ANIMAL PEOPLE CRACKS CASE: USDA halts sales of Canadian dogs and cats to U.S. labs

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 1993:

WASHINGTON D.C.––Confirming leads gathered by ANIMAL PEO-
PLE editor Merritt Clifton during a 13-year probe, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture in mid-April sealed the Canadian border to imports of dogs and cats for
laboratory use. All Class B animal dealers known to have imported dogs and cats
from Canada were advised in writing that such animals cannot be certified as to ori-
gin in compliance with the Animal Welfare Act.
As many as 2,000 dogs and 6,000 cats have been imported from Canada
each year for resale by Class B dealers. Most come from privately operated pounds
that hold municipal animal control contracts––the majority in Quebec. Rural auc-
tions are another significant source, and still other dogs and cats are stolen.

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OBITUARIES

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 1993:

Cesar Chavez, 66, died in his
sleep April 25 in San Luis, Arizona. Best
known as founder of the United Farm
Workers union, Chavez was a self-educated
former fruit picker, a staunch advocate of
Gandhian nonviolent tactics for social
change, a vegetarian from early youth on,
and a longtime member of the Animal Rights
Network Inc. advisory board.

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$25,000 & up for lifelong care

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 1993:

HOUSTON, Texas––Texas A&M University
on March 26 dedicated an animal shelter, of sorts. For an
endowment of $25,000 per cat or dog, and $50,000 per
horse, the Stevenson Companion Animal Life-Care Center
will keep an animal for the rest of his or her life, after the
owner dies. The animals will be used to study how ani-
mals bond to humans and what role facilities and caretak-
ers play in their well-being, according to associate director
Sally Knight. “The center was developed in response to a
real need in the human community,” Knight said, adding
that 25 to 30 animals are already enrolled.

Lifelong Friends

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 1993:

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico––It isn’t easy
to pay rent, buy food, and keep a pet on just $500 a
month, but hundreds of New Mexico senior citizens do it,
with the help of the five-year-old Lifelong Friends pro-
gram, a project of Sangre de Cristo Animal Protection.
Coordinated from Albuquerque by Shirley Hendrickson,
Lifelong Friends provides free and/or assisted veterinary
care to the pets of seniors.
“Pets are extremely valuable to seniors,” explains
SCAP vice president Frances Bentley. “Studies show that
they live longer when they have animal
companionship––so many seniors don’t have other humans
they can talk to and relate to. And here in New Mexico,”

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New tricks for old dogs and cats

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 1993:

PORT WASHINGTON, New York––Already adopting out 43,000 animals a year, the North Shore Animal
League isn’t satisfied. While NSAL helps 21 other shelters around the U.S. place most of their puppies and kittens, older
animals are in low demand. The animal over five years of age stands virtually no chance of adoption anywhere, even if
housebroken, docile, affectionate, and likely to live at least another five years in excellent health.
The answer, Seniors for Seniors program director Myron Gould thinks, may be matching older pets with senior
citizens, who often want an animal companion but are reluctant to take in a young animal because of the extra work
involved and because of anxiety that they may die, leaving
the animal homeless.

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