HighestWelfare.Humane.Assured.GoodPractices.Vegetarian. Regenerative.Flexitarian.Lies...
What is the difference between No Welfare, High Welfare, and Highest Welfare when they all require animals to die? Only human comfort, NONE protect the actual animals. The most humane, ethical, and honest Webster-defined "welfare" is NOT exploiting animals - not using, not wearing, not eating, not killing - animals. The only meaningful position is vegan, everything else is just how humans euphemize animals' required suffering and violent deaths: no human exploits animals because they honestly believe that NOT exploiting animals is UNethical or INhumane.
Act By January 3 to End Inhumane Veterinary Policy
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
Read more…
Tell the San Diego County Fair to End Cruel Elephant Rides
Wikimedia Commons
BACKGROUND
The San Diego County Fair has stubbornly refused to end its decades-long affiliation with notorious animal abuser Have Trunk Will Travel (HTWT), despite being fully aware of video footage released by Animal Defenders International showing HTWT trainers as they jab screaming elephants with bullhooks—sharp, metal-tipped weapons resembling fireplace pokers that can leave painful welts, abscesses, and puncture wounds on elephants’ sensitive skin—and shock them with electric prods. In addition to its abysmal animal welfare record, HTWT was recently cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for endangering the public by failing to adequately supervise elephants during rides. Please urge the San Diego County Fair to join the ranks of the Orange County Fair, Los Angeles County Fair, and the Santa Ana Zoo by immediately ending its relationship with the infamous HTWT.
Newly released records reveal that in August 2012, the USDA conducted an inspection of HTWT and cited the company for its failure to maintain elephants under the direct control and supervision of a knowledgeable and experienced handler. The USDA inspector noted that during elephant rides, the elephant who was not used to give rides was not secured and often not supervised. A PETA complaint prompted the USDA inspection after photographs showed two adult elephants with HTWT in Aberdeen, S.D., hardly contained by low, inadequate fences and young children standing so close to the elephants that they could have easily come into contact with them.
Earlier this year, the Orange County Fair cut ties with HTWT and ended elephant rides—after 25 years of carrying on with this cruel and dangerous “tradition.” In light of HTWT’s recent public endangerment, it is time for the San Diego County Fair to finally follow suit. Please take a moment to write to the members of the 22nd District Agricultural Association Board of Directors and ask them to end their association with HTWT and halt cruel elephant rides.
WHOM TO CONTACT
You can e-mail the board members through Donna O’Leary, executive assistant at the fairgrounds, at doleary@sdfair.com.
If you are a San Diego County resident or if you have a few extra moments to make this letter more personal, please alter the text in a respectful manner before sending it.
SAMPLE SUBJECT
End Cruel Elephant Rides at County Fair
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear Board Members,
I was disappointed to learn that the San Diego County Fair has not yet ended its relationship with Have Trunk Will Travel (HTWT), despite the fact that the Board of Directors knows about video footage that shows trainers with HTWT forcing elephants to “perform” by shocking them with electric prods in the belly and genital area and striking them with bullhooks—sharp, metal-tipped weapons resembling fireplace pokers that can leave painful welts, abscesses, and puncture wounds on elephants’ sensitive skin.
In addition to HTWT’s abysmal animal welfare record, newly released records reveal that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) conducted an inspection of HTWT over the summer and cited the company for failing to maintain elephants under the direct control and supervision of a knowledgeable and experienced handler. The USDA inspector noted that during elephant rides, the elephant who was not used to give rides was not secured and often not supervised.
In light of this new information, it is evident that HTWT neglects not only the well-being of animals but also public safety. Please make the compassionate and prudent decision to protect animal welfare and public safety by immediately ending your relationship with HTWT and halting cruel elephant rides.
NAME
Read more…
Please prosecute alleged turkey torturers
Wikimedia Commons
UPDATE BELOW
BACKGROUND | SOURCE UPC , PETA
On Friday evening, December 14, 2012, University of Kansas fraternity Beta Theta Pi, in Lawrence, rented a turkey for a fraternity house drinking party. Eyewitnesses described fraternity members kicking in the cage in which the turkey was confined. After they broke the cage, the bird was chased, thrown like a football, and choked by the neck. The Kansas City Star reported 12/17/2012: “When the turkey’s wing snapped, and then its leg, the animal began screaming, witnesses said.”
