Kinship Circle: UPDATES / Oct-Dec 2006: Wins, Setbacks, Progress
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Date: Dec 19, 2006 11:16 AM
Subject: UPDATES/ Oct-Dec 2006: Wins, Setbacks, Progress
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UPDATES / October - December 2006: Wins, Setbacks, Progress
VIEW PAST UPDATES: www.kinshipcircle.org/updates/default.html
1. In Memoriam: Virgil Butler
2. Barcelona To Be Left Without Bullfights
3. Chinese President Hu Jintao Halts Dog Cull
4. No Passage: Horse Slaughter Ban & Animal Fighting Bill
5. Dow Chemical Picks Computers Over Animals For Study
6. Welfare For Animals Global - Cruelty Without Borders
7. Supreme Court Rejects NJ Bear Hunters
8. Jury Trial Set For Dogs Deserve Better Founder
9. Troy Gentry Pleads Guilty To Shooting Captive Bear
10. Primate Freedom Project - Rare Win For The Monkeys
11. Prez Signs Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act Into Law
12. Dutch Animal Rights Party + Pro-Animal Lobby In Israel
13. Shanghai Cancels Animal Olympics After Complaints
14. Cat/Dog Fur: European Commission Proposes Ban
15. Live Sheep Trade With Israel Suspended
16. Gypsy: Dog Found With No Mouth Is Alive And Well
17. Arizona Voters Ban Sow Crates, Veal Crates
18. Michigan Voters Stop Mourning Dove Shoots
19. University of Rochester Drops Live Animal Labs
20. Horses Hurt in Wreck Are Spared from Slaughterhouse
21. Campbell Soup/Pace Foods Ditch Rodeo Cowboys
22. German Politicians Ban Import of Seal Products
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1. In Memoriam: Virgil Butler
SOURCE: blog.peta.org/
12/15/06 — Virgil Butler, the former slaughterhouse worker from Arkansas who dedicated his life to educating others about the horrors of factory farming, died last night in his sleep at the age of 41. Virgil spent 9 years working in Tyson slaughterhouses, killing as many as 80,000 birds a shift in extremely dangerous working conditions and for very little pay. But in 2002, Virgil contacted PETA to say that he had had enough of the human and animal suffering that he witnessed every day, and asked what he could do to help. Discussing his and his wife’s feelings at the time, he said, “What I have seen was horrible enough that we had quit eating chicken. When we researched a bit we found out that the poultry business is no worse than any other part of factory farming. Now we don’t eat any meat at all. We also spend a part of each day in the fight against factory farming.”
For the next four years, Virgil played David to the poultry industry’s Goliath with courage, resourcefulness, and a limitless supply of patience and good humor. He gave news conferences about his experiences, spoke forcefully about animal and human rights issues on his blog, The Cyberactivist, and inspired thousands of people to make changes in their lives based on his own compassionate example. His legacy is one of kindness, hope, and perseverance, and his loss is very deeply felt.
RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
COLUMN: Poultry Pardon
www.kinshipcircle.org/columns_articles/0021.html
FACT SHEETS: Animals Used In The Food Industry
www.kinshipcircle.org/fact_sheets/default.html#food
4/16/05 - KFC Cruelty: Business As Usual
1/14/05 - No Charges For Sadistic Cruelty To Chickens
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2. Barcelona To Be Left Without Bullfights
SOURCE: International Movement Against Bullfights, marialopes [at] iwab.org
12/15/06 — German Press Agency, Madrid: Spain’s second-biggest city Barcelona will be left without bullfights from 2008 onwards, the daily El Pais reported Friday. The company managing the 93-year-old Monumental bullring will close it over financial losses of more than 24,000 euros (31,500 dollars) per bullfight.
The region of Catalonia is known for its critical attitude towards the “national spectacle” the rest of Spain takes pride in, but the decision to close the bullring was taken by the company without interference from the city council, according to El Pais.
Deputy Mayor Jordi Portabella wants to convert the bullring into an open-air market. The Barcelona city council adopted a motion expressing its opposition to bullfights in 2004. More than 20 Catalan municipalities have declared themselves “anti-bullfight,” often closing their bullrings.
Polls show that over 70 per cent of Catalans back the abolition of the spectacle, said Manuel Cases of the animal rights association Adda, which regards bullfights as torture… ©2006 dpa German Press Agency
RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
FACT SHEET: Tourist Beware: Bullfights And Blood Fiestas
11/9/06 - Bulls Set On Fire in Spanish Blood Fiesta
9/30/06 - Ask Portugal Cities To Go Bullfight-Free
4/2/05 - Farra do Boi: When Cruelty Poses As Custom
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3. Chinese President Hu Jintao Halts Dog Cull
Is this for real? We’d like to see further proof… Kinship Circle
12/13/06 — Hu halts dog cull after reading owners’ petitions / South China Morning Post, Jane Cai: President Hu Jintao has intervened to end a national crackdown on dogs after reading complaints sent to him from dog owners, sources said yesterday.
