Another Example of Why Zoos Cause Troubled Animals

As if the prior post wasn't enough, here is an example of what zoos do to the mentality of its prisoners.

Not only was it bad enough that they killed already-tortured animals, but then the zoo people show their stupidity by sending the rotting carcasses to get autopsies. Gee, wasn’t the cause of death bullets? What the hell else do they have to know?

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apus_
story.asp?category=1110&slug
=Chimpanzees%20Killed

3 chimps killed at Neb. zoo after escape

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ROYAL, Neb. -- Three chimpanzees from a small-town zoo were shot and
killed after they escaped from their enclosure and could not be
captured, the zoo director said.

The primates at Zoo Nebraska were able to get out of the cage Saturday
when a padlock was not completely closed after cleaning, said zoo
director Ken Schlueter Jr. He killed the animals with a deputy's service
revolver after a tranquilizer gun didn't show any effect.

No people were hurt, state patrol spokeswoman Deb Collins said. The zoo
is located in Royal, a northeastern Nebraska village of 75; one of its
major donors was the late entertainer Johnny Carson.

After the chimps lifted the padlock and broke out, employees immediately
moved visitors in an office area, but the chimps tried to get into the
building, Schlueter said.

"When it became apparent there'd be danger here, they had to be
destroyed," Schlueter told the Lincoln Journal Star.

Schlueter did not immediately return a message left for him by The
Associated Press on Monday.

The Nebraska State Patrol and Antelope County Sheriff's Department were
called to help capture the animals. A fourth chimpanzee also escaped,
but quickly returned to its cage, officials said.

The seven-acre zoo opened 18 years ago as the Midwest Primate Research
Facility with one animal - a chimpanzee named Reuben, one of those
killed Saturday. Carson, the late host of NBC's "The Tonight Show" who
grew up not far from Royal, donated $55,000 to the zoo for the Carson
Center for Chimps 15 years ago and an additional $20,000 more recently.
He died in January.

Schlueter said the chimps weighed up to 300 pounds or more, and he shot
two of them with a tranquilizer gun, but the tranquilizers had not taken
effect after five minutes.

The danger chimps pose to humans was highlighted when a man and his wife
were attacked by chimpanzees March 3 at the Animal Haven Ranch near
Bakersfield, Calif. The man was severely mauled and the woman lost part
of her thumb before the animals where shot to death.

The Nebraska animals' carcasses were flown Sunday to a zoo in St. Louis,
where autopsies were planned.

Says it all: Why Elephants Don't Belong in Zoos: Bamboo should be sent to a place where she can heal

This is an editorial, but says a lot about how elephants (and all animals for that matter) are treated in zoos, and also about why they dont' belong in zoos. And, of course, what humans can do to make up for the horrid life that an animal has faced in confinement.

Bamboo should be sent to a place where she can heal
Full story: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/
2002481819_hancocks09.html

By David Hancocks
Special to The Times



Usually, zoos seek publicity for major events, such as the arrival of a new elephant. But late last month, an Asian elephant named Bamboo was transported without fanfare from Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo to Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma. It was a sad final chapter in a tragic story.

The history of elephants in zoos is full of mental and physical pain. Wild elephants, astonishingly intelligent, perceptive and complex beings, live in caring and secure extended families that stay intact for life. But zoo elephants have traditionally been lonely, shipped around indiscriminately, bored, cramped, chained and beaten.

In the wild they enjoy an incredibly positive and loving social environment. Different attitudes prevail in many zoos, where dominance and control are paramount, even for babies. Seattle's baby elephant Hansa was struck with a metal barb-tipped steel weapon, the ankus, at least 11 times in one week in 2001.

Later, at 18 months, Hansa was beaten more severely for eating dirt. When this became public, the zoo's deputy director, Bruce Bohmke, was quoted as saying the blows were "appropriate." Elephant mothers would never reprimand a baby for eating dirt.

Zoos claim dominance is both traditional and necessary. They also claim that wild elephants use strong discipline on their young. This is false. Dr. Joyce Poole, director of the Amboseli Elephant Research Project, has learned in 25-plus years of observing wild elephants that they do not use discipline on their young. She says, "I have no idea how this myth started. I have never seen (wild) calves disciplined. Protected, comforted, cooed over, reassured and rescued, yes, but punished, no."

When I worked at Woodland Park Zoo, from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, Bamboo was a teenager but nonetheless cooperative, trustworthy, smart and playful. Her housing conditions were appalling: a drafty, leaky, uninsulated building, but we did all we could for her well-being. We abolished chaining the elephants through the night. We dedicated extra keeper time, introduced enrichment techniques to occupy the elephants mentally and physically, and even used the entire park as Bamboo's playground.

I recall one summer afternoon when there was concern because Bamboo and her keeper had not been seen for some time. We found them lying in a sunny glade, down by Aurora Avenue North, each fast asleep, the keeper propped against her comfortable girth.

After I left the zoo, frustrated by the city's failure to invest in better housing for the elephants, changes were made. Overnight chaining was reintroduced. Discipline became harsh. Strong control was substituted for a system that had relied upon cooperation and love.

Bamboo today is deeply changed from what she used to be. This gentle and docile elephant is now branded as dangerous and has been sent to a zoo that specializes in "difficult" elephants.

It does seem that Point Defiance Zoo has a better management program than Woodland Park's, and I am confident they will give her good care. But there is a much better option.

Bamboo needs not just good care, but a place where she can heal. She has been offered the chance, at no cost, to live in The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tenn. There, she would have vast spaces to explore (hundreds of acres instead of just one acre at Point Defiance -- and, despite what zoo officials say, elephants do need lots of space), plus the company of not just two but many other broken and now mended and contented elephants.

The quality of life at the Tennessee sanctuary, the abundance of love the elephants receive, and the joy they experience are beyond anything I have seen at any zoo. It seems an obvious choice. But it would take a bit of courage: The American Zoo Association has threatened member zoos with expulsion for sending elephants to a sanctuary.

Seattle's zoo still owns Bamboo, and thus is responsible for her. It should make a compassionate decision, and do only what is best for her. Give Bamboo the reward she deserves. Package her up in a bundle of love; smother her with affection for one final farewell. Then send her as soon as possible to a sanctuary filled with happiness.David Hancocks was design coordinator and then director of Woodland Park Zoo from 1974 to 1984. He also served as director of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson from 1989 to 1997, and was director of the Werribee Open Range Zoo in Australia, from 1998 to 2003. He lives in Melbourne, Australia.

Do You Like the Endangered Species Act? Yes? Well, You Better Call Congress to Stop a Bill Set To Destroy It. Very Easy to Do.

This is a reminder for everyone to call. Very easy.

See Capitol switchboard below for how to find the right representative to call.

Also please forward to all your friends and associates
nationwide.

Pombo has been trying for years to destroy the Endangered
Species Act, and he is saying he thinks his bill will pass the House by
a "very large margin." If Pombo's extinction bill passes, there will
be no provision for protecting habitat, and animals (and fish, birds,
plants, watersheds etc) can't live without habitat.

ALERT: STOP REP. POMBO'S EXTINCTION BILL!

Representative Pombo's Extinction bill is on a fast track through
Congress. The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on it
sometime next week. We need your help to stop this bill!

The Endangered Species Act is a safety net for wildlife, fish and
plants on the brink of extinction. Representative Pombo's bill will
cut large holes in this safety net and significantly weaken
protections for our nation's fish, plants, wildlife, and the places
they call home. The bill would gut the Endangered Species Act on
behalf of greedy developers, oil companies, timber companies, mining
companies and extreme property rights groups.


ACTION: Please call your Member of Congress and ask them to oppose
Representative Pombo's bill (H.R. 3824) that would weaken the
protections of the Endangered Species Act.

Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121
Ask for your Member of Congress's office.

You can look up your Representative at: www.house.gov
(http://www.house.gov/)
You can look up your Senators at: www.senate.gov
(http://www.senate.gov/)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Talking points

* I am calling to ask you to support for the Endangered Species Act
and urge you to oppose Representative Pombo's "Threatened and
Endangered Species Recovery Act" (H.R. 3824) because it would weaken
protections for endangered species and habitat.

* Representative Richard Pombo's bill aggressively strips the
Endangered Species Act of its strongest protections. Representative
Pombo and his bill are controversial and out of step with the American
public's support of the Endangered Species Act.

* For over thirty years, the Endangered Species Act has been a safety
net for wildlife, fish and plants on the brink of extinction. It has
been successful in preventing the extinction of the American Bald
Eagle, the gray wolf, the pacific salmon, (or other local species) as
well as many other species.

* The Endangered Species Act stands for fundamental principles that
we all believe in and cannot allow to be weakened or removed. In
fact, 86% of Americans support the Endangered Species Act.

* Greedy developers and the politicians they give money to are
attempting to weaken America's safety net for endangered species. We
have a responsibility to prevent the extinction of fish, plants and
wildlife because once they are gone we cannot bring them back.

* Please support the Endangered Species Act and oppose any bill that
would weaken protections for endangered species and habitat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BACKGROUND:

Representative Pombo's Extinction bill would gut the Endangered
Species Act on behalf of greedy developers, oil companies, timber
companies, mining companies and extreme property rights groups.
Among other terrible provisions, the bill would:

Eliminate Critical Habitat Protections

The Pombo bill would repeal one of the most important parts of the
Endangered Species Act's safety net-the protection of critical
habitat. Rep. Pombo claims that habitat will be protected by
"recovery plans" but his bill states that these plans are
non-regulatory thus making them harder to enforce. Scientists tell us
one of the most effective ways to protect and recover species is to
protect the places where they live.

