WCAU NBC News

Source Animal Connection , Daily Mail

A cat (who) went missing after Hurricane Sandy reappeared at his owner’s home last week.

Looking as sleek and unassuming as he did the day he left six months ago, Porsche showed up at the door of his owners’ New Jersey shore home Wednesday as if he’d never left.

‘It’s a miracle,’ she said Uranie Roberts.

The Toms River, New Jersey woman had long given up on her cat ever returning. And not just because so much time had passed.

Roberts and her daughter Carol Baumann live in the Chadwick Beach Island section of town, an area that was brutally lashed by the October 2012 storm.

The women were forced to evacuate by boat and stayed, temporarily, with family 8 miles inland.

While still staying with family, the cat went missing.

‘He got out of the house and that was the last we saw of him,’ Baumann told WCAU.

When they were finally allowed to return to their home, they would do so without the company of Porsche.

Six months passed.Neither Baumann nor Roberts believed they’d ever see their dear pet again.

But on Wednesday, Baumann heard a familiar sound from the back deck of their home.

The sight that greeted her as she approached the door was familiar, too.

‘I saw the green eyes and I said, “My God in heaven, it’s Porsche!”’ said Baumann.

After half a year and across miles of storm-ravaged coast–and even across a bridge–Porsche made his way back home.

And the happy mother and daughter say he doesn’t look like the trip fazed him at all.

‘You could see he was eating,’ Roberts said. ‘His fur is sleek and soft.’

The two aren’t sure how Porsche made it back, but they don’t really care, anyway.

‘It’s just amazing how he found his way home,’ said Baumann. ‘I wish he could talk.

‘It’s wonderful, I missed him so bad.’

Link

You are my family,
Wherever you are,
I will find my way home,
No matter how far.

Love, porsche

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

oday, PCRM filed a complaint with the Quebec City Director of Criminal and Penal Proceedings in Canada, explaining that Laval University is violating the province’s animal cruelty law by using and killing piglets. Please help this effort by asking the dean of Laval University Faculty of Medicine, Rénald Bergeron, M.D., to end the use of animals for pediatrics residency training today.

In the pediatrics residency program at Laval, each resident is instructed to make an incision between a piglet’s ribs, insert tubes into the chest cavity, insert a needle into the abdominal
cavity, cut open and insert a needle into the animal’s veins, and insert a needle under the breast bone and into the sac surrounding the heart. The piglet is then killed and residents are instructed to make incisions in the animal’s throat, into which a tube is inserted. Nonanimal training methods exist, making this use of animals not only cruel but completely unnecessary.

For more than one year, the responsible Laval faculty and administrators have ignored pleas to change this practice. Please e-mail Dr. Bergeron and urge him to end this cruel and unnecessary practice. Send an automatic e-mail.

Laerdal’s infant simulators SimBaby and SimNewB, CAE Healthcare’s Babysim, and Simulab’s TraumaChild can all be used to teach the procedures taught in Laval’s pediatrics residency training.

Ninety-eight percent of pediatrics residency programs in the United States and Canada use only nonanimal methods, including all 16 other pediatrics programs in Canada. It is time for Laval to join the majority. Please e-mail Dr. Bergeron today and ask him to replace the use of animals in Laval’s pediatrics residency program.

2. Background | Source Big Cat Rescue

Last March when we told you the Sarasota County Agricultural Fair (Florida) had an exhibitor charging patrons to pet and have photos taken with a tiny tiger cub, more than 1200 of you called and emailed the fair’s management asking them to please not allow this exploitation of big cat cubs. Some of you even protested outside the fairgrounds.

Unfortunately, we’ve just learned that the Sarasota County Fair is at it again this week. They have a different exhibitor this year but the abuse is the same: a lion cub is being used for profit by the exhibitor who is charging people to pet and take photos with him. In addition, this exhibitor has an adult tiger confined in a tiny transport cage. We are told from concerned visitors to the fair that the display is right next to a loud motocross bike show. According to eye witnesses, the tiger appears so distressed by the noise and fumes that he is continually pacing and trying desperately to get out of the cage.

Success in changing people’s mindsets often takes persistence. With your help in repeatedly contacting the fair’s management about the issue of cub abuse, the fair’s management will see that many Americans do NOT condone using big cats and cubs in these money-making schemes. And that it is bad business for the fair to have these displays because it negatively affects their reputation among the many, many people who love animals and do not want to see them exploited to make money.

In the form below, we make it easy for you to send an email that will go to the management at the Sarasota County Fair, the International Association of Fairs and Expos, the Mayor of Sarasota, the Sarasota County Commissioners and the Sarasota County Administrator. You can make an even bigger impact by also taking the time to call and tell these people that you oppose big cats at fairs – it is cruel to breed them for this purpose and then cart them around in cramped trailers for months at a time in order to make money off of them.

You are the only voice this lion cub and tiger have and they are counting on you to roar for them! Thank you in advance for speaking up for the cats.

3. Background | Source PETA

In late 2011, national attention was focused on Johnson City, New York, after PETCO and its workers abandoned hundreds of caged animals in its store there and dozens drowned in massive flooding caused by Tropical Storm Lee.

After 16 months of repeated public-records requests, PETA has obtained police records from the incident, while doing its own digging. PETCO workers’ failures to do the right thing for the animals in their charge are even worse than anyone imagined.

Remember when PETCO Vice President Marcie Whichard called the flooding “completely unpredictable?” Well, it turns out that the flooding was the subject of at least 15 National Weather Service watches, warnings, and forecasts beginning before dawn on September 6, 2011.

That’s 36 hours before PETCO managers and employees abandoned the animals who later drowned.

PETCO reopened the location in April 2012, but—likely due largely to the community outcry following the drowning—it no longer sells animals there.

You can help ensure that no animal is ever again abandoned to drown in a PETCO store. Please urge PETCO to stop selling all animals in its stores that are located in flood plains or are prone to flooding.

4. Background | Source ALDF

ALDF needs your help to support passage of the “PUPS Act” (S. 395). Thousands of dogs are suffering immensely in “puppy mills”—large-scale, unethical commercial dog-breeding facilities—so they can be sold to unsuspecting consumers. Dogs produced in puppy mills not only endure terrible conditions before purchase, but are prone to contagious disease, heart and hip problems, and serious breathing difficulties. Meanwhile, millions of dogs are euthanized in animal shelters every year because they haven’t been adopted in forever homes.

5. Background | Source PETA

To produce down pillows, comforters, or jackets, birds are often pinned down as hurried workers yank fistfuls of feathers from the birds’ sensitive bodies while they are still alive, often plucking them so violently that they rip open the birds’ delicate skin, and then sew up the gaping wounds using a needle and thread and no painkillers.

Buying down can also support the cruelty of the foie gras and meat industries because many farmers who raise birds for food make an extra profit by selling their feathers as well. When these birds are sent to slaughter, their throats are slit—often while fully conscious—and many are scalded to death in defeathering tanks. All down comes from birds who suffer and die violently and painfully.

Caesars (which owns Caesars Palace, Harrah’s, Planet Hollywood, Paris, Rio, Flamingo, Bally’s, and many more) clearly understands the benefits of cruelty-free synthetic materials—the company uses synthetic bedding in all of its hotel rooms except a few at Caesars Palace.

Please join us in asking Caesars to drop down in all its hotel rooms.

6. Background | Source PCRM

The Department of Defense (DOD) has missed a deadline set by Congress to set a plan for phasing out the use of animals. In December, Congress passed the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act, which called on the DOD to issue a report by March 1, 2013, that includes a strategy for transitioning to the use of human-based methods in combat trauma training courses. This was a huge victory and was the first time Congress has held the DOD accountable on this issue.

But we still need your help.

Instead of working on a strategy to replace the use of live animals in training, the Army’s Medical Command has made plans to continue the use of live goats in combat trauma training for the next five years!

Please write the Army Surgeon General, Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho, and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, Jonathan Woodson, M.D., and ask them to replace the use of live animals in combat trauma training with the many human-based medical simulators available.

With the availability of several such simulators, the use of live animals in combat trauma training is unnecessary. Please tell Lt. Gen Horoho and Dr. Woodson to stop Army Medical Command’s plans to extend the use of live goats for five more years.

Thank you for all of your help.

i would like to bake
a compassionate cake
to create a world of giving
and less of take
where loving kindness
is the norm
not one where cruelty
attacks in swarms
♥

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

Wikimedia Commons

BACKGROUND

The December issue of the Tufts-Cummings Veterinary School ‘s Catnip newsletter featured an article entitled “Curb Destructive Scratching” which includes an irresponsible sidebar section on declawing entitled “The Declawing Option: What You Should Know”, which outrageously serves to legitimize and justify cat declawing in certain circumstances.

The article describes declawing as a “relatively simple” procedure with “slight risks”. This is recklessly untrue. In fact, declawing is among the most agonizing procedures a cat can undergo, and can lead to chronic pain and disability, says veterinarian Jennifer Conrad, DVM. While called “declawing”, the procedure actually involves amputating a portion of a cat’s toes, with life-long adverse affects common.

An important point Friends of Animals has long made to our members is that adopting a cat or dog means taking responsibility for their well being. Declawing—an act of cruelty which should be illegal—means renouncing the responsibility one has assumed when one adopts a cat into one’s home. We’re so serious about our anti-declawing position that we mandate that our low-cost spay neuter certificates cannot be used in the cat owner also intends on declawing their cat. Our educational pamphlet “Paws Come With Claws: That’s One of Nature’s Laws”, details the various ways that pet owners can protect themselves and their furniture without ever harming their cat.

According to Catnip’s editor-in-chief, Tufts-Cummings veterinary surgeon Dr. John Berg, “We do not do declawing procedures at Tufts-Cummings, and would consider it only if one of the very rare instances outlined in the sidebar ever arose.” Friends of Animals’ New York office contacted Dr. Berg and voiced our opposition to the contradictory message about declawing posed in Catnip’s article, yet Dr. Berg insisted that the sidebar was appropriate and even stated that he himself could “imagine circumstances in which I personally would consider performing declawing.”

Such a confused and backwards position should not be championed by a well-regarded Veterinary School.

Incredibly, the article also suggests that front-paw declawing does not render outdoor cats defenseless because they can climb “small-diameter trees”. What about cats with only wide-diameter trees available, or no trees available? How would a declawed cat escape or defend themselves from a predator then? They would be incapable of doing so.

What are the instances outlined as reasons to amputate a portion of a cat’s toes so it can’t scratch? If an owner “appears likely to euthanize or abandon the cat unless (it) undergoes the procedure” or if the cat shares a household with someone who is medically compromised.

That is a flimsy justification, and utterly without merit. Many people doing rescue and shelter work know: Declawed cats are abandoned and euthanized just like any other cat.

Although Dr. Berg says he “cannot remember the last time” a declawing was performed at Tufts-Cummings since he started as a faculty member in 1987, Catnip‘s promoting declawing as a procedure of so-called last resort justifies this cruelty.

And justifying declawing gives vets and uninformed or selfish pet owners the green light to continue mutilating cats for the crime of being cats and doing what comes naturally to them.


WHOM TO CONTACT

Email: john.berg@tufts.edu


SAMPLE LETTER

Dear Dr. Berg,

Catnip‘s careless treatment of declawing does a disservice to cats and does not reflect well on Tufts-Cummings.

Please publish an article in Catnip that takes a humane stand–with reasons declawing should never be done as behavioral intervention. If Tufts-Cummings indeed prohibits this unnecessary surgery, it is especially necessary for its newsletter to inform its readers why it takes this ethical stand.

Anyone adopting a cat must accept that scratching is a normal characteristic of a healthy cat. Amputating a portion of a cat’s toes, or severing the tendons (tendonectomy), to deal with this behavior is patently cruel. There are many humane, sensible options, such as behavioral modification techniques with rehoming, a kinder “last resort”.

Additionally, bite wounds are as dangerous as scratches. What then? Remove the cat’s teeth? To suggest that a cat should be declawed if an owner is medically compromised is absurd. It is important to also note that once deprived of claws, a cat may turn to his only other form of defense—his teeth. It is fairly common for a declawed cat to become a biter, doing so out of fear and frustration.

Furthermore, declawing does not ensure cats a secure home. People who select, care for, and train companion animals responsibly; who have realistic expectations of a cat’s innate behavior; and who make a lifetime commitment to their pets are the only things that ensure a cat a secure home.

Thank you for taking the time to read this important appeal to publish an article detailing the dangers and inhumane properties of declawing.

NAME

my paws hurt so much,
they do not feel the same,
i cannot grasp, i am not
in the cat game.
walking feels funny,
jumping so hard.
what happened to me,
why was i dealt this
cruel card?

signed,
every declawed cat!

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

Wikimedia Commons

BACKGROUND | SOURCE COALITION TO PROTECT AND RESCUE PETS

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has historically sanctioned the cutting of vocal cords to mask a dog’s or cat’s voice. Despite public outcry against devocalization in recent years, the AVMA Executive Board has proposed a new policy that will further entrench veterinary support for this practice, widely considered an act of animal cruelty.

The policy comes up for a vote the first week of January 2013.

Learn how it hurts animals, then scroll down for steps you can take NOW to protect them. Act quickly, before the vote.

Why is the AVMA lagging behind the compassion curve?

As a professional association, the AVMA is charged with protecting its members’ interests. Some vets obviously devocalize because it is profitable. Others don’t devocalize but oppose banning it; many fear that would lead to prohibition of other unnecessary, mutilating surgeries such as ear cropping, tail docking and declawing.

A small but growing number of vets are taking an unequivocal stand for humane treatment of animals. They’re advocating for laws banning vocal cord surgery on dogs and cats except to treat a physical ailment causing the animal medical harm. The AVMA should too.

THE AVMA’S PROPOSED POLICY…

Canine devocalization should only be performed by qualified, licensed veterinarians as a final alternative to euthanasia after behavioral modification to correct excessive vocalization has failed and after discussion of potential complications from the procedure with the owner. When dogs are housed in groups (e.g. laboratories, breeding facilities, kennels) devocalization should not be used as an alternative to appropriate animal management and facility design.

… AND WHAT’S WRONG WITH IT

“Canine devocalization”

Cats are devocalized too; it’s documented. This policy doesn’t consider them at all.

“should only be performed by qualified, licensed veterinarians”

Veterinarians board-certified in surgery, anesthesiology and internal medicine say: Devocalization is always dangerous, even in the hands of qualified, licensed veterinarians. And exposing animals to these risks just to mask their natural voices is always inhumane.

“as a final alternative”

“Final alternative” is unenforceable. No vet can know–and some won’t ask–if a client has provided responsible care and training, essential to manage all animal behavior. Even receipts from a trainer or behaviorist don’t mean the client followed instructions correctly, consistently or at all; devocalization is easier for the owner, profitable for the vet. Only the animal suffers.

There is always a reason for persistent vocalization that should be addressed, according to preeminent veterinary behaviorist Nicholas Dodman, DVA, DACVB, DACVA. The animal may be bored, lonely or need more exercise. Some owners unwittingly reward and reinforce the vocalization they say annoys them. Others keep too many animals or place innately “talkative” breeds like Sheltie dogs and Siamese cats where their voices won’t be tolerated. Cutting the animal’s vocal cords is not the solution.

It is disingenuous to claim the choice is between devocalization and euthanasia. There are many effective, humane ways to manage barking and meowing, with rehoming as a “final alternative” for owners who can’t or won’t pursue them. No one need resort to the extremes of cutting healthy vocal cord tissue or euthanizing a healthy animal.

Shelter executives say devocalized animals are given up and convenience-euthanized like any other. The cost of maintaining a pet is among the top ten reasons for surrender. Barking and meowing are not.

Other top reasons for surrender include biting and house-soiling, which may be caused or worsened by devocalization. Surgically stifling an animal’s voice doesn’t change the needs expressed by persistent vocalizing, such as for companionship, exercise or mental stimulation; it just makes it easy for owners to ignore them. The animal then may communicate his distress through attention-seeking behaviors that are more irksome or dangerous than barking or meowing.

Devocalization can increase the risk of euthanasia when owners can’t or won’t pay for the costly procedure needed to remove scar tissue from their pets’ airways. Scar tissue development, a normal outcome of any surgery, can be deadly in the throat.
Shelters and caring vets say rehoming is a humane final alternative; devocalization is an act of animal cruelty.

“When dogs are housed in groups (e.g. laboratories, breeding facilities, kennels) devocalization should not be used as an alternative to appropriate animal management”

This is as unenforceable as the “final alternative” loophole, sanctioning the use of devocalization by animal-testing labs and breeders as long as “appropriate animal management and facility design” is claimed.

CONCERNED VETS PROPOSE THIS MORE ANIMAL-PROTECTIVE POLICY

Concerned veterinarians such as those in this video (at link) have joined animal shelters, advocacy groups, pet owners and others in calling for a ban on devocalization. They say cutting vocal cords just to stifle a dog’s or cat’s voice is cruel, and no one–including vets–should be allowed to engage in animal cruelty.

A more animal-protective position for the AVMA to take would be:

Any surgical procedure involving the vocal apparatus of dogs and cats should only be performed by qualified, licensed veterinarians and only to treat a physical illness, disease, injury or correct a congenital abnormality causing the animal medical harm that cannot be relieved by other veterinary care.


