A n i m a l W r i t
e s
© sm
The official
ANIMAL RIGHTS ONLINE newsletter
Publisher ~ EnglandGal@aol.com Issue # 04/30/00
Editor ~ JJswans@aol.com
Journalists ~ PrkStRangr@aol.com
~ MRivera008@aol.com
~ SavingLife@aol.com
THE NINE ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE ARE:
1
~ Dateline - Puppy Mills
2
~ AR2000 Registration Deadline
3
~ Million Mutt March
4
~ Abolish Vivisection at the University of Minnesota
5
~ Gardening Warning
6
~ Excuses For Leather
7
~ Traveling With Kitty - by Plane
8
~ Activist's Pledge (Poem)
9
~ Quote To Remember
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Dateline - Puppy Mills
by
KarenDawn1@aol.com
Last
night's Dateline (Wednesday, April 26) was everything we had hoped for and
more. Chris Hansen's story (the same journalist who brought us the dog and cat
fur expose) made it clear that puppies in most pet stores, including the huge
chain Petland, and elite little pet shops in Manhattan, come from puppy mills.
This was demonstrated despite the claims of all pet store employees
interviewed, that their puppies came from "reputable breeders."
It
was shown that USDA certification of breeding facilities meant little, and that
American Kennel Club pedigrees could mean nothing. Via mail, Dateline managed
to get two 13 year old cats certified, by the American Kennel Club, as Golden
Retriever puppies. Hansen brought our attention to the conflict of interest the
AKC has when certifying breeders, given that pedigree licensing is a 26 million
dollar business.
A
hidden camera investigation done by Dateline, backed up one done by PETA. Chris Hansen described seeing dogs at a
breeding facility "living a life on wire." (Footage shot from below
showed paws struggling on the wire floored cages.) "They are warehoused in cages their entire lives for just
one purpose: to breed."
The
following quotes will demonstrate how hard hitting the Dateline story was:
"Both
our videotape and PETA's show violations and disturbing conditions. And
remember, you're looking at a federally licensed facility. We saw waste piling
up. There were dogs with runny, infected
eyes and rotted teeth. Deformed
dogs. Some were filthy. Others had bare
patches of skin from a contagious infection called mange. And still others had
open sores like this Doberman. Almost every cocker spaniel we saw had what's
called 'cherry eye,' a hereditary disorder that must be corrected with surgery.
This Jack Russell Terrier's foot was trapped in broken wire. And this toy
poodle's leg was accidentally broken when it was taken from its cage. And there
was this Lab, his collar grew too tight, but no one had noticed until it was
too late. The skin actually grew around it, and the collar had to be torn
off."
AND
"The few pets that were allowed to roam stood in stark contrast to others,
especially those who, due to confinement, showed strange neurotic behaviors
repetitive jumping or pacing in distinct patterns. One dog spent his days
spinning so furiously it's hard to believe the videotape you're now seeing
isn't in fast-forward. There were signs of aggression. Inevitably, bloody
battles broke out."
Given
the frequent portrayal of PETA as a radical fringe group, an interview with
President Ingrid Newkirk was a blessing. Viewers saw and heard a rational,
compassionate woman saying, "The consumer will never see those mother dogs
and the condition they're in.... The law does agree with me. This is no radical
position. It simply says there's a minimum standard of care. If the animal is
sick, you must provide medical care or destroy the animal, but don't allow the
animal to suffer. That is illegal."
Hansen
interviewed Veterinarian Karen Overall, who runs the behavior clinic at the
University of Pennsylvania animal hospital. She made it clear that responsible
dog breeders will not sell to pet stores. Hansen said, "What you're
saying, just to be clear, is that nobody should ever buy a dog from a pet
store, ever, ever, ever." Overall responded in the affirmative.
The
final segment began with Stone Phillips reminding viewers that their are
millions of mixed breed dogs available. However, for those people set on a pure
breed, Hansen and Overall discussed how to find a reputable breeder. But then
Hansen mentioned that you don't have to go to a breeder. Overall responded,
"They can talk to rescue associations, animal rescue leagues, humane
shelters and those can be wonderful places to get even young animals."