Witnesses described the brutality they observed as “nauseating” and “horrible.” A band member at the scene begged the fraternity to let her rescue the turkey from the violence but was told it was none of her business. Police were told a fraternity member finally killed the turkey.
The KU Beta Theta Pi complaint is under criminal investigation. The National Beta Theta Pi parent organization has put the KU fraternity on suspension. KU fraternities are governed by the campus’s Interfraternity Council which will do the initial investigation using information from the police. The University of Kansas has influence over the Council. University Relations told Lawrence activist Judy Carman yesterday, “We’re not going to let this go away.”
Kansas Cruelty to Animals Statute 21-4310 defines Cruelty to Animals as “Intentionally killing, injuring, maiming, torturing or mutilating any animal.”
A key word in this law is INTENTIONAL. The fact that the fraternity rented the turkey for a drinking party shows an intention to put this bird in a destructive situation likely (certain) to cause injury or death to this animal by intoxicated students. By all accounts, Beta Theta Pi members intentionally tortured, injured and killed this helpless, unoffending bird.
WHOM TO CONTACT
Email block
khatib@lkpd.org , cbranson@douglas-county.com , chancellor@ku.edu , jsv@ku.edu , rperez@ku.edu , amylong@ku.edu , dustin.b.struble@ku.edu , districtattorney@douglas-county.com , Justin.warren@betathetapi.org , Ifcpr@ku.edu
Individual
Chief Tarik Khatib
Lawrence Police Department
khatib@lkpd.org
The Honorable Charles Branson, District Attorney
Douglas County District Attorney’s Office
cbranson@douglas-county.com
Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little
Chancellor’s Office
The University of Kansas
230 Strong Hall
Lawrence, KS 66045-7518
Phone: 785-864-3131
Fax: 785-864-4120
Email: chancellor@ku.edu
Jeffrey Vitter, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
University of Kansas
jsv@ku.edu
Rueben Perez, Director, Greek Life
University of Kansas
rperez@ku.edu
Amy Long, Associate Director, Greek Life
University of Kansas
amylong@ku.edu
Dustin B. Struble, Assistant Director, Greek Life
University of Kansas
dustin.b.struble@ku.edu
Douglas County Kansas District Attorney’s Office
districtattorney@douglas-county.com
Justin Warren, Director of Chapter Operations
Beta Theta Pi Foundation and Administrative Office
5134 Bonham Road, PO Box 6277
Oxford, OH 45056
Phone: 513-523-7591 (Justin Warren ext 264)
Fax: 513-523-2381
Justin.warren@betathetapi.org
IFC Executive Board
Interfraternity Council
University of Kansas
1301 Jayhawk Blvd
Room 424, Kansas Union
Lawrence, KS 66045
Phone: 785-864-4643
Ifcpr@ku.edu
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear Officials,
I have learned of extremely disturbing and malicious case of animal cruelty allegedly committed by members of the University of Kansas’ Beta Theta Pi fraternity. In a December 14 incident, the fraternity members reportedly tortured a turkey to death during a party at their building. According to witnesses and media reports, fraternity members viciously poked at the turkey, kicked in the cage that contained her, and then relentlessly chased the terrified animal through a raucous crowd of 150 people, throwing her about “like a football,” swinging her through the air, and choking her. During this horrific ordeal, the screaming bird apparently sustained multiple broken bones and was ultimately killed. It is essential to recognize that the decision to harm this gentle, innocent non-human animal was premeditated as demonstrated by the chronicle of events. Charges have not yet been filed against those responsible, and I am writing to express my support of sentencing the fraternity members to the maximum penalty allowed under the law.
I am also writing to ask University of Kansas officials to take disciplinary action against those involved if the allegations are determined to be true, and urge the university to enact a campus-wide ban on events involving live animals.
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 these 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 we excuse this criminal behaviour, or agree to a lesser punishment, we only harm ourselves by unjustly nullifying cruelty as acceptable behaviour.