WHOM TO CONTACT

Call 1-847-285-6618 or 1-800-248-2862, ext. 7, weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. CST. Please be calm, polite and brief.

Click HERE for online contact form

Fax number: 1-847-925-1329

Click HERE for free faxing from your computer.  No fax machine, credit card, or registering required. Please be certain to confirm you message by clicking on the link sent to your email address or else your fax will not be sent


SAMPLE LETTER

To Whom It Concerns,

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has historically sanctioned the cutting of vocal cords to mask a dog’s or cat’s voice. Despite public outcry against devocalization in recent years, the AVMA Executive Board has proposed a new policy that will further entrench veterinary support for this practice, widely considered an act of animal cruelty.

On January 3, 2013, the AVMA will vote on a policy that will potentially protect veterinary, breeding, and animal-testing profits, but leave dogs and cats vulnerable to devocalization.

Stop justifying cruelty. No vet should cut vocal cords to stifle a dog’s or cat’s voice! No veterinary association should condone it.

Thank you for taking the time to consider this urgent appeal.

NAME

devocalizing is another way
for those who disrespect animals
to say,
that we do not like your dog
or cat voice,
so away it goes,
you do not have
a choice.
it is up to us to stand
up and say, that
this is cruel and unnecessary
and there are other
ways!

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

Wikimedia Commons

1. Please click and sign HERE

Background | Source Best Friends Animal Society

Last week, the U.S. Senate passed two important provisions that would help protect animals. The Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act (S. 1947/ H.R. 2492) would make it a federal offense to attend an organized animal fight. It also increases the penalty for bringing a child to an animal fight.

The Senate also passed an amendment to the Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2013 for Military Activities, allowing the Secretary of Defense to establish and maintain a system to provide for the veterinary care of retired military working dogs.

In this year of congressional inaction, please take a moment to encourage the U.S. Congress to do the right thing for four-legged military heroes, and punish those who watch animal fights by taking action.

Suggested, Editable Text

As a constituent, I urge you to pass H.R. 2492 to crack down on spectators at animal fights, and I also urge you to concur with the provision of S. 3254 that would allow veterinary services for retired military working dogs.

These are two extremely important measures. Regarding H.R. 2492: Animal abuse is often linked to human violence. Animal fighting often has ties to organized crime. It should be a federal offense to attend an organized animal fight or bring children to these heinous events.

Regarding the S. 3254 provision: Dogs who have served America in the military should be rewarded for protecting our service men and women. They should be eligible for veterinary care, not languish after their tour of duty is over.

Please concur with the amendment to S. 3254, to help military working dogs, and pass H.R. 2492, to crack down on animal abusers.

Sincerely,


2. Please click and sign HERE

Text | Source ASPCA

As your constituent, I am writing to thank you for supporting the Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act (H.R. 2492). This humane measure recently passed unanimously in the Senate. The legislation would make it a federal offense to knowingly attend an organized animal fight and would impose additional penalties for bringing children to animal fights.

Laws against attending animal fights vary from state to state and animal fighters often travel across state lines to participate. Law enforcement needs strong federal laws to prosecute those who participate in these heinous crimes. Additionally, children need protection from the dangerous and illegal activities associated with animal fighting, including drugs, weapons, and gambling.

Editable Text

In the final days of this Congress, I would appreciate if you would reach out to leadership in the House and ask that this bill be considered on the House floor. This bill deserves to be given an up or down vote.


Find zipcodes HERE

a couple of minutes,
a click or two,
just think about all
the good you
could do !

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

Wikimedia Commons

2. Click HERE to sign additional petition

3. Listen to the story:

4. Read story, source NPR

Anyone who has visited Rome and its antique monuments has also seen their four-legged residents: the many stray cats that bask in the sun amid the ruins.

One site in central Rome is known as “cat forum,” thanks to its adjacent cat shelter. But Italian archaeology officials have issued the Torre Argentina Cat Shelter Association an eviction notice, and feline lovers from around the world are bracing for a cat fight.

The Roman ruins at Torre Argentina are an oasis in the middle of the city’s chaotic traffic. The site is dotted with the broken columns of four ancient temples. It was here, at a theater designed as a meeting place for politicians, that Julius Caesar is said to have been stabbed by Brutus.

But tourists and passers-by seem more fascinated by the site’s contemporary residents. “People are interested more in cats than in monuments,” says Lia Dequel, one of the shelter’s founders. “The two together are fantastic … because monuments come alive if you see a cat lying on it, or jumping from one pillar to another.”

Now, two decades after the shelter was created, national archaeological officials say it’s illegal and must go — although the cats themselves can stay.

Dequel is dismayed. “If I leave these cats here, who sterilizes them? They wouldn’t go to doctor and say, ‘Hi, doctor, sterilize me,’ or ‘vaccinate me,’ or [to] be fed.”

A Cat Shelter With A Star-Studded Past

In 1994, Dequel and her friend, retired opera singer Silvia Viviani, took over what had for decades been an improvised cat shelter. It began in the 1950s, when a Shakespearean actor from a nearby theater somehow got the key to the old warehouse where archaeologists kept their tools. The actor, Antonio Crast, loved cats and used the space to store cat food.

In fact, Crast loved cats so much he wanted to die among them. Lo and behold, it is said that he had a heart attack right here, inside the ruins among his beloved felines.

The warehouse key was passed on from one person to another, mostly cat lovers connected with the theater. “There is a link between cats and actors,” says former soprano Viviani. She notes that the great film star Anna Magnani, who lived nearby in Palazzo Altieri, was one of the most famous cat ladies who brought pots of pasta to feed the Torre Argentina cats. “And cats have always been the inspirational muse of artists,” Viviani adds. “Just think of Baudelaire and Hemingway.”

The shelter’s premises are located in an underground storage area excavated under the street in the foundations of a temple. But today, the Torre Argentina Cat Shelter Association is no longer a primitive, damp cave. Over the years, Dequel and Viviani convinced city authorities to provide the shelter with electricity and running water — although they still don’t have a sewage system.

Read rest of story HERE

yes rome was not
built in a day,
but without
this loving cat
refuge,
the seven hills
will fade
away

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

ESA

BACKGROUND | SOURCE ESA

Diesel the Dog has been locked away in a 5′ x 7′ cement enclosure for twenty-three and a half hours a day, every day, for the past nineteen months at the Regional District of Central Okanagan’s dog compound. The Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO) has a history of doing this to animals in their jurisdiction. It’s time for all fair-minded people and animal lovers to bring the RDCO’s practice of animal cruelty to an end.

Diesel’s only fault was to defend himself in a dog fight and bite the attacking dog. Diesel was then reported to RDCO Dog Control and has been incarcerated in horrible conditions ever since.

Diesel has been assessed as NON-AGGRESSIVE by a professional dog assessor with 35 years experience, Mr. Gary Gibson. Despite this, the authorities at the RDCO refuse to release Diesel and go on the word of their own dog assessor, someone who has had six weeks training in dog obedience and not a single course or any training in dog assessment. It’s this RDCO employee who assessed Diesel as aggressive and said that he should be destroyed. The only reason why Diesel is alive today is because of Diesel’s owner, Dave Smith.

Dave is trying to save the life of his innocent dog and is fighting Diesel’s case in Supreme Court which is a very costly matter.

The RDCO has the power to release Diesel IMMEDIATELY by simply dropping their court case against him. Regrettably, RDCO Directors have chosen Diesel’s continued suffering as the preferred option.

If you live within or near the RDCO, Friends of Diesel will be holding a candlelight vigil Monday, Oct. 22nd starting at 6:30 PM. It will be held at the Kelowna City Hall, 1435 Water Street, Kelowna but we’d like to meet Diesel supporters initially at The Sails. We’d like to see as many as possible attend, so if you plan on coming please dress warmly, bring family members and friends, electric candles, and of course, bring your beloved animal friends.

August 9th, 2012, Mr. Dave Smith appeared in court to receive the verdict from the judge on his loyal companion and friend, Diesel. Unfortunately, the decision of the court was not what was expected and was a very biased decision. They sentenced Diesel to death within the next 14 days, without really listening to the defense and leaving Mr. Smith with a VERY short time frame to appeal. The paperwork is already in motion for the appeal but time is very crucial for Diesel and support is urgent to save the life of an innocent victim condemned to death without your help. …

Dave Smith adopted Diesel in the summer of 2006. Dave and his loyal companion have been the center of attack for the past few years from a neighbor who has been making life very difficult. This neighbor has been making every effort to cause problems for Dave Smith and Diesel by filing complaints continuously. Diesel and his owner/parent have been victimized by this neighbor from 2006 to 2011.

Diesel has never shown any signs of aggression by any means and has always been a fun and loving companion. He has been in the company of many animals, people and children and has never attempted to hurt anyone.

In June, 2011, Dana Eklund assessed Diesel and her recommendation was the he never be released because he would bite someone or another animal. The assessment documentation provided by Ms. Eklund was given a 20 minute-briefing on Diesel by animal control on the instructions of “their” legal council. Gary Gibson, who assessed Diesel by video, contradicts Ms. Eklund’s testimony showing the complete opposite of what she testified to. The Provincially recognized expert dog assessor, Gary Gibson, showed both in written submissions and video records that Diesel was not a dangerous or aggressive dog, but would respond if attacked. Well, I think if any of us were attacked, whether animal or human, we would respond. That’s logic. …

To view the rest, follow this link.

Here is expert dog assessor Gary Gibson’s assessment.


PETITIONS

Petition 1
Petition 2


WHOM TO CONTACT
TO:

info@cord.bc.ca

CC:

info-dogcontrol@cord.bc.ca; mayor@peachland.ca; Robert.Hobson@cord.bc.ca; baker@lakecountry.bc.ca; Jim.Edgson@cord.bc.ca; cbasran@kelowna.ca; patty.hanson@cord.bc.ca; wgray@kelowna.ca; Doug.Findlater@districtofwestside.ca; andre@andres1.com; ggiven@kelowna.ca; gzimmermann@kelowna.ca; Duane.Ophus@districtofwestside.ca


SAMPLE LETTER ONE
Dear Regional Director:

Diesel, as you know, has been locked away in a 5′ x 7′ cement enclosure for twenty-three and a half hours a day, EVERYDAY, for more than nineteen months. Diesel’s cruel, prolonged confinement has clearly been approved by you, since it is your authority that has placed him there. You also know that Diesel has been assessed as NON-AGGRESSIVE by Mr. Gary Gibson, a professional dog assessor with 35 years experience. In addition, you’re fully aware that your own “dog assessor” has never taken a single course in dog assessment nor has she ever had any formal training as a dog assessor. She has only taken a six-week course in dog obedience. Despite this, she has “assessed” Diesel as aggressive and that he should be destroyed. All these details you know, but despite this alarming information, you have let an innocent dog like Diesel suffer for more than nineteen months. Where is your moral integrity?

Since it’s within your power to release Diesel immediately by stopping your legal action against him, why haven’t you made any attempt to do so? It would be impossible to believe you are not aware of this option since that’s what your job is about. Logic dictates, therefore, you do not really care. How could you and your colleagues, even in your darkest moments, sentence an innocent animal to such a hellish life? Is creating this cruel nightmare for an animal the best way you can express yourself in your life?

The world is getting to know the RDCO and its Regional Directors for all the wrong reasons. People, and yes, even Regional Directors make mistakes. You still have time to change your course and act with a heart filled with compassion instead of retribution.

Please hear the world’s voices of compassion and justice for animals. Please set Diesel free without delay.  The world is waiting for your compassionate and just decision.

Thank you for taking the time to read this urgent appeal.


SAMPLE LETTER TWO

Dear Regional Director:

This is cruel and unjust punishment for any creature of any species. Please release Diesel at once!

Thank you for taking the time to read this urgent appeal.


SAMPLE LETTER THREE

Dear Regional Director:

The RDCO has overstepped its mandate by engaging in what is nothing short of animal abuse. Diesel isn’t being held in isolation in order to protect anyone. He is a victim of cruel policy implemented by an inhumane group of political powermongers.

Thank you for taking the time to read this urgent appeal.


SAMPLE LETTER FOUR

Dear Regional Director:

I can’t believe that the RDCO is allowed to waste taxpayer money on defending their animal abuse. Not only should Diesel be released – the RDCO should be personally held responsible for improper conduct and prosecuted accordingly!

Thank you for taking the time to read this urgent appeal.

remember lennox and the message, clear.
please do not let that happen here.
do not let an innocent dog fall
victim to
human cruelty,
as they all to often do.
you have the power
to make this right,
let diesel free
as he is supposed to be.
be the bigger person,
do not be hobbled,
by manunkind and his
vicious squabbles

thank you

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

Facebook

UPDATE (per thread) 9/26/12:

Lilly has several options, she is going to a local home in manhattan kansas tomorrow night to see how that works out with their other dogs, if it doesn’t she has foster near Topeka KS to hold her unitl Maggie May gets her – that is my understanding from my phone call with Amber a few minutes ago, she is supposed to be calling Maggie and will update anything else I find out so this girl has options THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR ALL YOUR HELP SUPPORT SHARING AND CARING!!” via Karen Guzman

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.447480208628803.99054.100001004827639&type=1

LOCATION:
Washington, Kansas, North of Clay Center

TELEPHONE:
785-626-2061

EMAIL:
sharpeaa@gmail.com

BIO, FROM CURRENT GUARDIAN:
She was saved off a kill list as a puppy and is probably a year and a half old now. She’s been raised with a young child (who is now 3 yr old) and does great with her as well as other children that come to play. I also have a mini Aussie and she’s been great with him. They are quite the comical pair when they play. She has been raised around cats and has never harmed any of them, but she will chase them. She is house broke, kennel broke, up-to-date on shots until November (I’m willing to help the new owners financially with shots when they are due if that will help), she’s spayed and about 40 pounds or so. I will send her with her kennel, collar, and harness and leash. Lilly is seriously the happiest dog I’ve ever known!

I have until Friday to comply to this ordinance.   Please help this dog not be another victim of BSL, thank you.

CONTACT:
sharpeaa@gmail.com

TELEPHONE:
785-626-2061

LOCATION:
Washington, Kansas, North of Clay Center

BSL,
too many lives
destroyed,
please save this
beautiful angel
from that void!!!

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

Change

Please click and sign petition HERE
By Renee L. Miller

Background

As a past supporter of the MHS and an animal advocate, it came to my attention that the MHS has an alarming and disturbing rate of euthanasia.

It is my plea that MHS adheres to its mission and stop the needless killing of 66 dogs and cats in your shelters EVERY SINGLE DAY. In 2011, the Michigan Humane Society’s own report to the Michigan Department of Agriculture reveals that the shelter killed 17,265 animals that year / (52 weeks a year * 5 days a week = 260 days) = 66 animals killed per day / 7 hours per day = 9.5 animals killed per hour). Call for the resignations of the two men who are responsible for this: Mr. Cal Morgan, Executive Director, and Mr. David Williams, COO. Animals in their care are being killed at a rate that is among the worst in the nation.

In 2011, MHS saved only 29% of the animals taken into its shelters showing no improvement for over 8 years. For every ten dogs and cats that are brought into the front door of MHS, seven go out the door in body bags. In comparison, other large, open admissions, urban animal shelters have the following save rates: Austin (90%), Reno (91%), Denver (76%), and New York (73%). Right here in Michigan, the Humane Society of Huron Valley saved 81.5% of their animals in 2011. According to the Michigan Pet Fund Alliance’s Shelter Report on save rates (taken from 2010 statistics that shelters reported to the Michigan Department of Agriculture), the Michigan Humane Society ranked 136th out of 161 Michigan shelters. Because of MHS’s poor performance and practices, four members resigned from the MHS Board of Directors in June of 2011. Tragically, the same management team still sits today—and is the top paid animal sheltering team in Michigan. According to Charity Navigator’s 990 Report, Mr. Cal Morgan made $184,936 in 2010 and Mr. David Williams made $144,504 while their organization continues to kill seven out ten animals that enter the shelter.

As the largest animal welfare organization in the state, the Michigan Humane Society must do better. Your donors deserve a better animal welfare organization for our charitable contributions! To improve the organization, Mr. Cal Morgan, Executive Director, and Mr. David Williams, COO, must be removed and replaced with a leadership team that will save more animals. The Michigan Pet Fund Alliance stands ready to help the organization improve its save rates by moving to a No-Kill model. It is time for the Michigan Humane Society to become the organization its donors and the community deserve. Acknowledge your past poor performance by demanding Mr. Morgan’s and Mr. Williams’ resignations and embrace your future as a leader in the animal sheltering community. Thank you.

Please don’t forget to click and sign petition HERE

what is a shelter,
a place safe
and sealed.
it is not supposed to
be
a killing field!!!!

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

BACKGROUND

In 2000, Congress agreed with  the animal protection community that the public has a right to know how  the airlines treat their animal passengers.  In 2003, the Department of  Transportation (DoT) finally issued regulations governing the reports  that airlines have to file regarding animals who are lost, injured, or  killed while in their care.  Unfortunately, they only have to report a  problem if it involves an animal who “is being kept as a pet in a family  household in the United States.” That is a very narrow definition and  does not include animals being shipped commercially “such as dogs coming  from puppy mills and primates being shipped to research laboratories.

