Great idea. Here is a page that allows you to voice support for it. Please check it out and let those in OH that you know understand this bill. This is very common sense legislation that hopefully will be enacted in OH, but in other states that follow.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Calico Dragon Bags: New Handbag Line With Bold Messages All About Animals and Their Rights, or Lack of Rights Rather
Received this email the other day about this great product. I’m always willing to pass on the word about good animal-rights-related products.
A “…new handbag line with bold messages all about animals and their rights, or lack of rights rather. Changes must be made and without spreading the word, humans will go on living in the dark or in denial. I like to put the message out there for everyone to see.”
View the entire line at: www.CalicoDragonBags.com
NPR: Early Animal Rights Poem: “A Mouse’s Plea”: A Touching Story of an Early Animal Rights Pioneer
I won’t spoil the story. Just check out the following link. Very inspirational in that even as far back as the 18th century, some attempted to raise awareness of the inherent cruelty of animal testing or vivisection.
United States Supreme Court Rejects Ban on Videos of Animal Cruelty: Sickos Given the Legal Green Light to Film their Sick Abusive Torture Practices
Nothing more I can add. Another sad decision from the ultimate decider. No way to go after they decide. Sad and sick and a clear indicator of the sickness of our society. I bet Michael Vick is happy. Should the NFL finally decide to ban felons and/or should he spend his 5.5 million salary this year, he can now make money off of his videos taken of his torture and killing of dogs.
Article:
Justices Reject Ban on Videos of Animal Cruelty
By ADAM LIPTAK
Published: April 20, 2010
WASHINGTON — In a major First Amendment ruling, the Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down a federal law that made it a crime to create or sell dogfight videos and other depictions of animal cruelty.
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., writing for the majority in the 8-to-1 decision, said that the law had created “a criminal prohibition of alarming breadth” and that the government’s aggressive defense of the law was “startling and dangerous.”
The decision left open the possibility that Congress could enact a narrower law that would pass constitutional muster. But the existing law, Chief Justice Roberts wrote, covered too much speech protected by the First Amendment.
It has been more than a quarter-century since the Supreme Court placed a category of speech outside the protection of the First Amendment. Tuesday’s resounding and lopsided rejection of a request that it do so, along with its decision in Citizens United in January — concluding that corporations may spend freely in candidate elections — suggest that the Roberts Court is prepared to adopt a robustly libertarian view of the constitutional protection of free speech.
And in the next couple of months, the court is set to decide several other important First Amendment cases about anonymous speech, the right of free association and a federal law that limits speech supporting terrorist organizations.
Tuesday’s decision arose from the prosecution of Robert J. Stevens, an author and small-time film producer who presented himself as an authority on pit bulls. He did not participate in dogfights, but he did compile and sell videotapes showing the fights, and he received a 37-month sentence under a 1999 federal law that banned trafficking in “depictions of animal cruelty.”
Dogfighting and other forms of animal cruelty have long been illegal in all 50 states. The 1999 law addressed not the underlying activity but rather trafficking in recordings of “conduct in which a living animal is intentionally maimed, mutilated, tortured, wounded or killed.”
It did not matter whether the conduct was legal when and where it occurred so long as it would have been illegal where the recording was sold. Some of Mr. Stevens’s videos, for instance, showed dogfighting in Japan, where the practice is legal.
The government argued that depictions showing harm to animals were of such minimal social worth that they should receive no First Amendment protection at all. Chief Justice Roberts roundly rejected that assertion. “The First Amendment means that government has no power to restrict expression because of its message, its ideas, its subject matter or its content,” he wrote.
The chief justice acknowledged that some kinds of speech — including obscenity, defamation, fraud, incitement and speech integral to criminal conduct — have historically been granted no constitutional protection. But he said the Supreme Court had no “freewheeling authority to declare new categories of speech outside the scope of the First Amendment.”
Chief Justice Roberts rejected the government’s analogy to a more recent category of unprotected speech, child pornography, which the court in 1982 said deserved no First Amendment protection. Child pornography, the chief justice said, is “a special case” because the market for it is “intrinsically related to the underlying abuse.”
Having concluded that the First Amendment had a role to play in the analysis, Chief Justice Roberts next considered whether the 1999 law swept too broadly.
The law was enacted mainly to address what a House report called “a very specific sexual fetish” — so-called crush videos.
“Much of the material featured women inflicting the torture with their bare feet or while wearing high-heeled shoes,” according to the report. “In some video depictions, the woman’s voice can be heard talking to the animals in a kind of dominatrix patter.”
When President Bill Clinton signed the bill, he expressed reservations, prompted by the First Amendment, and instructed the Justice Department to limit prosecutions to “wanton cruelty to animals designed to appeal to a prurient interest in sex.”
The law, said Wayne Pacelle, the president of the Humane Society of the United States, “almost immediately dried up the crush video industry.”
But prosecutions under the law appear to have been pursued only against people accused of trafficking in dogfighting videos.
The federal appeals court in Philadelphia struck down the law in 2008 in Mr. Stevens’s case, overturning his conviction. Tuesday’s decision in United States v. Stevens, No. 08-769, affirmed the appeals court’s ruling.
In it, Chief Justice Roberts said the law was written too broadly. Since all hunting is illegal in the District of Columbia, for instance, he said, the law makes the sale of magazines or videos showing hunting a crime here.
“The demand for hunting depictions exceeds the estimated demand for crush videos or animal fighting depictions by several orders of magnitude,” he wrote.
The law contains an exception for materials with “serious religious, political, scientific, educational, journalistic, historical or artistic value.” Those exceptions were insufficient to save the statute, the chief justice wrote.
“Most hunting videos, for example, are not obviously instructional in nature,” he said, “except in the sense that all life is a lesson.”
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. dissented, saying the majority’s analysis was built on “fanciful hypotheticals” and would serve to protect “depraved entertainment.” He said it was implausible to suggest that Congress meant to ban depictions of hunting or that the practice amounted to animal cruelty.
Chief Justice Roberts replied that Justice Alito “contends that hunting depictions must have serious value because hunting has serious value, in a way that dogfights presumably do not. “But, he went on, the 1999 law “addresses the value of the depictions, not of the underlying activity.”
The exchange was unusual, as Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Alito are almost always on the same side. In the last term, the two justices, both appointed by President George W. Bush, agreed 92 percent of the time, more than any other pair of justices.
