March 2011 3/22/13 11:41 PM Page 1
Meat biz barks for puppy mills
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.––Rural Missouri lawmakers backed by agribusiness hope to overturn the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act, approved by almost a million voters in November 2010––52% of the elec- torate––as Proposition B on the state ballot. Leading the lobbying effort against the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act is Missourians for Animal Care, a coalition including the Missouri Agribusiness Associ- ation, Missouri Cattlemen's Association, Missouri Corn Growers Association, Missouri Dairy Association, Missouri Egg Producers, Missouri Equine Council, Missouri Farm Bureau, Missouri Federation of Animal Owners, Missouri Livestock Marketing Association, Missouri Pet Palomino mustang at BLM holding facility near Pyramid Lake, Nevada. (Kim Bartlett) Breeders Association, Missouri Pork Associ- ation, Missouri Soybean Association, the Rescued puppy mill pup. Why did BLM reject Madeline Pickens’ Poultry Federation, the Professional Pet (North Shore Animal League America) Association, and two financial institutions. legislation, with other ordinance proposals The debate has national import, pending. Most notably, though, Missouri Nevada wild horse sanctuary proposal? partly because of the extent to which Missouri breeders are believed to produce about a third P H O E N I X ––A two-day Bureau of ranch land she purchased in 2010––and then dog breeders have been able to recruit support of all puppies sold in U.S. pet stores, nation- Land Management consultation meeting on began removing about 2,000 wild horses from from the major branches of animal agricul- wide. More than 1,400 dog breeders are reg- wild horse and burro management strategy, to nearby public land. ture. Bills similar to the Puppy Mill Cruelty istered with the Missouri Department of be held on March 10-11, 2011 in Phoenix, “The Elko County ranches, which Prevention Act are under consideration in Agriculture and/or hold USDA permits to sell Arizona, is likely to focus on why the BLM on Pickens renamed the Mustang Monument pre- several other states, including Nebraska and dogs interstate. Perhaps as many breeders January 21 rejected a proposal from philan- serve, come with grazing rights on roughly West Virginia. Local ordinances meant to operate in Missouri without permits. thropist Madeline Pickens to accommodate 564,000 acres of public land,” noted Martin curb backyard breeding have recently passed The Missouri senate agriculture 1,000 wild horses on 18,000 acres of Nevada (continued on page 11) in several states without strong puppy mill committee on January 27, 2011 ratified a bill that would erase the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act limit of 50 dogs per breeder, and would give licensed breeders up to six months to correct violations without being charged with a misdemeanor offense. This in ANIMAL PEOPLE effect would allow breeders to raise a litter in violation of the standards, sell the litter, and News For People Who Care About Animals then be technically in compliance with the act again until the birth of another litter––at which point they would get another six-month grace period. March 2011 Missouri state senator Mike Parson (R-Bolivar) is pushing complete repeal of the Volume 20, #2 Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act. Parson contends that “The wording of the voter- passed law is so vague that it could be extend- (continued on page 7) Japan suspends Antarctic whaling T O K Y O ––“It’s official. The of the Steve Irwin, the flagship of a Sea Japanese whaling fleet has called it quits in the Shepherd fleet also including the Bob Barker Southern Ocean, at least for this season,” the and the high-speed G o j i r a . “First,” Watson Sea Shepherd Conservation Society cautiously said, “they may be on a great circle route back acknowledged on February 17, 2011, a week to Japan. Second, they may be returning to the after the whalers suspended operations in Ross Sea, where the three Japanese harpoon Antarctic waters on February 10, and two days vessels may be waiting to continue their after global media declared the Sea Shepherds slaughter.” the winners after seven winters of stalking the The turnabout came less than 24 whalers through the ice fields. hours after Japan Fisheries Agency spokesper- Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson son Tatsuya Nakaoku told Reuters that, feared a trick on February 16, after the suspen- “Putting safety as a priority, the fleet has halt- sion of whaling made headlines worldwide, ed scientific whaling for now. We are current- when the whaling factory ship Nisshin Maru ly considering what to do.” changed course and appeared to be heading Watson was immediately wary. “If back into the Southern Ocean Whale that’s true, it demonstrates that our tactics and Sanctuary. strategies have been successful,” Watson told “The turnabout could mean one of Agence France-Presse by satellite. “I don’t two things,” blogged Watson from the bridge think they’ve gotten more than 30 whales,” Watson guessed. The four-ship Japanese whaling fleet, down from seven ships in 2010, had a self- assigned quota of up to 945 Egyptian Society of Animal Friends treating camels at Nazlet El Seman. (Dina Zulfikar) whales. Japanese sources later reported that the whalers had killed about 20% of the quota––about Camels, horses & change in Egypt 190 whales. C A I R O––The conflict of old and “At least six riders were dragged Though jubilant at the new in Tahrir Square, Cairo, was perhaps from their beasts, beaten with sticks by the whalers’ retreat this winter, most starkly illustrated by the February 2, protesters and taken away with blood stream- Watson remained aware that 2011 charge of 18 whip-wielding men on ing down their faces,” Al Jazeera c o n t i n u e d . Japanese “research whaling” may horseback and two on camels against the tens “One of them was dragged away unconscious, not yet be finished. “I think it is of thousands of people demanding the resig- with large blood stains on the ground at the premature to see this as a victory,” nation of then-Egyptian president Hosni site of the clash.” Watson posted to Sea Shepherd Mubarak. The demonstrators had occupied Photos and video of the charge supporters. “There has been no the square since January 25. were e-mailed around the world within min- mention of how long this suspen- Mubarak left on February 11, end- utes, including a sequence of a camel stum- sion will be. It could be perma- ing a 30-year dictatorial regime, but on bling over a photographer and falling to the nent, or for this season only, or it February 2 the outcome of the protests was pavement. Fighting continued off and on for could be for a matter of weeks or still in doubt. “In Dokki, in western Cairo,” days. Gasoline bombs and sporadic bursts of even days,” he reminded cele- reported Al Jazeera, “thousands of Mubarak live gunfire from Mubarak supporters injured brants. “What we know is that the supporters gathered in Lebanon Square, far more people––and hurt some of the horses whalers will not be killing any chanting ‘He won’t go,’ in reference to and camels, said unconfirmed reports. Yet whales for the next few weeks–– Mubarak, as they watched camel riders and the failure of the horse and camel charge not because of any suspension, but horse-cart drivers parade in circles.” appeared to be pivotal, emblematic of an because it is physically impossible By afternoon, “The largest phalanx antiquated authoritarian system that had run for them to do so.” of pro-government forces gathered next to the out of tricks to keep control. The suspension of whaling Egyptian Museum, and thousands surged “Using animals in their bloody came about 24 hours after B o b toward the army tanks blocking the road into work––what do animals have to do with this? Barker captain Alex Cornelissen Tahrir. The camel and horse riders from And the animals got injured and burnt! positioned his vessel between the Dokki galloped through the crowd, as others Horses were horrifically injured,” e-mailed Nisshin Maru and the three launched a barrage of rocks toward the pro- Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals (continued on page 8) testers inside Tahrir,” Al Jazeera said. (continued on page 12) March 2011 3/22/13 11:41 PM Page 2
2 - ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2011 March 2011 3/22/13 11:41 PM Page 3
Editorial feature ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2011 - 3 How to move the earth to help farmed animals “Give me a lever and a place to stand,” the ancient Greek mathematician member societies. Kharb in January 2011 received one of the first lifetime achievement Archimedes reputedly said, “and I shall move the earth.” awards presented by the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organizations, founded with His premise affords a metaphor for how animal advocates sometimes manage to his encouragement in 2007 as an independent umbrella through which, among other functions, motivate animal use industries to change—and an explanation of why some seemingly promis- animal welfare societies may lobby and monitor the performance of the AWBI. ing efforts fail. But someone at the AWBI goofed big-time in securing sponsorships for the newspa- As large and influential as some of the biggest animal advocacy organizations appear per ads promoting Animal Welfare Fortnight 2011. This annual event is the Indian equivalent to be from within the cause, the budgets and assets of the entire cause, worldwide, are still of Be Kind to Animals Week, promoted by the AHA each year since 1915. substantially less than those of supermarkets in any major U.S. metropolitan area. Graphing While practically everyone who is anyone within AWBI was preoccupied with the the economic magnitude of animal advocacy compared to that of agribusiness is much like try- first-ever FIAPO conference, at least 11 leading Indian newspapers published an Animal ing to graph the size of the earth in proportion to the rest of the solar system. Welfare Fortnight ad prominently bearing the name and web address of the Council for Yet animal advocates time and again do influence animal use industries, including Leather Exports. aspects of agribusiness, by finding a good lever and a strategic place to stand. The lever needs To understand the magnitude of this mistake requires understanding that slaughtering to be an issue so compelling that mainstream public opinion is motivated to help press it. The cattle is illegal in most of India, and is rarely done in licensed, regulated, and inspected place to stand needs to be widely recognized as an ethical position. The fulcrum that gives the slaughterhouses. Devout Hindus are only allowed to wear or use leather from cattle who have lever force must be a practical and plausible alternative, such as a different product or a less died naturally. Elsewhere in the world, the most valuable part of a cattle carcass, by far, is abusive practice. The larger and more resistant the institution or industry is to change, the beef. The hide value is relatively slight. But because selling beef is prohibited in much of greater the swing in public opinion must be to compel change. Achieving large swings in pub- India, and is culturally discouraged even where it is legal, the hide value of cattle in India is lic opinion requires presenting a clear difference between what is to be changed and the more often greater than the meat value. Dairy farmers consequently often sell unwanted cattle humane alternative. (mainly old cows and young males) to drovers who may truck them the length of India to Translating metaphor into real-life example, ANIMAL PEOPLE i n slaughter, with few if any provisions for the animals’ welfare; or they may simply starve cat- November/December 2010 described the debut of Global Animal Partnership, an outgrowth of tle to death, forgoing the minimal meat value to sell the hides. an earlier animal product certification program developed by Whole Foods Markets. In our Unfortunately, the practice of deliberately allowing cattle to die “naturally” by star- January/February 2011 edition, GAP executive director Miyun Park and the founders of three vation are also common among the frequently corrupt operators of cattle shelters, called earlier animal product certification programs squared off in debate. There were actually only gaushalas and pinjarapoles. two other participants in the debate, Animal Welfare Institute director Cathy Liss and Humane The abuses within the Indian leather trade have been extensively documented, time Farm Animal Care founder Adele Douglass, but Douglass earlier founded the American and again, for at least 80 years. The AWBI itself was formed in part to address these abuses. Humane Certified program run by the American Humane Association. Douglass left the AHA The Council for Leather Exports was created as a voice for the Indian leather industry in three years later when she felt it had been co-opted by increased agribusiness influence on the response to appeals issued by Indian animal welfare organizations and a PETA-led global boy- AHA board of directors—a trend ANIMAL PEOPLE warned against in our May 2000 editor- cott of Indian leather goods. ial, “Got sacred cows?” Responded AWBI spokesperson Anjali Sharma, as dismay over the ads erupted Altogether, there are now at least 26 animal product certification programs operating from FIAPO members, “So AWBI allowed the Council for Leather Exports to fund the cam- in the U.S., and several more abroad. Most are under the direction of the particular branches paign—why not? Let some of their money be put to good use. I am told that the endeavor is of agribusiness that they serve. Within the U.S., only the GAP, AWI, HFAC, and AHA pro- going to get the Council for Leather Exports to endorse better policies, procedures, etc. At grams are operated by organizations which claim independence from agribusiness. There are least that will be a beginning.” major structural differences among them. Perhaps most notably, the Animal Welfare Countered Poorva Joshipura of PETA-India, “We attempted to work with the CLE Approved program begun by AWI admits only family-owned farms. The GAP program uses a for many years. Our experience with the CLE is that they are eager to give the misleading controversial five-step evaluation system, rather than the pass/fail approach of the others. impression that they have a genuine interest in improving animal welfare. It is our guess that There are also significant differences among the animal welfare standards advocated by GAP, the CLE may be showing the AWBI advertisement to potential buyers of leather from India to AWI, HFAC, and the AHA. make it seem like they are doing their bit to help animals, while animals used for leather con- Because industries under pressure to change usually seek to avoid changing, the tinue to be transported by vehicles so overcrowded their bones often snap, and continue to be leverage actually applied by industry-controlled animal product certification programs is prac- killed with dull knives, typically in full view of one another. By the CLE joining with AWBI tically invisible, if it exists at all. in putting out an advertisement, the general public may get the incorrect idea that the treatment How much leverage is exercised by the certification programs operated by humane of animals by the Indian leather industry has AWBI’s full seal of approval, which could lead organizations is largely determined by their own strategic positioning. To be positively influ- to people buying [more] leather.” ential, each must find what the directors believe to be the appropriate balance of considera- Asked Mini Vasudevan of the Humane Animal Society in Coimbatore, “Would tions, and then attract enough public support to encourage producers of animal products to AWBI also accept if slaughterhouses and illegal pet shop owners asked to fund a campaign?” change their methods and join the programs. A program that stands too close to agribusiness Echoed Bangalore activist Gopi Shankar, “If a major poultry producer came forward may attract considerable industry participation, yet have no real influence. A program that to donate toward running ad campaigns without moving a finger to alleviate the suffering of attempts to apply leverage from a fulcrum that is too far removed from most of the industry chickens, would we accept that sort of blood money? Instead of sponsoring ads,” Shankar may never generate the force needed to move the greater mass. suggested, “CLE should at least take some small incremental steps toward reforming the cruel A convenient example of flunking the “physical science” of animal welfare advocacy practices of the leather industry.” comes, amid the U.S. debate, from the Animal Welfare Board of India. Almost unanimously the first concern of critics of the CLE sponsorship was that it AWBI under the current chair, retired General Rammehar Kharb, has become per- would in effect cut off humane leverage against the cattle breeding, sale, transport, slaughter, haps more effective than ever before, promulgating and enforcing standards for operating ani- and leather industries, by wrongly conveying to the public the message that the AWBI and mal birth control programs, moving aggressively to eradicate rabies, and disbarring corrupt CLE had reconciled their differences, and now stand together. SEARCHABLE ARCHIVES: www.animalpeoplenews.org Backsliding since 1935 The back cover of the January 1935 edition of the National Humane Review, pub- ANIMAL PEOPLE lished by the American Humane Association, editorially warned against factory egg farms, News for People Who Care About Animals then just beginning to gain significant market share. The National Humane Review identified “high-pressure production of eggs as detrimental,” noted “high mortality among laying hens Published by Animal People, Inc. attributed to burning up vitality in artificially forced production,” mentioned the ill effects of President & Administrator: “electric lights to make a longer working day in the chicken coop,” denounced the view that Kim Bartlett – [email protected] “the hen is a machine in which raw material is regularly converted into finished products,” Editor: Merritt Clifton – [email protected] and lamented the outcome that “Overtrained, overfed hens do their level best to deliver the goods, and then collapse.” The word “overtrained” was apparently used in the sense that is Web producer: Patrice Greanville applied to “training” a bonzai tree. Newswire monitor: Cathy Young Czapla More than half of the American Humane Certified producers as of July 2010 pro- P.O. Box 960 duced eggs. But long recognition of the relevant animal welfare issues has not caused the Clinton, WA 98236-0960 AHA to leverage better conditions for laying hens. Indeed United Poultry Concerns founder Karen Davis in July 2010 denounced the AHA as “a bogus animal welfare group that fronts for ISSN 1071-0035. Federal I.D: 14-1752216 agribusiness,” for routinely taking positions which appear to ignore many of the points that it Telephone: 360-579-2505. Fax: 360-579-2575. recognized 75 years earlier. Web: www.animalpeoplenews.org For example, California voters in November 2008 approved Proposition Two, an initiative requiring that by 2015 whole eggs sold within the state must come from hens who are Copyright © 2011 for the authors, artists, and photographers. able to stand up, turn around, and fully extend their limbs. To most animal advocates, this Reprint inquiries are welcome. means birds who are cage-free, though it is possible for birds to be physically comfortable in ANIMAL PEOPLE: News for People Who Care About Animals is published spacious cages with perches and nest boxes. But in June 2010 the AHA authorized the egg nine times annually by Animal People, Inc., a nonprofit, charitable corporation dedicated producer J.S. West, of Modesto, California, to use the American Humane Certified logo, to exposing the existence of cruelty to animals and to informing and educating the public of after West replaced conventional battery caging with “enriched” cages like those that must be the need to prevent and eliminate such cruelty. Donations to Animal People, Inc. are tax- used in the European Union by 2012. In effect, the AHA agreed with West that Proposition deductible. Financial information on Animal People, Inc. and other charities can be Two allows laying hens to be caged, if the hens get the equivalent of one and a half sheets of accessed at
