tagged w/ Animal Cruelty News & Animal Cruelty Videos
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As long as they've made movies, animals have been killed or injured to do it.
The controversial shot of lemmings leaping to their death from the Disney film, 'White Wilderness'. In reality, they were flung from a turntable (not seen) into a river.
In a landmark investigation twenty-five years ago, called "Cruel Camera", the fifth estate's Bob McKeown uncovered an uncomfortable, even shocking, reality about moviemaking: animals, intentionally put in harm's way, abused, often killed to create the kind of cinematic excitement that draws a crowd.
As well, the fifth estate found that in wildlife documentaries, the casualties are often the truth. Nature films, including award-winning documentaries made by esteemed studio such as DISNEY, sometimes used fakery in their shots.
*Read more about fakery in films -http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/cruelcamera/fakery.html
Twenty-five years later: Animals still abused in films -
Now, twenty-five years on, the fifth estate thought it was time for Mckeown to take another look through the 'Cruel Camera' to see how things have changed. His findings show that although much has changed in the TV and movie business, many of the damning findings of the original investigation haven't changed much at all.
Trainers lost control of the animals doing a rodeo scene in 'Flicka'. One horse died. For instance, it's true that a venerable animal welfare organization, American Humane, is now mandated to monitor film sets to ensure that animal actors are treated well.
Los Angeles, the home of American moviemaking, employs an attorney responsible for animal cruelty cases. But, that attorney, Robert Ferber, says that AMERICAN HUMANE REFUSED TO COOPERATE with his investigation into the death of a horse during the filming of the 2005 family film 'Flicka'.
*Read more about cruelty in movies - http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/cruelcamera/cruelty.html
Fakery in wildlife documentaries -
McKeown also takes you behind the scenes to show how some wildlife documentaries are really made. Viewers will be surprised to learn that some of the most poignant moments in acclaimed wildlife documentaries were staged or faked on film. Tricks of the trade are demonstrated, including how captive, even tame, animals are often portrayed as wild, existing in their natural environment.
Among those giving his insights into this secret part of nature filming is Sir David Attenborough, the most world's most renowned wildlife filmmaker.
"You could lie in print, you can lie on film, you can lie on radio. The ability to tell untruths in huge, of course," Attenborough told McKeown. "But reputable natural history filmmakers do not lie. They tell the truth…but telling the truth is a simplification. It's often very difficult to tell the truth, but that's what we try to do." Yet, even Attenborough, has been accused of manipulating situations to make a point.
Sad fate of show business chimps -
Once their career in show business is over chimps are left to live out their lives in horrible conditions.McKeown also looks at the sad state of chimps in show business, including the often-brutal world of obtaining and training chimps for entertainment.
The fate of chimps who have grown too big and uncontrollable to work in front of the camera is also explored. Viewers will be taken to some of the grim roadside zoos where former show business chimpanzees live out the last, desperate decades of their lives.
"Better to be euthanized. It's a horrible life," world-famous primatologist Jane Goodall told McKeown. "It's a horrible life and why they cling to life as they do, I don't know. Gorillas tend to die but chimpanzees just have this – same as us – people are like that. Think of how the people survived concentration camps."
*Read more about chimps in Hollywood http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/cruelcamera/chimps.htmlAs long as they've made movies, animals have been killed or injured to do it.... more
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An executive for an anti-animal cruelty group says her 16-year-old blind and deaf dog died after she accidentally left him in her hot car for four hours.
Robin Starr, the CEO of the Richmond Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, says she didn't realize "Louie" was in the car until noon. Starr's husband, Ed, told the Richmond Times-Dispatch he put the dog in her car as she got ready for work Aug. 19. She often took the dog to work with her.
Robin Starr took the dog to two clinics, but he died of kidney failure.
The National Weather Service says the temperature had reached 91 degrees by noon that day.
The board of the SPCA says it still supports Starr, who has been CEO since 1997 and does not plan to resign. It was unclear whether she would be charged.An executive for an anti-animal cruelty group says her 16-year-old blind and deaf dog... more
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You're out for a walk with your dog when two men suddenly appear and grab him before you have a chance to react. In an instant, your canine companion is gone. Then—as if that weren't horrifying enough—you later learn that your beloved friend is caged in a medical school laboratory, slated to be cut open and killed in a training exercise.
