tagged w/ Adopt - Don't Buy
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Truly inspiring! -- if this doesn’t cause you to shed a tear or two, and then put a smile on your face, then you have no heart...
http://veracitystew.com/?p=32718Truly inspiring! -- if this doesn’t cause you to shed a tear or two, and then... more
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Forbes...
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PART ONE...
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[ EthicalVegan's comment: "BUY" a dog?!??!?! "PET"????!?!?!? ]
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2/22/2012 @ 12:10PM
Where *Not* to Buy a Dog: The Pet Store Connection to the Business of Puppy Mills
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So where should you buy a dog? The absolute worst place, it turns out, is a pet store.
An HBO documentary, Madonna of the Mills, exposes the fact that virtually all pet store puppies are raised in puppy mills in horrible conditions, in wire pens no bigger than a dishwasher, and the puppies are sickly with parasites and other serious issues.
In my previous posts, I talked about my experiences with Alison my shelter dog, and Tessie, my Golden Retriever that came from a high-quality breeder and about the economics of buying and owning a puppy. Today, as part of a continuing series, I present an interview with Andrew Nibley, a CEO who took off a year and a half to make this documentary about the dirty secret of the pet industry.
If you want to make sure you don’t miss future installments of this series, including an interview with training guru Ian Dunbar, please consider following me on Twitter or Facebook.
Here’s the trailer for Madonna of the Mills.
The documentary, which can be found on HBOGo.com, takes a rigorously journalistic view of this complex problem. (Nibley used to be an editor at Reuters.) It also balances an unflinching depiction of the problem with moments of hope provided by the dogs that have been rescued from the mills and the woman who rescued them. It’s an uplifting, deeply personal story that’s well worth the $15 and an hour of your time. Here’s my interview with director Andrew Nibley.
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Allen St. John: What’s the solution to the puppy mill problem?
Andrew Nibley: Puppy mills will continue to exist as long as people buy puppy mill puppies. 99 percent of all puppies in pet stores come from puppy mills. So if people stop buying from pet stores, if people stop buying over the internet, puppy mills will dry up. It’s a question of supply and demand. If there’s no demand for these dogs, farmers will go back to growing crops or doing something else for a living.
And pet stores will go back to doing what they should be doing—selling leashes, bowls, toys, and puppy chow—and not actually selling the animals themselves. It’s pretty straightforward.
ASJ: Some states like Missouri have tried to legislate the conditions in puppy mills.
AN: I think it’s very, very hard to regulate. There have been a lot of legislative attempts, but they make small improvements and they’re almost glacial in the way they’re taking hold. You have states that say that every animal has to have an exercise plan. But there isn’t any enforcement on the back end. Or there’ll be something that says they can’t have wire flooring—that’s an improvement, but if they don’t clean the cages anyway, you’re not getting at the problem.
And frankly, I think animals should have more room to move around in than something the size of a dishwasher. USDA regulations say that the animal has to have seven inches in front of its nose and seven inches over its head and that’s not a lot of room. The farmers think of these puppies as a cash crop the same way they’d look at soybeans or corn or spinach.
ASJ: But I guess there’s another side of this, too, that the puppies from the mills are often dangerously sick when you take them home and prone to all kinds of life-threatening problems early in life.
AN: Let’s leave aside the question of whether or not you want to support puppy mills which are, in my opinion, concentration camps for the parents of pet store puppies, and just look at what you’re buying as a consumer when you buy a dog from a pet store or over the internet.
You’re getting a dog that cost $1,000 to $2,000 that cost the farmer $50 to $75 to raise. There’s 100 percent chance that puppy is going to have parasites or some kind of disease. There’s almost a 50 percent chance that dog is going to die or have a serious illness within the first year.
So you’re buying a defective product at over-inflated prices, even if you don’t care about what happens to that puppy’s parents, it’s a bad, bad deal for the consumer.
ASJ: How can you tell when an Internet breeder is really a puppy mill?
AN: When you talk to a breeder, you should say “Can I see this puppy’s parents?” If it’s a puppy mill they won’t be able to produce the parents.
If they say they’re going to fly the dog to you, there’s a pretty good chance it’s a puppy mill. Most breeders love the animals so much they will actually fly with the animal to make sure that the owners are legit. In some places it’s as hard to adopt a dog [from a quality breeder] as it is a kid. “Do you have a big enough back yard? Do you have other animals? Did you have animals in the past?” These breeders love these dogs.
ASJ: And puppy mills are really preying on our attachment to our dogs.
AN: It’s an emotional purchase. As the vet says in the movie, it’s not a washing machine or a car or a refrigerator that you can take back. You bought the puppy because you had an emotional attachment when you first met it. When you find out its sick, the last thing you want to do is take it back, you want to help it.
And that’s how people get trapped. In a pet store, you walk by and see cute, adorable puppies but you have no idea where they came from and what’s happening to their parents. That’s really why we made the movie, is to wake people up.
ASJ: Is the problem that people don’t see the connection between the pet store puppy and the horrible conditions in which it was raised?
AN: I think if you ask, 90 percent of people would say they’re against puppy mills, and then you ask them where they got their pet, they say “Oh, we got him at the pet store.” We tried to make that connection between puppy mills and pet stores and how it’s part of a multi-billion dollar business in the U.S.
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CONTINUED...
.Forbes...
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PART ONE...
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[ EthicalVegan's comment: "BUY"... more
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Halo...
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Woman Saves Cat’s Life; Cat Returns the Favor
photo of Pudding, courtesy of the Door County Humane Society
By Caroline Golon
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When Amy Jung of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin adopted two cats from a local shelter, she had no idea that, just hours later, the decision would save her life.
Jung wasn’t planning on coming home with a cat, let alone two cats that day. She and her son Ethan had stopped by the Door County Humane Society to play with the homeless felines.
