tagged w/ Animal Protection
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HuffPost Los Angeles...
Ginichi Ohira Pleads Guilty To Selling Whale Meat To Restaurants
Posted: 06/ 3/11 12:52 PM ET
Ginichi Ohira pleaded guilty this week to illegally selling whale meat to Southern California restaurants, reports the LA Times. He now faces 8-14 months in prison, which could include one year of probation and a fine of more than $100,000.
The 50-year old seafood dealer came under the scrutiny of government investigators last year when filmmakers from "The Cove" (a documentary about dolphin killing in Japan), visited The Hump, a Santa Monica restaurant known for its omakase (chef's choice sushi) and adventurous menu. An undercover operation undertaken by federal investigators, marine wildlife advocates, and the filmmakers revealed that the restaurant was serving endangered whale sushi -- a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Ohira pleaded guilty to selling whale meat to The Hump as well as other Southern California sushi restaurants. Sentencing will take place later on this year.
For now, federal prosecutors have dismissed the charges against The Hump restaurant and the chef who served the whale meat, although a U.S. Attorney's spokesman clarified that they could be re-charged in the future, reports the Associated Press.
In what The Hump called "self-imposed punishment," the restaurant closed its doors in March 2010 with this statement: "The Hump hopes that by closing its doors, it will help bring awareness to the detrimental effect that illegal whaling has on the preservation of our ocean ecosystems and species." The Hump's parent company, Typhoon Restaurant Inc., acknowledged their wrongdoing and agreed to pay a fine last year when the scandal broke.HuffPost Los Angeles...
Ginichi Ohira Pleads Guilty To Selling Whale Meat To... more
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Europe's first vegan supermarket opens in Dortmund
Photo: Forget beer and bratwurst, Dortmund now houses Europe's only all-vegan supermarket. Offering chocolates, fake tuna and even dog food, the store is hoping to cash in on a small but rapidly growing market.
Renowned for its mining industry and blue-collar attitude, Dortmund is an unlikely choice for Europe's first vegan supermarket.
"If someone opens a supermarket that has no animal products in them, that seems crazy," said animal ethicist and store owner Ralf Kalkowski. "But people are celebrating."
Vegilicious, which opened on February 26, occupies over 100 square meters in the city-centre, technically making it the only vegan supermarket in Europe.
Using soy, spices, and oils to supplement traditional animal-based ingredients, the shelves are stacked with over 1500 products. Vegilicious offers chocolate bars, cereals, and even meat imitations, like fake chicken wings, which use cane sugar sticks to serve as 'bones.'
"People say they can't live without cheese, but we've got 30 different cheese alternatives," said Kalkowski, who co-owns Vegilicious with wife Kim. "You can have anything you think you might be missing, so there's no need to eat animal products anymore."
Starting with a café and online shop, the Kalkowski's and their 16 staff have so far maintained a customer flow of 120-150 people per day. They have even managed to attract non-human clients, selling vegan dog- and cat food.
"It's ridiculous if you rescue one animal, but feed them with another dead animal," he said.
Chickens are often artificially inseminated to produce large quantities of eggsWhat is veganism?
Vegans abstain from foods containing any animal products, including egg, honey and milk. This differs from vegetarians, who only renounce meat.
"Vegans believe animals should be left alone, it's not just about avoiding cruelty", said Amanda Baker, from the Vegan Society UK. "If animals are farmed, you have to take away their freedom."
Baker told Deutsche Welle that many male animals are killed at birth because they cannot reproduce, while females are exploited for artificial breeding, which dramatically decreases their life expectancy.
"For example, the dairy industry and the meat industry are the same industry. You can't separate one from the other," she said.
Aside from animal ethics, some turn to veganism to stem environmental problems. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the livestock sector is responsible for 18% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, as well as being a major cause of deforestation and water pollution.
Veganism can also reap health benefits, as high meat consumption has been linked to cardio-vascular diseases, which are responsible for 49% of European deaths annually.
Kalkowski explained that many older customers have shopped at Vegilicious for health reasons as his products are cholesterol free.
Veganism has been stigmatized as expensive and excessive and vegans are often regarded as extremists for going beyond vegetarianism, according to Kalkowski, who laments the reactions of some meat-eaters to the opening of Vegilicious.
He said that when his supermarket was first mentioned in the press, the paper was forced to remove online comments inciting a pro-meat flash mob before his store.
He thinks these prejudices are based on myths, of which the biggest is the assumption that a meatless diet deprives the body of vital nutrients.
"You can get all necessary nutrients from a plant based diet, except for vitamin B12," Kalkowski explained, "and that's one thing we supplement with a product from the UK."
Importing products from the UK, US and even Australia is common, but a significant portion of vegan merchandise is produced locally, according to Germany's biggest Vegan Wholesaler, AVE.
AVE owner Tobias Graf believes veganism's popularity is expanding, not least because his business is booming.
"In the last few years a lot of new products were established, produced and discovered," he said. "We've personally grown year by year, 100% for the past three years."
It is not only vegans who are catching onto the craze, "No, I'm not vegan," one Vegilicious shopper explained. "I have never tried real vegan food. I think it's good so I can now try."
Ralf Kalkowski hopes his supermarket will entice more people to buy animal-free food, but the question remains - how do vegan products truly taste?
"It even tastes better," he said, "because you have a good conscience."
Author: Hannah Wandel
Editor: Nathan WitkopEurope's first vegan supermarket opens in Dortmund
Photo: Forget beer and... more
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NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION TO END LIVE EXPORT
Time
Saturday, June 18 · 12:00pm - 2:00pm
Location
Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Hobart, Adelaide, Fremantle (WA), Darwin
Parliament House in every city except WA. WA rally will be held outside the Fremantle Town Hall.
This is the OFFICIAL event page for the NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION TO END LIVE EXPORT (Animals Australia and RSPCA)
Organiser: Dr Patricia Petersen
Contact details: patriciapetersen01@hotmail.com
Numerous high profile figures including the Dalai Lama have been invited to speak, as have several Federal and State Senators, Federal and State MPs and Mayors from across Australia.
Confirmed Speakers include:
Dr Bidda Jones, Chief Scientist - RSPCA
Michael Beatty - RSPCA QLD
Glenys Oogjes and Lyn White - ANIMALS AUSTRALIA
Dr Patricia Petersen - Independent candidate for Ipswich
Lee Rhiannon - Senator-elect
Rachel Stiewart - Senator
Nick Xenophon - Senator
Tammy Franks - SA MLC
Scott Ludlam - Senator
Adam Bandt - MP for Melbourne
Lyn McLaren - MP for Perth
Melissa Parke - MP for Freemantle
This national event is "apolitical" in that all politicians, all political candidates from all parties are urged to attend and participate in it.
