Animal rights group at odds with circus, village [Chicago Heights Star]
A national animal rights group is calling on Steger lawmakers to ban devices they say are used to inflict pain on elephants in time for this week’s performance by Carson & Barnes Circus.

Cockfighting on Web Enters Legal Arena [Washington Post]
One evening last week, two roosters in a ring surrounded by cheering spectators pecked and clawed one another in a fight to the death. With each lunge, feathers flew, then floated to the ground. Finally, one bloodied bird, its eyes plucked out, lurched and faltered.

New Texas Animal Cruelty Laws Take Effect In September [KFOX-TV]
Beginning this September, you can expect some new laws when it comes to your four-legged friends.

Zoos kill healthy tigers for the skin trade [The Sunday Times, UK]
Zoos are killing healthy tigers and other endangered species and selling their skins to be stuffed and mounted as trophies for private collectors, an investigation has found.

Gene-spliced mice fuel rise in animal testing [Reuters, UK]
The number of scientific experiments on animals in Britain rose 4 percent in 2006, driven by increased use of genetically-altered mice, the government said on Monday.

Texas Turtles Ending up in China Soup Pots [ENN]
Growing up in East Texas, Dian Avriett loved to watch the turtles sunning on the banks of local rivers and lakes. But now she says it’s rare to see them on those same waterways, and the reason is clear — China’s taste for Texas turtle meat.

Stray Pets: A Complex Problem [NPR]
Several million dogs and cats are put to death in U.S. animal shelters each year. Spay and neuter programs are having some impact in some areas, but solving the overpopulation problem tests the resources of activists and animal-control officials. Audio

Calling Cruelty a ‘Cultural Trait’ Doesn’t Excuse It [NPR]
Allegations that NFL star Michael Vick took an active role in an illegal dogfighting ring, coupled with video of severe treatment of ducks and geese in the foie gras industry, lead to a conclusion: It’s hard to excuse cruelty by calling it a cultural trait. Audio

The steer who escaped into our conscience [Newsday]
“Moo,” as he came to be nicknamed, represented the fiery spirit of independence even domesticated animals still harbor. He broke free in a bid for liberation, impressed the public and was rewarded with sanctuary in the end.

Will Potter Posts Updated Analysis of Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act [GreenIsTheNewRed.com]
I finally got around to posting my updated analysis of the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act and posted a new pdf file that you can download as well.

UCSF Primate Research Is Target Of Watchdog Group [KTVU]
Ohio-based Stop Animal Exploitation Now (SAEN) has filed an official complaint with the USDA about UCSF and its research practices on primates, the group announced today.

Vineyard shark tournament met with opposition [WPRI]
Groups like the Humane Society of the United States say shark fishing techniques are barbaric and tournaments harm dwindling populations of thresher, blue and mako sharks.

SLC law limits picketing, but legal challenges sure to come [Salt Lake Tribune]
After abbreviated debate, the council voted 5-2 to make it illegal to demonstrate within 100 feet of private residences in Utah’s capital.

Animal group backs ACT’s proposed caged egg ban [ABC Rural]
Animal Liberation hopes a Bill to ban battery egg production in the ACT will set a precedent for other states.

Livestock contractor for rodeo sued [The State Journal-Register]
Saying that bulls were jabbed and electrically shocked at last summer’s rodeo, Steve Hindi, president of Geneva-based Showing Animals Respect and Kindness, on Friday sued Johnson & Jordan Rodeos LLC, which provided animals for the 2006 event. Johnson & Jordan is scheduled to do the same for this year’s weeklong rodeo, which begins Sunday at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.

Red panda escapes from Zoo exhibit again [Yahoo! News]
Virginia Zoo officials on Monday began trimming the landscaping around a new red panda exhibit after the animal escaped for the second time in less than a month.

In Speech, Sen. Byrd Denounces Enthusiasts of Dogfighting [Washington Post]
“I am confident that the hottest places in hell are reserved for the souls of sick and brutal people who hold God’s creatures in such brutal and cruel contempt,” he said.

NOTE: I have purposefully left out any news coverage of the Michael Vick indictment. The reason is because I am working on a separate post for that issue… and its not exactly hard to find coverage of it.

Not Everything is Kosher at So-Called Kosher Slaughterhouse [Infoshop News]
Earlier this week PETA filed a formal complaint with Sheridan County Attorney Jamian Simmons asking her to prosecute the Rubashkin-owned Local Pride kosher slaughterhouse in Gordon for apparent violations of Nebraska’s cruelty-to-animals statute. PETA’s complaint follows a two-day undercover investigation.

California spay-neuter bill shelved [Sacramento Bee]
Legislation to require statewide spaying or neutering of dogs and cats was shelved Wednesday after receiving a chilly reception by a Senate committee.

United Poultry Concerns Needs Your Support [UPC]
In the fall, UPC must pay for substantial sanctuary repairs. Much of the fencing and other sanctuary structures, installed in 1998, when we moved our headquarters & chicken sanctuary to Machipongo, VA, need replaced & fixed at an estimated cost of $4000 to $5000 in all.

