Update, 5/11/09:

Sadly, Texas SB 634 – reported on below – failed. In a email from 4/28/09, DDB reports:

Everything’s Bigger in Texas…Including Disappointment

Tamira Ci Thayne journeyed to Texas to testify for Senate Bill (SB) 634, a bill in the Texas legislature to strengthen the state’s current anti-chaining law. The bill would have prohibited a person from leaving a dog alone on a chain or tether. It would also require a minimum of 150 square feet of space for a dog being kept in an outdoor enclosure. However, the bill was thrown out in committee. Approximately 15 people who wanted to continue chaining their dogs showed up to speak, stating things like: “I have champion pit bulls, who LOVE it on the end of the chain. Yes, they are happy.”

And “We don’t allow our four year old to go within the circle made by our dog’s chain, because we know what could happen (wait, isn’t that proving OUR point?)”

And “Chaining is actually a very appropriate way to keep your dog, and the safest way…”

Now, if you think this all is a load of crap, then you HAVE to start showing up for your state and local legislation efforts! Right now the opposition, who doesn’t really have a leg to stand on, is winning because we aren’t showing up.

Therefore, the state passed last session remains in force, and this line is what allows people to continue chaining despite seeming time limits:

UNLAWFUL RESTRAINT OF DOG. (a) An owner may not leave a dog outside and unattended by use of a restraint that unreasonably limits the dog’s movement:

Huh? Who’s to say what unreasonably limits the movements?

Texas Dogs Deserve Better Representatives are shaking off the upset and are ready to work with Texas communities using the state law, which is only a base guideline, to strengthen individual city ordinances against 24/7 chaining of backyard dogs. Tamira Ci Thayne then went to Asheville, North Carolina to testify against tethering there.

In this case, animal advocates were amazingly present due to Chain Free Asheville’s efforts, and city council has now given Chain Free Asheville and the Chief of Police 60 days to hammer out a revised ordinance. The citizen support made the difference for the chained dogs of Asheville.

Visit for more information and link to www.chainfreeasheville.org.

SHOWING UP MATTERS!

“Nope, there ain’t no chains on us. Nothin’ is going to hold us back from our fight against this accepted form of backyard cruelty!” You can Help

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Dogs Deserve Better (DDB) has featured three anti-chaining / breed-specific legislation (BSL) action alerts in their most recent newsletters, which I’ve excerpted below. If you live in Nevada, Hawaii or Texas, please read on and call or write your state representatives!

DDB E-News 04/16/09 Shhh…Silence Loves You:
CALL TO ACTION! Committee Passes Nevada’s Anti-Tethering Bill!

The Senate Natural Resources Committee has passed the anti-tethering bill, S.B. 132!! It’s on to the full Senate!

WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW: Quickly! ACT NOW! Don’t let this bill fail!

Call or write your Nevada state senator, and urge him or her to vote YES on S.B. 132. Tell the senator that you are a constituent. If you are not sure whom your Nevada state senator is Go Here for help. If you don’t live in Nevada please urge friends and relatives in the area to take action! Remember, Senators want your vote, being a constituent holds the most power! Explain to Senators how the passing of the law would encourage your vacation and travel plans or even relocation to the Nevada area. Go Here to find Nevada state senator’s contact information. (USE the LCB phone numbers because they are all in Carson City now.) If you want to send formal letters use this mailing address for all the senators: 401 S. Carson St, Carson City, NV 89701

The bill was amended; GO HERE for a copy to download. The amended bill, S.B. 132, reflects a limit of 14 hours per day for tethering and also restricts the use of choke, chain and prong collars in tethering or chaining dogs. The amendments clarify that a tether, tie, chain or other restraint must be at least 12 feet long. Dogs tied to a stationary object must have a restraint that allows the dog to move at least 12 feet. Dogs tied on trolleys or pulleys must be able to move a total of at least 12 feet. Also, the amended version does not specify pen sizes for dogs but does state enclosures should be appropriate for the size and breed of the dog.

