Action Alerts

Defenders of Wildlife: Save Wild America!
In its final months, the Bush Administration is pushing to allow commercial logging, mining, and oil and gas drilling in 4.4 million acres of Colorado’s best backcountry. These roadless forests provide high-quality habitat for lynx, elk, cutthroat trout, goshawk and other vulnerable wildlife, clean drinking water for our communities, and outstanding opportunities to enjoy the wild outdoors. We need to do everything we can to protect them. Help us stand up against the Bush Administration’s eleventh-hour land grab and defend the amazing animals that depend on these pristine lands to survive.

Environmental Defense Action Fund: Sign Onto Our 2009 Green Energy Agenda
We need a Green Energy Agenda that solves global warming and unleashes America’s clean energy future. Sign our 2009 Green Energy Agenda Petition to help us build support for real action in Washington. We’ll add your voice to our campaign and make sure the new president and the 111th Congress get the message.

Human Rights First: Elect to End Torture: Sign the Petition Today
During last night’s debate, both presidential candidates reiterated that they are in agreement in opposing torture. Senator Obama and Senator McCain both understand that America’s reputation has been damaged and our national security undermined because of the Bush Administration’s policy of torture and official cruelty. Sign our petition today to send a clear message to the next president that you expect he will put his campaign statements into action in January: it is essential for the next president to dismantle the legal framework that sanctions cruel treatment and to undertake a comprehensive examination of policies and practices that endorsed cruelty.

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): Tell the Bush Tell the Bush administration not to let mining companies destroy valleys and streams
The Bush administration is about to change a longstanding rule that would make it easier for mining companies to destroy streams and valleys by filling them with sludge, rock and other mining waste. Tell officials to put communities and the environment ahead of industry profit.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA): Urge North Texas Tollway Authority to Leave Pigeons Alone!
The North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) has apparently initiated a program, which will cost taxpayers about $35,000, that is intended to get rid of pigeons who roost under 14 toll bridges in North Texas. Eyewitnesses report seeing emaciated pigeons left to languish in traps in the hot sun without access to adequate shade or water. Allegedly, some pigeons have died in these traps before NTTA had the chance to release them some 40 miles away from their natural roosting sites.

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Action Alerts

Forest Ethics / Do Not Mail: Turn this Halloween green!
Halloween isn’t just about spooky ghosts and goblins — it’s a day to show off your creativity and share your values. That’s why we’re calling on our Do Not Mail supporters like you to turn this Halloween green. Join ForestEthics as we transform this sweet-filled holiday into an opportunity to spread the bitter truth about junk mail.

Ocean Conservancy: Sign our Letter to the Gulf Council - Urge them to Halt their Offshore Aquaculture Plan
Salmon farming has taught us a lot about the risks involved with offshore aquaculture. With so many fish packed closely together in open ocean cages, disease is much more likely. Without a doubt, some fish escape and transfer these diseases, such as contagious sea lice, to wild populations where the affects can be devastating. Studies show that some salmon populations may go extinct and most wild fish populations are declining in areas where salmon farming occurs. Sadly, the fish farming plan proposed by Gulf fishery managers fails to protect against these substantial risks and many others. We need strong and smart national standards that will protect every part of our ocean BEFORE aquaculture moves forward in the Gulf … or any of our nation’s waters.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA): Write a Letter to the Editor Urging Your Community to Boycott Circus Cruelty
Writing a letter to the editor of your local newspaper can educate countless readers and get them thinking about this important issue. Letters are a simple and effective way to spread the word! Please take a moment to send a letter to the editor of your local newspaper educating readers about Ringling’s horrific treatment of animals and urging people to shun the circus. Speak from the heart, and ask people not to support circus cruelty.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA): URGENT: Animals at Anson Animal Control Shelter in Texas Need Your Voice
PETA has received reports from local residents in Anson, Texas, who claim that animals in the city’s custody are routinely neglected by being denied access to potable drinking water, nutritious food, and clean and healthy housing. Some residents claim to have witnessed the violent shooting of a dog at the Anson Animal Control Shelter (AACS). We have been told that the dog was friendly and wagging his tail when he was shot by city officials. A local witness also reported that a puppy recently died at AACS and was left to decompose in a kennel for two entire days in full view of living animals.

Save the Manatee Club: Citizens Urged: Report Endangered Manatee Sightings to Ensure Timely Rescues
If you are a resident of Maryland, North Carolina, Rhode Island, or any eastern state north of Florida, please report manatee sightings to your local wildlife officials.

