Kinship Circle: October-December 2008 Updates (Parts 1 & 2)

December 27th, 2008 2:41 pm by Kelly Garbato

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle – kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Date: Dec 24, 2008 12:08 AM
Subject: Part 1/ UPDATES: OCT-DEC 2008

KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY – PERMISSION TO CROSS-POST

PART 1: OCT – DEC 2008 / KINSHIP CIRCLE UPDATES
YEAR END WRAP UP – Victories * Setbacks * Progress For Animals

www.kinshipcircle.org/updates/

PART 1: KC UPDATES / OCT – DEC 2008

1. Donna Karan Announces Fur-Free 2009 Lines
2. Dragged Pit Bull Is Healing And Soon Adoptable
3. Cat Killing Boyfriend Walks Free
4. Records Show Big Industry Planned AETA All Along
5. Obama Picks: The Good & The Not So Good
6. L.A. Assistant Fire Chief Charged In Karley’s Killing
7. Netherlands Ban Products Made Of Cape Fur Seals
8. Prempro Maker, Wyeth, Pays For Fake Articles
9. Report On Hallmark/Westland Downer Scandal
10. Eddie Lama’s Oasis Sanctuary Closes
11. Michael Vick: Early Release & Back To NFL?

PART 2: KC UPDATES / OCT – DEC 2008
RESEND PART #2 TO ME: kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net

12. Hero’s Plan To Save Wild Horses Moves Forward
13. Until Export Is Banned, More Horses Killed
14. Rodeo “Horse Tripping” Outlawed In Phoenix
15. Houston: Biggest Dogfight Bust In U.S. History
16. Activists Vow To Overturn Navy’s Use Of Sonar
17. Oxford Univ. Lab To Use Thousands Of Animals
18. Prop 2 Passes For Calif. Farmed Animals
19. EU Proposal To Ban Great Apes In Experiments
20. Ringling Bros. Big Fat Federal Lawsuit
21. Alaska Whales: 1 vs. Gov. Sarah Palin: 0

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1. Donna Karan Announces Fur-Free 2009 Lines

SOURCE: 12/22/08, Donna Karan Dumps Fur!
READ FULL STORY: blog.peta.org/archives/2008/12/donna_karan.php

FROM KINSHIP CIRCLE: We’re not sure we trust her, yet. If you took action on KC’s recent alert “Bunnies Hate Donna Karan,” that’s great! She needs to hear that consumers are serious about a 100% fur-free policy.

Donna Karan has announced that her fall 2009 lines will be fur-free and that she has “no plans” to use fur in the future… Karan’s announcement came days after PETA launched our (now offline) DonnaKaranBunnyButcher.com website and after mega-fashion guru Tim Gunn sent Karan and designer Giorgio Armani a video he narrated for PETA showing animals skinned alive and urged them to open their eyes to the violent and bloody fur industry…

KINSHIP CIRCLE REFERENCES:

12/18/08: Bunnies Hate Donna Karan’s Killer Couture

www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter_new.asp?LetterID=1789&seriesfirst=true

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2. Dragged Pit Bull Is Healing And Soon Adoptable

KINSHIP CIRCLE: Many have asked about Prada (renamed Bluebell), the pit bull dragged behind a truck into the parking lot of Southeast Area Animal Control Authority (where she is now sheltered). Jim Willis (tiergartenjim [at] yahoo.com) coordinated the following updates from his sources in Los Angeles:

12/22/08, From Ruth Silny, an area animal advocate who has visited Prada/Bluebell, rsilny [at] sbcglobal.net — From what I learned when I spoke with Corp. Torres — once healed, she’ll be adoptable. I’m sure they’ll fine-tooth comb every applicant already on a list. She cannot be with any dogs due to some aggressiveness… She is adorable, a good natured dog… Her front legs were healing better, her hind needed attention. She is a beautiful blue-grey color with beautiful eyes… They [SEAACA] are on top of this and other cases, and thankfully they have the courts on their side.

