———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Date: Thu, May 15, 2008 at 7:54 PM
Subject: 5/16: PROCTER & GAMBLE CALL-IN DAY (if you miss it, still write)

KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY - PERMISSION TO CROSS-POST AS WRITTEN

5/15/08: MAY 16, 2008 IS PROCTER & GAMBLE CALL-IN DAY

EMAIL kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net FOR WORD DOC OF A FORMATTED LETTER.
Easily modify letter and copy/paste it into an email or print out to fax or mail.

Call, email, fax or write — on May 16, from 9:00am to 5:00pm EST — to politely ask Procter & Gamble to end ALL animal experiments. P&G utilizes SOME animal-free tests. Ask them to go 100% cruelty-free.

If you miss the May 16 date, send comments anyway! Animals are regularly poisoned to test chemicals used in hundreds of Procter & Gamble brands: Tide, Dove, Cover Girl, Olay, Bounty, Crest, Febreeze, Cascade, Pantene, Herbal Essences, Head & Shoulders, Iams/Eukanuba…

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: In Defense of Animals - takeaction [at] idausa.org
Date: Mon, Apr 21, 2008 at 9:49 PM
Subject: World Week for Animals in Laboratories is Here!

World Week for Animals in Laboratories is Here!

Call-In Days: Urge NIH to End Cruel Animal Experiments

Many people find this hard to believe, but the U.S. government continues to sink millions of dollars each year into funding cruel and outdated experiments on animals to test the effects of nicotine and tobacco. Please join IDA during this week’s observance of World Week for Animals in Laboratories (WWAIL) to call attention to this outrage and speak out in opposition.

IDA’s Up in Smoke campaign highlights the futility and inhumanity of nicotine experiments on newborn and pregnant animals. These are some examples:

- Since 1992, Elliot Spindel at Oregon Health and Science University delivers steady doses of nicotine to pregnant monkeys through pumps implanted into their backs. The babies are cut out of their mothers’ wombs in order to dissect their lungs.

- At Texas A&M University, Ursula Winzer-Serhan forces baby rats to consume nicotine mixed with baby formula at the equivalent of three packs of cigarettes a day. After about a week of being fed nicotine, the babies’ heads are cut off and their brains are dissected.

- Researcher Kent Pinkerton at University of California, Davis, subjects pregnant rhesus monkeys to smoking chambers where they are forced to inhale cigarette smoke for six hours each day, five days a week. When the infants are ten weeks old, they are killed by lethal injection and their lungs are dissected for analysis.

Over the past five years, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has given at least $16.5 million to this category of research. This appalling figure does not reflect the total cost of all nicotine research on animals, but only that which focuses on nicotine’s effect on fetal and newborn development.

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: In Defense of Animals - takeaction [at] idausa.org
Date: Wed, Apr 9, 2008 at 6:34 PM
Subject: World Week for Animals in Laboratories

World Week for Animals in Laboratories

Make plans to get active during WWAIL: April 20 - 26

Please join IDA to make this year’s World Week for Animals in Laboratories (WWAIL), April 20 - 26, the most compelling and effective year yet in speaking out against the abhorrent use of animals in testing and research.

Although millions of animals still continue to suffer and die in laboratories, there is cause to be hopeful that real change is on the horizon.

A Landmark Agreement

In February, 2008, three U.S. government agencies, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Toxicology Program (NTP), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), signed a five-year agreement to create innovative and animal-free methods to evaluate the safety of drugs and chemicals with the goal of phasing out animal tests entirely.

The NRC’s Groundbreaking Report

In July, 2007, the prestigious National Research Council (NRC) issued a report, “Toxicology for the 21st Century,” which outlines a new approach that would rely less on animal studies and focus instead upon in vitro methods. According to the report, “Over time, the need for traditional animal testing could be greatly reduced, and possibly even eliminated someday.”

Broad and sweeping changes are slowly being realized for animals in labs. Yet millions still remain captive in cages, subject to intolerable cruelty. They will not live to see the day that these changes come about, which is why we urgently need you to join forces with IDA and other animal-protection organizations to vigorously work for such a transformation to happen as soon as possible. While there is reason to celebrate, there are still far too many scientists who adhere to obsolete, imprecise, and heartless animal experiments.

Never-Ending Nicotine Experiments

It may be unfathomable, but in 2008, many animals still die in cruel, archaic, and useless nicotine experiments to tests tobacco’s deleterious effects on the body. That’s why IDA has developed our Up in Smoke campaign, which targets experiments that force pregnant and newborn animals to be pumped full of nicotine. This is just one example of the kind of horrendous animal experiments that we need to stop. Sadly, there are many such vile experiments occurring daily in laboratories.