The bill would not apply to dogs (1) kept by veterinarians or in a boarding facility or shelter or temporarily at a campsite or as part of a rescue operation, (2) being trained for hunting or used for hunting during hunting season, (3) entered in an exhibition, show, contest or the like; (4) living on land that is directly related to an active agricultural operation if the restraint is reasonably necessary to ensure the safety of the dog; (5) whose owners are engaged in a temporary task up to one hour. “[A]gricultural operation” means “any activity necessary for the commercial growing and harvesting of crops or the raising of livestock and poultry.”

In making their decision, the Senate Natural Resources Committee heard from supporters and opponents of S.B. 132. One of the witnesses was Dr. Frank McMillian, a long practicing board certified veterinarian, clinical professor of veterinary medicine, and noted author of dozens of journal articles and book chapters as well as the textbook, Mental Health and Well-being in Animals.

Dr. McMillian told the committee, “The term ‘emotional pain’ has been around a long time, but only recently has research in neuroscience shown that this is not just flowery language – that the brain circuitry of animals is wired to induce emotional feelings that hurt. In fact, the neurological systems controlling the emotions of loneliness are located in the brain right next to the circuits that give physical pain its hurtful sensation. The evidence now suggests that the feelings of loneliness evolved from the more primitive feelings of physical pain.”

“And while physical suffering gets all the attention, the fact is that emotional suffering in animals can be even more distressing than physical pain. In the lab, researchers have compared an animal’s response when forced to choose between physical and emotional pain. Consider one simple experiment that is particular relevant to the issue of dogs being left alone on a chain: Researchers separated dogs from their human companions and put an electrified metal grid between them. The dog had a choice: endure the emotional pain of loneliness, or endure the physical pain of electric shocks to rejoin their human companion. What do they choose? It isn’t even close. They overwhelmingly choose to cross the grid-being shocked the whole way. They choose to suffer the physical pain in order to spare themselves the emotional pain.”

“[T]he next time you see a dog that is living his life on a chain, …know that the suffering is there – inside – and that that dog is shackled to his own personal pain – until someone unchains him from it.”

Nevada breeders, however, have decided to oppose this bill that would eliminate cruel chaining of dogs. The Nevada Veterinary Medical Association has also announced opposition to the bill, S.B. 132.

So, don’t wait, call or write Nevada state senators now in support of this bill! Neglected and abused dogs in Nevada are counting on YOU as their ONLY HOPE!

Talking points – Why Nevada legislators should vote yes on this bill

1) CDC-Chained dogs are 5x more likely to bite children, 3x more likely to bite adults.
2) American Vet Medical Assoc.-many fatal attacks and dog bites involve animals that have been restrained.
3) Nat’l Canine Research Council-Almost 30% of all Fatal attacks are from chained or penned dogs.
4) ASPCA-81% of fatal attacks were by dogs that were isolated.
5) Cornell Univ. College of Vet Med-both chained and penned dogs suffer from similar behavior problems.
6) HSUS-Dogs kept continuously outdoors, chained or penned, will suffer from the same boredom, loneliness & isolation leading to aggressive behavior.
7) Nicholas Dodman, Ph.D. in vet med/Tufts Univ-”chaining dogs makes them more aggressive. They are natural social animals & it induces “isolation-induced aggression” & creates a “junkyard” dog effect. They basically go mad.”

Go HERE to find ATTACHMENTS of 5 sample letters to be downloaded!

(Acknowledgment and full credit for this article and information is credited to www.animallawcoalition.com)

Special thanks from Dogs Deserve Better extended to Laura Allen, Animal Law Coalition, Karen Goodman and Beth Coen.

