California bans lead shot to help condors –big loss for NRA

October 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2007:

SACRAMENTO–California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on
October 13, 2007 signed into law a ban on hunting species classed as
“big game” and coyotes with lead ammunition in habitat used by
endangered California condors.
Schwarzenegger signed the bill a month after appeasing the
National Rifle Association by obtaining the resignation of former
California Fish & Game Commission member R. Judd Hanna, who had
urged the commission to ban lead ammunition.
The California Fish & Game Commission in February 2005
rejected two similar proposals presented by the Center for Biological
Diversity.
Schwarzenegger asked Hanna to resign one day after 34
Republican state legislators demanded that Hanna be fired.
Schwarzenegger had in February 2007 appointed Hanna to a term that
was to run until 2013. The NRA and Gun Owners of California
militantly objected to Hanna, himself a hunter, when Hanna
researched the effects of lead on wildlife and at an August 27, 2007
Fish & Game Commission meeting distributed 167 pages of his findings
to the other commissioners.

Other prominent pit bull cases

October 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2007:
“Two months after a tipster reported seeing emaciated dogs
and dry water bowls” at the home of rap star DMX in Cave Creek,
Arizona, “there have been no arrests,” reported Carol Sowers of the
Arizona Republic on October 6, 2007. American SPCA forensic
veterinarian Melinda Merck reported after performing necropsies on
August 18 that she was unable to determine the causes of death of
three pit bull terriers who were found buried on the premises.
Guns, marijuana, and cocaine were also found on the property.
“Brad Blackwell, who had been hired to care for the pit
bulls, told deputies that the buried dogs were likely in the house
in cages and died after the air conditioning broke down,” Sowers
wrote. A different vet told the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office
that the dogs were suffering from valley fever, an infectious lung
disease. Blackwell told the sheriff’s office that he had told DMX,
whose actual name is Earl Simmons, that he could look after the dogs
“just for a couple of days” before going on vacation.
“We are still interviewing possible witnesses,” Sheriff Joe
Arpaio told Sowers.

Vick case has impact across the U.S.

October 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2007:
CINCINNATI, NORFOLK, RICHMOND–The National Football League
on September 29, 2007 narrowly avoided embarrassment in yet another
instance of violence against animals when Paul Brown Stadium Limited
withdrew a request to the city of Cincinnati to shoot pigeons prior
to Cincinnati Bengals home games.
Cincinnati City Manager Milton Dohoney had authorized the shooting,
wrote Mark Curnutte of the Cincinnati Inquirer, “but only after
other methods had been tried. PETA representatives jumped on the
issue, urging mayor Mark Mallory to stop any bird killings. They
said they would help stadium officials with ways to get rid of the
pigeons.”
The Cincinnati pigeon issue blew up soon after PETA reaped a
publicity harvest from the aftermath of the plea bargain conviction
of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick for felony conspiracy in
connection with dogfighting.

First conviction in Scotland for badger-baiting

October 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2007:
EDINBURGH–Craig Morrison, 22, on
October 9, 2007 became the first person to be
convicted of badger baiting in Scotland under the
Protection of Badgers and Protection of Wild
Mammals acts, passed in 2004 and 2002.
Charged with nine offenses on March 29,
2007, Morrison pleaded guilty to three of them
in the Kilmamock Sheriff Court. Sheriff Seith
Ireland deferred sentencing, pending receipt of
witness statements that he said “could make the
difference between a custodial sentence or
community service.”
“Prosecutors requested Morrison’s dogs be
taken from him permanently and an order be made
to ban Morrison from keeping animals. They also
asked the court for Morrison to be liable for the
£3,000 costs of housing the dogs since they were
seized from him in March,” wrote Robert McAulay
of The Scotsman.

Pro-hunting Nature Conservancy president quits

October 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2007:
ARLINGTON, Va.–Steven J. McCormick,
56, president of The Nature Conservancy since
December 2000, abruptly resigned on October 1,
2007, effective immediately. His successor has
not been selected.
A 30-year Nature Conservancy employee,
McCormick took over the national organization
after his predecessor, John Sawhill, died from
diabetes. While Nature Conservancy policies have
always favored hunting, fishing, and trapping,
McCormick –himself an avid hunter–moved TNC
into closer alignment with hunting, fishing,
and trapping advocacy organizations.
McCormick previously directed the Nature
Conservancy of California for 16 years,
presiding over the acquisition of Santa Cruz
Island to become a part of Channel Island
National Park and efforts to exterminate
non-native animals on the island.