I am hoping that you will take an unyielding position against animal cruelty and hold the fraternity accountable by sentencing it in accordance with the maximum penalty allowed under Kansas §21-6412, which defines “cruelty to animals” as “knowingly and maliciously killing, injuring, maiming, torturing, burning or mutilating any animal”. If the justice system does not administer the harshest penalty available, it is indeed excusing this malicious behaviour towards a sentient being, and to excuse this type of sadistic cruelty harms all by disregarding the basic moral tenet of respecting life and appreciating the value of it. We need to demonstrate in both word and action that the human essence of empathy does not exist to excuse maliciousness, it exists to provide compassion and justice to the brutalized and punishment to those who willingly deviate from this capacity. If we do not do our duty to provide this, we harm all animals and invite injustice into our society.
I know your time is limited and I want to thank you for your attention and consideration to this urgent appeal.
NAME
UPDATE
Dear Ms. :
Thank you for contacting the office of District Attorney Charles Branson.
The Lawrence Police Department is conducting the investigation of the incident and it is estimated that it will take several weeks to complete. Therefore, as of this date, no facts about the situation have been presented to our office. We cannot speculate on what level of charges, if any, will be filed until we receive law enforcement’s investigative reports.
We take any allegation of animal abuse seriously and will pursue any charge we believe is supported by the facts of the case and I will relay your concerns to the District Attorney so he will be aware of them when the reports are reviewed.
Thank you again for taking the time to share your concerns with our office.
Sincerely yours,
Cheryl L. Wright
Assistant to the D.A.
Office of District Attorney Charles Branson
111 E. 11th St, Unit 100
Lawrence, KS 66044–2912
Ms. ,
Thanks for your outreach and please know that we appreciate and share in your concern. Let me assure you that Beta Theta Pi General Fraternity takes these allegations very seriously. At this time, we have suspended the chapter’s activities pending a complete and thorough investigation.
Please see the attached statement issued on behalf of the undergraduate chapter, which acknowledges the General Fraternity’s suspension of chapter activities.
In addition, the following statement was provided to the undergraduate chapter’s leadership as a part of the official action to suspend all chapter activities pending the ongoing investigations:
“Beta Theta Pi prides itself on being an organization that holds its members to the highest standards of personal and group conduct. The risk management policy and other rules and regulations of the General Fraternity, the University and the state of Kansas provide the framework for those standards. In light of the recent incident at the chapter’s semester-end formal dinner and dance, the chapter’s ability to operate in the constructs of those regulations has been called into question.
It is expected that the General Fraternity and the Alpha Nu chapter will coordinate an initial investigation to determine what occurred the evening of the incident. Further, we expect that the chapter will comply fully with University and local officials during their investigations. All chapter activities are suspended until a complete investigation has been completed.”
Further, Beta is certainly ensuring that this chapter never has a live animal at another event in the future and is looking into how prevalent this problem is at our other chapters to determine the need for and/or best way to communicate a national policy banning live animals from all Beta Theta Pi events.
We will continue to work diligently to make sure appropriate parties are held accountable and we appreciate your patience as this process unfolds.
Sincerely,
Justin
December 19, 2012
Members of the KU and Lawrence Community:
The University of Kansas Chapter of Beta Theta Pi and its alumni take seriously the allegations of
mistreatment of animals in conjunction with our annual end-of-the-semester formal dinner and dance
last Friday night. It is for that reason that our chapter supports and accepts our General Fraternity’s
decision to immediately suspend our chapter’s activities until a thorough investigation has been
completed. We are fully cooperating with the University of Kansas, Beta Theta Pi General Fraternity and
legal authorities. The alleged behavior conflicts sharply with our values of integrity, responsible conduct
and trust, and pending the outcome of the investigation, we are committed to holding responsible
parties accountable for any inappropriate behavior.
The Alpha Nu Chapter of Beta Theta Pi
University of Kansas
For more information, please contact:
L. Martin Cobb
Director of Communication
Beta Theta Pi Fraternity
Oxford, Ohio
513.523.7591
martin.cobb@betathetapi.org
http://www.betathetapi.org
Thank you for your message. This incident is under investigation by the Lawrence Police Department. It is also being investigated by the national fraternity, which has suspended the chapter indefinitely, and the KU Interfraternity Council. The University of Kansas expects anyone with information about this incident to cooperate fully. Behavior such as that reported is reprehensible and is not what KU would expect from its students.
