Animal Issues Bulletin March 8, 2010

** Will White House Support Animal Bill of Rights ** Michigan Vet School Ends Live Animal Labs ** Humane Slaughter Act Needs Better Enforcement ** Winner of Best Documentary is "The Cove"! ** Commercial Whaling Decision Postponed to June ** Religious Right Group Quotes Bible on Tilly Debate ** Dog and Cat Rights Proposal Catches On In China ** Love Life of Purebred Dogs in India Mimics Culture

======-- The Animal Bill of Rights --

The website change.org is asking people to vote on their top 10 “Ideas for Change.” The most popular ideas will be presented to the Obama Administration and be part of a national grassroots campaign.

One proposal is an Animal Bill of Rights to provide legal protections for animals. As readers know, the United States considers animals property. Through a Bill of Rights, the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) wants to show federal lawmakers that an overwhelming majority of Americans want legislation to protect animals and give them basic legal rights.

The Right of animals to be free from exploitation, cruelty, neglect, and abuse.

The Right of laboratory animals not to be used in cruel or unnecessary experiments.

The Right of farm animals to an environment that satisfies their basic physical and psychological needs.

The Right of companion animals to a healthy diet, protective shelter, and adequate medical care.

The Right of wildlife to a natural habitat, ecologically sufficient to a normal existence and self-sustaining species population.

The Right of animals to have their interests represented in court and safeguarded by the law of the land.

The proposed Animal Bill of Rights has made it through round one of the Ideas for Change in America competition sponsored by the Obama Administration. Although it’s a long shot, this proposed bill could prevent pets from being treated as insignificant as coffee tables. It needs our votes. Participants must register. To provide a level playing field, votes have been cleared for all ideas that qualified for the final round. So in order for your support for this idea to be counted, you'll need to vote for it again. You can vote for a total of 10 ideas in the final round. Final round voting started this week and continues until next Friday (March 12, 2010) at 5pm ET.

To vote, go to http://www.change.org/ideas/view/provide_legal_protections_for_animals_throug h_the_animal_bill_of_rights

======-- Victory for Dogs at Michigan State --

A March 5 story reported that Michigan State University has decided to stopp using live dogs in practice surgeries. The school will join other veterinary teaching programs in banning live animal procedures and instead use cadavers and models. This success was made possible in part because of the many appeals from animal welfare activists urging the university to stop out-dated live animal practice. Last year about 140 dogs died in the program.

======-- Hill Hears Testimony on Humane Slaughter --

Earlier this month, Rep. Dennis Kucinich chaired a congressional hearing before the House Oversight Committee’s Domestic Policy Subcommittee. The hearing was held in conjunction with the release of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on enforcement of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA), which prohibits the inhumane treatment of livestock in slaughter plants. [See http://www.thenation.com/doc/20100322/kaufmann. (Warning: graphic video at this site.)]

Witnesses emphasized that enforcing humane slaughter isn't just an ethical issue; it is a matter of food safety. Inhumane handling of "downer" animals-- animals that can't stand or walk on their own but are shocked or carried to move them to their slaughter—post greater health risks for human consumption.

Kucinich also questioned what the Obama administration is doing to improve enforcement of humane slaughter law. According to the Nation story:

Jerold Mande, deputy secretary for food safety at the USDA, said the department has created a new "humane handling enforcement coordinator" position, "responsible for providing consistent oversight of the field level humane handling activities." That would be an improvement, since the GAO noted that the noncompliance reports often don't rise from the district level to the departmental level. He also said the agency has hired twenty-three new inspectors assigned to "high-risk" plants. The administration also banned the slaughter of downed cows. (The Humane Society's Wayne Pacelle praised that action, but noted a troubling loophole that allows young calves to be set aside and re-examined.)

The star witness at the hearing was Dr. Dean Wyatt, a Department of Agriculture (USDA) whistleblower who was subjected to harassment when he tried to report humane handling violations. Dr. Wyatt, who has been with the USDA for 18 years, was reprimanded and threatened with termination by his supervisors after reporting repeated violations of the USDA’s Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA). [See Wayne Pacelle editorial, “Action Needed to Better Enforce Humane Slaughter Act at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wayne-pacelle/action- needed-to-better-e_b_488424.html.]

After the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) heard Dr. Wyatt’s claims, the organization conducted an undercover operation at Bushway Packing in Vermont where Dr. Wyatt had worked as a field inspector. Bushway is a veal calf slaughter plant. The 2008 HSUS investigation revealed horrific abuse at the plant (among other torture, baby calves being skinned alive). When the footage was delivered to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, USDA shut down the plant and asked the Office of Inspector General to conduct a criminal investigation.

At the Kucinich hearing, Dr. Wyatt said: “Food integrity and humane handling whistleblowers should not have to rely on an undercover video investigation in order for USDA supervisors to take their disclosures seriously. It seems almost unbelievable to me, but I have been ignored by my own people and have suffered physically, emotionally, and financially in the process. More importantly, animal welfare and food safety have suffered as well.”

