This could be one more nail in the coffin of the profiteering of Michael Vick from Brutal and bloody dogfighting. Seems fair as many also had to be euthanized due to horrible conditions he and his cronies kept them in. We can only hope.
For those who don't remember, here is the story we put out that speaks to the brutal methods of Michael Vick - http://geari.blogspot.com/2007/08/michael-vick-former-quarterback-of.html
Article:
Vick faces $900,000 bill for dog care
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/11/20/vick.dogs/index.html
(CNN) -- The government asked a federal court Tuesday to order former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick to keep on hand assets valued at more than $900,000 -- the amount earmarked for the care of 54 pit bulls.
Michael Vick leaves court in Richmond, Viriginia, in August after pleading guilty to dogfighting charges.
The animals were found on his property when a dogfighting operation was busted last April.
Vick turned himself in to authorities Monday to get a jump start on serving his sentence for running the ring.
In a motion filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson noted that Vick, in his plea agreement, agreed to pay "restitution for the full amount of the costs associated with the disposition of all dogs" in the case.
Vick agreed that those costs could include "the long-term care and/or the humane euthanasia of some or all of those animals," which were seized from the "Bad Newz Kennels" on his property in Surry County, Virginia.
The motion said that only a restraining order can ensure that Vick's assets are not placed beyond the reach of the government.
It noted that Vick's financial condition is deteriorating, and cited the team's attempt to recoup bonus money from his 10-year, $130 million 2004 football contract; his alleged default on a $1.3 million bank loan for a wine store; another bank lawsuit seeking payment for default on a $2.5 million line of credit; and yet another bank's lawsuit seeking at least $2 million for loans related to a car-rental business.
"In addition, published reports also indicate that Vick is in the process of selling assets, specifically a suburban Atlanta home listed at $4.5 million," it said.
Vick, 27, is being held at Northern Neck Regional Jail in Warsaw, Virginia, until an upcoming sentencing hearing.
He pleaded guilty in August to a federal conspiracy charge of bankrolling the dogfighting operation after three associates admitted their own roles in the ring and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. See a timeline of events in the case »
Vick, who has been suspended indefinitely by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, faces 12 to 18 months in prison on the conspiracy charge.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 10.
On September 25, a Virginia grand jury indicted Vick and the three co-defendants on state charges of running a dogfighting ring.
The Surry County grand jury brought two felony charges against the four men: one count of unlawfully torturing and killing dogs and one of promoting dogfights. Each could result in a five-year prison term.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Simple and Easy Tips to Increase Effectiveness of Animal Rights Activism
This article is very positive in that it shows that anyone can do simple acts and make a difference. This is from Oregon, but the tips are applicable anywhere.
Article:
Be effective in defending animal rights
http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071120/FEAT06/711200328/1009&nav_category=
By Laura Moss / The Bulletin
Published: November 20. 2007 5:00AM PST
It doesn’t matter if you are a wallflower or if you are outspoken, you can be a part of getting legislation passed that could possibly help your pet and other animals.
At a Lobby 101 seminar held at the Humane Society of Central Oregon in Bend recently, more than a dozen people were told that each person can have an impact.
“You don’t have to be an expert to have an influence and to have a voice,” said Kelly Peterson, Oregon state director for the Humane Society of the United States.
Face-to-face meetings are a great way to make your views known to your representative, Peterson said. Oregon has a legislative schedule that is conducive to that, because it convenes only every other year. That means legislators have more time to spend in their districts. In 2008, however, a short supplemental session is scheduled to begin Feb. 4.
For more info
Information on effective lobbying techniques may be found on the Humane Society of the United States Web site, www .hsus.org, as well as other animal-related Web sites, like www.aspca.org.
If a face-to-face meeting is not possible, phone calls and e-mail are quick and effective forms of contact, Peterson said. Letters sent through the post office may take up to six weeks to arrive, she added, because they have to be transported out of state to be tested for anthrax before they are delivered.
If you are unsure who your current representatives are, you can find out on the state’s Web site, www.oregon.gov, or by visiting the Humane Society of the United States Web site, www.hsus.org.
It is important to know what could influence a legislator to take on a proposed bill, Peterson said. The merits of the issue, cost, impact on a representative’s district and personal affiliations could play a role in a legislator’s decision, Peterson said.
Knowing whom to contact is key, she added. Be sure you are contacting your own representative, as they may be less likely to be influenced by somebody who is not a constituent. If a legislator is a committee chairperson on a committee that could play a role in getting certain legislation passed, be sure to contact them, especially because they are likely paying attention to the statewide impact of any legislation, according to the Humane Society of the United States.
And finally, remember that a bill is not complete until the governor has signed it, so calling Gov. Ted Kulongoski couldn’t hurt, either.
Informing the public is also important, and attending public meetings and writing letters to the editor are good ways to do that. Peterson said that if you do attend a public meeting, especially one where a representative is speaking, be sure to be friendly and not attack them if they sound as though they disagree with you.
That is important with any contact you have with your representative, she said. Compromise is going to be part of getting any legislation passed, so be ready to do so as long as the compromise will not harm any animals.
When attending public meetings with representatives, the Humane Society of the United States gives a few tips for being an effective animal advocate. First, introduce yourself by name, address and organization, if any. State a clear and concise objective, refer to bills by their numbers and names, explain why the issue is important to you personally, and never mislead them. If you are asked a question that you don’t know the answer to, tell them you don’t know, and that you’ll find out. Peterson said she has had to do this before, and it is much more appreciated than guessing at an answer.
Legislation
There is one animal-related piece of legislation that is expected to be part of the special session, Peterson said.
This is significant because during the special session, each legislator is allowed to bring only one piece of legislation to the table, which suggests that the issue is important to him or her, according to Senate President Peter Courtney’s policy analyst Sasha Pollack.
Courtney is scheduled to propose increased penalties for any person believed to be present at a dog fight, as well as any person in possession of dog-fighting paraphernalia, according to Pollack. Currently, it is considered a misdemeanor to be present at a dog fight and to be in possession of dog-fighting paraphernalia. If Courtney’s proposed legislation passes, it would make those crimes a felony.
Courtney is also proposing to add items like treadmills to the list of possible dog fighting paraphernalia, Pollack said. She said other crimes related to dog fighting are already deemed felonies, and what Courtney is attempting to do is go back and tighten up the rest of the legislation related to dog fighting.
In the 2007 legislative session, there were two bills that dealt with household animals, according to www.leg.state.or.us.
According to the state’s Web site, the passage of Senate Bill 570 requires the state offices of emergency management and agriculture to develop plans to help companion animals, service animals and livestock in major disasters or emergencies. The plans will encompass evacuation, transportation and temporary sheltering of those animals.
Senate Bill 1017 deals with reporting animal abuse, according to the state’s Web site. The bill, which also passed, requires veterinarians and officials to report if an animal they have come in contact with has suffered or is currently suffering aggravated animal abuse or animal neglect in the first degree. Included in the bill is a provision that no civil suits may be brought against a person who reports such crimes,.
Both of these bills will be in effect beginning Jan. 1
Article:
Be effective in defending animal rights
http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071120/FEAT06/711200328/1009&nav_category=
By Laura Moss / The Bulletin
Published: November 20. 2007 5:00AM PST
It doesn’t matter if you are a wallflower or if you are outspoken, you can be a part of getting legislation passed that could possibly help your pet and other animals.
At a Lobby 101 seminar held at the Humane Society of Central Oregon in Bend recently, more than a dozen people were told that each person can have an impact.
“You don’t have to be an expert to have an influence and to have a voice,” said Kelly Peterson, Oregon state director for the Humane Society of the United States.
Face-to-face meetings are a great way to make your views known to your representative, Peterson said. Oregon has a legislative schedule that is conducive to that, because it convenes only every other year. That means legislators have more time to spend in their districts. In 2008, however, a short supplemental session is scheduled to begin Feb. 4.
For more info
Information on effective lobbying techniques may be found on the Humane Society of the United States Web site, www .hsus.org, as well as other animal-related Web sites, like www.aspca.org.
If a face-to-face meeting is not possible, phone calls and e-mail are quick and effective forms of contact, Peterson said. Letters sent through the post office may take up to six weeks to arrive, she added, because they have to be transported out of state to be tested for anthrax before they are delivered.
If you are unsure who your current representatives are, you can find out on the state’s Web site, www.oregon.gov, or by visiting the Humane Society of the United States Web site, www.hsus.org.
It is important to know what could influence a legislator to take on a proposed bill, Peterson said. The merits of the issue, cost, impact on a representative’s district and personal affiliations could play a role in a legislator’s decision, Peterson said.
Knowing whom to contact is key, she added. Be sure you are contacting your own representative, as they may be less likely to be influenced by somebody who is not a constituent. If a legislator is a committee chairperson on a committee that could play a role in getting certain legislation passed, be sure to contact them, especially because they are likely paying attention to the statewide impact of any legislation, according to the Humane Society of the United States.
And finally, remember that a bill is not complete until the governor has signed it, so calling Gov. Ted Kulongoski couldn’t hurt, either.
Informing the public is also important, and attending public meetings and writing letters to the editor are good ways to do that. Peterson said that if you do attend a public meeting, especially one where a representative is speaking, be sure to be friendly and not attack them if they sound as though they disagree with you.
That is important with any contact you have with your representative, she said. Compromise is going to be part of getting any legislation passed, so be ready to do so as long as the compromise will not harm any animals.
When attending public meetings with representatives, the Humane Society of the United States gives a few tips for being an effective animal advocate. First, introduce yourself by name, address and organization, if any. State a clear and concise objective, refer to bills by their numbers and names, explain why the issue is important to you personally, and never mislead them. If you are asked a question that you don’t know the answer to, tell them you don’t know, and that you’ll find out. Peterson said she has had to do this before, and it is much more appreciated than guessing at an answer.
Legislation
There is one animal-related piece of legislation that is expected to be part of the special session, Peterson said.
This is significant because during the special session, each legislator is allowed to bring only one piece of legislation to the table, which suggests that the issue is important to him or her, according to Senate President Peter Courtney’s policy analyst Sasha Pollack.
Courtney is scheduled to propose increased penalties for any person believed to be present at a dog fight, as well as any person in possession of dog-fighting paraphernalia, according to Pollack. Currently, it is considered a misdemeanor to be present at a dog fight and to be in possession of dog-fighting paraphernalia. If Courtney’s proposed legislation passes, it would make those crimes a felony.
Courtney is also proposing to add items like treadmills to the list of possible dog fighting paraphernalia, Pollack said. She said other crimes related to dog fighting are already deemed felonies, and what Courtney is attempting to do is go back and tighten up the rest of the legislation related to dog fighting.
In the 2007 legislative session, there were two bills that dealt with household animals, according to www.leg.state.or.us.
According to the state’s Web site, the passage of Senate Bill 570 requires the state offices of emergency management and agriculture to develop plans to help companion animals, service animals and livestock in major disasters or emergencies. The plans will encompass evacuation, transportation and temporary sheltering of those animals.
Senate Bill 1017 deals with reporting animal abuse, according to the state’s Web site. The bill, which also passed, requires veterinarians and officials to report if an animal they have come in contact with has suffered or is currently suffering aggravated animal abuse or animal neglect in the first degree. Included in the bill is a provision that no civil suits may be brought against a person who reports such crimes,.
Both of these bills will be in effect beginning Jan. 1
Even after Brutal Atlanta Falcons Quarterback Michael Vick Sent to Jail on Dog Fighting Charges Practice Continues
We all remember the story of the cruel Michael Vick - http://geari.blogspot.com/2007/08/michael-vick-former-quarterback-of.html
Apparently the practice still continues. This story is regarding Mississippi, but the problem is still nationwide.
Sadly, as mentioned below, "...an estimated 40,000 Americans participate in the sport and use some 250,000 pit bulls, according to the Humane Society of the United States, one of the few agencies to provide such figures."
Article:
Dog fighting a dangerous problem
http://www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID=258832&pub=1&div=News
Dog fighting a dangerous problem
11/19/2007 4:48:58 AMDaily Journal
11/19/2007 4:48:58 AMDaily Journal
BY EMILY LE COZ AND DANZA JOHNSON
Daily Journal
The recent discovery of 49 pit bulls alleged to have been used in a Benton County dog-fighting ring reflects not an isolated case but a widespread and elusive problem, several experts say.
Dog fighting, a gruesome sport where canines are thrown into a ring and fight until one either gives up or dies, has been around for ages. But this year's case against suspended NFL quarterback
Michael Vick put it in the national spotlight. Vick pleaded guilty in August to federal charges in connection with a Virginia dog-fighting operation.
It's an issue that has law-enforcement officials and animal activists stumped, because, according to Debra Boswell, director of the Mississippi Animal Rescue League, these operations are "harder to infiltrate than a drug ring."'It's an epidemic'"It's an epidemic," Boswell said, "not only in Mississippi, but nationwide."
An estimated 40,000 Americans participate in the sport and use some 250,000 pit bulls, according to the Humane Society of the United States, one of the few agencies to provide such figures.
Numbers are hard to track because of the sport's highly secretive nature, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which has been combating dog fighting for more than a century, according to its Web site.
ASPCA officials did not return calls for comment. Tracking it locallyTracking difficulties also pose problems in Northeast Mississippi, where law-enforcement officials get tips about the illegal activity but rarely - if ever - bust a dog-fighting ring.
The exception was in Benton County last month, where sheriff's deputies discovered an operation while on call to indict a resident on separate narcotics charges.Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson, Itawamba County Sheriff Philip Crane and Lafayette County Sheriff Buddy East say they haven't found any dog fighting in their counties. "We have had some complaints throughout the county about people fighting dogs, but we haven't been able to locate any dog fighting rings," said East. "We investigate, but we just haven't been able to find any signs."Those most likely to come in contact with dog fighting are animal shelter workers, who sometimes recover pit bulls that appear to have been injured in a match. Boswell said it's impossible to estimate how many rings exist in Mississippi, but at her Jackson-based shelter last year she said she took in about 200 pit bulls that exhibited fight-experience signs, such as scars and an overly aggressive nature.
Those dogs were euthanized, as were the several dozen involved in the Benton County ring. They can't be rehabilitated, experts say, because they are bred to fight and kill other dogs. "They're not aggressive toward people, they're aggressive toward other dogs," said Loretta Willis, manager of the Corinth-Alcorn County Humane Society.Willis said she takes in an average of 10-12 fighting dogs a month from her area, but she called this an improvement from several years ago when there used to be more.
In Tupelo-Lee County, animal shelter director Debbie Hood hasn't seen any evidence of a fighting ring since she took the reins about nine months ago. The reports are similar in Starkville-Oktibbeha County and Oxford-Lafayette County, where the areas' animal-control officers also say they see few, if any, fought canines."We hear rumors, and occasionally we'll find a dog that's scarred up pretty bad and we think that's what it's all about," said Rich McKaee, one of the Starkville's two animal control officers. "We know it goes on it's just hard to catch them."A springboardThe activity isn't just a problem for the dogs - which can suffer atrocious wounds and even death from the sport - but it's a springboard to other illegal deeds, law-enforcement officials and dog-fighting experts say.
The blood sport has strong links to the drug trade and has been connected to other crimes including theft, brutality and even murder.So serious are the implications of dog fighting that even the feds sometimes get involved, said FBI spokeswoman Deborah Madden.Most recently, she said, the bureau was involved with Vick's indictment because he allegedly violated several federal laws, including participation in the interstate transport of dogs for the purpose of fighting.Why the risk? It's about money, experts say. Breeders can earn up to $5,000 for each puppy of a grand-champion winner - a dog that has won five times - Boswell said. And stud fees for these canines can run in the thousands of dollars.Fights rake in even more money. The ASPCA reported seizures of more than $500,000 involved in major dog fights and called pots of $20,000 or more "standard fare."
In Mississippi, Boswell recalled a case a few years ago where two people arrested at a traffic stop were found with $12,000 won in a dog fight. In an Arkansas case, she recalled police discovered a bet pool of more than $80,000."This is big money," she said. "It's a dangerous business."And those involved will do anything to protect their profits and way of life. Boswell read an ad from an underground dog-fighting magazine, "Sporting Dog Journal," soliciting officers to track the sport: "Officers needed to work with our enforcers to catch thieves and killers and recruit new and trusted people to eliminate snitches," Boswell read. "Need 10 officers in each state.
Requirements: martial arts degree, black belt or higher, must be familiar with all types of firearms, be familiar with all blood lines, travel throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and South America."The danger involved in this sport has prompted 46 states - including Mississippi - to make dog fighting a felony crime.
Here, those convicted face up to three years in prison and $5,000 in fines. Even spectators face punishment - up to one year in prison and $3,000 in fines.Once the state files its charges, Madden said, the FBI might want a crack at participants."Should anyone in Mississippi have knowledge of dog fighting - or cock fighting - they should contact either the local authorities or the FBI," she said, "because we will investigate."
Apparently the practice still continues. This story is regarding Mississippi, but the problem is still nationwide.
Sadly, as mentioned below, "...an estimated 40,000 Americans participate in the sport and use some 250,000 pit bulls, according to the Humane Society of the United States, one of the few agencies to provide such figures."
Article:
Dog fighting a dangerous problem
http://www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID=258832&pub=1&div=News
Dog fighting a dangerous problem
11/19/2007 4:48:58 AMDaily Journal
11/19/2007 4:48:58 AMDaily Journal
BY EMILY LE COZ AND DANZA JOHNSON
Daily Journal
The recent discovery of 49 pit bulls alleged to have been used in a Benton County dog-fighting ring reflects not an isolated case but a widespread and elusive problem, several experts say.
Dog fighting, a gruesome sport where canines are thrown into a ring and fight until one either gives up or dies, has been around for ages. But this year's case against suspended NFL quarterback
Michael Vick put it in the national spotlight. Vick pleaded guilty in August to federal charges in connection with a Virginia dog-fighting operation.