Bernadette Gray-Little
Read more…
Got Milk? You don’t need it.
Please protest Walmart’s sale of Siamese Fighting Fish
Wikimedia Commons
WHOM TO CONTACT
1. Click HERE
2. Near the bottom under Walmart.com, select Other Questions About the Website
3.Click Email Walmart.com
4. Select either choice under Please help me with
5. Enter letter and other data, hit Submit
6. When pop-up box appears, select Submit my question
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear Walmart Representative,
I was shocked to learn that Walmart sells live Siamese Fighting Fish, and I am respectfully requesting you discontinue. Please allow me to elaborate. Animals are sentient creatures with the capacity to experience complex emotions; being subjected to noisy environments, loud noises, bright lights, and continuous interference from unconcerned and curious consumers causes untold suffering, including confusion, pain, and fear. Furthermore, these fish are held in very small plastic containers with barely enough water to cover them and no oxygenation or temperature control.
Every year, countless people give in to temptation and purchase wild or exotic animals on a whim as “pets”, but very few have the knowledge required to meet the animals’ specialized husbandry needs or the inclination to commit to the years-long responsibility of caring for them. Peddled as cheap trinkets, confined to small “habitats”, roughly handled, fed improper diets, and forgotten when the novelty wears off, these animals are doomed from the moment that they are born on farms where profit dictates actions.
With so many harmless products to offer consumers, Walmart could make a profit without causing suffering, but as long as you continue to unnecessarily capitalize on the suffering of animals, I will not financially support you and will share this alert by informing family, friends, and members of online communities.
Please make both the ethical and financially-responsible decision to discontinue selling Siamese Fighting Fish immediately: join an increasing body of corporations who are listening to a concerned and attentive consumer population who refuse to be complicit in the inherently cruel industry of animal commerce.
Thank you for taking the time to read this important appeal.
NAME
Read more…
Second appeal, US Friends – The Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act: Urge Your U.S. House Representative’s Support
Wikimedia Commons
BACKGROUND | SOURCE UPC
Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act: Urge Your U.S. House Representative’s Support
The Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act (U.S. Senate 1947/H.R. 2492) would make it a federal offense to attend an organized animal fight and increases the penalties for bringing a minor (a person under 18) to a cockfight, dogfight, or any other staged animal fight.
The U.S. Senate passed S. 1947 on December 4, 2012. The companion bill H.R. 2492 is now in the U.S. House of Representatives Committees on Agriculture and Judiciary. Please contact your U.S. House Representative and urge him or her to support H.R. 2492, The Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act.
WHOM TO CONTACT
To learn the name of your U.S. House Representative, call the Capital Switchboard at 202-224-3121.
Or visit http://www.house.gov/. Where it says Find Your Representative, enter your zipcode and the information you need will pop up. You may have the option to send an email, so use that opportunity if more convenient.
SAMPLE LETTER
The Honorable _____________
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative ______________:
As a member of your congressional district, I am writing to urge you please to support The Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act (US S. 1947/H.R. 2492).
This legislation would make it a federal offense to attend an organized animal fight and increases penalties for bringing a minor to a cockfight, dogfight, or any other staged animal fight.
The Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act will strengthen federal-level penalties for participation in animal fighting activities.
Please support H.R. 2492 and advise me of your decision.
Thank you very much for your attention. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Your name, mailing address/zipcode & email address & phone number
Read more…
Two alerts: anti-veal and vivisection
Wikimedia Commons
1. Please click HERE to send automatic fax
Background | Source IDA
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi claims to be “green” and a “sustainable living” supporter, while profiting from the sale of veal at four restaurants in which she is an investor. The veal industry is built on torture – systematically inflicting unimaginable suffering on over 62,000 innocent newborn calves per month, stripped away from their mothers hours after birth and placed in intensive confinement until they are slaughtered.
U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi, the House Minority Leader, is an investor in the Moana Restaurant Group that serves veal in four of its restaurants, each called Piatti, in Mill Valley, California; La Jolla, California; Denver, Colorado; and San Antonio, Texas. As a public figure and leader who claims to be a proponent of green and sustainable living, she should know better than to endorse and profit from the unspeakable horrors and cruelty that newborn veal calves experience.