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: In Defense of Animals - takeaction [at] idausa.org
Date: Fri, Apr 4, 2008 at 12:02 PM
Subject: IDA’s April 2008 Auction for the Animals

IDA’s April 2008 Auction for the Animals

Suport IDA’s work by bidding on fabulous items

Support IDA’s mission to defend the rights, welfare and habitats of animals during IDA’s Auction for the Animals on eBay. The auction gives you the opportunity to help IDA help animals while having fun bidding on a wide selection of elegant, exciting and unique items that have been donated to IDA for this very special online fundraising event. Auction items include fantastic travel and accommodation packages, special celebrity memorabilia, tickets for great entertainment and sporting events and much more!

Beginning this Saturday, April 5, you can view the auction items on www.ebay.com/ida. Once you find an item that you like, click on the link to view its description, the current bid price, and how much time is left until the bidding ends. Place your bid and keep an eye on it to make sure that, by the time the bidding ends, it’s YOURS. The auction will run in four waves, one wave per week, with new items being added each week.

We are still accepting donated items to offer during the auction, so if you have an item that you would like to contribute, please contact Nicole Otoupalik at (800) 338-4451. All donations are tax deductible. If you already sell on eBay, now is a great time to designate 10-100% of your own auction proceeds to IDA by registering at www.missionfish.org, the partner of eBay Giving Works.

If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for IDA’s Action Center.

In Defense of Animals, located in San Rafael, Calif., is an international animal protection organization with more than 85,000 members and supporters dedicated to ending the abuse and exploitation of animals by protecting their rights and welfare. IDA’s efforts include educational events, cruelty investigations, boycotts, grassroots activism, and hands-on rescue through our sanctuaries in Mississippi and Cameroon, Africa.

In Defense of Animals is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization. We welcome your feedback and appreciate your donations. Please join today! All donations to IDA are tax-deductible.

In Defense of Animals
3010 Kerner, San Rafael, CA 94901
Tel. (415) 388-9641 Fax (415) 388-0388
idainfo [at] idausa.org

————-

Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare action alerts ida in defense of animals auction shopping online ebay donate

FYI: SFAI has apparently canceled the exhibit; according to this article, “a public forum [SFAI] had scheduled to address the controversy” has been nixed as well. I’m assuming that it’s the same forum IDA is referring to in this alert; I don’t think it was canceled until Saturday or Sunday, after the alert was released. Either way, I’m crossposting it as an update. (Sorry for the delay, I still haven’t quite recovered from Thursday’s dental surgery.)

The SF Chronicle article also provides some additional info about Abdessemed and the exhibit:

Art Institute officials said Saturday that Abdessemed had shot the videos at a farm in rural Mexico that routinely slaughters animals in the way he depicted. They said the videos were part of a social critique. “One of the things this exhibition was pointing to was the difference in production of food resources between industrialized production in the U.S. and in poorer countries,” said Bratton.

But the exhibition was a far cry from straightforward exposes like Upton Sinclair’s classic muckraking book, “The Jungle,” or the Humane Society’s video footage.

The show did not mention that the videos were shot in Mexico or provide any historical context. Other parts of the exhibition included large neon sculptures and a video of Abdessemed hanging upside down from a helicopter while creating a drawing based on a 19th century French painting.

“Those killings were done gratuitously, not like someone documenting a slaughterhouse,” Katz said. “It sends a terrible message to Art Institute students that it’s OK to go out and do similar things.”

So I still don’t buy this bullshit about “Don’t Trust Me’s” grand social goals. If Abdessemed wanted to draw attention to animal cruelty, he would have provided some contextual info. A half dozen animals, bludgeoned to death against a quaint brick background, played on a loop with no commentary, is a snuff film. These deaths were staged for the camera, in stark contrast to the thousands upon thousands of undercover videos taken by animal rights advocates over the past few decades. If you want to draw attention to animal cruelty, you use existing footage. If it’s not purty enough for you, rework it. But if you go stage a few cases of animal abuse specifically for your exhibit, you’re an animal abuser, not some kind of visionary.

(You can read the previous alert here.)

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: In Defense of Animals - takeaction [at] idausa.org
Date: Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 1:14 PM
Subject: In Defense of Animals Denounces Snuff Video at Art Exhibition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

In Defense of Animals Denounces Snuff Video at Art Exhibition

Animal Protection Organization calls for public to attend Monday’s SFAI Forum

San Francisco, Calif. - Following an overwhelming public response to an action alert from In Defense of Animals (IDA), the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) has suspended the Adel Abdessemed exhibition of animal torture videos entitled, “Don’t Trust Me.” IDA’s President Elliot M. Katz characterized the exhibit, depicting the bludgeoning deaths of tethered animals, as a snuff video.