Politicians who oppose live exports and wish to speak on the day, are invited to contact Dr Patricia Petersen.
Please be brave and stand up for what is right. Please support the ban on live export!NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION TO END LIVE EXPORT
Time
Saturday, June 18 ·... more
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Opinion 250...
New Animal Cruelty Penalties Now Law
By 250 News
Sunday, June 05, 2011 05:08 AM
Prince George, B.C. The changes that were made to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act in B.C. are now law.
The new rules mean B.C. has the toughest animal cruelty penalties in the country.
The changes provide for:
Increased penalties for animal cruelty to fines up to $75,000 and jail terms of up to two years.
Extension limitation period for offences under the act from six months to three years.
Greater accountability for owners, companies and others responsible for animals to protect their animals from distress.
New ability for government to set standards pertaining to the use, care and protection of animals - including sled dogs.
The legislation will also make it a provincial offence to harm or attempt to harm a law enforcement animal. Currently, police in British Columbia use both horses and dogs to assist in law enforcement purposes, such as crowd control, offender apprehension, search and rescue and drug/explosive detection.
The amendments to the act are a result of recommendations made by the provincially led Sled Dog Task Force in April of this year The amendments received royal ascent on Friday.Opinion 250...
New Animal Cruelty Penalties Now Law
By 250 News
Sunday, June... more
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Toronto National Post...
This week’s raccoon attack lays bare cultural gap
Getty Images
Getty Images
Then there's Toronto, where attacking raccoons that are destroying your backyard garden gets you handcuffed and escorted by authorities to the police station, where you'll be charged, and perhaps even publicly shamed, before being released.
Jessica Hume Jun 4, 2011 – 3:43 PM ET
In the Arab world, cats are considered vermin, dogs only get attention when they’re put into rings to fight each other to the death, and where animal cruelty laws exist at all, they are taken about as seriously as jaywalking rules are here.
Then there’s Toronto, where attacking raccoons that are destroying your backyard garden gets you handcuffed and escorted by authorities to the police station, where you’ll be charged, and perhaps even publicly shamed, before being released.
Such is the cultural gap that exists where treatment of animals is concerned, and 53-year-old Dong Nguyen, arrested and charged with animal cruelty after beating several baby raccoons in his backyard Wednesday, finds himself in the middle of a debate that is increasingly bitter.
Within hours of his arrest, a neighbour and her husband swung into action, printing flyers on which a photo of Mr. Nguyen was shown, identifying him as an “animal torturer” and calling for his expulsion from their west-end neighbourhood.
“This is barbaric cruelty, which has no place in our society or in this neighbourhood,” said Nanette Lang. “His release so quickly speaks to our lack of animal justice here; animals aren’t valued.”
Two other neighbours of Mr. Nguyen reacted quickly to his arrest as well, albeit with different motivation. Jack Fava and Zabar Moursalien hit the streets Thursday night to rally support for a demonstration they have organized for Saturday, in defence of Mr. Nguyen and in opposition to what they see as the city’s inertia in combating the “raccoon problem.”
“I do not support violence against animals in any way,” Mr. Moursalien said. “But the way this gentleman was treated -the handcuffs -it was like he killed a child. There were five to six police cruisers here [Wednesday]. I couldn’t believe it.”
Mr. Fava said his canvassing efforts revealed most neighbours sympathized with Mr. Nguyen, not the animals, who are plentiful in the area, nest in attics, get into residents’ garbage and destroy lawns and gardens.
Friends and family of Mr. Nguyen told the National Post Wednesday his actions were misrepresented, claiming he was simply shooing the beasts away with a broom. They offered no insight into how two raccoons died and another suffered a fractured right paw.
Thuy Nguyen, a settlement worker at the Vietnamese Women’s Association of Toronto who is not related to the man arrested Wednesday, used cultural relativism as one possible explanation for the accused’s approach to the raccoons earlier this week.
“Wildlife is not respected in Vietnam; people kill them, hunt them, sometimes even eat them,” she said. “Obviously, we don’t have raccoons in Vietnam, but if someone there was beating a wild animal, this would not be a big issue. No.”
Treatment of animals is one area that tends to highlight cultural differences, and while cruelty and abusive behaviour are not specific to any one culture, ethnicity or sex, Randall Lockwood, senior vice-president of Forensic Science and Anti-Cruelty Projects at the American SPCA, says it is important for cities with high levels of immigration to educate newcomers on local laws and customs.
“You have to be familiar with the laws of the culture where you live,” he said, adding that there is potential for very real concern when the cultural norms of foreigners conflict with those of their countries of residency.
“Animals are used in religious sacrifice in some Afro-Caribbean cultures. In California, there are very active outreach programs in the Vietnamese and Korean communities as to how animals are treated in our culture. We have concerns over the attitude toward dogs on some Native reservations.”
One country that exemplifies divergent attitudes toward animals is the United Arab Emirates, where the handful of shelters are run primarily by British and U.S. expatriates, who are generally shocked to learn the local attitudes toward animals and casual view of animal abuse.
It was the UAE’s expats whose efforts led to the country’s first animal welfare law being introduced in 2008.
One Dubai organization, Feline Friends, routinely saw cats that had been skinned, burned and thrown out of cars or apartment windows.
“There is a mentality that animals are dirty, they have diseases, and so they’re treated like vermin,” Robyn Crowley of Feline Friends told The National newspaper.
The repercussions of Mr. Nguyen’s actions will become clear over the next months as he makes his way through the courts.
But regardless of whether raccoons are seen as cute and cuddly or diseased vermin, the animals are protected under our wildlife and animal cruelty laws that, though they vary widely among cities and countries, are generally guided by morality, Dr. Lockwood said.
As for bludgeoning raccoons, he doesn’t see much grey area there.Toronto National Post...
This week’s raccoon attack lays bare cultural gap... more
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AntiMusic...
Vinnie Vincent Denies Animal Abuse (A Top Story)
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On Thursday Vinnie Vincent Denies Animal Abuse was a top story. Here is the recap:
(Rock News Desk)
Former Kiss guitarist Vinnie Vincent has slammed claims of animal cruelty following his arrest last month on suspicion of assault.
The 58-year-old says four dead dogs were found on his property because he hadn't had a chance to bury them. He explains he's spent years providing shelter to any and all animals he found who needed it, and he'd never be violent towards his "babies."
