SPRING 2020 / VOLUME 69 / NUMBER 1 A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF AWI additional funding for implementation of vital animal welfare laws such as the Endangered Species Act and the Humane Dear Members and other Methods of Slaughter Act. AWI’s Dr. Naomi Rose and her co- editors are preparing the State of the Cetacean Environment friends of AWI: Report for the Sub-Committee on Environmental Concerns of the International Whaling Commission’s Scientific As you know, coronavirus (COVID-19) is spreading around Committee. AWI’s Regina Terlau is working with consultant the globe, and the human species is facing a pandemic unlike Nancy Brown to produce comprehensive teachers’ guides and any the vast majority of us have endured in our lifetimes. As lesson plans to be used in concert with AWI publications. a society, we will get through it, but many lives are being lost These are merely a few examples of how we remain focused and most lives have been turned upside down. on our mission despite the disruption. At AWI, we have made changes in our operations to ensure On behalf of the board of directors and staff at AWI, we wish the safety of our staff and consultants, such as suspending you and yours good health, patience, understanding, and all travel and implementing telework from our homes. compassion. Please take care of yourselves and carefully Though where we work and how we conduct that work has follow the guidance of healthcare professionals as we all changed, please know that our efforts on behalf of animals attempt to navigate these deeply unsettling waters. continue in earnest. Our Government Affairs team continues to have meetings (via phone) regarding important animal Sincerely, welfare items before Congress—such as demanding greater accountability from the US Fish and Wildlife Service with respect to trophy hunting import permits and procuring FOUNDER SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE Joanna Grossman, PhD Regina Terlau-Benford Equine Program Manager Executive Assistant Christine Stevens Gerard Bertrand, PhD Johanna Hamburger, Esq. Dave Tilford Roger Fouts, PhD Wildlife Attorney Writer/Editor DIRECTORS Roger Payne, PhD Sydney Hearst Cynthia Wilson, Chair Samuel Peacock, MD Digital Advocacy Manager Jill Carey, CPA Viktor Reinhardt, DVM, PhD Dena Jones Caroline A. Griffin, Esq. Robert Schmidt, PhD Director, Farm Animal Program Mary Lee Jensvold, PhD John Walsh, MD Eric Kleiman Researcher Cathy Liss Joanna Makowska, PhD Chris Miller, DVM STAFF AND CONSULTANTS Laboratory Animal Advisor William S. Stokes, DVM Nadia Adawi, Esq. Susan Millward Executive Director/General Counsel Director, Marine Animal Program OFFICERS Alexandra Alberg Carly O’Beirne Animal Welfare Institute Animal Welfare Senior Graphic Designer Cathy Liss, President Membership Coordinator For subscription inquiries or other Nancy Blaney Cynthia Wilson, Vice President Kate O’Connell information, contact: Director, Government Affairs Marine Animal Consultant Jill Carey, CPA, Treasurer Bethany Cotton, Esq. Animal Welfare Institute Mary Lou Randour, PhD 900 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE Caroline A. Griffin, Esq., Secretary Director, Terrestrial Wildlife Program Senior Advisor, Animal Cruelty Washington, DC 20003 Kate Dylewsky Program Senior Policy Advisor (202) 337-2332 INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE Naomi Rose, PhD [email protected] Sue Fisher Marine Mammal Scientist Aline S. de Aluja, DVM, Mexico www.awionline.org Marine Animal Consultant D.J. Schubert Ambassador Tabarak Husain, Marjorie Fishman Wildlife Biologist ISSN 1071-1384 (print) Bangladesh ISSN 1930-5109 (online) Public Relations Manager Erin Sutherland, Esq. Angela King, United Kingdom Allie Granger Staff Attorney, Farm Animal Tax ID# 13-5655952 Agnes Van Volkenburgh, DVM, Poland Farm Animal Policy Associate Program CFC# 10474 8 NOAA AWI QUARTERLY SPRING 2020 ANIMALS IN LABORATORIES 8 Shark Fin Sellers Foiled in Florida, Texas 22 Human “Body-on-a-Chip” Could 9 AWI Offers Reward for Info on Replace Traditional Animal Testing Dolphin Killings 22 Lab Animal Caregivers Share Insights 9 Solar Storms Implicated in Some in New LAREF Volume Gray Whale Strandings 23 Enrichment Strategies for Rabbits 10 Marine Mammal Conference Sounds in Research Alarm, Highlights Positive Actions 24 As USDA Dithers, Research Chinchilla Supplier Goes Unchecked WILDLIFE 14 Nation’s Laws Protecting Animals and COMPANION ANIMALS Environment Are Essential 21 Fast Tracking Fatalities: Bust of Horse 17 Knitting Nests for Wildlife in Need Racing Doping Ring Highlights Need 17 AWI Contributes to Australian Wildlife for Reform Rescue and Recovery 18 Unexpected Response of Coyotes to New ABOUT THE COVER FARM ANIMALS Nonlethal Management Tool After grizzly bears were nearly 11 Hawaii Agrees to Regulate Live 19 Novel Methods to Assess the Population Animal Shipments