Roddick tells AmEx to shed fur

May 1, 1993 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 1993:

WEST SUSSEX, U.K.––Seeking

to build a progressive image, American

Express recently began airing television com-

mercials featuring British cruelty-free person-

al care products entrepreneur Anita Roddick,

whose Body Shop logo has become synony-

mous with conscientious capitalism. The

commercials describe how Roddick roams the

world in search of products whose ingredients

can be harvested from whole and healthy nat-

ural environments, such as the Amazonian

rainforest. It’s great publicity for The Body

Shop as well as for AmEx––and it came at a

price beyond dollars.

Postage hike to hit charities

May 1, 1993 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 1993:

Third class nonprofit postal rates, used to

mail ANIMAL PEOPLE and most other humane infor-

mation mediums, are scheduled to take another big jump

in the fall, following increases of 80% over the past three

years. Further, President Clinton’s fiscal 1994 budget

proposes abolishing nonprofit third class privileges for

publications, such as ANIMAL PEOPLE, that contain

either advertising or political advocacy materials.

Nonprofit second class privileges would be removed from

periodicals devoting more than 10% of their space to

advertising (30% to 40% advertising is the usual periodi-

cal breakeven point). Letter-sized nonprofit mailing

rates, used chiefly for fundraising, may go up 32%, from

a current basic rate of 11.1¢ per piece to 14.7¢ apiece.

While the gradual reduction of nonprofit mailing subsidies

hurts all charities, some observers believe the higher rates

will most hurt organizations such as the Doris Day Animal

League, which were formed with the active participation

of commercial direct mail fundraising firms, and whose

programs consist largely of “public education” via letters

and bulletins distributed with funding appeals.

ANIMAL CONTROL & RESCUE

May 1, 1993 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 1993:

The Los Angeles City Council’ s

ad hoc committee on the ongoing municipal

budget crisis has dropped plans to merge

city and county animal control, as a merger

might hurt service without saving money.

The Agricultural Subcommittee

of the Maine legislature has unanimously

killed as impractical a bill to institute

statewide cat licensing.

Washington state senator Scott

Barr’s bill (SB 5832) to force pounds and

shelters to surrender animals to research lab-

oratories recently cleared the state senate

agriculture committee 6-0. The committee is

headed by Marilyn Rasmussen, who is

author of another bill, SB 5532, that would

strip humane societies of the power to

enforce anti-cruelty laws, and exempt dog

and cat breeders, circuses, zoos, aquariums,

Can we outlaw pet overpopulation?

May 1, 1993 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 1993:

SACRAMENTO, California –– Neuter your cat

or else!

In legal language, “An owner of a cat over the age

of six months shall have the cat sterilized by a veterinarian if

the cat is permitted outdoors without supervision.”

As drafted, California state assembly bill AB 302

admits no exceptions. Introduced in early February by

assemblyman Paul Horcher, AB 302 sounds like a shelter

worker’s dream––but may be mainly symbolic, since it

includes neither an enforcement mechanism nor specific

penalties for disobedience. Due to the difficulty of identify-

ing cats, some legal experts believe it could never be

enforced without instituting a universal statewide system of

cat licensing, something never before attempted on any

comparable scale, and almost certain to be opposed by

many cat-keepers.

ANIMAL PEOPLE investigation: Acting head of North Shore Animal League cleared of old allegations; MAY BE NAMED PRESIDENT OF $59 MILLION HUMANE SOCIETY

May 1, 1993 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 1993:

PORT WASHINGTON, New York––An intensive ANIMAL PEOPLE

investigation of allegations raised against acting North Shore Animal League chief exec-

utive officer J. John Stevenson by his opponents in an eight-year-old lawsuit has con-

cluded that they have no substance sufficient to call into question his fitness to adminis-

trate the world’s largest humane society.

ANIMAL PEOPLE reviewed more than 300 pages of court documents and

interviewed numerous prominently placed witnesses before grilling Stevenson himself

for six and a half hours. Stevenson suggested the unusually intense session, and drove

three and a half hours each way from his home in Connecticut to participate, he said,

because he saw no other way to lay the long-circulating claims to rest. Although

Stevenson’s opponents discussed some of the issues extensively with The Legal Times in

1990, Stevenson said he hadn’t previously defended himself in public, upon the advice

of his legal counsel to avoid action that could be construed as broadening the case.

Stallwood to edit Animals’ Agenda; Pacelle quits

May 1, 1993 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 1993:

MONROE, Connecticut– –

Kim Stallwood, former executive director

of People for the Ethical Treatment of

Animals, has been named to replace

board member Jim Motavalli as editor of

the troubledAnimals’ Agendamagazine.

Days later, on April 26, board

president Wayne Pacelle abruptly quit,

without stating his reasons. Now national

director of the Fund for Animals, Pacelle

got his first job in animal rights as

Animals’ Agenda assistant editor in 1987.

Diet & Health

May 1, 1993 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 1993:

The Burger King franchise at

Watkins Glen, New York, in February qui-

etly introduced the spicy bean burger sold

by British Burger King outlets. Priced at

$2.29, the vegetarian burger is made from

kidney beans, carrots, onions, potato

flakes, and peppers, breaded and deep

fried, served on a bun with catsup, cheese

(optional), and tomato. Associated Press

quoted the manager as saying six weeks

later, “The demand is unbelievable. People

are coming from all over. There’s not a seat

in the restaurant. They say there are 12 mil-

lion vegetarians in the U.S. If we can kick

into that market, it’s well worth our while.”

According to AP, the spicy bean burger

will be introduced nationally if it remains

popular in Watkins Glen through the end of

the summer.

Is the ASPCA a dog-in-the-manger? by Garo Alexanian

May 1, 1993 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 1993:

Last month’s historic announcement from the

American SPCA that it would no longer bid for the $4.5

million contract for operating a pet-killing facility for the

City of New York was apparently motivated by the intro-

duction of Assembly Bill 5376A just three weeks prior.

This bill would finally bring New York City’s

counties (boroughs) parity with all the other counties in the

state with respect to the formation of county-wide Societies

for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Whereas almost

all other counties in the state have the right to have their

own county-wide SPCA, the boroughs of Manhattan,

Queens, Staten Island, and Brooklyn are prohibited from

so doing by state law. An SPCA is basically a volunteer

police force for animals. Functional SPCAs are essential to

shape the public’s attitude, behavior, and compliance with

responsible pet ownership laws. SPCAs help determine

which animal crimes get investigated and prosecuted, and

more importantly, w h o gets prosecuted. If it chose to, a

borough SPCA might bid on any or all of the $4.5 million

contract the ASPCA has relinquished.

An open letter to the ASPCA and New York City legislators by Elizabeth Forel

May 1, 1993 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 1993:

The American SPCA’s recent decision to get out of the

business of killing homeless cats and dogs leaves many

unanswered questions. The killing will continue, only

now it may done behind doors closed even more tightly

than before, since the New York City government will

most likely but not willingly assume the responsibility.

New York City could become the biggest, most horren-

dous slaughterhouse dog pound in the nation.

Will the ASPCA don white gloves and join with

every other shelter and humane society in the greater met –

ropolitan area, calling themselves a “no kill” shelter but

closing their eyes to the continuing slaughter of precious

healthy animals whose only crime was homelessness? Or

will the ASPCA accept the moral and ethical imperative

and speak out loudly and effectively against the slaughter,

using their newly released energy and financial strength to

educate relentlessly against the obscenity of breeding and

killing? Their past record does not offer much hope.

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