tagged w/ Animal Shelters
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A local newspaper recently reported there have been mass afterhours killings at the Humane Society of San Bernardino Valley [HSSBV]. President, Sue Dawson, confirmed the late night killings on the heels of an undercover video that surfaced on the internet purportedly showing evidence of the killings. Unsubstantiated rumors had been swirling in the community for years.
In the wake of the public revelations, others started talking. Two former Executive Directors said they were fired by Dawson along with others because they complained about the regular practice of killing healthy adoptable animals, including kittens and puppies. They said the animals were truckloaded into the facility in the middle of the night and were killed by an unlicensed employee, Lynn Hildebrand, 62. They said she was often accompanied by non-employee friends. Hildebrand has been HSSBV’s ‘humane educator’ for over 20 years and teaches children in public schools how to treat animals kindly.
Additional whistleblowers include former staff members and a vet who said she was fired too after protesting ongoing killings that allegedly spanned two decades.
HSSBV operates a spay and neuter clinic and a humane education program. It is not a shelter and does not house animals. The public is asking questions after reading Dawson's estimate that 800 animals are killed a month, primarily, “where are all the animals coming from?”
Every witness that has come forward has named Lynn Hildebrand, pictured, as the primary killer and procurer of the animals. They said Hildebrand went to great effort to present herself as someone who would find good homes for animals. She developed a substantial network that fed her a constant supply of animals from students, teachers, rescues, shelters, vets, local and national organizations, animal control agencies and HSSBV’s clientele. In a sworn statement a co-worker said Hildebrand admitted placing and answering ads and urging owners to give her their pets on the false premise that she would adopt them or find them homes. Allegedly Hildebrand explained, “If I told them the truth (that they would be killed), they wouldn’t give them to me. I’d rather deal with them now then deal with their offspring later.”
An investigator reportedly followed Hildebrand to feeding stations she set up throughout the city to trap animals.
A witness stated some of the animals Hildebrand killed had i.d. tags with owner names and others were not scanned for microchips. Hildebrand allegedly did not contact the owners nor impound the animals for a period of time, which might be required if HSSBV is held to the same laws as California shelters.
The February 7, 2010 Press Enterprise story can be found here: http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_W_humane08.44d8166.html
A website has been set up by local residents to ask authorities to evaluate the charges and provide a clearinghouse for witnesses and victims. It can be found at: http://humanesocietyofsanbernardinokillings.blogspot.com/A local newspaper recently reported there have been mass afterhours killings at the... more
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Forbes...
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PART ONE...
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[ EthicalVegan's comment: "BUY" a dog?!??!?! "PET"????!?!?!? ]
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2/22/2012 @ 12:10PM
Where *Not* to Buy a Dog: The Pet Store Connection to the Business of Puppy Mills
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So where should you buy a dog? The absolute worst place, it turns out, is a pet store.
An HBO documentary, Madonna of the Mills, exposes the fact that virtually all pet store puppies are raised in puppy mills in horrible conditions, in wire pens no bigger than a dishwasher, and the puppies are sickly with parasites and other serious issues.
In my previous posts, I talked about my experiences with Alison my shelter dog, and Tessie, my Golden Retriever that came from a high-quality breeder and about the economics of buying and owning a puppy. Today, as part of a continuing series, I present an interview with Andrew Nibley, a CEO who took off a year and a half to make this documentary about the dirty secret of the pet industry.
If you want to make sure you don’t miss future installments of this series, including an interview with training guru Ian Dunbar, please consider following me on Twitter or Facebook.
Here’s the trailer for Madonna of the Mills.
The documentary, which can be found on HBOGo.com, takes a rigorously journalistic view of this complex problem. (Nibley used to be an editor at Reuters.) It also balances an unflinching depiction of the problem with moments of hope provided by the dogs that have been rescued from the mills and the woman who rescued them. It’s an uplifting, deeply personal story that’s well worth the $15 and an hour of your time. Here’s my interview with director Andrew Nibley.
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Allen St. John: What’s the solution to the puppy mill problem?
Andrew Nibley: Puppy mills will continue to exist as long as people buy puppy mill puppies. 99 percent of all puppies in pet stores come from puppy mills. So if people stop buying from pet stores, if people stop buying over the internet, puppy mills will dry up. It’s a question of supply and demand. If there’s no demand for these dogs, farmers will go back to growing crops or doing something else for a living.
And pet stores will go back to doing what they should be doing—selling leashes, bowls, toys, and puppy chow—and not actually selling the animals themselves. It’s pretty straightforward.
ASJ: Some states like Missouri have tried to legislate the conditions in puppy mills.
AN: I think it’s very, very hard to regulate. There have been a lot of legislative attempts, but they make small improvements and they’re almost glacial in the way they’re taking hold. You have states that say that every animal has to have an exercise plan. But there isn’t any enforcement on the back end. Or there’ll be something that says they can’t have wire flooring—that’s an improvement, but if they don’t clean the cages anyway, you’re not getting at the problem.
And frankly, I think animals should have more room to move around in than something the size of a dishwasher. USDA regulations say that the animal has to have seven inches in front of its nose and seven inches over its head and that’s not a lot of room. The farmers think of these puppies as a cash crop the same way they’d look at soybeans or corn or spinach.
ASJ: But I guess there’s another side of this, too, that the puppies from the mills are often dangerously sick when you take them home and prone to all kinds of life-threatening problems early in life.
AN: Let’s leave aside the question of whether or not you want to support puppy mills which are, in my opinion, concentration camps for the parents of pet store puppies, and just look at what you’re buying as a consumer when you buy a dog from a pet store or over the internet.
You’re getting a dog that cost $1,000 to $2,000 that cost the farmer $50 to $75 to raise. There’s 100 percent chance that puppy is going to have parasites or some kind of disease. There’s almost a 50 percent chance that dog is going to die or have a serious illness within the first year.
So you’re buying a defective product at over-inflated prices, even if you don’t care about what happens to that puppy’s parents, it’s a bad, bad deal for the consumer.
ASJ: How can you tell when an Internet breeder is really a puppy mill?
AN: When you talk to a breeder, you should say “Can I see this puppy’s parents?” If it’s a puppy mill they won’t be able to produce the parents.
If they say they’re going to fly the dog to you, there’s a pretty good chance it’s a puppy mill. Most breeders love the animals so much they will actually fly with the animal to make sure that the owners are legit. In some places it’s as hard to adopt a dog [from a quality breeder] as it is a kid. “Do you have a big enough back yard? Do you have other animals? Did you have animals in the past?” These breeders love these dogs.
ASJ: And puppy mills are really preying on our attachment to our dogs.
AN: It’s an emotional purchase. As the vet says in the movie, it’s not a washing machine or a car or a refrigerator that you can take back. You bought the puppy because you had an emotional attachment when you first met it. When you find out its sick, the last thing you want to do is take it back, you want to help it.
And that’s how people get trapped. In a pet store, you walk by and see cute, adorable puppies but you have no idea where they came from and what’s happening to their parents. That’s really why we made the movie, is to wake people up.
ASJ: Is the problem that people don’t see the connection between the pet store puppy and the horrible conditions in which it was raised?
