Life for Sale: Illegal Animal Trade Goes Online

Again, humans will buy and sell anything. I guess nothing is sacred any more. On the same subject as the previous post but different details. Worth reading both.

Illegal Animal Trade Goes Online
By Rachel Metz

http://www.wired.com/news/ebiz/0,1272,68561,00.html

02:00 AM Aug. 18, 2005 PT

The internet has become a haven for sales of exotic pets and animal products, many of them illegal and made from endangered species, a study released this week has found.

Between November 2004 and January 2005, International Fund for Animal Welfare found thousands of endangered animals and animal products available for purchase over the internet, including a live Siberian tiger for $70,000, a lion, peregrine falcons and many medicines made from leopard, tiger, rhino and elephant parts.

During a one-week period in January, the study found more than 9,000 live wild animals and animal products and specimens for sale, predominantly from species under legal protection. The animals and products were offered on animal-trading websites, in chat rooms and on auction sites like eBay.

The sale of endangered animals and products gives poachers an incentive to keep hunting them and increase the trade in exotic pets, according to the report.

"This has been a problem for a long time but it's becoming worse because of the internet opening up new markets and globalization," IFAW spokesman Chris Cutter said.

Cutter pointed to several sites allegedly selling endangered animals protected by international law.

One is Rainbow Primates, which offers various monkeys for sale, including two capuchins, two java monkeys and a spider monkey, for between $3,500 and $6,800.

Visitors to the site are greeted by a photo of a young monkey dressed in baby's clothing and highlighted by animated sparkles. The theme from The Monkees plays in the background. The site shows many more monkeys in various baby outfits, including frilly dresses and fuzzy-looking onesies.

The Rainbow Primates site doesn't sell any endangered animals, said employee David Davis, and he doesn't think any private citizen should own a great ape, gorilla or chimpanzee. Davis said the site's photos are about 3 years old.

"But a monkey, such as a capuchin, that does everything for paralyzed people, you know ... they do make good pets," he said. "But you've got to always remember they're a wild animal."

In regards to whether or not people should own exotic pets, Davis said: "I think people have a right of choice, you know? This is free America, is that correct?"

IFAW's Cutter said people who buy exotic animals may have good intentions, but are doing the creatures more harm than good.

Cutter said raising tigers in a backyard isn't going to help tigers in the wild, since they're not going to be re-released.

"On one hand these people love animals and they're trying to protect them, I guess you would say, but it's a really naive way of going about conservation," he said.

Other sites pointed out by Cutter for selling exotic animals include Schreiner Farms and Awesome Exotic's (sic). Nobody could be reached at Schreiner Farms, and an Awesome Exotic's employee would not comment.

In efforts to stanch the growth of such trade, the IFAW is working with international policing groups like Interpol to improve related law enforcement and data collection. The group is trying to toughen up laws regarding exotic pets in the United States, and is hoping to persuade the Department of Agriculture to beef up enforcement of live-animal laws. The group is also working with sites like eBay to cut down illegal online trade.

EBay has been helpful, Cutter said, though he added, "even if eBay were perfect, it would still be a problem."

EBay spokesman Chris Donlay said illegal animal product sales are not a big problem for the auction site. EBay doesn't allow trading of live animals, but it does permit sales of legal taxidermy animals and animal parts, he said.

Donlay said the company doesn't release data regarding auctions that are stopped because of illegal activity, and confirmed that the company has been brainstorming with IFAW. He said eBay is working to keep its wildlife policy up to snuff.

Not all sales of endangered animals and animal products are illegal -- an ivory statue or leopard coat, for example, can be sold legally if it was made before laws were passed banning such items.

Many animals that are endangered in the wild can still be legally sold domestically, depending on the type of animal and laws in the buyer's and seller's states.

Live endangered animals and endangered animal parts or products sold internationally are subject to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora agreement, which works to ensure the vitality of plant and animal species traded around the world.

Revealed: The Illegal Online Animal Trade

I swear, people will kill anything for any reason. Published on Tuesday, August 16, 2005 by the lndependent/UK

Revealed: The Illegal Online Animal Trade

by Maxine Frith

They are marketed as the perfect birthday present for animal-loving children, or a classy addition to the image-conscious suburban home. However, the products being sold on hundreds of internet sites are not soft toys or unusual knick knacks, but potentially-dangerous live animals from the world's most endangered species. Gorillas, tigers, and chimps can be bought for as little as a few hundred pounds, despite international bans on their sale. The illegal online trade in rare and exotic wildlife is now worth billions of pounds and sales are soaring, according to a new report by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). In just one week, IFAW investigators found more than 9,000 live animals and products made from endangered species for sale on internet auction sites, chat rooms and classified pages, despite the fact that 70 per cent of the species and specimens were protected under law. The scale of the trade is astonishing. Want a gorilla in your backyard? It's yours for £4,500 from a classified ad on the internet - just come to London and pick it up, with no proof needed of any capacity or ability to look after such a beast. Gorillas are among the most highly-endangered species on the planet and all commercial trade in them is prohibited under the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). They are potentially lethal and need expert care and treatment, yet IFAW found a British-based website selling a seven-year-old gorilla in January this year "due to relocation of its owner." Giraffes have also been offered for sale. A US website, GotPetsOnline.com was offering a "sweet natured" two-year-old for sale for $15,000. Experts are particularly concerned at the way monkeys are marketed and traded on the net. At www.ad-mart.co.uk, in January, a Welsh trader was offering a pair of breeding cotton-headed tamarin monkeys for sale for £1,900. When IFAW investigators approached the buyer, they were told they would not need any special licenses or documentation. Yet the species is protected under CITES and any buyer would need to apply to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) for special approval, as well as obtaining a Dangerous Wild Animals licence. Other, American-based websites sell monkeys along with "cute" accessories such as nappies, feeding bottles, clothes and toys, adding to the impression that these are a slightly more lively version of a doll. Traders in live primates call themselves "Monkey Moms" and the animals "monkids". When the IFAW undercover investigators contacted some of the US traders, they were told it would be possible to export them to the UK - a blatant breach of EU law. Experts are concerned that demand for monkeys and chimps is fueling the illegal capturing and trading of wild species. Where there were two million chimpanzees in the wild a century ago, there are now fewer than 150,000 left. As well as live animals, there is a booming market in illegal ivory, tiger skins and other products on the internet. Phyllis Campbell-McRae, director of IFAW UK, said: "Trade on the internet is easy, cheap and anonymous. However, it is clear that unscrupulous traders and sophisticated criminal gangs are taking advantage of the opportunities provided by the web. "The result is a cyber black market where the future of the world's rarest animals is being traded away. This situation must be tackled immediately by governments and website owners before it is too late." She added: "Each one of us also has a responsibility to stop buying and selling wild animals and wildlife products. Trade in wildlife is driven by consumer demand, so when the buying stops the killing will too. Our message to online shoppers is simple - buying wildlife online is as damaging as killing it yourself." Jim Knight, biodiversity minister, said: "We take the issue of wildlife crime in all its forms very seriously. "The National Wildlife Crime Intelligence Unit is working closely with internet service providers to raise awareness of wildlife controls and to enhance intelligence gathering on wildlife crime. The Metropolitan Police's Wildlife Crime Unit was also moved from a part time to a full time investigative department. Andy Fisher, head of the unit, said: "Ten years ago, the issue wasn't really being taken seriously, but I think it's time has now come and we are really cracking down on it." The animals facing extinction: TIGERS Threatened by poaching and loss of habitat, there are only about 5,000 tigers living in the wild; but thanks to the thriving trade in exotic pets, some 10,000 tigers live in captivity in the US. One US website advertised two-week old male and female tiger cubs for just $1,500 each. RHINOS All five species of rhino are threatened with extinction, thanks to the trade in rhino horns which are carved into ornaments or used in traditional Asian medicine. A website called "Vintage Louis Vuitton" offered a rhino footstool, but closed when IFAW asked for the necessary documents. GORILLAS The bushmeat trade, the captive live trade, and the loss of habitats have devastated the world's gorilla population, with only 650 mountain gorillas surviving in the wild. In January, an advert offered a gorilla for sale in London, "due to relocation of its owner." The price was £4,500. SEA HORSES At least 20 of the world's 33 known sea horse species face extinction, due to the trade of live animals for aquariums, and dried sea horses for use in Chinese medicine. IFAW found many skeletons for sale on eBay. One ad said: " This could be your last chance to own one of these little beauties." © 2005 The Independent / UK

