A n i m a l W r i t
e s © sm
The
official ANIMAL RIGHTS ONLINE newsletter
Publisher ~ EnglandGal@aol.com Issue # 07/29/01
Editor ~ JJswans@aol.com
Journalists ~ Park StRanger@aol.com
~ MichelleRivera1@aol.com
~ sbest1@elp.rr.com
THE SIX ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE ARE:
1
~ Pound Seizure: Is it in your friend's future? by Michelle Rivera
2
~ On Animals by Jim Willis
3
~ The Accidental Activist by
Jonathan Owen
4
~ Coulston Update from In
Defense of Animals
5
~ Prayer For My Pet by Robyn
L. Stacey
6
~ Memorable Quote
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Pound Seizure:
Is it in your friend’s future?
by
MichelleRivera1@aol.com
Has
your dog or cat ever “gotten out”? Did
you ever have to post “Lost Dog” signs on your street? Maybe you should add “medical testing
facility” to the list of places you search for your dog.
Now
if you are a resident of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts,
Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania,
Maryland, West Virginia, South Carolina, or Hawaii, you may have nothing to
fear with regard to pound seizure, because pound seizure is illegal in your
state. But if you live elsewhere, you should be aware that animals that are
turned into your local shelters for whatever reason could very well end up on
the business end of a vivisectionists blade. And if you live in Iowa,
Minnesota, Oklahoma, South Dakota or Utah, you can bet they do, because pound
seizure is not only legal, but absolutely required for all government-run
animal control facilities. All other
states have no law one way or the other on pound seizure and leave it up to
local governments to choose whether or not county-run facilities can engage in
this very disturbing and blatantly unethical practice. Although there have been
several anti-pound seizure bills before Congress, animal activists have thus
far failed to have one enacted.
Worldwide,
pound seizure is strictly forbidden in The United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden, and
Holland.
What
is pound seizure? Well, when an animal is turned over to a county pound or
ASPCA they are held for a period of time, usually five days. If they are not claimed or adopted within
that time period they are required by law to be relinquished to laboratories
for experimentation.
It’s
true that in the United States, millions of animals are humanely euthanized in
our nations’ pounds every year, and the animals that are sent to testing
facilities surely die as well. But
their death is not swift and painless, and is far from humane. There is evidence that these animals endure
horrible pain at the hands of vivisectors and other experimenters. According to a report from a PeTA undercover
investigator, “One example is at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, where
……dogs seized from the local pound were being used in hideously painful scabies
experiments. In the experiments, dogs were infected with scabies, a skin
disease caused by microscopic mites that spread over their entire bodies,
causing intense, prolonged itching, open wounds, and, eventually, death. One dog
named Genesee was infected so severely, she turned circles constantly, unable
to rest because of the intense itching. She cried out when handled, wouldn't
eat or drink, and lost her balance; her anguished howls could be heard through
closed doors. She finally died, without veterinary treatment, because that
would have 'interfered'; with the experiment. WSU was later charged with
violating the Animal Welfare Act and fined $20,000; but the local pound
continues to release animals to the university.”
Who
are these victims? These are the same animals who are presented to shelters by
guardians who must give them up for a variety of reasons such as allergies,
moving, etc. These misguided and often
desperate people have a fervent but usually unrealistic hope that the animals
will be adopted into loving homes. Or
these are the animals rescued by good Samaritans, helpful individuals, police
or animal control officers. These are the very same animals that have been
abandoned by their families, have run away from home, or have simply gotten
lost. Almost all of them had an earlier
life as a beloved companion or are the litters of unspayed cats and dogs.
All
animal welfare, animal rights and animal advocacy organizations, without
exception, are opposed to pound seizure.
On this issue, we present a united front for the animals, yet federal
legislation outlawing pound seizure is not forthcoming. The official statement of the Humane Society
of the United States is clear and unequivocal:
The
HSUS Policy Statement:
The Humane Society of the United States is convinced that the surrender of impounded animals from public and private shelters to biomedical research laboratories, training institutions, pharmaceutical houses, and other facilities that use animals for experimental teaching or testing purposes contributes to a breakdown of effective animal-control programs through abandonment of animals by owners who rightfully fear such animals may be subjected to painful use. The Society believes that animal shelters should not be a cheap source of supply for laboratories or pursue, voluntarily or otherwise, a practice that will inevitably destroy public confidence in its operation and thereby lessen public support.
