Day: November 1, 1994

Woofs & growls

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November 1994:

The October 6 edition of the Congressional
Record revealed that the Doris Day Animal League and
the Humane Society of the U.S. lined up with the
National Rifle Association and Gun Owners of America
in opposition to S. 349, the Lobbying Disclosure Act of
1994, which was eventually killed by filibuster.
If the American SPCA thought it could
avoid protesters by holding its September 27 annual
meeting in Burbank, California, instead of New York
City, it got a surprise, as members of the New York-
based Henry Bergh Coalition followed the board west
and staged a 20-minute demonstration, joined by repre-
sentatives of several west coast groups. The effort drew
the attention of the Los Angeles Times to the adminis-
trative irregularities that have erupted into headlines in
New York throughout the past year, as the ASPCA
moves to turn over animal control duties to New York
City by January 1, 1995.

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Wiseguys don’t faze Watson

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November 1994:

MARINA DEL REY, Calif.– –Kathleen Marquardt, chair of
the anti-animal rights group Putting People First, debuted October 3 as
host of Grassroots Radio, a daily two-hour talk show on the Talk America
Network, carried 4-6 p.m. EST. First-week guests, a who’s who of wise-
use wiseguys, included biomedical researcher Adrian Morrison, predator
restoration foe Troy Mader of Abundant Wildlife, and Ron Arnold, self-
designated founder of the “wise use” movement, whose funding reputedly
comes largely from Sun Myung Moon’s Unification Church.
The second week, Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd
Conservation Society debated George Blichtfield of the pro-whaling High
North Alliance, whom he was to have debated on July 6 while en route to
protest whaling off the northern coast of Norway. That debate was can-
celled when the Norwegian patrol boat Andennes rammed Watson’s ves-
sel, the Whales Forever. “He asked me if it was true that I’d said some
day we will be able to communicate with whales and will regret what
we’ve done to them,” Watson chuckled. “I said ‘Yes. What’s your point,
George?’ He said, ‘That’s stupid,’ and then just lost it. Marquardt
seemed pretty timid––she hardly said a thing.”

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Fur

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November 1994:

While the fur trade for the third year in
a row touts a comeback, facts and figures again
tell a different story. “For the first time in 50
years,” the Ritz Thrift Shop advertised in October,
“the Ritz is offering new designer furs,” apparently
clearing unsold stock from other furriers.
A burst of auction fever last winter
boosted the average mink pelt price from $20.49 in
Toronto on December 14 to $29.91 at Copenhagen
the next day, sparking even faster bidding at sever-
al other auctions, but by the season-ending auction
in Finland the average had fallen back to $20.50.
Even then, a third of the pelts offered didn’t sell,
perhaps because furriers had already bought half
again more pelts than they’ve sold in garments dur-
ing any of the past five winters, at an overall aver-
age of $30.13. To break even, retailers will have to
sell more fur this winter than they have since 1989-
1990, for 35% more money than they got last win-
ter: an average mink coat price of $3,200. In
October, the average was closer to $2,500.

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Hunting

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November 1994:

The hook-and-bullet lobby is out to get
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service director Mollie
Beattie, the first nonhunter ever to hold the post,
Dennis Jensen reported October 1 in Vermont Sunday
Magazine––but few of the lobbyists he interviewed
dared identity themselves. “There’s the good-old-boy
network out there,” said former Vermont Fish and
Wildlife Department commissioner Steve Wright.
“And the fact that she is a woman. Many of these
guys have never worked with a woman in a powerful
position and just don’t know how.”
Legislation for Animal Welfare asked
members to help re-elect Ohio state senator Roy Ray,
targeted for defeat by the gun lobby over his opposi-
tion to opening a dove season. Dove-hunting propo-
nents, says Defenders of the Dove Campaign coordi-
nator Ritchie Laymon, “plan to bring their bill up on
the floor of the Senate after the November elections,”
as uncommitted representatives, “once safely back in
office, can vote for the interests of the wealthy hunt-
ing lobby and against the wishes of most Ohioans.”

