———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Date: Sep 20, 2007 8:44 PM
Subject: #1. KC UPDATES: JUNE - SEPT 2007

KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY - PERMISSION TO CROSS-POST AS WRITTEN

PART 1: UPDATES / JUNE - SEPTEMBER 2007
Victories * Setbacks * Progress For Animals
Past Kinship Circle Updates: www.kinshipcircle.org/updates/

THIS EMAIL CONTAINS:
PART 1: KC UPDATES / JUNE - SEPTEMBER 2007
1. MEPs Sign On To End Primate Testing In Europe
2. Mercy’s Killer Faces Bond Increase
3. Big Win! Saint Louis University Phases Out Live Pig Lab
4. SHAC 7 Prisoner Darius Fullmer Free On 9/28!
5. Gratuitous Farmed Animal Assaults On The Rise
6. Canada’s Largest Foie Gras Maker Eludes Cruelty Charges
7. Horse Slaughter Ban Inches Along With Ag Bill Provision
8. PCRM Sues UCSF For Reckless Animal Tests
9. House Passes Resolution Condemning Canadian Seal Hunt

If you did NOT get PART 2, request it: kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net

PART 2: KC UPDATES / JUNE - SEPTEMBER 2007
10. House of Reps Tightens Protections for Dogs/Cats In Farm Bill
11. Anti-Animal Riders Removed From Farm Bill
12. Polar Bear Trophy Hunters Win - Bill Defeated
13. Oregon Outlaws Gestation Crates
14. Louisiana Ends Cockfighting, Sort Of
15. West Hollywood Declaw Ban Upheld By Appellate Court
16. New York First State To Ban Genital Electrocution
17. EU Dog And Cat Fur Ban - A Closer Look
18. Philippines: Ban On Sale Of Dog Meat Now Law

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1. MEPs Sign On To End Primate Testing In Europe

DATE: 9/7/07
SOURCE: Animal Defenders International, +44 (0)20 7630 3340,
www.ad-international.org

EDITED FOR LENGTH

Animal Defenders International’s (ADI) campaign to end lab primates’ misery has achieved a major victory today as 393 MEPs put their signatures to Written Declaration 40/2007 in the European Parliament — the requisite number needed to trigger its adoption and end primate testing in Europe.

The declaration, sponsored by MEPs John Bowis (UK), Martine Roure (France), Jens Holm (Sweden), Rebecca Harms (Germany) and Mojca Drcar Murko (Slovenia), calls for a ban on the use of Great Apes (chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans, gorillas), and on the use of wild-caught primates, as well as a phase-out of all primate use in EU laboratories.

Jan Creamer, ADI chief executive said, “This marks a major victory not only for ADI but for all the primates who have been incarcerated in laboratories throughout Europe. Ahead of Thursday’s deadline, our relentless campaigning has paid off and today we have achieved signatures of half of Europe’s MEPs. This… will end the suffering of some 10,000 primates a year in European
labs and the adoption of more reliable modern alternatives.”

RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
9/6/07: Urge Primate Testing Ban In Europe
www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1679&seriesfirst=true
LETTER LIBRARY: Animal Experimentation
www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letters_by_category.asp?CategoryID=7
COLUMNS: Product Testing, Biomedical Research, Non-Animal Research
www.kinshipcircle.org/columns_articles/topic_vivisection.html
FACT SHEET: VIVISECTION - You Paid For It
(free, high-res download) www.kinshipcircle.org/fact_sheets/#3

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2. Mercy’s Killer Faces Bond Increase

DATE: 9/5/07
SOURCE: www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20613901/

PHOTO: DeShawn Brown charged with animal cruelty in death of pit bull Mercy.

DALLAS — A judge raised the bond of a man accused of setting a puppy on fire to $150,000 Wednesday, NBC 5 reported. The move took place during a bond hearing held at noon at the Frank Crowley Courts Building in Dallas.

DeShawn Brown is accused of felony animal cruelty in the 2006 case of the burned and tortured dog Mercy. Brown allegedly tortured the pit bull because she wouldn’t mate with another dog. The dog died from her injuries.

Animal rights activists applauded the bond increase. “I think having this high bond does send a message that animal cruelty in Dallas County, the state of Texas, across the nation is not going to be tolerated,” said Jonnie England of Operation Kindness.

Brown has been in jail since an Aug. 21 hearing when Judge Micheal R. Snipes found Brown’s $25,000 bond to be insufficient. The case is expected to go to trial later this month.

RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
DEC. 2006 KC DIGEST: Mercy’s Killer Will Stand Trial On April 23, 2007
www.kinshipcircle.org/digest/2006_12.html#8
4/29/06: A World Without Mercy: Justice For Tortured Pup
www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1513&seriesfirst=true

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3. Big Win! Saint Louis University Phases Out Live Pig Lab

DATE: 8/31/07
FROM: Neal Barnard, M.D., PCRM President, neal-barnard [at] pcrm.org
SOURCE: Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, www.pcrm.org

EDITED FOR LENGTH

In a letter from the dean of the school of medicine at Saint Louis University (SLU) PCRM was informed that “As of August 15, 2007…animals are no longer used for teaching purposes in the M.D. curriculum of our School of Medicine.” SLU recently offered a second-year cardiovascular physiology elective using live pigs…

In the past two years, 10 schools have abandoned use of live animal labs. It would not have happened without the constant pressure from PCRM, and we could not have done this without you… There are still 11 remaining schools that use live animals to teach physiology and surgery:

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md.
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences School of Medicine, Bethesda, Md.
University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Medicine, Jackson, Miss.
Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Mo.
New York Medical College, Valhalla, N.Y.
The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, N.C.
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio
Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Ore.
University of Tennessee College of Medicine. Memphis, Tenn.
Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wis.
University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, Wis.

RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
6/25/06: End Old-Fashioned Pig Labs At St. Louis University
www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1525&seriesfirst=true
4/20/06: Dinosaurs: Big Med Schools With Animal Labs
www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1489&seriesfirst=true

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4. SHAC 7 Prisoner Darius Fullmer Free On 9/28!

DATE: 8/31/07
FROM: Updates on the SHAC 7, updates [at] shac7.com
SOURCE: SHAC 7 Support Committee, www.SHAC7.com

EDITED FOR LENGTH

SHAC 7 prisoner Darius Fullmer is scheduled to be released on September 28. There will be a release party for him on September 29…

STATEMENT FROM DARIUS FULLMER: It is hard to believe, but my time here I prison is growing short. In a few weeks, on Friday September 28, 2007 I hit the streets. After over ten months of being away from everyone and everything I care about, a celebration is certainly in order! But, first things first: This experience was made a thousand times easier by the support I received. My family, old friends, new friends, and strangers; from both within and outside the activist community… I don’t know how I could express my gratitude to all of you.

When I walk out those gates a piece of my heart will remain behind these walls. My codefendants — Andy, Josh, Jake, Lauren and Kevin, as well as all of the other earth and animal liberation prisoners — will still be waiting for their day. I hope my release reminds them that though it may seem impossibly far away, their day to celebrate will come. Please express your support for them, especially by doing something positive for the animals and the earth in their honor.

As for now, I can’t wait to see you all! Here is the plan. First off, everyone is invited; whether you know me or not, are an activist or not — doesn’t matter. If you want to come, please come.

My release falls on a Friday… the main get-together will be on Saturday. But, if you are available Friday come hang out then as well! Releases happen around 9am. Once I’m out, there are four things I need to see: food, trees, the ocean, and food. Greenlight, a veggie restaurant in Trenton will be the first stop. Then on to a short hike in central New Jersey. Nothing strenuous — just a stroll around a place without razor wire fences. Then east until we run out of land, and watch the waves roll in. Finally, dinner at Kaya’s kitchen in Belmar…

If anyone is coming from a ways and needs a place to crash, my apartment will be available. Nothing will be unpacked so think if as indoor camping. Saturday we’ll be reviving the famous vegan volleyball game/barbeques! Bring some vegan food to share if you can. And don’t worry; none of us are any good at volleyball. It’s just for fun. 1:00pm at Veterans park in Hamilton, NJ. I don’t know what will go down Saturday night, but it will involve lots of vegan ice cream.

For information you can call my buddy Jeff at 609-610-5613. I’ll see you all soon! — Darius

SUPPORT REMAINING SHAC 7 PRISONERS: www.SHAC7.com

RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
JAN. 2007 KC DIGEST: Wish SHAC 7’s Josh And Jake Happy Birthdays
www.kinshipcircle.org/digest/2007_01.html#9
DEC. 2006 KC DIGEST: SHAC 7: Christmas In A Correctional Institution
www.kinshipcircle.org/digest/2006_12.html#6
AUG-OCT 2006 UPDATES: One Inside & Five To Begin Prison Mid-November
www.kinshipcircle.org/updates/updates_aug-oct_2006.html#1
JAN-APRIL 2006 UPDATES: SHAC 7
www.kinshipcircle.org/updates/updates_jan-april_2006.html#6
JAILED: SHAC 7
www.kinshipcircle.org/updates/updates_9_12.html
INSIDE/OUT: DIARY OF MADNESS
www.kinshipcircle.org/store/#lit
MOVE OVER AL QUAEDA! Animal Defenders Top Most Wanted List
www.kinshipcircle.org/fact_sheets/MoveAlQuaeda.pdf
FACT SHEET: Who Is Huntingdon Life Sciences?
www.kinshipcircle.org/fact_sheets/WhoIsHuntingdonLifeScienc.pdf