AN: I think if you ask, 90 percent of people would say they’re against puppy mills, and then you ask them where they got their pet, they say “Oh, we got him at the pet store.” We tried to make that connection between puppy mills and pet stores and how it’s part of a multi-billion dollar business in the U.S.
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CONTINUED...
.Forbes...
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PART ONE...
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[ EthicalVegan's comment: "BUY"... more
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Halo...
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Woman Saves Cat’s Life; Cat Returns the Favor
photo of Pudding, courtesy of the Door County Humane Society
By Caroline Golon
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When Amy Jung of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin adopted two cats from a local shelter, she had no idea that, just hours later, the decision would save her life.
Jung wasn’t planning on coming home with a cat, let alone two cats that day. She and her son Ethan had stopped by the Door County Humane Society to play with the homeless felines.
But Pudding, a 21-pound orange and white cat, caught Jung’s attention. The two made a connection and Jung decided to adopt him. Pudding and another cat, Wimsy, were brought to the shelter together when their owner died a month earlier. Jung, not wanting to separate the two cats, adopted them both.
According to Jung, the pair of felines made themselves at home right away and all seemed well.
Until later that night when Jung, who has been diabetic since childhood, went into a diabetic seizure in her sleep.
That’s when the normally laid-back Pudding took action. Jumping on Jung’s chest, Pudding began to nudge and bite at her in an apparent attempt to rouse her. Jung said the heavy cat on top of her woke her long enough to call to her son for help.
When the sleeping Ethan did not hear his mother’s cries, Pudding raced into Ethan’s room and jumped on him, waking him up in time to get medical help for his mother.
Jung and her son are amazed and grateful to Pudding. “If something or someone hadn’t pulled me out of that, I wouldn’t be here,” Jung told the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
Carrie Counihan, Door County Humane Society executive director, described the giant cat as very laid back and relaxed. To jump up on someone like he did to Jung was not his normal behavior, making it all the more believable that he knew something was amiss. "That, for me, makes the story really stand out," she told the Green Bay Press-Gazette. "That he was sensing something and reacting to it."
At the suggestion of her doctor, Jung registered Pudding as a therapy cat. Pudding now sits by Jung’s side and meows if he senses her blood sugar may be low.
.Halo...
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Woman Saves Cat’s Life; Cat Returns the Favor
photo of... more
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Daily Animal News...
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Animal Slaughter On Urban Farms A Growing Concern Among Local Activists
Urban Farms Animal Slaughter
First Posted: 02/15/2012 6:30 pm Updated: 02/15/2012 6:41 pm
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This article comes to us courtesy of SF Weekly's SFoodie.
By Jonathan Kauffman
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If you go to farmers' markets in the East Bay, you may have seen them: A group of activists from Neighbors Opposed to Backyard Slaughter handing out flyers raising concerns about Oakland's new Urban Agriculture Policy. "The last thing I want my daughter to see or hear are the sounds of an animal being killed next door by a DIY slaughter hobbyist," says a cartoon of a ponytailed man.
NO Slaughter's latest action, according to its website, was to appear at the El Cerrito City Council earlier this week, protesting the fact that the city's Animals Ordinance didn't include any provision regarding animal slaughter. "By not addressing slaughter specifically, El Cerrito left the interests of animals to the whims of the farmer, which as we know from observing industrial agriculture is never a good idea," spokesperson Ian Elwood wrote in an email to SFoodie. "We have seen too many instances of cruelty by urban homesteaders to recount, and there is no reason to believe that without regulation, anyone will do anything differently than what is being done already."
San Francisco, like Oakland and El Cerrito, doesn't have strict controls around what residents do with any animals they raise for food. Article 1, section 37, of San Francisco's Health Code states that people can keep up to four small animals such as rabbits, chicken, and ducks on their property. According to SF Health Department spokesperson Colleen Chawla, there are regulations around the slaughter of animals for retail sale, but "there's nothing in the health code that addresses the slaughter of these animals for personal use," she says, adding, "At the Health Department, we primarily get complaints if the animals are too noisy."
Are backyard butchers that much of a problem in the Bay Area? Last week, Mother Jones editor Kiera Butler, who has written about raising and killing her Thanksgiving turkey, wrote a rebuttal to NO Slaughter's flyer, addressing it point by point. For instance, the animal-rights group claimed that local animal shelters would be overwhelmed by backyard chickens and goats that urban farmers had tired of (but couldn't slaughter?), and Butler quotes an Oakland Animal Shelter rep who says there has been an uptick in chickens that the shelter has taken in -- due to a cockfighting ring that police had busted.
When asked about the problem of urban farmers besieging their neighbors with the death screams of dying bunnies, Novella Carpenter, author of the new Essential Urban Farmer, told SFoodie, "If you think you'll be sitting in your kitchen, drinking your coffee, when you hear the blood-curdling call of a chicken being slaughtered, you have never even seen an animal being slaughtered."
"There is no noise," she continued, "and [NO Slaughter] makes it sound like there's blood splattered everywhere and maniacal laughter. You wouldn't even know if it was happening next door. It's not a slaughterhouse, and that's the whole point. One animal has been loved by by the farmer, who kills it humanely and quickly. Why aren't they protesting at Tyson instead?"
.Daily Animal News...
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Animal Slaughter On Urban Farms A Growing Concern Among... more
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This is a story about our dog. She was abused thrown out of a car that was moving. Someone saw it happen they took her to a vet. The vet helped her then sent her to the animal shelter where we adopted her. She is a great part of the family and we share a love for each other.This is a story about our dog. She was abused thrown out of a car that was moving.... more
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CBS News...
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December 28, 2011 11:31 PM
Rescue group in crisis mode after cat euthanized
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In a Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011 photo, Daniel Dockery is pictured at his job in Phoenix, Ariz. Dockery's 9-month-old cat Scruffy, was euthanized recently by the Arizona Humane Society not because of her wounds but because Dockery couldn't immediately pay for her treatment. He had been searching for Scruffy for three weeks ago and learned of her fate Tuesday, Dec. 27.
(Charlie Leight,AP Photo/The Arizona Republic)
(AP)
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PHOENIX - Animal lovers threatened to pull donations to an animal rescue group and the public flooded the agency with scathing comments and calls after a man's cat was euthanized when he couldn't afford its medical care, prompting the Arizona Humane Society to go into damage-control mode Wednesday.
The group has hired a publicist, removed dozens of comments on its Facebook page and directed a team of five volunteers to respond to the overwhelming calls and emails it has received since The Arizona Republic published a weekend story about Daniel Dockery and his 9-month-old cat, Scruffy.
Dockery, a 49-year-old recovering heroin addict, told the Phoenix newspaper that he took Scruffy to a Humane Society center on Dec. 8 because she had a cut from a barbed-wire fence, an injury that he described as non-life-threatening. The agency said it would cost $400 to treat Scruffy, money he didn't have.
The Humane Society cited policy when it declined to accept a credit card over the phone from Dockery's mother in Michigan or to wait for her to wire the money. The staff said if he signed papers surrendering the cat, Scruffy would be treated and put in foster care, he said.
Instead, Scruffy was euthanized several hours later.
Dockery told the Republic that he was devastated.