It's an issue that has law-enforcement officials and animal activists stumped, because, according to Debra Boswell, director of the Mississippi Animal Rescue League, these operations are "harder to infiltrate than a drug ring."'It's an epidemic'"It's an epidemic," Boswell said, "not only in Mississippi, but nationwide."
An estimated 40,000 Americans participate in the sport and use some 250,000 pit bulls, according to the Humane Society of the United States, one of the few agencies to provide such figures.
Numbers are hard to track because of the sport's highly secretive nature, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which has been combating dog fighting for more than a century, according to its Web site.
ASPCA officials did not return calls for comment. Tracking it locallyTracking difficulties also pose problems in Northeast Mississippi, where law-enforcement officials get tips about the illegal activity but rarely - if ever - bust a dog-fighting ring.
The exception was in Benton County last month, where sheriff's deputies discovered an operation while on call to indict a resident on separate narcotics charges.Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson, Itawamba County Sheriff Philip Crane and Lafayette County Sheriff Buddy East say they haven't found any dog fighting in their counties. "We have had some complaints throughout the county about people fighting dogs, but we haven't been able to locate any dog fighting rings," said East. "We investigate, but we just haven't been able to find any signs."Those most likely to come in contact with dog fighting are animal shelter workers, who sometimes recover pit bulls that appear to have been injured in a match. Boswell said it's impossible to estimate how many rings exist in Mississippi, but at her Jackson-based shelter last year she said she took in about 200 pit bulls that exhibited fight-experience signs, such as scars and an overly aggressive nature.
Those dogs were euthanized, as were the several dozen involved in the Benton County ring. They can't be rehabilitated, experts say, because they are bred to fight and kill other dogs. "They're not aggressive toward people, they're aggressive toward other dogs," said Loretta Willis, manager of the Corinth-Alcorn County Humane Society.Willis said she takes in an average of 10-12 fighting dogs a month from her area, but she called this an improvement from several years ago when there used to be more.
In Tupelo-Lee County, animal shelter director Debbie Hood hasn't seen any evidence of a fighting ring since she took the reins about nine months ago. The reports are similar in Starkville-Oktibbeha County and Oxford-Lafayette County, where the areas' animal-control officers also say they see few, if any, fought canines."We hear rumors, and occasionally we'll find a dog that's scarred up pretty bad and we think that's what it's all about," said Rich McKaee, one of the Starkville's two animal control officers. "We know it goes on it's just hard to catch them."A springboardThe activity isn't just a problem for the dogs - which can suffer atrocious wounds and even death from the sport - but it's a springboard to other illegal deeds, law-enforcement officials and dog-fighting experts say.
The blood sport has strong links to the drug trade and has been connected to other crimes including theft, brutality and even murder.So serious are the implications of dog fighting that even the feds sometimes get involved, said FBI spokeswoman Deborah Madden.Most recently, she said, the bureau was involved with Vick's indictment because he allegedly violated several federal laws, including participation in the interstate transport of dogs for the purpose of fighting.Why the risk? It's about money, experts say. Breeders can earn up to $5,000 for each puppy of a grand-champion winner - a dog that has won five times - Boswell said. And stud fees for these canines can run in the thousands of dollars.Fights rake in even more money. The ASPCA reported seizures of more than $500,000 involved in major dog fights and called pots of $20,000 or more "standard fare."
In Mississippi, Boswell recalled a case a few years ago where two people arrested at a traffic stop were found with $12,000 won in a dog fight. In an Arkansas case, she recalled police discovered a bet pool of more than $80,000."This is big money," she said. "It's a dangerous business."And those involved will do anything to protect their profits and way of life. Boswell read an ad from an underground dog-fighting magazine, "Sporting Dog Journal," soliciting officers to track the sport: "Officers needed to work with our enforcers to catch thieves and killers and recruit new and trusted people to eliminate snitches," Boswell read. "Need 10 officers in each state.
Requirements: martial arts degree, black belt or higher, must be familiar with all types of firearms, be familiar with all blood lines, travel throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and South America."The danger involved in this sport has prompted 46 states - including Mississippi - to make dog fighting a felony crime.
Here, those convicted face up to three years in prison and $5,000 in fines. Even spectators face punishment - up to one year in prison and $3,000 in fines.Once the state files its charges, Madden said, the FBI might want a crack at participants."Should anyone in Mississippi have knowledge of dog fighting - or cock fighting - they should contact either the local authorities or the FBI," she said, "because we will investigate."
Meat Alternatives for Thanksgiving See Some Growth: Tofurky Sales Increase
Some good news, but mostly low numbers. According to the article below, "...less than 1 percent of households will be putting a meat alternative on their table this Thanksgiving."
Article:
Vegetarians, Meat-Eaters Dig In To Send Sales of Tofurky Soaring
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/16/AR2007111601993.html
By Ylan Q. Mui
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, November 17, 2007; D01
Seth Tibbott was just an ordinary hippie living in a treehouse when inspiration struck.
The year was 1986, and Tibbott had hoped for six years that his small business selling vegetarian meat alternatives in rural Washington state would catch on. Success proved elusive -- the treehouse was the only place he could afford to live -- until he developed a soy-based version of the traditional Thanksgiving turkey. He called it Tofurky.
"It's a name that resonates with consumers," said Tibbott, who grew up in Chevy Chase. "We're fine with the fact they think it's funny or they get a smile out of it. You remember jokes."
Tofurky hit store shelves in 1995, and the meatless dish has become a cultural phenomenon, even showing up on the TV shows " Jeopardy" and "The O.C." Tibbott's company, Turtle Island Foods of Hood, Ore. , has annual revenue of $11 million. Tofurky sales have grown 37 percent this year from 2006. He expects to sell 270,000 Tofurkys by the end of the holiday season, which translates to 438,000 pounds of tofu, wheat protein, canola oil and spices.
The concept was born of Tibbott's vegetarian frustrations. After attending Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, he left for college in Ohio in 1969 and returned home having sworn off meat. Thanksgiving was particularly tough, he said, recalling a nasty bout with a stuffed pumpkin and a rock-hard gluten roast.
"We were looking for something for an answer and we figured there's probably other people out there," he said.
A 2006 poll conducted by Harris Interactive for the nonprofit Vegetarian Resource Group found that about 2 percent of adults are vegetarian, meaning they do not eat meat, poultry or seafood. The total was up from about 1 percent from a similar study the group conducted in 1994. The percentage of adults who do not eat poultry in particular grew to 6 percent from 3 percent.
The market, meanwhile, has been helped by omnivores who seek alternatives to meat for health reasons. They helped turn vegetarian foods into a $1.2 billion industry last year, up 44 percent from 2001, the consumer research firm Mintel said. The report found that 23 percent of non-vegetarians eat meat alternatives, though consumers still say the products cannot match the real thing.
John Cunningham, consumer research manager at the Vegetarian Resource Group, which has received donations from Tibbott's company, acknowledged that Tofurky does not taste like turkey. That doesn't mean it doesn't taste good, with a firm texture and a salty, savory flavor. It just tastes different.
"It can take the place of a big piece of meat," he said. "People are feeling a little bit neglected because all they get to eat are side dishes" during the holidays.
Tibbott started Turtle Island Foods in 1980 with $2,500 in savings and later with investments of $5,000 from his mother and $17,000 from his older brother, Bob, who lives in Chevy Chase . Originally, Tibbott peddled a product called tempeh, which is made from fermented soybeans. He started making 100 pounds of tempeh after hours in the cafe of a cooperative in Oregon, then delivering it to clients in Portland overnight.
Two years later, he moved the shoestring operation to an abandoned elementary school in a small logging town in the Cascade Mountains . The building had no heat, but it was near a scenic river and about a mile from Tibbott's treehouse. It was cheaper than renting an apartment, and he could not afford much else. The treehouse was not quite as primitive as it sounds -- there was electricity and phone service. At night, flying squirrels passed by his window.
Tibbott lived there for seven years before marrying and moving in with his wife, Suzanne, who lived in a more traditional apartment. When Tofurky hit, the treehouse days were gone for good.
Tibbott had seen a similar name used informally on other products, but he shortened it to have the same number of letters as a telephone number and had it trademarked. The first version of Tofurky, made from soy milk, was a mammoth affair with eight tempeh drumsticks. Tibbott said he had visions of families giving thanks over a large Tofurky, only to realize that just a few people at any gathering were likely to eat it. The latest version serves three or four people, and the drumsticks were replaced by cranberry apple potato dumplings.
The quirky product slowly gained notice. In 2000, it was mentioned in an episode of the TV show "The "X-Files." A year later, Tofurky was a question on the game show "Jeopardy." (No one got the correct answer.) The comedian Ellen DeGeneres brought up Tofurky on her show in 2003 and drew laughs from the audience.
"People don't believe me," she said. "There is a Tofurky."
Though Tofurky has attracted the most attention, Tibbott's company makes a range of faux meats. In fact, its best-selling products are vegetarian sausage and hickory-smoked deli slices. The Thanksgiving Tofurky roasts rank fifth in popularity and make up about 17 percent of the company's revenue.
Despite the industry's rapid growth, mainstream appeal may be limited. Harry Balzer, vice president at consumer behavior research firm NPD Group, said that less than 1 percent of households will be putting a meat alternative on their table this Thanksgiving. The National Turkey Federation estimates that 88 percent of Americans will eat turkey Thursday, adding up to 46 million gobblers, the most of any holiday.
"Clearly," Balzer said, "it's a strong tradition."
Article:
Vegetarians, Meat-Eaters Dig In To Send Sales of Tofurky Soaring
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/16/AR2007111601993.html
By Ylan Q. Mui
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, November 17, 2007; D01
Seth Tibbott was just an ordinary hippie living in a treehouse when inspiration struck.
The year was 1986, and Tibbott had hoped for six years that his small business selling vegetarian meat alternatives in rural Washington state would catch on. Success proved elusive -- the treehouse was the only place he could afford to live -- until he developed a soy-based version of the traditional Thanksgiving turkey. He called it Tofurky.
"It's a name that resonates with consumers," said Tibbott, who grew up in Chevy Chase. "We're fine with the fact they think it's funny or they get a smile out of it. You remember jokes."
Tofurky hit store shelves in 1995, and the meatless dish has become a cultural phenomenon, even showing up on the TV shows " Jeopardy" and "The O.C." Tibbott's company, Turtle Island Foods of Hood, Ore. , has annual revenue of $11 million. Tofurky sales have grown 37 percent this year from 2006. He expects to sell 270,000 Tofurkys by the end of the holiday season, which translates to 438,000 pounds of tofu, wheat protein, canola oil and spices.
The concept was born of Tibbott's vegetarian frustrations. After attending Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, he left for college in Ohio in 1969 and returned home having sworn off meat. Thanksgiving was particularly tough, he said, recalling a nasty bout with a stuffed pumpkin and a rock-hard gluten roast.
"We were looking for something for an answer and we figured there's probably other people out there," he said.
A 2006 poll conducted by Harris Interactive for the nonprofit Vegetarian Resource Group found that about 2 percent of adults are vegetarian, meaning they do not eat meat, poultry or seafood. The total was up from about 1 percent from a similar study the group conducted in 1994. The percentage of adults who do not eat poultry in particular grew to 6 percent from 3 percent.
The market, meanwhile, has been helped by omnivores who seek alternatives to meat for health reasons. They helped turn vegetarian foods into a $1.2 billion industry last year, up 44 percent from 2001, the consumer research firm Mintel said. The report found that 23 percent of non-vegetarians eat meat alternatives, though consumers still say the products cannot match the real thing.
John Cunningham, consumer research manager at the Vegetarian Resource Group, which has received donations from Tibbott's company, acknowledged that Tofurky does not taste like turkey. That doesn't mean it doesn't taste good, with a firm texture and a salty, savory flavor. It just tastes different.
"It can take the place of a big piece of meat," he said. "People are feeling a little bit neglected because all they get to eat are side dishes" during the holidays.
Tibbott started Turtle Island Foods in 1980 with $2,500 in savings and later with investments of $5,000 from his mother and $17,000 from his older brother, Bob, who lives in Chevy Chase . Originally, Tibbott peddled a product called tempeh, which is made from fermented soybeans. He started making 100 pounds of tempeh after hours in the cafe of a cooperative in Oregon, then delivering it to clients in Portland overnight.
Two years later, he moved the shoestring operation to an abandoned elementary school in a small logging town in the Cascade Mountains . The building had no heat, but it was near a scenic river and about a mile from Tibbott's treehouse. It was cheaper than renting an apartment, and he could not afford much else. The treehouse was not quite as primitive as it sounds -- there was electricity and phone service. At night, flying squirrels passed by his window.
Tibbott lived there for seven years before marrying and moving in with his wife, Suzanne, who lived in a more traditional apartment. When Tofurky hit, the treehouse days were gone for good.
Tibbott had seen a similar name used informally on other products, but he shortened it to have the same number of letters as a telephone number and had it trademarked. The first version of Tofurky, made from soy milk, was a mammoth affair with eight tempeh drumsticks. Tibbott said he had visions of families giving thanks over a large Tofurky, only to realize that just a few people at any gathering were likely to eat it. The latest version serves three or four people, and the drumsticks were replaced by cranberry apple potato dumplings.
The quirky product slowly gained notice. In 2000, it was mentioned in an episode of the TV show "The "X-Files." A year later, Tofurky was a question on the game show "Jeopardy." (No one got the correct answer.) The comedian Ellen DeGeneres brought up Tofurky on her show in 2003 and drew laughs from the audience.
"People don't believe me," she said. "There is a Tofurky."
Though Tofurky has attracted the most attention, Tibbott's company makes a range of faux meats. In fact, its best-selling products are vegetarian sausage and hickory-smoked deli slices. The Thanksgiving Tofurky roasts rank fifth in popularity and make up about 17 percent of the company's revenue.
Despite the industry's rapid growth, mainstream appeal may be limited. Harry Balzer, vice president at consumer behavior research firm NPD Group, said that less than 1 percent of households will be putting a meat alternative on their table this Thanksgiving. The National Turkey Federation estimates that 88 percent of Americans will eat turkey Thursday, adding up to 46 million gobblers, the most of any holiday.
"Clearly," Balzer said, "it's a strong tradition."
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Animal Legal Defense Fund Releases Report on States and Animal Abuse Laws: Utah Has Weakest Animal Abuse Laws in Country
The full report can be found at http://www.aldf.org/news/details.php?id=323
In essence, those who commit animal abuse in Utah get off too easily as animal torture is not a felony in Utah. In addition, Utah has little animal fighting provisions. The other states with low scores: Alaska, Arkansas, Kentucky, and North Dakota.
The full report can be found at http://www.aldf.org/news/details.php?id=323
Here is a synopsis of the results. As stated at their site, the reports “..is based on a detailed comparative analysis of the animal protection laws of each jurisdiction, researching fourteen distinct categories of provisions throughout more than 2,800 pages of statutes. The ranking groups states into a top, middle or bottom tier, and includes a listing of the best five and worst five states.”
Best Five California, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Oregon
Worst Five Arkansas, Alaska, Kentucky, North Dakota, Utah
Top Tier California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Kansas Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Vermont, Virginia
Middle Tier Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Oklahoma, Ohio, South Carolina
Bottom Tier Alaska, Arkansas, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wyoming
In essence, those who commit animal abuse in Utah get off too easily as animal torture is not a felony in Utah. In addition, Utah has little animal fighting provisions. The other states with low scores: Alaska, Arkansas, Kentucky, and North Dakota.
The full report can be found at http://www.aldf.org/news/details.php?id=323
Here is a synopsis of the results. As stated at their site, the reports “..is based on a detailed comparative analysis of the animal protection laws of each jurisdiction, researching fourteen distinct categories of provisions throughout more than 2,800 pages of statutes. The ranking groups states into a top, middle or bottom tier, and includes a listing of the best five and worst five states.”
Best Five California, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Oregon
Worst Five Arkansas, Alaska, Kentucky, North Dakota, Utah
Top Tier California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Kansas Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Vermont, Virginia
Middle Tier Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Oklahoma, Ohio, South Carolina
Bottom Tier Alaska, Arkansas, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wyoming
Oregon National Primate Research Center at Oregon Health & Science University Accused of Violating Eight Provisions of the Animal Welfare Act
Unfortunately, once again, the Oregon National Primate Research Center at Oregon Health & Science University has once again been caught by an undercover worker in numerous instances of animal abuse.
Article:
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/119492436914550.xml&coll=7
Animal research -
The activist group will formalize its accusations against the Hillsboro facility today
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
BRYAN DENSON
The Oregonian
For the second time in a decade, an animal-rights activist has slipped past employment screeners at the Oregon National Primate Research Center, taken a job as a monkey handler and accused the facility of routinely abusing animals.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, a national animal-rights group, planted one of its undercover investigators at the Hillsboro center from April 9 to July 25, officials at the nonprofit told The Oregonian.
The investigator, whom neither PETA nor the primate center would identify, took a job as an animal husbandry technician and secretly took notes and shot video to document her complaints. PETA will formalize her accusations today in a complaint to federal regulators.
"We are an open facility," declared Michael Conn, the associate director and acting head of the primate center's Department of Animal Resources, in a response Monday. Regulators have inspected the primate center three times since February, finding the facility in full compliance with federal law, he said. "There are no secrets here."
PETA's complaint to the U.S. Department of Agriculture accuses the primate center, a wing of Oregon Health & Science University, of violating eight provisions of the Animal Welfare Act, a federal law intended to guarantee humane treatment of research animals. Among PETA's allegations:
Primate center officials failed to provide timely or effective veterinary treatment for monkeys suffering chronic vomiting, diarrhea and kidney stones.
The center failed to ensure that employees were qualified to perform medical procedures, allowing a worker with palsied hands to give hypodermic injections that caused blood to spurt from a monkey's arm.
Workers failed to prevent monkeys from suffering trauma, behavioral stress, physical harm and unnecessary discomfort, sometimes putting sedated animals into group enclosures that exposed them to falls or attacks from other monkeys.