But Pudding, a 21-pound orange and white cat, caught Jung’s attention. The two made a connection and Jung decided to adopt him. Pudding and another cat, Wimsy, were brought to the shelter together when their owner died a month earlier. Jung, not wanting to separate the two cats, adopted them both.
According to Jung, the pair of felines made themselves at home right away and all seemed well.
Until later that night when Jung, who has been diabetic since childhood, went into a diabetic seizure in her sleep.
That’s when the normally laid-back Pudding took action. Jumping on Jung’s chest, Pudding began to nudge and bite at her in an apparent attempt to rouse her. Jung said the heavy cat on top of her woke her long enough to call to her son for help.
When the sleeping Ethan did not hear his mother’s cries, Pudding raced into Ethan’s room and jumped on him, waking him up in time to get medical help for his mother.
Jung and her son are amazed and grateful to Pudding. “If something or someone hadn’t pulled me out of that, I wouldn’t be here,” Jung told the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
Carrie Counihan, Door County Humane Society executive director, described the giant cat as very laid back and relaxed. To jump up on someone like he did to Jung was not his normal behavior, making it all the more believable that he knew something was amiss. "That, for me, makes the story really stand out," she told the Green Bay Press-Gazette. "That he was sensing something and reacting to it."
At the suggestion of her doctor, Jung registered Pudding as a therapy cat. Pudding now sits by Jung’s side and meows if he senses her blood sugar may be low.
.Halo...
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Woman Saves Cat’s Life; Cat Returns the Favor
photo of... more
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Beautiful video story of the rescue of Edie, a dog about to be euthanized but who, instead, was given her second chance at life... a REAL life.
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Link above doesn't work. So please take the two additional seconds to click on THIS link (below) -- it'll be worth your time!
http://www.wimp.com/neededhug/
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LqSHfkLvHk
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Beautiful video story of the rescue of Edie, a dog about to be euthanized but... more
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CBS News US...
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December 6, 2011 4:38 PM
Kittens discarded in cat food bag rescued by dog
By
Michelle Castillo
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PHOTO: Reagan, the dog who saved the day by rescuing two kittens from a discarded cat food bag (WHOTV)
(CBS News)
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Two kittens who were thrown mercilessly into a a bag and then dumped in the middle of the road are now available for adoption from and Iowa rescue group But if it weren't for the heroic actions of dog named Regan, they probably would not have survived.
WHOTV reports that the two kittens, named Tipper and Skipper, were sealed in a Meow Mix bag with the rest of the litter, and then left in the street. The bag had been run over by a vehicle, killing some of the kittens and making it difficult to tell exactly how many cats were inside. Somehow, Tipper and Skipper survived. "It was not a pretty sight," Linda Blakely from Iowa's Raccoon Valley Animal Sanctuary said.
That's when Reagan stepped in. He grabbed the bag, and carried it home. He didn't stop whining until his owner opened the bag. Covered in the blood and remains of the kittens who were killed, she found two seriously injured survivors.
"The instinct of the dog was to nurture and not kill the kittens. With all the blood some dogs would have responded to the scent. Reagan the dog is a hero," Blakely said.
Tipper and Skipper were traumatized and weak from the experience, and had to be fed with a bottle every two hours. They have recovered, and are now available for adoption. Blakely believed their their survival is proof that there is always a way to make things right, and wanted to remind pet owners that there's always a safe method to finding a new home for pets if you are unable to take care of them.
.CBS News US...
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December 6, 2011 4:38 PM
Kittens discarded in cat food... more
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wdbo...
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Updated: 10:10 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011 | Posted: 10:10 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011
Man accused of cruelty can help dogs find homes
The Associated Press
HELENA, Montana
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A judge says a Jefferson City dog breeder accused of animal cruelty can work with the Humane Society to find homes for up to 70 malamutes that were seized from his property.
The Independent Record (http://bit.ly/uO5c7L ) reports Mike Chilinski told District Judge Loren Tucker on Wednesday about 70 people have contacted him about adopting the dogs.
Authorities say a man and woman reported Chilinski when they went to his house in September to buy a Malamute puppy and were horrified by the conditions. The Lewis and Clark Humane Society says the dogs were living in pens encrusted with feces and with little or no water, and many of them were underweight and had parasites and untreated wounds.
Chilinski faces 91 counts of felony animal cruelty, as well as unrelated drug charges. More than 160 dogs were seized.
.wdbo...
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Updated: 10:10 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011 | Posted: 10:10 p.m.... more
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NBC NEWS | LOS ANGELES...
Glendale Considering Ban on Pet Sales
The Glendale city council is considering a ban on dog and cat sales in pet stores and from backyard pet breeders.
By Angie Crouch and Julie Brayton
| Thursday, Aug 18, 2011 | Updated 7:36 PM PDT
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Glendale Considering Ban on Pet Sales
Soon Sales of Cats and Dogs in Glendale Pet Stores may be Banned
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Animal rights activists say an investigation into deplorable conditions of a puppy mill in the Midwest that allegedly supplied dogs to several Glendale pet stores, helped convince the Glendale city council to consider banning the sale of dogs and cats from pet stores in the city.
"Animals that were injured," said Carole Davis, of the Companion Animal Protection Society, speaking about the conditions in the puppy mill in the midwest. "Animals that were covered in feces and urine. Animals that had hair that was matted so much that the eyes were closed off, and that they couldn't see."
The proposed ban comes on the heels of West Hollywood's city council adopting a similar policy last year. Los Angeles is also considering a ban.
"What's happening in California," according to Davis, "is a result of direct action by animal rights activists. Los Angeles is the second largest market for puppy mill dogs, after New York City.”
