Animal World USA

Scoring our Lawmakers on their Support for Animal Protection

michelle — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 22:51:11 GMT

Election is nearing....

The Humane Society Legislative Fund today posted a preview of its 2008 Humane Scorecard. The scorecard, which is published annually, provides the records of U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives on major animal welfare policies. This most recent report card covers 2007-2008, the two-year span of the 110th Congress...

...I would especially like to acknowledge the following 7 Senators and 23 Representatives who scored the highest possible 100+ for receiving a perfect score and also leading on animal protection legislation:

Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.)

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.)

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.)

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.)

Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.)

Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.)

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.)

Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.)

Rep. Stephen Cohen (D-Tenn.)

Rep. Susan Davis (D-Calif.)

Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.)

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.)

Rep. Norman Dicks (D-Wash.)

Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Penn.)

Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.)

Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.)

Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.)

Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.)

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio)

Rep. James Langevin (D-R.I.)

Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.)

Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.)

Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.)

Rep. James Moran (D-Va.)

Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.)

Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.

Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.)

Rep. Betty Sutton (D-Ohio)

Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.)

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.)

What you can do:

1. Read the full post from HSLF President Michael Markarian here:
http://hslf.typepad.com/political_animal/2008/09/humane-society.html

2. Read more on Palin's shocking latest action against animals.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27238207/

3. Vote!
http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Voting.shtml

Election Issue: The Candidates on the Environment and Animal Welfare

michelle — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:11:34 GMT

October 6 is the last day to register to vote!

This week Advocacy for Animals takes a look at the views of the U.S. presidential and vice-presidential candidates on issues related to the environment and animal welfare.

Following is a summary of the voting records, official acts, and public statements of Senator John McCain (R), Senator Barack Obama (D), Governor Sarah Palin (R), and Senator Joe Biden (D) on drilling, mining, and energy conservation and development; animal welfare, including the protection of endangered or threatened species; global warming; and environmental conservation.

1. Visit Brittanica's Advocacy for Animals to learn more on the candidates.
Click Here

2. Register to vote!
a. http://www.rockthevote.com/

b. http://www.register-vote.com/

Photo:
A rare and endangered blue whale, one of at least four feeding 11 miles off Long Beach Harbor in the Catalina Channel, spouts near offshore oil rigs after a long dive July 16, 2008 near Long Beach, California. In decades past, blue whales were rarely seen along California's coastline but their migration and feeding patterns are changing. In the past four years sightings in southern California have increased dramatically and blue whales have been reported almost daily this summer.

Scientists suspect that climate change is having an effect on the food of the blues but other factors have not been ruled out. Before whalers stepped up their kill rate in the 1800s, there were at least 220,000 to 300,000 around the world. Today less than 11,000 survive worldwide with 1,200 to 2,000 in the Pacific waters off California. Blue whales are the largest animals on the planet, growing up to 110 feet long and reaching a weight of 200 tons.

The U.S. Navy uses loud sonar blasts in submarine detection training exercises off Southern California that can harm or kill whales at great distances, a controversial issue that has reached the U.S. Supreme Court, and the high price of gas has increased political pressure to increase oil drilling in the waters where the whales live.

Guide dogs to show up at Paralympics in China

michelle — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 20:52:50 GMT

Guide dogs to show up at Paralympics

(Xinhua China ) -- Two guide dogs are expected to lead blind athletes during the Paralympics, the local government said.

The government of Dalian, a port city in Liaoning Province in China's northeast, donated two Golden Retrievers to the Chinese Paralympic athletic team on Sunday in a bid to help them at the opening ceremony and award presentations.

What you can do:

Read full story:
Click Here

Vegan Pro Athletes Excel and Inspire

michelle — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 04:23:02 GMT

by Mat Thomas

From football and baseball players to mixed martial artists and ultramarathoners, vegans are increasingly popping up in professional athletics, raising veganism to a whole new level by bringing it to a new audience – legions of sports fans.

A recent article on the ESPN website told the stories of some of the most prominent and promising veg pro athletes. With thanks and acknowledgment to ESPN, here are a few highlights:

Tony Gonzalez – Tight End, Kansas City Chiefs: Football players are generally known for being beefy, and at 246 pounds, 10-time NFL Pro Bowl pick Tony Gonzalez is no exception. What sets him apart from others in his league, however, is that he maintains his massive frame on a vegan diet.

Gonzalez stopped eating animal products after being diagnosed with Bell's Palsy, a condition that many doctors say can be successfully managed by eating a raw vegan diet. He is now writing a book about veganism from the pro football player perspective, and looks forward to speaking with other athletes about the power of healthy plant-based eating when he retires. (See Tony pictured here.)