"The actions of (primate center) staff show a flagrant disregard for the law and for the animals for whom they are responsible," the complaint alleges.
Similar complaints from another animal rights infiltrator in 2000 were investigated by the USDA, and the center was found not to violate the law. Conn said he would be "absolutely shocked" if the new allegations were substantiated.
Oregon's primate center, with annual research grants of $33.3 million, performs experiments on many of the 4,200 monkeys in its care, putting the facility in the cross hairs of groups such as PETA.
The key purpose of the Norfolk, Va., nonprofit is to protect animals from being used for food, clothing, entertainment or medical research.
In 1998, Matt Rossell, a former PETA investigator, went to work as an animal welfare technician at the center. He spent more than two years taking notes and photographs, secretly videotaping screeching monkeys, including one that had chewed a large gash in its own arm.
The Animal Legal Defense Fund, in Maryland, formalized Rossell's observations in a Sept. 6, 2000, complaint to the USDA. It accused the facility of caging animals in filth and abusively small enclosures; conducting needless surgeries; and letting unskilled workers give monkeys injections.
Rossell also complained that the center's method of extracting sperm from monkeys -- a process called electroejaculation -- caused them pain.
The USDA sent six officials to investigate Rossell's complaints. Four months later, they cleared the primate center of violating the Animal Welfare Act, although inspectors did recommend the center improve conditions for 1,201 monkeys then kept indoors.
The center has spent much of the past seven years developing one of the nation's best "psychological well-being" programs for monkeys, said Kristine Coleman, who heads the center's behavioral sciences unit. Today, Coleman said, monkeys get more fruits and vegetables, which stimulate their natural foraging instincts.
The primate center also improved its method of extracting sperm, a process, taped by Rossell, which had burned the penises of two monkeys. Pain and injury have been halted by giving the animals a light sedative and an analgesic, said Dr. Gwen Maginnis, the center's chief attending veterinarian.
Primate center officials were caught off guard seven years ago, after learning they had hired Rossell, who champions a belief that animals are sentient beings entitled to legal rights against exploitation.
The center, which hires about 50 employees a year, improved job screening by adding a full criminal background check and asking applicants and their references whether they think animals should be used in medical research.
"If they come here with a clean criminal history and they lie about their interest and the reason they're here," Conn said, "there's not a lot you can do."
PETA's director of research, Kathy Guillermo, defended the group's use of undercover investigators at biomedical facilities.
"If the laboratories would open their doors and let us in, we would certainly rather do it that way," she said. "Unfortunately what we find over and over and over again is that the doors are shut tight."
34 Colleges and Universities Nationwide Join College Veg Pledge Day
Excellent to see this kind of support in the colleges and universities. As you’ll read below, the options were much better than in the past.
Article:
Veggie-based promises dominate dining
http://media.www.dailypennsylvanian.com/media/storage/paper882/
news/2007/11/14/News/VeggieBased.Promises.Dominate.Dining-3099937.shtml
Penn joins 34 other schools in night of vegan-only meals at Kings Court Dining Hall
Helen Yoon
Pizza was a little different yesterday at Kings Court/English College House.
On the standard college staple, the cheese, pepperoni and sausage were replaced with non-dairy products like soy cheese, soy meat and layers of vegetables.
That dish was part of the dining hall's bi-annual entirely vegan dinner last night, in celebration of College Veg Pledge Day.
The event was sponsored by the Penn Students for Animal Rights, a coalition of college animal-rights groups. PSAR obtained 89 signatures from students who agreed to abstain from eating meat for a day.
The aim of the day is to raise awareness of vegetarianism and stimulate students to think about it.
"There's a lot [of vegetarian options] out there and they're good," said College senior Heather Gorn, president of PSAR.
"It's not the goal of the pledge to reach x number of vegetarians," Gorn said. Rather, student groups are out to spread the truth about the consequences of eating meat.
And reasons to turn vegetarian involve more than just ethical ones.
Meat consumption is also one of the top three causes of pollution, Gorn said.
For example, the greenhouse gas methane comes from cows and contributes to global warming. And when an unnaturally large number of cows are raised for food, it creates a serious problem.
To commemorate the day, 34 other participating schools hosted similar events.
Princeton University threw a vegan dessert party, serving vegan hot chocolate and catered desserts from Zen Palate, a vegetarian restaurant.
"We want to show that [eating vegetarian] is actually doable," said Princeton junior Jenny Palmer, who is the president of the Princeton Animal Welfare Society.
But because the dining halls serving vegetarian and vegan entrees everyday, vegetarianism is nothing new at Penn.
In fact, Penn is one of the more vegetarian-friendly campuses in the country.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals recently nominated the University for their 2007 ranking of schools with quality vegetarian and vegan food available. Penn earned ninth place on the same list last year.
A lot of the credit for that goes to Penn Dining.
"Penn Dining is fantastic," Gorn said. "They are very willing to accommodate vegetarians and vegans."
Food served at the dinner included crispy fried tofu and sauteed vegetables.
Although some students turned away at the prospect of meat-free entrees, most students enjoyed the dinner nonetheless.
"As long as it's good, I don't care," Engineering freshman Eyas Mahmoud said.
Article:
Veggie-based promises dominate dining
http://media.www.dailypennsylvanian.com/media/storage/paper882/
news/2007/11/14/News/VeggieBased.Promises.Dominate.Dining-3099937.shtml
Penn joins 34 other schools in night of vegan-only meals at Kings Court Dining Hall
Helen Yoon
Pizza was a little different yesterday at Kings Court/English College House.
On the standard college staple, the cheese, pepperoni and sausage were replaced with non-dairy products like soy cheese, soy meat and layers of vegetables.
That dish was part of the dining hall's bi-annual entirely vegan dinner last night, in celebration of College Veg Pledge Day.
The event was sponsored by the Penn Students for Animal Rights, a coalition of college animal-rights groups. PSAR obtained 89 signatures from students who agreed to abstain from eating meat for a day.
The aim of the day is to raise awareness of vegetarianism and stimulate students to think about it.
"There's a lot [of vegetarian options] out there and they're good," said College senior Heather Gorn, president of PSAR.
"It's not the goal of the pledge to reach x number of vegetarians," Gorn said. Rather, student groups are out to spread the truth about the consequences of eating meat.
And reasons to turn vegetarian involve more than just ethical ones.
Meat consumption is also one of the top three causes of pollution, Gorn said.
For example, the greenhouse gas methane comes from cows and contributes to global warming. And when an unnaturally large number of cows are raised for food, it creates a serious problem.
To commemorate the day, 34 other participating schools hosted similar events.
Princeton University threw a vegan dessert party, serving vegan hot chocolate and catered desserts from Zen Palate, a vegetarian restaurant.
"We want to show that [eating vegetarian] is actually doable," said Princeton junior Jenny Palmer, who is the president of the Princeton Animal Welfare Society.
But because the dining halls serving vegetarian and vegan entrees everyday, vegetarianism is nothing new at Penn.
In fact, Penn is one of the more vegetarian-friendly campuses in the country.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals recently nominated the University for their 2007 ranking of schools with quality vegetarian and vegan food available. Penn earned ninth place on the same list last year.
A lot of the credit for that goes to Penn Dining.
"Penn Dining is fantastic," Gorn said. "They are very willing to accommodate vegetarians and vegans."
Food served at the dinner included crispy fried tofu and sauteed vegetables.
Although some students turned away at the prospect of meat-free entrees, most students enjoyed the dinner nonetheless.
"As long as it's good, I don't care," Engineering freshman Eyas Mahmoud said.
Friday, November 09, 2007
New Video From National Geographic Exposes the Horror of Japanese Dolphin Slaughter
This was emaild to me. The horrible truth is exposed via video. Please take the time to pass this along. As stated below, "Each year over 22,000 dolphins are hunted and slaughtered by Japanese fisherman during the six month hunting season."
Here is the link to the video:
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/news/animals-news/japan-dolphins-apvin.html
I thought you might be interested in this for your newsletter.
The Japanese tradition of dolphin hunting continued this year, despite international scrutiny and celebrity protesters. Heroes (NBC) Actress Hayden Panettiere was among the protesters who attempted to swim out to a pod of dolphins in danger.
Panettiere was visibly upset after fisherman prevented her and other protesters from reaching endangered dolphins.
Each year over 22,000 dolphins are hunted and slaughtered by Japanese fisherman during the six month hunting season. Japanese fishermen find the protests insulting to their cultural traditions.
Check out this compelling video from National Geographic.com:
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/news/animals-news/japan-dolphins-apvin.html
Jon ChappermPRm Public Relations5670 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 2500 Los Angeles, CA 90036Phone: 323-933-3399, Ext. 4251 Fax: 323-939-7211Email: jchapper@mprm.com http://www.mprm.com/
Here is the link to the video:
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/news/animals-news/japan-dolphins-apvin.html
I thought you might be interested in this for your newsletter.
The Japanese tradition of dolphin hunting continued this year, despite international scrutiny and celebrity protesters. Heroes (NBC) Actress Hayden Panettiere was among the protesters who attempted to swim out to a pod of dolphins in danger.
Panettiere was visibly upset after fisherman prevented her and other protesters from reaching endangered dolphins.
Each year over 22,000 dolphins are hunted and slaughtered by Japanese fisherman during the six month hunting season. Japanese fishermen find the protests insulting to their cultural traditions.
Check out this compelling video from National Geographic.com:
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/news/animals-news/japan-dolphins-apvin.html
Jon ChappermPRm Public Relations5670 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 2500 Los Angeles, CA 90036Phone: 323-933-3399, Ext. 4251 Fax: 323-939-7211Email: jchapper@mprm.com http://www.mprm.com/
As if we Didn’t Already Know the Answer: New Study Provides the Lobsters and Crustaceans Feel Pain
It’s insane that some still deny that crustaceans feel pain. Common sense. Still though, this study puts one more nail in the coffin to the alternate claim.
Article:
Blow for fans of boiled lobster: crustaceans feel pain, study says
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2007/nov/
08/animalrights.sciencenews
Ian Sample The Guardian Thursday November 8 2007 Sensitive chefs, avert your eyes now. An investigation into the most contentious of kitchen dilemmas has reached its unpalatable conclusion: lobsters do feel pain.
The question of crustaceans' ability to experience pain has become an unlikely obsession for some scientists. Over the past few decades, the question has been batted back and forth as fresh evidence comes to light. Two years ago, Norwegian researchers declared the answer was a firm no, claiming the animals' nervous systems were not complex enough.
The latest salvo, published in New Scientist today, comes from Robert Elwood, an expert in animal behaviour at Queen's University, Belfast. With help from colleagues, he set about finding an answer by daubing acetic acid on to the antennae of 144 prawns.
Immediately, the creatures began grooming and rubbing the affected antenna, while leaving untouched ones alone, a response Prof Elwood says is "consistent with an interpretation of pain experience". The same pain sensitivity is likely to be shared by lobsters, crabs and other crustaceans, the researchers believe.
Prof Elwood says that sensing pain is crucial even for the most lowly of animals because it allows them to change their behaviour after damaging experiences and so increase their chances of survival.
The claim will add weight to campaigns by animal rights organisations which protest against lobsters being boiled alive.
But conscientious eaters need not, necessarily, abandon lobster. Other scientists believe the debate is far from over. Many think only vertebrates have advanced enough nervous systems to feel pain, and suspect that the prawns' reaction to having acid daubed on their antennae was an attempt to clean them.
"Shrimps do not have a recognisable brain," said Lynne Sneddon, a Liverpool University researcher who has studied pain in fish. "You could argue the shrimp is simply trying to clean the antenna rather than showing a pain response."
Richard Chapman, from the University of Utah's pain research centre in Salt Lake City, stressed that most animals possessed receptors which responded to irritants. "Even a single-cell organism can detect a threatening chemical gradient and retreat from it," he said. "But this is not sensing pain."
Prof Elwood insists such arguments are flawed. "Using the same analogy, one could argue crabs do not have vision because they lack the visual centres of humans," he said. He urged further work looking at whether crustaceans have the neurological architecture to feel pain.
Article:
Blow for fans of boiled lobster: crustaceans feel pain, study says
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2007/nov/
08/animalrights.sciencenews
Ian Sample The Guardian Thursday November 8 2007 Sensitive chefs, avert your eyes now. An investigation into the most contentious of kitchen dilemmas has reached its unpalatable conclusion: lobsters do feel pain.
The question of crustaceans' ability to experience pain has become an unlikely obsession for some scientists. Over the past few decades, the question has been batted back and forth as fresh evidence comes to light. Two years ago, Norwegian researchers declared the answer was a firm no, claiming the animals' nervous systems were not complex enough.
The latest salvo, published in New Scientist today, comes from Robert Elwood, an expert in animal behaviour at Queen's University, Belfast. With help from colleagues, he set about finding an answer by daubing acetic acid on to the antennae of 144 prawns.
Immediately, the creatures began grooming and rubbing the affected antenna, while leaving untouched ones alone, a response Prof Elwood says is "consistent with an interpretation of pain experience". The same pain sensitivity is likely to be shared by lobsters, crabs and other crustaceans, the researchers believe.
Prof Elwood says that sensing pain is crucial even for the most lowly of animals because it allows them to change their behaviour after damaging experiences and so increase their chances of survival.
The claim will add weight to campaigns by animal rights organisations which protest against lobsters being boiled alive.
But conscientious eaters need not, necessarily, abandon lobster. Other scientists believe the debate is far from over. Many think only vertebrates have advanced enough nervous systems to feel pain, and suspect that the prawns' reaction to having acid daubed on their antennae was an attempt to clean them.
"Shrimps do not have a recognisable brain," said Lynne Sneddon, a Liverpool University researcher who has studied pain in fish. "You could argue the shrimp is simply trying to clean the antenna rather than showing a pain response."
Richard Chapman, from the University of Utah's pain research centre in Salt Lake City, stressed that most animals possessed receptors which responded to irritants. "Even a single-cell organism can detect a threatening chemical gradient and retreat from it," he said. "But this is not sensing pain."
Prof Elwood insists such arguments are flawed. "Using the same analogy, one could argue crabs do not have vision because they lack the visual centres of humans," he said. He urged further work looking at whether crustaceans have the neurological architecture to feel pain.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
CNN Story Exposes Truth That Human Activity - Agriculture, Deforestation, Hunting, Trapping, Selling Of Endangered Animals - Contributes To Extinction
CNN Story Exposes Truth That Human Activity - Agriculture, Deforestation, Hunting, Trapping, Selling Of Endangered Animals - Continues To Contribute To Massive Species Extinction
Normally I’m not a huge CNN fan. This story was decent in that it fully exposes the reality of Human activity, however, especially in the form of agriculture, deforestation, hunting and pollution, has reduced the numbers of species contributing to extinction. It is a significant issue as you’d imagine. Even more telling is that selfish acts such as hunting, trapping and the illegal selling of endangered animals is having a very large effect. Very sad and very unnecessary
As stated below: “According to a recent study by the Switzerland-based World Conservation Union (IUCN) human activity is threatening almost one-sixth of Europe's total land mammal population.
Among marine mammals the situation is even more grave, with some 22 percent of total numbers being pushed towards annihilation.
The IUCN's recently published European Mammal Assessment identified 17 European mammal species that are "vulnerable," seven that are "endangered," and six that are "critically endangered."
Article:
Some creatures great and small -- and disappearing
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/07/11/speciesloss/
By Paul Sussman
Special to CNN
(CNN) -- Ever caught a glimpse of the secretive Iberian lynx? Or heard the croaking bark of a Mediterranean monk seal?
Arctic foxes are trapped and skinned for the pelts.
If not, and you want to do so, you had better hurry because pollution and habitat degradation have pushed both species to the brink of extinction.
According to a recent study by the Switzerland-based World Conservation Union (IUCN) human activity is threatening almost one-sixth of Europe's total land mammal population.
Among marine mammals the situation is even more grave, with some 22 percent of total numbers being pushed towards annihilation.
The IUCN's recently published European Mammal Assessment identified 17 European mammal species that are "vulnerable," seven that are "endangered," and six that are "critically endangered."
The Mediterranean monk seal population, for example, has now dwindled to just 350-450 individuals.
The outlook for the Iberian lynx is even worse, with only an estimated 150 still surviving, making it the most endangered cat species on earth.
Other species on the critically endangered list include the Arctic fox, Bavarian pine vole, European mink and North Atlantic Right whale.
"This new assessment proves that many European mammals are declining at an alarming rate," said IUCN Director-General Julia Marton-Lefèvre, a position echoed by the EU's Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas.
"The results of the report highlight the challenge we currently face to halt the loss of Europe's biodiversity," said Dimas.
"It is clear that the full implementation of the Habitats Directive (adopted by the EU in 1992 to safeguard Europe's endangered wildlife) is of the utmost importance to protect Europe's native mammals."
Europe is home to a rich diversity of native mammal species ranging from the small such as shrews and voles, to the large such as wolves and brown bears. to the enormous -- in the case of the 70-ton North Atlantic Right Whale.
Human activity, however, especially in the form of agriculture, deforestation, hunting and pollution, has reduced the numbers of these species, leaving many of them in danger of vanishing.
The aforementioned Habitats Directive -- a corollary of the 1979 Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats -- introduced a range of measures aimed at protecting endangered species (including plants, birds and fish as well as mammals).
That directive has certainly had an effect, with a number of mammals that previously seemed destined to disappear from Europe now enjoying something of a revival.
The Alpine Ibex, for example, was almost hunted out in the 19th century, its population reduced to just a small group of survivors in Italy's Gran Paradiso National Park.
Thanks to extensive conservation and protection efforts, however, the species is once again flourishing and has been downgraded to the "least concern" category on the IUCN's "Red List."
It is the same story for the European bison, which was limited to just a few zoos before re-introduction programs across eastern Europe helped re-build the population to current levels of around 1,800.
