Author: Dylan Forest

Letters [July/Aug 2008]

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, July/August 2008:
 
Saving turtles

In your July/August 2000 edition you mentioned that I had put
up $2,500 worth of turtle crossing signs at my own expense, with an
under-cost contribution of materials by Western Signs Inc. For an
update of how much this project has grown, please visit our web site.
–Michele Andre-St. Cyr
Safety Habitat Education Long Life
Rockland, Ontario
Canada
Phone: 613-446-9927
<motherturtle@lincsat.com>
<www.turtleshelltortue.org>
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Editorial: Updated expectations of animal charities

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, July/August 2008:
If for just 15¢ you could ensure that
every donation you make to animal charity goes to
a charity that does what it claims to do, and
does it well, would you spend the 15¢?
The ordering price of the newly published
10th annual edition of the ANIMAL PEOPLE Watchdog
Report on Animal Charities is $25.00–about the
same as the average donation to any type of
charity these days. Divide the Watchdog Report
price by the 165 succinct reviews of prominent
animal charities that it contains, and the
average price per review is 15¢, barely a third
of the cost of mailing a donation.
The ANIMAL PEOPLE Watchdog Report on
Animal Charities helps you to target your
donations and bequests to accomplish more for
animals. The ANIMAL PEOPLE Watchdog Report
gives you an informed independent investigative
perspective on the 117 U.S. animal charities that
you are most likely to hear from by direct mail
or through e-mailings, or hear about in the
news, and on 48 foreign animal charities whose
work is of particular note. People who make large
donations, frequent donations, or are planning
their estates will find the ANIMAL PEOPLE
Watchdog Report especially helpful.
There are free online resources to which
the Watchdog Report may be compared– but only
superficially.

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2001 anthrax attacks that killed five are traced to animal researcher

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, July/August 2008:
WASHINGTON D.C.–The Federal Bureau of
Investigation on August 7, 2008 released
investigation reports that identify U.S. Army
Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases
anthrax researcher Bruce E. Ivins as the probable
mailer of anthrax-contaminated envelopes that
killed five people and sickened 17 others in
October 2001.
After learning of his impending
indictment for murder, Ivins, 62, on July 29,
2008 took a fatal overdose of Tylenol mixed with
codeine.
John W. Ezzel, who hired Ivins to work
at the Army institute in Fort Detrick, Maryland,
told Scott Shane and Eric Lichtblau of The New
York Times that Ivins had conducted “experiments
in which animals were exposed to anthrax to test
vaccines.”

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No big Olympic wins for animals –but some quiet gains

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, July/August 2008:

 

BEIJING–Political stress over Tibet and controversies
arising from the aftermath of the May 12, 2008 Sichuan earthquake
appear to have deferred expectations that China would introduce a
national humane law as a goodwill gesture just ahead of the 2008
Olympic Games in Beijing.
The anticipated introduction, all but promised by state
media for several years, did not happen. Instead, as the 2008
Olympics approached, speculation about the possible content of a
national humane law and reportage about controversial animal issues
nearly vanished from state media–except for warnings that Beijing
restaurants should not serve dog meat during August and September,
while visitors filled the city to attend the Olympics and the
Paralympics for handicapped athletes, to be held afterward.
But the Beijing Pet Dog Management Office. a branch of the
police department, in mid-July summoned Animal Rescue Beijing
founder Wu Tianyu and China Small Animal Protection Association
founder Lu Di “to discuss the situation of pet dog control in
Beijing,” Animal Rescue Beijing volunteer Irene Zhang told ANIMAL
PEOPLE.

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Gains in most regions against cat & dog surplus, but no sudden miracles

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE,  July/August 2008:



           Animals killed  YEAR  1,000s    Animals
         per 1,000 people       of people  killed
---------------------------------------------------------
New York City        2.0  2007  8,143    16,489
CONNECTICUT          0.6  2007  3,502     2,282
NEW HAMPSHIRE        2.3  2007  1,316     2,696
---------------------------------------------------------
NORTHEAST (39%)      1.6       33,562    54,972

NEW JERSEY           4.4  2007  8,866    38,742
Pr. George Cty, MD   7.1  2007    841     6,000
DELAWARE            15.8  2005    854    13,500
Philadelphia        19.9  2006  1,448    28,774
---------------------------------------------------------
MID-ATLANTIC (40%)   7.8       27,782   217,540