More Proof of Cruelty: A Short Clip and Website Document Animal Cruelty at Wegmans Egg Farm, NY

There's nothing like proof when speaking of issues involving cruelty. Below you will see a link to a 2 minute trailer from the 30 minute film “Wegmans Cruelty” which shows suffering, neglect, and death in Wegmans Egg Farm in Wolcott, NY. Leaving dead birds to rot in cages along side alive ones is common practice. You would think they could at least stop doing this (imagine the smell of being cramped into a cage with rotting humans - graphic, but true). The factory egg facility is owned by Wegmans grocery store and contains over 750,000 hens. Thanks to technology we once again see the truth that goes on behind the scenes where the company and workers think they are not being watched. Please read on....

From: http://www.wegmanscruelty.com/

Animal cruelty at Wegmans Egg Farm – documentary film and newspaper
stories

A new documentary film "Wegmans Cruelty" reveals animal cruelty and
inhumane conditions at
Wegmans Egg Farm in Wolcott, NY, between Rochester and Syracuse. Wegmans
grocery store, ranked #1 on Fortune magazine’s list of best companies to
work for, operates its own factory egg facility, which contains over
750,000 hens. The 30 minute film “Wegmans Cruelty” reveals the
suffering, neglect and death inherent in these farms.

A 2 minute trailer for the film is available here:
http://www.wegmanscruelty.com/content/blogcategory/20/36/
The complete film is available as a free download also. The sites it can
be downloaded from
are growing.

The Rochester, NY, Democrat & Chronicle newspaper covered the film’s
release and Wegmans’ reaction to the film:
“Activists take on Wegmans: Chicken-cruelty charge and video rebuffed by
execs, others”:
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/
article?AID=/20050702/NEWS01/507020324

A news release from Wegmans is here:
http://wegmans.com/news/flash/eggFarmUpdate.asp?
sd=home&dt=eggUpdate
Wegmans defends its farm as humane by appealing to the “Animal Care
Certified” program, a program that the Better Business Bureau has deemed
“misleading advertising.”

A spokesperson for the campaign was recently fired from her job as an
accountant for the company that services Wegmans; see the story:
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/
article?AID=/20050715/NEWS01/507150383/1002/NEWS

For more information and to talk to the producers of the film, please
visit:
http://www.wegmanscruelty.com/

See also
http://wegmanscruelty.blogspot.com
http://myspace.com/wegmanscruelty

Follow up to prior post - David Beckham loves to wear the skin of slaughtered baby kangaroos.

Just realized that Adidas recently purchased Reebok.

So, if you love Reebok, you will support Adidas.

So, Adidas = Reebok = dead baby kangaroos.

Sorry, I just report the truth. Don't kill the messenger.

Childhood cruelty to animals may signal violence in future

Very widely accepted now.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story
/0,,1546766,00.html#article_continue

Childhood cruelty to animals may signal violence in future

Rosie Cowan, crime correspondent
Thursday August 11, 2005
The Guardian

Childhood cruelty to animals can be an early warning of a propensity for
violence against other people, a report published yesterday said.
The research wing of animal rights charity, Peta (People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals), has compiled a study of the links between severe
animal abuse by children who later committed acts of extreme violence - in
some cases, murder.

Several cases have been well documented. Thomas Hamilton, the Dunblane
killer, enjoyed shooting animals and squashing rabbits' heads beneath car
wheels as a youth. Robert Thompson, who was 10 years old when he and John
Venables killed two-year-old Jamie Bulger, pulled the heads off live
birds.


Article continues

David Mulcahy and John Duffy, the so-called Railway Rapists, who raped and
murdered three women and raped or assaulted 12 more in the 70s and 80s,
shared a teenage fascination with tormenting animals.
Peta, which has sent its report to the Crown Prosecution Service, MPs and
all UK police forces, believes there should be closer cooperation between
police and social services and organisations such as the RSPCA, so that
those at risk of becoming dangerous criminals can be spotted, and perhaps
helped, as early as possible.

The FBI, which already uses reports of animal abuse to analyse criminal
threat potential, has found a childhood history of cruelty to animals is
prevalent among many serial rapists and murderers.

Robert Ressler, founder of the FBI's behavioural sciences unit, said:
"These are the kids who never learned that it was wrong to poke a puppy's
eyes out." Alan Bradley, an FBI special agent, said: "Some offenders kill
animals as a rehearsal for targeting human victims and may kill or torture
animals because, to them, animals symbolically represent people."

The Peta study found abuse of pets in the home was often linked to
domestic violence, with adult perpetrators tormenting family pets, as well
as children and partners.

Peta's research found that some children in abusive homes copy the
abusers' behaviour. "Children in violent homes are characterised by
frequently participating in pecking-order battering, in which they maim or
kill an animal. Domestic violence is the most common background for
childhood cruelty to animals."

Scotland Yard's homicide prevention unit, set up last year to examine the
psychological profile of violent offenders in an effort to thwart future
crime, is also interested in the links between various patterns of
cruelty.

Laura Richards, a senior behavioural consultant with the unit, said there
was a definite link between domestic violence and stranger rape.

Help to Abolish the Slaughter of Horses for Human Consumption

Another easy action.

From The Humane Society of the United States - www.hsus.org

In the past few months, The Humane Society of the United States
and the Humane Society Legislative Fund have made critical
progress in protecting our country's wild and domestic horses
from slaughter. With your help, we successfully lobbied the U.S.
House of Representatives to abolish the slaughter of horses for
human consumption abroad.

Right now, we have an opportunity to finish this work - and stop
horse slaughter for good - by focusing our energies on the U.S.
Senate.

When U.S. Senators come back to work in just a few weeks, we
expect them to immediately introduce legislation that will ban
the transport, possession, purchase, or sale of horses to be
slaughtered for human consumption overseas. That means we have
only a few weeks to gather all our forces to make sure this
critical legislation passes.