After years of protests about this limitation from animal groups and letters from U.S. Senators, DoT has published a proposal (Docket  No. DOT-OST-2010-0211) to expand the reporting requirements and the number of airlines to  which they apply, and to improve the utility of the reports.

It is essential that DoT  hear from animal advocates like you so that the final rule will cover all animals who are entrusted to the
airlines.


WHOM TO CONTACT

Please click HERE to leave comments.  The only required field is the comment area, all others are optional.


SAMPLE COMMENTS

Please amend the proposed rule so that airlines are required to file reports for any animal  who is lost,  injured, or killed while in their care and custody.  The  animal’s status as “pet,” “commercial  shipment,” or otherwise has no  bearing on an air carrier’s responsibility to  ensure that an animal  is handled humanely and arrives alive and well at the  final  destination.  While the rule as  proposed is an improvement over the  current coverage “limited only to pets  residing in U.S. households ” it  still fails to cover such egregious  situations as, for example, the deaths of 15  monkeys during an arduous journey from Miami to Los Angeles to China and  back again.  I support  DoT’s suggestion that the airlines’ December reports include the total number of animals  transported in the  previous year as well as a tally for the year of all animal  losses,  injuries, and deaths.  This more-comprehensive year-end report will make the information that much more meaningful  and  accessible to consumers. I also  support applying the reporting  requirement to more airlines, as proposed.  The public deserves the best  information it can get regarding the airlines’ records when it comes  to handling animals. Making the airlines more accountable will make them  more careful with their animal passengers.

our animal are your passengers, too.
we need to know what you do,
what happens to this cargo
precious, that cannot be
replaced,
anything less than kindness
and candor
would be a disgrace

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

PETA

BACKGROUND

On July 29, Tech XX, Louisiana Tech’s English bulldog mascot cooked to death after negligent caretakers left the dog outside in scorching heat and then tried to cover up the incident. Please read more here. And this isn’t the first time a Louisiana Tech mascot suffered from a heat-related illness! Tech XX’s predecessor, Tech XIX, was retired after surviving heat exhaustion during a game in 2007. Alarmingly, the school has plans to get another English bulldog mascot!

Please urge Louisiana Tech’s administrators to join the many university and professional sports teams that have made the compassionate decision to discontinue live-animal mascot programs. And forward this alert widely!


WHOM TO CONTACT

Please send polite comments to the following.

Email block:

reneau@latech.edu , vandevelde@latech.edu ,  usmkh@latech.edu

Individual

Daniel D. Reneau
President
Louisiana Tech University
P.O. Box 3168
Railroad Ave., #1620 Wyly Tower
Ruston, LA 71272
318-257-3785
reneau@latech.edu

Bruce Van De Velde
Athletics Director
Louisiana Tech Athletics
P.O. Box 3046
Ruston, LA 71272
318-257-3247
vandevelde@latech.edu

Mary Kay Hungate
Deputy Athletics Director
Louisiana Tech Athletics
P.O. Box 3046
Ruston, LA 71272
318-257-5654
usmkh@latech.edu


SUBJECT

Please discontinue live-animal mascot programs


SAMPLE LETTER | COURTESY PETA

Dear President Reneau, Director Van De Velde, and Deputy Hungate:

On July 29, Tech XX, Louisiana Tech’s English bulldog mascot cooked to death after negligent caretakers left the dog outside in scorching heat and then tried to cover up the incident.

And this isn’t the first time a Louisiana Tech mascot suffered from a heat-related illness! Tech XX’s predecessor, Tech XIX, was retired after surviving heat exhaustion during a game in 2007. Alarmingly, it is my understanding that the school has plans to get another English bulldog mascot.

Please join the many university and professional sports teams that have made the compassionate decision to discontinue live-animal mascot programs.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

NAME

Mascots are not inanimate throwaways,
They live, they die,
When they bake on heat soaked
Days

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

Force Change

1. Stop Facebook’s Animal Cruelty
2. Add report option “Animal Abuse” on Facebook
3. Boycott Belfast & Montreal for killing Lennox
4. J. C. Penney Company, Inc.: Stop selling and promoting Michael Vick Merchandise
5. Stop Killing Black Bears for Royal Guards’ Fur Caps

click on and share,
everywhere.
so we can build
a better world
and we will
like it there☺☻

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

Wikimedia Commons

Please click HERE to sign petition asking for maximum penalty in animal killing

Background | Source Change

A few weeks ago, Herlinda Trio tied her dog (who had just had 10 puppies) to the back of her truck with a rope, and drove until her precious dog broke his neck and died. Herlinda deserves to be locked up forever, but since Texas law only holds animal abusers in jail for up to 2 years, we would like her to be locked up that long. Make the state of Texas take away all of Trio’s puppies, and ban her from ever owning another animal again. She doesn’t deserve to own an animal, and she doesn’t deserve to be a free woman. Lock her up for the maximum time, and ban her from owning animals so we can bring justice to her dog.

herlinda trio,
a disgrace.
the sunshine
of freedom,
should never
greet her face.
lock her up
and lose the key,
she is a menace
to animals
and society

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

Sharon Logan, of Paw Protectors Rescue, has been a long-time rescuer of animals from the OC Animal Shelter in Orange, Calif.

Recently, however, that all changed following Logan expressing concern over the treatment of a surrendered dog, and what appears to be retaliation on the part of the animal shelter facility.

It all began on July 27 – the day that Logan witnessed a heartbreaking scene at the facility. On that day, Logan was at the facility to pull a dog for her rescue.

While there, she claims to have overheard a woman laughing and joking about a dog who she was surrendering. The woman allegedly was laughing as she told a friend that the dog was “(expletive) dumb,” and that she should abandon him in the parking lot.

Unfortunately for the dog, it is not the same story that she provided to the shelter staff.

The woman told the shelter employees that the dog was “aggressive,” and that he needed to be euthanized.

Later, Logan’s heart broke as she saw the “wheel or box of death” brought out to the parking lot. This “box” is for dogs who are to be destroyed.

The frightened dog seemed to know his fate as he bucked away from the contraption and attempted to keep his freedom. Logan captured part of the gut-wrenching scene on video.

The supposedly “aggressive” dog was clearly frightened, yet his tail continues to wag.

The “aggressive” dog never lashes out at anyone or anything – instead, he tries to keep away from the death cage. According to Logan, she witnessed the same dog wait for thirty minutes as the surrender paperwork was completed.

According to Logan, the dog never reacted to anyone or anything.

Haunted by the scene she had witnessed and perplexed as to why and how a young, healthy dog would be placed in the “death cage,” Logan contacted the shelter to see about the dog’s status.

She was told by the adoption coordinator that:

The dog you observed was being brought in by his owner to be euthanized. He had a history of aggressive behavior towards animals and humans. In this type of case the dog is immediately euthanized.

Logan immediately responded to the email asking if the shelter bothered to do a temperament test or otherwise evaluate the doomed dog – or, did they simply take the word of the woman who no longer wanted him.

Two days later, she received notice that she had “violated” shelter terms and that she would no longer be able to pull animals from the shelter for rescue; she could, however, still make a public adoption.

A portion of the correspondence received from Katie Ingram follows:

OC Animal Care is an open-admission shelter. When an owner makes
the difficult decision to surrender their animal, we will respect their wishes.
Adoption Partners should never interfere with this process. Due to the sensitive
nature of these situations, please ensure that you and others from your group
adhere to this policy.”

“I will assure that all representatives of the organization will not interfere with
shelter operations when visiting OC Animal Care.”

According to your Adoption Partner file, you were the representative that
signed the Adoption Partner Manual Agreement and the 2012 Adoption Partner
Application. Through your signature on these documents, you acknowledged
that you would adhere to all guidelines, including the previously noted
guidelines regarding owner surrenders.

After viewing both of the videos posted on You Tube, it is clear that your
actions are in violation of OC Animal Care’s Adoption Partner guidelines.

Sharon Logan was stunned and appalled and she immediately contacted her lawyer.

Though Ingram states that Logan “interfered” with the woman who was surrendering the dog, she did nothing more than capture video images – at no time did she interfere with the shelter’s operations.

Signage around the shelter facility does not indicate that photos and/or video images are prohibited.

Finally, the OC Animal Shelter appears to have violated the law with the immediate killing of the healthy, young dog.

According to Section 31754 of the Food and Agricultural code:

mandates that animals relinquished by their PURPORTED owners are to be held the same period as strays and provided the same vet care and treatment.

There is an exception to the hold time “if” aggressive behavior has been documented.

In other words, in writing, there must be evidence of documented aggression by the agency responsible for enforcing shelter animal laws.

The obvious reason for this is to prevent people from contriving stories to get rid of an animal which they no longer want.

Sharon Logan’s attorney has stated that the actions of the OC Animal Shelter appear to be both “retaliatory and punitive,” in nature.

At the very least, if they were unhappy with her 1) questioning the killing of the dog, and 2) videotaping the surrender – they should have given her written warning of their concerns.

I emailed the adoption coordinator on Thursday addressing these concerns and asking for a statement. As this article was being written, Katie Ingram responded to my inquiry.

Ingram stated that the shelter killed the dog based on a statement from the owner. She wrote:

Upon surrender, the owner notified our staff that the dog had a history of aggression with both people and animals. This information was documented on his file.

Ingram also stated that Logan was barred from the adoption partner program because she engaged the woman who surrendered the dog.

Logan informed me that, after the dog’s surrender was complete, she was angry and yelled to the woman that she had “sentenced her dog to death.”

While Logan’s statement to the woman may not have been the “right” thing to do, it is doubtful that, post surrender, it “interfered” with the operations of the facility.

A healthy, adult dog lost his life on July 27. The woman who surrendered him, for all intents and purposes, killed him outright with her words.

According to the information provided, the shelter facility did not evaluate the dog for signs of aggression.

From all appearances, they took the word of the woman who did not want the “dumb” dog anymore.

Sharon Logan is no longer an adoption partner at this facility. She captured a disturbing scene on video and voiced her concerns – now she can no longer help those in need.

According to Ingram, Logan’s drop from the adoption partner program is because of the following:

Whether we agree with the decision of an owner or not, we cannot authorize this behavior from our “partners” in these types of situations.

Logan intends to pursue legal action with her lawyer over this situation.


WHOM TO CONTACT

Shelter Contacts:

• Ryan Drabek, Ryan.Drabek@occr.ocgov.com
• Tammy Osborn, Tammy.Osborn@occr.ocgov.com
• Katie Ingram, Katie.Ingram@occr.ocgov.com

Email block:

Ryan.Drabek@occr.ocgov.com , Tammy.Osborn@occr.ocgov.com , Katie.Ingram@occr.ocgov.com


SAMPLE LETTER

Dear Mr. Drabek, Ms. Osborn, and Ms. Ingram:

I am writing today on behalf of the dog who was innocently killed absent any legitimate assessment, resulting in the wrongful death of a dog and the dismissal of a responsible caretaker from the adoption partner program, Sharon Logan.

With respect to the owner, the woman’s words were not an accurate or reliable portrayal of the dog; indeed, it only served to victimize an innocent dog while neglecting to address those culpable: people who intentionally neglect their dogs or those who deliberately portray them as aggressive with violent behaviors relying only on words versus an accurate and complete assessment. Killing the dog absent a reliable assessment only propagates fear and irrational approaches to valid concerns. When you become immune to legitimate problems by unreasonably focusing on their owners description, the problem only escalates, allowing deviant human behaviours to flourish; when people start questioning the absence of enforcement and solution, you will determine that ignoring protocol is a fallible approach to controlling or preventing dog attacks.

For future situations, I appeal to you to allow the life of dogs, giving them time to acclimate and familiarize themselves with their surroundings. Even those dogs targeted as “dangerous” deserve time with a responsible caretaker. All dogs deserve life.

Thank you for taking the time to read this urgent appeal.

NAME

shelter” means to protect.
not to take an innocent,
from life and eject.
this is murder, stupid.
and cruel.
the parties involved.
are ignorant fools:(

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

dogs have feelings

dogs want to live.

manunkind has

too many misdealings,

yet dog always

forgives

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

BACKGROUND | SOURCE PETA

Reportedly, Bruce Tanski Construction & Development, LLC—a property management group that owns multiple apartment complexes and townhomes in New York—requires tenants to declaw their cats. PETA has reached out to the company several times, but to no avail. We need your help!

Outlawed in 22 countries, declawing is a cruel and permanently crippling surgery involving amputation of the last joint of every toe, including bones and cartilage! Persistent pain, loss of balance, nerve damage, bone chips requiring additional surgery, gangrene, and skin disorders are associated physical complications—and nails can later grow back painfully and unseen, within the paw! Declawed cats often become reclusive, depressed, and insecure and begin eliminating outside the litterbox. Psychologically changed, these animals are then bounced around from home to home or wind up at animal shelters.

Please politely urge Bruce Tanski Construction & Development to join the numerous property management groups that do not require declawing. And please, forward this alert widely!


WHOM TO CONTACT

Polite comments can be sent to:

Bruce Tanski, Chief Executive Officer
Bruce Tanski Construction & Development, LLC
btconstruction@nycap.rr.com


SUBJECT

Please ban the declawing requirement for tenants’ cats in your properties


SAMPLE LETTER

Dear Chief Executive Officer Tanski,

I am writing to ask that you please discontinue your requirement for tenants to declaw cats homed in any of your properties. This is a cruel, archaic procedure that causes suffering and pain, undesirable patterns and behaviour and has been recognized as such internationally. Declawing is illegal or restricted in over 20 countries, including the United Kingdom and Canada. Cities such as San Francisco, West Hollywood, and Norfolk, VA ban declawing — while Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Berkeley, Malibu and Santa Monica are evaluating similar legislation. The Humane Society of the U.S. and ASPCA oppose declawing. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons rejects the operation, describing it as “mutilation.”

Overwhelming evidence demonstrates declawing causes severe behavioral problems that often lead guardians to abandon their animals in overcrowded shelters; 33% of declawed cats begin post-procedure, according to a 2001 study in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medicine Association (JAVMA). National shelter surveys reveal that 70-80% of cats surrendered for offensive behavior are declawed. Declawed felines enter shelters with behavioral issues like biting or not using the litter box, claims shelter director William Lombardi of Gloucester County, New Jersey. For the estimated 70% of declawed cats who are euthanized, the surgery is a death sentence.

Moreover, declawing generates suffering and permanent disability. The invasive procedure amputates not only the claw, but also the entire last “knuckle” of a cat’s toes. Veterinary experts recognize laser or scalpel declawing as among the most painful surgeries routinely performed.

Please reconsider this cruel policy and ban the declawing requirement for tenants’ cats in your properties.

Thank you for taking the time to read this urgent appeal.

NAME

property mismanagers,
would you like it if your
nails
were ripped off of your fingers.
pain and emotional torment,
forever to linger?

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

Examiner

Source Examiner
By Kelley Diekman

Despite exhaustive efforts by the family, politicians, celebrities and the international public outcry to save Lennox the dog after a two-year battle, he was sadly killed this morning.

Lennox was a 5 year old American Bull dog and Lab mix that was taken from his home and family in Northern Ireland in May, 2010 because he resembled a Pit Bull. The Belfast City Council seized Lennox under the Dangerous Dog Act, breed specific legislation that has marked Pit Bulls as a threat. As midnight came and went, so did the opportunity for the family to appeal the Belfast City Council’s decision to kill Lennox. Sometime this morning, Lennox was put to sleep without his family who were not allowed to see him over the past two years or even say goodbye.

The Belfast City Council posted the following press release following the despicable act:

Dangerous dog is put to sleep following final court decision

Belfast City Council confirmed today that the dog Lennox, an illegal pit-bull terrier type, has been humanely put to sleep. This was in accordance with the Order of the County Court which was affirmed by the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal.

Whilst there is an exemption scheme to which dogs of this type (pit-bull terrier type) may be admitted as an alternative to destruction, there were no such measures that could be applied in this case that would address the concerns relating to public safety. The Council`s expert described the dog as one of the most unpredictable and dangerous dogs he had come across.

Over the past two years, Council officials have been subjected to a sustained campaign of abuse including threats of violence and death threats. The Council has been in ongoing contact with the PSNI in relation to that.

The Council regrets that the court action was necessary but would emphasise that the safety of the public remains its key priority.

Unfortunately, this type of tragedy due to breed specific legislation is not limited just to Northern Ireland. Several countries around the world have similar legislation, including the United States. Only eleven states, including Minnesota, have state laws banning breed specific legislation. The Understand-A-Bull website has an interactive map showing which municipalities have breed specific legislation.

In April, a documentary about breed discrimination, Beyond the Myth, began showing at limited engagements around the country, including Minneapolis thanks to SecondHand Hounds. Beyond the Myth was a very informative, sad look into breed specific legislation and how it has impacted families and their dogs. Beyond the Myth will be officially released on September 18th, 2012 and is worth seeing. View movie trailer to the left of this article.