Status of the Eastern Massasauga eradicated from the contiguous United 12 AWI Sues over Slaughter of Rattlesnake States, protections afforded the species Downed Pigs 28 Christine Stevens Wildlife Awards: under the Endangered Species Act Research Grants Available 12 Uninspiring Update to USDA Animal- (ESA) have helped boost bear numbers. Raising Claims Guideline The ESA and other vital environmental 13 Congress Directs USDA to Help Farmers GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS laws protect both wildlife and human Develop Disaster Plans 4 Animals Protections Included in communities. Alarmingly, the Trump 13 Nation’s Oldest Ag-Gag Law Ruled Appropriations Package administration has been waging war Unconstitutional 4 PAW & FIN Conservation Act Introduced 13 New York City Bans Foie Gras 5 DC Set to Ban Ivory and Rhino Horn Sales on these laws, nullifying them not by 5 Maryland County Poised to Curtail legislative repeal but by regulatory HUMANE EDUCATION Balloon Releases rollbacks—making sure they can’t be 20 “A Voice for Animals” Contest 5 Virginia Bill Would Prohibit Public enforced as intended. Turn to page 14 Now Open Contact with Wild Animals for more on this distressing assault and 20 Congrats to AWI Scholarship Recipients why we, the public, must fight back. REVIEWS Photograph by Marc Latremouille. MARINE LIFE 26 The Lives of Bees 6 Whaling in Decline: Dr. Holt’s 27 Cat Tale Dream Fulfilled 27 The Hidden World of the Fox 8 Right Whale Births This Year a Positive Sign for Species www.facebook.com/animalwelfareinstitute @AWIonline @AWIonline GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS respect to the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and the Horse Protection Act (HPA). Three years ago, the USDA abruptly purged its online database of inspection reports for breeders, dealers, exhibitors, research facilities, and other entities subject to government oversight. (See AWI Quarterly, spring 2017.) AWI worked with media to publicize this purge and the department’s drastic curtailment of enforcement activities. We joined others in asking Congress to require restoration of the data. Congress responded emphatically, directing the USDA to return the missing AWA and HPA inspection and enforcement documents and resume publishing RENNETT STOWE RENNETT reports online. Those reports—involving an estimated tens of thousands of documents—started to reappear in mid- February, with the assurance that more ANIMALS PROTECTIONS Provisions were included that will would be posted within 60 days. INCLUDED IN effectively bar horse slaughter facilities APPROPRIATIONS from operating this year in the United PACKAGE States, and will prevent the Bureau of The fiscal year 2020 appropriations Land Management or the US Forest PAW & FIN bills finalized in December included Service from selling off wild horses for CONSERVATION ACT a number of victories for animals: slaughter abroad (an important measure INTRODUCED On the marine side, $3 million was given the USFS’s recent efforts to allocated for research and monitoring remove restrictions on slaughter of wild In August 2019, the US Fish and of the gravely imperiled North Atlantic horses—see AWI Quarterly, spring 2019). Wildlife Service and National Marine right whale, and funding will continue Fisheries Service finalized three for research on methods to reduce The Protecting Animals with Shelter regulatory changes to the Endangered sea turtle bycatch and for sea turtle (PAWS) grant program was allocated Species Act (ESA) that drastically stranding and rehabilitation programs. $2 million to make additional undermine this crucial conservation resources available to better assist law. In response, Representative Raúl The Rescuing Animals With Rewards domestic violence survivors and their M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Senator Tom (RAWR) Act was included in the companion animals. Provisions were Udall (D-NM) introduced the Protect package—empowering the State included to bar the US Department America’s Wildlife and Fish in Need Department to offer financial rewards of Agriculture from licensing dealers of Conservation Act (PAW and FIN in exchange for information that leads who sell randomly acquired dogs and Conservation Act), which would repeal to the disruption of wildlife trafficking cats for use in experiments. Regarding these crippling regulations. AWI helped networks. Meanwhile, the US Fish farm animals, the USDA will work with organize a Capitol Hill briefing on and Wildlife Service will reassess producers to develop disaster plans the bill in November 2019. The PAW government affairs government its current policy of evaluating to prevent injuries and deaths to such and FIN Conservation Act passed the applications to import sport-hunted animals during extreme weather events House Natural Resources Committee elephants and lions on a case-by-case (see