"Now I've got to think about how I failed that beautiful animal," Dockery said. "I failed her. ... That's so wrong. There was no reason for her not to be treated."
He described the cat as helping him stay off drugs for more than a year, the longest he had ever been clean. He hand-fed the feline before she opened her eyes at 4 days old, giving her fresh tuna and letting her sleep on his pillow.
Stacy Pearson, who was hired by the agency specifically to deal with media questions about the cat, said Dockery's case has led to two changes. The Arizona Humane Society has set up an account, funded through donations, that would cover the costs of emergency treatment of animals whose owners need a day or two to come up with money for payments. And the group is now accepting credit card payments by phone, Pearson said.
Dozens of scathing comments have since inundated the group's Facebook page, with animal lovers demanding to know why the cat was put down. Pearson said angry comments were removed because of their content: One called for the staff to be euthanized, while another said what happened to Scruffy was murder.
Pearson said Scruffy was put down over a number of reasons, including Dockery's lack of immediate funds, a lack of veterinarians to treat her and what Pearson described as a very serious cut on Scruffy from her abdomen to her knee that went to the muscle.
She said the Arizona Humane Society at the time didn't accept credit card payments over the phone because of possible fraud and can't treat pets with only a promise from owners that they can pay the next day. She said staff had every intention of getting Scruffy the help she needed but the number of animals requiring help at the group's second-chance clinic was too much for the resources available.
If Dockery had been able to pay, Scruffy would have been treated at the facility where he brought her, Pearson said.
"There was no malicious intent to take Scruffy away from her father," Pearson said. "Pulling funding is only going to make a problem like this worse."
On Facebook, where only the agency's executive director is allowed to post comments now, Guy Collison wrote that "Scruffy's story is heartbreaking, and underscores the worst-case-scenario of need eclipsing resources available." He said that his agency has always done what's best for animals.
In less than an hour after his statement was posted, more than 100 people responded, with most slamming the agency and some defending it as doing the best it can with available resources.
Pearson said the group told Dockery on Tuesday that when he's ready for another pet, he could come in and pick one out, but he declined, telling them: "No thanks."
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http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2011/12/28/111221-euthanized_cat-AP111221077774_620x350.jpg
.CBS News...
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December 28, 2011 11:31 PM
Rescue group in crisis mode... more
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Los Angeles Times...
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L.A. fires animal shelter worker over his euthanization practices
Civil Service Commission says the technician failed to sedate the dogs he was trying to euthanize, brought dogs into a room with other dead animals and inserted euthanizing needles into jugular veins.
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PHOTO: Volunteers exercise two shelter dogs Tuesday at the West Valley Animal Shelter. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times / December 13, 2011)
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By David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times
December 14, 2011
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A veterinary technician at a Los Angeles city animal shelter was fired last week after officials found that he had subjected dogs to inhumane treatment while euthanizing them.
Manuel Boado, 64, was discharged by the city's Civil Service Commission, which concluded that he failed to sedate the dogs he was trying to euthanize, brought dogs into a room with other dead animals and inserted euthanizing needles into jugular veins — a practice officials say was not permitted.
With allegations reminiscent of a Stephen King novel, case records open a rare window into the most unpleasant task carried out by the Animal Services Department — killing animals that have no owner when its shelters run out of room.
One shelter worker testified during the termination proceedings that she heard Boado tell a dog to "just die already," according to a report submitted to the commission. A second worker said he walked into Boado's work area and found two dead dogs on the floor and a third half-covered in blood.
A third employee, animal care technician Carolina Martinez, said she became sick to her stomach working alongside Boado, where animals were "struggling, shaking and urinating." She said she had to temporarily leave the room at the West Valley shelter in Chatsworth.
"By trying to jab them with the needle, he was causing them to bleed a lot," said the report prepared for the commission. "Martinez said she had never seen so much blood before or witnessed anyone do what [Boado] did to the animals."
By failing to provide sedation, putting live animals next to dead ones and yelling, Boado needlessly created a "fear factor" among animals being euthanized, said Brenda Barnette, the department's general manager who recommended his firing.
"It is totally unconscionable to add an element of fear if you're about to take an animal's life away," she said.
Terry Porvin, Boado's lawyer, denied that his client treated animals cruelly and said he had, in fact, taken several ailing dogs from hospitals into his home. Porvin also contended that his client, who earned about $58,000 annually, never received proper training from the department in how to euthanize the animals.
Boado, who was hired in 2007, brought dogs into a room with other dead animals because the refrigerator used to store animal carcasses had been broken "for some time," Porvin said. Had Boado opened it, it would have emitted a foul stench — a situation that would have made his work more difficult, the lawyer said.
"Out of sheer frustration from the totality of the circumstances, he probably blurted out something he shouldn't have," Porvin said.
The firing comes at a time of turmoil for the department. Barnette's agency is investigating whether employees stole dogs at a Lincoln Heights animal shelter and sold them for a profit. In recent months, the department also placed five employees on leave during a probe into allegations of time card fraud.
Barnette said she did not consider referring Boado's case to the district attorney's office for prosecution, focusing exclusively on removing him from her department. Nevertheless, the department added a line in its protocol manual barring veterinarians from inserting needles with sodium pentobarbital, the chemical used for euthanization, in the jugular vein of dogs and cats. Barnette said that she believed the manual already made the prohibition clear but that the new language makes the ban explicit.
Officials with the Pasadena Humane Society said needles they use during euthanasia are injected into a dog or cat's front leg — a practice they described as more humane than jugular injections. Shelters run by Los Angeles County rarely use the jugular, officials said.
To euthanize animals in an L.A. facility, Boado had to show he had a certification from the state of California showing he is a registered veterinary technician, personnel officials said Tuesday. Boado told a hearing officer that he had used the jugular vein as much as half the time and had learned the practice during a non-city training session.
But Doug Fakkema, the veterinarian Boado said provided the training, told city officials he never would have advised Boado or anyone else to use the jugular vein on healthy dogs and cats. Such a procedure should be used only in "extreme circumstances," he said. In an email to The Times, Fakkema said an injection into the jugular vein can be used for livestock but is "more likely to cause pain" for a dog or cat than injection into a vein in the leg.
Barnette sought Boado's termination, but last month a city hearing officer found that penalty to be "too extreme."
Hearing officer Stephen Biersmith recommended that Boado be reinstated and only have his pay docked, saying the department had not consistently enforced policies for its employees. He also argued that Boado had not intentionally violated the rules.
The Civil Service Commission reviewed the case and voted unanimously for termination.
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.Los Angeles Times...
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L.A. fires animal shelter worker over his euthanization... more
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Examiner...
National protest against kill pounds to target local shelter
Sharon Gilbert
, Palm Springs Animal Welfare Examiner
October 27, 2011
(SAN BERNARDINO) The New York Animal Rights Alliance America hopes to target at least one kill shelter in each of the 50 states during its protest on November 12, 2011. So far animal welfare workers have volunteered to demonstrate at shelters in at least 26 states, including two high-kill shelters in California.
In Southern California, the demonstration will take place at San Bernardino County’s main shelter in Devore. The Devore Shelter has been the subject of controversy for many years, most recently due to the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors refusal to allow animal welfare volunteers to assist in making the animals housed there more comfortable and more adoptable. This policy is in effect despite the fact that a majority of the animals at the shelter are killed rather than adopted into new homes.