Abandon the Commitment to Recovery of Endangered Species

The Pombo bill weakens recovery plans by stacking the "recovery teams"
that draft them with industry representatives. It requires that the
teams include representatives from each "constituency" with a direct
interest in the species and its "economic and social impacts". It
also removes the Act's requirement that recovery plans be prepared for
the "conservation and survival of endangered species and threatened
species."

Repeal Protections Against Hazardous Pesticides

The Pombo bill would repeal all Endangered Species Act provisions that
protect threatened and endangered species from the harmful impact of
pesticides. Pesticides played a major role in contributing to the
decline of our nation's symbol, the American bald eagle, in the
mid-20th century and are currently implicated in the decline of an
array of species including Pacific salmon and sea turtles.

Politicize Scientific Decision-Making

The Pombo bill would allow political appointees to manipulate science
to fit their political agenda by allowing the Secretary of Interior to
develop a definition the "best available science." The proposed
requirements also give greater weight to empirical data -- ignoring
the importance and integrity of scientific modeling. The Endangered
Species Act already requires the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to use
the most rigorous science available when developing common sense
solutions to prevent the extinction of endangered fish, plants and
wildlife. The Pombo bill creates a new set of hurdles that scientists
must surmount if they are to list and protect endangered wildlife and
their habitat.

Eliminate the Vital Check and Balance of Consultation
The Pombo bill would allow the Bush Administration to exempt any
agency action or "categories of actions" from the requirement to
consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National
Marine Fisheries Service before they take any actions that could
undermine the survival or recovery of protected species. This
provision would remove scientific experts from key decisions on
whether projects like timber sales or pesticide regulations would harm
endangered species and make it highly unlikely that federal agencies
will be required to do anything to protect listed wildlife.

Require Taxpayers to Pay Developers, Oil & Gas Companies, and other
Industries for Complying with the Law

The Pombo bill requires the federal government to use taxpayer dollars
to pay developers for complying the Endangered Species Act's
prohibition on killing or injuring imperiled wildlife and sets no
limits on these payments. The federal government would have to pay
for profits developers hoped to gain by developing that portion of the
land, including any profits lost due to mitigations asked of the
landowner to protect endangered species, such as retaining riparian
corridors or setting aside mitigation habitat. By requiring agencies
to compensate landowners for the costs of complying with federal
endangered species protections, this provision would quickly drain
funding used to help restore wildlife and the places they live. This
also sets a dangerous precedent of paying companies for following
other environmental and public health laws.

Require Fish and Wildlife Service to Allow Unfettered Habitat
Destruction

The Pombo bill places endangered species at risk whenever the federal
government fails to meet a 180-day deadline for telling developers
whether their actions would kill or harm an endangered species. If the government misses the deadline, no matter what the reason, developers
are permanently exempted from the law.

UCSF To Pay Fine For Animal Rights Allegations For 75!! Counts of Animal Welfare Violations

75! Not 1, not 2, not even 3. 75!

Shocking the number is for sure. Just as shocking is that the USDA investigated at all.

Just think of all the other horror that is going undocumented as we speak. This is only one facility. If UCSF had 75, and were being watched, just imagine what facilities "off the radar" are doing right now. Sickening to even think about.

So, it’s important to notice here:
1.The sheer number of violations.
2.The sheer number of violations for a facility being watched.
3.That they were being watched only due to finally and surprisingly listening to activists that had been speaking for a long time.
4.That they are only one of many, and that many facilities will never be investigated and still probably are carrying out just as many - if not more - violations.
5.The importance of being active on this issue.

From: http://www.nbc11.com/news/5027824/detail.html

NBC11.com
UCSF To Pay Fine For Animal Rights Allegations
University Agrees To $92,000 Settlement

POSTED: 2:38 pm PDT September 27, 2005
UPDATED: 7:25 pm PDT September 27, 2005

SAN FRANISCO -- Animal rights activists demonstrated outside the UC San Francisco Medical Center Tuesday.

Despite the school's agreement to pay one of the largest fines for animal rights violations, activists say they want to raise awareness of the 75 counts of animal welfare violations the U.S. Department of Agriculture filed against the school.

As part of the settlement, the university agreed to pay $92,000 to the USDA.

UCSF settled the case Friday, just days before formal hearings were to begin.

The Forgotten Victims of Huricane Katrina: Lab Animals: Animal-Rights Groups Demand Punishment for LSU Over Lab Animals' Deaths

The forgotten victims of Huricane Katrina: Lab Animals. I bet there's many who didn't even consider this horrid reality. Of course, LSU and the govt. have no interest at all in taking any action to punish. Goes right along with the initial response.

From: http://chronicle.com/free/v52/i06/06a01902.htm

From the issue dated September 30, 2005
HURRICANE KATRINA
Animal-Rights Groups Demand Punishment for LSU Over Lab Animals' Deaths

By REBECCA ARONAUER

The loss of life among laboratory animals in the chaos after Hurricane Katrina struck has not gone unnoticed by animal-rights supporters. One group has sent a series of letters seeking punishment for Louisiana State University and two of its officials for their roles in the treatment of animals that died at the university's Health Sciences Center in downtown New Orleans after the storm.

In the days after Katrina made landfall, the center's hospital and medical school lacked electricity, fresh water, and food supplies, and doctors were struggling just to keep patients alive. After five days of increasing desperation, in which some doctors were nearly passing out after giving what nourishment they had to patients, medical officials began a grim evacuation -- an exodus of critically ill patients up eight flights of rat-infested stairs to the roof, where they were met by a helicopter and sniper fire.

With the patients' safety assured, administrators then euthanized the lab animals that had not already died in the fetid floodwaters. One of the officials, Joseph M. Moerschbaecher, the center's vice chancellor for academic affairs, spoke to The Chronicle shortly afterward about losing the animals, including "some monkeys I'd had for 20 years."

The Health Sciences Center did have an evacuation plan for its lab animals, but the strength of the storm made it in impossible to execute. "The floodwaters came up so quickly that the human beings who were the caretakers for these animals were ordered to leave immediately," Charles F. Zewe, a spokesman for Louisiana State University, said.

In July the Health Sciences Center had applied to the Federal Emergency Managment Agency, or FEMA, for money to further develop an emergency plan, but the center was put on a waiting list.

In letters dated September 15 and 16 and released by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals on September 20, the group alleged that many of the animals were not euthanized but left to die in their cages. Among the recipients of the letters:

* The attorney general of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti Jr.: PETA called on him to charge officials at the Health Sciences Center's School of Medicine with cruelty to animals. "We believe that Louisiana State University officials must be charged with the cruel abandonment of the thousands of animals who drowned, suffocated, starved, or died of dehydration in its laboratories" during the storm, the letter said.
* The U.S. Department of Agriculture: PETA requested that the department charge the Health Sciences Center with violating the Animal Welfare Act, the federal law that covers the treatment of animals used in research. That law and federal regulations, however, appear to provide no guidance or requirements for the treatment of lab animals in an emergency like that posed by a hurricane.
* The U.S. secretary of health and human services, Michael O. Leavitt: PETA asked that the medical school be denied funds from the National Institutes of Health to rebuild animal labs in areas prone to natural disasters.
* The chancellor of the Health Sciences Center, John Rock: PETA demanded that he dismiss Dr. Moerschbaecher and Larry H. Hollier, dean of the medical school. The animal-rights group did not base its request to Mr. Leavitt on a particular law but on what Mary Beth Sweetland, PETA's senior vice president, described in her letter as a "dereliction of duty to the animals."

The attorney general's office, the Agriculture Department, and the Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to requests for comment on the letters. Mr. Zewe said, "LSU does not plan to take any actions regarding PETA's accusations."
http://chronicle.com
Section: Research & Publishing
Volume 52, Issue 6, Page A19

Another Way to Help Animals in New Orleans Affected by Katrina

Yet another way to help.

I have been at the hurricane scene in New Orleans for
over two weeks.
In
this time I have organized search and rescue teams

and food and water
teams
(for the animals on the streets). I have personally
pulled hundreds of
animals from rooftops, attics and houses. It has been
amazing to me
that
these animals are still alive. I got a dog off a roof a
 few days ago
who
should have weighed 90 pounds but was down to 40 pounds
from being
stuck on
that roof with no food and water. These animals want
to live and are
showing us this everyday.

Here is the problem. We still have 3,000 addresses of
homes where
animals
are trapped. These are addresses where people have
called either HSUS
or
LASPCA and asked for us to rescue their animals. I know
that there are
thousands of other homes where animals are trapped that
no one called
about. I know this because I have rescued hundreds of
animals from
homes
after hearing barking that were not on our lists.

CONSIDER THIS: Amazingly we are finding that half of
the homes we get
into
have animals still alive. With a MINIMUM of 3,000
addresses that is at
least 1500 animals who are waiting behind closed doors
for a loving
hand to
rescue them. With the current teams we have now we can
only get into
approximately 300 homes each day. The animals will NEVER
be alive if we
continue at this rate. I am begging each and every one of
you to get to
New
Orleans to help.

It does not take a "certified disaster rescuer" to break
into a house
and
at least provide fresh food and water (to sustain that
animal until
someone
qualified can get them out). We only have a week at most
to save some
of
these desperate animals. Please do your part...we are all
the animals
have.


Jane Garrison

While it is usually illegal to break into people's homes

without their
permission, many people are asking rescuers and volunteers

to get food
and
water to these animals, and at the very least one can find
a way of
getting
food and water in.