Please use the form HERE to tell Nancy Pelosi to enforce a No Veal policy at her restaurants today. Veal is NOT green, it’s bloody wrong!
2. Please click HERE to send automatic letter
Background | Source PCRM
What I’m about to tell you is outrageous but true.
Animals could be forced to “smoke” in terrible tobacco experiments. And our own government is allowing it—actually recommending it!
In this day and age, it is very clear that tobacco is bad for human health. But until the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) makes drastic changes, rats and mice and even monkeys could be subjected to experiments that force it to inhale smoke for hours at a time.
This is a big deal. And PCRM cannot with good conscience stand by and watch this happen. If you feel the same, then sign our petition to the FDA today. Ask them to stop recommending tobacco companies test on animals!
We’re calling this our No Butts About It campaign—this play on words is intended to show the absurdity of the situation. No animal should ever come near a cigarette butt, let alone inhale smoke all day.
I hope we can count on all PCRM supporters—animal lovers like you, Stacey—to help us stop these outrageous experiments. Let’s continue to work so we can save more animal lives!
Thank you for taking action quickly.
Ask Beachwear Retailer WINGS to End Hermit Crab Sales
Wikimedia Commons
BACKGROUND
Hermit crabs are sentient, shy animals who naturally shun human contact. In the wild, they travel in colonies that number up to 100 and they can live up to 40 years. But when kept in captivity, they typically die between the ages of 1 and 4. Sadly, countless people purchase hermit crabs on a whim as “pets,” usually without the knowledge required to meet the animals’ specialized husbandry needs or the inclination to commit to the years-long responsibility of caring for them. Stolen from the wild, peddled as cheap trinkets, confined to small “habitats,” roughly handled, fed improper diets, and forgotten when the novelty wears off, hermit crabs are doomed from the moment that they are captured. PETA has asked WINGS—a retailer that specializes in tourist goods, swimwear, and apparel—to end the sale of these animals in all 30 of its stores nationwide, but to no avail. Your voice is needed!
With so many products to offer tourists, WINGS can profit without causing suffering. Please join us today in politely urging the president of WINGS as well as the company’s individual stores to do the right thing by ending hermit crab sales. And please forward this alert widely!
WHOM TO CONTACT
Please send polite comments to:
Shaul Levy
Cofounder and President
L & L WINGS, Inc.
212-481-8299
wings.customerservice@wingsbeachwear.com
Individual Stores
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear President Levy,
I was shocked to learn that WINGS sells live hermit crabs, and I am respectfully requesting you discontinue. Please allow me to elaborate. Animals are sentient creatures with the capacity to experience complex emotions; being subjected to noisy environments, loud noises, bright lights, and continuous interference from unconcerned and curious consumers causes untold suffering, including confusion, pain, and fear.
Every year, countless people give in to temptation and purchase wild or exotic animals on a whim as “pets”, but very few have the knowledge required to meet the animals’ specialized husbandry needs or the inclination to commit to the years-long responsibility of caring for them. Stolen from the wild, peddled as cheap trinkets, confined to small “habitats”, roughly handled, fed improper diets, and forgotten when the novelty wears off, these animals are doomed from the moment that they are born.
With so many harmless products to offer tourists, WINGS could make a profit without causing suffering, but as long as you continue to unnecessarily capitalize on the suffering of animals, I will not financially support you and will share this alert by informing family, friends, and members of online communities.
Please make both the ethical and financially-responsible decision to discontinue selling hermit crabs immediately: join an increasing body of corporations who are listening to a concerned and attentive consumer population who refuse to be complicit in the inherently cruel industry of animal commerce.
Thank you for taking the time to read this important appeal.
NAME
Read more…
Two anti-fur alerts, please take action
Wikimedia Commons
1. Please click and sign HERE
Background | Source IDA
Word is spreading that Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine, is being considered by U.S. President Obama as a nominee for U.S. Ambassador to either the United Kingdom or France. Wintour would be a horrible choice to represent the U.S. with either country.
Anna Wintour is directly responsible for the killing of millions of animals. She has aggressively promoted the egregiously cruel fur industry for decades. She shamelessly peddles fur in every issue of Vogue and often insists that the young designers she mentors use fur.