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5. Gratuitous Farmed Animal Assaults On The Rise

DATE: 8/24/07
FROM: Farmed Animal Net, info [at] farmedanimal.net

“They just wanted to see what shooting cattle was like,” Hickman County Sheriff Randal Ward said about two Tennessee teens who last year shot and killed 24 cows, many of them pregnant. In California, police are currently investigating the May killing of 15 goats, each shot in the face as they huddled in a portable pen. Residents had called in reports of the sound of “babies crying.” On August 17th, an Arkansas teen was arrested for allegedly attempting to run down cattle. When a bull became stuck under the Ford Ranger, the teen, accompanied by two men, reportedly fatally stabbed him. Several cows were wounded and a pregnant one was euthanized. The previous week, nine cows were shot at a nearby farm, five fatally: Ark. teenager arrested for running over, stabbing cows, tinyurl.com/2svr3r

These are just a few examples of an increasing number of animal cruelty cases being reported nationwide outside city limits (see also: Animal Abuse Crime Database, tinyurl.com/2oolkr ). Authorities say cows, goats, horses and other farmed animals are being killed, often by angry, reckless youths. “Rural kids grow up with guns. They shoot squirrels and coyotes as predator control, so the idea of shooting a rifle from a vehicle is not abnormal,” said a lawyer for one teen convicted of shooting horses. A former Fresno County assistant district attorney who prosecuted teen animal killers asserts they had too little adult supervision and too much access to guns. “You see something, you shoot it — and then you drive down the road for a few more laughs,” he said, “It’s someone else’s problem.” Researchers are developing a personality profile of those who kill large animals (other than in the context of legal hunting). Studies suggest that youths who engage in such cruelty often commit violent criminal behavior as adults.

The gratuitous killing of farmed animals gets little attention in the U.S. Although 43 states have passed felony animal cruelty laws, they rarely apply to farmed animals “thanks in part to a strong cattleman’s lobby — as long as ranchers follow ‘accepted husbandry practices,’ ” notes this Los Angeles Times article. “It speaks to a prejudice against certain animals, not based on a rational assessment of their ability to feel pain but on our intended use for them,” states Farm Sanctuary President Gene Baur. Although some states do provide some legal protection for these animals, enforcement can vary and prosecutors often settle for convictions on “vandalism” charges. “Most places, you’ve got to go a long way to be considered cruel to livestock,” said Robert Trimble, an attorney for the Texas Humane Legislation Network, “The industry is paranoid that somehow what they do in their routine animal husbandry could be called cruelty.” According to investigators, society is beginning to take a tougher stance on such cruelty. Last autumn, Texas improved protections for farmed animals, creating a legal definition of what constitutes torture that includes inflicting “unjustifiable pain or suffering.”

A BEASTLY KIND OF CRUELTY, Los Angeles Times, John M. Glionna, 8/17/07:
www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-cruelty17aug17,0,564550.story

CATTLE KILLING DRAWS NATIONAL IRE, Batesville Daily Guard, Tony McGuffey,
8/23/07: tinyurl.com/25swul

RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
FACT SHEET: Animal Victims, Human Victims (police case files)
(free, high-res download) www.kinshipcircle.org/fact_sheets/#1

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6. Canada’s Largest Foie Gras Maker Eludes Cruelty Charges

DATE: 8/23/07
FROM: Farmed Animal Net, info [at] farmedanimal.net
SOURCE: Canada NewsWire, www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/August2007/23/c9874.html

Crown Prosecutors in Quebec, Canada declined charging foie gras producer Elevages Perigord with animal cruelty despite video and other documentation brought to court’s attention last month (see: tinyurl.com/32mcwf ) by Farm Sanctuary and Global Action Network. “The failure to prosecute represents a break down in the enforcement system and does not speak to the legality or the morality of practices at Elevages Perigord,” said Gene Baur, President of Farm Sanctuary.