"The fate of the European bison provides an example of the way in which a species may be brought to the brink of extinction in a very short time, and then saved only through great efforts," said Dr. Zbigniew Krasinski of Poland's Bialowieza National Park.
"The saving of the bison has been an undoubted success, although further action will continue to be essential."
Dr. Jean-Christophe Vie, Deputy Head of the IUCN's Species Program, agrees that significant progress has been made.
"In Europe we now have a network of protected areas, as well as strong conservation laws," he told CNN. "It is possible for species to recover even when their numbers drop to extinction level.
"Both the Alpine Ibex and European bison are recovering well because of appropriate conservation measures.
"The European beaver is another example. It was persecuted almost to extinction but has now been re-introduced and is colonizing all over the continent."
While there are positive stories, however, the overall picture remains a disheartening one, as the European Mammal Assessment demonstrates.
Commissioned by the European Commission and a year in the drafting, it is the first such overview of its kind and draws on the work of a Europe-wide group of scientists, zoologists and conservationists.
Its findings provide an unequivocal picture of biodiversity loss and species decline.
Habitat destruction, usually due to agricultural practices, is the key driver of that decline, although many other factors are involved, including pollution, disease and the introduction of invasive foreign species.
The case of the European mink, one of the IUCN's six critically endangered European mammals, is an example of how different elements can combine to drive a particular species to the brink of destruction.
Once found in great numbers across Europe from Spain to the Urals, the mink population has plummeted in recent years.
While hunting has certainly contributed to this decline, the main causes have been habitat loss and competition from invasive foreign species, according to Vie.
"The mink is freshwater dependent," explains Vie. "The more you damage its habitat by polluting rivers, or channeling them, or building dams, the more the population declines."
The introduction of the American mink into Europe for fur-rearing also proved disastrous, with some of those mink escaping from captivity, establishing their own colonies in the wild and setting up direct competition for food and resources with the native population.
The result: an 80 percent decline in that population in the last decade alone (in 1993 the IUCN only classified it as "vulnerable").
But experts say that species loss can be reversed.
"There is more and more perception across Europe that biodiversity conservation is crucially important," says Vie. "And we are seeing good recoveries in some species.
"The picture in the mammal world is not nearly as bad as, say, among freshwater fish, where the number of threatened species is far, far higher."
At the same time, the latest figures remain a source of considerable concern. At a time when so many conservation initiatives and laws are already in operation, the population of many European mammal species is in apparent free fall.
It is not simply the possibility of losing a particular species that worries experts, but also how the loss will affect the species' wider ecosystem
"The food web is extremely complex," says Vie. "If you lose one element that has a very specific role in that web, it has a knock-on effect and the whole system is threatened.
"It is very worrying. Some people think it is a disaster if a famous painting is lost in a fire, but that is just the work of a few weeks or months. These species and systems are the product of millions of years of evolution.
"I am biased, of course, but I think it would be an absolute tragedy if we lost these native species."
Normally I’m not a huge CNN fan. This story was decent in that it fully exposes the reality of Human activity, however, especially in the form of agriculture, deforestation, hunting and pollution, has reduced the numbers of species contributing to extinction. It is a significant issue as you’d imagine. Even more telling is that selfish acts such as hunting, trapping and the illegal selling of endangered animals is having a very large effect. Very sad and very unnecessary
As stated below: “According to a recent study by the Switzerland-based World Conservation Union (IUCN) human activity is threatening almost one-sixth of Europe's total land mammal population.
Among marine mammals the situation is even more grave, with some 22 percent of total numbers being pushed towards annihilation.
The IUCN's recently published European Mammal Assessment identified 17 European mammal species that are "vulnerable," seven that are "endangered," and six that are "critically endangered."
Article:
Some creatures great and small -- and disappearing
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/07/11/speciesloss/
By Paul Sussman
Special to CNN
(CNN) -- Ever caught a glimpse of the secretive Iberian lynx? Or heard the croaking bark of a Mediterranean monk seal?
Arctic foxes are trapped and skinned for the pelts.
If not, and you want to do so, you had better hurry because pollution and habitat degradation have pushed both species to the brink of extinction.
According to a recent study by the Switzerland-based World Conservation Union (IUCN) human activity is threatening almost one-sixth of Europe's total land mammal population.
Among marine mammals the situation is even more grave, with some 22 percent of total numbers being pushed towards annihilation.
The IUCN's recently published European Mammal Assessment identified 17 European mammal species that are "vulnerable," seven that are "endangered," and six that are "critically endangered."
The Mediterranean monk seal population, for example, has now dwindled to just 350-450 individuals.
The outlook for the Iberian lynx is even worse, with only an estimated 150 still surviving, making it the most endangered cat species on earth.
Other species on the critically endangered list include the Arctic fox, Bavarian pine vole, European mink and North Atlantic Right whale.
"This new assessment proves that many European mammals are declining at an alarming rate," said IUCN Director-General Julia Marton-Lefèvre, a position echoed by the EU's Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas.
"The results of the report highlight the challenge we currently face to halt the loss of Europe's biodiversity," said Dimas.
"It is clear that the full implementation of the Habitats Directive (adopted by the EU in 1992 to safeguard Europe's endangered wildlife) is of the utmost importance to protect Europe's native mammals."
Europe is home to a rich diversity of native mammal species ranging from the small such as shrews and voles, to the large such as wolves and brown bears. to the enormous -- in the case of the 70-ton North Atlantic Right Whale.
Human activity, however, especially in the form of agriculture, deforestation, hunting and pollution, has reduced the numbers of these species, leaving many of them in danger of vanishing.
The aforementioned Habitats Directive -- a corollary of the 1979 Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats -- introduced a range of measures aimed at protecting endangered species (including plants, birds and fish as well as mammals).
That directive has certainly had an effect, with a number of mammals that previously seemed destined to disappear from Europe now enjoying something of a revival.
The Alpine Ibex, for example, was almost hunted out in the 19th century, its population reduced to just a small group of survivors in Italy's Gran Paradiso National Park.
Thanks to extensive conservation and protection efforts, however, the species is once again flourishing and has been downgraded to the "least concern" category on the IUCN's "Red List."
It is the same story for the European bison, which was limited to just a few zoos before re-introduction programs across eastern Europe helped re-build the population to current levels of around 1,800.
"The fate of the European bison provides an example of the way in which a species may be brought to the brink of extinction in a very short time, and then saved only through great efforts," said Dr. Zbigniew Krasinski of Poland's Bialowieza National Park.
"The saving of the bison has been an undoubted success, although further action will continue to be essential."
Dr. Jean-Christophe Vie, Deputy Head of the IUCN's Species Program, agrees that significant progress has been made.
"In Europe we now have a network of protected areas, as well as strong conservation laws," he told CNN. "It is possible for species to recover even when their numbers drop to extinction level.
"Both the Alpine Ibex and European bison are recovering well because of appropriate conservation measures.
"The European beaver is another example. It was persecuted almost to extinction but has now been re-introduced and is colonizing all over the continent."
While there are positive stories, however, the overall picture remains a disheartening one, as the European Mammal Assessment demonstrates.
Commissioned by the European Commission and a year in the drafting, it is the first such overview of its kind and draws on the work of a Europe-wide group of scientists, zoologists and conservationists.
Its findings provide an unequivocal picture of biodiversity loss and species decline.
Habitat destruction, usually due to agricultural practices, is the key driver of that decline, although many other factors are involved, including pollution, disease and the introduction of invasive foreign species.
The case of the European mink, one of the IUCN's six critically endangered European mammals, is an example of how different elements can combine to drive a particular species to the brink of destruction.
Once found in great numbers across Europe from Spain to the Urals, the mink population has plummeted in recent years.
While hunting has certainly contributed to this decline, the main causes have been habitat loss and competition from invasive foreign species, according to Vie.
"The mink is freshwater dependent," explains Vie. "The more you damage its habitat by polluting rivers, or channeling them, or building dams, the more the population declines."
The introduction of the American mink into Europe for fur-rearing also proved disastrous, with some of those mink escaping from captivity, establishing their own colonies in the wild and setting up direct competition for food and resources with the native population.
The result: an 80 percent decline in that population in the last decade alone (in 1993 the IUCN only classified it as "vulnerable").
But experts say that species loss can be reversed.
"There is more and more perception across Europe that biodiversity conservation is crucially important," says Vie. "And we are seeing good recoveries in some species.
"The picture in the mammal world is not nearly as bad as, say, among freshwater fish, where the number of threatened species is far, far higher."
At the same time, the latest figures remain a source of considerable concern. At a time when so many conservation initiatives and laws are already in operation, the population of many European mammal species is in apparent free fall.
It is not simply the possibility of losing a particular species that worries experts, but also how the loss will affect the species' wider ecosystem
"The food web is extremely complex," says Vie. "If you lose one element that has a very specific role in that web, it has a knock-on effect and the whole system is threatened.
"It is very worrying. Some people think it is a disaster if a famous painting is lost in a fire, but that is just the work of a few weeks or months. These species and systems are the product of millions of years of evolution.
"I am biased, of course, but I think it would be an absolute tragedy if we lost these native species."
After Realization that Animal Abuse of Imported Animals Rampant in Other countries, New Zealand Looks to Prohibit Exports of Livestock for Slaughter
This would be an excellent move and only reminds us of the horrible truth that came to life in relation to the export of live animals from Australia to Middle Eastern countries. What you’ll read is shocking. You can see the story here:
http://geari.blogspot.com/2006/10/
even-after-horrors-exposed-live-animal.html
Article:
New Zealand May Prohibit Exports of Livestock for Slaughter
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=
20601081&sid=a.pS6W5w_RH4&refer=australia
By Tracy Withers
Oct. 24 (Bloomberg) -- New Zealand may prohibit exports of livestock for slaughter after a review into the treatment of animals in some countries.
The government will start talks with exporters and the farming industry on a interim order to gain tighter control on exports of sheep, cattle, deer and goats. Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton said in a statement e-mailed to Bloomberg News. It won't apply to exports for breeding or other purposes, he said.
Live animal exports were worth NZ$171 million ($129 million) in the year ended August, or less than 1 percent of total exports. Opponents of the trade have campaigned about animal deaths during shipment from New Zealand and Australia to the Middle East, China and Mexico.
New Zealand's decision follows a government review which ``addressed concerns about the treatment and handling of livestock, and slaughter practices in importing countries,'' Anderton said, without providing details. ``It concluded that the current policy didn't adequately manage the risks of ill- treatment and any economic consequences that might result.''
Once the prohibition was in place, individual shipments may still be approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Anderton said.
http://geari.blogspot.com/2006/10/
even-after-horrors-exposed-live-animal.html
Article:
New Zealand May Prohibit Exports of Livestock for Slaughter
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=
20601081&sid=a.pS6W5w_RH4&refer=australia
By Tracy Withers
Oct. 24 (Bloomberg) -- New Zealand may prohibit exports of livestock for slaughter after a review into the treatment of animals in some countries.
The government will start talks with exporters and the farming industry on a interim order to gain tighter control on exports of sheep, cattle, deer and goats. Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton said in a statement e-mailed to Bloomberg News. It won't apply to exports for breeding or other purposes, he said.
Live animal exports were worth NZ$171 million ($129 million) in the year ended August, or less than 1 percent of total exports. Opponents of the trade have campaigned about animal deaths during shipment from New Zealand and Australia to the Middle East, China and Mexico.
New Zealand's decision follows a government review which ``addressed concerns about the treatment and handling of livestock, and slaughter practices in importing countries,'' Anderton said, without providing details. ``It concluded that the current policy didn't adequately manage the risks of ill- treatment and any economic consequences that might result.''
Once the prohibition was in place, individual shipments may still be approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Anderton said.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Department Of Natural Resources in Indiana Seeks To Stop Cruel Practice of Trainers Using Coyotes as Live Bait for Hunting Practice
Yes, this unbelievable practice does occur. I knew nothing of it. Just when you thought you heard the cruelest thing you could, something new comes up.
Article:
DNR wants to save coyotes from being sold as live bait
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/
20071018/LOCAL/710180493/1006/LOCAL
By Meagan Ingerson
Trappers catching coyotes during the off season may no longer be able to keep the animals alive and sell them to out-of-state hunting-dog trainers.
Coyotes (Canis latrans) are native to Indiana soil, but were considered rare or uncommon in Indiana until the early 1970s. Today, coyotes are found throughout Indiana.
Source: DNR Web site
LIVE-BAIT HEARING
The legislative Natural Resources Study Committee will next take up the issue at its Oct. 30 meeting. The Department of Natural Resources also will hold public meetings to discuss the proposed amendment. Dates for those meetings have not been set, although they should take place early next year.
Trainers use them as live bait for hunting practice, the Department of Natural Resources said. Animal-rights activists claim using a live, wild animal for bait is cruel, while trappers say the captive coyotes are well-treated.
Because of an ambiguous state rule, trappers who catch a live coyote out of season "think they can do anything with it," said Phil Bloom, spokesman for the Department of Natural Resources.
In "live bait" training, dogs track a wild animal that has been released in an enclosure. While some say trainers keep the wild animal from being caught, activists say the dogs often catch and kill the "bait," which includes raccoons, rabbits and coyotes.
Under a rule change preliminarily approved last month by the Natural Resources Commission, coyotes caught outside the normal trapping season must be euthanized within 24 hours.
The change was prompted by confusion over the existing rule, which states that during the trapping off season, a coyote could be "taken" from private land by the landowner or an authorized trapper.
Trappers argued that "taken" meant an animal could be kept alive and resold. The Department of Natural Resources said it meant an animal should be destroyed, Bloom said.
A live coyote can fetch as much as $200, he said, while coyote pelts sell for about $12.
The rules have been a problem since 1987, when a law was passed that allowed landowners to trap "nuisance" coyotes out of season, said Col. Mike Crider, director of law enforcement for the Department of Natural Resources. The coyote trapping season runs from Oct. 15 through Jan. 31.
Several years ago, the department altered the rule, stating that captured coyotes should be "promptly disposed of," Crider said, but the rule was still too ambiguous to enforce.
Veterinarian Rachael Jones, Valparaiso, said the practice of using "live bait" is inhumane. Jones is part of the Stop Live Dog Baiting group, which supports the rule change.
"There is no sportsmanship involved in setting packs of hounds upon disoriented, terrified and exhausted 'bait' animals that are penned," she wrote in a letter that is being circulated statewide.
Trappers, however, support any responsible use of captured animals, said George Hertz, treasurer for the Indiana State Trappers Association.
He said trappers sell the animals for collecting urine, not for use as dog-training bait. The urine is used to mask human scent when setting traps or is sold to trainers to help dogs learn tracking techniques.
But the DNR has seen evidence of trappers selling coyotes to groups that use them as bait, Bloom said.
It is illegal to use wild animals for such purposes in Indiana, but the coyotes are sold to states, including South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia, where the operations are legal, Crider said.
Calls to several hunting dog operations were not returned Wednesday.
Wild animals caught in Indiana may be exported to other states, but most states outlaw importing wild animals, he said.
It is legal to sell coyotes during the normal trapping season, but several permits are required, Crider said. Trappers also often keep coyotes alive during the season to use their urine or to wait for their coats to fill out, making their pelts more valuable.
A total of 3,981 coyote pelts were sold in the 2005-06 hunting season, according to figures from the Department of Natural Resources.
Article:
DNR wants to save coyotes from being sold as live bait
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/
20071018/LOCAL/710180493/1006/LOCAL
By Meagan Ingerson
Trappers catching coyotes during the off season may no longer be able to keep the animals alive and sell them to out-of-state hunting-dog trainers.
Coyotes (Canis latrans) are native to Indiana soil, but were considered rare or uncommon in Indiana until the early 1970s. Today, coyotes are found throughout Indiana.
Source: DNR Web site
LIVE-BAIT HEARING
The legislative Natural Resources Study Committee will next take up the issue at its Oct. 30 meeting. The Department of Natural Resources also will hold public meetings to discuss the proposed amendment. Dates for those meetings have not been set, although they should take place early next year.
Trainers use them as live bait for hunting practice, the Department of Natural Resources said. Animal-rights activists claim using a live, wild animal for bait is cruel, while trappers say the captive coyotes are well-treated.
Because of an ambiguous state rule, trappers who catch a live coyote out of season "think they can do anything with it," said Phil Bloom, spokesman for the Department of Natural Resources.
In "live bait" training, dogs track a wild animal that has been released in an enclosure. While some say trainers keep the wild animal from being caught, activists say the dogs often catch and kill the "bait," which includes raccoons, rabbits and coyotes.
Under a rule change preliminarily approved last month by the Natural Resources Commission, coyotes caught outside the normal trapping season must be euthanized within 24 hours.
The change was prompted by confusion over the existing rule, which states that during the trapping off season, a coyote could be "taken" from private land by the landowner or an authorized trapper.
Trappers argued that "taken" meant an animal could be kept alive and resold. The Department of Natural Resources said it meant an animal should be destroyed, Bloom said.
A live coyote can fetch as much as $200, he said, while coyote pelts sell for about $12.
The rules have been a problem since 1987, when a law was passed that allowed landowners to trap "nuisance" coyotes out of season, said Col. Mike Crider, director of law enforcement for the Department of Natural Resources. The coyote trapping season runs from Oct. 15 through Jan. 31.
Several years ago, the department altered the rule, stating that captured coyotes should be "promptly disposed of," Crider said, but the rule was still too ambiguous to enforce.
Veterinarian Rachael Jones, Valparaiso, said the practice of using "live bait" is inhumane. Jones is part of the Stop Live Dog Baiting group, which supports the rule change.
"There is no sportsmanship involved in setting packs of hounds upon disoriented, terrified and exhausted 'bait' animals that are penned," she wrote in a letter that is being circulated statewide.
Trappers, however, support any responsible use of captured animals, said George Hertz, treasurer for the Indiana State Trappers Association.