From Aaron Reyes, Director of Operations, SEAACA, Aaron [at] seaaca.org — The court case is sitting on the DA’s desk, with a March court date per the citation the owner signed… I think we have a solid case that will show negligence which caused Bluebell severe pain and suffering…

KINSHIP CIRCLE REFERENCES:

12/17/08: Second Chance For Dragged Pit Bull

www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter_new.asp?LetterID=1787&seriesfirst=true

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3. Cat Killing Boyfriend Walks Free

SOURCE: 12/19/08, Actor pleads guilty in NYC cat-kill case
READ FULL STORY: www.pet-abuse.com/cases/11246/NY/US/RSS/#UPDATES

Joseph Petcka, 38, an actor and former minor league baseball player who killed his girlfriend’s cat, has pleaded guilty to felony aggravated cruelty to animals. He faces up to 500 hours of community service at his March 2 sentencing. The plea removes the need for a second trial. His first ended with the jury deadlocked 11-1. Prosecutors said Petcka killed the 7-year-old cat, Norman (March 2007) in a drunken, jealous rage… Petcka said outside court that he hopes to do community service in a youth athletics program.

ANIMAL ABUSERS BELONG IN JAIL – NOT YOUTH PROGRAMS

The Honorable Leila Kermani, Assistant District Attorney
Office of the Manhattan District Attorney
One Hogan Place; NY, NY 10013
ph: 212-335-3630 (or 9400); fax: 212-335-9288

The Honorable Michael J. Obus
Manhattan Criminal Court; 100 Centre Street; NY, NY 10013
ph: 646-386-4500; fax: 212-374-5293

SOME TALKING POINTS:

The last place Joseph Petcka belongs is alongside children.

Violence against animals is a well-documented precursor to violence against humans. Randall Lockwood, Ph.D. — a frequent consultant to cruelty investigators, law enforcers, and mental health professionals — describes violence against non-threatening creatures unlikely to retaliate as a precursor to assaulting children, the elderly or disabled.

This wasn’t Petcka’s first offense: Petcka had vented rage on Norman in the past. Altobelli told jurors she’d found her frightened cat drenched in water. “He was hissing [at Petcka],” Altobelli testified. “Obviously, that was a huge red flag.” But the flag apparently wasn’t red enough. Similar “blind rage” once stirred Petcka to slam a door on another ex-girlfriend, severing her fingertip (although this incident was banned from the trial).

Convicted animal abusers should serve time behind bars — not fulfill community service orders at a youth athletics program, where they’re exposed to vulnerable juveniles.

KINSHIP CIRCLE REFERENCES:

10/24/08: No Plea Deal For Ruthless Cat Killer

www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter_new.asp?LetterID=1768&seriesfirst=true

10/7/08: Demand Retrial For Vicious Cat Killer

www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter_new.asp?LetterID=1765&seriesfirst=true

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4. Records Show Big Industry Planned AETA All Along

SOURCE: 12/17/08, Plans for Labeling Activists as “Eco-Terrorists”
READ FULL STORY: www.greenisthenewred.com/blog/2008/12/17/internal-industry-documents-show-plans-for-labeling-activists-as-eco-terrorists-part-1-of-3/

by Will Potter, www.GreenistheNewRed.com — It’s been two years since passage of the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, a sweeping law that wraps up non-violent civil disobedience and hurting corporate profits as “terrorism.”

…Here, for the first time, are some of the internal documents outlining how corporations and industry groups planned to label activists “eco-terrorists.” I’ve obtained them from a source who wishes to remain anonymous. They’re the creation of the Animal Enterprise Protection Coalition, a network formed for the sole purpose of passing this “eco-terrorism” legislation…

Note how “Will Potter’s Blog” is listed under the opposition. I guess I should be honored, right?

