QGAR NEWS
Dec 11,
05
For past
achives
Next Newsletter Dec 13,
05
Subjects: Quotes; QGAR Petition - Stop Animal Testing in relation to REACH (EU);EU Welfare Quality Project Conference Proceedings Available Online;Upcoming Film Starring Pigs Spurs Debate about Humane Farming; Wegmans petition;Australian Group Releases Report on Country's Pig Farming Industry;Poultry Welfare: Avian Influenza, Chicken Housing, and Organic Eggs ; From Farm Animal Watch:Great Stocking-Stuffer Gifts and a Gift for Animals Too!;Featured Cruelty-Free Charity;Relentless” Lamon Brewster - animal champion; Top 10 Reasons Not to Eat Pigs; URGENT: Demand Criminal Investigation Into Dog Mauling at Tennessee Animal Shelter (US); Happy Holiday Message from PETA - Watch it; PETA 2006 Shopping Guide for Caring Consumers; Urge Olan Mills to Stop Using Real Fur Photo Props (US);Judge sanctions Ringling Bros. circus owner in animal-rights spy suit; ; PETA Strikes Deal to Bring Affordable Non-Animal Simulator to The Victoria College; UI's parakeet purge cost $698.32 for each dead bird ; UNC Chapel Hill Undercover Investigation—PETA Update ; Nondairy Pumpkin Custard Recipe ; Holiday Nog Recipe;Caria Amici - Vegan cruelty free products for your health and home ; Patron Power! ; Wayward Duck Finds Sanctuary in California; Cruelty-free Holiday Gifts; Year-End Contribution Alert: Katrina Emergency Tax Relief Act of 2005; Legacy of farming methods comes home to roost;; Grey-headed flying foxes at Yarra Bend in Melbourne (AU); Deadly viruses and animal cruelty ;New Zealand’s shameful live sheep shipments resume; New Animal Liberation Group (Blue Mountains) (AU) Vegan Vegetarian Sydney Christmas Dinner (NSW); Combined Vegans Unite & VNV Christmas Banquet (VIC); Vegans Unite Christmas Lunch (NSW); Blue Mountains Festive Fling ; Charity Case of the Month - Please help; Vegan Christmas Recipe Spinach Lasagne ; (AU) ; (US NJ) Local activist calls hunt a massacre; More exotic pets being abandoned *(Malaysia) ;Three hunting deaths so far in Vermont; Boycott all YUM! companies ;Campaigns/Diary dates throughout the UK; UPC President Karen Davis'S letterl ;Candlelight vigil Glastonbury, this Monday (Greyhounds) ;New US Turtle Plan Meets Opposition ;Wallaby export decision sparks animal welfare fight (AU); Thanks for Contributions & Disclaimer. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "We consume the carcasses of creatures of like appetites, passions and organs as our own, and fill the slaughterhouses daily with screams of pain and fear." Robert Louis Stevenson "Life is life's greatest gift. Guard the life of another creature as you would your own because it is your own. On life's scale of values, the smallest is no less precious to the creature that owns it than the largest." (Lloyd Buggle Jr.) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ QGAR PETITION (commenced) - Stop Animal Testing in relation to REACH (EU) http://www.petitionthem.com/default.asp?sect=detail&pet=2296 Petition: Dear Trade Commissioner & Environment Commissioner, We, the undersigned, believe that the new EU REACH policy while important, is also misguided in some aspects. The proposal to test the harmful aspects of many common and new chemicals for harm is an important measure however our objection lies in the proposal to require extensive short and long term testing of these substances on animals. This will result in the suffering and death of millions of sentient beings. These living, aware, feeling beings should not pay the price for our wish for safety. Additionally, animal responses are not generally a good indicator of the effect a substance has on humans. (British Medical Journal, Volume 328, pp. 514–517, February 28, 2004; BBC, February 27, 2004). Tests, including bacterial as broadscale tests for mutagenic and carcigenic effects, and cell and tissue culture tests using human cell lives for more specific impacts are becoming more widespread. Cell/tissue culture from various human organs in particular can assay a broad range of effects. Animal testing of substances in wide use could result in many animals suffering for many years. Should findings indicate a problem, corporate researchers will almost always be brought in to cast doubt on findings, either claiming the tests are inconclusive, that they ignore other causative factors, or that an impact on animals is insufficient to prove an impact on humans. In such cases the suffering of animals results in no human benefit. Where human benefit should not be seen as a justification of animal suffering, this is an ethically terrible outcome. We do agree the toxicological risks of substances people are exposed to is serious, and research has indicated that airbourne chemicals from paints, glues, plastic, sealants and other household products result in a people breathing a significant number of substances in much higher concentration than pollutants found outdoors. The number of substances that may be transferred through the skin, or ingested, add to this chemical soup people are exposed to. Knowing the individual impacts of long-term exposure is a first step to addressing the health impacts of cumulative exposure. We, the undersigned, urge the EU to alter the terms of REACH to eliminate requirements for testing. DESIRED OUTCOME There should be no animal testing under REACH WHO WE NEED TO INFLUENCE To: Starvos Dimas, Commissioner Environment Commission European Commission HOW LONG WILL WE CAMPAIGN Indefinitely, until REACH ban animal testing and use alternatives to animal testing. Or the end of 2010 WHO TO CONTACT Queensland Group for Animal Rights PO Box 1115 Paradise Point Qld 4216 Australia http://www.petitionthem.com/default.asp?sect=sign&pet=2296 » Sign this petition +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ EU Welfare Quality Project Conference Proceedings Available Online The European Union-funded "Welfare Quality" project hosted a conference on farmed animal welfare in November 2005 and has made the full proceedings available online. The document includes 146 pages, most of it in the form of summary articles likely to be of interest to anyone involved in farmed animal welfare. The focus of the project's initial phase of research has been understanding consumer knowledge and opinions of animal welfare using focus groups and surveys spanning multiple European countries. Also included are articles on monitoring and measurement systems for improving farmed animal welfare along with articles about the Welfare Quality project itself. Rather than summarize the wealth of important knowledge included in the conference proceedings in the limited space we have available, below are the main articles included in the proceedings: -- European Consumers' Views about Farm Animal Welfare -- Animal Friendliness and Food Consumption Practices -- The Retail of Welfare-Friendly Products -- Farmers' Engagement in Animal Welfare: The Case of Pig Producers -- Developing a Monitoring System to Assess Welfare Quality in Cattle, Pigs, and Chickens -- Developing Practical Species-Specific Measures to Improve Farm Animal Welfare -- A Review of the Tools that are Being Developed to Facilitate the Implementation of Improved Animal Welfare Standards A team of Welfare Quality project scientists developed a list of "ten areas of welfare concern" for farmed animals that may be of particular interest to FAW readers. The list is meant to provide a framework for assessing farmed animal welfare in a consistent and relatively holistic manner. See the full document link below for an expanded discussion of these areas of concern and specific parameters that have already been developed for farmed cows. The following list is excerpted verbatim from the full report. 1. Hunger, Thirst or Malnutrition - This occurs when animals are denied a sufficient and appropriate diet or a sufficient and accessible water supply and can lead to dehydration, poor body condition and death. 2. Physical Comfort and Security - Animals can become uncomfortable and have problems lying down, getting up and standing. This can occur when they are kept in inappropriately designed housing (e.g. insufficient space, poor ventilation, unsuitable flooring and bedding) or when they are transported in poorly designed or poorly ventilated vehicles. 3. Health: Injuries - Animals can suffer physical injuries, such as mutilations, broken bones, bruises or skin lesions, due to factors such as; uneven or slippery flooring, enclosures with sharp edges and environments that promote aggressive behaviours between animals. 4. Health: Disease - Animals can suffer a range of diseases (e.g. mastitis and metabolic disorders in cattle). Poor hygiene, irregular monitoring and insufficient treatment speeds can amplify these problems. 5. Pain (not related to injuries or disease) - In addition to suffering pain from injuries and disease, animals can experience intense or prolonged pain due to inappropriate management, handling, slaughter, or surgical procedures (e.g. castration, dehorning) and as a result of intense aggressive encounters. 6. Normal / Natural Social Behaviours - Animals can be denied the opportunity to express natural, non-harmful, social behaviours, such as grooming each other and huddling for warmth. Separating females from their offspring and preventing sexual behaviour can bring about specific examples of this problem. 7. Normal / Natural Other Behaviours - Animals can be denied the possibility of expressing other intuitively desirable natural behaviours, such as exploration and play. The denial of these possibilities might lead to abnormal and/or harmful behaviours such as tongue rolling in cattle and feather pecking in chickens. 8. Human-Animal Relationship - Poor relationships can be reflected in increased avoidance distances and fearful or aggressive animal behaviours. This can occur due to inappropriate handling techniques (e.g. slapping, kicking and the use of electric prods), or when farmers, animal transporters or slaughterhouse staff are either insufficiently skilled or possess unfavourable attitudes towards animals. 9. Negative Emotions (apart from pain) - Animals can experience emotions such as fear, distress, frustration or apathy, when they are kept in inappropriate physical or social environments (e.g. where there is over mixing, or not enough space to avoid an aggressive partner). These emotions can be reflected in behaviours such as panic, flight, social withdrawal and aggression and in certain vocalisations and behavioural disorders. 