He said trappers sell the animals for collecting urine, not for use as dog-training bait. The urine is used to mask human scent when setting traps or is sold to trainers to help dogs learn tracking techniques.
But the DNR has seen evidence of trappers selling coyotes to groups that use them as bait, Bloom said.
It is illegal to use wild animals for such purposes in Indiana, but the coyotes are sold to states, including South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia, where the operations are legal, Crider said.
Calls to several hunting dog operations were not returned Wednesday.
Wild animals caught in Indiana may be exported to other states, but most states outlaw importing wild animals, he said.
It is legal to sell coyotes during the normal trapping season, but several permits are required, Crider said. Trappers also often keep coyotes alive during the season to use their urine or to wait for their coats to fill out, making their pelts more valuable.
A total of 3,981 coyote pelts were sold in the 2005-06 hunting season, according to figures from the Department of Natural Resources.
Bill In Massachusetts Would Prohibit The Use Of Chains And Bull Hooks On Elephants And Impose A Maximum Fine Of $5,000 And Up To A Year In Jail
Let’s hope that one goes through. These typically fail for some reason. Would help put an end to the use of elephants in circuses or other animal acts.
Article:
Bill to give animal cruelty the hook
http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ci_7210473?source=most_viewed
By LaToya M. Smith, Eagle Boston Bureau
Thursday, October 18
BOSTON — Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's elephant superstar, King Tusk, may have to give up his gilded robe and custom-built tractor-trailer the next time he treks to the Bay State if lawmakers pass a bill that stalled last year.
The bill would prohibit the use of chains and bull hooks on elephants and impose a maximum fine of $5,000 and up to a year in jail for each violation.
The bull hook is a club made of wood or metal with a sharp steel hook and metal poker at one end.
Similar regulations have been passed in Quincy, Braintree, Weymouth, Provincetown and Revere, according to Scott Giacoppo, deputy director of advocacy for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
"This is a weapon," state Sen. Robert L. Hedlund, R-Weymouth, told the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development yesterday.
"We had a hard time getting this in the Statehouse through security. That should tell you something right there. It's not a leash, it's not a tool or a guide, it's a weapon," he said.
Before the hearing, supporters of the bill demonstrated what they said was the cruelty attached to the bull hook. Archele
Hundley, a former Ringling Bros. employee, slowly bent her knees and got into a batting position. She stretched her arms far behind her head and swung the bull hook, imitating a trainer she said she witnessed beating an elephant.
"I've never seen such animal cruelty in all my life," she said. "What I have witnessed will remain with me for the rest of my life."
Hundley also said that she saw trainers punch horses in the face and saw elephants infected from standing in their own feces for long periods. She also breathlessly described seeing a trainer pull a hook down an elephant's ear canal until it began to shrill and bleed.
"This abuse happened on a daily basis," she said.
But opponents claim that the bill is unnecessary, calling the bull hook a harmless tool used to prod the elephants.
Bruce Read, an official with Feld Entertainment Inc., the owner of Ringling Bros., said the circus's animals are "healthy, thriving, vigorous and content."
"Each animal in our care is provided with full-time veterinary attention, nutritious meals and a clean, safe home," he said. "The use of guides, or bull hooks, and tethering elephants with chains are proven and humane management practices accepted by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)."
Thomas Albert, vice president for government relations for Feld Entertainment, said the bill is discriminatory because zoos and fairs, such as Springfield's Big E, are exempt from the prohibitions of the bill even though they also use bull hooks.
"It appears that the exceptions were included in the legislation for no reason other than to attempt to overcome political opposition from the Big E and other local interest," he said.
Sen. Pamela P. Resor, D-Acton, said she is a strong advocate of animal rights but does not want to see some of the better circuses and zoos close.
"I don't think this bill is the route to take. We need special commissions, and we need to set up regulations for venues with large animals," she said.
The state Senate approved Hedlund's bill in 2006, but it never made it to the House floor for debate. Hedlund said he is optimistic that his bill will pass by December 2008 in both chambers.
"People's views and values are changing," he said. "Zoos have moved more toward educational values and replicating habitats, but the circus remains in this mindset that this is how you train animals, by making them do performances and acts that are unnatural to them with the use of the bull hook."
Article:
Bill to give animal cruelty the hook
http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ci_7210473?source=most_viewed
By LaToya M. Smith, Eagle Boston Bureau
Thursday, October 18
BOSTON — Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's elephant superstar, King Tusk, may have to give up his gilded robe and custom-built tractor-trailer the next time he treks to the Bay State if lawmakers pass a bill that stalled last year.
The bill would prohibit the use of chains and bull hooks on elephants and impose a maximum fine of $5,000 and up to a year in jail for each violation.
The bull hook is a club made of wood or metal with a sharp steel hook and metal poker at one end.
Similar regulations have been passed in Quincy, Braintree, Weymouth, Provincetown and Revere, according to Scott Giacoppo, deputy director of advocacy for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
"This is a weapon," state Sen. Robert L. Hedlund, R-Weymouth, told the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development yesterday.
"We had a hard time getting this in the Statehouse through security. That should tell you something right there. It's not a leash, it's not a tool or a guide, it's a weapon," he said.
Before the hearing, supporters of the bill demonstrated what they said was the cruelty attached to the bull hook. Archele
Hundley, a former Ringling Bros. employee, slowly bent her knees and got into a batting position. She stretched her arms far behind her head and swung the bull hook, imitating a trainer she said she witnessed beating an elephant.
"I've never seen such animal cruelty in all my life," she said. "What I have witnessed will remain with me for the rest of my life."
Hundley also said that she saw trainers punch horses in the face and saw elephants infected from standing in their own feces for long periods. She also breathlessly described seeing a trainer pull a hook down an elephant's ear canal until it began to shrill and bleed.
"This abuse happened on a daily basis," she said.
But opponents claim that the bill is unnecessary, calling the bull hook a harmless tool used to prod the elephants.
Bruce Read, an official with Feld Entertainment Inc., the owner of Ringling Bros., said the circus's animals are "healthy, thriving, vigorous and content."
"Each animal in our care is provided with full-time veterinary attention, nutritious meals and a clean, safe home," he said. "The use of guides, or bull hooks, and tethering elephants with chains are proven and humane management practices accepted by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)."
Thomas Albert, vice president for government relations for Feld Entertainment, said the bill is discriminatory because zoos and fairs, such as Springfield's Big E, are exempt from the prohibitions of the bill even though they also use bull hooks.
"It appears that the exceptions were included in the legislation for no reason other than to attempt to overcome political opposition from the Big E and other local interest," he said.
Sen. Pamela P. Resor, D-Acton, said she is a strong advocate of animal rights but does not want to see some of the better circuses and zoos close.
"I don't think this bill is the route to take. We need special commissions, and we need to set up regulations for venues with large animals," she said.
The state Senate approved Hedlund's bill in 2006, but it never made it to the House floor for debate. Hedlund said he is optimistic that his bill will pass by December 2008 in both chambers.
"People's views and values are changing," he said. "Zoos have moved more toward educational values and replicating habitats, but the circus remains in this mindset that this is how you train animals, by making them do performances and acts that are unnatural to them with the use of the bull hook."
More Proof Emerges of Animal Cruelty at University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center
The charges include “…inadequate anesthesia, unnecessarily painful procedures and substandard basic care, including a lack of food and water.”
Article:
PETA, whistle-blower file animal-cruelty complaint against CU-Denver lab
http://dailycamera.com/news/2007/oct/18/peta-whistle-blower-file-animal-cruelty-against/
Associated Press
Thursday, October 18, 2007
DENVER — A whistle-blower and an animal-rights group have accused a University of Colorado research lab of mistreating test animals, including inadequate anesthesia, unnecessarily painful procedures and substandard basic care, including a lack of food and water.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals filed two complaints Tuesday with the federal government using documents, photos and video footage from Karl Mann, a former animal care technician at the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center.
They allege numerous violations of the federal law and guidelines that Mann said he witnessed between August 2005 and March 2007.
University spokesman Steve Krizman said animals used for research and education aren't mistreated.
"In order to get good research, you need to have well-cared-for animals," Krizman said. "We have a state-of-the-art facility. We have employees specially trained to care for the animals."
He said the university's standards are higher than what is required and complaints are investigated and corrections are made when necessary.
But Mann, who left the lab in March after five years on the staff, said he contacted PETA last fall after his complaints to supervisors didn't change anything. He said he used hidden cameras to photograph and videotape lab conditions, animals being prepped for surgery and having blood drained.
"It really sort of surprised me that no one was willing to do anything about it within the lab," said Mann, 42, who previously worked at the Denver Zoo.
The complaints were filed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which enforces the federal Animal Welfare Act, and the National Institutes of Health Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare.
USDA spokesman Jim Rogers said he hadn't seen Mann's allegations. He said the agency looks into all complaints from private citizens or groups.
"We certainly take them seriously," Rogers said.
NIH spokesman Joe Balintfy said the agency investigates all allegations but doesn't discuss specific complaints or ongoing investigations.
PETA's complaint alleges the university and an oversight committee violated federal law and NIH's guidelines by giving inadequate veterinary care, failing to respond to Mann's complaints, failing to require procedures to minimize pain and distress and failing to ensure that workers were properly qualified and trained.
Among PETA's allegations:
In August 2005, a veterinarian did not arrive at the lab until four hours after Mann reported a bonnet macaque monkey had a prolapsed colon, and the veterinarian didn't euthanize the monkey until more than an hour after that.
Earlier this year, Mann reported that cats being prepped for back surgery didn't appear to be fully anesthetized, and that the anesthetic used was inadequate. Video footage submitted to the federal agencies shows a cat lying on its side and making running motions. PETA added that using cats to study lower back injuries in humans isn't necessary because research is being done on humans.
Krizman said the school's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, which includes outside veterinarians, investigated a complaint from PETA in July about back-injury research on cats. The committee determined that proper anesthesia was used and the running motions videotaped were a reflex that didn't occur during surgery.
Mice and rats, the majority of the lab animals, were kept in crowded cages, some of which were dirty. Some rodents drowned when their cages were flooded by malfunctioning water bottles.
Rodents sometimes went without food and water, and seven rats died in February when their cage wasn't correctly connected to the ventilation system.
Kathy Guillermo, PETA's research director, acknowledged that her organization opposes research on animals. She said even if people believe the research is worthwhile, the way it's being done raises questions about its effectiveness.
"There are laws and guidelines in place to protect these beings who have essentially no rights other than those written in the law," Guillermo said.
Dr. John J. Pippin, a Dallas cardiologist who works full-time for a group that advocates alternatives to animal research, said animal experimentation is "inhumane and cruel" despite the best intentions of researchers.
"The PR departments of schools and other facilities that do this research have a standard response to all such complaints: They take animal welfare issues very seriously, they follow the law and so on," Pippin said. "Any time you take a close look, that's not the case."
Pippin works for the Washington-based Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. The group isn't participating in the complaint against the CU lab.
Pippin said he used to conduct research on dogs but stopped about 20 years ago after deciding it wasn't ethical or scientifically sound. He said breakthroughs in medicine and science typically happen after research with humans because most of the results in animals don't transfer.
"I do believe that most people on the research side of things believe in what they're doing," Pippin said. "I also think, by and large, that looking at the big picture, they have tunnel vision."
The CU Health Sciences Center, which recently moved from Denver to a new campus in Aurora, has come under fire in the past for its treatment of monkeys and use of live dogs in physiology labs.
The monkeys were transferred last year to Wake Forest University in North Carolina, and the school quit using live dogs in 2003 because of budget cuts.
Article:
PETA, whistle-blower file animal-cruelty complaint against CU-Denver lab
http://dailycamera.com/news/2007/oct/18/peta-whistle-blower-file-animal-cruelty-against/
Associated Press
Thursday, October 18, 2007
DENVER — A whistle-blower and an animal-rights group have accused a University of Colorado research lab of mistreating test animals, including inadequate anesthesia, unnecessarily painful procedures and substandard basic care, including a lack of food and water.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals filed two complaints Tuesday with the federal government using documents, photos and video footage from Karl Mann, a former animal care technician at the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center.
They allege numerous violations of the federal law and guidelines that Mann said he witnessed between August 2005 and March 2007.
University spokesman Steve Krizman said animals used for research and education aren't mistreated.
"In order to get good research, you need to have well-cared-for animals," Krizman said. "We have a state-of-the-art facility. We have employees specially trained to care for the animals."
He said the university's standards are higher than what is required and complaints are investigated and corrections are made when necessary.
But Mann, who left the lab in March after five years on the staff, said he contacted PETA last fall after his complaints to supervisors didn't change anything. He said he used hidden cameras to photograph and videotape lab conditions, animals being prepped for surgery and having blood drained.
"It really sort of surprised me that no one was willing to do anything about it within the lab," said Mann, 42, who previously worked at the Denver Zoo.
The complaints were filed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which enforces the federal Animal Welfare Act, and the National Institutes of Health Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare.
USDA spokesman Jim Rogers said he hadn't seen Mann's allegations. He said the agency looks into all complaints from private citizens or groups.
"We certainly take them seriously," Rogers said.
NIH spokesman Joe Balintfy said the agency investigates all allegations but doesn't discuss specific complaints or ongoing investigations.
PETA's complaint alleges the university and an oversight committee violated federal law and NIH's guidelines by giving inadequate veterinary care, failing to respond to Mann's complaints, failing to require procedures to minimize pain and distress and failing to ensure that workers were properly qualified and trained.
Among PETA's allegations:
In August 2005, a veterinarian did not arrive at the lab until four hours after Mann reported a bonnet macaque monkey had a prolapsed colon, and the veterinarian didn't euthanize the monkey until more than an hour after that.
Earlier this year, Mann reported that cats being prepped for back surgery didn't appear to be fully anesthetized, and that the anesthetic used was inadequate. Video footage submitted to the federal agencies shows a cat lying on its side and making running motions. PETA added that using cats to study lower back injuries in humans isn't necessary because research is being done on humans.
Krizman said the school's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, which includes outside veterinarians, investigated a complaint from PETA in July about back-injury research on cats. The committee determined that proper anesthesia was used and the running motions videotaped were a reflex that didn't occur during surgery.
Mice and rats, the majority of the lab animals, were kept in crowded cages, some of which were dirty. Some rodents drowned when their cages were flooded by malfunctioning water bottles.
Rodents sometimes went without food and water, and seven rats died in February when their cage wasn't correctly connected to the ventilation system.
Kathy Guillermo, PETA's research director, acknowledged that her organization opposes research on animals. She said even if people believe the research is worthwhile, the way it's being done raises questions about its effectiveness.
"There are laws and guidelines in place to protect these beings who have essentially no rights other than those written in the law," Guillermo said.
Dr. John J. Pippin, a Dallas cardiologist who works full-time for a group that advocates alternatives to animal research, said animal experimentation is "inhumane and cruel" despite the best intentions of researchers.
"The PR departments of schools and other facilities that do this research have a standard response to all such complaints: They take animal welfare issues very seriously, they follow the law and so on," Pippin said. "Any time you take a close look, that's not the case."
Pippin works for the Washington-based Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. The group isn't participating in the complaint against the CU lab.
Pippin said he used to conduct research on dogs but stopped about 20 years ago after deciding it wasn't ethical or scientifically sound. He said breakthroughs in medicine and science typically happen after research with humans because most of the results in animals don't transfer.
"I do believe that most people on the research side of things believe in what they're doing," Pippin said. "I also think, by and large, that looking at the big picture, they have tunnel vision."
The CU Health Sciences Center, which recently moved from Denver to a new campus in Aurora, has come under fire in the past for its treatment of monkeys and use of live dogs in physiology labs.
The monkeys were transferred last year to Wake Forest University in North Carolina, and the school quit using live dogs in 2003 because of budget cuts.
Canada Moves to Trample On Free Speech: Tries To Make Example of Five People Who Recorded the Cruel March 2006 Baby Seal Slaughter
Here goes Canada now trying once again to squash proof of the absolute cruelty of the annual baby seal slaughter. As stated below, "It really is about whether the government can continue to keep people from getting photographic images and putting them around the world so that the whole world knows what we do."
Article:
Ottawa vs. anti-sealing film crew in Quebec hunt case
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2007/10/18/seal-hunt.html?ref=rss
CBC News
In a case that a prominent Canadian civil-rights lawyer says could have a chilling effect on free speech, Ottawa is taking a group of animal-rights activists to court for coming too close to a sealer while filming the hunt.
The five activists face charges in Quebec for allegedly violating federal marine mammal rules that restrict coming within 10 metres of seal hunters.
Federal prosecutors have already dropped an earlier charge accusing them of obstructing the hunt.
The defendants — all of whom are with the Humane Society of the United States or the Humane Society International — appeared Thursday in a courtroom on Isles de la Madeleine in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
They have all pleaded not guilty.
After having dropped the charge of interfering with the hunt, the remaining charge carries a maximum fine of $100,000.
Continue Article
Ruby, one of Canada's most prominent defence lawyers, is acting as counsel for the activists.
The five were recording the controversial March 2006 seal hunt in the southern Gulf, near the Cape Breton coast, hoping to capture images of animal cruelty for a campaign to stop the slaughter of seals, he said.
Clayton believes Ottawa is attempting to restrict the rights of his clients.
"It really is about whether the government can continue to keep people from getting photographic images and putting them around the world so that the whole world knows what we do," Ruby told the Canadian Press in an interview.
The Marine Mammal Regulations outlining the 10-metre buffer around sealers is not meant to be a "restriction on observation," Fisheries Department spokesman Phil Jenkins said.
The government continues to hand out observer permits annually during the mid-March seal hunting season, he added.
The defendants are Canadians Rebecca Aldworth and Andrew Plumbly, Americans Chad Sisneros and Pierre Grzybowski and British citizen Mark Glover.
In a news release, Humane Society International said Wednesday the charges "are part of an effort by the Canadian government to close the curtain on this gruesome enterprise."