If you decide to go to Gonzales, food and water volunteers
should
report to
Jane Garrison outside the volunteer food tent by barns 1
and 2. There
is a
6 a.m. briefing every morning.

Large air-conditioned vehicles in which animals can be
transported are
still needed. But Jane's note makes it clear that anybody
with
transport
for him or herself, who can go to houses and feed animals,

regardless
of
being able to transport them, is needed. If you don't have
your own
transport, but can get yourself to Gonzales, you will be

paired up at
the
daily 6am briefing meeting with somebody who has transport.

Louisiana SPCA Shelter established at: 9093 St. Landry Rd.
Gonzales, LA
70737 225-647-0712 (This number may not be answered.) 

IDA: Another Great Group I Trust to Help With Katrina Animal Victims: How You Can Help Them

Thousands of Animals Remain Trapped Without Food or Water in
Abandoned Homes

IDA's Project Hope animal relief team continues to rescue
animals in Mississippi and place them safely in shelters and
foster homes. Working closely with Randy Grim and others from
Stray Rescue of St. Louis, the group took in 20 dogs with
particularly aggressive temperaments last week. They transported
the dogs back to Stray Rescue's shelter in Missouri, where they
will be cared for until claimed by their guardians or placed in
new homes. Additional IDA staff also flew down south this week
to help with the relief effort.

The Project Hope team is just one of many groups working on the
ground in areas of the South devastated by the most destructive
storm on record ever to hit the U.S. Jane Garrison leads the
food and water program at the makeshift animal shelter at the
Lamar Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales, the central staging area
for animal rescue in the state of Louisiana. In the weeks she
has spent in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina hit, she has
personally rescued hundreds of animals trapped on rooftops and
inside locked houses without food or water while organizing
relief and rescue teams.

Armed with a list of over 3,000 residential addresses where
guardians say their animal companions remain trapped, Garrison
and her volunteers are bringing food and clean water to animals
who are dying of malnutrition because they have not eaten for
over two weeks. Rescuers find that animals have survived in
about half the houses they visit. There are also thousands of
homes where animals remain barely alive that have not been
reported to rescue organizations, and volunteers sometimes enter
houses only after hearing barking inside. Even though they are
working as fast as they can, Garrison's team is only able to
visit about 300 houses per day. At that rate, they will never be
able to save all of the animals now on the verge of starvation.

What You Can Do

- Volunteers are needed in Gonzales to help save animals still
trapped in houses throughout the New Orleans area. Timing is
critical, and every day counts for these starving animals. If
you can join the relief effort in Gonzales, you will save the
lives of animals every day that you are there. You do not need
to be a "certified disaster rescuer" to help, and even one day
of volunteering can make a huge difference, whether you join the
search and rescue operations, work with animals at the shelter
or do data entry of field notes. If you are willing to rough it
for the duration of your stay (that is, sleep in a car or tent)
and work hard, please contact IDA President Dr. Elliot Katz for
more information at (415) 388-9641, ext. 225 or by email at
EMK@idausa.org and send a copy of your email to
Alicia@idausa.org.

- IDA's Project Hope animal relief team needs medical supplies
to provide basic health care for many of the animals at the
Jackson staging area. Please ask your veterinarian to donate
medical supplies for this urgent cause.

Supplies can be sent to:
Project Hope
Rt. 1 Box 128
Grenada, MS 38901
(662) 237-0233

--------------------------------------------------

Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this.

http://ga0.org/join-forward.html?domain=
indefenseofanimals&r=UdaadzF16zR8

If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for
In Defense of Animals Action Center at:

http://ga0.org/indefenseofanimals/join.html?r
=UdaadzF16zR8E

Katrina Farm Animal Rescue Fund - helps save suffering farm animals from the devastation of animal agriculture and Hurricane Katrina.

Of all the groups I know of, I trust Farm Sanctuary a lot. So, if you're looking
to donate to a group that will help those of the animal kingdom who find
themselves in agricultural settings then this is a good choice.

KATRINA FARM ANIMAL RESCUE FUND to help save suffering farm animals from the
devastation of animal agriculture and Hurricane Katrina.

https://secure.vegsource.com/%7Efarmsanc
/join/donate_rescue_katrina.htm

Mississippi Katrina Victims Need Your Help. Very Easy Way to Help Animal Victims of Katrina.

A good group that could use your help. Not only for Mississippi victims, but animal vicitims of Katrina in general.

https://secure.vegsource.com/%7Efarmsanc
/join/donate_rescue_katrina.htm

At 8:00 a.m. this morning, Farm Sanctuary
rescuers arrived at our New York Shelter with 725 chickens saved
from a farm ravaged by Hurricane Katrina in rural Mississippi.
At this broiler chicken facility, which is under contract with
Tyson Foods, a tornado spawned by the hurricane completely
destroyed one warehouse shed and severely damaged two others.
The chickens, like millions of farm animals across the South
following the disaster, had been left to die or be bulldozed
into mass graves.

Farm Sanctuary caregivers are providing the chickens urgent
care at our hospital facilities, as many are in critical
condition. All 725 are being individually checked for
injuries and other urgent care needs. This morning s checks
have revealed broken toes, severe gangrene in the feet,
extreme dehydration and lack of nutrition. Many of the birds
have not had access to food or water for days since the
hurricane, leaving them weak and lifeless. One bird s eyes
are swollen shut from trauma to the head, another has a
large head wound, and two are suffering from seizures and
clinging to life. Caregivers are administering IV fluids,
shots of Banamine (a pain killer) and Dexamethasone (a
steroid) and heating pads to revive them.

Farm Sanctuary is still on the ground in Mississippi continuing
search and rescue efforts this week to save additional farm
animals including pigs and goats reportedly displaced. We are in
need of donations immediately to help save these 725 chickens
and to fund our ongoing rescue efforts in the South.

Please make an emergency donation today to the KATRINA FARM
ANIMAL RESCUE FUND [2] and help save hundreds of animals from
the devastation of animal agriculture and this natural disaster.
CLICK HERE [3] now, call 607-583-2225 ext. 221, or mail checks
to Farm Sanctuary, PO Box 150, Watkins Glen, NY 14891.

Your donation to the KATRINA FARM ANIMAL RESCUE FUND [4]will
fund emergency transport of farm animals to safety, emergency
rescuers, caregivers, and additional cleaning staff to
accommodate the incoming 725 animals, the purchase of emergency
supplies including towels, kennel pads, heating pads, rubber
gloves, box fans, ceramic brooder lights to keep the chickens
warm, and water fountain heater bases. You can also help by
sending needed supplies to Farm Sanctuary at the address above.

https://secure.vegsource.com/%7Efarms
anc/join/donate_rescue_katrina.htm

Over the weekend, Farm Sanctuary working with Animal Place,
HSUS, Black Beauty Ranch, and other animal protection groups
investigated devastated areas, searching for surviving farm
animals in need of rescue and negotiating the release of animals
from area farms. Rescuers reported mass graves of dead birds,
demolished warehouses confining tens of thousands of birds, and
fields littered with dead chickens and live chickens running
for their lives.

Sadly, Tyson and other factory farms see the animals as
commodities rather than living, feeling beings. Clean-up crews
are sent to bulldoze damaged buildings, with live animals still
trapped inside, and to discard the debris and bodies as trash.

[row]"We saw a massive open grave containing thousands of dead
chickens crawling with maggots. Shockingly, 21 were still alive,
huddled in the corner of the pit," said Kate Walker, a Farm
Sanctuary rescuer on the ground in Mississippi.

When power systems fail, animals trapped by the hundreds of
thousands in intensive confinement systems are particularly
vulnerable, put at risk by stifling summer heat, toxic ammonia,
and limited or inaccessible food and water. Millions of farm
animals have died and untold thousands remain in peril.
According to the latest agricultural census, Louisiana and
Mississippi together annually slaughter over a million pigs, a
half million cattle and calves, and nearly one billion chickens
raised for both meat and eggs.

Please help us end this misery and the trauma of Katrina today
for as many farm animals as we possibly can. For each individual
who is lifted from a grave or a hurricane-torn building, your
gift will make a difference.

https://secure.vegsource.com/%7Efarmsanc/join
/donate_rescue_katrina.htm

Great News (for once)The Ensign-Byrd Amendment Passed Banning the Slaughter of Wild Horses for Consumption!

Yes, great news. The writer refers to senators in Colorado, but if you're not in Colorado, you'll see a link near the end of the message to see how the senator in your state voted. I'm still shocked that there are some that would vote to slaugther horses. And, of course, if you're in CO, then let the two scum know that their heads need examined for their vote. Even Allard a vet! It's a good thing doctors don't think like vets! We'd all be in trouble if they did.


Great News (for once)The Ensign-Byrd Amendment Passed Banning the Slaughter of Wild Horses!

Unfortunately, our two Colorado senators, Allard (Republican) and Salazar
(Democrat) both voted against it and should hear from their
constituents! (Even such renown conservatives as Murkoswski, Trent Lott,
Bill Frist, and Orin Hatch voted for it but Allard, the veterinarian, and
Salazar, the supposed environmentalist, who appeared in all his ads with
his horses, couldn't bring themselves to protect America's wild horses...)

To see how other senators voted, you can go to
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_
call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=
109&session=1&vote=00237#name

An Urgent Call for Help for Katrina Animal Victims - How You Can Help

From another list.

