Primarily feeling like Noah

December 1, 1998 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, December 1998:

SAN ANTONIO– – What
happened to Primarily Primates during
the recent Texas flooding?
Secretary Stephen Rene
Tello’s first recollection was that so
many pipes were unearthed and broken
by a flash flood that the sanctuary
had no potable water for a day.
That meant Tello and
Primarily Primates president Wally
Swett had more than 800 thirsty monkeys,
great apes, lemurs, tropical
birds, a wallaby, and assorted other
creatures to haul buckets for.
“It sounds strange that the
animals had no water, when we had
just experienced a two-foot wave
rolling over half the sanctuary, but it
just came through so fast,” Tello
said. “Many of the monkey cages
were inundated with six inches of
packed mud and rocks. The chimp
enclosures nearest our flood control
dam,” which broke, “had a foot and
a half of rock and clay from the dam.

1998 Initiative spending (Most recent reports received.)

December 1, 1998 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, December 1998:

State Pro-animals Anti-animals
Alaska $ 185,600 $ 225,000
Arizona $ unavailable
California
Horses $ 500,000 unavailable
Trapping $ 899,409 $ 316,085
Minnesota $ 25,000 $ 200,000
Missouri $ Unavailable
Ohio $ 521,680 $ 2,400,000
South Dakota $ 67,315 $ 111,646
Utah $ 56,662 $ 596,646
TOTALS $ 2,037,609 $3 ,849,377

Former Animal Protective Association of
St. Louis County director Nancy Grove made personally
sure that the successful campaign to ban cockfighting
in Missouri was adequately funded by contributing
$57,000 to Missourians Against
Cockfighting, and loaning MAC $250,000 more.

Will Louisiana join the civilized world?

December 1, 1998 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, December 1998:

NEW ORLEANS––“While five states once
clung to the barbaric practice of legalized cockfighting,”
the New Orleans Times-Picayune editorialized on
November 23, saluting the referendum bans of cockfighting
passed on November 3 by the voters of Arizona
and Missouri, “now there are only three. Let New
Mexico and Oklahoma carry the stigma themselves,”
the writers continued. “It’s time for us to join the civilized
world.”
But, the Times-Picayune acknowledged,
“That’s obviously a challenge in a state where lawmakers
have defined parakeets and cocatiels as animals, but
have steadfastly refused to include chickens. That defiance
of common sense and biology prevents cockfighting
from falling under animal cruelty laws,” and
also––as the Times-Picayune did not mention––protects
factory farmers.

Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf? Not 10,000 Alaskan schoolchildren

December 1, 1998 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, December 1998:

ANCHORAGE––The pro-snaring
side won the November voting on a referendum
which sought to ban snaring wolves, but
the anti-snaring side won 53% approval from
10,000 students in grades 4-12 who took part
in a “Kids Voting” civic education exercise.
Within the six-year span of one U.S.
Senate term, those students could tip the
Alaskan electoral balance––as hook-and-bullet
columnists were quick to decry.
Both sides were heavily funded
from outside Alaska. Pro-snaring drew
$95,000 in outside contributions, while antisnaring
drew $117,000.

What they’ll do for a buck

December 1, 1998 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, December 1998:

“And he went down just like that!”
boasted Cathy Keating, wife of Oklahoma
governor Frank Keating, exciting an audience
of male hunters and hunting writers on
November 24.
“I closed my eyes.”
Her victim was a buck reportedly
shot from 950 feet away––a distance so great
that many experts would consider it reckless
and random shooting.
But Keating, also an enthusiastic
participant in so-called rattlesnake round-ups,
was escorted by Oklahoma game warden Ron
Comer and two state troopers.

Hunters move against rights again

December 1, 1998 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, December 1998:

BOISE––Idaho Wildlife Council
president Don Clower told media in late
November that he is already fundraising in
support of an initiative to disenfranchise blood
sports opponents, similar to the one adopted
on November 3 in Utah.
Utah Proposition 5 amended the
state constitution to require that future initiatives
pertaining to wildlife must be approved
by at least two-thirds of the voters, rather than
a simple majority.
Anticipating support from around a
dozen national pro-gun, pro-hunting, and
pro-trapping organizations, Clower reportedly
hopes to place the Idaho initiative on the 2000
ballot.

LETTERS [Dec. 1998]

December 1, 1998 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, December 1998:

Idea for Duffields
It was wonderful to learn that
people with the resources to do so are
investing in putting a stop to killing animals
because no homes can be found for
them. Dave and Cheryl Duffield deserve
heartfelt thanks from everyone who has
ever tried to cope with this sad situation.
In my experience working on
this issue, I have encountered many old
people who have denied themselves the
pleasure of adopting companion animals
because they lacked the financial
resources needed to provide for them if
they should die before the animal(s), as
seemed likely in some cases.
If enough of the generous
Duffield allocation could be allocated to
guarantee lifetime care or another adoption
to animals whose caretakers die or
become incapcitated, it would open up
many homing opportunities and add zest
and possibly a few years to the lives of
many lonely old people.

Letters

Editorial: Humane ecology, Asia, and us

December 1, 1998 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, December 1998:

The pages of this edition of ANIMAL PEOPLE not used to document “Who gets
the money?” largely concern the plight of animals caught in the economic crunch now
afflicting Asia. A theme common to both topics is the widening gap between the wealthy
few and the working poor. But the parallel most striking to us is between the status of animal
protection in the U.S. at the end of the 19th century and in Asia at the end of the 20th.
In either time and place, icon species were pushed toward extinction by rapid
development, driven by the hope of a fast-growing population that aggressive entrepreneurship
could bring escape from poverty. Forests were logged, mountains blasted into slag
heaps, and just about any creature who could be killed was skinned and/or eaten.
Responding to the crisis, enlightened people created a counterforce with a reach
comparable to that of religion––albeit with still just a fraction of the political clout.
It would be a mistake to push the comparison farther. As ANIMAL PEOPLE
has often pointed out, the humane traditions of Asia are rooted in Hinduism, Buddhism,
and Jainism, and may be traced back at least 3,000 years. Whether east or west is following
the other is of interest only to the extent that tactical errors can be avoided.

“Beauty without cruelty” becomes law

December 1, 1998 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, December 1998:

LONDON, NEW DELHI– –
Cosmetic product testing on animals was
banned in Britain, effective November 16,
1998, but Indian minister for social welfare
and empowerment Maneka Gandhi has
reportedly been obliged to backtrack from
proposed rules which were touted as the most
stringent regulation of vivisection anywhere.
“Maneka has unfortunately
removed most of the good features from her
rules,” Susi Weisinger of the Bombay
activist group Ahimsa told ANIMAL PEOP
LE––but Maneka herself told Indian
Express reporter Pallava Bagla on December
3 that despite research industry posturing,
she remained “satisfied with the rules.”

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