4 - ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2011 How to move the earth to help farm animals (from page 3) misleading. The FTC ruled in response to complaints brought horse” in Las Vegas, convened by ranchers whose interests GAP imprimatur. Once admitted to the GAP program at Step by Compassion Over Killing, cofounded by Shapiro and include clearing horses from the western range, resuming horse One or Step Two, no mechanism requires producers to make Miyun Park, now with GAP. slaughter to export meat for human consumption, and selling improvements to rise to the levels of animal welfare required by The AHA and United Egg Producers agreed, accord- wild horses to slaughter. HFAC’s Certified Humane and AWI’s Animal Welfare ing to a jointly issued press release, that “an egg farmer who Current AHA chief executive Robin Ganzert took Approved labeling programs. passes the American Humane Certified audit, pays the fees and office in August 2010 with a statement distancing the AHA In theory, GAP enables consumers to vote for higher is a member in good standing with the UEP Certified Program from “extreme ideas purported by those who argue that…peo- animal welfare by paying higher prices for animal products cer- and meets the UEP guidelines on 100% of their egg production, ple have no right to raise animals for food.” But there is no tified at the higher steps. In practice—with the notoriously can then use the UEP Certified logo and market those eggs as longer distance enough between AHA positions and those of pricey Whole Foods chain offering a possible exception—con- UEP Certified in addition to marketing them as American some of the most reactionary elements in agribusiness for ANI- sumers tend to buy whatever costs least within the range of Humane Certified, using the American Humane Certified MAL PEOPLE to perceive the AHA as seeking to leverage comparable products, and that would include products labeled logo.” A charitable interpretation of the deal would be that the any positive change on behalf of farm animals. “humane.” This suggests that producers who enter the GAP AHA partnered with United Egg Producers to gain positioning program at Step One or Step Two may find the most incentive through which to improve egg industry standards. to stay where they are. In effect, though, the AHA gave cover to United GAP & leverage GAP is still in an early phase, and in response to crit- Egg Producers: instead of the industry program being discredit- The risk of standing too close to agribusiness to effec- icism to the original set of standards has promised a major revi- ed, the UEP and American Humane Certified logos began tively leverage change was apparent from the beginning of sion at an unspecified date. A February 1, 2011 relaunch of the appearing side by side, creating the impression of equivalency GAP, founded by Whole Foods Markets empire builder John GAP web site meanwhile cited participation by 1,191 animal and blurring whatever distinction might be made between what Mackey. Aware that the role of a retail meat marketer as incu- producers, more than participate in any of the other non-indus- the two organizations stand for. bator for GAP might compromise perceptions of GAP, Mackey try programs. GAP’s own statistics demonstrated that their par- Along the way, the AHA in September 2010 recruited an all-star cast of animal welfare advocates to serve ticipating producers are clustered overwhelmingly at the lower approved killing chickens by decompression. on the GAP board, balanced by an almost equal number of end of the GAP standards. 81% of the meat chicken producers “Decompression is unacceptable for euthanasia,” people associated with Whole Foods and Whole Foods suppli- and 85% of the pig producers are at GAP steps one and two. according to the American Veterinary Medical Association ers. Mackey hired Miyun Park to preside over the public debut Including beef cattle producers, 72% of all GAP-certified pro- Guidelines on Euthanasia. Introduced by the AHA to kill dogs of the organization, and even retired as chair of the Whole ducers are at the lowest steps—and these appear to be those and cats in 1950, decompression has not been used in the U.S. Foods board of directors. who raise the most animals. to kill shelter animals since 1985, is banned for use on dogs None of this, however, quelled criticisms that the If GAP is to become meaningful for farm animal wel- and cats in 24 states, and is banned for use in killing any ani- GAP five-step accreditation system serves the interests of fare, it needs to demonstrate that it stands apart enough from mals in 12 states. agribusiness by setting the standards for accreditation at the agribusiness to leverage real improvement. Just slapping a seal The AHA, alone among recognized humane soci- lowest steps so low that almost any producer meeting the of approval on practices that differ little from the agribusiness eties, also participated in the January 2010 “Summit for the requirements of the industry certification systems can gain the status quo does not meet the test of moving the earth. Decompression––now the AHA-approved way to kill chickens LETTERS Just a quick note to let you know I’m time it takes for the birds to go limp and gen removal system. reading some of the literature on decompres- appear insensible is said to be about four min- They don’t give any attention to the sion of poultry, as endorsed in September utes. This includes a “death struggle.” A view effect of lowered pressure on the eardrums, We invite readers to submit letters and 2010 by the American Humane Association. through an infrared monitor shows birds “dis- which I imagine would be absolute torture for original unpublished commentary –– It seems from what I’ve read that the oriented and flapping their wings” against the the birds. Chickens have very sensitive hear- please, nothing already posted to a main case Yvonne Vizzier-Thaxton et al a r e walls of their crates––but Vizzier-Thaxton et ing and there is also the American Veterinary web site––via e-mail to making for the Low Atmospheric Pressure al claim it doesn’t cause pain or serious dis- Medical Association’s point that among mam-
ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2011 - 5 Llamas rescued Training curriculum needed for animal control personnel The Camelid Rescue Coalition, com- We on the front lines of animal res- the education of veterinarians to do juvenile county legislation. prised of Northeast Llama Rescue, Southeast cue/welfare are over-extended like never sterilization surgeries and operate high vol- In the Florida Keys the U.S. Fish & Llama Rescue, Southwest Llama Rescue, the before. We have worked for decades and still ume sterilization clinics. They have supported Wildlife Service and Florida Fish & Wildlife Llama Association of North America’s Lama often have unqualified and non-progressive the coalitions to bring animal control agencies Commission are now pursuing extermination Lifeline Committee and several other llama Bubbas running animal control departments along, but the taxpayer-supported agencies of the same neuter/return colony where cats associations, is thrilled to announce that all and obstructing our efforts. often continue to pursue retrograde policies. were killed in large numbers in 2003. llamas have been evacuated from the Montana Our humane leaders have supported For instance, Seminole county–– My wish is that the national animal Large Animal Sanctuary. one of the richest and most educated in advocacy organization should create a humane Of the 506 llamas who were held in Recalling better days Florida––recently hired an animal control animal control curriculum for animal control triage at the sanctuary in preparation for trans- director who wants a leash law for cats and officers. Then, with the help of the national port, 495 are now receiving the best of care at Thanks for the unfortunate news opposes neuter/return. In Putnam County, organizations, we can seek legislation to foster facilities throughout the country. about the collapse of the Montana Large animal control obtained a new ordinance that require that those in charge of animal control Four llamas were euthanized on site Animal Sanctuary. Scanning your January/ says if you feed an animal you are the owner. agencies must have taken these courses and when it was determined that their conditions February 2011 edition, I was shocked to see This clearly opens the door to prosecute passed the exams. were not improving and that they would not the headline “Montana Large Animal neuter/return practitioners. ––Bonnie Carolin survive transport. Three llamas died in transit Sanctuary becomes largest-ever sanctuary Space Coast Felines has worked Angel Paws Animal Fund or shortly thereafter, and five others died failure,” and saddened to learn the bad news, tirelessly for decades to have a successful Putnam, Florida prior to transport due to their extremely com- both for the animals and cofounders Brian and neuter/return program in Brevard County, but
WWW.TEXAS-NO-KILL.COM IT’S YOUR FIGHT, YOUR REWARD March 2011 3/22/13 11:41 PM Page 6
6 - ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2011 More letters Leghold trapping used to kill dogs in Taiwan Campaign for I would like to report the growing In 2009 the Taipei city government practice of catching homeless dogs with steel and Life Conservation Association co-pro- Democracy within Black day in Ireland jaw leghold traps in Taiwan. The situation duced a video called The Unlawful Use of Leg February 15, 2011 was a black day needs concerted international intervention. Hold Traps. In April 2010 it was broadcast in the Royal SPCA indeed for those of us who campaigned for 20 Dog and cats caught by these traps often die rapid transit stations of northern Taiwan and years against the barbaric Ward Union deer slowly and painfully from dehydration and on public channels. The government and the Animal Concern incorporates the hunt, which was finally banned last June. The starvation. Those who are rescued often must Hardware Association agreed that permits and Scottish Anti-Vivisection Society, which has Fine Gael Party manifesto, published today, have injured legs amputated. Taiwan has registration are now required to purchase been campaigning for animals since 1876. states that if elected they will “reverse the ban become a land of three-legged dogs and cats. leghold traps. In addition, stores must educate We have had several policy disagreements on stag hunting.” Recent news reports document that buyers about the danger of using the traps. But over the years with the Royal SPCA, which Elsewhere in their manifesto they steel jaw leghold traps have been found near this is not enough to stop the crisis. Taiwan covers England and Wales and is not to be say they will “update existing animal welfare schools, in markets, resorts, urban streets, has homeless animals all over the island, and confused with the Scottish SPCA, with whom rules which are outdated and need to be and residential areas, along mountain trails, it is almost impossible to trace the trappers. we have also had our share of similar run-ins. reformed.” They are off to a bad start by and in Yang Ming Shan National Park. Through international campaigns, For nearly three years now we have threatening to repeal an act which has banned Among the recent incidents, three dogs were including your in-depth reporting, the Taiwan been trying unsuccessfully to get the RSPCA gratuitous cruelty to vulnerable animals, injured in February 2011 by leghold traps set government finally passed an animal protec- to stop endorsing seal-shooting salmon farm- which for over 150 years were hounded by near the Taiwan National University. tion law back in 1998. I hope A N I M A L ers through the RSPCA Freedom Foods dogs for “sport.” Indiscriminate use of leghold traps PEOPLE will help now to expose the leghold scheme. We have also been trying to get the This would be a callous and despica- has also injured Formosan black bears and the trapping issue. Letters of protest against the RSPCA to insist on installation of closed cir- ble move by Fine Gael if they attain power, as small native cats called leopard cats, among use of leghold traps may be sent to the Taiwan cuit television cameras throughout the seems likely, and we have no doubt that the other rare and endangered Taiwanese wildlife. Council of Agriculture, 37 Nanhai Road, Freedom Foods system to help ensure that the majority of people in this country would find Public protest against the use of steel jaw Taipei, Taiwan 10014, Republic of China, or highest welfare standards are adhered to. this utterly abhorrent. leghold traps began in 2008. Pressured by by e-mail to
ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2011 - 7 Mercy for Animals exposes cruelty at a Texas factory catfish farm
D A L L A S ––Probably more narian Lee Schrader and Jonathan fish consumers were puzzled––at first–– Balcombe, author of Second Nature: than shocked on January 19, 2011 when The Inner Lives of Animals. Mercy for Animals released undercover Within hours links to some of video of alleged criminal animal abuse at the Mercy for Animals clips were offered Catfish Corner, in eastern Dallas by MSNBC, Change.org, and T h e County. “I don’t get too many calls Huffington Post, and had gone viral on about inhumaneness to fish,” Dallas fish YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. The market owner Rex Bellomy told Ken video clips generated the most public dis- Kalthoff of NBCDFW.com. cussion to date––in the U.S. or any- Founded in 1968, Catfish where––of cruelty in fish farming, Corner is among the oldest active fish which now produces nearly half of all the farms in the U.S.––“a place where fami- fish who are eaten worldwide. lies bring their kids, often to fish for the Along the way Mercy for first time. Others stop by and pick a cat- Animals expanded awareness that fish fish out of a tank for dinner. They can feel pain, and not only when hooked. have their fish cleaned and take them U.S. fish farms reportedly kill home to eat,” described Dallas Morning about 8.4 billion fish per year now, a News staff writer Melissa Repko. number rivaling the volume of poultry “They kill the fish nationwide slaughter. About 80% catfish, with trout the same way. I don’t know what the and salmon the next most often farmed deal is,” Catfish Corner owner Bill species. State of the World’s Fisheries Benson told Repko. & Aquaculture, published in Rome, Agreed Texas Parks & Wildlife Italy on January 31, 2011 by the United warden Garry Collins, “99.9% of the Nations Food & Agricultural Dogs Deserve Better takes option to buy commercial places do that.” But that was Organization, found that “The contribu- Mercy for Animals’ point: the Catfish tion of fish to global diets has reached a Michael Vick’s Bad Newz Kennels property Corner practices are routine and rarely record of about 17 kilograms (34 questioned, not only nationwide but pounds) per person on average…due TIPTON, Pennsylvania––The anti-dog somebody there all the time, living there,” begin- worldwide. They have not withstood mainly to the ever-growing production of chaining organization Dogs Deserve Better has an ning with Thayne, who would relocate. previous humane scrutiny because there aquaculture,” which is expected to soon option to purchase on football player and convicted Dogs Deserve Better has 45 days from has never been any. produce more fish than wild stocks. dogfighter Michael Vick’s former home on taking out the option to purchase to complete the Mercy For Animals exposed “The overall percentage of Moonlight Road in rural Surrey County, Virginia. financial arrangements. The asking price is “Workers using pliers to pull the skin off overexploited, depleted or recovering The 15-acre estate housed Bad Newz $595,000, Severy said. of live fish, dozens of fish crammed into fish stocks in the world’s oceans has not Kennels, Vick’s dogfighting operation. The “We don’t want to take a mortgage if we buckets and baskets, gasping for oxygen, dropped,” the FAO found, “and is esti- 4,600-square-foot house where dogs were fought don’t have to,” Thayne told ANIMAL PEOPLE. skinned fish still moving and gasping on mated to be slightly higher than in 2006. remains on the property, but the Bad Newz “We would much prefer to raise the money. We the cutting table, fish flailing and strug- About 32% of world fish stocks are esti- Kennels doghouses, training facilities, and fencing have already raised $71,500,” Thayne said, which gling to escape the workers’ knives, live mated to be overexploited, depleted or have been removed. “may be enough to secure a loan, so we will just fish sliced and split in half,” and “work- recovering and need to be urgently Dogs Deserve Better has operated for keep plugging along and see what happens. Then ers tearing the heads off of live fish,” rebuilt,” the FAO noted. nine years from founder Tamara Ci Thayne’s home we still have to undertake a capitol campaign for summarized the MFA media release sent University of British Columbia in Tipton, Pennsylvania, but needs more space for the dog facilities. We will foster dogs in the office out with the video clips. researcher Dirk Zeller a week later dog housing and training. Members annually take while we fundraise for that. We had just started to Mercy for Animals director of alleged in the journal Polar Biology that in between 400 and 600 formerly chained dogs, get serious and build a team to fundraise, and this investigations Daniel Hauff on December the FAO numbers actually understate the Dogs Deserve Better capital campaigns chair sort of dropped into our laps,” Thayne added, 6, 2010 asked the Dallas County district extent of fisheries depletion. According Monica Severy told V i r g i n i a n - P i l o t reporter Linda “but we decided to go for it. We feel it’s turning a attorney’s office to prosecute Benson. to Zeller, U.S., Canadian, and Russian McNatt. “We bring the dogs inside with a family,” negative into a positive.” When, expectedly, no prosecution fol- vessels caught 75 times more fish in Severy said. “They are all house trained, and are Law enforcement impounded 51 pit bull lowed, Hauff released the video to Arctic waters than they admitted between in a loving environment,” in preparation for adop- terriers from Bad Newz Kennels in April 2007. media with an appeal for amendments to 1950 and 2006. Under-reporting “has tion. We do have dogs in the program who were Four were euthanized. The Best Friends Animal the Texas state cruelty law to protect given us a false sense of comfort that the used for fighting,” Severy added. “The dogs will Society eventually adopted out about two-thirds of fish. The Mercy for Animals position Arctic is still a pristine frontier when it live in the house,” Severy anticipated, “and we’ll the rest. Fourteen remain at the Best Friends sanc- was supported by statements from veteri- comes to fisheries,” Zeller wrote. use it for training and for meetings. There will be tuary in Kanab, Utah. Meat biz barks for puppy mills––against voters’ wishes (from page 1) ed to cows, horses, sheep and all other livestock crucial to vey of 520 likely Oklahoma voters conducted for the T u l s a Ernst Lamothe Jr. of the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. Missouri’s trade and economy,” summarized C o l u m b i a W o r l d during the first week of January 2011 found that more “The USDA report indicates the Yoder kennel was Missourian reporter Audrey Moon after a January 2011 legisla- than 70% agree that large pet breeding operations should be riddled with canine brucellosis for over a year and in July the tive hearing. “Although Proposition B was described as a bill regulated, while fewer than 15% oppose regulating them, situation deteriorated to the point where Mr. Yoder made the dealing with dog breeders,” Moon explained, “it includes a reported World staff writer Randy Krehbiel. decision to depopulate the kennel of all dogs as he was advised definition of a pet that covers any ‘domesticated animal normal- “Support for the [Oklahoma] bill was fairly uniform to do by the USDA and his veterinarian,” Seneca County ly maintained in or near the household of the owner.’” across the political spectrum. City dwellers were only slightly Sheriff Jack S. Stenberg told Lamothe. Responded Humane Society of Missouri president more in favor of it than those in rural areas,” Krehbiel found. Kathy Warnick, “Proposition B applies to dogs and puppies. People who keep dogs, 57% of the respondents, “were some- Biden’s breeder There is no other reference to any other species.” what more supportive of regulation,” Krehbiel added. But both Fortin and Yoder were upstaged when “The purpose of these groups is to keep us from eat- Among the most commonly voiced reasons to oppose Philadelphia Inquirer staff writers Amy Worden and Kathleen ing any meat,” retorted Missouri house representative Ed puppy mill regulation is the purported cost to taxpayers, but Brady Shea disclosed on January 12, 2011 that the Schieffer (D-Troy). “We have to be very cognizant,” Schieffer Indiana has discovered that enforcing tax evasion laws against Pennsylvania Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement had on insisted, “that there is an agenda here beyond Proposition B.” puppy mill operators is in itself effective on behalf of the dogs, November 19, 2010 revoked the license of Linda Brown, of Missouri house representative Stanley Cox (R- Maureen Hayden recently reported for the Anderson H e r a l d Jolindy’s Shepherds in Spring City. Sedalia) has proposed retitling the Puppy Mill Cruelty Bulletin. “Andrew Swain, now head of the Indiana Attorney “A hearing on the revocation is set for May 24,” Prevention Act, to become the Dog Breeders Cruelty General’s Revenue Division, [several years ago] came up with wrote Worden and Brady. “Until then, Brown can sell her Prevention Act––to make the law easier to amend. the idea of using the tax evasion laws to shut down unlicensed remaining dogs, but may not breed or acquire new ones. She Missouri house majority whip Jason Smith (R-Salem) commercial dog-breeding operations that put profits before ani- had 70 when her kennel was last inspected. If the revocation is has contended that the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act mal welfare,” Hayden wrote. “He had discovered that the sus- finalized, she may keep no more than 25.” should only be enforced in the 11 counties, of 114, where the pected puppy mill operators dealt in cash-and-carry transactions Brown, 65, became briefly the most famous dog majority of voters favored it. But Humane Society Legislative on which they they failed to pay income and sales taxes.” breeder in the U.S., after selling a dog to then newly elected Fund president Mike Markarian pointed out that the 11 counties “They’re scam artists,” agreed Indiana Attorney U.S. vice president Joe Biden on December 6, 2008. Brown that passed Proposition B are home to more voters, by far, General Greg Zoeller. has blamed her subsequent legal issues on the scrutiny that the than all of the other 103 counties combined. Three Indiana tax evasion cases filed in 2009 and Biden sale attracted. Only four days after Biden took the dog, “Back in December 2010, when the election was 2010 brought the impoundment of more than 420 dogs. the Maryland Department of Agriculture cited Brown for weeks old,” Markaran recalled, “Senator Bill Stouffer told the allegedly failing to keep records and provide adequate proof of St. Louis Post-Dispatch, ‘If you look at the Proposition B Out of business vaccinations. Brown was subsequently acquitted of alleged dog votes, if every legislator votes the way their district voted, it As debate over the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention law violations in January and March 209, and in June 2010. will repeal easily.’ And Senator Mike Parson said, ‘If the leg- Act reignited, dog breeder Jeff Fortin of Beaver Creek Kennels Brown had been in trouble before. “According to islators vote their districts, we will be able to do that.’ But in Oberlin, Kansas surrendered his USDA breeding permit. minutes from the American Kennel Club’s April 2006 meet- they apparently forgot to check the votes. Proposition B was Fortin in December 2010 killed 1,200 dogs due to a distemper ing,” Shea of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported, “the AKC’s favored in 18 of the 34 Missouri senate districts, and 88 of the outbreak. “At one point, Fortin had three pet stores in management disciplinary committee suspended Brown from all 163 house districts.” Noted Markarian, “State representative Colorado. Only one remains open. Fortin-linked stores in AKC privileges for one year and imposed a $1,000 fine for sub- Sally Faith (R-St. Charles) cosponsored two repeal bills, even Greeley and Longmont were closed in 2008,” recalled Jessica mitting or caused to be submitted three litter registration appli- though more than 65% of the voters in her district supported Fender of the Denver Post. Fortin was charged with 34 counts cations that she knew, should have known, or had a duty to Proposition B. She changed her mind, after hearing from her of suspected cruelty for conditions found at the Longmont know contained false certifications as to the sire and/or dam.” district, and said she will now oppose the repeal efforts.” store. “He denies responsibility for any mistreatment,” Fender On February 10, 2011 acting Pennsylvania attorney wrote, noting that “He was fined $8,795 in February 2006 for general Bill Ryan charged former Nacoma Kennel owner Poll favors regulation facility violations and was issued a warning letter last March Costanzo “Gus” Cerino with not only allegedly misrepresenting A law similar to the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention for facility violations and denying access to inspectors.” AKC pedigrees, but also allegedly falsely advertising that Act is soon to take effect in Oklahoma, requiring dog and cat Fortin may have briefly surpassed David Yoder, 45, Nacoma Kennel is “PA Preferred, Registered Pennsylvania breeders with more than 10 breeding females to be licensed and of the former Black Diamond Acres kennel in Seneca County, Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement,” inspected by a fee-funded state Board of Commercial Pet New York, as the breeder most reviled by online activists. the Bureau of Consumer Protection lawsuit stated. The case Breeders. Opponents of puppy mill legislation have hoped to Yoder in September 2010 surrendered his USDA permit after charges that Cerino sold malnourished dogs who suffered from gain momentum from the anti-regulatory fervor generated by pleading guilty to gassing 74 dogs with car exhaust. He was mange, pneumonia, parasites, and respiratory infections, the Tea Party movement, but a SoonerPoll.com telephone sur- fined $505 for the gassings in Romulus Town Court, reported summarized Tim Darragh of the Allentown Morning Call. March 2011 3/22/13 11:41 PM Page 8
8 - ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2011 LGBT Compassion files new challenge to San Francisco live markets SAN FRANCISCO––Flaring again, the 142-year- The Zollman/Felsinger lawsuit came amid a renewed that “No part of this title shall be construed...to interfere with old conflict between the San Francisco humane community and effort by live market opponents to persuade the California Fish the right to kill all animals used for food.” the mostly ethnic Asian owners and customers of live markets & Game Commission to halt the import of live frogs and turtles As the Miller case was in progress, the San Francisco has morphed into a clash between the city’s two most promi- into the state. The live markets import and sell about 300,000 SPCA won the signatures of representatives of all 12 live mar- nent minority cultures. About 45% of the San Francisco popu- turtles per year for humane consumption, according to Action kets then operating in the city on a Joint Statement of Principles lation are of Asian descent, according to recent polling; 14.5% for Animals coordinator Eric Mills, a veteran of decades of & Guidelines. “In principle,” the marketers agreed, animals declare themselves to be lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. anti-live market activism. are to be killed humanely, though the term “humanely” was LGBT Compassion founder Andrew Zollman, 43, “When members of the commission attempted to ban not defined; “no animal” was to be “dismembered, flayed, cut and fellow live market protester Alex Felsinger, 25, contend in the import of turtles and frogs for food last year,” recalled open, or have skin, scales, feathers, or shell removed while a recently filed three-part lawsuit that live poultry seller Malcolm Maclachlan of Capitol Weekly, “a half-dozen Asian- alive”; no injured or diseased animal would be sold or offered Raymond Young, his employees, and the Heart of the City American legislators joined together to block the idea, noting for sale; no live animal would “be kept in a manner likely to farmers’ market in U.N. Plaza have violated their right to free that the animals were traditional to the Asian diet. The de cause starvation, dehydration, or suffocation”; no live animal speech; that the City of San Francisco has failed to enforce facto leader of that group, Senator Leland Yee (D-San would “be kept in a manner likely to cause them to be crushed, applicable health laws against the live marketers; and that the Francisco), is now viewed as the front-runner to replace Gavin attacked, or wounded by other animals”; and animals would city has also improperly excluded poultry from the scope of Newsom as mayor of San Francisco. After 15 years of efforts “be able to lie down, stand erect, change posture, and rest in a humane law enforcement. Alleged a media statement describ- by animal groups, the Commission voted last March to ban normal manner for their species.” But when the Miller lawsuit ing the Zollman/Felsinger case, “The pattern of misconduct bringing frogs and turtles into the state for food,” Maclachlan was dismissed, the live marketers declared that they were peaked in the early hours of December 29, 2010 when one of remembered, but “In the end, the commission opted to contin- under no obligation to honor their agreements. Young’s employees punched Felsinger in the head, causing ue to study the issue and ordered a California Environmental him to fall to the ground and drop his camera. The manager of Quality Act review, essentially shelving the idea rather than Non-enforcement the company, Christina Ly, then stole the camera and later dis- issuing a strong regulation.” Lobbying led by then-San Francisco SPCA carded it on the sidewalk after removing its memory card. Live frogs, turtles, and poultry are reportedly also Department of Law and Advocacy chief Nathan Winograd in sold for human consumption in Los Angeles, Oakland, San 2000 won passage of a state law based on the Joint Statement of “Anti-gay remarks” Jose, and Stockton. Humane investigators have documented Principles & Guidelines. But Mills less than five months later “While the video footage of the recent attack was cruelties at the other California live markets. But the San documented that the law was not enforced in San Francisco. lost, “ Zollman and Felsinger say they “have documented sev- Francisco live markets are especially prominent, not only Then-San Francisco Department of Animal Care and Control eral similar incidents in the past ten months,” including other because of the size of the city’s Asian-American population, director Carl Friedman acknowledged, Mills wrote to A N I - alleged assaults and alleged “anti-gay remarks.” One such but because the San Francisco live markets operate in central MAL PEOPLE, that the department would not and/or could remark was a suggestion from one live market worker to anoth- Chinatown, long a leading tourist attraction. not enforce the new law, due to a lack of funding, lack of staff, er “that he should avoid physical confrontation” with Zollman While the other live markets tend to be seen only by and lack of support from city hall.” and Felsinger “because they are gay and therefore probably those who go looking for them, those in San Francisco fre- The 1905 language in the California humane law that have HIV.” Attorney Matt Gonzalez filed the case for Zollman quently shock casual visitors who discover them by accident. thwarted the Miller case also states that the humane law applies and Felsinger one week after the city Human Rights Yet the live markets have withstood humane pressure to “frogs, turtles, and birds sold for human consumption, with Commission mediated inconclusive talks among the parties. since 1868, when banker James Sloan Hutchinson became so the exception of poultry.” The Fourth District California Court Defendant Young, 41, has sold live chickens in San upset at the abuse of a pig he saw dragged to slaughter that he of Appeals ruled in 2000 that this clause should cover all birds, Francisco for about 20 years. Zollman and Felsinger contend founded the San Francisco SPCA. but San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon holds that the chickens are “spent hens” obtained from “egg factories” nonetheless that chickens are specifically exempted. in Modesto, Sacramento, and Manteca. 1905 language Current San Francisco animal control director “The activists demonstrate nearly every day the mar- San Francisco attorney Baron Miller in 1998 filed a Rebecca Katz recently acknowledged to Heather Mack of the ket is open,” according to San Francisco Chronical staff writer lawsuit somewhat antecedent to the Zollman/Felsigner case, San Francisco Bay Guardian that the way poultry are kept at Jessica Kwong, “recording video and handing out pamphlets in hoping to oblige city and state agencies to enforce a variety of the Heart of the City farmers’ market “is not the way we would two languages.” Before filing suit, Kwong wroter, “they anti-cruelty and public health statutes, which he held should recommend they be cared for. Do we think there is some cruel- lodged complaints with the district attorney, the city attorney, have forbidden the methods the live markets commonly use to ty? Probably,” Katz said. “But there is nothing we can do at the Public Health Department, and Animal Care and Control. keep and slaughter a variety of birds, reptiles, and amphibians. this time until the law changes.” Zollman and Felsinger con- The city has investigated the allegations but has not taken any California Superior Court Judge Carlos Bea rejected tend that San Francisco is simply misinterpreting the law. disciplinary action, allowing vendors and the market––the only the Miller case, citing language in the state one in the city with live fowl–– to continue operating as usual. anti-cruelty law dating to 1905 which states Japan suspends whaling (from page 1) Japanese whale-catchers, after a 26- Also, Black mentioned, Is South Africa phasing out sow stalls? day pursuit and then two weeks of Australia has filed a case against CAPE TOWN–– South African Pork phase-out of sow stalls by 2020. However,” Zokufa high-seas skirmishing. The Sea Japanese whaling with the International Producers Organisation officers indicated to news noted, “SAPPO wants to keep pigs in modified sow Shepherd fleet first caught the whalers Court of Justice, due to be heard in media twice in the first two months of 2011 that sow stalls for the first four to six weeks of their pregnan- on December 31, 2010, before any 2011––an embarrassment, win or lose, gestation stalls are to be phased out––but Compassion cies. Modifications would include that sows ‘could whales were killed, but the whalers that some voices within the Japanese in World Farming national representative Tozie get up and lie down with ease.’ This is not accept- escaped through a broken ice field that government would like to avoid. Zokufa has yet to get SAPPO to confirm the planned able,” Zokufa said. “A phase-out is a phase-out, and kept the G o j i r a speeding after them, “Another looming con- phase-out directly to him. modified sow stalls are not part of the scenario in relaying their position to the S t e v e straint,” Black wrote, “is that from Zokufa became hopeful when SAPPO chief other countries that have already banned or are phas- Irwin and Bob Barker. next season, ships carrying heavy fuel executive Simon Streicher e-mailed to the B e e l d ing out sow stalls. “The ocean skirmishes are oil will be banned from Antarctic newspaper in January that South African pig produc- “As far as CIWF is concerned, sow stalls just one part of a much bigger picture,” waters under the International Maritime ers are beginning “the gradual phasing out of sow are out, modified or not,” Zokufa emphasized, “and observed Richard Black of the BBC Organization’s new anti-pollution code. crates,” and that “SAPPO supports the phasing out of not in 10 years’ time, but much sooner,” through leg- blog Earth Watch.. “Sales of whale- Switching the Nisshin Maru to diesel crates in a reasonable and realistic time frame.” islative action if need be. “Please expect to hear more meat have fallen, despite promotion. would be technically feasible––but “When I telephoned him,” recounted from CIWF shortly,” Zokufa continued, “as we take The national budgetary situation is dire. would anyone foot the bill? An alter- Zokufa, “and introduced myself in order to find out this forward.” The Kyodo Senpaku company, which native would be to invest in a new fac- the phase-out period envisaged for South African Partnered with the Humane Education actually does the whaling on behalf of tory ship that would both meet the new sows, following his email to Beeld, he put the phone Trust, founded by Louise van de Merwe of the Institute of Cetacean Research, is pollution standard and be fast enough down after politely wishing me a good day.” Capetown, CIWF/South Africa has campaigned itself said to be in major financial diffi- to escape Sea Shepherd’s attention. In February, Zokufa said, SAPPO veteri- against sow stalls for more than a decade. About culties. Sources from within the whal- But again––who’s going to pay? narian Peter Evans in a radio interview “confirmed 130,000 sows in South Africa produce about 2.6 mil- ing industry told Greenpeace in “It does at least appear possi- SAPPO’s support, on animal welfare grounds, for a lion pigs for slaughter per year, according to CIWF. December that a smaller quota would ble,” Black concluded, “that the cur- be targeted this year, purely for finan- rent Antarctic whale hunting season U.S. “bear product” linked to bile is synthetic cial reasons.” will be the last.” HONG KONG––Trying exchange. Currently keeping 470 same bone density.” to shake bad publicity and attract bears caged to produce bile, Gui Asked ANIMAL PEO- investment, a leading Chinese Zhen Tang hopes to raise $10.6 PLE of Aursos scientific advisory bear bile producer apparently million with which to expand to board chair Seth Donohue and planted news items with two Wall keep 1,200 bears. Aursos chief scientific officer, Street Journal subsidiaries in 2009 The first half of the 2009 Ron Shebuski, immediately upon that paralleled bear bile farming Dow Jones blog postings, reading receiving the AAPN item: “If with the work of a U.S. company much like a press release, Aursos wins the necessary founded to develop a synthetic described the work of the Gui approvals to market a parathyroid analog of a hormone produced by Zhen Tang company. Gui Zhen hormone product extracted from North American black bears. Tang was said to have “raised $11 bears, where are the bears going The ploy appeared in million from Chinese venture firm to come from to produce it?” non-bylined postings of October Jiangsu Top-Bridge Capital to Donohye and Shebuski 26, 2009 to the China Real Time increase its presence in the tradi- both responded within minutes. R e p o r t and Venture Capital tional Chinese medicine industry.” “It’s not extracted from Dispatch blogs, both produced by Continued the blog post- bears,” e-mailed Donohoe. “The Dow Jones, the financial news ings, “Gui Zhen Tang isn’t the gene for back bear parathyroid firm whose flagship product is the only start-up building a business hormone is expressed in e. coli Wall Street Journal. The identical around black bears. Kalamazoo, [bacteria] in the manufacturing postings included an attribution to Michigan-based Aursos Inc. process, i.e. the protein hormone Associ-ated Press, but A N I M A L believes a hormone of the black is produced recombinantly.” P E O P L E found no trace of the bear will be the key to preventing Added Shebuski: “No items in the online archives of the bone loss in immobile patients actual bears are used by Aursos. Associated Press. Credited to with osteoporosis.” The bone building hormone is Associated Press, the Dow Jones Explained Aursos chief made in a laboratory.” blog postings were redistributed executive Donald Zinn, in a quote Shebuski, a hunter, on February 16, 2011 by the taken from Venture Wire, y e t admits to having shot two bears, Asian Animal Protection Network, another Dow Jones blog, “A per- and having eaten the meat. But he coinciding with an application son loses bone mass being bedrid- had no hesitation about saying he from the bear bile producer Gui den for five days, but a bear com- “absolutely!” wanted to distance Zhen Tang of Fujian province to ing out of hibernation for six, the work of Aursos as far from the sell stock on the Hong Kong seven months comes out with the bear bile industry as possible. March 2011 3/22/13 11:41 PM Page 9
ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2011 - 9
Lion airlift Two major zoos defy Chinese order to halt animal acts LOS ANGELES––Campaigning GUANGDONG––Defying a national- animal parts in restaurants, and should stop Yunnan Province is closed and the stage has against animal circuses in Latin Amer- ly publicized order from Beijing––and claiming staging circus-like trained animal acts, includ- been dismantled,” reported Deng Shasha of the ica since 2006, Animal Defenders it was never received––the Shenzhen Safari Park ing feeding live prey to carnivores, because Xinhua News Agency in a November 2010 International on February 16, 2011 flew and Xiaomeisha Sea World have continued daily “These activities go against the public good.” update about compliance with the federal direc- 24 former Bolivian circus lions to the animal acts using birds, tigers, lions and dol- The official “suggestion” was preliminary to an tive. China Daily in December 2010 added that Rocky Mountain Wildlife Conservation phins, the Guangdong Daily Sunshine reported order taking effect on January 18, 2011, apply- six teams of federal inspectors had visited about Center in Keenesburg, Colorado, doing on February 2, 2011, without hinting at what ing to more than 700 animal exhibition facilities. 500 of the 700 zoos covered by the directive, business as the Wild Animal Sanctuary. the Chinese federal authorities might do about it. “We are hopeful it will have an revoking the operating permits at seven, and Retired Price Is Right host Bob Barker, The Ministry of Housing and Urban- effect,” Animals Asia Foundation animal wel- ordering 50 to change procedures to stop “fre- who donated $2 million to fund the res- Rural Development, responsible for zoo regula- fare director Dave Neale told Telegraph Media quent abuse and exploitation” of animals. cue, was present to witness their arrival. tion in China, on October 26, 2010 “suggested” Group correspondent Malcolm Moore. “I visit- “Both the security of endangered Bolivia banned animal circuses in in an official web posting that zoos should ade- ed the Chongqing zoo before Christmas,” species and the safety of the public are threat- July 2009, but did not provide for the quately feed and house animals, should stop Moore said, “and their circus was clearing out.” ened by improper management,” said State animals who could no longer be exhibit- selling wild animal products and serving wild “The circus at Kunming Zoo in Forestry Administration deputy chief Yin Hong. ed. Animal Defenders Inter- national in June 2010 flew four former Bolivian circus lions to the Performing Animal Welfare sanctuary near Galt, California. Rocky Mountain Wildlife Conservation Center founder Pat Craig announced in August 2006 that the sanctuary was out of funds and on the verge of clo- sure. The sanctuary closed to public visits in September 2006, but in October 2006 Craig said enough donations had been received to keep it going. The 30-year-old sanctuary then housed about 150 animals, including 75 tigers and 30 bears, on 140 acres of a 320-acre site. After accepting some transfer- ees from the now defunct Wild Animal Orphanage sanctuary in San Antonio, Texas, the Rocky Mountain Wildlife Conservation Center has a current population of about 200 animals. Animal Defenders Inter- national, with offices in Los Angeles, California, and Bogota, Columbia, is an affili- ate of the National Anti- Vivisection Society of Britain [not related to the U.S. organi- zation of the same name], the Lord Dowding Fund for Humane Research, and the British organization Animal Defenders, founded in 1990. All are headed by longtime National Anti-Vivisection Society of Britain chief execu- tive Jan Creamer. As well as helping to win passage of the Bolivian ban on animal circuses, Animal Defenders International is pro- moting similar proposed legisla- tion in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Peru.