Article:
Ottawa vs. anti-sealing film crew in Quebec hunt case
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2007/10/18/seal-hunt.html?ref=rss
CBC News
In a case that a prominent Canadian civil-rights lawyer says could have a chilling effect on free speech, Ottawa is taking a group of animal-rights activists to court for coming too close to a sealer while filming the hunt.
The five activists face charges in Quebec for allegedly violating federal marine mammal rules that restrict coming within 10 metres of seal hunters.
Federal prosecutors have already dropped an earlier charge accusing them of obstructing the hunt.
The defendants — all of whom are with the Humane Society of the United States or the Humane Society International — appeared Thursday in a courtroom on Isles de la Madeleine in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
They have all pleaded not guilty.
After having dropped the charge of interfering with the hunt, the remaining charge carries a maximum fine of $100,000.
Continue Article
Ruby, one of Canada's most prominent defence lawyers, is acting as counsel for the activists.
The five were recording the controversial March 2006 seal hunt in the southern Gulf, near the Cape Breton coast, hoping to capture images of animal cruelty for a campaign to stop the slaughter of seals, he said.
Clayton believes Ottawa is attempting to restrict the rights of his clients.
"It really is about whether the government can continue to keep people from getting photographic images and putting them around the world so that the whole world knows what we do," Ruby told the Canadian Press in an interview.
The Marine Mammal Regulations outlining the 10-metre buffer around sealers is not meant to be a "restriction on observation," Fisheries Department spokesman Phil Jenkins said.
The government continues to hand out observer permits annually during the mid-March seal hunting season, he added.
The defendants are Canadians Rebecca Aldworth and Andrew Plumbly, Americans Chad Sisneros and Pierre Grzybowski and British citizen Mark Glover.
In a news release, Humane Society International said Wednesday the charges "are part of an effort by the Canadian government to close the curtain on this gruesome enterprise."
The Issue of Puerto Rico Stray Dogs: Their Plight and How to Help them
A good story that exposes this unfortunate situation.
For information about how to adopt a dog from Puerto Rico, go to amigosdelosanimalespr.org or call 787-313-5653.
Article:
Central Florida groups help find new homes for Puerto Rico stray dogs
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-catsanddogs1907oct19,0,6592560.story
Jeannette Rivera-lyles | Sentinel Staff Writer
October 19, 2007
News that more than 50 cats and dogs were thrown to their deaths from a bridge in Puerto Rico last week circled the globe and horrified many. Christine Driscoll's reaction was no different. She felt sick to her stomach, angry, frustrated and helpless.
But not surprised.
When Driscoll moved to Puerto Rico 13 years ago, she planned to teach English at a private school. But she was overwhelmed by the thousands of stray cats and dogs on the island and by the authorities' failure to enforce animal-cruelty laws. In response, Driscoll, now a resident of Baldwin Park in Orlando, founded Amigos de los Animales (Friends of the Animals).
For information about how to adopt a dog from Puerto Rico, go to amigosdelosanimalespr.org or call 787-313-5653.
Street Dogs, a book by photographer Traer Scott, records some of Amigos de los Animales' success stories.
All proceeds go to Amigos and other animal-protection groups.
Visit Ann Hellmuth's Animal Crazy blog
The organization, which she runs from her home office, rescues and rehabilitates stray cats and dogs in Puerto Rico and finds them homes in Florida and other states.
On Thursday, Driscoll joined forces with the SPCA of Central Florida to find homes for dogs through its shelters. Initially, an official with the agency said, it will take 30 to 50 dogs from the island.
"In the future we might be able to take more," said Jake White, senior vice president of the SPCA of Central Florida.
Driscoll has adopted two dogs of her own from the island -- Paloma and Ally -- and recently placed a dog with an Orlando couple.
Initiatives such as this one are the only chance many of the island's strays have, she said.
"There are just a handful of shelters in Puerto Rico and they are overwhelmed," said Driscoll, 40. "So we don't have another choice. It's either adoption here or euthanasia."
The U.S. commonwealth is at the center of an international controversy over how it deals with an estimated 300,000 stray cats and dogs as well as animal-cruelty incidents. The issue was brought to the fore last week when a private animal-control company seized dozens of cats and dogs from a public housing project and hurled them off a bridge. "Pet Massacre in Puerto Rico," read the headlines from Australia to Latin America.
Animal-rescue groups across the country as well as those on the island quickly denounced the killings, while pointing out that it was not an isolated incident. Animal abuse, they say, is rampant in Puerto Rico, and one animal-rights group is calling for a tourism boycott.
"We don't want to bring anybody down," said Ginny Cornett, founder of Hands for Paws, the Palm Beach-based group calling for the boycott. "But if this is what it will take for the Puerto Rican government to pay attention to the problem, so be it."
The negative publicity has caught the attention of some government officials. On Tuesday, Puerto Rico tourism secretary Terestella Gonz�lez-Denton called for a meeting with Driscoll and representatives from animal-protection groups to discuss possible solutions.
Hands for Paws and Amigos work together, rescuing dogs from an isolated beach in Yabucoa, a coastal town in eastern Puerto Rico that is a frequent dumping ground for unwanted pets. Among the locals, the stretch of sand is known as "dead dog beach" because the strays are frequently tortured, mutilated, beaten to death and even shot, Driscoll said.
Dr. Rafael Ramos, a veterinarian who treats many of Amigos' rescued animals in his San Juan office, says he frequently sees gruesome cases of abuse.
"There's a sector of our society that has lost respect for life," Ramos said. "Animals are not seen as living beings. Strays are seen as pests."
Most of the dogs that Amigos rescues are flown to U.S. shelters once they are nursed back to health, sterilized and vaccinated. Last year, the organization brought more than 800 dogs to the mainland. Many went to the Humane Society of Broward County in South Florida.
"We get a lot of puppies from Puerto Rico, and those are adopted quickly," said Cherie Wachter, a spokeswoman for that organization. "And that fills a need because if people don't find what they want in a shelter, they'll go to a pet store."
Wachter said her shelter takes puppies only when they have available space and said no animals are euthanized there. The SPCA of Central Florida has a similar policy. Amigos' animals also go to shelters in New York, New Jersey, Vermont, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Driscoll is hopeful that things will take a turn for the better on the island.
"We finally have the attention of people that ignored us for the longest time," Driscoll said. "Something good has to come out of this."
For information about how to adopt a dog from Puerto Rico, go to amigosdelosanimalespr.org or call 787-313-5653.
Article:
Central Florida groups help find new homes for Puerto Rico stray dogs
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-catsanddogs1907oct19,0,6592560.story
Jeannette Rivera-lyles | Sentinel Staff Writer
October 19, 2007
News that more than 50 cats and dogs were thrown to their deaths from a bridge in Puerto Rico last week circled the globe and horrified many. Christine Driscoll's reaction was no different. She felt sick to her stomach, angry, frustrated and helpless.
But not surprised.
When Driscoll moved to Puerto Rico 13 years ago, she planned to teach English at a private school. But she was overwhelmed by the thousands of stray cats and dogs on the island and by the authorities' failure to enforce animal-cruelty laws. In response, Driscoll, now a resident of Baldwin Park in Orlando, founded Amigos de los Animales (Friends of the Animals).
For information about how to adopt a dog from Puerto Rico, go to amigosdelosanimalespr.org or call 787-313-5653.
Street Dogs, a book by photographer Traer Scott, records some of Amigos de los Animales' success stories.
All proceeds go to Amigos and other animal-protection groups.
Visit Ann Hellmuth's Animal Crazy blog
The organization, which she runs from her home office, rescues and rehabilitates stray cats and dogs in Puerto Rico and finds them homes in Florida and other states.
On Thursday, Driscoll joined forces with the SPCA of Central Florida to find homes for dogs through its shelters. Initially, an official with the agency said, it will take 30 to 50 dogs from the island.
"In the future we might be able to take more," said Jake White, senior vice president of the SPCA of Central Florida.
Driscoll has adopted two dogs of her own from the island -- Paloma and Ally -- and recently placed a dog with an Orlando couple.
Initiatives such as this one are the only chance many of the island's strays have, she said.
"There are just a handful of shelters in Puerto Rico and they are overwhelmed," said Driscoll, 40. "So we don't have another choice. It's either adoption here or euthanasia."
The U.S. commonwealth is at the center of an international controversy over how it deals with an estimated 300,000 stray cats and dogs as well as animal-cruelty incidents. The issue was brought to the fore last week when a private animal-control company seized dozens of cats and dogs from a public housing project and hurled them off a bridge. "Pet Massacre in Puerto Rico," read the headlines from Australia to Latin America.
Animal-rescue groups across the country as well as those on the island quickly denounced the killings, while pointing out that it was not an isolated incident. Animal abuse, they say, is rampant in Puerto Rico, and one animal-rights group is calling for a tourism boycott.
"We don't want to bring anybody down," said Ginny Cornett, founder of Hands for Paws, the Palm Beach-based group calling for the boycott. "But if this is what it will take for the Puerto Rican government to pay attention to the problem, so be it."
The negative publicity has caught the attention of some government officials. On Tuesday, Puerto Rico tourism secretary Terestella Gonz�lez-Denton called for a meeting with Driscoll and representatives from animal-protection groups to discuss possible solutions.
Hands for Paws and Amigos work together, rescuing dogs from an isolated beach in Yabucoa, a coastal town in eastern Puerto Rico that is a frequent dumping ground for unwanted pets. Among the locals, the stretch of sand is known as "dead dog beach" because the strays are frequently tortured, mutilated, beaten to death and even shot, Driscoll said.
Dr. Rafael Ramos, a veterinarian who treats many of Amigos' rescued animals in his San Juan office, says he frequently sees gruesome cases of abuse.
"There's a sector of our society that has lost respect for life," Ramos said. "Animals are not seen as living beings. Strays are seen as pests."
Most of the dogs that Amigos rescues are flown to U.S. shelters once they are nursed back to health, sterilized and vaccinated. Last year, the organization brought more than 800 dogs to the mainland. Many went to the Humane Society of Broward County in South Florida.
"We get a lot of puppies from Puerto Rico, and those are adopted quickly," said Cherie Wachter, a spokeswoman for that organization. "And that fills a need because if people don't find what they want in a shelter, they'll go to a pet store."
Wachter said her shelter takes puppies only when they have available space and said no animals are euthanized there. The SPCA of Central Florida has a similar policy. Amigos' animals also go to shelters in New York, New Jersey, Vermont, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Driscoll is hopeful that things will take a turn for the better on the island.
"We finally have the attention of people that ignored us for the longest time," Driscoll said. "Something good has to come out of this."
Ridiculous and Cruel 15-Day Annual Religious Festival Dashain in Nepal Marks Beginning Of Slaughter of Thousands of Goats, Chickens, Buffalo, Ducks
Once again, a ridiculous reason to engage in cruel mass slaughter.
“Visible in the Kathmandu traffic among all the shoppers are youths walking with herds of goats; motorbikes with live chickens dangling from the sides; and trucks crammed with buffaloes arriving from India.
On Friday and Saturday, and especially during the night in between, known as "Kal Ratri" or the "Dark Night", thousands of these animals as well as sheep and ducks will be slaughtered across the nation.”
Article:
Revulsion over Nepal animal slaughter
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7052543.stm
By Charles Haviland
BBC News, Kathmandu
A goat offering is a holy act for Hindu devotees
The people of Nepal are celebrating their biggest national festival, Dashain.
The 15-day annual religious feast marks the victory of the Hindu goddess Durga over a feared demon and symbolises the triumph of good over evil.
There are a wealth of rites in the goddess's name, and sacred grass is being grown in special pots all over the country to be used as a blessing this Sunday, the 10th and most important festival day.
Every Hindu home has been cleaned and decorated to welcome the goddess. The markets have been heaving as shoppers seek out new clothes and foodstuffs, and many thousands are returning to their home villages from the cities and from foreign countries to spend time with their families.
Mass slaughter
But increasingly voices are being heard questioning what takes place on its eighth and ninth days - this Friday and Saturday - when hundreds of thousands of animals are ritually slaughtered as a sacrifice for Durga.
The Dashain festival is a time of great merriment
Visible in the Kathmandu traffic among all the shoppers are youths walking with herds of goats; motorbikes with live chickens dangling from the sides; and trucks crammed with buffaloes arriving from India.
On Friday and Saturday, and especially during the night in between, known as "Kal Ratri" or the "Dark Night", thousands of these animals as well as sheep and ducks will be slaughtered across the nation.
Animals are killed in the smallest villages or in cities like Kathmandu, where the courtyard of the Taleju Temple, opened just once a year, will end up flowing with blood.
It will yield a feast of meat. But it is also said to have a religious meaning - the killing being a sacrifice to honour the goddess and prevent her anger in the year ahead.
The new dissenters are questioning both the scale and the methods of the killing.
An article in the Nepali Times weekly says most buffaloes, like smaller animals, are decapitated but the bigger ones are battered to death with a heavy hammer on the forehead.
'Such cruelty'
A respected botanist, Dr Tirtha Shrestha - writing in the same paper - says that in Bhaktapur, near Kathmandu, pigs are skinned alive and their beating hearts offered to the temple, while in a nearby village people tear apart a live goat.
He asks what kind of people take pleasure in such cruelty, even suggesting that a society which treats animals so brutally will be brutal to human beings too.
"Decapitating a bleating buffalo or goat should not be the symbol of the Nepali civilisation," he says. "Why are we exhibiting such cruelty, and how does this reflect on our society?"
The festival is a time when families get together
Dr Shrestha accepts that to eat meat, animals must be killed.
"But why do we have to inflict such pain before we do so? This is not just inhuman, it is also against the law in many countries. It is morally wrong to torture fellow creatures under any circumstances, but to do so in the name of religion is a sin."
Another Nepali man, Arun Poudel, sending a mass email, picks up on this last theme.
Animal sacrifices
He says people should stop killing animals in the name of Hinduism's respected goddesses and gods.
"Maybe the deities will start wanting human blood soon," he muses grimly.
Such sentiments are spreading. Although animal rights are not a major concern in Nepal, an animal protection group recently held a rally in the capital against the yearly tradition of animal sacrifices.
And, speaking to the BBC, one Nepalese journalist who has been a vegetarian for many years said he was delaying his visit to his village to avoid the killing.
"I can't stand the slaughter," he said. "If a goat is killed, I run away. When I was a small kid, I'd hide indoors all day or go to the jungle."
He believes about 1,000 animals will die in his small village in the hills where, he says, certain men have taken up the "hobby" of Dashain slaughtering and will provide the service for many households.
The Kathmandu Post newspaper reports on another group of dissenters. It says two entire villages in Gorkha, in west-central Nepal, have shunned sacrifices for as long as 90 years and gone largely vegetarian as they believe in non-violence.
At the moment, however, these voices are still few and far between.
Nepal is a country where most people are too poor to eat meat regularly and regard it as a great treat. There is not as strong a tradition of vegetarianism as there is in neighbouring India, which also has a Hindu majority.
For the time being at least, The feast-day spilling of animals' blood looks set to continue.
“Visible in the Kathmandu traffic among all the shoppers are youths walking with herds of goats; motorbikes with live chickens dangling from the sides; and trucks crammed with buffaloes arriving from India.
On Friday and Saturday, and especially during the night in between, known as "Kal Ratri" or the "Dark Night", thousands of these animals as well as sheep and ducks will be slaughtered across the nation.”
Article:
Revulsion over Nepal animal slaughter
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7052543.stm
By Charles Haviland
BBC News, Kathmandu
A goat offering is a holy act for Hindu devotees
The people of Nepal are celebrating their biggest national festival, Dashain.
The 15-day annual religious feast marks the victory of the Hindu goddess Durga over a feared demon and symbolises the triumph of good over evil.
There are a wealth of rites in the goddess's name, and sacred grass is being grown in special pots all over the country to be used as a blessing this Sunday, the 10th and most important festival day.
Every Hindu home has been cleaned and decorated to welcome the goddess. The markets have been heaving as shoppers seek out new clothes and foodstuffs, and many thousands are returning to their home villages from the cities and from foreign countries to spend time with their families.
Mass slaughter
But increasingly voices are being heard questioning what takes place on its eighth and ninth days - this Friday and Saturday - when hundreds of thousands of animals are ritually slaughtered as a sacrifice for Durga.
The Dashain festival is a time of great merriment
Visible in the Kathmandu traffic among all the shoppers are youths walking with herds of goats; motorbikes with live chickens dangling from the sides; and trucks crammed with buffaloes arriving from India.
On Friday and Saturday, and especially during the night in between, known as "Kal Ratri" or the "Dark Night", thousands of these animals as well as sheep and ducks will be slaughtered across the nation.
Animals are killed in the smallest villages or in cities like Kathmandu, where the courtyard of the Taleju Temple, opened just once a year, will end up flowing with blood.
It will yield a feast of meat. But it is also said to have a religious meaning - the killing being a sacrifice to honour the goddess and prevent her anger in the year ahead.
The new dissenters are questioning both the scale and the methods of the killing.
An article in the Nepali Times weekly says most buffaloes, like smaller animals, are decapitated but the bigger ones are battered to death with a heavy hammer on the forehead.
'Such cruelty'
A respected botanist, Dr Tirtha Shrestha - writing in the same paper - says that in Bhaktapur, near Kathmandu, pigs are skinned alive and their beating hearts offered to the temple, while in a nearby village people tear apart a live goat.
He asks what kind of people take pleasure in such cruelty, even suggesting that a society which treats animals so brutally will be brutal to human beings too.
"Decapitating a bleating buffalo or goat should not be the symbol of the Nepali civilisation," he says. "Why are we exhibiting such cruelty, and how does this reflect on our society?"
The festival is a time when families get together
Dr Shrestha accepts that to eat meat, animals must be killed.
"But why do we have to inflict such pain before we do so? This is not just inhuman, it is also against the law in many countries. It is morally wrong to torture fellow creatures under any circumstances, but to do so in the name of religion is a sin."
