The Compassionate Report

California: Protect Homeless and Lost Animals

kalel — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:45:07 +0000

In an attempt to reduce California’s deficit, Governor Brown has proposed a substantial weakening of the Hayden Act, including sections that require shelters to care for homeless and lost companion animals for up to six days before euthanizing them. This holding period is crucial to allowing lost dogs and cats to be reunited with their families or adopted when they are unclaimed or abandoned.

While California continues to grapple with serious budget concerns, lifting the Hayden Act’s mandate for humane grace periods before euthanasia would be irresponsible and short-sighted. Nearly 500,000 animals are euthanized in California’s municipal animal shelters annually, and more than twice as many are impounded. Eliminating the holding period would put thousands more animals at risk of being euthanized and prevent many families from being reunited with their lost companion animals.

Please take a moment today to contact Governor Brown and your state legislators by filling out the form to the right. Urge them to oppose any legislation that will remove existing protections for homeless and lost companion animals.

Former State Senator Tom Hayden’s message to Governor Jerry Brown urges the Governor to leave intact the law he wrote in 1998.

California’s homeless animals are wholly reliant on us to stand and speak for them. Please speak out today!

This action is available to California residents only.

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Act Now: http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5154/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=9320

Farm Sanctuary Makes Room at the "Inn" this Christmas for a Special Mother and Child

kalel — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:45:03 +0000

Why Are Farm Animals Running for Their Lives in
New York City?

Animal abuse at storefront slaughterhouses would shock even the most hardened New Yorker

NEW YORK CITY – January 31, 2012 – New York City is a town teeming with farm animals. But, they are typically hidden from view. Once in a while, however, one of the thousands of cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, chickens, and other farm animals who are annually transported into the city to be sold and slaughtered at the city’s hundreds of “live markets” makes a brave escape and the ensuing chase makes front-page news. Earlier this month, Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization, rescued Elliott, a baby goat found wandering aimlessly along 149th Avenue in Brooklyn in such shockingly horrible condition that rescuers were amazed he had found the strength to make his bid for freedom. After rescuing more than 400 farm animals in similar condition from New York City streets over the last decade, the organization believes New Yorkers would demand an investigation into these squalid facilities if they knew the truth concealed behind their walls.

“This boy has been through hell”
Elliott, who is about the size of a medium-sized dog, was covered in dirt and lice and rescuers could feel every bone is his body. He was so weak he could barely hold up his head, which had been inexplicably painted with blue spray paint. One of his eyes was so covered in pus that he was unable to see. Upon arriving at Farm Sanctuary’s New York Shelter in Watkins Glen, National Shelter Director Susie Coston assessed his condition and immediately sent him to Cornell University Hospital for Animals, where he was put on oxygen, IV fluids, and antibiotics. Veterinarians determined he had severe pneumonia, possible urinary blockage, and was blind in one eye. “This boy has been through hell,” says Coston.

The nightmare under our noses
Addressing the overarching problem of New York City’s live markets, Coston says “New Yorkers are a compassionate group of people and if they knew how terrible the conditions are inside these places for both the animals and the people who work there, they would be outraged. No one likes to think about animals being cruelly confined in filthy, stressful conditions for days on end and then having their throats slit while they are still conscious, but that is exactly what is happening right under our noses inside these storefront slaughterhouses. Live markets can only continue to operate by hiding this torture from public view. We encourage the media and local officials to lift the curtain on these horror houses once and for all and put an end to the torture and mistreatment of farm animals in New York City.”

A growing problem
A 2006 online report noted more than 100 live animal markets in New York City – double the number of the 1990s. Given that growth rate, Farm Sanctuary is concerned that even more facilities exist today and believes these markets and the city should be held accountable for conditions and animal abuse activities that are taking place there.

Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization, promotes legislative, policy, and individual lifestyle changes to help farm animals. Farm Sanctuary’s shelters in New York and California provide lifelong care for nearly 1,000 rescued farm animals. For more information, please visit farmsanctuary.org.

Act Now: http://www.farmsanctuary.org/mediacenter/2012/pr_elliott.html

Tell Chinese Laundry to Ditch Fur!

kalel — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:45:02 +0000

Tell Chinese Laundry to Ditch Fur!

