What else can I say? The title speaks for itself. What a huge waste of life.
For information on animal testing and its real scientific merit see: http://www.pcrm.org/resch/anexp/index.html
For more information on animal testing including number of animal used see http://www.hsus.org/animals_in_research/general_information_on_
animal_research/frequently_asked_questions_about_animals_in_research.html
For alternatives to the use of animals in research see: http://www.geari.org/alternatives-to-animal-testing.html
Article:
Millions of animals to die in new EU chemical tests
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2394028,00.html
Nicola Smith Brussels
TENS of millions of rabbits, mice and guinea pigs are facing a painful death in laboratory experiments to be imposed next April because of new European Union rules on chemical testing.
The new laws will set compulsory tests for about 30,000 chemicals that have been on the market since before 1981, when there were no stringent health and safety requirements.
Many of the chemicals are used in household items, from shampoo to children’s toys, and EU policymakers have pushed for the new standards, arguing that too little is known about the dangers for human health and the environment.
Products will have to stop using unsafe chemicals or be banned, but the tests cannot be carried out without the “collateral damage” to millions of animals. Campaigners protest that the tests are too indiscriminate and that not enough has been done to find humane alternatives.
Current estimates of the number of animals to be affected range from the 16m predicted by the chemicals industry to 45m over 15 years calculated by Germany’s Federal Institute for Risk Assessment.
The toxicological experiments will include chemicals dropped into rabbits’ eyes, irritants tested on guinea pigs’ skin and cancerous tumours grown on mice. The health risks of chemical exposure during pregnancy will also be assessed on rabbits, causing their babies to be stillborn.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said it was “horrified” at the prospect of so many animal experiments. A spokesman said that despite some positive changes to the draft law, too many animal tests would still be carried out unnecessarily.
Alistair Currie, campaigns director of the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection, said: “It is an animal welfare crisis. All of these tests could be replaced with non-animal tests.”
The new law, known as Reach (the Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals), is the largest piece of legislation ever adopted by the EU and one of its most contentious. It has pitted the chemicals industry against the environmental lobby, the EU against America and, unusually, animal rights lobbyists against conservationists.
In a U-turn last week David Cameron, the Conservative leader, pledged that his 26 MEPs would back the legislation, boosting hopes that it will be finalised by the end of the year.
The European parliament’s environment committee faces a crucial vote on the law in Brussels on Tuesday. Chris Davies, a Liberal Democrat MEP, said he would table a series of amendments to improve its animal welfare provisions but conceded that millions of creatures would still be sacrificed.
“We can do a lot more to reduce the need for tests and to speed up the introduction of alternative testing methods,” he said. “But let’s not pretend there will be no animal testing.”
The European commission said it could reduce the number of animal tests by 50% if approval is given to alternatives such as computer modelling.
Monday, October 09, 2006
US Group To Take Campaign to End the Slaughter of Horses for Food to England
Last week we wrote about the slaughter of thoroughbred horses in England for food. You can read about it here:
http://geari.blogspot.com/2006/10/
dirty-little-secret-of-horse-racing_02.html
And, we’ve written extensively about the Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, an act put forth in the US to end the slaughter of horses for food. Unfortunately, as is typical in US politics, it is stalled and it’s future uncertain. You can read about the bill here: http://geari.blogspot.com/2006/07/more-on-us-
horse-slaughter-legislation_26.html
These efforts will eventually pay off. Most people are against killing horses, no matter the cause.
Article:
Campaign to outlaw horse killings
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/
0,,1890414,00.html
US group steps in after The Observer reveals 7,000 young thoroughbreds are shot every year
Antony Barnett
Sunday October 8, 2006
The Observer
One of America's leading animal welfare groups is to launch a major campaign in Britain next year aimed at outlawing the slaughter of horses in this country to be exported for human consumption.
Last week, an Observer investigation revealed that as many as 7,000 horses a year are shot in two UK abattoirs. We disclosed how their throats are slit, their bodies hanged upside down and skinned before they are butchered to be sold across the Channel as gourmet meat. Many are thoroughbreds that have finished racing or never made the grade. The disclosure shocked many people in the animal world.
Now the US-based International Fund for Horses aims to make such killings illegal. It has been one of the major campaigners behind the Horse Slaughter Prevention Act in America, which has wide support across both the Republican and Democrat parties and is close to becoming law.
Its celebrity supporters include Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Bo Derek, Whoopi Goldberg, Keith Richards, Willie Nelson, Daryl Hannah and Paul McCartney.
The fund president, Vivian Farrell, said: 'When we started in the US many people simply didn't believe it was going on. The same is the case in the UK. Now thanks to articles like those in The Observer it cannot be ignored ... Whatever is successful in America we will attempt to use as a template for our efforts to get it banned in Britain.
'We are also working on a media campaign to make it socially unacceptable in the public imagination to eat horsemeat, using celebrities and events, the same way it was done with respect to cigarette smoking, to decrease demand. We are optimistic and committed. We will see this [through] to the end.'
Supporting its US campaign, Paul McCartney said: 'In this new century I think it is horrific and slightly strange to realise that horses, traditionally man's friend, are still being transported and slaughtered for human consumption.'
Republican Representative John Sweeney, who sponsored the Act in the US, said: 'It's one of the most inhumane, brutal and shady practices going on in the United States today.' More than 90,000 horses are slaughtered each year in the US.
In the Observer investigation, one owner of an abattoir in Nantwich, Cheshire, was recorded by an undercover reporter claiming that it killed between 2,000 and 3,000 racehorses a year. Later the company said the total was closer to several hundred.
While the racing industry has always tried to play down what happens to the 4,000 horses that retire each year from the sport, The Observer proved that many ended up on dinner plates. Even the bodies that regulate the industry have been forced to admit that over the last five years thousands of racehorses have been slaughtered in the UK for food.
The US animal welfare group is convinced its new campaign, which it plans to start early next year, will garner huge public and political support.
Yet a move to outlaw the slaughter of horses for meat in Britain could face opposition. In the US, the ban was opposed by the American Veterinary Medical Association which feared rescue shelters would be swamped with hundreds of thousands of unwanted animals, while others would be sold to unregulated slaughterhouses overseas and brutalised.
A similar fear is shared by Tory MP James Gray, president of the Association of British Riding Schools. He opposes live exports but warned: 'The danger is that people will find a way round. Whether we like it or not, there is a huge demand for the meat across the Channel.'
Animal charities would like the multi-billion-pound racing industry to spend far more on providing places for retired horses. It spends only £250,000 a year on retraining 90 animals. Although some thoroughbreds are retrained for polo, hunting or other activities, many are unsuitable for general riding.
The British Horseracing Board, which governs the industry, said there was no evidence that a ban was necessary.
'We work closely with animal welfare groups like the RSPCA and the International League for the Protection of Horses. Unfortunately some horses need to be put down, for example if they are injured.
'Our concern is simply they are put down in the most humane way possible. We do not have a view what happens after that.'
http://geari.blogspot.com/2006/10/
dirty-little-secret-of-horse-racing_02.html
And, we’ve written extensively about the Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, an act put forth in the US to end the slaughter of horses for food. Unfortunately, as is typical in US politics, it is stalled and it’s future uncertain. You can read about the bill here: http://geari.blogspot.com/2006/07/more-on-us-
horse-slaughter-legislation_26.html
These efforts will eventually pay off. Most people are against killing horses, no matter the cause.
Article:
Campaign to outlaw horse killings
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/
0,,1890414,00.html
US group steps in after The Observer reveals 7,000 young thoroughbreds are shot every year
Antony Barnett
Sunday October 8, 2006
The Observer
One of America's leading animal welfare groups is to launch a major campaign in Britain next year aimed at outlawing the slaughter of horses in this country to be exported for human consumption.
Last week, an Observer investigation revealed that as many as 7,000 horses a year are shot in two UK abattoirs. We disclosed how their throats are slit, their bodies hanged upside down and skinned before they are butchered to be sold across the Channel as gourmet meat. Many are thoroughbreds that have finished racing or never made the grade. The disclosure shocked many people in the animal world.
Now the US-based International Fund for Horses aims to make such killings illegal. It has been one of the major campaigners behind the Horse Slaughter Prevention Act in America, which has wide support across both the Republican and Democrat parties and is close to becoming law.
Its celebrity supporters include Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Bo Derek, Whoopi Goldberg, Keith Richards, Willie Nelson, Daryl Hannah and Paul McCartney.
The fund president, Vivian Farrell, said: 'When we started in the US many people simply didn't believe it was going on. The same is the case in the UK. Now thanks to articles like those in The Observer it cannot be ignored ... Whatever is successful in America we will attempt to use as a template for our efforts to get it banned in Britain.
'We are also working on a media campaign to make it socially unacceptable in the public imagination to eat horsemeat, using celebrities and events, the same way it was done with respect to cigarette smoking, to decrease demand. We are optimistic and committed. We will see this [through] to the end.'
Supporting its US campaign, Paul McCartney said: 'In this new century I think it is horrific and slightly strange to realise that horses, traditionally man's friend, are still being transported and slaughtered for human consumption.'
Republican Representative John Sweeney, who sponsored the Act in the US, said: 'It's one of the most inhumane, brutal and shady practices going on in the United States today.' More than 90,000 horses are slaughtered each year in the US.
In the Observer investigation, one owner of an abattoir in Nantwich, Cheshire, was recorded by an undercover reporter claiming that it killed between 2,000 and 3,000 racehorses a year. Later the company said the total was closer to several hundred.
While the racing industry has always tried to play down what happens to the 4,000 horses that retire each year from the sport, The Observer proved that many ended up on dinner plates. Even the bodies that regulate the industry have been forced to admit that over the last five years thousands of racehorses have been slaughtered in the UK for food.
The US animal welfare group is convinced its new campaign, which it plans to start early next year, will garner huge public and political support.
Yet a move to outlaw the slaughter of horses for meat in Britain could face opposition. In the US, the ban was opposed by the American Veterinary Medical Association which feared rescue shelters would be swamped with hundreds of thousands of unwanted animals, while others would be sold to unregulated slaughterhouses overseas and brutalised.
A similar fear is shared by Tory MP James Gray, president of the Association of British Riding Schools. He opposes live exports but warned: 'The danger is that people will find a way round. Whether we like it or not, there is a huge demand for the meat across the Channel.'
Animal charities would like the multi-billion-pound racing industry to spend far more on providing places for retired horses. It spends only £250,000 a year on retraining 90 animals. Although some thoroughbreds are retrained for polo, hunting or other activities, many are unsuitable for general riding.
The British Horseracing Board, which governs the industry, said there was no evidence that a ban was necessary.
'We work closely with animal welfare groups like the RSPCA and the International League for the Protection of Horses. Unfortunately some horses need to be put down, for example if they are injured.
'Our concern is simply they are put down in the most humane way possible. We do not have a view what happens after that.'
Friday, October 06, 2006
Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA) Would Make It a Crime to Engage In Peaceful Protest If Causes Business to Suffer Loss in Profit
This article asks the following question: Could we be the next country to introduce restrictive legislation that prevents animal lover and animal welfare campaigners from protesting?
Not a strange question as this horrible, draconian, blatantly obvious business-focused bill will make us all terrorists. Absolutely ridiculous. Besides pedophiles, it shows you who’s in charge in the government – business.
Here's a little about the bill. And, in the article below, you’ll see a statement by the American Society for the Protection of Animals:
The bill would also make it illegal to expose cruel conditions at facilities such as puppy mills and research labs, if exposure of such conditions even if done lawfully would result in economic damage to the animal enterprise. There is no exemption in the bill to exclude economic damage that results from the disclosure of information about a company's treatment of animals, which is disclosed through public information.
Makes it illegal to protest against or prohibit profitability of any 'animal enterprise'. Effectively making puppy farmers and unprofessional breeders immune from criticism
Here's a good article on what you can do to respond: http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2006/09/28/18315335.php
Article:
Could Protesting Against Puppy Farming Make You A Terrorist?
http://www.k9magazine.com/viewarticle.php?sid=15&aid=1570
A new law recently introduced in America has made it illegal to protest against or prohibit profitability of any 'animal enterprise'. Effectively making puppy farmers and unprofessional breeders immune from criticism. Could we be the next country to introduce restrictive legislation that prevents animal lover and animal welfare campaigners from protesting?
A representative of the American Society For The Protection Of Animals contacted us with this statement.
"The Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA), is a bill that could make it a crime punishable by imprisonment to cause any business classified as an "animal enterprise" to suffer a loss of profit, even if the company's financial decline is the result of legal activities, such as peaceful protests, consumer boycotts or media campaigns. The term animal enterprise would include manufacturers, distributors and sellers of animals or animal products, research facilities, pet stores, breeders, zoos, rodeos, circuses, and animal shelters.
While the ASPCA strongly opposes acts of violence, including vandalism, property damage and trespass, this bill threatens to criminalize as terrorism otherwise lawful, constitutionally protected acts often utilized by citizens and organizations to effect change.
Lawful and peaceful protests that, for example, urge a consumer boycott of a company that does not use humane procedures, could be the target of this provision if the activity resulted in economic damage to the company.
The bill would also make it illegal to expose cruel conditions at facilities such as puppy mills and research labs, if exposure of such conditions even if done lawfully would result in economic damage to the animal enterprise. There is no exemption in the bill to exclude economic damage that results from the disclosure of information about a company's treatment of animals, which is disclosed through public information.
The AETA has already been passed in the Senate, and a vote in the House is expected very soon.
Not a strange question as this horrible, draconian, blatantly obvious business-focused bill will make us all terrorists. Absolutely ridiculous. Besides pedophiles, it shows you who’s in charge in the government – business.