Pat Neshek – Relief Pitcher, Minnesota Twins: Sporting an inimitable throwing style, Pat Neshek is considered one of the best relief pitchers in major league baseball today. Since taking up veganism and a new training regimen, he has gained seven pounds of lean muscle. Neshek credits his good health to juicing (actual juice, not steroids), and carries a portable juicer on the road. He’s also fond of brown rice, beans, legumes, tofu, and flaxseed oil. While some of his teammates like to rib him about his diet, Neshek also draws curiosity from players who want to learn more about the benefits of being vegan.

Mac Danzig – Mixed Martial Arts Champion: As winner of the King of the Cage competition and the reality TV series The Ultimate Fighter, Mac Danzig is one of the top mixed martial artists in the world. Yet this scrapper with a sculpted physique is also a vegan and lifelong animal lover who worked at a sanctuary just before beginning his training for mixed martial arts. Danzig stopped eating animal products primarily for ethical reasons and out of concern for the environment, but if anything, the vegan diet seems to have improved his performance in the ring, proving you can be strong and tough without harming animals.

Scott Jurek – Ultramarathon Runner: Ultramarathons can be over 100 miles in the most extreme weather conditions – from freezing cold to searing heat – but as a vegan, Scott Jurek says he is able to recover faster than many of his meat-eating rivals from the physical strain these demanding competitions put on the body. With an impressive number of victories to his name (including seven consecutive Western States titles), Jurek is often approached by other runners seeking advice about healthy eating. According to Jurek, being vegan is "really not that hard once you get things down...Just keep variety in your diet, and you'll be good."

What you can do:

1. Learn more about healthy vegan eating for fitness at http://organicathlete.org/search/node/vegan

2. Make the choice to go veggie!

See Tony Gonzalez pictured.

North Carolina Advocates Need Signatures to Help End Gas Chambers

michelle — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 21:02:22 GMT

by CHTA from NCCHE

North Carolia Coalition for Humane Euthanasia is NC based and are working to outlaw the use of gassing as a means of killing thousands of animals in facilities every year. Read their plea below and, if you feel moved to do so, they'd appreciate your taking a minute to sign the petition at the link provided.

Please sign the petition that requests Gaston County, NC Commissioners to stop gassing groups of animals at the Gaston County Animal Control.

Gaston County gasses to death more animals than any other county in North Carolina. If animals must be euthanized, we should at least use lethal injection to minimize the terror these poor animals must endure.

A Mecklenburg County Animal Control officer said recently that when she euthanizes an animal, she hold them and loves on them before having to euthanize. She said that for some animals it was the only loving the animal had ever received. We should try to give these poor animals a small amount of comfort in their last minutes on earth.

What you can do.

Sign petition.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/stop-gassing-animals-in-north-carolina

Please also CROSSPOST the petition far and wide.

Farm Sanctuary Applauds Colorado for Passing Legislation Phasing Out Veal and Gestation Crates

michelle — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 21:30:50 GMT

Colorado Joins Others in Banning Most Abusive Factory Farm Confinement Systems

(DENVER, CO) - The movement to end the use of intensive confinement systems for farm animals is gaining momentum in the U.S. On May 14, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter signed Senate Bill 201 (S.B. 201) into state law, making Colorado the second state to ban the use of veal crates for calves, and the fourth state to ban gestation crates for breeding pigs. Colorado joins Florida, Arizona and Oregon in outlawing gestation crates, and joins Arizona in outlawing veal crates.

The European Union will have effectively banned veal crates, gestation crates, and battery cages by 2012 and California recently certified an anti-confinement initiative, the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act co-sponsored by Farm Sanctuary, for the November 2008 ballot. If passed, veal crates, gestation crates and battery cages would be phased out in the largest agricultural state in the U.S.

Gestation crates are among the most restrictive and cruel forms of intensive confinement widely used in factory farms. The 2-foot-wide crates are so restrictive that they prevent sows from turning around or taking more than a step for the duration of each of their four month pregnancies. Giving birth to two litters per year, these intelligent creatures live most of their lives in this constricted manner, and they suffer from extensive leg and joint disorders, as well as psychological neuroses.

Millions of male calves are born to dairy cows every year and approximately 698,000 are sold to the veal industry. Most veal calves are taken away from their mothers immediately after birth and tethered inside 2-foot-wide wooden crates where they cannot turn around, stretch their limbs or lie down comfortably.

The calves are fed a liquid, fiber-free and iron-deficient diet that causes anemia and produces the pale flesh known as "white" veal. This diet causes chronic diarrhea, which these calves are forced to wallow in under this extreme confinement until they are slaughtered at about 18 weeks.

What you can do:

1.Visit http://www.farmsanctuary.org
and/or call 607-583-2225.)

2. Read Vegetarian quotes to inspire.
http://www.quotegarden.com/vegetarianism.html

Please Ask Your Representative and Senators to Support the 2008 Whaling Resolution

michelle — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 15:43:30 GMT

from AWI

Dear Humanitarian:
On May 14, 2008, House Natural Resources Committee Chair Nick Rahall (D-WV) and eight of his colleagues introduced a whaling resolution in the House of Representatives.