At Pets R Us in Glendale, the manager says they still sell rescued cats, but they stopped selling dogs a few months ago after the C.A.P.S. investigation revealed their supplier got them from a puppy mill.
Like Pets R Us, most Glendale pet stores have already voluntarily stopped selling dogs.
The new ordinance would still allow residents to sell kittens and puppies that come from unexpected pregnancies, but the ordinance would also prohibit so-called backyard breeders.
The city council voiced support for the prohibition after roughly 30 people crowded City Hall in support of the ordinance.
.NBC NEWS | LOS ANGELES...
Glendale Considering Ban on Pet Sales
The Glendale... more
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Los Angeles Times...
San Francisco considers banning the sale of all pets
The proposal started with dogs and cats, expanded to birds and hamsters, and now includes any animal that walks, flies, swims, crawls or slithers — unless you plan to eat it.
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By Maria L. La Ganga, Los Angeles Times
June 26, 2011, 6:29 p.m.
Reporting from San Francisco—
The first vision was simple and straightforward: To curtail puppy mills and kitten factories, the sale of cats and dogs should be banned in San Francisco, where the loving guardians of animal companions come to regular blows — politically — with the loving parents of children.
The ban was put on hold last year after animal advocates broadened it to include anything with fur or feathers. Now it's back, with a new name and a new strategy: More is more. The Humane Pet Acquisition Proposal is on its way to the Board of Supervisors, and it hopes to protect everything from Great Danes to goldfish.
Yes, goldfish. And guppies, gobies, gouramies, glowlight tetras, German blue rams. No fish, no fowl, no reptiles, no amphibians, no cats, no dogs, no gerbils, no rats. If it flies, crawls, runs, swims or slithers, you would not be able to buy it in the city named for the patron saint of animals.
Representatives of the $45-billion to $50-billion-a-year pet industry call the San Francisco proposal "by far the most radical ban we've seen" nationwide and argue that it would force small operators to close. Animal activists say it will save small but important lives, along with taxpayer money, and end needless suffering.
"Why fish? Why not fish?" said Philip Gerrie, a member of the city's Commission of Animal Control and Welfare and a coauthor of the proposal. "From Descartes on up, in the Western mindset, fish and other nonhuman animals don't have feelings, they don't have emotions, we can do whatever we want to them. If we considered them living beings, we would deal with them differently.… Our culture sanctions this, treating them as commodities and expendable."
The commission voted earlier this month to send a proposal to the Board of Supervisors recommending a ban on the sale of all pets in the city to shore up the adoption of unwanted creatures from shelters and rescue organizations. Commissioners are now looking for a supervisor or two to sponsor such an ordinance.
Snake food was almost exempt from the proposal. After all, pythons have to eat, and they like their lunch alive. But at a heated meeting, Commissioner Pam Hemphill questioned how it could be humane to sell live animals to be fed to other live animals.
"If a snake is caught with a rodent in a box, the rodent can scratch its eye and cause an infection," said Hemphill, who noted that reptiles on display at the California Academy of Sciences eat dead, frozen prey. "The snake can't escape, and the rodent might be stuck for one or two days in the box with the snake because the snake's not hungry right then.
"So it doesn't seem very humane to me," she continued. "And if the frozen [food] works, then I think the killing of the animals to be food is probably more humane."
It is legal in San Francisco to sell live animals for eventual human consumption, and the proposed ban would not stop markets from selling live fish, poultry, turtles or seafood for that purpose.
Rebecca Katz, director of San Francisco Animal Care and Control, said her agency supports a ban on pet sales — particularly one that includes the so-called smalls, such as hamsters, which are euthanized at her city shelter at a higher percentage than any other domesticated animal. Although she did not advocate for the inclusion of fish, she is not against it.
"We're the agency that receives the old, filthy fish bowl with the goldfish at risk and have to determine whether we can make them healthy and adopt them out or flush them down the toilet," Katz said. "These are the lucky ones. Most people just flush them themselves."
Jennifer Scarlett, a veterinarian and co-president of the San Francisco SPCA, notes that only a handful of stores in San Francisco sell animals of any kind and that the effect of a ban would be largely symbolic. But she said that symbolism, and the conversation that it raises, is critical in improving the lives of millions of helpless creatures.
"For us as an organization, we've identified the larger problem of online purchasing of dogs, and we hope this is an avenue to get to that," she said. Still, when it comes to birds and fish, "there's a lot of cruelty around where they are sourced from. We see the cruelty."
But Jonathan Ito finds the proposal to be far more than symbolic. To the owner of Animal Connection — who has sold fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians, rats, mice and hamsters for a generation — the ban is a threat to his livelihood.
"It would put us out of business and our employees out of work," said Ito, who believes there is "no cause and effect" to the proposal.
Pet stores, he said, do not cause overcrowding at the shelters. They do not promote impulse buys of small, cute creatures that will later be tossed aside by bored children. And they work hard to educate prospective pet owners.
"The animal-rights activists are trying to drive a wedge any way they can in order to get a foothold on changing the ownership of animals," Ito said. "They don't believe they should be bred. They don't believe people are responsible to care for them.… They are about eliminating animals as pets."
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PHOTO: Jonathan Ito is the owner of Animal Connection in the Sunset District. The city's Commission of Animal Control and Welfare voted earlier this month to send a proposal to the Board of Supervisors recommending a ban on the sale of all pets in the city to shore up the adoption of unwanted creatures from shelters and rescue organizations. (David Butow, For The Times / June 22, 2011)Los Angeles Times...
San Francisco considers banning the sale of all pets
The... more
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March 10, 4:59 PMMinneapolis Pets ExaminerMike Fry
PART ONE...
Myth: Noun - A fiction or half-truth, especially one that forms part of an ideology.