PROSECUTORS FAIL TO CHARGE FOIE GRAS PRODUCER ELEVAGES PERIGORD DESPITE DOCUMENTATION OF SICKENING ABUSES, Canada NewsWire, 8/23/07
www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/August2007/23/c9874.html

RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
9/4/07: Help Philly Go Foie Gras Free
www.kinshipcircle.org/letter%5Flibrary/letter.asp?LetterID=1678&seriesfirst=true
8/13/07: Foie Gras For Sale On Amazon.com
www.kinshipcircle.org/letter%5Flibrary/letter.asp?LetterID=1669&seriesfirst=true

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7. Horse Slaughter Ban Inches Along With Ag Bill Provision

DATE 8/3/07
SOURCE: www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/us_house_votes_to_take.html

The U.S. House of Representatives once again agreed to stop slaughtering American horses for human consumption, by adding a provision to the Agriculture spending bill for 2008 that prohibits the use of funds to allow horse slaughter to continue.

The funding restriction for horse slaughter was first enacted two years ago, but the USDA has stubbornly refused to implement the law, opting instead to charge horse slaughterhouses a per horse fee for inspection services. Although the federal district court in Washington, D.C. ruled last spring that USDA’s scheme to circumvent Congress is unlawful, the ruling is on hold pending an appeal to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, thus enabling horse slaughter to continue…

RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
3/29/07: 1 Horse Plant Left…And Now There Are None?
www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1636&seriesfirst=true
1/29/07: Horse Slaughter Bill Renewed In 110th Congress
www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1628&seriesfirst=true

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8. PCRM Sues UCSF For Reckless Animal Tests

DATE: 8/1/07
SOURCE: San Francisco Chronicle, sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/08/01/BA54RALJI2.DTL

Suit alleges animal cruelty, Jonathan Curiel — A group of doctors filed suit Tuesday against UCSF, saying university scientists needlessly drill into monkeys’ brains and conduct other unnecessary experiments on animals in violation of federal law. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine said UCSF is using state money for research that violates the Animal Welfare Act, which bans inhumane treatment of research animals.

In a lawsuit filed in San Francisco Superior Court, the group says that the university has abused animals since at least 1998, and that some of the experiments cover areas already studied by other researchers.

The plaintiffs cited learning and memory tests on macaque monkeys, large primates resembling baboons, that UCSF says could lead to a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. UCSF’s interim associate vice chancellor for research, Clifford Roberts, said the tests on macaques were necessary to advance Alzheimer’s research previously done on mice.

RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
AUG-OCT 2006 UPDATES: Monkeys Freed From UCSF Labs - An Inside Job With Outside Help
www.kinshipcircle.org/updates/updates_aug-oct_2006.html#8
2/10/05: Dogs Die In Futile UCSF Heart Studies
www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1299&seriesfirst=true
FACT SHEET: Sacrificing One Won’t Save The Other
(free, high-res download) www.kinshipcircle.org/fact_sheets/#3

PLEASE DONATE toward printing Kinship Circle’s educational literature for national distribution: www.kinshipcircle.org/donation/

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9. House Passes Resolution Condemning Canadian Seal Hunt

DATE: 7/30/07
SOURCE: Humane Society of the United States, humanesociety.org/

EDITED FOR LENGTH

The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed the resolution condemning the seal hunt today. H. Res. 427, introduced by U.S. Reps. Tom Lantos (D-Calif) and Christopher Shays (R-Conn), had 30 cosponsors… The resolution notes that more than one million seals have been killed over the past three years and that in the last five years, 95 percent of the seals killed were between 12 days and 12 weeks of age, many of them too young to have eaten their first solid meal or taken their first swim…

In March, U.S. Senators Carl Levin (D-Mich) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) introduced a similar resolution, S. Res. 118, calling for the end of the seal hunt. That resolution was referred to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and currently has 10 cosponsors.

RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
4/1/07: Rivers Of Blood – Canada’s Brutal Seal Hunt
www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1637&seriesfirst=true
2/25/06: Canada’s Disgrace: A Million Seals Slaughtered
www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1483&seriesfirst=true
FACT SHEET: BloodPrints On Ice
www.kinshipcircle.org/fact_sheets/BloodPrintOnIce.pdf

PLEASE DONATE toward printing Kinship Circle’s educational literature for national distribution: www.kinshipcircle.org/donation/

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Date: Sep 20, 2007 8:43 PM
Subject: #2. KC UPDATES: JUNE - SEPT 2007

KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY - PERMISSION TO CROSS-POST AS WRITTEN

PART 2: UPDATES / JUNE - SEPTEMBER 2007
Victories * Setbacks * Progress For Animals
Past Kinship Circle Updates: www.kinshipcircle.org/updates/