Each year over 50 million animals are killed for their fur worldwide.
Anna Wintour’s lack of compassion and open support of animal cruelty make her a particularly poor choice to represent Americans in either of these countries which, like the United States, are nations of animal lovers. Join with IDA and the British group Animal Abuse Injustice and Defence Society (Animal Aid) to ask the U.S. President to drop “Nuclear Wintour” from the list of possible ambassadors. Please sign and share IDA/Animal Aid’s petition on the White House petition site.
2. Please click and sign HERE
Background | Source Four Paws
Millions of animals are suffering and being killed in order to end up as fur coats or other accessories, simply because fur is trendy. We want to change this!
FOUR PAWS is asking seven international companies to stop selling fur; Armani, Burberry, Closed, Kookai, Max Mara, Napapijri and Prada must act responsibly and finally ban this animal cruelty from their product range!
Get involved! Call upon these fashion companies not to use fur anymore.
The email will be sent to Armani, Burberry, Closed, Kookai, Max Mara, Napapijri, and Prada.
Read more…
Urge Congress to Act to Protect Animals: Two Automatic Letters
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
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Tell Loews Hotels to Drop Down
PETA
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 but no painkillers.
Many also use the feathers of ducks and geese who are force-fed for foie gras where birds have tubes rammed down their throats and their stomachs pumped so full of corn mush that their livers swell to as much as 10 times their normal size, which is very painful.
Loews understands the benefits of cruelty-free synthetic materials—the company uses only synthetic duvets in all its hotels and only offers down pillows upon request. Please take a moment to urge Loews to take its compassion one step further and drop down pillows from its hotels, including the well-known Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando Resort.
WHOM TO CONTACT
Click HERE for online contact webform
SAMPLE LETTER
I was shocked to learn that birds used for down are 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 but no painkillers.
Thank you for using cruelty-free synthetic duvets in all your hotels. I urge you to take it a step further and drop all down pillows, too.
With so many cruelty-free options available today that are warm, cozy, and luxurious, there is no reason to continue to offer down pillows. Thank you.
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Ban backyard butchers and military, drug testing on animals
1. Ban Backyard Slaughter | Click HERE to submit automatic letter
Source: In Defense of Animals (IDA)
The dark world of “backyard butchers,” who slaughter and butcher animals on makeshift farms, is spreading across the U.S. every day. When backyard slaughter is tolerated, animals suffer immense cruelty, starvation, botched “live” slaughters, and are kept in disgusting and diseased yards. Humane slaughter laws, which require animals to be rendered senseless before slaughter, are not followed; instead animals are sloppily shot with handguns, and experience excruciating agony from mishandled, amateur, often live butchering.
No governmental inspection protects these animals or the sanitation of the yards. Overwhelmed by the upkeep of running slapdash farms, these butchers starve, mistreat, abuse, neglect, and harm animals to horrific and gruesome degrees. The yards pose immense risk to public health, safety, and well-being. Blood and animal byproducts are often illegally disposed of onsite, jeopardizing local groundwater. Without any kind of regulation, the meat is sold to the general public on the black market.
Recently, ALDF filed a lawsuit in Florida on behalf of Hillsborough County residents — who are alarmed by criminal violations of public health codes and animal slaughter and disposal laws, illegal sale of horse, cow, and pig meat, and horrifying cruelty to animals found in these yards. ALDF’s landmark case marks the first time Florida residents have sued to stop the unspeakable acts of cruelty committed by backyard butchers and the threat to public health and safety they pose.
Take Action!
Help ALDF and the animals by stopping the development of backyard slaughter in your neighborhood too. Visit our website to watch the video of our undercover investigation, and to notify your lawmakers about this disturbing practice.
2. Ask the Department of Defense to Investigate Animal Killings | Click HERE to submit petition
Source: Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM)& Change.org
Next week, PCRM and supporters will file a complaint with the Department of Defense (DOD) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) asking it to investigate contract and animal care violations by an Army unit at Ford Meade in Maryland. Please sign this petition to the OIG asking that these violations be investigated.