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10 - ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2011 Year of the Rabbit brings campaigns for rabbits HONG KONG––Will the Year of known locations in northwestern China since it is where rabbits first were domesticated, mil- the Rabbit bring anything good for rabbits? was first described some 30 years ago.” lennia ago, and were first kept in small hutch- Starting on February 3, 2011, the Hong Kong SPCA director of wel- es. Indeed, rabbits may have been the first Year of the Rabbit is recognized throughout fare Fiona Woodhouse, VMD, and Rabbit “factory farmed” species. Currently about 450 the world by ethnic Chinese people, and by Society spokesperson Joanna Chow Yuk-ha million rabbits per year are killed for meat in many other Asians who share Chinese tradi- also addressed the traffic in rabbits as pets. China, amounting to between a quarter and tions. If nothing else, the Year of the Rabbit Following a 3% rise in rabbit surrenders in half of global output. About 235 million rab- afforded activists an opportunity to raise a 2010, they anticipated a further increase of bits are on Chinese farms at any given time, voice for rabbits. 30% to 40% in 2011. “Rabbits are emotional according to Lai Zhiqiang and Cai Xioyan of “There’s no better time to help rab- and aware of being abandoned. It’s heart- the Guangxi Institutes of Animal Sciences, in bits than during the Year of the Rabbit,” breaking to see a little bunny leaning by the a 2008 paper entitled Rabbit Resources of declared Beijing-based PETA campaigner window, head down, knowing she has been China. China sells about 15 to 20 million rab- Maggie Chen to Agence France-Presse, urg- abandoned,” Chow told Serinah Ho of the bit pelts per year, Lai Zhiqiang and Cai ing readers to “not support the pet trade that Hong Kong Standard. Xioyan reported, making China the only causes so many animals to suffer.” PETA also ACTAsia for Animals executive major exporter of rabbit fur, they said. “launched an ad campaign imploring Chinese director Pei F. Su addressed the use of rabbit Year of the Rabbit campaigners hope movie star Gong Li to curb her penchant for fur in China with a Twitter campaign reaching to change attitudes toward rabbits much as atti- wearing rabbit and other furs,” reported Denis 1.5 million people, she estimated. tudes were changed on behalf of dogs during began and ended in Beijing with dog mas- D. Gray of Associated Press, from Bangkok, Animals Asia Foundation founder the two most recent Years of the Dog. sacres in the name of rabies control––but late Thailand. “The ad shows a woman’s foot step- Jill Robinson addressed the use of rabbits for Previously, the Year of the Dog was rarely in the year city officials acknowledged that the ping on the neck of a dead rabbit next to the meat. “We’ve just returned from a week-long auspicious for dogs. 1910, for example, Beijing pet dog population had trebled despite words, ‘Where Does Gong Li Stand on Fur?’ investigation of some of China’s live animal brought famine and a rise in dog-eating to the killing and began promoting licensing and “The International Union for the markets, where the rabbits were bludgeoned to Korea, following a Japanese invasion. In vaccination instead. The licensing fee was Conservation of Nature is stressing that, death,” Robinson posted in rebuttal to rabbit 1922 the Chinese Communist Party declared reduced three times before the next Year of the despite their reputation as prolific love-makers, fur industry claims that byproduct fur from the that dogs are social parasites. The notoriously Dog, in 2006. 2006 also began and ended nearly one in four rabbits, hares and pikas are rabbit meat industry is “humane.” dog-hating Mao Tse Tung became head of the with dog massacres rationalized in the name of threatened with extinction,” Gray continued. Only chickens are raised and slaugh- Chinese Communist Party in 1934, began his rabies control, but mostly in smaller cities in “Asian species under siege include the tered in China in greater numbers than rabbits. rise to national rule in 1946, and in 1958 outlying provinces. Throughout the year Sumatran striped rabbit, hispid hare, Amami China has in fact led the world in rabbit pro- purged both dogs and songbirds, blaming Chinese state media amplified activist expo- rabbit and the Annamite striped rabbit, only duction since 1958, when global statistics them for a famine caused chiefly by poor eco- sure of the killings and often pointed out that discovered by scientists in 1995. The endan- were first assembled, and has perhaps always nomic planning that killed millions of people. vaccination had eradicated rabies in the gered ili pika has disappeared from half of its led the world in rabbit production, since China The 1994 Year of the Dog both Beijing region. Events
March 15-19: Dog Pop- ulation Management conf, co/hosted by FAO & WSPA, Banna, Italy. Info:
ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2011 - 11
Learn"The Business of Saving Lives" at Helen Woodward Animal Center's next FREE 3-day "Animal Center Education Services" (ACES) workshops! You'll learn how you can increase adoptions, raise more money, educate children, and get better publicity. The next ACES workshops will be March 30 - April 1, 2011 at Helen Woodward Animal Center in beautiful Rancho Santa Fe, California. Learn more. Log on to www.animalcenter.org, then click on "Global" and "ACES."
Why did BLM reject Madeline Pickens’ wild horse sanctuary proposal? (from page 1) Griffith of Associated Press. wild horses and burros allowed to live on pub- only animals “designated for beneficial use” to horses. Existing law also would need to be Also certain to be heard are objec- lic range; for the majority of forage in herd such as livestock and wildlife are entitled to changed to give the BLM the authority to tions to roundup methods “in which wild horse management areas to be allocated to wild hors- drink Nevada water. Wild horses are exclud- reimburse a private party for grazing wild families are destroyed, burros are hot-shotted es and burros, rather than livestock; for ed, contends the Nevada Board of Wildlife horses, Abbey said.” and knocked to the ground by helicopters, and improvement of existing water sources; for Commissioners, because they are considered Said Pickens, “Our target number old, weak animals are harassed into collapse,” fencing to be removed to allow horses to use “feral,” despite evolving in North America. of 1,000 horses is consistent with the number said filmmaker and Cloud Foundation founder the range in their natural manner; for aban- BLM director Bob Abbey rejected of cattle the BLM has consistently authorized Ginger Kathrens. donment of artificially skewed gender ratios; Pickens’ plan because it “wouldn’t save tax- on the public lands portions of the ranches I Kathrens asked wild horse advocates for protection of pumas, the major predator of payers’ money and doesn’t include enough purchased. It seems that the BLM believes to join her in seeking at least a temporary halt wild horses; for healthy wild horses now in water and forage for the mustangs,” reported there is enough forage and water for cows, but to round-ups; for an increase in the numbers of BLM holding to be returned to range which no Griffith of Associated Press. not enough for horses on those same lands, longer has wild horses; and for the BLM to Pickens first proposed creating a from which the cows have been removed.” “sincerely explore public/private partner- mega-sized wild horse sanctuary in 2008 after As the Phoenix showdown ships,” such as the Pickens proposal. the BLM proposed killing some of the more approached, BLM wild horse and burro pro- The importance of pumas as a natur- than 40,000 horses it is now holding in corrals, gram manager Don Glenn quietly retired, al control on wild horses was underscored by at cost of $37 million per year. About 33,700 reported Steven Long of H o r s e b a c k. BLM findings newly published in the Journal of wild horses remain on the range, half of them spokesperson Tom Gorey said a successor had Wildlife Management that wild horses make up in Nevada, according to BLM estimates. not yet been chosen. from 10% to 13% of the diet of adult male The BLM rejected Pickens’ initial Recalled Long, “Glenn’s tenure as pumas––less than deer, but slightly more than proposal because it would have put wild horses head of the program included a record number elk. University of Alberta biologist Kyle on leased public land where wild horses did of wild horse deaths during last year’s ‘Calico Knopff and three colleagues who co-authored not live when Congress passed the Wild Free- Gather’ [in Nevada], misrepresentation of the paper studied more than 1,500 puma kill Roaming Horses & Burros Act in 1971. drought conditions to a federal judge by BLM sites while tracking 54 radio-collared pumas “While Pickens’ latest proposal lawyers, illegally banning overflights of for 10 years. addresses that issue,” Griffith wrote, “Abbey roundups against Federal Aviation Counter to the pro-wild horse posi- said it would require an environmental analy- Administration rules, and the capture of an tion, the Nevada Board of Wildlife sis to transfer title of wild horses to her and iconic Palomino named Cloud and his band, Commissioners has reportedly instructed state change the class of livestock authorized on featured in three PBS specials,” produced by Puma–– major horse predator. (Kim Bartlett) water engineer Jason King to tell the BLM that several Nevada grazing allotments from cattle Ginger Kathrens. Guinness delists elephant polo L O N D O N – – G u i n n e s s World Records Ltd. on January 24, 2011 wrote to PETA that it will no longer recognize elephant polo in the annual Guinness Book of World Records. “The decision was based on expert counsel which advised that the activi- ties related to elephant polo could be potentially harmful to the animals,” said Guinness editor Craig Glenday. Events (continued from page 10) June 10-14: Asia for Animals c o n f e r e n c e , Chengdu, China. June 20-23: Dogs Trust Intl Training Program, London. Info:
12 - ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2011 Camels, horses & change in Egypt (from 1)
cofounder Mona Khalil to ANIMAL PEO- ANIMAL PEOPLE from London. “Follow- PLE. The riders were “from the area near the ing reports of the horses and camels being rid- Giza pyramids and sphinx called Nazlet El den into the crowds,” Whitelock said on Saman,” Khalil added. “The parliamentary February 4, “the Brooke team have reported representative there is from the National one horse was injured and treated promptly by Party,” Mubarak’s party, “and he motivated local vets in the Giza area. The Brooke team them. Many of these animals were injured, work closely with vets in that area and have but we do not have info about what happened remained in close contact with them to offer to them. We investigated as much as we support.” As the Cairo situation stabilized, could,” Khalil said. “Six horses were reported Brooke field clinics resumed at the brick kilns to have been tied to a lamp post the next day. on February 8. We sent three volunteers the next morning to check them and see if we could take them to Identifying the dead safety, but the horses were gone. We knew An anonymous photo portfolio pub- some horses were injured in the riots, but lished in the February 8 edition of the London could not locate them in the pyramid stables Daily Mail showed, said the caption, “the area. We hope Brooke Egypt can help them.” sad plight of dozens of Egyptian horses who have starved to death,” because tourism at the Brooke Hospital Giza pyramids halted, leaving the many riding Not the oldest animal charity in stables in the vicinity without feed or funds. Cairo, but by far the biggest, the Brooke Taken at Nazlet El Saman, the Hospital for Animals was founded as the Fund major stable area near the pyramids, the pho- Above: Horses were fed within for Old War Horses in London by English tos actually appeared to show some horses sight of the Giza pyramids. equine advocate Dorothy Brooke in 1930, who had died from dehydration, tied without Right: Cats watched from atop a who had recently moved to Cairo. Initially shade in the sun. A horse who receives ade- pile of feed sacks; a veterinarian just a bank account, the fund opened the quate water may survive without food for inspected a donkey’s hooves; Brooke Hospital for Old War Horses in Cairo weeks, but a horse dies from dehydration after a horse got a few carrots. (Equine in 1934. The original Brooke clinic is still in suffering a net loss of about nine gallons of photos by ESAF; cats by ESMA) service, located about halfway between the body fluid. This typically takes two to three government district and the Giza pyramids. days, but can occur within hours after strenu- Now called the Brooke Hospital for Animals, ous exercise in hot sun. As well as the recent- “However, on my way back from the organization has expanded worldwide. ly deceased, the Daily Mail photos showed Giza I was stopped and searched by Just within Egypt, Brooke branch clinics, some horses who had died some time earlier. the army and made to delete all my several much larger than the one in Cairo, “Please excuse us if we are not photos. There is food available,” serve the working horses and donkeys of shocked,” said Egyptian Society of Animal Sartain said, “but it trebled in cost Luxor, Aswan, Edfu, Alexandria, Mersa Friends president Ahmed al Sherbiny. “Horses during the unrest. The owner of the Matruh, and the Nile Delta. are brought to ESAF shelter in the most horri- stable where I keep my horses sta- But the Brooke was evicted from ble condition on a regular basis,” Sherbiny bles many horses for expatriates, Egypt in 1956, along with other foreign-con- continued. “During our regular clinics in the and nearly all these people have left trolled charities. Returning circa 1961, the pyramids region, we witness horrible cruelty Egypt without leaving funds for him Brooke has had often strained relations with which can be seen at any time. Some of the to buy food. When I was there yes- the politically well-connected owners of the horses used for tourists to ride, though not all, terday he received 40 malnourished major riding stables near the Giza pyramids. have suffered neglect and abuse for years.” horses from other stables. I am feed- Working animals were banned from Publication of the photos touched off ing my own horses and giving as inner Cairo to relieve traffic congestion about an urgent search by Cairo activists to identify much as I can to help others.” 20 years ago. This was expected to force the the stables where the horse deaths occurred. ESMA cofounders Khalil Brooke to leave inner Cairo. The Brooke resumed holding clinics and Susie Nassar, working with The Cairo SPCA, on the far side of in the pyramids area on February 10, joined Sartain to feed horses, on February the older part of the city, founded in 1895, two days later by the Donkey Sanctuary, but 13 saw the removal of a dead horse was likewise marooned. Losing the equine on their first days back in the field the Brooke from a stable and saw “at least 50 pound contract that once filled 150 stables and Donkey Sanctuary reported finding no carcasses,” including three camels. occupying an entire city block, the Cairo cases of mass starvation. But longtime Cairo animal advocate SPCA failed to develop a new mission and “We now have three mobile units in Dina Zulfikar later learned from sta- funding base, and today operates only a small Giza,” Brooke spokesperson Whitelock told ble owner Hussein Ghoneim that the outpatient clinic for small animals and boards ANIMAL PEOPLE on February 15, “provid- area where the dead animals were a handful of dogs and horses. ing treatment and fodder in the area. The team found has long been a government- But the Brooke site remains busy, are also working with community leaders in designated carcass dump. though many of the people who bring horses Giza,” Whitelock said, “helping them with Zulfikar told A N I M A L and donkeys for treatment have in recent years fodder distribution in order to ensure that food P E O P L E that according to the had to bribe police to look the other way as reaches those animals most in need. In Edfu,” Ghoneim family and their vets and they lead or drive the animals through the nar- Whitelock continued, the Brooke and the workers, the remains photographed row streets. Before the January/February 2011 Carriage Owner’s League were “feeding 300 by the Daily Mail included horses crisis started the Brooke held weekly field horses used in the tourist trade. We are doing from many different stables who had clinics near the Giza pyramids and at the brick the same in Aswan,” she said, “feeding 300 died over many weeks of causes kilns serving the Cairo construction industry, horses and expecting to help many more.” often unrelated to the uprising, where the most donkeys are used. But ESMA volunteer Beth Sartain, a including malaria. Some horses may The Brooke tried to keep a low pro- British veterinary nurse recently working as a have starved; others apparently died file during the January/February 2011 crisis, riding instructor in the pyramids area, on from being given inappropriate and was confined to headquarters by barri- February 11 confirmed some of the Daily Mail “food” that they could not digest. cades at the time of the horse and camel charge account. Sartain described “Dozens of horses On February 13, however, in Tahrir Square. “We are managing regular tethered on wasteland, some standing, many ESAF’s first day back in the pyra- contact with our team in Cairo,” Brooke too weak to stand. There are many bodies mids area, “We noticed a much larg- media manager Kirsty Whitelock e-mailed to there also. I took many photos,” Sartain said. er number of very thin horses,” al Sherbiny e-mailed, “and we can assume this is due to the political sit- uation and lack of tourism.” Feeding frenzy The second ESMA feed- ing mission came on February 15. “This time we had ordered two loads of feed,” listened and stopped his horse. He shouted to Sartain wrote, “to distribute from two points, many of his friends who were riding past with to reach as many starving horses as we possi- the stolen food to stop and they did. They bly could. We loaded an open truck with 40 crowded around and listened as I explained sacks of mixed feed. We drove into Nazlet El that we were doing our best to help but needed Saman, the truck in front of several cars of them to co-operate. The man I was with ESMA volunteers. I was in the car behind the turned the carriage around and drove back to truck with Susie Nassar and my two daughters. the place where the truck had been mobbed. People on horseback from the village recog- “Word started to go around the vil- nized us and started to follow the truck. When lage about what had happened,” Sartain con- the truck slowed down to negotiate a speed tinued. “While we were waiting for the food bump, they mobbed the truck. Dozens of men to be returned, we kept busy by treating grabbed sacks of food and tried to ride off. wounds as best we could with limited medical “I told my children to stay in the car supplies. We also arranged for a local farrier with Susie and ran over to the truck,” Sartain to attend one stable whose horses’ hooves said. “I shouted at the men to stop taking the were desperately in need of attention. He food as we were trying to help them. Some trimmed 10 horses’ feet while we were there.” did stop but many didn’t. One man had loaded Eventually 28 sacks of food were three sacks into his carriage. I jumped into the returned to ESMA. Local stable owners carriage and sat on the food and told him if he donated another 26 sacks to help ESMA con- wanted the food he would have to take me too. tinue the rescue mission. He set off at a gallop with me pleading with Helping the Brooke and ESAF to him to stop and trying to explain to him that distribute feed in Nazlet El Saman on February Egyptian Society of Animal Friends personnel, funded by ANIMAL PEOPLE, we wanted to offer long-term help, but 17, Dina Zulfikar “noticed that camel owners feed and provide veterinary care to a camel near the Giza Pyramids. (ESAF) couldn’t if this was how we were treated. He (continued on page 13) March 2011 3/22/13 11:41 PM Page 13
ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2011 - 13 Camels, horses & change in Egypt (from page 12) were not included in the food distribution,” she told Humane Society International veterinarian E nchanted Nights B&B ANIMAL PEOPLE. “I questioned this and called the Hassan Al Maraghy “has the camel feeding problem directors of the Brooke, the Donkey Sanctuary, and al resolved,” ANIMAL PEOPLE president Kim Bartlett 1890 Victorian Sherbiny. I told them that the ratio of horses and don- learned after several days of back-and-forth. “This is Kittery-Portsmouth Harbour keys to camels in the area is ten to one, and the camels only temporary feeding, of course, and it is to be ended need food just like the equines.” when the tourists return.” On Scenic Coastal Route 103 Confirmed al Sherbiny, whose work was Maraghy on February 17 hosted an assess- Kittery Maine funded by ANIMAL PEOPLE and the Best Friends ment visit by Worldwide Veterinary Service founder Animal Society, “The Brooke refused to feed camels Luke Gamble. Even estimates of how many working * * Pets Stay Free !! and Dina raised this point. I will push this issue further. animals need feeding were uncertain. As the March We are feeding camels with clover and treating all 2011 edition of ANIMAL PEOPLE went to press, the Whirlpools, Fireplaces, Free WIFI camels that come to ESAF every day. The ESAF vet, Brooke estimate was 2,000 nationwide. ESMA estimat- Mohamed Gomaily, has extensive experience and ed 3,000 in the pyramids region alone. The Donkey A wonderland of Fanciful French & Victorian knowledge of camels and we will feed them tomorrow.” Sanctuary said 7,000, citing government sources. Antiques & Elegant Vegetarian Breakfast Said Whitelock of the Brooke, from London, Some Egyptian animal advocates expressed in honor of our Non-Human Friends “The Brooke’s efforts are focused on working horses, hope that regime change and the debut of new political donkeys and mules. Whilst we recognize that camels parties might offer an unprecedented opportunity to $35 to $250 Daily Weekly Monthly are in need too, our mission is to help equines. There develop sympathetic voices within the government. “I * * are a huge number in desperate need at this time, and would be optimistic that if there is political reform in Apartment available these are also the animals our supporters are providing Egypt, this is the time to have animal welfare represent- 207 439-1489 funding for. We are working in collaboration with other ed,” said Zulfikar. Currently, however, there is no organizations,” Whitelock added, “one of which unified umbrella for Egyptian animal advocates, no enchantednights.org [ESAF] is not equine-specific. Hopefully all animals agreed agenda among the existing groups, and no orga- Mention this ad, 50% donated to Animal People will be helped, using each organization’s expertise.” nized pro-animal constituency. ––Merritt Clifton Concern for animals who were locked up in Cairo under curfew C A I R O ––Unable to move about Cairo and sur- ished in the locked pet shops. Even in the best of circum- monitoring and in touch with them at all times. A project rounding suburbs during the January/February 2011 Egyptian stances these animals are kept in terrible conditions. We will called Operation Ark has been organized by diplomatic staff to unrest, due to barricades guarded by police, the military, and not be able to investigate until our volunteers are able to move fly pets out to reunite with their people. There are also a few ordinary citizens trying to protect their neighborhoods, animal freely on the streets. individuals who are catching pets who were left behind. We rescuers did what they could by cell telephone and e-mail. “We have sent some of our volunteers who live near are giving the assistance that we can.” When electronic communications were shut down for several the Giza Zoo to go inside and meet with the management. The days as well, those trapped in their homes could only imagine zoo animals are being fed, and actually seem less tormented WVS assessment the plight of animals trapped at the Giza Zoo, in pet stores, without the visitors. The authorities assured Mona Khalil that Wrote Worldwide Veterinary Service founder Luke and left behind by foreigners who heeded warnings to evacuate. they have stocks of food to last months,” Nassar continued. Gamble after doing assessment on February 17-18, “There is a One of the first bulletins about animal welfare in “We are in a continuous struggle at our shelter,” high likelihood that during the initial stages of unrest, the ani- Cairo to reach the outside world after the electronic communi- Nassar said. “We didn’t have any vets for one week, as they mals were not fed within the Giza Zoo. However, the poor con- cations blackout ended came on February 2, 2011 from were unable to get to the shelter due to road blocks and cur- dition and welfare of many of the animals is not a result of the Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals cofounder Mona fews. The shelter and the care of our animals was the responsi- revolution.” Khalil. “Not just Americans but many European Union and bility of a few workers who agreed to stay 24/7. We are strug- Rather, Gamble said, the problems he saw were the United Nations employees left,” under orders, Khalil said. gling to locate and buy food and medicines, pay the rent and result of “the chronic neglect and inadequate husbandry in “We are left with a list of names and homes to check for ani- the workers salaries, and even find detergents and disinfec- which they are kept,” at all times. “The animals all had food mals, and others are trying to find people to care for their ani- tants. We are only able to offer our animals one meal, instead and water,” Gamble noted. “Having witnessed zoo visitors mals. We are collecting abandoned animals too,” Khalil of the usual two meals per day. We have been reluctant to ask throwing objects at the animals to gain their attention, I suspect added, “who clearly are pets, as some did not know what to our local sponsors to pay their sponsorship pledges, as we they found peaceful the ten days or so during which the zoo do, so released their pets.” understand that they too do not have cash, or food at home. was shut. An announcement on the radio expressing concern Wrote Ahmed and Noor Diab, “Shelter animals need Food is becoming increasingly difficult to find and everything about Giza Zoo on day four of the revolution,” Gamble added, food, zoo animals need food, working animals need food, has shot up in price. All the big supermarkets have been “resulted in many people coming to the zoo to see that the ani- and the horses and donkeys in the tourist areas have nothing closed. Many have been burnt down. There are very few mals were being fed. This undoubtedly ensured that food and because we have no tourists now.” petrol stations open.” water remain in ready supply. “Today I went to the shelter––the first time [since But the restoration of communications allowed net- “There is no denying that the animals in Egyptian pet January 25] that I have been able to leave my house in relative working to save the day and the animals in distress. shops do not have a great time normally, and they will have safety,” reported ESMA cofounder Susie Nassar on February “Regarding the situation here in Maadi,” Egyptian Society of certainly suffered from the unrest,” Gamble continued. 4. “We found a Dalmatian dog dumped in Maadi and three Friends president Ahmed al Sherbiny updated on February 11, “However, with the political situation settling down, the pet Persian cats dumped in various areas, plus orphaned puppies “people who were not evacuated are looking after the animals shops are open and the owners are able to feed and water their and kittens. We are terrified of how many pets may have per- of the owners who were evacuated and will return. We a r e animals. Talk of dogs in Bahrain Equine illness kills big cats in Iran––feral cats blamed T E H R A N ––A Russian/Iranian zoo animal exchange U.S. and Europe, glanders is still relatively common in Africa, amid demos & shooting reportedly promoted by Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin Asia, the Middle East, and South America. came to grief, the Iranian National News Agency and the But Elhami denied that the deaths of the tiger and M A N A M A –– Thousands of opponents of the Russian ITAR-TASS agency disclosed in January 2011, after lions were due in any way to poor feeding or zoo conditions. regime of King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa of Bahrain reoccu- an Amur tiger sent from the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Zoo in Russia “The Russian tiger that was brought to the country pied central Manama on February 20, 2011 after troops were to the Eram Zoo in Tehran died from the bacterial disease glan- was itself a carrier of glanders and did not catch the disease in withdrawn, following gunfire that left at least five protesters ders. Fourteen African lions were later euthanized after also Iran,” Elhami alleged to Press TV. dead and 25 missing. becoming infected. “He said that other zoo inhabitants had no glanders, Amid the demonstrations, which began on Russian natural resources minister Yury Trutneve and and all were in good health. The only previous case of glanders Valentine’s Day, “Residents across Bahrain have come out Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Mohammadizadeh bro- at the Tehran Zoo happened 50 years ago, Elhami said,” in force with suggestions on how to tackle the increasing kered the deal in early 2010. In April 2010 a Russian aircraft according to the Iranian National News Agency. number of stray dogs plaguing the country,” reported Basma flew a pregnant female Amur tiger and a male to Tehran, Eram Zoo veterinarian Houman Moloukpour told Mohammed of Gulf News. “Dozens of e-mails have been picked up a pair of Persian leopards, and returned to Moscow. media that the lions were euthanized after the loss of three other sent to Central Municipal Council chair Abdulrazzaq Al Amur tigers are closely related to the Mazandaran lions in two months due to glanders. Moloukpour said that the Hattab following his appeal,” on February 8, “for ideas to tigers found in Iran until circa 1960. Persian leopards inhabited zoo was concerned that glanders could spread to zoo visitors, find a solution to the problem. The animals have been the Caucasus region of Russia until the early 20th century. and asserted that glanders cannot be treated in wild animals, accused of attacking cattle and leaving many residents too Both the tigers and the leopards were to produce offspring for although domestic species may respond to treatment. afraid to leave their homes at night.” release into the wild, and were perhaps to have been released Eventually the glanders outbreak was blamed on feral Basma Mohammed said Bahrain councillors were into the wild themselves. Putin had hoped, according to cats. “Feral cats, who frequently go to the zoo, can easily “looking for ways to solve the issue without resorting to the Agence France-Presse, that Persian leopards could be re-estab- transfer the disease to the rest of the city,” asserted veterinarian old method of shooting strays. It is estimated that there are at lished in Russian before the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Ami Peiman Khosravi of the Tehran Veterinary Center. least 1,000 stray dogs roaming the streets of the gover- The first word of the deaths came when the Iran State Glanders experts were skeptical. norate,” Mohammed wrote. News Agency reported on January 3 that according to Iranian “Limited data is available about glanders in felines, “Some suggestions included establishing animal Environmental Protection Organisation adviser Hooshang let alone tigers and lions,” commented International Society for shelters across Bahrain and allowing people to adopt a pet, Ziaee, “Preliminary laboratory tests show that the Amur tiger Infectious Diseases moderator Karn Lekagul from Bangkok, following the example of western countries,” Basma tested positive for FIV.” Ziaee added that a Bengal tiger and Thailand. Lekagul found in a literature search only that Mohammed continued. “Others call for pet owners to be five other lions at the Eram zoo had also tested positive for FIV. University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School founder Rush forced to have electronic tags fitted to their animals and pay a Eram Zoo director Amir Elhami said the tiger had Shippen Huidekoper in 1895 stated that he had “seen a number fee to go toward monitoring strays. Many called for the stray been infected with FIV before arrival, but denied that any other of lions die in a menagerie from having eaten glandered meat.” dogs to be caught and be spayed or neutered, while others animals contracted FIV. Unnamed Russian officials insisted In addition, Huidekoper observed that a cat and her litter who warned of a possible outbreak of rabies and a need to have that both tigers were “absolutely healthy at the moment of ate offal from a glandered horse he had necropsied became ter- sufficient stocks of post-exposure vaccine.” transfer,” said ITAR-TASS. minally ill within four days. Al Hattab told Gulf News that “plans are underway Then said Ziaee, “The final cause for the death of the “Although glanders can theoretically have an incuba- to organise a workshop to finalise suggestions and take them Siberian tiger was that it and other felines fed on diseased don- tion from days to months,” Lekagul advised, “most infection over to the Public Commission for the Protection of Marine keys,” an unlikely mode of FIV transmission. progresses in weeks. If these Amur tigers from the cold region Resources, Environment and Wildlife to get their views. Two weeks later the Iranian state-owned daily news- of Far East Russia had contracted glanders in Russia, the dis- They can adopt the ideas that seem practical and help push paper Jam-e Jam reported that the lions were suffering from ease would have more likely flared up during the environmental them to the government. A committee will then be estab- glanders, wrote Nasser Karimi of Associated Press. stress of the hot Iranian summer, not the cool winter. lished to implement approved suggestions.” Mohammadizadeh confirmed to the Iranian news “The possibility of stray cats at the zoo transmitting TNR Bahrain founder Ben van Hoogen, working agency Fars that the deceased Amur tiger died after being fed glanders is possible,” Lekagul wrote. “A stray cat might have with the Dutch organization AniMedics, estimated in 2009 contaminated meat, admitting the possibility of glanders. The been infected with glanders from elsewhere and transmitted the that about 25,000 feral cats and 15,000 street dogs roam other tiger remained in quarantine, he said. disease to zoo animals. But this is quite unlikely, as a sick cat Bahrain. “People don't see the whole problem because cats As large carnivores kept in zoos are often fed horse or with glanders would have to wander through the animal cages, and dogs hide away in the day time,” van Hoogen told Gulf donkey meat, and glanders is chiefly an equine illness, the and eat or contaminate the same water or food source as the News in April 2010, “but after 2 a.m. you see hundreds.” contaminated meat hypothesis seemed plausible. Rare in the tiger and lions.” ––Merritt Clifton March 2011 3/22/13 11:41 PM Page 14
14 - ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2011
The Watchdog monitors fundraising, spending, and politi - The cal activity in the name of animal and habitat protection—both pro and con. His empty bowl stands for all the bowls left empty when Watchdog some take more than they need. Canada Revenue Agency moves to muzzle animal charities O T T A W A ––The Canada Revenue that “Any benefit or potential benefit to the allows charities to engage in political activity banning imports of seal pelts and trapped fur. Agency on February 5, 2011 published new welfare of animals must be balanced against to a limited extent, usually interpreted as The Ministry for External Affairs regulations governing animal charities which any harm or potential harm to humans.” spending less than 5% of their cumulative pro- while Bellemare worked there was headed by would revoke the nonprofit status of any who “For example,” the Canada Revenue gram budget to influence legislation over a former Canadian prime minister Joe Clark, a oppose vivisection, hunting, trapping, the fur Agency draft regulations state, “the courts three-year interval. This allows charities to strong defender of sealing, trapping, and trade, seal-clubbing, animal agriculture, and have decided,” in the 1947 case National Anti- either lobby for legislation or exercise political hunting. Bellemare campaigned in 1983 for any other legal use of animals. Vivisection Society v. Inland Revenue influence in election years, but limits their Clark, against Brian Mulroney. Elected “Under common law, an activity or Commissioners, “that seeking to abolish vivi- ability to do both without incorporating a sepa- prime minister, Mulroney suspended the seal purpose is only charitable when it provides a section is not charitable. This is in part rate not-tax-exempt subsidiary. hunt in 1984. The hunt resumed in 1995, a benefit to humans,” the Canada Revenue because, as the courts have put it, despite the In Canada, “Applicants will be year after Mulroney left office. Agency regulations assert. “As far back as the suffering inflicted on animals, the ‘immense denied registration if their purposes are to Bellemare and Clark both told ANI- 19th century, the courts have stated that pro- and incalculable benefits which have resulted oppose or change or retain a law or policy of a MAL PEOPLE that Bellemare did not work moting the welfare of animals ‘has for its from vivisection,’ and the ‘positive and government, or if their activities reveal that on animal issues while working for the object, not merely the protection of the ani- calamitous detriment of appalling magnitude’ there is an unstated political purpose,” a Ministry of External Affairs, but neither mals themselves, but the advancement of that would result from its abolition, outweigh phrase which could apply to almost any sub- would say what Bellemare did work on. morals and education among [people].’ To be any possible promotion of the moral and ethi- ject of advocacy. Continue the Canada charitable, the benefit to humans must always cal development of the community.’” Revenue Agency draft regulations, “Examples Revocations take precedence over any benefit to animals. If The Canada Revenue Agency draft of political, and therefore unacceptable, pur- The Canada Revenue Agency began a purpose or activity that promotes the welfare regulations do not directly mention trapping poses for charities or applicants promoting the actively revoking tax-exempt status of animal of animals harms humans, or has a real poten- and sealing, but include an example making welfare of animals include: to pressure the and environmental charities in the early 1990s. tial to cause significant harm to humans, it is clear that Canadian animal charities may not federal, provincial, or territorial governments In 1992 the agency, then called Revenue likely not charitable.” openly oppose them: “A charity might offer to ban or restrict a particular hunting practice Canada, revoked the charitable status of the The Canada Revenue Agency inter- courses in how to minimize harm to local or consumer product; to promote legislation to Animal Defence League of Canada, and in pretation of common law governing charities wildlife and ecosystems that tend to result abolish the use of animals for scientific 1999 it revoked the nonprofit status of the Fur- parallels the interpretation that the United from human activity. However, if the charity research or to ban euthanasia of animals,” and Bearers Protection Association, both for Kingdom has applied since the 19th century to were to try to convince people that certain “to strengthen the laws protecting wildlife.” allegedly spending too much money on “politi- constrain the opposition of major animal chari- legal hunting practices were morally wrong cal” activity. ties to vivisection and fox hunting, in particu- and should be abolished, it would not be Already muted “Revenue Canada’s threat of cancel- lar. The U.S. Internal Revenue Service and the advancing education in the charitable sense.” At the March 2011 ANIMAL PEO- ing any group’s charitable status if they criti- Indian Revenue Agency, however, have taken P L E edition deadline appartently no major cize the fur industry has effectively silenced all a broader view of the same common law Slaughter allowed Canadian animal charity had posted or pub- of the big groups in eastern Canada. They are precedents, and have not imposed a test of The Canada Revenue Agency draft lished any criticism or statement of opposition now afraid to speak out,” Fur-Bearers whether activities benefiting animals benefit regulations will prevent Canadian charities to the new Canada Revenue Agency draft reg- cofounder George Clements charged in an humans more. from opposing animal slaughter and consump- ulations, perhaps because of the chilling effect April 2003 letter to ANIMAL PEOPLE. The Canada Revenue Agency draft tion, but note that in a 1946 case, “The courts of past rulings depriving animal charities of In December 2001 the CBC public regulations recognize that “Purposes that pro- have recognized promoting ‘the humane tax exempt status. affairs program Disclosure reported that the mote the welfare of animals may fall under the slaughtering of animals’ for food as charitable. Neither had any international animal Canada Revenue Agency routinely targeted advancement of education,” or qualify for Such purposes would not try to prevent the charity with a Canadian office spoken out charities for audits after they were denounced nonprofit status by “promoting the moral or animals from being processed for food, as per- against the new Canada Revenue Agency draft by Charity Watch, whose president, George ethical development of the community, mitted by animal welfare law, but would seek regulations in any evident way, including the Barkhouse, also headed online entities called upholding the administration and enforcement to minimize any pain or suffering felt by the World Society for the Protection of Animals, Hunt Action Canada and Hunt Action U.S. of the law, protecting the environment, animals.” whose current board vice president, Dominic Among the charities audited were the Schad [and/or] promoting agriculture,” but assert The U.S. Internal Revenue Service Bellemare of Montreal, has three times run Foundation, which helped to halt spring bear unsuccessfully for Parliament as a candidate of hunting in Ontario and British Columbia; the the governing Conservative Party of Canada. Sierra Club of Canada; the Federation of Agribiz trying to learn to use Twitter Bellemare in 2008-2010 was WSPA Ontario Naturalists; WSPA; the Toronto Having formed the U.S. Farmers & ing hens in battery cages, and the mistreat- board president. Articles published in the June Wildlife Centre; Ecotrust Canada; and the Ranchers Alliance in November 2010 to try to ment of hogs in large confinement opera- and July/August 2008 editions of A N I M A L David Suzuki Foundation. ––Merritt Clifton counter bad publicity, agribusiness fronts tions,” Crumb wrote. “The alliance has yet to P E O P L E pointed out that Bellemare––a 19- ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– including the National Corn Growers develop an action plan, but leaders said it will year WSPA board member––has rarely if ever The Canada Revenue Agency Association and National Pork Producers likely use social media such as Twitter and a taken public positions on animal issues, has will accept comment on the new draft Council are still trying to figure out what to do public relations campaign.” never individually and explicitly denounced regulations for animal charities until and how to do it, reported Michael J. Crumb Responded Humane Society of the the seal hunt and wearing fur, and was elected March 31, 2010, c/o
ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2011 – 15
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Montana governor reprieves Yellowstone bison, signs death warrant for wolves B O Z E M A N ––U.S. District Court Judge Charles out of the vehicle. A magpie could move it into a pasture and a the wolf population. Lovell on February 13, 2011 appeared to have doomed 525 cow could sniff it. ‘Bang! Brucellosis!’ he said.” Montana ranches in 2010 held 2.5 million cattle and bison who were to have been trucked to slaughter after wander- Lest anyone imagine Schweitzer had developed a soft nearly 250,000 sheep, according to USDA data. The latest ing outside Yellowstone National Park, rejecting a Buffalo spot for Yellowstone wildlife, he wrote to Interior Secretary available wolf depredation data, from 2009, shows that the Field Campaign application for an emergency injunction Ken Salazar on February 16 that he has directed the Montana state wolf population of 524 killed 97 cattle and 202 sheep. against the killing. A day later, however, Montana Governor Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks to stop investigating wolf USDA’s Wildlife Services killed 145 wolves, and ranchers Brian Schweitzer issued an executive order prohibiting the shootings north of Interstate 90, which crosses the state just killed 10. Montana ranchers received $141,462 in compensa- transport of wild bison through Montana for 90 days. north of Yellowstone, and to kill entire packs of wolves impli- tion for 367 confirmed and “probable” livestock losses to The order means the bison and any others captured by cated in livestock depredation in the Bitterroot Valley. wolves. The Montana elk population is estimated to be about the National Park Service after leaving Yellowstone will have Schweitzer wrote to Salazar three weeks afer 150,000. “According to end-of-season reports from FWP,” to be held in corrals at Stephens Creek, northwest of Gardiner, Montana Congressional Representative Denny Rehberg intro- said Defenders of Wildlife representative John Motsinger, until spring. “With all other routes closed due to snow, there duced two bills seeking to permanently remove wolves from “overall hunter harvest was on par with the long-term average are no other options for the National Park Service,” said a Endangered Species Act protection, and Montana Senator Jon across the region. Elk harvest in particular was up this year in Buffalo Field Campaign media release. “We applaud this deci- Tester asked Salazar to allow wolf hunting in Montana to limit the Bitterroot Valley.” sion, yet are perplexed.” Governor Schweitzer, Buffalo Field Campaign recalled, “is the same man who in 2005 reinstated Illinois axes subsidy for National High School Rodeo Finals the bison ‘hunt’ [actually close-range shooting] as a form of SPRINGFIELD, Illinois––The Illinois Department mal abuse, followed a review of video documentation supplied ‘more tolerance’ and who, just last year, boasted to livestock of Agriculture on January 27, 2011 notified the National High by SHARK,” Hindi said, crediting SHARK staff member interests that ‘No governor in the history of Montana has killed School Rodeo Association that it can no longer afford the $1 Janet Enoch for successful liaison with Choice officials. more buffalo’ than he has.’” million annual cost of underwriting the National High School The 2007 National High School Rodeo Finals drew Schweitzer claimed to have issued the order for the Rodeo Finals, a 10-day event held in Springfield in 2000, 1,500 contestants and 10,000 spectators, said Associated same reason that Montana does not allow bison to migrate into 2001, 2006, and 2007, due to have returned to Springfield in Press. The Springfield J o u r n a l - R e g i s t e r , a sponsor of the the state: fear that some may transmit the cattle disease brucel- 2012 and 2013. event, claimed attendance of 50,000, apparently counting vis- losis, which is actually transmitted in the Yellowstone region “While Illinois is claiming cancellation of the rodeo itor days rather than individual visitors. mainly by elk. Explained Carly Frandro of the Bozeman Daily is due to budget cuts, the negative publicity generated by The National High School Rodeo Finals have for Chronicle, “Brucellosis is spread when animals make contact SHARK’s expose of the rodeo’s animal cruelty year after year more than a decade rotated among Springfield; Farmington, with infected fetuses, uteruses or afterbirth, raising questions undoubtedly played a part in the decision,” said SHARK New Mexico; and Gillette, Wyoming, where the 2011 Finals of how transporting the animals in trucks to slaughterhouses founder Steve Hindi. In 2007 the National High School Rodeo are to be held. Gillette cannot host the 2012 Finals because the raised disease concerns. Finals lost the sponsorship of Choice Hotels, including 11 arena is already booked for an RV event, said the Gillette Schweitzer gave several examples,” in announcing leading midprice national motel chains, two years before the News Record. The News Record noted that Farmington “has his order. “In one scenario,” Flandro recounted, “he imagined sponsorship contract was to expire. had trouble making money on the rodeo, though there has been a bison cow aborting a fetus on the truck and the fetus bouncing “The early termination, for rules violations and ani- no such problem in Gillette.” Are Serengeti highway proponents practicing “Shoot, shovel, & shut up”? DAR ES SALAAM– – “ S h o o t , On December 10, 2010 one of the Causing problematic rhino to disappear would if the migration is disrupted. shovel, and shut up,” the creed of ranchers five rhinos was poached. Three suspects were be a comparatively simple matter. “There has been a recent reintroduc- and land developers opposed to the U.S. reportedly held for questioning, but under the In early February 2011 the 600-page tion of rhinos in the project area,” TAN- Endangered Species Act, may have reached authoritarian regime of Tanzanian present report from the United Republic of Tanzania ROADS continued. “These sensitive animals Tanzania. But nobody knows for sure. Jakaya Kikwete, whose party has ruled since Ministry of Infrastructure Development will be subject to traffic and poaching…The What is known is that a confidential 1961, wildlife criminals and law enforcement Tanzania National Roads Agency (TAN- black rhino and wild dog have conservation government Environmental & Social Impact have been at times difficult to tell apart. ROADS) was leaked to the anti-Serengeti strategies that may be hindered by the con- Assessment Draft Report on a proposed high- In addition, summarized Sven highway organization Serengeti Watch and struction and operation...The shy oribi is also way that would bisect Serengeti National Park Torfinn of The New York Times, “ K i k w e t e ’ s posted to the Serengeti Watch web site. The found in the eastern corridor. This antelope in October 2010 identified the May 2010 rein- party has been widely accused of siphoning possible effects of the proposed highway on would be disturbed by the increased traffic.” troduction of five black rhinos to Serengeti as millions of dollars out of the treasury by rhinos were only one of the many issues that John Fryxell, a biology professor at a potential obstacle. awarding contracts to ghost companies.” the TANROADS report warned about. the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, There is of course nothing unusual in a recent study estimated that the effects of about rhino poaching in Africa: 232 rhinos building the Serengeti hughway could cut the were poached in South Africa in 2010, and 22 migrating wildebeest herd by 35%: more than ANIMAL PEOPLE in Zimbabwe. But the five rhinos who were half a million animals. flown to Serengeti from South Africa in May “The Serengeti is a jewel of our 2010 were supposed to have been closely nation as well as for the international commu- thanks you for your generous support guarded within a fenced habitat. They were nity. We will do nothing to hurt the Serengeti Honoring the parable of the widow's mite––in which a poor woman gives the first of 32 descendants of Tanzanian rhinos and we would like the international community but one coin to charity, yet that is all she possesses–– who are to be returned to Tanzania to try to to know this,” Kikwete on February 10, 2011 we do not list our donors by how much they give, rebuild the national herd. told Agence France-Presse, reiterating promis- but we greatly appreciate large gifts that help us do more for animals. Between 500 and 700 rhinos occu- es often made during the past six months that pied the Serengeti/Mara ecosystem in northern the Serengeti road will not be paved. Cynthia Abousayf, Heather Abraham, Richard Arbizzani, Ginette Anttila, Tanzania and southern Kenya circa 1970, con- “No tarmac road will be built Mary Ruth Aull, Dolores Marie Babel, Mike Baumayr, Robert Berman, Laura Black, stituting the east African Diceros bicornis through the Serengeti,” Kikwere insisted. Michael Burton, Carla-Lisa Caliga, Sybil Carof, Joseph Chan, Gale Cohen-Demarco, michaeli subspecies. Five of the Serengeti rhi- Responded Serengeti Watch Myrna Cohen, Robert Costello & Mark Rovai, Drs. Sharon & Don Cregier, nos were sold to South Africa during the cofounder Dave Blanton to Canadian Press, “I Susana & Dave Crow, Anne Galloway Curtis, Damaris Day, 1980s. While the Serengeti-Mara population think common sense would say with that vol- Kathy Dean/Longhopes Donkey Shelter, Richard Debenedictis, Ursula Dicks, was poached out of existence, those sent to ume of traffic there is no way you could have a Robert Feldman, Fay Forman, Christine French & William Deridder, K.R. Garr, South Africa produced 61 living descendants. dirt road. Paving and fencing is the future.” Debra Giambattista, Mitzi Goward, Ronald Graham, John Green, Harriet Gross, The TANROADS study authors also “The World Bank has offered to help William Thomas Hardison Jr., Patricia Haslett, Betty Hay, Joyce Hodel, Helene Hoffman, examined topics including the chances that the fund an alternative route, according to the Jerome Kahn, Susan Kalev, Ann & Bill Koros, Heather & Lawrence Kren, road might increase the incidence of HIV German-based Nature & Biodiversity Conserv- Mia Lancaster/Place for Cats, Benjamin Landau, Sue Leary, Mark Lieberman, infection in the region, might bring invasive ation Union,” reported Jeremy Hance of the Long Charitable Trust/Sherry DeBoer, Maddie's Fund, Lee Mahavier, Steven Manson, plant species into the region, and might lead to science web news periodical Mongabay.com in Joan McCormack, Lola Merritt, Steven Pagani, Dottie Parcheski, more use of child labor if adult men are drawn January 2011. Tanzania was a German colony Kermit Phillips, Thomas Porreca, Ronald Rosenkranz, Erin Russell, Nancie Sailor, away from farming to help build the road. from 1885 to 1946. Founded in 1899, the Kathleen Shopa, Magda Simopoulos, Aileen Siracusa, Lindy & Marvin Sobel, But the biggest concern, worldwide, Nature & Biodiversity Conservation Union has Jacqueline Seuss, Charlotte Sparks , Nancy Speidel, George Stassinopoulos, is the potential impact of the Serengeti high- had involvement in Tanzania from inception. Marcia Summers, Dee Tharpe, Peter Thomas, Anna Bell Washburn, way on wildlife. “The [wildebeest] migration The Kenya-based African Network Ronald Winkler, Kenneth Wuertz, Louise Wunsch may be limited by the high level of traffic,” for Animal Welfare in December 2010 filed TANROADS acknowledged in the report’s suit against the Serengeti road project in the executive summary. The highway “is expect- East African Court of Justice, a month after ed to have 800 vehicles per day in 2015,” the United Nations Educational, Scientific & TANROADS said, “rising to 3,000 vehicles Cultural Organization came out against the per day by 2035. This is a major concern that project. The UNESCO position was supported has caused a lot of publicity…It is argued that by the World Wildlife Fund, International only the wildebeest will be affected, but the Union for Conservation of Nature, and the animals who prey on them will also be affected World Commission on Protected Areas March 2011 3/22/13 11:41 PM Page 16
16 - ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2011 British TV hit rolls over into Indian vet training & rabies eradication drive MUMBAI, LONDON––The most National Rabies Network. tion,” including free-roaming quasi-pets. Said Bhanage, introducing the India ambitious dog and cat surgical sterilization “The International Training Centre Rabies statistics in India are notori- National Rabies Network to the membership training program in India has rapidly expanded is now all set up,” Gamble told A N I M A L ously shaky, in part because India does not of the Federation of Indian Animal Protection into the most ambitious rabies eradication pro- P E O P L E . “We have run a few courses and require local hospitals to collect and report Organizations, “The cost of treating one gram in India. need to find our feet, get more funding under- rabies statistics, as is done in most of the rest human who has been bitten by a suspected The multi-directional project began way and get the courses accredited with the of the world. Instead much of the available rapid dog is enough to prevent rabies in 75 with a 2009 visit to the India Project for University of Edinburgh,” whose veterinary data comes from manufacturers of human dogs by vaccinating them. We will provide Animals & Nature by Luke Gamble, founder school hosts the Alliance for Rabies Control, post-exposure vaccine, some of whom have the participating parties with campaign materi- of Worldwide Veterinary Service, to film the an international information-and-awareness bitterly opposed the ABC program. als such as posters, stickers, and vaccination pilot for Vet Adventures. organization. “Making rabies notifiable in India is cards, and an administrative framework, as Produced by SKY TV, of Britain, “We will then have professional all part of the grand plan,” said Gamble. well as the right to use our project plan in Vet Adventures is now an internationally syn- credibility,” Gamble continued, “and that will “Dogs Trust has been amazing in applying for further funds for this project dicated hit. Gamble in each episode visits an help drive us on. The India National Rabies helping me get the ITC off the ground. I locally. All participants will also receive a animal shelter in a part of the world remote Network is going to be an immense chal- couldn’t have done it without them––specifi- comprehensive rabies vaccination campaign from Britain and participates in treating a vari- lenge,” Gamble acknowledged, “but worthy. cally Clarissa Baldwin,” never before manual as a PDF soft copy. Staff can be sent ety of species. The idea is that we want to get all the charities involved in India, “who has backed me every to the International Training Centre for practi- Located in Ooty, in the Nilgiris hills and government organizations [involved in step of the way,” Gamble emphasized. “I am cal training in dog catching and rabies vaccina- of south-central India, IPAN operates a dog Animal Birth Control programs] to register getting the Indian government hopefully very tion campaign management.” sterilization clinic as part of the Indian national with the INRN.” They will then be able to buy much onside,” Gamble added, “but don’t plan The World Veterinary Service Animal Birth Control program, conducts out- rabies vaccine at steeply discounted rates. to rely on them for anything financial! It’s all International Training Center, explained Otter, patient clinics for livestock and working ani- “We’ve negotiated a rate of 19 a work in progress, a bit like herding cats, offers an ABC surgery course “meant mainly mals, and––being near the hub of the Indian rupees per dose,” Gamble said––about 50¢. and no doubt I’ll learn plenty on the way and for junior veterinarians who are already associ- horse racing industry––frequently receives cast “We have arranged for nationwide cold chain will probably tear my hair out several times, ated with clinics,” which “senior veterinarians off ex-race horses. storage,” to ensure that the vaccine remains but I’ve got the bit between my teeth on this can also attend to update their knowledge and Impressed with the work of IPAN potent, “and if I can somehow get funding to and I think it can be done.” skills.” The center also offers an ABC assis- veterinarian Ilona Otter, Gamble with the provide the vaccine to registered organisations Gamble, 33, founded Worldwide tance course, which “combines operation the- active encouragement of Animal Welfare at about 10 rupees a dose, we have a fighting Veterinary Service in 2003, shortly after grad- atre work with humane dog catching,” and an Board of India chair General Rammehar Kharb chance of getting them to buy it, use it, and uating from veterinary school. Sending two ABC program management course. and Dogs Trust chief executive Clarissa record what they are doing. We’re going to volunteer missions abroad in 2004 on a budget The courses emphasize surgical and Baldwin arranged to establish the World concentrate on a couple of states first. Our of about $15,000, Worldwide Veterinary post-surgical asepsis. ABC programs tradi- Veterinary Service International Training ambition is to record the vaccination of 2.3 Service rapidly grew into one of the largest tionally hold dogs after surgery for about a Centre in Ooty, to help bring ABC surgery million street dogs in the next three years. international veterinary charities. week, on average, to identify and treat post- technique up to global standards. According to the very loose World Health Gamble recruited Nilesh Bhanage as surgical infections. High-volume dog and cat But the center had barely debuted Organization stats, this should prevent the WVS network manager for India, who during sterilization programs in the U.S. by contrast when Gamble, Otter, Kharb and Baldwin death of at least one child under 15 every sin- the same years has built the Plant & Animal often conduct thousands of surgeries between decided to demonstrate the efficacy of high- gle day as a result of being bitten by a rabid Welfare Society from a student project into encountering infection cases, usually with volume dog vaccination against rabies, as dog. The general thought is that 2.3 million one of the most prominent Mumbai animal only overnight post-surgical time or same-day well. In late 2010 they formed the India street dogs will be 5% of the street dog popula- advocacy and rescue organizations. release in the case of male animals. Bali dog & Jakarta cat rabies vaccination drives show rise in Indonesian awareness JAKARTA, BANTUL, UBUD––Amid rumors that Bali is to receive 70% of the funding, having had Jakarta has officially been rabies-free since 2004, but the Bali government will reinstitute aggressive dog-killing 77% of the reported bites by suspected rabid dogs in Indonesia Naniek Susetijoharti hopes to push the rate of vaccination up, when a new fiscal year begins in May 2011 came two hints in 2010, and 119 of the 195 human rabies fatalities. lest infected animals arrive from elsewhere in Indonesia. from Jakarta that Indonesian authorities may be starting to real- Five more Balinese died from rabies during the first Amid the encouraging signs pertaining to rabies con- ize that only high-volume vaccination lastingly reduces rabies weeks of 2011, fueling renewed fervor for killing dogs, but trol, the Bantul city government demonstrated that Indonesian transmission. only one case––on the offshore island of Nusa Penida––was authorities still tend to lack even a basic understanding of how More than 150 people have died from rabies on Bali actually contracted from a dog bite occurring after the BAWA zoonotic disease spreads. Responding to the deaths of 19 peo- since October 2008, more than 90% of them infected before vaccination drive went island-wide. ple during the past two years from the bacterial disease lep- the Bali government authorized the Bali Animal Welfare As of mid-February 2011, BAWA founder Janice tospirosis, which thrives in rodent urine and spreads to humans Association to vaccinate dogs throughout the island, funded by Girardi told ANIMAL PEOPLE, BAWA had deployed 45 and other animals mainly through contaminated water, the the World Society for the Protection of Animals. BAWA had vaccination teams, including 50 veterinarians, 50 data Bantul government declared a bounty of about 5¢ U.S. on rats. demonstrated the efficacy of high-volume vaccination for a recorders, and 250 dogcatchers, with five more teams in train- The officially recommended strategy “would be to fill year and a half, holding human rabies deaths in the densely ing. Among them, they had vaccinated 169,000 dogs, rat nests with water and kill rats as they emerged, according to populated Giyanyar Regency area to just three, markedly fewer believed to be about 56% of the dog population of Bali, expect- the administration,” reported Slamet Susanto of the J a k a r t a than in adjacent regencies, while the central government tried ing to vaccinate about 90,000 more. The 70% vaccination P o s t . “Thousands of people, including civil servants, stu- unsuccessfully to halt the spread of rabies across the rest of the threshold, believed to be necessary to stop the spread of rabies, dents, police officers and Indonesian military members, joined island through culling dogs. is likely to be reached in May. the drive at a number of sites,” Slamet Susanto added. Indonesian agriculture ministry director general for While the Indonesian national rabies control budget The moderators of the International Society for livestock and health Prabowo R. Caturuso on February 5, 2011 was still in negotiation, Jakarta animal health division chief Infectious Diseases’ ProMed newsgroup agreed that flooding announced the allocation of $17.6 million over the next two Naniek Susetijoharti on January 17, 2011 suspended charging rat middens to flush out rats would amount to distributing lep- years to fund rabies prevention, primarily on Bali and the 55¢ apiece to vaccinate cats. From now on, she said, the tospirosis by the fastest and most efficient means possible. islands of Nias in North Sumatra province, and West Maluku agency would vaccinate pet cats––but not ferals––for free, pro- “While they may get some rats, this will not get rid Tenggara, in Maluku province. viding that the cats are at least eight months old and healthy. of the disease. The rats left behind will be efficient breeders “The funds are expected to be used to purchase rabies The program hopes to vaccinate at least 250 cats in and spreaders, and the flooding will also spread it,” comment- vaccines and to monitor and evaluate the implementation of 2011, Naniek Susetijoharti told the Jakarta Post. Her agency ed Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine pro- prevention programs,” said the Jakarta Post. vaccinated 286 cats, 1,621 dogs, and 49 pet monkeys in 2010. fessor Tam Garland. Flood rescues in Australia, Sri Lanka, Africa driven by La Niña Climate change has more than dou- tive Mark Townend on January 14, 2011. ful breeding habitat among the puddles left by bled the risk of flooding since 1950, two new Despite heavy damage, the shelter reopened receding floodwater. Outbreaks of the Ross studies agreed in the February 16, 2011 edi- temporarily for a February 19 adoption event. River and Barmah Forest viruses in the afflict- tion of Nature. Brown snakes usually eat frogs, if ed areas had already nearly tripled in a year’s “For years scientists have said that possible, and frogs sometimes eat snakes, too, time before the 2010-2011 flooding started. global warming would likely cause extremes but computer technician Armin Gerlach pho- More than a million people were dis- in temperatures and rainfall. But this is the tographed a green tree frog riding a brown placed by Sri Lankan flooding, reported first time researchers have been able to point snake through the floodwaters near Brisbane. Tsunami Animal-People Alliance founder to a demonstrable cause-and-effect,” assessed “In some degree we are lucky in Robert Blumberg, whose team mobilized a Pulitzer Prize-winning Associated Press writer Queensland that much of the flooding occurred reprise of the relief work they did after the Seth Borenstein. in agricultural areas, where there is not a lot of Indian Ocean Tsunami in December 2004. The Nature edition was assembled as wildlife,” wrote Wildlife Protection Associ- Since mid-2005 TAPA has focused on provid- a La Niña weathern pattern produced rains ation of Australia president Pat O’Brien. ing high-volume dog and cat sterilization ser- inundating much of Queensland and Victoria “The kangaroos are fairly okay,” vice in the communities hit by the tsunami. state in Australia, and parts of Sri Lanka, O’Brien said, “because in most cases in rural During the January 2011 flooding, Brazil, Pakistan, the Philippines, and African areas the water came up relatively slowly and TAPA initially did disaster relief assessment nations including South Africa, Mozambique, they could get away. We’ll still lose a lot of with representatives of Humane Society Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia. kangaroos. We’ll lose lots of the smaller International and the World Society for the More than 70 communities in macropods, especially the wallabies. Bandi- Protection of Animals. “The TAPA team, Queensland and more than 50 in Victoria suf- coots, native rats and mice, invertebrates etc, with support from the Odel Foundation, HSI Saved in Sri Lanka. (TAPA) fered damage. At least 37 Australians were will all be heavily impacted, but the reptiles and WSPA, then started treating any animal with spay-neuter left for another visit.” killed by the flooding, along with 6,100 sheep. and spiders seem to be able to get up on fence- needing assistance, including dogs, cats and Approximately 6,000 people have A Royal SPCA temporary shelter set posts and trees. There are lots of dead snakes farm animals,” Blumberg said. “The DogStar been displaced and at least 70 were killed due up at the Central Queensland University evac- on the roads. I heard a report from Lowood Foundation provided much needed medicines.” to the flooding in South Africa. Disaster areas uation center accommodated the pets of dis- that some people in a boat were going around Partnering with the German charity were declared in eight of nine provinces. placed persons, while RSPCA field personnel shooting snakes in the trees. Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund, TAPA after The National Council of SPCA field- did boat rescues of pets who were stranded in “One huge impact,” O’Brien pre- February 8 focused on the Batticola area ed water rescue teams in Gauteng, North homes––but the RSPCA shelter in Fairfield, dicted, recalling coral damage after flooding where, Blumberg reported, “There are a high West, the Orange Free State and KwaZulu- the main shelter serving the Brisbane area, in 1991, “will be on the Great Barrier Reef, number of sick or dying farm animals due to Natal, said spokesperson Christine Kuch. was itself obliged to evacuate more than 500 when the silt, containing mud, cow manure the flood. These rural communities do not “There have been concerted efforts animals just ahead of the fast-rising water. and farm chemicals, pours out of the rivers receive veterinary services,” Blumberg said, to reach animals stranded on islands, at first “Whilst all the animals were safely and onto the coral.” “and the people just refused to let the TAPA by boat and then by air,” Kuch said. “In some evacuated and homed in temporary foster care, A longterm threat to both wildlife team leave––they worked 10-hour days with instances the animals were safe from drowning the Fairfield shelter is inoperable, closed to and humans, the International Society for no breaks! Dogs and cats were treated as but had no food source.” the public, and will remain that way for some Infectious Diseases warned, will be from mos- needed in these communities,” Blumberg On January 26, Kuch wrote, the time,” said RSPCA Queensland chief execu- quito-borne viruses, as mosquitoes find plenti- noted, “but we focused on injury and illness, flooding receded and all returned to normal. March 2011 3/22/13 11:41 PM Page 17
ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2011 - 17 The Lady & Her Tiger by Pat Derby with Peter S. Beagle Performing Animal Welfare Society (P.O. Box 849, Galt, CA 95632), 1976; reprinted for PAWS. Paperback, 263 pages. $10.00. Performing Animal Welfare Society cofounder Pat from her first memories. Her mother was a bird rehabilitator. Ted Derby continued to rely on Derby did not see the modern animal rights movement coming Patricia Shelley debuted as an actress, starring as Juliet in a electroshock to control animals, 35 years ago, when her memoir The Lady & Her Tiger became production of Romeo & Juliet, soon after her father died. a technique Pat considers inef- one of the books that launched it. Emigrating to New York at age 15, she sang as well, and fective and cruel. Published by E.P. Dutton in May 1976, six months enjoyed some early theatrical success. The Lady & Her Tiger after Peter Singer’s Animal Liberation, and 20 months after Patricia Shelley, by the time she was 17, was ended, in a sense, before most Cleveland Amory’s Man Kind?, The Lady & Her Tiger won an already touring nightclubs as the star of The Gimmicks, a retro of the Pat Derby story began. It American Library Association award and was a Book of the jazz band. ANIMAL PEOPLE found old newspaper clips also skips over or omits much Month Club selection. Reissued as a Ballentine paperback in confirming her possible trajectory toward stage and screen star- that in hindsight was significant. 1977, The Lady & Her Tiger ensured that the treatment of per- dom––but her career took an abrupt turn when she met former Early in Pat Derby’s training forming animals was prominent on the nascent animal rights animal trainer Ted Derby, nine years her elder. Attracted by career, for instance, she worked agenda––but Derby remained a Hollywood animal trainer, his background in working with animals, she encouraged Ted for three weeks on the set of the Flipper television series along- albeit in the doghouse with much of her profession after expos- Derby to return to animal training, and accompanied him as his side then-dolphin trainer Ric O’Barry. O’Barry became a vege- ing their methods, for another eight years. training career resumed. tarian during a 1968 visit to India, turned against dolphin train- Merging animal training businesses with Ed Stewart Though Patricia Shelley continued to act and sing at ing, and made his first abortive attempt to liberate a captive in 1980, Derby and Stewart at last gave up on training wildlife times, including after she married Ted Derby in 1964 and dolphin on Earth Day 1970. Whether O’Barry and Pat Derby and cofounded the Performing Animal Welfare Society in became known to the world as Pat Derby, her life refocused on influenced each other in any way is never mentioned. Indeed 1984, to oppose animal use in entertainment and to provide animal care. The first half of this time was largely an informal O’Barry himself is never mentioned, though the two were and sanctuary care for life to their own retired menagerie. apprenticeship. Employed in relatively menial capacities by have remained on parallel paths. Derby had already taken in animals who were retired some of the biggest names in Hollywood animal handling, Pat Only three animal advocacy organizations are men- by other trainers or were given to her by people who could no Derby learned as much as any of them could teach her, but tioned in The Lady & Her Tiger––the American Humane longer handle exotic pets for at least 20 years, and had already soon found that few people knew very much. Association, for ineptitude in monitoring animal use on film tried twice before to operate nonprofit sanctuaries, but her pre- Among her early disenchantments was learning that sets; the Humane Society of the U.S., as employer of Sue vious efforts had tried to support themselves with revenue from Walt Disney was an ill-tempered grouch with relatively little Pressman, an early advocate for captive wildlife whom Derby paid admissions, gift shops, and traveling animal acts. PAWS understanding of animal needs and behavior. Disney produced clearly admired; and the Fund for Animals, the beneficiary of has by contrast been sustained from the start almost entirely by hundreds of films, animated films, and television programs a fundraising auction of a Mercury Cougar at which Chauncey donations, solicited primarily by direct mail. Because it has with strongly pro-animal messages, but tended to expect ani- performed. never promoted itself as a visitor attraction or as entertainment, mal actors to perform on cue like people, with the same ethos “Cleveland is a charming, clever, genuinely dedicat- PAWS has given Derby the philosophically consistent platform that the show must go on, regardless of setbacks. ed man,” Pat Derby observed, “but he and I favor different for critiquing the performing animal industry that she appears Despite this early disappointment, Pat Derby worked ways of promoting conservation of wild animals. Like most of to have wanted all along. more for Walt Disney Studios than for anyone else, particular- us, he tends to preach to the converted and scream damnation Yet only after the emergence of the animal rights ly on sets for Lassie. Eventually Pat Derby discovered for her- at the rest. I don’t think it works––you can’t get the average movement, after the formation between 1977 and 1984 of most self the principles of positive reinforcement training––which at hunter to stop killing animals by calling him a sick, vicious of the major national animal advocacy organizations of today, the time was practically unknown to anyone, and for many barbarian. I think you have to get him somehow to like or iden- does Derby appear to have recognized the opportunity she had years afterward was undercut by the incorrect belief, persisting tify with a single deer or bear, or whatever it is that he kills. prepared herself for all her life. among some trainers, that animals must be starved to respond That may sound crazy and hopeless, but otherwise it’s just Derby in 1976 exhibited no awareness, either, of her adequately to food rewards. words, just numbers, like six million Jews and all the starving status as one of the few people whose lives link the first begin- Pat Derby’s reward for challenging the prevalent children in India who’d love to eat your cauliflower. Numbers nings of the humane movement to the animal rights movement. Hollywood way of training animals, despite many on-set suc- don’t make us care, and neither does hellfire. Individuals Yet she was a proto-animal rights activist almost by heredity. cesses, included frequent conflicts with colleagues, directors, sometimes do.” Born Patricia Shelley, in Sussex, England, Derby is and producers. Ted Derby, who seems to have been only half Among Pat Derby’s most telling insights in this pas- a direct descendant of Percy and Mary Shelley. convinced by Pat’s achievements, joined her in starting their sage is the phrase “Like most of us.” I have personally con- Percy Shelley, remembered mainly as a poet, also own company to provide animal actors. When that struggled flicted with Pat Derby at least twice for “screaming damnation” wrote at least two tracts against eating animals, A Vindication financially, they briefly operated a couple of roadside zoos, at the wrong people––at people who basically agreed with all of of Natural Diet and On the Vegetable System of Diet. “ H o w and produced an animal show for the San Diego Zoo. Their her pro-animal messages––and she has screamed damnation at unwarrantable is the injustice and the barbarity which is exer- one consistent success was training Chauncey, the puma who me, too. There are few people, however, who have done cised toward these miserable victims,” Percy Shelley wrote of for more than a decade promoted the Ford-Mercury Cougar lion more than Pat Derby to encourage rethinking every aspect of animals raised for slaughter. “They are called into existence by of automobiles. keeping captive wildlife, from animal actors to zoological con- human artifice that they may drag out a short and miserable Both Derbys were repeatedly bitten by animals. Pat servation. The Lady & Her Tiger narrates the experiences that existence of slavery and disease, that their bodies may be muti- suffered several broken noses and a painful chronic back injury. reinforced her intuitive and inherited beliefs with the depth of lated, their social feelings outraged. It were much better that a Their most painful failures, however, were the financial col- background that has required the captive wildlife industry to sit sentient being should never have existed, than that it should lapses of their first nonprofit ventures. The first collapse oblig- up and pay attention, and––at times––to jump through hoops to have existed only to endure unmitigated misery.” ed them to raise $50,000, a high sum now, astronomical then, avoid her wrath. Mary Shelley authored F r a n k e n s t e i n , published in to redeem their animals from creditors who claimed them Perhaps Pat Derby will some day write the rest of her 1818, when she was barely 19 years old. “My food is not that through bankruptcy. story, at least a portion of which would read like a spy novel. of man,” declared her tragic hero, Dr. Frankenstein’s monster. After the bankruptcy of one of their first employers as According to filings from a series of bitterly fought court cases, “I do not destroy the lamb and kid to glut my appetite; acorns an animal-handling duo, Pat had witnessed animals being auc- Feldman Entertainment, owner of the Ringling Bros. Circus, and berries afford my sufficient nourishment.” tioned to all comers, including a taxidermist who shot a friend- from 1988 to 1998 spent $8.8 million to employ a small army Percy and Mary Shelley remained vegetarians, ani- ly tame female grizzly bear as she sat waving to visitors from of spies to try to disable the Performing Animal Welfare mal advocates and anti-vivisectionists throughout their short her cage. Fearing a similar fate for the animals after the second Society and PETA. The operation was reportedly directed by lives. Their beliefs persisted among at least some of their collapse of a Derby-&-Derby nonprofit, Pat reluctantly had Clair E. George, deputy director of operations for the Central descendants. Born more than 90 years after Mary Shelley died, euthanized all those she could not afford to keep. Intelligence Agency from July 1984 through December 1987. Patricia Shelley was raised a vegetarian and detested hunting Meanwhile Pat and Ted Derby split largely because ––Merritt Clifton A New Name for Worthless: A Hero is Born What Every Horse Should Know by Rocky Shepheard, illustrated by Tamara Ci Thayne by Cherry Hill c/o Dogs Deserve Better (P.O. Box 23, Tipton, PA 16684), 2011. Storey Publishing (210 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, Hardcover, 16 pages. $17.97. MA 01247), 2011. 