DawnWatch


Television specials, such as last night's Dateline, focus on the happy reunions. Below is a letter, a plea, from Jane Garrison, who is heading up the food and water program from the Gonzales shelter for New Orleans. It tells a different story -- animals dying daily for lack of people to get to them and feed them. I forward her letter knowing that many of you, bless you, have contacted the major organizations saying you wanted to volunteer but have been told that your unskilled services aren't needed. Jane's letter, from the front lines, makes it clear that if you can get yourself to Gonzales, and are willing to sleep in uncomfortable conditions in a tent or car or RV, you will be saving lives every day you are there.

Below her note I will paste the shelter address and a list of supplies recommended. I do recommend going through the official means, such as volunteering through the HSUS website, www.HSUS.org. But their volunteer web-page, which still includes questions such as, "Can you stay in the area for five days?," (as if a three day stay would not mean life or death to however many animals you can feed in three days) still has a tone likely to discourage people. Please don't let it discourage you. And if the HSUS office is overwhelmed and cannot get back to you quickly, please don't let animals die while you are caught in red tape. I am sure Jane's letter below will convince you that if you show up willing to help without having successfully jumped through all the right hoops, she will not turn you away.

FROM JANE GARRISON:
---------------------------------------
Subject: I am begging the animal community

Dear Friends:
I have been at the hurricane scene in New Orleans for over two weeks. In this time
I have organized search and rescue teams and food and water teams (for the
animals on the streets). I have personally pulled hundreds of animals from
roof tops, attics and houses. It has been amazing to me that these animals
are still alive. I got a dog off a roof a few days ago who should have
weighed 90 pounds but was down to 40 pounds from being stuck on that roof
with no food and water. These animals want to live and are showing us this
everyday.

Here is the problem.

We still have 3,000 addresses of homes where animals are trapped. These are
addresses where people have called either HSUS or LASPCA and asked for us to
rescue their animals. I know that there are thousands of other homes where
animals are trapped that no one called about. I know this b/c I have rescued
hundreds of animals from homes after hearing barking that were not on our
lists.

CONSIDER THIS: Amazingly we are finding that half of the homes we get into
have animals still alive. With a MINIMUM of 3,000 addresses that is at least
1500 animals who are waiting behind closed doors for a loving hand to rescue
them. With the current teams we have now we can only get into approximately
300 homes each day. The animals will NEVER be alive if we continue at this
rate. I am begging each and everyone of you to get to New Orleans to help.
It does not take a "certified disaster rescuer" to break into a house and at
last provide fresh food and water (to sustain that animal until someone
qualified can get them out). We only have a week at most to save some of
these desperate animals. Please do your part...we are all the animals have.
Jane Garrison
JaneGarrison@comcast.net
(END OF JANE'S NOTE)
--------------------------------------
GONZALES SHELTER CONTACTS:

Louisiana SPCA Shelter established at:
9093 St. Landry Rd.
Gonzales, LA 70737
225-647-0712 (This number may not be answered.)

Food and water volunteers should report to Jane Garrison outside the volunteer food tent by barns 1 and 2. There is a 6am briefing every morning.

Note: Large air-conditioned vehicles in which animals can be transported are still needed. But Jane's note makes it clear that anybody with transport for him or herself, who can go to houses and feed animals, regardless of being able to transport them, is needed. If you don't have your own transport, but can get yourself to Gonzales, you will be paired up at the daily 6am briefing meeting with somebody who has transport. OR -- the shelter desperately needs people to work there.

FEMA now has a large air-conditioned tent in which volunteers can sleep. (Though it is safest to bring a tent just in case.)

VOLUNTEER PERSONAL SUPPLIES LIST (IDEAL)
Some dogs on the ground have become dangerous. Some risks are due to
contaminated water. Animals who have consumed this or stood in the water for
long periods may be sick. You may also be exposed to water/mud yourselves. You
also need protection from mosquitoes and wild animals. Overall, depending
upon where you travel, you need to come self-sufficient, as if preparing for
a camping trip.

current Hepatitis vaccinations
current Tetanus shot
pepper spray
hand sanitizer
insect repellent
sunscreen
first aid kits

thick "bite-proof" work gloves
sturdy, waterproof (rubber) work boots/shoes
waders
long sleeve shirts
long pants
belt (to hang gear/supplies from)
mouth coverings (surgical masks, bandannas)
eye protection (sunglasses)

flashlights
containers full of gasoline
waterproof walkie talkies
D batteries
toilet paper
other personal-care items
----------------------------------------
Kate Danaher, who has just come back from Gonzales, has sent the following note:
"I just returned from 7 days on-site at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales, LA. Volunteers are desperately needed to clean shelter cages and walk dogs, to drop food and water to feed animals in the streets and stuck in houses, to do data entry of notes from the field, to clean crates, and do general site organization and clean-up. If you are interested please call me. I can brief you on my experience and give you directions on what to expect and how to get right to work when you arrive.
Do not need supplies. Need strong loving and patient people to work very very hard under very challenging circumstances.
You are NEEDED.
Please consider this call for help.
I look forward to hearing from you."

Kate recommends bringing spray paint, for marking and dating houses with food and water drop dates (what you did at the house) and also water markers to mark your vehicle as LASPCA, pad and pen for field notes, a crowbar for breaking in if necessary, and maps of New Orleans. She is happy to provide guidance for anybody ready to go. Her number is:
415-459-1149
katedanaher@animalearthhuman.org

Brenda Shoss at Kinship Circle is also an excellent resource for information on volunteer efforts at the various shelters.
Her email is info@kinshipcircle.org
desk: 314-863-9445
cell: 314-795-2646
----------------------------------------------------------

(DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal issues in the media and facilitates one-click responses to the relevant media outlets. You can learn more about it, and sign up for alerts at http://www.DawnWatch.com. If you forward or reprint DawnWatch alerts, please do so unedited -- leave DawnWatch in the title and include this tag line.)





Pet Adoption League, Inc.

PO Box 3303, Grass Valley CA 95945

Visit Our Website: www.pal.nccn.net

American Humane Association Coordinates Airlift Operations for Animals

American Humane Association Coordinates Airlift Operations for Animals
Articles / dBNews Denver
Date: Tuesday, September 20, 2005 04:30:45

DENVER -- Hurricane's Smallest Victims Finding Refuge in Communities Across the Country

The American Humane Association, whose Animal Emergency Services volunteers have been on the scene since Hurricane Katrina made landfall, announced that more airlifts are planned for the animals being cared for at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center's temporary shelter.

"We are coordinating the transfer of more animals from the shelter at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center, and applaud the efforts of major airlines, private corporations, and community animal sheltering organizations like the Arizona Humane Society and the Animal Rescue League of West Palm Beach, Florida," stated Marie Belew Wheatley, CEO and president of the American Humane Association. "American Humane's Animal Emergency Services team leader Dick Green is now serving as an operations chief at the shelter, and is behind the scenes coordinating the airlift of hundreds of animals. Two hundred animals left Baton Rouge by air yesterday bound for new temporary homes with the Arizona Humane Society, another 100 cats left by ground transport, and 75-150 animals are planned for transfer to the Animal Rescue League of West Palm Beach on Tuesday."

"Animal welfare organizations like Arizona Humane are opening their doors and ultimately their pocket books to care for these small victims of Hurricane Katrina," continued Wheatley. "We've established a Second Chance grant fund to bolster the existing resources of these local heroes because we know that in many cases the animals are in need medical care, and that existing foster programs may need to be expanded. The ultimate goal is to reunite the animals with their families but in the meantime they need food, clean water, and shelter from the dangerous conditions that still exist in devastated areas."

"The effort to move animals out of the temporary shelters is a critical component of our ability to care for more animals still coming in from New Orleans and other surrounding areas," said Dick Green, American Humane Association team leader and operations chief at Lamar Dixon. "It's amazing to see the cooperation of so many agencies as we work together to save as many animals as possible. American Humane Association's teams are being joined by National Guard troops and veterinarians from the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service as we look for pets still stranded and waiting for rescue."

The American Humane Association has been on the front lines of disaster rescue and relief since World War I. The nearly 130-year-old organization has a corps of technically trained Animal Emergency Services volunteers with specialized equipment including inflatable boats, dry suits, catch poles, a large animal sling and collapsible crates available for disasters.

The 82- foot semi-trailer is just one of five emergency vehicles that can be deployed into the most devastated areas and includes a medical suite for veterinary care, supplies, food, and sleeping accommodations for rescuers. American Humane Association volunteer rescuers were on hand following 9/11, wildfires in Colorado and California, and in response to hurricanes that hit the east and gulf coasts each year.

Ongoing coverage of the American Humane Association relief efforts, along with the latest images from our response to Hurricane Katrina can be found at www.americanhumane.org/disaster.

About the American Humane Association
The American Humane Association is the oldest national organization dedicated to protecting both children and animals, and has been responding to disasters since World War I.

The nonprofit membership organization, headquartered in Denver, raises awareness about The Link(R) between animal abuse and other forms of violence, as well as the benefits derived from the human and animal bond. American Humane Association's regional office in Los Angeles is the authority behind the "No Animals Were Harmed"(R) End Credit Disclaimer on TV and film productions, and American Humane Association's office in Washington, DC, is an advocate for child- and animal-friendly legislation at the state and federal levels. Visit www.americanhumane.org to learn more.

Q and A: What is being done to make it easy for hurricane Katrina survivors to find their animals brought to a different state?

Q and A from listserve I'm on. A very common question:

Q:

What is being done to make it easy for LA people to find their animals brought to Colorado? Are they being listed in Petfinder on the Katrina pets pages?

