———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Date: Sun, Mar 23, 2008 at 4:20 PM
Subject: UPDATE: Justice For Downer Cows? Plea Deal Softens Penalty

KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY - PERMISSION TO CROSS-POST

UPDATE, 3/23/08: Justice For Downer Cows? Plea Deal Softens Penalty

ORIGINAL ALERT, 3/2/08: No Plea Deal For Hallmark Animal Torturers

KINSHIP CIRCLE feels Hallmark Meat Company workers videotaped electrically prodding cows crumpled on concrete…dragging them in heavy chains and hoisting them on forklift prongs…deserve maximum penalties for cruelty.

In our 3/2/08 letter-writing campaign, we asked District Attorney Michael A. Ramos to NOT strike a deal for Luis Sanchez who faced three years behind bars. But DA Ramos negotiated a plea deal at the hearing and Sanchez instead got 6 MONTHS in jail and deportation to his native Mexico thereafter.

It is still significant he was punished at all. Criminal charges against Sanchez and one-time pen manager Daniel Ugarte Navarro, may mark the
nation’s first felony charges for animal cruelty at a slaughterplant.

In the end, however, Sanchez walked away with a relative slap-on-the-wrist. Navarro’s arraignment was originally scheduled for tomorrow (3/24/08). If you sent our original letter (SEE BELOW) we asked that maximum penalties also be sought for Navarro — who faces jail time of eight years and eight months if convicted of five felony and three misdemeanor cruelty counts.

USING CONTACT INFORMATION IN PAST SAMPLE LETTER BELOW, you may wish to:

1. Thank District Attorney Michael A. Ramos for prosecuting former Hallmark Meat worker Luis Sanchez at all…
2. But express disappointment in his reduced sentence under a plea deal.
3. Reiterate your hope that no deals are sought for Daniel Ugarte Navarro and that he is prosecuted to the full extent allowed by law.

Abusing Cattle Gets Man Six Months In Jail And Deportation

Cicno, Calif. — One of two men caught on videotape apparently abusing cattle at a California slaughterhouse has been sentenced to six months in jail.

Rafael Sanchez Herrera pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of animal abuse in a San Bernardino County Superior Court on Friday. Under the plea deal the 34-year-old Sanchez will be deported to his native Mexico after serving jail time. A conviction on the three charges might have meant 3 years in jail.

The video shows Herrera and other workers at the Westland/Hallmark Meat Company dragging sick cows with metal chains and forklifts, shocking them with electric prods and shooting streams of water in their nose and faces. It led to the largest beef recall in U.S. history.

Source: Associated Press

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Date: Sat, Mar 15, 2008 at 8:01 PM
Subject: Part 1/ UPDATES: JAN-MAR 2008

KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY - PERMISSION TO CROSS-POST

PART 1: KC UPDATES / JANUARY - MARCH 2008
Victories * Setbacks * Progress For Animals: ONLY PUBLISHED TRI-MONTHLY
www.kinshipcircle.org/updates/

PART 1: KC UPDATES / JAN - MARCH 2008
1. Hallmark Meat Exec Admits Downed Cows Enter Food Supply
2. Juvenile Arrested In Edna’s Disappearance Found Guilty
3. Dog Attacked With Drill Gun - Updated
4. Canada’s New Rules For “Humane Seal Hunt” (oxymoron of the year?)
5. Mississippi Legislators Snub Buddy’s Law
6. Puerto Rico Faces Suit Over Roundup/Kill of Animals
7. Official Investigation Of Puppy Killer Is Underway, Marines Say
8. In Shadow Of Vick Case, Virginia Toughens Dogfighting Laws
9. Landmark Crate Ban On Way To Nov. 2008 Calif. Ballot
10. Los Angeles: Spay-Neuter Proposal Becomes Law
11. South Africa To Resume Elephant Culling After 13 Years
12. Three U.S. Agencies Aim To End Animal Testing
13. Animals Lose A True Friend With Congressman Lantos’ Death

PART 2: KC UPDATES / JAN - MARCH 2008
PLEASE RESEND ME PART #2: kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
14. Tammy Grimes To Appeal Unjust Sentence In Doogie Case
15. Companies Prosecuted In Poisoned Pet Food Recall
16. Report Calls For Prosecution Of Pet-Killing Dogcatcher
17. Judge To Bush Admin: You Can’t Exempt Navy In Sonar!
18. FDA OKs Food Sales From Animal Clones
19. NIH Tells UCONN Primate Experimenter To Return $65K
20. Dr. Anteneh Roba Earns Circle Of Compassion Award
21. USA: Killing Dogs In Training Of Doctors To End
22. SF Zoo Attack Victim Admits Taunting Tiger
23. Premarin Maker Wyeth Faces Over 5,300 Lawsuits
24. Denny’s Stop Sponsorship Of Ringling Bros. Circus
25. Boys Sentenced In Toby’s Brutal Death
26. The Dogs That Vick Hurt

(more…)

As much as I loathe animal abusers such as Wendy’s, I might just vote for Blackwater this year. Probably because I recently read Imperial Life in the Emerald City.