Another Nepali man, Arun Poudel, sending a mass email, picks up on this last theme.
Animal sacrifices
He says people should stop killing animals in the name of Hinduism's respected goddesses and gods.
"Maybe the deities will start wanting human blood soon," he muses grimly.
Such sentiments are spreading. Although animal rights are not a major concern in Nepal, an animal protection group recently held a rally in the capital against the yearly tradition of animal sacrifices.
And, speaking to the BBC, one Nepalese journalist who has been a vegetarian for many years said he was delaying his visit to his village to avoid the killing.
"I can't stand the slaughter," he said. "If a goat is killed, I run away. When I was a small kid, I'd hide indoors all day or go to the jungle."
He believes about 1,000 animals will die in his small village in the hills where, he says, certain men have taken up the "hobby" of Dashain slaughtering and will provide the service for many households.
The Kathmandu Post newspaper reports on another group of dissenters. It says two entire villages in Gorkha, in west-central Nepal, have shunned sacrifices for as long as 90 years and gone largely vegetarian as they believe in non-violence.
At the moment, however, these voices are still few and far between.
Nepal is a country where most people are too poor to eat meat regularly and regard it as a great treat. There is not as strong a tradition of vegetarianism as there is in neighbouring India, which also has a Hindu majority.
For the time being at least, The feast-day spilling of animals' blood looks set to continue.
MPI Research Newest Drug-Testing Company to Be Exposed For Animal Cruelty
"MPI is a 12-year-old company that conducts early-stage drug-development trials for pharmaceutical companies."
Article:
Animal-rights group requests federal investigation of MPI
http://www.mlive.com/business/kzgazette/index.ssf?/base/
business-4/1192546210269060.xml&coll=7
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
BY ALEX NIXON
MATTAWAN -- An animal-rights group has asked the federal government to investigate the way Mattawan drug-testing company MPI Research treats the animals it uses.
Stop Animal Exploitation Now, or SAEN, said at a news conference Monday morning that it was contacted a month ago by an employee of MPI Research regarding allegations that MPI's treatment of animals used in drug testing violates the federal Animal Welfare Act.
``Some of the violations revealed by the whistleblower include inadequate veterinary care and inadequate observation of the animals,'' Michael Budkie, executive director of Milford, Ohio-based SAEN, said in a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's animal-care division.
Budkie refused to disclose the identity of the MPI employee because, he said, that person fears reprisals. He also would not say if the person was a current or former employee.
MPI Chairman and Chief Executive Officer William Parfet said the 1,500-employee company is ``vigorously'' inspected by both the USDA and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
``We take it seriously,'' Parfet said of the allegations. ``But we don't believe that there's been any wrongdoing.''
Parfet said MPI would cooperate fully with any inspection or investigation by regulators, but he said he didn't know if or when that would happen.
USDA spokesman Jim Rogers said the agency follows up all complaints. As of Monday afternoon, he said, the animal-care division had received SAEN's complaint but hadn't contacted MPI about it.
MPI is a 12-year-old company that conducts early-stage drug-development trials for pharmaceutical companies. Rogers said it is inspected once a year by the USDA and was investigated once in 2005. No violations were found in connection with that inquiry, he said.
Article:
Animal-rights group requests federal investigation of MPI
http://www.mlive.com/business/kzgazette/index.ssf?/base/
business-4/1192546210269060.xml&coll=7
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
BY ALEX NIXON
MATTAWAN -- An animal-rights group has asked the federal government to investigate the way Mattawan drug-testing company MPI Research treats the animals it uses.
Stop Animal Exploitation Now, or SAEN, said at a news conference Monday morning that it was contacted a month ago by an employee of MPI Research regarding allegations that MPI's treatment of animals used in drug testing violates the federal Animal Welfare Act.
``Some of the violations revealed by the whistleblower include inadequate veterinary care and inadequate observation of the animals,'' Michael Budkie, executive director of Milford, Ohio-based SAEN, said in a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's animal-care division.
Budkie refused to disclose the identity of the MPI employee because, he said, that person fears reprisals. He also would not say if the person was a current or former employee.
MPI Chairman and Chief Executive Officer William Parfet said the 1,500-employee company is ``vigorously'' inspected by both the USDA and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
``We take it seriously,'' Parfet said of the allegations. ``But we don't believe that there's been any wrongdoing.''
Parfet said MPI would cooperate fully with any inspection or investigation by regulators, but he said he didn't know if or when that would happen.
USDA spokesman Jim Rogers said the agency follows up all complaints. As of Monday afternoon, he said, the animal-care division had received SAEN's complaint but hadn't contacted MPI about it.
MPI is a 12-year-old company that conducts early-stage drug-development trials for pharmaceutical companies. Rogers said it is inspected once a year by the USDA and was investigated once in 2005. No violations were found in connection with that inquiry, he said.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
New York City is Underground Capital of Professional Dog Fighting - And Home to One of the Most Notorious People in Violent World
Yes, many think that only the seamy south is home to dog fighting. Yet, unfortunately, you must look way beyond the south to find more dog fighting operations. Sadly, as you’ll see, New York is home to another Notorious Sicko. Nope, it aint Michael Vick.
Article:
DOGFIGHT CAPITAL OF THE WORLD
http://www.nypost.com/seven/10142007/news/
regionalnews/dogfight_capital_of_the_world.htm
By ELIZABETH WOLFF
October 14, 2007 -- New York City is the underground capital of professional dogfighting - and home to one of the most notorious figures in that dark and violent world.
Under the kennel name Big Apple, Bronx breeder Ralph Reyes is behind the most successful fighting dogs on the underground national circuit, according to animal rights activists.
They say his stable includes grand pit bull champion Demon and Georgia Girl, an animal who won a notoriously bloody, nearly five-hour match in 2006, the longest on record - and a fact the kennel proudly advertises on an industry Web site that posts dogs' pedigrees, photos and wins.
Reyes "watched his favorite pet kill himself for his owner's approval," said an informant for the Humane Society of the United States, who spoke to The Post on condition of anonymity.
"He's the No. 1 most prominent dogfighter in New York City, and in our top 20 most notorious professional dogfighters in the U.S.," said John Goodwin, manager of the HSUS National Animal Fighting Task Force, which monitors and investigates animal fighting and helps spur arrests.
Goodwin's team of investigators and informants identified Reyes as the head of Big Apple kennel, which operates illegally out of a basement apartment of a three-story multifamily walkup on Valentine Avenue.
The Big Apple kennel - neither a legal kennel nor a business entity, even though it has boarding and training facilities throughout The Bronx and elsewhere - remains virtually untouchable so far, investigators say.
No one is sure how many dogs Big Apple has sent into the ring to their deaths, though 26 top-level Bronx bulldogs are on the industry Web site. Two have made the cover of underground dog-fighting magazines that circulate widely.
While dog owners schedule an official fight at least two months in advance to allow for the dogs' conditioning, the mega-shows, which occur in the five boroughs, are months in the planning.
Fighters come from as far as Puerto Rico, Florida and Texas to match their dogs with purses ranging from $300 to $300,000 for prized fighters and crowds swelling to 500, sources have told The Post.
"The Super Bowl of dogfighting shows come to New York City," Goodwin said.
And Demon is certainly one of the hands-down superstars of the circuit. The dog's five wins in 2006 earned him the cover of the Sporting Dog Journal this summer - and a national following of bloodthirsty fans.
The ruthless Reyes, whose pit bull tattoo covers his left bicep, also helped train a predecessor to Demon - Haunch, whose brutal fight to the death put Big Apple on the map and caught the attention of the HSUS. According to a story submitted by Big Apple to Game Dog Quarterly, Haunch was prepped for the 2004 grand champ title after he'd already retired and was a house pet and breeding dog.
"Haunch was never in control, losing an eye, and his muzzle crushed, he still tried to dig the chest and did some damage . . . Haunch was still biting hard in the chest and hurting the dog . . Veteran dog men were there saying it will be a long time coming before you ever see that again," the magazine story reported.
Haunch was victorious, but mortally wounded, according to Goodwin, who confirmed the account through interstate informants and monitoring Web chatter.
When approached by The Post, Reyes - about whom little is known outside his rep on the circuit - denied he owned Demon or was behind Big Apple kennels. He has no arrest record.
"No, that's another guy, Big Sexy . . . He got Demon," said the mechanic-by-day, who's missing his two front teeth.
The HSUS said the person nicknamed "Big Sexy" is actually Reyes' second-in-command.
Reyes told The Post he rents out a basement apartment where he gets paid to care for other peoples' pit bulls. He nervously admitted he was currently caring for two, "Lucky" and "Lady."
He then went on to brag about a dog "I'd only feed eggs and spinach. He was great. . . I had him pulling me on a skateboard down to 138th [Street], stopping in the red [lights], and back in two hours."
That diet and exercise perfectly matches a description Big Apple provided to a dogfighting magazine about Haunch's training. Reyes first claimed the dog died, then said it had gone to Texas.
Graying and overweight, Reyes said he was a tired man with gout, a wife, and a young child, and lived around the corner.
"I can't drink . . . I don't smoke . . . I wish I could help you, but Big Apple's not me," Reyes said.
According to Goodwin, New York authorities have virtually turned a blind eye to the illegal activity.
"[The city is] at the center of organized dogfighting because of the lack of enforcement," he said. "Building cases takes time, and it requires the cooperation of local officials."
The HSUS has given up its New York City investigations because it doesn't get the support they need from officials who would be responsible for making the arrests, Goodwin complained.
"We haven't had the enthusiasm from law enforcement that we needed" to pursue probes and raids here, he says.
And as a result, "New York City is the capital for dog fighting," he claims - an assertion that belies the popular notion that, as the case against former Atlanta Falcons' quarterback Michael Vick case illustrated, dogfighting is a phenomenon more common in the rural South.
A spokeman for the ASPCA, which has the authority to make arrests for animal cruelty, said the HSUS told them of Big Apple's existence in 2006, but gave no address or leads.
"If they're reporting this to the ASPCA and we're not following through, I don't understand why they're not speaking out to other law enforcement organizations in the city," said Assistant Law Enforcement Director Joseph Pentangelo.
"The NYPD is duty-bound to investigate. We're not a government agency."
Article:
DOGFIGHT CAPITAL OF THE WORLD
http://www.nypost.com/seven/10142007/news/
regionalnews/dogfight_capital_of_the_world.htm
By ELIZABETH WOLFF
October 14, 2007 -- New York City is the underground capital of professional dogfighting - and home to one of the most notorious figures in that dark and violent world.
Under the kennel name Big Apple, Bronx breeder Ralph Reyes is behind the most successful fighting dogs on the underground national circuit, according to animal rights activists.
They say his stable includes grand pit bull champion Demon and Georgia Girl, an animal who won a notoriously bloody, nearly five-hour match in 2006, the longest on record - and a fact the kennel proudly advertises on an industry Web site that posts dogs' pedigrees, photos and wins.
Reyes "watched his favorite pet kill himself for his owner's approval," said an informant for the Humane Society of the United States, who spoke to The Post on condition of anonymity.
"He's the No. 1 most prominent dogfighter in New York City, and in our top 20 most notorious professional dogfighters in the U.S.," said John Goodwin, manager of the HSUS National Animal Fighting Task Force, which monitors and investigates animal fighting and helps spur arrests.
Goodwin's team of investigators and informants identified Reyes as the head of Big Apple kennel, which operates illegally out of a basement apartment of a three-story multifamily walkup on Valentine Avenue.
The Big Apple kennel - neither a legal kennel nor a business entity, even though it has boarding and training facilities throughout The Bronx and elsewhere - remains virtually untouchable so far, investigators say.
No one is sure how many dogs Big Apple has sent into the ring to their deaths, though 26 top-level Bronx bulldogs are on the industry Web site. Two have made the cover of underground dog-fighting magazines that circulate widely.
While dog owners schedule an official fight at least two months in advance to allow for the dogs' conditioning, the mega-shows, which occur in the five boroughs, are months in the planning.
Fighters come from as far as Puerto Rico, Florida and Texas to match their dogs with purses ranging from $300 to $300,000 for prized fighters and crowds swelling to 500, sources have told The Post.
"The Super Bowl of dogfighting shows come to New York City," Goodwin said.
And Demon is certainly one of the hands-down superstars of the circuit. The dog's five wins in 2006 earned him the cover of the Sporting Dog Journal this summer - and a national following of bloodthirsty fans.
The ruthless Reyes, whose pit bull tattoo covers his left bicep, also helped train a predecessor to Demon - Haunch, whose brutal fight to the death put Big Apple on the map and caught the attention of the HSUS. According to a story submitted by Big Apple to Game Dog Quarterly, Haunch was prepped for the 2004 grand champ title after he'd already retired and was a house pet and breeding dog.
"Haunch was never in control, losing an eye, and his muzzle crushed, he still tried to dig the chest and did some damage . . . Haunch was still biting hard in the chest and hurting the dog . . Veteran dog men were there saying it will be a long time coming before you ever see that again," the magazine story reported.
Haunch was victorious, but mortally wounded, according to Goodwin, who confirmed the account through interstate informants and monitoring Web chatter.
When approached by The Post, Reyes - about whom little is known outside his rep on the circuit - denied he owned Demon or was behind Big Apple kennels. He has no arrest record.
"No, that's another guy, Big Sexy . . . He got Demon," said the mechanic-by-day, who's missing his two front teeth.
The HSUS said the person nicknamed "Big Sexy" is actually Reyes' second-in-command.
Reyes told The Post he rents out a basement apartment where he gets paid to care for other peoples' pit bulls. He nervously admitted he was currently caring for two, "Lucky" and "Lady."
He then went on to brag about a dog "I'd only feed eggs and spinach. He was great. . . I had him pulling me on a skateboard down to 138th [Street], stopping in the red [lights], and back in two hours."
That diet and exercise perfectly matches a description Big Apple provided to a dogfighting magazine about Haunch's training. Reyes first claimed the dog died, then said it had gone to Texas.
Graying and overweight, Reyes said he was a tired man with gout, a wife, and a young child, and lived around the corner.
"I can't drink . . . I don't smoke . . . I wish I could help you, but Big Apple's not me," Reyes said.
According to Goodwin, New York authorities have virtually turned a blind eye to the illegal activity.
"[The city is] at the center of organized dogfighting because of the lack of enforcement," he said. "Building cases takes time, and it requires the cooperation of local officials."
The HSUS has given up its New York City investigations because it doesn't get the support they need from officials who would be responsible for making the arrests, Goodwin complained.
"We haven't had the enthusiasm from law enforcement that we needed" to pursue probes and raids here, he says.
And as a result, "New York City is the capital for dog fighting," he claims - an assertion that belies the popular notion that, as the case against former Atlanta Falcons' quarterback Michael Vick case illustrated, dogfighting is a phenomenon more common in the rural South.
A spokeman for the ASPCA, which has the authority to make arrests for animal cruelty, said the HSUS told them of Big Apple's existence in 2006, but gave no address or leads.
"If they're reporting this to the ASPCA and we're not following through, I don't understand why they're not speaking out to other law enforcement organizations in the city," said Assistant Law Enforcement Director Joseph Pentangelo.
"The NYPD is duty-bound to investigate. We're not a government agency."
Chicago Also Home to Cruel Dog Fighting
Yes, I know the last article was disturbing, but unfortunately, even Chicago has a serious problem with dog fighting.
Article:
Task force targets Southland dog fights
http://www.dailysouthtown.com/news/601473,101407dogs.article
October 14, 2007
By Emily Udell, Staff writer
In the wake of several high-profile dog-fighting busts in the Southland, a regional task force to combat the illegal sport in the Chicago area is up and running, according to Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart.
The task force was created to streamline communication among the county, the Chicago Police Department and the state's attorney's office. The group also recently has enlisted the help of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Dart said.
"The nature of this type of crime is one that clearly goes across jurisdictional lines," he said.
Dart said dog fighting is on the rise, and his department has seen the most activity in the southern part of the county.
According to the sheriff, recent crackdowns by law enforcement can make it more difficult to ferret out offenders.
"The last month or two since we've turned up the heat so much, it's driven this crime more underground," Dart said.
In July, authorities seized from a South Holland barn 37 dogs covered in excrement and found without food or water. It was the largest seizure of dogs in Cook County history.
Kevin Taylor, 29, was charged with one felony count of dog fighting and 37 counts of animal cruelty, as well as one misdemeanor each of possession of dogs by a felon and owning sport fighting dogs in connection with the bust.
In the same month, 12 dogs were seized at a Burbank gas station from two men who were charged with dog fighting and animal cruelty. Two other men were charged with dog fighting-related offenses after a raid on a Ford Heights home in August.
Sgt. Eldon Urbikas, of the Animal Crimes Unit of the Chicago Police Department, equated dog fighting to the rave culture, an underground party scene that emerged in the '90s. He said participation in the sport can wax and wane, depending on the popularity of various breeds of dogs.
"Right now we're at the pit bull cycle," said Urbikas, who added that portrayals of pit bull terriers and dog-fighting culture in rap music has fueled interest in the breed.
Animal abuse, including dog fighting, can be an indicator of other types of criminal activity. Urbikas said there is a link between animal crimes and domestic violence.
Ann Chynoweth, director of the Washington, D.C.-based organization, said the society has been working with Chicago police to develop a multifaceted program to combat the problem that can spread to other cities.
"Chicago doesn't have a monopoly on dog fighting, but it is a significant issue in Chicago," she said.
The humane society has presented workshops to police officers, collaborated on a training video and offered the organization's $5,000 reward for tipsters who provide information leading to conviction.
"Chicago was a good place to try a model program because there were so many good people already working on the issue," Chynoweth said.
She said street fighting, which is more spontaneous than organized fighting, is of particular concern in Chicago.
The organization estimates that about 40,000 people nationwide make high-stakes bets in organized rings and about 100,000 participate in more informal, less lucrative dog-fighting events.