But he doesn't discuss the aggravated assault charges pressed after police believed he'd attacked his wife and dragged her through broken glass. Vincent, real name Cusano, says: "My dogs and cats have been, are and will be the most important thing in my whole life. I love them more than words can say – I look at them as 'perfect little people' that I believe God gifted to us to help comfort us through our lives, which always seem to be filled with pain in one way or another
__________________
June 2, 2011
Vincent’s tragic pet heartbreak
Ex-Kiss axeman Vinnie slams reports of animal cruelty circulated after his arrest – but won’t discuss his human cruelty charges
Vinnie Vincent
Attack: Vincent, real name Cusano
Former Kiss guitarist Vinnie Vincent has slammed claims of animal cruelty following his arrest last month on suspicion of assault.
The 58-year-old says four dead dogs were found on his property because he hadn’t had a chance to bury them. He explains he’s spent years providing shelter to any and all animals he found who needed it, and he’d never be violent towards his “babies.”
But he doesn’t discuss the aggravated assault charges pressed after police believed he’d attacked his wife and dragged her through broken glass.
Vincent, real name Cusano, says: “My dogs and cats have been, are and will be the most important thing in my whole life. I love them more than words can say – I look at them as ‘perfect little people’ that I believe God gifted to us to help comfort us through our lives, which always seem to be filled with pain in one way or another.
“I have 20 dogs rescued since 1999 from unspeakable abuse. I never turned my back if a dog or cat needed a loving home. Each one of them is spoiled rotten: great food, love, comfort, care and shelter. They sit wish me when I watch videos or when I play my guitar – the sound seems to fascinate them.
“I would never harm any animal – they are God’s most beautiful and innocent of creations. I’m a vegetarian because of my respect for all animals.”
He explains his big and small dogs are fenced off from each other for safety, but the larger animals managed to break free and killed three of the smaller ones before he could stop them.
“I was shattered – too devastated for words,” Vincent says. “I will never get over it and will always live with a pain greater than anything I will ever know. I wrapped them each in blankets and laid them to rest in ‘caskets’ where I made a cross and wrote the words to Danny Boy on each.
“The weather had been pretty bad here for a while. An excavator was to come to the property to dig up the ground so I could give them a proper burial when this terrible thing happened.”
The “terrible thing” took place on May 21. Deputy Joseph May of Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office in Tennessee told Rock News Desk how Vincent’s wife Diane Cusano appealed for help after leaving the couple’s home covered in blood.
May said: “Diane stated she and her husband Vincent Cusano had gotten into an argument about a female he was talking to. She stated Vincent became verbally abusive, swearing and telling her to ‘Get the fuck out of the house”.
“Diane stated that Vincent then smacked her in the face. She stated he grabbed her by the hair and threw her to the ground, then dragged her through a pile of glass from a broken plate. She stated he threw her on the ground a total of four times before he let her get up and she drove to the sheriff’s office.”
Vincent continues: “You must know my domestic situation is a private matter that I cannot comment on at this time. Please don’t believe everything you read. I would never hurt anyone – ever. What has been reported is an absolutely inaccurate depiction of the events that occurred that evening. When it’s time, the truth will be known.”
But he adds the drama has had a “silver lining” because it put a “long-lost family back together” and “for that, it’s worth what I’m going through.”
He says: “I’m an immensely private person and these events have caused me great pain and emotional anguish. I am requesting that you respect my privacy and that of my family during this difficult time and not engage in harmful useless gossip posted on blogs and forums.”
Vincent was known as the The Wiz and the Ankh Warrior when he replaced original guitarist Ace Frehley in Kiss in 1982. He had a tumultuous relationship with the band and was fired the following year, only to be re-hired for two more brief stints in the following years. He formed Vinnie Vincent Invasion in 1984, which released two albums before splitting in 1988. He put out a solo album in 1996.
He’s due to appear in court on June 23 to answer the charge of aggravated assault.AntiMusic...
Vinnie Vincent Denies Animal Abuse (A Top Story)
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On... more
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Photo: Shot in the head with 40 pellets, bound at the legs and muzzle, and buried alive, Star's miraculous will to survive has inspired citizens of the tiny island to pass stricter animal cruelty laws.
Credits:
Facebook photo
Continue reading on Examiner.com Animal cruelty protest in Malta brings about huge support - National Pet Rescue | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/pet-rescue-in-national/animal-cruelty-protest-malta-brings-about-huge-support#ixzz1OSzhxwwN
Animal cruelty protest in Malta brings about huge support
June 5th, 2011 6:25 pm ET
Cheryl Hanna
Pet Rescue Examiner...
It was an afternoon of protests against animal cruelty in Sliema, organized by Fleur Cilia Buckett, Joanna Attard, and Myriam Kirmond united as the March Against Animal Cruelty. Nearly two-thousand people were expected to attend.
Protestors carried signs stating "Stop Animal Cruelty," and many were accompanied by their dogs who wore colored ribbons in their collars symbolic for the support of Star, the dog who was cruelly beaten, shot with pellets in her head, and bound and buried alive in a shallow grave near Ghar Hasan in Birzebbuya. The dog's miraculous will to survive helped her scratch and push the dirt away from her nose at the spot her abusers left her to die.
Popular singer Shauna Vassallo sang Fejn, a song about animal cruelty.
The egregious torture and suffering of Star serves as a reminder for the country and for the people to enact stronger animal cruelty laws - not just for Star, but for all of the animals whose lives wind up in similar tragic fates. Buckett also wants the courts to invest in psychological counseling and provide help for animal abusers stating these offenders often abuse again.
Star was not able to attend the rally today since she is still too weak, but continues to slowly recuperate at St. Francis Animal Welfare Center in Tal Qali. The dog's horrific story and her amazing survival has touched people from all over the world - as far as Canada, Venezuela, and Australia.
Star's Facebook page entitled, " Star, the dog who lived," has more than 50,000 fans. Her page has become a place to encourage help for other dogs in dire need as well as a place for people to vent their anger. A reward page has been set up to help find the people responsible for Star's injuries.
Continue reading on Examiner.com Animal cruelty protest in Malta brings about huge support - National Pet Rescue | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/pet-rescue-in-national/animal-cruelty-protest-malta-brings-about-huge-support#ixzz1OSzbnNvcPhoto: Shot in the head with 40 pellets, bound at the legs and muzzle, and buried... more
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Suffolk News-Herald...
Kitten’s death marks need for education
Published 8:35pm Saturday, June 4, 2011
By Michele Thames
Guest Columnist
Earlier this week, I learned about a case of animal cruelty in Suffolk in which a 12-year-old boy allegedly threw a kitten against a wall, kicked the kitten and attempted to stab the kitten with a pocketknife. Before the 12-year-old was able to hurt the kitten with the knife, another child stepped in and stopped the abuse.
There has been an outpouring of anger at the 12 year old child for his actions. There has been a flood of support for the heroic action of the child that stopped the mistreatment of the helpless kitten.