Despite knowing about the suffering that goes into every fur-trimmed shoe, hat, scarf, and coat, Chinese Laundry continues to sell fur. Animals on fur farms spend their entire lives confined to cramped, filthy wire cages that are so small they prevent animals from taking more than a few steps in any direction. Wire cages cut into rabbits’ delicate foot pads, and the animals are denied the opportunity to engage in natural behavior such as running and burrowing. Fur farmers use the cheapest killing methods available, including neck-breaking, suffocation, poisoning, and genital electrocution. These crude killing methods aren’t always effective, and sometimes animals wake up while they are being skinned. One of the best ways that you can help animals who are beaten and tortured for their fur is to tell Chinese Laundry’s executives that you won’t buy while animals die.

Please don’t shop at Chinese Laundry—and let the company know why! Use the form below to urge Chinese Laundry’s CEO to dump fur, and let him know that you will not shop at the company’s stores until all real fur is out.

Message

Dear [Decision Maker],

*
(Edit Letter Below)

I was shocked to learn that Chinese Laundry continues to sell fur despite knowing about the suffering that goes into every fur-trimmed shoe, hat, scarf, and coat. Animals on fur farms live their entire lives in cramped, filthy cages before being bludgeoned, gassed, electrocuted, and even skinned alive. Animals trapped in the wild for their fur may suffer for days in steel-jaw traps before trappers eventually return to strangle, stomp, or bludgeon them to death.

Please stop supporting cruelty to animals by ending fur sales immediately and by joining other retailers–including Ralph Lauren, Forever 21, Wet Seal, Express, and Limited Brands–that have made the kind decision to be fur-free. Until you have done so, I won’t buy any Chinese Laundry products and will urge all my friends and family to do the same.

Signed,
[Your Name]

By signing up here and giving us your details, you’re acknowledging that you’ve read and agreed to our privacy policy.

Act Now: https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=4007

Kittens Killed in Neighborhood Feud

kalel — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:45:01 +0000

We
don’t know what started the feud between a man (we’ll call him “George”)
and his neighbors. We only know that when George fled his home to escape the
wrath of his neighbors for a few days, he left the mother cat he had taken in as a
stray and her three 7-week-old kittens behind outdoors.

When
he returned home the next day to gather some belongings and feed the cats, he
discovered a gruesome scene. Two of the kittens were lying dead on the ground—their heads had been smashed in.

A distraught
George called PETA for
help, and knowing that every
minute mattered, we quickly located an animal shelter that would accept the
mother cat and her surviving kitten. As George was without a car, we found a
local PETA member who was willing to collect the cats and take them to the
animal shelter. Within hours, the mother cat, her kitten, and a third cat who
was likely the father were safe. But there was not enough evidence to press charges
for the kittens’ deaths.

While
the mother and her surviving kitten were lucky to have escaped harm, they
likely witnessed the horrific scene unfold. Even in friendly neighborhoods, the
dangers of cruel passersby, cars, diseases, and other animals are too great to
leave cats outdoors unsupervised. Let this be a lesson to
us all.

Act Now: http://www.peta.org/b/thepetafiles/archive/2012/02/07/kittens-killed-in-neighborhood-feud.aspx

European Union adopts new position to improve welfare of whales

kalel — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:44:57 +0000

Home

Latest news

News 2011

European Union adopts new position to improve welfare of whales

Dec 22, 2011

WSPA welcomes the strong European Union anti-whaling stance which commits the 25 EU members of the IWC to maintain the moratorium on commercial whaling. The position, which will run from 2012-2015, also directs EU member states to support the creation of whale sanctuaries and back proposals to end so-called ‘scientific whaling’. The position dictates that the EU will only support aboriginal subsistence whaling catches when they are properly regulated, sustainable and for local subsistence purposes.

The decision comes after several months of consultation during which WSPA lobbied EU member states extensively to ensure a strong line against commercial whaling and to encourage them to collectively commit to proactively support welfare and conservation initiatives for the first time in an EU mandate.

WSPA’s Oceans Campaign Leader, Claire Bass, said: “The EU bloc is a major voice in the IWC and their commitment to protect whales is an important victory in our campaign. The UK Government was particularly strong in championing our recommendations for the EU to adopt a pro-welfare, pro-whale position, and we commend their efforts.”