Justice Alito said the analogy to child pornography was a strong one. The activity underlying both kinds of depictions are crimes, he wrote. Those crimes are difficult to combat without drying up the marketplace for depictions of them and both kinds of depictions contribute at most minimally to public discourse, he added.
A number of news organizations, including The New York Times Company, filed a brief urging the court to rule in favor of Mr. Stevens.
Chief Justice Roberts concluded his majority opinion by suggesting that a more focused law “limited to crush videos and other depictions of extreme animal cruelty” might survive First Amendment scrutiny.
Mr. Pacelle, of the Humane Society, called for a legislative response to Tuesday’s ruling. “Congress should within a week introduce narrowly crafted legislation,” he said, “to deal with animal crush videos and illegal animal fighting activities.”
Website on World Animal Day – 4 October Every Year
Please visit the following website to learn more: http://www.worldanimalday.org.uk/index.asp
“Participation in World Animal Day continues to grow. At least 80 countries got involved in 2009 and the number of events more than doubled!”
Monday, April 12, 2010
Due to Evidence of Abuse, Group Seeks to Revoke the Renewal of the Animal Exhibitor License To Feld Entertainment, Owner of Ringling Bros. Circus
As if the photo used in this story (see link to story below) isn’t enough to prove the unnatural nature and cruelty of the circus in relation to the use of live animals, then perhaps the evidence brought out in this incredible move will do so.
My hats off to making an attempt to make the end of Ringling Bros. circus legal. There is no doubt, given what has come forth, both from undercover videos and even prior Ringling Bros. employees, that the circus MUST use force and torture to make animals do very unnatural acts.
As stated below, “PETA says it has amassed 700 pages of documents, videos and photos alleging a history of abuse at the circus ranging from "breaking" baby elephants with electric prods and sharp metal hooks to whipping a tiger until it collapsed and lost control of its bowels….’The only way you can get a several-ton elephant to stand on his head is from fear of pain…’
“PETA also alleges a pattern of coverups, including lying to inspectors after animal injuries and hastily installing just the visible parts of a cage cooling system after a lion named Clyde died of heat stroke in a train crossing the sweltering Mojave desert in 2004.”
In terms of proof from inside Ringling Bros. as to the reality of its animal torture:
“Frank Hagan, a veteran Ringling Bros. lion handler who had asked the circus to stop the train and was later fired, told PETA he was threatened by circus lawyers to keep quiet about the big cat's death, PETA told The News.”
I’ve posted the story below. We can only hope for a successful result.
This video was part of the article I’ve posted below. Please take the time to view.
Article:
PETA to ask feds to shut Ringling Bros., claiming circus is guilty of elephant torture, coverups
BY HELEN KENNEDY
DAILY NEWS STAFFER WRITER
Sunday, April 11th 2010, 10:04 PM
Shutting down Ringling Bros.
PETA's war against Ringling Bros. escalates Monday when the animal rights group asks the feds to shut the popular circus, accusing it of elephant torture and brazen coverups.
"They've lied, they've tampered with evidence and they've thwarted the inspectors," said Jeff Kerr, general counsel for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
In a letter to be delivered Monday, PETA asks the Department of Agriculture to revoke or block the April 28 renewal of the animal exhibitor license issued to Feld Entertainment, which owns Ringling Bros.
"Abusive and violent treatment of animals ... is part and parcel of Ringling's traveling circus, which requires powerful animals, many of whom were once wild, to learn and perform tricks that are alien to their nature," writes PETA president Ingrid Newkirk.
Circus officials could not be reached for comment Sunday, but they have always insisted their animals are well cared for.
Past attempts to prosecute the circus for the same or similar claims have been unsuccessful.
A lawsuit brought against Ringling Bros. by a former trainer alleging rampant elephant abuse was dismissed in December by a judge who ruled the trainer had no standing to sue the circus.
PETA has filed a series of abuse complaints in the past to little effect, but the group hopes to get a more favorable hearing from the Obama administration than its predecessor.
"This is the first time we've taken all the evidence and put it together to show that this is not just one bad trainer, having one bad day, with one bad elephant," said Debbie Leahy, PETA's director of captive animal rescue. "This is chronic and systemic."
PETA says it has amassed 700 pages of documents, videos and photos alleging a history of abuse at the circus ranging from "breaking" baby elephants with electric prods and sharp metal hooks to whipping a tiger until it collapsed and lost control of its bowels.
"The only way you can get a several-ton elephant to stand on his head is from fear of pain," Kerr said. Last year, the Daily News was first to report on the group's undercover video showing elephants being beaten backstage at the Greatest Show on Earth.
PETA also alleges a pattern of coverups, including lying to inspectors after animal injuries and hastily installing just the visible parts of a cage cooling system after a lion named Clyde died of heat stroke in a train crossing the sweltering Mojave desert in 2004.
Frank Hagan, a veteran Ringling Bros. lion handler who had asked the circus to stop the train and was later fired, told PETA he was threatened by circus lawyers to keep quiet about the big cat's death, PETA told The News.
Last week, a circus elephant named Dumbo stomped its handler to death in Pennsylvania - a coincidence of timing that PETA says underscores their argument that animals shouldn't be forced to perform tricks.
Monday, March 29, 2010
The Annual Canadian Baby Seal Slaughter / Bludgeoning: About It and What You Can Do
I’ve posted a link below to what I believe is one of the most reputable organizations fighting the annual Canadian baby seal slaughter. Yes, I am sad to say that even in 2010, this unnecessary display of animal abuse perpetrated on defenseless baby animals is alive and well. The page that I am linking to also lets you know what you can do.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Justice for Rigsby the Beheaded dog http://rigsbyjustice.net/
And, just so I don’t overly disturb you today, I end off with the worst crime of them all – the beheading of a dog, Rigsby. Many of you may have heard of this. I first did via Rescue Ink.
To make a sick story short, some very sick individuals actually beheaded / removed a dog’s head while still alive. As stated at the website http://rigsbyjustice.net/, “On January 20, 2010, an image surfaced on the internet depicting a hand holding a recently removed dog’s head. Much investigation has been done since then and the criminals responsible for the horrific offense are closer than ever to being brought to justice.
For those unfamiliar with this atrocity, please refer to the wiki for the full story behind picture and the subsequent investigation.”
So please visit http://rigsbyjustice.net/ and sign the petition to make sure a full investigation is done. It’s pretty easy to sign. Painless, vs what Rigsby went through. Don’t be lazy.