IDA and its members will also speak up at SFAI’s public forum, scheduled for Monday at noon, and IDA is encouraging the public to attend and speak.

What: Public forum to discuss this exhibit
When: Monday, March 31st, Noon
Where: San Francisco Art Institute Main Campus (in the lecture hall), 800 Chestnut Street, San Francisco

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(Crossposted from.)

Note to those who carelessly toss out some variation of the complaint that “animals are treated better than people” (usually taking the form of a lamentation that ‘x’ minority group is treated worse even than mere animals; e.g., “women are treated worse than animals” or “dogs are treated better than women!”): Does this mean that I can, say, fillet a baby and get away with my crime, just so long as I videotape it and call it “art”? No? Then STFU.

And for Chrissakes, it’s not as though Abdessemed has to go out and slaughter another six animals to make such an exhibit; animal abuse is everywhere. She could have aired any six of the hundreds (thousands?) of undercover investigations conducted by animal activists. How is exhibiting something you can find on YouTube with distressing frequency “innovative” or “art”, even? Yawn. She’s not an artist, she’s a sadist.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: In Defense of Animals - takeaction [at] idausa.org
Date: Tue, Mar 25, 2008 at 1:27 PM
Subject: Tell San Francisco Art Institute to remove snuff video exhibit from gallery

The “Art” of Animal Cruelty

Tell San Francisco Art Institute to remove snuff video exhibit from gallery

Walk into the Walter and McBean Galleries in San Francisco’s posh Russian Hill neighborhood, and you may be shocked to see what passes for contemporary “art” these days. Six televisions display video images of six different animals — a doe, a goat, a horse, an ox, a pig, and a sheep — being bludgeoned to death with a large sledgehammer by “artist” Adel Abdessemed of Paris. Entitled “Don’t Trust Me,” this sick exhibit is Abdessemed’s and the Institute’s self-serving attempt to pass off the brutal abuse and killing of animals as legitimate artistic creation.

What such “artists” and their patrons overlook is that animals are living beings who feel and suffer just like we humans — and we are no more justified in taking their lives at will than we have the right to kill another person. Such abuse of animals may elicit horror and disgust in viewers, but that does not qualify it as art. Far from it — in fact, “Don’t Trust Me” represents the very worst impulses of the human imagination.

It takes no artistic talent or ability to kill animals, and Abdessemed should have never been given a venue for his sickening “work” in the first place. To their great discredit, the San Francisco Art Institute agreed to sponsor this exhibit, lending it an air of credibility, but what makes matters worse are the obscene rationalizations this venerable institution of learning and culture offers in defense of the sleazy snuff films. These include pedantic claims that such killings “regularly take place…in the real world, on a regular basis,” and that the installation “(makes) typical moral and cultural constraints seem beside the point.”

Such statements betray not only a lack of compassion and basic human decency, but also a fundamental confusion of true artistic creation with the destruction of life. Abdessemed’s work is of no artistic value, and rather than raise people’s consciousness about the cruelties committed against animals every day, it will encourage them to accept animal abuse as a way of gaining attention and notoriety.

To call someone who murders animals an “artist” is an insult to every real artist who refuses to rely on violence and shallow, sensationalistic gimmicks to express his or her vision. While the work of such murderers will surely not endure, their antics may encourage and incite others to torture and kill animals, so it is crucial that people of conscience voice our outrage over this monstrous display of cruelty.

Please Take Action to urge the San Francisco Art Institute to remove Abdessemed’s disgusting exhibit immediately, and implement a policy explicitly prohibiting exhibits for which animals were exploited or killed.

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: In Defense of Animals - takeaction [at] idausa.org
Date: Fri, Mar 14, 2008 at 3:56 PM
Subject: Writing Alert: “Elephant In A Bubble” Isn’t Science, It’s A Sideshow!

Tell the Los Angeles Times: “Elephant In A Bubble” Isn’t Science, It’s A Sideshow!

On Tuesday, March 18th, the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana, California will feature a sensationalist stunt in which a “bubble artist” will attempt to set a record by enclosing an Asian elephant — a member of a critically endangered species — inside a giant soapy bubble. The elephant to be used in this gimmick is named Tai, and is rented out by Have Trunk Will Travel, a business that employs coercive methods of training that rely on negative reinforcement, physical punishment, and use of the bullhook.