As of a couple of days ago I didn't see them there or on the web sites of the shelters who got them.

A:

From what I've been told through the local shelters, they are in the process of being put on PetFinder, the Katrina pet sites, and DDFL/HSBV sites. Many of them are on PetFinder now.

More Places and Organizations in Louisiana that Still Need Help With Animal Rescue and Placement

This isn't close to over. From another list. Pass on the information to those you think can help.

Detailed directions and current needs listed for these places



From: gulfcoast_rescue_n_transport@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:gulfcoast_rescue_n_transport@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Katie Walter
Sent: Sunday, September 18, 2005 5:54 PM
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Subject: [gulfcoast_rescue_n_transport] Volunteers Needed in LA to save
Katrina Pets


From: pmedina1@cox.net (@cox.net)
To: katie.walter@comcast.net
Sent: Sunday, September 18, 2005 4:27 PM
Volunteers Needed in LA to save Katrina Pets


In case anyone would like to come down and help. Please contact using the
information below.

Patti Medina
Metairie, LA (evacuated)

============================================================


From: "Norrie Edgar" AussieResQ@bellsouth.net (@bellsouth.net)
Date: Sun, 18 Sep 2005 10:42:20 -0500
Volunteers Needed


VOLUNTEER NEEDS/SITUATION:

B.) PLAQUEMINE ANIMAL SHELTER RESCUE
URGENT NEED: People who can arrive in Mandeville by 9/19 and are able to stay
for a minimum of one week.
Organization is underway for Lansas Kennels in Mandeville, Louisiana to serve
as a base of operations where independent volunteers can convene.
Kinship Circle gained authorization from Colonel Wommack, Major Kim Liley and
Colonel Dick Almeter (New Mexico National Guard) for volunteer units to
enter Plaquemines Parish. Under the auspices of Dr. Habert, the parish
veterinarian established at the Belle Chase Animal Shelter, volunteers will work
with coordinators Cris and Terri.

3 teams of 4-5 volunteers will enter Plaquemines Parish daily to rescue
animals. A separate team of baiters will also go. Dr. Habert is working with
citizens to feed/water cats, dogs, horses, cows, etc. Volunteers MUST understand
Dr. Habert is ultimately in charge. NO ANIMALS MAY LEAVE PLAQUEMINES PARISH.
All animals are treated. Dr. Habert's crew wants to reunite them with
guardians.

***Up to 4 inches of oil covers the ground in some places.***
MANDATORY: Wear well-treaded, high boots.
NEEDED: A portable x-ray machine

C.) WORK WITH RESCUED DOGS IN MANDEVILLE
Plenty to be done at the Mandeville shelter itself in terms of caring for
animals already there.

Kendra Williams of Mandeville, LA has worked tirelessly with Sam Baily of
Ponchartrain Humane Society in Pearlington Mississippi. Kendra's kennel, 60
miles East, is serving as a holding facility. A dawn to dusk curfew is
enforced in Pearlington.

SUPPLY NEEDS (9/17/05):
-Portable x-ray machine
-Check with Cris/Terri (219-608-4112) about supplies-needs fluctuate daily.
===============================================


5.) LAMAR-DIXON EXPO CENTER
9039 St. Landry Road
Gonzales, LA 70737
*This location is vehicle accessible.

DIRECTIONS:
FROM THE WEST
Take I-10 East to Exit 177
At bottom of ramp take a right
Go through traffic light and take second left into the Lamar Dixon
Equestrian Center
Ask for the volunteer registration area

FROM THE EAST
Take I-10 West to Exit 177
At bottom of ramp take a left
Go through traffic light and take second left into the Lamar Dixon
Equestrian Center
Ask for the volunteer registration area

VOLUNTEER NEEDS/SITUATION:
From Pasado Rescuers: Volunteers desperately needed at Lamar-Dixon Center in
Gonzales, LA where rescued animals from around state are taken. The Center
is in a state of utter chaos. There are so many animals and not enough people
to help. The animals are not being cared for properly. Pasado Rescuers have
slept in their cars for nights now--just so they are there for as many hours as
they can be.

PLEASE go to help!!!! Pasados Safe Haven, New Orleans rescue updates:
http://www.pasadosafehaven.org/NEWS/NEWS.htm

===============================================

6.) VOLUNTEERS WANTED AT LSU CENTER
CONTACT:
Sharon Ricciardo, volunteer coordinator
EMAIL SHARON, lsupetvol@gmail.com:
Complete name
Contact information
Skills
Availability
Put "volunteer" in subject line

LOCATION:
Hurricane Katrina Emergency Animal Shelter
LSU AgCenter's John M. Parker Coliseum
School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University Skip Bertman Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 7080

VOLUNTEER NEEDS/SITUATION:
Sharon Ricciardo, volunteer coordinator at the LSU, is looking for volunteers
to walk dogs, care, feed, work the reception desk, check-in, etc.
The facility is starting shift work from now till mid-October.

Volunteers need to be self sufficient (have their own
food/housing/transportation),
adults, and preferably experienced with animals.
===============================================

7.) ST. JOHN PARISH ANIMAL SHELTER
MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Sharon Gorski 586-727-9815
Email: possecop@msn.com (@msn.com)



LOCATION/CONTACT:
124 Water Plant Rd
LaPlace, LA 70068
Linda Allen, Shelter Director: no email/cell phone available
shelter phone: 985-651-7387
alternate contact/rescue volunteer Dina Becnel: 985-210-9422

VOLUNTEER NEEDS/SITUATION:
45 dogs/22 cats in this rural shelter with maximum capacity for 15 dogs/19
cats. More animals on the way. No mail or FedEx service. No veterinarians
Medications cannot be shipped, must be transported in with volunteers.

SUPPLY NEEDS (9/15/05):
-Digital camera
-Building materials (current "shelter" is a slab with a tin building over it,
like an old barn. Old trailer serves as office. Lost both storage sheds. Need
replacement.)
-50 each: plastic crates, kennel leads, shampoo, and food (canned for
puppies/dry for adults)
-100 vaccines / Must have animal vaccination (7-way), Bordetella, antibiotic.
===============================================

8.) ANIMAL STAGING AREA IN NEW ORLEANS
CONTACT:
Lilla Whitehead
225-753-8462; home: 225-753-8462
lilandneal@hotmail.com

LOCATION:
James N. Singleton Charter Middle School
1924 Philip Street; New Orleans
*Near the intersection of Philip St. and Daneel St.
For directions, call Ronnye Randall, Collier County Humane Society:
239-298-6243

VOLUNTEER NEEDS/SITUATION:
Need for supplies and volunteers. Phone communication is hit and miss. Lilla
Whitehead, in Baton Rouge, has communicated with this staging area and stays
supplies below were requested today. More needs will arise in future.
*Write "Animal Rescue" on your car windows and wear animal rescue related
shirts, if possible.

SUPPLY NEEDS (9/13/05):
Canopy tents with sides, Towels, Water, Hand sanitizer, Disposable bowls,
Generators with fuel

VETERINARY SUPPLY NEEDS (9/13/05):
*If you have connections with any vets willing to donate medical supplies,
below is a list of immediate needs. Please let Lilla Whitehead know if you
can get a donation. Have it overnighted to her, if possible.
-Albon (or SMZ)
-3 cc syringes
-1 cc syringes
-Heparin
-waterproof tape
-Endosorb (or Kaopectate)
-Eccofoam (prescription flea and tick treatment)

DELIVER OR SHIP SUPPLIES TO:
*OVERNIGHT SHIP VETERINARY SUPPLIES
Lilla Whitehead
17228 E. Rockbridge Avenue
Baton Rouge, LA 70817
===============================================

9.) WINN-DIXIE STAGING AREA IN NEW ORLEANS
CONTACT:
Sharon Gorski
586-727-9815, possecop@msn.com

LOCATION:
4600 Chef Menteur Hwy staging area at N. Louisa Street

VOLUNTEER NEEDS/SITUATION:
From rescuer on front lines: You CAN get in along a protected, non-flooded
route to the new staging area at Winn-Dixie (directions below). Volunteers
needed NOW. Many dry areas, but bring rubber boots. NEED RESCUE GROUPS to get
dogs off porches, etc.

SUPPLY NEEDS (9/13/05):
Crates, Boats (inflatables needed to hold full crates on the water), Trucks,
SUVs, Sticks with loops to get reluctant dogs

DIRECTIONS TO WINN-DIXIE STAGING AREA:
Take I-12 E (from Hammond) towards N.O. and I-10.

Around Covington, LA, take US Hwy 190 South, which takes you to N. Causeway
Blvd. and the bridge over Lake Ponchatrain into N.O.. Be sure to stay on
Causeway Blvd. to go over bridge! You will be in Metarie once over the
bridge.

Stay on S. Causeway Blvd. all the way to Jefferson Hwy, 90 E. (You'll cross
over Veterans Blvd.)

Stay on Jeff Highway east to N.O.. until it turns into S. Claiborne Ave.

Take a right on Monticello Ave, which turns into (dead ends) at Oak St. Go
left on Oak.

Bear right on Leake Ave. (You will be paralleling the Mississippi river)

Stay on Leake for 10 or so blocks and then take a left onto St. Charles Ave.

Continue past Tulane on your left, Audubon Park on your right. Cross over
Napoleon and Louisiana Aves. Stay on St. Charles until you dead end.

Follow signs to reach I-10 E. (i.e. go left at the end of St. Charles)

Take I-10 E to Louisa St. N (the 2nd exit). Go left on Louisa.