10. Positive Emotions - Poor management routines and a lack of environmental stimulation may prevent animals from expressing positive emotions. Positive emotions are difficult to assess but may be reflected in certain behaviours, such as play (especially in young animals) and by certain vocalizations. "Science and Society Improving Animal Welfare," Welfare Quality Project, Nov-2005 1. Summary (HTML): http://www.welfarequality.net/everyone/31550 2. Full Document (PDF, 1.3 MB): http://tinyurl.com/aks9z (welfarequality.net) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Upcoming Film Starring Pigs Spurs Debate about Humane Farming The feature film release of Charlotte's Web scheduled for September 2006 stars a female pig rescued from slaughter and currently living on a farmed animal sanctuary in Australia. The pig, named Willy, tours with her new caretaker as she advocates banning gestation crates, saying, "In an intensive piggery there is row after row of pregnant females in tiny metal stalls, barely able to move." The caretaker is asking Australian pig farmers to use exclusively free-range and group housing systems, although one industry representative says only 3-5% of Australia is "suitable" for free-range pigs. The catalyst for this debate, Willy who plays "Wilbur" in the film, was purchased from Paramount Pictures, which based its upcoming film on the 1952 book written by EB White. Other pigs involved with the movie are also getting attention for farmed animal protection issues in Australia and the US. The New South Whales-based group Voiceless appeared with Daisy the pig on December 5 when the group released a new report on the treatment of farmed pigs in Australia (see below). According to voiceless, "90% of Christmas hams come from factory farms with the pigs living in cramped concrete-floor indoor cages." In the US, two pigs from the California sanctuary Animal Place were recorded by film sound crews and their grunts will also be used in Charlotte's Web. 1. "Film Career Saves Porker from Chop," Mercury News, 12/4/05 http://www.themercury.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,17451015%255E3462,00.html 2. "Your Favourite Ham Suggests a Feast of Free-Range Babe," Sidney Morning Herald, 12/5/05 http://tinyurl.com/8s2fw (smh.com.au) 3. "Porky Pair 'Hams it Up' at the Mike," Times-Herald, 12/4/05 http://www.timesheraldonline.com/fastsearchresults/ci_3278473 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ If you haven't already, please sign the Wegmans petition at: http://urveg.org/campaigns/wegmans/petition/ We're trying to get 1,000 signatures by Dec. 31st. Thanks! Julie Wegmans operates the largest egg farm in New York State, with over 700,000 hens housed on a single facility. Undercover investigators documented conditions that are common in the egg industry - intensive confinement, profound neglect, and mutilations without painkillers. (See http://urveg.org/campaigns/wegmans/ for details.) Battery cage egg production is so cruel that it has been outlawed by European countries. Whole Foods, Wild Oats, and Trader Joe's have adopted partial or total cage-free eggs policies. Now it's time for Wegmans to live up to its professed dedication to animal welfare, and stop using battery cages. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Farm Animal Watch- Australian Group Releases Report on Country's Pig Farming Industry The Australian animal protection group Voiceless has released an in-depth report on the country's pig farming industry, with a focus on the group's home state of New South Whales. The report is also endorsed by Animals Australia, Humane Society International (HSI), Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), and the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA). Australia has a very concentrated pig farming industry; from 1970 to 2003, the number of farms dropped by 94% while the total number of pigs slaughtered increased by 130%. Australia was the world's 6th largest exporter of pig flesh in 2004, but the industry accounts for less than 0.1% of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The Voiceless report provides a comprehensive look at current pig farming practices such as the use of sow stalls, farrowing crates, and mutilations like tail docking and teeth clipping. According to the report, such methods lead to poor health, stress, and depression given that the pigs are unable to express their natural behaviors. Voiceless cites a Dutch journal article in which eleven pig experts reportedly gave sow stalls the "lowest rating" for pig housing systems. Nonetheless, up to 62% of sows in Australia spend at least part of their reproductive cycles in stalls. Finally, the report also describes alternatives to these confinement methods and mutilations, including free-range environments and group housing systems for families of pigs. 1. "From Paddocks to Prisons: Pigs in New South Wales," Voiceless, Dec-2005 PDF file (523k): http://tinyurl.com/9u7dq (voiceless.org.au) 2. Press Release: "Christmas Ham, What a Sham," Voiceless, 12/5/05 http://tinyurl.com/bo22e (voiceless.org.au) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Poultry Welfare: Avian Influenza, Chicken Housing, and Organic Eggs Concerns about the possibility of a US outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza are creating a debate over animal welfare, chicken housing, and "biosecurity." An article in California's East Bay Express provides a comprehensive review of avian influenza's history and discusses implications of the disease for handling poultry raised for both eggs and meat consumption. According to the article, "If public health officials, or poultry industry spin doctors, succeed in pitting free-range ideals against human health, it's a safe bet which side is going to lose." The article's author believes that smaller, more humane farming operations are likely to be the first farms quarantined and "depopulated" (all birds culled) in the event of an outbreak. The article highlights the Compassion Over Killing (COK) campaign to stop the egg industry's use of the misleading "Animal Care Certified" logo. It also mentions the Humane Society of the United States' (HSUS) recent campaign successes convincing retailers to discontinue sales of eggs from "battery" caged hens. Interestingly, however, criticism of modern egg production is not limited to activists, but also includes at least one company marketing organic eggs. Horizon Organic, one of the largest producers of organic milk and eggs, recently issued a press release criticizing conventional egg farms and touting organic eggs "without the guilt." According to the release, "A conventional egg is typically produced in a large-scale poultry farm that can house up to five hens in a small cage." 1. "Endangered Species: Free-Range Poultry May be the First Casualty in our War on Avian Flu," The East Bay Express, 11/30/05 http://www.eastbayexpress.com/Issues/2005-11-30/news/feature.html 2. Press Release: "Fresh or Foul? Organic Eggs Provide Nutrition and Taste without the Guilt," Market Wire, 12/1/05 http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=102819 From Farm Animal Watch: Other Items of Interest "Expert: Don't Force Cattle," Star-Tribune, 12/3/05 A town meeting in Lyman, Wyoming recently hosted Tim Westfall, who teaches cow farmers what he calls "calm methods" of handling that may reduce the animals' anxiety and stress. Westfall's approach focuses on what he says is a difference between learned and heritable traits to teach handlers to use less aggressive means of controlling cows. He claims his methods are more humane for cows and also operationally and financially beneficial to farmers. http://tinyurl.com/97fjr (casperstartribune.net) "Report on Animal By-Products," European Commission, Oct-2005 The European Union is considering changing regulations covering the use of animal by-products, as proposed in a recent report providing details on the topic. The report states, "Every year, more than 16 million tonnes of materials of animal origin not intended for human consumption... are produced in the EU. Some of these materials are then transformed in a variety of products used in animal feed, cosmetics, medicinal products (pharmaceutical), medical devices (laboratory reagents) and other technical products (fertilisers, soil improver, oleo-chemical products, photographic paper coating)." http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/05/398 "Swiss Adopt Five-Year GMO Farming Ban," NY Times / Reuters, 11/27/05 A majority of Swiss citizens (56%) voted to pass a five-year ban on the farming of genetically modified animals or plants. The decision makes Switzerland one of the most anti-GMO countries in Europe and positions the country to focus on higher quality agricultural products. The decision was supported by consumer and farmers' groups alike. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/business/business-food-swiss-gmo.html "Study: US Fisheries Discard 22% of Catch," The Washington Post, 12/1/05 A new report from the group Oceana says that commercial fishing operations in the US discard 22% of what they catch, not including protected species, mammals, or birds. The report notes that shrimp fishermen discard as "by-catch" four times as many fish as they keep for "processing." While not directly an animal farming issue, some commercially caught species of fish are used as feed for aquaculture operations and other agricultural purposes. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/30/AR2005113001948.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ PETA Great Stocking-Stuffer Gifts and a Gift for Animals Too! http://getactive.peta.org/ct/0p_HQhY1Wm4B/ For a limited time, AnimalRightstuff.com, home of the shirts that speak out for animals, will donate 20 percent of the proceeds from your order (instead of the usual 15 percent) to PETA. Check out the site’s great selection of baseball shirts, messenger bags, beanies, hooded sweatshirts, and so much more. To have the 20 percent donated, add “PETA” to the online order form in the space for “company.” The offer ends December 31 at midnight. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Featured Cruelty-Free Charity: Naturaleza, Inc. Naturaleza, Inc., is a holistic health organization that advocates animal-free, natural, sustainable healing methods that preserve the environment's botanical diversity and acknowledge indigenous traditions. With advisory committees of holistic physicians, ethnobotanists, ecologists, and indigenous people, Naturaleza was founded with a mission to "assist in the generation of fresh revenue streams for the continued preservation of our world's natural places and the deep cultural traditions therein." President Todd Pesek, M.D., a holistic physician, ethnobotanist, and ecologist, focuses on programs and policies that demonstrate social responsibility and environmental awareness while helping native peoples in the areas of health and wellness, agriculture, education, and cultural awareness. Through Naturaleza's La Sierra Tropical Research Facility and Clinic Initiative, the organization operates a research facility and medical clinic in Southern Belize that supports visiting health-care professionals from all over the world. The clinic provides emergency and infectious disease care and occupational and physical therapies to local populations and serves as a research center for tropical/wilderness medicine, epidemiology and infectious diseases, public health, and traditional healing methods. Naturaleza works to develop sustainably harvested, fair-trade natural remedies and runs a traditional healing apprenticeship program. The charity focuses on a holistic approach to cultural health, ensuring that all its programs meet the needs of the indigenous people served. For more information, visit NaturalezaFoundation.org. http://www.naturalezafoundation.org/ Join the Animal Savings Club http://www.animalsavingsclub.com/join.asp today! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Not only is “Relentless” Lamon Brewster one of today’s top heavyweights, he is also a defending champion for animals http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/Prefs.asp?video=lamon_brollin the fight to expose the cruelty behind dogfighting. Lamon’s stellar amateur career includes winning two Indiana Golden Gloves Championships, two California Golden Gloves Championships, the Indiana Expo, the Ohio State Fair, the ABF Nationals, and a silver medal in the Pan Am Games. In April 2004, he upset defending world champ Wladimir Klitscko to become the WBO heavyweight champion, a title that he has successfully defended in three subsequent fights. But his fight outside the ring is why animal advocates most admire Lamon’s style and grace. Lamon lent his voice to the dogs who are continuously forced into the ring against their will in a new public service announcement http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/Prefs.asp?video=lamon_dogfight for PETA. Dogs used for fighting are raised under horrific conditions and abusively trained to be aggressive. Law enforcement agents routinely break up illegal dogfighting rings, often finding many dead and dying dogs. Dogs who do survive usually sustain serious injuries, such as broken bones and painful crushed cartilage. Many suffer and die from blood loss, shock, dehydration, exhaustion, or infection hours or days after a fight. Dogfighting is illegal in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. There is no “victory” for dogs who are forced to fight. But you can help stop the abuse. If you think dogfighting is taking place in your area, please contact your local humane society or police department to investigate. You can also help spread the word about dogfighting by writing a letter to the editor of your local paper. For tips on writing effective letters, see PETA’s Guide to Letter-Writing http://www.helpinganimals.com/a-shelterletter.html . You may also want to encourage neighborhood watch groups in your area to keep an eye out for possible dogfighting rings. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Top 10 Reasons Not to Eat Pigs Attention, shoppers: Stop picking up dead “Babes” and “Wilburs” at the grocery store! Here are our top 10 reasons to keep pork off your fork and put delicious Babe-free alternatives on your shopping list instead. Pigs and Playstations Meet your meat http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/Prefs.asp?video=pigs Think that you can outplay a pig on your Playstation? You may be surprised. According to research, pigs are much smarter than dogs, and they even do better at video games than some primates. In fact, pigs are extremely clever animals who form complex social networks and have excellent memories. Eating a pig is like eating your dog! As actor Cameron Diaz put it after hearing that pigs have the mental capacities of a 3-year-old human: “[Eating bacon is] like eating my niece!” Learn more http://www.goveg.com/f-hiddenlivespigs.asp about pigs. Pigs Have Feelings Too Ninety-seven percent of pigs in the United States today are raised in factory farms, where they will never run across sprawling pastures, bask in the sun, breathe fresh air, or do anything else that comes naturally to them. Crowded into warehouses with nothing to do and nowhere to go, they are kept on a steady diet of drugs to keep them alive and make them grow faster, but the drugs cause many of the animals to become crippled under their own bulk. Learn more about cruelty to pigs http://www.goveg.com/factoryFarming_pigs.asp . Check out these videos from pig farms in Oklahoma http://www.goveg.com/seaboard.asp , North Carolina http://www.goveg.com/belcross.asp, Nebraska http://www.goveg.com/nebraskapigfarm.asp , and South Dakota http://www.goveg.com/sdpigfarm.asp . Porking You Up It’s a fact—ham, sausage, and bacon strips will go right to your hips. Eating pork products, which are loaded with artery-clogging cholesterol and saturated fat, is a good way to increase your waistline and increase your chances of developing deadly diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s, asthma, and impotence. Research has shown that vegetarians are 50 percent less likely to develop heart disease, and they have 40 percent of the cancer rate of meat-eaters. Plus, meat-eaters are nine times more likely to be obese than pure vegetarians are. Every time you eat animal products, you’re also ingesting bacteria, antibiotics, dioxins, hormones, and a host of other toxins that can accumulate in your body and remain there for years. Learn more http://www.goveg.com/healthConcerns.asp about animal products and your health. Pigs Prefer Mud, Not Crud Pigs are actually very clean animals. If they are given sufficient space, pigs are careful not to soil the areas where they sleep or eat. And forget the silly saying “sweating like a pig”—pigs can’t even sweat! That’s why they bathe in water or mud to cool off. But in factory farms, they’re forced to live in their own feces and vomit and even amid the corpses of other pigs. Conditions are so filthy that at any given time, more than one-quarter of pigs suffer from mange—think of your worst case of poison ivy, and imagine having to suffer from it for the rest of your life. Learn more http://www.goveg.com/factoryFarming_pigs.asp about what happens to pigs in factory farms. Check out the mange-ridden pigs on these South Dakota http://www.goveg.com/sdpigfarm.asp and Nebraska http://www.goveg.com/nebraskapigfarm.asp pig farms. Farming Family Values Factory farms are pure hell for pigs and their babies. Mother pigs spend most of their lives in tiny “gestation” crates, which are so small that the animals are unable to turn around or even lie down comfortably. They are repeatedly impregnated until they are slaughtered. Piglets, who are taken away from their distraught mothers after just a few weeks, have their tails chopped off, their teeth are clipped off with pliers, and the males are castrated—all without painkillers. Learn more http://www.goveg.com/factoryFarming_pigs.asp about cruelty to pigs. The Manure Is Blowing in the Wind … A pig farm with 5,000 animals produces as much fecal waste as a city of 50,000 people. In 1995, 25 million gallons of putrid hog urine and feces spilled into a North Carolina river, immediately killing between 10 and 14 million fish. To get around water pollution limits, factory farms will frequently take the tons of urine and feces that are stored in cesspools and turn them into liquid waste that they spray into the air. This manure-filled mist is carried away by the wind and inhaled by the people who live nearby. Learn more http://www.goveg.com/environment.asp about how factory farming damages the environment. Bacteria-Laden Bacon and Harmful Ham Extremely crowded conditions, poor ventilation, and filth in factory farms cause such rampant disease in pigs that 70 percent of them have pneumonia by the time they’re sent to the slaughterhouse. In order to keep pigs alive in conditions that would otherwise kill them and to promote unnaturally fast growth, the industry keeps pigs on a steady diet of the antibiotics that we depend on to treat human illnesses. This overuse of antibiotics has led to the development of “superbacteria,” or antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. The ham, bacon, and sausage that you’re eating may make the drugs that your doctor prescribes the next time you get sick completely ineffective. Learn more http://www.goveg.com/contamination.asp about the effect of eating meat from sick, diseased, and drugged animals. Hell on Wheels More than 170,000 pigs die in transport each year, and more than 420,000 are crippled by the time they arrive at the slaughterhouse. Transport trucks, which carry pigs hundreds of miles through all weather extremes with no food or water, regularly flip over, throwing injured and dying animals onto the road. These terrified and injured animals are rarely offered veterinary care, and most languish in pain for hours; some even bleed to death on the side of the road. After an accident in April 2005, Smithfield spokesperson Jerry Hostetter told one reporter, “I hate to admit it, but it happens all the time.” Learn more http://www.goveg.com/factoryFarming_pigs_trans.asp about cruelty to pigs during transport. Killing Them Without Kindness A typical slaughterhouse kills up to 1,100 pigs every hour, which makes it impossible for them to be given humane, painless deaths. The U.S. Department of Agriculture documented 14 humane slaughter violations at one processing plant, where inspectors found hogs who “were walking and squealing after being stunned [with a stun gun] as many as four times.” Because of improper stunning methods and extremely fast line speeds, many pigs are still alive when they are dumped into scalding-hot hair-removal tanks—they literally drown in scalding-hot water. Learn more http://www.goveg.com/factoryFarming_pigs_trans.aspabout what happens to pigs at slaughter. Ditch the Bacon and Get Fakin’ Save pigs from hell and yourself from bad health by feasting on faux pork products instead. Stuff a sandwich full of Yves brand veggie ham slices, or throw some Lightlife Smart Bacon into a sizzling skillet—the freezer and “health food” sections of your local grocery or health food stores are packed full of these and other tasty substitutes http://www.vegcooking.com/guide-favs.asp. Check out VegCooking.com http://www.vegcooking.com/ for hundreds of recipes, product recommendations, vegan meal plans, and a shopping guide. Think before you eat another sausage link—order a free vegetarian starter kit http://www.goveg.com/order.asp full of delicious recipes and celebrity features today! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ URGENT: Demand Criminal Investigation Into Dog Mauling at Tennessee Animal Shelter Many of you are undoubtedly familiar with this tragedy. In mid-October, a black Labrador-mix dog named Zania was reportedly left unattended at an animal control facility in Lebanon, Tennessee. Two days after she was placed in an extremely crowded kennel, Zania was found mauled to near death. Allegedly, officers simply moved Zania out of the kennel and failed to seek immediate veterinary care for her, instead leaving her to languish on the cold concrete of the city's facility. For more information about this horrific case, please see news coverage from The Lebanon Democrat and The Tennessean, and click here to view graphic photos of Zania's injuries. Dr. Allen Craig, the veterinarian who received Zania on October 16, reported that it is his expert opinion that Zania had been lingering for 12 to 24 hours between when she was mauled and when she was taken to his hospital. According to news reports, Sara Felmlee of the Humane Association had to intervene in order to ensure veterinary care for Zania. Click here to read Felmlee's compelling statement. Tennessee penal code 39-14-202 ("Cruelty to Animals") states, "A person commits an offense who intentionally or knowingly … [f]ails unreasonably to provide necessary food, water, care or shelter for an animal in the person's custody" (emphasis added). If the officers who were allegedly involved did not take immediate action when Zania was found mangled and unable to stand—by either euthanizing her or obtaining emergency veterinary treatment for her condition—they surely failed to provide "necessary care." Sadly, when District Attorney General Tom Thompson was asked to pursue possible criminal charges against the officer who reportedly left Zania without care at the city's animal shelter, he stated that it would be "hard to find a jury of people who hadn't been in the same position at one time or another," implying that because so many people in the county have abused animals, he shouldn't bother charging anyone under the law. This is a dangerous mindset that could allow countless animal abusers to go unpunished. Please ask Thompson for a criminal investigation into the alleged incidents. Please keep your correspondence polite, or our efforts will backfire. The Honorable Tom P. Thompson District Attorney General 15th Judicial District 119 S. College St. Lebanon, TN 37087 615-443-2863 615-443-2870 (fax) Please also ask those who oversee animal control for an immediate transfer of the employees who were reportedly involved to ensure that they have no professional contact with animals: Bill Weeks, Public Safety Commissioner Lebanon City Hall 200 Castle Heights Ave. N. Lebanon, TN 37087 615-443-6315 615-449-5070 (fax) The Honorable Don Fox Mayor of Lebanon 200 Castle Heights Ave. N., Ste. 100 Lebanon, TN 37087 615-443-2839 615-443-2851 (fax) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Happy Holiday Message from PETA - Watch it http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/video.asp?video=xmas_psa&Player=wm&speed=_med ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ PETA 2006 Shopping Guide for Caring Consumers http://www.petacatalog.org/prodinfo.asp?number=BK2006&variation=&aitem=2&mitem=30&int=weekly_enews Each year, millions of animals are subjected to cruel product tests that are not required by law. You can help save animals' lives by buying personal care and household products only from companies that refuse to test on animals. PETA has made it easy with this handy guide listing more than 500 companies that have signed a statement of assurance that they will never test their products on animals. Also included is a list of charities that do not fund any animal studies, as well as a list of pet-food companies that do not conduct feeding trials on dogs and cats confined to laboratory cages. Free money-saving coupons located in the back make it even easier to put your money where your heart is. 180 pages, paperback. Price: $8.95 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Urge Olan Mills to Stop Using Real Fur Photo Props After learning that Olan Mills uses photo props made with real rabbit fur, PETA fired off a letter to Robert L. McDowell, chair, president, and CEO of Olan Mills, urging him to remove these props from all the company's photo studios and letting him know that rabbits on fur farms are relegated to tiny, filthy cages that never allow them to touch the ground. They are killed by having their necks broken or their skulls smashed before they are hung up by their legs and decapitated. China, where not a single law protects animals on fur farms, has become the world's leading fur exporter. A recent undercover investigation in China revealed that millions of cats and dogs—including some still wearing collars—are bludgeoned, hanged, strangled, and bled to death. Their fur is often deliberately mislabeled as fur from other species before it is exported to the United States and elsewhere. Please politely write to Olan Mills and ask the company to immediately replace fur photo props with stuffed animals made from synthetic fur. Urge Olan Mills to spare real rabbits suffering and death and implement a no-fur policy: Robert L. McDowell Chair, President, and CEO Olan Mills, Inc. 4325 Amnicola Hwy. Chattanooga, TN 37422-3456 423-622-5141 423-629-8128 (fax) http://www.olanmills.com/contact.asp ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/virginia/dp- circusspylawsuit1209dec09,0,1405362.story?coll=dp-headlines-virginia Judge sanctions Ringling Bros. circus owner in animal-rights spy suit By MATTHEW BARAKAT Associated Press Writer December 9, 2005 FAIRFAX, Va. -- A judge issued sanctions against the owner of Ringling Bros. circus for filing late and incomplete documents in a lawsuit that claims that the owner had established a spy operation against animal-rights groups. The judge on Thursday also ordered Kenneth Feld, chief executive and president of privately held Feld Entertainment Inc., to disclose his net worth and his most recent tax returns to PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. PETA sued Feld Entertainment more than four years ago, claiming that he ran an extensive corporate espionage campaign against it and other animal-rights groups. According to PETA, Feld--which produces the Ringling circus, Disney on Ice and other shows--went so far as to pay a former CIA operative to help run its spy operation. The lawsuit is scheduled to go to trial in February. PETA attorney Philip Hirschkop said one of the documents was mostly blacked out before it was turned over. Based on the portions of the 30-page document revealed during Thursday's hearing, it appears to spell out the company's plan for dealing with circus protests by animal-rights groups. The plan calls for efforts to discredit PETA and other animal-rights groups and to seek ways to undermine PETA's status as a nonprofit organization. Circuit Judge David Stitt said Feld should have turned over the documents long ago. He ordered Feld to turn over an unredacted copy of the documents by Monday and to turn over any other documents related to the company's Animal Issues Department. "Obtaining discovery (evidence) in this case has been like pulling teeth," the judge said Thursday. "It appears the defendant is resisting discovery by all available means." The company, based in Vienna, Va., declined comment Thursday. In August, Feld's lawyers were ordered to pay more than $50,000 in fines for what PETA says were obstructionist tactics Feld's lawyers had employed throughout the case. On the Net: http://www.peta.org/feat/rbsuit/ http://www.feldentertainment.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ PETA Strikes Deal to Bring Affordable Non-Animal Simulator to The Victoria College (talk to your local universities and see what they use. If they use live animals please refer them to this article) Stray cats in Victoria, Texas, will no longer be susceptible to being picked up by local animal control officials and taken to The Victoria College for use in endotracheal intubation teaching exercises associated with the Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) course. Animal intubation laboratories typically involve forcing plastic tubes down cats' throats in order to create artificial airways. This procedure, when performed by inexperienced students, can result in tracheal injury caused by student error and mishandling of the tube. When PETA learned about this live cat lab, we sent a letter to the college's president, Dr. Jimmy Goodson, informing him of a sophisticated non-animal human patient simulator called PediaSIM that is being used at universities and medical schools across the country. Unlike a cat, whose anatomy differs greatly from that of a human child, PediaSIM has all the appropriate anatomical features and allows students to perform intubations repeatedly until they have perfected the procedure. In his reply, Dr. Goodson agreed that PediaSIM would provide a "realistic lab experience" and made the following compassionate decision: "[T]he college plans to discontinue the use of live cats in this course and use manikins as many other teaching facilities do." To recognize Dr. Goodson's progressive stance, PETA named The Victoria College a recipient of our "2005 Compassionate Teaching Award." PETA also managed to strike a deal with the manufacturer of PediaSIM, Medical Education Technologies, Inc. (METI), which agreed to lower the price of the simulator for The Victoria College by more than $3,000, making this state-of-the-art technology even more accessible. Please write polite letters to Dr. Goodson at the address shown below, thanking him for enhancing student education while also improving animal welfare: Jimmy Goodson, Ed.D., President The Victoria College Administration II Building 2200 East Red River Victoria, TX 77901 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ http://www.connpost.com/news/ci_3293500 UI's parakeet purge cost $698.32 for each dead bird KEN DIXON A total of 179 monk parakeets were killed during the United Illuminating Co.'s three-week campaign to destroy nests on more than 100 utility poles in southwestern Connecticut, the Connecticut Post has learned. Animal-rights activists said Thursday that many more apparently escaped capture by UI crews and death at the hands of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which asphyxiated the birds with carbon dioxide. Priscilla Feral, president of the Friends of Animals, which withdrew a lawsuit against UI this week after it agreed to stop capturing the birds, said the parrots died senselessly in the $125,000 eradication program. "That's $698.32 per dead parrot in costs to taxpayers or rate- payers," Feral said Thursday after being informed of the death toll. "What a waste." She estimated that as many as 400 birds escaped capture and will be homeless this winter as UI tears the nests down over the next three weeks in the second phase of the effort. Albert Carbone, spokesman for UI, said the $125,000 included the cost of training crews as well as removing the thatched-stick nests, which the utility says have caused up to a dozen power outages annually, plus four transformer fires in recent years. The cost also included a fee paid to the USDA for euthanizing the monk parakeets — actually green parrots the size of pigeons that have lived along the Connecticut shore for more than 30 years, nesting in fir trees and oaks as well as utility poles. Dwight G. Smith, chairman of the biology department at Southern Connecticut State University who has studied the parrots for years, said Thursday he is convinced UI didn't fully consider nonlethal alternatives when it developed its eradication effort, which began with no public notice the week of Nov. 14. "I and others would be very interested in searching for a solution that's positive for the birds and positive for UI that doesn't involves killing anything, especially an animal that's generally well-liked by the public and brightens an urban environment," he said. Meanwhile, Speaker of the House James A. Amann, D-Milford, said he hopes the General Assembly, which removed protections from the birds in 2003, can work with the utility and the state Department of Environmental Protection to allow UI to clear nests from poles without killing the birds. USDA spokeswoman Corey L. Slavitt said Thursday that the department's regional office in Amherst, Mass., which assisted UI, reported the total at 179 euthanized birds. She could not say whether the euthanasia program was permanently shut down after an agreement in a Superior