THIS EMAIL CONTAINS:
PART 2: KC UPDATES / JUNE - SEPTEMBER 2007
10. House of Reps Tightens Protections for Dogs/Cats In Farm Bill
11. Anti-Animal Riders Removed From Farm Bill
12. Polar Bear Trophy Hunters Win - Bill Defeated
13. Oregon Outlaws Gestation Crates
14. Louisiana Ends Cockfighting, Sort Of
15. West Hollywood Declaw Ban Upheld By Appellate Court
16. New York First State To Ban Genital Electrocution
17. EU Dog And Cat Fur Ban - A Closer Look
18. Philippines: Ban On Sale Of Dog Meat Now Law

If you did NOT get PART 1, request it: kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net

PART 1: KC UPDATES / JUNE - SEPTEMBER 2007
1. MEPs Sign On To End Primate Testing In Europe
2. Mercy’s Killer Faces Bond Increase
3. Big Win! Saint Louis University Phases Out Live Pig Lab
4. SHAC 7 Prisoner Darius Fullmer Free On 9/28!
5. Gratuitous Farmed Animal Assaults On The Rise
6. Canada’s Largest Foie Gras Maker Eludes Cruelty Charges
7. Horse Slaughter Ban Inches Along With Ag Bill Provision
8. PCRM Sues UCSF For Reckless Animal Tests
9. House Passes Resolution Condemning Canadian Seal Hunt

============================

10. House of Reps Tightens Protections for Dogs/Cats In Farm Bill

DATE: 7/27/07
SOURCE: www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/house_of_representatives_1.html

EDITED FOR LENGTH

Last week, the House approved an animal protection amendment to the Farm Bill. This amendment would prohibit the use in research of dogs and cats obtained from random source Class B dealers, who may steal pets or fraudulently obtain them through “free to good home” ads. It would also ban the use of live animals in sales demonstrations of medical devices…

The House accepted an amendment to the Farm Bill by Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) and Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA) that prevents stolen pets from being sold into research, bars the use of live animals in medical device sales demonstrations and increases fines for violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act. One provision of the legislation is a response to a recent high-profile incident earlier this year at the Cleveland Clinic, in which a staff member demonstrated a medical device on a live dog as a sales gimmick. Another provision is in response to recent investigations of “Class B” dealers who have been known to traffic in family pets for research.

RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
7/9/07: Support Bill To Spare Dogs/Cats From Experimentation
www.kinshipcircle.org/letter%5Flibrary/letter.asp?LetterID=1664&seriesfirst=true
1/16/07: Surgeon Takes Dog’s Life For Sales Demo
www.kinshipcircle.org/letter%5Flibrary/letter.asp?LetterID=1625&seriesfirst=true
4/5/06: Dealing Dogs And Cats For Research
www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1488&seriesfirst=true
FACT SHEET: Pet Theft Thugs
(free download) www.kinshipcircle.org/fact_sheets/PetTheftThugs.pdf

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11. Anti-Animal Riders Removed From Farm Bill

DATE: 7/7/07
SOURCE: www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/power_grab.html

EDITED FOR LENGTH

The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture released its latest mark-up of the 2007 Farm Bill…removing a little-known but far-reaching provision that had threatened to nullify dozens of animal welfare and food safety laws enacted at the state and local level, as well as removing a $12 million subsidy for the veal industry.

…If passed, Section 123 could have stricken numerous state and local laws — ranging from prohibitions against horse slaughter to bans on the cruel treatment of farm animals. Because the wording of the section would have prohibited state laws on any article that the Secretary of Agriculture has “inspected and passed,” The HSUS feared it was so broad that it could have been used to threaten animal welfare laws that do not even relate to food production, such as restricting abusive puppy mills and the ownership of dangerous exotic pets.

In addition to Section 123, another provision removed from the new version of the Farm Bill was a $12 million subsidy for the U.S. veal industry… Veal consumption has been on the decline primarily because Americans view the practice of keeping young calves in small crates as inhumane, and last year Arizona became the first state to ban veal crates…

RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
6/14/07: Farm Bill Undoes Cruelty Laws, State By State
www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1657&seriesfirst=true

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12. Polar Bear Trophy Hunters Win - Bill Defeated

DATE: 6/29/07
FROM: Kate Danaher, katedanaher [at] animalearthhuman.org
SOURCE: www.huntingmag.com/ardcsf_062907/

EDITED FOR LENGTH

Animal Rights Bill Defeated / Multiple sportsmen’s rights organizations unite to help defeat bill that would have banned the importation of legally hunted polar bear trophies. By Jeffrey S. Crane, President, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation

Hunters successful in landing a polar bear will be able to legally import their trophy to the U.S. thanks to the efforts of the CSF, SCI, NRA and various other hunter’s rights organizations.