H. Con. Res. 350 proclaims that the United States should use all appropriate measures to uphold the moratorium on commercial whaling – such as ending special permit and continued commercial whaling, closing loopholes that have allowed tens of thousands of whales to be killed in the past two decades, and opposing the creation of any new categories of whaling.

A similar resolution, S. Con. Res. 86, was introduced in the Senate by Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) on June 3, 2008.

The United States successfully proposed a whaling ban at the inaugural International Conference on the Human Environment in 1972, which in turn led to the global moratorium on commercial whaling instituted by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in 1986. The moratorium has since saved many thousands of whales and prevented some species from certain extinction.

Unfortunately, despite the ban, the member nations Japan, Norway and Iceland have continued to whale for commercial gain, exploiting loopholes in the IWC. Since the moratorium came into force, these nations have killed more than 25,000 whales, including over 11,000 killed under the guise of “scientific research.” Just this week, Norway and Iceland also resumed the trade in whale meat with Japan, in flagrant defiance of an international ban on such trafficking.

The very future of the IWC is now in jeopardy because these countries, through recruitment of allied nations, have succeeded in convincing IWC members that the body is unworkable and at an impasse. Once stalwart pro-conservation countries are currently on the brink of capitulation, and they are in desperate need of leadership.

Although the United States has a history of standing up for the whales, most recently, it has not exercised its leadership position – and has, in fact, reportedly been initiating deals with the whalers. This resolution serves to put the United States back on track and reaffirm its historically strong position in support of the whales As chair of the next IWC meeting in Chile, it holds a very important role and must do all it can to refocus the body toward its important conservation aims.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Please contact your Representative and Senators TODAY to request that they show support for the respective House and Senate resolutions by becoming cosponsors. Be sure to include some facts from the letter above in your requests.

Letters to your Representative should be addressed to:

The Honorable ....
US House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Letters to your Senators should be addressed to:

The Honorable ....
US Senate
Washington, DC 20510

To find your Members of Congress and email them through our Compassion Index website, please visit our website. Otherwise, you may call the Capitol Hill operator at (202) 224-3121 and request to be connected to their offices.

Whether you write, email or call your legislators, please be sure to provide them with your name and mailing address, and as a constituent, request a response on this issue.

Please share our “Dear Humanitarian” eAlert with family, friends and co-workers, and encourage them to contact their legislators, too. As always, thank you very much for your help.

Sincerely,

Cathy Liss

President
www.awionline.org
www.compassionindex.org

For over 57 years, AWI has been the leading voice for animals across the country and on Capitol Hill. Please join us in our ongoing campaigns to reduce the sum total of pain and fear inflicted on animals by humans. Sign up for AWI eAlerts to receive the latest news on what you can do to help us protect all animals: http://www.awionline.org/joinus.

Let's end our dependence on plastic. Plastic hurts the earth, ocean and marine life.

michelle — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:09:51 GMT

Time to make a change.

There is a section of the Pacific Ocean twice the size of the continental United States called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Within it, 100 million tons of plastic swirl in a vortex of currents. There is so much plastic in the water that it outnumbers zooplankton by six to one!

Every one of us needs to do our part to reduce our dependence on plastic. »

Plastic in the ocean and along beaches ends up in the stomachs of marine birds and animals. In fact, one million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals die globally each year due to ingestion of or entanglement in plastics.

Plastic is forever, with virtually every piece of petroleum based plastic ever made still in existence. That's why it's so critical to our oceans and beaches that we dramatically reduce our use of plastics, especially single-use plastics, starting today.

You can make a difference for our world's oceans, waves and beaches -- pledge to rise above plastics today. »

Thanks for taking action!

What you can do:

Sign the pledge.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/128097118?z00m=15363231

Animal Protection Groups Ask Federal Court to Halt Ringling Bros.’ Cruel Chaining and Confinement of Endangered Asian Elephants

michelle — Thu, 22 May 2008 20:05:44 GMT

Help the elephants.

On Thursday May 22 a coalition of animal protection organizations and a former Ringling Bros. employee asked a federal district court in Washington D.C. to immediately order a halt to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (Ringling Bros.)’s cruel practice of shackling and confining endangered Asian elephants for days on end in a manner that prevents them from walking or even turning around in place.

We hope that the Court will order Ringling Bros. to immediately unchain these incredibly intelligent and, social animals and spare them from suffering a lifetime of misery

Washington, D.C. (Vocus/PRWEB ) May 21, 2008 -- Today, a coalition of animal protection organizations and a former Ringling Bros. employee asked a federal district court in Washington D.C. (03-2006 EGS/JMF) to immediately order a halt to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (Ringling Bros.)’s cruel practice of shackling and confining endangered Asian elephants for days on end in a manner that prevents them from walking or even turning around in place.