Here's a little about the bill. And, in the article below, you’ll see a statement by the American Society for the Protection of Animals:
The bill would also make it illegal to expose cruel conditions at facilities such as puppy mills and research labs, if exposure of such conditions even if done lawfully would result in economic damage to the animal enterprise. There is no exemption in the bill to exclude economic damage that results from the disclosure of information about a company's treatment of animals, which is disclosed through public information.
Makes it illegal to protest against or prohibit profitability of any 'animal enterprise'. Effectively making puppy farmers and unprofessional breeders immune from criticism
Here's a good article on what you can do to respond: http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2006/09/28/18315335.php
Article:
Could Protesting Against Puppy Farming Make You A Terrorist?
http://www.k9magazine.com/viewarticle.php?sid=15&aid=1570
A new law recently introduced in America has made it illegal to protest against or prohibit profitability of any 'animal enterprise'. Effectively making puppy farmers and unprofessional breeders immune from criticism. Could we be the next country to introduce restrictive legislation that prevents animal lover and animal welfare campaigners from protesting?
A representative of the American Society For The Protection Of Animals contacted us with this statement.
"The Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA), is a bill that could make it a crime punishable by imprisonment to cause any business classified as an "animal enterprise" to suffer a loss of profit, even if the company's financial decline is the result of legal activities, such as peaceful protests, consumer boycotts or media campaigns. The term animal enterprise would include manufacturers, distributors and sellers of animals or animal products, research facilities, pet stores, breeders, zoos, rodeos, circuses, and animal shelters.
While the ASPCA strongly opposes acts of violence, including vandalism, property damage and trespass, this bill threatens to criminalize as terrorism otherwise lawful, constitutionally protected acts often utilized by citizens and organizations to effect change.
Lawful and peaceful protests that, for example, urge a consumer boycott of a company that does not use humane procedures, could be the target of this provision if the activity resulted in economic damage to the company.
The bill would also make it illegal to expose cruel conditions at facilities such as puppy mills and research labs, if exposure of such conditions even if done lawfully would result in economic damage to the animal enterprise. There is no exemption in the bill to exclude economic damage that results from the disclosure of information about a company's treatment of animals, which is disclosed through public information.
The AETA has already been passed in the Senate, and a vote in the House is expected very soon.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Free To Good Home Adds: Case in Salt Lake City Proves How Sickos and Animal Abusers Use Them to Get Their Animal Victims
In addition to just wackos off the streets, sickos known as bunchers also scour papers for these free to good home adds. They then sell the animals to animal testing facilities. These are legal operations. Known as USDA Class B Dealers/Bunchers, they are the sickest of the sickest. For more on bunchers see -
http://www.lcanimal.org/cmpgn/cmpgn_dog_theft.htm
This story truly shows the danger inputting out “Free to Good Home” adds.
Article:
SL Area Man Suspected Of Abusing, Killing Kittens
http://kutv.com/topstories/local_story_276184001.html
(KUTV) SALT LAKE CITY Police are investigating a man who may have a history of abusing and killing kittens.
Investigators say the unidentified man is alleged to have gotten free kittens from ads in Salt Lake area newspapers then abused them.
In June the man’s girlfriend brought in several kittens with broken bones to Salt Lake County Animal Services, say police. One kitten had a broken leg, broken tail and trauma to the body, as well as a mild concussion. Police told us when she returned home she found a second kitten with a broken tail and chemical burns.
Then, last week, another kitten was taken to a shelter with a broken tail and possible burns.
Police say the girlfriend of the alleged abuser told them that as many as seven or eight kittens were brought into the couple's home over the past few months, all of whom suffered injuries in various “accidents.”
Several of the animals simply disappeared and police say the woman believes they were killed.
The alleged abuser has an upcoming arraignment on other charges later this month. He may face animal abuse charges in these cases.
In Utah animal abuse is a class B misdemeanor.
Police say there are reports of domestic abuse in that home as well as the animal abuse. A survey of residents staying in shelters for battered women shows that 85 percent of women who entered shelter discussed incidents of pet abuse in the family, this according to Salt Lake County Animal Services.
http://www.lcanimal.org/cmpgn/cmpgn_dog_theft.htm
This story truly shows the danger inputting out “Free to Good Home” adds.
Article:
SL Area Man Suspected Of Abusing, Killing Kittens
http://kutv.com/topstories/local_story_276184001.html
(KUTV) SALT LAKE CITY Police are investigating a man who may have a history of abusing and killing kittens.
Investigators say the unidentified man is alleged to have gotten free kittens from ads in Salt Lake area newspapers then abused them.
In June the man’s girlfriend brought in several kittens with broken bones to Salt Lake County Animal Services, say police. One kitten had a broken leg, broken tail and trauma to the body, as well as a mild concussion. Police told us when she returned home she found a second kitten with a broken tail and chemical burns.
Then, last week, another kitten was taken to a shelter with a broken tail and possible burns.
Police say the girlfriend of the alleged abuser told them that as many as seven or eight kittens were brought into the couple's home over the past few months, all of whom suffered injuries in various “accidents.”
Several of the animals simply disappeared and police say the woman believes they were killed.
The alleged abuser has an upcoming arraignment on other charges later this month. He may face animal abuse charges in these cases.
In Utah animal abuse is a class B misdemeanor.
Police say there are reports of domestic abuse in that home as well as the animal abuse. A survey of residents staying in shelters for battered women shows that 85 percent of women who entered shelter discussed incidents of pet abuse in the family, this according to Salt Lake County Animal Services.
Employees at Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine Accused of Animal Abuse
If nothing else, at least we see clear neglect and arrogance.
Article:
AU accused of animal abuse
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/
pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061004/NEWS/610040345/1001
By Tatiana Richards
Montgomery Advertiser
Auburn University is investigating employees in its College of Veterinary Medicine after an animal rights group claimed it found evidence of animal abuse during a hidden-camera investigation.
From February to October 2005, animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals conducted a hidden-camera investigation at an Auburn research lab, said PETA spokesperson Kate Turlington. During that time, Turlington said, PETA's operative discovered researchers were not giving animals proper veterinary care, including administering insufficient amounts of pain medicine after surgeries.
PETA also claims Auburn misrepresented the success rate of its dog kidney transplant procedure. Auburn researchers said the procedure, which involves transplanting organs from one unrelated dog to another, allows dogs to possibly live out their lives without taking high doses of immunosuppressive drugs.
Turlington said she believes the claim to be false and that every animal that underwent the $14,000 procedure died.
Brian Keeter, director of public affairs at Auburn, said the university is looking into the matter.
"We are reviewing the situation to determine if any Auburn employees acted inappropriately, but it's very important to remember these are unsubstantiated allegations and Auburn was providing a service to people whose pets were very sick," Keeter said.
Karen Smith, an Ohio woman whose dog, Apache, died a few days after undergoing the procedure, said Auburn veterinarian Michael Tillson told her the procedure had a 70 percent success rate.
"I would've been happier to let Apache die at home with his family instead of 800 miles away with strangers," Smith said.
While Keeter did not have specific statistics about the program, he said the school is known for its services to animals, not for animal cruelty.
"Auburn University is a national leader in improving the quality of life for animals," Keeter said, adding that the school is accredited by the American Veterinary Association, which he said is considered the "gold standard" in veterinary education.
PETA has filed claims with the USDA as well as the Alabama Attorney General's Office, Turlington said.
Article:
AU accused of animal abuse
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/
pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061004/NEWS/610040345/1001
By Tatiana Richards
Montgomery Advertiser
Auburn University is investigating employees in its College of Veterinary Medicine after an animal rights group claimed it found evidence of animal abuse during a hidden-camera investigation.
From February to October 2005, animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals conducted a hidden-camera investigation at an Auburn research lab, said PETA spokesperson Kate Turlington. During that time, Turlington said, PETA's operative discovered researchers were not giving animals proper veterinary care, including administering insufficient amounts of pain medicine after surgeries.
PETA also claims Auburn misrepresented the success rate of its dog kidney transplant procedure. Auburn researchers said the procedure, which involves transplanting organs from one unrelated dog to another, allows dogs to possibly live out their lives without taking high doses of immunosuppressive drugs.
Turlington said she believes the claim to be false and that every animal that underwent the $14,000 procedure died.
Brian Keeter, director of public affairs at Auburn, said the university is looking into the matter.
"We are reviewing the situation to determine if any Auburn employees acted inappropriately, but it's very important to remember these are unsubstantiated allegations and Auburn was providing a service to people whose pets were very sick," Keeter said.
Karen Smith, an Ohio woman whose dog, Apache, died a few days after undergoing the procedure, said Auburn veterinarian Michael Tillson told her the procedure had a 70 percent success rate.
"I would've been happier to let Apache die at home with his family instead of 800 miles away with strangers," Smith said.
While Keeter did not have specific statistics about the program, he said the school is known for its services to animals, not for animal cruelty.
"Auburn University is a national leader in improving the quality of life for animals," Keeter said, adding that the school is accredited by the American Veterinary Association, which he said is considered the "gold standard" in veterinary education.
PETA has filed claims with the USDA as well as the Alabama Attorney General's Office, Turlington said.
Dog Dies Horrible Death at Groomer: Left Under Dryer Too Long
What extreme negligence. Idiocy led to a horrible death. At the very least this facility needs to lose it’s license
Article:
Dog dies after grooming accident
http://www.wmcstations.com/Global/
story.asp?S=5493801&nav=menu59_2
Oct 3, 2006 08:08 PM
Kim Etz of Cordova says she's all cried out as is her young son.
"I had no idea there was even a risk of this happening," says Etz.
She had no idea their beloved Boston Terrier "Angel" could go in for a routine grooming and end up dead.
"I mean, it's cruelty, it's negligence, it's uncalled for," says Etz.
It happened at Berryhill Animal Hospital. That's where that routine grooming took a wrong turn. Etz was alarmed when the clinic called her. She was mortified when she finally saw her dog.
"She was totally limp, comatose, not coherent at all," recalls Etz. "They left her under the dryer too long," she adds. "Which I had no idea they used a dryer--she's a short-haired dog."
Etz says "Angel" got so hot her coat burned the vet tech's hands when she picked her up.
"She basically burned alive, no animal deserves that," says Etz.
The owner of Berryhill Animal Hospital agrees. Dr. Sally Beaumont says nothing like this has ever happened and was clearly upset when we went looking for answers.
"I mean, our job is to help animals," says Beaumont. "Everyone here is distraught about it," she adds. "It was a horrible, horrible accident."
Beaumont says the timer on the dryer malfunctioned. She's says they've gotten rid of that dryer and the employee in charge the day "Angel" died. They will no longer use heated air. She knows it's probably not much comfort to "Angel's" owner.
"I would rather my pet have died than her's have died," says Beaumont. "And if there was anything I could do for her to make it right, I would," she adds.
She can only work to make sure it never happens again. Meantime, Kim Etz wants much more than that.
"I hope they never get to see another animal again," says Etz.
For now, she and her son are left with only memories of their pet.
Action News 5 also spoke with someone at the Memphis-Shelby County Humane Society. They say you should check with your groomer to see how they dry your pet. If it's a device that can get too hot -- insist they don't use it!
Article:
Dog dies after grooming accident
http://www.wmcstations.com/Global/
story.asp?S=5493801&nav=menu59_2
Oct 3, 2006 08:08 PM
Kim Etz of Cordova says she's all cried out as is her young son.
"I had no idea there was even a risk of this happening," says Etz.
She had no idea their beloved Boston Terrier "Angel" could go in for a routine grooming and end up dead.
"I mean, it's cruelty, it's negligence, it's uncalled for," says Etz.
It happened at Berryhill Animal Hospital. That's where that routine grooming took a wrong turn. Etz was alarmed when the clinic called her. She was mortified when she finally saw her dog.
"She was totally limp, comatose, not coherent at all," recalls Etz. "They left her under the dryer too long," she adds. "Which I had no idea they used a dryer--she's a short-haired dog."
Etz says "Angel" got so hot her coat burned the vet tech's hands when she picked her up.
"She basically burned alive, no animal deserves that," says Etz.
The owner of Berryhill Animal Hospital agrees. Dr. Sally Beaumont says nothing like this has ever happened and was clearly upset when we went looking for answers.
"I mean, our job is to help animals," says Beaumont. "Everyone here is distraught about it," she adds. "It was a horrible, horrible accident."
Beaumont says the timer on the dryer malfunctioned. She's says they've gotten rid of that dryer and the employee in charge the day "Angel" died. They will no longer use heated air. She knows it's probably not much comfort to "Angel's" owner.
"I would rather my pet have died than her's have died," says Beaumont. "And if there was anything I could do for her to make it right, I would," she adds.
She can only work to make sure it never happens again. Meantime, Kim Etz wants much more than that.
"I hope they never get to see another animal again," says Etz.
For now, she and her son are left with only memories of their pet.
Action News 5 also spoke with someone at the Memphis-Shelby County Humane Society. They say you should check with your groomer to see how they dry your pet. If it's a device that can get too hot -- insist they don't use it!
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Best Friends Animal Society Donates $200,000 to Los Angeles City Council to Help Lead to Implementation of "No Kill" Policy at City Animal Shelters
Amazing. What a great action.
The reason for the audit is to look at plans to institute a "no kill" policy at city animal shelters within five years.
The group, Best Friends Animal Society is an amazing group. They run the nation's largest sanctuary for abused and abandoned animals. Visit their site at: http://www.bestfriends.org/
Article:
http://cbs2.com/local/local_story_276140405.html
Animal Rights Group Gives $200K To City Council
(CBS) LOS ANGELES The Los Angeles City Council accepted a $200,000 donation Tuesday from an animal rights group to complete an audit of the city's Animal Services Department.
