Author: Dylan Forest

Editorial: Humane education lessons from the Haiti disaster

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2010:

 
Inquiries to ANIMAL PEOPLE about how to help the animals of
Haiti began even before the dust had settled from the collapse of the
Haitian presidential palace and parliament buildings. At this
writing at least 170,000 people are known to have been killed by the
January 12, 2010 Haitian earthquake, with the toll still rising as
more bodies are found beneath the rubble in Port au Prince, the
Haitian capital city, and in surrounding suburbs.
As after the Indian Ocean tsunami of late December 2004,
Hurricane Katrina in late August 2005, the Sichuan earthquake of May
2008, and other disasters of recent years, animal charities rushed
out emergency alerts and dispatched rescue teams in the direction of
Haiti without waiting to get particulars as to what might be needed
or how best to get it there.

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Letters [March 2010]

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2010:

Rhinos & elephants

Re “Zimbabwe suspends hunting to save rhinos,” in your
January/February 2010 edition, I have no doubt that rhino poaching
is closely linked to ivory trade. I have circulated your article to
the Kenya Elephant Forum. As a forum we oppose Tanzania’s current
proposal to downlist the African elephant population from the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species appendix I,
meaning that elephants and their parts may not be sold
internationally, to appendix II.
Tanzania and Kenya share elephant populations. Kenya was not
consulted by Tanzania before Tanzania prepared their proposal.
–Steve Itela

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Friends of Plymouth Pound & PetSmart Charities

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2010:

 

After mentioning that PetSmart Charities
had achieved four million adoptions since 1992
through the PetSmart adoption centers, the
November/ December 2009 ANIMAL PEOPLE editorial
noted that “Friends of the Plymouth Pound, on
Cape Cod, called a boycott of PetSmart because,
after 10 years, the PetSmart store in Hyannis
chose to work with a different adoption partner.”
ANIMAL PEOPLE had on November 17, 2009
received an e-mail from Friends of the Plymouth
Pound board member Beth Hennessy stating, “I am
boycotting PetsMart and am encouraging everyone I
know to do so also.”
Wrote Friends of the Plymouth Pound
founder Gayle Fitzpatrick to ANIMAL PEOPLE on
January 28, 2009, “Friends of the Plymouth
Pound never called for a boycott of PetSmart. Beth
made a mistake and I am certain that this will
never happen again…She was not speaking for the
organization.”

The importance of humane education

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2010:

The importance of humane education by Wu Tianyu

Among the few nations which have almost every type of
ecosystem, from tropical rainforest to desert to steppe, China has
great natural bioversity, including such species unique to China as
giant pandas, 19 varieties of pheasant, three golden monkeys,
Przewalski’s Horse, Przewalski’s gazelle, wild yaks, and Tibetan
antelope.
China also breeds 1 billion pigs, 10 billion chickens, and
200 million cattle each year-more than any other nation.
In addition, China breeds more wildlife in captivity than
any other nation.
Even by the lowest recent estimates, Chinese people also
keep more pets than any other nation: two to seven times more pet
dogs, and more pet cats than dogs.
Yet our wildlife, our farm animals, and even our pets are
often badly treated. Lacking animal welfare legislation, China is in
this sense behind more than 110 other nations. Animals suffer from
low status in China because the national education system does
nothing to promote animal welfare.
When we understand the relationship between humans and
animals, it is clear that treating animals with compassion is
essential to fostering human virtue.
The more civilized a society, the wider is its scope of
care. The moral shortcomings of a nation cannot be overcome through
economic development and scientific advances. This requires
enlightenment and education. Therefore, it is essential to integrate
humane education into the Chinese educational system. China has more
students than any other nation. This means that China has huge
potential to promote humane values through education, from
kindergarten to university. When humane education is a part of most
people’s education, most people will recognize the importance of
treating animals in an ethical manner, and will support legislation
prohibiting cruelty.

Wu Tianyu founded Animal Rescue Beijing in 1987, and
established the China University Union for the Protection of Animals
in 2009. CUUPA, now including 110 chapters at 110 universities in
six provinces, advocates the integration of humane education into
the Chinese curriculum, and promotes the passage of animal welfare
legislation in China.

Animal welfare is Chinese tradition, says prof

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2010:

 

CHENGDU–Legislating on behalf of animals is not a break with
Chinese culture and tradition, but rather a rediscovery of ancient
Chinese values, Central Institute of Socialism professor Mang Ping
recently told an ActAsia forum on promoting animal welfare
legislation.
“In Chinese history there is a long tradition of protecting
animals, but we forget about the past. We have the same sympathy
and mercy as the West towards animals,” Mang Ping declared,
according to notes taken by Animals Asia Foundation founder Jill
Robinson.

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Good winter for bison

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2010:

 

WEST YELLOWSTONE–Montana hunters killed only one bison who
roamed out of Yellowstone National Park during the winter of
2009-2010, after killing only one the previous winter. The state
issued 144 bison tags to members of the Nez Perce tribe, and 144 to
other Montana hunters.
During the harsh winters of 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 more than
1,000 bison were either shot or trucked to slaughter after testing
positive as potential carriers of brucellosis, feared by the Montana
cattle industry, but few bison left Yellowstone during the mild past
two winters.

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Retired cavalry general rides to the rescue of Animal Birth Control programs

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2010:
CHENNAI, AHMEDABAD– Responding to alleged corruption that
has in recent years crippled the Indian national Animal Birth Control
program, Animal Welfare Board of India chair Rammehar Kharb warned
the cities of Ahmedabad and Ludhiana against employing unauthorized
ABC providers.
“You are requested to cancel your ABC contract awarded to
Animal Shelter & Hospital at Ahmedabad Foundation, which is not
recognized or registered with AWBI,” Kharb wrote to the Ahmedabad
Municipal Corporation, “failing which AWBI will be constrained to
initiate action in the matter.”

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Interest in the Chinese draft bill around Pacific Rim

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2010:

 

TAIPEI, SEOUL– The Chinese draft animal welfare bill
attracted keen interest elsewhere around the Pacific Rim, especially
as a potential precedent for strengthening the animal welfare laws of
some of China’s major Asian trading partners.
Business news media discussed whether the introduction of a
Chinese animal welfare act will lead to international regulation of
animal welfare comparable to the regulation of commerce in endangered
species. Most pundits appeared to agree that whatever animal welfare
legislation China enacts will become the default standard for Asia,
and that no nation will prosper in trade if it has lower standards.

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China reportedly bans bullfights

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2010:

 

“China has decided not to allow bullfights,” International
Movement Against Bullfights coordinator Maria Lopes e-mailed to
supporters on Feb-ruary 7, 2010, citing “several Spanish newspapers
published today.” The Spanish newspapers reported that a plan by
matador Manolo Sanchez to build a 7,000-seat bull ring in the Beijing
suburb of Huairou had been scuttled.
The Spanish accounts were not immediately confirmed by
Chinese media, but the Beijing Global Times on January 27, 2010
reported about Chinese opposition to repeated attempts to introduce
Spanish-style bullfighting to China.

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