The end to Lennox’s two-year battle is heartbreaking. Hopefully his loss and the Belfast City Council’s blatant display of ignorance and heartlessness will plant the seeds of awareness for those in similar situations and bring results that do not end in the loss of an innocent animal.

lennox
baby fat paws,
innocent and sweet,
in your honor,
we will never
accept defeat
♥

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

Examiner

Source | Examiner
By Bonnie Snider

Again, in exclusive information given to me by sources close to the case of Lennox, late Friday, a staunch supporter of the campaign to free him presented herself to Buckingham Palace, to deliver a plea for a Royal Prerogative of Mercy for this precious boy. Now, e-mails are needed in support of that plea, and they need to be sent immediately.

The only people besides the Queen who have any authority to help Lennox at this point are the Northern Ireland Attorney General, John Larkin, and the Minister of Agriculture, Michelle O’Neil. The e-mail addresses for them are below.

The e-mails needed are to request that these two support the plea for the Royal Prerogative of Mercy. This time, the letters need to all say the same thing. The wording requested by the Lennox Campaign members for these e-mails is below.

WHOM TO CONTACT

Minister of Agriculture, Michelle O’Neil: private.office@dardni.gov.uk

Attorney General, John Larkin: contact@attorneygeneralni.gov.uk


SAMPLE LETTER

Dear Minister O’Niel and Attorney General Larkin,

I am writing to you as one of over 182,500 people worldwide who have signed a petition to support and demand the release of Lennox who is currently held at an unknown location by Belfast City Council. Following a legal appeal heard by the Court of Appeal NI, Lennox has been sentenced to die and we urgently request a stay of execution of the dog Lennox by the power vested in you until the following has been clarified:

A request for clemency has been submitted to Her Majesty the Queen and to all senior politicians in Northern Ireland, requesting that Lennox be spared the death sentence and be allowed to be exported out of the UK to where safe sanctuary is waiting for him.

We believe there have been irregularities in the judicial handling of the case and there is worldwide anger and serious reservations concerning the treatment of the dog and that this may be a cover-up to hide the damage done to him while in the care of Belfast City Council.

Failing clemency, with no permission to export, the right of the family to have a final visit with their dog and be allowed to receive his body (currently rumoured to be withheld by Belfast C.C) is surely a basic right for a family grieving for their family member.

A death penalty, issued to an innocent animal, is due to be executed by Tuesday 10th July. Lennox, a much loved family companion, was seized two years ago, by council officials in Belfast City Council as an alleged “pit bull type”, he has been ordered by the courts to be destroyed and this decision was tragically upheld by the Court of Appeal NI.

Lennox has never harmed anyone; he has been prosecuted based on his appearance-for looking the wrong shape and size under breed specific legislation in NI.

Her Majesty the Queen and all senior politicians are urgently requested to use the Royal Prerogative of Mercy, which we understand starts where the law finishes and applies where a conviction and sentence has been arrived at; Lennox’s family and thousands of supporters worldwide plead for mercy.

We understand that The Royal Prerogative has been applied in NI, being used in the past by the then Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson and that a Judicial Review IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE IN NORTHERN IRELAND McGeough’s (Terence) Application [2012] NIQB 11 also examined this power as did a Judicial Review (EWHC 3102 Admin) on 17th Dec. 2008 in the case of Michael Shields before the High Courts of Justice in London. We understand that it should only be exercised where no other remedies exist and that the effect of a pardon is not to quash the conviction but releases the recipient from “all pains, penalties and punishments whatsoever that from the said conviction may ensure”.

Please, we beg you, to intervene, order a stay of execution; whilst you investigate an application for clemency and any and all other legal routes to enable Lennox to be exported out of Northern Ireland. Failing that, please insist on a stay of execution so that a clear and transparent investigation is carried out in this case so that this dog is not wrongfully put to death and doubts regarding his current condition are set at rest.

Citizens from all over the world are asking you to restore faith in the judicial system on behalf of the citizens of Northern Ireland.

I beg you to intervene urgently, please order a stay of execution and have this case investigated urgently and any and all avenues to enable the export of Lennox fully reviewed.

Please do this one final act to speak out for mercy for Lennox. He deserves to be allowed to move to the United States to live out his life in peace, and not die at the hands of strangers for no reason other than his looks.

Related links:

Click here for the Save Lennox Facebook page

Click here for the Save Lennox Campaign website

NAME

a dog, his family and a planet unite.
praying that somehow, lennox
will be alright.
that belfast will decide
that this sweet dog deserves
to live,
and in that kind spirit,
the beauty of “give”☺♥☻

half past hope,
with a dose of prayer,
for lennox and his family
hope to see you
there♥

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

Photo credit: B. Kosar

From Examiner
By Cindy Marabito

New Braunfels, TX: This tiny little girl was abandoned by her owners when they left town. A finder has been keeping the dog outside in an Igloo doghouse.

She is only 3 months old and has demodectic mange. The mange is not contagious to other animals or people, just looks nasty. Demodex is treatable with good nutritrion, homeopathy and herbs.

View slideshow: Little mange puppy in danger

She is a very sweet puppy, great with people and other pets.

The finder has threatened to take the puppy to be euthanized if a rescue does not step forward within 24 hours.

Please contact beth.kosar@gmail.com to rescue this sweet little puppy. She certainly does not deserve to die.

an innocent puppy,
with skin red and sore.
needs love and a home.
her suffering,
no more♥

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

Please send letter requesting greatest penalty be administered; you may use the sample letter, but please modify so she receives a variety, thank you.








UPDATE | JULY 2

Dear Concerned Citizen,

 Thank you for your email regarding Defendant Justin Young. I will share your email with Judge Joseph at the time of sentencing in this matter.

I consider animal cruelty to be one of the more abhorrent crimes committed in our society. Mr. Young will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Thank you for giving a voice to this vulnerable victim.

Truly,

Emily Strang Tarbert
Assistant Law Director
City of Zanesville
825 Adair Avenue
Zanesville, Ohio 43701
740-453-6262
740-455-3360  (fax)
estarbert@tarbertlaw.net


BACKGROUND | ZANESVILLE TIMES RECORDER

A Zanesville man, who allegedly cut the throat of a dog Tuesday to get his girlfriend’s attention, is facing misdemeanor charges including cruelty to a companion animal.

Justin C. Smith, 32, could face 180 days in jail for the incident that occurred just before 7 p.m. in the 300 block of Luck Avenue.

Smith appeared Wednesday in front of Judge William Joseph in Muskingum County Municipal Court and pleaded not guilty to one count of cruelty to a companion animal and one count of resisting arrest, court records show. He remains in jail on a $1,500 cash or surety bond.

If found guilty, Smith faces up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine on the cruelty charge and 90 days in jail and a $750 fine on the resisting charge. He is scheduled to have a hearing July 10.

Zanesville police initially were called to Luck Avenue to investigate a report of a woman covered in blood, Sgt. Jim DeVoll said.

When DeVoll arrived, he found not only a woman covered in blood, but a small dog with its throat cut.

DeVoll said Smith told him he had cut the dog’s throat because “I could.” Smith then asked him to shoot the dog to “put it out of its misery,” DeVoll said.

DeVoll said Smith told him he wanted to get his girlfriend’s attention, so he took the dog, which weighed about 20 pounds, to the yard and slit its throat with a utility knife.

“The dog was bleeding everywhere and was barely alive,” DeVoll said.

DeVoll said he had to wrestle Smith to the ground to place him under arrest. When Lt. Chris Rice arrived at the scene, DeVoll had Smith under arrest and police took him to the Zanesville City Jail.

The dog had died by the time police were able to arrest Smith.

According to Zanesville Court records, Smith has been arrested before. In 2011, Smith was arrested and charged with criminal damaging, criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct.

He was arrested in January on a charge of disorderly conduct and was ordered to attend three AA meetings per week. He is scheduled for a hearing for that case Sept. 6.


FACEBOOK

On June 27, 2012 Justin C. Smith of 329 Luck Ave Zanesville, Oh was arrested for the following:

Resisting Arrest: Case #CRB1200944B  2nd Degree Misdemeanor  Plead not guilty

Animal Cruelty:   Case #CRB1200944A  1st  Degree Misdemeanor  Plead not guilty

He is currently in jail and his bond is $1500.00 cash/or surety   He has an extensive criminal record!

He faces 180 days in jail and $1000.00 fine for the animal cruelty charge.

Please email/call/write the prosecutor DEMANDING he gets sentenced to the maximum!! Let them know that we are sick to death of innocent animals being killed due to Domestic Violence and any disputes!! Make an example out of him!

He returns to court on Tuesday, JULY 10, 2012. That is plenty of time to FLOOD the court with mail and calls!


WHOM TO CONTACT

Zanesville Municipal Court
332 SOUTH ST
P.O. BOX 566
Zanesville, Ohio 43701

Prosecutor Emily Tarbert
Email: estarbert@tarbertlaw.net
PHONE: 740-455-3350
FAX: 740-455-3360

CLICK HERE to Send 5 FREE FAXES per day from your computer.  You do not need a fax machine, credit card, nor do you need to register.  The faxes are sent through your computer.  Please make certain to confirm your fax via your email or else the fax will not succeed.


SAMPLE LETTER

RE: Case #CRB1200944B
RE: Case #CRB1200944A

Dear Prosecutor Tarbert,

I have learned of an extremely disturbing and malicious case of animal cruelty in which Justin C. Smith/Young deliberately caused the suffering and death of a dog. This alleged incident occurred on Tuesday, June 26, and I am writing to request you impose the maximum sentence.

When I try to imagine what possible motive animal abusers entertain for subjecting their animal victims to such malicious, heinous acts of brutality, I fail, but I am thankful for a lack of cognitive understanding and rationalization. To voluntarily engage in such malicious behaviour suggests sadistic tendencies, and Mr. Young’s actions, causing unmitigated pain and suffering, demonstrates his incontrovertible lack of morality regarding other living beings and a gross disrespect for the law. In fact, a person who shows such a remarkable lack of compassion towards non-human animals has the ability to show such indifference towards human animals. This link between animal and human abuse has been established, and if we excuse Mr. Young’s criminal behaviour, of which he has an extensive history, or agree to a lesser punishment, we only harm ourselves by unjustly nullifying cruelty as acceptable behaviour.

Please respect the victim by penalizing the guilty and demonstrate your commitment to justice, responsibility, and integrity, attributes unquestionably necessary in an law enforcement setting: rejecting cruelty by maintaining an unyielding position towards it would be a model for all community members and would serve to characterize this type of behaviour as both impermissible and punishable.

I know your time is limited and I thank you for your attention to this urgent issue.

NAME

Cruelty MUST NOT be tolerated,
To this end man and his laws
Are obligated!!

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

Please click on and sign HERE

Petition Text

The undersigned give their signature in support and demand for the release of Lennox from council authorities who was wrongly removed from his loving family home simply for the way in which he looks. Lennox has never done any wrong yet he has still been branded as of Pit bull Type by people who are untrained and unsure what the pit bull breed looks like. Lennox is clearly an American Bull cross and has never shown any aggression toward anyone or anything. If a human was torn from his family home, locked up in inappropriate and unsuitable premises for the way in which he looked then we would deem it as racism and pure hatred, why do it to this beautiful animal? Free Lennox now as the eyes of the world are watching!

*Below follows an extract from Lennox’s owners:

“Lennox is a loveable 5 year old family member. He’s an American Bull dog cross that we have owned since he was a little pup. On Wednesday the 19th May 2010 he was taken from our family home by Belfast City Council as they believe he falls under the dangerous dogs act for Northern Ireland. The Council, without seeking any proper professional guidance declared Lennox to be a breed of “Pitbull Type” and so they wish to kill him simply because he has the appearance of said breed. Lennox has never attacked anyone or anything yet the council have removed him from his home where he lives with my wife, myself, our 12 year old Daughter and his soul mate Juicy, a 2 year old female boxer. Belfast City Council are pressuring our family to sign him over to them to be destroyed; however, we feel the need to fight his case, he cannot speak but we will be his voice! If this was a human we would declare this racism. We ask every kind hearted person for your support, don’t let them murder him.”

once upon a time,
there was a little girl,
lennox, her dog,
was her world.
then one day,
her world was seized,
by laws injust and.
morally diseased.
as her family agonized,
this little girl and her.
dog, were traumatized.
time slowly passed,
and sadly it flew,
a verdict unjust.
left a planet.
crying and blue.
so those of you,
who have the power.
to heal.
save this dog.
kindness is the only.
thing real☻.

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

Wikimedia Commons

BACKGROUND

Regarding this alert, show the newspaper that you are passionate and serious about our mission and your dedication to attaining our ultimate, brilliant and wonderful, yet completely realistic and wholly attainable goal: to liberate and promptly rescue the cats of UV and see to it that the intubation lab is dismantled and closed forever with the cats replaced with far superior, purpose-built, anatomically correct neonatal simulators. Demand the respect you so rightly deserve! Ask “WHY” UVA stubbornly clings to this archaic, outdated, horribly cruel and utterly unnecessary method of educating its medical residents and refuses to accept and implement far superior, ethical and humane alternatives that are readily available thanks to modern scientific and medical technological advancement (as have 95% of North American medical schools)!? Please refer to our group’s “files” section where there are many educational and informative documents on all aspects of our fight and in defense of our argument for the implementation of neonatal simulators. Identify yourself as a member of this animal advocacy/activism group and include our link: http://www.facebook.com/groups/144828258983731/ so that upon publication other concerned and sympathetic, Daily Progress readers will be able to find us and join our ranks!

Help us raise momentum and keep it up by sharing your writing, ideas, suggestions and definitely any and all responses you receive! We are all an integral part of the birth and fruition of this grassroots animal liberation movement and we should inspire and encourage each other as well as share our knowledge and ideas…I plead with you to wholeheartedly participate.


WHOM TO CONTACT

Copy/paste the sample letter, or use your own words, in an email at this link: http://www2.dailyprogress.com/forms/letters-editor/


SAMPLE LETTER

Dear Editor,

I was shocked to learn of the suffering that has been inflicted upon untold numbers of cats for decades by the University of Virginia Medical School and the administration’s stubborn insistence on the continued use of live cats to teach pediatric intubation technique to inexperienced medical residents and EMTs. There are superior, humane, and readily available alternatives, such as the “neonatal simulator,” the Laerdal Neonatal Intubation Trainer. The archaic, inaccurate, and torturous teaching methods practiced currently at the intubation lab at UVA are obsolete, inhumane, and absolutely unacceptable.

As the founder of the growing group of animal advocates from all over the world who are appalled by these barbaric practices, we are committed to persuade UVA President, Teresa A. Sullivan and Steven T. DeKosky, MD, Dean of the UVA School of Medicine, to adopt the alternatives offered by modern scientific technology. We insist that they release into our custody the cats currently used for intubation technique training, and replace their medieval and inhumane intubation lab with purpose-built, anatomically correct neonatal simulators, as are currently in use for this purpose in 95% of North American universities.

128 university medical schools in the US have switched all of their programs to simulators, including neonatal simulators. A recent study has shown that use of simulators has resulted in a 45.5% increase in level of learning and perfection of technique, and 52.2% show the same level of learning and technique when compared to use of live subjects (canine and feline).

We are appalled that UVA would repeatedly put these animals through a procedure, up to twenty times a day, every day, causing them horrible trauma and stress. Furthermore, when done incorrectly, the procedure can cause serious injury to these poor animals.

Why would a prestigious and respected University such as UVA continue to use such archaic training methods when superior and humane alternatives exist? Where is the compassion in these scholars and doctors sworn to uphold the highest of ethics and to “do no harm?”

Animals are sentient beings, capable of thought and emotion, fear, pain, and suffering. We are pleading with the UVA Medical School administration and students to acknowledge these important characteristics shared by humans and animals. We must teach our medical students, who will be dealing with so much human illness and misery, to have a keen sense of empathy and sincere consideration for others’ suffering. Respect for life, compassion and concern for the welfare and right to live free of suffering are necessary qualities for our future health care providers.

Sincerely,

(your name), proud member of End the Suffering of Cats at the University of Virginia Medical School (http://www.facebook.com/groups/144828258983731/

(your city, state, country)

you are now a kitten,
lost and scared,
alone and nervous,
noone cares.
then a big two legs
grabs you and drags
you into his lab,
a tube shoved down
your throat,
as you writhe on
the slab.
the tables turned
this not so nice.
so UVA stop
doing it,
no need to think
twice!!!!!!

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

Wikimedia Commons

Please click HERE to sign petition to the city of Kharkiv to stop killing dogs

NETHERLANDS petition:
https://www.secureconnect.at/4pfoten.org/protest/120615/

UK petition:
https://www.secureconnect.at/4paws.org.uk/protest/120615/index.php

AUSTRIA petition:
https://www.secureconnect.at/4pfoten.at/protest/120615/

GERMANY petition:
https://www.secureconnect.at/4-pfoten.de/protest/120615/index.php


Background | Source Four Paws

Even after long negotiations, the City of Kharkiv won’t implement the well-proven FOUR PAWS strategy of neutering, vaccinating and releasing stray dogs. Shortly before the signing of the cooperation agreement, essential sections of it were removed, although the Ukrainian cities of Kiev, Lviv, Donetsk and Zaporozhe accepted the exact same sections and have launched the stray care project successfully.