KINSHIP CIRCLE: And there we are, underneath IDA. We are honored too! We are on Big Industry’s pro-animal radar screen.

KINSHIP CIRCLE REFERENCES:

3/19/07: Invite Congress To AETA Briefing On The Hill

kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1634&seriesfirst=true

12/8/06: AETA UPDATE / Hope For Repeal?

www.kinshipcircle.org/updates/updates_12_8.html

11/16/06: Questions & Rumors: Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act

www.kinshipcircle.org/updates/updates_11_16.html

11/13/06: Done Deal? AETA Passes

www.kinshipcircle.org/updates/updates_11_13.html

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5. Obama Picks: The Good & The Not So Good

SOURCE: 12/17/08, Michael Markarian / Obama’s Animal Welfare Team
FULL: hslf.typepad.com/political_animal/2008/12/cabinet_apppoin.html

FORMER IOWA GOV. TOM VILSACK IS SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE

Gov. Tom Vilsack, the next Secretary of Agriculture, has a solid record on animal protection… He will have a big role in how our nation confronts puppy mills, factory farming, predator control, use of animals in research, and other practices and industries that have compromised animal welfare.

* Vilsack advocated to toughen state penalties for animal fighting…
* Vetoed a 2006 bill that would have reclassified dogs as “farm products.”
* Vetoed 2001 legislation to allow sport hunting of mourning doves…

U.S. SEN. KEN SALAZAR (CO) IS NEXT SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR

U.S. Senator Salazar scored 0% on the Humane Scorecard for the 109th Congress, and 50% in the 110th Congress. As Interior chief, Salazar will oversee enforcement of wildlife protection laws (i.e., Endangered Species Act and Migratory Bird Treaty Act) and have authority on…federal lands in national parks, wildlife refuges, and Bureau of Land Management properties.

* Voted against 2005 legislation to ban horse slaughter.
* Current session: Co-sponsored bill to strengthen animal fighting penalties.
* Signed letter to increase funds for enforcement of animal welfare laws…
(Salazar wasn’t pushed by animal advocates.)

LISA JACKSON TO HEAD THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA)

Lisa Jackson led the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and was a leading animal advocate in the state… [She can help] prioritize use of alternatives to animals in toxicity testing, to ensure strong penalties for pollution from factory farms…

* She rejected attempts by NRA, Safari Club, and trophy hunting groups to initiate a black bear hunting season in New Jersey.
* Implemented program to solve bear conflicts with humane methods such as trash management and public education.

SOURCE: 12/8/08, Michael Markarian / Need Change at Interior, Not More of Same
FULL STORY: hslf.typepad.com/political_animal/2008/12/interior.html

OBAMA PASSED ON ANIMAL-FRIENDLY CONGRESSMAN RAUL GRIJALVA (D-ARIZ)

The possibility of Grijalva as Interior Secretary was endorsed by environmentalists [and animal advocates] who’d admired his work as chairman of House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands…

* Grijalva is lead author with Congressman John Campbell (R-Calif.) of the Bear Protection Act, which would crack down on illegal poaching of bears…
* Scored 100% on Humane Scorecard since elected to Congress.
* Sided with animal protection on every measure relevant to Interior Department: Import of sport-hunted polar bear trophies, commercial sale and slaughter of wild horses and burros, slaughter of buffalo in Yellowstone National Park, and bear baiting on federal lands.

President-elect Obama selected not-so-animal-friendly Ken Salazar instead of Raul Grijalva, to be the next Secretary of the Interior.

