ARFF news for the Florida animal advocate Summer 2015

BOARD OF DIRECTORS America’s largest circus to end elephant acts Nanci Alexander In March, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus announced that it will end elephant President acts by 2018. A big reason for the decision, according to company President Kenneth Caren Lesser Feld, “was that certain cities and counties have passed ‘anti-circus’ and ‘anti-elephant’ Vice President ordinances.” Feld explained, “it’s expensive to fight legislation in each jurisdiction. It’s also difficult to plan tours amid constantly changing regulations.” The announcement was an Laura Guttridge acknowledgment of the rising tide of opposition to the use of elephants and other wild Secretary/Treasurer animals in circuses.

BOARD OF ADVISORS ARFF president Nanci U.S. Congressman Ted Deutch, 19th District Alexander presents former Hollywood City Former U.S. Congressman Commissioner Cathy Peter Deutsch, 20th District Anderson with an Award of Appreciation U.S. Congressman for taking the lead Alcee Hastings, 23rd District in what has become a nationwide effort Former U.S. Congressman to pass legislation Robert Wexler, 19th District in response to the Cathleen Anderson dangers and cruelty of Former City Commissioner, circuses. City of Hollywood President, Animal Birth Control

Stedman “Ted” Carr, D.V.M. The first, and the largest number of “anti-circus” ordinances have been enacted in South Doris Day Florida. Hollywood’s landmark animal display ban that prohibits circuses and other exotic Actress, President animal acts was enacted in 1990, the first such ordinance in the nation. Lauderdale Lakes Doris Day Animal League (1992) and Weston (2007) have passed similar ordinances. Pompano Beach (2000), Margate (2011), Hallandale Beach (2012) and Miami Beach (2014) have banned the use Jay Ferber, D.V. M. of bullhooks, electric prods and other cruel devices common in circuses.

Scott Fuerst, Esq. Greenspoon Marder Law Unfortunately, other circuses are resisting change and will continue to transport elephants hundreds of miles chained in trucks, and to force these magnificent animals to perform Pam Huizenga unnatural tricks on demand.

Ingrid Newkirk continued on page 2 President, PETA For the first time in 20 years, bears in Florida will be hunted IN MEMORIAM Cleveland Amory In June, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved a bear hunting season, ignoring the majority of Floridians who have said they oppose a bear hunt. Hunting of bears in Florida will begin in October. Animal Rights Foundation of Florida 1431 North Federal Highway Prior to the FWC meeting, ARFF held protests against a bear hunt at the FWC’s regional Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304 offices in West Palm Beach, Ocala, Lake City and Lakeland. The protests attracted Phone: (954) 727-ARFF significant media coverage and helped spread our message that a trophy hunt is not a Email: [email protected] solution to human-bear conflicts. facebook.com/animalsflorida You can help by contacting your state legislators and urging them to take action against the twitter.com/animalrightsfl hunting of Florida’s bears (see page 3 for more information).

Growing awareness and concern about the treatment of animals in the circus In May, the Bahia Shrine Circus in Kissimmee was a disappointment for temple executives, who wrote in their newsletter, “We can say that since the beginning of Bahia time this by far was the most challenging circus.” ARFF activists protesting the circus were encouraged by the near empty parking lot at the arena.

After animal advocates expressed concerns, the Egypt Shriners (Tampa) announced that the elephant act in April’s circus had been cancelled. A step in the right direction!

You Can Help At its annual convention in July, Shriners International chose a new leader. Jerry Gantt will serve as “Imperial Potentate” for the next 12 months. Please ask him to use his influence to encourage Shrine temples in the U.S. and Canada to replace animal circuses with alternative, non- ARFF’s protest of the Shrine Circus in Palm Beach Gardens. animal fundraisers.

Jerry Gantt, Imperial Potentate Shriners International 2900 Rocky Point Drive Tampa, FL 33607 E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]

Members of Congress speak up for monkeys trapped in Florida’s breeding farms In June, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) released undercover video taken inside the Primate Products facility in Hendry County showing monkeys violently handled and terrorized. Following the investigation, U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors visited the facility and identified at least 25 violations of animal-welfare regulations.

At ARFF’s urging, Congressmen Ted Deutch and Alcee Hastings, and Congresswoman Lois Frankel, sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services asking the agency to conduct its own inquiry of the taxpayer-funded facility, and to review federal contracts with the company. (Congressmen Deutch and Hastings are members of ARFF’s Board of Advisors.)