Congratulations are in order to the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus in the US House of Representatives for leading the charge to overwhelmingly defeat an animal rights effort to ban the importation of legally hunted polar bear trophies. Sending a powerful message that the rights of hunters will not be infringed upon, the House of Representatives voted 242-188 against an amendment that attempted to withhold funds for the issuance of US import permits for sport-hunted polar bears from viable populations in Canada.

Although purporting to “protect polar bears,” the net effect would not have reduced the number of polar bears harvested each year… Instead, it would have hurt polar bear conservation funding which is derived solely from fees paid by sport hunters, and would have had a disastrous impact on the local communities that depend upon this revenue…

Numerous sporting and conservation organizations rallied to oppose this amendment, including Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Safari Club International, and the National Rifle Association, among others. [KINSHIP CIRCLE JUST HAS TO INTERRUPT HERE: Fine organizations, noted in particular for orchestrating the violent slaughter of animals at point blank range in “canned hunt” packages for their esteemed members.]

Also allied in opposition to this amendment were the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the Government of Nunavut (where many healthy populations of polar bears reside), and the federal Canadian government… A website has been developed to counter the misinformation campaign and emotional, non-scientific arguments put forth by anti-hunting legislators, and the anti-hunting groups they support: www.polarbearfacts.org

The battle next goes to the Senate, where we will again be looking to the leadership of the Senate Congressional Sportsmen’ Caucus to defeat this effort and protect the rights of America’s sportsmen in the US Congress.

RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
8/27/07: Polar Bears Are Not Trophies
www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1674&seriesfirst=true
6/1/07: Uncertain Fate For Polar Bears
www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1652&seriesfirst=true

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13. Oregon Outlaws Gestation Crates

DATE: 6/28/07
FROM: Alyson Bodai, Outreach Manager Factory Farming Campaign, The Humane Society of the United States, 301-721-6422 * abodai [at] humanesociety.org
SOURCE: www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/oregon_crate_ban.html

The state of Oregon is the first to ban the use of gestation crates for breeding pigs through representative government in the US. This legislation prohibits the particularly inhumane confinement of animals on factory farms. The measure prohibits the confinement of breeding pigs in metal gestation crates so small the animals can’t turn around for months on end. It takes effect in 2013, giving farmers six years to transition if they need to. There are approximately 4,000 breeding sows in Oregon…

FULL ARTICLE:
www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/oregon_crate_ban.html

RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
OCT-DEC 2006 UPDATES: Arizona Voters Ban Sow Crates, Veal Crates
www.kinshipcircle.org/updates/updates_oct-dec.html#17
COLUMNS: A Life Contained
www.kinshipcircle.org/columns_articles/0022.html
FACT SHEET: FACTS: The Pig Industry
(free download) www.kinshipcircle.org/fact_sheets/ FactsAboutThePorkIndust.pdf

PLEASE DONATE toward printing Kinship Circle’s educational literature for national distribution: www.kinshipcircle.org/donation/

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14. Louisiana Ends Cockfighting, Sort Of

DATE: 6/28/07
FROM: Pam Leavy, tundraleap [at] msn.com

EDITED FOR LENGTH

A special thanks to each an every one of you who took the time to write, call, email Louisiana legislators in an attempt to end cockfighting. Senator Lentini and his followers fought a long, hard battle. It is with utter regret, and embarrassment for our state, that I inform you that we have lost the battle to end cockfighting immediately. Instead, the blood bath will continue until August 2008…

In addition, the Mamou Cajun Mardi Gras chicken torture will be allowed to continue. This festival, called The Couriers de Mardi Gras, will be specifically excluded from prosecution under the state cruelty to animals law… Costumed men on horseback go door-to-door collecting ingredients for gumbo. One of the ingredients is chicken, which are collected live. People, including children, chase the chickens, fight over them until their wings and legs are ripped from their bodies, crush them during the chase, etc. The terrified animals, struggle to escape, flying into trees, running as fast as they can, but without success… The chickens, some unable to walk, some with broken legs or without legs or wings, some dead, are then thrown into a cage, discarded… These chickens are not even needed for this gumbo. These chickens were simply sacrificed for human entertainment… The media portrays the brutality, on TV, as a festive, fun, family event, as I watch in horror, the mutilation of innocent animals…