KINSHIP CIRCLE REFERENCES + MORE READS:

Encourage Government To Improve the Lives of Animals

www.all-creatures.org/alert/alert-20081207.html

Animals Would Like President-Elect Barack Obama To Know…

kinshipcircle.org/digest/2008_12.html

Ken Salazar a Disappointing Choice for Secretary of the Interior

www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2008/salazar-12-16-2008.html

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6. L.A. Assistant Fire Chief Charged In Karley’s Killing

SOURCE: 12/16/08, Assistant Fire Chief Charged In Puppy Beating
READ FULL STORY: cbs2.com/local/Puppy.Beating.Charged.2.889181.html

A Los Angeles County assistant fire chief has been charged with beating a neighbor’s puppy so severely it had to be euthanized. Glynn Johnson was arrested at his home in Riverside County and the district attorney has filed felony animal cruelty charges against him. Johnson is accused of beating a 6-month-old shepherd mix with his fist and a 12-pound rock on Nov. 3. Investigators say Johnson told them he acted in self-defense and the dog wounded his wrist and thumb…

THANK OFFICIALS FOR ARREST & URGE MAXIMUM PENALTIES
SOURCE: Lindy Greene, lindygreene [at] roadrunner.com

Contact Riverside County District Attorney, Rod Pacheco and his Assistant, Chuck Hughes, to thank them for arresting and filing charges against Johnson and to demand that he be punished to the fullest extent accorded by law.

Rod Pacheco, Riverside County District Attorney
4075 Main St.; Riverside, CA 92501
ph: 951-955-5431 or 951-955-5400; fax: 951-955-5682
Maria Driver, D.A. Secretary: mwdriver [at] rivcoda.org
additional email: events [at] rivcoda.org

Chuck Hughes, Riverside County Assistant District Attorney
Western Division; 4075 Main St.; Riverside, CA 92501
ph: 951-955-5400 or 951-955-5431; fax: 951-358-5017

KINSHIP CIRCLE REFERENCES:

11/14/08: Puppy Fatally Beaten By Los Angeles Firefighter

www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter_new.asp?LetterID=1776&seriesfirst=true

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7. Netherlands Ban Products Made Of Cape Fur Seals

During the 2008 hunt July 1 to Nov. 15, seal hunters may kill 6,000 adult males and 80,000 pups. www.oipa.org/hunting/alerts/namibia.html

SOURCE: 12/15/08, Ban on fur import from Cape Fur Seals
READ FULL STORY: www.dierennieuws.nl/nw/art/200812/nw71298.htm

The Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Fisheries announced that as of July 1, 2009 a ban on import and trade of fur and other products of Cape Fur Seals will be in force… The Cape Fur Seal hunt takes place on the beaches of Namibia. Second to the Canadian seal hunt this is the biggest annual seal massacre on earth. Annually an average of 80,000 seals are culled and shot for their furs… www.bontvoordieren.nl

KINSHIP CIRCLE REFERENCES:

July 2008 DIGEST: Help End The Namibian Seal Slaughter

kinshipcircle.org/digest/2008_07.html#anchor5

7/11/07: Namibia’s Shame – Massacre Of Nursing Seal Pups & Bulls

kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1666&seriesfirst=true

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8. Prempro Maker, Wyeth, Pays For Fake Articles

SOURCE: 12/12/08, Drug Maker Said to Pay Ghostwriters for Journal Articles
READ FULL STORY: www.nytimes.com/2008/12/12/business/13wyeth.html?_r=3&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1229115622-yXi0T14dvE6Dtyxyi3tEtg

Wyeth, the pharmaceutical company, paid ghostwriters to produce medical journal articles favorable to its female hormone replacement therapy Prempro… One article was published…in The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, more than a year after a federal study called the Women’s Health Initiative linked Wyeth’s Prempro, a combination of estrogen and progestin [from pregnant mares’ urine], to breast cancer. The May 2003 article said there was “no definitive evidence” that progestins cause breast cancer and that hormone users had a better chance of surviving cancer…

FACT SHEET FOR YOU TO DOWNLOAD:

www.kinshipcircle.org/fact_sheets/PInPremarinStandsFor.pdf

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9. Report On Hallmark/Westland Downer Scandal