Newly obtained evidence based on the circus’s own documents reveals that Ringling Bros. keeps elephants virtually immobilized in chains for the majority of their lives. Internal records of the circus’s train travels show that the elephants are chained while confined in boxcars for an average of more than 26 hours at a time, and sometimes for as much as 60–100 hours without a break as the circus moves across the country.

“The evidence is simply shocking,” says Lisa Weisberg, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). “The public should be outraged at the amount of time these animals are forced to be shackled and confined, and Ringling Bros. should be ashamed at hiding this cruelty from the public eye.”

“We hope that the Court will order Ringling Bros. to immediately unchain these incredibly intelligent and, social animals and spare them from suffering a lifetime of misery,” says Tracy Silverman, General Counsel for Animal Welfare Institute. “No animal should be chained for days at a time, week after week, month after month and year after year.”

The request for an immediate halt to prolonged chaining and confinement of elephants is part of a groundbreaking lawsuit (Federal District Court in Washington D.C. 03-2006 EGS/JMF) by the ASPCA, the Animal Welfare Institute, The Fund for Animals, Born Free USA united with Animal Protection Institute (Born Free USA), and former Ringling Bros. employee Tom Rider against Ringling Bros. Circus. The suit alleges that the circus is violating the Endangered Species Act by abusively training and disciplining elephants with sharp implements such as bullhooks, and by intensively confining and chaining the animals for prolonged periods of time.

“Shackling elephants for days on end without the ability to walk or even turn around is inherently cruel,” said Michael Markarian, President of The Fund for Animals. “Endangered species deserve something better than a lifetime of suffering.”

Although Ringling Bros. has denied that the elephants spend most of their lives in chains, former circus employees and other witnesses have given sworn testimony to the U.S. Department of Agriculture that the elephants are kept tightly chained by one front and hind leg — unable to move freely or even turn around — for hours on end.

“The overwhelming evidence we have obtained confirms what former Ringling Bros. employees have said for years about the unimaginable cruelty that goes on under — and behind — the Big Top,” says Nicole G. Paquette, Senior Vice President for Born Free USA. “These new revelations of prolonged chaining of elephants should not only have significant implications for this case, but also assist in our national efforts to pass legislation prohibiting cruel training practices commonly used on captive elephants.”

The plaintiffs are represented by the public interest law firm Meyer Glitzenstein & Crystal.

Media Contacts:
Anita Edson/ASPCA: 212-876-7700 x 4566, anitae@aspca.org
Tracy Silverman, Esq./Animal Welfare Institute: 301-537-0612, tracy@awionline.org
Michael Markarian/The Fund for Animals: mmarkarian@fundforanimals.org
Nicole Paquette/Born Free USA united with API: 916-622-7170, nicole@bornfreeusa.org
Tom Rider: 202-374-1503

Facts:
Ringling Bros.’ own internal train records show that the elephants are chained in boxcars for an average of more than 26 hours, and often 60–70 hours at a time, when the circus travels from city to city.
The records also show that in some cases, the elephants have been kept chained on trains for 90–100 hours.
In the wild, elephants travel many miles each day.
Research shows that chaining and confining animals for days at a time leads to psychological and severe physical problems such as arthritis, crippling foot problems, and behavior that is indicative of high levels of stress.

Copies of these documents are available upon request.

Timeline of Case:

May 21, 2008 – Plaintiffs file Motion for Preliminary Injunction on chaining claim until the Court has a trial and issues a final decision about all of plaintiffs’ claims.
January 30, 2008 – Fact Discovery closes.
August 23, 2007 – U.S. District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan issues a ruling rejecting Ringling Bros.’ attempts to have the case dismissed, and permitting the plaintiffs’ case to proceed to trial.
October 2006 – After being ordered to do so by the court, Ringling Bros. discloses the internal veterinary records for the elephants, which show elephants with severe foot, leg, and other injuries.
August 2006 – Baby elephant Bertha dies at the CEC — the details of her death have never been revealed.
September 2005 – The federal district judge assigned to the case announces that he will "incarcerat(e)" Ringling Bros.' lawyers and executives if they do not turn over critical veterinary documents that were required to be produced much earlier in the litigation.
August 2004 – 2-year-old Riccardo mysteriously dies at the CEC after falling while “climbing on a tub.”
February 2003 – A unanimous panel of the federal appeals court in the District of Columbia finds that the plaintiffs have standing to sue Ringling Bros. for its mistreatment of Asian elephants.
June 2000 – Animal welfare groups file suit against Ringling Bros. in federal court in the District of Columbia under the Endangered Species Act to stop Ringling Bros.’ inhumane and unlawful mistreatment of highly endangered Asian elephants.
July 1999 – Baby elephant Benjamin drowns in a pond when traveling between Ringling Bros. shows; witnesses state that he was evading his Ringling Bros. handler who had chased him with a bullhook.
February 1999 – USDA cites Ringling Bros. after inspectors observe large rope burn "lesions" on two baby elephants — Doc and Angelica — caused by forcibly separating the babies from their mothers well before the end of their natural weaning period.
January 1998 – USDA concludes that baby elephant Kenny dies after being made to perform by Ringling despite the fact that he is extremely ill.