Blackwater actually didn’t play a prominent role, but Haliburton did make several cameos, including one in which they culled all the feral cats in the Green Zone - including those adopted and vetted by CPA staffers - in order to prevent a rabies outbreak. Which the resident biologist called scientifically unsound, as there was no risk of rabies.

Just another chain in the link. Errr, link in the chain. You know what I mean.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Sara Joseph
Date: Thu, Mar 13, 2008 at 8:49 AM
Subject: RELEASE: Online Polls Open for the Corporate Hall of Shame

Online Polls Open for the Corporate Hall of Shame

Annual Voting Crowns the Worst Corporations of the Year

Candidates include ADM, Blackwater, Countrywide, Mattel, Nestlé, Toyota, Wal-Mart and Wendy’s

BOSTON— This year’s election is all about the issues — global warming, war-profiteering, predatory lending — or at least that is the case in the annual Corporate Hall of Shame. On Thursday, March 20, the online polls open at www.stopcorprateabuse.org for people to vote for the most abusive corporations of the year.

This year’s nominees made headlines for breaking the law, influencing elected officials, undermining democratic decision-making and outright endangering the environment and public health. They include ADM, Blackwater Worldwide, Countrywide, Wal-Mart, Mattel, Nestlé, Toyota, and Wendy’s.

The Hall is a creation of Corporate Accountability International, a membership organization that has worked to protect people from irresponsible and dangerous corporations for the last 30 years.

“Make no mistake, we believe all of the nominees deserve this infamous dishonor, but we look forward to seeing which corporations the voting public selects as the worst of the worst,” said Kelle Louaillier, executive director of Corporate Accountability International. “The ballot box is a way toc all politicians to task. The Hall is now a way of calling corporations to account for major abuses of the public interest.”

Last year, more than 20,000votes were cast to induct ExxonMobil, Haliburton and Wal-Mart. Other past inductees include Philip Morris/Altria, Columbia/HCA and waste disposal giant Waste Management.

The Hall has kept continuous pressure on inducted corporations to curb their abuses. In 2006,Waste Management worked its way out of the Hall by drastically reducing its national lobbying and political expenditures.

Hall organizers expect record turn-out this election season before polls close on July 4th. The new inductees will be announced later that month.

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Date: Sun, Mar 2, 2008 at 8:09 PM
Subject: DUE 3/12: No Plea Deal For Hallmark Abusers!

KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY - PERMISSION TO CROSS-POST AS WRITTEN

3/2/08: No Plea Deal For Hallmark Animal Torturers
www.KinshipCircle.org

Defendant’s Name: Luis Sanchez
NEXT APPEARANCE: 3/13/08, 8:30am, Disposition/Reset (PLEA DEAL)
Court Case #: FSB703329 / Court: S23
Judge: Michael Dest

Defendants Name: Daniel Navarro
NEXT APPEARANCE: 3/24/08, 8:30am, Arraignment
Court Case #: FCH800088 / Court: C1
Judge: Stanford Reichert

HSUS UNDERCOVER VIDEOS: tinyurl.com/yul2lw

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Date: Sat, Mar 1, 2008 at 11:29 PM
Subject: I’M MAD/ Downer Ban? USDA Says Forget It

KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY - PERMISSION TO CROSS-POST AS WRITTEN

3/1/08: Downer Ban? USDA Says We Don’t Need It
www.KinshipCircle.org

The Cost Of Cheap Meat: Utter Inhumanity
photo: Farm Sanctuary

From Brenda Shoss, Kinship Circle:

I try to keep my personal opinions out of letter-writing campaigns. So, I apologize for the intrusion. But I am livid.

I see videos, photos and cruelty reports daily, with the silent motto: I can cry later. The HSUS videos from Hallmark Meat Packing Co. are about the worse I’ve seen. Cows with huge, bewildered eyes as they’re rolled, clubbed, thrown down chutes, dragged on caved-in legs…

The first letter campaign Kinship Circle ever posted was to Congress, asking for humane euthanasia of downer animals. That was nearly a decade ago…and NO DOWNER LAW EXISTS.

So, you’d think the recall of 143,383,823 pounds of beef would finally prompt a downer law. Or that the government would be so embarrassed it took some animal guy with a video camera to bust their inept inspections, they’d…well…pass the downer law.

But you’d be wrong. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer, perhaps the most moronic individual currently promoting beef for the Bush admin, struck down calls from Democratic senators for a ban on the slaughter of downer cows (at Congressional hearings, 2/28/08).

Schafer feels downers can enter the food supply safely: “The rules say if one goes down, you call the veterinarian to make a judgment… Today I’m convinced the rules in place are such where we are protecting the food supply.” (In the meantime, the one who “went down” is in agonizing pain).

And so it goes. Torturing animals under the radar. AN ANIMAL WHO CAN’T WALK IS AN ANIMAL WHO CAN’T TURN A PROFIT. “GET ‘EM UP!”