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Date: Tue, Oct 14, 2008 at 2:01 PM
Subject: Piglets Of The Flood - Iowa Rescues Give Birth

KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY - PERMISSION TO CROSS-POST

10/14/08: UPDATE: Piglets Of The Flood - Iowa Rescues Give Birth

DATE: 7/28/08…9/9/08
SOURCE: Midwest Flood Pig Rescue Blog, floodrescue2008.blogspot.com/
Images From A Flood, www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/relief/08-07-03.html

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FARM SANCTUARY, www.farmsanctuary.org

FROM KINSHIP CIRCLE

When Iowa floods saturated nearly 80% of the state this summer, Iowa’s Veterinary Response Coordinator enlisted Kinship Circle Animal Disaster Aid Network to staff staging areas at Johnson County Fairgrounds in Iowa City and Lee County Fairgrounds in Donnellson, Iowa. By June 14, 2008 we were in daily conference calls with the state EOC (Emergency Operations Center). We contacted Best Friends Rapid Response Team and asked Iowa officials to form an agreement with them (MOU) for water rescue in Louisa, Des Moines, Lee, Johnson or Linn counties…. Over June and July, Kinship Circle volunteers traveled to Iowa for emergency pet sheltering, transport and rescue operations.

PHOTO: Molly Wald, Best Friends, www.bestfriends.org

IN THE MEANTIME, PIGS WERE EVERYWHERE…Adrift from flooded hog farms, some still encased in crates. While 40,000 were pre-evacuated, an estimated 4,000 (or more) pigs died. Some who’d scrambled atop levees were shot dead by officials concerned they’d ruin sandbags. Many more drowned. Kinship Circle contacted Farm Sanctuary to ask their Emergency Rescue Team to come to Iowa. KC volunteers Cheri Deatsch, Bob Rude, David Halperin and Craig Hill assisted Farm Sanctuary in initial pig rescues. Eventually “Operation Pig” grew so large, a coalition of Farm Sanctuary, International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), American Humane Association (AHA), and Animal Rescue League of Boston recovered pigs from levee systems and treated many for severe sunburn, dehydration, etc. at a triage site in Iowa.

IOWA FLOOD RESCUE PHOTOS & TALES:
www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/relief/08-07-03.html

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Date: Mon, Oct 13, 2008 at 2:02 PM
Subject: STANDBY ALERT: Wild Fires In Los Angeles Area

KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER AID NETWORK
www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters

10/13/08: Wild Fires In Los Angeles Area
THIS IS NOT A DEPLOYMENT.
This is a pre-alert to find out who in the Los Angeles or nearby areas would be able to volunteer IF OUTSIDE AID IS NEEDED. Brenda Shoss, Kinship Circle

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

PRELIMINARY HEAD COUNT: Who Might Be Available?

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

FIRES BURNING NORTH OF DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES

This is a PRE-ALERT to find out how many volunteers would be available to help with animal aid for fires primarily on the north side of the 210 Freeway in Los Angeles area.

THIS IS NOT A DEPLOYMENT.

Register with Kinship Circle to be on standby for this disaster response:

Send requested info to (one or other, NOT both):
Brenda Shoss, Kinship Circle: kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Terri Kelly, Kinship Circle: pawsitivedirections [at] yahoo.com

1. Your First/Last Name:
2. Street Address:
3. City, State, Zip Code:
4. Phone Numbers (cell & land):
5. Email:
6. Driver’s License ID#:
7. YOUR ARRIVE & DEPART DATES:
8. ARE YOU SUBSCRIBED TO KINSHIP CIRCLE’S DISASTER AID EMAIL LIST?
9. TYPE IN SUBJECT LINE: Calif. Fires

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Action Alerts

DawnWatch: NY Times editorial defends whales against Navy sonar 10/11/08
The New York Times editorial page gave us a second animal supportive editorial last week (the first was endorsing California’s Prop 2) when on Saturday, October 11, it ran a piece in favor of continued protection of whales from Navy Sonar. The New York Times has a good history of speaking up for the whales.

DawnWatch: Oprah this Tuesday and Extra last Friday on food animals and vegan diets (respectively) 10/10-10/14/08
How wonderful to see mainstream media starting to really focus on what we should be eating and why. Dr Neal Barnard, founder of the wonderful Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (www.pcrm.org ) was on Extra on Friday talking about the benefits of vegan diets…Coming up on Tuesday, October 14, big news! Oprah is covering “How We Treat the Animals We Eat.”

