A n i m
a l W r i t e s © sm
The
official ANIMAL RIGHTS ONLINE newsletter
Publisher ~ EnglandGal@aol.com
Issue #
01/03/01
Editor ~ JJswans@aol.com
Journalists ~ Park StRanger@aol.com
~
MicheleARivera@aol.com
~ SavingLife@aol.com
THE FIVE ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE ARE:
1 ~ New in Animal Rights? Check Out These
Glossary Terms
2 ~ Boycott PETCO
3 ~ Whistleblower Exposes Abuse of Monkeys
4 ~ A Life Shared: Memories in Black and White
5 ~ Quote To Remember
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New in Animal Rights?
Check Out These Glossary Terms
from The Animals' Agenda Magazine: Web Edition
Animal Rights
The philosophy of animal rights maintains that nonhuman animals are
"subjects of a life," [see The Case for Animal Rights by Tom Regan]
and as such have an intrinsic right to live free from human exploitation. This
means that all forms of institutionalized exploitation of animals for human
use, such as food, clothing, experimentation or recreation, should be
abolished.
The Animal Rights Network Inc.
The Animals' Agenda is published by the Animal Rights Network Inc., an IRS
501(c)(3) federal tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization founded in 1979.
Animal Welfare
Animal welfare advocates believe in the "humane use" of animals for
human gain, providing that the overall benefits to humans outweigh the harms
animals endure. They support laws prohibiting "unnecessary suffering"
caused to animals.
Animals in Agriculture
Billions of animals are slaughtered for food each year by the meat and dairy
industries. Even a cautious estimate indicates that 35.7 million steers,
heifers, and calves are killed every year, along with 5.2 million sheep and
lambs; 95.9 million pigs; and 8.25 billion chickens and turkeys. The term
factory farming refers to the modern practice of raising livestock in crowded
indoor warehouses designed to produce the highest number of animals in the
least amount of space (to maximize profits). In addition to being extremely
cruel and greatly raising the incidence of disease, factory farming is also
responsible for the pollution of soil, rivers, and groundwater because of its
high output of manure and other waste.
Animals in Entertainment
Countless numbers of animals -- both exotic and domestic -- are forced to live
their lives in cages, on chains, or in other forms of confinement or restraint
in order to perform in circuses, rodeos, aquatic shows, movies, television
shows, nightclub acts, and other arenas. These animals are deprived of their
natural behaviors, forced to endure cruel and inhumane training methods, and
are often "dumped" into roadside zoos, hunting ranches, or other
unacceptable situations when their performing days are over.
Animals in Research and Education
The exact number of animals used in science and education in the United States
is not known because no accurate reporting methods currently exist. It is conservatively estimated that at least
20 million animals -- including apes, monkeys, dogs, cats, pigs, guinea pigs,
rabbits, rats, and mice -- are used each year for experimentation alone. This
research includes tests of household and personal care products; industrial
toxicity testing; military research; research on the effects of alcohol,
tobacco, and recreational drugs; transplant research; research on traumas,
including head injuries and burns; and psychological and behavioral research.
Live animals are also used extensively in secondary schools, colleges, science
and engineering fairs, and other "educational" forums. Animals are
also bred and/or collected and then killed for use as dissection specimens.
The Animals' Agenda
The Animals' Agenda is a bimonthly news magazine dedicated to informing people
about animal rights and cruelty-free living for the purpose of inspiring action
for animals. The Animals' Agenda is committed to serving -- and fostering
cooperation among -- a combined audience of animal advocates, interested
individuals, and the entire animal rights movement.
Companion Animals
There are approximately 57 million cats, 52.5 million dogs, 45 million fish,
and 12 million caged birds in the United States. Some of these animals are
deliberately bred, while others are allowed to breed because they have not been
spayed or neutered. These domesticated animals are kept by humans as
companions, but at least 12 million unwanted cats and dogs are killed annually
primarily because of overpopulation.