There are many different reasons why people hurt animals, and sometimes it is because they are simply cruel. Studies show that there is a correlation between animal abuse, child abuse and domestic violence. For some children, exposure to violence makes committing violent acts more probable.
The hope of the Suffolk Humane Society is that the 12-year-old child gets the help he needs so he can stop the cycle of abuse and cruelty.
Unfortunately, the kitten in this case died, but the boy who attempted to save his life deserves all the accolades in the world. It is very difficult to stand up for what is right, and it is never right to harm an animal in an act of violence.
The Suffolk Humane Society would like to publicly thank this boy for his heroic actions. Our hope is that all children will feel empowered to stand up for what is right and just as they grow up.
The Suffolk Humane Society is committed to a humane education program that teaches compassion and kindness toward both people and animals. We want to teach ways to commit to living an ethical, sustainable, and peaceful existence on earth with animals and humans alike. We have a team of committed volunteers and certified therapy dogs that are able to visit schools, community centers, churches and other gathering places to educate both children and adults.
Please visit our website, www.suffolkhumanesociety.com, or call 538-3030 and leave a message to find out more about our services or how you can help. The way that we treat those least able to defend themselves speaks volumes about our community.
Michele Thames is the humane education director and president of the Board of Directors for the Suffolk Humane Society.
PHOTO: This is NOT a photo of the kitten who was killed.Suffolk News-Herald...
Kitten’s death marks need for education
Published... more
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Macau Daily Times...
Animal groups seek to ban greyhound exports to Macau
06/06/2011 09:39:00
Chinese animal welfare groups have urged the Australia Prime Minister Julia Gillard to ban the export of greyhounds for Macau racetracks. They accuse the Canidrome of destroying healthy dogs after they are found unable to compete, South China Morning Post reported yesterday.
Local animal welfare association Society for the Protection of Animals (ANIMA) is aware of the culling, but admitted there is little to halt the process without an official law on animal welfare protection.
The alliance of animal welfare groups from across China said in the petition to Gillard that healthy dogs are being destroyed in Macau at a rate of more than one a day. The greyhounds are imported to Macau at the age of two or three years old.
At the Canidrome they race four times a week. If they finish outside the top three in five races in a row, though still no more than five years old, they are allegedly given lethal injections.
According to Hong Kong’s daily investigation, last year, 383 dogs imported from Australia were culled at the Canidrome. In March alone 45 greyhounds were given the lethal injection.
Not only do track rules disallow the dogs to be taken on as pets, but it is also difficult to send them away to other countries because of anti-rabies quarantine restrictions.
Macau lacks legislation on transmittable diseases, thus other country authorities don’t consider MSAR laboratories as qualified. As a result, animals have to undergo quarantine in Hong Kong in order to travel out of Macau.
The director of ANIMA, Albano Martins, told the Macau Daily Times that preliminary discussions on this situation have been held between the association and the Civil and Municipal Affairs Bureau’s (IACM) animal shelter.
“The government-run animal shelter is concerned over the culling of healthy dogs after they are not able to race anymore. We are trying to find a way to send them to other countries to be adopted as pets, but that’s not an easy task, without a law on animal protection,” he said.
Macau SAR’s first animal rights protection bill was draft in 2008, but is still on hold. In the meantime, several provisions from legislations dating from the 19th-century are regulating animal welfare in Macau.
Martins said that currently Macau is also trying to cope with the plight of abandoned animals, and it would be very difficult to keep the greyhounds in the SAR.
Nevertheless, he suggested Macau make contact with other animal welfare groups in China to try to allow these race dogs a chance to have a second life.Macau Daily Times...
Animal groups seek to ban greyhound exports to Macau... 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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Updated News | Australia...
Australia considers livestock ban to Indonesia due to animal cruelty
Australia/Antarctica Friday, June 3rd, 2011
Sydney, Australia – Footage of cattle being brutalized in Indonesian slaughterhouses has prompted calls here for a ban on Australian livestock exports and highlighted international gaps in animal welfare standards.
The footage, secretly gathered by animal rights activists and shown on Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) television earlier this week, provoked an unprecedented public outcry. Australia’s Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig immediately banned the export of cattle to 11 slaughterhouses featured in the current affairs program, and is considering suspending the trade to Indonesia altogether.
Animal welfare groups and some politicians are urging him to go further and ban all live exports out of Australia. But livestock farmers and industry groups say the economic impact of such a move would be harsh, and they are calling instead for better training of overseas slaughterhouse workers and improved monitoring.
“It would have major economic ramifications,” says Luke Bowen, executive director of the Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association, which represents many livestock farmers.
The world’s biggest exporter of live animals, Australia sends hundreds of thousands of cattle and sheep to dozens of countries around the world every year. Half a million cattle – 60 percent of the total – go to its northern neighbor, Indonesia, for fattening and slaughtering, in a trade worth $351 million.
Now that trade is in jeopardy, following the backlash over scenes of cows dying long, apparently agonizing deaths after being whipped, beaten, and kicked.
“Watching it was the most distressing experience I’ve ever had, in 20 years working in animal welfare,” says Bidda Jones, chief scientist of the Royal Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). “And the fact that the cruelty was so systemic was extremely disturbing.”
Humane slaughter of animalsThe Australian meat and livestock industry has been training Indonesian slaughterhouse workers for the past decade, but it admitted this week that the treatment of cattle exposed by ABC was unacceptable. “It [the footage] was horrific,” says Mr. Bowen.
In Australia as in the United States, Canada, and the European Union – cattle must be stunned before being slaughtered. While stunning is less common in developing countries, Indonesia is a signatory to an international standard set by the Paris-based World Organization for Animal Health that requires animals be slaughtered humanely.
Animal rights groups have long condemned Australia’s live export trade, questioning the conditions in which animals are transported on long sea voyages and the welfare standards at their destinations. Dr. Jones says that it’s not uncommon for at least 2 percent of sheep shipped to the Middle East and other regions die en route.
There was an international outcry in 2004 after 5,000 sheep died on an Australian ship bound for Saudi Arabia. The Australian government suspended the export of live sheep to Egypt in 2006 after a television program exposed cruel practices in slaughterhouses there. The trade has since resumed but is limited to one designated feedlot and processing center.
Government under pressureWith MPs bombarded by protests from their constituents this week – some veteran politicians say they have never experienced such a massive response to a single issue – analysts say Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s Labor government is under intense pressure to act robustly. Some Labor backbenchers, along with some independent and Greens Party MPs who prop up the minority government, want a ban on exports to countries that fail to meet Australian standards.