It will not be easy. Our opponents - the livestock industry with
its deep, deep pockets - have persuaded many legislators that
American horses should be slaughtered and their meat shipped
overseas to diners in Belgium, France, and other countries.

It is sickening to think about, but the extent of this awful
"market" is shocking. Last year alone, more than 65,000 American
horses were killed in the United States and processed for human
consumption. In addition, thousands of live horses were
transported across the border to Canada for slaughter. After
these horses are killed, their flesh is shipped to Europe and
Asia for human consumption.

This grotesque and inhumane practice must be stopped. Please,
help us raise $100,000 to ensure that the legislation passes,
despite our opponents' efforts to stop it.

The weeks ahead are critical to our efforts to stop the
slaughter of these beautiful animals, and your support will help
us move ever closer to victory. I hope that I can count on your
contribution to help protect America's horses from needless
slaughter.

Thank you for all you do on behalf of animals.

Sincerely,

Mike Markarian
President
Humane Society Legislative Fund

P.S. The cruelty of horse slaughter is not limited to the act of
killing the animals. Horses bound for slaughter are frequently
shipped long distances and are usually not rested, fed, or
watered during travel. Economics, not humane considerations,
dictate the conditions, including crowding as many horses into
trucks as possible. Help put an end to these inhumane practices.

Easy Action to Stop Korea From Passing a Policy to Hygienically Control Dogmeat

Wow, definitely a sick policy if enacted. Surprising that the incredible species - dog - is seen by some as just another choice on the menu. Hard to think that these feeling, caring animals would have to face the sick face of a dog or cat butcher. Please read on...

Excuse me if you have this information already, but if not, could you take a
moment to write to the Korean government asking to stop them from passing a
policy to hygienically control dogmeat. This would pave the way towards the
legalization of the illegal dog meat trade and will greatly encourage the
consumption of dog meat in Korea.

Some points you can make are :

That Korea would be the only country in the word to legalize eating dogs, and
implementing legislation to hygienically control dogmeat would certainly add
acceptance to it, when they should be making efforts to end the dog and cat
meat trade and educating the public about the myths of dog and cat meat
products.

Also, ask them to enforce the exisiting and future animal protection laws
(not those just in public view), and to introduce clear penalities for the
slaughtering of dogs and cats for food and fraudulent medicines and tonics.

Ask the Korean government if it is worth it to please the minority of Korean
dog eaters and illegal dog meat traders at the expense of millions of Korean
people and animals - and to surely hurt Korea's image in the rest of the world.

Also, all dogs and cats should be included in the definition of "Companion
Animals".

Write to: President Roh Moo-Hyun
Blue House
1 Saejong-Ro , Jongo-gu
Seoul, South Korea
110-050
webmaster@president.go.kr
webmaster@korea.net

Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan
Central Government Complex
77-6 Sejongno, Jongno-gu
Seoul, South Korea
m-opm@opm.go.kr


For more information go the International Aid for Korean Animals/Korea Animal
Protection Society's (IAKA/KAPS) web site @ www.koreananimals.org

David Beckham loves to wear the skin of slaughtered baby kangaroos.

So I guess being rich, famous and desired by most women isn't enough for him. He also desires to wear the skin of slaughtered baby kangaroos. For those who don't know - he is a famous soccer star/heart throb.

From: http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages
/david%20beckham%20targeted%20by%20animal%20rights%20group

Soccer star DAVID BECKHAM will be publicly shamed by an animal rights group, which aims to embarrass him out of wearing kangaroo-skin boots.

Vegetarians' International Voice for Animals' (VIVA) is horrified the Real Madrid ace is promoting sports brand Adidas's Predator Pulse footwear, because the shoes are made from kangaroo leather, which is chosen for its lightness and suppleness.

And they are planning to target Beckham at a high-profile event, to tell him baby kangaroos are unnecessarily slaughtered to provide the "selfish fashion accessories".

VIVA spokesman JUSTIN KERSWELL explains, "It's appalling that the kangaroo, an icon of Australia, is being treated so shamefully.

"Most people don't realise that many of the most popular football boots are made from kangaroo leather."

14/08/2005 13:41

The Not-Mentioned Victims of Gush Katif Pull Out

From: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArtDisengagement.jhtml
?itemNo=612360&contrassID=23&subContrassID=0&sbSubContrass
ID=1

No, this is not a political statement either for or against the pull out (so don't email me at all about the political issue). This is about some of the non-mentioned victims.

Animal rights groups push to save Gush Katif's cats and dogs

By Eli Ashkenazi
Animal welfare advocates met with government officials on Thursday to push for implementing their plan for saving animals abandoned in Gush Katif.

The Noah organization, an umbrella association representing various animal rights groups, says that hundreds of abandoned cats and dogs might starve to death once their sources of water, food and shelter are gone following the evacuation of Gush Katif settlements.

At the meeting with representatives of the Prime Minister's Office, the Agriculture Ministry and the Environment Ministry, Noah advocates demanded the government foot the bill for the plan since it is responsible for all facets of the disengagement.


According to Noah, the PMO representative adopted its plan and even said she would work to get funding for it.

"There are hundreds of cats and several dozen dogs that need to be evacuated or else they will remain without water, food and a place to live," Noah chair Shelly Gluzman said. "The animal welfare organizations have taken upon themselves the task of rescuing these cats and dogs, but it requires financial and physical assistance.

"We have applied to international bodies for help, but so far only about a quarter of the necessary budget has been raised. Our activists are already in the field and are ready for action, but if the funds are not found, we will not be able to collect the animals."

Meanwhile, the animal welfare groups have issued a general appeal to whoever is willing to help in any way possible.

Infant Whale's Death at Vancouver Aquarium

Insane title for this article (see below). Let me give you a possible answer: captivity??

From: http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1845&ncid=1845&e=
8&u=/cpress/20050809/ca_pr_on_na/whale_dies

Cause of infant whale's death at Vancouver aquarium may never be known

TIFFANY CRAWFORDTue Aug 9, 6:52 PM ET

VANCOUVER (CP) - Test results on the death of the Vancouver Aquarium's youngest beluga whale show Tuvaq was severely anemic when he died last month.

But scientists have been unable to link the condition to the infant whale's sudden and shocking death in the middle of a pool on July 17.

"It's only natural to try and say one is probably related to the other but there's no scientific basis for it and it has frustrated a lot of people so far," David Huff, the aquarium's veterinarian, told a news conference on Tuesday.

Huff said the two-year-old whale likely died from some kind of heart arythmia, but not a heart attack as some experts had previously speculated.

He called the lack of certainty into Tuvaq's cause of death "frustrating" but said the investigation was closed.

"The fact is the pathologists, who are about as academic as anybody around here, have signed off on the case and said this is as far as we've gone."

Huff said he compares the results to sudden infant death syndrome in human children.

"That's the most likely autopsy to produce nothing," said Huff, who stood in front of a tank where Laverne, a dolphin that was recently added to the aquarium, splashed about.

Laverne is a Pacific white-sided dolphin that was brought in to join Spinnaker, another dolphin at the aquarium.