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Action Alerts

CARE: The Human Face of Climate Change
“Climate change is not only affecting butterflies and polar bears, it’s affecting humans, too. For people living in extreme poverty — 60 percent of whom are women — climate change presents a profound threat to their very survival. [...] Poor women and families are least responsible for causing climate change, yet they are suffering most from its effects. And, with the fewest resources to help them adapt to new conditions, they will pay the highest price. Indeed, they are already. Heed President Obama’s call for immediate action to help the world’s poorest people by asking Congress to enact legislation now!”

Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR): Impeach Torture Architect Bybee
“Last week, President Obama released four torture authorization memos written by the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) under the Bush administration that devised a legal framework for the justification of the Torture Program. The memos were released as part of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit the Center for Constitutional Rights helped file with the ACLU and other organizations. The memos were intended to provide legal cover for officials to carry out abhorrent, illegal and ineffective techniques that were approved at the highest levels of the Bush administration in violation U.S. and international law and the U.S. Constitution. One of the principal authors was Jay Bybee, the former head of the OLC and today a federal judge on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.”

Color of Change: Stop Discriminatory Sentencing
“Misguided politicians and their “war on drugs” have created a national disaster: 1 in 9 Black men between the ages of 20 and 34 are now behind bars (and 1 in 15 Black adults overall). It’s a man-made disaster, fueled by unfair sentencing rules. These rules treat 5 grams of crack cocaine—the kind common in poor Black communities—the same as 500 grams of powder cocaine, the kind prevalent in White and wealthier communities. Tell Congress to challenge unequal justice right now by ending unfair sentencing laws.”

DawnWatch: 60 Minutes fluff piece on matadors 4/19/09
“CBS’s 60 Minutes has done some beautifully animal friendly stories recently — last month’s piece on the poisoning of lions in Africa, and a piece in December on the ivory trade, for example. Unfortunately last night, Monday April 19, the show ruined its good record with a piece on two matadors who were referred to as Spain’s most eligible bachelors. The story reported and furthered their heartthrob status, and while showing them in the ring slaughtering bulls, did not discuss the cruelty of bullfighting.”

FARM on Change .org: Act Now to Protect the Rights of Animal Activists
“The Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA) was enacted by Congress with little debate or awareness at the behest of the pharmaceutical and biomedical industries and signed by President Bush in late 2006. [...] The leaders in the Judiciary Committees, charged with protecting our civil liberties and the rule of law, must take the initiative in repealing this disastrous legislation.”

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle – KinshipCirclePrimary [at] accessus.net
Date: Mon, Apr 13, 2009 at 9:31 PM
Subject: We Are Their Hope [Friends Of Kinship Circle, 4/13/09]

4/13/09: We Are Their Hope

friendsofkinshipcircle.wordpress.com

* KINSHIP CIRCLE DOES NOT WRITE OR RESEARCH THESE ALERTS.
* QUESTIONS? CONTACT ALERT WRITERS. PLEASE DO NOT HIT REPLY.

IN THIS ALERT:

1. Recent Kinship Circle Alerts Are A Click Away
2. Pound Seizure & Humane Euthanasia
3. Save Stu – Wrongfully Impounded Since 9/15/05
4. New England Animal Rights Workshop 6/13/09
5. Party To End Puppy Mills On 4/19/09
6. Urge Portugal City To Become Anti-Bullfighting
7. We Are Their Hope: World Lab Animal Liberation Week
8. Vegans Take On The “3 Peaks” Challenge

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Update, 6/2/09:

Stephen announces Tharoor’s victory, this time with a vegetarian option.

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Okay, so Stephen Colbert’s interview with Kanishk Tharoor (featured in Thursday’s episode of The Colbert Report) has little to do with animal rights – nevertheless, there’s a delightful bit of awesomeness squeezed in at the end, starting at the 4:18 mark:
 

For those who can’t view the video, Colbert interviews Kanishk Tharoor, son of “Friend of the Show” Shashi Tharoor, who’s currently vying for a seat in India’s General Elections.