The donation from the Kanab, Utah-based Best Friends Animal Society marks the first-ever acceptance of money from a nonprofit to audit a city department, according to City Controller Laura Chick's office.
Ed Boks, head of the Animal Services Department, said he asked for the management and financial audit of his department. He plans to institute a "no kill" policy at city animal shelters within five years -- a goal shared by the Best Friends Animal Society.
Boks, who previously oversaw animal shelter operations in New York City and Maricopa County, Ariz., was hired by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa earlier this year to replace Guerdon Stuckey, who was fired because of high euthanasia rates at city shelters.
Opponents contend the donation could be better spent hiring more veterinarians or expanding spay and neuter programs.
The reason for the audit is to look at plans to institute a "no kill" policy at city animal shelters within five years.
The group, Best Friends Animal Society is an amazing group. They run the nation's largest sanctuary for abused and abandoned animals. Visit their site at: http://www.bestfriends.org/
Article:
http://cbs2.com/local/local_story_276140405.html
Animal Rights Group Gives $200K To City Council
(CBS) LOS ANGELES The Los Angeles City Council accepted a $200,000 donation Tuesday from an animal rights group to complete an audit of the city's Animal Services Department.
The donation from the Kanab, Utah-based Best Friends Animal Society marks the first-ever acceptance of money from a nonprofit to audit a city department, according to City Controller Laura Chick's office.
Ed Boks, head of the Animal Services Department, said he asked for the management and financial audit of his department. He plans to institute a "no kill" policy at city animal shelters within five years -- a goal shared by the Best Friends Animal Society.
Boks, who previously oversaw animal shelter operations in New York City and Maricopa County, Ariz., was hired by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa earlier this year to replace Guerdon Stuckey, who was fired because of high euthanasia rates at city shelters.
Opponents contend the donation could be better spent hiring more veterinarians or expanding spay and neuter programs.
Twisted Chinese Again Follow Non-Rational, Cruel Thinking: Feeding Live Animals to Tigers and Lions in a Bid to "Resume Their Savage Nature"
What can I say? Seems everyday some new story of horrible cruelty comes out of China. You’ll see a mention of the “animal olympics” they had the other day. We wrote about that here - http://geari.blogspot.com/2006/10/
cruel-china-at-it-again-opens-annual.html
Their idiocy is obvious. However, this quote sums it up:
"Throwing live animals to caged tigers doesn’t recreate anything that happens in the wild, if that’s their aim," a RSPCA spokesman said.
Article:
‘Savage’ training spectacle sickens animal activists
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=29&ContentID=8689
4th October 2006, 18:00 WST
A zoo in China is feeding live animals to tigers and lions in a bid to "resume their savage nature" and develop their ability to live in the wild.
Officials at Changchun Wildlife Park are using calves and goats to replicate kill-or-die conditions so the big cats can hone their hunting skills.
Similar practices have been reported for years, with officials arguing that big cats raised in captivity have to be taught to kill prey. The spectacle has enraged animal rights activists and sickened young visitors.
"Throwing live animals to caged tigers doesn’t recreate anything that happens in the wild, if that’s their aim," a RSPCA spokesman said.
The caged feeding frenzy comes just days after China was criticised for staging a boxing match between a clown and a kangaroo as part of the annual National Animal Olympics.
The boxing match was one of a number of events at the "games", which involved up to 300 animals.
Beijing
cruel-china-at-it-again-opens-annual.html
Their idiocy is obvious. However, this quote sums it up:
"Throwing live animals to caged tigers doesn’t recreate anything that happens in the wild, if that’s their aim," a RSPCA spokesman said.
Article:
‘Savage’ training spectacle sickens animal activists
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=29&ContentID=8689
4th October 2006, 18:00 WST
A zoo in China is feeding live animals to tigers and lions in a bid to "resume their savage nature" and develop their ability to live in the wild.
Officials at Changchun Wildlife Park are using calves and goats to replicate kill-or-die conditions so the big cats can hone their hunting skills.
Similar practices have been reported for years, with officials arguing that big cats raised in captivity have to be taught to kill prey. The spectacle has enraged animal rights activists and sickened young visitors.
"Throwing live animals to caged tigers doesn’t recreate anything that happens in the wild, if that’s their aim," a RSPCA spokesman said.
The caged feeding frenzy comes just days after China was criticised for staging a boxing match between a clown and a kangaroo as part of the annual National Animal Olympics.
The boxing match was one of a number of events at the "games", which involved up to 300 animals.
Beijing
Group Releases Free Guide to Plant-Based Sports Nutrition
Normally I don’t put up press releases. Yet, because this site has a lot of good information, I am passing it on.
Article:
New Sports Nutrition Guide Touts Vegan Diet
http://www.organicathlete.org/guide
OrganicAthlete Booklet Explains Benefits of Plant-based Nutrition.
Sebastopol, CA (PRWEB) October 4, 2006 -- Can athletes succeed on a vegan diet? According to the OrganicAthlete Guide to Sports Nutrition, the answer is an emphatic "YES!" A new publication from OrganicAthlete, the guide seeks to debunk the myth that good sports nutrition must include meat and dairy.
The 36-page booklet explains why a plant-based diet is optimal for athletes and how to succeed as a vegan athlete. Good for coaches, parents, and athletes of all ages and abilities, the guide includes meal plans and answers common questions about vegan diets. The guide also looks at supplements and the environment impact of dietary choices.
The guide is available for free on the web or as a download at http://www.organicathlete.org/guide.
About OrganicAthlete
Founded in 2003, OrganicAthlete is a nonprofit organization that unites people in a global effort to create a better world through sport. Their mission is to promote health and ecological stewardship among athletes of all ages and abilities by sharing information, building community and inspiring through athletic example.
Article:
New Sports Nutrition Guide Touts Vegan Diet
http://www.organicathlete.org/guide
OrganicAthlete Booklet Explains Benefits of Plant-based Nutrition.
Sebastopol, CA (PRWEB) October 4, 2006 -- Can athletes succeed on a vegan diet? According to the OrganicAthlete Guide to Sports Nutrition, the answer is an emphatic "YES!" A new publication from OrganicAthlete, the guide seeks to debunk the myth that good sports nutrition must include meat and dairy.
The 36-page booklet explains why a plant-based diet is optimal for athletes and how to succeed as a vegan athlete. Good for coaches, parents, and athletes of all ages and abilities, the guide includes meal plans and answers common questions about vegan diets. The guide also looks at supplements and the environment impact of dietary choices.
The guide is available for free on the web or as a download at http://www.organicathlete.org/guide.
About OrganicAthlete
Founded in 2003, OrganicAthlete is a nonprofit organization that unites people in a global effort to create a better world through sport. Their mission is to promote health and ecological stewardship among athletes of all ages and abilities by sharing information, building community and inspiring through athletic example.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
More on the Series of Animal Protection Bills Signed in California that Attempt to Curb Some Animal Abuse
We wrote about these great (and surprising) steps last week - http://geari.blogspot.com/2006/09/in-addition-to-tethering-law.html
This piece discusses the bills passed yet adds some political assessment to it. Worthwhile reading.
Article:
October 2, 2006
Series of Laws Toughen Animal Protection in California
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/02/us/politics/02
pets.html?hp&ex=1159848000&en=269362460cb214a
5&ei=5094&partner=homepage
By JESSE McKINLEY
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 1 — Of all the constituents Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger hoped to please in a recent marathon bout of bill signing, he only petted one. And he had four legs.
The object of the governor’s attention — not a voter, unfortunately — was a golden retriever named Tucker, who panted loudly as the governor patted his head.
“I’m going to sign a bill for you,” said the governor, beaming. “What do you say?”
The bill in question was just one of a series protecting animals and pets signed over the last two weeks by a governor who counts two dogs among his closest friends (a yellow Labrador named Spunky, and a white cockapoo that answers to Sarge).
Among the new laws is one forbidding the tethering of a dog unattended for more than three hours, one of the first in the country to set a rigid rule on the amount of time an animal can wait on a leash as a master runs errands.
Mr. Schwarzenegger also recently signed a bill that makes it a crime to leave animals unattended in vehicles in hot or cold weather, or without adequate ventilation, food or water. Violators of the law, which also allows the police to break windows and take animals away to safety, face fines and up to six months in jail.
And taking his lead from several neighboring states, the governor recently stiffened the penalties for those engaged in illegal animal fights like cockfighting, which animal rights advocates say is a common underground activity around the state.
While all of this no doubt pleases anyone with a tail, fur or a beak, it probably pleases the governor’s pollsters even more.
“It sends a signal to the moderate and swing voters that he’s a different kind of Republican,” said Mark Baldassare, the director of research at the Public Policy Institute of California. “And people involved in animal rights issues tend to be more left of center, so it again demonstrates that he’s politically flexible.”
It seems to be working. According to a Field Poll released Wednesday, Mr. Schwarzenegger holds a 10-point lead over his Democratic opponent, Phil Angelides, less than six weeks before Election Day.
The governor dominated the campaign spotlight last week, signing hundreds of new laws before Saturday’s deadline. He packed his schedule with a number of high-profile events, including Wednesday’s signing of a law curbing greenhouse emissions (with a satellite-linked appearance by Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain) and a star-studded ceremony alongside George Clooney concerning pension divestment from Sudan.
But few of those issues draw anywhere near the kind of across-the-aisle support that pet-friendly laws can, animal rights advocates say.
“By and large, these are popular bipartisan issues,” said Michael Markarian, executive vice president of the Humane Society of the United States. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a hawk or a dove, you can care about animal welfare.”
They can also make for strange legislative bedfellows, like Senators Rick Santorum, Republican of Pennsylvania, and Richard J. Durbin, the Democratic whip from Illinois, co-authors of a bill this year increasing oversight of so-called puppy mills.
Mr. Markarian said animal care was also politically popular lately because of Hurricane Katrina, during which many pet owners were forced by the authorities to leave their animals behind. In August, the Senate unanimously passed a bill requiring emergency agencies to draw up plans for pet evacuations, care and shelter, and on Sept. 20, the House of Representatives sent it on to President Bush by a vote of 349 to 24. Mr. Schwarzenegger signed a similar bill for California on Friday.
The state’s new cockfighting law, meanwhile, comes after several neighboring states passed tougher measures, driving the illegal fights into California, which had previously doled out only light sentences for offenders. Under the new law, a second conviction can be a felony, resulting in prison time or a $25,000 fine.
This piece discusses the bills passed yet adds some political assessment to it. Worthwhile reading.
Article:
October 2, 2006
Series of Laws Toughen Animal Protection in California
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/02/us/politics/02
pets.html?hp&ex=1159848000&en=269362460cb214a
5&ei=5094&partner=homepage
By JESSE McKINLEY
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 1 — Of all the constituents Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger hoped to please in a recent marathon bout of bill signing, he only petted one. And he had four legs.
The object of the governor’s attention — not a voter, unfortunately — was a golden retriever named Tucker, who panted loudly as the governor patted his head.
“I’m going to sign a bill for you,” said the governor, beaming. “What do you say?”
The bill in question was just one of a series protecting animals and pets signed over the last two weeks by a governor who counts two dogs among his closest friends (a yellow Labrador named Spunky, and a white cockapoo that answers to Sarge).
Among the new laws is one forbidding the tethering of a dog unattended for more than three hours, one of the first in the country to set a rigid rule on the amount of time an animal can wait on a leash as a master runs errands.
Mr. Schwarzenegger also recently signed a bill that makes it a crime to leave animals unattended in vehicles in hot or cold weather, or without adequate ventilation, food or water. Violators of the law, which also allows the police to break windows and take animals away to safety, face fines and up to six months in jail.
And taking his lead from several neighboring states, the governor recently stiffened the penalties for those engaged in illegal animal fights like cockfighting, which animal rights advocates say is a common underground activity around the state.
While all of this no doubt pleases anyone with a tail, fur or a beak, it probably pleases the governor’s pollsters even more.
“It sends a signal to the moderate and swing voters that he’s a different kind of Republican,” said Mark Baldassare, the director of research at the Public Policy Institute of California. “And people involved in animal rights issues tend to be more left of center, so it again demonstrates that he’s politically flexible.”
It seems to be working. According to a Field Poll released Wednesday, Mr. Schwarzenegger holds a 10-point lead over his Democratic opponent, Phil Angelides, less than six weeks before Election Day.
The governor dominated the campaign spotlight last week, signing hundreds of new laws before Saturday’s deadline. He packed his schedule with a number of high-profile events, including Wednesday’s signing of a law curbing greenhouse emissions (with a satellite-linked appearance by Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain) and a star-studded ceremony alongside George Clooney concerning pension divestment from Sudan.
But few of those issues draw anywhere near the kind of across-the-aisle support that pet-friendly laws can, animal rights advocates say.
“By and large, these are popular bipartisan issues,” said Michael Markarian, executive vice president of the Humane Society of the United States. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a hawk or a dove, you can care about animal welfare.”
They can also make for strange legislative bedfellows, like Senators Rick Santorum, Republican of Pennsylvania, and Richard J. Durbin, the Democratic whip from Illinois, co-authors of a bill this year increasing oversight of so-called puppy mills.
Mr. Markarian said animal care was also politically popular lately because of Hurricane Katrina, during which many pet owners were forced by the authorities to leave their animals behind. In August, the Senate unanimously passed a bill requiring emergency agencies to draw up plans for pet evacuations, care and shelter, and on Sept. 20, the House of Representatives sent it on to President Bush by a vote of 349 to 24. Mr. Schwarzenegger signed a similar bill for California on Friday.