There is a flicker of light in another bill Senator Lentini was able to pass — the immediate ban of gambling at cockfights… Although many supporters of this bill believe it will eliminate most cockfighting, I have my doubts. Many cockfighting supporters and participants are actual members of the police force in these small towns…and the law will never be enforced. Our only hope is to shut down the larger, more obvious cockfighting rings, where gambling may be more difficult, but not impossible, to hide. Being the only state still allowing cockfighting, we’ll have an influx of cockers, like never before, and we’ll have New Mexico’s cast offs. Some of these barbarians will want to deplete their “stock” before gambling becomes Illegal. With so many enjoying animal torture as “sport,” cockfighting will continue regardless, with hidden gambling and/or simply for enjoyment. This is a complete disgrace to Louisiana… The dignity of our state takes a back seat as legislators promote their own beliefs, disregarding the cockfighting opposition by a vast majority of Louisiana citizens…

Feel free to thank Senator Lentini for his efforts to end cockfighting. Since the bill that has passed was a bill written by pro-cockfighting Senator Ritchie, it is he — not Lentini — who’ll will receive recognition of the end of cockfighting in Louisiana. Unbelievable! Again, thanks for all your support, Pam Leavy

Senator Lentini: lentini [at] legis.state.la.us

RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
June 2007 KC Digest: Don’t Give Up On Louisiana Anti-Cockfighting Bill
www.kinshipcircle.org/digest/2007_06.html#anchor5
4/19/07: Louisiana - Ban Chicken Blood Sport Now
www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1641&seriesfirst=true
4/12/07: About Time! U.S. Animal Fighting Bill On President’s Desk
www.kinshipcircle.org/updates/updates_04_12_07.html
JAN-MAR 2007 UPDATES: New Mexico Nixes Cockfighting; Louisiana Sole State
www.kinshipcircle.org/updates/updates_jan-mar_2007.html#9
MAY-JULY 2006 UPDATES: Louisiana Cockfighting Ban Fails In Committee
www.kinshipcircle.org/updates/updates_may-july_2006.html#15

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15. West Hollywood Declaw Ban Upheld By Appellate Court

DATE: 6/23/07
FROM: Susan, woodhousecat [at] aol.com * www.pawsneedclaws.com/
SOURCE: sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/06/23/DECLAW.TMP

EDITED FOR LENGTH

Court says city can ban declawing, Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer — Cities in California can prohibit cat declawing without running afoul of state law, which contains no such prohibition for house pets, a state appeals court ruled Friday. The court reinstated an ordinance in the city of West Hollywood, the only one of its kind in the state. San Francisco, where the Board of Supervisors passed a resolution in 2003 condemning the declawing of cats, filed legal arguments in support of West Hollywood.

Some veterinarians oppose declawing, but their trade group, the California Veterinary Medical Association, has fought the ordinance in court and also opposed statewide legislation. A bill sponsored by a West Hollywood legislator that would have banned the practice was defeated in 2003, but lawmakers passed a measure in 2004 forbidding the declawing of captive lions and tigers.

The surgery involves removing not only the claw but also all or part of the last bone and connecting tendons and ligaments on a feline’s paw. Opponents say the procedure is cruel and unnecessary. The West Hollywood ordinance, passed in 2003, declares that the “mere convenience (of declawing) to the pet’s guardian does not justify the unnecessary pain, anguish and permanent disability caused (to) the animal.'’

The measure makes it a crime to perform the surgery within city limits, except for therapeutic purposes such as removal of infected tissue… The ruling should encourage other local governments to pass similar ordinances, said Bruce Wagman, a lawyer for the Animal Legal Defense Fund.. The ruling could be appealed to the state Supreme Court.

RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
1/1/07: Please Help To Outlaw Declawing
www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/gulfcoast/newsletters/07-01-01.html#5
4/26/06: Declawing Hurts. Urge AVMA To Oppose It
www.kinshipcircle.org/letter%5Flibrary/letter.asp?LetterID=1582&seriesfirst=true
AUG-OCT 2006 UPDATES: Declawing [Big] Cats Banned Under Animal Welfare Act
www.kinshipcircle.org/updates/updates_aug-oct_2006.html#14
9/1/04: Urge Governor Schwarzenegger To Pass Declawing Ban
(no longer available online)

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16. New York First State To Ban Genital Electrocution

DATE: 6/23/07
FROM: League Of Humane Voters Of New York City, www.humanenyc.org

State legislators have passed a bill, sponsored by LOHV-NYC allies State Senator Frank Padavan (R-Queens)* and Assemblywoman Deborah Glick (D-Manhattan), banning the anal and genital electrocution of fur-bearing animals. If signed by Governor Spitzer, New York will be the first state in the nation ban this cruel practice.