Danish dependencies

The Netherlands, Germany and France also championed amendments to make the EU more whale-friendly, however Denmark, claiming to be acting in the interests of its whaling nation dependencies, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, has been increasingly vocal in favour of commercial whaling, despite the vast majority of Danish people being opposed to it. In 2012 WSPA will be working alongside Cambridge University animal welfare experts to convince Danish MPs that commercial whaling is unacceptably cruel.

Japan continues whaling

Meanwhile, the Japanese whaling fleet has set sail to hunt, ostensibly for “scientific research”, in the protected Antarctic waters of the Southern Ocean. Following 2010’s whaling season, deemed a failure for the Japanese hunters, now the whalers aim to kill as many of their 985-whale quota (935 minke whales and 50 fin whales) as possible. In order to shield the whaling fleet from animal rights activists, the Japanese government is spending an additional $30 million from its own budget for tsunami relief on security.

“The Japanese fleet is heading towards Antarctica armed with around half a tonne of explosives and a shopping list of almost one thousand whales,” Bass said. “Commercial whaling is cruel and unnecessary and it’s time Japan consigned it to the history books.”

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Act Now: http://www.wspa-international.org/latestnews/2011/european-union-adopts-whale-welfare.aspx

California: Protect Homeless and Lost Animals

kalel — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:12:08 +0000

California’s homeless animals are wholly reliant on us to stand and speak for them. Please speak out today!

This action is available to California residents only.

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Farm Sanctuary Makes Room at the "Inn" this Christmas for a Special Mother and Child

kalel — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:12:04 +0000

Why Are Farm Animals Running for Their Lives in
New York City?

Animal abuse at storefront slaughterhouses would shock even the most hardened New Yorker

Act Now: http://www.farmsanctuary.org/mediacenter/2012/pr_elliott.html

Urge Officials to Review Decision in Dog Killer’s Conviction

kalel — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:12:02 +0000

A California appeals court has overturned the conviction of Alex Castro for brutally beating his ex-girlfriend’s cocker spaniel, Copper, to death with a hammer in July 2007. According to news sources, the court ruled that the trial was tainted because Castro’s lawyer did not hire an expert to evaluate whether or not Castro wrote an intimidating letter to a witness.

Please urge California Attorney General Kamala Harris to petition the California Supreme Court or the 6th District Court of Appeal to review this decision so that Copper gets the justice he deserves and to ensure that such an egregious act of violence does not go unpunished! The attorney general must make her decision quickly, so please act now!

Please send polite comments to:

The Honorable
Kamala Harris
Office of the Attorney General
1300 I St.
Sacramento, CA 95814-2919
916-445-9555
attorneygeneral@doj.ca.gov

Act Now: http://www.peta.org/action/action-alerts/Urge-California-Attorney-General-to-Review-Court-s-Decision-to-Overturn-Dog-Killer-s-Conviction.aspx

Mepkin Monks to Shut Down Egg Factory Farm

kalel — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:12:00 +0000

Update: Great news! The
monks at Mepkin Abbey now have a thriving mushroom business.
After PETA’s protests, boycotts, and complaints to government agencies, the
monks re-examined their egg farm and discovered that they can get all their
needs met without harming animals.

The following was originally posted on December 20, 2007:

We’ve just heard the news that the monks at Mepkin Abbey have decided to phase out their egg-production business over the next year and a half following pressure from PETA, including protests of the monastery that are going on today. According to the Associated Press, Mepkin’s Father Stan Gumula said late last night that the focus on the monks’ practices as a result of PETA’s investigation has been too much of a distraction, and that they will be looking for a new industry to help meet their expenses.

PETA Vice President Bruce Friedrich points out that South Carolina had the 6th highest peanut production among U.S. states last year (quite how he knows such things, I have no idea), and recommends that the monks go into the booming business of peanut butter packaging, where they can pack the peanuts as tight as they like without any fear of our getting on their case about it. In fact, we might be their first customers. My own vote is more traditional—there’s nothing quite like a good Trappist Ale.

Whatever they end up deciding, this is nothing short of a Christmas miracle for the chickens who have suffered for so long at Mepkin Abbey, and we commend the monks for their compassionate decision.

Act Now: http://www.peta.org/b/thepetafiles/archive/2012/02/04/Mepkin-Monks-to-Shut-Down-Egg-Factory-Farm.aspx