Earthjustice: Keep Our Streams Safe From Dirty Coal Mining
The Federal Office of Surface Mining (OSM) is poised to finalize a rule that would allow thousands of natural streams and valleys in Appalachia to be buried by waste from mountaintop removal coal mining. OSM’s plan directly conflicts with the decades-old Stream Buffer Zone Rule, which prohibits surface coal mining activities from disturbing areas within 100 feet of permanent and seasonal streams.

Greenpeace: America Must Kick the Oil Addiction
It’s time to quit our addiction to oil and choose a healthier lifestyle. In order to get clean, we need to make a permanent switch to clean energy. The cycle of addiction must end now – and it’s our generation that must stand up and make the change, or there may not be generations to come…Tell our next President and the new Congress to just say no to offshore drilling.

International Center for Technology Assessment: FDA to Look at Nano-products…Again
Many new nano-products continue to come to market, at an average of four to five a week. Unfortunately nano-products are still treated by FDA like any other products or product ingredients; yet scientists agree that nanomaterials are fundamentally different substances that create new and unique risks to human health and the environment and need new forms of safety testing. A public comment period is open now through October 24, 2008 - Take action now!

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Action Alerts

DawnWatch: NY Times “Yes” on California’s farm animal cruelty Proposition 2 — 10/9/08
The New York Times has deemed a proposition from California, the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act, worthy of its endorsement. This is a gratifying reflection of how far our movement has edged into the mainstream. While the New York Times is not calling for universal veganism, it is telling us that the treatment of animals matters; that is an excellent place to start, as it is a point on which decent people of every eating persuasion will agree.

Farm Sanctuary: Help break the dairy industry’s monopoly on school lunch programs; tell the USDA that our kids deserve healthier options!
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is holding public hearings on the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) throughout the country, and the public is now invited to give its input on the current program. For people who care about children and animals, this invitation provides a great opportunity to speak up and ask the USDA to make plant-based alternatives to cow’s milk a part of its programs.

Farm Sanctuary: Every Vote Counts, Especially for Animals in California
California voters have a monumental opportunity to take part in a campaign, the success of which will mean life and limb to millions of animals. The Yes On Prop 2 campaign seeks to give farm animals enough room to turn around, lie down and extend their limbs – a far cry from the living conditions that hens, breeding sows and veal calves currently live in. Please don’t be the one vote that keeps them confined. Take action!

Friends of Animals (FoA): Reject U.S. Government Proposal to Shoot Horses
Following the latest obnoxious proposal this month from the U.S. government to kill thousands of horses, the international animal advocacy organization Friends of Animals again calls for a full moratorium on the government-sanctioned round-ups, sales and slaughter of free-living horses.

World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA): Will McDonald’s hamburgers be made from clones?; Ask McDonald’s to be an industry leader by taking a stand against cloned animals
As part of the company’s recently launched “See What We’re Made Of” campaign, McDonald’s is inviting consumers to learn about the ingredients that make up their menu items. However, McDonald’s has no policy on serving milk and meat from cloned animals or their offspring, which means that consumers will have no way of knowing if the McDonald’s BigMac® is laced with the animal cruelty associated with cloning.

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Update, 10/20/08, via Care2:

Great news! Thanks to you and the hard work of the good folks at SPCA, Operation Baghdad Pups, M.A.R.S. Safe Haven and M.A.R.S. Productions, Ratchet, the adopted Iraqi puppy, is now on a plane en route to the United States!

Here’s the wonderful story as told by M.A.R.S. Safe Haven, the sponsors of the Clemency for Ratchet petition:

“Operation Baghdad Pups program manager, Terri Crisp, and Ratchet met at the Baghdad airport tonight and boarded a plane bound for the U.S. After SPCA International received military clearance on Wednesday, October 15, for Ratchet’s travel, the organization set this final rescue plan into action. Last week, the world got behind Ratchet and Spc. Beberg’s plight; an online petition collected over 65,000 signatures pleading for Ratchet’s release.

“Crisp and Ratchet are scheduled to arrive at Dulles International Airport in Washington, DC on Monday afternoon. Ratchet will be cleared by the Center for Disease Control and given a thorough medical evaluation by a local Virginia veterinarian. As long as Ratchet receives a clean bill of health, he will fly to his final destinations, Minneapolis, MN, on Wednesday.

“Northwest Airlines, a Minnesota base company, generously donated Ratchet and Crisp’s flights from Kuwait to Minneapolis, MN.

“You can receive future updates on continued efforts to help our men and women in the Armed Forces adopt their pets and bring about change to the military’s policies on this issue: info [at] mars-safehaven.net

“Saving Private Ratchet has wonderful gifts with all proceeds going to the SPCA: www.care2.com/go/z/e/AbLiE/W1DG/qBhr

“Read more from the SPCA: www.care2.com/go/z/e/AbLif/W1DG/qBhr “

Also, I’ve posted an update from Kinship Circle after the original KC alert.