It
is, therefore, the policy of The HSUS to oppose the release of impounded
animals from public and private animal shelters to biomedical research
laboratories or related animal-using facilities and to oppose any measure,
administrative or legislative, that would make this practice mandatory. Further,
the Society condemns any organization, calling itself a humane society or a
society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, that voluntarily sells or
gives animals in its custody to biomedical research laboratories.
This
is very strong opposition indeed. Not
only does the practice of pound seizure destroy the public trust in the
organization that is engaging in it, but the lives of the animals that are
condemned to die in research laboratories are pure misery. This is especially
true of those once-beloved family companions, the ones who slept in the beds of
small boys, absorbed the tears of teenaged girls and supported the wife who
suffered through a violent marriage.
These are the dogs and cats of America’s families, and once again, we
have broken our covenant with them.
But
wait, it isn’t just the benefactors of these agencies or the animals themselves
who get the shaft in this deal! It is
the American public who listen to the results of medical experimentation that
takes place under such a lack of control that the variables of these animals
cannot possibly produce fair and unbiased medical results. So the money spent
on animal testing for medical purposes, while never money well spent, is
especially spent in a manner most unwise because the results cannot help
humankind after all! (How’s that for poetic justice?) The medical and personal
histories of these animals, are, for the most part, an unknown factor. These animals, random as they are, yield random
and debatable results. How then, do we
benefit at all from this experimentation?
Well, there is one way, money.
These animals are purchased “on the cheap” so experimenters use pound
animals instead of switching to humane alternatives to animal testing. It may seem cheap at first glance, but these
animals are required to undergo a period of "conditioning"; before
becoming part of an experiment and have a higher mortality rate in laboratories
than dogs and cats that are bred purposely for experimentation. Little wonder since they once knew the love
and friendship of a human and were then betrayed. Depression must surely follow on the heels of such abandonment
and this may play a part in their high mortality rate.
And
what about those animals bred purposely for experimentation? These poor souls
are raised from birth specifically to be used in laboratories. Our old arch enemy, the National Institutes
of Health (NIH) has a policy against using animals from pounds or shelters,
because of the unrealistic expectation of true and verifiable results from
random animals. However, they don’t
really go to too much trouble to actually demand verification of the source of
animals it buys from dealers, according to the Humane Society of the United
States. The NIH has estimated that, of the 201,931 dogs experimented on in the
United States in l984, only about 55,000 were "purpose bred." This means well over 100,000 animals were
quite possibly that sweet Fifi who lived down the street with the little old lady
who died, or the happy-go-lucky Rover who slept over with your kid’s friend.
So
all you intelligent Iowans, mighty Minnesotans, optimistic Oklahomans, stellar
South Dakotans and unified Utahites, (Utahites?) get busy and get the laws
changed. Educate yourself on the issue
and talk to local leaders and commission people to find out how they personally
stand on the issue. Work with them to
get the law repealed by starting a petition, letter-writing campaign, letters
to the editor or get a sympathetic television reporter to do a “did you know”
story on the nightly news. They can use
a video of animals in laboratories available at any of the major animal-rights
organizations, tv reporters love animal videos!
And
if you live in a state that stands mute on the subject of pound seizure, write
a letter to your local animal control director and ask him or her to write you
back and tell you where they stand on pound seizure, then decide for yourself
what, if any, action needs to be taken.
You may want to work for a ban in your community if you find local authorities
have no problems engaging in pound seizure.
You can also campaign for a state law.
If
your state already forbids pound seizure, be ever vigilant for efforts to
change it. No matter what state we live
in we should all be working towards federal legislation against pound seizure
because every animal in every state is at risk due to interstate traffic in
animals. So even if you live in the
very enlightened states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts,
Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania,
Maryland, West Virginia, South Carolina, or Hawaii, your animals could still
end up in pounds in states that do allow, indeed require pound seizure, and
until the laws are federally and uniformly enforced against pound seizure, no
unwanted or lost animal is safe from the vivisectionist's knife.
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Copyright Jim
Willis 2001
(from a book
of collected essays in progress)
tiergarten@onebox.com
http://jimwillis0.tripod.com/tiergarten/
"My
animals have taught me to not see breeding, pedigrees, colors, physical or
personality oddities. They expect to be accepted for who they are and
'improvement' can only be accomplished through love and encouragement.
They
don't assume or anticipate. They have no sense of elapsed time and they live
for the moment. They respond to kindness and they immediately recognize a
loving spirit. They react to how they are treated and always respond appropriately.
