A n i m
a l W r i t e s © sm
The
official ANIMAL RIGHTS ONLINE newsletter
Publisher ~ EnglandGal@aol.com
Issue # 04/18/01
Editor ~ JJswans@aol.com
Journalists ~ Park StRanger@aol.com
~
MichelleRivera1@aol.com
THE EIGHT ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE ARE:
1 ~ Skinned Alive by Stuart Millar
2 ~ Britain Bans Fur Farms by Mark Glover
3 ~ Animal Disaster Preparedness Day by United
Animal Nations
4 ~ Evidence of a Milk Link to Chrohn's by
Robert Cohen
5 ~ The Life and Death of Dog
6 ~ 14 Health Hazards Hunters Can Eliminate
7 ~ A Night In A Cage by Michelle Krapf
8 ~ Quote To Remember
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Skinned Alive
by Stuart Millar
from The Guardian (London) - April 7, 2001
submitted by CAFT13@aol.com
Skinned
alive: seal cull shocks vets: Thousands of animals are suffering a long,
painful death in Canada's annual hunt, a new report claims
It was once the cause celebre of animal activists around the world. But for a
decade, the annual Canadian seal hunt has managed to continue uninterrupted by
claiming a new air of respectability and concern for the welfare of the
animals.
Now a damning report from an international panel of wildlife vets is set to
reignite demands for a crackdown by the Canadian authorities on barbaric
killing methods used by the sealers.
The report, produced by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and
passed to the Guardian, concludes that the 2001 hunt is causing
"considerable and unacceptable suffering" to the harp seal population
of Canada's Atlantic coast.
The five eminent vets - two British, two American and one Canadian - who
monitored last week's hunt in the Gulf of St. Lawrence found that more than 40%
of the seals caught were unlikely to have been unconscious, let alone dead,
when they were skinned.
The Guardian has also learned that the Canadian Veterinary Medicine Association
(CVMA), whose support for the hunt has been used by the Canadian government and
the sealers in an attempt to persuade the public that it is humane, is
considering demanding tougher welfare regulations in the light of the latest
evidence of cruelty.
The organization has already contacted Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the
government department responsible for regulating the hunt, demanding that it
stop citing the CVMA's support in media interviews and on its website.
Ian Robinson, one of the two British vets on the panel, said: "The
Canadian government insists that this is an animal production industry like any
other. They say that it might not be
pretty, but basically it is just like any abattoir except on the ice. But we
found obvious levels of suffering which would not be tolerated in any other
animal industry in the world."
Mr. Robinson, a Norfolk-based RSPCA vet with 10 years' experience treating
large marine mammals, added: "We accept that the hunt is going to continue
and we are not condemning the sealers out of hand. But we want to see tough
regulations, enshrined in legislation and enforced, to avoid this suffering."
According to official records, more than 91,000 harp seals were killed during
last year's Canadian hunt, which is the only commercial mammal hunt in the
world to take place in spring, at the height of the birthing season. A further 100,000 were caught in the
Greenland hunt, which is almost completely unregulated.
The killing of newborn seals - those that still have their white fur - is
outlawed, but because the animals lose their white coats just 12 days after
birth, up to 90% of those caught in the Canadian hunt are between two weeks and
one year old.
The new evidence is unlikely to lead to the hunt being banned, but opponents
hope that it will at least force the Canadian government to act to prevent
suffering. Each year, animal welfare charities document instances of cruelty
but prosecutions have been rare.
The vets carried out postmortem examinations on 76 seal carcasses left behind
on the ice after being skinned, and their findings have shocked even the most
hardened anti-hunt campaigners.
Examinations of the skulls revealed that 17% showed no signs of any cranial
injury which would have caused the animal to be unconscious when its pelt was
removed. A further 25% showed only minimal or moderate signs of injury which
the vets conclude would also have been unlikely to cause unconsciousness.