The General Accounting Office also testified at the hearing. The GAO statement summarized Report GAO-10-487T which found the following:

-- Slaughter plant inspectors have not taken consistent actions to enforce the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act. In a GAO survey, different inspectors indicated they would take different enforcement actions when faced with humane slaughter violations. Also a review of noncompliance reports identified incidents where inspectors did not suspend plant operations or take regulatory actions when they appeared warranted. A lack of clarify in current Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) guidance and inadequate training of inspectors are factors.

-- FSIS cannot fully identify trends in its inspection funding and also does not have a current workforce planning strategy for allocating limited staff to inspection activities, including enforcement.

-- FSIS strategic, operational, and performance plans in place for inspection activities do not clearly outline goals, needed resources, time frames, performance standards, or enforcement guidance.

The HSUS called on the meat packing industry to respond by addressing systemic problems, in order to bring about meaningful changes that would improve the treatment of animals and meet consumer expectations. In his testimony, Pacelle notes the encouraging opportunity for reform under the new administration, and identifies specific oversight and policy reforms that would strengthen enforcement of humane handling rules. Pacelle's written testimony is available here: http://www.humanesociety.org/news/press_releases/2010/03/humane_slaughter _enforcement_testimony_030410.html

======-- “The Cove” Wins Best Documentary Oscar! --

A Tokyo story by Yuka Hayaski (Oscar Clears Way for “The Cove” in Japan) expresses the hope that this Academy win would allow Japanese audiences to discover this film on dolphin hunting in the fishing town of Taiji, the “birthplace of Japan’s commercial whaling.” Of the millions of people in Japan, only 600 so far have seen The Cove.

The documentary’s co-director, Ric O’Barry, joined the ranks of other activist winners who clash with Academy policy when he held up a plain, black-and-white banner reading “Text DOLPHIN to 44144.” The orchestra immediately began the “exit-the-stage-now” music bringing an abrupt halt to thank you’s from the other co-directors Fisher Stevens and Louie Psihoyos. As of yesterday, about 40,000 people have sent the “DOLPHIN” text that connects them to an online petition sponsored by Care2 and the number continues to grow.

You can sign a petition too. Text DOLPHIN to 44144 or search out a Care2 petition [http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/724210624]. For more about what happened at the award show, check out http://www.care2.com/news/member/525884267/1414163 or the story by Jason Mark of Earth Island Journal, “Star of Oscar Winning ‘The Cove’ Recaps His On- Stage Political Action and the Academy’s Censorship,” at http://www.alternet.org/environment/145952/star_of_oscar_winning_ %27the_cove%27_recaps_his_on-stage_political_action_and_the_academy %27s_censorship. . Far more important, though, is that the Oscar award will open the way for a widespread theatrical release in Japan

Most Japanese had not heard of the documentary since it has not been shown in commercial theaters in that country. The only exception was a single viewing during the Tokyo International Film Festival last year. According to Hayaski, theaters in Japan declined the film because people in the Taiji community insist The Cove was shot without permission and is libelous. Now the film's distributor has announced it will go ahead even without the town’s permission. However, some changes will be made. The faces of townspeople will be made unidentifiable and a note will be added regarding the controversy about the high mercury content of dolphin meat.

Kazutaka Sangen, mayor of Taiji, issued a statement in response to the Academy award saying, among other things, that "It is important to understand long-lasting traditions and realities in each other's food culture and have the spirit of mutual respect."

But for a lighter look at Animals and the Academy Awards, check out Wendy Diamond’s article on famous animal actors and actresses at the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wendy-diamond/animals-and-the-academy- a_b_481290.html

The truth is that no animal has ever won an Academy Award. They're not eligible. After carefully reading the Academy Rules, it doesn't explicitly state that an animal actor cannot not be nominated, but does exclude nomination eligibility to "Actors" and "Actresses" not "animal actors." But not to discredit those outstanding animal actors out there, there have been a few animals that garnered major recognition in films that were celebrated by the academy. Let's take a moment to review some "snubbed" animals from some major Oscar heavyweight films throughout the ages. …. Wendy Diamond

======-- Whaling and International Whaling Commission (IWC) --

The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) has reported on the recent IWC meeting. [See http://www.wdcs.org.uk/story_details.php?select=232]

“The vote on a proposal by Denmark, on behalf of Greenland, to hunt 10 humpback whales a year for aboriginal subsistence use was deferred only because insufficient countries showed up at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting. With no quorum, no vote could be taken.

“With many countries opposed to the proposal, but others, such as the USA and Sweden, strongly supporting Denmark’s proposal, the IWC has almost thrown out the rule book to try and get this proposal adopted. We now expect the vote to take place at the 62nd annual meeting of the IWC in Morocco, in June this year. ….

“Prior to the Intersessional meeting a Small Working Group of the IWC met to develop a Package on the Future of the IWC that would, if adopted, allow commercial whaling to resume and ’lock in’ Greenland’s quotas for 10 years. ….

“The IWC now moves on to discuss the potential of a resumption of commercial whaling in June, in Morocco, but ‘how can civil society maintain any faith in the ‘Future of the IWC’ process when we have seen such abuse of process to try and force through this humpback proposal’ says the WDCS spokesperson.”