One petitioner said Mr. Hu’s chief secretary had told her the president had read her two petitions, signed by more than 60,000 people, calling for an end to the campaign. She said Mr. Hu was unhappy about the complaints and international media coverage of the campaign, and had put a stop to the programme late last month.
A government official confirmed Mr. Hu had ordered a halt after reading the letters. Tens of thousands of dogs have been culled since the eradication campaign began in August. Authorities maintained it was necessary to deal with a rise in cases of rabies.
In Beijing, the so-called “civilising dog keeping” campaign began in October and was to have ended in the middle of this month. Under the campaign, dogs taller than 35cm were prohibited from downtown areas and each family was restricted to keeping a single pet dog. Fines were introduced for owners of dogs that defecated on the street or were found unchained.
The move infuriated dog owners. About 500 staged a protest in the capital a month ago against the seizure and killing of the pets. Beijing authorities announced rosy results from the campaign on Monday, saying more than 550,000 dogs had been registered and vaccinated against rabies and progress was being made in efforts to find new homes for more than 600 seized or abandoned dogs.
Yu Hongyuan, deputy director of the Beijing Public Security Bureau (PSB), told Xinhua only 180,000 dogs had been registered in the city in 2002. But the official news agency said experts believed there were about one million dogs in the city, which would mean the authorities’ job was only half done.
PSB spokesman Yang Yaling would not say whether the campaign had ended. He said education of owners would continue. No officials would say how many dogs have been culled.
Pet owner Zhang Tian said she had been despondent since one of her dogs was taken away. “The seizure comes back to me again and again. Police came in and grabbed him from under my bed. Without even glancing at him, an officer took away Duo Duo, who had been with me for five years,” the 31-year-old said. “Friends told me many dogs were burned in a suburban area. I can’t bear thinking about it.”
The family of Huang Yong , a protester detained last month for handing out T-shirts bearing slogans opposing the crackdown, still do not know whether he will be prosecuted or released. A lawyer friend said a case against him for disturbing social order had been submitted to prosecutors…
MORE PHOTOS + RELATED PETITIONS: www.care2.com/c2c/share/detail/213855
RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
11/6/06 - Beijing Dog Cull Begins 11/7. Write now and don’t stop.
8/3/06 - China’s Slaughter Of Innocents: 50,000+ Dogs In 5 Days
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4. No Passage: Horse Slaughter Ban & Animal Fighting Bill
EDITED FOR LENGTH
12/11/06 — The close of the 109th Congress brings mixed news for animal advocates… Permanent Horse Slaughter Ban Comes Closer than Ever: This Congress stirred in a major way on the issue of banning horse slaughter. We forced the issue to the floor multiple times, and every time it came up, lawmakers sided with horse protection (five times in the House and one time in the Senate). In 2005, both the House and Senate overwhelmingly approved legislation to defund federal inspections at horse slaughterhouses, but the USDA — responsible for slaughterhouse oversight — skirted the new federal law by allowing the foreign-owned plants to pay for their own inspections.
On September 7, 2006 the U.S. House voted in an overwhelming bipartisan vote (263-146) to pass H.R. 503, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act — favoring animal advocates over the agriculture lobby in passing a bill to establish a permanent ban on horse slaughter. The Senate version of the bill, S.1915, received the support of 33 cosponsors but did not come up for a vote before the clock ran out…
Animal Fighting Bill Poised for Passage in 2007: The Animal Fighting Prohibition Act also got remarkably close to passage, and it was largely one man who held it up. The bill unanimously passed the Senate, but House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) used his position to block final House consideration of the legislation, even though the bill had 324 cosponsors. With Democrats now in the majority, and a strong animal advocate, Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), taking the helm at the House Judiciary Committee, we are very optimistic about passing this legislation.
The 110th Congress convenes on January 3, 2007.
RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
COLUMN: Fatal Fights – Dogs On The Underground Circuit
FACT SHEETS: Animals Used For Entertainment & Exhibition
12/7/06 - Horse Slaughter Prevention Act Down To The Wire
11/24/06 - Don’t Let Animal Fighting Bill Die In Committee
10/24/06 - Pass The Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act
6/23/06 - Grant Horses Immunity From Butchers (URGENT)
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5. Dow Chemical Picks Computers Over Animals For Study
SOURCE: Chad Sandusky, Ph.D., Director of Toxicology and Research at PCRM
www.pcrm.org/
12/4/06 — After years of conversations with PCRM, and careful negotiations and partnership with PETA, Dow Chemicals recently agreed to use a computer model — not animal tests– in one of its chemical tests. Last spring we recommended Dow could use a non-animal computer model to determine the dermal penetration of a chemical instead of forcing the chemical into the stomachs of rats. Because of this, 650 animals were saved!