Volunteers say there must be something to hide at the shelter because shelter management has fought so hard to keep volunteers out. They county says it is a liability issue. However, shelters around the southland accept volunteers.
Kate Riviello, founder of the New York Animal Rights Alliance of America, says she is dedicating her life for the next five years to a three-prong mission to reduce animal euthanasia in America. According to Riviello, 800 cats and dogs are killed per hour in this country.
The first prong of the campaign is to conduct three nationwide protests per year against kill pounds. She wants to increase awareness so that the average American becomes conscious of the problem. She says the average person cannot imagine the enormity of the situation nor the suffering animals endure at the hands of workers in many shelters.
Riviello envisions a representative in every state who is schooled in state and local laws affecting shelter animals. Additionally, she hopes that local rescues and animal welfare groups will join to ensure those laws are upheld.
The second prong will be to use the legal system to take action against kill pounds that break the law. She expects to seek legal recourse in those situations where shelters refuse to abide by the law. There are three reasons that a lawsuit may be filed against a kill shelter: animal abuse, negligence, and incompetence.
Animal abuse includes shelter staff directly harming animals such as kicking a dog, pulling with a choke collar to the point of harming a dog’s neck, or breaking a cat’s leg. Negligence includes not cleaning cages properly, not providing fresh food and water, and not providing veterinary care to injured animals. Incompetence involves not accounting for animals taken into custody, not adhering to posted hours of operation, and not being open sufficient hours to allow for adequate access by the public.
The third prong will be to enter the political arena. Riviello wants activists to become familiar with local legislators, including their voting records on animal issues. She envisions the group eventually pushing for animal-friendly legislation as well as targeting for removal from office those politicians who vote against animal welfare issues.
The Southern California protest is scheduled for November 12, 2011, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Devore Shelter, 19777 Shelter Way, San Bernardino, California. You can find more information on the group’s Facebook page.
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PHOTO: Roxie's Rock of Ages adopted from DevoreExaminer...
National protest against kill pounds to target local shelter... more
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Los Angeles Times...
San Francisco considers banning the sale of all pets
The proposal started with dogs and cats, expanded to birds and hamsters, and now includes any animal that walks, flies, swims, crawls or slithers — unless you plan to eat it.
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By Maria L. La Ganga, Los Angeles Times
June 26, 2011, 6:29 p.m.
Reporting from San Francisco—
The first vision was simple and straightforward: To curtail puppy mills and kitten factories, the sale of cats and dogs should be banned in San Francisco, where the loving guardians of animal companions come to regular blows — politically — with the loving parents of children.
The ban was put on hold last year after animal advocates broadened it to include anything with fur or feathers. Now it's back, with a new name and a new strategy: More is more. The Humane Pet Acquisition Proposal is on its way to the Board of Supervisors, and it hopes to protect everything from Great Danes to goldfish.
Yes, goldfish. And guppies, gobies, gouramies, glowlight tetras, German blue rams. No fish, no fowl, no reptiles, no amphibians, no cats, no dogs, no gerbils, no rats. If it flies, crawls, runs, swims or slithers, you would not be able to buy it in the city named for the patron saint of animals.
Representatives of the $45-billion to $50-billion-a-year pet industry call the San Francisco proposal "by far the most radical ban we've seen" nationwide and argue that it would force small operators to close. Animal activists say it will save small but important lives, along with taxpayer money, and end needless suffering.
"Why fish? Why not fish?" said Philip Gerrie, a member of the city's Commission of Animal Control and Welfare and a coauthor of the proposal. "From Descartes on up, in the Western mindset, fish and other nonhuman animals don't have feelings, they don't have emotions, we can do whatever we want to them. If we considered them living beings, we would deal with them differently.… Our culture sanctions this, treating them as commodities and expendable."
The commission voted earlier this month to send a proposal to the Board of Supervisors recommending a ban on the sale of all pets in the city to shore up the adoption of unwanted creatures from shelters and rescue organizations. Commissioners are now looking for a supervisor or two to sponsor such an ordinance.
Snake food was almost exempt from the proposal. After all, pythons have to eat, and they like their lunch alive. But at a heated meeting, Commissioner Pam Hemphill questioned how it could be humane to sell live animals to be fed to other live animals.
"If a snake is caught with a rodent in a box, the rodent can scratch its eye and cause an infection," said Hemphill, who noted that reptiles on display at the California Academy of Sciences eat dead, frozen prey. "The snake can't escape, and the rodent might be stuck for one or two days in the box with the snake because the snake's not hungry right then.
"So it doesn't seem very humane to me," she continued. "And if the frozen [food] works, then I think the killing of the animals to be food is probably more humane."
It is legal in San Francisco to sell live animals for eventual human consumption, and the proposed ban would not stop markets from selling live fish, poultry, turtles or seafood for that purpose.
Rebecca Katz, director of San Francisco Animal Care and Control, said her agency supports a ban on pet sales — particularly one that includes the so-called smalls, such as hamsters, which are euthanized at her city shelter at a higher percentage than any other domesticated animal. Although she did not advocate for the inclusion of fish, she is not against it.
"We're the agency that receives the old, filthy fish bowl with the goldfish at risk and have to determine whether we can make them healthy and adopt them out or flush them down the toilet," Katz said. "These are the lucky ones. Most people just flush them themselves."
Jennifer Scarlett, a veterinarian and co-president of the San Francisco SPCA, notes that only a handful of stores in San Francisco sell animals of any kind and that the effect of a ban would be largely symbolic. But she said that symbolism, and the conversation that it raises, is critical in improving the lives of millions of helpless creatures.
"For us as an organization, we've identified the larger problem of online purchasing of dogs, and we hope this is an avenue to get to that," she said. Still, when it comes to birds and fish, "there's a lot of cruelty around where they are sourced from. We see the cruelty."
But Jonathan Ito finds the proposal to be far more than symbolic. To the owner of Animal Connection — who has sold fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians, rats, mice and hamsters for a generation — the ban is a threat to his livelihood.
"It would put us out of business and our employees out of work," said Ito, who believes there is "no cause and effect" to the proposal.
Pet stores, he said, do not cause overcrowding at the shelters. They do not promote impulse buys of small, cute creatures that will later be tossed aside by bored children. And they work hard to educate prospective pet owners.
"The animal-rights activists are trying to drive a wedge any way they can in order to get a foothold on changing the ownership of animals," Ito said. "They don't believe they should be bred. They don't believe people are responsible to care for them.… They are about eliminating animals as pets."
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PHOTO: Jonathan Ito is the owner of Animal Connection in the Sunset District. The city's Commission of Animal Control and Welfare voted earlier this month to send a proposal to the Board of Supervisors recommending a ban on the sale of all pets in the city to shore up the adoption of unwanted creatures from shelters and rescue organizations. (David Butow, For The Times / June 22, 2011)Los Angeles Times...
San Francisco considers banning the sale of all pets
The... more
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Animal rights in Egypt: Truth or myth?
Amany Aly Shawky
Sat, 04/06/2011 - 11:53
Although the term “animal rights” may sound like Chinese to many, the Cairene community seems to be becoming gradually interested in the welfare of domestic animals.