Meme: Noun - A unit of cultural information, such as a cultural practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another
Zeitgeist: Noun - The spirit of the time; the taste and outlook characteristic of a period or generation
In 2005 a grotesque news story broke about People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Two employees for the national animal rights group were charged with 31 counts each of felony animal cruelty after authorities found the bodies of 18 animals just “rescued” by PETA in a dumpster. Thirteen more dead animals were found in a “euthanasia van” registered to the organization.
As this disturbing story unfolded, more shocking information came to light: the animals killed by PETA staff were generally healthy and some were in no danger at the time they were killed. One group of animals, a mother cat and her kittens, were turned over to PETA by a veterinary clinic where they were available for adoption. The felines were healthy and well cared for by all accounts.
To get the vet clinic to release the cats PETA told the veterinary staff they planned to find homes for the felines. However, the kitties were killed in one of PETA’s mobile euthanasia vans moments later -- right there in the parking lot. The bodies of the cats were some of those found in dumpsters.
More shocking still: this was apparently not an isolated case of fringe employees going off-script. USDA documents were uncovered showing that PETA consistently kills between 88% and 97% of the animals it “rescues” each year.
When all was said and done cruelty charges against the PETA employees were dropped. Because they used lethal injection to kill the critters, and because lethal injection is classified as an appropriate means to dispatch unwanted pets, prosecutors could not make cruelty charges stick. Ultimately, the only convictions that resulted from this case were trespassing and illegal disposal of animal carcasses in dumpsters.
Rather than distancing themselves from the horrendous acts of these employees PETA called the deaths compassionate and necessary. PETA blamed the deaths of these animals on “pet overpopulation,” a national tragedy that many animal welfare advocates say results in deaths of about 4 million healthy dogs and cats in animal shelters every year.
“Pet overpopulation” is a phrase repeated with much regularity by those who work and volunteer in animal shelters and rescue groups, so much so that the notion that there are too many animals and not enough homes has generally not been questioned. The single piece of data used to define the problem has been the numbers of animals killed in shelters. Rarely has the question been asked, “what if these deaths are caused by something else?”
Recently data from a variety of sources has begun pointing to the fact that deaths in animal shelters are not due to a problem of animal overpopulation. The data suggests the actual problem may be more insidious.
The most compelling data suggesting that pet overpopulation is a myth comes out of a study jointly commissioned by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), Maddie’s Fund and the Ad Council. The study concluded that every year about 21 million families bring a new dog or cat into their homes. To put that number into perspective, the total number of dogs and cats that enter animal shelters is around 8 million.
Because not all animals that enter animal shelters need new homes - some need to be reunited with their families and a small percentage (around 7%) need to be humanely euthanized due to terminal illness or severe behavior problems - the actual number of animals entering shelters that need new homes each year is estimated to be between 4 million and 5 million. In other words, there are about four times as many homes looking to acquire a new dog or cat than there are dogs and cats needing new homes.
CONTINUED...March 10, 4:59 PMMinneapolis Pets ExaminerMike Fry
PART ONE...
Myth: Noun - A... more
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Dog gives birth to 17 puppies
December 21, 2010
A dog in Germany has given birth to 17 puppies, leaving their owner thrilled but fatigued after having to feed them with a bottle for several weeks because their mother couldn't cope with the demand.
Owner Ramona Wegemann said she barely slept for more than a couple of minutes without interruption during about four weeks in an "exhausting" struggle to make sure all of the purebred Rhodesian Ridgeback puppies would survive.
She said when she was "finished feeding the last puppy, the first was hungry again".
Wegemann's dog Etana gave birth to eight female and nine male puppies on September 28 in Ebereschenhof, which is near Berlin.
At least five times a day, Wegemann gave the dogs a bottle with special milk because their mother's nipples could never have coped with the demand, and when the puppies were not hungry, they wanted to be entertained, she said.
Wegemann said when dogs give birth to so many puppies several of them die within the first week. "But all of our puppies survived. This is incredible and wonderful," the 32-year-old added.
It was the second time that Etana gave birth. She gave birth to eight puppies in her first pregnancy, not uncommon for the dog's breed, Wegemann said.
"The birth of the puppies was very special. All puppies were born naturally, no caesarean was necessary," she added. It took Etana a full 26 hours to give birth to all of the puppies - and Wegemann was as baffled as amazed.
But caring for 17 puppies turned out to be a full-time job: Wegemann put her work as an independent animal psychiatrist on hold and her husband took as much holiday as he could.
Their lives have been turned upside down by the puppies, and their living room is now occupied by a giant box that houses the puppies.
But even Wegemann still struggles to recognize them: The females puppies are called Bahati, Binta, Bahya, Bashima, Batouuli, Binki, Bora, Bisa and the male ones are Baakir, Banjoku, Belay, Bruk, Bundu, Bayo, Bukekayo, Biton and Bulus.
Wegemann gave them all African names because the Rhodesian Ridgeback is an African hunting dog.
AP
Nine Rhodesian Ridgeback puppies from a litter of 17 look out of their box Photo: APDog gives birth to 17 puppies
December 21, 2010
A dog in Germany has given... more
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SHARED BY...
Jennifer Lee Pryor
President, Indigo Inc.
