Deep Roots: Animal Rights Blog

Dozens of dogs seized from ‘deplorable’ conditions [Newsday]
A missing dog up for sale on an animal rescue Web site led Suffolk County police to a Medford house where they found more than 50 dogs in “deplorable condition” Wednesday, authorities said.

Cockfighting supporters plan to sue state of New Mexico [The Albuquerque Tribune]
While Bhatka hasn’t decided whether he’ll take part, others who are indirectly connected to the state’s cockfighting industry say they plan to sue the state over the ban, which took effect last week.

Animal rights activists warn of protests against cull of 3,200 kangaroos in Australia [International Herald-Tribune]
Canberra’s administration, the Australian Capital Territory government, announced it would allow the Defense Department to shoot 2,800 kangaroos at one of its properties and use tranquilizer darts to kill another 400 on a second property, where shooting bullets its regarded as too dangerous to the public.

Scientists establish link between Foie Gras and Disease [Indian Catholic]
A University of Tennessee researcher has discovered an association between foie gras prepared from goose or duck liver and the type of amyloid found in rheumatoid arthritis or tuberculosis.

Mad cow lawsuit filed against government – by farmers [Taste Better!]
The courts have cleared the path for a class action suit against the Canadian government. The multi billion dollar suit claims that the feds’ handling of the mad cow outbreak was poorly handled, and public safety was jeopardized.

Josh Harper Finally Out of the Hole [Food Fight!]
After spending nearly 100 days in the SHU (Special Housing Unit, otherwise known as “the hole”), Josh was finally released back into his unit of the prison on Monday 6/18.

Legal Support Needed for Ten Animal Rights Activists in Chicago [Infoshop]
On June 16th, ten activists on the HLS Shut Them Down tour were arrested in Chicago. Two were minors and were not charged, while the other eight are facing three misdemeanor charges each, and one is facing one felony charge.

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.

Alaska’s only elephant set for sunny retirement [The West Australian]
Ms Lampi said possible new homes for Maggie include sanctuaries in California and Tennessee.

Indiana Shelter Euthanizing Animals Inhumanely, Ex-Workers Say [Channel 6 News]
“They get all doped up, and they … run into the walls and everything,” Frye said. “It’s horrible to watch. It’s horrible to even have to be a part of it.”
Frye said it took some animals an hour to die.

Judge allows last US horse slaughterhouse to stay open a few more days [International Herald Tribune]
A judge has extended an order allowing the United States’ last operating horse slaughterhouse to remain in business while it challenges a state law that would force it to close.

Knesset outlaws animal testing for cosmetic products [The Jerusalem Post]
Animal shelters across Israel prepared to take in new tenants Monday, after the Knesset passed a law outlawing all animal testing for cosmetic and cleaning products.

Other big aquariums face risks of cutting-edge captivity [Atlanta Journal-Constitution]
Some of the nation’s major aquariums experienced a bit of déjà vu this week when the second whale shark in six months died at the Georgia Aquarium, unleashing a wave of negative publicity and stinging criticism.

The sick hipness of dog fighting [Chicago Sun-Times]
Embraced by street gangs starting in the late 1980s, who were drawn to it for their own sport then discovered it could be a profitable enterprise, the new world of dog fighting ranges from highly organized, well-attended matches featuring tens of thousands of dollars in betting pools and prize money to impromptu bouts on street corners and in playgrounds.

Animal hoarding becoming ‘epidemic’ [The Citizens Voice]
There are an estimated 3,000 cases of animal hoarding each year, involving nearly a quarter of a million animals, said Gary Patronek, a veterinarian and epidemiologist with the Animal Rescue League of Boston.

Animal rights activists free Bulgaria’s last 3 dancing bears, ending practice [Canada.com]
After a lifetime of brutal treatment, including walking on burning embers, Bulgaria’s last three dancing bears will get to rest their paws at a mountain sanctuary, in an apparent end to the centuries-old performance tradition in the Balkans.

Wildlife trade talks end with surprises [MSNBC]
Elephants emerged safer and tigers won a vote of support, but sharks and corals failed to win protection at a two-week wildlife trade conference that ended Friday.

The copy of Earthlings that I bought for the sanctuary showed up yesterday, so my partner and I decided to take a midday break and watch it. Neither of us had seen it, but I’ve certainly been listening to all the buzz over the past year.

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.

Congratulations to all the animal rights activists that worked so hard to see this happen. Its time we get to work on such a bill here in Indiana.

the following is from An Animal-Friendly Life:

AB 1634–the California Healthy Pets bill that would make it mandatory to spay or neuter your animal companion by the age of 4 months–has cleared a major hurdle in passing the Assembly Floor at 10:30pm Wednesday night!

According to Judie Mancuso, “An animal-friendly bill of this scope has never before passed the Assembly floor.”

Assemblymember Levine and his staff were relentless in their work to get this bill through and we commend them. You can hear the floor debate, and the final vote, on www.cahealthypets.com.

She goes on to address the animal-lovers that have worked so hard to see this through:

And, thanks to all of you for your tireless efforts, calling, faxing, writing and lobbying the Assembly. This could never have happened without every one of you, and that’s the truth. Some Assembly members who were leaning towards opposing the bill were forced to rethink their position when faced with the absolutely giant outpouring of public support for AB 1634.

Please take a deep breath, celebrate and enjoy the fruits of your labor. And in a few days, come back down to Earth, and get ready to do it all over again, because we’re moving to the Senate.

Congratulations!

Indeed. I’d like to join Judie in thanking everyone who turned up the volume to make sure the animals’ voices were heard over the breeders and other exploiters who would rather see animals suffer for their own gain than to see a reduction in the unnecessary euthanization of unwanted animals.

Now if we could only stop breeding altogether… Then we wouldn’t find ourselves in the predicament of messing with animals’ reproductive systems in the first place.