As you may know, in my work with PCRM, I’ve been coordinating the review and preparation of comments on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) High Production Volume Challenge Program (HPV) chemical assessments. The animal welfare principles established for HPV participants state that animal experiments should not be performed if another validated method is available
for use. The EPA guidelines do not go nearly far enough, and we continue to recommend more alternatives and strengthen the existing guidelines to save more animals. Often, as was the case with Dow Chemicals, the alternative methods we recommend are a “win-win” scenario since animals’ lives are saved at the same time that the company saves the high cost of conducting animal
tests. As a sign of the respect we have built, I have been invited to speak in December at the First U.S. Conference Characterizing Chemicals in Commerce: Using Data on HPV Chemicals. This conference will be attended by people who make decisions that could save tens of thousands of animal lives.
RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
ANIMAL EXPERIMENTATION LETTER CAMPAIGNS
COLUMNS: Product Testing, Biomedical Research, Non-Animal Research Methods
FACT SHEETS: Animals Used For Research & Product Testing
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6. Welfare For Animals Global Exposes Cruelty Without Borders
SOURCE: Marijo Gillis, twinkieperkyebby [at] msn.com
VISIT WAG’S NEW WEBSITE: www.wagny.org/
THE EPIDEMIC OF IGNORANCE [PHOTOS: Turkish dogs]
PRESS RELEASE / December 4, 2006
NEW YORK - ATHENS - LONDON - ISTANBUL - BELGRADE
WAG NEW YORK - ON THE LAUNCH PAD
WAG New York, a political lobby and advocacy force, based in Manhattan is launching an assault. After many, years of diplomatic and political negotiations with governments resistant to amending their Neanderthal ideology and their disagreeable procedures for dealing with injustice, WAG has been left with no other alternative but to finally expose, in explicit detail, their offensive conduct and showcase their collective failure to move on to mainstream civilization.
…WAG NY’s website, its design, colors, text, film, music and photographic exhibition is an extraordinary tribute to the innocent and vulnerable and the advocates worldwide, who selflessly champion their cause, every moment of every day… Link to this site and join hearts and voices with WAG NY and spearhead a victory for those who are innocent and voiceless and who do not carry the intellectual weapons to engage in defensive battle.
For further information, contact Marijo Gillis – Founder, WAG New York
Tel: (+1) 212 427 0587; Fax: (+1) 212 427 6381; Mobile: (+1) 646 284 1945
marijo [at] wagny.org * www.wagny.org
RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
COLUMN: Witness To A Greek Tragedy
6/22/05 - The Greek Myth About Animal Welfare
4/20/05 - Victims Of Apathy: Serbia’s Doomed Animals
9/2/04: 2004 Olympic Games Offer No Reprieve From Killing
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7. Supreme Court Rejects NJ Bear Hunters
SOURCE: Stuart Chaifetz, Director, Animal Protection PAC
info [at] protectnjanimals.com * www.ProtectNJAnimals.com
11/29/06 — Dear friends, The hunters have played their final card and the Supreme Court has denied them their appeal; The bear hunt for 2006 is now officially finished! Please pass the good news around!
RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
8/31/06 - New Jersey Bears Face Violent Hunt, Again
6/17/05 - New Jersey Bear Hunt Revisited
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8. Jury Trial Set For Dogs Deserve Better Founder
SOURCE: Tammy S. Grimes, Founder, Dogs Deserve Better
P.O. Box 23, Tipton, PA 16684 • 1-877-636-1408 • 814-941-7447
Donate: www.dogsdeservebetter.com/donations.html
tammygrimes.blogspot.com/ * myspace.com/tammygrimes
11/27/06 — Grimes Turns Down Plea Bargain Which Stipulates She Return Dog; Attorney States Intention to File for Dismissal of all Charges / Altoona, PA: The founder of Dogs Deserve Better, Tammy Grimes, was in court today in Blair County, Pennsylvania, for a pre-trial conference stemming from charges of theft and receiving stolen property for the help she gave a dying chained dog she dubbed Doogie in East Freedom, Pennsylvania on September 11, 2006.
Grimes and her attorney rejected a plea bargain which stipulated the return of Doogie in exchange for Advanced Rehabilitation for Grimes, and elected instead to go to a jury trial. Mr. Thomas Dickey will concurrently file for a motion to dismiss all charges against Grimes. Grimes states, “All evidence in the case clearly points to abuse and cruelty neglect on the part of the Arnolds. Pennsylvania anti-cruelty law is not being upheld in this case, and with eyewitnesses, video, photos, and vet testimony, there is more than enough evidence to convict the Arnolds.
The Arnolds have shown no remorse, and have been charged with no crime by what I feel is a very corrupt system in Freedom Township and Blair County, Pennsylvania. I could never in good faith return Doogie, presently flourishing and treated with the utmost respect by his caretakers, to a situation which would lead to his most certain demise.”