“The animals killed for fur live miserably and die painfully so that people can wear them. Although this bill will put an end to just one way these animals suffer, it’s a good start,” said John Phillips, LOHV-NYC’s executive director. “We are incredibly grateful to Senator Padavan and Assemblywoman Glick for their tireless advocacy on behalf of animals. They are true humane legislators.” Electrocution is a common method of killing minks, foxes and other animals on fur farms. Several such farms operate in New York State.

*Senator Padavan is a two-time recipient of our Humane Legislator Award.

RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
LETTER LIBRARY: ANIMALS IN FASHION INDUSTRY
www.kinshipcircle.org/letter%5Flibrary/letters_by_category.asp?CategoryID=4
FACTS: The Fur Trade
(free download) www.kinshipcircle.org/fact_sheets/ FactsAboutTheFurIndustr.pdf

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17. EU Dog And Cat Fur Ban - A Closer Look

DATE: 6/21/07
FROM: It’s Their Destiny, www.2kat.net/itstheirdestiny

EDITED FOR LENGTH

Thanks to all who wrote to your MEPs and all non-Europeans who contacted other EU officials, we shall shortly see an end to the sickening trade in dog and cat fur in Europe… But behind the often conflicting and confusing reports, what are the facts?

First, the gaping loophole that would have permitted the trade in fur from cats and dogs not “specifically” killed for their fur HAS BEEN CLOSED.

The Committee on Internal Trade had also wanted to expand the definition of dog to include “raccoon dogs,” wild dogs unrelated to raccoons but named for their thick coats. Despite current moves in the USA to extend their own ban to cover these animals, this was ignored and only cats and “the subspecies canis lupus familiaris,” i.e. domestic dogs, were given protection.

The text voted on by the European Parliament on 19th June was the “first reading,” meaning it will now go back to the Commission for approval… For the next 18 months until 1st January 2009 however, cat and dog fur will still be legally sold within the EU and the Chinese fur producers will be trying to export as much as they possibly can before that deadline.

After 1st January 2009 there should be no more imports of cat or dog fur into the EU, but it will fall upon individual member nations to enforce. China’s outlet for these products will be diminished yet not enough to stamp out the trade. Apart from China’s own internal market of 1.3 billion buyers, there are many other countries that will continue to welcome them…

Full text adopted by the Parliament

RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
5/1/07: Stop Dog/Cat Fur Imports To U.S. And Europe
www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1645&seriesfirst=true
FEB. 2007 KC DIGEST: Faux Fur Found To Come From Dogs, Cats
www.kinshipcircle.org/digest/2007_02.html#2
OCT-DEC 2006 UPDATES: Cat/Dog Fur: European Commission Proposes Ban
www.kinshipcircle.org/updates/updates_oct-dec.html#14
10/24/03: Letters NOW For EU Ban On Cat/Dog Fur
(no longer available online)

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18. Philippines: Ban On Sale Of Dog Meat Now Law

DATE: 6/1/07
FROM: Anti-Fur Society, www.antifursociety.org
SOURCE: www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=news5_june1_2007

EDITED FOR LENGTH

Philippines Stopping The Slaughter Of Dogs, By Joyce Pangco Panares — CONGRESS has passed a law banning the trading in dog meat and promoting the elimination of rabies through mandatory dog immunization. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed the law, the “Anti-Rabies Act of 2007,” and allocated P100 million to implement it…

Republic Act 8845, passed in 1998, bans the trading in dog meat, but its implementation has been selective as most provinces in the north of the country hide behind “tradition” to justify eating dogs. In Baguio alone, residents consume about 200 dogs a day, according to animal rights advocate Network for Animals.

Network representative Melchor Alipio said the P5,000 fine imposed in RA 8845 was too small compared with the P55 million that dog traders earned annually. Section 11 of the new law imposes a P5,000 fine for every dog killed or traded for its meat and a jail term of one year to four years…

The law also requires dog owners to have their pets vaccinated regularly against rabies or face a fine of P2,000. Dog owners who let their dogs stray will be fined P500 for each stray…

RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:
JAN 2007 KC DIGEST: Philippines: Save Man’s Best Friend from the Dog Meat Trade
www.kinshipcircle.org/digest/2007_01.html#15
COLUMNS: Canine Cuisine: A Custom Or A Crime?
www.kinshipcircle.org/columns_articles/0026.html
3/16/05: Korea Moves To Legalize Dog Meat
www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1318&seriesfirst=true

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