Colbert: Now, your dad, Friend of the Show Shashi Tharoor, is running for position as an MP in Kerala, correct? OK, let’s move his numbers right now. I can’t endorse in this country, but I can in India. I hereby endorse Shashi Tharoor. He will put a chicken in every pot. Or – at least – at least – a chicken in every tandoor.

Tharoor: I’m afraid he’s not going to do anything of the sort. He – like me – is a vegetarian. So it’s not very likely that he’s going to do anything like that.

Colbert: Then he’ll put a vegetable korma in…whatever you wish to eat it out of.

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So, in the week since Obama accepted a purebred breeder dog from his good bud Ted Kennedy, I’ve noticed an influx of spam comments from websites trading in the flesh of purebred pups. No sellers of Portuguese Water Dogs as of yet; rather, most of the “commenters” sing the praises of Obama’s second choice, the Labradoodle. (Purebred dogs are healthier, less aggressive, and fart rainbows, dontchaknow.)

The lack of PWD ads isn’t surprising; being a rarer breed, methinks it’ll be a few months before the PWD mills start churning out their first batches of pups, like so.

Thanks a ton, Obama.

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Action Alerts

Amnesty International: Prosecute torturers
“The recent release of memos has made all the more clear what we had previously heard about the last administration’s torture policies. Forced nudity. Slamming detainees into walls. Forced sleep deprivation for days of shackled prisoners, standing in diapers in excruciating pain and filth. Although Attorney General Holder, on April 16, suggested that the Obama administration would not prosecute intelligence agents who carried out interrogations following legal advice, both those who authored the policy and those who executed it must be held accountable. Press your representatives to help establish or support a non-partisan independent commission and urge them to help expose and prosecute those responsible for abuses.”

Corporate Accountability International: Massachusetts: It’s time to Value [the] Meal
“Next month, Massachusetts could become the second state to ensure that fast food chains provide customers with nutritional information on menu boards. But the fast food industry and its allies have been putting pressure on local and national leaders to hold off – and are instead pushing much weaker federal legislation that will allow them to hide the nutritional facts that we need to stay healthy. Tell Governor Patrick that all eyes are on Massachusetts!”

CREDO Action: Fax your senators: Support Obama’s pro-choice nominee.
“Now is the time to stop your senator from supporting a filibuster of one of President Obama’s most progressive nominees. This is so important we will fax your message to the district office of your Senator before Congress returns to Washington from their spring break. Dawn Johnsen is a former legal director of NARAL Pro-Choice America. She has been a fierce and outspoken critic of John Yoo and the Bush administration’s unconstitutional policies. As one of President Obama’s most progressive nominees, she could soon take over John Yoo’s former base of power: the Office of Legal Counsel. But not if the rightwing Focus on the Family is successful in blocking her confirmation.”

Democrats .org: No Amnesty for Torturers
“On Thursday, President Obama stood up to intense pressure from rightwingers by releasing four of the infamous “torture memos.” This is an enormous victory for those of us who worked so hard to elect President Obama, while also working tirelessly to defend the Constitution against the crimes of Bush and Cheney. Unfortunately, President Obama also said he would not prosecute CIA agents who engaged in torture, simply because George Bush’s lawyers told them it was “legal.” President Obama also said Attorney General Eric Holder would use taxpayer dollars to defend torturers against lawsuits by torture victims, and to pay all judgments if they lost.”

Ecological Internet / Climate Ark: Join Bushfires and Scientists in Condemning Australian Climate Change Policy
“Australia must stop being a climate change laggard. Given severe drought and massive wildfires, the Rudd Government’s target to reduce carbon emissions by 5% by 2020 is dangerously insufficient.”

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Today is the Day of Silence,

a student-led national event that brings attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. Students from middle school to college take some form of a vow of silence in an effort to encourage schools and classmates to address the problem of anti-LGBT behavior. The event is designed to illustrate the silencing effect of this bullying and harassment on LGBT students and those perceived to be LGBT.