A blood sample taken from Tuvaq four to six weeks before he died tested normal, said Huff.

The aquarium has ruled out disease and a lack of nutrition as possible causes of the death.

But Annelise Sorg of the Coalition for No Whales in Captivity wondered if Tuvaq had been chewing on the tank's plumbing and pumps and could have been poisoned.

"These animals are swimming in their own cesspool and I wonder if what wouldn't kill an adult beluga might kill a baby one," said Sorg.

Huff said the infant whale's fat deposits showed he was a healthy whale, suggesting the condition came on extremely fast.

"Tuvaq's blubber was very thick and if you've been dealing with a chronic debilitating disease that's been going on for a long time, the one thing (whales) can't hide is they do lose weight."

Meanwhile, marine experts at the aquarium say the new dolphin is getting along "very well" with Spinnaker.

"We want to do what's best for Spin and I feel that we've done that. Dolphins are social animals and having a companion such as Laverne is very important," said trainer Brian Sheehan.

Sorg said Spinnaker should be sent back to Japan where at least there he would be with a pod of dolphins that he was captured with.

"Captivity is unnatural," said Sorg. "It is wrong."

The aquarium sent its 23-year-old female beluga whale, Allua, to SeaWorld in San Diego on July 24. The whale was known as 'auntie' for nursing Tuvaq when his mother turned her back on him at birth.

What Common Sense has Dictated All Along: Elephants Have Emotions

Just one excerpt from the writing:

"Stress, trauma and other social disruptions - what biomedical research has identified as having profound influences on human psychology, physiology and behaviour - holds for other social animals such as elephants."

Wow, really??!! (sarcastic).

In any case, a well written piece that displays what common sense has told us all along - all animals have emotions. Elephants are not exception. Please read:

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?
set_id=1&click_id=143&art_id=qw1121833263667B251

Animal Ethics: An amazing blog on ethics and it's relation to animal rights

An amazing blog on ethics and it's relation to animal rights. I have a background in philosophy, so I was very happy to see this issue addressed by one in the profession of philosophy. Please check it out and please add it to your "must read" category for blogs.

Animal Ethics: Philosophical Discussion of the Moral Status of Nonhuman Animals
http://animalethics.blogspot.com/

By - Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D.

Whale Burgers - Yep, You Heard Me...Help Put an End to this Practice

Amazing group fighting to end issues affecting dolphins and whales. Unfortunately, some countries still view whales as food and hence partake in whale burgers. Read below to see about taking part in these issues.

In this edition we highlight an alarming increase in the number of captive dolphin displays in Europe and how you can help in our campaign to end trade in live dolphins. We bring you shocking news of the sale of whale burgers in Norway and Japan, as well as whale and dolphin news from around the world.

************************************

DOLPHINS DYING TO ENTERTAIN

Bottlenose dolphins have recently been imported to Italy for a new marine park near Rome, despite concerns over the suffering caused to these animals in captivity.

Dolphins continue to be captured from the wild to supply the increasing demands of a growing captivity industry, putting the future of wild dolphin populations at risk and causing great suffering to individual animals. Yet, despite these damaging impacts, the number of marine parks displaying dolphins in Europe continues to grow.

We believe that Zoomarine, who are responsible for the new Italian marine park, may be breaking Italian laws surrounding the use of captive dolphins. We are fighting to end trade in live dolphins. Please join our campaign by sending a campaign e-card to the relevant authorities in Italy in protest. To send your e-card now please go to:

http://uk.wdcs.org/go/NL050805captive1

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WHALES TURNED INTO BURGERS

In a highly controversial attempt to revive flagging sales of whale meat, Norway and Japan have begun to market whale burgers.

The burgers have recently gone on sale in dozens of supermarkets throughout Norway. A restaurant chain in Japan has been selling deep-fried minke whale burgers since June.

Both countries kill whales despite an international ban on commercial whaling. Japan claims its hunt is for scientific purposes. Between them the countries propose to kill nearly 2000 whales this year and plan to greatly expand their hunts in the future.

To read more, please go to:

http://uk.wdcs.org/go/NL050805WHALING1

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GREY WHALES FACE THREAT OF TRANSPORTATION

Two scientists at the University of Lancashire in the UK are proposing to move 50 grey whales from their home in California to the Irish Sea. According to reports, the scientists plan to capture the whales and load them onto a cargo plane before flying them to the UK and releasing them off the coast of Cumbria. WDCS experts have criticised these plans, branding them neither feasible nor sensible.

To read more on this, please go to:

http://uk.wdcs.org/go/NL050805greywhal

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HOW YOU CAN HELP SAVE WHALES AND DOLPHINS

There are many ways that you can contribute to WDCS's work, and now, if you live in the UK, you can even help protect whales and dolphins when you purchase your car insurance.

By taking out your car insurance with Endsleigh, you can contribute to life-saving funds, as a contribution is made to WDCS with every policy bought.

For a free, no obligation quote, please call 0800 028 3571, or go to http://uk.wdcs.org/go/NL050805insure

Make sure you quote WDCS as a reference.

************************************

WHALE AND DOLPHIN NEWS IN BRIEF

DOLPHIN CAPTIVITY BANNED IN COSTA RICA

WDCS is pleased to be able to report that keeping dolphins and whales in captivity, and also swimming with the animals, has been banned in Costa Rica.

http://uk.wdcs.org/go/NL050805CAPTIVE2

ICELAND'S WHALE HUNT CONTINUES

Iceland’s whale hunting season began earlier in the summer, and WDCS was disappointed to learn that the whalers intended to take 39 minke whales during the 2005 season.

http://uk.wdcs.org/go/NL050805whaling2

NEW DOLPHIN SPECIES
A new dolphin species has been identified by scientists off the coast of north Australia. The animals, which have been named snubfin dolphins, were initially thought to be members of the Irrawaddy species.

http://uk.wdcs.org/go/NL050805species

NEW EXHIBITION OPENS AT WDCS WILDLIFE CENTRE
A fantastic new attraction opened last month at the WDCS Wildlife Centre in Spey Bay, Scotland. Underwater World gives visitors the opportunity to experience the watery world of the dolphin, and was opened by TV presenter and WDCS supporter Shauna Lowry.

http://uk.wdcs.org/go/NL050805WLC

WDCS GOES TO JAPAN EXPO
This month, WDCS is honored to attend the first World Exposition of the 21st Century, which is taking place at Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The Aichi Expo opened in March, with August expected to be the busiest month, with overseas visitors coming from China, Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

http://uk.wdcs.org/go/NL050805WW

If you wish to contact us, please e-mail info@wdcs.org. We regret that we are not able to respond to replies to this e-mail.

In the market for a cruelty-free baseball glove?

In the market for a cruelty-free baseball glove? Check this site out. Though the author makes a point of stating that he does it for other reasons, he at least acknowledges the need and even uses the v word. Yes folks, he says vegan.