"There's a crisis in Chicago and a few other inner cities throughout the nation," said Tio Hardiman, who works with the Humane Society on preventing street-level fighting in Chicago.
Hardiman and a team of about 15 people strive to dissuade young men and boys from participating in dog fighting by stopping fights as they happen and distributing information about the law and how to care for animals.
Sheriff Dart said the new task force provides the increased communication and cooperation among different levels of law enforcement needed to make a significant dent in dog fighting in the region.
"I'm not naive enough to think we can squelch it completely, but we want to make it very, very difficult," he said.
Emily Udell can be reached at eudell@dailysouthtown.com or (708) 633-5969.
n The lowest tier of dog fighting typically involves teenagers fighting dogs on street corners or in yards for $20 to $100 or a pair of gym shoes, according to an expert.
n Second-tier fighters are more organized, fighting dogs in isolated areas, such as abandoned buildings. They wager $500 to $5,000 a contest.
n High-stakes fighters like disgraced NFL quarterback Michael Vick, who pleaded guilty to federal dog-fighting charges, are the most organized and covert. Their stakes typically range from $15,000 to $100,000.
Experts said there is little evidence of sophisticated rings in the Chicago area because they are hard to operate in dense, urban areas.
Article:
Task force targets Southland dog fights
http://www.dailysouthtown.com/news/601473,101407dogs.article
October 14, 2007
By Emily Udell, Staff writer
In the wake of several high-profile dog-fighting busts in the Southland, a regional task force to combat the illegal sport in the Chicago area is up and running, according to Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart.
The task force was created to streamline communication among the county, the Chicago Police Department and the state's attorney's office. The group also recently has enlisted the help of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Dart said.
"The nature of this type of crime is one that clearly goes across jurisdictional lines," he said.
Dart said dog fighting is on the rise, and his department has seen the most activity in the southern part of the county.
According to the sheriff, recent crackdowns by law enforcement can make it more difficult to ferret out offenders.
"The last month or two since we've turned up the heat so much, it's driven this crime more underground," Dart said.
In July, authorities seized from a South Holland barn 37 dogs covered in excrement and found without food or water. It was the largest seizure of dogs in Cook County history.
Kevin Taylor, 29, was charged with one felony count of dog fighting and 37 counts of animal cruelty, as well as one misdemeanor each of possession of dogs by a felon and owning sport fighting dogs in connection with the bust.
In the same month, 12 dogs were seized at a Burbank gas station from two men who were charged with dog fighting and animal cruelty. Two other men were charged with dog fighting-related offenses after a raid on a Ford Heights home in August.
Sgt. Eldon Urbikas, of the Animal Crimes Unit of the Chicago Police Department, equated dog fighting to the rave culture, an underground party scene that emerged in the '90s. He said participation in the sport can wax and wane, depending on the popularity of various breeds of dogs.
"Right now we're at the pit bull cycle," said Urbikas, who added that portrayals of pit bull terriers and dog-fighting culture in rap music has fueled interest in the breed.
Animal abuse, including dog fighting, can be an indicator of other types of criminal activity. Urbikas said there is a link between animal crimes and domestic violence.
Ann Chynoweth, director of the Washington, D.C.-based organization, said the society has been working with Chicago police to develop a multifaceted program to combat the problem that can spread to other cities.
"Chicago doesn't have a monopoly on dog fighting, but it is a significant issue in Chicago," she said.
The humane society has presented workshops to police officers, collaborated on a training video and offered the organization's $5,000 reward for tipsters who provide information leading to conviction.
"Chicago was a good place to try a model program because there were so many good people already working on the issue," Chynoweth said.
She said street fighting, which is more spontaneous than organized fighting, is of particular concern in Chicago.
The organization estimates that about 40,000 people nationwide make high-stakes bets in organized rings and about 100,000 participate in more informal, less lucrative dog-fighting events.
"There's a crisis in Chicago and a few other inner cities throughout the nation," said Tio Hardiman, who works with the Humane Society on preventing street-level fighting in Chicago.
Hardiman and a team of about 15 people strive to dissuade young men and boys from participating in dog fighting by stopping fights as they happen and distributing information about the law and how to care for animals.
Sheriff Dart said the new task force provides the increased communication and cooperation among different levels of law enforcement needed to make a significant dent in dog fighting in the region.
"I'm not naive enough to think we can squelch it completely, but we want to make it very, very difficult," he said.
Emily Udell can be reached at eudell@dailysouthtown.com or (708) 633-5969.
n The lowest tier of dog fighting typically involves teenagers fighting dogs on street corners or in yards for $20 to $100 or a pair of gym shoes, according to an expert.
n Second-tier fighters are more organized, fighting dogs in isolated areas, such as abandoned buildings. They wager $500 to $5,000 a contest.
n High-stakes fighters like disgraced NFL quarterback Michael Vick, who pleaded guilty to federal dog-fighting charges, are the most organized and covert. Their stakes typically range from $15,000 to $100,000.
Experts said there is little evidence of sophisticated rings in the Chicago area because they are hard to operate in dense, urban areas.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Signs Bills Allowing the Purchase of Dead Kangaroo Products and Semi-Automatic Pistols
Hum…seems the two have something in common. Sad but true, he’s a proponent of violence and unnecessary killing.
Article:
Governor allows kangaroo products in flurry of bill actions
http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/431194.html
By Kevin Yamamura - Bee Capitol Bureau
Published 4:36 pm PDT Saturday, October 13, 2007
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed bills legalizing the purchase of kangaroo products and requiring new semi-automatic pistols to include an identifying microstamp, and he vetoed a proposal to provide college financial aid to illegal immigrants, his office announced Saturday.
The gun legislation, Assembly Bill 1471 by Assemblyman Mike Feuer, D-Los Angeles, will make California the first state in the nation to require manufacturers to include technology in semi-automatic pistols that stamps the make, model and serial number on each cartridge fired. The requirement takes effect in January 2010 and was largely backed by Democrats and opposed by Republicans in the Legislature.
"While I appreciate and understand that this technology is not without limitations, I am signing this bill to provide law enforcement with an additional tool for solving crimes committed with semi-automatic handguns in California," Schwarzenegger wrote in a signing message.
The Republican governor vetoed Senate Bill 1 by Sen. Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, which would have given undocumented immigrants access to community college fee waivers and other financial aid. The bill excluded those students from the state's competitive grant program after Schwarzenegger vetoed a similar proposal last year.
But in his veto message, Schwarzenegger again said he is concerned the proposal would place an "additional strain" on the state budget. He also noted that undocumented students already qualify for an in-state tuition rate.
The kangaroo proposal, SB 880 by Sen. Ron Calderon, D-Montebello, drew intense opposition from animal rights organizations who decried the manner in which the Australian marsupials are killed. But California retailers selling kangaroo soccer shoes said they faced a disadvantage because online firms based in 47 other states can legally sell such products.
Though he does not own kangaroo shoes, Schwarzenegger is an aficionado of animal-skin boots, such as those made from alligator or crocodile, which he also removed from a state list of banned animal products last year.
"Many good products are made from kangaroos harvested legally under Australian law and the federal Endangered Species Act and those products should be allowed to be on the California market," said Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear. "Importantly, this bill allows California to continue to prohibit the sale of products made from species of kangaroos that are listed as threatened or endangered under the federal endangered species act."
Schwarzenegger signed SB 490 by Sen. Elaine Alquist, D-San Jose, to ban trans fats from foods sold in vending machines or cafeterias at public schools in California starting in July 2009.
The governor also took action on several consumer bills. He signed SB 220 by Sen. Ellen Corbett, D-San Leandro, requiring bottled water companies to cite the origin of their product. Another signed Corbett bill, SB 250, will allow consumers to receive the cash value for gift cards with balances less than $10.
But he vetoed AB 779 by Assemblyman Dave Jones, D-Sacramento, to restrict businesses from storing sensitive payment data. The bill also sought to require companies to give consumers extensive information when a security breach occurs. It came as a response to the 2005-06 theft of more than 45 million credit card numbers from a T.J. Maxx and Marshall's database.
"Big business, hackers and ID thieves won today and consumers and common sense lost," Jones said in a statement. "I'm shocked and disappointed that the governor thinks our personal information should be left out in the open for identity thieves and hackers to pilfer."
In his veto message, Schwarzenegger wrote that the credit card industry has already established security protocols for the storage of payment data.
"This issue and the data security requirements found in this bill will drive up the costs of compliance, particularly for small businesses," Schwarzenegger added.
Article:
Governor allows kangaroo products in flurry of bill actions
http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/431194.html
By Kevin Yamamura - Bee Capitol Bureau
Published 4:36 pm PDT Saturday, October 13, 2007
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed bills legalizing the purchase of kangaroo products and requiring new semi-automatic pistols to include an identifying microstamp, and he vetoed a proposal to provide college financial aid to illegal immigrants, his office announced Saturday.
The gun legislation, Assembly Bill 1471 by Assemblyman Mike Feuer, D-Los Angeles, will make California the first state in the nation to require manufacturers to include technology in semi-automatic pistols that stamps the make, model and serial number on each cartridge fired. The requirement takes effect in January 2010 and was largely backed by Democrats and opposed by Republicans in the Legislature.
"While I appreciate and understand that this technology is not without limitations, I am signing this bill to provide law enforcement with an additional tool for solving crimes committed with semi-automatic handguns in California," Schwarzenegger wrote in a signing message.
The Republican governor vetoed Senate Bill 1 by Sen. Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, which would have given undocumented immigrants access to community college fee waivers and other financial aid. The bill excluded those students from the state's competitive grant program after Schwarzenegger vetoed a similar proposal last year.
But in his veto message, Schwarzenegger again said he is concerned the proposal would place an "additional strain" on the state budget. He also noted that undocumented students already qualify for an in-state tuition rate.
The kangaroo proposal, SB 880 by Sen. Ron Calderon, D-Montebello, drew intense opposition from animal rights organizations who decried the manner in which the Australian marsupials are killed. But California retailers selling kangaroo soccer shoes said they faced a disadvantage because online firms based in 47 other states can legally sell such products.
Though he does not own kangaroo shoes, Schwarzenegger is an aficionado of animal-skin boots, such as those made from alligator or crocodile, which he also removed from a state list of banned animal products last year.
"Many good products are made from kangaroos harvested legally under Australian law and the federal Endangered Species Act and those products should be allowed to be on the California market," said Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear. "Importantly, this bill allows California to continue to prohibit the sale of products made from species of kangaroos that are listed as threatened or endangered under the federal endangered species act."
Schwarzenegger signed SB 490 by Sen. Elaine Alquist, D-San Jose, to ban trans fats from foods sold in vending machines or cafeterias at public schools in California starting in July 2009.
The governor also took action on several consumer bills. He signed SB 220 by Sen. Ellen Corbett, D-San Leandro, requiring bottled water companies to cite the origin of their product. Another signed Corbett bill, SB 250, will allow consumers to receive the cash value for gift cards with balances less than $10.
But he vetoed AB 779 by Assemblyman Dave Jones, D-Sacramento, to restrict businesses from storing sensitive payment data. The bill also sought to require companies to give consumers extensive information when a security breach occurs. It came as a response to the 2005-06 theft of more than 45 million credit card numbers from a T.J. Maxx and Marshall's database.
"Big business, hackers and ID thieves won today and consumers and common sense lost," Jones said in a statement. "I'm shocked and disappointed that the governor thinks our personal information should be left out in the open for identity thieves and hackers to pilfer."
In his veto message, Schwarzenegger wrote that the credit card industry has already established security protocols for the storage of payment data.
"This issue and the data security requirements found in this bill will drive up the costs of compliance, particularly for small businesses," Schwarzenegger added.
Makah Tribal Members Illegally Kill Another A Gray Whale in the Strait of Juan de Fuca; Face Charges Of Conspiracy, Unlawful Taking Of A Marine Mammal
This is an issue that will never die. Unfortunately though, the Makah don’t associate killing with disrespect for life. And, even more, the total necessity of killing for food in a culture dominated by meat.
As the story below states:
“A federal grand jury in Seattle last week indicted the group on five misdemeanor charges of conspiracy, unlawful taking of a marine mammal and unauthorized whaling. Each man could face up to a year in jail and fines of $100,000 if convicted.”
Article:
Not-guilty pleas in whale hunt
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/
2003946807_whalers13m.html
By Lynda V. Mapes
Seattle Times staff reporter
PREV of NEXT
Enlarge this photo
ALAN BERNER / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Wayne Johnson, the group's leader, said he is not guilty of charges brought forth by an illegal hunt of a gray whale last month. "Of course I'm not guilty," he said before the hearing in Tacoma. "I have a treaty right."
TACOMA — With a courtroom packed with supporters from Neah Bay, five Makah tribal members appeared in federal court here Friday to plead not guilty to charges in their illegal hunt of a gray whale in the Strait of Juan de Fuca last month.
Wayne Johnson, Frankie Gonzales, Andrew Noel, Theron Parker and William Secor all offered no other comment to Chief Magistrate Judge J. Kelley Arnold as they entered their pleas. A trial was set for Nov. 27. The men then left the courthouse free on bond.
A federal grand jury in Seattle last week indicted the group on five misdemeanor charges of conspiracy, unlawful taking of a marine mammal and unauthorized whaling. Each man could face up to a year in jail and fines of $100,000 if convicted.
The men also face separate prosecutions in tribal court, where they could be sentenced to up to a year in jail; pay up to a $5,000 fine, and have their treaty rights to fish suspended for up to three years.
The Makahs who arrived in Tacoma to support the five whalers were defiant of the federal court.
Johnson, the group's leader, repeated his position that they had a right to hunt the whale under terms of a 19th-century treaty between the U.S. and the Makah tribe.
"Of course I'm not guilty," Johnson said before the hearing. "I have a treaty right."
Asked whether he had any regrets, he shook his head. "This is a lifelong struggle."
Outside the courthouse, several Makah grandmothers carried signs that said "Broken trust."
"We're here to support the young people," said Gail Adams, 67. "They shouldn't have to pay a fine. They shouldn't have to go to jail. It's like a bad dream."
Arnie Hunter, vice chairman of the Makah Whaling Commission, agreed that the whalers did nothing wrong.
"It's something the rest of us wished we could have done," he said outside the courtroom. "It's what we grew up with. It's our songs. It's our dances. It's who we are. We are whale hunters, and our forefathers reserved that for us in the treaty."
On the other hand, Hunter said, rules are rules. Still, he said he felt sad to see the whalers in court.
The Makah are the only tribe in the country with an explicit treaty right to whale. However, because of a 2002 court decision, the tribe needs a waiver from the federal government before it can legally whale again. The waiver has been stalled in federal review.
Meanwhile Friday, animal-rights activists said they are glad prosecutors have filed the strongest charges available under federal law.
"We are pleased this is being taken seriously," said Kitty Block, vice president of the Humane Society International in Washington, D.C., which opposes any Makah whale hunting. "This has to happen, or the whale's life would have been taken for nothing."
As the story below states:
“A federal grand jury in Seattle last week indicted the group on five misdemeanor charges of conspiracy, unlawful taking of a marine mammal and unauthorized whaling. Each man could face up to a year in jail and fines of $100,000 if convicted.”
Article:
Not-guilty pleas in whale hunt
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/
2003946807_whalers13m.html
By Lynda V. Mapes
Seattle Times staff reporter
PREV of NEXT
Enlarge this photo
ALAN BERNER / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Wayne Johnson, the group's leader, said he is not guilty of charges brought forth by an illegal hunt of a gray whale last month. "Of course I'm not guilty," he said before the hearing in Tacoma. "I have a treaty right."
TACOMA — With a courtroom packed with supporters from Neah Bay, five Makah tribal members appeared in federal court here Friday to plead not guilty to charges in their illegal hunt of a gray whale in the Strait of Juan de Fuca last month.
Wayne Johnson, Frankie Gonzales, Andrew Noel, Theron Parker and William Secor all offered no other comment to Chief Magistrate Judge J. Kelley Arnold as they entered their pleas. A trial was set for Nov. 27. The men then left the courthouse free on bond.
A federal grand jury in Seattle last week indicted the group on five misdemeanor charges of conspiracy, unlawful taking of a marine mammal and unauthorized whaling. Each man could face up to a year in jail and fines of $100,000 if convicted.
The men also face separate prosecutions in tribal court, where they could be sentenced to up to a year in jail; pay up to a $5,000 fine, and have their treaty rights to fish suspended for up to three years.
The Makahs who arrived in Tacoma to support the five whalers were defiant of the federal court.
Johnson, the group's leader, repeated his position that they had a right to hunt the whale under terms of a 19th-century treaty between the U.S. and the Makah tribe.
"Of course I'm not guilty," Johnson said before the hearing. "I have a treaty right."
Asked whether he had any regrets, he shook his head. "This is a lifelong struggle."
Outside the courthouse, several Makah grandmothers carried signs that said "Broken trust."
"We're here to support the young people," said Gail Adams, 67. "They shouldn't have to pay a fine. They shouldn't have to go to jail. It's like a bad dream."
Arnie Hunter, vice chairman of the Makah Whaling Commission, agreed that the whalers did nothing wrong.
"It's something the rest of us wished we could have done," he said outside the courtroom. "It's what we grew up with. It's our songs. It's our dances. It's who we are. We are whale hunters, and our forefathers reserved that for us in the treaty."
On the other hand, Hunter said, rules are rules. Still, he said he felt sad to see the whalers in court.
The Makah are the only tribe in the country with an explicit treaty right to whale. However, because of a 2002 court decision, the tribe needs a waiver from the federal government before it can legally whale again. The waiver has been stalled in federal review.
Meanwhile Friday, animal-rights activists said they are glad prosecutors have filed the strongest charges available under federal law.
"We are pleased this is being taken seriously," said Kitty Block, vice president of the Humane Society International in Washington, D.C., which opposes any Makah whale hunting. "This has to happen, or the whale's life would have been taken for nothing."
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