While observers say that is unlikely to happen overnight, Mr. Ludwig has not ruled out a total ban on exports to Indonesia. Bowen, of the cattlemen’s association, acknowledged that cattle farmers were “sickened” by the ABC program, but warned that a ban would cause hardship to thousands of people.
“The stark reality, particularly in northern Australia where there is no processing facility [slaughterhouse], is that we’ve got an industry that for many producers is entirely reliant on the Indonesian live market.”
Jones, who analyzed the footage, says that animals died after an average of 11 cuts to the throat, and some were stabbed as many as 33 times.
Indonesia responded by promising to investigate its processing facilities, but it admitted that an animal welfare law drafted two years ago had yet to be implemented. The country’s largest Islamic organization, the Indonesia Ulema Council, condemned cruel slaughter practices as “sinful.” In Indonesia, halal authorities permit cattle to be stunned before being killed.
- CSMUpdated News | Australia...
Australia considers livestock ban to Indonesia due... more
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The Sydney Morning Herald...
PHOTO: Australian cows in Gondrong slaugterhouse in Indonesia . . . beyond Australia's control. Photo: Irwin Fedriansyah
Human and animal rights travel in the same boat
June 5, 2011
Australian cows in Gondrong slaugterhouse in Indonesia . . . beyond Australia's control. Photo: Irwin Fedriansyah
IT SEEMS bizarre and even rather offensive to talk about asylum seekers and Australian cattle in the same sentence. But by a strange twist of events, Australia faces a similar problem with Asian neighbours in dealing with each of these issues
The difficulty boils down to this: at the end of the day, it is extremely hard and probably impossible to control what happens on the ground in certain countries, whatever rules might be put in place.
The government is still negotiating its ''people swap'' with Malaysia. But documents last week show that a core question - protection of the human rights of those Australia sends there - is proving difficult to tie down.
On the cattle, the government has imposed a suspension on some Indonesian abattoirs after the horrific images shown on ABC's Four Corners. But critics say this halfway measure won't protect Australian animals.
The government has been prevaricating about when the Malaysia deal will be finalised. The leaked documents show why. Obviously the negotiations have been tough; the Malaysians want to call the shots and, it appears, have been reluctant to give adequate human rights guarantees.
At least that was the case late last month. The government and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, involved in the negotiating process, say things have moved on from the leaked draft, and that it is the final agreement (when it comes) by which the deal must be judged.
While that's true, the May 23 draft adds to the worries about the deal, because it gives an insight into the attitude of Malaysia, which has a known bad record on human rights. Also, even if the agreement contains protections and the UN authorities are involved, how can Australia be confident about what will happen to these people it sends to the back of the Malaysian queue, where they will stay for an unknown time? As Julia Gillard points out, it is a long queue - will we (and the UNHCR) still be following their fate in five years? If so, how?
Switching attention from human rights to animal rights, it is obvious the latter count for nothing in Indonesia's slaughter houses. To think there will be a quick change is fanciful.
The government has suspended exports to a dozen facilities and is requiring exporters to make declarations that animals won't be taken to them. Does anyone think this is some sort of foolproof system to prevent appalling cruelty to Australian cattle? Only if they are naive - or don't want to face reality. Clearly the partial suspension is inadequate. While these are the abattoirs that have come to attention, probably most of the more than 100 in that country will be bad. Further, Australian cattle go to Indonesian feedlots, and may stay there for a long time, before being sold around the country. How can their ultimate destinations be monitored?
The caucus, which engaged in its most passionate debate in years last week over the cattle cruelty, will discuss it again next week, with a motion on the table for a full ban of sales to Indonesia until it meets Australian standards. The RSPCA, Animals Australia and GetUp! are keeping the pressure on with an ad that started airing yesterday.
Unless the government does something extra, this issue will continue to be ugly for it in the party and in the community. As it should.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/human-and-animal-rights-travel-in-the-same-boat-20110604-1fm0r.html#ixzz1OSqD9m5FThe Sydney Morning Herald...
PHOTO: Australian cows in Gondrong slaugterhouse in... more
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CBS New York...
Animal Rights Activists Calling For Ban Of Horse-Drawn Carriages In NYC
June 5, 2011 9:30 AM
88hall
Reporting Sophia Hall
Linda Rosenthal
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Animal rights activists want horse-drawn carriages to ride off into the sunset.
Dozens rallied Saturday at Central Park to protest what they call safety hazards and animal cruelty.
“It really isn’t a safe environment for anybody and we have to use our powers of human empathy to relieve horses of this grinding work,” said assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal.
Rosenthal said she feels sick inside when she sees the horses and carriages on the side on the road. “The horses have to work in the heat, in the winter,” she said. ”I was looking at them today, their feed was filled with pigeons.”
She said places like Biloxi, Mississippi and Beijing, China have banned horse and carriage rides and because the city council refused to act on the ban, Rosenthal said they will fight for the ban on a state level.
“There is only a few weeks left in the state legislature so we will be building momentum and start fresh in January,” she said.
Rosenthal said it is not a tourist attraction because tourists will come to New York City even if there are no carriage rides.
The stable that operates carriages in Central Park released a statement saying, ”We are regularly inspected by the Department of Health, ASPCA and the Department of Consumer Affairs year round. Our horses are the best treated horses in the country.”
.CBS New York...
Animal Rights Activists Calling For Ban Of Horse-Drawn Carriages... more
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ABC...
Save the Frogs: Animal Rights Groups Help High Schools Do Frog Dissections by Computer Program
By NED POTTER (@NedPotterABC)
June 1, 2011
If you are like many of us, you probably had a high school science teacher like Mr. Alexander -- a wonderful, caring man who also put you through the experience of dissecting a live frog. You may have learned a lot, but there were kids who just couldn't handle it. You were, after all, killing a real animal.
But software has come to the students' rescue, and animal-welfare groups have come to the frogs' rescue. The Animal Welfare Institute in Washington offered free software to the first 25 schools in America that agree to end dissections of real animals, and as of this morning they report four schools have taken them up on it.
"We've had a lot of teachers who were frustrated," said Serda Ozbenian of the AWI. "They didn't want to dissect animals but it was required in the curriculum."
"I don't think we're teaching kids the right thing," said Kerry Kriger of Save The Frogs, a California group that partnered with the AWI in the effort. "It teaches them that animals are disposable."
That is changing now, though not entirely for the reasons activists might prefer. Rancho Verde High School in Moreno Valley, Calif., became the first school to accept the offer -- mainly because it was a good deal. Rights to use a computer program called Digital Frog 2.5 can cost as little as $900 for a group of students, a fraction of what it costs to buy real frogs to dissect in a high school lab.