Mission Viejo, CA    1.0  2005    166       113
San Juan Capistrano  1.3  2007     37        48
San Francisco        1.6  2007    744     1,411
Huntington Beach     2.5  2006    194       485
Los Angeles city     3.7  2007  4,018    15,009
Orange County, CA    4.3  2007  3,002    13,000
San Diego            4.0  2007  2,942    11,700
WASHINGTON           6.6  2006  6,132    40,722
Los Angeles total    6.8  2007  9,503    64,457
Tehama County, CA    6.8  2006     62       421
Portland/Multnomah   7.8  2007    682     5,332
OREGON               8.4  2006  3,641    30,528
Los Angeles County   8.5  2007  5,082    43,373
Santa Clara County   8.5  2005  1,668    14,097
Anchorage            9.1  2007    275     2,490
San Bernardino Cty  11.3  2007  2,028    22,900
Merced Cty, CA      12.2  2006    246     3,011
Long Beach          13.0  2007    469     6,075
Lodi, CA            13.9  2005     57       788
Monterey County, CA 14.4  2006    412     5,912
Lindsay/Porterville 14.6  2005     56       817
Visalia, CA         16.4  2006    420     6,896
Santa Cruz Cty, CA  20.0  2005    251     5,000
Kern County, CA     23.3  2006    802    18,669
Spokane             22.1  2006    447     8,991
Stanislaus Cty, CA  23.4  2007    512    12,000
Douglas County      24.0  2005    104     2,519
Valley Oak,  CA     25.4  2005    210     5,336
Bakersfield, CA     26.2  2005    644    16,904
Clovis, CA          28.0  2006     90     2,524
Madera County, CA   35.2  2005    144     5,071
Kings County, CA    27.2  2005    147     4,013
Tulare Cty, CA      40.3  2005    154     6,203
Fresno, CA          40.9  2006    787    32,147
---------------------------------------------------------
PACIFIC (73%)        9.3       48,736   453,340

Broward County       7.3  2006  1,788    13,000
Richmond, VA         7.9  2007    193     1,516
West Palm Beach      9.5  2007  1,351    12,820
VIRGINIA            12.7  2007  7,643    97,011
St. Johns Cnty, FL  13.0  2007    169     2,201
Atlanta area        16.9  2005  5,138    87,000
Alachua Cty, FL     18.2  2006    224     4,071
Orlando/Orange Cty  18.6  2005  1,023    19,000
Lee County, FL      19.1  2007    571    10,907
Tampa area          19.9  2006  2,489    49,557
Buncombe Cnty, NC   21.6  2007    222     4,800
Duval County, FL    23.5  2007    838    19,662
Columbia, SC        23.5  2007    468    11,000
Charleston, SC      24.1  2007    332     8,000
NORTH CAROLINA      25.5  2006  8,856   226,000
York county, SC     37.7  2006    199     7,500
Polk County,  FL    40.3  2005    511    20,566
Rome/Floyd Cty, GA  42.3  2006     95     4,034
Macon, GA           42.3  2007     94     3,970
Volusia County, FL  42.3  2007    497    21,000
Alamance Cty, NC    42.4  2007    143     6,067
Clay County, FL     44.7  2007    179     8,000
Orangeburg Cty, SC  49.5  2006     91     4,500
Stokes County, NC   60.9  2007     46     2,792
---------------------------------------------------------
SO. ATLANTIC (67%)  19.6       48,976   957,262

Dallas              10.8  2005  2,306    25,000
Dallas/FtWorth rgn  14.2  2005  5,753    82,000
Austin/Travis Cty.  15.2  2007    921    14,000
Shelby County, AL   16.9  2007    178     3,000
Houston             18.4  2007  3,886    71,395
San Antonio         23.1  2006  1,300    30,000
Birmingham          23.8  2005    818    19,438
Fort Worth          24.9  2005    603    15,000
Conroe area, TX     26.8  2006    378    10,120
Baldwin County, AL  28.7  2007    129     3,700
Mobile              30.1  2005    401    12,071
Tuskaloosa, AL      30.1  2006    169     4,982
Gulfport            31.8  2006    194     6,160
Baldwin County, AL  33.3  2006    163     5,432
Blount County, AL   38.6  2006     56     2,153
LOUISIANA           38.6  2005  4,288   157,070
Shreveport/Caddo    48.0  2005    250    12,000
Longview, TX        70.8  2005    114     8,070
Tupelo, MS          55.4  2006     78     4,320
---------------------------------------------------------
GULF COAST (52%)    23.0       35,744   822,598

