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

ASPCA Puts Out A Call for Disaster Relief Funds for Animal Shelters Affected by Hurricane Katrina

From: http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050831/nyw064.html?.v=18

Definitely help.


Press Release Source: ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)

ASPCA Puts Out A Call for Disaster Relief Funds for Animal Shelters Affected by Hurricane Katrina
Wednesday August 31, 10:01 am ET

General Public Asked to Donate via www.aspca.org to Fund for Animal Shelters Affected by Hurricane

NEW YORK, Aug. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- In recognition of the loss and devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the ASPCA® (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) has issued a call for help and in-kind aid for the numerous animal shelters effected by this incredible natural disaster. With the funds raised, the ASPCA, working through its National Outreach department, will grant the money to shelters most in need of financial support as a result of this week's hurricane.

The ASPCA distributes funds from our Disaster Relief Fund to shelters and organizations across the country that are impacted by natural disasters. Our efforts help organizations through the recovery process by providing direct support to help rebuild facilities and relocate animals. Contributions will go directly to the ASPCA Disaster Relief Fund. To donate to the ASPCA Disaster Relief Fund, please go to www.aspca.org and click on the Disaster Relief icon or call (212) 876-7700 Ext. 4516.

"The affects from Hurricane Katrina are enormous," said Ed Sayres, president and CEO of the ASPCA. "As relief organizations begin the daunting task of helping the people and communities regroup and rebuild, we hope we can lend assistance in aiding our brethren shelters in this time of need."

About the ASPCA®

Founded in 1866, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal (ASPCA) was the first humane organization established in the Western Hemisphere and today has one million supporters. The ASPCA's mission is to provide an effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. The ASPCA® provides national leadership in humane education, government affairs and public policy, shelter support, and animal poison control. The NYC headquarters houses a full-service animal hospital, animal behavior center, and adoption facility. The Humane Law Enforcement department enforces New York's animal cruelty laws and is featured on the reality television series Animal Precinct on Animal Planet. Visit www.aspca.org for more information.

Source: ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)

Zoos are no place for elephants

Really?!! You mean very large animals who roam great distances should not be kept in small areas with cement enclosures? Who would have thought?

Zoos are no place for elephants


From: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9078917/

Animal Behaviorist Weighs In On Proposed City Ordinance

WMAQ-TV

CHICAGO - An animal behaviorist who has studied elephants for 30 years in Africa told a City Council committee Thursday she believes no zoo can adequately care for elephants without providing several miles of space for them to roam. Images: Zoo's Last Elephant Dies

Jan. 2005 Images: Peaches Passes Away

Oct. 2004 Images: Elephant Dies At Lincoln Park Zoo Alderwoman Mary Ann Smith (48th) has introduced legislation that would require any zoo or other stationary animal exhibit to provide a minimum of 10 acres of space -- five acres indoors and five outdoors -- per elephant. Meanwhile, circuses or other traveling exhibits would have to provide a minimum 1,800 square feet indoors and outdoors for a single elephant, with an additional 900 square feet indoors and outdoors per additional elephant.

During a hearing by the City Council's Parks & Recreation Committee, Joyce Poole, research director of the Amboseli Elephant Research Project in Kenya, said she believes zoos provide some advantages through medical research that can be used to benefit animals in the wild. But she said most zoos and circuses simply do not have the space to properly care for an animal the size of an elephant.

"In my view, elephants are not made for zoos as we see them today. I would like to see, maybe 10, maybe 15 spaces ... in the United States that have elephants. I see them more like a sanctuary where you have a certain number of elephants, males and females can breed together, families can be established and they can live normal elephant lives where they can breed and graze," Poole said.

Poole has been studying elephant behavior at Amboseli National Park in Kenya since 1975.

According to Poole, elephants have a highly developed "democratic" social structure and the animals develop long-term relationships with each other. She said elephants have shown the ability to recognize other elephants after several years of separation and are well-known for their ability to recognize and even mourn the deaths of other elephants.