They don't judge and they forgive.
Their
communication is natural and direct, without subterfuge or cunning, and every
movement has meaning. They notice everything and live by their senses. They
don't rely on other's opinions and they do nothing for the sake of appearances.
They
respect their elders and would die for their young. They maintain a hierarchy
for survival, not for prestige or arrogance. They are good to themselves. They
own nothing, accumulate nothing, and are rich in their simplicity. Their needs
are pure sustenance, and their love and loyalty are without restraint.
They
do nothing to damage the Earth or threaten our environment.
As
an imperfect human who respects their perfection, and that of all animals, I
can only wonder if 'dominion over the Earth' was granted to the wrong species.
And I consider it the supreme human arrogance to suggest that animals do not
have souls. How can we flawed humans claim to be the only species created 'in
His image,' when by their very nature they are surely closer to the Creator
than we are?"
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by Jonathan
Owen
from The
Animals' Agenda - May/June 2001
The
World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) receives hundreds of reports
about animal cruelty from tourists each year.
In almost every travel destination, one sector of the local economy will
invariably find a way of extracting money from visitors by exploiting
animals. Animals are abused in a
variety of ways in the pursuit of the tourist dollar: horses, donkeys, and oxen
are forced to carry passengers and luggage; endangered species are illegally
killed and sold for souvenirs; and thousands of wild and domestic animals are
confined in circuses, zoos, aquariums, and theme parks for entertainment. Many languish in deprived, pitiful
conditions in small roadside exhibits, or are used as exotic
"accessories" in stores and restaurants.
Other
examples include cruel fiestas and bullfights in Spain and many Latin American
countries; animal spectacles such as dancing bears in India or elephant shows
in Thailand; and animals used as photographic props. If you have the slightest doubt about how an animal is being
used, then don't participate in that activity.
As a general rule, the more familiar you are with the local language,
the more effective you can be when raising concerns about situations you might
encounter. Sometimes animal
exploitation is not immediately apparent, particularly with such eco-tourism
activities as the chasing or harassment of wild species by some
"photosafari" tour operators, "swim with dolphins"
programs, and turtle hatcheries where tourists pay to return hatchlings to the
wild (in daylight, which results in higher mortality than the turtles' natural
evening journeys). Always ask if the
operators have a seal of approval from a recognized, trusted international body
such as a government agency or animal protection organization.
Wildlife
habitats can be damaged by careless day-trippers or by the unmanaged
development of tourist facilities. One
example is the decline of turtle populations worldwide, with the 10,000-to-1
odds of hatchlings surviving into adulthood being lengthened by the tourist
invasion of important nesting sites that are often situated on the beaches of
the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. In
Acapulco, Mexico, overdevelopment has resulted in once-common turtle sightings
becoming a thing of the past. Also in
Mexico, the Rancho Nuevo beach is the only place where the highly endangered
Kemp's Ridley turtle is known to nest.
However, in the last few decades, the numbers of turtles coming to nest
has fallen dramatically from tens of thousands to just a few hundred. In Turkey, a number of important turtle
nesting beaches are at risk from tourism.
The removal of sand from a large stretch of one such beach at the Belek
resort to create a new golf course in 1996 was thought to have led to the
deaths of at least 20 percent of all hatchlings.
One
of the best things that people can do when faced with animal cruelty is to
register a complaint in writing with the nearest animal welfare group, local
authority, and/or tourism representative.
Patrons should also inform their tour operator and WSPA upon returning home. Try to document what took place, with
photographs and/or video if possible, making a note of the type of cruelty and
animals involved, plus the location and date.
Complaints really can make a difference, and in many cases, government
have approached WSPA for help in dealing with animal cruelty issues that were
brought to their attention by tourists.
Andrew
Dickson, WSPA's chief executive, recognizes the important rule that tourists
can play in fighting animal cruelty.
"Tourists can be our eyes and ears in many situations, and the
information that we receive from them is invaluable in helping us to protect
animals around the world," he notes." For instance, the tip-offs that
we received about dancing bears in Greece and Turkey helped us to undertake a
series of dramatic bear rescues and successfully end this form of animal
cruelty in these countries.