The DOS organizers explain:

As the Day of Silence approaches we’ve been getting lots of questions and comments along two similar but distinct threads on our various websites and in our email.

1) Do I need to be silent all day? Can I communicate at all? Can I blog/tweet/facebook?

2) Being silent doesn’t help and only perpetuates the problem. We should be speaking out.

The answer to both of these is similar: being silent has been and continues to be a very powerful way to create positive dialogue around the problem of anti-LGBT bullying for many students across the country. However, each person who participates in the Day of Silence has a different way of participating.

For some, the best way to participate is by being completely silent, including not participating in online communication. For others, the best way to participate is by spending the day speaking out about the issues of LGBT bullying. Some who participate get limited approval from their schools for their participation and so can only be silent during breaks between classes. There are many ways of participation ranging from complete silence to no silence.

The point is that the DOS is a day to bring attention to the problem of anti-LGBT bullying and each person who participates must determine how they can best use, or not use, their voice to do that. If you feel you will have the deepest positive impact by remaining completely silent and have the appropriate approvals to do so then go for it. If you feel that in your situation, you can have a deeper positive impact by speaking out then that should be your way of observing. No one can make that determination but you.

Your voice, whether silent or loud, WILL make a difference this Friday and the Day of Silence will speak volumes.

The DOS isn’t just for students, however. Adults can participate as well, by signing the pledge of solidarity; speaking out against anti-LGBTQ prejudice and bullying; observing a day of silence, whatever form that may take; Tweeting about the DOS; writing about the DOS on Facebook, your blog or similar; silencing your blog; and/or wearing red or rainbow-colored clothing.

In observance of the Day of Silence, easyVegan.info will remain silent for the rest of the day. Please take this opportunity to check out the Day of Silence blog and website, and educate yourself about LGBTQ issues.

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Action Alerts

Amnesty International: Support reintroduction of the International Violence Against Women Act
“The International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA) gives the U.S. government an opportunity to take leadership in establishing an overall and integrated approach to combating violence against women and girls internationally. The bill was introduced by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Leadership during the 110th Congress. We look forward to reintroduction of the bill by the new Committee leadership of the new Congress. The time is now to support this comprehensive vision to address the problem of violence against women.”

CREDO Action: Whose side are we on in Afghanistan?
“In March, the elected government of Afghanistan, including its nominally more culturally liberal president, passed a law that gives Shiite men the right to demand sex from their wives once every four days — essentially legalizing the marital rape of Shiite women. On April 15, a few hundred Shiite women bravely gathered to protest this law. They were met with over 1,000 counter-protesters, some of whom threw stones at them, spat at them and called them whores. We cannot support sending tens of thousands of troops (and tens of billions of dollars) to Afghanistan to support a religious patriarchal society that permits marital rape and allows for the stoning of those who protest.”

In Defense of Animals (IDA): Please Contact Iditarod Sponsors, Urge Them To Stand Up For The Dogs
“It is cruelty to force dogs to run the grueling Iditarod race. The 1,150 miles is more than the distance from Maine to Florida. This is a RACE, so the dogs are running as fast as they can, over mountain ranges, ice, snow, in harsh conditions (below freezing, wind chill, etc.). It’s known as the toughest race on earth. The total known dog deaths is now 142. The Alaska cruelty statue that should apply to these dogs was changed last year to exempt them. Our only hope to end this horribly cruel race is for sponsors to withdraw their support. This is a perfect time to get their attention, before they commit to sponsor next year, especially if they have to go through board meetings.”

In Defense of Animals (IDA): Tell Congress To Help Stop Canadian Seal Hunt
“The Canadian seal hunt is the largest slaughter of marine mammals in the world. The Canadian government is allowing fishermen to kill 280,000 harp seals in the 2009 hunt, an increase of 5,000 from 2008. Fishermen will beat and shoot to death pups—many of them little more than 12 days old—for their fur. Despite new regulations that the Canadian government claims will make the hunt “humane,” sealers have already been witnessed skinning pups while alive and conscious. The senate’s Canadian seal hunt resolution, sponsored by Sens. Carl Levin (D-MI) and Susan Collins (R-ME), urges the Canadian government to end this cruel and senseless slaughter. Please ask your two U.S. senators to co-sponsor S. Res. 84.”