Court judge's office this week. "The USDA is seeking formal clarification of the project status, but we do not anticipate any involvement for the rest of the year," she said. Feral has said that the lawsuit, removed without prejudice this week, will be pursued further in the new year in an attempt to stop future bird killings. Feral said the 103 targeted nests along the coast between West Haven and Fairfield sheltered in some cases dozens of birds. If only 179 were captured and killed, more than twice that number may have escaped the nighttime raids, she said. Up to 40 birds have been found in the larger nests, some of which dramatically drape UI poles and transformers. Some West Haven neighbors have said in recent days that UI has let the nests grow for eight years or more. Feral believes the eradication campaign, first reported in the Connecticut Post on Nov. 17, has become a public relations nightmare for UI. "I'm not even sure that UI will go ahead now with the tear-down because of the public pressure, but then again why should they worry about that now?" Feral said. "We are done capturing birds and moving into the nest-removal part of the program," Carbone said. He said UI is waiting for a project manager's decision before tearing down the nests. He said the company would consider developing ways to remove the nests without harming the birds. Amann said Thursday that he also hopes a long-term answer can be found. Rep. Richard Roy, D-Milford, co-chairman of the Environment Committee, said he has seen parrots that escaped UI crews on West Haven's Ocean Avenue, near their raided nests. "I hope that as UI does continue its program to relieve the pressure on their lines, that they'll take the utmost care for the safety of the birds," Roy said. ----- Daniel Hammer Friends of Animals www.friendsofanimals.org ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ UNC Chapel Hill Undercover Investigation—Update http://getactive.peta.org/ct/ddSSRg11Wm47/ After two investigations into the animal laboratories at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the National Institutes of Health has released its formal report http://getactive.peta.org/ct/ddSSRg11Wm47/detailing the violations of federal law that were discovered. The Washington Post recently featured the story, http://getactive.peta.org/ct/41SSRg11Wm40/ bringing it to the masses. Watch the video http://getactive.peta.org/ct/ddSSRg11Wm47/ and see how you can help. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ http://www.vegcooking.com/recipeshow.asp?RequestID=1177&int=weekly_enews Nondairy Pumpkin Custard This award-winning custard is delicious and good for you too. 18 oz. silken tofu 1 cup canned pumpkin 12 oz. nondairy cream cheese (try Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese) 1 1/4 cups sugar 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. ground cloves 1 Tbsp. vanilla • Preheat the oven to 325°F. • In a blender or food processor, purée the tofu and pumpkin until smooth. Add the nondairy cream cheese, the sugar, spices, and vanilla. Blend well. • Pour into custard cups. • Bake at 325°F for 50 minutes, or until firmly set. • Turn off the oven, leaving the custards inside for another hour. Remove and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate overnight. Serve chilled. Makes 8 servings ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ http://www.vegcooking.com/recipeshow.asp?RequestID=1170&int=weekly_enews Holiday Nog 1 pt. vegan eggnog (try Silk Nog) 1/2-3/4 cup spiced rum 1 tsp. nutmeg 6-8 cinnamon sticks Nondairy whipping cream (try Rich’s brand) • In a large pitcher, combine the vegan eggnog, rum, and nutmeg. • Pour into individual serving cups and garnish with the cinnamon sticks and the nondairy whipping cream. Makes 6 to 8 servings ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Caria Amici - Vegan cruelty free products for your health and home http://cariamici.net/peta.php Veganism is a way of life that shows love and compassion for all living beings. It is about being able to empathize with any living being who is subjected to pain and spreading the word about compassionate living. Cari Amici invites you to join the quest to make this a cruelty-free world. “We are vegan for our dear friends, the animals.” ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Patron Power! When stepping out for a bite to eat this holiday season, don't forget to bring along Farm Sanctuary restaurant cards. This simple, but effective tool shows establishments that their customers care. If you see Veal http://m1e.net/c?40167436-iqlPhHjKqRvZE%401328866-rkfkv0TxXgCeUor Foie gras http://m1e.net/c?40167436-BGYjwZ2TJNjdE%401328867-MsQQhj7xi2dIM listed on a menu, or stop by a Wolfgang Puck establishment, simply leave a business card on the table to encourage the restaurant to discontinue serving these cruel products. Also, Veg Restaurant Business Cards http://m1e.net/c?40167436-5bI6J2VmMbnt2%401328869-HbdqB.xzWd4BU give power to the patron, by promoting humane veg options. Order your packets today! ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Wayward Duck Finds Sanctuary in California Over the years, Farm Sanctuary has welcomed thousands of feathered friends into its shelters. One of our newest avian additions is Mabel, a Pekin duck, who was found limping across a rural park and was rescued and brought to our California Shelter earlier this fall. Bred for her meat and engineered to be abnormally large, Mabel suffers from weight-related leg problems — but she doesn't let this get her down! Now safe at Farm Sanctuary, she knows she is one lucky duck! Read more. http://m1e.net/c?40167436-HQk6ryrpQ9dq6%401328870-4CRHKgnQDTa9U ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Cruelty-free Holiday Gifts Help farm animals this holiday season by choosing cruelty-free gifts for your friends, family and co-workers. Easily accessible from www.vegforlife.com, veg-friendly virtual businesses have everything you need to make compassionate gift choices for everyone on your giving list. From non-leather wallets, handbags, belts, and shoes to wool-free sweaters, socks and blankets, the quality goods offered by these companies with a conscience can be conveniently and confidently purchased without having to leave the comfort of home. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Year-End Contribution Alert: Katrina Emergency Tax Relief Act of 2005 The Katrina Emergency Tax Relief Act of 2005, Public Law 109-73, Title III, suspends the 50% limitation on charitable deductions through 12/31/05, meaning that an individual can take an income tax deduction of up to 100% of income for gifts made during this period. The provisions of the act are not limited to hurricane relief, and apply to all non-legislative contributions made to Farm Sanctuary. Please consult with an accountant for more information, including state law provisions, and consider making a year-end gift http://m1e.net/c?40167436-bz3OoPMwp9aRA%401328872-W3vLlFYDwqq2k to Farm Sanctuary! ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Legacy of farming methods comes home to roost With the spread of avian influenza, the cost of factory farming has proven too high, writes Peter Singer. AdvertisementAdvertisement Fifty years ago, American chicken farmers found that by keeping their birds in sheds they could produce chickens for the table more cheaply and with less work than by traditional farmyard methods. The new method spread: chickens disappeared from fields into long, windowless sheds. Factory farming was born. It isn't called "factory farming" merely because those sheds look like factories. Everything about the production method is geared towards turning live animals into machines for converting grain into meat or eggs at the lowest possible cost. Walk into such a shed and you will find up to 30,000 chickens. The National Chicken Council, the trade association for the US chicken industry, recommends a stocking density of 85 square inches (548 square centimetres) a bird - less than a standard sheet of typing paper. When the chickens approach market weight, they cover the floor completely. No chicken can move without having to push through other birds. In the egg industry, hens can barely move at all because they are crammed into wire cages, which makes it possible to stack them in tiers, one above the other. Environmentalists say that this production method is unsustainable. It relies on the use of fossil fuel energy to light and ventilate the sheds, and to transport the grain eaten by the chickens. When this grain, which humans could eat, is fed to chickens, they use some of it to create bones, feathers and other body parts that we cannot eat. So we get less food back than we put into the birds - and less protein, too - while disposing of the concentrated chicken manure causes serious pollution to rivers and ground water. Animal-welfare advocates protest that crowding the chickens keeps them from forming a natural flock, causes them stress and, in the case of laying hens, prevents them from even stretching their wings. The air in the sheds is high in ammonia from bird faeces, which are usually allowed to pile up for months - and in some cases for a year or more - before being cleaned out. Medical experts warn that because the birds are routinely fed antibiotics to keep them growing in such crowded, filthy and stressful conditions, antibiotic-resistant bacteria could cause a public-health threat. Yet, despite these well-founded criticisms, factory farming - not only of chickens but also of pigs, veal calves, dairy cows and, in outdoor feedlots, cattle - has spread rapidly in developing countries, especially in Asia, over the past 20 years. Now we are discovering that the results may be far more deadly than we ever imagined. As a University of Ottawa virologist, Earl Brown, said after a Canadian outbreak of avian influenza: "High-intensity chicken rearing is a perfect environment for generating virulent avian flu viruses." Other experts agree. In October 2005 a United Nations task force identified as one of the root causes of the bird flu epidemic "farming methods which crowd huge numbers of animals into small spaces". Supporters of factory farming often point out that bird flu can be spread by free-range flocks or by wild ducks and other migrating birds, who may join the free-range birds to feed with them or drop their faeces while flying overhead. But, as Brown has said, viruses found in wild birds are generally not very dangerous. On the contrary, it is only when these viruses enter a high-density poultry operation that they mutate into something far more virulent. By contrast, birds that are reared by traditional methods are likely to have greater resistance to disease than the stressed, genetically similar birds kept in intensive confinement systems. Moreover, factory farms are not biologically secure. They are frequently infested with mice, rats and other animals that can bring in diseases. So far, a relatively small number of human beings have died from the present strain of avian influenza, and it appears that they have all been in contact with infected birds. But if the virus mutates into a form that is transmissible between humans, the number of deaths could run into the hundreds of millions. Governments are, rightly, taking action. Recently, the US Senate approved spending $US8 billion ($10.7 billion) to stockpile vaccines and other drugs to help prevent a possible bird flu epidemic. Other governments have already spent tens of millions on vaccines and other preventive measures. What is now clear, however, is that such government spending is really a kind of subsidy to the poultry industry. Like most subsidies, it is bad economics. Factory farming spread because it seemed to be cheaper than more traditional methods. In fact, it was cheaper only because it passed some of its costs on to others - for example, to people who lived downstream or downwind from the factory farms, who could now no longer enjoy clean water and air. Now we see these were only a small part of the total costs. Factory farming is passing far bigger costs - and risks - on to all of us. In economic terms, these costs should be "internalised" by the factory farmers rather than being shifted onto the rest of us. That won't be easy to do, but we could make a start by imposing a tax on factory-farm products until enough revenue is raised to pay for the precautions that governments now have to take against avian influenza. Then we might finally see that chicken from the factory farm really isn't so cheap after all. Peter Singer is professor of bioethics at Princeton University. His recent books include Writings on an Ethical Life and One World. He is now completing a book on food and ethics. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Australian source - VAWA Dear batfriends Over the past six months we have experienced security problems in regard to our colony of `protected` Grey-headed flying foxes at Yarra Bend in Melbourne. A number of attacks on the bats has occured mainly by golfers hitting balls at sleeping bats at the Third tee where the bats are most vulnerable. In addition a golfers threw stones at the bats last Saturday 3rd of December again at the Tee-3 area. The perpetrator of the latter incident has owned-up to his act of stupidity and is being `processed` by DSE. This may, or may not, involve a prosecution. I have supplied a witness statement. I am sad to report another incident last night involving `youths` who armed with a home made bazooka attempted to fire oranges and apples at the bats at Bellbird Park - See Herald Sun, Battle of the bats, 10.12.05, p.3. There were no reports of injured bats but this remains uncertain. Ironically perhaps, a golfer notified Parks Vic of the youths` activities who, with police in attendance, intercepted the offenders. Request for assistance: I am requesting your assistance in calling for the Dept of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) to install, as a matter of urgency, security cameras throughout the area where the colony resides. Please email DSE Grey headed flying fox project manager Michelle.McHugh@dse.vic.gov.au and request that DSE acts immediately to permanently improve the security of these vulnerable and protected animals (Flora and Fauna Guarranantee Act 1988) by the installation of security cameras and in the Tee 3 area by a combination of 4m high green-cyclone wire fencing, as exists elsewhere on the golf course, and security cameras. "Public education and increased patrols by officers" are not enough. This has been tried and has failed to prevent or deter offending behaviours. More is needed and needed now. My grateful thanks to you all. Lawrence Pope President Victorian Animal Welfare Association PO Box 377 Nth Carlton, Victoria 3054 mob. 0416 22 86 96 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Deadly viruses and animal cruelty http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/letters/sfl-brmail944dec07,0,6387285,print.story?coll=sfla-news-letters Judith Fish Coconut Creek December 7, 2005 Flu season is here and writer Nancy McVicar's report regarding the potential bird flu pandemic fails to point out the real reasons for this possible disaster and what could be done to prevent it from developing in the first place. Has anyone ever noticed that many of the most deadly viruses originate from live animal markets in eastern Asia, the Hong Kong flu and SARS, just to name a few? Well, that is because millions of non-human animals of every species imaginable, in many of these countries, particularly China, are captured, tortured and brutally killed for food, clothing and for use as aphrodisiacs. There is no animal welfare law in China, so anything goes. Turtles, civets, snakes, chickens, squirrels and yes, live dogs and cats are all crammed together into cages in deplorable, unhygienic open markets. They are often slaughtered on the spot, with blood and guts spilling out everywhere -- mixing with other animals and humans who are in close proximity. The result, not surprisingly, is that many animals develop deadly diseases that are easily transmitted to other animals and humans. Instead of President Bush asking Congress to appropriate $3 billion to perfect a new technology to produce a vaccine for the avian flu, how about demanding that China enact an animal welfare law that would require more humane and ethical treatment of all non-human animals. This would translate into a cleaner, safer environment for the animals, which would ultimately prove to be healthier for humans. Copyright © 2005, South Florida Sun-Sentinel +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ http://www.greens.org.nz/searchdocs/PR8369.html New Zealand’s shameful live sheep shipments resume Sue Kedgley MP, Green Party Animal Welfare Spokesperson 6th March 2005 Eighteen months after the disastrous Cormo Express shipment, New Zealand has started shipping sheep off shore again, the Green Party says. A shipment of 4500 sheep left for Mexico in February and a further 4500 are to leave for Mexico on Sunday, Greens’ Animal Welfare Spokesperson Sue Kedgley said. The trade was suspended in 2003 when 5000 Australian sheep aboard the Cormo Express died and a further 43,000 spent two months stranded in the Persian Gulf after the ship was refused permission to unload in Saudi Arabia. “Exporting live sheep, causing them to endure weeks of suffering confined in pens where there’s scarcely space to turn around in, breaches the Animal Welfare Act, which stipulates that humans must not cause animals to suffer,” Ms Kedgley said. “Humans suffer when we travel 19 hours by plane, barely able to move. Imagine what sheep must experience when they are confined in pens on open decks for weeks on end with only 0.27 to 0.4 metres of space each. “Many sheep die from sweltering heat, sea sickness and infections. All of this just so they can be slaughtered at the end of their journey.” 1400 cattle will also be shipped on Sunday to Mexico – and in a further three more shipments this month. Ms Kedgley said cattle exports have increased from 1700 to 7000 over the past two years – a 312 per cent increase. Ms Kedgley said reports she had obtained under the Official Information Act detailing the conditions on live shipments show the atrocious conditions the animals endure on these long sea voyages. In one recent 20-day voyage to China, cattle were at times “a foot deep in shit” according to the ship’s veterinarian, and at one point 50 cattle were lame. The ship’s ventilation broke down resulting in incredible heat and ammonia build-up on the decks where cattle were housed. Two animals died on the voyage, another was rejected by the Chinese and another was seriously ill when unloaded. A report from another voyage shows that cows did not even have constant access to water and eight died, including three from overheating. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ From The Cruelty Free Shop (Australia ) http://www.crueltyfreeshop.com.au *** New Animal Liberation Group (Blue Mountains) *** Do you live in or around the Blue Mountains? Do you want to get active and help fight animal cruelty? Do you want to meet like-minded people? Animal Libers of the Blue Mountains are starting regular meetings in 2006. The first meeting with be on Friday the 24th of February 2006 at 7pm in the Lawson Community Centre. For more information phone the Animal Liberation office on 9262 3221 or Amanda on 4759 3831. *** Vegan Vegetarian Sydney Christmas Dinner (NSW) *** Come and join VVS to celebrate a veggie friendly Christmas at 7pm on Friday the 23rd of December at the great new vegetarian restaurant; Green Palace Thai vege restaurant, 182 King Street, Newtown. Enjoy Delicious vegan Thai cuisine and vegetarian Italian options. Please RSVP to Ramesh on 0403 944 764 or email smiles@myplace.net.au. *** Combined Vegans Unite & VNV Christmas Banquet (VIC) *** Come and celebrate Christmas, the Summer Solstice, or simply the end of an exciting year at the combined Vegans Unite and Vegetarian Network Victoria December Banquet. The banquet will be held at Enlightened Cuisine, 113 Queensbridge Street, Southbank on Saturday the 17th of December. The venue is one of the most beautiful and elegant of all the meat-free restaurants in Melbourne, serving mock-meat dishes in the Chinese Buddhist tradition. In order to give this function a sense of occasion and to make it a little different from our normal social dinners, please dress as formally as you can. Please RSVP by emailing melbourne@vegansunite.org.au. Cost is $25 per head and everyone is welcome. *** Vegans Unite Christmas Lunch (NSW) *** Come along to meet friendly vegans over lunch for the Vegans Unite festive celebrations at Bodhi’s restaurant on Sunday the 18th of December at 1pm. Bodhi’s is a Yum Cha restaurant in the Cook and Phillip Park, Sydney (behind the pool), with a lovely outdoor setting and serves a distinctive and original range of yum cha dishes. They have lovely freshly squeezed juices too. RSVP to sydney@vegansunite.org.au or call Danielle on 0404 051 223 *** Blue Mountains Festive Fling *** Come along to the Blue Mountains Festive Fling at Cloudlands in Katoomba on Saturday the 17th of December at 1pm. This is a pot luck style buffet lunch so bring along your favourite vege savoury and dessert dish to share. Also please write out your recipes so we can compile a festive cook book. Booking are essential, please RSVP to cloudlands@hermes.net.au or call 02 4782 7376. Admission is free, but we'll be asking for donations for Animal Liberation during the afternoon. *** Charity Case of the Month *** Freya is a beautiful, smoochy, three-legged cat whose love of human company is a miracle given what she has been through. Freya was put into boarding at a vet and her family never returned for her. Three months later her muscles were starting to atrophy from being in a tiny cage for so long and the vet was planning to kill her. The World league for Protection of Animals stepped in and took her into their care. Soon afterwards the stump that had been her fourth leg started to bleed and it was discovered that her amputation had been performed in a very crude manner with bits of jagged leg bone left which were slicing through her flesh and the early stages of gangrene were setting in. Freya urgently needs surgery to correct her amputation. A friendly vet initially quoted over $1200 for the