and image-building.

Our vision is to complement the larger organizations with a strong network of informed, independent, and active local communities.

Example of a killing cone - taken from a scientific article, not from a horror movie.

III. Bringing Animal Welfare into Scientific Research

Science for ethics and more ethics in science

An increasing number of organizations and research initiatives are emerging at the intersection of environmental science and animal welfare. This work can help bring greater attention to animal welfare by connecting it with environmental issues that are more likely to attract public and institutional concern.

However, animal welfare considerations remain largely absent from much of the existing scientific literature that do not pourposedly focus on it. Animals may be treated primarily as populations, resources, indicators, or components of ecosystems, while their individual experiences, suffering, and interests receive little consideration.

Our aim is to critically examine scientific research through an animal-welfare lens. We seek to identify and question assumptions, methodologies, and conclusions that overlook the ethical implications of research involving animals, and to encourage a broader scientific approach in which animal welfare is considered alongside ecological, environmental, and human interests.

Coming too? Join us among the pigeons of Ixelles!

Learn. Observe. Engage.

Join us for an exciting event dedicated to urban pigeons in Ixelles, Brussels. Together, we will explore the challenges of feeding city pigeons while addressing an important question: how can we ensure that pigeons have access to adequate food without allowing their populations to grow beyond sustainable levels?

Come meet the pigeons, learn more about their lives in the city, and take part in the conversation about creating a more humane urban environment.

Can you read the sadness in their eyes?

Lobsters do not have a brain structured like that of vertebrate animals, but they possess a complex nervous system and show behavioural responses consistent with the capacity to experience pain and distress. When placed in boiling water alive, lobsters may display vigorous escape-like movements indicating severe distress.

We believe consumers have the right to know what happens to animals before they reach their plates. Boiling lobsters alive is a practice that raises serious animal-welfare concerns.

Did you know that there is an edible mushroom that can closely resemble the taste and aroma of lobster? Discovering plant-based alternatives can offer a way to enjoy similar culinary experiences without causing animal suffering.

AI-comic in three parts on animal welfare political reality

It may sound funny—but unfortunately, it is true. How has public administration mastered the language of political correctness to mask a lack of genuine concern and engagement with animal welfare?

From “I care about all animals” to “It is forbidden to attract them”—even when people are simply trying to help animals in need.

When concern for animals becomes something to regulate rather than something to support, we believe it is worth asking difficult questions.

Read our comic and discover the story behind the rhetoric.

Campaigns, Petitions, Actions

[FR] Action Mailing

You can send an e-mail with prepared text to the manager of the supermarket Del Haize Louvain-la-Neuve.

[FR] Petition

Sign the petition asking Del Haize Louvain-la-Neuve to inform consumers that boiling lobsters alive brings severe suffering.

[ENG] Petition

Sign the petition asking Del Haize Louvain-la-Neuve to inform consumers that boiling lobsters alive brings severe suffering.

[NL] Action Mailing

The municipality of Gent kills pigeons to regulate their presence in town. Ask the counselor of animal welfare to adopt animal-friendly methods instead.

[FR] Action Mailing

The municipality of Gent kills pigeons to regulate their presence in town. Ask the counselor of animal welfare to adopt animal-friendly methods instead.

[BE] Action in Belgium

DO you have a pigeon nest on your balcony or garden, or some place else where you can reach it? The best is to exchange eggs to avoid reproduction.

Petition for the pigeons in Milan

The pigeons in Milan are in deplorable situation. Extreme heat, no water source, dehydrated, emanciated, hated and mocked up by locals and used as entertainment by tourists. This must stop!

Educational initiative

Our educational project has the high ambition to become the tool cracking the institutional indifference towards pigeons. High quality material, developed with the help of experts and targeted at decision makers.

Concerned with an animal welfare problem?

Animal welfare is a daunting theme for a sensitive person. There is no a place on earth where people don't abuse animals. It suffices to think what is in your fridge or even if you are vegan, what is sold in the supermarket. And even if you think that people still need to eat animal products, think about stray dogs in China, Bulgaria, Morocco, etc. Think about fishing and hunting: traditions from the past that need to stay in the past such as the human slavery and fascisme.

But it is easy to say it and so difficult to put it on the political agenda. Moreover some animals get more protection than others. It is all subjective. Having to deal with speceism that dominates in animal protection is as difficult as having to deal with no protection at all.

🕊The pigeons in Belgium

There is pigeon crisis all over Western European countries and Belgium makes no exception.

On the contrary, it is one of the countries where pigeon welfare is severely underrated. Feeding bans are omnipresent, there a very few associations dedicated to pigeon protection, volunteering is weak and the pigeon sport in flourishing.

The activities we do for pigeons are:

pigeon rescuing and first line help (urgent help, care, euthanasia, stringfoot, etc.)
welfare awareness and education
politics and advocacy with respect to stakeholders - municipalities, citizens, media.

If you need help on pigeon matter, don't hesitate to contact us!

👁‍🗨Share your concern

It is difficult to be alone with an animal welfare concern. I have been there so many times. But let's talk about it. Our approach is pragmatic. We will listen and draw a plan for action.

📣Become active on your own

Funding

🏛 Bank transfer

You can make a bank transfer to Foundation Empathic Times on the following bank account.

We are working on other funding means easier for our supporters willing to make a donation.

Bank: Paysera, BIC: EVIULT2VXXX

IBAN: LT37 3500 0100 1879 2147

Practical Info pigeons

A pigeon in distress?

A pigeon stuck in nets?

Ahything else related to pigeons

Connect with us on social media

Page Les pigeons de Louvain-la-Neuve

Page Foundation Empathic Times

Group Adopt a pigeon as a pet

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