Stop the Whale and Dolphin Slaughter in the Faroe Islands
Unfortunately bad things are still occurring. As such I bring you petitions. Please read about and act. And, this one is a seriously cruel issue.
Every summer, boys in the Denmark-owned Faroe Islands participate in a coming-of-age tradition where they kill hundreds of dolphins and whales to prove their "manhood."
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Help Protect the Working Carriage Horses of New York City and Urge NYC Council Members to Pppose Intro. 653
Strange and sad how bills actually attempt to harm rather than help. As stated via the link below, “A bill being considered by New York City, Intro. 653, would drastically weaken the oversight and implementation of proper care for the city's long-suffering carriage horses -- and even allow the industry to self-regulate through a third-party arrangement if it so chose…These horses work for their living, and deserve to have clean stalls and bedding, proper food, and appropriate care. Protect these iconic animals -- tell New York City Council members to oppose Intro. 653.”
Urge Massachusetts Legislators to Support the Bill to Stop the Practice of Convenience Devocalization: H.B. 344: "Convenience Devocalization"
Came across this today. Please feel free to pass on. As stated in the message, “’Convenience devocalization’ cuts away an animal's vocal chords in a painful and even dangerous procedure to quiet dogs — and even cats — for mere convenience.”
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Macy’s Charged with Fake Labeling of Fur: Lying by Labeling Raccoon Dog Fur as Faux Fur: What You Can Do?
Received this email about this important issue. Not the first time such charges have been leveled against a major retailer. Please read below and follow the link for more information and to see what you can do to stop this practice of horrible lying.
Email:
My name is Maria Abramovich. I'm the Communications & Outreach Intern at Change.org. I've read your blog, and see that you focus on animal advocacy. At Change.org, we've recently posted about Macy's policy of labeling raccoon dog fur as "faux fur." This is both false advertising and a violation of animal rights. Here's the link to our post:
http://animals.change.org/blog/view/imposter_fur_gets_a_fashion_week_makeover
Would you be interested in supporting this cause by signing the petition and writing about it in your blog? I greatly appreciate all the help, and believe that your audience will help us get enough signatures to really put pressure on the Vice President, the Senior Vice President, and the CEO of Macy's. Please let me know if you have any questions, and thank you so much for all your help!
Email:
My name is Maria Abramovich. I'm the Communications & Outreach Intern at Change.org. I've read your blog, and see that you focus on animal advocacy. At Change.org, we've recently posted about Macy's policy of labeling raccoon dog fur as "faux fur." This is both false advertising and a violation of animal rights. Here's the link to our post:
http://animals.change.org/blog/view/imposter_fur_gets_a_fashion_week_makeover
Would you be interested in supporting this cause by signing the petition and writing about it in your blog? I greatly appreciate all the help, and believe that your audience will help us get enough signatures to really put pressure on the Vice President, the Senior Vice President, and the CEO of Macy's. Please let me know if you have any questions, and thank you so much for all your help!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
U.S. Figure Skater Johnny Weir Uses Tired Illogical Argument to Rationalize Wearing Fur: Let Me Take a Second to Tear the Horrible Argument Down
This story is a little old, as just today he came out with some jacked statements about how he loves to wear dead things. You can look for it if interested.
My point in talking about this is to expose the ridiculous rationalization people use when talking about issues like this.
Basically, they state that they don’t care about non-human animals because they care about humans. Or, put another way….I care about humans so I don’t care about non-human animals.
Do I really need to go on, or is this jacked up rationalization to keep carrying out cruel acts pretty clear now?
Hopefully this clears this horrible argument up. Stop talking Johnny Weir and focus on your hair.
Article:
US figure skater changes mind about wearing fur
http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug=ap-weir-fur&prov=ap&type=lgns
By NANCY ARMOUR, AP National Writer Jan 28, 7:08 pm EST
CHICAGO (AP)—U.S. figure skater Johnny Weir will replace the fox on one of his costumes with faux fur after he and his costume designer were targeted by an animal rights group.
Weir received “hate mail and death threats,” agent Tara Modlin said on Thursday, and he doesn’t want anything to disrupt his performances at the Vancouver Olympics.
“He’s changing it because he needs to focus on skating,” she said.
Friends of Animals posted an open letter to Weir after he added white fox fur to the left shoulder of his free skate costume for the U.S. figure skating championships. On Tuesday, the animal advocacy group called his costume designer, Stephanie Handler, and faxed a press release about its open letter to her business.
Since then, Weir has heard from other anti-fur activists, Modlin said. Although People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals made its case in a professional manner, Modlin said others did not—to the point she and Weir were concerned someone might disrupt him at Vancouver.
Weir qualified for his second Olympic team by finishing third at the U.S. champs.
“I do not want something as silly as my costume disrupting my second Olympic experience and my chance at a medal, a dream I have had since I was a kid,” Weir said in a statement.
Weir makes no secret of his love of fashion—fur included—and he’s received letters and videos from PETA and other animal-rights advocates over the years. Although he respects their positions and was fully aware of how pelts are obtained, Weir has said wearing fur was a personal choice.
There are other causes that concern him more, he said, such as homelessness, soldiers dying and the devastation in Haiti.
“I hope these activists can understand that my decision to change my costume is in no way a victory for them, but a draw,” Weir said in his statement. “I am not changing in order to appease them, but to protect my integrity and the integrity of the Olympic Games as well as my fellow competitors.
“Just weeks away from hitting my starting position on the ice in Vancouver, I have technique and training to worry about and that trumps any costume and any threat I may receive.”
My point in talking about this is to expose the ridiculous rationalization people use when talking about issues like this.
Basically, they state that they don’t care about non-human animals because they care about humans. Or, put another way….I care about humans so I don’t care about non-human animals.
Do I really need to go on, or is this jacked up rationalization to keep carrying out cruel acts pretty clear now?
- First, do they really care about humans to the point that they actually do things for them? Are they human activists?
- And second, let’s say they do care about humans and do things for them. Does this necessarily mean that they then CANNOT care about animals?
- And third, they fail to realize that actually in the case of such issues as vegetarianism, being one actually effects human rights in relation to such issues as environmental improvement.
Hopefully this clears this horrible argument up. Stop talking Johnny Weir and focus on your hair.