operation which was beyond WLPA’s means. The vet then said that Freya was such a lovely cat that he couldn’t bear to see her suffer any longer and that he would do the operation at cost: $700. WLPA desperately needs help to raise the money to pay for Freya’s operation so that she can start a new life without pain and find a new family to love. Please consider placing a donation for Freya when you place your next order with the Cruelty Free Shop. *** Vegan Christmas Recipe *** Celebrate Christmas day without death – have a tasty vegan meal instead! This one is my son’s favourite meal and will be on our table on Christmas day along with baked potatoes and a variety of salads. Spinach Lasagne 1 pack of pre cooked lasagne sheets 600g frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and drained 400g soft tofu 400g firm tofu 1 Tbsp. sugar ¼ cup soy milk ½ tsp. garlic powder 2 Tbsp. lemon juice 3 tsp. minced fresh basil 2 tsp. salt 4 cups of tomato pasta sauce (ready made from supermarket is fine) - Preheat your oven to 180C - Squeeze the spinach as dry as possible and set aside - Put tofu, sugar, soy milk, garlic powder, lemon juice, basil and salt in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. - Stir in the spinach - Cover the bottom of a baking dish with a thin layer of pasta sauce, then a layer of lasagne. Follow with half the tofu mixture and then lasagne. Make alternate layers of pasta sauce and tofu mix between sheets of lasagne until all is used up. Top with a thick layer of pasta sauce. - Cook in oven for 25-30 minutes. - Serves 6-8 people +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (US NJ) Local activist calls hunt a massacre http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm? newsid=15699303&BRD=1697&PAG=461&dept_id=44551&rfi=6 An animal activist from East Windsor was among several who risked life and limb yesterday trying to tend to wounded bears out in the wild. Terry Fritzges, a animal rights advocate, said that the hunt "is a massacre. It's a slaughter of innocent life." She said that the hunt is just a trophy hunt, and she wants to do whatever she possibly can to help the bears. "I'm not worried about my life at all," Fritzges said, "bears do not attack people." She said the hunters are what she fears. Angie Metler, of Highland Lakes, and director of the New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance, said bears are the gentlest creatures. "Bears are like big chipmunks," she said. "They love to forage and eat and are considered omnivores." Metler said that the organization, and herself directly, receive a lot of hate mail and death threats. Fritzges said she will be walking on public trails to look for and protect the bears she can see, by leading them to safety. "Most of the bears we are able to treat are called in from people who have them in their yards or find them in difference places," she said. Fritzges will be going back and forth all week to continue to help in the effort to protect the bears. BY THE NUMBERS: New Jersey's bear hunt, by the numbers: - 1,600: Size, in square miles, of six-county region where bear hunt is in effect. - 675: Weight, in pounds, of biggest bear bagged in 2003 hunt. - 413: Weight, in pounds, f biggest female bear killed in 2003. - 328: Number of bears killed in 2003 hunt. - 233: Number killed in Sussex County. - 200: Area of a hunter's body, in square inches, that must be covered in fluorescent orange. - 80: Percentage of hunters who used shotguns to kill bears in 2003 hunt. - 54: Number of bears confirmed killed as of 2:30 p.m. Monday. - 8: Weight, in ounces, of newborn black bear cubs. - 2: Number of animal rights groups that sued to stop 2005 bear hunt. - 1: Number of bears that can be killed by any one hunter. ------ Source: New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife -- AP The Trentonian ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ More exotic pets being abandoned Elizabeth John KUALA LUMPUR, Thurs Exotic pets are outliving their owners' fascination for them. Dozens of these creatures are abandoned on Zoo Negara's doorstep every year, said its director Dr Mohamad Ngah. From the common to the bizarre, the zoo has received almost 1,000 unwanted pets since 1996, he said. "Sometimes people simply drop the animal off at the gate and run off," he said. These included animals whose survival in the wild is threatened, and even protected species for which owners need licences to keep, he said. He said the burgeoning pet trade is mostly to blame, with thousands of animals, many endangered, captured for sale in pet shops. "If we want to solve this problem, we must look into the pet industry," he said at a workshop organised by TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, which monitors the wildlife trade. Animals rescued from the cooking pot or those that wandered into homes were rare. Some owners discovered their pets were not as tame as they thought, and had attacked people. Others found their pets needed more care than they were prepared to give. Abandoned pets were sometimes left in bad shape, requiring long stays at the animal hospital, he said. Some were malnourished and several did not survive. Reptiles turn up the most frequently: owners have left green iguanas, reticulated pythons, terrapins and even venomous cobras and vipers. Next are rodents, including giant black squirrels that can grow up to 45cm in length. People have also left primates such as the nocturnal slow loris and the pig-tailed macaque which is on the World Conservation Union's Red List for "vulnerable" creatures. Felines like leopard cats and palm civets that were once pets have also ended up at the gate. Birds have been the least. Protected wildlife are sent to the Malacca Zoo, which is the designated rescue facility. The Wildlife and National Parks Department is usually informed and takes over such cases, he said. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Three hunting deaths so far in Vermont http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2005/12/08/involuntary_manslaughter_charges_expected_in_hunting_death/ Involuntary manslaughter charges expected in hunting death December 8, 2005 St. ALBANS, Vt. --A teenage deer hunter will be charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of a St. Albans man who was shot while sitting on his tractor. Collin Viens, 18, of Georgia, has been cited to appear in court Monday. Rejean Lussier, 60, was shot Nov. 23 while he was hunting from the cab of his tractor on his farm. Investigators said the shot came from about 250 yards away. Lussier's death marked the third time this year that a hunter shot and killed another person rather than wildlife. No such fatalities occurred last year; 2003 and 2004 saw one each. Chad Lumbra, 23, of Danville died Nov. 13 after he was shot by his friend and hunting partner Jason Bean, 22, of St. Johnsbury, police said. The two were hunting in a field in Peacham. Bean faces a manslaughter charge. Douglas Bartlett, 50, of Jacksonville, was out picking berries Sept. 4 when he was fatally shot by a hunter. Police charged Brian Gilbert, 26, of Charlemont, Mass., with second-degree murder, saying he left Bartlett wounded and pleading for help. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Boycott all YUM! companies (KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, A&W All-American Food Restaurants and Long John Silvers) because of KFC cruelty. More info? Visit http://www.kfccruelty.co.uk ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Campaigns/Diary dates throughout the UK: http://www.veggies.org.uk/calendar.htm http://www.animalaid.org.uk/events/index.htm http://www.vote4animals.org.uk/ (P.A.D) http://www.veggievision.co.uk (Veggie internetTV) Planned BUAV stalls for "Monkey on the Move" campaign-all on Thursday on following dates: Bath-24 Nov; Stonehenge-Dec 15th; Birmingham-12 Jan 06; Cardiff-16 Feb 06; Nottingham-16 March 06; Newcastle-13 April 06; Liverpool-11 May 06; Edinburgh-8 June 06; Belfast 6 July 06. Any time spare? Further information? Email campaigns@buav.org Want to convert a meat eater in UK? Let them know about the Incredible Veggie Roadshows: http://www.viva.org.uk/roadshows Know a teacher? Tell them about video and Student Activity booklet about the reality behind animal farming: http://www.eatthis.org.uk You can see all cruelty-free BUAV-approved companies (includes USA, EU and UK): http://www.buav.org/gocrueltyfree/littlebook.html If you are holding an AR event (UK), you can advertise events by emailing arc@veggies.org.uk +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ *UPC President Karen Davis published the following letter in the Dec. 8, 2005 edition of the /Minnesota Daily/,* the University of Minnesota's student newspaper, in response to an article by Jason Ketola: "See the horrors of battery cages: The push for UDS [University Dining Services] to carry cage-free eggs offers an opportunity to reassess relationships" (http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2005/12/05/66462). *The University of Minnesota Student Association is considering a cage-free egg initiative*. According to a related article on Dec. 6, "More than 70 colleges in the U.S. already have switched from battery-cage eggs to cage-free eggs, and there is growing student support here for the University to make just such a switch, as can be seen in the recent news in coverage and opinions expressed in the Daily." (See "After real dining hall solutions to problems-MSA is looking seriously at affordable cage-free egg options" by Donny Mansfield. (http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2005/12/05/66465) * OPINION December 8, 2005 Letters to the Editor * http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2005/12/08/66512 * See the difference Karen Davis * Thank you for the Dec. 6 column "See the horrors of battery cages" by Jason Ketola. Ketola brings out so much that needs to be said but, as he says, caring about suffering animals, especially farmed animals, is largely taboo in our society. Still, this is starting to change, thanks to Compassionate Action for Animals and others like Ketola himself. I've been inside many battery-cage hen houses. They are terrible places. The very young hens are jumping all over each other in the cages. Even worse is seeing the birds who have been caged for months. It's like they've given up. They don't even respond to stimuli. Their combs are doughy and white and hang over their faces. Dust, dander and other debris float visibly in the air, and droppings encrust and drip through the bars. The houses are so full of excretory ammonia fumes you can't stand the burning sensation in your eyes, throat and chest. To suggest that these houses are hygienic is absurd. Fortunately, there's a ton of science showing that chickens are miserable in cages. If anyone doubts this, come see our former battery-caged hens in our yard. In less than a month, you'd never know they were the same birds! Even their doughy white combs become vibrant again. Pretty soon they're scratching away in the dirt, chomping on greens, sunning themselves and running around the way nature intended - it's all right there in their genes. Thank you for the great article. Karen Davis President of United Poultry Concerns United Poultry Concerns is a nonprofit organization that promotes the compassionate and respectful treatment of domestic fowl. www.upc-online.org <http://www.upc-online.org/> Don't just switch from beef to chicken. Go vegan. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Candlelight vigil Glastonbury, this Monday (Greyhounds) Candlelight Vigil, Glastonbury This Monday, December 12th In recognition of International Animal Rights Day (IARD), Avon & Somerset Greyhound Action (ASGA) will be holding a candlelight vigil outside Abbey Moor Stadium, Glastonbury on Monday 12th December from 6.15 - 7.45pm in memory of all the dogs that have suffered and died because of the greyhound racing industry. IARD actually takes place on December 10th, but greyhound racing at Glastonbury is only held on Monday evenings, so it was decided to stage the vigil to coincide with this. If you live in or near the Somerset area, please do your best to be there and do bring candles/lanterns and anti greyhound racing banners and placards, if you can. Rescued greyhounds are also welcome (weather permitting, of course). Abbey Moor Stadium is not far from the A39 and is signposted. A map of the location can be found at http://www.abbeymoorstadium.co.uk/contact.html Betting licence approved, but campaign continues Many thanks to all of you who wrote to Mendip District Council asking them not to approve the renewal of the track betting licence for Abbey Moor Stadium. Unfortunately, at a meeting on November 28th, the council felt that they had no option but to grant the licence, despite receiving more than 500 letters of objection, as animal welfare cannot legally be taken into account when betting licences are issued. However, several councillors expressed their sympathy with the objectors and one in particular gave a very good speech supporting the ASGA campaign. In addition, the scale of the objection has, without doubt, resulted in more pressure on Abbey Moor Stadium owner Peter Toogood to put an end to the dog racing there. Gina Harris, spokesperson for Avon & Somerset Greyhound Action, said in a press release to the local media: "We know that many councillors and local residents support our campaign. We have been contacted by hundreds of local people who are very concerned about the welfare of dogs racing at the Glastonbury stadium. Unfortunately the law does not take animal cruelty into account when issuing betting licences. "Since reopening just six weeks ago, Abbey Moor stadium has already seen greyhounds injured while racing, including dogs crashing into the fencing surrounding the track whilst trying to negotiate the sharp bends. At least one dog has been taken into a local rescue centre after being seriously injured at the Glastonbury track." Greyhound Action supporters, together with rescued greyhounds, demonstrated outside the Mendip District Council offices in Shepton Mallet before the council meeting took place. If you would like to help their campaign to close the Glastonbury dog track, you can contact Avon & Somerset Greyhound Action at avonsomersetga@yahoo.co.uk (avonsomersetgaATyahoo.co.uk) or on 07899 715216. More info about the campaign can be found at http://www.greyhoundaction.org.uk/glastonbury.htm Please feel free to forward/crosspost/circulate this message. Louise & Tony, Greyhound Action www.greyhoundaction.org.uk ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Message: 14 Date: Fri, 09 Dec 2005 13:29:02 -0800 From: robert ovetz <robert@seaturtles.org> Subject: New US Turtle Plan Meets Opposition Embargoed Until Monday December 12, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE New US Turtle Plan Meets Opposition Environmentalist and Other Groups Propose Alternative Measures to Prevent the Extinction of the Pacific Leatherback Sea Turtle December 12, 2005 Contact: Peter Fugazzotto, Sea Turtle Restoration Project, +1 415-488-0370 x 109, peter@seaturtles.org Forest Knolls, California Today, the new Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, meeting in Pohnpei, Micronesia, will begin consideration of a US proposal to reduce the injury and killing of endangered sea turtles by longline fishing in the Pacific. Environmental, animal welfare and recreational fishing organizations, including Humane Society International, Oceana and Larry M. Brown, Brown & and Associates, Inc., warn that the plan is too limited, weak and incomplete to prevent the extinction of the critically endangered leatherback sea turtle. Some of the last remaining leatherback beaches lie in the management area of the Commission and the turtle is documented to migrate throughout the area. "Scientific data shows the exact migratory routes used by leatherbacks across the Pacific. Instead of calling for keeping all destructive longline fishing out of these sensitive areas, the US has proposed a different sized fishing hook for a fraction of the longline fleet. This is a plan doomed for failure," said Robert Ovetz, Ph.D. Save the Leatherback Campaign Coordinator of the US based Sea Turtle Restoration Project who is attending the second meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission in Micronesia this week. On November 28th, the United Nations General Assembly passed a sustainable fisheries resolution that calls for closures of fishing in areas where large numbers of critically endangered sea turtles are caught or killed. The critically endangered Pacific leatherback sea turtle is on the verge of extinction and is expected by scientists to go extinct in the next 5-30 years unless immediate measures to eliminate threats posed by industrial longline fishing are taken. The US proposal requests that 18/0 sized circle hooks, now used in only some US waters, be required only for swordfish longline vessels operating in the WCPFC convention area. Tuna longliners, the vast majority of the fleet, would be exempted. The proposal also calls for training fishers to avoid sea turtles and release them unharmed when caught. However, the plan does not call for closing areas where the most turtles are caught as the US itself has done by banning longline fishing along its entire West Coast and as the UN supports. ³The US plan will do nothing to stop the slide of the leatherback to extinction. The scientifically questionable circle hook does not work for the leatherback because these turtles do not go for the bait but mostly get tangled in the line," said Ovetz. "We know which parts of the Pacific the leatherback uses. We need to close those areas to longlines at times when they are most vulnerable." Earlier this year, the Sea Turtle Restoration Project delivered a letter to the UN signed by 1,007 scientists from 97 countries and 281 non-governmental organizations from 64 countries urging it to implement a moratorium on high seas industrial longline fishing in the Pacific. The list of signers includes famed primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall, Harvard biologist E.O. Wilson, oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle, a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, and former U.S. astronaut Bernard Harris, Jr. M.D. Resources: For a copy of our recommendations and proposal for time and area closures along sea turtle migration routes being delivered at the WCPFC go to: http://www.seaturtles.org/pdf/ACF165.pdf http://www.seaturtles.org/pdf/ACF167.pdf For a copy of the Sea Turtle Restoration Project's new book Striplining the Pacific on the impact of longline fishing on the Pacific leatherback go to: http://www.seaturtles.org/press_release2.cfm?pressID=259 For a copy of the scientist and NGO letters to the UN calling for a moratorium on longline fishing in the Pacific go to: http://www.seaturtles.org/press_release2.cfm?pressID=261 ? For a review copy of the Sea Turtle Restoration Project's new documentary film Last Journey for the Leatherback? contact Robert Ovetz, PhD at 415 488 0370 x 106. The Sea Turtle Restoration Project is a California-based international marine conservation organization that works to protect sea turtles and other marine species in the United States and in countries around the world. For more information about sea turtles and the Sea Turtle Restoration Project, please visit: www.seaturtles.org and www.savetheleatherback.com SEA TURTLE RESTORATION PROJECT POB 400/40 Montezuma Avenue ? Forest Knolls, CA 94933 USA Ph. +1 415 488 0370 ext. 106? Fax +1 415 488 0372 robert@seaturtles.org ? www.seaturtles.org +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200512/s1528112.htm Wallaby export decision sparks animal welfare fight Farmers have welcomed the Federal Government's decision to allow wallaby exports from King and Flinders islands in Bass Strait. Animal welfare groups are preparing for a legal challenge against the decision. The Federal Government believes the wallaby harvest and export program will allow farmers to make some money while controlling the exploding wallaby populations and reducing their use of 1080. Pat O'Brien from the Wildlife Protection Society is horrified and plans to lodge an appeal with the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. He says the culling will be cruel and unnecessary. "All they've got to do is put a fence up around their cropping paddocks," he said. King Island cattle farmer Yvonne Bowling believes animal liberationists do not understand. "They don't have to live and try and produce cattle or sheep, and have this burden of wallabies," she said. Ms Bowling says she is delighted three-and-a-half years of lobbying has come to fruition. Federal Member for Braddon, Mark Baker, says maximum harvest quotas will be strictly enforced. "There has been ongoing discussions with the State Government and the Federal Government to assist and to ensure that these figures are maintained and that will be quite obvious," he said. "Those figures will be quite easily obtained and if they're being exceeded, well that will be easily identified." +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thank you for all you do for our non human animal friends. Thanks to Farm Animal Watch, Animal-net, Cruelty Free Shop (Au), Mass Coalition for Animal Rights (MARC),LiveExportShame, VeganWay and numerous other sources. Queensland Group for Animal Rights http://www.qgar.oceandrop.org I don't do great things. I do small things with great love. - Mother Teresa DISCLAIMER: Please note articles posted are for informational purposes only. We do not necessarily endorse the content of articles contained, nor content of links provided. Nothing contained in this email is intended to encourage or incite illegal acts. The information reproduced in the email is done so in good faith on the understanding that the originators have checked the validity of the content before posting. Any names, addresses, telephone numbers and faxes of companies/individuals associated with exploitation & cruelty to animals is given for the purpose of allowing the public to voice their concerns in a legal manner about a company's / individual's association with animal cruelty/scientific fraud. When emailing, phoning or faxing a company / individual, please remain polite. Rudeness is always counter-productive and hurts the cause |