President, Tarnished Angel, Inc.
www.richardpryor.com
Director, Pryor’s Planet
www.pryorsplanet.com
From: nancyelizabeth green
Sent: Wednesday, November 24, 2010 1:07 PM
Subject: Fwd: WCTV (Tallahassee) CBS affiliate refusal to air news spot
A quick update to the situation in Ga. The station backed down from showing the spot, as the lawyer for the ministry called their legal dept. I called CBS in New York to issue a complaint. I am trying to find an attorney to help protect this woman and her animals from a greed-entrenched Christian entity and a town totally intimidated. These animals will starve if she cannot receive some type of feed assistance. I am hoping if people call CBS, maybe the spot will be aired and the truth will be revealed. Thank you
nancyelizabeth green
__________________________
-----Original Message-----
From: nancyelizabeth green
To: pjcooper
Cc: kokob
Sent: Wed, Nov 24, 2010 10:53 am
Subject: RE:WCTV (tallahassee) CBS affiliate refusal to air news spot
Ms. Cooper: The reporter (Ms. Caroline Gonzmart) did the interview. She was both professional and kind. High Point Ministries was informed, but did not send anyone. The spot was to be aired twice yesterday. Ms. Bannister received a call, approx. 4pm, telling her apologetically that the station could not air the spot as scheduled. Apparently, Mr. Kevin Cauley, attorney for the High Point Ministries, called WCTV's legal dept., and the rest is history. There was nothing negative or disparaging in the spot; just informing the community of the removal of animals, without any writ of possession filed or served, by High Point Ministries. I left messages with both the news director and station manager @ WCTV. This is of great concern to the animal community. This truly is a story of David vs. Goliath. The Tallahassee community has a right to know , and WCTV has a duty to reveal the truth, regardless of the influence of parties involved.
nancyelizabeth green atlanta ga.
"I urge you to ask yourself just how honorable it is to preside over the abuse and suffering of animals."
Richard Pryor
Dream High Farms (5013c) in Wigham, Ga. has been evicted without notice, by the High Point Ministries (Tallahassee, Fla.). This "christian"-based group, run by Donna Floyd, is wealthy; some say it has more $$$ than God! Three jets, a Russian orphanage; you get the idea. They had the sheriff remove 8 horses and one donkey last Friday night. No papers were ever filed or served, and Becky Bannister (founder of Dream High Farms) has adoption papers (2008) for the equines. They also took most of the feed and hay, which leaves Becky with barely enough to feed the remaining animals. This is a very small, rural town (631 people), and this ministry has the power of wealth and religion. I called local TV stations, trying to get a reporter to the property, when the sheriff was allowing the removal of these animals.
P.S. Becky just called me and told me a WCTV (CBS affiliate in Tallahassee), has responded, and is due @ Dream High Farms @ 9am, tomorrow (Tuesday) morning! I hope they have the guts to show the community, what the High Point Ministries is really all about. This situation is particularly despicable, as animals and children are being deprived under the guise of religion.
Thank you for passing this along to your contacts.
Respectfully, nancy elizabeth Green atlanta ga.
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Subject: Fwd: -11/12/10 HIGHPOINTE MINISTRIES EVICTING 5013c rehab for special needs children through animals
ATTENTION: The situation with the High Point Ministries (see below) has worsened. This evening, the sheriff of Wigham approached Mrs. Bannister's property and said they were removing her horses. No legal papers (eviction or otherwise), were presented. Several horses were confiscated. I was on the phone with Becky during the "theft" of her animals. The sheriff threatened her with obstruction of justice, as she objected. I tried to call TV stations, to get a reporter on the scene. I could not get anyone's attention. This is a travesty!
High Point Ministries needs to be confronted on their seemingly "unchristianlike" behavior. This is a small Georgia community (631population.) But, like its large city counterparts, $$$ appears to make right. The Sheriff needs to be investigated( Grady county) as to why he would assist in the removal of property without any type of court mandate. Please contact Becky Bannister.
Sent: Fri, Nov 19, 2010 10:30 am
Subject: -11/12/10 HIGHPOINTE MINISTRIES EVICTING 5013c rehab for special needs children thru animals
Press Release
11/12/10
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dream High Farms, Whigham, Georgia
A Nonprofit Animal Rescue falls victim to greed of Christian Ministry.
Dream High Farms (an IRS approved 501(c)(3)) was founded in 2007 by Becky Bannister and her husband Richard. Richard Bannister is a Vietnam Air Force Veteran, who works for the U.S. Post Office. Becky has a background in adolescent psychology, mental retardation and substance abuse. They are located in Whigham, Georgia, in the southwestern portion of the State.
They currently provide needed shelter for 98 horses, 13 greyhounds, 50 peacocks, and 187 other assorted animals, including 2 llamas. Over the last five years they have provided Equestrian Assisted Therapy for hundreds of at risk youth in southwest Georgia and northern Florida.
In 2008 High Pointe Ministries stepped in to assist the agency, offering to purchase the land so that the Animal Rescue agency could continue in perpetuity. Tragically, benefactor Mike Floyd, passed away in January of 2010, leaving no will and control of the Christian Conglomerate to his wife Donna Floyd and his daughter Melode.
Donna Floyd is host of a Christian TV Show called “Wisdom for Winning” on WKOW, carried on Titan TV. High Pointe Ministries owns many interests in TV and radio, among other business entities.
I month ago High Pointe Ministries suspended all youth programming on the property, citing liability issues. With no warning, Dream High Farms was informed that they will be thrown off the property and High Pointe Ministries would take over the operation (see www.magnoliahorsefarm.com)
High Pointe Ministries (supposedly a Christian Organization) is behaving in a decidedly Un-Christian manner.
For more information contact:
Becky Bannister
850-899-7844
229-762-4407
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http://highpointeministries.com/images/HighPointeSplash.jpg
.SHARED BY...
Jennifer Lee Pryor
President, Indigo Inc.
President, Tarnished... more
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Cat Found Injured And Tortured Inside Riverside Dryer
December 3, 2010 4:23 PM
Officer Chris Peck holds an abused and tortured cat found in Riverside.
(credit: rivcocha.org.)
RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA (CBS) — Officials are looking for the person, or persons, responsible for abusing and torturing a 4-year-old cat found Friday with her face duct taped.
The cat, who apparently is also a recent mom, was found inside a clothes dryer at a Riverside apartment complex.