Visit: Elephant Sanctuary at http://www.elephants.com

Bulldozer called in to help kill a bull for refusing to take on a matador. Please respond for bull.

michelle — Tue, 20 May 2008 16:42:15 GMT

from Cornwall's Voice for Animals

Cruel bullfighting bosses have plunged the cruel sport to new depths by calling in a bulldozer to batter a bull for refusing to take on a matador.

Many spectators in Spain’s Andalucia region, even cheered as they goaded the terrified bull.

The bull ended up exhausted and bleeding - and the matador came in to finish it off.

Spain’s National Association for the Defence of Animals added: "These degrading scenes must not be forgotten."

What you can do:

Please do not let this travesty go by without helping future animals who are undergoing cruelty -aka bullfighting- in Spain.

1. Read whole story:
http://www.news.com.au:80/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23707927-5006003,00.html

2. Contact Spanish Embassy and Consulates in USA
http://www.immihelp.com/visas/schengenvisa/spanish-consulates-usa.html

3. Please log on to link to leave comment and have your say.
http://forumsmirror.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=47015

4. Leave your comments here on the youtube also ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJUHY3FH2BI

Photo above is of a general bullfight. Actual photo of bulldozer and the bull can be found on above link #1.

U.S. Government Finally Affirms that Climate Change is Putting Polar Bears in Peril

michelle — Mon, 19 May 2008 19:13:51 GMT

WWF Applauds Threatened Species Designation

WASHINGTON D.C., May 14, 2008 – Climate change is destroying vital polar bear habitat, putting the species at risk of extinction, the U.S. government said today as it listed the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the world’s largest conservation organization, said the government’s decision clearly indicates that climate change impacts are already threatening the survivability of animals and habitats, and illustrates the urgency of preparing for and adapting to a rapidly changing climate.

“Today’s decision is a tremendous victory for one of the world’s most iconic and charismatic animals,” said Carter Roberts, president and CEO of WWF-US. “The other big winner today is sound science, which has clearly trumped politics, providing polar bears a new lease on life.”

“Based on the best available science, if current sea ice trends continue, two-thirds of the world’s polar bears will be lost by 2050,” said Geoffrey York, coordinator of WWF’s Polar Bear Conservation Program.

“The threatened species designation will now provide additional legal protections for the bears, including the conservation of critical habitat and the development of a government-supported recovery plan.”

WWF is part of a coalition of Alaska native and conservation organizations that filed suit in federal district court in Alaska, arguing that MMS did not adequately weigh the impacts of oil and gas activities on indigenous communities and wildlife along Alaska’s North Slope.

“We should be taking every action possible to reduce stresses on polar bears, and we believe that oil and gas activities pose formidable risks to the Arctic sea ice ecosystem and the polar bears that inhabit it,” said York.

What you can do:

Click Here for WWF and how you can help the bears

Global Boycott Proctor & Gamble Day Friday - Get Active with Sir Paul McCartney, Pretenders lead-singer Chrissie Hynde

michelle — Thu, 15 May 2008 18:31:21 GMT

Friday, May 16 is day to help research animals.

Pick up the phone on Call-In day to urge P&G to end cruel animal experiments

Please join IDA and thousands of activists worldwide on May 16 - Global Boycott Proctor & Gamble Day. We'll unite to expose P&G's callous abuse and inform people about cruelty-free shopping in dozens of countries throughout the world. Our efforts on this day, and throughout the year, can save tens of thousands of animals from a horrific fate at the hands of P&G's vivisectors.

P&G admits it conducts poisoning tests on animals to assess chemicals in their brands including Tide, Olay, Cascade, Pantene and Herbal Essences. Guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters, ferrets, rats and mice are among the thousands of animals poisoned and killed every year in P&G's "product safety research," and cats and dogs are used in experiments for their pet foods. P&G are very secretive about their toxicity tests, where chemicals are repeatedly force-fed to animals, rubbed into their raw skin, or dripped into their eyes. Other brutal tests include forcing animals to inhale chemicals or injecting substances up their noses.

P&G is known for an abundance of animal testing for such trivial, everyday products. And they are certainly the world's largest producer of such products, selling their brands (such as Fairy, Pantene, Ariel, Head & Shoulders, Olay, Iams/Eukanuba) in 140 countries worldwide. If hundreds of other companies can make similar cosmetics and household products without animal testing, so can P&G.

The call-in is part of the 12th annual Global Boycott Procter & Gamble Day, led by the UK-based international animal protection group Uncaged and in partnership with dozens of animal protection organizations around the world. Over 140 events will take place across the world, from Sydney to Stockholm. The campaign is supported by stars such as Sir Paul McCartney, Pretenders lead-singer Chrissie Hynde, poet and musician Benjamin Zephaniah, and singer Morrissey.