FOUR PAWS believes the changes would mean that the project will not be implemented properly and the ending of the dog killings by the authorities would not have been guaranteed. These conditions, however, are essential for a successful implementation of the project. There won’t be any compromise over the welfare of dogs and other animals nor on the quality of care, as the head of the Ukraine project, Dr. Amir Khalil, confirmed on site.

Help us to guarantee a humane solution for the stray dogs: Send a protest email to the Ukrainian authorities today.


Petition Text

FOUR PAWS has given
you a humane way,
but kharkiv still wants
to torture and slay.
you think this will
keep the stray
population at bay?
but animal rights
activists
WILL NOT GO AWAY!!!

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

]]> http://our-compass.org/2012/06/16/send-an-email-to-city-of-kharkiv-to-urge-them-to-stop-killing-dogs/feed/ 8 ourcompasses 600px-Welpe_2011 http://our-compass.org/2012/06/13/please-write-to-save-lennox-sample-letter/ http://our-compass.org/2012/06/13/please-write-to-save-lennox-sample-letter/#comments Wed, 13 Jun 2012 22:59:24 +0000 Stacey http://our-compass.org/?p=24159 ]]>

Save Lennox (Law) site

BACKGROUND | SOURCE DIGITAL JOURNAL

In a shocking decision by senior judges in Northern Ireland, Lennox, a Labrador/American Bulldog, has been ordered destroyed. The ruling upholds the decision of two lower courts, to euthanize a dog that has committed no harm.

For two long years, the Barnes family have fought to bring their dog home after he was seized by the City of Belfast in May 2010 and ordered destroyed for being a “pit-bull type” dog. The ruling came in response to an appeal by the family, and upheld the decision of two lower courts who decided under the Dangerous Dogs Act (DDA), that Lennox was a danger to the public and must be euthanized. According to the DDA, a dog’s physical traits could bear influence on how it behaves and “pit-bull” types, like Lennox, are automatically deemed dangerous. In other words, Lennox was measured with a tape measure; he fit the profile, and was seized. Yet Lennox has never threatened to harm a living soul, and even statements from celebrity and recognized canine experts attesting to the dog’s good-nature, have been consistently overthrown in favor of the testimony of one individual, Peter Tallack, a police dog handler and supporter of the DDA.


WHOM TO CONTACT

To: lordmayorsoffice@belfastcity.gov.uk, robinsong2@belfastcity.gov.uk, taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie

Cc: welcomecentre@belfastvisitor.com, environmentalhealthservice@belfastcity.gov.uk, generalenquiries@belfastcity.gov.uk, complaints@belfastcity.gov.uk, attwoodt@belfastcity.gov.uk, d.browne@ntlworld.com, maryellencampbell@hotmail.com, converyp@belfastcity.gov.uk, corrs@belfastcity.gov.uk, tiernac77@gmail.com, catherine.curran@allianceparty.org, niallodonnghaile@gmail.com, tom@weaverscourt.com, garrettm@belfastcity.gov.uk, empgroves@msn.com, hairet@belfastcity.gov.uk, hannac@belfastcity.gov.uk, sandebelfast@sinn-fein.ie, hartley_tom@hotmail.com, maire.hendron@allianceparty.org, williamhy@dup-belfast.co.uk, husseyj@belfastcity.gov.uk, mervynjones54@yahoo.co.uk, keenancolin@belfastcity.gov.uk, bkelly@utvinternet.com, kingstonb@belfastcity.gov.uk, kylej@belfastcity.gov.uk, mallonn@belfastcity.gov.uk, conormaskey@hotmail.com, mccarthyp@belfastcity.gov.uk, frankmccoubrey1@hotmail.co.uk, gareth@dup-belfast.co.uk, laura.mcnamee@allianceparty.org, mcveighjames@belfastcity.gov.uk, caoimhinmgm@yahoo.com, mairtin@newbelfast.com, mullankate@belfastcity.gov.uk, adam.newton@live.co.uk, carole.newton@hotmail.co.uk, lydia@dup-belfast.co.uk, andrew.webb@allianceparty.org, rodgersj@belfastcity.gov.uk, spenceg@belfastcity.gov.uk, christopher_stalford@yahoo.com, stokerb@belfastcity.gov.uk, naomi@dup-belfast.co.uk, envhealth@belfastcity.gov.u

Please also contact the Prime Minster’s Office HERE


SAMPLE LETTER

To Whom It Concerns,

Lennox is an exceptionally well-behaved and loving dog; naturally curious and energetic, he loved to play and go on walks, each new encounter a welcomed and joyful experience, each new sight interesting and deserving of innocent scrutiny. Lennox loves attention but does not demand such, and gladly and willingly accepts a stroke, a pat, a glance, and an opportunity to play. His bright eyes are always welcoming, his demeanor gentle, his loyalty infallible; he’ll be your playmate, your confidante, your partner, your sidekick, your solace in a decidedly lonely and uncomfortable world. For this unending loyalty and unquestioning love, Lennox may encounter a journey, not of loyalty or kindness, but of pain and betrayal. Sadly, in an ironic and cruel circumstance, the very people sworn to protect others and dispense constitutionally-sound decisions now bear the potentially unsettling distinction of executioner.

Although the premise of BSL or the DDA  is inherently biased and potentially unconstitutional, it is important to recognize it is based on erroneous information, inaccurate witness accounts, and according to inequitable circumstances. To target Lennox according to one hysterical outburst, impetuous reactions to news accounts, and questionable testimony is pure conjecture and serves no purpose other than creating conflict and dividing the community. This is neither productive nor beneficial.

As one global collective, we applaud Lennox’s determination to survive, and we embrace his loyalty and love even given the shadowy depravity that has colored his previously bright world. We choke on emotion when we are confronted with the cruel reality of the hideous event he may endure and his subsequent love for those around him, unaffected by an act that would leave humans forever scarred by doubt and hesitancy. It would be a shame not to witness your country’s beauty and potential, yet as long as Lennox is condemned unjustly, I will be unable to consider travel to or commerce of such. Please use your office to influence a favorable decision to release Lennox, either to his family or to any of numerous rescues willing to adopt him.

I know your time is limited and I thank you for attention to this urgent appeal.

NAME

once upon a time,
there was a little girl,
lennox, her dog,
was her world.
then one day,
her world was seized,
by laws injust and
morally diseased.
as her family agonized,
this little girl and her
dog, were traumatized.
time slowly passed,
and sadly it flew,
a verdict unjust
left a planet
crying and blue.
so those of you,
who have the power
to heal.
save this dog.
kindness is the only
thing real☻

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

Wikimedia Commons

BACKGROUND | SOURCE PETA

This Sunday, June 3, the San Antonio Guild of Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles plans to auction off a puppy to the highest bidder at its “Cruise Away with CHLA” fundraising event. PETA has contacted the Guild’s president explaining why live animals should never be auctioned or raffled, but it appears our concerns are being ignored. Now your voices are needed!

Please contact the San Antonio Guild of Children’s Hospital and implore organizers to halt this portion of the auction. Remind them that winners are rarely prepared for the enormous commitment involved in properly caring for a companion animal. Tragic consequences are all too common: Animals are bounced around from home to home, dumped at animal shelters, or locked away in lonely rooms when the novelty wears off.


WHOM TO CONTACT

Deb Salazar
President
San Antonio Guild of Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles
debsalazar3@gmail.com

Diana Borzi
Event Chair
mikeldiana@hotmail.com

Angi Abajian
Auction Chair
cookangi@aol.com


SAMPLE LETTER

Dear President Salzar, Event Chair Borzi, and Auction Chair Abajian:

This Sunday, June 3, the San Antonio Guild of Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles plans to auction off a puppy to the highest bidder at its “Cruise Away with CHLA” fundraising event.  I am writing to respectfully request you cease plans to auction a puppy.

Winners are rarely prepared for the enormous commitment involved in properly caring for a companion animal. Tragic consequences are all too common: animals are bounced around from home to home, dumped at animal shelters, or locked away in lonely rooms when the novelty wears off.

Please act with compassion and respect and halt the puppy auction.

Thank you for taking the time to read this urgent request.

a puppy breathes,
a puppy lives,
a puppy has feelings
and love to give,
a puppy is not
an auctionable
“thing”
who, if unwanted,
could end up
in terrible suffering.

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

Wikimedia Commons

Please click and sign HERE

Background | Source PCRM

We need your help to stop the abuse of kittens by Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia. This week, PCRM filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, explaining that the medical center is violating the federal Animal Welfare Act by using live kittens in its pediatrics residency program. Please help this effort by asking the medical center to end the use of animals today.

In the pediatrics residency program at Albert Einstein Medical Center, breathing tubes are pushed down the throats of live kittens to teach endotracheal intubation. This painful procedure is repeated numerous times on each animal and can cause tracheal bruising, bleeding, and severe trauma. Nonanimal training methods are widely implemented in accredited pediatrics programs, making this use of animals not only cruel but unnecessary.

So far, the responsible Albert Einstein faculty and administrators have refused pleas to change this practice. Please e-mail Albert Einstein Healthcare Network president and CEO Barry Freedman, and urge him to end this cruel and unnecessary practice. Send an automatic e-mail. 

Gaumard’s Premie HAL and PREMIE Blue simulators, designed to mimic the airway of a premature newborn; Laerdal’s SimNewB, which was developed in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics; and METI’s BabySim can all be used for this type of training. The medical center even teaches a pediatrics critical care course that includes intubation at the simulation center.

More than 95 percent of pediatrics residency programs in the United States and Canada—including every other program in Pennsylvania—do not use animals. It is time for Albert Einstein Medical Center to join the majority. Please e-mail Mr. Freedman today and ask him to replace the use of animals in the medical center’s pediatrics residency program.

You can read our complaint to the Department of Agriculture here.

Thank you for your help.

BACKGROUND | SOURCE PETA

Reportedly, GOLDMARK Property Management, Inc., and Sand Companies, Inc.—property management groups that own multiple apartment complexes in Minnesota, North Dakota, Iowa, and Nebraska—require tenants to declaw their cats. PETA has reached out to both companies several times, but to no avail. We need your help!

Outlawed in 22 countries, declawing is a cruel and permanently crippling surgery involving the amputation of the last joint of every toe, including bones and cartilage! Persistent pain, loss of balance, nerve damage, bone chips requiring additional surgery, gangrene, and skin disorders are associated physical complications; and nails can later grow back painfully and unseen, within the paw! Declawed cats often become reclusive, depressed, and insecure and begin eliminating outside the litterbox. Psychologically changed, these animals are then bounced around from home to home or wind up at animal shelters.

Please politely urge GOLDMARK Property Management and Sand Companies to join the numerous property management groups that do not require declawing. And please, forward this alert widely!


WHOM TO CONTACT

Polite comments can be sent to:

Kenneth Regan
Chief Executive Officer, Chair, and Owner
GOLDMARK Property Management, Inc.
ken.regan@goldmark.com

Jamie Thelen, President
Sand Companies, Inc.
jjthelen@sandcompanies.com


SAMPLE LETTER

Dear Chief Executive Officer Regan and President Thelen,

I am writing to ask that you please discontinue your requirement to declaw cats homed in any of your properties.  This is a cruel, archaic procedure that causes suffering and pain, undesirable patterns and behaviour and has been recognized as such internationally.  Declawing is illegal or restricted in over 20 countries, including the United Kingdom and Canada. Cities such as San Francisco, West Hollywood, and Norfolk, VA ban declawing — while Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Berkeley, Malibu and Santa Monica are evaluating similar legislation. The Humane Society of the U.S. and ASPCA oppose declawing. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons rejects the operation, describing it as “mutilation.”

Overwhelming evidence demonstrates declawing causes severe behavioral problems that often lead guardians to abandon their animals in overcrowded shelters; 33% of declawed cats begin post-procedure, according to a 2001 study in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medicine Association (JAVMA). National shelter surveys reveal that 70-80% of cats surrendered for offensive behavior are declawed.  Declawed felines enter shelters with behavioral issues like biting or not using the litter box, claims shelter director William Lombardi of Gloucester County, New Jersey. For the estimated 70% of declawed cats who are euthanized, the surgery is a death sentence.

Moreover, declawing generates suffering and permanent disability. The invasive procedure amputates not only the claw, but also the entire last “knuckle” of a cat’s toes. Veterinary experts recognize laser or scalpel declawing as among the most painful surgeries routinely performed.

Please reconsider this cruel policy and ban the declawing requirement for tenants’ cats in your properties.

Thank you,

we are cats
we want to
keep our claws,
for those who
protect us,
a round of
a-paws♥

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

New York Against Devocalization

BACKGROUND | SOURCE NY AGAINST DEVOCALIZATION

The proposed NYS devocalization ban is in trouble. The legislation must pass both the Assembly and the Senate before the 2011-2012 session ends in June–and the veterinary lobby, with members who profit from devocalization, has mobilized to defeat it.

It’s time for animal advocates to mobilize too, while the legislation still has a chance to become an enforceable law.

Legislative aides say the veterinary lobby is vocal and tenacious in its quest to kill the proposed devocalization ban. It can do that by stalling the legislation in committee…or amending it into a sham law that allows, legitimizes and will encourage this cruelty.

Pro-devocalization lobbies failed in Massachusetts , which passed a strong devocalization ban thanks only to calls to lawmakers by kind people like you. That has to happen in NY too.

Don’t let those who promote abject cruelty–cutting vocal cords just to stifle a dog’s or cat’s voice–win in NYS or helpless animals will lose.

5 Minutes to Spare Dogs and Cats

Lifelong Anguish or Agonizing Death.

Every Call is Vital. Yours Matters.

WHOM TO CALL, WHAT TO SAY

Start by identifying yourself. If you represent a shelter, rescue or  advocacy organization, or are a vet, say so!

Sen. Agriculture Committee Chair Patty Ritchie, 518-455-3438:   “Please release Senate Bill 6167A from Agriculture quickly and favorably. I ask that it not be amended beyond the language of Assembly Bill 3431B as written, so it has a chance to become an enforceable law that protects dogs and cats.”

Assembly Codes Committee Chair Joseph Lentol, 518-455-4477
“Please release Assembly Bill 3431B from Codes quickly and favorably as written, without further amendments so it has a chance to become an enforceable law that protects dogs and cats.”

If you have a few more minutes, please call these two power-brokers of the NYS Legislature too:

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, 518-455-3791: “I’d like the Speaker’s help ensuring Assembly Bill 3431B is passed as written this session, without further amendments, so it can become an enforceable law that protects dogs and cats.”

Sen. Majority Leader Dean Skelos, 518-455-3171: “I’d like the Senator’s help ensuring Senate Bill 6167A is passed this session.  I ask that it not be amended beyond the language of Assembly Bill 3431B as written, so it can become an enforceable law that protects dogs and cats.”

If your New York State Senator is on the Agriculture Committee, call him/her too. Click here to find his/her phone number: http://www.nysenate.gov/senators. The members of the Agriculture Committee are: Chair: Sen. Patty Ritchie Tony Avella, Patrick M. Gallivan, Shirley L. Huntley, Timothy M. Kennedy, Thomas F. O’Mara, Michael H. Ranzenhofer, James L. Seward, David J. Valesky, Catharine Young.

Don’t know who your New York State Senator is (in Albany, not Washington)? Click here: http://senate.state.ny.us/mem/?sh=search

• Use the specific wording provided–including the letters at the end of each bill number–so your message is clear. Add your own thoughts if you’d like, but be brief and always polite.
• If you get voicemail, leave a short message, then call back until you can speak with an aide. Don’t give up!
• The position of our coalition, New York Against Devocalization, is simple: Devocalization is an act of cruelty that NY must prohibit for any reason except to treat a physical ailment causing the animal medical harm.
• Learn more about the issue and proposed amendments here: http://nyagainstdevocalization.weebly.com/pending-new-york-devocalization-ban.html

New York Against Devocalization

www.nyagainstdevocalization.weebly.com

do not be silent for those who cannot speak,
we are the voice of the wounded and
the weak.

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

Wikimedia Commons | Not Boozer, killed dog

SOURCE | FACEBOOK

PREVIOUS ALERT

UPDATE

A well-respected, well-established business offered the Newington Police Department **FREE** training on how to handle and read dogs two weeks before Boozer was killed. The Newington Police deemed the training unnecessary and therefore declined it. Because of the pressure we’ve been putting on them, they brought in an investigator that is not part of NPD. So there is progress.

BACKGROUND | COURANT

A police officer shot and killed a pit bull dog Monday as it was charging him and a bystander, police said Wednesday.

Sgt. John Zematis said the bystander, a tree trimmer working in the area, had taken cover behind the officer as the dog charged at them with its mouth open. The officer fired one shot when the dog was 12 to 15 feet away. The dog was hit and dropped, but then got back up and charged again, he said.

“It’s an unfortunate incident, but the officer acted to protect himself and the witness,” he said.

A resident who lives on Main Street called police at about 2:30 p.m. to complain about a roaming dog. When the officer arrived, the dog was near the back yard of the house, where a tree trimmer working nearby tried to help him catch it.

Police said the dog snapped at them, then ran to the other side of the yard before turning and charging.

Zematis said the dog had no collar or tags, but the owner was eventually identified. He said no charges have been filed against the owner, who lives about a block from the scene.