IDA has called and written to the Discovery Science Center explaining why using an abused member of an endangered species in a publicity gimmick is wrong, but they chose to ignore us. Then an essay essentially agreeing with our position appeared on the Opinion page of the Los Angeles Times (see below or read online).

Please send a letter to the editor of the Los Angeles Times at letters [at] latimes.com. Letters should be brief (300 words at most) and written in your own words. Do not send attachments, and remember to include your full name, address, and phone number (for verification purposes — street names and phone numbers will not be published). For complete writing guidelines, call (800) LATIMES, Ext. 74511. If your letter is published, let us know.

Here are some talking points that you can use in your letter:

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: In Defense of Animals - takeaction [at] idausa.org
Date: Jan 23, 2008 7:14 PM
Subject: IDA eNews: 01-23-08

Having trouble viewing? View online.

News

Cruel Experiments on Monkeys and Cats Exposed in Israel
Take Action to urge Weizmann Institute to stop killing monkeys and cats
A recent undercover investigation in Israel by the advocacy organization Let the Animals Live revealed shocking cruelty being perpetrated on monkeys and cats at the Weizmann Institute of Science.

Urge Wachovia Bank to Buck the Rodeo
Take Action to tell company to stop sponsoring cruel bloodsport
In rodeos, docile animals are deliberately abused to make them seem aggressive for people’s amusement.

Sea Shepherd Hostages Released from Japanese Whaling Ship
Ask Japanese Ambassador to the U.S. to oppose illegal whaling in Antarctic sanctuary
After two days of being held hostage aboard a Japanese whaling vessel, two volunteer crew members of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society were released to Australian authorities late last week.

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Kinship Circle also sent out a sample script and some talking points, which you can read here.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Humane Society of the United States - humanesociety [at] hsus.org
Date: Jan 22, 2008 8:50 AM
Subject: REMINDER: Call TODAY to save horses!

*******************************
The Humane Society of the United States
January 22, 2008
*******************************

CALL YOUR LEGISLATORS TODAY AND HELP END HORSE SLAUGHTER FOREVER!

Today is the National Call-In Day for Horses! Together, we have closed all U.S. horse slaughter plants. Now we need to pass the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R. 503/S. 311) to end the transport to slaughter of American horses to Mexico and Canada.

It is a new year and a crucial time to make your voices heard. Let’s light up the phones on Capitol Hill to send the message loud and clear that we want a permanent ban on horse slaughter now.

We are tracking the impact of your calls, so click here to let us know you called your legislators.
community.hsus.org/campaign/FED_2008_horsecallinday/

Finally, please tell all of your friends and family to call their legislators today and throughout this week.
community.hsus.org/campaign/FED_2008_horsecallinday/forward/

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: In Defense of Animals - takeaction [at] idausa.org
Date: Jan 16, 2008 8:23 PM
Subject: IDA eNews: 01-16-08

Having trouble viewing? View online.

News

Tiger Tragedy: Supervisor Calls for Re-evaluation of SF Zoo Management Contract
Take Action to ensure the SF Zoo’s animal care policies and record are considered
On the morning of Friday, January 11th, the Recreation and Park Commission and the Joint Zoo Committee held a public hearing at San Francisco City Hall about the Christmas Day tragedy that took the lives of a Tatiana the Siberian tiger and a young zoo visitor named Carlos Sousa, Jr.

IDA Announces the “Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants in 2007″
List demonstrates AZA-accredited zoos are failing elephants nationwide
Amid the controversy surrounding the Christmas Day tragedy at the San Francisco Zoo, IDA has just announced our fourth-annual list of the Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants.

A Round of Victories for Animals
Plus a chance to Take Action against foie gras
IDA’s eNews and Action Alerts give people the opportunity to speak out for animals who need protection from those who would otherwise exploit them — and together, we are making a difference!

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: In Defense of Animals - takeaction [at] idausa.org
Date: Jan 9, 2008 8:09 PM
Subject: IDA eNews: 01-09-08

Having trouble viewing? View online.

News

IDA Holds Candlelight Vigil for Victims at SF Zoo
Urges city officials to take publicly-funded zoo in new direction
On Thursday, January 2nd, the day the SF Zoo reopened for visitors, IDA and Unitarian Universalists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals held a candlelight vigil outside the zoo to give people an opportunity to mark the untimely passing of Sousa and Tatiana and pay their respects.

Infected Birds Found in Pet Stores
Psittacosis can be fatal to both birds and humans
A recent outbreak of psittacosis in birds sold by pet store chains in several states has provoked quarantines and recalls throughout the nation.