Article:
US figure skater changes mind about wearing fur
http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug=ap-weir-fur&prov=ap&type=lgns
By NANCY ARMOUR, AP National Writer Jan 28, 7:08 pm EST
CHICAGO (AP)—U.S. figure skater Johnny Weir will replace the fox on one of his costumes with faux fur after he and his costume designer were targeted by an animal rights group.
Weir received “hate mail and death threats,” agent Tara Modlin said on Thursday, and he doesn’t want anything to disrupt his performances at the Vancouver Olympics.
“He’s changing it because he needs to focus on skating,” she said.
Friends of Animals posted an open letter to Weir after he added white fox fur to the left shoulder of his free skate costume for the U.S. figure skating championships. On Tuesday, the animal advocacy group called his costume designer, Stephanie Handler, and faxed a press release about its open letter to her business.
Since then, Weir has heard from other anti-fur activists, Modlin said. Although People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals made its case in a professional manner, Modlin said others did not—to the point she and Weir were concerned someone might disrupt him at Vancouver.
Weir qualified for his second Olympic team by finishing third at the U.S. champs.
“I do not want something as silly as my costume disrupting my second Olympic experience and my chance at a medal, a dream I have had since I was a kid,” Weir said in a statement.
Weir makes no secret of his love of fashion—fur included—and he’s received letters and videos from PETA and other animal-rights advocates over the years. Although he respects their positions and was fully aware of how pelts are obtained, Weir has said wearing fur was a personal choice.
There are other causes that concern him more, he said, such as homelessness, soldiers dying and the devastation in Haiti.
“I hope these activists can understand that my decision to change my costume is in no way a victory for them, but a draw,” Weir said in his statement. “I am not changing in order to appease them, but to protect my integrity and the integrity of the Olympic Games as well as my fellow competitors.
“Just weeks away from hitting my starting position on the ice in Vancouver, I have technique and training to worry about and that trumps any costume and any threat I may receive.”
Celebrities in England Campaign to Keep the Fox Hunting Ban
Just as would occur in the US, the conservatives have promised to overturn and allow the cruel practice of fox hunting. We’ll see what happens.
Article:
Celebrities campaign to keep hunt ban
http://www.thisiswesternmorningnews.co.uk/news/Celebrities-campaign-hunt-ban/article-1844648-detail/article.html
Thursday, February 18, 2010, 07:00
CELEBRITY animal rights campaigners today step up their campaign to keep the hunting ban, which the Conservatives have said they will repeal if they win the general election.
Senior politicians from each of the main parties today write exclusively for the Western Morning News, setting out their policy on the fifth anniversary of the legislation coming into force in England and Wales.
Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said Tory leader David Cameron must "come clean" about his policy to "reintroduce the practice of dogs tearing wild animals to pieces."
However, Mr Benn's Conservative opponent Nick Herbert reiterates his call for a free vote on repealing the law, branding the Act "the most symbolic example of Labour's disregard for rural areas".
Liberal Democrat environment spokesman Tim Farron says the law should be repealed, and replaced with a "more comprehensive animal welfare bill" which would allow cases of alleged cruelty to be properly tested in court.
With less than three months to go until the expected general election date of May 6, opponents of hunting have stepped up their campaign to protect the ban.
Sir Paul McCartney heads a list of stars opposing a return to fox hunting with hounds. In a report from Ifaw in Action, part of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the former Beatle and animal welfare campaigner described the ban as an "historic victory for wildlife" that must be preserved.
Sir Paul said: "The scenes described in this report of how animals were hunted down and savaged with dogs for fun before the Hunting Act 2004 was passed are simply barbaric and shocking and should remain a part of Britain's past, not its future."
The report from Ifaw in Action claims there was "overwhelming scientific evidence" that hunting with dogs was cruel and that more than 100 people had been brought to justice for breaking the law.
The No Return to Cruelty report also said a recent Ipsos Mori poll of more than 2,000 adults found that 75 per cent, including seven out of 10 people in the countryside, did not support a repeal of the fox hunting ban.
Meanwhile, the League Against Cruel Sports today launches a film featuring celebrities watching footage of hunts.
Stars include former Doctor Who Colin Baker, One Foot in the Grave actress Annette Crosbie and Time Team presenter Tony Robinson. Naturalist Bill Oddie and ex-Hollyoaks actress Gemma Atkinson also appear.
League chief executive Douglas Batchelor said the reaction of the celebrities is "just hammering another nail into the hunter's coffin". He added: "Their bloodsport is a thing of history just like bear baiting."
A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: "The Government is satisfied that the Hunting Act is working and is legally sound and has no plans to introduce any changes to the legislation."
According to the Government, the Hunting Act was brought in to end practices the majority of people did not support because they caused unnecessary suffering.
Ministers believe the Act is legally sound and the police have made it clear they would enforce it.
Article:
Celebrities campaign to keep hunt ban
http://www.thisiswesternmorningnews.co.uk/news/Celebrities-campaign-hunt-ban/article-1844648-detail/article.html
Thursday, February 18, 2010, 07:00
CELEBRITY animal rights campaigners today step up their campaign to keep the hunting ban, which the Conservatives have said they will repeal if they win the general election.
Senior politicians from each of the main parties today write exclusively for the Western Morning News, setting out their policy on the fifth anniversary of the legislation coming into force in England and Wales.
Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said Tory leader David Cameron must "come clean" about his policy to "reintroduce the practice of dogs tearing wild animals to pieces."
However, Mr Benn's Conservative opponent Nick Herbert reiterates his call for a free vote on repealing the law, branding the Act "the most symbolic example of Labour's disregard for rural areas".
Liberal Democrat environment spokesman Tim Farron says the law should be repealed, and replaced with a "more comprehensive animal welfare bill" which would allow cases of alleged cruelty to be properly tested in court.
With less than three months to go until the expected general election date of May 6, opponents of hunting have stepped up their campaign to protect the ban.
Sir Paul McCartney heads a list of stars opposing a return to fox hunting with hounds. In a report from Ifaw in Action, part of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the former Beatle and animal welfare campaigner described the ban as an "historic victory for wildlife" that must be preserved.
Sir Paul said: "The scenes described in this report of how animals were hunted down and savaged with dogs for fun before the Hunting Act 2004 was passed are simply barbaric and shocking and should remain a part of Britain's past, not its future."
The report from Ifaw in Action claims there was "overwhelming scientific evidence" that hunting with dogs was cruel and that more than 100 people had been brought to justice for breaking the law.