Poole said zoos are not conducive to developing such social relationships because most zoos keep only a handful of elephants, while in the wild, females and calves live in family groups of an average of nearly 19 animals per group.

Of the 1,300 elephants at the 150-square-mile Amboseli National Park, the largest group contained about 550 animals, according to Poole.

Most elephants at the park travel between 5 and to 10 miles per day, further in drought conditions, and Poole said the animals cannot get the same amount or quality of exercise in the confined spaces offered by most zoos and circuses. She said most zoo elephants suffer from obesity, arthritis or painful foot problems because of the lack of activity, health problems they do not face in the wild or in large animal sanctuaries.

Though some critics of proposals to restrict or prohibit the keeping of elephants in circuses have argued the animals get exercise during the acts they perform, Poole said the exercise is not the same quality as the animals get in the wild.

She said circus elephants are under more stress when they perform because of a fear they will be disciplined for failure to perform. "I don't think it's appropriate exercise," Poole said.

Smith, who chairs the Parks & Recreation Committee, said she does not expect to bring the proposal to a vote for several months. She said because the ordinance is not a routine matter for the City Council, she wants to "do some quality homework" to gather evidence from as many experts as possible.

While officials from Lincoln Park Zoo and Brookfield Zoo were notified of Thursday's hearing, Smith said she scheduled Poole's testimony only because Poole happened to be in Chicago for another reason and Smith wanted to hear from Poole at some point.

Smith said she expects to invite zoo officials and other animal experts to testify later to gather as much information as possible. "You can tell there is a huge universe of research here that is available to us and we intend to continue drawing in this research," Smith said.

Lincoln Park Zoo spokeswoman Kelly McGrath could not immediately provide comment.

Smith drafted the ordinance following the deaths of three Lincoln Park Zoo elephants between October 2004 and May 2005.

A report by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association determined, based on necropsies and interviews, that Wankie and Tatima, two 36-year-old African elephants, died from a rare lung disease and Peaches, a 55-year-old African elephant, died from complications due to old age.

Wankie -- who had lost 30 percent of her lung capacity due to the infection, mycobacteria szulgai, and was suffering from a bout of colic just before her transfer to the Hogle Zoo in Utah -- died on May 1, according to the AZA report. Tatima died on Oct. 16, 2004, and Peaches died on Jan. 17, the report said.

Information provided by City News Service.

Humans Are on Display at London Zoo

This is great. I really love the point they're trying to make - that humans are animals. It really brings it home when you see the pics of them in an exhibit. It also brings home the reality of caged life. It's hard to see how any of these people could accept zoos after the experiment. We'll see.

Unfortunately though, it will probably increase visitors to the zoo.

Here is the link:
http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/
article.adp?id=200508261438099
90007&ncid=NWS00010000000001

The Reality of Zoo Life: Chinese Try to Get Chimp to Quit Smoking

This is not a humorous posting (though it seems the writer thinks it is). Just another on the reality of zoo life. Perhaps if she wasn't in a zoo in the first place she wouldn't be smoking.

From: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050826/
ap_on_fe_st/smoking_chimp

Chinese Try to Get Chimp to Quit Smoking

Fri Aug 26, 7:02 AM ET

The handlers of a smoking chimpanzee in a zoo in northwest China are trying to get her to kick the habit.

The 26-year-old female chimpanzee has been smoking for 15 years. Her mate died recently, which caused her to smoke even more.

Now, the chimp's keepers are worried about her health as a result of her intense smoking. So, they're trying to give her milk instead of cigarettes.

She started smoking years ago by picking up butts from tourists.

How much animal testing is done?

This article focuses on the UK, but there are many parallels to the US. Pay particular attention to the types of animals used. Even though they claim most are rodents, a large number are animals which most would not even conceive are still being used. For example, dogs, cats and primates. I'm not implying that rodents don't matter, but unfortunately, most do not see them on the same "level" as dogs and cats. That certainly isn't my view though. Physiologically, the name of the animal doesn't matter.

From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4177200.stm

How much animal testing is done?