It's every animal guardian's worst nightmare, and it allegedly happened recently to Carmen Valverde of Lima, Peru, and her dog, Tomas.
After Tomas was stolen, a neighbor of Carmen's who works at the teaching hospital in the University of San Marcos recognized him while looking in the surgery room in which the school routinely dissects dogs.
The neighbor alerted Carmen and, wearing a lab coat, Carmen was able to sneak into the facility at the university and rescue Tomas, who was already sedated and strapped down for dissection.
While the school claims that it only dissects "dogs [who] don't have owners," after Tomas' story was made public, at least one other guardian found her missing dog in the same laboratory.
We're following this case and will keep you posted on any developments.
This problem isn't limited to Peru. Animals suffer in laboratories no matter where they come from, but laboratories that are willing to pay for animals provide an incentive for unscrupulous people to get animals wherever they can—often from our streets and yards. "Bunchers" may drug animals, pose as animal control officers, or answer "free to a good home" ads to get puppies and kittens to sell.You're out for a walk with your dog when two men suddenly appear and grab him... more
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Lemurs butchered in Madagascar - Endangered lemurs illegally killed by poachers in Madagascar to be sold to restaurants as a "luxury" product. These animals are the golden crowned sifaka, Propithecus tattersalli.
Conservation International is working with local NGO Fanamby to call for more support from the international community to protect Madagascar's endangered wildlife.
Washington, DC – A set of shocking new pictures show a massive upsurge in the illegal hunting of lemurs in Madagascar that threatens the survival of many species, and the international community must act immediately to stop the pillage of the island – Conservation International (CI) said today.
Madagascar’s unique biodiversity is being wiped-out on a shocking scale by criminal gangs who are taking advantage of a break-down in law and order after the recent coup. After numerous reports of illegal logging and export of hardwoods, the latest scandal is the sale of lemurs (see attached pictures) as bushmeat to restaurant owners who have been ordering the killing of the animals – 15 people have been arrested on the island for this offense.
After the island’s coup earlier this year many international bodies including the World Bank and the US government suspended conservation and development work in Madagascar, providing only “life-saving” aid. This withdrawal of international support has weakened environmental governance in the country and has created the perfect conditions for criminals to profit from the situation. Since March 2009, there have been a set of environmental catastrophes in one of the world’s most important countries for biodiversity conservation ranging from the illegal felling of trees in national parks for export to Asia, collection of animals for the pet trade, and now the hunting of lemurs for bushmeat, the first evidence we have had of this since the coup.
CI president Dr Russ Mittermeier, one of the world’s leading authorities on lemurs, said: “What is happening to the biodiversity of Madagascar is truly appalling, and the slaughter for these delightful, gentle, and unique animals is simply unacceptable. And it is not for subsistence, but rather to serve what is certainly a “luxury” market in restaurants of larger towns in the region. More than anything else, these poachers are killing the goose that laid the golden egg, wiping out the very animals that people most want to see, and undercutting the country and especially local communities by robbing them of future ecotourism revenue.
He added: “In the last week Madagascar has taken important steps towards resolving its political crisis and move towards the restoration of democracy. It is counterproductive of the international donor community to continue denying conservation and development funding because this only encourages poor governance of the country’s natural resources. The world community must act now to support the dedicated local wildlife authorities who are battling to prevent this globally important resource from being destroyed.”
The protection of Madagascar’s ecosystems and endangered wildlife is important for more than just its scientific value. The island’s 20 million inhabitants are hugely reliant on ecotourism – an industry that has collapsed since the coup, but can be quickly reinvigorated when the situation is resolved. The forests of Madagascar are also important in the battle against climate change and several demonstration projects run by CI on the island have shown how protection of standing forest and reforestation of degraded areas can bring significant benefits to local communities as well as reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
Dr Mittermeier concluded: “This is what happens when the global community attempts to punish a nation’s leaders by cutting virtually all aid. We need to rethink the global response to political upheavals in the future, and not to place the greatest burden on those most in need.”Lemurs butchered in Madagascar - Endangered lemurs illegally killed by poachers in... more
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i wish you wouldn't do a story on bullfighting.it is cruel and sick.and i come from a ranching family,and spent many years on the rodeo trail. it is not fighting,it is torture.i wish you wouldn't do a story on bullfighting.it is cruel and sick.and i come... more
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hen pro quarterback Michael Vick pleaded guilty to bankrolling a dogfighting operation in 2007, there was a spike in reports of dogfighting in the United States. But when the headlines faded, the blood sport grew stronger and went even more underground, with thugs taking inventive precautions to keep police at bay, animal cruelty experts say.
