Release date: Wednesday 21st May 2014

PHOTOCALL

Meg Mathews Casts Her Vote for Animal Welfare Party

Meg Mathews, candidate for the Animal Welfare Party, London Electoral Region will be casting her vote for the party at her local polling station accompanied by her dog Oscar.

Photographers are invited to photograph Meg entering the polling station at

8am on Thursday 22 May at: Bray Tenants Association Hall, Bray Tower, Fellows Road, London, NW3 3JX

AWP is one of 7 European animal protection parties, informally known as the Euro Animal 7, contesting the EU Parliament elections this week with the aim of sending dedicated representatives for animals to the EU Parliament for the first time ever.

AWP is standing in the London constituency. Vanessa Hudson is the party’s Lead Candidate. Other candidates include Dr. Andrew Knight, European Veterinary Specialist in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law. The party estimates it needs around 140,000 votes or one third of the vegetarian members of the capital’s electorate to vote for them in order to win the seat.

Supporters of the Euro Animal 7 include Paul McCartney, Nobel prize winner J M Coetzee and Maneka Gandhi.

For more information contact Media on 07759704073 or email info@animalwelfareparty.org

Postal address: Animal Welfare Party, 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ

NOTES

1 About the Animal Welfare Party

The Animal Welfare Party, formerly Animals Count, believes in a better future for people, animals and the environment. Policies are aimed at creating a fairer, more equitable and sustainable society in which the interests of the environment, people and animals are taken into account. Key policies include:

• Redirection of subsidies from livestock and fisheries farming to plant-based agriculture

• Phasing out of the failed practice of animal experimentation with binding targets for reduction and funding and support for alternatives

• Phasing out of farming practices with poor welfare consequences for animals

For information visit https://www.animalwelfareparty.org/

2 Making History for Animals in 2014

The past decade has seen the first successes in political representation for animals in the national and local governments of the Netherlands and Portugal. However, despite attempts, no animal protection party has yet succeeded in returning a representative for animals to the EU Parliament.

For information on the 6 other European animal protection parties contesting the EU elections visit www.euroanimal7.org