Hansen
commented "In fact, we were surprised to learn that about a quarter of all
dogs in animal shelters are pure bred, 8 to 12 million dogs and cats enter
shelters every year. Of those, 60 to 70 percent are euthanized for want of a
home."
Followed
by Stone Phillips, "If you're in the market for a pound puppy, mixed breed
or pure bred, our Web site can help you have find the nearest animal
shelter."
During
the piece, Veterinarian Karen Overall was quoted as saying, "If Dante were
writing today, there would be a special circle of hell for people who do this
to young, helpless animals, who rely on them for their guardianship and
everything else."
I
think there a special spot in heaven reserved for Chris Hansen and the Dateline
team. Please thank them at Dateline@NBC.com
Yours and the animals,
Karen Dawn
www.DawnWatch.com
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AR2000 Registration Deadline
Though
this last Saturday, April 29 was the deadline for a reduced registration fee
($160) for the Animal Rights 2000 conference, as a special consideration to our
subscribers, FARM will extend the deadline to Wednesday, May 3rd. You can now register with a credit card by
phone (888-FARM USA) or on line (www.animalrights2000.org). You can also mail a
check with a completed registration form copied from the web site or brochure.
This
will be the animal rights event of the century. Don't miss it!
LATEST
DEVELOPMENTS:
*
Current speakers include Carol Adams,
Richard Avanzino, Gene & Lorri Bauston, Murry Cohen, Robert (NotMilk)
Cohen, Karen Davis, Chris DeRose, Gail Eisnitz, Michael Fox, JP Goodwin, John
Hagelin, Holly Hazard, Alex Hershaft, Steve Hindi, Elliot Katz, Howard Lyman,
Erik Marcus, Linda Nealon, Ingrid Newkirk, Wayne Pacelle, Alex Pacheco, Heidi
Prescott, Sherry Schlueter, Ken Shapiro, Kim Stallwood, Paul Watson, Steven
Wise, and 80 more...
*
Supporting organizations are FARM, Farm Sanctuary, HSUS, In Defense of Animals,
PETA, Doris Day Animal League, Fund For Animals, Alley Cat Allies, American
Antivivisection Society, Animal Protection Institute, National Antivivisection
Society, and PCRM.
*
We have secured one of the finest hotels in the nation's capital at incredible
prices. This will be your least costly national conference.
*
Please check our updated web site this weekend for the latest information on
program, speakers, lodging, food, and travel arrangements.
*
Current registration is already at 300, and we expect to sell out at 1000.
ANIMAL RIGHTS 2000 -- Washington, DC; July
1-5
Be there for the animals and bring a
friend!
http://www.AnimalRights2000.org;
1-888-FARM USA
Source:
farm@farmusa.org (FARM)
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Milliion Mutt March
May
7th begins "Be Kind To Animals Week" and also on Sunday, May 7th, the
first annual MILLION MUTT MARCH! will take place at the Capitol in Washington,
D.C. in order to celebrate national "Mayday For Mutts" a nationwide
effort to promote adoption of mixed-breed, older, and special needs dogs, and
help eliminate canine discrimination. ALL DOGS WELCOME RGARDLESS OF PEDIGREE OR
LACK THEREOF.
Marchers
will meet at the East Front of the Capitol in Washington D.C. The actual march
will take place around the Capitol grounds.
Sponsors
of the march are:
Indian Lake Screen Printing
Petco
Chicken Soup for the Dog & Cat
Lover's Soul
Lost Dog Cafe
Humane Society of the United States
Contributors:
Three Dog Bakery
Kinkos
Fast Signs
Nutro Dog Food
The Bark magazine
Communication Express
All American Printing
and
of course all the wonderful volunteers without whom this event would be
impossible. The march is co-organized
by MetroPets Online and Karen Derrico, author of the book, Unforgettable Mutts:
Pure of Heart Not of Breed.