Primate Products was the first company to open a monkey breeding facility in Hendry County. There are now three separate facilites in operation in the county, and a fourth under construction. There are more monkey breeding facilities in Hendry County than any other Monkeys at Primate Products. Photo by PETA. community in the United States! Learn more at ARFF’s website: http://arff.org/hendry

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Florida Legislative Session wrap-up The 2015 Florida Legislative Session ended on April 28 with mixed results for animal advocates.

Some good news. Legislation to clarify the prohibition on the use of banned drugs or other substances by racing horses and dogs, and strengthen penalties, passed and was signed into law by the governor. Also, legislation passed that removes the requirement that livestock impounded by animal control or a law enforcement agency be offered for sale at auction. Horses, potbellied pigs, goats and other small livestock can now be adopted instead.

Greyhound racing. Legislation to require reporting of injuries suffered by racing greyhounds passed the Florida Senate with a unanimous 38-0 vote. (Among states with dog tracks, only Florida and Alabama do not require that racing injuries be publicly reported.) The bill, sponsored by Sen. Eleanor Sobel, was the first measure passed by the Senate. Unfortunately, its companion bill did not make it to the floor of the Florida House of Representatives for a vote before the session ended. ARFF hopes that this legislation will be reintroduced next year. In addition, “decoupling” legislation that would remove the requirement that dog tracks conduct live racing in order to also offer slots or poker, did not pass in 2015.

The 2016 Legislative Session will begin on January 12.

You Can Help Have you ever spoken to your state senator or state representative? If not, this summer and fall would be a good time to catch them at a district office near you, before they head toTallahassee. Whether you meet in person or speak on the phone, you could urge your state legislators to support a specific animal protection proposal, such as ending bear hunting (see below), and let them know how important the issue of animal protection is to you.

To find your elected officials, visit www.flsenate.gov/senators/find Or contact ARFF for help.

To win victories for animals, ARFF will need your help during the legislative session. Contact ARFF to be added to our email list to receive legislative alerts and updates, or follow this link: www.mailermailer.com/x?oid=22952o

Protect Florida’s bears! Contact your state legislators and ask them to take a stand against the hunting of bears in Florida. Under the Florida Constitution, the state legislature’s powers with respect to wildlife is limited. It is unlikely that the state legislature could stop the bear hunt. But legislators could, for example, enhance penalties for chasing bears with dogs and/or hunting over bait, two cruel methods of hunting that will not be allowed during this year’s bear hunt.

ARFF’s protest at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission office in Ocala (left). The protest was one of several statewide at FWC regional offices. ARFF Central Florida Coordinator Bryan Wilson donned a bear costume in April at a busy Seminole County intersection to protest the bear hunt (right). 3

Dissection restricted in Florida’s largest school district In June, the School Board of Miami-Dade County unanimously voted to stop cat dissections in county schools— a significant step for America’s 4th largest school system! The school board will also explore the possibility of ending all animal dissections throughout the district. ARFF thanks School Board Member Raquel Regalado for proposing the action.

The dissection of cats is also banned in Broward County public schools.

You Can Help Contact your county school board and ask them to ban or restrict animal dissections.

Progress against puppy mills Since the beginning of the year, the communities of Fernandina Beach, Lauderhill, North Miami, and Palm Beach have passed bans on the sale of dogs and cats at pet stores (unless the animals come from a shelter or rescue organization). In addition, Miami and Coral Springs have adopted moratoriums on new pet stores while they consider a ban.

There are more of these ordinances— aimed at stopping the sale of dogs from puppy mills—in Florida than any other state.

For a fifth grade project, Chanda Singh-Richardson, a student at the Frank C. Martin International K-8 Center in Miami, created and distributed a brochure about puppy mills (ARFF was happy to help). She also raised $400 by washing dogs and donated the money to ARFF! Thank you Chanda for working to make the world a better place for animals!

ARFF’s humane educator James Wildman speaking to students at a Miami-Dade County high school in May.

ARFF’s van reaches a milestone The beloved ARFF van has passed the 100,000 mile mark! For the last 7 years, the van has transported ARFF’s humane educator across South Florida to schools, colleges and camps, teaching youth and adults to be kind to animals. This summer, ARFF’s humane educator will be traveling thousands more miles to camps and colleges in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Here’s to another 100,000!

ARFF president recognized for her leadership At the South Florida Community Care Network’s Non-Profit Academy Awards in February, Nanci Alexander, ARFF’s founder and president, was honored as one of three finalists for a “Lifetime Achievement Award.” The annual awards are given to recognize the efforts of Broward County non-profits and the accomplishments of non-profit leaders.