The state’s new cockfighting law, meanwhile, comes after several neighboring states passed tougher measures, driving the illegal fights into California, which had previously doled out only light sentences for offenders. Under the new law, a second conviction can be a felony, resulting in prison time or a $25,000 fine.
Even After Horrors Exposed, Live Animal Exports to Egypt from Australia Set To Resume
A shame. In the past I wrote about the absolutely disgusting practice of livestock import from Australia to the Middle East. That included actual footage of the just horrible treatment that occurs to sheep. You absolutely won’t believe what you’ll read about and see. You can see it here at:
http://geari.blogspot.com/2006/03/unbelievable-video-exposes_08.html
Fortunately, that led to an investigation. Unfortunately, as expected, little has changed and the practice will resume.
Article:
Cattle exports to Egypt set to resume
http://www.smh.com.au/news/Business/
Cattle-exports-to-Egypt-set-to-resume/
2006/10/03/1159641319186.html
Australia is set to resume live cattle exports to Egypt after a seven-month ban prompted by claims of animal cruelty.
The federal government suspended exports in February and began investigating allegations Australian cattle were being mistreated at an Egyptian abattoir.
A TV current affairs program showed footage of cattle at Cairo's Bassatin abattoir being stabbed in the eye before having the tendons in their back legs cut so they could not escape.
It also showed a steel restraint box, provided to the Egyptians by Australia to improve their handling of cattle for slaughter, which appeared to have never been used.
Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran on Tuesday said an investigation found the cattle shown in the footage were not from Australia.
He has signed two memorandums of understanding with Egypt after receiving assurances from Cairo that it would treat Australian animals in line with international standards.
Live exports to Egypt could resume within weeks.
"I acknowledge the close cooperation received from the livestock export industry in developing the arrangements with Egypt," Mr McGauran said.
"This reflects government and community expectations that good animal handling must occur throughout the supply chain, and that Australian animals must continue to be treated well even after they leave Australia."
Under the new agreement, three Egyptian abattoirs - including Bassatin - will be accredited to handle Australian cattle.
Cattle would be traced from the farm gate to Egyptian feed lots through their Australian National Livestock Identification System tags.
The arrangements will be audited independently to ensure compliance.
Mr McGauran said Egypt had also agreed to make sure animals were unloaded quickly and humanely on arrival and provided with feed, water, shelter and veterinary care.
The peak beef industry body, the Cattle Council of Australia, welcomed the agreements.
"We will defend this important trade to the hilt and we stand by our animal welfare standards, the highest in the world," council president Bill Bray said in a statement.
"We are confident our livestock will receive high standards of animal care in Egypt."
http://geari.blogspot.com/2006/03/unbelievable-video-exposes_08.html
Fortunately, that led to an investigation. Unfortunately, as expected, little has changed and the practice will resume.
Article:
Cattle exports to Egypt set to resume
http://www.smh.com.au/news/Business/
Cattle-exports-to-Egypt-set-to-resume/
2006/10/03/1159641319186.html
Australia is set to resume live cattle exports to Egypt after a seven-month ban prompted by claims of animal cruelty.
The federal government suspended exports in February and began investigating allegations Australian cattle were being mistreated at an Egyptian abattoir.
A TV current affairs program showed footage of cattle at Cairo's Bassatin abattoir being stabbed in the eye before having the tendons in their back legs cut so they could not escape.
It also showed a steel restraint box, provided to the Egyptians by Australia to improve their handling of cattle for slaughter, which appeared to have never been used.
Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran on Tuesday said an investigation found the cattle shown in the footage were not from Australia.
He has signed two memorandums of understanding with Egypt after receiving assurances from Cairo that it would treat Australian animals in line with international standards.
Live exports to Egypt could resume within weeks.
"I acknowledge the close cooperation received from the livestock export industry in developing the arrangements with Egypt," Mr McGauran said.
"This reflects government and community expectations that good animal handling must occur throughout the supply chain, and that Australian animals must continue to be treated well even after they leave Australia."
Under the new agreement, three Egyptian abattoirs - including Bassatin - will be accredited to handle Australian cattle.
Cattle would be traced from the farm gate to Egyptian feed lots through their Australian National Livestock Identification System tags.
The arrangements will be audited independently to ensure compliance.
Mr McGauran said Egypt had also agreed to make sure animals were unloaded quickly and humanely on arrival and provided with feed, water, shelter and veterinary care.
The peak beef industry body, the Cattle Council of Australia, welcomed the agreements.
"We will defend this important trade to the hilt and we stand by our animal welfare standards, the highest in the world," council president Bill Bray said in a statement.
"We are confident our livestock will receive high standards of animal care in Egypt."
Monday, October 02, 2006
Cruel China at It Again: Opens Annual Animal Olympics: Forces Animals from Primates to Moon Bears to Elephants to Kangaroos to Box, Bike and Others
Wow, they just don’t stop. China loves to abuse animals. Take a look at this site. It’s mainly just pictures of the animals being forced to even hurt each other. Having bears box each other is just plain wacked out cruelty.
Remember, China just recently enacted a huge, beyond cruel dog cull - http://geari.blogspot.com/2006/08/cruel-
china-continues-its-heartless.html
and is widely known for it’s cruelty to animals -
http://geari.blogspot.com/2006/03/crash-
course-in-unbelievable-cruelty.html
Article (contains pictures)
China Animal Olympians
http://abcnews.go.com/International/popup?id=2508136
Dubbed the Animal Olympics the third China Animal Sports Meeting opened in Shanghai, China yesterday. School children flocked to see 300 animal "athletes" compete for prizes in ball games and track and field events. The games have caused uproar among animal rights group adding to China's already bad record for animal cruelty. A monkey stands on its hands during an animal "Olympics" performance in the Shanghai Wild Animal Park on Sept. 28, 2006.
(Nir Elias/ Reuters)
Remember, China just recently enacted a huge, beyond cruel dog cull - http://geari.blogspot.com/2006/08/cruel-
china-continues-its-heartless.html
and is widely known for it’s cruelty to animals -
http://geari.blogspot.com/2006/03/crash-
course-in-unbelievable-cruelty.html
Article (contains pictures)
China Animal Olympians
http://abcnews.go.com/International/popup?id=2508136
Dubbed the Animal Olympics the third China Animal Sports Meeting opened in Shanghai, China yesterday. School children flocked to see 300 animal "athletes" compete for prizes in ball games and track and field events. The games have caused uproar among animal rights group adding to China's already bad record for animal cruelty. A monkey stands on its hands during an animal "Olympics" performance in the Shanghai Wild Animal Park on Sept. 28, 2006.
(Nir Elias/ Reuters)
Dirty Little Secret of Horse Racing: Thoroughbred Horses in Britain, Like Those in US, Also Sold To Slaughter
Just like in the US, most horses, including thoroughbreds, end up being slaughtered for meat for those in foreign countries – mostly France. There was a bill put forth this year in the US congress to end this practice. Unfortunately, as is typical in US politics, it is stalled and it’s future uncertain. You can read about the bill here - http://geari.blogspot.com/2006/07/more-on-us-
horse-slaughter-legislation_26.html
Here are a few facts from the article below regarding horse slaughter in England:
For thousands of British thoroughbreds that are too old, too slow or not good enough jumpers, the end is brutal: a bullet through the temple or a metal bolt into the side of the brain. Then their carcasses are loaded on to freezer lorries and driven to France, where their flesh is sold as gourmet meat.
This mass disposal of thoroughbreds is the side of the multi-billion-pound British racing industry that is rarely mentioned and even more rarely seen.
• Between 6,000 and 10,000 horses are slaughtered every year in Britain for horsemeat.
• In 2004 the UK exported 1,576 tonnes of horsemeat, mainly to France.
Article:
The slaughtered horses that shame our racing
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1884945,00.html
An undercover Observer investigation has revealed the shocking fate of thousands of British racehorses. Now campaigners want new laws to govern the sport
Antony Barnett
Sunday October 1, 2006
The Observer
It is known as 'the sport of kings', full of glamour, effort and thrilling competition. But few of the thoroughbred racehorses that gallop their elegant way around the racecourses of Britain every week are left to see out their days grazing in golden pastures.
For thousands of British thoroughbreds that are too old, too slow or not good enough jumpers, the end is brutal: a bullet through the temple or a metal bolt into the side of the brain. Then their carcasses are loaded on to freezer lorries and driven to France, where their flesh is sold as gourmet meat.
This mass disposal of thoroughbreds is the side of the multi-billion-pound British racing industry that is rarely mentioned and even more rarely seen. It is not illegal. But animal welfare charities are demanding that more money be spent to provide sanctuaries where horses can live in retirement, and that the massive breeding programme that provides the sport with its horses be scaled back. Most of the animals, which could live on average more than 30 years, are killed before their fifth birthday.
This weekend an Observer investigation shines a light on this grisly underbelly of the sport. We reveal the two British slaughterhouses whose 'knackermen' kill more than 5,000 horses a year, many of which were bred to entertain punters and racegoers. We also reveal that a director of one of the horse abattoirs claims to have killed horses for leading names in the industry and that another is a judge at the Horse of the Year Show.
There has always been a mystery about what happens to the 4,000 British racehorses that are 'retired' each year from the sport or the hundreds of young thoroughbreds not good enough to make the starting post. Even the sport's official body, the Horseracing Regulatory Authority, admitted to The Observer that 'racing doesn't really know what definitely happens to the horses when they stop racing'. Some will be retrained for hunting or eventing; others will be used for breeding. But the physical make-up of racehorses means that many are not suitable for riders who want a gentle hack on a Sunday afternoon.
A study by the Equine Fertility Unit in Newmarket attempted to track 1,022 thoroughbred foals born in 1999. It discovered that only 347 were ever entered for a race in the UK and fewer than 200 remained in training as four-year-olds. More than 100 had been destroyed, died or were untraceable.
To discover the fate of these animals, an Observer reporter posed as a horse trainer from the Midlands who needed to dispose of four thoroughbreds that had not made the grade. Those in the horse world quickly directed us to two abattoirs that do the large proportion of the industry's work.
The first slaughterhouse is south of the historic Cheshire town of Nantwich. Those in the racing industry know the establishment as Turners, the surname of the family that has run it since 1972. But it is also called the Red Lion Abattoir or Cheshire Equine Services. The second abattoir is in a village on the outskirts of Taunton, Somerset, and is hired by Bristol-based firm Lawrence J Potter for a weekly horse cull on Wednesdays. These two operations take care of the vast bulk of the 6,000 to 10,000 horses the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs estimates are being killed annually for consumption abroad.
Phone calls to both places confirmed they were happy to take our fictional racehorses. Both confirmed they had good relationships with trainers, breeders, dealers and stud farms. They also both confirmed the horses' flesh would be sold as meat in France.
Valerie Turner, the owner of Cheshire Equine Services, told us its main time for killing horses was Friday, between 7am and 2pm, when it slaughtered between 50 and 100 animals. We asked if we could check out the facilities and she agreed.
Pitched in the midst of rolling Pennine hills, the slaughterhouse is invisible to ramblers out on a stroll. Hidden behind tall trees, the approach is via a long gravel lane that would be difficult to find without proper directions. At the end of this track is an ugly collection of grubby red buildings devoid of signs. In the courtyard are a collection of anonymous metal wagons that have brought the horses to be destroyed. A sickly smell permeates the place of blood, urine and dead flesh.
Inside, Valerie's husband Derek was happy to talk, unaware of the presence of a reporter. 'She knows everybody, does Val.... She's a judge at the Horse of the Year show,' he said. Asked if they slaughter thoroughbreds, he replied: 'Yeah, we get every sort of horse.' Asked how many, he said: 'We must do about 2-3,000 racehorses a year.'
On the office wall are photographs of a child riding a pony. 'We let the kid have a ride on it before it was turned into meat,' he said. Asked which trainers use the slaughterhouse, he named several, including Ginger McCain, the trainer of Red Rum. 'Ginge is very comical, he's down to earth. He doesn't bring us that many, a couple of year. Harvey Smith comes here quite a lot.' Smith is the former showjumping champion whose wife now trains racehorses.
Ginger's son, Donald McCain, denied they have ever taken a horse to be slaughtered. 'We find all our horses good homes,' he insisted. Harvey Smith's wife Sue also denied they take many horses to Turners. 'If we have one with a serious injury then we may have to have them destroyed, but we are lucky and that doesn't happen very often.'
Documents in the office reveal that one of the horses being slaughtered on our visit is Louis Laval, a nine-year-old chestnut racehorse originally bred in Ireland and once owned by Padge Berry, an Irish trainer who bought the horse in 2001 for nearly £17,000. There are no details of the new owner, who, five years on, has brought Louis Laval to be turned into horsemeat.
Valerie Turner took our reporter on a tour. In the butchering room, blood could be seen seeping through the plastic doors. Four men were dressed in white coats covered in blood. Up above, three horse carcasses were hanging upside down with metal shackles tied halfway up their hind legs. Their hooves had been cut off and the heads had been removed. One man was using knives to skin the dead animals. Our reporter was not allowed to see where the horses were shot 'because there are live bullets'. As we walked through the holding pen, a gunshot went off. Two young thoroughbreds jumped and began biting each other's necks, which were covered in red welts.
In a phone call to Valerie Turner later in which we explained we were from The Observer, she played down the numbers of horses they kill from the racing industry. She said: 'We don't do that many now, a lot prefer having them put down in their own place.' Asked why people bring thoroughbreds to be slaughtered, she said: 'We don't ask.'
Turner confirmed she dealt directly with raceyards and stud farms but declined to name any. She also rebutted the earlier statement that they kill 2,000 to 3,000 racehorses a year, claiming the figure was closer to 700.