Starting
at 10am local animal shelters and rescue groups will bring mixed-breed and
special needs dogs as representatives to join in the march. These dogs will be
"tagged" as adoptable, however there will be no adoptions conducted
at the event. Various posters and literature will be available at the event
from different organizations, as well as information on Mayday For Mutts. 3-Dog
Bakery will be on hand dishing out yummy cake for the canine marchers.
You
are invited to bring your canine and human family members to join in the march
and help promote this important cause. Please make sure to fill out the
registration form. In order to follow Capitol regulations, each participant
must complete a registration form prior to the event. The registration form and more information can be found at
MetroPets:
Million Mutt March
http://www.metropets.org/MMM/
Email:
info@metropets.org
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Abolish Vivisection
at the University of Minnesota
http://vivisectors.net
Vivisectors.net
was launched today (4/24) as a grassroots effort targeting animal
experimentation at the University of Minnesota. The site is a resource tool for activists, students, and members
of the general public who seek information on U of MN vivisection and want to
help abolish it.
The
site provides:
*
Detailed profiles of U of MN vivisectors and what they have done to animals in
their laboratories. Includes many
quotes, grant information, lists of published articles, and contact
information.
[http://vivisectors.net/viv.htm]
*
How to take part in the abolition of vivisection at the University of
Minnesota. Includes information on
committees, agencies, and individuals to call or write, as well as a
petition. Many "electronic
activism" possibilities.
[http://vivisectors.net/go.htm]
*
Pictures of animals in laboratories (these are gathered from other sites).
[http://vivisectors.net/photos.htm]
*
Ethical and scientific arguments against vivisection.
[http://vivisectors.net/tf.htm]
*
Links to other anti-vivisection and animal rights resources.
[http://vivisectors.net/links.htm]
Please
stop by to explore, and don't forget to sign the petition at:
[http://vivisectors.net/petition.htm]
while you're there.
Questions/comments/suggestions
should be directed to: vivinfo@hushmail.com
Source:
vivinfo@hushmail.com
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Gardening Warning
I
accidentally poisoned our Dane (Samantha) and want to pass on the details so
others would not make the same mistake.
On
Tuesday I sprinkled bone meal and Ortho "RosePride Systemic Rose &
Flower Care" around the cedar mulch surrounding the roses in our rose
garden. Later the area around each rose
was hosed down to wash the products into the mulch.
On
Wednesday, "Sam" took an afternoon stroll and caught the scent of the
bone meal. Drawn to the scent she proceeded to lick the bone meal residue and
also the Ortho product.
Within
30 to 60 minutes she had developed diarrhea, muscle tremors, was very unsteady
on her feet, and was drooling saliva from her mouth (she does not drool normally).
I
immediately called our vet who luckily got us in right away. The symptoms were
worse and she was foaming severely from the mouth with continual "dry
heaves". He said something must be
done immediately or she would be dead within a few minutes as she was getting
ready to go into seizures.
Bill
made an "educated decision" (there was no time to do lab tests) based
on her severe symptoms and diagnosed her as having organophosphate poisoning
(to check a product look under the "Physician Warning" portion of the
label).
He
administered Atropine IV and IM. Then put her on an IV drip. We watched her and
prayed a lot through the next two days as Bill continued the Atropine and IV's.
Friday she got her appetite back and that night the IV was removed and she was
allowed to come home. She is not out of the woods yet, but each day she gets a
little more of her strength back (she lost 15 to 20 pounds in a couple hours).
However we still don't know if she sustained any liver or kidney damage.
Once
I realized what the cause of the poisoning was I returned to the rose bed and
worked the bone meal and fertilizer into the mulch turning over the entire
surface and washing everything down thoroughly. I suggest anyone with a dog not
use bone meal in conjunction with fertilizer, but space their application so
each has adequate time to dissolve before applying the other.
Also
work all products into the soil when working around pets so as not to tempt
them to eat something not designed for their systems. I know this may sound
simplistic, but knowing the attraction dogs have to bone meal I made the
mistake and almost lost a loved member of my family.