More than 500 academics, scientists and doctors in the UK have signed a declaration supporting the use of animals where necessary to advance medical research.

The statement comes 15 years after a similar initiative, and just one day after the closure of a farm's programme to breed guinea pigs for research, following a sustained campaign by protesters.

The animal experimentation debate remains hugely polarised.

How much work involving animals is still carried out in the UK and has it changed since the last declaration of support by scientists?

The number of animals used in experiments dropped away steadily between the 1970s and 1990, but has more or less levelled off in the past 15 years. Since 2001 the number of procedures using animals has risen slightly every year.

The latest figures available show 2.8 million procedures using animals were recorded in 2003 - about half the number carried out in the early 1970s.

The vast majority - 85% - used in tests are specially bred rats, mice and other rodents.

UK ANIMAL PROCEDURES (2003) About 2.8m new 'procedures' were carried out 'Procedures' includes the breeding of animals for research programmes Mice are the dominant research tool, followed by rats About 40% of all procedures use some form of anaesthesia Non-human primates are used in less than 1% of experiments Invertebrates like fruit flies and worms are used in research but not protected by British law

Campaigners criticise the lack of detailed information on animal tests and say scientists are reluctant to share data.

While the number of normal animals used in experiments continues to drop, since 1990 there has been an increase in animals bred with genetic modifications or defects, from around 200,000 to more than one million.

This, says the Research Defence Society (RDS), is because with the mapping of the human genome - which began in 1990 - scientists have identified important genes but do not yet know their functions.

The only way to find out what those gene functions are is to "knock them out" (remove) or add them to a mouse, said an RDS spokesperson.

But according to the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (Buav), genetic engineering has a "unique capacity to cause immense suffering and harm to animals".

Sustained campaigns

Their campaigners say techniques used are often poorly understood and produce unpredictable results. Animals develop tumours, brain defects, limb and skull deformities, infertility, arthritis, diabetes and other metabolic disorders, they say.

But RDS says the practice is "more precise" in terms of modelling a particular human condition.

A report this year into the ethics of animal testing in the UK - drawn up by scientists, animal rights groups, philosophers and a lawyer - said the true effects of genetic modification could be difficult to assess.

WHAT ARE ANIMAL TESTS FOR? 32% : Genetic studies, eg to find the function of a gene or study diseases 31% : Developing ways to treat/prevent diseases, eg multiple sclerosis, plus testing new medicines for safety 31% : Fundamental biological and medical research, eg finding out how the brain works 4% : Safety testing of non-medical products, eg pesticides. No testing of cosmetics since 1998 2% : Developing new methods of diagnosis, eg scanning unborn babies Home Office 2003/RDS

The panel, set up by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, said more effort should be made to assess and monitor the welfare of animals used in genetic experiments.

Earlier this year, the government gave an extra £3m funding to a centre set up for the replacement, refinement and reduction of animals in research - known as the "three R's".

The law governing animal experiments in the UK is widely regarded within the scientific community as one of the strictest in the world, although Buav argues this does "not necessarily equate to better protection for lab animals".

Professor Ian Jackson, of the MRC Human Genetics Unit in Edinburgh, holds a licence to experiment on mice. The unit's purpose is to understand genetic factors involved in human disease and development.

"There may be a burden of administration within the law, but it makes you think about the work you are doing. For every experiment that is licensed you have to state explicitly why the benefits to medical, and veterinary, research outweigh the cost to animal welfare."

Scientists 'may leave'

Every project also has to go through an ethical review, he added.

"Scientists and some animal welfare groups believe it is better the work is done here, under strict regulations, than abroad. Sometimes when you look at experiments done elsewhere in the world you wonder about their particular regulations," he said.

But pharmaceutical companies and research scientists would consider moving their work abroad if animal rights activists made it too difficult to stay in the UK, said Prof Jackson.

The fact that scientists wishing to do stem cell research were coming to the UK from the USA - where there is no government funding for research on new stem cell lines - "proved scientists were mobile," he added.