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TONY LARUSSA SAYS IT AIN’T SO

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November 1994:

CONCORD, California––”Yes, that is actually me in the Wendy’s
commercial,” Tony LaRussa admits. “But yes, my family and I are every bit as
involved in vegetarian eating as always. I blame myself more than anyone else
for participating in a commercial that encourages eating meat!”
The commercial in question promotes Wendy’s new chicken, bacon,
and Swiss cheese sandwich. It first aired in early October, while LaRussa and
family were touring abroad, causing thousands of viewers familiar with Tony
and Elaine LaRussa’s record on vegetarianism and animal protection to wonder
if they’d been misled. In the commercial, an unidentified coach hangs up the
bullpen telephone, turns to LaRussa, and says “Marinara.”

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From Trouble to good faith: A chat with Dale Schwindaman, top cop for the Animal Welfare Act

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November 1994:

WASHINGTON D.C.––Dale Schwindaman called
to talk about Trouble.
As USDA Deputy Administrator for Regulatory
Enforcement and Animal Care, Schwindaman is the top cop
at the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service––the exec-
utive responsible for enforcing the Animal Welfare Act. On
the beat since the act was passed in 1966, Schwindaman
took charge two years ago with strong concerns about long-
standing problems that hadn’t been effectively addressed,
determination to do something about it, and a few ideas
about doing it by speaking softly while carrying a big stick.
Pet theft in particular bothered him. Schwindaman
spent much of his time from 1966 until 1981 trying to nab
the “random source” animal dealers who fence stolen dogs
and cats to laboratories. In those days he didn’t have the
laws, the budget, or the political backing to succeed. After
moving to the USDA veterinary branch for a decade, how-
ever, Schwindaman returned to APHIS just as the Pet Theft
Act of 1990 took effect, enabling the USDA to crack down
on dealers who can’t document the origin of the animals they
sell––whether or not the animals are traced to theft.

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Canadian SPCA depends on fundraiser

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November 1994:

MONTREAL––Ten months after losing the Montreal pound contract to
the for-profit firm Berger Blanc, the embattled Canadian SPCA needs to raise $1
million this fall––nearly triple last fall’s figure of $370,000––just to stay open.
For now, the CSPCA is struggling just to raise the capital to print and mail
appeals. As of late September, the staff hadn’t been paid in three weeks, while
executive director Alex Wolf had paid himself just $600 in the 20 weeks since he
assumed the position in a board coup––and was pinch-hitting at the adoption desk.
His immediate predecessor was paid $75,000 a year.
The 10th executive director in the past 10 years, Wolf has already sur-
vived two attempted ousters; the resignation of seven veterinarians; and the resigna-
tion of six out of 15 board members, including president Caroline Kipling, who had
served just four months. Another former board member, Pauline Maroulis, said the
resignations were “because we just couldn’t put up with Alex’s personality,” but the
many conflicts he inherited, among unionized and volunteer staff, board members,
and English and French-speaking personnel weren’t his doing.
“This is a classic turnaround situation,” Wolf said, “where you have to
make a lot of cuts, make a lot of people wait for money, and where you have to
reorganize without having resources.”

Animal rights meet civil rights by Jacquie Lewis

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November 1994:

Animal rights activists peacefully exer-
cising their First Amendment Rights don’t expect
to be kidnapped, physically abused, held cap-
tive, and arrested for battery––but it happened to
Susan Koenker on February 15, 1992.
Susan, along with other participants in
a PETA-sponsored event, was explaining to
prospective buyers at a General Motors auto
show that GM was then the only car maker in the
world performing crash tests on animals. The
show was at McCormick Place, a sprawling con-
vention center and part of city property, on
Chicago’s lakefront.

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Hawaii dolphins lived, by Steven C. Sipman

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November 1994:

It has been brought to my attention that an otherwise excellent and infor-
mative article in the September 1994 issue of ANIMAL PEOPLE in which my
name was mentioned contains a few errors which should be corrected. The article
unfortunately omitted documented facts regarding the release of two bottlenose dol-
phins from a University of Hawaii research station in 1977. The article stated,
“One vanished; the other was killed within 24 hours when waves dashed her
against a coral reef. Her chances of survival were dubious to begin with.”
Neither dolphin vanished. Puka, the first dolphin, simply swam away.
The other, Kea, was not killed, as was reported. Witnesses confirmed that she was
slightly roughed up in a bungled recapture attempt by inept volunteers.
Both dolphins have been reported together and in the company of other
dolphins by University of Hawaii scientists, professional divers, lifeguards, and
Harbor Patrol employees, days, weeks, and months after their release. Such evi-
dence has been entered into court under oath.

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