Even more, you'll be shocked to see him discuss why leather gloves are now inferior. Hint - it's the way cattle are now raised and slaughtered. Wow, this guy has definitely done his research. I'd support him!

http://www.carpentertrade.com/material.html

World’s first canine clone is revealed

The wacky world of cloned beings. Just a posting for your information. Not an endorsement of the practice.


http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7785

Animal Cruelty at Wegmans Egg Farm – Film

A new documentary film "Wegmans Cruelty" reveals animal cruelty and
inhumane conditions at
Wegmans Egg Farm in Wolcott, NY, between Rochester and Syracuse. Wegmans
grocery store, ranked #1 on Fortune magazine’s list of best companies to
work for, operates its own factory egg facility, which contains over
750,000 hens. The 30 minute film “Wegmans Cruelty” reveals the
suffering, neglect and death inherent in these farms.

A 2 minute trailer for the film is available here:
http://www.wegmanscruelty.com/content/blogcategory/20/36/
The complete film is available as a free download also. The sites it can
be downloaded from
are growing.

The Rochester, NY, Democrat & Chronicle newspaper covered the film’s
release and Wegmans’ reaction to the film:
“Activists take on Wegmans: Chicken-cruelty charge and video rebuffed by
execs, others”:
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050702/NEWS01/507020324

A news release from Wegmans is here:
http://wegmans.com/news/flash/eggFarmUpdate.asp?sd=home&dt=eggUpdate
Wegmans defends its farm as humane by appealing to the “Animal Care
Certified” program, a program that the Better Business Bureau has deemed
“misleading advertising.”

A spokesperson for the campaign was recently fired from her job as an
accountant for the company that services Wegmans; see the story:
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050715/NEWS01/507150383/1002/NEWS

For more information and to talk to the producers of the film, please
visit:
http://www.wegmanscruelty.com/

See also
http://wegmanscruelty.blogspot.com
http://myspace.com/wegmanscruelty

Radio collars help scientists gather data, but some say they harm animals.

I've always wondered about this questionable practice. Good to see some talking about it.

http://www.latimes.com/features/outdoors/
la-os-collars5jul05,1,1601959.story

WILDLIFE

Distress signals

Radio collars help scientists gather data, but some say they harm animals.

By Ann Japenga
Special to The Times

July 5, 2005

Wildlife biologists snap radio collars on ground squirrels, strap
transmitters on bats and stick electronic devices on just about anything
that moves.

Yet now some scientists are asking: Just because we can, should we?

Radio telemetry
in which researchers use transmitters to track animals
has surged in popularity since brothers Frank and John Craighead
pioneered the collaring of grizzly bears in Yellowstone in the 1960s. In
some instances, animals wear the devices long after the research
concludes. Yet scientists have put more effort into advancing the
technologies than weighing the ethics of the practice.

"The problem I see is people just throw a bunch of collars on animals
before they think deeply about the questions they're asking," says Rick
Hopkins, a cougar researcher and co-owner of Live Oak Associates, an
ecological consulting firm in San Jose.

While the devices have aided science, their use can harm creatures. Wild
animals respond to stress with "capture myopathy," a potentially
life-threatening condition characterized by damage to muscle tissue.
"Anytime you handle an animal or chemically restrict an animal you run the
risk of mortality. If you collar enough animals, you have to assume some
mortality," Hopkins says.

Sometimes the devices can alter animal behavior, skewing scientific
findings. University of Colorado biologist Marc Bekoff says a diminutive
penguin species found in New Zealand and southern Australia have
difficulty diving for food when fitted with small tracking devices. He
says the equipment can alter nesting behavior, social interactions, mating
and predation in other species.

"It can really change their behavior and other animals' response to them,"
Bekoff says. "Even if you don't give a hoot about ethics, that means the
data you're collecting is tainted."

In a search for less intrusive methods, some scientists have begun to
experiment with techniques that do not require tranquilizer darts, radio
collars, helicopters, surgical implants or handling wildlife.

"Noninvasive approaches are the wave of the future," says University of
Vermont wildlife biologist Robert Long. With his wife and fellow
researcher Paula MacKay, Long is compiling a manual of noninvasive
alternatives. They include remote cameras; hair snares, a Velcro-like
material that snags a fur sample for DNA testing; and scent stations that
collect tracks as animals sniff out bait.

Domestic animals help humans study wild animals too. Long says dogs locate
scat, desert tortoises, snakes and wolves killed by poachers.

Long, like Hopkins and many other biologists, believes radio collars are
still useful. For example, researchers can locate an animal quickly after
it has died or given birth; the collars give off a signal when a creature
stops moving for a prolonged period.

"Noninvasive techniques have come a long way," Long says, "but there are
still some things you can get from collaring [that] you can't get from
anything else."

Meanwhile, a more nuanced ethical and aesthetic debate is underway: Is a
wild animal still wild if it's wearing a glorified dog collar?

In Yellowstone, where biologists with the Yellowstone Wolf Project
reintroduce wolves to the park, some visitors object to seeing animals
adorned with plastic collars. Due to protests, project leader Doug Smith
collars only about one-third of the population, though he is permitted to
track half the park's wolves.

"I'm trying to balance an intense need for information with a public that
comes here to experience pristine nature," Smith says. "The information we
need is pressing, and the radio collars are the best way to get it."

Although researchers say telemetry can yield valuable results, no one has
reviewed the practice to see if wild animals are better off now, overall,
than they were before the Craighead brothers figured out how to lasso a
grizzly.

"You can get these huge data dumps from
collars, but what does any of it mean?" Hopkins asks.

"There's no central agency, warehouse or website where researchers can see
what sort of research has been conducted," adds Camilla Fox, director of
wildlife programs for the Animal Protection Institute in Sacramento.
Absent that, she says, some telemetry studies may be needlessly repeated.

In addition, no standard guidelines exist for radio-collaring animals, Fox
says. University researchers review individual studies, and when an
endangered species is involved they consult with the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, but practices vary considerably from study to study.

Despite those concerns, Smith concludes after 26 years of wolf watching
that collars do not significantly affect wild animals struggling with
greater threats to their survival. Says Smith: "It's the most minor
minutiae in their life."

PLEASE SIGN AND FORWARD THIS PETITION - Urgent - to stop killing of prairie dogs in Colorado

In Colorado, or know anyone in Colorado? Pass this on. Very easy to do

Hello,
This petition is to stop the killing of approx. 250 prairie dogs in Highlands Ranch, CO. Please forward to your members as you see appropriate. The Deadline is August 7th!
Lindsey

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/589867250

This is the one for Hoby and HR open space. It's
got half the signatures of the Shea petition, and we only have until August
8th. PLEASE put this petition in the same circulation as the other. Thanks
-

Lindsey Sterling Krank, Director
The Prairie Dog Coalition
2525 Arapahoe #E4-527
Boulder, CO 80302
(720) 938-0788
director@prairiedogcoalition.org
For the Life of the Prairie.

Not one NGA greyhound should be sent to Juarez, Mexico torace.

This came from All Breeds Rescue Networks. Please do what you can to
dissuade these people from sending Greyhounds to Mexico.



This came from the American-European
Greyhound Alliance for all of us who care about dogs and don't want to
see them suffer in substandard living conditions. Feel free to cross
post.