The picturesque village of Staplegrove sits on the outskirts of Taunton. Sitting at the bottom of a sloping windy road is a large, drab warehouse. Like Turners, there are no signs to indicate what it is. Yet every Wednesday morning throughout the year, 50 to 60 horses are brought down this lane never to return.
The Taunton abattoir is rented out by Bristol-based Stephen Potter of Lawrence J Potter every Wednesday for the mass slaughtering of horses. Potter admits he kills some 3,000 a year, but denies that most are racehorses. He claims he sees only 100 a year from racing and those are ones with 'sustained injuries or with mental problems that mean they can't race or be retrained'. He said: 'There are more than a million horses in Britain with only about 20,000 in racing. Each year thousands will become ill or get injured and need to be put down. We offer the horse's owner an extremely humane way of doing that. It is a valuable service and without people like us, the welfare of horses in Britain would be much worse.'
There is no suggestion that Potter or the Turners are doing anything inhumane. Indeed, most animal welfare experts believe that shooting is the best way to end a horse's life. One campaigner said: 'The slaughterhouses are not doing anything wrong; they are simply clearing up the mess left over by the racing industry.'
Last week, pressure group Animal Aid published a report entitled 'Bred to Death'. It is a hard-hitting critique of the racing industry that argues the chase for glory and profit has led to a large over-production of thoroughbred foals. It claims that in Britain three times as many horses are being produced as there were 40 years ago and a decreasing proportion - currently about 35 per cent - are sufficiently robust to start racing.
Its conclusion does not mince words: 'These animals are designed to run over a specific race distance of a mile and a quarter. They are bred to be swift but pay a price in skeletal strength and general vigour. The result is that fewer foals make the commercial grade. Many of the "failures" are slaughtered for meat.'
The report's author, Dene Stansall, said: 'A kind of madness has taken possession of the horse racing industry. A hunger for profit and glory has resulted in the production of far more horses than racing can absorb.' Conservative MP James Gray, the president of the Association of British Riding Schools, gives partial support to the report: 'We know that between 6,000 and 7,000 horses are slaughtered each year and a significant number would have come from the racing industry one way or the other, although it hard to know exactly how many. The key question is not for the abattoirs but for the racing industry. Why are they producing so many foals and is it necessary?'
HRA spokesman Paul Struthers dismissed the Animal Aid report as no more than a 'provocative essay' and rebutted claims that thousands of racehorses are slaughtered every year for meat. 'There is absolutely no new evidence to support these claims,' he said, adding that most horses are found new homes. But he did admit: 'The truth is racing doesn't really know what definitely happens when horses stop racing.' This view is echoed by Louise Kemble, the chief executive of the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association. 'We do our best to keep our horses away from the knackermen, but unfortunately some end up there.'
There is another way. Nestled at the base of Brown Clee Hill in Shropshire, the Midland Racehorse Care Centre is a haven of tranquillity. It was set up last October by Serena Miller, who has worked in racing since she was 13 and rode for a host of trainers.
Miller set up the charity after becoming appalled by the treatment of discarded thoroughbreds: 'I was sick of hearing about racehorses going for slaughter and being in auction houses being pushed from place to place once their racing days were over.'
She now looks after eight ex-racehorses although it could be many times more than that. 'We get three to four calls a day asking if we can take in former racehorses... but it costs more than £4,000 a year to look after one and that doesn't include vet bills, which can be as much as £1,000 a time.'
Miller's charity gets no support from the multi-billion-pound racing industry and relies on donations from the public. The industry puts £250,000 a year into its official charity, Retraining of Racehorses, which helps 90 out of the 4,000 horses that retire annually. But, according to Miller, this is a 'pitiful amount' and the fact that the charity is part of the industry makes it difficult for it to speak out against the sport.
She said: 'So many people make so much money out of this sport they should be prepared to give a little bit more to look after these wonderful animals.... There has to be a better way.'
Racing in numbers
• Approximately 5,000 thoroughbred foals are bred every year for racing.
• Between 4,000 and 5,000 horses retire from racing every year.
• There are estimated to be more than one million horses in the UK, with 20,000 in horseracing.
• Between 6,000 and 10,000 horses are slaughtered every year in Britain for horsemeat.
• In 2004 the UK exported 1,576 tonnes of horsemeat, mainly to France.
• Of 1,022 thoroughbred foals tracked from birth, only 347 were ever entered for a race.
• British bookmakers now generate a combined annual profit of £1bn from horse racing.
• The English Derby offers a first-place cheque of £740,000.
• The owner of a leading stallion can charge $500,000 (£265,000) for a single mating. That stallion might cover 200 mares in one year.
• The racing industry gives £250,000 a year to its official charity, which retrains 90 racehorses a year for other activities.
• It costs upwards of £4,000 a year to look after a retired racehorse.
horse-slaughter-legislation_26.html
Here are a few facts from the article below regarding horse slaughter in England:
For thousands of British thoroughbreds that are too old, too slow or not good enough jumpers, the end is brutal: a bullet through the temple or a metal bolt into the side of the brain. Then their carcasses are loaded on to freezer lorries and driven to France, where their flesh is sold as gourmet meat.
This mass disposal of thoroughbreds is the side of the multi-billion-pound British racing industry that is rarely mentioned and even more rarely seen.
• Between 6,000 and 10,000 horses are slaughtered every year in Britain for horsemeat.
• In 2004 the UK exported 1,576 tonnes of horsemeat, mainly to France.
Article:
The slaughtered horses that shame our racing
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1884945,00.html
An undercover Observer investigation has revealed the shocking fate of thousands of British racehorses. Now campaigners want new laws to govern the sport
Antony Barnett
Sunday October 1, 2006
The Observer
It is known as 'the sport of kings', full of glamour, effort and thrilling competition. But few of the thoroughbred racehorses that gallop their elegant way around the racecourses of Britain every week are left to see out their days grazing in golden pastures.
For thousands of British thoroughbreds that are too old, too slow or not good enough jumpers, the end is brutal: a bullet through the temple or a metal bolt into the side of the brain. Then their carcasses are loaded on to freezer lorries and driven to France, where their flesh is sold as gourmet meat.
This mass disposal of thoroughbreds is the side of the multi-billion-pound British racing industry that is rarely mentioned and even more rarely seen. It is not illegal. But animal welfare charities are demanding that more money be spent to provide sanctuaries where horses can live in retirement, and that the massive breeding programme that provides the sport with its horses be scaled back. Most of the animals, which could live on average more than 30 years, are killed before their fifth birthday.
This weekend an Observer investigation shines a light on this grisly underbelly of the sport. We reveal the two British slaughterhouses whose 'knackermen' kill more than 5,000 horses a year, many of which were bred to entertain punters and racegoers. We also reveal that a director of one of the horse abattoirs claims to have killed horses for leading names in the industry and that another is a judge at the Horse of the Year Show.
There has always been a mystery about what happens to the 4,000 British racehorses that are 'retired' each year from the sport or the hundreds of young thoroughbreds not good enough to make the starting post. Even the sport's official body, the Horseracing Regulatory Authority, admitted to The Observer that 'racing doesn't really know what definitely happens to the horses when they stop racing'. Some will be retrained for hunting or eventing; others will be used for breeding. But the physical make-up of racehorses means that many are not suitable for riders who want a gentle hack on a Sunday afternoon.
A study by the Equine Fertility Unit in Newmarket attempted to track 1,022 thoroughbred foals born in 1999. It discovered that only 347 were ever entered for a race in the UK and fewer than 200 remained in training as four-year-olds. More than 100 had been destroyed, died or were untraceable.
To discover the fate of these animals, an Observer reporter posed as a horse trainer from the Midlands who needed to dispose of four thoroughbreds that had not made the grade. Those in the horse world quickly directed us to two abattoirs that do the large proportion of the industry's work.
The first slaughterhouse is south of the historic Cheshire town of Nantwich. Those in the racing industry know the establishment as Turners, the surname of the family that has run it since 1972. But it is also called the Red Lion Abattoir or Cheshire Equine Services. The second abattoir is in a village on the outskirts of Taunton, Somerset, and is hired by Bristol-based firm Lawrence J Potter for a weekly horse cull on Wednesdays. These two operations take care of the vast bulk of the 6,000 to 10,000 horses the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs estimates are being killed annually for consumption abroad.
Phone calls to both places confirmed they were happy to take our fictional racehorses. Both confirmed they had good relationships with trainers, breeders, dealers and stud farms. They also both confirmed the horses' flesh would be sold as meat in France.
Valerie Turner, the owner of Cheshire Equine Services, told us its main time for killing horses was Friday, between 7am and 2pm, when it slaughtered between 50 and 100 animals. We asked if we could check out the facilities and she agreed.
Pitched in the midst of rolling Pennine hills, the slaughterhouse is invisible to ramblers out on a stroll. Hidden behind tall trees, the approach is via a long gravel lane that would be difficult to find without proper directions. At the end of this track is an ugly collection of grubby red buildings devoid of signs. In the courtyard are a collection of anonymous metal wagons that have brought the horses to be destroyed. A sickly smell permeates the place of blood, urine and dead flesh.
Inside, Valerie's husband Derek was happy to talk, unaware of the presence of a reporter. 'She knows everybody, does Val.... She's a judge at the Horse of the Year show,' he said. Asked if they slaughter thoroughbreds, he replied: 'Yeah, we get every sort of horse.' Asked how many, he said: 'We must do about 2-3,000 racehorses a year.'
On the office wall are photographs of a child riding a pony. 'We let the kid have a ride on it before it was turned into meat,' he said. Asked which trainers use the slaughterhouse, he named several, including Ginger McCain, the trainer of Red Rum. 'Ginge is very comical, he's down to earth. He doesn't bring us that many, a couple of year. Harvey Smith comes here quite a lot.' Smith is the former showjumping champion whose wife now trains racehorses.
Ginger's son, Donald McCain, denied they have ever taken a horse to be slaughtered. 'We find all our horses good homes,' he insisted. Harvey Smith's wife Sue also denied they take many horses to Turners. 'If we have one with a serious injury then we may have to have them destroyed, but we are lucky and that doesn't happen very often.'
Documents in the office reveal that one of the horses being slaughtered on our visit is Louis Laval, a nine-year-old chestnut racehorse originally bred in Ireland and once owned by Padge Berry, an Irish trainer who bought the horse in 2001 for nearly £17,000. There are no details of the new owner, who, five years on, has brought Louis Laval to be turned into horsemeat.
Valerie Turner took our reporter on a tour. In the butchering room, blood could be seen seeping through the plastic doors. Four men were dressed in white coats covered in blood. Up above, three horse carcasses were hanging upside down with metal shackles tied halfway up their hind legs. Their hooves had been cut off and the heads had been removed. One man was using knives to skin the dead animals. Our reporter was not allowed to see where the horses were shot 'because there are live bullets'. As we walked through the holding pen, a gunshot went off. Two young thoroughbreds jumped and began biting each other's necks, which were covered in red welts.
In a phone call to Valerie Turner later in which we explained we were from The Observer, she played down the numbers of horses they kill from the racing industry. She said: 'We don't do that many now, a lot prefer having them put down in their own place.' Asked why people bring thoroughbreds to be slaughtered, she said: 'We don't ask.'
Turner confirmed she dealt directly with raceyards and stud farms but declined to name any. She also rebutted the earlier statement that they kill 2,000 to 3,000 racehorses a year, claiming the figure was closer to 700.
The picturesque village of Staplegrove sits on the outskirts of Taunton. Sitting at the bottom of a sloping windy road is a large, drab warehouse. Like Turners, there are no signs to indicate what it is. Yet every Wednesday morning throughout the year, 50 to 60 horses are brought down this lane never to return.
The Taunton abattoir is rented out by Bristol-based Stephen Potter of Lawrence J Potter every Wednesday for the mass slaughtering of horses. Potter admits he kills some 3,000 a year, but denies that most are racehorses. He claims he sees only 100 a year from racing and those are ones with 'sustained injuries or with mental problems that mean they can't race or be retrained'. He said: 'There are more than a million horses in Britain with only about 20,000 in racing. Each year thousands will become ill or get injured and need to be put down. We offer the horse's owner an extremely humane way of doing that. It is a valuable service and without people like us, the welfare of horses in Britain would be much worse.'
There is no suggestion that Potter or the Turners are doing anything inhumane. Indeed, most animal welfare experts believe that shooting is the best way to end a horse's life. One campaigner said: 'The slaughterhouses are not doing anything wrong; they are simply clearing up the mess left over by the racing industry.'
Last week, pressure group Animal Aid published a report entitled 'Bred to Death'. It is a hard-hitting critique of the racing industry that argues the chase for glory and profit has led to a large over-production of thoroughbred foals. It claims that in Britain three times as many horses are being produced as there were 40 years ago and a decreasing proportion - currently about 35 per cent - are sufficiently robust to start racing.
Its conclusion does not mince words: 'These animals are designed to run over a specific race distance of a mile and a quarter. They are bred to be swift but pay a price in skeletal strength and general vigour. The result is that fewer foals make the commercial grade. Many of the "failures" are slaughtered for meat.'
The report's author, Dene Stansall, said: 'A kind of madness has taken possession of the horse racing industry. A hunger for profit and glory has resulted in the production of far more horses than racing can absorb.' Conservative MP James Gray, the president of the Association of British Riding Schools, gives partial support to the report: 'We know that between 6,000 and 7,000 horses are slaughtered each year and a significant number would have come from the racing industry one way or the other, although it hard to know exactly how many. The key question is not for the abattoirs but for the racing industry. Why are they producing so many foals and is it necessary?'