“Comparing to other governorates, Cairo is animal heaven,” says Dina Zulfikar, one of the most renowned animal welfare activists in Egypt.
She says there are 11 animal rights organizations and they are all in the capital. “There is Brooke, an international organization dedicated to improving the lives of working animals in poor countries, the donkey sanctuary, and the Egyptian Mau Rescue Organization (EMRO) for Mau cats, which also encourages adoption,” adds the activist, explaining that there are also sanctuaries concerned with the welfare of cattle. Finally, there are three animal shelters: the Egyptian Society for Animals (ESAF), the Society for the Protection of Animal Rights in Egypt (SPARE) and the Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals (ESMA), which currently shelters 632 animals (cats, dogs and horses).
It is very hard to get correct numbers and statistics on stray animals in Egypt. According to Zulfikar the census office and the American Embassy are the most reliable sources. However, she believes that thorough statistics are really hard to get today because of the increasing number of slum areas in the capital.
Mona Khalil, chairperson of ESMA, says that “the government stands rigid against any project to gather statistics,” and the Ministry of Agriculture does not see the urgency of projects concerning stray animals. Mass killing using poison or shooting seems to be the most common method used by the government to ‘solve’ the problem of stray dogs, she adds. “Strychnine is an internationally banned poison but the Egyptian government pays in dollars to import it to kill stray dogs. It is a highly toxic alkaloid.”
According to Zulfikar, there are enough people interested in animal welfare in Egypt, but in order to make this fight a priority, they need to get involved in politics. “There has to be a serious attempt to the change the law concerning animals and that would be achieved through the parliament."
Khalil explains that the major problem related to animal welfare in Egypt is lack of awareness. “ESMA approached 20 public figures and only one showed interest and got back to us,” she says. “It is not the animals' fault that we live in a country that has no human rights! What happened to mercy?”
“In the 19th century, there were masaqy al-kelab (fresh water source for dogs) behind Al-Azhar supervised by a dedicated sheikh called al-Sawaf,” says Khalil.
Both activists think that the Organization for Veterinary Service, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and all society should all be involved in the passing of a new law on animal welfare. “We have the best laws for wild animal protection worldwide because they were passed through the Ministry of Environment. But domestic animals fall under the authority of the Ministry of Agriculture and are only mentioned in two vague paragraphs," Khalil says.
“The law that protects domestic animals is extremely vague, she explains, quoting the following excerpt: “It is forbidden to kill an animal without necessity,” stressing how the term “necessity” can be understood in many different ways.
"Donation money and sponsors are effective for animal rights organizations and shelters but awareness is even more important,” explains Zulfikar. She organizes events in public facilities and events to reach more people and raise awareness, for example at the Cairo Film Festival for children.
Zulfikar’s last event was “Orphans Day” in Saqqara, raising awareness on animal rights among a group of young children through games and drawing. “Children are the future,” she explains.
Breeders and pet shops also share responsibility for spreading awareness. “We all need to work together, the media, prominent NGOs, activists, animal welfare societies, law makers and enforcers, to reach a comprehensive and applicable law," Zulfikar says. “Do you know that most animal abuse is committed by kids? How do you expect to legally punish a child for abuse charges?"
“We have to refuse violations and report any incident of abuse to the police or to an animal organization,” says Khalil, addressing each and everyone one of us. “There has to be a change of attitude and animal lovers need to work together and know that they are not a minority anymore. There has to be an elaborate article in the Egyptian law concerning all types of animals, stray, owned, circus and working animals, in addition to exports and imports of animals.”Animal rights in Egypt: Truth or myth?
Amany Aly Shawky
Sat, 04/06/2011 - 11:53... more
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Published May 20, 2011
More questions than answers have surfaced regarding the carnage found May 16, on the site of the former Loonie Farms Animal Rescue facility in Ludowici.
Area animal-rescue organization representatives — who were told Sunday that the shelter owner was closing the operation — were stunned to find the remains of dozens of animals. Members of the groups had gone to the shelter to pick up the homeless pets and place them at other care facilities.
After retrieving a few animals, kennels and equipment, Kim Hankerson, vice president of Animal Haven of Hope Society, returned to Loonie Farms on Monday to gather items and break down a few more kennels.
“The day she called me, she sat there and cried with me,” Hankerson said of the Sunday conversation she had with Christiane Judd, who had been running Loonie Farms on land leased from James and Tina Guest.
“She took pictures with me and she told me how much she loved animals; told me that this rescue was her dream. And then the next day … I didn’t go there looking for things. I was just there to collect the rest of the animals and to get the cages and kennels. It was by chance that I took a walk by the back road and I just stumbled across it. I came across the horse thing first and I was saying, ‘Oh my God,’ and then everywhere I stepped was just bones. I walked up to the wheel barrow and it was covered with a tarp and I kept saying to myself, ‘Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, please don’t be what I think you are’ and pulled off the tarp and …”
The more Hankerson walked around, the more carcasses and remains she discovered.
James and Christiane Judd opened Loonie Farms in 2010 and, for many, it was a much-needed rescue operation in an area struggling with an overpopulation of stray dogs and no county-run facility.
In the beginning, things seemed to go well. Loonie Farms became involved with local animal-rescue groups and, according to its Facebook page, was successful in placing many animals in happy new homes.
When other facilities in Liberty and Long counties were unable to take in any more strays, Loonie Farms was there to assist. When Debbie Lanier had to close her rescue operation, she said she transferred 35 of her dogs to Loonie Farms. They even partnered with a local veterinarian and held their first successful rabies clinic in October in front of the county courthouse.
But somewhere, somehow, things started to go sour and, according to Hankerson, it started about six months ago.
“We noticed that she was getting in over her head,” Hankerson said. “With two counties taking their animals there, and she was getting the worst of the worst animals, plus she was taking in animals on her own. I think she got in way over her head.”
Hankerson said she was among the people who fully trusted the Judds. She even gave one of her personal dogs to Christiane Judd to protect her livestock. He was one of the fortunate animals Hankerson found alive — albeit in terrible shape — when she went to the 10-acre farm Sunday.
She said Christiane started to refuse other agencies’ help.
“I told her that I had an extensive list of rescues that would help,” she said. “We offered food; we offered medical care; we offered to have adopt-a-thons; we offered to take animals in. I offered all of those things, but she was paranoid from the very beginning that people were trying to tell her what to do and how to run her rescue.
“Each time someone would come in, she would alienate them because she didn’t want to be told what to do. People would come to bring donations to the gate and she wouldn’t let them in. If someone is bringing you food for your animals and you won’t let them in the gate, that is kind of a red flag that something is going on.”
That behavior prompted many area residents to file complaints against the facility.
Long County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Tom Sollosi said a joint investigation was conducted at the facility with the Department of Agriculture, the Secretary of State, the LCSO and the GBI.
GBI Special Agent in Charge Michael McDaniel said his department was out there about a month and a half ago.
“We assisted the Long County Sheriff’s Office and the search warrant was prepared and executed by the Department of Agriculture and the Secretary of State office,” he said. “They were the lead agencies on it. We just merely assisted. We had one agent there that assisted them.”