Recently it was disclosed
that the National Greyhound Association (NGA) has been deciding whether
or not to allow NGA greyhounds to go to the Mexican track in Juarez to
race. You may have read something about this issue on one of the
greyhound chat lists.

The President of Greyhound
Pets of America, (GPA) a national greyhound adoption organization, with
many chapters across the US, went to Juarez and met with track
officials there. He is of the mind that this is an acceptable idea, and
says he is in negotiations to set up greyhound adoption when the dogs
are finished racing. Of course, he gives no details, nor invites those
with an opposing view to participate. If he does put forth a glossed
over adoption scheme, the NGA will use that to remove the “HOLD” it
presently says is in effect.

Please take a minute and
consider what this really means to any greyhound unfortunate enough to
end up at Juarez in Mexico, an impoverished country with no animal
welfare standards. You probably have a greyhound or two of your own,
and could not imagine its life if it had to endure trying to survive in
Juarez.

We are trying to reach
every greyhound rescue organization and ask that they pass this on to
their adopters. Most of us are not affiliated with the GPA, and do not
wish to have them speak for us. This appeal is sent to you to ask that
you notify the NGA that you strongly disagree with this proposal. Every
greyhound should have a voice through our organizations, and these poor
dogs will have nobody. The President of the GPA cannot guarantee it.
All of us should have a voice;
it is our efforts that enable the retired NGA racers to get into
adoption programs. The NGA “HOLD” should become a NGA “BAN”. If these
greyhounds are not competitive any longer in the US, they should not go
to race in Juarez.


To contact the NGA by fax: 785-263-4689, by E-Mail: nga@ngagreyhounds.com, or by Phone: 785-263-4660.

To contact the GPA by Fax:
734-753-3964, or by E-Mail: pres@greyhoundpets.org, or vp@greyhoundpets.org.

If you would like a free
fax of your message sent to either, e-mail the message to reneeandgreys@aol.com.

Time is of the essence. Permission granted to cross post and pass on.




The American-European
Greyhound Alliance, Inc.

www.ameurogreyhoundalliance.org

webmaster@ameurogreyhoundalliance.org

Greyhound Planet store

www.cafepress.com/greyhoundplanet

Perspectives on animal rights in Utah Valley

A great article that actually puts forth some hope.
Good to see some Mormons looking to forward these issues as well.

http://www.netxnews.net/vnews/display.v/
ART/2005/07/31/42edb1132ec0a

Perspectives on animal rights in Utah Valley
Applying local ethics to a national debate

by Michael Palmer
July 31, 2005

Activists Sexually and Physically Assaulted During Battery Farm Raid

For immediate release
United Poultry Concerns

Activists Sexually and Physically Assaulted During Battery Farm Raid

Meredith, Victoria July 28, 2005

Contact:

Patty Mark (ALV President): 0417 396 236

Debra Tranter (Senior Campaigner): 0417 536
539


Three Animal Liberation Victoria (ALV)
activists
today conducted a daring daylight raid at Happy
Hens Egg World, in Meredith. ALV have conducted 20
rescues at the property, each time exposing horrific
cruelty to animals. After about ten rescues farm
management began increasing security, with
electrified fences and trained guard dogs patrolling
the property, so that the factory farm is now a
Dachau style concentration camp for the 220,000
battery hens caged there. The electrified
fence gate is open during daylight hours for worker
access.



Prior to being assaulted, the three ALV
investigators observed battery hens suffering
severe feather loss crammed into rusty old
cages. A number of birds were also observed in
the manure pits, without access to food or water.
After only five minutes of documenting these
conditions, the women were set upon by seven
farm employees who started
physically assaulting them and pushing them
along the length of the dirty shed covered in dust
and cobwebs.



The women asked the men to please let them
go as they were happy to leave the sheds. The
violence escalated when one young man
approached rescue team member Debra
Tranter from behind and put his arms around her,
grabbing and squeezing her breasts. Ms
Tranter screamed and fell to the ground at
which time she was grabbed by both her ankles
and dragged along the filthy floor.



Police were called and took photographs of
the injuries sustained by the rescue
team members, and took their statements.
The rescue team members are
pressing for charges of sexual and physical assault,
in addition to charges of cruelty to animals, to be laid
against the farm and its employees.





Debra Tranter, a trained nurse and
supervisor said outside the shed: "For
eleven years I've been coming to these sheds to
document the suffering of these birds. I've never
been treated so violently. I kept pleading to these
angry males to please let me go as I was quite happy
to leave the sheds. I knew the hens were
overcrowded and tormented in their tiny cages. But
the aggressive treatment of me today by those
in charge of these captive hens has only
made me more determined to help them."



Patty Mark, ALV President, added:
"The bruising and roughing up we received
today, highlights the extreme peril these birds
are in. Not only are they debeaked, featherless, and
dying in tiny cages, but the only ones there for them
day to day are these violent and
abusive men. We've been campaigning against
Happy Hens for eleven years and the sheds were
worse than ever. Today the police told us that two
weeks ago 70,000 birds died after a mechanical
breakdown. This property requires urgent attention
by legal authorities."

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


United Poultry Concerns is a nonprofit organization
that promotes the compassionate and respectful
treatment of domestic fowl.
http://www.upc-online.org

The Art of Killing a Cat Movie

From another list. A real sick issue.

Hi all:
Would you please take a moment and e-mail or mail this letter- or your
own version- to the Melbourne Film Festival.

Thanks!

SOURCE OF INFORMATION
June Bird, juneb@saynotoanimalsinpetshops.com

Rheya Linden, rlinden@unimelb.edu.au
Animal Active! animalactive@excite.com
http://www.animalactive.org

http://www.melbournefilmfestival.com.au/
Programme/viewdetails.php?f=2887

===========================
SAMPLE LETTER
===========================

Mr. James Hewison, Executive Director
Melbourne International Film Festival 2005
PO Box 2206
Fitzroy Mail Centre VIC 3065
ph: 03 9417 4500, +613 9417 2011; fax: +613 9417 3804
email: hewison@melbournefilmfestival.com.au,
miff@melbournefilmfestival.com.au

Dear Mr. Hewison,

As someone who advocates free expression in the arts, I am stunned the
Melbourne International Film Festival agreed to screen a film in which
three
heroin-addicted men skin and disembowel a live cat. Please add my voice
to
the majority of citizens worldwide who draw the line at animal "snuff"
films.

The July 24, 2005 showing of "Casuistry: The Art of Killing a Cat"
disgraces
the entire July 20-August 7 festival, drawing global disdain similar to
the
outcry over its premier at the 2004 Toronto Film Festival.

"Killing a Cat's" makers claim to examine "one of Canada's most
notorious,
abhorrent animal cruelty cases" while simultaneously exposing "the art
world's tolerance for these kinds of actions." They seem to believe
illegal
violence wrapped in intellectual reverie is acceptable, as long as it
serves
art. MIFF should have made the socially responsible decision to reject a
film that showcases animal torture.