In September 2011, the Army unit paid the company SIMMEC Training Solutions $132,160 to shoot more than 100 live animals so military personnel could practice emergency medical procedures. The animals were also likely burned and had multiple limbs amputated. Then they were killed. SIMMEC failed to provide a veterinarian for one of the training sessions—a violation of its contract and the DOD’s animal use policy. But the Army unit never reported the violation, which is itself a violation.
Retired Air Force Special Operations medic MSgt. Ben Rogers has started a petition on Change.org asking the OIG to investigate both the Army unit and SIMMEC for the violations. By holding both accountable, we can take one step closer to replacing the outdated and inhumane use of live animals in military combat trauma training.
Thank you for your help.
3. Dogs shouldn’t die so humans can get high | Click HERE to sign petition
Source: Unleashed Australia
The New Zealand Health Department is currently considering a plan that would see legal ‘party pills’ and synthetic cannabis tested on animals. Animal experimentation in that country is only “allowed if there is a proven benefit and if that benefit outweighs the cost to the animals.” Testing party drugs does not even come close to meeting that standard.
Before getting approval to sell their drugs, manufacturers will have to ensure that their use wouldn’t be harmful to humans. The NZ government has immediately turned to the out-dated and unnecessary option of animal testing to prove this. This is despite initial plans to test the drugs on willing people.
It is expected that the drugs would be tested on rodents and dogs, though testing on these animals is next to useless in predicting the psychoactive effect they would have on humans. As the national president of the NZ SPCA said of the plan, “There’s absolutely no justification for it, no matter which way you look at it.”
Let the NZ Health Department know that they must be high already if they think that testing party drugs on dogs and other animals is a good idea.
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Two lion kittens shot: please protest
Facebook: One of two lion cubs killed
WHOM TO CONTACT
Email Addresses
Director@dfg.ca.gov ; info@mountainlion.org
Postal Address
Director Charlton Bonham
CDFG Office of the Director
1416 Ninth Street, 12th Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 653-7667
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear Director Bonham,
On Saturday, December 1st, the California Department of Fish and Game shot and killed two mountain lion kittens in Half Moon Bay.
I’m very shocked by this incident! Your department’s actions were unjustified and unacceptable for a state protected mammal.
There is no excuse for this lack of knowledge about mountain lions by the department.
1. Statements released by CDFG are not consistent with basic mountain lion biology and behavior.
The 25-to-30 pound cats were spotted on Friday and officers reportedly tried to shoo them towards Burleigh Murray Ranch State Park – located just half a mile east of town.
The park also connects to the San Francisco State Fish and Game Refuge to the north and Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve to the south.
When the siblings were seen again Saturday huddled in a backyard on the edge of town, CDFG wardens felt they had no choice but to kill them.
A spokeswoman for the department said tranquilizing even small lions is too risky and could put the public in danger if the animals try to flee.
Additional criticism arose after the department also speculated the cats were nine-months-old and might have been pushed out of their territory by an older lion.
Both of these predictions neither match up with basic mountain lion biology nor are they consistent with the estimated weight of the cats. A thirty-pound lion is closer to half the age guesstimated by the department and is far too young for a lion to have her own territory.
Mountain lion kittens are dependent on their mother until they reach approximately 18 months of age. During this first and a half years of their lives, a mother lion will frequently stash her kittens in a safe place while she is hunting.
Young lions are unable to protect themselves or outrun a predator; survival relies on the ability to stay still, quiet, and camouflaged in the brush until mom returns.
CDFG reported the two kittens did not run away when wardens approached and appeared to have blank stares on their faces.
This natural instinct of trying to stay undetected was unfortunately interpreted as being accustomed to people and an immediate threat to public safety, which “justified” shooting the pair.
2. Non-lethal options to capture the mountain lions were available and should ALWAYS be considered first.
California wildlife rescue expert Jay Holcomb said that, although the wardens had to weigh the public safety issue carefully, trapping the animals would not have been difficult.
“Let’s face it, these are cubs. They’re easily capturable,” said Holcomb, former head of the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council and current director of International Bird Rescue.
“You can go to the store and buy some chicken and they’ll be on it in a second. It’s a no-brainer.
In addition to a simple-baited cage, catch poles, net guns, and tranquilizers are also non-lethal options the Department should employ.