"They know it's just not smart to have large crowds anymore, so we've seen fights where you've got the two handlers, a referee and Web cams everywhere broadcasting the fight on the Internet," said Mark Kumpf, an investigator based in Ohio who directs the National Animal Control Association.
Fights are also being staged on the move -- in 18-wheelers. "These guys are very sophisticated," Kumpf said. "If you're driving down the road, there could be dogs in that truck driving next to you that are dying."
Dozens more dogfighting cases have been investigated and prosecuted since the Vick case, said Alison Gianotto, who runs the database PetAbuse.com.
The computer programmer, horrified when a neighbor's cat was set on fire eight years ago, created the California-based organization to track animal cruelty cases and animal abusers.
The database, which logs media stories, has also become a popular place for law enforcement to send reports.
"There's not a central body keeping track of what's happening nationally, which is unfortunate when you consider that a lot of these cases cross state lines," she said.
Still, detectives, animal welfare professionals and prosecutors agree that the attention the Vick case has brought to dogfighting has been positive because more people are inclined to report their suspicions. Dogfighting is illegal in all states; penalties vary but usually include heavy jail time or steep fines.
The National Football League suspended Vick indefinitely in August 2007 after he pleaded guilty to a federal charge of bankrolling a dogfighting operation at a home he owned in Virginia. Vick, 29, was freed from federal prison in Leavenworth, Kansas, on May 20 and returned to Virginia to serve the last two months of his 23-month sentence in home confinement.
"At the height of attention on the Vick case, things quieted down across the country with some of these dogfighters getting out of the business," veteran animal abuse investigator Tim Rickey said. "But then, the headlines went away, and people thought the attention was off. It just started right back up, almost stronger than before."
"Every Saturday night in every county in Missouri, there is a dogfight going on," Rickey said.
While the Vick case was making its way through the court system, Rickey, who directs the animal cruelty task force at the Humane Society of Missouri, was initiating what would become an 18-month investigation linking dogfighting rings in eight states.
That probe led to the July 8 arrest of 28 people from eight states. As many as 400 dogs were confiscated in raids coordinated by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, Rickey said. He said it was the largest such case involving dogfighting in the U.S.
While those involved with the national case declined Monday to give details about that investigation, CNN spoke with several detectives across America who have worked other dogfighting cases. Among the abuses they've uncovered:
• Dogs with missing ears and patches of skin
• Animals with teeth shaved down to the bone
• "Vets" who have used leg splints that are to tight to "treat" animals in dogfighting rings
• Contraptions, usually fashioned out of wood, much like a treadmill, that force chained dogs to run or be choked.hen pro quarterback Michael Vick pleaded guilty to bankrolling a dogfighting operation... more
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Before he became a symbol of animal cruelty, Michael Vick was one of the most electrifying players in American football. As quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons, he was the highest paid player in the league, and he pulled in tens of millions of dollars in endorsements.
But it all came to an abrupt end two years ago when police raided a farm Vick owned in Virginia and uncovered an illegal dog fighting operation. He eventually pled guilty to bankrolling the enterprise and participating in every aspect of it, including killing dogs that refused to fight. He was sentenced to two years in prison, and eventually declared bankruptcy.
Last month he was released and conditionally reinstated into the NFL.
Friday, at a press conference in Philadelphia, it was announced he'd be playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, after signing a two-year contract, with the possibility of earning nearly $7 million.
In his first interview since going to prison, Michael Vick explains what he did, why he did it, and how he says he has changed.Before he became a symbol of animal cruelty, Michael Vick was one of the most... more
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In 'The Cove', a team of activists and filmmakers infiltrate a heavily-guarded cove in Taiji, Japan.
In this remote village they witness and document activities deliberately being hidden from the public.
More than 20,000 dolphins and porpoises are being slaughtered each year and their meat, containing toxic levels of mercury, is being sold as food in Japan, often times labeled as "whale meat".
The majority of the world is not aware this is happening.