HRA spokesman Paul Struthers dismissed the Animal Aid report as no more than a 'provocative essay' and rebutted claims that thousands of racehorses are slaughtered every year for meat. 'There is absolutely no new evidence to support these claims,' he said, adding that most horses are found new homes. But he did admit: 'The truth is racing doesn't really know what definitely happens when horses stop racing.' This view is echoed by Louise Kemble, the chief executive of the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association. 'We do our best to keep our horses away from the knackermen, but unfortunately some end up there.'
There is another way. Nestled at the base of Brown Clee Hill in Shropshire, the Midland Racehorse Care Centre is a haven of tranquillity. It was set up last October by Serena Miller, who has worked in racing since she was 13 and rode for a host of trainers.
Miller set up the charity after becoming appalled by the treatment of discarded thoroughbreds: 'I was sick of hearing about racehorses going for slaughter and being in auction houses being pushed from place to place once their racing days were over.'
She now looks after eight ex-racehorses although it could be many times more than that. 'We get three to four calls a day asking if we can take in former racehorses... but it costs more than £4,000 a year to look after one and that doesn't include vet bills, which can be as much as £1,000 a time.'
Miller's charity gets no support from the multi-billion-pound racing industry and relies on donations from the public. The industry puts £250,000 a year into its official charity, Retraining of Racehorses, which helps 90 out of the 4,000 horses that retire annually. But, according to Miller, this is a 'pitiful amount' and the fact that the charity is part of the industry makes it difficult for it to speak out against the sport.
She said: 'So many people make so much money out of this sport they should be prepared to give a little bit more to look after these wonderful animals.... There has to be a better way.'
Racing in numbers
• Approximately 5,000 thoroughbred foals are bred every year for racing.
• Between 4,000 and 5,000 horses retire from racing every year.
• There are estimated to be more than one million horses in the UK, with 20,000 in horseracing.
• Between 6,000 and 10,000 horses are slaughtered every year in Britain for horsemeat.
• In 2004 the UK exported 1,576 tonnes of horsemeat, mainly to France.
• Of 1,022 thoroughbred foals tracked from birth, only 347 were ever entered for a race.
• British bookmakers now generate a combined annual profit of £1bn from horse racing.
• The English Derby offers a first-place cheque of £740,000.
• The owner of a leading stallion can charge $500,000 (£265,000) for a single mating. That stallion might cover 200 mares in one year.
• The racing industry gives £250,000 a year to its official charity, which retrains 90 racehorses a year for other activities.
• It costs upwards of £4,000 a year to look after a retired racehorse.
Friday, September 29, 2006
Cruel, Ritual Pre-Yom Kippur Practice of "Kapparot" Finally Being Challenged by Groups
Religion and cruelty. Read on for details.
Article:
Chicken ritual is foul, animal rights groups say
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=
1159193339484&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle
%2FShowFull
NATHAN THRALL, THE JERUSALEM POST Sep. 29, 2006
An ancient ritual that has survived the opprobium of some of the most prominent halachic authorities is facing a modern activist movement, as animal rights groups challenge the pre-Yom Kippur practice of "kapparot."
The practice was being carried out across the country this week, as it has been for years.
On a hot afternoon in a semi-shaded alley of Jerusalem's Mea She'arim open-air market, two jaundiced hens squawked in the clutch of a stooped haredi man as he scuttled after an escaped rooster with his free, outstretched hand.
"He's getting away!" yelled the man's pregnant wife, just before he grasped the rooster.
Clasping the necks of the three fowl with both hands, the man swung them counterclockwise around his wife's head. His faint incantation reflected the hope of devotees who practice kapparot, which is to transfer their sins onto the swinging fowl: "This is my exchange, my substitute, my atonement. This rooster shall go to its death, but I shall go to a good, long life, and to peace."
On the alley's stone walls, high above the tall stacks of plastic cages, most brimming with live fowl and covered in excrement, posters advertised the chickens' price: NIS 50 to donate a chicken to charity; NIS 55 to take a chicken home. Beneath one of these signs was the room to which throngs of haredi men had brought their birds for slaughter. Its ceiling was covered in feathers, and blood leaked from the platinum table behind which the chicken-slayer stood. Children looked on unperturbed as their parents dispassionately delivered flittering fowl to the slaughterer's short blade.
The haredi shohet, his smock slathered in feathers and blood, grabbed the birds in the same manner each time. He first clasped their wings behind their backs, then pulled them supine and yanked their heads further back. He plucked a tuft of hair from their necks, slit the newly bare patches, pinched their beaks shut, and dropped them headfirst into one of the table's 21 open receptacles. Most of the birds continued to jerk and struggle, sometimes for well over a minute, before being placed on a mechanized defeathering rack, declawed, and gutted.
Scenes like these draw protests from critics such as the group Anonymous for Animal Rights, who protest not only the slaughter itself but the manner in which the chickens are raised and held prior to slaughter.
"Sometimes the chickens are held for hours or even for days in crowded cages without food or water," said Reut Horn, a spokesman for Anonymous for Animal Rights.
Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger responded to such criticisms in a press release on Wednesday. In his statement, Metzger called on local rabbinates to protect the poultry used in kapparot and underscored the Torah's requirement to treat animals with respect.
Yet animal rights groups like Anonymous and Hakol Chai believe scriptural evidence bolsters their arguments against the kapparot ceremony entirely. Hakol Chai points out that kapparot is not mentioned in either the Torah or the Talmud.
Quoting the Encyclopedia Judaica, Hakol Chai's Web site states, "Several Jewish sages strongly opposed kapparot. Rabbi Solomon ben Abraham Aderet, one of the foremost Jewish scholars during the 13th century, considered it a heathen superstition. This opinion was shared by the Ramban (Nachmanides) and Rabbi Joseph Caro, who called it 'a foolish custom' that Jews should avoid."
Others contend kapparot has deep roots in Jewish scripture.
"Look, the idea of sacrificing an animal in place of yourself - the scapegoat - exists in the Torah," said Rabbi Professor Daniel Sperber of the Department of Talmud at Bar-Ilan University. "The original scapegoat was a national scapegoat.
Kapparot is a personal scapegoat - scapegoat or scapechicken, whatever you wish to call it. But the practice of kapparot as we now know it dates from the Gaonic period, roughly the 7th or 8th century CE."
For Yossi Cohen, visiting with his wife and children from Winnipeg, Canada, and participating in kapparot for the first time, the sacrificial aspects of the practice were less important than the traditional and the philanthropic. "It's something I've always seen in photographs but never in real life," Cohen said. "So how can you not participate in that? It's not as if they're taking the chickens and throwing them in the garbage can. Many people, like us, will give them to charity."
Joe Krauss, a young Orthodox man visiting Mea She'arim from London, said he planned to practice kapparot in the early morning before Yom Kippur.
When asked what he thought about Hakol Chai's claim that the Ramban opposed kapparot, Krauss said: "It's the first time I heard about this. I don't think he thought that. I really doubt it. But there are other ways to do it. You don't have to do it with a chicken."
Hakol Chai spokesman Tali Lavie agreed with that statement. "We don't think you need to kill innocent animals to redeem yourself," he said. "The public can do other things that do not harm animals and still have their religious necessities fulfilled. You can give money, not chickens, to children."
Anonymous for Animal Rights led a protest against kapparot in Tel Aviv's Carmel market on Wednesday. "A lot of people that sell these chickens, they poured water on us," said Anonymous's Horn. "In the end, their violence against animals becomes violence against human beings."
Horn said few of the protesters were secular. "The objection to kapparot is coming from the religious people themselves," he noted. "At Yom Kippur we ask for mercy for ourselves. It's absurd that we behave so unmercifully to these creatures."
Article:
Chicken ritual is foul, animal rights groups say
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=
1159193339484&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle
%2FShowFull
NATHAN THRALL, THE JERUSALEM POST Sep. 29, 2006
An ancient ritual that has survived the opprobium of some of the most prominent halachic authorities is facing a modern activist movement, as animal rights groups challenge the pre-Yom Kippur practice of "kapparot."
The practice was being carried out across the country this week, as it has been for years.
On a hot afternoon in a semi-shaded alley of Jerusalem's Mea She'arim open-air market, two jaundiced hens squawked in the clutch of a stooped haredi man as he scuttled after an escaped rooster with his free, outstretched hand.
"He's getting away!" yelled the man's pregnant wife, just before he grasped the rooster.
Clasping the necks of the three fowl with both hands, the man swung them counterclockwise around his wife's head. His faint incantation reflected the hope of devotees who practice kapparot, which is to transfer their sins onto the swinging fowl: "This is my exchange, my substitute, my atonement. This rooster shall go to its death, but I shall go to a good, long life, and to peace."
On the alley's stone walls, high above the tall stacks of plastic cages, most brimming with live fowl and covered in excrement, posters advertised the chickens' price: NIS 50 to donate a chicken to charity; NIS 55 to take a chicken home. Beneath one of these signs was the room to which throngs of haredi men had brought their birds for slaughter. Its ceiling was covered in feathers, and blood leaked from the platinum table behind which the chicken-slayer stood. Children looked on unperturbed as their parents dispassionately delivered flittering fowl to the slaughterer's short blade.
The haredi shohet, his smock slathered in feathers and blood, grabbed the birds in the same manner each time. He first clasped their wings behind their backs, then pulled them supine and yanked their heads further back. He plucked a tuft of hair from their necks, slit the newly bare patches, pinched their beaks shut, and dropped them headfirst into one of the table's 21 open receptacles. Most of the birds continued to jerk and struggle, sometimes for well over a minute, before being placed on a mechanized defeathering rack, declawed, and gutted.
Scenes like these draw protests from critics such as the group Anonymous for Animal Rights, who protest not only the slaughter itself but the manner in which the chickens are raised and held prior to slaughter.
"Sometimes the chickens are held for hours or even for days in crowded cages without food or water," said Reut Horn, a spokesman for Anonymous for Animal Rights.
Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger responded to such criticisms in a press release on Wednesday. In his statement, Metzger called on local rabbinates to protect the poultry used in kapparot and underscored the Torah's requirement to treat animals with respect.
Yet animal rights groups like Anonymous and Hakol Chai believe scriptural evidence bolsters their arguments against the kapparot ceremony entirely. Hakol Chai points out that kapparot is not mentioned in either the Torah or the Talmud.
Quoting the Encyclopedia Judaica, Hakol Chai's Web site states, "Several Jewish sages strongly opposed kapparot. Rabbi Solomon ben Abraham Aderet, one of the foremost Jewish scholars during the 13th century, considered it a heathen superstition. This opinion was shared by the Ramban (Nachmanides) and Rabbi Joseph Caro, who called it 'a foolish custom' that Jews should avoid."
Others contend kapparot has deep roots in Jewish scripture.
"Look, the idea of sacrificing an animal in place of yourself - the scapegoat - exists in the Torah," said Rabbi Professor Daniel Sperber of the Department of Talmud at Bar-Ilan University. "The original scapegoat was a national scapegoat.
Kapparot is a personal scapegoat - scapegoat or scapechicken, whatever you wish to call it. But the practice of kapparot as we now know it dates from the Gaonic period, roughly the 7th or 8th century CE."
For Yossi Cohen, visiting with his wife and children from Winnipeg, Canada, and participating in kapparot for the first time, the sacrificial aspects of the practice were less important than the traditional and the philanthropic. "It's something I've always seen in photographs but never in real life," Cohen said. "So how can you not participate in that? It's not as if they're taking the chickens and throwing them in the garbage can. Many people, like us, will give them to charity."
Joe Krauss, a young Orthodox man visiting Mea She'arim from London, said he planned to practice kapparot in the early morning before Yom Kippur.
When asked what he thought about Hakol Chai's claim that the Ramban opposed kapparot, Krauss said: "It's the first time I heard about this. I don't think he thought that. I really doubt it. But there are other ways to do it. You don't have to do it with a chicken."
Hakol Chai spokesman Tali Lavie agreed with that statement. "We don't think you need to kill innocent animals to redeem yourself," he said. "The public can do other things that do not harm animals and still have their religious necessities fulfilled. You can give money, not chickens, to children."
Anonymous for Animal Rights led a protest against kapparot in Tel Aviv's Carmel market on Wednesday. "A lot of people that sell these chickens, they poured water on us," said Anonymous's Horn. "In the end, their violence against animals becomes violence against human beings."
Horn said few of the protesters were secular. "The objection to kapparot is coming from the religious people themselves," he noted. "At Yom Kippur we ask for mercy for ourselves. It's absurd that we behave so unmercifully to these creatures."
Lawmaker May Put Forth Bill to Ban Foie Gras in New Jersey
What is foie gras and why is it bad?
Foie gras (translated literally from French as "fatty liver" and pronounced 'fwah grah') is produced by cruel and inhumane farming practices. At just a few months old, ducks are confined inside dark sheds and force-fed enormous amounts of food several times a day. A farm worker grabs each duck and, one by one, thrusts a metal pipe down their throats so that a mixture of corn can be forced directly into their gullets. In just a matter of weeks, the ducks become grossly overweight and their livers expand up to 10 times their normal size.
As a result, ducks raised for foie gras have difficulty standing, walking, and even breathing. Many of them die before the end of the force-feeding cycle, and the mortality rate for ducks raised on foie gras farms is among the highest in the farming industry. Necropsies performed on foie gras ducks have shown extreme obesity, impaction of undigested food in the esophagus, lacerations in the throat, and a proliferation of bacterial and fungal growth in their upper digestive tracts.
More information on foie gras can be found at:
http://www.nofoiegras.org/
Article:
Bill would ban foie gras in N.J.
http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/
article?AID=/20060929/NEWS01/60929005/1006
Friday, September 29, 2006
By JANET FRANKSTON
Associated Press
Top chefs are squawking over a New Jersey lawmaker's plans to propose legislation that would ban the distribution and sale of foie gras in the Garden State, where a major supplier of the delicacy is based.