A woman who said she is the daughter of the owner, but asked not to be identified, said the family has filed a complaint with the police asking for an investigation of the shooting. She said her mother, the owner, was devastated by the death of the dog, which she described as gentle.

“I’ve never seen him be aggressive,” she said.

Police did not identify the officer or the address of the house on Main Street.


WHOM TO CONTACT

Block

rmulhall@newingtonct.gov , swoods@newingtonct.gov

Individual

Chief of Police Richard Mulhall

Telephone:

(860) 594-6201

Email:

rmulhall@newingtonct.gov

Mayor Stephen Woods

Email:

swoods@newingtonct.gov


SAMPLE LETTER

Dear Chief Mulhall and Mayor Woods,

Regarding the dog, Boozer, who lost his life on April 16 in an officer-involved shooting, it is my understanding that a well-respected, well-established business offered the Newington Police Department free training regarding how to handle and read dogs two weeks before Boozer was killed. The Newington Police deemed the training unnecessary and declined.

Because of subsequent community pressure over the death of Boozer, the police brought in an investigator unrelated to the NPD. I therefore respectfully request information as to why the training was initially declined and how an innocent dog lost his life because of such a cavalier, irresponsible decision.

It is my hope that following such a tragic, needless death that the Newington Police Department now agree to the well-justified training, and I look forward to a positive response to my deserved concerns.

Sincerely,

Name

Wikimedia Commons | Not Boozer, killed dog

SOURCE | FACEBOOK

UPDATE

A well-respected, well-established business offered the Newington Police Department **FREE** training on how to handle and read dogs two weeks before Boozer was killed. The Newington Police deemed the training unnecessary and therefore declined it. Because of the pressure we’ve been putting on them, they brought in an investigator that is not part of NPD. So there is progress.

BACKGROUND | COURANT

A police officer shot and killed a pit bull dog Monday as it was charging him and a bystander, police said Wednesday.

Sgt. John Zematis said the bystander, a tree trimmer working in the area, had taken cover behind the officer as the dog charged at them with its mouth open. The officer fired one shot when the dog was 12 to 15 feet away. The dog was hit and dropped, but then got back up and charged again, he said.

“It’s an unfortunate incident, but the officer acted to protect himself and the witness,” he said.

A resident who lives on Main Street called police at about 2:30 p.m. to complain about a roaming dog. When the officer arrived, the dog was near the back yard of the house, where a tree trimmer working nearby tried to help him catch it.

Police said the dog snapped at them, then ran to the other side of the yard before turning and charging.

Zematis said the dog had no collar or tags, but the owner was eventually identified. He said no charges have been filed against the owner, who lives about a block from the scene.

A woman who said she is the daughter of the owner, but asked not to be identified, said the family has filed a complaint with the police asking for an investigation of the shooting. She said her mother, the owner, was devastated by the death of the dog, which she described as gentle.

“I’ve never seen him be aggressive,” she said.

Police did not identify the officer or the address of the house on Main Street.


WHOM TO CONTACT

Chief of Police Richard Mulhall

Telephone:

(860) 594-6201

Email:

rmulhall@newingtonct.gov


SAMPLE LETTER

Dear Chief Mulhall,

I have learned of a disturbing case of an officer-involved shooting of a dog on Monday, April 16, in Newington, and I am respectfully requesting that an investigation be initiated.

Please allow me to elaborate.  My only focus is to protect the innocent, sentient animals that others regard as mere sacrificial, expendable beings, objectified and disposable. When animals are subjected to such brutality with no human accountability, our society inaccurately concludes that animals are not worthy of empathy, compassion, or rights. We become desensitized to the issue of animal abuse, and our children learn troubling lessons that are contrary to respect of and towards animals, which often evolves into a lack of empathy for humans. We must do everything in our power to allocate necessary resources to investigation, apprehension, and prosecution of animal cruelty cases. I understand that yours can be a challenging position, limited by vague and inadequate laws as well as insufficient funds; however, I believe we can make a difference or initiate change to better protect our animal friends. Please proceed with the intent of a full investigation and subsequent penalties if warranted.

Thank you for your time and attention to this urgent issue.

NAME

Facebook

SOURCE: FACEBOOK EVENT

BACKGROUND

Welcome back everyone, to our weekly Cyber Action E-mail Blast where we are going to shut down Wayne State Universities’ Lab of
Torture “In Memory of Queenie.”

We are now in week 4 of this event and will be targeting Wayne States Alumni once again. Wayne State University has more than 230,000 alumni living throughout the United States and around the world. Here are a couple of statistics on WSU Alumni!

•About 75 percent of WSU alumni live in Michigan, providing a diverse, highly skilled talent pool for employers.
•About 30 percent of practicing physicians in Michigan and 43 percent of practicing physicians in the tri-county area received all or part of their medical training at Wayne State.
•75 percent of the Law School’s graduates live and work in Michigan; 18 percent of the judges on the Michigan Court of Appeals and six judges on the US District Courts are WSU Law alumni.
WSU Alumni have a yearly membership fee of $30 which comes to a total of $6,900,000 according to the number of Alumni living at this time!

As you can see the WSU Alumni have around the world support and not only fund, but are supporting animal torture at WSU. Our weekly Cyber Action event is dedicated to Queenie, a companion animal (Dalmation mix) who was turned in to a shelter in Gratiot Co. MI as a stray, only to be sold shortly thereafter to a sadistic vivisector from WSU.

This is where Queenie died a miserable, torturous death that no being should have to endure! I have inserted a link with facts of this case as obtained by PCRM if you are not already familiar with this case http://pcrm.org/good-medicine/2012/winter2012/queenies-story.

WSU must be persuaded to abandon the cruel and inhumane animal experiments from which they gain millions of dollars annually.

Therefore, it is time to apply systematic and sustained pressure on them, their benefactors, their sponsors and the WSU community worldwide.….

Thank you for your participation!


WHOM TO CONTACT

m.rigby@wayne.edu, aw9863@wayne.edu, ab2746@wayne.edu, michelle.martin@wayne.edu, sarah.freeman@wayne.edu, m.cousin@wayne.edu , cscheidel@wayne.edu, klkoehler@wayne.edu, aa9929@wayne.edu, aa2191@wayne.edu, c.j.parrish@wayne.edu, LJR@chem.wayne.edu, woodyard@wayne.edu, ay1414@wayne.edu, ab1165@wayne.edu, ab0070@wayne.edu, ab1146@wayne.edu, ab2297@wayne.edu, ad5015@wayne.edu, MIKIDIWAY@wideopenwest.com, dr3340@wayne.edu, au8223@wayne.edu, aa0955@wayne.edu, w.h.volz@wayne.edu, k.feathers@wayne.edu, aa1104@wayne.edu, aa6460@wayne.edu, ag7246@wayne.edu, ivan.avrutsky@wayne.edu, jku@wayne.edu, apandya@indigo.eng.wayne.edu, jpotoff@eng.wayne.edu, aa0057@wayne.edu, wolfson@wayne.edu, ak1354@wayne.edu, vdallas@wayne.edu, aa5782@wayne.edu, aa1708@wayne.edu, ab8898@wayne.edu, bb4184@wayne.edu, aa2846@wayne.edu, mcintyre@wayne.edu, lrydstedt@med.wayne.edu, tstemmle@med.wayne.edu, ssundaram@pet.wayne.edu, rthomas@med.wayne.edu, etisdale@med.wayne.edu, ad6056@wayne.edu, jhudson@med.wayne.edu, dwildman@med.wayne.edu, jwithey@med.wayne.edu, zyang@med.wayne.edu, aa1565@wayne.edu, aa2347@wayne.edu, aw9799@wayne.edu, oupicky@wayne.edu, av6281@wayne.edu, hsandlin@wayne.edu, shawnal@wayne.edu, dt4578@wayne.edu, dw6163@wayne.edu


SAMPLE LETTER

To Whom It Concerns,

This letter is to inform you that the WSU Alumni are directly responsible for allowing horrific dog heart failure experimentation to continue in the labs at Wayne State University. These experiments include the imprisonment, torture, maiming, and murdering of innocent shelter dogs.

Since technologically-advanced alternatives are available, as a supporter of this school, you, too, are responsible for this scientific fraud.This is unacceptable.

These useless and inhumane experiments have been continuing for 20 years at WSU, while the human heart disease rates are only increasing. Unlike humans, heart failure in dogs and many other animals is irreversible.

WSU is allowing former companion dogs purchased from Michigan Animal Shelters to be forced to run dozens of treadmill experiments with catheters protruding from their bodies and incisions leaking blood and other bodily fluids, causing pain and distress–with no anesthesia or compassion whatsoever–until they die!

I am sure that you are aware of these extremely painful and unethical experiments on dogs at WSU. However, let me add a quote from a well-respected cardiologist: “Felony animal cruelty charges should be brought against Wayne State, and the use of dogs in painful heart experiments should be halted immediately,” says John J. Pippin, M.D., F.A.C.C., a cardiologist and director of academic affairs for PCRM.

I urge you now, to see the truth of this matter, to take charge and to stop these atrocities within your educational institution! Everyone who is involved by sponsoring and/or supporting WSU in any way is culpable and therefore I will no longer be patronizing your establishment.

Please make an ethical decision. Consider withdrawing your support for WSU.

Sincerely,

Week four will only be the end
If torture like this is no longer
A trend
Not another should suffer,
How queenie cried,
No other animal
Should go through
How queenie died

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

Pet Pardons News: Jeffrey Nally Jr. was sentenced on Wednesday to 10-45 years in prison for torturing and killing at least 29 dogs he collected from Craigslist and "free to a good home ads."

Source: Pet Pardons News

Convicted serial dog killer, Jeffrey Nally, of New Cumberland West Virginia was sentenced by Judge Fred Fox II on Wednesday to 10-45 years behind bars. While animal advocates would rather have seen him spend life in prison, the truth is that this sentence is substantial considering that animal abuse cases seldom carry this kind of weight.  From that standpoint, the outcome is a victory.

It is true though, that this was no run of the mill animal abuse case. This was a brutal series of intentional mutilations, torture and execution of innocent puppies. Nally was accused of mutilating and killing 29 puppies that he received through classified ads, and Craigslist “free to good home” ads.

Nally’s house was raided by a SWAT team in March of 2011 when his girlfriend’s mother called authorities. His then girlfriend, Jessica Sellers, alleged that Nally had been holding her captive in his home and terrorizing her by torturing and murdering the animals in front of her.

Police found 29 dog carcasses on Nally’s property. They also found guns, which Nally was prohibited from possessing due to a 2010 domestic battery conviction, and collected other items including blood and hair covered tools and what appeared to be a beagle’s pelt and eyes in a jar.

During an evidence suppression hearing, Nally’s court-appointed attorney, James Carey, had argued to keep the pelt and the eyes out of evidence, citing a lack of scientific proof the items are what police claimed them to be. He also stated that he believed some of the crime scene photographs were staged.

Related: Alleged Puppy Torturer Appears in Court

Also Related: Accused ‘Free to Good Home’ Pet Killer Will Move to Suppress Evidence

Nally, age 20, was facing 29 counts of felony animal cruelty, one count of domestic battery, one count of kidnapping and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm. Although he had passed on a plea deal offered to him last January, he took the plea offer he was offered this week.

Hancock County Prosecutor James W. Davis said that there had been an overwhelming outpouring of concern in the form of letters and e-mails from around the world relating to this case.

Nally pled guilty to nine charges of felony animal abuse and unlawful possession of a firearm. He will receive one to five years on each count of cruelty, and one year on the firearm charge to be served concurrently.

Nally has already spent a year behind bars while his case was continued in Hancock County Court. He will have to serve a minimum of five years before he can apply for an early release. In exchange for pleading guilty to the nine charges of felony cruelty, the sexual assault, kidnapping charge and other 20 cruelty charges were dropped.

Nally has shown no remorse for his actions, but Davis said that he has changed during the past year. “I wouldn’t call it remorse, but he has accepted that what he did was wrong,” said Davis. “Of course, people like this, sociopaths, they are mostly only concerned with how circumstances are affecting them.”

Restrictions on Nally ever having a pet and other requirements will be addressed further down the road at the time of his eventual release. “Not just having any pet,” Davis said. “I don’t want him to be around any animals, ever. Definitely not under the same roof.”

Davis said that a few dogs had escaped the house of horrors and have been adopted. “They are having great lives.” He said.

Part of the plea deal is the condition that Nally submit to a polygraph test and debrief authorities on Seller’s involvement in the cruelty charges. Sellers reportedly told investigators Nally said the only way she was leaving his 1855 Orchard Road home was “in a body bag,” and that on the day of his arrest he forced her to hold a puppy as he bored into its head with an electric drill. However, she testified during a February pretrial motions hearing that she had left the house without Nally’s supervision on several occasions during her approximately three-month “captivity” there.

“Ms. Sellers was a problematic witness,” Davis said, “because there is some question as to her level of involvement. There is some evidence that she obtained the animals for him.  My dogs, they won’t hold still to have their nails clipped…these dogs he tortured…to do what he did, somebody had to hold them still. A dog is not going to hold still while a drill is bored into its skull.”

Davis was audibly distressed while discussing details of the case, and became overwhelmed and unable to continue when it was remarked that the case had greatly disturbed him.

Following Wednesday’s hearing, Davis had noted the contributions of other people and groups involved with the investigation, including West Virginia State Police Cpl. Larry Roberts, Hancock County sheriff’s Sgt. Scott Swan and county Animal Control Officer Nicole Busick. He praised the work of forensic experts Drs. Beth Wictum of UC Davis and Melinda Merck – the latter of whom helped federal prosecutors build a case against Michael Vick – and thanked the Animal Legal Defense Fund for its pledge of financial support for the prosecution of the case.

Scott Heiser, of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, said there is still work to be done. He referred to Nally as a narcissistic psychopath, and said that he believes that Nally cannot be rehabilitated. He does not think that Nally will be released in as little as five years.

“He is a clear and manifest threat to society,” Heiser said.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund is a non-profit that helps provide funds and support to prosecutors around the country for the best possible outcome in criminal cases of animal abuse. They provided the funds for the forensic scientists to build the case against Nally.

Heiser recommends that once Nally is transferred to the WV Division of Corrections, risk-scored, placed in one of WV’s several prisons and his projected release date set that then would be a good time to start a petition campaign urging the Parole Board to recognize Nally’s immense danger to society and ask that they deny him any concessions (e.g., no work release) and deny his release after serving the five-year minimum.

About the author: Ariel Wulff is an author, artist and animal advocate. She has worked in animal rescue for more than 24 years, authoring the book Born Without a Tail, a memoir of her experiences with rescued animals. She writes a column as the Cleveland Pets Examiner, and is the National Animal Books Examiner. She also maintains a personal blog about dogs: Up on the Woof, and uses her yelodoggie art to spread the joy of living with dogs.

this monster needs to be locked up in
a cell,
with only pictures of his victims,
as company,
his own living hell.
to never see freedom,
to be forever in a cage,
banging his head against
his own wall
of ignorance and rage:(

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

Wikimedia Commons

SOURCE: ESA

Contact Speaker Thom Tillis and Senator Pro Tem Phil Burger and tell them to get rid of puppy mills in NC.

BACKGROUND

Laila’s Story

The youngest member of the Kreem family has been working to support the NC chapter of HSUS and the North Carolina Voters for Animal Welfare to bring awareness to the upcoming bill to be presented in NC that will call for Commercial Breeders to be monitored to assure that the dogs are kept in sanitary conditions and that they are receiving appropriate veterinary care. This law will weed out the quality breeders from the mass breeders who have hundreds of dogs suffering on their property for the sole pupose of breeding the life out of them.

Laila has been traveling to events across NC, to share the rack cards created by the NC voters for Animal Welfare, telling citizens how to contact their local reps to request commercial breeder legislation. Some of you have met Laila, some have not. She’s a little firecracker that survived the most horrid conditions and hopefully will put a face with the suffering that is going on in Puppy Mills in NC. We’ve been everywhere from ladies groups, to churches, to pet friendly businesses to our first visit to spring mala at a yoga studio! If you belong to, or come across any groups that we can have about 10 minutes to share this info or be a guest and just hang out at an event to share legislation information, please let me know, we’d love to add more places to her calendar!

We’d like to unite NC rescues to stand for this cause and would love the opportunity to share this information with your supporters. There’s no competition for funding or face time, the only agenda is to urge voters to contact District Representatives and Senators. If you have an event, or know another group with an event coming up, we’d love to join you and share this information. If I can’t attend myself, I have a strong group of supporters/handlers that are always willing to step up to bring Laila and share this information.

If you have businesses in your area that are geared toward companion animals who would be willing to keep her cards in their business, we’d be glad to send to them. We’ve distributed about 4,000 so far and are more than happy to keep sharing.

Here’s Laila’s story and her mission for those who aren’t familiar with it:

Hundreds of Dogs Rescued from N.C. Puppy Mill

Dogs housed in unsanitary conditions, lacking medical care …

The Humane Society of the United States’ Animal Rescue Team was called in by Caldwell County Animal Control to assist in the rescue of approximately 300 dogs from a Hudson, North Carolina property. The dogs were being housed in unsanitary conditions and lacked proper socialization and medical care. The owner has surrendered all of the dogs to Caldwell County Animal Control.