The No Return to Cruelty report also said a recent Ipsos Mori poll of more than 2,000 adults found that 75 per cent, including seven out of 10 people in the countryside, did not support a repeal of the fox hunting ban.
Meanwhile, the League Against Cruel Sports today launches a film featuring celebrities watching footage of hunts.
Stars include former Doctor Who Colin Baker, One Foot in the Grave actress Annette Crosbie and Time Team presenter Tony Robinson. Naturalist Bill Oddie and ex-Hollyoaks actress Gemma Atkinson also appear.
League chief executive Douglas Batchelor said the reaction of the celebrities is "just hammering another nail into the hunter's coffin". He added: "Their bloodsport is a thing of history just like bear baiting."
A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: "The Government is satisfied that the Hunting Act is working and is legally sound and has no plans to introduce any changes to the legislation."
According to the Government, the Hunting Act was brought in to end practices the majority of people did not support because they caused unnecessary suffering.
Ministers believe the Act is legally sound and the police have made it clear they would enforce it.
Suit Won by Animal Rights Group Against Utah State Entities for Right to Protest Shows Importance of Fighting for Your Rights
Nuff said. Don’t just give in if it’s a legal issue. Congratulations to the group
Article:
Animal rights group suits settled
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14422255
By Jason Bergreen
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 02/17/2010 08:42:14 PM MST
The Utah Department of Transportation and Morgan County have agreed to pay an animal rights group almost $40,000, settling the lawsuits the group filed last year to hold a protest against fur farms.
According to the settlement filed in federal court, UDOT has agreed to pay $19,750 to the Salt Lake Animal Advocacy Movement (SLAAM) and Morgan County will pay $20,000. The settlement will cover the group's attorney fees and court costs.
SLAAM filed a court order in October 2009 seeking permission to hold a demonstration without having to take out a $1 million insurance policy or arrange security for the event.
The suit claimed two UDOT employees violated SLAAM's rights to free speech and to peacefully assemble because they refused to issue a permit for the protest. The employees told the group they wouldn't issue the permit unless the group took out the expensive liability policy and assured them the Utah Highway Patrol would provide security.
The event, called Fur Free Saturday, was eventually held Nov. 28 on State Road 66 in Morgan after the county backed down and allowed the group to assemble without paying for security.
Morgan County had originally told SLAAM members the county would require them to pay $425 for extra policing and permit fees or they must take out the insurance policy.
Attorney Brian Barnard, who represented SLAAM, said Wednesday that Morgan County has since amended ordinances restricting residential
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picketing and allowing the sheriff's office to force demonstrators to pay for their own police protection.
"SLAAM accomplished what they wanted and has forced these government entities to review and change their positions and to acknowledge the importance of the First Amendment, especially for small fledgling groups," Barnard said.
Article:
Animal rights group suits settled
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14422255
By Jason Bergreen
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 02/17/2010 08:42:14 PM MST
The Utah Department of Transportation and Morgan County have agreed to pay an animal rights group almost $40,000, settling the lawsuits the group filed last year to hold a protest against fur farms.
According to the settlement filed in federal court, UDOT has agreed to pay $19,750 to the Salt Lake Animal Advocacy Movement (SLAAM) and Morgan County will pay $20,000. The settlement will cover the group's attorney fees and court costs.
SLAAM filed a court order in October 2009 seeking permission to hold a demonstration without having to take out a $1 million insurance policy or arrange security for the event.
The suit claimed two UDOT employees violated SLAAM's rights to free speech and to peacefully assemble because they refused to issue a permit for the protest. The employees told the group they wouldn't issue the permit unless the group took out the expensive liability policy and assured them the Utah Highway Patrol would provide security.
The event, called Fur Free Saturday, was eventually held Nov. 28 on State Road 66 in Morgan after the county backed down and allowed the group to assemble without paying for security.
Morgan County had originally told SLAAM members the county would require them to pay $425 for extra policing and permit fees or they must take out the insurance policy.
Attorney Brian Barnard, who represented SLAAM, said Wednesday that Morgan County has since amended ordinances restricting residential
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picketing and allowing the sheriff's office to force demonstrators to pay for their own police protection.
"SLAAM accomplished what they wanted and has forced these government entities to review and change their positions and to acknowledge the importance of the First Amendment, especially for small fledgling groups," Barnard said.
Protesters at Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Bring to Reality Problem of Dog and Cat Overpopulation Caused by Breeders
I’m sure many will overlook the message and just talk them down for protesting the event. But, the message should not be lost that dog and cat overpopulation is directly caused by Breeders.
Article:
Scottie Sadie wins Westminster after PETA protest
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100217/ap_on_sp_ot/dog_show
AP – Security closes in on a protester holding a sign that reads 'Breeders Kill Shelter Dogs' during the best …
By BEN WALKER, AP National Writer Ben Walker, Ap National Writer – Wed Feb 17, 9:48 am ET
NEW YORK – Sadie the Scottie was fully expected to reach the purple podium at America's top dog show. She did, after two intruders turned the center ring at Westminster into their own platform.
The heavily favored Scottish terrier won best in show Tuesday night and seemed to be an easy choice. Her team waited quite a while for this victory — it took a little longer, too, because of a startling protest inspired by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
Shortly before judge Elliott Weiss picked Sadie, a pair of well-dressed women walked into the big ring at Madison Square Garden and held signs over their heads that said "Mutts Rule" and "Breeders Kill Shelter Dogs' Chances," the latter a slogan popularized by PETA.
The crowd of 15,000 gasped at the sudden protest, booed the women and then cheered as a half-dozen security guards ushered them away without incident.
PETA members Dana Sylvester and Hope Round were charged with criminal trespass, police said. They acted on their own, the organization said, but it supported them.
The interruption lasted about a minute and came between judging of a Doberman pinscher and brittany. Moments later, 4-year-old Sadie climbed the best in show podium where one of the women had stood.
"I thought it was well-controlled by our people," Westminster spokesman David Frei said, without elaborating. Frei, the host of USA Network's coverage, is a veteran of the show world and a longtime advocate of therapy and rescue dogs.
Sadie was a big favorite coming into the show, which is for 2,500 purebred dogs. There have been previous PETA protests at Westminster, but none nearly so dramatic. During every day of the show, the public-address announcer at the Garden reads an announcement urging people to visit shelters and adopt their dogs.
PETA contends the focus on purebreds leaves many mutts homeless. In a statement, vice president Daphna Nachminovitch said "euthanasia becomes a sad necessity."