Cruelty-Free Living
A cruelty-free lifestyle involves boycotting products and services -- those
obtained from animal sources or related to animal exploitation -- and either
abstaining from their use or replacing them with non-animal (vegan)
alternatives. This means not eating meat, fish, eggs, or dairy products; buying
personal care and household cleaning products not tested on animals and not
containing animal ingredients; and avoiding other animal products, including
leather, honey, silk, pearls, etc. A cruelty-free lifestyle also involves
boycotting places where live animals are used, including zoos, aquariums,
circuses, roadside attractions, etc.
Ecofeminism
Supporters of ecofeminism (male and female alike) are concerned about animal
exploitation and its relationship to the oppression of women, people of color,
and the rest of the natural world. This philosophy maintains that various forms
of human and nonhuman oppression are related to the power structure of white
male-dominated cultures.
Misothery
Misothery means a hatred and contempt for animals and animal-like aspects of
nature. Misothery manifests itself in the form of animal exploitation,
environmental degradation, etc.
Speciesism
Speciesism is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as "discrimination
against or exploitation of certain animal species by human beings, based on an
assumption of mankind's superiority." Its implications are similar to
those of racism and sexism, in that established societal prejudices have
profound effects on the treatment of entire species or populations.
Veganism
Veganism is a way of living that seeks to exclude (as far as possible and
practical) all forms of animal cruelty and exploitation, whether related to
food, clothing, or any other purpose. Those who practice this lifestyle are
called vegans (VEE-guns).
Vegetarianism
A vegetarian is someone who does not eat flesh from mammals, birds, or fish,
but who may consume eggs and/or dairy products. Those who eat eggs are called
ovo vegetarians; those who eat dairy products are called lacto vegetarians; and
those who consume both are called lacto-ovo vegetarians.
Vivisection
Vivisection literally means the cutting into or cutting up of live animals. It
is primarily used in conjunction with the fields of animal research and
testing. Those who engage in this
practice are called vivisectors; those who oppose it are called anti-vivisectionists.
Wildlife
Hunters in the United States kill about 200 million animals annually for
"sport," including 50 million mourning doves and 4 million deer. The
number of animals maimed or crippled by hunters is several times that of those
actually killed and recovered.
Another 2.5 million animals -- including raccoons, beavers, foxes, otters,
opossums, and coyotes -- are trapped for their fur each year. In addition,
there are approximately 3,000 fox farms, 1,000 mink farms, and 750 chinchilla
farms in the United States. These ranches keep fur-bearing animals in extreme
confinement, deprivation, squalor, and disease until their fur is at maximum
value. The animals are then slaughtered for their pelts by such crude (but
cheap) methods as strangulation, neck-breaking, suffocation, electrocution, or
poisoning.
The Wildlife Services division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (formerly
known as Animal Damage Control) is responsible for killing millions of
free-roaming animals (primarily predators such as cougars, bears, wolves,
coyotes, and foxes) at taxpayer expense, ostensibly to protect livestock
ranching interests. Killing methods include poisoning, trapping, burning,
shooting, clubbing, and denning (the killing of animals trapped in their dens).
Sources include Encyclopedia of Animal Rights and Animal Welfare, edited by
Marc Bekoff (Greenwood, 1998); The Vegan Society.
“Reprinted with permission from The Animals’ Agenda, P.O. Box 25881,
Baltimore, MD 21224; (410) 675-4566; www.animalsagenda.org.”
Email: office@animalsagenda.org
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Boycott PETCO
PETCO stores have for years prided themselves on
the fact that they do not sell dogs and cats. They say that selling dogs and
cats promotes puppy mills and they "don't want to be a part of such
activity."
This same chain of pet stores continues to sell ferrets and products from
Marshall Farms.