The Taiji cove is blocked off from the public. Cameras are not allowed inside and the media does not cover the story. It's critical that we get the word out in Japan. Once the Japanese people know we believe they will demand change.In 'The Cove', a team of activists and filmmakers infiltrate a... more
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This Pod features interviews with various people on the streets of Richmond VA. This was filmed outside the court on the day of the sentencing in 07. Both sides weigh in on the debate Based on his celebrity was Vick given too harsh or too lenient of a sentence?This Pod features interviews with various people on the streets of Richmond VA. This... more
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Certain products used to control fleas and ticks are raising hairs. In April 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an advisory after an increase in the number of reported health incidents in pets treated with some flea and tick control products.
Following the EPA advisory, in an unrelated effort, the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) filed a lawsuit in California against major pet product retailers and manufacturers for allegedly failing to use warning labels on flea and tick control products that contain a chemical linked to cancer.
EPA URGES PRECAUTION WHEN USING SPOT-ON FLEA & TICK PRODUCTS
The EPA is advising consumers who use specific types of flea and tick control products on their pets to take precautions. The advisory applies to nearly 70 “spot-on”
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/prodname-reg.pdf products that contain registered-pesticides; spot-on products generally come in tubes or vials and are directly applied to specific areas of the pet’s body to control fleas and ticks, as opposed to other control products, such as flea collars.
In 2008, about 1,300 major or fatal pet incidents linked to spot-on products were recorded in the EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs database. Adverse reactions ranged from skin irritation to seizures, and in some cases death.
The EPA’s advice to consumers who use spot-on flea and tick products includes carefully following label instructions and closely monitoring pets for any signs of adverse reactions after use, particularly when using a product for the first time http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/eeffe922a687433c85257359003f5340/cb98fe802d1162a78525759a00686ef0!OpenDocument
The agency also suggests consulting a veterinarian about the responsible and effective use of flea and tick products.
While other flea and tick products, such as sprays, collars, and shampoos have also reportedly caused health effects in pets, the EPA says most incidents have been associated with spot-on products. At the same time, the agency says many flea and tick products are used without harmful effects and notes their importance as part of effective flea and tick control.
Meanwhile, Health Canada, a Canadian government agency, has noticed similar problems with spot-on products. Both the EPA and Health Canada are intensifying their evaluation of those products and working with spot-on product manufacturers to address the issue, including whether further restrictions are necessary.
LAWSUIT PINPOINTS CHEMICAL IN FLEA & TICK PRODUCTS
On the heels of the EPA advisory, NRDC filed a lawsuit in California against major pet product retailers and manufacturers that sell flea and tick control products. The suit alleges the companies, including PetSmart, PETCO, and PetStore.com, are illegally selling flea and tick collars (and potentially other products) with propoxur, a chemical on California’s Proposition 65 list because it’s known to the state of California to cause cancer, without the proper warning labels required by the state.
NRDC is also petitioning the EPA to ban all “pet uses” of propoxur and another chemical, tetrachlorvinphos (TCVP), which is considered to be a likely carcinogen by the EPA.
Get the full list of spot-on products under evaluation and other advice from the EPA on taking care of fleas and ticks. The NRDC has also published a pocket guide to flea and tick treatments, http://www.greenpaws.org/_docs/GP_pocketguide.pdf which provides the group’s assessment of chemicals used in pet pest control products.
Aditional info:
"GreenPaws.org" a non-profit organization for people who love their companion animals. http://www.greenpaws.org/products.php This site includes a pocketguide (*pdf) and other important info on keeping your best friend healthy.
FDA: http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm169831.htmCertain products used to control fleas and ticks are raising hairs. In April 2009, the... more
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An animal welfare group tipped off the police after buying some lard at the farm near Czestochowa, southern Poland.
It said some dogs "were overfed to the point of no longer being able to walk".An animal welfare group tipped off the police after buying some lard at the farm near... more
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Banfield, The Pet Hospital, the nation's largest network of animal hospitals, has announced it will no longer do tail docking, ear cropping or devocalization on dogs.
Headquartered in Portland, Ore., Banfield is the nation's largest general veterinary practice, with more than 730 hospitals and 2,000 veterinarians nationwide.
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Good news!Banfield, The Pet Hospital, the nation's largest network of animal hospitals, has... more
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Tina, Jewel and Queenie are three Asian elephants who have endured a lifetime of abuse in by the circus industry. For years the USDA has stood by and watched as these elephants have been subjected to chronic Animal Welfare Act violations, including abusive and unsafe handling practices, failure to provide adequate medical care to the elephants, and negligent treatment of the animals.