A Brand New Year for Animals
IDA celebrates 25th anniversary in 2008
Looking back on 2007, we are truly proud of what we have accomplished with your support and involvement.

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: In Defense of Animals - takeaction [at] idausa.org
Date: Jan 2, 2008 11:45 PM
Subject: IDA eNews: 01-02-08

Having trouble viewing? View online.

News

Escaped Tiger at SF Zoo Kills One, Injures Two, Before Being Shot Dead
Around 5:00 p.m. on Christmas Day, a 350-pound Siberian tiger named Tatiana escaped from her outdoor enclosure at the San Francisco Zoo, then killed 17-year-old Carlos Sousa, Jr. and severely wounded two young companions. IDA calls for closure of zoo’s tiger exhibit, transfer of remaining tigers to sanctuary, ban on public feeding of large cats, and increased USDA oversight of zoos.

IDA’s January 2008 Guardian of the Month - Lacey Conner
From rescue to advocacy, VH-1’s Rock of Love “bad girl” does good for animals. “I tried to use the show as a platform to shine a light on issues relating to animals”

22 Pit Bulls Seized in Louisiana Dogfighting Case
Urge fire department to fire man facing dogfighting charges for second time. Caddo Animal Services officers who raided the Shreveport home of firefighter Eric Mosley on December 18th seized 22 pit bulls and equipment used to train dogs for fighting.

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: In Defense of Animals - takeaction [at] idausa.org
Date: Dec 26, 2007 6:28 PM
Subject: IDA eNews: 12-26-07

Having trouble viewing? View online.

News

Take IDA’s Vegan Pledge!
A New Years resolution you’ll actually keep
If your New Year’s resolution could help save the planet and animals’ lives, wouldn’t you stick to it?

Help Songbirds by Leafleting Your Local VW Dealer
Contact IDA for help organizing an effective demonstration
VW’s president and CEO, Stefen Jacoby, has failed to respond to our communications asking him to use the auto company’s influence to stop the experiments.

Victory: Congress Passes Chimp Haven is Home Act
Take Action to urge President Bush to sign bill into law
This will protect chimpanzees used in research by closing a loophole in the Chimpanzee Health Improvement, Maintenance, and Protection Act (CHIMP Act).

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: In Defense of Animals - takeaction [at] idausa.org
Date: Dec 12, 2007 4:24 PM
Subject: IDA eNews: 12-12-07

Having trouble viewing? View online.

News

Holiday Safety Tips for Animal Companions
Keep your whole family safe and happy during this special season
The holidays are a time for family, friends, and fun. But with all the tempting foods, exotic plants, and artificial decorations around, your animal companions may need a little extra protection to keep them safe and happy around this special time of year..

Cast Your Vote for IDA’s Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants in 2007 List
Help us publicize pachyderms’ paltry conditions in captivity
For the last few years, IDA has released its annual list of the Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants to draw attention to the appalling treatment of Earth’s largest mammal in captivity…

Three Face Animal Cruelty Charges for Puerto Rico Bridge Massacre
Perpetrators could spend nine years in prison
The owner of Animal Control Solutions and two of his employees have been charged with animal cruelty for throwing dogs and cats off a bridge in Puerto Rico…

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Why, oh why, do I get the feeling that this post will see a disproportionate amount of traffic?*

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: In Defense of Animals - takeaction [at] idausa.org
Date: Dec 7, 2007 6:48 PM
Subject: Urgent: Tell FWS to Reject Zoo’s Elephant Semen Import!

Urgent Action Alert: Help elephants by writing to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Deadline is this Monday, December 10!

The Woodland Park Zoo has applied to the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for an extension of its permit to import semen from a male Asian elephant named Rex at African Lion Safari in Canada for the purpose of artificially inseminating its female elephant, Chai. The Zoo is proceeding with the artificial insemination (AI) attempts despite the known risk that any baby born will contract the deadly elephant herpes virus, which in June claimed the life of Chai’s six-year old daughter Hansa.

The elephant herpesvirus causes death by massive internal hemorrhage and has claimed the lives of 10 elephants since 2000.

In addition to the loss of her daughter, Chai has endured four failed artificial insemination attempts to date. The procedure is highly invasive; elephants are restrained for several hours at a time while veterinarians pass an endoscope through their entire reproductive tract into the uterus.

In their zeal to produce a baby elephant (which always increases zoo attendance), Woodland Park Zoo officials are willing to subject any offspring produced to the significant risks of contracting this deadly virus, and to force the mother, Chai, to endure the anguish of watching another baby die a terrible death.

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