The panel also reviewed video evidence of this year's and previous hunts. It found that in almost 80% of kills
recorded, no effort was made by the hunter to check that the seals were
unconscious, while in 40% of cases, the hunter left the animal on the ice
before returning to club it a second time, suggesting that it was conscious and
suffering in the meantime.
"Based on our observations, it is obvious that there is a tremendous lack
of consistency in the treatment of each seal, and the existing regulations are
neither respected nor enforced," the report says.
HUMANE KILLING
In their report, the vets say that there is only one process for ensuring the
humane killing of a seal. It must be rendered unconscious with a single blow or
shot, the corneal reflex should be checked by poking it in the eyes to ensure
that it is unconscious, and the seal should then be bled immediately. This is
standard practice in abattoirs.
"Any method for killing a seal which does not allow for the above process
of stunning, checking and bleeding to be performed has an enormous potential to
create suffering and is therefore unacceptable," the report says.
It continues: "As this process cannot be followed in open water, we
consider that shooting seals in open water can never be humane. Any method of
taking a seal which requires the seal to be recovered by gaffing or hooking
before the process can be followed can never be humane."
Monitors at this year's hunt have documented dozens of examples of cruelty,
from seals being hooked and dragged across the ice while still alive for
skinning, to others being shot in the water and dragged by hooks on to the ice,
with no attempt made to check for unconsciousness.
Rick Smith, the Canadian director of IFAW, told the Guardian: "The most
valuable thing about this report is that it puts numbers to the cruelty being
suffered. Even after five years monitoring the hunt, the results shocked
me."
Support for the seal hunt among the Canadian public hinges on government claims
that it is humane. A government survey last year showed that 54% of citizens
were initially opposed to the hunt. But when they were assured that the hunting
was carried out humanely, almost 70% voiced support.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada last night brushed aside the findings. Ken Jones,
resource manager for the Atlantic region, said: "The findings do not match
with our experience at all.
"We have had CVMA vets out on the ice and all the skulls they have found
have severe fractures, suggesting a quick death."
There are clear signs, however, that the CVMA's attitude is changing. Last
weekend, the organization's animal welfare committee met in Toronto to discuss
the new report.
Bob van Tongerloo, a member of the committee and executive director of the
Canadian Federation of Humane Societies, said: "My understanding is that
the CVMA will announce that it is no longer in a position to give its support
to the hunt. That decision will be crucial to how the government handles the hunt
in future."
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Britain Bans Fur Farms
by Mark Glover, Respect For Animals
Taken From The Animals' Agenda - January/February 2001
The British government's bill to ban fur farming
has, at last, become law. The ban marks a significant milestone in a
15-year campaign against the U.K. fur trade led by Respect for Animals
(formerly Lynx) and supported by several groups.
The final parliamentary stages were heard on November 22, and Royal Ascent was
given the next day. The Fur Farming (Prohibition) Act bans the keeping or
breeding of animals "for slaughter.for the value of their fur" and
will apply to England and Wales. The Scottish and Northern Irish
legislatures have both indicated their intentions to bring in their own bans,
although there are no fur farms in either jurisdiction.
The ban will end for farming by the end of 2003, but most farms will likely
close sooner. The law contains a provision for compensating those
affected following a consultation periods and an audit of their businesses.
Only 13 fur farms will be directly affected by he ban, but the passage of the
Westminster legislation could set a significant precedent. The
Netherlands, in particular, has shown great interest in how it has come about
and is being encouraged to follow suit. The second biggest breeder of
mink in the world, the Netherlands has already outlawed fox and chinchilla
farming, and the Dutch Parliament has voted to ban mink breeding as well.
Now it is hoped that the Ministry of Agriculture will do likewise.
During the final debate in Britain, the few opponents of the bell forced the
only vote during its progress on a technicality. Of the 330 Members of
Parliament present, all but 27 demonstrated their support for the ban.
Elliot Morley, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Food, explained why the government felt so strongly about the
issue of fur factory farming and why it was banning it. "We are
introducing the Bill because fur farming is a moral issue; opposition to such
farming is based on morality," Morley said. "The fur farming
industry does not provide for basic needs and does not justify the killing of
an animal. In a modern society, for farming has no justification in terms
of need."