Mason County, MI     3.9  2007     30       116
Terre Haute          4.6  2005    169       780
Milwaukee            4.8  2005  1,700     8,162
Chicago              6.7  2006  2,833    19,000
Porter Cty, IN       6.8  2007    160     1,081
Macomb County, MI    7.2  2007    833     6,000
Oakland County, MI   8.2  2006  1,214    10,000
MICHIGAN            11.7  2006 10,096   117,919
Sangamon Cty, IL    14.4  2007    194     2,800
Columbus/Frnkln Cty 14.6  2006  1,096    16,000
OHIO                14.9  2004 11,467   170,638
St. Clair Cty, MI   15.3  2007    170     2,600
Indianapolis        16.7  2007    866    14,470
Oklahoma City       28.0  2007    691    19,365
Independence, MO    29.7  2006    113     3,361
Tulsa               39.2  2006    383    15,000
River Rouge, MI    129.4  2007      9     1,165
---------------------------------------------------------
MIDWEST (41%)       13.0       70,006   910,078

Salt Lake City       6.0  2005  1,016     6,094
Reno                 6.6  2007    396     2,622
COLORADO             9.1  2007  4,753    43,000
UTAH                14.4  2005  2,352    33,854
Phoenix/Maricopa    15.5  2007  3,768    58,531
Cascade County, MT  18.3  2005     79     1,446
Las Vegas/Clark Cty 22.1  2007  1,997    26,500
Albuquerque         23.8  2007    505    12,029
NEW MEXICO          33.7  2007  1,978    66,709
Santa Fe, NM        38.2  2005    130     5,000
---------------------------------------------------------
WEST (72%)          16.0       21,361   341,111

TENNESSEE (prjctd)  25.1  2006  6,039   151,329
Knoxville           29.9  2006    405    12,090
Kanawha/Charleston  34.1  2007    192     6,553
Louisville          42.9  2005    700    30,000
---------------------------------------------------------
APPALACHIA (46%)    27.1       15,045   408,439

U.S. TOTAL          13.8      301,212 4,165,340

	The regional and national totals appearing in bold are not 
tallies of the data used to produce them,  but are rather estimates 
proportionately weighted to reflect demography.  The percentage 
figure in parenthesis is the percentage of the regional human 
population encompassed within the shelter service areas from which 
the totals were derived.

 

Livestock took biggest quake hit

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, June 2008:
CHENGDU–The most numerous sentient victims of the May 12,
2008 Sichuan earthquake were livestock. Fourteen million chickens
and rabbits, 3.8 million pigs, 178,000 goats, and 60,000 cows died
in collapsed or inaccessible barns, the Chinese agriculture ministry
updated on June 4, nearly doubling the estimate of pig losses.
Sichuan pig slaughter will drop 10% in 2008 due to the
earthquake, the agriculture ministry estimated.

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Rise of Quebec politician to WSPA board presidency raises questions

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, June 2008:
LONDON–The World Society for the
Protection of Animals board on June 5, 2008
elected Montreal attorney and 20-year WSPA board
member Dominique Bellemare to serve as board
president. This might have occasioned little
notice, except that Bellemare is a prominent
Canadian politician, who has no visible record
on such prominent Canadian political topics as
the Atlantic Canada seal hunt and efforts to
update the 1893 Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Act.
Bellemare’s web site,
<dominiquebellemare.com>, as of his ascent to
the WSPA board presidency made no mention of
either animal issues or WSPA, but his 2004
campaign biography, distributed as part of an
unsuccessful run for Parliament, mentioned
involvement with the pro-hunting organization
Ducks Unlimited, as well as with WSPA and the
Humane Society of Canada.

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Animal obits

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, June 2008:

Jocko the spider monkey, 15, died from
a fractured skull on May 7, 2008 at the Greater
Vancouver Zoo in Aldergrove, British Columbia,
fighting to protect his mate Mia, three years
older, from night intruders. The intruders took
Mia from the zoo. She has not been found. Born
in captivity, Jocko and Mia had shared their
habitat since 1993.

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Obituaries [June 2008]

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, June 2008:
Stephen Claussen, 41, was killed in a May 17, 2008 light
plane crash in Englewood Township, New Jersey, along with pilot and
plane owner John Ambroult, 60, of Eastham, Massachusetts.
“Claussen, of Seattle, was best known for training Keiko, star of
the blockbuster movie Free Willy, for six years in preparation for
his release into the wild,” recalled Newark Star-Ledger staff
reporter Maryann Spoto. Claussen and crash survivors Jaclyn Toth
Brown, 28, and Juan Carlos Salinas, 43, of Mexico City, “worked
for Texas-based Geo-Marine Inc. gathering data for an environmental
impact statement the state Department of Environmental Protection
will use in assessing what effect offshore wind-powered turbines may
have on marine mammals and birds,” Spoto added. Raised in Bellvue,
Washington, Claussen volunteered in his teens at the Point Defiance
Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma, “driving down before work at 4 a.m. to help
feed the animals,” wrote Seattle Times staff reporter Susan Gilmore.

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