People
can also vote with their wallets and refuse to attend any events that they know
or suspect involve animal cruelty, such as bullfights and rodeos. Customers should also boycott products made
from endangered species, many of which are illegal to bring home anyway. Although few people would consider an
elephant-foot umbrella stand a suitable souvenir nowadays, many tourists are
still unaware how souvenirs harm local wildlife and habitats. If in doubt,
avoid buying anything you suspect may have been made at the expense of
animals. Tourists should also remember
that for every cute animal they may see for sale at a market, many others have
likely died on the way. The best way to
avoid food-related cruelties is to simply eat vegetarian or vegan meals. Many so-called "delicacies" come
at great expense and suffering to the animals involved.
One
of the single biggest animal welfare problems worldwide is that of stray dogs
and cats. Around the Mediterranean and
in many developing countries they are everywhere, often looking very scrawny
and ill. WSPA advises people to resist
the temptation to feed strays, as this can encourage them to become a nuisance. Feeding them does little to overcome the
long-term problem of overbreeding, in fact, it may encourage them to reproduce,
leading to more suffering when the tourist season is over, since many local
authorities round up and destroy strays inhumanely by poisoning or
electrocution. The real solution to the
problem of stray animals is getting them neutered and vaccinated, then either
placing them in homes or releasing them back to their territory.
Travelers
needn't focus solely on the sites they visit elsewhere; as a citizen of your
own country, be mindful of what concerned visitors might encounter in your
region and work locally for the benefit of the animals nearest you as well.
* Jonathan Owen is head of media for the World Society for the Protection of animals.
Your
Agenda
- Before you go on vacation, find out iff there are any local animal welfare
societies at your destination that might be able to give advice regarding local
attractions, or provide assistance if you encounter abused animals. Details of WSPA member organizations are
available at www.wspa.org.uk/aboutus
If
you witness abuse, report the incident (including the date, time, location,
type, and number of animals involved) to the local police, the local tourist
office, a local animal welfare society, your tour operator, and to WSPA on your
return. Always record what you have
seen on film; photographs or videotape are invaluable evidence.
“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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from In
Defense of Animals
http://www.vivisectioninfo.org/Coulston/charges0701/
Animal
Advocates Predict Coulston's Collapse, Urge Congressional Hearings, Federal
Takeover of Lab and Permanent Retirement of Chimpanzees
Washington,
DC (July 25, 2001) - The reeling Coulston Foundation, a New Mexico primate
testing lab, has been hit with an unprecedented fourth set of federal charges
for multiple violations of the Animal Welfare Act, In Defense of Animals and
Animal Protection of New Mexico announced today.
The
charges, filed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on July 12, relate to the
negligent deaths of two chimpanzees named Donna and Ray, inadequate veterinary
care, inadequate veterinary staffing, conduct of unapproved research, and
multiple violations of a federal consent order. They follow similar complaints filed by the USDA in July 1995,
March 1998, and February 1999. The July
12 formal complaint is available on the web at
http://www.vivisectioninfo.org/Coulston/charges0701/
"We're
pleased that our evidence against this lab has been upheld by the USDA, and
that some small measure of justice will be sought for Donna and Ray, who died
horribly from Coulston's egregious negligence," said IDA Research Director
Eric Kleiman.
The
unparalleled USDA charges were prompted by evidence provided by IDA, which included whistleblower reports of
negligence.
"This
lab has been in continual violation of federal law for years and has thumbed
its nose at federal authorities as the death toll keeps mounting," said
APNM development director Harriette Roller, who noted that this is the tenth
time Coulston has been cited for inadequate veterinary care, involving 14
chimpanzee deaths. Over 40 primates
have died at the lab under conditions suggesting neglect, she added.
As
a result, IDA and APNM are calling for "an immediate USDA takeover of the
lab and the permanent retirement of the more than 300 chimpanzees imprisoned
there."
The
current charges against the lab include:
*
"Failing to establish and maintain programs of adequate veterinary
care" in the case of Ray, a ten-year-old, NIH-"owned" chimpanzee
who was observed to be "ill and hypoactive [abnormally inactive]" but
was not treated for two days, at which time he was found dead.
*
"Failing to establish and maintain programs of adequate veterinary
care" and "failing to provide adequate veterinary care" in the
case of Donna, a 36-year old former Air Force chimpanzee who died of a massive
infection after carrying a large dead fetus in her womb for at least two
weeks. According to the USDA complaint,
Coulston veterinarians performed belated surgery on Donna at which time she was
"found to have a ruptured uterus, peritonitis and necrotic [dead]
bowel." Despite her condition,
Coulston veterinarians were unable to get permission to euthanize Donna, and
she was allowed to recover from anesthesia in that agonizing condition. She died several hours later and
"experienced severe pain before and after surgery," according to the
charges.