On May 1, 2009, a shockingly emaciated Jewel appeared at the Mehla Shrine Circus in Springfield, Massachusetts. Along with Tina and Jewel, she was trucked 1,700 miles, a journey that exacted untold stress and suffering on this obviously ailing elephant. When she arrived, Jewel was so sickly looking that the Massachusetts SPCA advised the Shriners to bar her from performing. As a result, she spent the weekend chained inside the tent.
And now comes even more alarming news. IDA has just received USDA documents indicating that all three elephants have experienced serious weight loss, two for the second time in two years. Jewel is noted to be “poor body condition and very underweight.”
The USDA has repeatedly cited handler Will Davenport for lacking the training and ability to safely and humanely handle and care for the elephants. Yet the USDA refuses to hold him accountable. Investigations have hit dead ends in the USDA bureaucracy, with no action being taken despite years of well-documented and chronic violations of federal law.
Not only has USDA ignored Davenport's chronic animal welfare violations, but also the agency has allowed this "act" to continue to perform despite the repeated and well-documented public safety transgressions Not surprisingly, in March 2009, the elephants were involved in an "accident" while giving elephant rides, injuring a dozen children.
Enough is enough. IDA has written to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack urging him to order the USDA to confiscate these elephants before someone -- elephant or human -- dies.
The severe weight loss in all three elephants again raises the specter of Tuberculosis and contagion between the elephants and possibly to the public.
On May 1, 2009, IDA discovered all three elephants at the Melha Shrine Circus in Springfield, MA, a destination to which they had been trucked 1,700 miles from their home base in Texas. An emaciated Jewel, who did not perform at any show, spent the four days chained by two legs: under a tent, on pavement, bobbing her head incessantly.Tina, Jewel and Queenie are three Asian elephants who have endured a lifetime of abuse... more
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Tina, Jewel and Queenie are three wild-caught Asian elephants who have endured a lifetime of ill-treatment at the hands of the circus industry.
These elephants spent 2008 being trucked around the country with Circus Vazquez.
Shockingly, current "owners" of these elephants, the notorious Davenport circus family, have been allowed to continue to exhibit them despite the egregious violations of federal law committed by the Davenports.
The severe weight loss that led to Tina and Jewel being ordered off the road in 2007 has never been diagnosed, and the elephants are again losing an alarming amount of weight – 1800 pounds between them.
Will Davenport, their 'trainer' is a chronic violator of federal animal welfare law. The USDA received so many calls that it set up a special team to handle them. The pressure we are generating is surely helping to bring attention to the plight of these elephants. We are confident that only a little more pressure is necessary to achieve our goal: confiscation of the elephants and transfer to a sanctuary.
After their scheduled engagements with the Shrine Circus in Idaho were cancelled (thanks to letters from IDA and our loyal members), the elephants returned to their home base in Leggett, Texas. There they reportedly remain while undergoing tuberculosis testing and veterinary evaluation.
Yet, every day that the USDA leaves these elephants in the hands of a trainer that the agency itself has documented to be UNTRAINED and INCOMPETENT, is another day that the lives of these magnificent animals are endangered.
All three elephants have suffered from severe weight loss, Tina and Jewel for the second time in as many years. A just-released USDA inspection report from June indicates that Jewel lost 740 pounds and Queenie (aka "Boo") lost 520 pounds, while Tina has lost 640 pounds in less than a year.
Please follow the links for more information -
https://secure2.convio.net/ida/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1307Tina, Jewel and Queenie are three wild-caught Asian elephants who have endured a... more
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IDA Exposes Another Los Angeles Zoo Cover-Up - This week, IDA again exposed the Los Angeles Zoo’s attempt to hide the truth, revealing that it paid a paltry USDA penalty of $3,281 for its FAILURE TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE veterinary care to the elephant, Gita, as she lay dying overnight in June 2006.
The fine also INCLUDED the death of a chimpanzee in July 2006, making the amount even more shockingly scant.
At the time of her death, the L.A. Zoo failed to report that Gita had been observed down on the ground overnight in a perilous position and that zoo personnel took no action to help the suffering elephant. She died soon after keepers found her in the morning.