I
would appreciate you broadcasting this so more pet owners are made aware of
this potentially dangerous problem.
Thanks, Dave Paulsen
Source:
"Jody" <jo-shadow@mediaone.net>
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Excuses For Leather
*
People have always used leather
People
have certainly been using leather for at least 600,000 years but we've been
having wars and murdering each other just as long. The antiquity of a practice is neither a guarantee of its
morality nor a justification for it.
*
Leather is environmentally friendly
Leather
is far from environmentally friendly; its production involves the use of lead,
zinc, formaldehyde and cyanide based products.
On the other hand, the synthetic alternatives can be just as bad. Environmentally speaking there is little to
choose between them. The big difference
is that the leather is a product of the suffering and death of millions upon
millions or animals.
The
ethical choice is clear. but at the same time, every effort must be made to
protect the environment. It seems that
the best choice, whenever possible, is canvas.
*
There is no substitute for leather
When
people say there is no substitute for leather they are usually referring to
their footwear. But there are many
alternatives. Canvas, for example, is a
natural and hard-wearing material that will see you through most (if not all)
of the year.
Then
there are plastics (even leather shoes usually have plastic soles) and
rubber. More recently, advances have
been made with waterproof and breathable synthetics like Goretex and there are
now companies specializing in using materials that have the appearance and
qualities of real leather.
Canvas
shoes are widely available but some of the newer products are not. Their availability will only increase with
demand, so seek them out.
*
What if I made use of an animal that was already dead?
It
is not the eating of meat that is wrong but the killing of animals
unnecessarily. As meat eating is
unnecessary and generally requires the killing of an animal, it usually follows
that meat eating is wrong.
If,
however, you managed to obtain some meat without killing an animal (or by
paying someone else to kill it for you) -- for example, by stumbling across an
animal that was already dead -- then there is no moral objection to your eating
it. Recent archeological evidence
suggests that early humans were much more inclined toward scavenging than
hunting.
*
The animal was killed for food not leather
The
animal was killed for profit and every last part of it was sold to achieve that
profit. It makes no difference which
particular parts you buy, the money all goes the same way (the skin represents
about 10% of the animals 'value').
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Traveling With Kitty - By Plane
It
is possible for your cat to ride safely on an airplane if you plan ahead,
follow the rules & are prepared to be a little pushy on your cat's behalf.
In addition to federal regulations, each airline has its own regulations, so
check the individual air carrier's rules before booking a flight for you &
your cat. It is ideal if the cat can ride in the cabin of the airplane with you
where he will never leave your care during the course of the trip. Not all
airlines allow animals to travel in the cabin & others allow no more than
two cats in the cabin per flight on a "first come, first served"
basis, so it is important to make these arrangements far in advance of your
departure date. The cat's carrier must be able to fit under the seat & the
bottom should be lined with an absorbent material in case of accidents.
("Puppy pads" are made of the same material as disposable diapers
& are excellent for this purpose.) Be prepared to present a
veterinarian-signed health certificate dated no more than ten days before the
scheduled flight. If the cat is riding with you, let the person sitting next to
you know that you have a cat, just in case they have allergies or phobias.
If
your cat cannot travel in the cabin with you, it will ride in the baggage
hold. Although this compartment is
pressurized & the extremes of temperature are regulated, it is still a good
idea to travel during the coolest part of the day in the summer -- the early
morning or late evening. Choose a non-stop flight & request that your cat
be hand-carried to & from the plane. Make sure your USDA-approved shipping
crate is marked with contact persons at both the departure & arrival sites
& has sturdy handles that won't come off during handling. Make sure all the
bolts securing the halves of the carrier are in place & tightened. Your pet
should be wearing an identification tag on an elastic collar. If the trip is
longer than six hours, you will want to have dry food & ice cubes in
untippable dishes in the carrier. Be sure to talk directly to the freight
handling personnel at the airport. Make
the staff check & report back. (Most pet fatalities occur on the ground,
when animals are left in their crates on the hot tarmac or in stifling cargo
holds.)