Kim Eicher, the Arnold’s neighbor, stated that Doogie had been unable to stand for three days, and she had gotten no response from the local humane society after calling both 911 and the humane society.
Grimes, upon seeing Doogie from the road, initially felt he had already died. Her team went to investigate, and found that he was still alive, but was unable to stand, his legs flailing about in the mud and his own feces. She then documented his condition with video and photos, and took him to a local veterinarian, getting him immediate and necessary care.
She was later arrested for her refusal to return Doogie to a certain and immediate death on the end of a chain.
Video of Doogie’s condition at the time of his rescue has been viewed over 41,000 times on You Tube. Subsequent videos can be also be seen on You Tube, with the latest showing Doogie’s much-improved condition from October 18. The case has made national headlines, and has been featured on Inside Edition, the National Enquirer, Animal People, animal magazines, and on blogs all over the internet.
A further pretrial conference is scheduled for February 5, 8:30 a.m., in the Blair County Courthouse.
RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
Aug-Oct Updates: Arrested Dog Rescuer Tammy Grimes Visits One Happy Dog!
9/29/06: 2 Charges Dropped For Grimes; No Charges For Arnolds
9/20/06: Tammy Grimes Update: Vet Says Doogie Is Victim Of Abuse
9/15/06: Tammy Grimes: Save A Life, Go To Jail?
9/12/06: JAILED - SHAC 7 / Tammy Grimes, Dogs Deserve Better
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9. Troy Gentry Pleads Guilty To Shooting Captive Bear
SOURCE: Singer Who Shot Caged Bear Pleads Guilty / Troy Gentry Agrees to Pay Fine, Give Up Hunting in Minn.
EDITED FOR LENGTH
11/27/06 — DULUTH, Minn: Troy Lee Gentry pleaded guilty Monday to a misdemeanor charge of falsely registering a captive bear as being killed in the wild. Under the plea, the 39-year-old country singer agreed to pay a $15,000 fine, give up hunting, fishing and trapping in Minnesota for five years, and forfeit both the bear’s hide and the bow he used to shoot the animal in 2004. The plea meant Gentry avoided a trial, which had been scheduled to start Monday…
Lee Marvin Greenly, 46, Gentry’s local hunting guide, pleaded guilty at the same hearing to two felony charges of helping other hunters shoot bears at illegal baiting stations he maintained inside a national wildlife refuge near Sandstone in east-central Minnesota. Greenly faces a maximum prison sentence of five years for each count, forfeiture of all-terrain vehicles he and employees used to reach the bait stations, and a maximum fine of $400,000.
Gentry told the court he bought the bear from Greenly with the understanding they would videotape a hunt inside the bear’s enclosure, which was surrounded by an electric fence. “Lee and I made a deal about harvesting this bear,” Gentry testified…
In exchange for Gentry’s plea, federal prosecutors dropped a felony charge of violating the Lacey Act, which authorities said bans possessing or transporting illegally obtained wildlife…
RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
8/19/06 - Thrill-Kill Country Singer Charged In Bear Death
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10. Primate Freedom Project - Rare Win For The Monkeys
SOURCE: Primate Freedom Project / P.O. Box 1623 / Fayetteville, GA. 30214
ph: 770-719-5348; email: info [at] primatefreedom.com
www.primateresearch.com/
Contact: Rick Bogle, 608-222-2348
11/27/06 — Madison, Wisconsin: Animal activists today came much closer to their dream of establishing a national primate research exhibition directly next door to two of the nation’s most infamous monkey research laboratories.
In her oral decision, Judge Sarah B. O’Brien ruled that a real estate contract on a piece of commercial property is indeed valid and enforceable and ordered the current owner to convey the property to the activists.
Ruling that embarrassment to the University of Wisconsin was not an adequate reason to block the sale, that the UW had previously twice declined to purchase the property, and that arguments claiming possible increased risks to researchers were spurious, the Judge concurred with the Primate Freedom Project that the land contract was binding and enforceable.
An appeal by the current owner is likely. Future legal fights are likely as well as the university, the NIH, and the vivisection industry struggle to quash public discourse concerning animal experimentation.
“Future hurdles remain,” said Rick Bogle, spokesperson for the Primate Freedom Project, “but this was the highest one.”
RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
ANIMAL EXPERIMENTATION LETTER CAMPAIGNS
COLUMNS: Product Testing, Biomedical Research, Non-Animal Research Methods
FACT SHEETS: Animals Used For Research & Product Testing
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11. President Signs Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act Into Law
11/27/06 — The President signed into law: S. 3880, the “Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act,” which expands criminal prohibitions against the use of force, violence, and threats involving animal enterprises and increases penalties for violations of these prohibitions.