The feline was discovered early this morning in a laundry room at a building in the 3000 block of Watkins Drive, near UC Riverside, according to Riverside County Department of Animal Services spokesman John Welsh.
He said a resident opened a dryer and found the gray tabby inside with duct tape over part of her face.
It’s unclear whether the cat was in the dryer while it was running, but the feline’s injuries indicated she was, said Animal Services Sgt. Jason Sanders.
“This is an act of a coward,” Sanders said. “Who would do something like this to a defenseless animal?”
The cat suffered a punctured left eye and fractured tooth, according to Welsh.
Animal Services veterinary technician Eileen Sanders said the tabby is able to drink and eat.
“I can’t imagine what this poor thing must have felt going through that ordeal,” Sanders said. “Whoever did this is going to move up and harm other animals, or maybe people.”
She feared the mommy cat’s kittens were starving — “if they haven’t already been tortured.”
Welsh said Animal Services personnel looked around the apartment complex, but couldn’t find any trace of the kitties.
He said a kitten was found in the area a few hours later. Animal control officers weren’t sure whether it belonged to the injured feline, but when the two were introduced, “the little kitty cuddled right up.”
Animal control officers encouraged anyone who might be able to help with the investigation to call (951) 358-7387.
The cat is not available for adoption yet because of her condition.
Welsh said anyone interested in adopting her in the future should e-mail the shelter at shelterinfo@rivcocha.org.Cat Found Injured And Tortured Inside Riverside Dryer
December 3, 2010 4:23 PM... more
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The New York Times
October 30, 2010
Old Foes Square Off Over Issue of Puppies
By A. G. SULZBERGER and MALCOLM GAY
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — This is an agricultural state, home to more than 100,000 farms and exporter of an outsize share of the nation’s yearly haul of beef, pork, milk and soybeans. But this year, attention has focused on another local commodity: puppies.
More than one of every three dogs sold in pet stores nationwide come from Missouri, whose breeders produce hundreds of thousands of dogs — from poodles to pit bulls — each year, according to one estimate. That distinction has made this state the target of a well-financed ballot referendum to place tougher regulations on businesses that raise and sell dogs.
The effort pits animal rights groups, led by the Humane Society of the United States, which compiled the estimate, against agricultural interests — old foes who have recently done battle in many states over the welfare of farm animals. Animal rights groups have won a number of protections for animals, as those who make their living selling livestock complain that they are being regulated out of business.
“I am an American; I have a right to raise dogs,” said Joe Overlease, president of the Professional Kennel Club of Missouri, who owns a large breeding operation of cocker spaniels in southern Missouri that was cited by the state this year for overcrowding and inadequate shelter. “I have a right to bark at the moon if I want.”
The Missouri ballot measure, known as Proposition B, would limit the size of dog breeding operations and establish minimum quality of life standards, including requiring additional space, access to the outdoors and periods of rest for females between litters. It would not increase the number of inspectors, currently 12 for the 1,450 licensed breeders statewide. Similar laws have been adopted by 15 states in the last three years, according to the Humane Society, and a recent Mason-Dixon poll showed wide support.
The campaign in support of the proposition has blanketed the state with advertisements against “puppy mills,” the label critics prefer, featuring grainy video images of law enforcement raids on breeding facilities where frail and listless dogs live cramped in wire cages piled with excrement.
“We’ve seen extremely poor overall health because of puppy mill owners putting profit above the health of their breeding stock,” said Kathy Warnick, president of the Humane Society of Missouri, which often assists on the raids.
But leaders of the livestock industry have worked to turn the vote into a referendum on the Humane Society, a nonprofit group based in Washington that has spent more than $2 million in support of the initiative. Outgunned financially, opponents describe Proposition B as a proxy battle in the Humane Society’s larger war to end pet ownership, ban hunting and institute vegetarianism throughout the United States — charges the Humane Society calls ridiculous.
“This is just a first step,” said Charles E. Kruse, president of the Missouri Farm Bureau, echoing the sentiment of many of his members. “It’s pretty clear their ultimate desire is to eliminate the livestock industry in the United States.”
In recent years, the Humane Society has scored several significant victories in its campaign to limit the use of factory farming techniques with more conventional livestock like cattle, pigs and chickens — winning a California ballot initiative in 2008 to increase the size of animal cages and, last summer, wresting similar concessions from producers in Ohio.
The group has also taken aim at some forms of hunting, including campaigning for a ballot measure in North Dakota that would prohibit big game hunting in fenced enclosures.
But Michael Markarian, chief operating officer of the Humane Society, said the Missouri effort was unrelated to the others. “We have concerns with factory farming, and we’ve worked to make it more humane,” he said. “This is a separate matter related only to dogs. And most people don’t think that dogs should be treated like livestock.”
Opponents, like the State Veterinary Medical Association, say Missouri, unlike many states, already has a robust set of laws to protect its breeding dog population, adding that the bulk of problems occur with unlicensed breeders. But Humane Society leaders say they decided to push for greater changes here because Missouri remains the hub of the industry and because legislative efforts have repeatedly failed.
Over the past 10 years, three state audits have criticized the state’s failure to regulate dog breeders adequately, and a recent study by the state’s Better Business Bureau warned that without strict enforcement, breeders, “with seeming impunity, will continue to send sick puppies to be purchased by unwary consumers.”
Nonetheless, most breeders say they take animal welfare into account.
Dave Miller, a 71-year-old cattle rancher, began raising Newfoundlands and other dogs seven years ago because, he says, at his age dogs are easier to handle. He sells about a hundred puppies a year, and he rails against the proposed changes, saying that he spent $180,000 building spacious kennels to meet state and federal requirements.