PHOTO: Virtual frog dissection program
"With finances being the way they are, we felt that this was going to be a good opportunity," said Kevin Stipp, a former science teacher who is now assistant principal at Rancho Verde. "It's as much about the species as about saving cost." Most of the 2,600 students taking science courses this year will never go into the life sciences, he said; for those who do, they'll get other chances to do dissections in college.
Dissecting frogs -- whether or not teachers value the experience their students get from seeing an animal's organs -- is a costly proposition for many schools. The frogs have to be bought and kept until they are killed. A lab is expensive to maintain. There is setup and cleanup for the teacher. And -- no small consideration -- preservatives for the decaying animals may be toxic.
"With this program you're getting the same thing," said Stipp. "You don't get to touch the organs, but visually you are getting the same experience."
That is why business is picking up at Digital Frog International of Puslinch, Ontario, near Toronto. Animal-rights groups aside, the company says school systems from all over North America are signing up for its software. The Miami-Dade school system in Florida, it said, has contracted for software for all 85 of its middle schools and high schools.
"Sure, some kids like the wet lab because they like to mash the frogs' brains," said Tracie Treahy of Digital Frog. "Others don't like it because there's a kid behind them with a scalpel.
"But you're losing perspective on what this is for. We're teaching anatomy and physiology," she said.
The company cites a 2001 doctoral dissertation at George Mason University by Christine Youngblut, which concluded, "Multimedia-based virtual dissection was more effective than hands-on dissection in helping students learn about frog anatomy. Moreover, this result was achieved when the time available for the virtual dissection was approximately 44 percent less than that available for hands-on dissection."
She did concede that a majority of students surveyed felt they were "missing out on a valuable experience" if they did not do a dissection themselves.
So how do the ninth graders at Rancho Verde High School feel about dissection by computer? No answer yet; the software won't be rolled out there until fall.
But frog populations are declining in many parts of the world, said Kriger of Save the Frogs.
"If we can envision a time when there are no dissections," he said, "kids will understand that life is valuable."ABC...
Save the Frogs: Animal Rights Groups Help High Schools Do Frog Dissections... more
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Los Angeles Times...
Are wild horses native to the U.S.? A federal court seeks the answer
June 5, 2011 | 4:24 pm
Horse liz margerum AP
Animal rights groups are pressing a case in federal court maintaining that wild horses roamed the West about 1.5 million years ago and didn't disappear until as recently as 7,600 years ago. More important, they say, a growing stockpile of DNA evidence shows conclusively that today's horses are genetically linked to those ancient ancestors.
The new way of thinking, if accepted, could affect hundreds millions of acres in the West where the U.S. Bureau of Land Management divides livestock grazing allotments based partly on the belief that the horses are no more native to those lands than are the cattle brought to North America centuries ago.
American history textbooks teach that the wild horses roaming Western plains were first brought by European explorers and settlers. But that theory is being challenged at archaeological digs and university labs as horse protection advocates battle the U.S. government over roundups of thousands of mustangs they say have not only a legal right but a native claim to the rangeland.
Rachel Fazio, a lawyer for Defense of Animals and other plaintiffs, told a 9th Circuit appellate panel in San Francisco earlier this year that the horses are “an integral part of the environment," adding, "as much as the BLM would like to see them as not, they are actually a native species. They are tied to this land. There would not be a horse but for North America. Every single evolutionary iteration of the horse is found here and only here.”
The lawsuit cites researchers who say that the concept is widely accepted by most of the scientific community, although not by the BLM. “It's significant because BLM treats the wild horses like they are an invasive species that is not supposed to be out there,” Fazio said in a recent interview.
A reversal of that long-held belief could have the effect of moving the native horses to the front of the line when divvying up precious water and forage in the arid West.
BLM maintains that the horse advocates are perpetuating a myth. And many ranchers claim it's part of a ploy to push livestock off public lands. “There are plenty of horses out in the Nevada desert,” said Tom Collins, a Clark County commissioner who has a ranch outside Las Vegas. “Most of these folks, maybe their father slapped them or their mother didn't love them, so now they are in love with these wild horses that aren't really wild,” he said.
BLM devotes “Myth No. 11” on its website to the “false claim” that wild horses are native to the United States. “American wild horses are descended from domestic horses, some of some of which were brought over by European explorers in the late 15th and 16th centuries, plus others that were imported from Europe and were released or escaped captivity in modern times,” it says.
“The disappearance of the horse from the Western Hemisphere for 10,000 years supports the position that today's wild horses cannot be considered 'native' in any meaningful historical sense,” BLM explains. It acknowledges that the horses have adapted successfully to the Western range, but says that biologically they did not evolve on the North American continent.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management manages more than 245 million acres of federal land in 12 western states with about 30 million acres currently designated as horse management areas in 10 of those states. Of the roughly 33,000 horses that currently roam BLM land, roughly half are in Nevada, with the remainder in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming.
The BLM maintains that's about 12,000 more than the rangeland can sustain and plans to roundup most of those. The agency removed 9,715 horse and 540 burros from the range in the 2010 fiscal year. In addition to animals on the range, the BLM currently has 41,700 wild horses and burros in short-term corrals in the West (about 13,100) and long-term pastures in the Midwest (about 28,600).Los Angeles Times...
Are wild horses native to the U.S.? A federal court seeks... more
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A secret oasis for the world's most endangered turtles
The Turtle Conservancy, tucked in the foothills of Ventura County, cares for species ravaged by habitat loss, wildfires, hunting and black markets. Its latest project: breeding the rare ploughshare tortoise.
Photo: Eric Goode and his team hope to mate two ploughshare tortoises, one of the rarest species in the world. Fewer than 300 remain in the wilds of Madagascar, and previous efforts to breed them in captivity have gone awry. (Stefano Paltera, For The Times / June 5, 2011)
By Louis Sahagun, Los Angeles Times
June 5, 2011
Reporting from Ventura, Calif.—
When it comes to caring for the world's rarest cold-blooded animals, few places match the pampering and security provided to hundreds of critically endangered turtles and tortoises at a secret compound in the foothills of Los Padres National Forest.
In paddocks and aquariums protected by surveillance cameras and electric wire, Okinawa leaf turtles feast on silkworms and mulberries in a temperature-controlled greenhouse. Nest-building Burmese black mountain tortoises relax in piles of freshly cut oak, sycamore and bamboo. Forest-dwelling impressed tortoises dine exclusively on organically grown oyster mushrooms. Philippine pond turtles spend the night in snug tunnels made of cork bark.
But Saturday's VIPs were eight ploughshare tortoises flown in from Hong Kong in padded crates. Among them is a female of breeding age, which Eric Goode and his associates at the nonprofit Turtle Conservancy's Behler Chelonian Center hope to mate with the only male ploughshare tortoise of breeding age in North America.
