hat tip to The PETA Files

Judge Dismisses Schumacher Suit Against IDA, PeTA and Kevin Mieras [Portland IMC]
In federal court today, the judge dismissed all of Schumacher’s claims against IDA (and its employees) and PeTA, and dismissed a majority of the claims against Kevin Mieras.

Cat and Dog Fur Trade to End in EU [Sky News]
The European Parliament has voted to ban the “horrific” trade in cat and dog fur in the EU, in response to campaigns to outlaw a practice which many consider unethical.

Bernard Matthews worker caught playing football with turkeys [Daily Mail]
Poultry tycoon Bernard Matthews faces more criticism after animal rights supporters released a video showing one of his workers repeatedly kicking turkeys.

Roar greets bill to ban risky animals [The News & Observer]
The bill would ban private ownership of animals deemed “inherently dangerous,” including lions, tigers, apes, monkeys and venomous snakes not indigenous to North Carolina. It would exempt some organizations, including circuses, research facilities and sanctuaries that meet federal mandates. And it also contains a “grandfather” clause if the owner registers the animal with local animal control authorities, which would enforce the proposed law.

China Tiger Trade Ban Won’t Last, Official Says [ENN]
China will inevitably lift its ban on the trade of tiger bones and body parts, a wildlife official told state media, saying groups seeking to profit from the government’s captive-bred tigers were too strong to resist.

The movie is absolutely incredible. A magnificent primer. Sure, it can be nearly impossible to watch at times due to the violent nature of much of what is portrayed in the movie, but isn’t that all the more reason to watch it? I like the line from the movie, “ignorance is not an option.” I think I might steal that and start incorporating it into the sanctuary’s materials. I also planned to do a showing or two of Earthlings here in Bloomington. People need to watch it.

The movie starts off explaining speciesism in the context of oppression. From there, it is broken down into five areas of animal exploitation: pets, food, clothing, entertainment and experimentation. While none of these areas are delved into in full detail, each one provides more than adequate information to allow the viewer to recognize the amount of suffering and the need for action.

So, i guess what i’m saying is that i strongly urge you to watch it, show it to others, and take action.

From MFA:

Largely hidden from view, every year over 9 billion chickens and 250 million turkeys are raised on factory farms and killed in our nation’s slaughterhouses. Their suffering often goes unseen and their cries unheard – until now.

A new Mercy For Animals undercover investigation takes you behind the closed doors of one of the country’s largest poultry slaughterhouses – House of Raeford Farms, Inc. in Raeford, North Carolina. In January and February of 2007 an MFA investigator worked in the “live-hang” area of the plant (where live birds are snapped into shackles on the slaughter line), secretly filming egregious acts of animal cruelty with a hidden camera. Shocking abuses he witnessed include:

• Turkeys with broken wings and legs, bloody open wounds, tumors and other untreated injuries being slaughtered for human consumption
• A worker violently punching live, shackled turkeys for “fun”
• Employees forcefully shoving their hands into the cloacae (vaginal cavities) of live chickens
• Turkeys and chickens being thrown across the facility and up into the air
• Workers ripping the heads off live turkeys
• Birds being crushed to death under the wheels of trucks
• Conscious turkeys having their throats slit

After viewing the footage, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and meat-industry advisor Dr. Temple Grandin—who is generally recognized as the world’s leading scientific authority on animal welfare—said, “This is a sloppy poorly managed plant where employees are allowed to abuse animals…There are some management people that need to get fired.”

The workers responsible for the abuse cannot be charged under federal law because the USDA refuses to protect turkeys and chickens in its enforcement of the Humane Slaughter Act.

As such, MFA is seeking felony cruelty-to-animals charges against House of Raeford Farms, Inc. for violating North Carolina animal cruelty statutes. On May 18, 2007 MFA furnished the Hoke County prosecutor with a criminal complaint containing affidavits and video footage documenting slaughterhouse workers violently punching, throwing, and ripping the heads off of live animals, as well as testimony from world-renowned animal welfare scientists attesting to the pain inflicted on birds at the facility.

Though the abuses MFA’s investigator documented are egregious, it only begins to scratch the surface of the larger picture of farmed animal cruelty in the United States. The single most powerful action you can take to end such abuse is to adopt a vegetarian diet.