ACTION: noaeta.org/action.htm
TIMELY ARTICLES:
Equal Justice Alliance Enacts Strategy In Wake Of AETA’s Passage:
noaeta.org/
McGovern Pledges To Help Overturn Animal Terrorism Law
Rep. Dennis Kucinich: Congress’ Lone Voice against the AETA
Journal Of Animal Law / VOL. II 2006 / MYTHIC NON-VIOLENCE, by Taimie L. Bryant
Judge Strikes Down Bush On Terror Groups
AETA In Reverse? Portland Fur Dealer “Terrorizes” Protesters
Bill of Rights Defense Committee’s Newsletter, Dissent is Patriotic
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
- Keep the issue alive in Congress by contacting your two Senators and Representative periodically to explain why the AETA should be repealed.
- Report any cases of prosecution of social justice groups under AETA to the Equal Justice Alliance at 800-632-8688. This will help us demonstrate that AETA enforcement unfairly discriminates against animal activists.
- Write (in your own words) a Letter to the Editor of your local newspaper. Below is a letter Alex Hershaft sent to 10 national papers:
From: Alex at Equal Justice, alex [at] equaljusticealliance.com
Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2006
Subject: Letter sent to 10 major national newspapers
Dear Editor,
As we celebrate the 65th anniversary of our national Bill of Rights Day, our thoughts turn to the latest desecration of our Bill of Rights – the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. The national Bill of Rights Day on December 15th was proclaimed by President Roosevelt in 1941. The Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA) was signed by President Bush only three weeks ago.
Originally intended to protect animal testing laboratories from animal liberation activists, AETA has degenerated into a nightmare for both civil liberties advocates and law enforcement authorities. The Act is overly broad, vague, and probably unconstitutional. It restricts freedom of speech and assembly. It imposes harsh federal penalties for nonviolent protest of animal abuses and brands the protesters as ‘terrorists.’ It facilitates federal law violations by animal enterprises and real terrorist activities against Americans.
Although it was opposed by thousands of constituents contacting their Representatives, as well as by nearly 200 animal, environmental, and civil liberties protection groups, the bill was mislabeled as ‘non-controversial’ by the Republican Judiciary Committee chair. As such, it passed by an unscheduled voice vote of five House proponents on the first day back after the election, with 99 percent of House Members unaware of its timing and busy moving into their offices.
The Equal Justice Alliance is a coalition of animal, environmental, and other social justice groups working to neutralize AETA’s gross violations of civil liberties. We echo the immortal words of abolitionist Wendell Phillips: “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”
Sincerely, Alex Hershaft, Ph.D., Vice Chair, Equal Justice Alliance
10101 Ashburton Lane, Bethesda MD 20817; 301-530-5683
KINSHIP CIRCLE / AETA RESOURCES:
12/8/06: AETA UPDATE / Hope For Repeal?
11/16/06: Questions & Rumors: Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act
11/13/06 - Done Deal? AETA Passes
11/11/06 - Post-Election AETA Action – Your Right To Speak for Animals
10/25/06 - Activism = Terrorism?
10/5/06 - If You Speak For Animals, AETA Concerns You
9/27/06 - URGENT ACTION NEEDED: Protect Your Rights
8/21/06 - Save Your Right To Protest – Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act
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12. Dutch Animal Rights Party + Pro-Animal Lobby In Israeli Knesset; Party For Animals Gains 2 Parliamentary Seats - Netherlands, Amsterdam
SOURCE: Party For The Animals: www.partijvoordedieren.nl/content/view/129
EDITED FOR LENGTH
11/23/06 — On Wednesday, November 22, the Dutch political Party of the Animals gained 2 seats in the 150-member legislature in The Netherlands. This makes the Netherlands the first country in the world in which a party for animal welfare is elected into a representative body of the people.
“We are thrilled with such a wonderful result of our campaign”, says party leader Marianne Thieme. “Finally we can start realizing our party’s highest priority, namely ending all animal suffering. We want a constitutional amendment, guaranteeing animals the right to freedom from pain, fear and stress caused by humans. Let’s begin with easing the suffering of the hundreds of millions of cows, pigs and chickens stuck in factory farming”, she said. Thieme feels success in the Netherlands could help the movement elsewhere. One of the party’s purposes is to be an inspiration for other countries and animal rights activists…
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From Today, Animals Also Have Knesset Representatives
SOURCE: CHAI, chai_us [at] cox.net
Hakol Chai, Israeli sister charity of Concern for Helping Animals in Israel
www.chai-online.org/
The following article appeared on Ynet, the internet edition of Yediot Acharonot, Israel’s largest newspaper. The article describes a pro-animal lobby formed in the Knesset by Hakol Chai, the Israeli sister charity of Concern for Helping Animals in Israel (CHAI) (www.chai-online.org/). The purpose of the lobby is to promote pro-animal legislation.