Police need information to find New Braunfels Animal Shelter vandals [KENS 5]
One year ago this weekend, the New Braunfels Humane Society suffered a huge loss when burglars ransacked the building and killed several animals. The mess is gone but the memories of the brutal crime are vivid, and now, a large reward is being offered for information about the crime.

Animal rights activist challenges VA incumbent [ Frederickburg Free Lance-Star]
Kincheloe said she decided to run for the House seat because otherwise, Orrock would be running unopposed, and she believes there should be more competition in politics.

Proposed law to decide pet custody in divorce cases [The Electric New Paper]
According to ABC News, a proposed Wisconsin state law aims to make judges think about the family pet when deciding divorces and annulments.

U.S. Confirms Low-Risk Bird Flu in Virginia Turkeys [ENN]
None of the birds became ill but 54,000 were being slaughtered as a precaution, said Dr. John Clifford of USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories.

Palm Oil Firms Burning Indonesia Forests [ENN]
Palm oil companies are burning peat forests to clear land for plantations in Indonesia’s Riau province, despite government pledges to end forest fires, environment group Greenpeace said on Thursday.

Tournament organizers dismiss animal rights campaign [Cape Cod Times]
Organizers of the Monster Shark Tournament say a national campaign by animal rights activists is having no impact. However, blue sharks and tiger sharks are off the list of acceptable catches for the tournament, which begins Thursday and ends Saturday. Now, only thresher, mako and porbeagle sharks will count for weigh-in points.

Healthy dogs are being killed [icWhale]
Five ruthless killers in Wales are slaughtering hundreds of healthy racing dogs every year, according to an animal rights group.

China fights back, goes after U.S. meat [Yahoo! News]
China has suspended imports from several major U.S. meat processors, including the world’s largest, in the latest indication the government may be retaliating as its products are turned back from overseas because of safety concerns.

Dead Ocelot Bad News for Falling U.S. Population [ENN]
The unexplained death of a breeding-age ocelot in southeast Texas has brought the endangered cat a step closer to extinction in the United States.

Federal Agency Agrees to Issue New Rules Protecting Whales from Fishing Gear Entanglement [ENN]
New rules to protect endangered whales from fatal fishing-gear entanglements will be in place this fall after environmentalists sued to end the delay.

Battle rages over bill to require pet fixes [DailyBreeze.com]
“There were 2,800 bills introduced in the Legislature this year,” said state Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, “and if you were to ask me which one I’ve received the most reaction to, this is at the top of the list.”

Quebec Foie Gras Investigation [Global Action Network]
Several months ago, Global Action Network, in collaboration with Farm Sanctuary, embarked on an extensive undercover investigation of Canada’s largest foie gras farm – Elevages Perigord.

Animal Rights’ Group Applauds Bans On Declawing of Cats [Loyal Subscriber]
West Hollywood’s groundbreaking ban on declawing cats, which was just upheld by a state appeals court, is the first such ban in the U.S., although 21 other countries have already banned this painful and “unnecessary mutilation,” as the British Veterinary Association calls it.

Internet surfers save more than 800 cats [Reuters]
About 30 animal lovers rushed to a parking lot in Shanghai after reading an Internet posting sparked by animal rights activist Huo Puyang that said two trucks carrying cats in wooden boxes had been intercepted, Huo said on Monday.

Humane Society Applauds House Agriculture Committee for Removing “Great Federal Power Grab” from Farm Bill, and Eliminating Earmark for Veal [HSUS]
Late last night, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture released its latest mark-up of the 2007 Farm Bill, and The Humane Society of the United States thanked the committee for removing a little-known but far-reaching provision that had threatened to nullify dozens of animal welfare and food safety laws enacted through democratic decision-making at the state and local level, as well as removing a $12 million subsidy for the veal industry.

Australian Defense Department’s Plan To Kill Hundreds Of Kangaroos Shelved [AHN]
Australia’s Defense Department has shelved plans to shoot more than 2,800 kangaroos at its Majura firing range near Canberra, after criticism by a top animal rights group.

Zimbabwe: One Million Wild Animals Killed Since Farm Invasions [AllAfrica.com]
Zimbabwe is home to some of Africa’s largest game reserves but experts say several animal species such as impala, warthog, kudu and wildebeest are at risk from rampant poaching by people struggling with hunger and rising poverty and from cross-border trophy hunters.

Animal rights group says Six Flags mistreats elephants [Alameda Times-Star]
As the City of Vallejo prepares to turn over its interest in the theme park to the Six Flags corporation, the protesters called for Vallejo to send the four city-owned elephants to a sanctuary instead of including them as part of the park’s sale.

New Colorado law: Vets must report animal abuse [9News NBC]
A new Colorado law that went into effect on Sunday requires veterinarians to report any case in which they suspect an animal is being abused or involved in fighting.

The sickening side of greyhound racing [Daily Mail]
Most will suffer a fate similar to those buried in a “mass grave” next to David Smith’s bungalow off a secluded farm track in County Durham.

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 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.