Marshall Farms is not only a "ferret mill," it is a leading supplier
of ferrets and dogs for laboratories. An advertisement circulated around
laboratories has a picture of a dog (tail tucked under the legs of course) and
an inset of a woman (face just cut off -- convenient) patting another dog
"lovingly." The ad reads:
Our canine quality is easy to
handle
Pick the research model that's more manageable from both a scientific
and behavioral perspective. Purpose-bred mongrels and hounds from
Butler Farms give you all the benefits of Marshall Farms proven
breeding,
rearing, and socialization methods. So you get a consistently
healthy,
fully documented subject that's friendly to your research and to
your
staff.
PETCO sells ferrets from Marshalls, as well as their ferret products.
Help boycott PETCO and Marshalls. If you have bought anything from PETCO,
return it for your money, and tell them why you are returning their products.
Buy food and products that are not made by Marshalls. Tell other dog and ferret
guardians about the horrors of PETCO and Marshalls, and coach them to boycott
as well. If you or anyone else wants a ferret, please get one from a shelter.
You'll find many ferrets at shelters were from Marshalls.
Must see links:
http://www.peta-online.org/feat/marsh/
http://members.aol.com/mustalayday/mf.htm
http://www.acmeferret.com/infobank/marshall.htm
http://www.ilstu.edu/~pwbrotc/
http://www.acmeferret.com/infobank/s95ecemf.htm
http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/icm/Animal_Ordering/Approved_Vendors/approved_vendors.html
For
an address and sample letter you can send on this issue, see next Monday's
Alert for Action.
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Whistleblower Exposes Abuse of
Monkeys
at Oregon Regional Primate Research Center
Submitted by Rick Bogle with IDA
http://www.vivisectioninfo.org/ohsu/
Oregon Health Sciences University
The
Oregon Regional Primate Research Center, now incorporated into the Oregon
Health Sciences University, OHSU-Star Park, has roughly 2,500 monkeys, mostly
rhesus macaques. Each one of them has a unique personality with an individual
life story to tell. I know because I have been working there as a technician
for the past two years.
Working in the Psychological Well-Being department, I put my heart into trying
to improve the abnormal behaviors displayed by our research monkeys. Despite my
every effort, I was unable to effect meaningful change. I realized that one, or
even a group of well-intentioned technicians cannot "fix" an industry
with no real intention of changing. Through my personal observations, I now
have a clear picture of the systemic flaws of the animal research industry.
They acknowledge they're just a business. Grounded in assembly-line research
with an unwritten code of acceptable losses, the industry's standard operating
procedure is to cut corners and increase profits. Under the guise of improving
human health, monkeys are abused, both outright and through neglect.
After personally getting to know these highly intelligent, socially complex
animals, I cannot remain silent while thousands linger miserably in bare cages
all alone. I am coming forward to share my failures, and give you a glimpse
behind the locked doors and barbed wire of one of the National Institute of
Health's Regional Primate Research Centers.
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A Life Shared:
Memories in Black and White
by Patricia Rogers - parogers@mindspring.com
The little black and white cat named Pretty
and I
have shared fourteen and a half years.
We have gotten older and fatter together.
Only lately
she gets thinner.
Much, much thinner.
I sometime call her "little feets."
She know I am speaking of her.
Returning from an errand,
I call out her name.
She does not come.
Once she was the first to the door.
I find her, at last,
upstairs on my bed.
I call out again as I approach the bed;
only half in greeting.
Looking up, she extends first one paw
and then the other,
for me to hold
while we greet each other.
First with nose rubs
and then with gentle head bumps.
Her black and white fur,
deceptively thick,
glistens.
Another nose rub
and I head downstairs
to greet the others,
young and old.
But none so old.
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Quotes To Remember
"We
must never permit the voice of humanity within us to be silenced.
It is man's sympathy with all creatures that first makes him
truly a man."
~
Albert Schweitzer
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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=-
&
Advisory Board Member, Animal Rights Network Inc.,
not-for-profit publisher of The Animals' Agenda Magazine
http://www.animalsagenda.org/
The Animals' Agenda Magazine: WebEdition
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