1) Please call, email, fax or write a letter to P&G on Friday May 16th between 9:00 and 5:00 pm EST to politely urge Proctor & Gamble to stop testing on animals and instead redirect funds towards alternatives. Be polite but firm!

Call-in to: (513) 983-1100
Fax letters to: (513) 983-4381
Webmail: http://pg.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/pg.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php

Mailing address:

Mr A.G. Laffley
Chairman & CEO
Procter & Gamble
One Procter & Gamble Plaza
Cincinnatti, OH 45202

See a sample letter/email

2) Write letters to the editors of your local newspapers and weekly newspapers. See a listing of all U.S. newspapers. Make sure to let us know if your letter gets printed. Below is a sample, though using your own words is strongly encouraged. See a sample letter/email

For more on what you can do to stop P&G's cruel and unnecessary tests, visit http://www.pandgkills.com

Sample Letter To P&G Chair Laffley

Dear Mr. Laffley:

I am horrified to learn that Procter & Gamble continues to test on and kill animals in the development of cosmetic, household cleaning, and pet food products and ingredients.

I will no longer buy any P&G products until the company permanently ceases testing on animals. I will be urging my friends, family, and colleagues to also boycott P&G products.

Since 1999, several countries around the world, including the UK, have banned animal testing for cosmetics. The European Union also voted for the ban, which included the sale of animal-tested products within its borders.

Polls show that the vast majority of the public is strongly against animal testing for cosmetic, household products, and pet foods, and that hundreds of companies do not engage in animal testing, yet make perfectly good, safe products.

I urge P&G to establish a firm non-animal testing policy for these products and ingredients. With all the recent advances in non-animal technology, P&G should be able to eliminate animal tests. It is high time that P&G fulfill its stated desire to eliminate animal testing for non-drug products and ingredients. Until then I will continue to boycott P&G products and encourage others to do the same.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME

Sample Letter To the Editor

Dear Editor:

It is appalling that Procter & Gamble, which makes world-famous brands like Tide, Bounce, Mr. Clean, Olay, Crest, Pantene, Head & Shoulders, Pringles, and Iams/Eukanuba, among many others, continues to test products on animals.

These experiments are cruel, unnecessary, and happening right now in the U.S. But we can all make a difference - and feel better about ourselves - simply by refusing to buy P&G products and switching to cruelty-free brands. I urge everyone to make this decision today - it's not as hard as you might think. The Web site www.pandgkills.com contains information and product lists.

Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In Defense of Animals
Tel. (415) 388-9641 Fax (415) 388-0388
idainfo@idausa.org

What else you can do:

Stop Animal Tests
http://www.stopanimaltests.org/index.aspx

PCRM
http://www.pcrm.org/index.html

U.K. Greyhound breeder offers slow dogs to be killed for research

michelle — Sun, 11 May 2008 19:14:55 GMT

Investigation uncovers shocking truth.

The largest breeder of greyhounds in Britain is offering to sell healthy young dogs to be killed and dissected for research, an investigation has uncovered.

This man provides greyhounds to a greyhound trainer, who gives his older dogs for free to university veterinary staff, who put euthanizes (kills) them and removes organs for teaching and research.

What you can do:

1. Please read this entire and comprehensive story:
Click Here

2. Contact the RSPCA and see how you can help.
http://www.rspca.org.uk/

Filly Eight Belles falls victim to the greed of horse racing ...

michelle — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:55:34 GMT

posted by Michelle Buckalew

The death of the filly Eight Belles minutes after she finished second to winner Big Brown is waking some people up to the truth of horse racing.

Why do we keep giving thoroughbred horse racing a pass? Money and ignorance...

Why isn’t there more pressure to put the sport of kings under the microscope and bring truth to the equation?

You'll find the full article online at:Click here for NYT story

Click here for San Francisco Chronicle story

What you can do:
1. Visit the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation
http://www.trfinc.org/

2. Tell your legislator/representative that you oppose any "sport" that results in deaths and/or cruelty being inflicted on animals. (Another example is rodeos.)
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/

3. Contact Churchill Downs and ask them to be be more humane and ensure the health and safety of the horses:

Churchill Downs contact:
Steve Sexton
President
Churchill Downs
700 Central Avenue
Louisville, KY 40208
customerservice@kyderby.com

Six Flags Fluff Piece Ignores Animal Suffering

michelle — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:40:56 GMT

Write a letter to the editor about what amusement park life is really like for animals

from IDA

On Monday, April 21 the San Jose Mercury News and the Vallejo Times Herald published an article about Six Flags Discovery Kingdom called "Senior moments: Three animals show good care leads to long life" which unquestioningly panders to the Vallejo, California amusement park's claims that the animals there are well treated. Yet in reality, nothing could be further from the truth.