SOURCE: 12/9/08, Hallmark/Westland Might Not Be An Anomaly According To OIG
READ FULL STORY: www.cattlenetwork.com/Content.asp?ContentID=275451

Following the Hallmark/Westland debacle earlier this year, Ag Secretary Ed Schafer requested an investigation by the Office of the Inspector General… The OIG listed these three glaring problems:

1) FSIS cannot demonstrate that its verification of establishment oversight is adequate. 2) Untrained non-veterinarians have been allowed to perform ante-mortem inspection without formal training or direct supervision. 3) The Public Health Veterinarian assigned to the plant took shortcuts in his inspection duties — delegated responsibilities to Hallmark/Westland employees, a serious breach not discovered until well after the damage…

The audit included reviews of 10 “cull” slaughter plants and half of them failed to gain a passing grade… In most industries, a 50% failure rate easily qualifies as a ‘systemic’ problem… After the Hallmark video surfaced, Ag Secretary Schafer said he would ban the slaughter of downer cows without exception, a still delayed pledge…

Quote (author?) worth adding here: “I think Congressmen should wear uniforms like NASCAR drivers so we could identify their corporate sponsors.”

KINSHIP CIRCLE REFERENCES:

Aug-Oct 2008 UPDATES: Politics Trumps Mercy: Still No Downer Ban

kinshipcircle.org/updates/updates_aug-oct_2008.html#anchor11

7/14/08: No Downers. No Exceptions. NOW.

www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter_new.asp?LetterID=1751&seriesfirst=true

Apr-June 2008 UPDATES: Downer News – Big Meat Backs Downer Ban + More…

www.kinshipcircle.org/updates/updates_apr-jun_2008.html#anchor16

FACT SHEETS FOR YOU TO DOWNLOAD:

www.kinshipcircle.org/fact_sheets/DownedOnTheFarmPHOTOS.pdf

www.kinshipcircle.org/fact_sheets/HortonHearsACow.pdf

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10. Eddie Lama’s Oasis Sanctuary Closes

SOURCE: 11/30/08, Farewell to a Beloved Sanctuary
READ FULL STORY: www.oasissanctuary.org/index.html

Many of you recall Eddie Lama, from Tribe of Heart’s film “The Witness.” The tough-talking New Yorker whose world revolves around animals opened Oasis Sanctuary a decade ago — as a “home to animals who otherwise had no other place to go. Our wonderful ‘D-List’ critters have included fighters, biters, ‘pee-ers ‘n poopers’ alongside the blind, the crippled, and the crazy,” Eddie writes in his bittersweet farewell.

THIS IS WHAT OASIS NEEDS NOW:

* Responsible individuals and like-minded organizations to adopt our cats and dogs (thankfully, the farm animals have all found permanent homes);
* Immediate donations to help us cover $30,000 in back taxes; and
* Continual financial support for sheltering and providing daily care for the unplaced animals.

For information on donations and adoptions to help Eddie and his magnificent critters, go to: www.oasissanctuary.org/index.html

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11. Michael Vick: Early Release & Back To NFL?

SOURCE: 11/25/08, Vick enters guilty plea, gets suspended sentence
READ FULL STORY: www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/falcons/stories/2008/11/25/vick_virginia_hearing.html

VICK MAY LEAVE PRISON EARLY & RETURN TO NFL

Vick pleaded guilty to a state dogfighting charge in a Virginia courtroom. Under a plea agreement, the Falcons quarterback received a 3-year suspended prison term and a $2,500 fine on a charge of attending, sponsoring and participating in dog fights. A charge of cruelty to animals with prejudice was dismissed. He also received 4 years’ probation… The [state] charges against Vick carried a maximum sentence of 10 years…

Vick is currently serving a 23-month federal sentence on felony charges related to dogfighting. He is suspended indefinitely by the NFL… Vick is scheduled to be released from federal prison July 20, 2009. With his state case completed, he is eligible to participate in the Federal Bureau of Prisons re-entry program. The program could include an early release and a stay at a halfway house for up to 6 months…