He said the investigation being conducted was on allegations of animal abuse and cruelty.
“It was noted that two horses and a donkey were suffering from malnutrition and were located on the premises,” he said.
The Department of Agriculture called out a representative who examined the horses and donkey, which then were transferred to someone who could provide better care for the animals.
“There were approximately 20 dogs located on the premises and, according to the agent, they appeared to be in good condition,” McDaniel said. “Our agent did note that there were several dead animal carcasses located in the rear portion of the land. They couldn’t determine how many, but they let the Department of Agriculture reps know about this. “
According to McDaniel, the Department of Agriculture representative instructed Judd about the proper disposal of the animals as well as other violations that were noted.
But for Hankerson, that just leads to more questions.
“That is where my question is,” she said. “They knew this was going on. Why didn’t they do something? Why wasn’t she immediately closed? Why weren’t these animals immediately distributed somewhere else? No animal should have been left on that property after that moment. If they found what we saw or even a fraction of what we saw, why was she not closed down?”
The Department of Agriculture’s Animal Protection Section is the agency that issues animal-rescue licenses and maintains records of each facility in the state, according to team.georgia.gov.
Hankerson said other rescues and animal organizations rely on the reports issued by the Department of Agriculture to ensure they are doing business with reputable organizations.
“That is my big worry,” Hankerson said. “If the Department of Agriculture knew this, and other rescues and everyone is checking with the Department of Agriculture and they were given a good report about her and people relied on that information then … the ultimate blame is Christiane, but the Department of Agriculture is the safety net. Where were they? Everyone would count on those records.”
The Courier has filed an open-records request with the Department of Agriculture regarding Loonie Farms and is awaiting a reply from the agency.
Sollosi said they still are looking for Christiane Judd.
“The evidence is there and it is substantial,” he said. “We just want to wait and see if we can locate her before we take any more steps. Warrants will be taken out if she is still in the country.”
Anyone with information on Judd should call 545-2118.
James Judd recently was re-arrested for dealing and receiving stolen merchandise. Some of the stolen property was recovered at Loonie Farms.
Another update on the investigation is forthcoming.Published May 20, 2011
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Published on May 17, 2011
Hundreds of bones and animal carcasses were uncovered May 16, by local animal-rescue groups at the site of Loonie Farms Rescue Shelter in Long County. Representatives from local shelters and animal-welfare organizations said they received word from Christiane Judd that she was closing up Loonie Farms and not returning.
Thinking they would collect homeless pets to care for, the representatives who showed up to assist instead were horrified to find decaying carcasses of dogs, cats and other animals strewn throughout the rear-end of the 10-acre property. Some of the bones collected appeared to have been punctured by bullets; other carcasses still had collars and leashes wrapped around their necks.
“It’s not the kind of case you see a lot of. Most people care for their animals and don’t commit these kinds of neglectful acts,” Long County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Detective Tom Sollosi said as he took statements from witnesses.
James and Christiane Judd were leasing the property from James and Tina Guest. Tina Guest said she was stunned when she received word this morning about what was found on her property.
“I am just sick,” she said Tuesday. “I didn’t know about this until today — this morning. I want her to be arrested for animal cruelty. I think she should be arrested and arrested today,” Guest said of Christiane Judd.
Sollosi said law-enforcement authorities still are investigating the case, which is tied to other alleged crimes that James Judd may be involved in.
“I’m out here investigating a couple of different things,” the detective said. “Most importantly, the cruelty to animals accusations and the theft allegations. It appears there has been stolen property here, and we have recovered stolen property near here and from here in the past. We want to continue to look for any potential stolen property, file proper charges and return any stolen property to its rightful owners.”
James Edward Judd was arrested last week after discovering he was in possession of a stolen Shadow mobile trailer.
“James Judd was on parole when he was found to be dealing in receiving stolen property so he was re-arrested on those charges,” Sollosi said. “His parole was subsequently revoked and he was sent back to the Georgia Department of Corrections Pardon and Parole facility.”
Sollosi said he had received several reports from concerned citizens in the past and based on those reports, authorities obtained a search warrant and met with Christiane Judd a few weeks ago.
“We did a brief investigation and a joint inspection of the facility with the Georgia Department of Agriculture, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Secretary of State office, because they are the entity responsible for issuing the licenses for rescues and shelters, and the Long County Sheriff’s office,” he said
Sollosi said Judd cooperated with the investigation and said she was doing what she could to care for the animals.
“Mrs. Judd was cautioned very sternly about the condition of the shelter by the representatives from the Department of Agriculture and we made some corrections,” the detective said. “We wanted to assist her where we could … She had indicated that she had the desire to assist and care for the treatment and sheltering of stray animals out of the goodness of her heart and I can’t help but feel that she mislead a lot of people.”
Workers were able to rescue a few animals, including three small kittens and a dog.
“Animal Haven of Hope has temporarily taken three kittens that we found in a barrel out here,” said Dawn Strykr of AHHS. “We are bottle-feeding them at this time and when they are ready, we will have them spayed and neutered and adopted out.”
Strykr said they started suspecting there may be problems and had heard tales of possible animal abuse.
“Many different people from different places around this area suspected that they were shooting dogs out here,” she said. “That they were taking in dogs and items and keeping the items and shooting the dogs. One rescue group that I know of transferred 30 dogs here and about $15,000 worth of property and inventory and we found out later that the dogs were most likely shot.”
With the discovery of the bones, Strykr fears it will affect other organizations as well.
“There is a lot of emotion … in the beginning, nobody suspected anything,” she said. “We had high hopes for this place and we trusted and one of the things that I would like to say is that I hope this doesn’t take away from the respectable organizations that are still out there.”Published on May 17, 2011
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“I believe in Jus Animalium, the rights of beasts, and Jus Herbarum, the rights of plants.
The right to exist as they have always existed, to live and let live.”
- John Aspinall, referring to historical 19th century animal rights activism
Jus Animalium Culture Apparel (JACA) is an apparel line with a purpose. It was created to help animal shelters care for those millions of unwanted and homeless pets that enter their doors every year, and to send a message reminding you to have respect and care for your companion animals.
Every month or so, JACA chooses one shelter to donate 5% of their sales to - this month it’s Cat Care Society – and holds a second promotion for another shelter. (In January, JACA is donating $5 from every sale of their American Pit Bull tee to Midwest Rescue, which fosters, trains and adopts out dogs, as well as works to destroy anti-pit myths.) They’re hoping to up their donation amounts as their sales increase…they’ve just started out!
http://www.awakenedaesthetic.com/2011/01/the-rights-of-beasts/“I believe in Jus Animalium, the rights of beasts, and Jus Herbarum, the rights... more
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Shelter evacuates animals caught in floodwaters
By Miranda Leitsinger, CNN
January 12, 2011 9:47 a.m. EST
Puppies look out of a van as they are evacuated from the RSPCA shelter at Fairfield in Brisbane
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
* RSPCA Queensland put out emergency SOS for people to take animals
* Group put out alert after floods inundated center, destroyed equipment
* Chief inspector: Some animals had water up to their stomachs
* Group fears large loss of wildlife, livestock in deluged areas
(CNN) -- More than 500 animals -- including sheep, ducks, goats, a peacock, horses, dogs and cats -- were evacuated Wednesday from Queensland's largest animal shelter due to rising floodwaters from the Brisbane River, an official said.