In a Herald Sun voteline (7/20/05) 93.3% of respondents voted to delete
this
documentary from the festival. RSPCA president Dr. Hugh Wirth argued any
portrayal of animal abuse prompts others to commit comparable offenses.
"It
doesn't matter whether you show the cruelty or just describe it, it is
the
same thing." (The Herald Sun, 7/19/05)

Cat Protection Society executive director Dr. Carole Webb, who described
a
flood of cat killings in Australia, stated the film could trigger more
brutality against animals. "If there was a film titled 'How to Abuse a
Child' it would be censored." (The Herald Sun, 7/19/05)

Indeed, just as snuff films cater to psychopaths who enjoy a sneak peek
at
terror and murder, "Killing a Cat" risks provoking mimicry. The film is a

how-to manual for disturbed individuals with violent tendencies.
Furthermore, animal abusers are commonly linked with domestic violence or

other aggressive crimes. Police case files reveal most convicted serial
killers victimized animals before graduating to humans.

In the future, I hope MIFF will show more discretion and refuse to screen

any film that trespasses all moral and artistic boundaries.

Respectfully,

Judge: Salt Lake County must pay animal-rights protesters

http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_2894948

This sets a good precedent.

House Passes CAFTA; Gives Bush His Biggest Win, and Farm Animals Biggest Loss - Cow-Calf Weekly, 7/28/05

On July 28, the US House of Representatives voted
217-215 to pass the US Central America-Dominican
Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR), widely
recognized as favorable to animal farmers. USDA
Secretary Johans called the passage "an immensely
positive step for America's farmers and ranchers. The
agreement eliminates barriers to our producers and
greatly improves our competitiveness in these
markets." Opponents fear that CAFTA-DR will undermine
Central America's domestic industries and encourage
the use of US-based farming practices including higher
concentration of animals.

Kentucky Bans Exotic Animals as "Pets"

From: info@api4animals.org
Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2005 10:39:40 -0700


Great News for Animals:
Kentucky Bans Exotic Animals as "Pets"

Great News: A regulation that will prohibit the future private possession
of tigers, lions, monkeys, bears, venomous reptiles, and other dangerous
wildlife has been enacted in Kentucky!

The regulation is one of the most comprehensive restrictions on the
keeping of exotic animals as "pets" in the United States. This important
regulation will not only prohibit the future private possession of these
exotic animals but also prohibit existing animals from being bred.

As mentioned, this ban affects future possession of wild animals. Persons
currently possessing legally obtained animals can keep them, provided
that they maintain veterinary and acquisition records establishing that
the animal was possessed prior to the effective date of the regulation.

Background:

Wild animals are often kept captive in private homes as "pets." Common
animals kept as "pets" include lions, tigers, cougars, ocelots, servals,
wolves, bears, alligators, snakes, monkeys and other nonhuman primates.
These animals by their very nature are incapable of being domesticated or
tamed.

Wild animals are inherently dangerous. Across the country wild and exotic
animals privately held have attacked humans and other animals, and have
escaped from their enclosures, freely roaming the community. These
animals require the care that the average person simply cannot provide.
To date, 37 states have some form of law either banning or regulating the
private possession of exotic animals — it is now time for all other
states to act.

The Animal Protection Institute and the Primate Rescue Center worked
together in getting this important regulation passed in order to protect
animals and protect the people in Kentucky from the risk that exotic
animals pose when kept as "pets". API is working nationally on exotic
animal legislation and has extensive information relating to wild animals
in captivity, including incidents involving dangerous exotic animals in
private possession. For more information visit www.MoreBeautifulWild.com
http://www.MoreBeautifulWild.com

Thank you to all that took action on this very important issue. Stay
tuned for more ways to help animals in your state and across the country.

Inmate sues over finger in veggie meal

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/
20050725/od_nm/odd_finger_dc

Now that sucks. I feel for this guy.

Get off Your Butt for Farm Sanctuary Walk for Animals

From Farm Sanctuary a great organization. If you don't see your city listed below, why not volunteer to lead it! Come on, it's easy.

We need YOUR help to raise critical funds for Farm Sanctuary’s direct animal rescue efforts, groundbreaking investigative campaigns, and national public education programs. The Walk-a-thons are held around October 2 in honor of World Farm Animals Day. The Walks are generally 5k – 10k long (about 3 to 6 miles) and are often held in public parks. Walkers who raise over $100 receive exciting Farm Sanctuary prizes, so start collecting those pledges now!

Registration
As a Walk participant, you will collect pledges from friends, family, colleagues, and members of your community. Walks are held between mid-September and mid-October — dates vary from city to city. To register, please contact the Walk Coordinator in your area (see list below). There is a $10 registration fee that entitles each registrant to a Walk for Farm Animals T-shirt designed by “Bizarro” comic creator Dan Piraro. To reserve your T-shirt, please register no later than three weeks prior to the Walk.

Walk-a-Thon Prizes
Raise over $500 and receive a 100% cotton Farmy shirt and our popular Rescue & Refuge Calendar.

Raise over $250 and receive a pewter pin and our popular Rescue & Refuge Calendar.

Raise over $100 and receive one small plush animal and our popular Rescue & Refuge Calendar.

Arizona
Phoenix
Kari Nienstedt
480-607-6638
mailto:phoenix@walkforfarmanimals.org

California
Chico
Jenna Facciuto
541-261-9928
mailto:chico@walkforfarmanimals.org

Los Angeles
Robin Raven
310-925-4410
mailto:la@walkforfarmanimals.org

Orange County
Karen Coyne
949-370-8484
mailto:oc@walkforfarmanimals.org

San Francisco
Bud Makelke, Christine Morrissey &
Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
925-487-4419
mailto:sanfrancisco@walkforfarmanimals.org

San Jose
Cathy Grovenburg
408-377-9021
mailto:sanjose@walkforfarmanimals.org

Santa Rosa
Maryann Blanchard & Arlene Wedgwood
707-576-7589
mailto:santarosa@walkforfarmanimals.org

Colorado
Denver
Harriet Balhiser
719-276-2201
mailto:denver@walkforfarmanimals.org

Florida
Gainesville
Justine McCoy
352-591-1295
mailto:gainesville@walkforfarmanimals.org

Jacksonville
Delphine S. Pichot
904-641-9824
mailto:jacksonville@walkforfarmanimals.org

Orlando
Mary Anne Holls
865-414-5258
mailto:orlando@walkforfarmanimals.org

Tampa
Stephanie Rebein
813-265-0718
mailto:tampa@walkforfarmanimals.org

Georgia
Atlanta
Laura Mungavin
404-875-8234
mailto:atlanta@walkforfarmanimals.org

Hawaii
Maui
Laurelee Blanchard
808-575-7694
mailto:maui@walkforfarmanimals.org

Illinois
Chicago
Carol Poynter
773-871-7594
mailto:chicago@walkforfarmanimals.org

Indiana
Evansville
Jamie Taylor
812-746-8498
mailto:evansville@walkforfarmanimals.org

Fort Wayne
Heather Leughmyer
260-327-3434
mailto:ftwayne@walkforfarmanimals.org

Iowa
Iowa City
Farm Animal Welfare Network
319-351-3273
mailto:iowacity@walkforfarmanimals.org

Maryland
Baltimore
Anne Marie Sadler
410-951-9074
mailto:baltimore@walkforfarmanimals.org