WDCS is now asking: Was the US encouraging the Greenland quota allocation and why is it supportive of a deal to resume commercial whaling?

The WDCS believes that the publicly ambiguous nature of the Obama IWC team’s stance on the rush to resume commercial whaling is causing concern among the public and Congress. Already members of Congress have written to the President asking for him to take a firm stance on commercial whaling and WDCS is proud to associate itself with Cetacean Society International's (CSI) call on the President to stand up for the whales. To send an easy on-line message to President Obama, go to:http://198.106.179.31/view_e_protest.php? e_protest_select=16&&select=209

Here is the text of the message, which should be personalized:

Dear Mr. President;

You took office promising to honor the US's commitments to uphold the commercial whaling moratorium and to ensure that decisions are made on the basis of the strongest possible scientific evidence.

Despite this, the new US delegation to the IWC -- appointed by you -- appears to be helping to lead that body back to commercial whaling.

The US appears to have surrendered its leadership role in whale conservation and has become the political fixer in backroom deals.

By rewarding the whalers with quotas, the US is legitimizing whaling and trade in whale products for years to come.

We need to be able to trust you to uphold the US traditional position of protecting the world’s whales, yet the litany of dead whales that will be left in your delegation’s wake will haunt your Administration for years to come unless the US reestablishes its pro-conservation stance.

Mr. President, please look to what the US is doing and saying in this debate!

Please don’t sacrifice the lives of thousands of whales, and your legacy, to political expediency.

The US can once again be the leader of the world in whale conservation and you can make it happen. The world is watching; will you lead?

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======-- Tilly Controversy Continues --

Since the death of the SeaWorld trainer, everyone seems to have an opinion about what should happen to Tillikum (aka Tilly) specifically and whether marine mammals should even be in the entertainment business at all. Jack Hanna, not surprisingly, is all for animal performers. On the opposite side is Jean-Michel Costeau. To view his statement, go to: http://blog.peta.org/archives/2010/03/jean-michel_cousteau.php

While some hope Tilly will be sent to a sanctuary, others are not so forgiving. The American Family Association, a religious right group, is urging that the killer whale that killed a trainer be put down, preferably by stoning! The group is laying the blame for the trainer's death on Chuck Thompson, the curator in charge of animal behavior, because, according to Scripture: To use an example from Exodus, if your ox kills a second time, "the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death." (Exodus 21:29)

As previously reported, SeaWorld has no plans to execute Tilly. [See the story http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/03/american-family- associati_n_484022.html?view=print]

As of Monday, March 8, readers can also participate in a poll on what people think should be done with Tilly at the Huffington Post web site above. So far, a majority believe he should be released to a sanctuary.

======-- Has China Seen the Light? --

Public pressure and China’s press is attempting to persuade their government to ban eating dog-meat and cat-meat. During the National People’s Congress where the Communist Party decides news laws to draft and when they will be passed, a proposed animal-rights bill last September was addressed, making it the first ever for the country.

This proposed bill is not without resistance as dog and cat meats are a part of ancient eating habits. Dogs are a popular dish in many parts of China especially in Beijing while Cats are more popular in Southern China. However, the proposed law would make it illegal to eat or sale dog or cat meat and carry a fine of the equivalent of $730 or imprisonment for up to 15 days. Although the government has admitted that more stringent laws are needed to prevent the cruelty to animals, the proposed bill has yet to make it on the congressional agenda.

======-- PETA Dog Hero and Changing Attitudes in India --

The Hindu on-line reported on March 8 that PETA had given 12-year-old Laura Moll its “Hero to Animals” award for commitment to homeless animals. Laura, a native of Germany currently living in New Delhi, is a volunteer at Friendicoes Society for the Eradication of Cruelty to Animals, a local shelter. Laura is dedicated to helping the many homeless dogs wandering New Delhi.

Meanwhile, Dr. Stanley Coren, is talking about changing views about dogs in that country as explained to him by a social scientist visiting his university. His article, “Dogs and Marriage in India” appeared recently in Psychology Today.

Dr. Coren recounts that during her visit social scientist Farha Singh talked about how ownership of a purebred dog is a trend today in India. Labs, pugs, poodles, cocker spaniels, and Dalmatians are the most sought after breeds. Owning a purebred and being able to afford the dog’s care, is becoming a status symbol.

As part of an Indian family, dogs have a role in cultural mainstays like marriage and spirituality; and a cultural preference for male over female is impacting the ratio of male to female dogs. Singh said she looked for a mate for her male Dalmatian for over a year with no success: “Perhaps it comes from my religious beliefs, but it seems very important to me that he should get married so that he can complete a whole life cycle.”

Everyone in India seems to want a male dog, but the difficulty in finding female partners has resulted in raising the value of the female purebreds. And Singh also reported that last year a kind of speed-dating event for dogs was held at a shopping plaza in Delhi. A priest was present to perform the marriage ceremony if a suitable mate was found, and there was music, dancing and lots of food!

To learn more about the love life of dogs in India (the pampered ones at any rate) you can read Dr. Coren’s article in its entirety at: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/canine-corner/201003/dogs-and-marriage- in-india

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