SOURCE: 11/21/08, Report: Vick put family pets in ring
READ FULL STORY HERE: www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/falcons/stories/2008/11/21/michael_vick_dogfighting.html?cxntnid=bn_2008-11-21_23_31_id617_e

VICK’S FAMILY ANIMALS FOUGHT IN THE RING TOO

Michael Vick put family pets in rings with pit bulls and thought it was funny watching the trained killers injure or kill the helpless dogs. In a 17-page report filed Aug. 28, 2008, by case agent James Knorr of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and released under the Freedom of Information Act, a person identified as confidential witness No. 1 said Vick placed pets in the ring against pit bulls owned by “Bad Newz Kennels” at least twice and watched as the pit bulls “caused major injuries…”

KINSHIP CIRCLE REFERENCES:

Jan-Mar 2008 UPDATES: The Dogs That Vick Hurt

www.kinshipcircle.org/updates/updates_jan-mar_2008.html#anchor26

Sept-Dec 2007 UPDATES: Vick’s Dogs…You Helped Save Their Lives

www.kinshipcircle.org/updates/updates_oct-dec_2007.html

10/29/07: KC DIGEST – Ensure Vick’s Dogs Are Spared, As Promised

www.kinshipcircle.org/digest/2007_10.html#anchor9

8/28/07: Salvation For Vick’s Dogs?

www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1676&seriesfirst=true

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If it’s dated by Dec. 31, it’s tax-deductible for 2008…
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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle – kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Date: Dec 24, 2008 12:08 AM
Subject: Part 2/ UPDATES: OCT-DEC 2008

KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY – PERMISSION TO CROSS-POST

PART 2: OCT – DEC 2008 / KINSHIP CIRCLE UPDATES
YEAR END WRAP UP – Victories * Setbacks * Progress For Animals

www.kinshipcircle.org/updates/

PART 2: KC UPDATES / OCT – DEC 2008

PART 1: KC UPDATES / OCT – DEC 2008
RESEND PART #1 TO ME: kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net

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12. Hero’s Plan To Save Wild Horses Moves Forward

Wild horses gathered from the Fox & Lake Herd Management Area in near Empire, Nev., wait in a pen. www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27738672/

SOURCE: 11/24/08, Madeleine Pickens
READ FULL STORY: madeleinepickens.com/

“I thank every one for their tremendous support. The number of responses has been simply overwhelming. It is very gratifying to know that there is strong support to not let this part of the American heritage become extinct. Be assured I am moving forward as quickly as possible with my plans for this beautiful Sanctuary and I will share with you the progress that I am making. Stay tuned, updates will be posted on my website — madeleinepickens.com/ — Thank you, Madeleine Pickens”

KINSHIP CIRCLE REFERENCES:

11/18/08: Update & Action – Doomed Wild Horses Have A Hero?

www.kinshipcircle.org/updates/updates_oct-dec_2007.html#anchor16

7/10/08: BLM Wants To Kill Wild Horses

www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter_new.asp?LetterID=1749&seriesfirst=true

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13. Until Export Is Banned, More Horses Killed

SOURCE: 11/24/08, More horses sent abroad for slaughter after ban
READ FULL STORY: www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27934125/

…Last year, when state-imposed bans closed the last three U.S. horse slaughterhouses, a record 78,000 horses were exported to Canada and Mexico for slaughter, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics compiled by the Humane Society. That’s a 138% increase from 2006. Statistics show that 76,100 horses have been slaughtered in Canada and Mexico so far this year. But the actual figure is likely higher… Slaughter opponents got a hopeful sign from Congress when a proposed export-for-slaughter ban was approved by the House Judiciary Committee in late September. But the bill got hung up in the Agriculture Committee during the final days of the session and will have to be reintroduced next year…