Assemblyman Michael Panter said he plans to introduce the bill next week because the production of foie gras is a "barbaric practice that has no place in any civilized society." The legislation also would prohibit the distribution of the fattened fowl livers from New Jersey or into the state.
Panter, a vegetarian, said he is unsure if such a ban could withstand interstate commerce laws.
"I can't say with certainly whether we can ban the distribution beyond New Jersey," said Panter, D-Shrewsbury. "We've put in the bill what we'd like to accomplish."
Foie gras, French for "fat liver," is made by force-feeding geese and ducks to expand their livers up to 10 times their normal size. It has been the subject of legislation from New York to California and its production is already banned in several dozen countries, mostly in Europe.
Chicago in April prohibited restaurants from selling foie gras. City officials there have introduced a bill asking for its repeal.
Even a whiff of the New Jersey bill has already made some top chefs in the New York area nervous because a major supplier of the delicacy, D'Artagnan, is based in Newark.
Anthony Bourdain, a celebrity chef and author, said a ban on the sale of foie gras would be "a bomb in the New York restaurant scene."
"Foie gras is a primary color in the flavor spectrum that we use in the kitchen," Bourdain said. "It simply goes back to Roman times. To ask chefs to cook without that is to ask a painter to not use the color blue."
Panter said he has sympathy for the New Jersey businesses that would be affected, particularly D'Artagnan, but called profiting from the food "blood money."
"At the end of the day, finance and economics should not take precedent over protecting living things. I consider this blood money," he said. "When the greater good comes into play, sometimes it has to trump economics."
Ariane Daguin, D'Artagnan's owner and chief executive officer, said the proposed bill would devastate her 20-year-old business of about 120 employees.
"This is not American," she said. "In the country of immigrants, I find this an injustice."
She said ducks and geese force feed themselves as part of the migratory process and they don't have gag reflexes.
"We did not invent force feeding. This is how they are in nature," Daguin said. "I'm all for humanely raised animals. This is my life. This is my business."
She said foie gras makes up about 30 percent of her business, which does about $45 million in annual sales.
Her customers are a who's who of the country's top chefs, including Thomas Keller, of the French Laundry in northern California and Per Se in New York; Danny Meyer of Union Square Hospitality Group in New York; and Daniel Boulud, a French chef with restaurants in New York, Las Vegas and Florida.
Bourdain, a native of Leonia, N.J., said chefs would be devastated at the prospect of losing D'Artagnan and Daguin as a supplier.
"It's like beating up on Julia Child," he said.
In addition to restaurants and shops all over the country, D'Artagnan supplies about 60 restaurants in New Jersey, including Stage Left in New Brunswick.
"She is the premier place from which to get foie gras," said restaurant co-owner Francis Schott. "She sets the standard for sure."
The planned legislation in New Jersey is the second measure concerning the rich food, typically only found at high-end restaurants.
Assemblywoman Joan Voss proposed a bill last month that would "prohibit the force feeding of ducks, geese and other poultry for the production of foie gras."
"I want a more humane way of producing it," said Voss, D-Bergen. "I don't want to ban anything."
The chairman of the state Assembly's Agriculture Committee said, while he "abhors the practice," there are no farms in New Jersey that produce foie gras.
"So at this time, I don't think there's any real pressing need to have the bill move forward," said Douglas Fisher. "Obviously there are lot of issues that need to be ranked higher."
Foie gras (translated literally from French as "fatty liver" and pronounced 'fwah grah') is produced by cruel and inhumane farming practices. At just a few months old, ducks are confined inside dark sheds and force-fed enormous amounts of food several times a day. A farm worker grabs each duck and, one by one, thrusts a metal pipe down their throats so that a mixture of corn can be forced directly into their gullets. In just a matter of weeks, the ducks become grossly overweight and their livers expand up to 10 times their normal size.
As a result, ducks raised for foie gras have difficulty standing, walking, and even breathing. Many of them die before the end of the force-feeding cycle, and the mortality rate for ducks raised on foie gras farms is among the highest in the farming industry. Necropsies performed on foie gras ducks have shown extreme obesity, impaction of undigested food in the esophagus, lacerations in the throat, and a proliferation of bacterial and fungal growth in their upper digestive tracts.
More information on foie gras can be found at:
http://www.nofoiegras.org/
Article:
Bill would ban foie gras in N.J.
http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/
article?AID=/20060929/NEWS01/60929005/1006
Friday, September 29, 2006
By JANET FRANKSTON
Associated Press
Top chefs are squawking over a New Jersey lawmaker's plans to propose legislation that would ban the distribution and sale of foie gras in the Garden State, where a major supplier of the delicacy is based.
Assemblyman Michael Panter said he plans to introduce the bill next week because the production of foie gras is a "barbaric practice that has no place in any civilized society." The legislation also would prohibit the distribution of the fattened fowl livers from New Jersey or into the state.
Panter, a vegetarian, said he is unsure if such a ban could withstand interstate commerce laws.
"I can't say with certainly whether we can ban the distribution beyond New Jersey," said Panter, D-Shrewsbury. "We've put in the bill what we'd like to accomplish."
Foie gras, French for "fat liver," is made by force-feeding geese and ducks to expand their livers up to 10 times their normal size. It has been the subject of legislation from New York to California and its production is already banned in several dozen countries, mostly in Europe.
Chicago in April prohibited restaurants from selling foie gras. City officials there have introduced a bill asking for its repeal.
Even a whiff of the New Jersey bill has already made some top chefs in the New York area nervous because a major supplier of the delicacy, D'Artagnan, is based in Newark.
Anthony Bourdain, a celebrity chef and author, said a ban on the sale of foie gras would be "a bomb in the New York restaurant scene."
"Foie gras is a primary color in the flavor spectrum that we use in the kitchen," Bourdain said. "It simply goes back to Roman times. To ask chefs to cook without that is to ask a painter to not use the color blue."
Panter said he has sympathy for the New Jersey businesses that would be affected, particularly D'Artagnan, but called profiting from the food "blood money."
"At the end of the day, finance and economics should not take precedent over protecting living things. I consider this blood money," he said. "When the greater good comes into play, sometimes it has to trump economics."
Ariane Daguin, D'Artagnan's owner and chief executive officer, said the proposed bill would devastate her 20-year-old business of about 120 employees.
"This is not American," she said. "In the country of immigrants, I find this an injustice."
She said ducks and geese force feed themselves as part of the migratory process and they don't have gag reflexes.
"We did not invent force feeding. This is how they are in nature," Daguin said. "I'm all for humanely raised animals. This is my life. This is my business."
She said foie gras makes up about 30 percent of her business, which does about $45 million in annual sales.
Her customers are a who's who of the country's top chefs, including Thomas Keller, of the French Laundry in northern California and Per Se in New York; Danny Meyer of Union Square Hospitality Group in New York; and Daniel Boulud, a French chef with restaurants in New York, Las Vegas and Florida.
Bourdain, a native of Leonia, N.J., said chefs would be devastated at the prospect of losing D'Artagnan and Daguin as a supplier.
"It's like beating up on Julia Child," he said.
In addition to restaurants and shops all over the country, D'Artagnan supplies about 60 restaurants in New Jersey, including Stage Left in New Brunswick.
"She is the premier place from which to get foie gras," said restaurant co-owner Francis Schott. "She sets the standard for sure."
The planned legislation in New Jersey is the second measure concerning the rich food, typically only found at high-end restaurants.
Assemblywoman Joan Voss proposed a bill last month that would "prohibit the force feeding of ducks, geese and other poultry for the production of foie gras."
"I want a more humane way of producing it," said Voss, D-Bergen. "I don't want to ban anything."
The chairman of the state Assembly's Agriculture Committee said, while he "abhors the practice," there are no farms in New Jersey that produce foie gras.
"So at this time, I don't think there's any real pressing need to have the bill move forward," said Douglas Fisher. "Obviously there are lot of issues that need to be ranked higher."
Thursday, September 28, 2006
In Addition to Tethering Law, California Passes Laws Regarding Leaving Animals Unattended in Vehicles and for Causing any Animal to Fight Another
Wow. Amazing. What a precedent. This definitely will lead to more of such laws across the country. Details are below.
Article:
California bans lengthy dog tethering
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?
StoryID=20060927-083853-6138r
Sep. 27, 2006 at 8:54PM
California's governor has signed a new law that makes it illegal to tether a dog to a stationary object for more than three hours.
"This bill helps protect dogs from cruelty, and enhances public safety by preventing aggressive animal behavior that can result from inhumane tethering," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said in a release.
The offense is punishable by a fine not to exceed $1,000 per dog and/or up to six months in a county jail, the governor's office said.
Schwarzenegger signed two other bills last week to enhance pet safety. One law will make it a crime for pet owners to carelessly leave animals unattended in vehicles during dangerous conditions, and the other increases the penalty for causing any animal to fight with another animal to one year or less in the county jail or up to a $5,000 fine, or both. A second fighting offense may result in prison time or a $25,000 fine, or both.
Article:
California bans lengthy dog tethering
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?
StoryID=20060927-083853-6138r
Sep. 27, 2006 at 8:54PM
California's governor has signed a new law that makes it illegal to tether a dog to a stationary object for more than three hours.
"This bill helps protect dogs from cruelty, and enhances public safety by preventing aggressive animal behavior that can result from inhumane tethering," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said in a release.
The offense is punishable by a fine not to exceed $1,000 per dog and/or up to six months in a county jail, the governor's office said.
Schwarzenegger signed two other bills last week to enhance pet safety. One law will make it a crime for pet owners to carelessly leave animals unattended in vehicles during dangerous conditions, and the other increases the penalty for causing any animal to fight with another animal to one year or less in the county jail or up to a $5,000 fine, or both. A second fighting offense may result in prison time or a $25,000 fine, or both.
Unique Proposal Would Add Speciesism and Animal Rights to Social Justice Course in 12th Grade at Schools in British Columbia, Canada
Excellent idea. Of course, many are opposed, but it’s great to see these people hold their ground. Speciesism has been defined by many philosophical thinkers. Essential, like any other ism, it’s treating the group – animals – negatively based on its characteristics. So in this case, treating other species as less than because they are not human.
Here are a few quotes from the article below that discuss the initiative:
“A new Grade 12 course on social justice must include animal rights because oppression and exploitation affect more than just humans, an animal activist told an exclusive meeting of educators and social-justice experts recently.
Lesley Fox of the Vancouver Humane Society told the group that "speciesism" is a prejudice like racism and sexism and deserves inclusion in the ground-breaking Social Justice 12 course.
The course is being developed as part of a deal the provincial government signed last spring with gay activists Murray and Peter Corren to settle a human-rights complaint.
Speciesism is a relatively new term that Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, says involves assigning values or rights to beings on the basis of their species. An example, according to Fox, is the special status given to dogs and cats in North America but not to cows, pigs and chickens.”
Article:
Activist wants animal rights taught in B.C. schools
'Speciesism' is a prejudice too, says humane society
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?
id=4c543b69-11cf-47af-a069-e0f650151556&k=42231
Janet Steffenhagen, Vancouver Sun
Published: Monday, September 25, 2006
A new Grade 12 course on social justice must include animal rights because oppression and exploitation affect more than just humans, an animal activist told an exclusive meeting of educators and social-justice experts recently.
Lesley Fox of the Vancouver Humane Society told the group that "speciesism" is a prejudice like racism and sexism and deserves inclusion in the ground-breaking Social Justice 12 course.
The course is being developed as part of a deal the provincial government signed last spring with gay activists Murray and Peter Corren to settle a human-rights complaint.
Speciesism is a relatively new term that Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, says involves assigning values or rights to beings on the basis of their species. An example, according to Fox, is the special status given to dogs and cats in North America but not to cows, pigs and chickens.
"We aren't trying to make [Social Justice 12] into an animal-rights course," Fox explained Sunday. "[But] it is my opinion that if we are going to discuss social justice concepts such as oppression and exploitation, animals should be included."
Fox was a surprise guest at the invitation-only three-day meeting last week organized by the B.C. Education Ministry to brainstorm about the new course.
Other invited parties included the B.C. Teachers' Federation, the B.C. School Trustees' Association, the B.C. Principals' and Vice-Principals' Association, the Aboriginal Education Association, the Social Planning and Research Council of B.C., Educators Against Racism, the RCMP and the B.C. Civil Liberties Association.
In keeping with the deal, the Correns were also invited, as were representatives of the Gay and Lesbian Educators of B.C. The deal calls for development of the optional Social Justice 12 course and a curriculum review intended to make schools more inclusive and gay-friendly.
Fox, who was in the news last year after persuading the Vancouver school board to become the first major school district in Canada to develop a policy allowing students to opt out of animal dissections in science class, said she was thrilled to be invited to such a high-level education meeting and to speak for animals in curriculum development.
She said she was also anxious that her presentation to the group not be perceived as an attempt to dilute the experiences of people who have suffered discrimination.
"It isn't that humans are better than animals, or animals are better than humans," she said in an interview. "When we talk about oppression, we need to look at it as a whole and how it is interlinked. How we treat animals says a lot about how we treat one another."
Brian Roodnick, spokesman for Concerned Citizens of B.C., the group that has been most critical of the Corren deal, said he was surprised but pleased to hear the Education Ministry is considering animal rights as part of the new course.
But he questioned why no one was invited to the meeting to talk about religious discrimination, such as anti-Semitism or prejudices against Muslims, or discrimination based on mental or physical disabilities.
He said lessons about social justice should be based on the equality guarantees in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which prohibit discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability. Discrimination of sexual orientation is also prohibited.