During it's prolonged campaign against fur farming, Respect for Animals
undertook a number of undercover investigations. Such evidence led
directly to the only prosecutions for cruelty of anyone involved in U.K. for
farming, and included the only film of animals being slaughtered on a British
fur farm. A man was videotaped gassing the mink as well as
seen punching and smashing the animals on the floor and against the killing
box. Scenes such as these undoubtedly
contributed to the political will against fur farming.
“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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Animal Disaster Preparedness
Day
SATURDAY, MAY 19
from United Animal Nations - info@uan.org
“Don’t
Leave Home Without Them”
With the summer hurricane, tornado and wildfire season fast approaching, the
Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) will host its third annual Animal
Disaster Preparedness Day on Saturday, May 19.
The goal of this nationwide event is to remind people that disasters pose a
life-threatening danger for animals, too, and that the family cat, dog, bird,
horse or any other animals being cared for need to be included in evacuation
plans. The theme of Animal Disaster Preparedness Day is “Don’t Leave Home
Without Them.”
EARS volunteers have helped rescue and care for thousands of animals in more
than 45 disasters during the past 12 years. EARS Director Terri Crisp says many
animals are injured or killed during disasters every year because no one
thought about them when planning for a disaster and there was no time to do so
when disaster struck.
In recognition of Animal Disaster Preparedness Day, EARS is distributing free
Disaster Preparedness Information Kits for Animals to animal caregivers, local
shelters and humane societies. The kits include a brochure with disaster preparedness
tips for animals, suggested “shopping lists” for animal disaster supplies, a
sample identification tag, a poster, a handout on how to create a family
disaster plan and other disaster planning information.
EARS is a program of the Sacramento-based United Animal Nations. To request a
free Animal Disaster Preparedness Day Information Kit, contact UAN at P.O. Box
188890, Sacramento, CA 95818, Tel: (916) 429-2457 or send an email to
info@uan.org. Disaster preparedness information also is
available on UAN’s website at www.uan.org/ears/adpd.html.
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Evidence of a Milk Link to
Chrohn's
by Robert Cohen - i4crob@idt.net
http://www.notmilk.com
I first wrote about Crohn's disease and irritable
bowel syndrome in June of 1998. There is a bacteria in milk that is not
killed by pasteurization, myco-bacterium paratuberculosis, that causes diarrhea
in cows and then in humans. Irritable bowel syndrome often leads to Crohn's
disease.
HOW MANY AMERICANS HAVE IRRITABLE BOWELS?
Estimates run as high as 15% of the population, or 40 million Americans.
WHAT HAS OUR GOVERNMENT DONE ABOUT THIS?
The United States Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug
Administration both believe that mycobacterium paratuberculosis is destroyed by
pasteurizing milk. They are wrong. Their belief is based upon a
study performed by Judy Stabile, Ph.D. The title of Stabile's work:
"Heat Inactivation of Mycobacterium Paratuberculosis in Raw Milk: Are
Current Pasteurization Conditions Effective?"
The abstract of Dr. Stabile's paper claims:
"Currently, it is not known whether commercial
pasteurization effectively kills mycobacterium paratuberculosis in contaminated
raw milk."
The second page of Stabile's paper (published in the December, 1997 issue of
"Applied and Environmental Microbiology") reveals:
"Bacteria were not totally inactivated until after 15
minutes of incubation (pasteurization) at 72 degrees centigrade."
I've got some very bad news for all milk drinkers…normal pasteurization at this
temperature calls for a 15-second treatment, not 15 minutes!
USDA and FDA concluded that pasteurization destroyed this bacteria when that
was clearly not the case.
THE LATEST EVIDENCE
A new government survey in England has found nearly ten percent of pasteurized
milk samples (80 out of 802) were found to contain live cultures of
mycobacterium paratuberculosis.
