Money spent to help animals would not be lost

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, January/February 2009:

Parables in every faith warn against
hoarding wealth, instead of using it to good
purpose. Those who doubt the wisdom of the sages
might look instead to the headlines.
The New York Times on page one of the
last day of 2008 observed that Wall Street losses
during the year had eradicated every gain made
since 2001, the most recent previous year of
economic downturn.
Another New York Times page one item
discussed the losses to charities resulting from
the activities of former NASDAQ chair Bernard
Madoff, who is charged with bilking investors of
$50 billion. Among the victims were many of the
wealthiest nonprofit foundations in the U.S.,
and investment funds that handled the assets of
possibly thousands of other charities and
individual donors. The extent of the damage will
take months to assess.

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Rodeo without mayhem?

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, January/February 2009:
DENVER–If rodeo doesn’t kill, injure,
and torture animals, will people still pay to
watch it?
With rodeo attendance, TV audiences,
and sponsorship in freefall, and activist
opposition to violent events intensifying, major
rodeos throughout the west are making gestures
toward trying to reduce the mayhem.
For example, “New policies in place at
the 2009 National Western Rodeo will focus on
much restricted use of electric prods and
stronger fines for jerk downs in the tie down
roping,” announced National Western Stock Show
president Patrick A. Grant on the eve of the
stock show, held from January 7 to January 25,
2009.
The Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo and
Greeley Stampede announced similar policy changes
earlier. The Chicago-based animal rights group
Showing Animals Respect & Kindness (SHARK) has
repeatedly videotaped electroshocking and jerk
downs in roping competition at all three events
in recent years.

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Ex-NIMH head Goodwin is back in the news

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, December 2008:
Frederick K. Goodwin, host of “The Infinite Mind” program on
National Public Radio since 1998, “earned at least $1.3 million from
2000 to 2007 giving marketing lectures for drugmakers, income not
mentioned on the program,” reported Gardiner Harris of The New York
Times on November 21, 2008, citing findings by Senator Charles E.
Grassley (R-Iowa).
“In a program broadcast on Sept-ember 20, 2005,” Harris
wrote, Goodwin “warned that children with bipolar disorder who were
left untreated could suffer brain damage, a controversial view.

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REVIEWS: Three views of Red

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, December 2008:
Three views of Red

Directed by Tygve Allisten Diesen & Lucky McKee. Produced by Norman
Dreyfuss & Tygve Allister Diesen.

Starring Amanda Plummer, Brian Cox, Kim Dickens, Kyle Gallner,
Noel Fisher, Richard Riehle, Robert Englund,
Shiloh Fernandez, and Tom Sizemore.

Released to theatres in August 2008; DVD released in October 2008.
Red, adapted by screenwriter Steph-en Susco from a 1995
novel of the same title by Jack Ketchum, begins with a crime of a
sort that many readers of ANIMAL PEOPLE have encountered, and often
will have personally investigated, prosecuted, or otherwise
responded to as animal advocates.
Red has evoked varied responses from people who care about
animals. Novelist Arthur Winfield Knight, a retired film critic,
wrote to bring Red to the attention of ANIMAL PEOPLE after seeing it
with his wife Kit, who is still an active film critic. ANIMAL
PEOPLE president Kim Bartlett and artist Wolf Clifton watched Red at
Knight’s recommendation, and took different views of it.

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BOOKS: The Rhino With Glue-On Shoes & Trust Me: I’m not a veterinarian

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, December 2008:

The Rhino With Glue-On Shoes
& other surprising stories of zoo vets and their patients
Edited by Lucy H. Spelman, DVM and Ted Y. Mashima, DVM
Delacorte Press (c/o Random House,
1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019), 2008.
Hardcover, 310 pages. $22.00.

Trust Me: I’m not a veterinarianŠNo Dog Before His Time!
James D. Schwartz
Next To Kin Foundation (5954 S. Monaco Way, Centennial, CO 80111), 2008.
324 pages, paperback. $15.99.

The Rhino With Glue-On Shoes and Trust
Me: I’m not a veterinarian could scarcely
present more contrasting views of the veterinary
profession.
Twenty-eight zoo vets in The Rhino With
Glue-On Shoes recall their most memorable
patients. Each appears to work in the tradition
of All Creatures Great & Small author James
Herriot, authentically fond of animals and quick
to respond to any crisis involving any sort of
animal, from sea dragons to gorillas and polar
bears.

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Obituaries [Dec. 2008]

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, December 2008:

 

Right: Ray Fadden about 50 years ago with his pet porcupine
Needles. “Dad had the knack of picking up Needles,” recalls son
John Fadden. “One evening when the light wasn’t good, he picked up
a wild porcupine by mistake. He wondered why he put up such a fuss.
He even put him in his huge chicken wire-covered teepee cage. Later,
the real Needles roamed home, and Dad realized his mistake. Needless
to say he let the other one free, and he hurried away as fast as he
could, which wasn’t too fast, as you know. When he was young,
Dad had an un-descented skunk too,” John Fadden added. “The skunk
lived in his camp/shack in back of the house, he told me.”

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BOOKS: A Template for Change

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, December 2008:

A Template for Change by Carolyn Menteith
Jointly published by
Dogs Trust and Battersea Dogs & Cats Home
Free download from <www.tnrdogs.com>.

A Template for Change succinctly presents
the case for introducing neuter/return to replace
catch-and-kill dog control, and describes every
aspect of how to do neuter/return, based mostly
on the work of Robert Smith in Oradea, Romania
and Istanbul, Turkey.
As a free download, the price is right
for anyone anywhere. Introduced at the October
2008 International Companion Animal Welfare
Conference, A Template for Change is already in
use worldwide– but this excellent handbook
contains one serious flaw.

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BOOKS: Savage Humans & Stray Dogs

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, December 2008:

Savage Humans & Stray Dogs
by Hiranmay Karlekar
Sage Publications (www.sagepublications.com), 2008.
275 pages, paperback.

Savage Humans & Stray Dogs author Hiranmay Karlekar has
reported about socio-political affairs and animal welfare for leading
Indian news media since 1963, writing in both English and Bengali.
As a columnist for The Pioneer, a nationally circulated newspaper,
Karlekar helped to curtail the dog pogroms that broke out in
Bangalore and elsewhere in Karnataka state after two children were
killed by dogs in early 2007. Karlekar is now a member of the Animal
Welfare Board of India.
Savage Humans & Stray Dogs opens with an attempt to provide a
definitive account of what actually happened in Bangalore. Karlekar
may not have seen the extensive ANIMAL PEOPLE coverage, but cites
many of the same sources, and appears to reach similar conclusions.

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BOOKS: The Forgotten Horses

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, December 2009:

The Forgotten Horses
Photographs by Tony Stromberg
New World Library (14 Pamaron Way,
Novato, CA 94949), 2008.
192 pages, hardcover. $45.00.

The Forgotten Horses is dedicated “To
unwanted horses, both domestic and wild. To the
unsung heroes at equine rescue organizations and
sanctuaries all over the world who have taken it
upon themselves to honor, defend, care for,
and support unwanted horses and animals–it is
their life, their livelihood, and their
homecoming.”

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