Meanwhile animal rights groups have sustained their fight against any experiments being carried out on animals, and have claimed some successes.

In July 2004, a construction firm abandoned a contract to build labs at Oxford University after its shares fell 19% in one day when animal rights campaigners wrote to shareholders threatening to publicise their investments.

Earlier that year plans to build a controversial centre for experiments on monkeys were shelved by Cambridge University, who cited security costs as one of the reasons for its decision.

And a campaign waged against vivisection lab Huntingdon Life Sciences, aimed at hitting it in the pocket, has meant a string of companies have severed ties with the firm.

This week, Darley Oaks farm in Staffordshire said it would stop breeding guinea pigs for medical research after action by animal rights activists, including the theft of a body from a grave.

But professor of political sociology at Reading University, Dr PAJ Waddington - who has studied protests - said auditing success and failure of animal rights groups was "far from straightforward".

"Effectiveness is a complex issue - in what respects have they been effective? Closing down a farm breeding guinea pigs is a scalp, but if fur has returned to fashion, for example, then an advance on one front will be offset by a retreat on another.

"Then there is the issue of time span: because a farm appears to go out of business doesn't mean that the business will not continue to be done elsewhere."

A new law in 1986 meant 'procedures' - which has a broader definition - rather than 'experiments' were counted The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 applies to all living vertebrate animals, plus one species of octopus, used in scientific procedures in Britain. Licences to carry out experiments are issued under the Act Scientists say the law is strict and protects animals while campaigners argue it protects researchers and legalises cruelty

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/4177200.stm

Published: 2005/08/24 13:58:36 GMT

Animal tests get renewed backing

Disturbing, no doubt, but also some promising statements. In essence, many agree that they attempt to find and use alternatives to animal tests (we can only hope they're telling the truth). Also, that they try to minimize suffering (again, only can hope, and really, can they minimize it at all?).

But, not a good sign for any progress that has been made. This show of unity certainly will influence public opinion towards the unfortunate acceptance of the use of sentient animals in research.

From the BBC at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4178166.stm

Animal tests get renewed backing

More than 500 UK scientists and doctors have pledged their support for animal testing in medical research.

They have signed a declaration stating that a "small but vital" part of medical research involves animals.

The statement, which was drawn up by the Research Defence Society (RDS), has disappointed animal welfare groups.

On Tuesday, a Staffordshire farm which breeds guinea pigs for medical research said it was to stop after intimidation by animal rights activists.

Death threats

The animals bred on family-run Darley Oaks Farm, in Newchurch, are used in developing treatments for respiratory diseases, such as asthma.

Its owners and workers have been targeted, with some receiving death threats, during a six-year campaign by activists.

Wednesday's declaration, which is not linked to Darley Oaks' decision, comes 15 years after a similar declaration by the British Association for the Advancement of Science (BA).

Campaigners say it fails to acknowledge the "pain and suffering" animal experiments cause.

HAVE YOUR SAY We would rather not use animals and we try hard to find alternatives Robin Lovell-Badge, NIMR

Signatories to the Declaration on Animals in Medical Research include three Nobel laureates, 190 Fellows of the Royal Society and the Medical Research College, as well as 250 university professors.

Dr Simon Festing, executive director of RDS, said: "We are delighted to have gathered over 500 signatures from top UK academic scientists and doctors in less than one month.

"It shows the strength and depth of support for humane animal research in this country."

Seeking alternatives

The declaration states that researchers should gain the medical and scientific benefits that animal experiments can provide.

However, it also points out that scientists should make every effort to safeguard animal welfare and minimise suffering.

Wherever possible, the statement continues, animal experiments must be replaced by methods that do not use them, and the number of animals in research must be reduced.

Known as the "three R's", the concept of "replacement, refinement and reduction" forms the backbone of the UK government's policy on animal research. All the signatories have vowed to adhere to these principles.

"We would rather not use animals and we try hard to find alternatives," said geneticist Robin Lovell-Badge, of the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) in London.

"However, without the research we do there would be no progress in finding cures that alleviate pain, suffering and disease in animals as well as humans."