Letters [Oct 2007]

October 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2007:

Iranian street dog sterilization program is thwarted

As an update to “Dogs symbolize the west in Iran,” in your
September 2007 edition, I should say that the mayor of Hashtgerd was
changed, and the city hall did not keep the promises made by the
former mayor to support a neuter/return program for street dogs
instead of killing them. They did not help the Vafa Animal Shelter
at all. And they are again killing the dogs.
Unfortunately, I think both parties had not thought
very carefully about what they were promising. Sterilizing and
vaccinating the dogs of Hashtgerd will need a lot of space,
volunteers, and financial assistance. But the project saved 74 dogs
while it operated.
Mrs.Samira Moghaddam has called the police on behalf of the
Center for Animal Lovers, and suggested that we could help them to
take care of the dogs whom Radio Free Europe reported were jailed for
being out in public, but the police have not responded yet. We
thought we could both take care of them and find out about their
final destiny.
Unfortunately, you used the former address for the Vafa
Animal Shelter in your article. The right address is #785, Khayyam
Ave., Tehran, Iran.
Read more

Letters

Greenpeace says “Eat roos.”

October 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2007:
VICTORIA–Greenpeace Aust-ralia on October 10, 2007 endorsed
slaughtering kangaroos instead of cattle as a purported way to fight
global warming.
The argument for eating kangaroos was prominently featured in
the Greenpeace Australia press release promoting Paths to a
Low-Carbon Future, a Greenpeace-commissioned report released on
October 10 and made available for downloading from the top of the
Greenpeace Australia web site.
Kangaroos were actually mentioned in only two sentences of
the 30-page report, but the press release mention– which omitted
half the context–won mentions of Paths to a Low-Carbon Future in
more than 200 newspapers worldwide within the next 24 hours.
Wrote report author Mark Diesendorf at the bottom of page 16,
“This report proposes to reduce beef consumption by 20%, as this
agricultural sector makes the biggest contribution to Australia’s
methane emissions. This could be accomplished by shifting to
kangaroo meat and/or lower-meat diets.”

“Future of Hunting” TV show and future of hunting itself in question

October 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2007:

BENNINGTON, Vt.–Vermont Supreme Court Justice Brian Burgess
on October 5, 2007 amended the conditions of release for The Future
of Hunting cable television show host Kevin M. Hoyt, 37, who on
August 27, 2007 pleaded innocent to felony charges of lewd and
lascivious conduct.
The Future of Hunting features expenses-paid “dream hunts” by
children. Recent episodes were reportedly taped in Alabama, Ohio,
and Tennessee.
Hoyt, according to a September 2005 profile by Pam Belluck
of The New York Times, “quit a job as a structural steel draftsman a
few years ago and decided to dedicate himself to getting children
across the country interested in hunting. Hoyt, a father of five
children under age 13, says he is committed to recruiting younger
hunters.”

Editorial feature: Why animal charities need to learn to pass the hat

October 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2007:

Among the outcomes of sending ANIMAL
PEOPLE to nearly 11,000 animal protection
organizations worldwide, as often as we can
afford the postage, is that we receive constant
inquiries from people who hope we can help fund
proposed projects, or provide introductions to
others who might, or at least publicize a
proposed project in hopes of attracting funders,
even though more than 80% of our readers are
themselves trying to raise funds for their own
worthwhile pro-animal projects.
Probably every reader of ANIMAL PEOPLE
has at least one brilliant idea about things that
could and should be done to help animals, if
only the money was available.
Some of the ideas we hear about are
impractical, ill-conceived, or have already
been tried in other times and places with
disappointing results. Yet many other ideas
presented to us are eminently practical, and
could succeed with adequate investment. The only
obstacle is that the necessary funding is not
easily or immediately available. Someone needs
to go out and raise the funds, by persuading
donors to put their contributions into this
particular project, rather than any of the
myriad others that the typical donor will hear
about between now and the next time the person
has money to give.

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