KINSHIP CIRCLE REFERENCES:

10/2/08: Call/Write To End Horse Slaughter For Good

www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter_new.asp?LetterID=1764&seriesfirst=true

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14. Rodeo “Horse Tripping” Outlawed In Phoenix

SOURCE: 11/14/08, Phoenix ordinance makes horse-tripping illegal
READ FULL STORY: www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/2008/11/14/20081114phx-horse1115.html

Phoenix City Council members approved an ordinance that makes roping or tripping equine animals for the purpose of entertainment a misdemeanor punishable by jail time or fines… Participants in horse-tripping events are awarded points for intentionally roping a galloping horse or donkey to the ground. Animal rights advocates compare the traditional charreada event to the underground games of dogfighting or cockfighting…

FACT SHEET FOR YOU TO DOWNLOAD:

www.kinshipcircle.org/fact_sheets/TheMythOfTheCowboy.pdf

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15. Houston: Biggest Dogfight Bust In U.S. History

SOURCE: 11/14/08, Largest undercover dogfighting sting in U.S. history
READ FULL STORY HERE: www.kvue.com/news/top/stories/111408kvue_dogfighting_raid-cb.1b0f3f3a2.html

Sgt. Manning, of the DPS Criminal Intelligence Service, and another DPS investigator have spent the last 15 months infiltrating the seedy world of dogfighting in Houston. “It’s the largest undercover dogfighting operation in the country,” said Assistant Harris Co. D.A. Belinda Smith… Authorities expect to arrest 85 people in multiple counties on over 155 felony charges. The investigation, called Operation Dead Game, was a joint effort between DPS, the USDA and the Harris County District Attorney’s office…

FACT SHEET FOR YOU TO DOWNLOAD:

www.kinshipcircle.org/fact_sheets/fatalfights.pdf

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16. Activists Vow To Overturn Navy’s Use Of Sonar

SOURCE: 11/13/08, U.S. Supreme Court OKs Navy use of sonar
READ FULL STORY: www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-scotus13-2008nov13,0,3987528.story

Despite the Supreme Court’s ruling that the nation’s security outweighs the need to protect marine mammals from high-powered sonar during Navy training exercises, environmentalists said the fight was far from over. The court immediately lifted limits on the Navy exercises now being held 12 miles off the Southern California coast, in a victory for the outgoing Bush administration. But the decision doesn’t bind the incoming administration of President-elect Barack Obama to follow the same policy…

Environmentalists…said studies have shown piercing underwater sounds cause whales to flee in panic or to dive too deeply. Whales have been found beached in Greece, the Canary Islands and the Bahamas after sonar was used, and necropsies showed signs of internal bleeding near the ears…

KINSHIP CIRCLE REFERENCES:

Jan-Mar 2008 UPDATES: Judge To Bush Admin: You Can’t Exempt Navy In Sonar!

kinshipcircle.org/updates/updates_jan-mar_2008.html#anchor17

May-Jul 2006 UPDATES: Navy Sonar Drills Restricted Near Marine Mammal Habitat

kinshipcircle.org/updates/updates_may-july_2006.html#9

8/27/04: Whales – Casualties Of Navy Training

kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1223&seriesfirst=true

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17. Oxford Univ. Lab To Use Thousands Of Animals

SOURCE: 11/11/08, Oxford University opens controversial animal research lab
READ FULL STORY: www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/nov/11/animal-research-oxford-university

A controversial animal research laboratory…officially opened today at Oxford University… Thousands of animals will eventually be housed in the new facility, which aims to bring the university’s disparate animal research projects under one roof. The centre will provide room for mice, ferrets, monkeys and other species, such as tadpoles… The centre is expected to be fully operational by the middle of next year…

KINSHIP CIRCLE REFERENCES:

3/23/05: Don’t Let Oxford Torture More Primates

kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1323&seriesfirst=true

7/15/04: Stop Oxford University’s Research Expansion

kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1199&seriesfirst=true

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18. Prop 2 Passes For Calif. Farmed Animals