Go through several red lights to Chef Menteur Hwy and go right.

Immediately see Winn-Dixie on right in the first block.

Do You want Your Tax Dollars to Be Used to Support Horse Slaughter? No? Ok, then Read this.

Very easy. Just basically cut and past the message below into email, or call. Not hard at all.

WHAT: An alert from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) on the
Ensign-Byrd amendment to prevent tax dollars from being used to support
horse slaughter.

WHAT WE NEED YOU TO DO: Please contact "your" two U.S. Senators and
urge them vote YES on the Ensign-Byrd horse slaughter amendment. Contact
information is at the end of this message.

BACKGROUND:

You may recall from our last newsletter that the U.S. House passed the
Sweeney-Spratt Amendment to the Agriculture Appropriations bill, to prevent
tax dollars from being used to support horse slaughter. Now, the U.S.
Senate is expected to vote early next week on the Ensign-Byrd amendment to
the Agriculture Appropriations bill. The amendment is to prevent tax
dollars from being used to support horse slaughter.

We realize that animals are facing many challenges in our world. With a
couple of brief phone calls, you can take action to support legislation to
save the lives of thousands of horses.

Here's a sample phone script that you might find helpful.
"My name is [your name] and I'm calling from [your city]. I'm calling to
urge Senator [name] to vote YES on the upcoming Ensign
amendment to the Agriculture Appropriations bill to stop horse slaughter.
I care very much about our horses and am horrified that thousands are sent
to slaughter for European and Asian markets each year. Thank you."

CONTACT INFORMATION:

To find out who your Representatives and Senators are, call 888-VOTE SMART or visit www.vote-smart.org

Write them at U.S House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515 and/or U.S Senate, Washington, DC 20510. Or call via the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

Federal Information (800-688-9889) has lists of congressional phone and fax numbers.

A list of e-mail addresses is available from congress@hr.house.gov

The "Congress at your Fingertips" web site http://capitoladvantage.com has voting records, directories, status reports, and more.

Obtain copies of bills from http://thomas.loc.gov

Your Tax Dollars at Work Killing Species: Feds Killed 2.7 'Nuisance' Animals in '04

Ah yes, another great reminder of how well our tax dollars are being spent. I'm so happy to know that they are being used to actually kill other living beings (sarcastic for those who don't know). Keep it up Feds. Good to know that you're doing your best to contribute to suffering, death and ultimately, to speed extinction. Pat yourselves on the back! And, I bet your kids are very proud of you!

"Yep!" Little Suzie said. "My dad contributes to suffering, death and ultimately, to speed extinction. And that's why he's my hero!"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/
story/0,1280,-5267442,00.html

Feds Killed 2.7 'Nuisance' Animals in '04

Friday September 9, 2005 10:01 PM


By LIBBY QUAID

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - The government killed more than 2.7 million ``nuisance''
animals last year, including wild turkeys and chickens, black bears,
coyotes and wolves, but primarily starlings, troublemaking birds that
destroy crops and contaminate livestock feed.

They were killed mainly because they threatened livestock, crops or people
in airplanes.

The number of animals killed, an increase of 1 million over 2003, drew
criticism from environmental groups.

``Wildlife Services killed more than five animals per minute in 2004,''
said Wendy Keefover-Ring, spokeswoman for Sinapu, a Colorado-based
advocacy group for wolves and other predators. ``The toll on ecosystems
wrought by this one agency is jaw-dropping.''

Wildlife Services, an Agriculture Department program, kills black bears
that like to eat campers' food in public parks or birds that congregate
near airports and could get sucked into aircraft engines.

``Lethal means is something that we do as a final resort, when we have
repeat problems,'' said Wildlife Services spokesman Dan Perry. ``It is not
something done indiscriminately.''

He described how the department helps land owners, airports and other
government agencies cut tall grasses, build fences, drain standing water
and take other measures to dampen creatures' enthusiasm for a place. For
example, officials may use fake dead vultures to drive away live ones.

``Believe it or not, it works; that's just the way the species reacts,''
Perry said.

The mission of Wildlife Services is to protect agriculture, property and
natural resources and to reduce wildlife threats to human health and
safety. The service used to be known as Animal Damage Control.

The program has a research center in Fort Collins, Colo., that is
developing contraceptives for deer and geese, and it also has a rabies
vaccination program for wildlife.

The number of animals killed probably rose because funding increased for
the department's cormorant program, aimed at protecting fish farms from
the large, voracious diving birds. Also targeted were flocks of Canada
geese that have stopped their annual migrations. The department killed
3,263 double-crested cormorants and 10,735 Canada geese last year.

The largest number of animals killed - 2.3 million - were starlings, which
are attracted to feedlots and defecate in cattle feed. Critics say the
poison used also kills owls, hawks, magpies, raccoons and cats. The
department also uses aerial gunning, traps or ``denning,'' which involves
killing animals in their dens.

``Most of the public has no idea that a significant portion of the federal
wildlife management budget is actually devoted to extermination,'' said
Jeff Ruch, executive director of Public Employees for Environmental
Responsibility. ``Animals that inconvenience humans become expendable
`varmints' that are then dispatched with stunning efficiency.''

Among the animals killed were:

-75,674 coyotes.

-31,286 beavers.

-3,907 foxes.

-397 black bears.

-359 cougars.

-191 wolves.

-143 feral or free-ranging chickens

-72 wild turkeys

---

On the Net:

Wildlife Services: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ws

Noted Dog and Cat Dealers Plead Guilty: Why You Should Never Leave Dogs or Cats Alone Outside: Pet Theft: Class B Dealers

Believe it or not, there is an industry that supplies animal testing facilities with dogs and cats. Some of these "dealers" or bunchers as they are known, simply steal family dogs and cats from backyards.

The people spoke about below - Chester "C.C." Baird and his wife Patsy Baird and their daughters Jeanette Baird Thornhill and Patricia Baird - were notorious Class B dealers. This allowed them (via a government ok) to essentially sell to labs (such as the University of Colorado Medical School and Health Sciences Center) dogs and cats that could not be identified as to their origin. Hence, they could have stolen dogs and cats from backyards. You can find more information on backyard pet theft, animal bunchers, stolen animals and class b dealers here.

For more information on the University of Colorado Medical School and Health Sciences Center and its use of stolen dogs in its medical school curriculum, visit http://www.stopcudoglabs.org/

Here is a prior posting from our geari.org blog about other notorious dog and cat stealers and dealers.

But, this is a great breakthrough. As you will see in the story below, Chester "C.C." Baird and his wife Patsy Baird and their daughters Jeanette Baird Thornhill and Patricia Baird are scum and slime. They are the lowest of the lowest. It is about time that they pay something. I hope this ends the issue of pet theft, stolen animals and animal dealers, but we never can tell.

Animal dealer pleads guilty to single count

BY LINDA SATTER
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

The man once known as "America's largest and most notorious Class B
animal dealer" pleaded guilty Tuesday in a Little Rock federal courtroom
to a criminal charge related to his 15-year operation of a Sharp County
kennel.
Chester "C.C." Baird, 58, pleaded guilty to a single count of
money laundering conspiracy, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and
a fine of more than $5 million.
Baird's wife, Patsy, also 58, pleaded guilty to misprision of a
felony, or failure to report a crime, in connection with mail fraud the
Bairds admittedly committed while buying and selling animals. She faces
up to three years in prison.
Chief U.S. District Judge Leon Holmes said he would set a
sentencing date later.
As part of their negotiated pleas, the Bairds agreed to surrender
to the government about 700 acres of land valued at $1.1 million, on
which they lived and operated Martin Creek Kennels near Williford and
sold dogs and cats, some believed to be stolen pets, to medical research
facilities.
They also agreed to pay $200,000 cash and reimburse
government-approved animal rescue groups about $42,400 for the expense
of caring for and finding homes for about 125 dogs and one cat that
federal agents seized from the kennel in fall 2003. The money also will
go toward the cost of caring for some of the 145 cats and 89 dogs the
Bairds surrendered to the government in January.
The surrender was part of a settlement that the Bairds and their
daughters, Jeanette Baird Thornhill and Patricia Baird, reached to
resolve a 108-page civil lawsuit that the U.S. Department of Agriculture
filed against the four on March 11, 2004. It alleged numerous violations
of the federal Animal Welfare Act, which regulates the transport, sale
and handling of animals intended for research.
The case was settled just before a trial was to begin on Jan. 24
in Little Rock.
In addition to turning the animals over to the USDA, which in
turn called on animal welfare groups that found homes for all of them
across the country, C.C. Baird paid a $250,000 fine, the largest civil
penalty in the history of the nearly 40-year-old law. He paid an
additional $12,700 penalty for failing to comply with past
cease-and-desist orders.
The agreement resulted in the permanent revocation of licenses
that allowed the Bairds to legally sell and breed animals, effectively
putting them out of business.
"Using animals for medical research is a very sensitive area, so
it's vital we enforce the laws that apply," U.S. Attorney Bud Cummins
said Tuesday. He said that although the investigation couldn't confirm
that any of the animals seized from Baird's property were stolen pets,
"Clearly, that's the main focus of the case. If they're violating the
law [in failing to properly account for the pets they sell], clearly
these animals can come from anywhere ­ including your backyard."
The Bairds' troubles with the U.S. attorney's office became
public two years ago when federal agricultural and postal agents served
a search warrant at the kennel, seizing the 125 dogs and one cat, and
leaving about 600 animals on the premises.
Cummins said Tuesday that the raid came during a federal
investigation that ensued nearly a year earlier after an undercover
operation at the kennels by a national nonprofit animal advocacy
organization based in Los Angeles called Last Chance for Animals.
Cummins said that after Last Chance turned over secretly recorded
videotape obtained by a Last Chance member who posed as a worker at the
heavily secured kennels, "federal investigators took over the case and
corroborated all the information independently."
Among other things, the videotape showed a beagle being slugged
and a terrier mix being shot in the head.
Chris DeRose, the organization's founder and president, attended
the plea hearing on Tuesday. Afterward, he said that he was "extremely
happy" with the work of the U.S. attorney's office and the U.S. office
of inspector general, and that he hopes Baird will get prison time and
another substantial fine.
DeRose noted that in the nearly 18 months since the time of the
raid and the time the Bairds agreed to cease operations, "We estimate
that about 1,000 dogs went through there," which would have easily
enabled Baird to pay his hefty fine.
"There's big money in selling animals for medical research,"
Cummins agreed.
Baird sold animals to nearly 50 research facilities across the
country, making a six-figure income for several years.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Lipe, who spearheaded the criminal
investigation, told Judge Holmes that Baird made $584,000 in 2001 alone,
solely by selling animals.
DeRose has said that Class B dealers often buy animals, including
stolen pets, from people who know the dealers and approach them at
auctions. The animals are bought for about $15 apiece and sold to
research labs for between $250 and $800 apiece.
Lipe told the judge that undercover USDA agents saw C.C. and
Patsy Baird buying dogs at a monthly flea market in Ripley, Miss., which
the Bairds frequented. Lipe said witnesses were prepared to testify
about delivering cats and dogs to the Bairds at the flea markets.
She said people who sold animals to the Bairds, who operated the
largest animal-selling operation in the country, would have testified
that the Bairds prepared false acquisition records. Those documents made
it appear the animals were bought from licensed breeders or animal
shelters when they actually were not, she said.
Baird, who is also employed as a Church of Christ minister and an
insurance adjuster, and his wife were freed until their sentencing date.
They and defense attorney Kent Rubens of West Memphis declined to
comment after the hearing.