The first bill to be introduced is a law that will provide for animals in disasters. CHAI/Hakol Chai was active in rescuing and rehoming animals during the disengagement from the West Bank and Gaza, and during the war this summer between Israel and Hezbollah… Improving conditions in the municipal pounds, another issue of concern promoted by Hakol Chai/CHAI over the years, is also being discussed.
EDITED FOR LENGTH
Ynet, 11/29/06 — Animal lovers in Israel take the credit for another achievement: the establishment of the first animals’ lobby in the Knesset. The first subject on its agenda was the sad situation in the authority and municipal quarantine facilities, most of which lack basic animal confinement conditions. “Dealing with the enclosures is essential and urgent,” says MK Yoel Hasson, who leads the lobby. “Among others, we will expand the activity of volunteer organizations in these facilities.”
“From today, animals also have a home in the Knesset. They are also citizens of Israel, and they also deserve representatives who will speak for them,” announced MK Yoel Hasson, who inaugurated yesterday (Tuesday) the first animals’ lobby in the history of the Hebrew parliament. The lobby, led by Hasson, was initiated by Hakol Chai, and among its members are MKs Dov Hanin, Moshe Cahalon, Michael Malkior and Kolet Avital…
“The establishment of the lobby is an essential move,” says Adv. Yadin Elam, the director of Hakol Chai. “Until today, animal protection did not receive its proper expression in the Knesset, and it amounted to the random activity of some MKs who care… The sad condition of the pounds is only one example of the terrible treatment animals get in Israel…
“I always had animals around me, and I love them…” sums Hasson. “Maybe in addition to dealing with the condition of the quarantine facilities, one of the first tasks will be to change the name of the ‘Law Against Cruelty Towards Animals’ to ‘Animals’ Rights.’ Indeed, this is a semantic change, but it expresses our commitment to protect them.”
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13. Shanghai Cancels Animal Olympics After Cruelty Complaints
EDITED FOR LENGTH
11/21/06 — SHANGHAI, China: A Shanghai zoo said Tuesday it had canceled a show dubbed the “Animal Olympics” following accusations of cruelty from animal welfare groups. The show was scrapped “out of consideration for the safety of our visitors,” said a woman who answered the phone at the Shanghai Wild Animal Park’s publicity department…
The Shanghai Daily newspaper quoted a park official, Su Feilong, as saying that a negative public response had prompted the cancellation. “The games never caused any trouble before, but we received complaints this year, so we stopped them,” Su was quoted as saying.
The show had featured animals in athletic-type situations, such as boxing matches between kangaroos and their keepers, bears fighting and riding bicycles, and an elephant tug-of-war.
Animal rights groups documented the acts, spread news about them on the Internet and organized letter-writing campaigns to the central government’s tourism authority and Shanghai officials. “This is degrading for the animals, insulting to our intelligence and a disaster for any possible chance of increasing respect for the wild animals we share the world with,” Daniel Turner, senior program officer for Born Free’s Zoocheck program, said in a statement on the British-based group’s Web site…
RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
10/8/06 - Chinese Animal Olympics Sparks Worldwide Rage
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14. Cat/Dog Fur: European Commission Proposes Total Ban
SOURCE: European Vegetarian & Animal News Agency (EVANA)
Cat and dog fur: Commission proposes total EU ban
EU Poised to Ban Trading in Cat and Dog Fur
11/20/06 — Brussels: The European Commission has today adopted a proposal to ban the import, export and sale of cat and dog fur in the EU. There is evidence that cat and dog fur is being placed on the European market, usually undeclared as such or disguised as synthetic and other types of fur. The vast majority of the cat and dog fur is believed to be imported from third countries, notably China where the rearing of these animals for this purpose is practiced. Many Member States have introduced their own specific legislation against cat and dog fur in response to the strong opposition of EU consumers to the trade of fur from these animals. However, as these national bans are divergent, they may cause disruption to the internal market. The proposed Regulation adopted today addresses EU citizens concerns and creates a harmonised approach, prohibiting all production, marketing and imports and exports of cat and dog fur in the EU. It also establishes a system of information exchange on the detection of cat and dog fur…
RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
12/10/05 - China’s Dog/Cat Fur Markets
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15. Live Sheep Trade With Israel Suspended
SOURCE: www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20768528-1702,00.html
EDITED FOR LENGTH
11/16/06 — ISRAEL has suspended live sheep imports from Australia due to animal health concerns. Federal Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran said Israel was refusing to accept any more shipments until the situation was resolved.
The suspension was revealed today by animal welfare group Animals Australia, which said the health problems with a previous consignment led Israel to reject a shipment of 10,000 Australian sheep due to arrive in the country on November 3. The exporters were then forced to unload the animals in Jordan, the group said.
Mr. McGauran said Animals Australia’s claims contained some “major inaccuracies”, but he confirmed the trade was on hold after Israeli authorities raised concerns about a shipment of sheep that arrived on October 15… “Until this is resolved, Israel has indicated it will not accept further consignments of sheep from Australia.”