"That male, which is en route from a zoo in Texas, hasn't seen a female ploughshare tortoise of breeding age in more than 25 years," Goode said as he marveled at the new arrivals in a quarantined pen. "We're hoping for the best. These creatures have seen nothing but bad luck, corruption and greed in captivity."
Some would call that an understatement. With fewer than 300 left in the wilds of Madagascar, the ploughshare tortoise holds the dubious distinction of being the rarest tortoise on Earth. They are heavily targeted by global animal traffickers, and the high-domed creatures fetch tens of thousands of dollars on the Asian black market, conservationists say.
Until recently, attempts to breed the ploughshare tortoise outside of Madagascar failed miserably. In the early 1980s, a male died shortly after zoo workers in Honolulu used an electric device to procure semen from the animal. A female that it was supposed to have mated with had her ovaries removed during a botched operation.
"Given their plight and scarcity, it took more than a decade of hard work by us, the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, and Hong Kong authorities and conservationists to get these eight tortoises into our compound," said Paul Gibbons, managing director of the Behler Chelonian Center. "But, then, a lot of the animals in our pens have similar stories to tell."
Many of the species found on the compound are nearing extinction because of habitat loss, wildfires, hunting and black markets.
"International animal trafficking is a dark and dangerous subculture," Goode said. "Certain dealers will go to great extents to get their hands on these animals. That is why, although we are certified by the American Zoo and Aquarium Assn., we are not open to the public."
There is no sign outside the facility, nor is it listed in the phone book. "Theft is a reality," Goode said. "The only visitors are turtle biologists from around the world."
The conservancy was established in 2005 with 250 rare turtles transferred from a Bronx Zoo collection that had been housed at Saint Catherines Island off the coast of Georgia. Today, the conservancy mostly manages animals seized from illegal trafficking operations or bred in its rock-and-mortar outdoor pens.
The conservancy's primary mission is to maintain "assurance colonies" of threatened and endangered tortoises and freshwater turtles, such as the four Galapagos tortoises that lumbered across a manicured lawn in a pen shaded by tropical plants and oaks Saturday.
It also lends some of its reptiles to zoos around the world and collaborates with conservationists to protect the rarest species from extinction. For example, the conservancy has been working with biologists in the United States and Mexico to revive bolson tortoise populations in the hot and thorny Chihuahuan Desert south of the Rio Grande Valley.
Once as plentiful as jackrabbits, only an estimated 5,000 bolson tortoises survive today. Cactus fruit is the bolson's dish of choice, and it's always on the menu at the conservancy.
"We specialize in creating environments that are peaceful and natural as possible for our turtles," Goode said.A secret oasis for the world's most endangered turtles
The Turtle Conservancy,... more
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Alleged UAE animal smuggler flees Thailand
By Andy Sambidge
Tuesday, 31 May 2011 9:46 PM
Photo: The baby sun bear found in a suitcase at Bangkok Airport. (Freeland Foundation)
A man from the UAE who was arrested as he attempted to smuggle suitcases filled of endangered baby animals out of Thailand has escaped from the country, it was reported on Tuesday.
Noor Mahmood was detained on May 13 by undercover officers at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport with the animals which included four leopard cubs, a Malayan sun bear, a baby marmoset and a baby red-cheeked gibbon, according to wildlife campaign group Freeland Foundation.
Mahmood was charged with smuggling endangered species out of the kingdom and released on a 200,000 baht ($6,600) bail, but he left Bangkok on a May 23 flight to the UAE, immigration police told news agency AFP.
Freeland called for Thai and UAE collaboration to continue with the case.
"Thai police did a great undercover operation to nab Mr Mahmood just as he was about to board his first class flight to Dubai," the group's director Steven Galster told AFP. "But since he was caught red handed and charged, we want to know why he is not being prosecuted?"
The case prompted animal welfare charities to urge the UAE to do more to clamp down on the illegal smuggling of endangered and exotic animals into the country.
“Not enough is being done to prevent this trade,” Galster told Arabian Business.
Ashley Fruno, a senior campaigner of PETA for Asia-Pacific, said tougher deterrents were needed to outweigh the easy money available to contraband traders.
Thailand is a hub for illegal wildlife trafficking, but authorities finding so many live mammals is unusual. Typical hauls are of rare tortoises, snakes and lizards.Alleged UAE animal smuggler flees Thailand
By Andy Sambidge
Tuesday,... more
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Victory For Birds At
Heart Of The City Farmers' Market, San Francisco
On May 1, 2011, Heart of the City Farmers’ Market in San Francisco, California announced on its website that live chicken sale at San Francisco farmers marketbird sales will be banned starting May 27. This is a huge victory, and is due to the valiant and tireless effort of LGBT Compassion with help from In Defense of Animals (IDA), United Poultry Concerns, Bay Area Vegetarians and others.
For over two years, activists have provided documentation that these live bird vendors were responsible for numerous violations of local, state and federal laws including several health code violations and close to 800 animal cruelty violations.
Every year, this ban will protect over 100,000 chickens, quail, and other small birds from the miserable and terrifying experience of being overcrowded in small cages, transported in extreme weather, shoved upside down into a paper bag, and butchered in backyards and kitchens in San Francisco.
LGBT Compassion’s campaign has also stopped live bird sales near the Alemeny Blvd. Market in San Francisco, live animal market demoand at the Old Oakland Farmers' Market in Oakland. It now appears that Richmond and Stockton Farmers' Market are the only remaining northern California farmers' market allowing live animal sales. As a result of an investigation, changes are happening in Richmond where the campaign is heating up against the bird sellers. Protests are scheduled, and hopefully soon the Bay Area will be free of live animal sales at farmers' markets forever.
What you can do:
Please thank the Heart of the City Farmers Market for their compassionate decision as well as protecting their patrons from the numerous health code violations committed by these live animal venders. You can thank Operations Manager Kate Creps: hocfarmersmarket@gmail.com or (415) 558-9455.
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In Defense of Animals, located in San Rafael, Calif., is an international animal protection organization with more than 100,000 members and supporters dedicated to ending the abuse and exploitation of animals by protecting their rights and welfare. IDA's efforts include educational events, cruelty investigations, boycotts, grassroots activism, and hands-on rescue through our sanctuaries in Mississippi, Mumbai, India, and Cameroon, Africa.
In Defense of Animals is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization. We welcome your feedback and appreciate your donations. Please join today! All donations to IDA are tax-deductible.
In Defense of Animals
3010 Kerner, San Rafael, CA 94901
Tel. (415) 448-0048 Fax (415) 454-1031
idainfo@idausa.orgVictory For Birds At
Heart Of The City Farmers' Market, San Francisco
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NPR Morning Edition...