*
Failing to employ an adequate number of qualified veterinarians, a condition
that continues to this day, according to the complaint.
*
Engaging in research prior to approval by the Institutional Animal Care and Use
Committee (IACUC), which by law must give the go-ahead to all protocols
involving animals. The complaint also charges that the lab conducted research
that deviated significantly from IACUC-approved protocols. This was the ninth time the lab has been
cited for such violations, involving at least four chimpanzee deaths.
According
to the complaint, each new charge also constitutes violations of a federal settlement
order the lab signed with the USDA in August 1999 to settle previous formal
USDA charges. The assessed $100,000
penalty was held in abeyance unless the lab violated the consent order's
conditions.
Coulston
officials have repeatedly denied the violations, even claiming publicly that
Donna "received the best medical care" and that Ray died of
"routine medical complications."
One Coulston official, Kay Izard, also accused IDA of "exaggerat[ing],"
but the USDA complaint upheld IDA's allegations.
The
groups predicted that the latest charges should be the death knell for the lab,
which has been teetering on the verge of bankruptcy for years and has survived
only as a result of a two-year, $3.09 million bailout from the National
Institutes of Health. IDA's Kleiman
said that the NIH's illegal financial support for Coulston ended May 31. He predicted that without these federal
funds, Coulston would fold.
"Now
the question becomes, what happens to the chimpanzees at Coulston? Who steps forward to provide the funds
necessary to care for these long-suffering individuals and ensure that they get
the permanent retirement they so richly deserve?" he asked, suggesting
that all the entities involved in supporting and/or giving chimpanzees to
Coulston must be involved in funding the chimpanzees' permanent
retirement. These include the entities
that "dumped" chimpanzees on Coulston - the U.S. Air Force, New York
University, and New Mexico State University - as well as the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, whose various agencies used Coulston chimpanzees for
research and breeding for years.
Kleiman
reserved special criticism for the NIH, which enabled Coulston's negligence to
continue by illegally funding the lab for years while it was consistently
violating federal animal welfare laws.
All of the new charges occurred during the NIH's illegal $3.09 million
bailout. Kleiman directly blamed the
NIH for Ray's death. The young
chimpanzee was one of 288 whom the NIH took "ownership" of last year
but left under the control of Coulston for over a year, despite the lab's
abysmal animal care record.
"The
NIH cannot be allowed simply to 'wash its hands' of the disaster it has both
enabled and created at The Coulston Foundation," Kleiman concluded.
"The NIH's actions are a scandal of national proportion. We urge Congress to investigate and hold the
NIH accountable for the lies it has repeatedly told, the laws it has repeatedly
broken, and the chimpanzees it has supported and now discarded at
Coulston."
IDA
is an international animal rescue and advocacy organization based in Mill
Valley, Calif. APNM is a statewide animal advocacy organization based in
Albuquerque
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©1998 by Robyn
L. Stacey
KYLPTTY44@aol.com
Dear Lord,
It's me again -
The one with
the sick pet.
I've come to
ask a favor
For my friend
at the vet.
As you already
know,
He's been with
us a while.
He's made our
house a home
And gave to
all - a smile.
When he was
real young
He came to
live with us.
He brought us
much joy
And lots of
happiness.
We've been
together
Through the
good and bad;
To see him so
sick,
Makes me feel
real sad.
I look at his
picture;
I remember the
fun -
The games he liked
to play
'Cause he
usually won.
When I needed
him,
He's always
been there,
But now he
needs me
To offer my
care.
I'm so lost
and confused
I don't know
what to do;
So, I pray for
Your help.
I put my faith
in You.
Lord, You gave
me a gift
To love and
care for;
May I please
have with him
Just a few
years more.
I promise to
love him
Each and every
day;
Dear Lord, I
ask You
To please let
him stay.
Thank you
Amen.
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"The average age (longevity) of a
meat-eater is 63. I am on the verge of 85
and still at work as hard as ever. I
have lived quite long enough and am
trying to die, but I simply cannot
do it. A single beef-steak would finish me,
but I cannot bring myself to swallow
it. I am oppressed with a dread of living
forever. That is the only
disadvantage of vegetarianism."
~
George Bernard Shaw
«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»
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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