Sadie earned her 112th best in show ribbon. The last time a show dog came to Westminster ranked No. 1 in America and actually won was 2001, when a perfectly primped bichon frise called J.R. did it.
"She was perfect," said Sadie's handler, Gabriel Rangel. "I couldn't ask for anything more."
Also reaching the final ring were a brittany that recently had two litters, a whippet that can run 35 mph, a Doberman pinscher headed into retirement, a white toy poodle who overcame his anxiety around crowds, a Canadian-bred French bulldog and a puli that twice won the herding group.
Her tongue out and her tail wagging, Sadie was right in step with Rangel. She is owned by Amelia Musser of Mackinac Island, Mich., and sports the champion's name of Roundtown Mercedes of Maryscot.
Rangel kidded that his relationship with Sadie was like a marriage. "I'm happily married," he said, "as long as I say, 'Yes, honey.'"
Sadie became the eighth Scottie to win at Westminster, second most to the 13 wins by wire fox terriers. She was the record 45th terrier to win in a show that began in 1877.
Judge Elliott Weiss picked the winner. He'd already seen Sadie — he chose her as the winner of an event in North Carolina last September.
Sadie became the first Triple Crown winner of dogdom. She took the National Dog Show in suburban Philadelphia in November and the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship in California in December.
She also did well last year at the world's largest show — Crufts, in England, draws nearly 25,000 dogs — when she was judged as the best Scottish terrier.
This was Sadie's third try at Westminster. She got spooked by strange sounds at the Garden two years ago, and last February had a potty accident on the green carpet.
Dogs from 173 breeds and varieties entered this show. Sadie takes over as Westminster champ from Stump, the 10-year-old Sussex spaniel who'd come to New York as an underdog.
Sadie was set to go on the talk-show circuit Wednesday and make a visit to Donald Trump. By night, maybe she'd see herself.
"She likes to watch TV," Rangel said. "We have dinner together at the hotel and watch Animal Planet.
Article:
Scottie Sadie wins Westminster after PETA protest
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100217/ap_on_sp_ot/dog_show
AP – Security closes in on a protester holding a sign that reads 'Breeders Kill Shelter Dogs' during the best …
By BEN WALKER, AP National Writer Ben Walker, Ap National Writer – Wed Feb 17, 9:48 am ET
NEW YORK – Sadie the Scottie was fully expected to reach the purple podium at America's top dog show. She did, after two intruders turned the center ring at Westminster into their own platform.
The heavily favored Scottish terrier won best in show Tuesday night and seemed to be an easy choice. Her team waited quite a while for this victory — it took a little longer, too, because of a startling protest inspired by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
Shortly before judge Elliott Weiss picked Sadie, a pair of well-dressed women walked into the big ring at Madison Square Garden and held signs over their heads that said "Mutts Rule" and "Breeders Kill Shelter Dogs' Chances," the latter a slogan popularized by PETA.
The crowd of 15,000 gasped at the sudden protest, booed the women and then cheered as a half-dozen security guards ushered them away without incident.
PETA members Dana Sylvester and Hope Round were charged with criminal trespass, police said. They acted on their own, the organization said, but it supported them.
The interruption lasted about a minute and came between judging of a Doberman pinscher and brittany. Moments later, 4-year-old Sadie climbed the best in show podium where one of the women had stood.
"I thought it was well-controlled by our people," Westminster spokesman David Frei said, without elaborating. Frei, the host of USA Network's coverage, is a veteran of the show world and a longtime advocate of therapy and rescue dogs.
Sadie was a big favorite coming into the show, which is for 2,500 purebred dogs. There have been previous PETA protests at Westminster, but none nearly so dramatic. During every day of the show, the public-address announcer at the Garden reads an announcement urging people to visit shelters and adopt their dogs.
PETA contends the focus on purebreds leaves many mutts homeless. In a statement, vice president Daphna Nachminovitch said "euthanasia becomes a sad necessity."
Sadie earned her 112th best in show ribbon. The last time a show dog came to Westminster ranked No. 1 in America and actually won was 2001, when a perfectly primped bichon frise called J.R. did it.
"She was perfect," said Sadie's handler, Gabriel Rangel. "I couldn't ask for anything more."
Also reaching the final ring were a brittany that recently had two litters, a whippet that can run 35 mph, a Doberman pinscher headed into retirement, a white toy poodle who overcame his anxiety around crowds, a Canadian-bred French bulldog and a puli that twice won the herding group.
Her tongue out and her tail wagging, Sadie was right in step with Rangel. She is owned by Amelia Musser of Mackinac Island, Mich., and sports the champion's name of Roundtown Mercedes of Maryscot.
Rangel kidded that his relationship with Sadie was like a marriage. "I'm happily married," he said, "as long as I say, 'Yes, honey.'"
Sadie became the eighth Scottie to win at Westminster, second most to the 13 wins by wire fox terriers. She was the record 45th terrier to win in a show that began in 1877.
Judge Elliott Weiss picked the winner. He'd already seen Sadie — he chose her as the winner of an event in North Carolina last September.
Sadie became the first Triple Crown winner of dogdom. She took the National Dog Show in suburban Philadelphia in November and the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship in California in December.
She also did well last year at the world's largest show — Crufts, in England, draws nearly 25,000 dogs — when she was judged as the best Scottish terrier.
This was Sadie's third try at Westminster. She got spooked by strange sounds at the Garden two years ago, and last February had a potty accident on the green carpet.
Dogs from 173 breeds and varieties entered this show. Sadie takes over as Westminster champ from Stump, the 10-year-old Sussex spaniel who'd come to New York as an underdog.
Sadie was set to go on the talk-show circuit Wednesday and make a visit to Donald Trump. By night, maybe she'd see herself.
"She likes to watch TV," Rangel said. "We have dinner together at the hotel and watch Animal Planet.
Italian State TV Suspends Cooking Show Host Beppe Bigazzi After he Voices His Love of Eating Cats
Wow. One sick guy. His quotes below say it all. Be careful…they’ll make your stomach turn.
Article:
Cat stew lover skewered in Italy
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100217/ap_on_re_eu/eu_italy_cat_stew
AP – This Sept. 3, 2003 photo made available Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2010 shows cooking show host Beppe Bignazzi … .By FRANCES D'EMILIO, Associated Press Writer Frances D'emilio, Associated Press Writer – Wed Feb 17, 5:51 pm ET
ROME – Italian state TV has suspended a cooking show host who shocked the nation by saying cat stew is a Tuscan delicacy he swears he has enjoyed many times.