World's largest hippo population almost gone-WWF

Man, even hippos are screwed. What will be next?!

World's largest hippo population almost gone-WWF

From: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/environment_hippos_dc

Mon Sep 12,10:57 AM ET
An aerial survey shows what was once the world's largest hippo population in the Democratic Republic of Congo is being poached to extinction, conservationist group WWF International said on Monday.
"Hippos are being killed by soldiers and local militia, as well as local poachers. Hippos can be bought for around $50, and hippo canine teeth often end up as part of the illegal ivory trade," the WWF said in a statement.
The hippo population in Congo's Virunga National Park in the vast country's far east numbered 29,000 in 1974.
However, a decade of conflict in the region has taken its toll of wildlife including Virunga's once abundant hippopotamus population.
Carried out last month by WWF, the European Union and the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature, the survey showed there were only 887 hippos left in Virunga, down from 1,309 two years ago.
WWF said the ecological disaster went beyond the hippos.
"The decline of the Virunga hippo population has also adversely affected the situation of local people, especially the thousands of fishermen living around Lake Edward, within the park," it said.
"The lake is one of the most productive in the world, as hippo dung provides vital nutrients for fish. The dramatic fall of the hippo population has also resulted in a rapid decline of the lake's fish stocks."
Hippos can weigh up to 3,000 kg (three tons) or more and their dung nourishes freshwater ecosystems throughout Africa.
Poaching them is a risky business as a wounded hippo can be dangerous and is apt to charge its pursuers. It is capable of biting a man in two with its massive mouth and huge teeth.

Will Post Again Tomorrow

Sorry for the long period between postings. Getting some personal things tied up. Well, to put it mild, very LARGE and TRYING personal things. Kind of out of the ordinary issues. So, will post again continuously tomorrow.

A snap shot of the horror on the ground after Hurricane Katrina situation and it's relation to animals.

A snap shot of the horror on the ground after Hurricane Katrina situation and it's relation to animals. Found at: http://www.boingboing.net/

We can only hope it's false.

* They have found large numbers of seals in and around the houses in NOLA and no one is clear where they came from. An aquarium?

* They are shooting hundreds of dogs a day to protect search and rescue workers. The Humane Society shelters in the region have over 4000 animals.

Webcams Watching Walruses to Be Shut Off This Week: Won't Film Slaughter

Well, at least they know they're doing something that is questionable.

From http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/
article/2005/09/07/AR2005090702179.html

washingtonpost.com

Webcams Watching Walruses to Be Shut Off This Week
Seeking Privacy for Their Fall Hunt, Alaska Natives Worry That Internet Images Could Put the Tradition in Danger

By Jeannette J. Lee
Associated Press
Thursday, September 8, 2005; A10

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Sept. 7 -- Popular Web cameras that allow viewers to watch live video of Pacific walruses will be shut off this week at the request of Alaska Natives.

Leaders do not want viewers to see the animals shot and butchered during a fall subsistence hunt, fearing widespread Internet images could threaten the tradition.

"They're certainly concerned about anything that could turn that around again and make it so they couldn't hunt out there anymore," said state biologist Joe Meehan.

Helen Chythlook, executive director of the Bristol Bay Native Association's Qayassiq Walrus Commission, said that Alaska Natives have the right to conduct the walrus hunt in privacy.

"When you go deer hunting you don't want a camera shining on you," Chythlook said.

The cameras transmit to a popular Web site where viewers can watch video of walruses snoozing on a rocky beach on Round Island in the Bering Sea. The site has tallied tens of thousands of hits since it went online more than a month ago, and viewer overload often causes it to crash.

The camera focused on the beach used most by the tusked animals will be removed Friday, the day before the hunt begins.

A second camera, on a beach less frequented by walruses, will be turned off Friday and switched back on Oct. 21, the day after the hunt ends. Its images will not be sent to the Web site over the winter because of the high costs, but biologists hope to use the camera to monitor the weather and wildlife populations.

Meehan said state biologists would have disconnected the cameras from the Web site in early September anyway because of limited funding and harsh weather.

The hunt was banned in 1960 after the Walrus Islands, located off Alaska's southwest coast, were designated a wildlife sanctuary by the state. In 1995, Alaska Natives were allowed to resume hunting on the island through an agreement with the state and federal government.

Residents of nine villages near Bristol Bay are allowed to harvest Round Island walruses this season. Native hunters are permitted to take up to 20 walruses.

The meat is a core food source for Alaska Natives in the area, including the coastal Yupik and Inupiaq communities. Walrus ivory and bone are transformed into crafts and artwork. The skins become boat coverings, while intestines can serve as rain gear.

The animals are difficult to count as they slip in and out of the water, but are not considered endangered, threatened or depleted by federal standards, Meehan said.

© 2005 The Washington Post Company

Free Flights for Katrina Animal Rescues

Free Flights for Katrina Animal Rescues

From another list... let's hope it's true. If so, get on it!!!!


If anyone is looking to foster or adopt a Katrina victim, this
information was on the Petfinder forum...contact any of the rescue
groups working in the area

PLEASE NOTE THAT CONTINENTAL IS ONLY OFFERING THIS FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS SO
IT IS IMPORTANT TO GET THESE HOMELESS ANIMALS SHIPPED TO FOSTER HOMES ACROSS
THE COUNTRY NOW! PLEASE CALL Continental Airlines at 1-800-575-3335 TO GET
THE DETAILS AND TO COORDINATE.


The number for animal transport is 800-575-3335. You have to wait through
the announcement and then you will get a live person! Continental IS
providing free transport to the pets of hurricane victums.
Here are some details:
Only offered on large jets - no small commuter planes for the animals
safety.
You must have a crate. It must be the appropriate size for the animal.
The shipper must have identification from LA, MS or AL.
If the person is traveling with the pet, it must be in under the seat crate,
she thought this applied to rescue flights from NO, but was not sure.
If the animal is traveling from a non-affected city (like Houston) a health
certificate is required. There are lots of resources for health certs in
these cities.
If the animal is traveling from an affected city (within LA, MS and AL) they
will allow a hand written note from a rescue organization stating that the
animal is healthy enough to travel.
Unfortunately the airport in Biloxi is still not open.
This service will only be available for another 3 to 5 days. They want to
limit this to a couple of weeks at the most - so, time is of the essence.
Call the number above for more info if you need transport

Quick Way to Help Animal Victims of Hurricane Katrina

In response to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina
yesterday, The Humane Society of the United States has launched
a massive relief effort to rescue animals and assist their
caregivers in the disaster areas.

Their entire relief effort is funded by donations from people
like you and me, and they desperately need your support. Please
make an emergency contribution to the HSUS Disaster Relief Fund
today. Your tax-deductible gift will be used exclusively for
their disaster animal relief work. Click the link below to make
your donation now.

https://secure.hsus.org/01/katrina_relief/step1/r_1z9-q712dmC

Urgent: Tell Your Federal Representatives to Demand Animals' Safe Evacuation From New Orleans!

Very important.

Urgent: Tell Your Federal Representatives to Demand Animals' Safe Evacuation
From New Orleans!

Dear Friend,

Your immediate attention and response is requested. No animal rescue groups
have been allowed into New Orleans to help animals, who have been left
stranded on their own. Sending money is not solving the animals' problem,
which is worsening by the hour.