'No progress'

The statement also promises to be more open about animal experimentation, urging research establishments to "provide clear information and foster rational discussion".

"We have seen a mood of increased openness amongst researchers over the last two years," said Dr Festing. "We are building on that and the declaration will help."

The RDS declaration does not acknowledge the pain, suffering and distress that animal experiments cause Brian McGavin, RSPCA

Professor Nancy Rothwell, vice-president for research at the University of Manchester, added: "It's vitally important that the research community sends the message that animal research is crucial to medical progress, that it is conducted humanely, and that we work within strict regulations."

However, animal welfare organisations have reacted with outrage to the declaration, arguing that it represents a lack of progress since the statement 15 years ago.

"We are concerned that in 15 years, doctors and scientists still appear committed to the unethical and potentially dangerous use of animals for medical research," said Adolfo Sansolini, chief executive of the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (Buav).

Mr Sansolini also disagrees with the assertion that there is a greater degree of transparency within the field of animal research.

"We had high hopes with the Freedom of Information Act coming into force in January that animal experimentation would finally become more open, but this has not been the case," he said.

Brian McGavin, of the RSPCA, told the BBC News website: "The RDS declaration does not acknowledge the pain, suffering and distress that animal experiments cause, nor does it require any positive actions by the researchers who signed it."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/4178166.stm

Published: 2005/08/24 08:21:22 GMT

Sign of the Times: Kenya Wildlife Service to Move Elephants

Now humans are having to move elephants.

From: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050822/ap_on_re_af/kenya_packing_
pachyderms&printer=1;_ylt=
AondcG6F_qCgf9s7vBlxmJsV6w8F;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MXN
1bHE0BHNlYwN0bWE-

Kenya Wildlife Service to Move Elephants

By TOM MALITI, Associated Press WriterMon Aug 22, 2:48 PM ET

The Kenya Wildlife Service will move 400 elephants hundreds of miles to the nation's largest animal reserve from a smaller park that has been holding too many of the animals, a spokesman said Monday.

The $3.2 million exercise will begin Thursday and involve transporting elephants 218 miles to the northern part of Tsavo East National Park from Shimba Hills National Reserve, said Edward Indakwa, a spokesman for the wildlife service.

The government is funding the relocation, Indakwa said.

The first 50 elephants, comprising six families, will be tranquilized and moved by truck in a trip that will take 10-12 days, Indakwa said. Officials will then wait to see how they fare in their new environment before moving the rest, he said.

"With a current elephant population of 600, the (Shimba Hills) National Reserve is choking. The elephants destroy the habitat, break park fences and cause mayhem and destruction in villages surrounding the park," said Indakwa.

He said researchers estimate that Shimba Hills, on Kenya's southern coast, can only hold 200 elephants, while Tsavo East National Park, several hundred miles to the north, has 10,397 elephants, down from a peak of 25,268 in 1972.

Tsavo East suffered its heaviest loss of elephants during the 1980s and early 1990s when poachers devastated Kenya's pachyderms. But poaching has since subsided, helped by a 1989 global ban on the ivory trade that has seen prices drop.

Kenya Wildlife Service Director Julius Kipng'etich said his organization has increased security in the area where the elephants will be relocated.

"We deployed 83 young ranger recruits to Tsavo East last month. ... If the poachers come, they will find us ready," Kipng'etich said. He said that they will also have regular aerial patrols.

Kipng'etich also said the wildlife service had taken steps to reduce the possibility of elephants damaging nearby farms, a constant threat facing authorities as Kenya's population grows and more people move to once-empty land to farm, at times close to national parks.

The service also has tagged six matriarchs and will monitor their movements so that its rangers can drive them away before they reach private farms, Kipng'etich said.

A bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would end cruel trapping via the use of the antiquated and brutal leg hold trap

Is it just me, or when thinking about the leg hold trap, does everyone else picture some aged old trapper with skins dangling from his clothes? It's hard to believe in 2005 that these cruel and antiquated contraptions are still used! I'm sure many are surprised to learn this.

