Progress toward abolishing animal sacrifice in Nepal and India

October 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2007:
KATHMANDU–“Though a ceasefire between the government and the
Maoist guerrillas has held for over a year now,” India News Service
reporter Sudeshna Sarkar wrote from the Nepalese capital city of
Kathmandu on October 19, 2007, “Nepal is passing through one of
its goriest periods with thousands of animals being sacrificed daily
on the occasion of Dashain, the biggest Hindu festival in the
country.
“On the eighth day of the nearly fortnight-long
celebrations,” Sarkar explained, “animal killings reach a
crescendo, with buffaloes, goats, and chickens being slaughtered.”
But since the recent dissolution of the Nepalese theocracy,
Sarkar noted, dissent against the sacrifices–formerly personally
led by the king–has emerged.

Buffalo Field Campaign director enters 2007-2008 bison migration season on probation

October 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2007:

BOZEMAN–Buffalo Field Campaign director Daniel Brister, 37,
was fined $585 and put on six months of probation on October 10,
2007, after a six-member jury convicted him of obstructing a peace
officer, in an incident which ended in Brister receiving three
staples at the Bozeman Deaconess Hospital to close a scalp wound.
Brister was arrested near West Yellowstone, Montana, on May
9, 2007, while videotaping law enforcement officers who were
hazing about 300 bison back into Yellowstone National Park.
A Buffalo Field Campaign press release issued soon afterward
said the incident began when volunteer Peter David Bogusko urged
Montana Highway Patrol officer Shane Cox to close Highway 191 before
the herd stampeded across it. Bogusko was apparently unaware that
the U.S. Forest Service had already closed the highway. Cox ordered
Bogusko to leave the area. When Bogusko allegedly tried to go a
different direction, Cox arrested him. Bogusko then allegedly
kicked out a side window of Cox’s patrol car, and was charged with
felony criminal mischief.

Court holds Georgia in contempt for allowing gassing

October 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2007:
ATLANTA–Fulton County Superior Court Judge Tom Campbell on
October 3, 2007 found the Georgia Department of Agriculture in
contempt of court for allowing Cobb County to continue to kill
animals in a gas chamber.
Explained Associated Press writer Dorie Turner, “The state
issued a favorable inspection report last May for Cobb County’s
animal shelter even though the facility was operating a carbon
monoxide chamber at the time of the inspection,” contrary to the
requirements of the 1990 Georgia Humane Euthanasia Act. The act
requires that animal shelters must use sodium pentobarbital to kill
dogs and cats, and prohibits leaving dying animals unattended.

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

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