Mr. McGauran would not reveal anything about the health problems with the sheep, but said the Government was taking the matter seriously.
RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
12/25/04 - No Mercy For Sheep In United Colors Of Benetton
10/30/04 - The Mutilated Sheep Behind Australian Wool
8/22/03 - Live Exports: Agony For Animals
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16. Gypsy: Dog Found With No Mouth Is Alive And Well
SOURCE: members.tripod.com/~animom/dogs.html
www.tcar.us/
After I posted Kinship Circle’s column, Fatal Fights: Dogs On The Underground Circuit, many of you asked what became of Gypsy — the horribly mutilated pit bull picked up alongside a North Carolina highway in April 2005. Well, Gypsy survived, her mouth was rebuilt (when found, it had dissolved into pus) and she is alive and well! - Brenda Shoss
You may download an article (PDF) about her amazing comeback here: www.tcar.us/ - CLICK ON: For an article about Gypsy
2006 — Gypsy 2006 with her trophy for Honorary Best of Show from the Palmetto State American Pitbull Terrier Club. Gypsy continues to thrive and enjoy life! Thanks to all of you who continue to remember her and ask about her. Tri-County Animal Rescue
Fatal Fights - Dogs On The Underground Circuit
By Brenda Shoss 10/25/06
Gypsy is found stumbling along Gaston County’s main highway in North Carolina. Her right front leg is shredded. Flesh falls from her face, exposing teeth and gums in a perpetual bite. But the battered pit bull can no longer bite anyone. Her lips and nose have dissolved into pus.
This dog with no face is a familiar sight to Tri-County Animal Rescue staff who admit her in April 2005. She is dogfighter’s garbage. Her moneymaking days are over…
FULL COLUMN: Fatal Fights - Dogs On The Underground Circuit
www.kinshipcircle.org/columns_articles/0056.html
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17. Arizona Voters Pass Historic Ban On Sow Crates, Veal Crates
SOURCE: Farm Sanctuary, info [at] farmsanctuary.org
www.farmsanctuary.org/actionalerts/alert_AZ_initiative.htm
11/7/06 — The ballot tally of Arizona voters on Election Day, November 7, 2006, proved that most citizens are opposed to the standard agriculture practices in modern factory farms which disallow adequate space and movement for male calves raised for veal and pregnant pigs. An overwhelming 61 percent of voters said Yes to Proposition 204 which will allow these animals enough room to turn around and stretch their limbs.
Passing of this precedent-setting humane proposition makes Arizona the first state to enact such a measure to ban veal crates and the second state to ban gestation crates for pregnant pigs. The gestation crate for breeding pigs was outlawed through a citizen initiative in Florida in 2002.
Arizonans for Humane Farms, a coalition of animal advocacy groups including Farm Sanctuary, launched this statewide ballot campaign in September, 2005…
RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
FACT SHEETS: Animals Used In The Food Industry
7/21/06 - Urge Support For Farm Animal Stewardship Act
3/1/06 - H.R. 4341 Grants Animal Factories A Free Ride
9/1/05 - Ask Kroger To Audit Its Factory Farms
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18. Michigan Voters Stop Mourning Dove Shoots
11/7/06 — Michigan voters stepped up for mourning doves, crushing Proposal 3 on the ballot and restoring the 100-year tradition of protecting the state’s official bird of peace from target shooting. The vote was 68% to 32%… All 83 counties in Michigan rejected a proposal that would have opened the first target shooting season on the mourning dove — the state’s official bird of peace — which has been a protected species since 1905.
Sixty-nine percent of Michigan voters said “no” to shooting doves, with the campaign receiving more votes than any statewide candidate. The “no” votes exceeded the “yes” votes by more than 1.3 million.
RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
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19. University of Rochester Drops Live Animal Labs From Med School Curriculum
SOURCE: www.pcrm.org/newsletter/nov06/animal_labs.html
EDITED FOR LENGTH
11/7/06 — Another medical school has embraced humane alternatives to live animal labs. When the reins of the University of Rochester School of Medicine’s third-year surgery clerkship were turned over to a new instructor earlier this year, the school turned over a new leaf as well. The class’s live pig lab was replaced with modern medical simulators and other non-animal teaching methods, and the school joined the more than 85 percent of U.S. medical schools that have completely eliminated live animals from
their undergraduate medical education curricula.
After receiving confirmation from the new instructor of the third-year surgery clerkship that no live animals are used in the course, PCRM contacted the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology and the Department of Anesthesiology at the School of Medicine. Representatives confirmed that live animals are not used in any of the departments’ undergraduate medical school courses. Lastly, PCRM obtained confirmation from the school’s administration that there are no longer any required or elective medical school courses using animals.