SOURCE: 11/5/08, Historic Victory for Farm Animals!
READ FULL STORY: action.farmsanctuary.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=8241.0&printer_friendly=1

FROM KINSHIP CIRCLE: The California Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act passed in the largest agricultural state in the U.S. A ban on the most egregious cruelty — battery cages, veal crates, gestation crates — will be phased in. Clearly, “how animals become meals” has entered mainstream consciousness. Of equal importance: Despite the millions agribusiness lobbyists spent on overturning this initiative, it passed. The ballot initiative system, fueled by grassroots stamina, worked.

KINSHIP CIRCLE REFERENCES:

JULY 2008 DIGEST: Help Proposition 2 Win Relief For Animals In Calif.

www.kinshipcircle.org/digest/2008_07.html#anchor3

Don’t Blow This Landmark Chance For Farmed Animals

www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1709&seriesfirst=true

FACT SHEETS FOR YOU TO DOWNLOAD:

www.kinshipcircle.org/fact_sheets/FactsAboutPoultyEggIndustr.pdf

www.kinshipcircle.org/fact_sheets/FactsAboutThePorkIndust.pdf

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19. EU Proposal To Ban Great Apes In Experiments

SOURCE: 11/5/08, Protection of animals in scientific experiments
READ FULL STORY: europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1632&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

The European Commission presented a proposal to strengthen protection of animals still used in scientific procedures… The new provisions will also contribute to minimizing as far as possible the number of animals used in experiments… The use of non-human primates is subject to restrictions, and the proposal also introduces a ban on the use of great apes — chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans — in scientific procedures. Only when survival of the species itself is at stake, or in the case of an unexpected outbreak of a life-threatening or debilitating disease in humans, can a Member State exceptionally be granted permission for their use…

KINSHIP CIRCLE REFERENCES:

9/6/07: Urge Primate Testing Ban In Europe

www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1679&seriesfirst=true

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20. Ringling Bros. Big Fat Federal Lawsuit

SOURCE: 10/24/08, CIRCUS BEASTS OF HURTIN’
READ FULL STORY HERE: www.nypost.com/seven/10242008/news/nationalnews/circus_beasts_of_hurtin_135048.htm

After 8 years of legal wrangling, Ringling Bros. heads to Washington federal court (10/27/08) to answer charges from animal-rights groups that it beats its Asian elephants. The ASPCA, three other pro-animal groups and a former Ringling employee have filed a suit charging that circus workers routinely hit the elephants with a bull hook – a club with a sharp, pointed hook — while training and disciplining them.

The suit, filed in June 2000, also contends that Ringling employees forcibly remove baby elephants from their mothers with ropes and chains before they are weaned. And it claims that elephants are kept chained for up to 100 hours while being moved in train cars. All these actions violate the 1973 Endangered Species Act, the suit says…

FACT SHEET FOR YOU TO DOWNLOAD:

www.kinshipcircle.org/fact_sheets/RinglingBrosTheBigCon.pdf

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21. Alaska Whales: 1 vs. Gov. Sarah Palin: 0

SOURCE: 10/18/08, Alaska Whales Protected Over Palin’s Objections
READ FULL STORY: www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/17/AR2008101701046.html

The Bush administration named the beluga whale in Alaska’s Cook Inlet an endangered species despite opposition to the move by Gov. Sarah Palin. By affording the whale protection under the Endangered Species Act, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will now embark on an ambitious research effort to determine why the species is on the decline… Subsistence hunting took a toll on the Cook Inlet beluga population, which numbered as many as 1,300 in the 1970s but now stands at 375.

KINSHIP CIRCLE REFERENCES:

9/27/08: Palin’s Pro-Death Platform On Animals

www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter_new.asp?LetterID=1762&seriesfirst=true

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