“It’s going to cause a lot of pain and grief for people who have invested their lives in a business,” Mr. Miller said.The New York Times
October 30, 2010
Old Foes Square Off Over Issue of Puppies... more
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The fat lady who threw a cat into a garbage bin has avoided being sent to the slammer herself. However, Mary Bale — the perp caught by the UK’s ubiquitous surveillance cameras — has been fined 265 pounds ($420) for animal cruelty (per Reuters). She could have received a sentence of up to six months in jail — should she have?
http://www.disinfo.com/2010/10/woman-caught-by-cctv-throwing-cat-in-garbage-bin-only-receives-fine/The fat lady who threw a cat into a garbage bin has avoided being sent to the slammer... more
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Animal Abuse Registry: Suffolk County, NY Creating Nation's First Public Database Tracking Animal Cruelty Offenders
FRANK ELTMAN | 10/14/10 05:12 PM | AP
FARMINGVILLE, N.Y. — You've heard of Megan's Laws, designed to keep sex offenders from striking again. Now there's a law created in the hope of preventing animal abusers from inflicting more cruelty – or moving on to human victims.
Suffolk County, on the eastern half of Long Island, moved to create the nation's first animal abuse registry this week, requiring people convicted of cruelty to animals to register or face jail time and fines.
"We know there is a very strong correlation between animal abuse and domestic violence," said Suffolk County legislator Jon Cooper, the bill's sponsor. "Almost every serial killer starts out by torturing animals, so in a strange sense we could end up protecting the lives of people."
The online list will be open to the public, so that pet owners or the merely curious can find out whether someone living near them is on it. Some animal abusers have been known to steal their neighbors' pets.
Cooper is also pushing legislation that would bar anyone on the registry from buying or adopting a pet from a shelter, pet shop or breeder.
The law was prompted by a number of animal abuse cases in recent months, including that of a Selden woman accused of forcing her children to watch her torture and kill kittens and dozens of dogs, then burying the pets in her backyard.
Animal welfare activists hope the law, passed unanimously Tuesday in the suburban New York City county of 1.5 million people, will inspire governments nationwide in the same way Megan's Law registries for child molesters have proliferated in the past decade.
A spokesman for county Executive Steve Levy said he intends to sign the legislation. It then requires a six-month review by state officials before it goes on the books, said the spokesman, Dan Aug.
As Fred Surbito took his Yorkshire terrier, Sasha, in for grooming at a Farmingville pet store this week, he applauded the legislation.
"It's very, very important," he said. "If you don't love an animal, you should not have an animal. An animal is part of your family. Like your children, they should never be neglected or harmed. Anybody that does should never own a pet again."
More than a dozen states have introduced legislation to establish similar registries, but Suffolk County is the first government entity to pass such a law, said Stephan Otto, director of legislative affairs for the Animal Legal Defense Fund.
The Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will administer the database, to be funded by a $50 fee paid by convicted abusers. All abusers 18 or older must supply authorities with their address, a head-and-shoulders photograph and any aliases. Convicted abusers will remain on the registry for five years. Those failing to register face up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.
After the 2009 arrest of Sharon McDonough, accused of burying kittens and as many as 42 dogs in her yard, neighbors whose pets had disappeared feared the worst. But authorities later concluded that McDonough – who is expected in court this month and could get up to two years in prison if convicted – bought the animals or adopted them through shelters or other traditional outlets.
While some abuse is motivated purely by cruelty, Suffolk SPCA Chief Roy Gross said, some recent cases are linked to the poor economy.
For instance, an emaciated Doberman mix was recently found near death inside a foreclosed-on home, he said. And sometimes, pet rescuer Cathy Mulnard said, elderly people on fixed incomes must decide between eating, or feeding their pets.
"They don't mean to be bad to the animal, but they get overwhelmed and don't know how to ask for help. They may be innocent abusers," said Mulnard, a founder and co-director of Second Chance Rescue, a Suffolk animal shelter that works closely with the SPCA.
Mulnard called the legislation "a godsend for the animals."
"We take care of our animals and love our animals the way you do your children," she said. "We need to protect every animal that's out there because they don't make the decisions in their life; human beings do."
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Associated Press researcher Monika Mathur in New York contributed to this report.Animal Abuse Registry: Suffolk County, NY Creating Nation's First Public Database... more
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Missouri Tea Partiers Campaigning Against Proposition Mandating Humane Conditions At Puppy Mills
The main philosophical principle of the conservative-led tea party movement is an “aversion to big government,” with tea party organizers turning their ire on comprehensive health reform, clean energy legislation, and even mandatory trash collection.
Now, a group of Missouri tea partiers have found a new target: regulations that would mandate more humane conditions in the state’s puppy mills. This November, Missouri voters will go to the polls and decide the fate of Missouri’s Proposition B, which would place new regulations on puppy mills, including mandating that they provide “sufficient food and clean water, necessary veterinary care, sufficient housing, including protection from the elements, sufficient space to turn and stretch freely, lie down, and fully extend his or her limbs, regular exercise, and adequate rest between breeding cycles.”
As TPM Muckraker’s Jillian Rayfield reports, the Missouri Tea Party and the Tea Party Patriots have begun organizing meetings against the proposition. One tea party activist described the measure as being about the “government or the big company trying to tell people what to do“:
The Tea Party has also gotten on board the anti-Prop B bandwagon. A meeting called “Vote NO on Proposition B” on October 12 is advertised on websites for the Missouri Tea Party and the Tea Party Patriots. The event, held at Coach’s Pizza World, is being organized by the Mexico Tea Party, which activist Ron Beedle told TPM is a relatively new chapter of the Tea Party. This is their first meeting, he said, and Prop B is about the “government or the big company trying to tell people what to do.”