192 pages, paperback. $19.95. A chained dog named Worthless W o r t h l e s s stretches it even for me, a fan of “Horses are wonderful already,” loons, and people who are craves human companionship. In the winter a talking animals. Otto the sea otter lives out- begins Cherry Hill in What Every Horse behaving strangely. shabby doghouse barely protects the old dog side of water. Children will pick up on that. Should Know. Her book is wonderful too. Communication with the horse is from the brutal winters. There is not much The other character, Sly Fox, is Otto’s friend, Hill, horse trainer extraordinaire, critical for anyone who rides. There must be shade from the sizzling summer sun. but how the sea otter and fox become friends begins the book with a chapter on fear. Fear, mutual respect and trust between horse and A New Name for Worthless m e a n s is a mystery. she says, is the single most dangerous and rider. Hill discusses horse movements, con- well. Author Rocky Shepheard presents it as a The fox and the otter help the destructive force in a relationship with a horse. versing with a horse, and getting a horse tribute to Tamira Ci Thayne, founder of Dogs chained dog escape during a “perfect” night of “Eradicate fear and you begin to develop ready to ride. She also talks about rewards Deserve Better, and her devotion to freeing whipping wind and driving rain. I’m confused trust,” Hill writes. Fearful horses often panic such as rubs. Horses enjoy soothing physical dogs from the misery of chains, a most laud- when Otto the sea otter jumps on Sly Fox’s and try to flee. Wild or undomesticated hors- contact. able goal. But the book conveys mixed and back. It seems improbable that the heavier es, suddenly cornered, feel trapped. A chapter about the various riding confusing messages to its intended audience of animal, the otter, would ride the other. Attempting to escape can harm the horse or methods includes clear concise sketches and young readers. Eventually the trio find an aban- anyone standing close by. colorful photos, along with an easy-to-follow Fiction is of course made up, but it doned cabin. A man sits outside a nearby Hill’s chapter on fear begins a sound discussion about rein release, backing, and has to be believable. A New Name for cabin cooking his dinner, with a hungry coy- and thoughtful discussion of proper training yielding. ote ready to steal the food. Worthless fights methods that start with birth of a foal and con- Riding a horse is more complicated TRIBUTES the coyote. The message that a dog gains tinue throughout the horse’s life. than just hopping on the horse’s back. Much value by fighting coyotes is inappropriate mes- Horses can experience separation preparation is involved, such as the saddling In honor of animal-loving guitar virtuosos sage for humane education. Coyote attacks on anxiety just like dogs. Among horses this process. Keeping a horse is also not cheap. Jeff Beck, Brian May and Tom Scholz. humans are rare. A dog who attacks a coyote behavior is manifested in several different Those who acquire horses need to be prepared ––Brien Comerford may not “lose,” but is likely to be injured. ways. A “herd-bound” horse misbehaves for all the costs of stabling, feeding, hoof –––––––––––––------–––––––––––––– The man adopts the dog, the fox, when separated from the herd. A horse who is care, and vaccinations, and the work needed and the otter. nervous when separated from just one particu- to keep the horse adequately exercised, I wanted to endorse this book with lar horse is called “buddy-bound.” A horse trained, brushed, and cleaned up after. my highest recommendations, but was disap- who is antsy when taken out of the barn is What Every Horse Should Know i s pointed. “barn-sour.” beautifully written and illustrated. If you are The real Worthless was among the Hill suggests ways to help nervous thinking about adopting a horse, read this dogs who inspired Dogs Deserve Better. horses relax. She adds a section on building book first. You’ll find out what you’re getting Tamira Ci Thayne rescued him, after he spent confidence. into. But as Hill says, horses are wonderful. most of his life on a chain, and renamed him Sub-sections outline key behaviors. If you follow her tips, your horse should Bo. Bo enjoyed six months of indoor living For example, on page 49 Hill offers a list of become a good equine citizen and you’ll with her and then passed away. “Visually spooky things” that a horse may find become a satisfied horse keeper. ––Debra J. White frightening, such as umbrellas, bicycles, bal- ––Debra J. White March 2011 3/22/13 11:41 PM Page 18
18 - ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2011 PEOPLE ANIMAL OBITUARIES Major General (Retired) Ram- Kaankata, 35, an Indian rhino who Anapka, 18, a female donkey who Chloe, a German shepherd who was mehar Kharb, chairing the Animal Welfare lost an ear to a poacher’s bullet and afterward survived being parasailed as a promotional rescued by a New York City police scuba diver Board of India since 2006, was honored with charged humans on sight, died peaceably in stunt for a private beach near the Sea of Asov in January 2011 after falling into the Hudson a lifetime achievement award in January 2011 Orang National Park on February 16, 2011. in southern Russia in July 2010, died in River from her guardian’s docked yacht, was by the Federation of Indian Animal Kaankata once destroyed a forestry official’s December 2010 at the farm near Moscow killed in a February 3, 2011 fire that razed the Protection Organizations. Kharb was salut- car, and another time chased a poacher for two where she was taken in August 2010 to enjoy a same yacht, the Quid Pro Quo. Chloe’s per- ed for advocacy on behalf of street dogs, kilometers, division forest officer Sushil Daila quiet retirement after her ordeal, which ended son, Mark Stoss, 42, suffered smoke inhala- pushing municipalities to share the cost of told The Telegraph, of Kolkata. with a crash landing in the water. tion and hypothermia, but survived. Animal Birth Control programs, standardiz- ing ABC surgical and dogcatching procedures, Middleweight and light heavy- expelling corrupt organizations from the weight boxing champion Bernard Hopkins OBITUARIES AWBI, initiating the national Rabies Free and fellow boxers Ivan Robinson and M i k e “I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them. I n d i a program, and lobbying for the first Jones posed in January 2011 for a New Jersey The good is oft interred with their bones.” ––William Shakespeare major update of the Indian national humane Aid for Animals billboard promoting pit bull law since 1960, recently introduced in the terrier sterilization. About 80% of the dogs Dick King-Smith, 88, died in his Gertrude Maxwell, 99, died on Indian Parliament. entering animal shelters in the communities sleep on January 4, 2011 at his home near January 17, 2011 in West Palm Beach, Patricia N. Olsen, DVM, who was where the billboard is posted are pit bulls. Bath, England. Smith turned to writing after Florida. Maxwell in 1972 founded the no-kill director of veterinary affairs for the American The Asheville Humane Society, World War II military service, 20 years of Save-A-Pet adoption shelter in Highland Park, Humane Association from 1995 to 1998, serving Buncombe County, North Carolina, farming, stints selling firefighting equipment Illinois. She relocated to Florida when her was on February 22, 2011 named chief veteri- on February 17, 2011 promoted Katherine and working in a shoe factory, and finally first husband, real estate investor Mark nary advisor to the AHA. A cofounder of the McGowan Shenar to become president and teaching, after he completed a degree in edu- Maxwell, retired in 1978, but remained active National Council on Pet Population & chief executive officer, after serving as inter- cation at Bristol University at age 53 in 1975. in promoting neuter/return of feral cats, steril- Policy, Olsen headed the Morris Animal im president since May 2010. She previously King-Smith’s first of more than 100 books, izing pets, and no-kill sheltering to the end of Foundation from 2004 to 2010. helped to found the Ocean State Animal The Fox Busters, appeared in 1978. her life. Save-A-Pet, now in Grayslake, is The Los Angeles City Association Coalition in Rhode Island and the North Concerning three chickens who repeatedly foil now a $2-million-a-year organization which of Black Personnel in February 2011 honored Carolina Animal Federation, and was an ani- the efforts of foxes to eat them, The Fox has rehomed more than 70,000 dogs and cats, 5-year animal control officer Shatana Bacon mal sheltering issues consultant for the B u s t e r s inspired a 26-episode Cosgrove Hall currently rehoming about 1,500 per year. with one of six Trailblazers Awards presented Humane Society of the U.S., for whom she animated TV series of the same name, aired in William Thomas Warden, 75, for contributions to the advancement of wrote the book Coalition Building for Animal 1999-2000. King-Smith’s books, mostly died on January 10, 2011 in Victoria, British African Americans in city government. Care Organizations. about talking animals, sold more than 15 mil- Columbia. A career diplomat and internation- lion copies in all. The Water Horse ( 1 9 9 0 ) al election observer for the Canadian Five alleged animal fighters die in 10 days became a 2007 feature film starring Emily Department of Foreign Affairs, Warden later Watson and David Morrissey. The Queen’s DETROIT, YAZOO, DELANO–– of the abandoned house. The neighbor said founded and directed the International Centre Nose (1995), about a girl who loves animals Five alleged animal fighters died in three sepa- the fight conductors moved the operation from at the University of Calgary. Best known as a but is not allowed to have a pet, became a rate incidents during the last 10 days of the abandoned house to a home across the human rights advocate, Warden was also an BBC television series aired in 1995-1998. January 2011. street, where the bodies were found,” animal advocate who donated to the Visakha Other successes were Harriet’s Hare ( 1 9 9 4 ) Detroit police responding to calls Satyanarayana continued. SPCA in Visakhapatnam, India, and encour- and The Invisible Dog (1995). But King- about gunshots and an anonymous call saying The day after the killings, Satyana- aged his daughter Lisa Warden to fight animal Smith’s biggest hit, by far, was The Sheep- that bodies could be found at a particular rayana wrote, “a dead dog was lying in the abuse in India and Vietnam. Her most promi- P i g (1983), retitled Babe: The Gallant Pig address on the night of January 21 found the backyard of that house, frozen and chained to nent campaigns have pushed for reform at the when republished in the U.S. two years later. remains of three young men after removing 11 a dog house.” 104-year-old Kakinada SPCA and in the allo- “It's the story of a piglet who is won at a fair pit bull terriers to gain access to the building. Charged with shooting pit bull cation and management of animal control and by a sheep farmer and adopted by the farm's “A neighbor, who spoke anony- breeder Earl Riptoe, 43, at a dogfight near Animal Birth Control program contracts in mother sheepdog, Fly. Trained to herd sheep mously out of fear for her life, recalled the Benton, Mississippi, seven miles east of Ahmedabad. by Fly, the polite Babe puts his own spin on stench of dead dogs filling the air last summer Yazoo, on January 28, Cedric Harvey, 33, getting sheep to obey,” summarized Dennis Thomas Van Cise, DVM, 60, of after dogfights when dog carcasses littered an of Jackson, Mississippi, surrendered to police McLellan of the Los Angeles Times. B a b e Corona, California, died on December 30, abandoned house next door to her,” reported on February 7. Harvey was held in lieu of was made into a 1995 hit film by Australian 2010 from a heart attack. Receiving his veteri- Detroit Free Press staff writer Megha bond of $800,000. Relatives claimed Riptoe screenwriter/producer George Miller and nary degree from Purdue University in Ohio in Satyanarayana. “There was nothing but blood was not himself a dogfighter, but admitted director Chris Noonan. Starring James 1974, Van Cise purchased the All Animals all over the basement and the walls, she said that he bet on dogfights. Cromwell as Farmer Hoggett, Babe was nom- Exotic or Small clinic in Norco, California in Jose Luis Ochoa, 35, was on inated for seven Academy Awards, including 1981. Van Cise became nationally known for January 30 fatally slashed across his right calf best picture, and won an Oscar for best visual practicing veterinary homeopathy, acupunc- by a gaff-wearing gamecock in rural Tulare MEMORIALS effects. Cromwell subsequently became a ture, and various other alternative treatments. County, California. Ochoa was apparently vegetarian and a prominent animal advocate. J. Lindsay Oaks, 51, died on preparing to “pit” the bird when Tulare County January 15, 2011. A Washington State sheriff’s deputies raided the cockfight. Ochoa Robin Suzanne Kinman, 51, of University microbiologist who frequently fled with other suspects, but was later cap- Conyers, Georgia, died on February 1, 2011. worked with the Peregrine Fund, Oaks in tured and taken to a hospital in Delano, in An American Kennel Club judge of German January 2003 identified the anti-inflammatory neighboring Kern County. He died about two shepherds and former animal control officer in drug diclofenac as the cause of the loss over hours after suffering the injury. Dekalb County, Georgia, “Suzanne will be the preceding 10 years of more than 95% of Tulare County sheriff’s spokesper- remembered for her pioneering work in the once common Oriental white-backed vul- son Ray Pruitt told media that it was not clear Dekalb County mandating that no animal be ture, and similar declines in the populations of whether the delay in seeking medical attention released from animal control unless neutered, long-billed and slender-billed vultures. The contributed to Ochoa’s death. and for planning for animals in disaster. She source of exposure turned out to be Indian and Two similar incidents killed two testified on many occasions at the Georgia Pakistani farmers who use diclofenac to keep people within 17 days in January 2003. state capitol for animal legislation. Her pro- lame oxen, buffalo, and equines on the job Gamecock handler Elmer Mariano of fessionalism brought credibility to our cause,” pulling carts and plows. When the animals Zamboanga, the Philippines, had just wrote Humane Association of Georgia director die, their carcasses are left for scavengers. strapped spurs to the legs of a cock in prepara- Carolyn Danese. While residual diclofenac does not seem to tion for a fight when the cock wrested one leg Richard H. Greene, Sr., DVM, harm dogs or jackals, cumulative exposure free and fatally stabbed him in the groin. At 70, died on February 13, 2011 in Marietta, causes kidney falure in vultures. Slightly more Kampung Murni, Nabawan district, Georgia. Greene worked with Cobb County than 11% of the carcasses of working animals Malaysia, cockfighter Tungkaling Ratu had Animal Control for more than 25 years, tested proved to contain diclofenac. Based on also just strapped the spurs to a cock when the recalled Humane Association of Georgia these studies, the Government of India banned bird escaped, fatally slashing the thigh of his In memory of Lucy, who died in late 2010. director Carolyn Danese. Practicing in the use and production of the veterinary 12-year-old son Henrysius. In 2002, when she was about four, some Americus until 1984, Greene later co-owned painkiller through an order of the Drug friends found her locked in a horse trailer the Twilley-Greene Animal Clinic in Marietta. Controller General in May 2006. “In August in the mountains. We never found out what There is no better way to If you know someone else who 2008,” recalled The Hindu, “a directive was had happened to her, but it took many years remember animals or animal issued by the Drug Controller [of India] to for us to earn her trust, and to help her come people than with an ANIMAL might like to read make human painkiller manufacturers label out of her shell. Lucy taught us a lot about PEOPLE memorial. Send ANIMAL PEOPLE, their products with the warning, ‘Not for vet- the natural world around us, and she finally erinary use.’” However, diclofenac is still learned how to play. Lucy was the sweetest donations (any amount), with please ask us to send a free sample. commonly used in working animals, and vul- dog, and we miss her a lot. address for acknowledgement, tures of all Asian species are still declining. ––Ann & Bill Koros if desired, to –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– • [email protected] In memory of Jack Weaver. P.O. Box 960 CLASSIFIEDS––$1.00 a word! ––Nancy Speidel Clinton, WA 98236-0960 POB 960, Clinton, WA 98236 • 360-579-2505 • fax 360-579-2575
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0JXcPxkSGE SIGN THE PETITION TO Based on Hindu mythology, this is THE UNITED NATIONS to adopt the Your love for animals the story of Yudisthira, a pious king whose Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare: place in Heaven is determined by his love www.animalsmatter.org can go on forever. for a dog. Animated by Wolf Clifton in the ______style of an Indonesian shadow puppet play. Want Art that Reflects Your Values? The last thing we want is to lose our friends, ______W W W . L I T T L E G I R L L O O K I N G . C O M but you can help continue our vital educational mission RESCUE ORGANIZATION or “handy” with a bequest to ANIMAL PEOPLE sells unique Art for Animal/Environmental animal-friendly individual or couple to care Advocates. Dogs Deserve Better or your [a 501(c)(3) charitable corporation, federal ID# 14-1752216] for barn, grounds and resident cats on beau- favorite Animal Charity receives 15-50% of Animal People, Inc., tiful, private seven-acre farm in lieu of rent. the profits. PO Box 960, Clinton WA 98236 Hanover, PA area. ______E-mail to
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