Be
aware that there are regulations regarding the range of temperatures when a pet
may be shipped. If the temperature on the ground in your departing, connecting,
or arriving city falls outside these limits, you may run into unexpected delays
or cancellations. It is also wise to avoid peak travel times around holidays
when air traffic is heaviest.
It
is generally better not to have your cat tranquilized before flying. The
combination of high altitude & limited oxygen is a challenge your pet's
body is better prepared to meet if he is not sedated.
The
Air Transport Association has a free booklet, Air Travel for Your Dog or
Cat. It is available by sending a
self-addressed, stamped, business-sized envelope to: ATA, 1301 Pennsylvania Blvd. N.W., Suite 1100, Washington, D.C.
20004.
Some
Additional Tips on Airline Travel with Kitty...
These
unique ideas on how to keep your cat safe while flying are published in the
book, 277 Secrets Your Cat Wants You to Know by Paulette Cooper and Paul Noble.
They are recommendations from Bud Brownhill of Anaheim, California, the
chairman of DO-IT, a pet travel advisory organization.
* Talk to a supervisor when you get to the
airport and tell him you have an extremely valuable pet in terms of dollars --
even if it's a mixed breed.
"Otherwise, some baggage handlers couldn't care if you were
carrying a rock."
*
Personalize your cat to the handlers.
Put signs on the crate saying, "Hi! I am a Persian kitten. This is my
first trip. Please handle my crate carefully."
* When you board a plane, tell the pilot that
you have a cat in the hold worth a lot of money -- even if it isn't. Also, tell
them to make sure to turn on the heat & pressurization in the cargo
compartment. "This is done from the cockpit & someone may have
forgotten to give the pilot that information." Cargo compartments can get
as hot as 140 degrees & intense cold can be just as damaging to your cat.
* Put large strips of red or orange
fluorescent material all over the crate "so you can spot it halfway across
the airport & your cat won't get mixed up with anything else." Put
arrows or the words "Top" and "Live Animal" on top of the
crate so your cat doesn't fly upside down.
* Put your home addresses & phone numbers,
plus those of where you're going, inside
& outside the crate, because many people won't reach into a kennel for fear
of being scratched or bitten.
* Watch the ticket clerk attach the
destination tags at the airport. "Make sure it says 'Detroit' if you're
going there."
* Make certain your pet is loaded last,
especially during extreme weather conditions. This may also ensure that he is
taken off the plane first.
* Make sure the airline is not carrying dry
ice, which can be deadly if your cat is crated near it.
* Avoid flying at the busiest times, so your
cat can get more personal attention.
* Ask the airline if you can watch your cat
being loaded & unloaded at the cargo hold.
Source:
Nyppsi@aol.com
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Activist's Pledge
by
WantNoMeat@aol.com
Until the last
flesh is consumed
and no more
animals are born to doom
Our struggle
is beside the weak
respect for
life is what we seek
Until the last
is forced to entertain
and no more
animals are driven insane
For all those
beaten to a cower
we lend our
strength and our power
Until the last
suffer in a cruel test
and scientific
fraud is finally confessed
To those
voiceless we give them word
until their
agonizing cries are heard
Until the last
dead skin is worn
and for our
usage no animal is born
Relentless
battles we must fight
until all
others see compassion's light
Until the last
abuse has ceased
and existence
is granted to every beast
We won't
abandon or give in
because this
war we intend to win
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Quote To Remember
"I am not interested to know whether
vivisection produces results that are
profitable to the human race or
doesn't… The pain which it inflicts upon
unconsenting animals is the basis of
my enmity toward it, and it is to me
sufficient justification of the
enmity without looking further."
~
Mark Twain
«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»
Susan Roghair
- EnglandGal@aol.com
Animal Rights
Online
P O Box 7053
Tampa, Fl
33673-7053
http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/1395/
-=Animal Rights
Online=-
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