Also campaigning against the proposition is the local chapter of conservative Phyllis Schlafly’s Eagle Forum and Samuel Wurzelbacher (”Joe The Plumber“). Wurzelbacher has teamed up with the Alliance For Truth, an anti-Prop B organization strongly backed by the kennells and mills across the state, to blog against the measure. One blog post by him features an animal rescue officer kicking down the door of a home. Meanwhile, the Missouri Cattleman’s Association is warning that if the Humane Society — which is a big booster of the proposition — manages to pass the measure, they may be able to succeed in bettering conditions for farm animals as well.
It appears that for certain segments of the conservative movement, any regulation by the government is too much regulation by the government. Even when it comes to protecting the welfare of puppies.Missouri Tea Partiers Campaigning Against Proposition Mandating Humane Conditions At... more
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National Animal Control Association Comes Out Against Gassing Animals
by Ledy VanKavage September 20, 2010 11:30 AM (PT) Topics: Shelters & Adoption
The National Animal Control Association adopted a new guideline condemning the use of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, electrocution, gunshot, and blunt force trauma for animal shelter euthanasia of dogs and cats. Their new policy reads: "NACA considers lethal injection of sodium pentobarbital, administered by competent, trained personnel, to be the only method of choice utilized for humane euthanasia of animal shelter dogs and cats."
Obviously, we all hope to see a time when there are no more homeless pets, but this policy is a good one and it's been a long time coming.Throughout the years, there have been a variety of barbaric methods used to kill dogs and cats. In the 1800s drowning and clubbing were the most common methods of death for shelter dogs. (If you read The Lost Dogs by Jim Gorant, you'll find Michael Vick and his co-defendants were fans of these inhumane methods.) Indeed, there are vivid illustrations from that time depicting iron cages filled with dogs being lowered into New York City's East River amidst a cheering crowd.
Tell the American Veterinary Medical Association: Stop Supporting Gas Chambers
Sign Petition
http://animals.change.org/blog/view/national_animal_control_association_comes_out_against_gassing_animals
To replace the drowning and clubbing with a quicker and less painful death, a steel chamber was developed into which gas could be introduced to asphyxiate the animals — the gas chamber. Yet, gassing animals takes as long as 30 minutes or more and isn't always painless. Several animals are crammed into the gas chamber at once, causing panic and, often fights, to break out in their last moments. Some animals, like Quentin of Stray Rescue fame, come out of the gas chamber alive, amidst piles of dead bodies.
Lethal injection may not have been available to shelters in the 1800s, but these days it's widely accessible and recognized as much faster and more humane than the gas chamber — hence NACA's policy.
Unlike NACA, the American Veterinary Medical Association continues to support gas chambers, despite the myriad of problems with them. The American Veterinary Medical Association Guidelines on Euthanasia state, "Carbon monoxide used for individual animals or mass euthanasia is acceptable for dogs, cats, and other small mammals, provided the commercially compressed CO is used." They also list various precautions that must be taken, like trained personnel, high quality chamber construction, placement in a well-ventilated environment, a specific flow rate and a well-lit view port to observe the dogs and cats dying.
The majority of pet lovers, and I bet the majority of veterinarians, are horrified by the use of gas chambers and would not want their pets euthanized in one. Just last week, Stephanie Feldstein described 93 dogs being killed by a breeder in a homemade gas chamber.
The AVMA should follow NACA's lead in condemning the use of gas chambers in our nation's shelters. Ask your veterinarian to contact the AVMA, too, and urge them to rescind their policy recommending carbon monoxide for mass euthanasia of dogs and cats. Until we become a nation of No More Homeless Pets, the very least open admission shelters can do is give our abandoned pets a humane death.
Photo Credit: Best Friends Animal Society
Ledy VanKavage has worked extensively on behalf of animals for over 25 years. She is currently the Senior Legislative Attorney for Best Friends Animal Society.National Animal Control Association Comes Out Against Gassing Animals
by Ledy... more
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Katherine Heigl pledges $1 million to help animal shelters
People
September 24, 2010 5:17 p.m. EDT
Photo: Katherine Heigl plays with a pooch at a press conference on September 23.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
* Katherine Heigl donates $1 million to help no-cost spay and neuter programs in L.A.
* More than 50,000 of 80,000 shelter animals in L.A. County were euthanized last year
(PEOPLE.com) -- It's more than just puppy love. Katherine Heigl is behind a $1 million initiative to help no-cost spay and neuter programs in the Los Angeles area.
The Jason Debus Heigl Foundation, named in memory of the actress's late brother, will work with the Cesar Millan's Millan Foundation, the City and County of Los Angeles and various other organizations on the project, called the Compassion Revolution.
Heigl, who herself has six dogs, three of them rescues, told PEOPLEPets.com at the press conference to announce the pledge that she and her mother had felt hopeless and overwhelmed by the pet population crisis in L.A.
Over 50,000 of 80,000 shelter animals in Los Angeles County were euthanized last year, according to the Heigl Foundation.
"How can we change the results for these animals?" she said. "[Shelters are not only] euthanizing sick, old dogs. It's gotten brutal, you know. It's inhuman, really."
The Heigl Foundation wanted a solution -- training and education on how to reduce the pet population compassionately, instead of having to put down healthy animals. Heigl says that her upbringing influenced her when it came to the importance of spaying and neutering.
"When I was growing up, my mother and father had zero desire for any one of our animals to have a litter," she said. "I think it's a lot of work, it's a lot of energy. Then, as an adult, because of the way I was raised and because I had the means to do it, [spaying and neutering] goes without question.
"But there are a lot of communities that don't have that education, weren't raised that way and don't see their pets that way," she added. "They have no idea that a litter of 10 means a litter of, like, 400 in the future. We can tell them and educate them, and provide a way for them to spay and neuter their pets."
For more information on the initiative, visit compassion-revolution.com.
See the full article at PEOPLE.comKatherine Heigl pledges $1 million to help animal shelters
People
September 24, 2010... more
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