Massachusetts
Boston
Lorraine Nicotera
781-337-7513
mailto:boston@walkforfarmanimals.org

Springfield
Peter & Christina Fairman
413-783-2695
mailto:springfield@walkforfarmanimals.org

Michigan
Ann Arbor
Cody Winchester
734-417-8450
mailto:annarbor@walkforfarmanimals.org

New York
Albany
Ticia Garret
518-526-3505
mailto:albany@walkforfarmanimals.org

Fredonia
Dorian McWain
716-785-0660
mailto:fredonia@walkforfarmanimals.org

Ithaca
Meghan Beeby
607-583-2225 ext.251
mailto:ithaca@walkforfarmanimals.org

New York City
Kelley Wind
212-217-9359
mailto:nyc@walkforfarmanimals.org

Poughkeepsie
Robin Henderson
914-473-4734
mailto:poughkeepsie@walkforfarmanimals.org

North Carolina
Ashville
Sandy Ancowitz
828-272-6454
mailto:ashville@walkforfarmanimals.org

Ohio
Cincinnati
Mike & Shon Chaffee
859-586-8503
mailto:cincinnati@walkforfarmanimals.org

Cleveland
Bridget Soeder
440-684-9978
mailto:cleveland@walkforfarmanimals.org

Oklahoma
Norman
Bill George Jr.
405-447-5495
mailto:norman@walkforfarmanimals.org

Pennsylvania
Philadelphia
Mari Facenda, Shannon Phillips & Stephanie Luther
215-991-5746
mailto:philadelphia@walkforfarmanimals.org

State College
Terri Nelson-Bunge
814-234-3423
mailto:stcollege@walkforfarmanimals.org

Rhode Island
Bristol
Cindy Berard
401-575-3716
mailto:bristol@walkforfarmanimals.org

Tennessee
Nashville
Billye Thompson
615-773-1444
mailto:nashville@walkforfarmanimals.org

Virginia
Newport News
Catherine Finnegan
571-344-2022
mailto:newportnews@walkforfarmanimals.org

West Virginia
Huntington
Amy Blankenship
304-529-3855
mailto:huntington@walkforfarmanimals.org

Wisconsin
Milwaukee
Doug
414-839-9965
mailto:milwaukee@walkforfarmanimals.org

Washington D.C.
Patricia Welty
301-897-7390
mailto:dc@walkforfarmanimals.org

Canada
Montreal
Joanne Charlebois
514-731-4271
mailto:montreal@walkforfarmanimals.org

Toronto
Juli Kaiss & Holly Larson
416-699-1107
mailto:toronto@walkforfarmanimals.org

Farm Sanctuary is a national, non-profit organization dedicated
to ending farm animal abuse through direct rescue and protection
campaigns. For more information about Farm Sanctuary programs,
please visit http://www.farmsanctuary.org or call 607-583-2225.

Tell PBS Not to Air Pro-Factory-Farming Propaganda

From another group:

Tell PBS Not to Air Pro-Factory-Farming Propaganda

The factory-farming industry, including agribusiness giant Monsanto and
the American Farm Bureau (a front group for corporate agriculture), has
collaborated with a California public television network to produce a TV
series called Americas Heartland. The shows producers claim that they
will profile the people, places, and processes of todays agribusiness.
But if the shows trailer and the shows predecessor, Californias
Heartland, are any indication, Americas Heartland will do its best to
mislead viewers about the true nature of the modern meat, egg, and dairy
industries.

The shows trailer creates the illusion that farmed animals are raised on
small, idyllic farms where they are given plenty of space and fresh air.
In reality, the vast majority of animals raised for food in the United
States suffer immeasurably on huge, industrial factory farms, where they
are confined and mutilated before being violently killed. The corporate
sponsors of Americas Heartland are very concerned about the growing
public outrage surrounding the abuse of animals on modern factory farms.
These companies have already shelled out more than a million dollars to
produce this show, all in an effort to trick Americans about the way
farmed animals are treated.

Monsanto and the American Farm Bureau are offering the show to 300 U.S.
public television stations this fall. Please politely ask your local
public station to refuse to air Americas Heartland and other agribusiness
propaganda. Find the contact information for your station.
http://cl.exct.net/?ffcc17-fe61167676650179741c-fe33
157376640578771079


Read more about the reality behind modern animal agriculture.
http://cl.exct.net/?ffcc17-fe60167676650179741d-fe33
157376640578771079

Thanks for all that you do for animals.

Any friends/family in the UK? If so, important animal testing issue to pass onto them

Even if you do not know any one in the UK to pass this on to, read the following description from a testing laboratory associated with Huntington Life Sciences. You'll be reminded why people are against animal testing.



The Northern edition of the the Big Issue "Big Issue in the North"
advertises for the animal testing company Covance. Here's an extract from a
BUAV investigation into Covance.

“One female monkey was called, sickeningly, ‘Rape; because she screamed so
often. Her face was slapped when she struggled during masking. On another
occasion ‘Rape’ was being transferred from one room to another when, our
investigator wrote in his journal, “Rick was standing at the washroom door
holding the monkey that the technicians call ‘Rape’ up to his chest. The
monkey was being held by both arms and she was frantically screaming. Rick
was laughing as the monkey struggled and became more stressed. Then Sandy
came over and with his pen ruffled the hair on the monkey’s head and then
prodded her in the stomach. The monkey screamed louder and, lifting her
legs, she held tightly to her head with her feet. Still screaming, and with
her eyes closed, she was taken away to her cage.”

Please contact the Big Issue in the North stating that you will be
boycotting the Big Issue whilst they continue to advertise jobs for
Covance and will be advising others to do the same. Thanks.

The Big Issue in the North: 135-141 Oldham St, Manchester M4 1LN. Tel: 0161
834 6300 Fax: 0161 832 3237

E- MAILS......
editorial@bigissueinthenorth.com, info@thebiglifecompany.com,
ali.watson@thebiglifecompany.com, karen.welsh@thebiglifecompany.com,
andy.peers@thebiglifecompany.com, colette.johnson@thebiglifecompany.com,
laurence.lennon@thebiglifecompany.com,
sarra.munro@bigissueinthenorth.com, dawn.rivers@thebiglifecompany.com,
steve.doyle@bigissueinthenorth.com, angie.smyth@thebiglifecompany.com,
jane.ford@thebiglifecompany.com, sarah.hardman@bigissueinthenorth.com,
simon.kweeday@bigissueinthenorth.com, sue.pollitt@thebiglifecompany.com


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Endangered Wildlife is Again Under Serious Threat

Hard to believe that it could get worse for endangered wildlife, but, sadly, in these times it is true. Please take a moment for the action below. Very easy.

Hi! I just sent a fax to Congress to save our
vanishing wildlife at:
http://www.saveesa.org/action.html.

Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA) may be on the verge
of introducing recently drafted legislation which
would tear apart protections for our endangered
wildlife.  If Rep. Pombo's bill passes, our wolves,
bald eagles, sea otters, and other endangered animals
will be at risk of extinction.

Please help me protect the Endangered Species Act
today by sending a
fax to your Representative, too.

Act now at: http://www.saveesa.org/action.html