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Date: Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 7:56 PM
Subject: ACT NOW/ No Paradise For Breeding Birds [KC MEMBER ALERT]

KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY - PERMISSION TO CROSS-POST
The following information is brought to you courtesy of Kinship Circle.
Please DO NOT hit reply! Respond directly to: justroar [at] comcast.net

ALERT FROM KINSHIP CIRCLE SUPPORTER:
10/9/08: ACT BEFORE 10/18 - No Paradise For Breeding Birds

ALERT FROM / REPLY TO:
Rachel Ogden, justroar [at] comcast.net

BACKGROUND:

Speakers Flock to World’s Largest Bird Store While Breeding Birds Languish

On October 18 and 19, 2008, Bird Paradise, the self-proclaimed “world’s largest bird store,” will host its fifth annual “Parrot Palooza” featuring professionals from the bird trade including Dr. Irene Pepperburg, Sally Blanchard, Lara Joseph and Madeleine Franco. SEE SUMMARY AFTER SAMPLE LETTER

CONTACT INFORMATION / TAKE ACTION:

1. Are you in the New Jersey area? Join us on Saturday, October 11, 2008 for a peaceful demonstration in front of the Bird Paradise store.
WHAT: Peaceful Demonstration against Bird Paradise
WHEN: Saturday, October 11, 2008 from 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
WHERE: Public right of way in front of Bird Paradise, 551 E Rt. 130 S, Burlington, NJ 08016
CONTACT: Rowan Morrison, 610-733-1248, boycottbirdparadise [at] gmail.com

2. Letters and calls needed ASAP to the speakers and promoters asking for their help to prevent the continued suffering and exploitation of birds. These speakers and bird advocacy groups should be working to help birds, not increase the profits of one of the worst exploiters.

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Date: Tue, Oct 7, 2008 at 10:39 PM
Subject: ACT/ Demand Retrial For Vicious Cat Killer

KINSHIP CIRCLE DISASTER AID NETWORK - PERMISSION TO CROSS-POST

Apologies to dual-list subscribers who receive this alert twice. Kinship Circle Primary alerts are occasionally posted to this disaster aid list too.

COMPANION ANIMAL CAMPAIGNS
10/7/08: Demand Retrial For Vicious Cat Killer
FOR A FORMATTED VERSION OF THIS LETTER (WORD DOC): kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Easily modify letter. Copy/paste it into an email or print letter to fax or mail.

Norman, an 8-pound declawed tabby, and his killer, Joseph Petcka.

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Action Alerts

Earthjustice: Tell EPA to Protect People from Pesticide Poisoning!
Endosulfan is a dangerous pesticide in the same family of chemicals as DDT, the notorious pesticide that was banned in 1972 because it poisoned people, wildlife, and the environment. Like DDT, endosulfan is a serious threat to people — especially farmworkers and children. The European Union and many other countries have already recognized this danger and have banned endosulfan’s use.

In Defense of Animals (IDA): Did You Know That Your Tax Dollars Still Fund Nicotine Experiments On Animals?
We taxpayers, with today’s economic crisis, are still funding ridiculous nicotine experiments on animals. Tell NIH we (and the animals) can’t afford this anymore.

In Defense of Animals (IDA): Urge Zappos.com To Stop Selling Fur
Zappos, an online retailer, knows about the suffering that goes into every fur-trimmed garment or accessory, but the company continues to contribute to that suffering by using fur. With so many fashionable, comfortable alternatives available today, there is no excuse for Zappos.com to continue using the fur of tortured animals in its designs.

Oxfam: Ask the Presidential Candidates to lead on Climate Change
Global warming poses a great threat to the international community, and disproportionately hurts those affected by poverty. Developing countries lack the resources they need to adapt to climate change. We need to ensure that the U.S. is ready to lead the international community in committing to fight climate change. Ask the presidential candidates to attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poznan, Poland and commit to helping developing countries adapt to climate change.

The Sierra Club: Protect the Endangered Species Act
On August 15, the Department of the Interior proposed sweeping changes to this landmark environmental law. Under the new regulations, federal agencies would no longer have to consult with experts at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service. Instead, the agency proposing the project would have the power to decide how it would affect wildlife. These proposed changes are being bulldozed through and the DOI is only accepting comments from the public until October 14, 2008. In addition, they are not accepting email comments. Please use our talking points below to draft and submit your personalized comments. The Sierra Club will compile and deliver them before the October 14th deadline.

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