The article mentions that IDA "has accused the park of mistreating its animals - elephants especially - and providing them with poor veterinary care," but then conveniently ignores our documentation of the poor state of their lives at Six Flags.

Citing medical records and eyewitness testimony, IDA has provided incontrovertible evidence that handlers subject elephants to abusive treatment with bullhooks, and that the pachyderms are ailing as a direct result of the inadequate, stressful and barren conditions at the park. In addition, dozens of animals have died -- including both of the park's orcas (killer whales), five elephants (plus two full-term calves), and several dolphins -- in the decade since Six Flags took over management (and complete ownership as of August 31, 2007) of the amusement park.

Yet the writer of this article mentions none of these important facts, choosing instead to paint a rosy but inaccurate picture of the life of captive animals at Six Flags. These glaring omissions make this story read more like an advertisement for the amusement park than a piece of credible journalism. If we are to improve the care of animals in captivity, we must demand that the media be held to higher standards of reporting.

What you can do:

Write a letter to the editor explaining that the example of three animals who have survived longer than average does not mean that the animals at Six Flags are well-cared for. Animals at this amusement park are still forced to perform, and live in cramped conditions that cause them immense suffering.

San Jose Mercury News
letters@mercurynews.com
125 words or less--Include name, address, daytime phone

Vallejo Times Herald
opinion@timesheraldonline.com
250 words or less--Include name, address, daytime phone

(Street addresses and phone numbers are not published.)

Learn more about conditions for animals at Six Flags.
http://helpelephants.com/six_flags.html

Tuesday April 29 is National Call-In Day for Horses

michelle — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:20:43 GMT

Let's light up the phones!

Time is running out for Congress to pass the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R. 503/S. 311) to end the transport to slaughter of American horses to Mexico and Canada.

Let's light up the phones on Capitol Hill to send the message
loud and clear that we want a permanent ban on horse slaughter
now.

1. Please call your senators
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

And urge them to co-sponsor S. 311. When you call, you will speak to a staff member who will pass
your message along to your legislator. Remember to be polite and
professional, and leave your name and address so it is clear
that you are a constituent. You can say:

"Hello, my name is [your name] and I'm calling from [your town]
to urge [legislator's name] to co-sponsor the American Horse
Slaughter Prevention Act, H.R. 503/S. 311, to end the transport
to slaughter of American horses. We must end this cruel practice
once and for all. Thank you."

2. We are tracking the impact of your calls, so click here to
let us know you called your legislators:
https://community.hsus.org/campaign/FED_2008_horsecallinday2/w838xud4z765wxee?

3. Finally, please tell all of your friends and family to call
their legislators today and throughout this week.
https://community.hsus.org/campaign/FED_2008_horsecallinday2/forward/w838xud4z765wxee?

Your calls have made a difference in the past, so please make
the call today. Together, we can stop horse slaughter.

The Humane Society of the United States

Let's Help the Wolves

michelle — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:53:05 GMT

The killing in the Greater Yellowstone region has already begun. Help stop the senseless killing of Greater Yellowstone wolves now.

One of the first victims: Wolf 253M -- a celebrity wolf, affectionately known as “Limpy.”

Limpy was many things to many people -- to wolf-watchers, he was the hobbling member of Yellowstone’s famous Druid Peak Pack. To Utahans, he was the first wolf to be seen in the state for more than 70 years.

But wolf 253M’s celebrity didn’t save him in the end. Limpy and two other wolves were shot dead in an elk feeding ground, part of Wyoming’s brutal shoot-on-sight policy that covers virtually the entire state.

Limpy’s death was just the beginning. It’s been 26 days since wolves were stripped of federal protections in the Greater Yellowstone area -- and at least 17 wolves have already been killed in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. And there are surely more to come.

Officials in Idaho changed their state law on the day wolves were delisted, making it far easier for anyone to kill wolves near livestock or domestic animals.

In Wyoming, state officials stripped all protection from wolves in 88% of the state. Locals have organized weekend eradication “wolf hunts” to kill any wolf that they find. One group tracked a wolf for 35 miles on snowmobiles before shooting it dead.[1]

We can win the battle to save our wolves. But we can’t do it without your help.

Defenders of Wildlife

Please visit:
http://www.defenders.org/index.php

What else you can do:

Also visit Earth Justice
Click Here

U.S. may ban chimpanzee vivisection

michelle — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 02:29:47 GMT

From IDA: The Great Ape Protection Act (H.R. 5852)

This is an important bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on April 17, 2008. The bill proposes a ban on the use of chimpanzees in invasive biomedical research and testing.

This long-sought, landmark bill has bi-partisan support and will prohibit the federal government from funding research on great apes, prevent the government from breeding chimpanzees for research, and require the transfer of approximately 600 chimpanzees in federal custody from laboratories to permanent sanctuaries.