RAI TV confirmed on Wednesday that it had suspended Beppe Bigazzi, the 77-year-old host of a popular morning program that offers food tips and recipes in a country fiercely proud of its cuisine.
When his 27-year-old female co-host looked stunned as Bigazzi said he has eaten cat stew "many times," the white-haired, grandfather figure defended his tastes.
"Why, people maybe don't eat rabbit, chicken, pigeon?" Bigazzi said. He could have added horse meat, which many butchers and supermarket meat departments stock.
"Who's not fat, kills the cat," is how Bigazzi began his lighthearted prattle about cat stew.
Bigazzi claimed cat stew was a Tuscan specialty near the Arno river valley, but co-host Elisa Isoardi looked so embarrassed she ducked behind a cart of fresh salad greens whose healthy virtues the two were supposed to be chatting about.
"Cat, soaked for three days in the running water of a stream" in Tuscany "comes out with its meat white, and I assure you — I have eaten it many times — that it is a delicacy," Bigazzi continued.
His critics included Health Ministry Undersecretary Francesca Martini.
"Cats are pets protected by law," Martini noted, specifically against "cruelty, maltreatment and abandonment."
She lamented in a statement issued by the Health Ministry that Bigazzi's advocating cat stew "hurts sensibility, which is fortunately steadily growing, of citizens toward animals."
The director of the RAI channel the show runs on, Mauro Mazza, called the decision to suspend Bigazzi for an unspecified amount of time as "painful but inevitable."
Only a few moments after revealing his startling recipe, Bigazzi seemed to anticipate he would be barraged with criticism. "Now there will be letters from nature lovers. Why don't they defend rabbits?" he asked.
By Wednesday, two days after the showed was broadcast, the YouTube video clip had recorded more than 55,000 hits, and more than 800 comments registered.
Article:
Cat stew lover skewered in Italy
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100217/ap_on_re_eu/eu_italy_cat_stew
AP – This Sept. 3, 2003 photo made available Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2010 shows cooking show host Beppe Bignazzi … .By FRANCES D'EMILIO, Associated Press Writer Frances D'emilio, Associated Press Writer – Wed Feb 17, 5:51 pm ET
ROME – Italian state TV has suspended a cooking show host who shocked the nation by saying cat stew is a Tuscan delicacy he swears he has enjoyed many times.
RAI TV confirmed on Wednesday that it had suspended Beppe Bigazzi, the 77-year-old host of a popular morning program that offers food tips and recipes in a country fiercely proud of its cuisine.
When his 27-year-old female co-host looked stunned as Bigazzi said he has eaten cat stew "many times," the white-haired, grandfather figure defended his tastes.
"Why, people maybe don't eat rabbit, chicken, pigeon?" Bigazzi said. He could have added horse meat, which many butchers and supermarket meat departments stock.
"Who's not fat, kills the cat," is how Bigazzi began his lighthearted prattle about cat stew.
Bigazzi claimed cat stew was a Tuscan specialty near the Arno river valley, but co-host Elisa Isoardi looked so embarrassed she ducked behind a cart of fresh salad greens whose healthy virtues the two were supposed to be chatting about.
"Cat, soaked for three days in the running water of a stream" in Tuscany "comes out with its meat white, and I assure you — I have eaten it many times — that it is a delicacy," Bigazzi continued.
His critics included Health Ministry Undersecretary Francesca Martini.
"Cats are pets protected by law," Martini noted, specifically against "cruelty, maltreatment and abandonment."
She lamented in a statement issued by the Health Ministry that Bigazzi's advocating cat stew "hurts sensibility, which is fortunately steadily growing, of citizens toward animals."
The director of the RAI channel the show runs on, Mauro Mazza, called the decision to suspend Bigazzi for an unspecified amount of time as "painful but inevitable."
Only a few moments after revealing his startling recipe, Bigazzi seemed to anticipate he would be barraged with criticism. "Now there will be letters from nature lovers. Why don't they defend rabbits?" he asked.
By Wednesday, two days after the showed was broadcast, the YouTube video clip had recorded more than 55,000 hits, and more than 800 comments registered.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Tallulah Jane - NYC Based Cruelty-Free Perfumery: All Products are Vegan and Created Without Animal Testing
From time to time I will do a posting on small businesses that are creating products without animal products and without animal testing. I’ve included the text of an email sent to me regarding Tallulah Jane, a NYC Based Perfumery.
Here is a copy of our press release which can give you some insight into our company and our products. We are part of PETAs Cruelty-Free Companies program and are awaiting our Leaping Bunny certification. Please let me know if I can provide any additional information.
In the tradition of old world luxury but with a modern sensibility, Tallulah Jane is a NYC based perfumery creating natural scents made from botanical essences and absolutes. These ingredients are organic or wildcrafted whenever possible, without compromising the quality of the perfume. All of our alcohols and carrier oils are certified organic.
Each of Tallulah Jane's vintages are mixed in small casks to maintain purity and left to macerate before pouring. Many of our ingredients are rare and grown seasonally so mass production is difficult, making each vintage that much more unique.
We are committed to making our products ethically, ensuring to never use extracts from plants and trees that are considered unsustainable. Our priorities are not only to create desirable luxury products that are free of parabens, phthalates, and petrochemicals but to preserve and cause no harm to the environment around us. All of our products are vegan and we are completely against animal testing.
Eleanor Jane
Perfumer
www.tallulahjanenyc.com
Here is a copy of our press release which can give you some insight into our company and our products. We are part of PETAs Cruelty-Free Companies program and are awaiting our Leaping Bunny certification. Please let me know if I can provide any additional information.
In the tradition of old world luxury but with a modern sensibility, Tallulah Jane is a NYC based perfumery creating natural scents made from botanical essences and absolutes. These ingredients are organic or wildcrafted whenever possible, without compromising the quality of the perfume. All of our alcohols and carrier oils are certified organic.
Each of Tallulah Jane's vintages are mixed in small casks to maintain purity and left to macerate before pouring. Many of our ingredients are rare and grown seasonally so mass production is difficult, making each vintage that much more unique.
We are committed to making our products ethically, ensuring to never use extracts from plants and trees that are considered unsustainable. Our priorities are not only to create desirable luxury products that are free of parabens, phthalates, and petrochemicals but to preserve and cause no harm to the environment around us. All of our products are vegan and we are completely against animal testing.