According to one report, Gita may have laid there for as long as 17 HOURS.
The truth may never have been told if not for IDA, which received a zoo insider tip and exposed the L.A. Zoo’s negligence that caused Gita to suffer a slow and agonizing death.
What gives this latest revelation even more importance is the fact that the fine was paid, according to an L.A. Times report, in January, 2008, yet the zoo kept this information hidden from the public and the Los Angeles City Council, which spent months that year deliberating whether the L.A. Zoo should continue to display elephants.This piece of critical information may have changed the council’s ultimate vote to continue keeping elephants at the zoo.
As if the story so far isn’t enough to make you feel outraged, from the token amount of the fine to the L.A. Zoo withholding vital information from city leaders, there’s MORE...
In May 2008, after Gita’s USDA file was officially closed, IDA submitted requests to the L.A. Zoo and the USDA, requesting information on the case. Neither public entity (the zoo is city owned and run) provided any information regarding the penalty, as both are required to do by law.
In response to IDA’s exposé of the L.A. Zoo, Los Angeles City Council member Tony Cardenas presented a motion before the city council this week that would force the zoo to account for this outrageous cover-up and direct the City Attorney to investigate and report back on any possible criminal and/or civil violations by the L.A. Zoo of the California Public Records Act and the U.S. Freedom of Information Act.
IDA was only able to learn about the L.A. Zoo’s fine because we sent a letter last month, signed by actress Lily Tomlin and leading animal protection organizations, to the USDA, blasting the agency for its failure to protect captive-held elephants.
The USDA’s response letter contained scant information about Gita and the zoo’s fine, as well as unacceptable and incomplete explanations regarding their inaction for other elephants.
This is one more case where the USDA is failing to protect elephants and to hold those who violate the Animal Welfare Act truly accountable.
What the L.A. Zoo received is nothing more than a slap on the wrist, despite the fact that Gita, an endangered Asian elephant, suffered for hours in terrible pain without veterinary care.
Help IDA hold both the L.A. Zoo and the USDA accountable for this travesty of justice.
1) If you live in the City of Los Angeles, please contact Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and your city council member and express your outrage at yet another L.A. Zoo cover-up and the fact that critical information was withheld from the council during hearings on the future of the elephant exhibit. Urge your council member to take action to whether construction on the $42 million dollar display should continue.
2) Write to your Congressperson and urge her or him to hold the USDA accountable for its utter failure to protect elephants in circuses and zoos and uphold federal law.
3) The other elephants that the USDA is failing to protect, including Tina, Queenie and Jewel, three elephants who are suffering and in danger, held by an abusive circus trainer. https://secure2.convio.net/ida/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1307IDA Exposes Another Los Angeles Zoo Cover-Up - This week, IDA again exposed the Los... more
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PHOTO: Lily, a Chihuahua terrier mix, that has five legs, that was rescued by Allyson Siegel of Charlotte, N.C., licks a bowl.
STORY UPDATE:
She's a "freak" no more.
The owner of a five-legged puppy outfoxed a Coney Island sideshow - getting the dog's extra limb amputated Thursday before the zany proprietor could stop her.
Allyson Siegel, 45, called the animal hospital late Wednesday when she learned freak show impresario John Strong was trying to lay legal claim to Lilly, a 7-week-old Chihuahua-terrier mix.
"He had said he was putting a lawsuit in an injunction to stop it," Siegel, of Charleston, S.C., told the Daily News.
"I consulted with the surgeon to see if she was healthy enough to have it now. He looked at her, took some X-rays and scheduled it for this morning."
Lilly, who could barely walk, appeared to be in perfect condition after the operation - originally scheduled for next week, Siegel said.
"She's doing fantastic," Siegel added. "She was walking around when we saw her - all four legs, walking like a little puppy dog should."
The successful surgery was a blow to Strong, but he insisted he would continue his custody fight.
"I think it's just a story that the leg's been taken off," Strong said.
"Even if it's been taken off, we're going to sew it right back on when we win the civil case. What good is a four-legged puppy to a freak show?"
Strong was on the verge of purchasing the extra-pawed pup when Siegel swooped in, saying she wanted to save the dog from a life of humiliation.
Strong had offered the dog's original owner, Calvin Owensby, $3,000. When Siegel learned of the pup's fate, she ponied up $4,000.