Meanwhile, federal
<http://cl.exct.net/?ffcc17-fe62177072660c7c7215
-fe25157370620075771277-ff35
16717066> authorities are forcing everyone-including elderly residents who
have stayed in water-logged residences for five days just to safeguard their
beloved animals-to leave their animals behind to starve. In some cases,
people are told that they must choose between bringing vital medicine and
bringing their dog when they are evacuated. This is illegal and it must
stop.

PETA has issued a media
<http://cl.exct.net/?ffcc17-fe61177072660c7c7216-
fe25157370620075771277-ff35
16717066> advisory stating that we will prosecute any known violators, but
that is not stopping federal evacuators from insisting that animals be left
to die. Today, Rue
<http://cl.exct.net/?ffcc17-fe60177072660c7c7217-
fe25157370620075771277-ff35
16717066> McClanahan wrote to President George W. Bush, calling on him to
order officials to allow people to evacuate with their animals.

Please, immediately call your member of Congress today to ask that people be
allowed to evacuate with their animals. Leave messages for them in
Washington and at their home offices and get everyone you know to call. The
names of-and contact information for-your representative
<http://cl.exct.net/?ffcc17-fe5f177072660c7c7210-
fe25157370620075771277-ff35
16717066> and senators
<http://cl.exct.net/?ffcc17-fe5e177072660c7c7211-
fe25157370620075771277-ff35
16717066> can be found online. Please forward
<http://cl.exct.net/?ffcc17-fe5d177072660c7c7212-
fe25157370620075771277-ff35
16717066> this alert to others willing to lend their voices to help with
this emergency.

Thank you for your compassion for animals and for your willingness to act
today.

Sincerely,

Daniel Paden
Domestic Animal and Wildlife Rescue & Information Department
People
<http://cl.exct.net/?ffcc17-fe5c177072660c7c7213-
fe25157370620075771277-ff35
16717066> for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

Best Friends Animal Society: Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund: A Great Way to Help

We all know of Best Friends. I'd trust them with my money.

Best Friends Animal Society: Hurricane Katrina relief fund will help the animal rescue groups and shelters of Louisiana and Mississippi provide fresh water, food, shelter and ongoing veterinary care for all of the animal victims. All money donated will go directly to the groups helping the animals. To donate online, go to https://www.bestfriends.org/donate/index.cfm?.

Local Information to Help Animals Affected by Hurricane Katrina: Animal Evacuation and Recovery Plan

More localized information. Probably good to pass on to those you may know down there.

Louisiana SPCA: http://www.la-spca.org/forms/donations.htm

Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association (which seems to be coordinating
the rescues): http://www.lvma.org/

ANIMAL EVACUATION AND RECOVERY PLAN
FOR NEW ORLEANS

Baton Rouge (08/31/05) - The Department of Agriculture and Forestry is
coordinating with the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals (LA/SPCA), the Louisiana Veterinary Veterinary Association (LVMA),
and the Louisiana Animal Control Association (LACA) to manage animal
evacuations and recovery plans for New Orleans pets and displaced animals.

PETS TRAVELING WITH OWNERS
The LVMA is currently accepting pets at the Blackham Coliseum in Lafayette,
LSU in Shreveport, Monroe Civic Center for small animals and the Ike
Hamilton Center for large animals in Monroe, the Farmer's Market in
Alexandria and the LSU AgCenter/Parker Coliseum in Baton Rouge. Owners must
be housed in a Red Cross shelter; owners are responsible for caring for
their animals, including feeding and cleaning. Animals will be accepted 24
hours a day. The Baton Rouge Area Veterinary Medical Association is
triaging animal medical needs at the LSU AgCenter.

PEOPLE WITH PETS WHO ARE CURRENTLY EVACUATING NEW ORLEANS
The LA/SPCA will transport animals from pick-up points in New Orleans to
the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center. The pick-up points have not yet been
determined and are being coordinated with the agency charged with
transporting people from New Orleans to other areas.

The Lamar-Dixon Expo Center, 9039 St. Landry Rd., Gonzales, LA., will serve
as the primary staging area. Once the shelter is full, animals will be
moved to temporary shelters in other areas of Louisiana and Texas.

The LA/SPCA Dorothy Dorsett Brown Mobile Veterinary Center will be at the
Lamar-Dixon Center to treat incoming animals as needed.

CONFINED PETS STILL IN DISASTER AREA
Beginning on September 1, residents who left pets in their homes may call a
hot line to leave information about the number of animals, species, and
their confined location. As soon as the hotline number is obtained, we will
advise the media. WE CANNOT ENTER THE NEW ORLEANS METROPOLITAN AREA UNTIL
APPROVAL IS GRANTED FROM STATE OFFICIALS.

DONATIONS
Financial donations are being accepted to fund the care of the displaced
animals through the Walter J. Ernst Jr. Foundation at LVMA. Call
1-800-928-LVMA or visit HYPERLINK "http://www.lvma.org" www.lvma.org for
more information.

A regional donation center is being established. Our needs include: NEW
large air kennels and metal cages, leashes, disposable bowls, canned cat
and dog food, disposable litter pans, spray bleach, paper towels, sheets,
towels, locks, hoses, bottled water, trash cans, trash bags, pooper
scoopers, cat litter, extension cords, fans.

More ways to help Animals Affected by Hurricane Katrina

Press Release

Source: The Friends of Amigo Foundation

Friends of Amigo Foundation Joins Forces with the Humane Society of the United States to Benefit Hurricane Katrina Animal Rescue Fund
Thursday September 1, 9:04 am ET

'Be Kind' CauseCollar(TM) Developed to Support Animal Charities Will Start with the HSUS's Animal Hurricane Relief EffortsAMIGO the 'Potcake Dog' to be the Goodwill Ambassador for Aid

NEW YORK, Sept. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- The Friends of Amigo Foundation, in conjunction with The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) -- set for the joint launch of the national "Be Kind" campaign -- will focus its initial, immediate efforts on animal rescue in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. In this most dire of situations, animals and their human companions will be able to support The HSUS by purchasing a CauseCollar(TM) -- the first-ever dog accessory collar fashioned after the popular bracelets that many charities have adopted. The collars will be available after September 6th at http://www.hsus.org and at other selected outlets, and feature the maxim, BE KIND, to underscore their focus on animal advocacy welfare issues. One hundred percent (100%) of the CauseCollar(TM) proceeds will benefit The HSUS.

"It was a natural evolution to create these CauseCollars so that animals themselves could champion their own welfare," says Frances Hayward, President of the Friends of Amigo Foundation. "In this time of incredible need, we're grateful to be able to help support the people and animals of the Gulf Coast region."

Stephanie Shain, Director of Outreach for Companion Animals at The HSUS, adds, "The Humane Society of the United States is always ready to respond to natural disasters such as this. And to help with our efforts, we plan to donate all initial proceeds from the sale of the CauseCollars to The HSUS Disaster Services program. That way, the 'Be Kind' collar will help the animal victims of Hurricane Katrina and other disasters."

A companion "Be Kind" human bracelet to benefit Animal Rescue Fund (ARF) of the Hamptons' animal welfare disaster relief campaign will be available at the ARF website: http://www.arfhamptons.org .

Numerous animals have been affected by the hurricane, with reports indicating that many have been separated from their human companions. The HSUS has worked to help place adoptable animals evacuated into adoption programs in Texas and surrounding areas, and currently has teams assisting animal victims in Mississippi. The HSUS expects to be deployed in the affected areas for the foreseeable future.

About Amigo and the Friends of Amigo Foundation

The inspiration for these collars came from a young mixed breed dog named 'Amigo,' a former stray "potcake" from Grand Bahama Island who was rescued by benefactor Frances Hayward. Starving and diseased, Amigo was just three months old when he was found. Rehabilitated and nurtured, he epitomizes a true rags-to-riches story, going on to 'stardom' in his native Bahamas by serving as the poster boy for the local Humane Society of Grand Bahama and ultimately becoming a media star, as the 'face' of the Bahamian "potcake." (Potcake, the Bahamian term for mongrel dogs, refers to the cake that forms at the bottom of the pot of 'peas and rice,' a Bahamian staple, which is typically fed to dogs throughout the Caribbean.)

From the moment he was rescued, Amigo exhibited a clearly special intelligence, personality and confidence and in the loving care of Ms. Hayward, his natural charms have flourished. Now residing primarily in New York City (but ever loyal to his Bahamian roots), Amigo's adorable looks, sweet, extroverted personality as well as his tremendous charisma have made him the perfect poster boy for this collaboration of the Friends of Amigo Foundation and The Humane Society of the United States on behalf of animals everywhere.

Amigo has been the recipient of the "Ambassador of Goodwill" award by the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons (ARF), in Southampton, New York, presented by film star Alec Baldwin. His photograph has appeared in the Sunday New York Times and many other publications. Amigo has also served as the Goodwill Ambassador for the Grand Bahama Humane Society. The Friends of Amigo Foundation was formed to champion animal welfare issues.

About The Humane Society of the United States

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization representing more than nine million members and constituents. The non-profit organization is a mainstream voice for animals, with active programs in companion animals and equine protection, disaster preparedness and response, wildlife and habitat protection, animals in research and farm animal welfare. The HSUS protects all animals through education, investigation, litigation, legislation, advocacy, and field work. The group is based in Washington and has numerous field representatives across the country.

Be Kind CauseCollars can be purchased online at http://www.hsus.org after September 6th. Until the end of September, proceeds from the sale of the Be Kind CauseCollars will go towards The HSUS's Disaster Services program. Subsequent sales will support companion animal programs of The HSUS.

CauseCollar(TM) is a trademark of The Humane Society of the United States.

---

Source: The Friends of Amigo Foundation