Read more from HSUS press release


Puppy Mill Awareness isn’t one day, it’s EVERY day …

Read more and get flyers here.


Inside View of a North Carolina Puppy Mill

(Source: Article by Donna Doe on PuppyMillRescue)

As a rescuer pretending to be a breeder, going inside a large multi breed puppy mill was an emotional roller coaster from sadness to disgust and horror. Having to keep an emotionless face and not react to what I saw and learned was the hardest part.

It is difficult to get inside a puppy mill and if you should find one contact PuppymillRescue. Please do not attempt to go in to see for yourself, as it may ruin the hard efforts of those who have already gained access.

When I arrived, there was an eerie silence and a strong acid smell engulfed the entire yard. The miller talked about the dogs as we headed to one of several buildings. The dogs heard us approaching and they began to bark and whine.

As I stepped inside a building a stronger putrid smell took my breath. My eyes started watering and with the dim lighting it took a couple of minutes to see the dogs. The barking was deafening.

There were small dogs, Poms, Dachshunds, Chihuahuas, and Pugs, crowded in rows of small wooden boxes that were too high for them to see over. Their world was only wooden sides. Dogs were circling and stepping on each other as they frantically jumped up trying to see over the top, some begged for attention, and some were motionless. Some cowed in fear.

On the other side were mostly larger breeds crowded in small inside boxes that opened into small outdoor runs.

One little pregnant Chi was being trampled and the miller said the pups would be born in the next few days.

When the miller’s back was turned, I was able to give a few a kind touches. When inquiring about a particular dog, the miller’s hand would move in circles just above the dog’s heads. This created more panic as they tried to escape from the hand. The miller grabbed the dogs by the hair or which ever body part could be caught as they were handed to me for inspection. When held the dogs remained motionless in fear. There were toothless dogs and some with only a few rotten teeth.

The miller explained how she stuck her finger inside their mouth to remove loose teeth and as it was easy, there was no reason to pay a vet to do this.

We entered another building much the same as the one before. I will forever be haunted by a Boston Terrier mom with one tiny pup in a small wooden box. The mother was frantically jumping for attention, but she was stepping on the pup. The miller kept screaming at her to stop and said that the other pups were trampled to death by the mother dog. I walked a little further down the rows of dogs hoping that if I moved away the dog might stop jumping and the miller would stop screaming at her. The screaming continued and as I turned,

I saw the miller pick up a long wooden board (2×4) and it rose above the miller’s head.

The miller noticed me watching and as the board swung down the miller’s arm moved slightly to the side and the sound of a hard hit against the top of the box echoed throughout the building. Feeling horror and anger, had the dog been hit my cover would have been blown as I could not have remained indifferent. Realizing that the board was there for a purpose, I have no doubts that it had been used on this dog. The pup’s cries were pitiful and I walked over and saw this mother dog with eyes tightly closed flattened on the floor against the back of the box trembling in terror. She did not look at me or make a sound. She did not move again while we were in that building.

As we were leaving the building, I noticed a tiny female min pin in a small wire cage placed away from the other dogs. A rear leg was at a weird angle. The miller said the dog hurt her leg, but she was fine. I asked if a vet had checked her leg and the response was no. This tiny girl trembled in silence. When the miller walked away, I reached thru the wire and softy touched her. This girl tugged at my heart.

The miller showed me Shih Tzu, Yorkie, and mixed puppies, all sizes and ages. The miller would bring out arm loads of pups from an area I had not seen. They were covered with dried feces and fleas. As the miller held them, they never wiggled or moved, but remained motionless in fear.

Around the buildings were many dog pens with small and large breeds. Their enclosures were mud with several inches of standing water and feces everywhere. The larger dogs only had metal barrels for protection from the cold and rain.

Around the buildings w ere many dog pens with small and large breeds. Their enclosures were mud with several inches of standing water and feces everywhere. The larger dogs only had metal barrels for protection from the cold and rain.

The other buildings in this mill were the same or worse conditions, but housed different breeds. There were numerous dogs with eye injuries, large cherry eyes, infected eyes, and skin infections, which were obvious at a glance.

The dogs rescued from this mill have had no teeth, no lower jaws, broken jaws, broken bones and were matted with feces hardened hair. One little Pom was so badly matted on his rear end that he could not go to the bathroom. Some dogs have Heartworms, intestinal worms, and some with medical problems that required surgery. All were filthy with fleas. We now know that some lived with constant pain and without vet care. Millers do their own medical care, if any, in order to save money. This was explained by the miller.


WHOM TO CONTACT

Thom.Tillis@ncleg.net; Phil.Berger@ncleg.net


SAMPLE LETTERS

Sample Letter One

Dear Speaker Tillis and Senator Pro Tem Burger,

Please end all puppy mill operations in North Carolina. They are institutions of animal abuse.

Thank you for your consideration of this  important message.


Sample Letter Two

Dear Speaker Tillis and Senator Pro Tem Burger,

We are a puppy mill state and our current cruelty laws are not sufficient to protect the dogs in these facilities. Dogs in unscrupulous commercial dog breeding facilities (puppy mills) must suffer for an extended period of time before law enforcement can step in. Our cruelty laws also do not address consumer fraud and taxation. NC leadership needs to support a responsible bill to regulate dog breeders in NC and make them accountable to the animals and the community.

Thank you for your consideration of this  important message..


Sample Letter Three

Dear Speaker Tillis and Senator Pro Tem Burger,

Puppy mills are horrendous places of animal cruelty. More and more people are becoming aware of these despicable operations. Those who make money from the lives of dogs like this should be treated as the criminals they are. Please do the right thing and prosecute all puppy mill operations.

Thank you for your consideration of this  important message.

Be an esoldier!

puppies, milled
We live here in a puppy mill
It is winter now, and we are
So chilled
When summer comes the
Heat is very strong
Our fur gets matted,
It gets too long
We cannot breathe
We cannot see
we can only feel
our misery
please rescue us
please get us out
we are not human
so we cannot shout

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

]]> http://our-compass.org/2012/04/10/stop-puppy-mills-in-north-carolina/feed/ 5 ourcompassadmin 800px-Wildlife_trade_-_puppy_mill http://our-compass.org/2012/04/09/ban-south-korean-dog-and-cat-meat-trade/ http://our-compass.org/2012/04/09/ban-south-korean-dog-and-cat-meat-trade/#comments Mon, 09 Apr 2012 20:57:28 +0000 Stacey http://our-compass.org/?p=23547 ]]>

Wikimedia Commons

SOURCE: ESA

Please send a sample letter (three samples below) urging the ban of the dog and cat meat trade, thank you.

BACKGROUND

Every year, two million South Korean dogs and cats, the majority of whom are homeless, are captured by butchers and sold in open markets. They await the most gruesome fate—dogs are slowly and agonizingly torn apart, electrocuted, strangled, or beaten to death while cats are bludgeoned and boiled alive for human consumption. The cruelty and suffering is one of unimaginable horror.

South Korean’s Animal Protection Law, which was passed in 1991, considers dogs to be “domestic pets,” but the shadowy and illicit world of the dog and cat industry flourishes because of the shameful indifference of the South Korean government.

While the majority of South Koreans are dog and cat lovers, myths and lies surrounding the alleged medicinal properties of the meat persists among a very small minority of the population.

South Koreans have only eaten dogs when poverty has been widespread, as was the case during World War II. Yet even during those punishing times, dogs were treated as companion animals.

Source: IDA website. Read more there.


Local Group Demonstrates Against South Korea’s Consumption of Dogs And Cats

The San Francisco-based animal rights organization In Defense of Animals wants South Koreans to stop eating animals–at least the adorable ones, anyway.

The group is staging a protest in front of San Francisco’s South Korean consulate this Tuesday, where it will be delivering a petition with over 15,000 signatures urging the South Korean government to do more to stop the consumption of dogs and cats inside of its borders.

This week’s event is part of the “International Day of Action for South Korean Dogs and Cats” the organization is simultaneously holding in dozens of cities all over the world.

“While it’s now technically illegal to eat dogs and cats in South Korea, the government has not been good about enforcing the laws, thus allowing the tradition to continue in parts of the country, [In Defense of Animals Campaign Manager Robin] Dorman says. So killing dogs and cats is illegal, but the processing and sale of the animals is not, she added. “The law is deliberately obscure,” Dorman says.” (SF Weekly)

Source: Huffington Post. Read more there.


From All Creatures: Animals In Print The On-Line Newsletter 26 May 2010 Issue

Today, in violation of the Korean Animals Protection Act, two million dogs are raised or trapped for human consumption. Approximately 30% of these dogs are or were family pets, sharing their lives with humans they loved and trusted.

Many people have the impression that dog consumption is a traditional Korean food, this is anything but true. Up until the last 600 years Koreans were mostly Buddhist and living under the Koryo dynasty. The people were encouraged to eat a meat free diets.

When this dynasty came to an end a new country was formed, Korea. Though taking its name from the now defunct dynasty a new belief system and lifestyle began. In the last few hundred years there was a few people that did eat dog though it is was never a cultural habit.

About 50 years ago poverty was severe in South Korea. At this time the extremely impoverished people, did begin to consume dogs. This was not a normal eating habit.

Twenty-five years ago a new trend began to take shape the dog meat industry began to flourish. How did this happen?

Certainly not because of hunger, but due to a false belief system that by consuming the meat of a TORTURED DOG a man may increase his sexual virility. This caused dog flesh to became especially popular and a status symbol among the wealthy. Believing the adrenaline in the tissues of the tortured, slain canine would somehow exert profound effects upon their manhood their demand for this meat grew.

This belief has provided great financial opportunities for dog meat dealers. With millions of dollars to be made, illegal dog farms abound. The government looks the other way while these innocent, trusting creatures are brutalized.

Dogs are usually raised on illegal, rural dog farms, but any dog is actually fair game. Stray and abandoned dogs don’t last long in Korea. The dogs are kept in squalor, they are crammed in wire cages too small for even one dog to be comfortable. The situation is unbearable for these trusting animals. They become dehydrated from lack of proper food and water. They are forced to live in their own wastes and have no protection from extreme weather.

These dogs are exceptionally vulnerable to diseases, especially distemper and are quickly sold to markets or consumers before they appear ill. Because of this, the usual age of slaughter is between eighth months and a one year.

When the dogs are of age they are transported to large open markets. The Hyundai, with its spaciousness, is a favorite vehicle of transportation, accommodating the large cages crammed with dogs. The dogs can be seen piled on top of one another as they travel toward their doom.

They usually go to one of the three largest market places, The Chilsung Market in Taegu City, the Gupo Market in Pusan City, and the Moran Market in Sungnam City. Dogs are also sold in other smaller market places throughout Korea. They can also be found behind restaurants, alive and crammed into small cages, waiting their turn to be tortured and slaughtered.

In the larger markets the dogs are transferred from the vehicles to large cages that can hold up to 800 terrified and confused animals. Most of the dogs in the market place closely resemble each other as they are descendants of generations of interbreeding. Through all of this many of the dogs, once family pets, remain docile and hopeful, wagging their tales when approached by humans.

The market place is a cramped area filled with dogs. Cars are parked in random fashion and people can be seen walking about selecting their dog.

Once a person makes his selection the dog is dragged by a noose around its neck from its cage and purposely tortured until it is allowed to die.

The dog, chosen for sale and slaughter, may be hung, beaten with pipes or hammers and strangled repeatedly. During this atrocity, the dogs my be heard yelping, screaming and howling in agony as they struggle against their captors.

When the dog is assumed dead, it is shocked with an “electric stick”. Remember, difficult as this is to read, this form of violent killing, according to the Koreans, is necessary to both tenderize the flesh and improve its aphrodisiacal properties. The more the dog suffers, the more flavorful and beneficial the meat is thought to be, the more adrenaline. The Korean consumer demands this form of slaughter less the meats affect are nil.

The dog is then taken inside a building where it is placed inside a vat of boiling water. Finally it is removed and butchered according to the buyers discretion.

There, now, is the tragic story of a dogs’ plight in Korea, but what about the cats?

The cat fares no better in South Korea. They are not considered good pets and the few people that do attempt to have a cat in their home find it difficult. There is virtually no cat food or kitty litter to be had. There are very few vets that treat cats. Cats are thought to be a filthy, dangerous to a Korean’s health, and a threat to their well being.

Cats are best served by Koreans as an elixir usually called Liquid Cat or “cat juice.”

To accommodate the customers, the dealer will place cats in a large sack and in what seems to be the tradition, beat them to death. This is done either with a blunt object or just slamming the sack upon the ground, preferably a concrete surface.

The cats, some still alive, are then placed in large pots of boiling water, dates, ginger and chestnuts are added and the final liquefied results are believed to cure rheumatism and neuralgia.

Source: Animals’ Voice, Volume 7, Number 2 Laura Moretti

Source: Jon Bearscove

Source: Kyenan Kum

Source: anonymous Korean citizens.


WHOM TO CONTACT

Send email to government officials and ambassadors by copying and pasting the below addresses into your TO:

consular_usa@mofat.go.kr; kcgboston@mofat.go.kr; chicago@mofat.go.kr; consulatehi@mofat.go.kr; Con-hu@mofat.go.kr; consul-la@mofat.go.kr; info@koreanconsulate.org; consularsf@mofat.go.kr; seattle0404@mofat.go.kr; koreaconsulate@gmail.com; kconsul@guam.net; canada@mofat.go.kr; toronto@mofat.go.kr; vancon@mofat.go.kr; mail@koreaemb.at; czech@mofat.go.kr; korembdk@mofat.go.kr; korembfi@mofat.go.kr; koremb-fr@mofat.go.kr; gremb@mofat.go.kr; korcom@t-online.hu; israel@mofat.go.kr; consul-it@mofat.go.kr; kornor@mofat.go.kr; embpt@mofat.go.kr; koremb.sweden@mofat.go.kr; swiss@mofat.go.kr; turkey@mofat.go.kr; koreanembinuk@mofat.go.kr; korea@un.int; webmaster@koreanembassy.cn; postmaster@koreanculture.jp; economic@koreanembassy.org.nz; koembth@gmail.com; embcoreamx@mofat.go.kr; ecuador@mofat.go.kr; argentina@mofat.go.kr; emb-br@mofat.go.kr; koremb-ge@mofat.go.kr; Embajadadecoreaenchile@gmail.com; peru@mofat.go.kr; koemur@gmail.com; consyd@mofat.go.kr; india_visa@mofat.go.kr; mumbai@mofat.go.kr; korem-my@mofat.go.kr; philippines@mofat.go.kr; info@koreaembassy.org.sg; taipei@mofat.go.kr; korembfj@mofat.go.kr; koremb_in@mofat.go.kr; pakistan@mofat.go.kr; EmbassySeoulPA@state.gov


SAMPLE LETTERS

Sample Letter One

Dear Government Officials and Ambassadors:

Stop this barbaric exploitation and abuse of animals! The cruelty inflicted on dogs and cats in your country is not going unnoticed throughout the world.

Thank you for taking the time to read this urgent message.


Sample Letter Two

Dear Government Officials and Ambassadors:

As an official with the power to make a difference, please use your authority to support an amendment to strengthen South Korea’s Animal Protection Law to ban the torture, killing, sale and consumption of dogs and cats.

Please enforce the South Korean Animal Protection Law to prevent animal cruelty. Provide severe penalties for violations and ensure that mistreated animals can be legally seized. Ban the torture, killing, sale and consumption of dogs and cats.

Thank you for taking the time to read this urgent message.


Sample Letter Three

Dear Government Officials and Ambassadors:

I am appalled and shocked to learn about the rampant cruelties inflicted upon animals that have been documented in South Korea’s live food markets. The dogs and cats are raised in the most hideous and cruel environments, only to be beaten and slaughtered by the millions.

There is no appropriate animal protection legislation to prevent the prevailing animal cruelty currently taking place in South Korea. As someone who believes strongly that animals should not be treated in this way, I have the following requests:

1. I urge the South Korean Government to strengthen the South Korean Animal Protection Law to prevent animal cruelty and to introduce basic animal protection regulations. It must also provide penalties for violations and ensure that mistreated animals can be legally seized from abusers and given immediate refuge.

2. I request that the South Korean Government create an enforceable law to ban the torture, killing, sale, and consumption of dogs and cats.

Thank you for taking the time to read this urgent message.

Be an esoldier!

you have your traditions
we do not understand,
we wish to spread love
throughout your land.
love for all animals,
especially those
who live to love you,
do you suppose,
you could stop killing
and eating your friends,
this is the 21 st century
it is time that this ends!!!!!

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

Wikimedia Commons

Source: Animal Alliance NYC

The Archdiocese of New York agreed to work with the NYC Feral Cat Initiative (NYCFCI) of the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals to restore daily care and feeding to the colony of eight feral cats living at the historic St. James Church in lower Manhattan. During a sixty-day trial period, a suitable feeding station and shelters for the cats will be placed and a litter box will be added to the regimen of care. There will be an onsite meeting with the church pastor and caretakers this week to work out a routine acceptable to all. The NYCFCI has submitted a proposal for consideration outlining guidelines for ongoing care for the colony to be reconsidered and adopted after the sixty-day trial period.