Here are a few quotes from the article below that discuss the initiative:
“A new Grade 12 course on social justice must include animal rights because oppression and exploitation affect more than just humans, an animal activist told an exclusive meeting of educators and social-justice experts recently.
Lesley Fox of the Vancouver Humane Society told the group that "speciesism" is a prejudice like racism and sexism and deserves inclusion in the ground-breaking Social Justice 12 course.
The course is being developed as part of a deal the provincial government signed last spring with gay activists Murray and Peter Corren to settle a human-rights complaint.
Speciesism is a relatively new term that Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, says involves assigning values or rights to beings on the basis of their species. An example, according to Fox, is the special status given to dogs and cats in North America but not to cows, pigs and chickens.”
Article:
Activist wants animal rights taught in B.C. schools
'Speciesism' is a prejudice too, says humane society
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?
id=4c543b69-11cf-47af-a069-e0f650151556&k=42231
Janet Steffenhagen, Vancouver Sun
Published: Monday, September 25, 2006
A new Grade 12 course on social justice must include animal rights because oppression and exploitation affect more than just humans, an animal activist told an exclusive meeting of educators and social-justice experts recently.
Lesley Fox of the Vancouver Humane Society told the group that "speciesism" is a prejudice like racism and sexism and deserves inclusion in the ground-breaking Social Justice 12 course.
The course is being developed as part of a deal the provincial government signed last spring with gay activists Murray and Peter Corren to settle a human-rights complaint.
Speciesism is a relatively new term that Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, says involves assigning values or rights to beings on the basis of their species. An example, according to Fox, is the special status given to dogs and cats in North America but not to cows, pigs and chickens.
"We aren't trying to make [Social Justice 12] into an animal-rights course," Fox explained Sunday. "[But] it is my opinion that if we are going to discuss social justice concepts such as oppression and exploitation, animals should be included."
Fox was a surprise guest at the invitation-only three-day meeting last week organized by the B.C. Education Ministry to brainstorm about the new course.
Other invited parties included the B.C. Teachers' Federation, the B.C. School Trustees' Association, the B.C. Principals' and Vice-Principals' Association, the Aboriginal Education Association, the Social Planning and Research Council of B.C., Educators Against Racism, the RCMP and the B.C. Civil Liberties Association.
In keeping with the deal, the Correns were also invited, as were representatives of the Gay and Lesbian Educators of B.C. The deal calls for development of the optional Social Justice 12 course and a curriculum review intended to make schools more inclusive and gay-friendly.
Fox, who was in the news last year after persuading the Vancouver school board to become the first major school district in Canada to develop a policy allowing students to opt out of animal dissections in science class, said she was thrilled to be invited to such a high-level education meeting and to speak for animals in curriculum development.
She said she was also anxious that her presentation to the group not be perceived as an attempt to dilute the experiences of people who have suffered discrimination.
"It isn't that humans are better than animals, or animals are better than humans," she said in an interview. "When we talk about oppression, we need to look at it as a whole and how it is interlinked. How we treat animals says a lot about how we treat one another."
Brian Roodnick, spokesman for Concerned Citizens of B.C., the group that has been most critical of the Corren deal, said he was surprised but pleased to hear the Education Ministry is considering animal rights as part of the new course.
But he questioned why no one was invited to the meeting to talk about religious discrimination, such as anti-Semitism or prejudices against Muslims, or discrimination based on mental or physical disabilities.
He said lessons about social justice should be based on the equality guarantees in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which prohibit discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability. Discrimination of sexual orientation is also prohibited.
Killman Zoo in Canada Again Faces Charges of Animal Abuse
Article:
Animal rights group critical of zoo
http://www.hamiltonspectator.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer
?pagename=hamilton/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=11
59135811741&call_pageid=1020420665036&col=1014656511815
The Hamilton Spectator
(Sep 25, 2006)
Complaints about the conditions at the Killman Zoo have been filed with the province by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA).
The animal rights group said the animals are in cages the size of a single-car garage, which provides little room for exercise. The group also said the cages are littered with feces and that animals, who are social and usually live with others, are being housed alone. The WSPA did an audit in 2005 and gave the Caledonia zoo a failing grade. A recent investigation by the group has found little has changed since that audit.
The WSPA recently submitted complaints to the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Ministry of Natural Resources.
Mark Killman, who owns the zoo with his brother Steve, said the facility was inspected by the local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in August and "everything was fine."
The Killman Zoo houses more than 100 animals. In 1989, the zoo was criticized as being ramshackle and decrepit by Zoocheck Canada, a Toronto-based group whose aim is to protect wild animals in captivity.
The Killmans denied the group's charges.
Animal rights group critical of zoo
http://www.hamiltonspectator.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer
?pagename=hamilton/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=11
59135811741&call_pageid=1020420665036&col=1014656511815
The Hamilton Spectator
(Sep 25, 2006)
Complaints about the conditions at the Killman Zoo have been filed with the province by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA).
The animal rights group said the animals are in cages the size of a single-car garage, which provides little room for exercise. The group also said the cages are littered with feces and that animals, who are social and usually live with others, are being housed alone. The WSPA did an audit in 2005 and gave the Caledonia zoo a failing grade. A recent investigation by the group has found little has changed since that audit.
The WSPA recently submitted complaints to the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Ministry of Natural Resources.
Mark Killman, who owns the zoo with his brother Steve, said the facility was inspected by the local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in August and "everything was fine."
The Killman Zoo houses more than 100 animals. In 1989, the zoo was criticized as being ramshackle and decrepit by Zoocheck Canada, a Toronto-based group whose aim is to protect wild animals in captivity.
The Killmans denied the group's charges.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Republican Leadership Refuses to Bring Popular Anti Cockfighting and Dogfighting Bill to Vote
Just amazing that these guys will not even bring this up for a vote. I thought this was supposed to be a democracy. How a group or cabal can hold up legislation that 75% (a very clear majority) of representatives co-sponsored is beyond me. Shows how the system really works.
Here’s a few points about the bill:
It is already illegal to ship animals for fighting to the United States and across state lines, a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail. The proposed legislation would make the violation a felony, with jail time of up to two years.
Green's bill would increase penalties for transporting animals across state lines and from other countries for fighting. It has 324 co-sponsors in the House - nearly 75 percent of the body. But Sensenbrenner, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, has refused to bring the bill up for a vote before his panel.
Article:
Group Urges Vote on Animal Fighting Bill
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6105123,00.html
Tuesday September 26, 2006 1:16 AM
By FREDERIC J. FROMMER
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Lawmakers and an animal rights group are pushing GOP leadership to hold a vote this week on legislation aimed at stemming cockfighting and dogfighting.
The push on Rep. Mark Green's bill comes as his fellow Wisconsin Republican, Jim Sensenbrenner, opposes a vote.
Green's bill would increase penalties for transporting animals across state lines and from other countries for fighting. It has 324 co-sponsors in the House - nearly 75 percent of the body. But Sensenbrenner, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, has refused to bring the bill up for a vote before his panel.
Proponents are now hoping to bypass Sensenbrenner and bring the vote to the House floor this week under ``suspension,'' a procedure that allows bills to come up for limited debate and requires two-thirds vote for passage.
On Monday, the Humane Society of the United States wrote to House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, asking for such a vote.
``Chairman Sensenbrenner is doing the bidding of dogfighting and cockfighting interests, and it shouldn't be tolerated,'' wrote the group's president, Wayne Pacelle.
Last week, two sponsors of the Senate version, Nevada Republican John Ensign and Pennsylvania Republican Rick Santorum, wrote to Boehner with the same request. They cited their concerns about animal cruelty, violence and criminal conduct associated with animal fights, and the spread of bird flu in cockfights as reasons to pass the bill. The Senate passed the legislation last year.
Proponents want a vote this week, before the House adjourns for midterm elections.
In a statement, Sensenbrenner said he opposes animal fighting but that Congress should spend its remaining days on more important issues, such as border security, terrorist tribunals, and updating foreign intelligence surveillance laws.
``Trying to ram-through animal fighting legislation with these issues outstanding would win the prize for 'misplaced priorities,''' he said.
Green, a candidate for governor, declined an interview request but provided brief written answers to questions Monday.
``I am supportive of getting this bill passed as soon as possible,'' he said. ``I've spoken with the chairman and we don't agree on the importance of this issue.''
One of Green's chief co-sponsors, California Republican Elton Gallegly, rejected Sensenbrenner's argument that time was better spent on more pressing needs.
``We'll probably be naming post offices for people 99 percent of us have never heard of,'' he said, referring to bills passed under suspension.
``This issue goes well beyond animal fighting,'' added Gallegly, who said he has urged Boehner to bring the bill up for a vote. ``So much of cockfighting is tied to illegal immigration, money laundering and drug running.''
Boehner's spokesman, Kevin Madden, said no decision has been made yet about scheduling a vote on the bill.
It is already illegal to ship animals for fighting to the United States and across state lines, a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail. The proposed legislation would make the violation a felony, with jail time of up to two years.
Cockfighting is banned in every state except Louisiana and New Mexico, and dogfighting is banned in every state.
---
On the Net:
Information on the bill, H.R. 817, can be found at http://thomas.loc.gov/
Here’s a few points about the bill:
It is already illegal to ship animals for fighting to the United States and across state lines, a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail. The proposed legislation would make the violation a felony, with jail time of up to two years.
Green's bill would increase penalties for transporting animals across state lines and from other countries for fighting. It has 324 co-sponsors in the House - nearly 75 percent of the body. But Sensenbrenner, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, has refused to bring the bill up for a vote before his panel.
Article:
Group Urges Vote on Animal Fighting Bill
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6105123,00.html
Tuesday September 26, 2006 1:16 AM
By FREDERIC J. FROMMER
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Lawmakers and an animal rights group are pushing GOP leadership to hold a vote this week on legislation aimed at stemming cockfighting and dogfighting.
The push on Rep. Mark Green's bill comes as his fellow Wisconsin Republican, Jim Sensenbrenner, opposes a vote.
Green's bill would increase penalties for transporting animals across state lines and from other countries for fighting. It has 324 co-sponsors in the House - nearly 75 percent of the body. But Sensenbrenner, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, has refused to bring the bill up for a vote before his panel.
Proponents are now hoping to bypass Sensenbrenner and bring the vote to the House floor this week under ``suspension,'' a procedure that allows bills to come up for limited debate and requires two-thirds vote for passage.
On Monday, the Humane Society of the United States wrote to House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, asking for such a vote.
``Chairman Sensenbrenner is doing the bidding of dogfighting and cockfighting interests, and it shouldn't be tolerated,'' wrote the group's president, Wayne Pacelle.
Last week, two sponsors of the Senate version, Nevada Republican John Ensign and Pennsylvania Republican Rick Santorum, wrote to Boehner with the same request. They cited their concerns about animal cruelty, violence and criminal conduct associated with animal fights, and the spread of bird flu in cockfights as reasons to pass the bill. The Senate passed the legislation last year.
Proponents want a vote this week, before the House adjourns for midterm elections.
In a statement, Sensenbrenner said he opposes animal fighting but that Congress should spend its remaining days on more important issues, such as border security, terrorist tribunals, and updating foreign intelligence surveillance laws.
``Trying to ram-through animal fighting legislation with these issues outstanding would win the prize for 'misplaced priorities,''' he said.
Green, a candidate for governor, declined an interview request but provided brief written answers to questions Monday.
``I am supportive of getting this bill passed as soon as possible,'' he said. ``I've spoken with the chairman and we don't agree on the importance of this issue.''
One of Green's chief co-sponsors, California Republican Elton Gallegly, rejected Sensenbrenner's argument that time was better spent on more pressing needs.
``We'll probably be naming post offices for people 99 percent of us have never heard of,'' he said, referring to bills passed under suspension.
``This issue goes well beyond animal fighting,'' added Gallegly, who said he has urged Boehner to bring the bill up for a vote. ``So much of cockfighting is tied to illegal immigration, money laundering and drug running.''
Boehner's spokesman, Kevin Madden, said no decision has been made yet about scheduling a vote on the bill.
It is already illegal to ship animals for fighting to the United States and across state lines, a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail. The proposed legislation would make the violation a felony, with jail time of up to two years.
Cockfighting is banned in every state except Louisiana and New Mexico, and dogfighting is banned in every state.
---
On the Net:
Information on the bill, H.R. 817, can be found at http://thomas.loc.gov/
Bill Aimed At Ending the Slaughter of Horses in the United States for Human Consumption Abroad Victim of Politics: Stalled, Vote Unlikely This Year
Yeah, you see, they’re too busy getting together all their money from all their buddies to rig campaigns in November. Much more important to them then the fear and pain the horses will experience during shipping to the slaughterhouses and then the final killings that occur once there.
Article:
Horse slaughter bill stalls in US
http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/0609/065.shtml
September 24, 2006
A bill aimed at ending the slaughter of horses in the United States for human consumption has stalled, probably until next year.
The Senate will be breaking up earlier this session for elections and is unlikely to get on to the matter until next year.
The proposed law was passed by Congress on September 7. It will not become law until passed by the Senate and then signed off by the President.
It can only pass if both Houses pass identical versions. If the Senate makes changes, it is referred back to Congress for a further vote.
Article:
Horse slaughter bill stalls in US
http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/0609/065.shtml
September 24, 2006
A bill aimed at ending the slaughter of horses in the United States for human consumption has stalled, probably until next year.
The Senate will be breaking up earlier this session for elections and is unlikely to get on to the matter until next year.
The proposed law was passed by Congress on September 7. It will not become law until passed by the Senate and then signed off by the President.
It can only pass if both Houses pass identical versions. If the Senate makes changes, it is referred back to Congress for a further vote.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Search for More Content
Custom Search