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Florida city ends exotic animal display A caged tiger will no longer be displayed at an arts & crafts festival in Punta Gorda. The decision by the city manager was the result of many letters, meetings with city leaders, protests and petitions. ARFF assisted local activist Jeanne Jain, who described how her efforts began:

“One day, nearly five years after moving to Charlotte County, I opened my free ‘Green Sheet’ shoppers’ newspaper and found an advertisement for an arts & crafts show being held at Gilchrist Park in Punta Gorda. I was floored when I read the show featured a live tiger! I could not believe what I was reading. I immediately made a trip to the park to see for myself if it was true. To my chagrin, there he was, a full- grown male tiger named Samson, in a cage at the back of the arts & crafts show.

I was livid that someone could think it was okay to exploit this particular tiger to raise funds to feed all their animals at their ‘refuge’ in Arcadia. This was not the first time a tiger or wild animal had been displayed in a cage at Gilchrist Park. It had been going on for quite some time. The cage was void of cross-ventilation as it was surrounded on three sides with plastic tarps. The owner of the tiger got angry at me for objecting to the display of the tiger. I told her it was cruel to have the tiger languishing in the Florida heat and humidity all day, but she objected telling me that Samson ‘loves’ to come to see the people at the arts & crafts shows. It was only later that I found out this tiger was being transported in that tiny cage not only from Arcadia to Punta Gorda, but also to North Port, Venice and other venues around southwest Florida. And that is how my quest to stop this madness began.”

Miami mall to feature sea lions doing tricks?! In March, plans were announced for a new mall and theme park to be built in northwest Miami-Dade County. The massive complex, called American Dream Miami, would be the nation’s largest mall. It would include an indoor ski slope, a water park, a Ferris wheel and roller-coaster. Unfortunately, the plans also include a live sea lion show.

The project is still in its early stages. We need your help to persuade the developer and county officials to cancel plans for the cruel exploitation of wild animals.

You Can Help Sea lions will suffer in the artificial environment of a shopping mall. The cramped pools will deny these wild animals the ability to engage in natural behaviors. Please contact the developer, Triple Five Group, and Miami-Dade County’s Mayor, and ask that performing sea lions and any animal display be removed from plans for American Dream Miami.

Sample text (it’s best to use your own words): “I was disappointed to learn that the proposed American Dream Miami mall will feature a sea lion show. It is wrong to keep sea lions, dolphins or any wild animals in captivity merely to entertain shoppers. This cruel display is not necessary for the mall to be successful. I will not be shopping at American Dream Miami if captive marine mammals are included. Please remove the sea lion show and any animal display from the plans. Thank you, [name and address]”

Contact:

Nader Ghermezian, Chairman Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez Triple Five Group Office of the Mayor 9440 W Sahara, Suite 240 Stephen P. Clark Center Las Vegas, NV 89117 111 NW 1st Street Email: [email protected] Miami, FL 33128 Email: [email protected] 5

(top left) ARFF volunteers distributed vegan food samples, and information about the meat and dairy industries, to the public at the Orlando Farmer’s Market in July. (top right) ARFF volunteers in Orlando were busy during the July 4th weekend educating the public about veganism. Over 1,000 pamphlets were distributed! Photos by Carla Wilson.

In June, more than 200 people took a stand against marine mammal captivity outside SeaWorld Orlando. ARFF flew an airplane banner over the park during the event. Photos by Carla Wilson.