I now believe it is a waste of time to lobby Sec. Schafer. But your Senators and Reps, especially Democrats (who called for the hearing), can support the Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act (H.R. 661/ S. 394) which bans slaughter of downer cows, pigs, sheep and all “livestock.”

If you already wrote to your Senators and Rep, please write again. As background, our original letter campaign is here:

2/23/08: USDA-Certified Cruel: Downers Dragged, Shocked, Rammed

Don’t let the downer law sit on a shelf for another 10 years.

Brenda Shoss, KC

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Farm Sanctuary - info [at] farmsanctuary.org
Date: Thu, Feb 28, 2008 at 4:21 PM
Subject: Farm Sanctuary News: Tell the USDA: No Downers

FARM SANCTUARY NEWS

Tell the USDA: No More Downed Animal Abuse!

The widely-publicized abuse of downed dairy cattle at the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company in Chino, Calif. has upended the meat industry and set the stage for positive change. Those who think the abuses of animals slated for slaughter can continue to go unseen have now been put on notice that the public is watching and growing wary. Let’s make sure the suffering of these animals was not in vain! Let the USDA know that the Hallmark case will not be forgotten and that the treatment of farm animals is a huge priority for the public.

Newborn Calf and his Mother Reunite for Life at Our California Shelter

Days old and barely breathing, Harrison the calf was lying alone in an open field and only hours away from death when he was discovered by a compassionate humane officer in Santa Cruz, CA. The newborn—the son of a cow bred to replenish a small herd of beef cattle—was nonresponsive, bellowing only briefly in pain when the officer checked his vitals and determined that he was in desperate need of medical attention. Read more.

2007 Walk for Farm Animals a Rousing Success

Last fall, more than 2,000 people took to the streets in 46 cities and towns across North America to speak out for farm animals, resulting in the largest and most successful Walk to date! In addition to educating people about the cruelty of factory farming, Walk participants raised over $170,000 to support Farm Sanctuary’s rescue, education and advocacy work. Our sincerest thanks go out to all the compassionate people who helped make this event possible. Read more.

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Farm Sanctuary - info [at] farmsanctuary.org
Date: Thu, Feb 28, 2008 at 12:09 PM
Subject: California Ballot Signature Campaign a Success

Signature Campaign a Success!
Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act Goes to California Voters

Since Californians began campaigning for a ballot initiative to ban cruel farm animal confinement systems six months ago, volunteers have collected nearly 800,000 signatures in support of the initiative. They needed only 433,971 valid signatures. This means that The Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act (www.humanecalifornia.org/)—to ban veal crates (www.noveal.org/) for calves, battery cages (www.farmsanctuary.org/issues/factoryfarming/eggs/) for egg-laying hens, and gestation crates (humanecalifornia.org/content/index.php?pid=41) for breeding pigs in the Golden State—is well on its way to securing a spot on the November 2008 ballot in California.

With the first (and arguably most difficult) hurdle passed, Californians for Humane Farms (www.humanecalifornia.org/) and its supporters will now band together to get the word out about the November 2008 vote. If passed, the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act will end some of the cruelest practices in factory farming: the warehousing and confinement of animals in cages and crates so small that they cannot turn around, walk or extend their limbs.

The whole country will be watching the progress of this historic measure, as its passage will set a precedent that will have profound repercussions for factory farming across the country.

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Date: Wed, Feb 27, 2008 at 5:20 PM
Subject: Killing Prairie Dogs - Your Tax Dollars At Work

KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY - PERMISSION TO CROSS-POST AS WRITTEN

2/27/08: Killing Prairie Dogs – Your Tax Dollars At Work
www.KinshipCircle.org

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.

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

FULL CONTACT INFORMATION. Sample letter follows.

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

Rick Cables, Regional Forester
USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region
P.O. Box 25127; Lakewood, CO 80225-0127
ph: 303-275-5450; fax: 303-275-5482
email: rcables [at] fs.fed.us
web mail: www.fs.fed.us/r2/contact/feedback/

The Honorable Mark Rey
Under Secretary for Natural Resources and the Environment
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Room 217E, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20250
ph: 202-720-7173; fax 202-720-0632
email: mark.rey [at] usda.gov

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Date: Sat, Feb 23, 2008 at 5:36 PM
Subject: USDA-Certified Cruel: Downed Animals

KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY - PERMISSION TO CROSS-POST AS WRITTEN

2/23/08: USDA-Certified Cruel: Downers Dragged, Shocked, Rammed
www.KinshipCircle.org

What really happens at slaughterhouses and stockyards…
VIEW HSUS UNDERCOVER VIDEOS: tinyurl.com/yul2lw

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.

To identify your federal legislators and find contact info, try:
Congress.org: www.Congress.org
USA Senate: www.senate.gov
USA House of Representatives: www.house.gov
Congressional Switchboard: 202-224-3121

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Photo via SenzEnina

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Date: Thu, Feb 21, 2008 at 6:18 PM
Subject: Killing Underway: Save Last Wild Buffalo

KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY - PERMISSION TO CROSS-POST AS WRITTEN

2/21/08: Killing Underway - Save Last Wild Buffalo
www.KinshipCircle.org

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.

(more…)