"I just saw she had a deformity, and I did not think she had a voice," Siegel said, adding that she remains wary of Strong.
"I don't know where he's coming from. All I'm concerned with now is Lilly coming home and living a happy life."
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/07/23/2009-07-23_fight_over_fivelegged_puppy_coney_island_freak_show_owner_says_he_made_deal_for_.html#ixzz0M9F0SlM6PHOTO: Lily, a Chihuahua terrier mix, that has five legs, that was rescued by Allyson... more
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WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO
It may not to late to save more than 90,000 Namibian seals from cruel clubbing.
Namibian govt officials say the annual seal hunt is on with over 90,000 seals expected to be clubbed to death.
African seals have been a UN listed endangered species since 1977, with 23 former island colonies extinct. The government has even confirmed that 44% - 62% of pups do not make it their first year.
In a recent Seal Alert-SA press release Hugo explained the front and back door negotiations in play. http://sealalertsa.wordpress.com/
The Seal 'business' in Namibia is dead. World economic slump, bans in the US and EU, poor demand for luxury fur fashion goods, no fur buyers, surplus of unsold seal skins, a declining seal population - and a sealing industry that wants to sell-out for $14 million. Something the Namibian govt must now come to terms with, and now look at alternative economic solutions.
Clubbing cruelly these seal pups is senseless and idiotic, as Namibia's last fur buyer, still has 20 000 skins from the 23 000 he bought in 2008, and cannot even sell these, and has placed no orders for 2009.
Whilst Seal Alert-SA bangs on the back-door to end the cull and continues its efforts to publicly raise $14 million US dollars to buyout the industry, it has now asked the World Society for Protection of Animals (WSPA) and the Humane Society International (HSI) to politely knock on the front-door of the Namibian Govt, and make it an offer nobody can refuse.
Namibia has started clubbing and stabbing 80 000 baby seals on Sunday, July 1, 2007. It is now the 2nd week into Namibia's baby seal cull. In an effort to halt the cull of 80 000 baby seals (right now), please tell everyone you know about this.
Baby Cape fur seals in Namibia desperately appeal for your help and protection - right Now ! Distribute this movie clip freely worldwide. Boycott Namibian Tourism and anything Namibian, until this stops.WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO
It may not to late to save more than 90,000 Namibian seals... more
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"Earthrace" is joining the fight for the whales.
JAPAN has asked Australia to prevent the Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin leaving port to harass its whalers in the Antarctic next summer, but the plea may have little effect.
The anti-whaling activists plan to upgrade their fleet from an ageing, former North Atlantic fisheries patrol boat to include another ship - something out of the future. The global speedboat Earthrace would head south under Sea Shepherd colours next summer, the group's leader Paul Watson said.
"It looks like a spaceship. It can do 40 knots and dive under waves completely. We'll be using it to intercept and block harpoons."
In 61 days last year Earthrace circled the globe fuelled by biodiesel. The New Zealand owner/skipper, Pete Bethune, said he decided to become involved because "this is happening in my backyard and it really pisses me off. I'm going to make a stand."
He said he was adding half a tonne of Kevlar to the vessel to toughen it against the ice. It had the endurance to go half way round the world on a tank of fuel.
"They won't get away from me," he said.
Earthrace's role was unveiled as the International Whaling Commission heard that Sea Shepherd's protests endangered the lives of whalers in the Southern Ocean last summer when the Steve Irwin was involved in two collisions.
"These are highly dangerous, and it can only be described as a miracle that there has been no death or large-scale accident to date," said a Japanese delegation member, Jun Yamashita.
"We cannot tolerate such audacity," Mr Yamashita told the commission. "We ask for
all appropriate measures, including a ban on the ship from leaving port, so that we can prevent these acts from being repeated."
Mr Watson, who is not permitted inside the meeting, said the Steve Irwin was soon to leave Brisbane for Hobart after a $500,000 refit. Its buckled hull plates had been repaired, and it was fitted with a powerful water cannon on the bow to match the whalers'.
He dubbed next summer's campaign Operation Waltzing Matilda and has adopted a symbol with a kangaroo wearing a pirate's eye patch.
An official from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, David Dutton, told the 71-nation meeting in Madeira that the Rudd Government was "deeply concerned" about clashes in the Southern Ocean..."Earthrace" is joining the fight for the whales.
JAPAN has asked... more
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