Translate that to milk drinkers: If you purchase one quart of milk per day for
your family's consumption this year, then thirty-six of those quarts will
contain something that may grow in your body, causing great misery, and for
many, death.
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The Life and Death of Dog
from Kelly Lettmann - kelly.lettmann@db.com
I woke up one morning with my littermates. I saw
Mom lying there, so I went over to get some breakfast. Mom was warm and she
licked me all over. She loved us so much...
Things were good back then.
Then I went to live in a home with two kids and their mom and dad. I used to be
able to come in the house and play. They even let me sleep in the house. The
children would run and I would chase them around. When I was little they would
let me jump on them and even playfully bite them. The family would laugh and
encourage me to play like that. They gave me lots of toys such as socks, shoes
and stuffed animals. I had so much fun...
Those were the days.
As I got bigger, I would accidentally knock the children down. I would try to
bite them on the cuff of their pants as they ran. I found toys like the ones my
master gave me when I was younger, and I would chew them up. They started getting mad at me all the time.
When I jumped up they would knee me down. One minute they were laughing
at me for play biting and chewing and the next minute they would spank me for
doing the very same thing...
I was so confused.
Now I spend my days, hour after hour, chained in the back yard. No one comes
out to play with me. I am so happy to see them when they come out that I jump
and bark with joy. I spend my days digging up the yard around me which makes my
masters mad at me. The fleas crawl all over me...
Which drives me crazy.
The more I sit out here the madder I get. I cannot understand why they brought
me home just to chain me in the yard. If my masters are unhappy with my
behavior...
Why not train me?
Why did they encourage me to jump and bite? Things have not gotten any better
for me. Now I sit in jail. People come by my cage looking at me. I bark at them
but no one wants me. Oh, no! Here comes a lady with a leash. Where is she taking me? She walks me into a
room. Oh, she likes me. It's so good to be hugged again. What's this? She is
sticking my leg. Oh, I am so sleepy. What has happened to me? I am asleep
now...
NO ONE CAN HURT ME ANYMORE.
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14 Health Hazards Hunters Can
Eliminate
by kurmesh@yahoo.com
HEALTH
HAZARDS
1. arthritis.. from waiting in the cold P&G's Iams did an education seminar
for hunters on this
2. warts.. from skinning and handling the flesh of animals..
a. meat enzymes in combination with knife cuts on the hands cause
meat handlers to have 3 times the warts says UFCW http://www.ufcw.org
b. corrosive taxidermy chemicals
3. bad meat causing food poisoning and in some cases death
http://www.pcrm.org
4. alcoholism: avoid being in the woods with alcoholics
5. cancer, heart disease and other intrinsic problems of meat
http://www.ivu.org
6. Mad Elk and Mad Deer Disease. This week David Butler Jones, chief health
officer for Saskatchewan, announced on the CBC that BSE (bovine spongiform
encephalopathy) is contaminating elk and deer herds in Canada and the US. One
theory is that factory farming of the animals causes disease generating
proximity. Another is that deer are eating dumpster food containing animal
products. http://www.madcowboy.com
http://www.cbc.ca
7. Over exertion causes heart attacks
ACCIDENT HAZARDS
8. hypothermia
9. occasional injury by victimized animals
10. stepping into traps
11. accidents from stray bullets cause death and injury
12. knife cuts in skinning
13. falling
14. drowning
http://www.securityworld.com/library/travelrec/safehunter.html
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A Night In A Cage
by Michelle Krapf - Krzygurl83@aol.com
Running free, in the wild
In their homes, enjoying the freedom
Is all an animal really needs.
To be on their own and to be free
Just like a human.
Put in a cage is like living under fascism.
What if a human spent a night in a cage?
Away from their family and all that they love
Stuck in a small space without anything
Unlike the freedom of their home.
Imagine that every day of your life
Like an animal in captivity.
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Quote To Remember
"Cow's
milk in the past has always been oversold as the perfect food, but we are now
seeing that it isn't the perfect food at all and the government really
shouldn't be behind any efforts to promote it as such."
~
Benjamin Spock, M.D.
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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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