The agreement was reached at a March 27 meeting attended by Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals President Jane Hoffman, Monsignor Kevin Nelan of the Archdiocese of New York, Father Lino Gonsalves of St. James Church, and NYCFCI Community Outreach Coordinator Mike Phillips. A dynamic and vigorous discussion of the virtues of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) was a part of the meeting, as well as the importance of continued daily feeding in order to assure continued stability of any feral colony.

Fortunately, the TNR project at St. James was already completed and discussions began from that strong position. Chinatown is known to be one of the most rodent-infested areas of New York City, as well as having large numbers of unneutered feral cats roaming the area. After explanation of the merit of keeping a neutered and vaccinated colony in place, there was agreement that removal of the cats was not in anyone’s best interest.

Kudos to TNR volunteer Elizabeth Eller for the energy she devoted to the project starting in 2009. Her completion of TNR on the eight cats lent much more weight to arguments defending the current presence of the colony. The colony has not grown in three years since two litters of kittens were trapped, tamed, and adopted at the beginning of the project. In contrast, a colony being fed without TNR cannot be defended with such effectiveness. Thank you, Elizabeth, on behalf of the colony. May they enjoy continued care and acceptance thanks to your very timely hard work!

The need for education in responsible pet ownership (the human component of feral cat management) was also discussed to prevent additional cats from being abandoned to the streets and starting new feral colonies.

The church is setting a fine example of leadership by example with this compassionate and humane consideration for these cats abandoned to the street through no fault of their own. Please express your thanks to the Archdiocese of New York for their willingness to meet and their agreement to the sixty-day trial period. Though not completely resolved, we are confident this will be a win-win for the cats and St. James Church.

Subscribe to the NYC Feral Cat Initiative mailing list and/or follow us on Facebook and Twitter for further updates on the story.

Thank the Archdiocese of New York!

Thank the Archdiocese of New York by contacting Joseph Zwilling, Communications Director, at communications@archny.org or (212) 371-1011 x2997.

in the spirit of our holiest days
goodness as worked
in these most wonderful
ways☺☻☺

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

BACKGROUND | SOURCE WOOD COUNTY DEMOCRAT

A Wood County Sheriff’s deputy responded to an animal call on County Road 2174 just outside of Quitman in the Clear Lakes area Monday. Upon arrival, Deputy J.W. Williams discovered a hole in the ground and inside the hole were the metal bands from numerous burned tires and the burned carcass of a medium sized dog.

According to a press release from the sheriff’s department, witnesses advised that on Sunday the suspect, 28-year-old Larry Lowery, of Point, had thrown a dog into a fire. Lowery was confronted about burning the dog and he (Lowery) apologized but then later threw a second dog into the fire. Witnesses said Lowery was bragging about the dogs and stated that the second dog did not die. Witnesses told police that Lowery stated that the second dog jumped out of the fire and ran off on fire.

According to the release, witnesses reported approximately four people sitting around the pit watching the debris being burned and were drinking alcoholic beverages. One of the witnesses, (unknown which one), made a comment daring Lowery to throw a stray dog into the fire. Witnesses stated that Lowery picked up the stray dog and threw the dog into the fire.

Deputy Williams made contact with Lowery who gave a voluntary statement, admitting to grabbing a stray dog that had bit him approximately two weeks earlier. Lowery advised the deputy that he was swinging the dog towards the fire but that he had stumbled over a rock or a root and “accidentally” tossed the dog into the fire.

Lowery was arrested and booked into the Wood County Jail on Monday and was charged with cruelty to a non-livestock animal, a state jail felony. His bond was set at $5,000. Lowery posted bail shortly after 9 a.m. this morning (Tuesday).

The sheriff’s department would not release any additional information however did say the case will be forwarded to the Wood County District Attorney’s office for prosecution.


PETITION

Click HERE to sign petition


WHOM TO CONTACT

Jim Wheeler
Criminal District Attorney
Wood County Courthouse
Quitman, TX 75783
wcda@mywoodcounty.com
Phone: 903-763-4515
FAX: 903-763-5105


CLICK HERE FOR FREE FAXING FROM YOUR COMPUTER  No fax machine, credit card, or registering required.


SAMPLE LETTER

Case # 12-02218
Defendant: Larry Lowery

Dear District Attorney Wheeler,

I have learned of extremely disturbing and malicious case of animal cruelty in which Mr. Larry Lowery, case # 12-02218,  deliberately caused the suffering and subsequent death of a dog by throwing her into a fire. I am writing today to encourage you to effectively sentence him to the harshest penalty of animal cruelty; his crime causing unimaginable agony, fear, and death in the dog deserves social justice, not community approval.

When I try to imagine what possible motive animal abusers entertain for subjecting their animal victims to such malicious, heinous acts of brutality, I fail, but I am thankful for a lack of cognitive understanding and rationalization. To voluntarily engage in such malicious behaviour suggests sadistic tendencies, and Mr. Lowery’s actions, causing unmitigated pain and suffering, demonstrates an incontrovertible lack of morality regarding other living beings and a gross disrespect for the law. In fact, a person who shows such a remarkable lack of compassion towards non-human animals has the ability to show such indifference towards human animals. This link between animal and human abuse has been established, and if society excuses Mr. Lowery’s criminal behaviour, or agrees to a lesser punishment, we only harm ourselves by unjustly nullifying cruelty as acceptable behaviour.

Please respect the victim by penalizing the guilty; doing so will demonstrate your commitment to justice, responsibility, and integrity, attributes unquestionably necessary in a legal setting: rejecting cruelty by maintaining an unyielding position towards it would be a model for all community members and would serve to characterize this type of behaviour as both impermissible and punishable.

I know your time is limited and I thank you for your attention to this urgent issue.

Name
Address

larry lowery a subhuman beast,
deserves to spend many years,
in jail, at least.
in solitary, no friends, no phone
just pictures of the dog he killed,
so he does not feel “alone”
any punishment, less
would be a disgrace,
you can see the lack of humanity
on that man’s hateful face

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

Andrey

BACKGROUND | SOURCE SERBIAN ANIMAL’S VOICE

Bulgaria: 30/03/12 – Mass Killing of Stray Dogs to Start Immediately. EU Money for Stray Dogs Programm Is Going Elsewhere ! – Please Send E Mails Now.

Please send your protest letters to Bulgarian government.

Bulgaria is stealing money from EU for stray dogs program and they are killing them.  The EU money is going into their pockets.


WHOM TO CONTACT

Email Block:

ceo@bfsa.bg, damyan.iliev@nvms.government.bg, jfandakova@sofia.bg, primeminister@government.bg, GIS@government.bg, slavi.binev@europarl.europa.eu, filizhakaeva.hyusmenova@europarl.europa.eu, stanimir.ilchev@europarl.europa.eu, ilianamalinova.iotova@europarl.europa.eu, iliana.ivanova@europarl.europa.eu, ivailo.kalfin@europarl.europa.eu, metin.kazak@europarl.europa.eu, evgeni.kirilov@europarl.europa.eu, andrey.kovatchev@europarl.europa.eu, svetoslavristov.malinov@europarl.europa.eu, mariya.nedelcheva@europarl.europa.eu, Nadezhda.Neynsky@europarl.europa.eu, vladkotodorov.panayotov@europarl.europa.eu, antonyia.parvanova@europarl.europa.eu, dimitar.stoyanov@europarl.europa.eu, emilstefanov.stoyanov@europarl.europa.eu, vladimir.urutchev@europarl.europa.eu, kristian.vigenin@europarl.europa.eu,

Contact Sofia municipality via webform: http://www.sofia.bg/en/display.asp?ime=contact


SAMPLE LETTER COURTESY RUTH EISENBUD

Dear Government Officials of Bulgaria,

Word of your intention to conduct a mass slaughter of dogs has spread throughout the world. If you go through with this massacre Bulgaria will be known as a nation that does not understand compassion. Many will be reluctant to visit such a nation, as they would think of the loving dogs in their families and choose instead to visit a nation which is more dog friendly.

One such nation is India…where it is illegal to kill a healthy or curable dog for any reason. In large part this is due to the compassion of the Indian religions of Jainism and Hinduism, which recognize that both animals and humans cherish their lives. ALL who live are entitled to respect and the right to live.

The ignorance of your decision is rooted in a religious tradition that grants man dominion over the animals and with it the right to slaughter them for human need and convenience. All three of these cruel religions are represented in Bulgaria: St Nedelya Church, Banya Bashi Mosque, and Sofia Synagogue. Therefore, rather that finding a way to help the homeless dogs of Bulgaria, you have instead chosen to dispose of them according to the dictates of heartless religious doctrine.

Do you want Bulgaria to be viewed as a modern, compassionate nation or one that is backward and cruel? I hope you will have the wisdom to deflect the animosity you have created. Please allow the dedicated animal activists in your country to save the precious lies you so callously dismiss.

Your Name and Nationality

Source : Huffington Post
By Hilary Tuttle

On National Puppy Day it seems all too appropriate that one Florida shelter dog is being lauded for her heroic efforts as woman’s best friend.

When a 17-year-old girl left St. Petersburg’s Friends of Strays animal shelter to walk a dog, she never imagined her volunteer work would lead her to be the one in need. But as Fox News reported, when she walked on a path behind the building with Mabeline, a Rhodesian Ridgeback mix, that’s exactly what happened.

According to local television station WTSP, registered sexual predator Michael Bacon chased the girl, grabbing her hair and pinning her to the ground. The 38-pound dog began barking, scaring the attacker off enough that the volunteer was able to flee, People reported.

The brave puppy has since been adopted by Mary Callahan, who did not know about her new pet’s valiant actions until notified by WTSP.

“I looked at my dog and I thought, ‘You are a hero,’” Callahan told the broadcaster.

Bacon has been arrested, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, and hopefully Mabeline will be rewarded with her own slice of bacon.

with dog as your copilot,
with a guardian angel.
you fly.
they will love you forever.
for you they are willing.
to die.
so treasure them always,
hold them in highest.
esteem.
their honesty beyond measure.
with them,
things are as they seem.♥♥♥

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

SOURCE: YES BISCUIT!

This is a clip of security camera footage obtained via FOIA request from the Memphis pound.  At about 9:33am on the timestamp, a worker scruffs a puppy out of his cage, failing to support his weight from beneath, and roughly places the puppy into a small wire cage on the floor.  The puppy’s leg is hanging over the side of the cage and the worker closes the door on the leg 4 times until the puppy finally frees his leg.  Another puppy is scruffed and put into the small cage and the worker then goes out of camera view.  At approximately 9:34, the worker returns, stuffs 2 more puppies into the cage and carries the cage off camera.  At about 9:42am, the worker returns with an empty wire cage, scruffs 2 more pups, putting them into the small cage and carrying them away.

If you choose to contact city leaders in Memphis, please keep your comments respectful. We can condemn what’s going on at the pound while maintaining civility and a sense of professionalism. If the city receives 2000 well written complaints and 2 filled with hate speech, it will take those 2 to the media as representative of all animal advocates. In order to have the greatest impact on helping the pets at MAS, please keep your comments courteous when writing to city officials.

WHOM TO CONTACT EMAIL BLOCK | COPY & PASTE INTO YOUR TO:

ac.wharton@memphistn.gov, janet.hooks@memphistn.gov, james.rogers@memphistn.gov, MASBoard@memphistn.gov, Berlin.Boyd@memphistn.gov, Bill.Boyd@memphistn.gov, bill.morrison@memphistn.gov, Myron.Lowery@memphistn.gov, janis.fullilove@memphistn.gov, harold.collins@memphistn.gov, wanda.halbert@memphistn.gov, Joe.Brown@memphistn.gov, shea.flinn@memphistn.gov, Kemp.Conrad@memphistn.gov, edmund.fordjr@memphistn.gov, reid.hedgepeth@memphistn.gov, Jim.Strickland@memphistn.gov, doctower@aol.com, info@utopiaanimalhospital.com


SAMPLE LETTER

To Whom It Concerns,

I have seen video footage of the inappropriate handling of puppies and I am writing in opposition of the treatment of animals by Memphis Animal Services; I am respectfully requesting that policy changes be implemented immediately.   A few of my concerns include the killing of animals when there are empty cages or who have not been given the chance to integrate with a potential forever home; failure of shelter to vaccinate all incoming animals; the killing of pets who are not medically hopeless and suffering nor have they been declared a danger to society by a qualified party; failure of the shelter to provide daily aerobic exercise for dogs for social stimulation and in order to reduce stress and make the population less susceptible to disease; failure of the shelter to remove dogs and food from cages during cleaning as per standard disease prevention protocol; failure of the shelter to utilize their Chameleon software to interface with PetHarbor so that every pet is viewable online by the public; failure of the shelter to properly train and/or enforce humane handling of pets by the staff; and the killing of pets due to disease outbreak without ever making a public plea for help with quarantine to save lives.

This type of mass abuse using such a brutal and inappropriate type of treatment in such a central and visible location would certainly adversely affect both visitation and tourism; it would be financially detrimental to continue with such a cruel and unnecessary treatment, and although I do not currently reside in Memphis, I would be unwilling to consider it, or nearby, as a potential vacation destination if this type of handling continues.

I am in favor of a no-kill policy, and I believe you will find it matches your needs and would be both ethical and compassionate for the animals, who deserve respect, compassion, and dignity. Please find information HERE.

I know your time is limited and I thank you for your considerations and attention to this urgent matter.

NAME

Prskavka

Please click on and sign: Stop the Mayo Clinic from creating genetically engineered kittens for FIV testing.

• Target: Tell the Mayo Clinic to stop creating genetically engineered kittens for FIV testing and an isolated lab life.
• Sponsored by: Joy Leftow for animal rights and activists people and groups.

Luis García

FROM ANIMAL ALLIANCE NYC

Church Groundskeeper Threatens Poisoning as Next Step

New York, NY – Monday, March 19, 2012 – The small colony of eight feral cats has not been fed for almost two weeks at historic St. James Church in lower Manhattan. Father Lino Gonsalves and Father Walter Tonelotto have locked out caretakers there in an effort to starve the cats off church property. The priests refuse to meet with the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals to discuss any plan for cat care, though caretakers are willing to address any concerns the church may have for security or hygiene. Where will the cats be welcomed if even a church is throwing them out?

BACKGROUND | FROM NY DAILY POST

Historic Manhattan church in catfight over feral colony

WHOM TO CONTACT

Those who wish to comment directly to St. James Church officials can e-mail Father Lino Gonsalves at sjc@stjosephnyc.org. (The Archdiocese of New York and the Vatican will be copied on your e-mail.)

You may also call Father Lino Gonsalves of St. James Church at  (212) 267-8376  or Joseph Zwilling, Communications Director for the Archdiocese of New York , at  (212) 371-1011 x2997.
You may use the sample letter provided below, but it would be best for you to write brief statements in your own words.


SAMPLE LETTER

Dear Father Gonsalves,

I am gravely disturbed to learn of the deliberate starving of a cat colony on the grounds of St. James Church and I am writing to respectfully request that access to that these innocent creatures, God’s own creation, be granted so they can be fed and cared for immediately. This is TNR colony and should be respected for its sentience, one, and for its success, two. It is obvious that approval has been extended to kill these animals, and as such, I am demanding immediate intervention to protect them; even The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, is widely known to adore and care for feral cats.

Allow me this moment to elaborate. Animals are sentient creatures who, as humans, experience joy, loneliness, fear, and pain. As humans, we unethically elevate ourselves to a status of superiority over all other beings, thereby rationalizing the brutality to which we subject them. We embrace this position as an elite class of six billion individuals, adopting euphemistic descriptions and apathetic banalities to justify this inequity. Speciesism, the discrimination of other beings, is a dangerous precept on which to stand, as immoral as sexism and racism; when human animals allow the exploitation and killing of 60 billion non-human animals globally and annually, we have become a group willingly complicit in such brutality, apathetic and selfish, disguising such maliciousness as excusable necessity, which is not only grossly unjust and immoral, but it is also exceedingly wrong.

Ours is not a challenge to be regarded as humans against humans but rather as a welcomed obligation, indeed privilege, to maintain an international attitude of compassion and justice to our non-human animal friends. We do not gain power or control by degrading animals but rather we desensitize ourselves to all cruelty and victims become mere numbers, statistics, or unethical financial means. Objectifying animals by condoning their abusers’ violent acts or rejecting animals as undeserving of empathy and respect only erodes our capacity for humaneness towards all living creatures.

It is impossible to contemplate supporting any church that excuses such blatant animal cruelty; as a direct consequence, I will condemn any further exploitation through a personal boycott. As such, please provide immediate relief for these innocent animals, allow access to them, and be a representation of animal compassion and strive to foster an ideal whereby animals are respected and empathized by your citizens.

I hope this letter finds you willing to scrutinize both your own involvement in the intentional exploitation of animals and your desire to therefore protect, rather than harm, them. I know your time is limited and I thank you for your attention to this urgent issue.

NAME

these cats only home
is a house of the lord.
where prayers are made
there should be no
acts untoward.
and yet on this holy
sacred ground,
you will not let
people feed these
cats who come around.
think of st francis
and what he would say
and change your
attitude,today!!!!

Karen Lyons Kalmenson