A spokesman for the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA, which handles animal control in San Mateo County, said wardens put in a request Saturday for a pole syringe and tranquilizing drug but didn’t follow through.
Non-lethal wildlife policies need to be implemented today!
Wildlife rescue groups and veterinarians throughout the state are ready and willing to assist CDFG with mountain lion calls.
I urge you to utilize these (free!) resources for the benefit of California’s wildlife.
3. California is past due on revising its public safety wildlife guidelines and needs to draft a policy for dealing with injured and orphaned mountain lions, too.
The law authorizes CDFG to deal with dangerous animals but does not give them permission to kill kittens out of convenience.
The new policy should include:
Implementing non-lethal procedures for resolving public safety wildlife incidents.
Changing the Department’s internal position to allow the relocation of mountain lions, and the rehabilitation and eventual release of young or injured individuals.
Creating a database of wildlife professionals willing to help tranquilize, capture, temporarily hold, transport, collar, provide veterinary care, and/or release mountain lions at no cost to the department.
Mandatory training for wardens in the use of non-lethal drugs and capture methods.
These methods are currently being used by wildlife agencies in other states. It’s time for California to catch up!
NAME
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Cat Fight In Rome: Beloved Shelter Faces Closure
Wikimedia Commons
1. Click on desired language to sign petition at CATS Appeal Home
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
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Tell Glendale to Revoke Notorious Circus’s Permit
Wikimedia Commons
BACKGROUND | SOURCE PETA
On the morning of November 30, Ramos Bros., which is still parked next to a busy road in Glendale, Calif., allowed three dogs to escape and gallop toward traffic, just a week after a camel broke loose and galloped towards a busy intersection. Additionally, photos taken by a concerned citizen and reviewed by experts show a horse who is suffering from a hoof condition and is clearly in need of corrective care, in violation of California’s animal cruelty provisions. Please immediately send a message to Glendale officials and ask them to revoke Ramos Bros.’ permit now.
Last Friday, November 23, a camel escaped from the Ramos Bros. Circus and galloped toward a busy intersection, causing a traffic jam and endangering both herself and the public. Despite this dangerous incident, Ramos Bros. is still performing in Glendale and housing animals near a busy road. Please contact Glendale city officials immediately and urge them to revoke Ramos Bros.’ permit and to ensure that the city never hosts a circus that uses exotic animals again!
In addition to this latest incident, Ramos Bros. has a history of violating federal and local laws and failing to provide animals with care. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently cited Ramos Bros. for operating without a required federal license, and PETA has received numerous reports from the public suggesting that Ramos Bros. regularly abuses animals, including tying them up so tightly that they cannot stand, forcing them to live in urine- and feces-filled enclosures, and failing to provide them with water and shade.
Please speak up for animals and public safety by asking Glendale officials to immediately revoke Ramos Bros.’ permit and to join the growing list of cities—including Pasadena, Corona, Encinitas, and Santa Ana—that have pledged never to host circuses that use exotic animals.
WHOM TO CONTACT
fquintero@ci.glendale.ca.us; sochoa@ci.glendale.ca.us; jduran@ci.glendale.ca.us; vgharpetian@ci.glendale.ca.us; rkhan@ci.glendale.ca.us; lpatric@ci.glendale.ca.us; dsharkey@ci.glendale.ca.us
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear Mayor Quintero, Mr. Ochoa, Mr. Duran, and Commission Members:
Please protect both Glendale residents and animals used by circuses by immediately revoking the permit that the city issued to the Ramos Bros. Circus. Ramos Bros. unnecessarily jeopardized public safety and animal welfare again by allowing three dogs escape and run toward a busy street on November 30, just a week after the circus allowed a camel to escape and run toward a busy Glendale intersection. Despite these dangerous incidents, Ramos Bros. is continuing to house animals adjacent to a busy road.
Additionally, photos taken by a concerned citizen and reviewed by experts show a horse who is suffering from a hoof condition and is clearly in need of corrective care, in violation of California’s animal cruelty provisions.
Ramos Bros.—like all circuses that force animals to perform—has a history of disregarding federal and local laws that pertain to animal welfare and public safety, which is why Glendale should not only revoke Ramos Bros.’ permit but also ensure that the city does not host a circus that uses animals again.
Sincerely,
NAME
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