In Defense of Animals (IDA): Support the Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act – HR 669
“Millions of exotic birds, reptiles, and animals are imported into the United States every year and they suffer and die during transport. After arrival into the United States, many of those animals are eventually released, and some establish breeding populations that decimate native species, disrupt natural ecosystems, and spread disease to humans. To control nonnative species populations, measures are often taken to eradicate the species, using methods that are inhumane and costly to tax payers. HR 669 would help to stop the suffering of millions of animals who would otherwise be exploited for the pet trade. It would also prevent the risk of spreading dangerous disease to humans, protect our environment, and save taxpayer dollars. Your Support of HR669 is urgently needed!”

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A belated shout-out to Columbia University Press, who sent me a copy of Dr. Paola Cavalieri’s latest, The Death of the Animal: A Dialogue, a few weeks back. You may know of Dr. Cavalieri through The Animal Question: Why Non-Human Animals Deserve Human Rights (2001) and The Great Ape Project: Equality Beyond Humanity (1994), which she co-edited with Peter Singer.

The Death of the Animal looks to be an intriguing mix of philosophy, ethology, psychology and anthrozoology:

While moral perfectionists rank conscious beings according to their cognitive abilities, Paola Cavalieri launches a more inclusive defense of all forms of subjectivity. In concert with Peter Singer, J. M. Coetzee, Harlan B. Miller, and other leading animal studies scholars, she expands our understanding of the nonhuman in such a way that the derogatory category of “the animal” becomes meaningless. In so doing, she presents a nonhierachical approach to ethics that better respects the value of the conscious self.

The book was published in January, and is available on Amazon. Currently, it’s sitting at the bottom of a very large book pile, but I hope to read and review it – some time before the paperback edition is released, perhaps? I kid, I kid. By July, it’ll be so hot, it’ll be a chore just to peel myself off the couch – plenty of time for catching up on my reading!

Until then, here’s some additional material to sink your teeth into, courtesy Philip at Columbia:

Columbia University Press is pleased to announce the publication of The Death of the Animal: A Dialogue by Paola Cavalieri with Matthew Calarco, J. M. Coetzee, Harlan B. Miller, Cary Wolfe, and with a foreword by Peter Singer.

The book sets these thinkers in a unique dialogue as they expand our understanding of the nonhuman through a discussion of the idea of the “animal,” ethics, moral perfectionism, and the value of the conscious self.

We have also posted one of J. M. Coetzee’s responses in the book: “On Appetite, the Right to Life and Rational Ethics” as well as the Table of Contents.

* I really need to grab a new Shout Out! screenshot, dontchathink?

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Apropos my reintroduction of the “consuming women” series last week, I decided to create a second series of similar images I like to call “sexy meat.”

“Sexy meat” is a sort of hybrid of “consuming women” and “suicide food.” Whereas the “consuming women” series features women who are posed to resemble “meat” (or other consumable animal products), “sexy meat” is just that – “meat” that’s been sexed up, usually in a traditionally “feminine” manner (women, of course, being the sex class). Oftentimes, this “sexy meat” is flirtatious in appearance, seemingly beckoning the audience to devour her, hence the “suicide food” angle.

Possibly, the two types of images are so closely related – each is essentially an inverse of the other – that they might be grouped together, but I chose to tease out the differences for maximum visual impact.

The first series of photos I’d like to share is a collection of three adverts for Rachachuros Seasoning. Each ad features an animal corpse, arranged in a pornorific pose for the camera (i.e., the male gaze), a concept which is reinforced by the product’s tag line, “The Temptation of Taste”:

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