More information on leg hold traps can be found here: http://www.hsus.org/about_us/our_50th_anniversary_19542004
/fifty_years_of_success_scenes_from_the_hsuss_first_five_
decades/death_grip_steeljaw_leghold_traps.html

Want to see what a leg hold trap does? Come on, you owe it to the victims to at least see what leg hold traps do. Visit: http://www.nawa.org/trap.html

About the bill...

A bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would end cruel trapping via the use of the antiquated and brutal leg hold trap across the country.

House Resolution 3442, introduced by Rep. Nita Lowey, D-New York, bans the use of foothold traps nationwide and prohibits the possession of fur derived from an animal caught by that type of trap.

The sale of fur, including hats and coats, would be prohibited if there is not proof that it was obtained without the use of foothold traps. Trappers as well as fur manufacturers and distributors would be susceptible to federal charges.

The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Take Action! To end cruel trapping, contact your U.S. representatives and ask them to support HR 3442. Explain that the leg hold trap is outdated and unnecessarily cruel. There is no reason to use leg hold traps.

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

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


Inhumane Trapping Prevention Act (Introduced in House)

HR 3442 IH


109th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 3442

To end the use of conventional steel-jawed leghold traps on animals in the United States.


IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Rabbits Renamed "Poultry" by the USDA: Your Help is Urgently Needed: Rabbits will be slaughtered fully conscious

This isn't a vegetarian issue. This is an issue that should touch all who care about moving toward humane treatment. This move by the USDA moves far away from humane treatment. Why they insist on not even some sort of protections says a lot about their true mission. A brutal group who hardly ever sides with humane treatment.

From: United Poultry Concerns, Inc. - http://upc-online.org/alerts/81105rabbit.htm

Rabbits Renamed "Poultry" by the USDA: Your Help is Urgently Needed

Like birds, rabbits will be slaughtered fully conscious

A full-page ad in the July 28^th edition of The New York Times (sponsored by The Humane Farming Association, Animal Rights International, and the Animal Welfare Institute) notes that the US Department of Agriculture has classified rabbits as "poultry" to avoid including them under the 1958 Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, from which "poultry" are excluded.

For more information, see the ad as a PDF (60k) at

http://www.hfa.org/about/rabbits.pdf

What Can I Do?

Please contact the USDA today and voice your dismay at this new classification of rabbits. While expressing your concern about rabbits, please urge the USDA that ALL farmed animals including chickens, turkeys, and ducks should be included under the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act. Write to:

Mike Johanns, Secretary of Agriculture

US Department of Agriculture

1400 Independence Ave SW

Room 200-A

Washington, DC 20250

Phone: 202-720-3631

Fax: 202-720-2166

Email: agsec@usda.gov

Salutation: Begin your letter: Dear Secretary Johanns. Keep your letter to 3 paragraphs on one side of one page. Letters sent via regular mail may have more impact than an email – but all letters are better than no letter. Thank you.

Scientists aim for lab-grown meat

From BBC

Scientists aim for lab-grown meat

An international research team has proposed new techniques that may lead to the mass production of meat reared not on the farm, but in the laboratory.

Developments in tissue engineering mean that cells taken from animals could be grown directly into meat in a laboratory, the researchers say.

Scientists believe the technology already exists to directly grow processed meat like a chicken nugget.

The technology could benefit both humans and the environment.

"With a single cell, you could theoretically produce the world's annual meat supply. And you could do it in a way that's better for the environment and human health.

"In the long term, this is a very feasible idea," said Jason Matheny of the University of Maryland, part of the team whose research has been published in the Tissue Engineering journal.

Growing the meat without the animal could reduce the need to keep millions of animals in cramped conditions and would lessen the damage caused by the meat production to the environment.

Laboratory-grown meat could also be healthier, proponents say.

Eating 'mush'

Tissue engineering techniques were first developed for medical use and small amounts of edible fish tissue have been grown in research conducted by Nasa.