About 1,200 chimpanzees are used in biomedical research in the U.S., which is far more than any other country in the world. To date, numerous other countries -- including Great Britain, Sweden, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Austria and Japan -- have banned or limited the use of great apes in experiments.

Please Take Action to ask your federal Representative to support and co-sponsor the Great Ape Protection Act (H.R.5852). If your Representative is one of the following individuals, please thank them for introducing/co-sponsoring H.R.5852 instead of responding to the alert:

H.R.5852 introduced by:
- Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.)
- David Reichert (R-Wash.)
- Jim Langevin (D-R.I.)
- Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.)

Original co-sponsors:
- Bruce Braley (D-Iowa)
- Tom Allen (D-Maine)
- John Campbell (R-Calif.)
- Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.)

Get contact information for your Representative: http://ga0.org/indefenseofanimals/leg-lookup/search.tcl

Thank you for contacting your Representatives to help end the use of chimpanzees for research.

Politics as Usual When You Follow the Money...Bill Clinton and Shark Finning Connection

michelle — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:11:08 GMT

Vote.....Be sure and make your voice heard.

from Gary Krasner

Dick Morris, political author, columnist and commentator, may not know that Alibaba is a company that trades in shark fins and contributes to the senseless and agonizing deaths of sharks worldwide.

An astounding 90% of the world's shark populations have already been decimated, in large part due to shark finning. The balance of the world's oceans is being destroyed because of the removal of these important predators.

The movie, "Sharkwater" is an indictment of shark-finning, which is a practice that now Bill Clinton profits from.

The movie contains graphic and disturbing footage of sharks having their fins cut off while still alive and then being thrown back into the ocean to die. Yahoo should be ashamed for supporting this brutal, criminal, and ecologically disastrous practice.

What you can do:

1. See links for more info:

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/alibaba-sharkfin912.html
http://www.celsias.com/2007/10/28/alibaba-com-and-yahoo-back-shark-fin-traders/
http://www.stopsharkfinning.net/campaigns/alibaba.htm

2. ROCK THE VOTE
Click Here to register to vote

3. See rankings of states to see how your candidate and their states fare.....map shows best and worst on animal cruelty laws.
Click Here

photo is courtesy of the must-see movie, Sharkwater

Take Action During World Week for Animals in Laboratories April 20-26

michelle — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:46:42 GMT

by Mat Thomas, In Defense of Animals

Every year since 1986, IDA has hosted World Week For Animals In Laboratories (WWAIL), a campaign that encourages people to take action on behalf of animals used in experiments and testing. This year, WWAIL will be held from April 20-26, so there is still time to plan an event that will educate the public about vivisection's inherent cruelties, scientific failures, and moral bankruptcy. Visit wwail.org to learn how.

Many animal experiments are funded by the public through our taxes, yet there is very little accountability for how our money is spent or what is done to animals. One example that IDA is focusing on now is the lethal nicotine experiments being performed on mother and baby monkeys by Dr. Elliot Spindel at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU).

We’ve known for decades that smoking causes cancer and a host of other serious, life-threatening diseases. We also know that women who smoke during pregnancy are likely to harm their babies. So it seems insane that, in the year 2008, millions of tax dollars are being wasted to help Big Tobacco find a way for women to continue smoking during pregnancy without damaging their unborn children.

Spindel studies this "problem" by implanting nicotine pumps into the backs of pregnant monkeys, and slicing their fetuses out of their wombs at various developmental stages to dissect their lungs. In other cases, mothers are allowed to give birth, but their babies are torn away by researchers soon afterward, causing the mothers severe grief and traumatizing the newborn infants. IDA's Northwest Coordinator Matt Rossell saw these horrors with his own eyes, having spent two years as an undercover animal care provider at OHSU, and described what he experienced in his journal:

"Among the most horrifying things I witnessed were the times when baby monkeys were stolen away from their mothers. This was a chaotic, ugly, heart-wrenching scene. A worker wearing thick leather gloves would reach into the cage where the baby clung to her mother's breast, and snatch the baby by one shoulder and arm and rip her from her mother who was screaming and desperately fighting to keep her baby safe. Once the baby was removed, the entire room of monkeys would erupt into total pandemonium—screaming, thrashing and crashing into the sides of their cages—some reaching out through the bars in vain to get their babies back."

American taxpayers have funded this barbaric research with $7.6 million in grant money given to Spindel by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) since 1992, with payment scheduled to continue through 2012. While this is one of the more egregious examples of animal abuse and scientific fraud funded by taxpayers, it is certainly not the only one. WWAIL provides an opportunity for activists to collectively protest and expose the animal experiments being conducted at academic institutions in their communities.

What you can do:
Visit http://wwail.org to check the scheduled WWAIL events, register your own event, and get assistance planning a WWAIL event..

(Photo is of a monkey named Thimble who was used in Spindel's experiments.)