Livestock Farms Could Be Off Limits To Photos
Click on Link to Listen to the Story by Kathleen Masterson
April 13, 2011
Animal rights activists have secretly filmed the inner workings of livestock farms, which has led to some bad press for the industry. Bills introduced in Florida and Iowa would make photographing animal operations without the owner's permission a felony. Supporters say that would help prevent activists from fraudulently being hired. Opponents argue the bills would prevent current employees from reporting abuse.
Transcript...
STEVE INSKEEP, host:
In Iowa and in Florida, big livestock operations are supporting bills that would forbid animal rights activists from going undercover to take photos and document conditions at big farms. Activists are asking what the industry has to hide. From Iowa Harvest Public Media's Kathleen Masterson reports.
KATHLEEN MASTERSON: If livestock industry groups get their way what happened at this farm would be considered a crime. Here in central Iowa amid an expanse of cornfields, Rose Acre Farms has six huge hen houses, each the length of a football field.
Last February, an undercover activist from the Human Society got a job here. He wanted to get inside and film the workings of the facility that houses about a million chickens. He stayed here only two weeks.
Then three months later, the Human Society held a news conference and splashed a video on the Web. It shows scenes filmed at Rose Acre Farms and another company's farm. The footage shows chickens living in cramped cages and some dead birds whose carcasses were left so long they'd been mummified.
Unidentified Woman: The crews just shoving them in the cages, sometimes they'll get their legs slammed in the door or their wings.
MASTERSON: The pending Iowa law would make filming this video without the owner's permission and the mere possession of it a criminal offense, punishable by up to five years in jail.
At Rose Acres, farm manager Andrew Kaldenberg says while the video did show some footage of their farm, the abuses didn't occur there. The media were invited out to their barn within hours of the video being released.
Mr. ANDREW KALDENBERG (Manager, Rose Acres): We welcome reporters, you know, what have we got to hide? If we're not treating our animals right, they ain't going to produce. They're not going to produce, we're out of business.
MASTERSON: So I asked him to show me around the hen houses.
Mr. KALDENBERG: In this house we are ten rows wide, five tier high. That means that we have five cages stacked on top of each other.
MASTERSON: Kaldenberg says the activists' motives are to promote an agenda which is vehemently against how the industry produces food, with thousands of birds living in row after row of small cages.
Rose Acre Farms and other large chicken, hog and cattle organizations say the pending Iowa legislation is being mischaracterized. They say it isn't about stopping whistleblowers from reporting abuse, but argue it's about keeping people who misrepresent their true purpose from getting hired.
Kevin Vinchattle is the executive director of the Iowa Egg Council.
Mr. KEVIN VINCHATTLE (Executive Director, Iowa Egg Council): People are trying to characterize the livestock folks as trying to hide things. We're not. We don't want any animal to be abused. And if it's truly a case where a person thinks that abuse is occurring, that needs to be reported immediately, not six weeks done the road or months later in a video released for PR efforts to raise money for an organization.
MASTERSON: But a whole section of the Iowa bill explicitly bans photography.
There's a similar bill under debate in Florida. Kansas and Montana already have laws that ban taking secret photos of an animal facility if the intent is to damage the owner. And other states across the country are also considering similar legislation.
Humane Society's Paul Shapiro says the bills are an attempt to shield America's food production system from public scrutiny. He says their exposes have been done legally and resulted in convictions for animal cruelty, as well as meat recalls over food safety problems. Without undercover videos, activists say their claims wouldn't be taken seriously.
In Iowa, State Senator Matt McCoy, a Democrat from Des Moines, said a bill like this would set a dangerous precedent. He argues the multibillion dollar livestock industry wants to operate with less oversight.
State Senator MATT MCCOY (Democrat, Iowa): They view animal welfare groups and individuals that take undercover video and release it to the public as a threat to their livelihood.
MASTERSON: Neither side in this fight appears willing to budge yet on a key sticking point, whether secretly photographing farm animals should be considering a criminal act.
For NPR News, I'm Kathleen Masterson in Ames, Iowa.
(Soundbite of music)NPR Morning Edition...
Livestock Farms Could Be Off Limits To Photos
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CNN...
Pet rescuers brave Fukushima danger zone
From Kyung Lah and Whitney Hurst, CNN
April 13, 2011 6:05 p.m. EDT
Photo: A dog wanders Tuesday about 4 miles from Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant in Futaba, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Many owners left pets behind when evacuations were ordered
"We tried to save him, but we couldn't get in," one says
Japan has no plans to retrieve animals from contaminated areas
Tokyo (CNN) -- The image was horrific: A whimpering beagle, ribs showing through its fur, tethered to a post inside the no-go zone around the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl.
The scene was captured by freelance journalists who drove through towns within a few kilometers of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, and who left food for the animal. But animal rescue activists who have braved the exclusion zone around the plant say there many others like it.
"I understand the nuclear danger and everything, but they're just being left to starve to death, basically," said Isabella Gallaon-Aoki of Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support.
Gallaon-Aoki and others like her have been slipping into the 20-km radius around Fukushima Daiichi to retrieve pets and feed livestock left behind when their owners were forced to evacuate. Pet owners have sent her group their addresses, accompanied by pleas to rescue their animals, left behind when they fled for what was supposed to be a short time.
A month later, the volunteers are putting their long-term health on the line, putting on protective gear and entering the 20-km radius around the plant that was declared off-limits in the early days of the crisis. Hiroko Ito's 5-year-old Shiba, Non, is among those rescued by Gallaon-Aoki's group. Ito said she left food for the dog, but didn't expect to be gone a month.
"We tried to save him, but we couldn't get in," Ito said.
Radiation levels recorded by photographers Shuji Ogawa and Naomi Toyoda were not high enough to cause immediate illness, but would pose potential health risks with prolonged exposure. Gallaon-Aoki said she knows the risks, "but I feel personally that the risk that there is is worth taking for what I can achieve by doing so."
From the prime minister's office to town halls, Japanese authorities told CNN they have no provisions for dealing with animals when their owners are ordered to clear out -- orders that have been expanded to other towns around the crippled power plant, which has been emitting radioactive particles since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that knocked out its coolant systems.
Gallaon-Aoki called that "unforgivable."
"I understand they have a huge problem as far as people are concerned. They are dealing with a lot," she said. "But, I mean, there are people and groups who would be willing to help, and surely they could kind of set some sort of well-coordinated effort."
The fate of the tethered beagle Ogawa and Toyoda captured on video was not known early Thursday.CNN...
Pet rescuers brave Fukushima danger zone
From Kyung Lah and Whitney... more
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