A Queensland animal protection group put out an emergency SOS to the community to take the animals into emergency foster care after the five-acre center in Brisbane was inundated -- with some buildings completely underwater -- and equipment destroyed.
"The water is still rising," said Michael Pecic, local chief inspector for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Some of the animals had water up to their stomachs. "We were just trying to move in front of the wall of water as it rose."
Pecic said hundreds of people in the community responded to their call for help, and the animals were transported to temporary homes in animal ambulances, dog trailers and cars.
The floodwaters have taken a toll on the animals, and the RSPCA had to set up triage areas for animals with various responses to the disaster.
Most animals responded like humans did, "very cooperative," while others became aggressive or emotionally shutdown. Difficult animals were either tended to one-on-one by a volunteer or put in crates and covered with blankets, Pecic said.
It could be a few weeks before the center re-opens. Floodwaters have isolated another two RSPCA shelters in Queensland, where staff received provisions via helicopters.
The organization also has set up several evacuation emergency areas for owners to go with their pets. RSPCA has four teams on standby to search for stranded livestock or wildlife in areas deluged by walls of water earlier this week, but Pecic said he feared they had lost a "large amount of animals."Shelter evacuates animals caught in floodwaters
By Miranda Leitsinger, CNN
January... more
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Dog gives birth to 17 puppies
December 21, 2010
A dog in Germany has given birth to 17 puppies, leaving their owner thrilled but fatigued after having to feed them with a bottle for several weeks because their mother couldn't cope with the demand.
Owner Ramona Wegemann said she barely slept for more than a couple of minutes without interruption during about four weeks in an "exhausting" struggle to make sure all of the purebred Rhodesian Ridgeback puppies would survive.
She said when she was "finished feeding the last puppy, the first was hungry again".
Wegemann's dog Etana gave birth to eight female and nine male puppies on September 28 in Ebereschenhof, which is near Berlin.
At least five times a day, Wegemann gave the dogs a bottle with special milk because their mother's nipples could never have coped with the demand, and when the puppies were not hungry, they wanted to be entertained, she said.
Wegemann said when dogs give birth to so many puppies several of them die within the first week. "But all of our puppies survived. This is incredible and wonderful," the 32-year-old added.
It was the second time that Etana gave birth. She gave birth to eight puppies in her first pregnancy, not uncommon for the dog's breed, Wegemann said.
"The birth of the puppies was very special. All puppies were born naturally, no caesarean was necessary," she added. It took Etana a full 26 hours to give birth to all of the puppies - and Wegemann was as baffled as amazed.
But caring for 17 puppies turned out to be a full-time job: Wegemann put her work as an independent animal psychiatrist on hold and her husband took as much holiday as he could.
Their lives have been turned upside down by the puppies, and their living room is now occupied by a giant box that houses the puppies.
But even Wegemann still struggles to recognize them: The females puppies are called Bahati, Binta, Bahya, Bashima, Batouuli, Binki, Bora, Bisa and the male ones are Baakir, Banjoku, Belay, Bruk, Bundu, Bayo, Bukekayo, Biton and Bulus.
Wegemann gave them all African names because the Rhodesian Ridgeback is an African hunting dog.
AP
Nine Rhodesian Ridgeback puppies from a litter of 17 look out of their box Photo: APDog gives birth to 17 puppies
December 21, 2010
A dog in Germany has given... more
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Jennifer Lee Pryor
President, Indigo Inc.
President, Tarnished Angel, Inc.
www.richardpryor.com
Director, Pryor’s Planet
www.pryorsplanet.com
From: nancyelizabeth green
Sent: Wednesday, November 24, 2010 1:07 PM
Subject: Fwd: WCTV (Tallahassee) CBS affiliate refusal to air news spot
A quick update to the situation in Ga. The station backed down from showing the spot, as the lawyer for the ministry called their legal dept. I called CBS in New York to issue a complaint. I am trying to find an attorney to help protect this woman and her animals from a greed-entrenched Christian entity and a town totally intimidated. These animals will starve if she cannot receive some type of feed assistance. I am hoping if people call CBS, maybe the spot will be aired and the truth will be revealed. Thank you
nancyelizabeth green
__________________________
-----Original Message-----
From: nancyelizabeth green
To: pjcooper
Cc: kokob
Sent: Wed, Nov 24, 2010 10:53 am
Subject: RE:WCTV (tallahassee) CBS affiliate refusal to air news spot
Ms. Cooper: The reporter (Ms. Caroline Gonzmart) did the interview. She was both professional and kind. High Point Ministries was informed, but did not send anyone. The spot was to be aired twice yesterday. Ms. Bannister received a call, approx. 4pm, telling her apologetically that the station could not air the spot as scheduled. Apparently, Mr. Kevin Cauley, attorney for the High Point Ministries, called WCTV's legal dept., and the rest is history. There was nothing negative or disparaging in the spot; just informing the community of the removal of animals, without any writ of possession filed or served, by High Point Ministries. I left messages with both the news director and station manager @ WCTV. This is of great concern to the animal community. This truly is a story of David vs. Goliath. The Tallahassee community has a right to know , and WCTV has a duty to reveal the truth, regardless of the influence of parties involved.
nancyelizabeth green atlanta ga.
"I urge you to ask yourself just how honorable it is to preside over the abuse and suffering of animals."
Richard Pryor
Dream High Farms (5013c) in Wigham, Ga. has been evicted without notice, by the High Point Ministries (Tallahassee, Fla.). This "christian"-based group, run by Donna Floyd, is wealthy; some say it has more $$$ than God! Three jets, a Russian orphanage; you get the idea. They had the sheriff remove 8 horses and one donkey last Friday night. No papers were ever filed or served, and Becky Bannister (founder of Dream High Farms) has adoption papers (2008) for the equines. They also took most of the feed and hay, which leaves Becky with barely enough to feed the remaining animals. This is a very small, rural town (631 people), and this ministry has the power of wealth and religion. I called local TV stations, trying to get a reporter to the property, when the sheriff was allowing the removal of these animals.
P.S. Becky just called me and told me a WCTV (CBS affiliate in Tallahassee), has responded, and is due @ Dream High Farms @ 9am, tomorrow (Tuesday) morning! I hope they have the guts to show the community, what the High Point Ministries is really all about. This situation is particularly despicable, as animals and children are being deprived under the guise of religion.
Thank you for passing this along to your contacts.
Respectfully, nancy elizabeth Green atlanta ga.
____________________________
Subject: Fwd: -11/12/10 HIGHPOINTE MINISTRIES EVICTING 5013c rehab for special needs children through animals
ATTENTION: The situation with the High Point Ministries (see below) has worsened. This evening, the sheriff of Wigham approached Mrs. Bannister's property and said they were removing her horses. No legal papers (eviction or otherwise), were presented. Several horses were confiscated. I was on the phone with Becky during the "theft" of her animals. The sheriff threatened her with obstruction of justice, as she objected. I tried to call TV stations, to get a reporter on the scene. I could not get anyone's attention. This is a travesty!