memorials & accolades In memory of Paul Platt, by Diane Hoffman

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ARFF in the media: Winter-Spring 2014-15 The Orlando Sentinel covered ARFF’s anti-bear hunt protest outside the June meeting of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) in Sarasota — ARFF’s protests at FWC regional offices in West Palm Beach, Ocala, Lake City and Lakeland were covered by the Daily Commercial, Lakeland Ledger, Ocala StarBanner, Sarasota Herald-Tribune, WJAX Ch. 47 (Jacksonville), WUFT-FM 89.1 (Gainesville), WCJB Ch. 20 (Gainesville), WFLA CH. 8 (Tampa), ABC Action News (Tampa), Fox 35 WOFL (Orlando), WFTV Ch. 9 (Orlando), News 13 (Orlando), WJHG Ch. 7 (Panama City Beach), WPBF Ch. 25 (West Palm Beach) and WPTV Ch. 5 (West Palm Beach) — ARFF representatives were quoted in stories in the Fort Myers News-Press, Palm Beach Post, Central Florida Future and on CBS Ch. 4 (Miami) about the proposal to open a bear hunt — The Miami Herald and WSVN Ch. 7 (Miami) spoke to ARFF’s Campaigns Coordinator about a proposed ordinance in the Village of Pinecrest to stop protests in residential neighborhoods — WKMG Ch. 6 (Orlando) and WFTV Ch. 9 (Orlando) covered the “Empty The Tanks” protest at SeaWorld Orlando — A story in the Sun Sentinel about problems at a petting zoo in a Broward County park included comments by an ARFF representative — ARFF’s concerns about “Nosey” the elephant were noted in a Naples Daily News article about the Shrine Circus — An article in the Fort Myers News-Press about possible zoning violations at Hendry County’s monkey breeding facilities included comments by ARFF’s Campaigns Coordinator — Comments by ARFF representatives were included in stories about the FWC’s initial vote in support of bear hunting in the Palm Beach Post, Pensacola Today, Capitol News Service, and on WWSB Ch. 7 (Sarasota), WUFT-FM 89.1 (Gainesville) and WCTV (Tallahassee) — “Animal activist dons bear costume to protest proposed hunts in Florida” was the headline of a story on WKMG Ch. 6 (Orlando) — ARFF activists hung a banner reading “Tell FWC no bear hunt!” over Interstate 4 in Orlando during morning rush-hour; the action was covered by the Orlando Sentinel, Orlando Weekly, WESH Ch. 2 (Orlando), WFTV Ch. 9 (Orlando), TV News 13 (Orlando), WKMG Local 6 (Orlando) and WDBO News 96.5 (Orlando) — WFTV Ch. 9 reported on ARFF’s efforts that lead to the cancellation of a “Man v. Greyhound” event at the Sanford- Orlando Kennel Club — Articles in the Naples News, Fort Myers News-Press and on TheirTurn.net about the continuing controversy over Hendry County’s monkey breeding facilities included comments by ARFF representatives — ARFF’s viewpoint was included in a Miami Herald article about All American Gator Products, a South Florida company that buys alligator skins from hunters and trappers — ARFF representatives were interviewed for stories on WSVN Ch. 7 (Miami) and in the Orlando Sentinel about the announcement by Ringling Bros. that it would end elephant acts — UCF Knightly News covered ARFF’s protest at the Silver Spurs Rodeo in Kissimmee — ARFF’s Central Florida coordinators Bryan and Carla Wilson were the subject of a profile in the Central Florida Future — A story in the Orlando Sentinel about the uncertain future for the National Elephant Center included comments by an ARFF representative.

Letters to the Editor Congratulations to John Amato, Dean Anderson, Don Anthony, Nick Atwood, Darryl Bates, Jim Brooks, John Cielukowski, Lois DeGaris, Chris Murphy, Peter Perry, Martin Williams and Terry Wilson for letters published in the Charlotte Sun, Daytona Beach News-Journal, Florida Today, Fort Myers News-Press, Lakeland Ledger, Miami Herald, Orlando Sentinel, Palm Beach Daily News, Palm Beach Post, South Florida Gay News, Sun Sentinel and the Tallahassee Democrat. Did you have a letter published in your local newspaper? Please let ARFF know!

Mail to:

Animal Rights Foundation of Florida 1431 N. Federal Highway Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33304 Questions? Phone: (954) 727-ARFF E-mail: [email protected]

The Animal Rights Foundation of Florida is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Enclosed is my check in the amount of: (contributions are tax-deductible)

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Cole Bros. Circus: one of the worst Each year, the Cole Bros. Circus begins and ends its season in Florida. The season starts near the circus’ winter quarters in DeLand, and after seven months and thousands of miles traveling across the eastern U.S., Cole Bros. returns to Florida in October and November for several weeks of shows.

Cole Bros. has a horrible history of animal abuse and neglect. Not only has Cole Bros. violated federal laws intended to protect animals, but the circus has put children and families at risk by employing dangerously inexperienced elephant and tiger handlers. Learn more at www.arff.org/colebros

The circus kicked-off its season in DeLand in March. ARFF activists were there to be a voice for animals trapped in the circus.

You Can Help Join ARFF to help the elephants, tigers and other animals who are forced to perform in the Cole Bros. Circus. When this newsletter went to print, performance dates had not been announced but we expect the circus to perform in the following cities in October and November: Pensacola, Panama City Beach, West Palm Beach, Melbourne, Port St. Lucie, Lakeland, Cape Coral and Fort Myers.

Please contact ARFF at [email protected] if you would like to join a protest against the circus in one of these cities. Details of ARFF protests will be posted on Facebook/animalsflorida