All but 16 of the 125 U.S. allopathic (M.D. degree) medical schools have discovered the viable and superior alternatives to animal use in education. In many top-ranked medical schools, surgery instruction is focused on the use of simulators such as Simulab’s TraumaMan and laparoscopic surgery trainers, as well as didactic teaching, class and small-group case discussions, interactive computer-based methods such as virtual reality programs, and hands-on mentorship opportunities with faculty in anesthesiology, surgery, emergency medicine, and other clinical disciplines.
RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
FACT SHEETS: Animals Used For Research & Product Testing
COLUMNS: Product Testing, Biomedical Research, Non-Animal Research Methods
6/5/06 - End Live Pig Labs At University of Rochester
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20. Horses Hurt in Wreck Are Spared from Slaughterhouse
EDITED FOR LENGTH
11/3/06 — By Elizabethe Holland, ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH: For a second and presumably final time, 24 horses and a hinny — the offspring of a male horse and a female donkey — involved in a Missouri truck crash have escaped certain death in a slaughterhouse.
Seventeen animals perished in or after the wreck Sept. 27 on Interstate 44 near Stanton, Mo. They were being shipped to a horsemeat-processing plant in DeKalb, Ill. The crash spared the survivors. But as veterinarians and other caretakers tended the animals’ wounds, no one could guarantee that the efforts wouldn’t be wasted — until this week.
The Humane Society of Missouri announced Thursday that it had reached an agreement with the animal owner’s insurance company. Northland Insurance Co. handed over ownership to the Humane Society. In return, the society agreed to waive any efforts to recover more than $84,000 spent on rescuing and treating the animals, which were being hauled from Stroud, Okla., to DeKalb. The insurance company represented the animals’ owner, broker Charles Carter of Loveland, Colo.
…Now that the Humane Society legally owns the horses, it can put them up for adoption. When the animals have recovered, they will be available for $200 to $1,000, depending on each one’s value for riding, age, gender, color and other factors, Cole said…
The slaughterhouse where the horses were headed, Cavel International Inc., is one of only three horse-meat processors in the United States. The product is sold in Europe and Japan, where horse meat is considered a delicacy…
RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
10/6/06: Give Slaughter-Bound Horses A Second Chance
www.kinshipcircle.org/updates/horses.html
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21. Campbell Soup & Pace Foods Ditch Professional Rodeo Cowboys
SOURCE: www.sharkonline.org/index.php?&page=0000000274
11/3/06 — Success! Since SHARK began our tireless campaign in 2005 to get Campbell Soup/Pace Foods out of the rodeo abuse industry, caring consumers everywhere have been waiting for this news:
“Campbell Soup Company and Pace Foods are no longer sponsors of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA).” The cruel rodeo industry cannot continue its practices without the support of corporate and government welfare. Through the exhaustive efforts of animal supporters, humane organizations, and a vocal public that is tired of subsidized abuse, the “Campbell Soup Kills” campaign has been a definitive success. Read Campbell’s full statement below.
October 23, 2006
Thank you for taking the time to contact us about our advertising. It is very helpful to hear what consumers like you have to say - good or bad - about the way we promote our product.
Campbell Soup Company and Pace Foods are no longer sponsors of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). As with all of our sponsorship programs, Campbell continuously evaluates the overall performance of our sponsorship programs. In this instance, Campbell and Pace Foods chose not to renew the PRCA sponsorship when it expired.
Thank you again for your comments.
Sincerely, L. M. (name withheld to prevent harassment from rodeo people)
Consumer Services Representative
RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
COLUMN: The Myth Of The Cowboy: Rodeo Cruelty
11/20/06 - Cingular & Coke: Rodeo Is Bad For Business
6/27/05 - The Rodeo Lie & Campbell Soup
9/21/04 - Rodeo’s Trail Of Broken Animals
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22. German Politicians Ban Import of Seal Products
SOURCE: www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2207697,00.html
EDITED FOR LENGTH
10/21/06 — Germany’s parliament has passed a motion banning the import of seal products and sets as a larger goal an EU-wide ban. Lawmakers said the methods used to kill seals were brutal. The vote for the ban on Thursday night was unanimous and eliminates the German market from the commercial seal trade. Many German parliamentarians want to see a ban on seal products and have drafted a proposal for a ban European-wide ban. Hundreds of thousands of seals are killed around the globe annually. In Canada, 350,000 animals have been killed this year. Laws do exist to protect seals, but they only apply to new-born pups. Older seals are can be hunted legally…
RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
2/25/06 - Canada’s Disgrace: A Million Seals Slaughtered
8/10/05 - For Seals: Canadian Seafood Boycott
4/12/05 - 1) SEAL SLAUGHTER/To Canadian Government
4/12/05 - 2) SEAL SLAUGHTER/To Canadian Seafood Industry
4/12/05 - 3) SEAL SLAUGHTER/To Seal Fur Designers
3/4/05 - Babies Clubbed & Skinned Alive
11/13/04 - Stop The Cry of One Million Seals
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