To industrialise the process, researchers suggest the cells could be grown on large sheets that would need to be stretched to provide the 'exercise' for the growing muscles.

"If you didn't stretch them, it would be like eating mush," said Mr Methany.

Whilst the technology to produce processed meat is here now, producing a steak or chicken breast is still quite a way off, the researchers say.

Questions

The new techniques could also provide a dilemma for vegetarians.

Some may feel able to eat meat that has been grown without an animal being harmed.

Others feel that question marks remain about the way the cells would be taken from animals.

"It won't appeal to someone who gave up meat because they think it's morally wrong to eat flesh or someone who doesn't want to eat anything unnatural," Kerry Bennett of the UK Vegetarian Society told the Guardian newspaper.

How regulators might react is also unclear.

The US Food and Drug Administration has asked companies not to market any products that involve cloned animals until their safety has been evaluated.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/4148164.stm

Published: 2005/08/13 11:52:01 GMT

Animal rights group awaits permission to enter Gaza to save strays

I'm glad someone has thought of this.

w w w . h a a r e t z . c o m
Last update - 01:17 18/08/2005
Animal rights group awaits permission to enter Gaza to save strays
By The Associated Press

An Animal rights group is trying to rescue dogs and cats left behind by settlers being evacuated in the Gaza Strip.

Hakol Chai (Everything Lives) is awaiting permission to bring in a mobile veterinary clinic replete with cages, traps and trained staff.

"Cats and dogs left behind by departing settlers have no ability to survive under the extreme conditions that will exist during and after the disengagement," said Merav Barlev, the group's director. "Without our help, when all that remains is dust and ruins, those who escape the massive bulldozers will die of hunger, thirst, and injuries."

The group said it is concerned about stray dogs and pets left behind by settlers sent to hotels or to apartments too small to house animals.

Rescued animals will be taken to shelters, with Hakol Chai attempting to find permanent homes for them.

Rights group discloses deaths of lab primates at University of Wisconsin

It's bad enough that they actually use other animals, but to abuse them like this is just beyond reason.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/
nationworld/chi-0508170156aug17,1,212655.
story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed

Rights group discloses deaths of lab primates

By Ryan J. Foley
Associated Press

August 17, 2005

MADISON, Wis. -- Critics of animal research have released internal records detailing a study at the University of Wisconsin that led to an "unusual number" of deaths and illnesses of rhesus monkeys in 2001 and 2002.

The university memos uncovered by the Primate Freedom Project show one of the monkeys died while an attendant went out to lunch during an experiment, and others were given drugs that had not been approved by a review committee.

"He went to lunch and he came back and the monkey was dead in a chair," said Jean Barnes, a spokeswoman for the animal-rights group, referring to one of the incidents described in the records. "That's a terrible way to treat a creature that has the same feelings that we do."

Critics say such research methods must be stopped at the university's National Primate Research Center, one of eight federally funded centers to study primates.

University officials said the memos released Monday show that the school took action against Ei Terasawa, a professor of pediatrics, after problems with her research on monkeys' brains surfaced in 2003.

They suspended the researcher from work on animals for two years in 2004 and outlawed the experiment in question, which was used to study how brains develop during menopause.

"It's one of the most severe actions that the committee has ever taken," said Eric Sandgren, chairman of a university committee that oversees research projects involving animals.

The documents, uncovered in an open-records request, were released as the rights group and the university fight over the ownership of property sandwiched between two primate labs in downtown Madison. The records did not specify how many monkeys died.

The group says it has a contract to buy the land to open a museum dedicated to the horrors of primate research, but the private owner is rethinking the sale after the university offered him $1 million--$325,000 more than protesters agreed to pay.

Rick Bogle, the group's founder, said Monday that he plans to exercise the group's option to purchase the land this week, likely setting in motion a legal fight over the property.

Terasawa, the suspended researcher, declined comment Monday.

Sandgren called Terasawa "an outstanding scientist" and said she has not yet decided whether to return to animal research after her suspension.

Copyright © 2005, Chicago Tribune