Eleanor Jane
Perfumer
www.tallulahjanenyc.com
Friday, January 15, 2010
True Activist, Bob Barker, Puts His Money where his Mouth is and Gives Five Million Dollars for an Anti-Whaling Ship
Bob Barker has always been a man of his word and convictions. This time he really spoke up and will help lead the battle against the evil whaling practices of evil Japan. “Barker donated that amount to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which named its new 1,200-ton anti-whaling ship The Bob Barker.”
Article:
Bob Barker helps stop whaling with namesake ship
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100106/ap_en_tv/us_people_bob_barker
LOS ANGELES –
Five million dollars for an anti-whaling ship? Bob Barker says the price is right.Barker donated that amount to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which named its new 1,200-ton anti-whaling ship The Bob Barker.The ship had its first confrontation with whalers on Tuesday when it joined two other Sea Shepherd vessels aiming to stop a Japanese whaling mission near Antarctica.
"Whaling was shut down today," Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson said via satellite phone from aboard a nearby ship. "There's no whaling now and hopefully no whaling after this."The Bob Barker is a high-speed former whaling ship that can cut through ice, Watson said, adding that the vessel "makes it a lot easier for us to shut down these whaling operations."Sea Shepherd, which Watson describes as an "anti-poaching organization," aims to enforce the United Nations World Charter for Nature by physically intervening in illegal whaling missions.
"They're targeting endangered and protected whales," he said.Barker, a longtime animal activist, stepped up his efforts even more after retiring from his 35-year gig hosting "The Price Is Right." He met Watson through a fellow animal activist and was instantly impressed."He said he thought he could put the Japanese whaling fleet out of business if he had $5 million," Barker recalled. "I said, 'I think you do have the skills to do that, and I have $5 million, so let's get it on,' so that's what we did."Barker, 86, said he was "genuinely proud" to be associated with Sea Shepherd. And while the TV studio where "The Price Is Right" is filmed is officially called the Bob Barker Studio, the veteran broadcaster said he's never had a ship named after him."It was our idea to name it the Bob Barker. He's a little too humble for that," Watson said. "I thought it was the least we could do."
Article:
Bob Barker helps stop whaling with namesake ship
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100106/ap_en_tv/us_people_bob_barker
LOS ANGELES –
Five million dollars for an anti-whaling ship? Bob Barker says the price is right.Barker donated that amount to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which named its new 1,200-ton anti-whaling ship The Bob Barker.The ship had its first confrontation with whalers on Tuesday when it joined two other Sea Shepherd vessels aiming to stop a Japanese whaling mission near Antarctica.
"Whaling was shut down today," Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson said via satellite phone from aboard a nearby ship. "There's no whaling now and hopefully no whaling after this."The Bob Barker is a high-speed former whaling ship that can cut through ice, Watson said, adding that the vessel "makes it a lot easier for us to shut down these whaling operations."Sea Shepherd, which Watson describes as an "anti-poaching organization," aims to enforce the United Nations World Charter for Nature by physically intervening in illegal whaling missions.
"They're targeting endangered and protected whales," he said.Barker, a longtime animal activist, stepped up his efforts even more after retiring from his 35-year gig hosting "The Price Is Right." He met Watson through a fellow animal activist and was instantly impressed."He said he thought he could put the Japanese whaling fleet out of business if he had $5 million," Barker recalled. "I said, 'I think you do have the skills to do that, and I have $5 million, so let's get it on,' so that's what we did."Barker, 86, said he was "genuinely proud" to be associated with Sea Shepherd. And while the TV studio where "The Price Is Right" is filmed is officially called the Bob Barker Studio, the veteran broadcaster said he's never had a ship named after him."It was our idea to name it the Bob Barker. He's a little too humble for that," Watson said. "I thought it was the least we could do."
Environment Minister of India, Jairam Ramesh, Calls for Reduced Animal Testing Via New Technology
It's well known that animal testing / vivisection is outdated and ineffectual in many ways and that technology has put forth superior non-animal testing methods. For more on this see our Alternatives to Animal Testing page at http://www.geari.org/alternatives-to-animal-testing.html
Article:
Ramesh for technology to replace clinical trial of animals
Press Trust of India / New Delhi January 15, 2010, 16:20 IST
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/ramesh-for-technology-to-replace-clinical-trialanimals/83223/on
Concerned over increasing use of animals for clinical trials, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh today advocated alternatives to reduce the practice and said India was taking certain steps in that direction.
"Recent trend shows the use of primates in experimentation is on an upward climb. With the development of human genome research, activities of commercial units and industries and modern methods, there is growing demand of primates in experimentation.
"But, we need not open the floodgates to use animals in experimentation in the name of academic knowledge," he said after inaugurating 'National Conference, 2010' of the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA), here.
He said it was because of international concern and action taken by animal rights activists, civil society organisations, NGOs etc in the country that there was growing awareness and consciousness in the commitments to not use animals.
"But we need to transform to replacement and use modern technology to ensure alternatives which meets the concern of animal lovers. We are taking tentative steps to enter refinement phase.
"We must refine our methods, and replace animals in experiments. Indian culture respect all forms of life, human as well as animal. We will show respect in use of animals in experimentation," he added.
Article:
Ramesh for technology to replace clinical trial of animals
Press Trust of India / New Delhi January 15, 2010, 16:20 IST
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/ramesh-for-technology-to-replace-clinical-trialanimals/83223/on
Concerned over increasing use of animals for clinical trials, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh today advocated alternatives to reduce the practice and said India was taking certain steps in that direction.
"Recent trend shows the use of primates in experimentation is on an upward climb. With the development of human genome research, activities of commercial units and industries and modern methods, there is growing demand of primates in experimentation.
"But, we need not open the floodgates to use animals in experimentation in the name of academic knowledge," he said after inaugurating 'National Conference, 2010' of the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA), here.
He said it was because of international concern and action taken by animal rights activists, civil society organisations, NGOs etc in the country that there was growing awareness and consciousness in the commitments to not use animals.
"But we need to transform to replacement and use modern technology to ensure alternatives which meets the concern of animal lovers. We are taking tentative steps to enter refinement phase.
"We must refine our methods, and replace animals in experiments. Indian culture respect all forms of life, human as well as animal. We will show respect in use of animals in experimentation," he added.
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