High Point Ministries needs to be confronted on their seemingly "unchristianlike" behavior. This is a small Georgia community (631population.) But, like its large city counterparts, $$$ appears to make right. The Sheriff needs to be investigated( Grady county) as to why he would assist in the removal of property without any type of court mandate. Please contact Becky Bannister.
Sent: Fri, Nov 19, 2010 10:30 am
Subject: -11/12/10 HIGHPOINTE MINISTRIES EVICTING 5013c rehab for special needs children thru animals
Press Release
11/12/10
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dream High Farms, Whigham, Georgia
A Nonprofit Animal Rescue falls victim to greed of Christian Ministry.
Dream High Farms (an IRS approved 501(c)(3)) was founded in 2007 by Becky Bannister and her husband Richard. Richard Bannister is a Vietnam Air Force Veteran, who works for the U.S. Post Office. Becky has a background in adolescent psychology, mental retardation and substance abuse. They are located in Whigham, Georgia, in the southwestern portion of the State.
They currently provide needed shelter for 98 horses, 13 greyhounds, 50 peacocks, and 187 other assorted animals, including 2 llamas. Over the last five years they have provided Equestrian Assisted Therapy for hundreds of at risk youth in southwest Georgia and northern Florida.
In 2008 High Pointe Ministries stepped in to assist the agency, offering to purchase the land so that the Animal Rescue agency could continue in perpetuity. Tragically, benefactor Mike Floyd, passed away in January of 2010, leaving no will and control of the Christian Conglomerate to his wife Donna Floyd and his daughter Melode.
Donna Floyd is host of a Christian TV Show called “Wisdom for Winning” on WKOW, carried on Titan TV. High Pointe Ministries owns many interests in TV and radio, among other business entities.
I month ago High Pointe Ministries suspended all youth programming on the property, citing liability issues. With no warning, Dream High Farms was informed that they will be thrown off the property and High Pointe Ministries would take over the operation (see www.magnoliahorsefarm.com)
High Pointe Ministries (supposedly a Christian Organization) is behaving in a decidedly Un-Christian manner.
For more information contact:
Becky Bannister
850-899-7844
229-762-4407
.
http://highpointeministries.com/images/HighPointeSplash.jpg
.SHARED BY...
Jennifer Lee Pryor
President, Indigo Inc.
President, Tarnished... more
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Cat Found Injured And Tortured Inside Riverside Dryer
December 3, 2010 4:23 PM
Officer Chris Peck holds an abused and tortured cat found in Riverside.
(credit: rivcocha.org.)
RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA (CBS) — Officials are looking for the person, or persons, responsible for abusing and torturing a 4-year-old cat found Friday with her face duct taped.
The cat, who apparently is also a recent mom, was found inside a clothes dryer at a Riverside apartment complex.
The feline was discovered early this morning in a laundry room at a building in the 3000 block of Watkins Drive, near UC Riverside, according to Riverside County Department of Animal Services spokesman John Welsh.
He said a resident opened a dryer and found the gray tabby inside with duct tape over part of her face.
It’s unclear whether the cat was in the dryer while it was running, but the feline’s injuries indicated she was, said Animal Services Sgt. Jason Sanders.
“This is an act of a coward,” Sanders said. “Who would do something like this to a defenseless animal?”
The cat suffered a punctured left eye and fractured tooth, according to Welsh.
Animal Services veterinary technician Eileen Sanders said the tabby is able to drink and eat.
“I can’t imagine what this poor thing must have felt going through that ordeal,” Sanders said. “Whoever did this is going to move up and harm other animals, or maybe people.”
She feared the mommy cat’s kittens were starving — “if they haven’t already been tortured.”
Welsh said Animal Services personnel looked around the apartment complex, but couldn’t find any trace of the kitties.
He said a kitten was found in the area a few hours later. Animal control officers weren’t sure whether it belonged to the injured feline, but when the two were introduced, “the little kitty cuddled right up.”
Animal control officers encouraged anyone who might be able to help with the investigation to call (951) 358-7387.
The cat is not available for adoption yet because of her condition.
Welsh said anyone interested in adopting her in the future should e-mail the shelter at shelterinfo@rivcocha.org.Cat Found Injured And Tortured Inside Riverside Dryer
December 3, 2010 4:23 PM... more
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Police Break Up Cockfighting Ring Run Out Of Pacoima Home
November 13, 2010 8:55 PM
(credit: CBS)
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Police say they’ve broken up a cockfighting ring operation that was being held in the backyard of a Pacoima home.
Police seized dozens of bloody roosters from the home, where they were being conditioned and bred to fight to the death.
Suspects were taken into custody, but their identities were not released.
The seized roosters were bloody and badly injured, some with blades attached to their claws. All the roosters seized were past rehabilitation and had to be euthanized, CBS 2/KCAL 9’s Melissa Maynarich reported.
Neighbors say they’ve heard the sounds of roosters dying from behind the home for years.
.
The case now goes to the city attorney’s office, where it will be decided whether criminal charges will be filed.Police Break Up Cockfighting Ring Run Out Of Pacoima Home
November 13, 2010 8:55 PM... more
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Advocating for Stray and Feral Cats – A Quick Guide
You don’t have to do Trap-Neuter-Return in order to help cats. You can make a difference in cats’ lives by working for change at the local level. Help build the movement to expand humane care for cats and end the killing by raising awareness and educating others about feral cats and about what’s going on in our nation’s animal shelters.
Five Ways to Advocate for Cats in your Community
1.
Learn about issues facing cats.
Every day, Alley Cat Allies is on the front lines, mobilizing individuals and communities to support cats and press for changes that will end the killing and improve the lives of cats. Stay up to date on urgent legislative issues facing cats as well as upcoming events by joining our FeralPower! e-action alert list.
Want to get started now? Visit our online Action Center. With just a few clicks of the mouse, you can protect and improve the lives of cats by signing petitions and sending letters directly to your elected officials and decision makers.
2.
Write an editorial for your local paper.
Each time an article appears in the paper about feral cats, or cats in general, it’s an opportunity to write a letter to the editor. Use your letter to educate the public—on the basic facts about stray and feral cats, Trap-Neuter-Return, the truth about shelter kill rates, and local programs and groups. Your letter will show others that there is a public movement on behalf of cats. Ready to send one today? Use Alley Cat Allies’ letter to the editor templates.
3.
Distribute literature in your community.
Help educate your community by placing literature in locations that animal lovers frequent. Displaying brochures at your local pet store or veterinary office can help educate people with pets. For a display stand and pack of brochures, visit our Marketplace.
4.
Educate your elected officials.
Don’t wait until feral cats are an agenda item. Teach your local elected officials about feral cats and Trap-Neuter-Return and encourage them to enact policies that protect and improve cats’ lives. Use our tips for organizing for strategic change.
5.
Promote feline-friendly practices at your local shelter.
Encourage animal pounds and shelters in your community to adopt socially-responsible approaches that serve both the animals and the public. These include improving community education programs, refusing to accept feral cats into shelters, and providing free or low-cost neuter services for the public. Read our full list of humane practices that shelters can use to protect cats’ lives.Advocating for Stray and Feral Cats – A Quick Guide
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