Indian Supreme Court flipflops on bullfights

January 1, 2008 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, January/February 2008:

NEW DELHI–As many as 400 villages in the
Madurai region of Tamil Nadu held traditional
mass participation bullfights called jallikattu
during the Pongal harvest festival on January 17,
2008, after a three-judge panel of the Supreme
Court of India on January 15 reversed an order
halting jallikattu issued by a two-judge panel of
the Supreme Court just four days earlier.
The original order kept in effect a ban
on jallikattu rendered by the Supreme Court in
July 2007, reversing a verdict by the Madras
High Court that allowed it. The Supreme Court is
to hear an appeal of the July 2007 verdict filed
by the government of Tamil Nadu later in 2008.
Jallikattu was allowed this year under
condition, summarized the Deccan Herald, that
“the authorities shall take all precaution that
the animals are not tortured. There would be no
cruelty on the animals. No liquor, no injury to
any of the bulls.”

Beijing bans selling songbirds

January 1, 2008 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, January/February 2008:

BEIJING–Trafficking in song thrushes and
six other bird species often kept as caged pets
is now banned throughout China, effective since
January 1, 2008.
Birds already in private possession may
remain with those who have them, but may not be
sold or traded.
The seven prohibited bird species, also
including parakeets, larks, and mynahs, were
reportedly the first additions since 1989 to the
Chinese list of protected wildlife.

Puppy mill cases raise animal rights vs. property rights

November 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November/December 2007:
“I think it’s called dog-napping,” Junior Horton of Horton’s
Pups told Donna Alvis-Banks of the Roanoke Times, after humane
societies from throughout the region took some of the 980 dogs who
were seized during the first few days of November from Horton’s
property in Hillsdale, Virginia.
Some of the rescuers made almost the same charge against Horton.
There were reportedly about 1,100 dogs on the premises when
the impoundments began. Someone allegedly removed 200 to 300 of the
dogs before they could be taken into custody, Danville Area Humane
Society director Paulette Dean told Danville Register & Bee staff
writer Rebecca Blanton.
“The authorities worked out an agreement with Horton, but
they didn’t tell him he couldn’t move any of the animals,” Dean
elaborated. “They thought he would honor his word about keeping the
dogs there.”
The conflict in perspectives exemplified the difference in
outlook between breeders and rescuers. In Horton’s view, the humane
societies were taking property that employee Timmy Bullion told
Associated Press might be worth as much as $450,000. To the
rescuers, the dogs were not property but individual lives in
distress.

Dealing with fallout from horse slaughter ban

November 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November/December 2007:
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois–The deaths of 18 Belgian draft horses
in an October 27, 2007 traffic accident in Wadsworth, Illinois,
the alleged starvation deaths of four horses at the Coeur d’Alene
Auction Yards in Idaho, discovered on October 24, recent horse
abandonments in the Treasure Valley region of Idaho, and the
Halloween shootings of two ponies beside a riding trail in
Snoqualmie, Washington are cited by defenders of horse slaughter as
purported reasons why the last horse slaughterhouses in the U.S.
should not have been closed.
The slaughterhouses were closed earlier in 2007 by a
combination of enforcement of 1949 Texas legislation, a new Illinois
state law, and a Washington D.C. federal district court ruling that
the inspection arrangements that had kept the slaughterhouses open
violated the National Environmental Policy Act.
Animal advocates say the Illinois, Idaho, and Washington
incidents point toward other abuses that they have long sought to
stop: hauling horses in double-decked trailers meant for cattle and
pigs, not feeding animals when feed prices exceed anticipated
profits from sale, and dumping or killing animals rather than retire
or rest them and pay for vet care.

Prince Harry dodges the bullet as suspect in harrier shootings

November 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November/December 2007:
LONDON–Prince Harry of Britain and two
companions on November 6, 2007 escaped
prosecution for allegedly killing two hen
harriers, but the shotgun blasts suspected to
have been fired by the royal hunting party helped
to blow the cover off the pretense by shooting
estate operators that they practice wildlife
conservation.
“Norfolk Crown Prosecution Service has
advised Norfolk Police there is insufficient
evidence to prosecute anyone over the shooting of
two hen harrier birds, a protected species, at
Sandringham on October 24, 2007,” a Crown
Prosecution Service spokesperson said in a
prepared statement.
“The bodies of the hen harriers have not
been found and there is no forensic or ballistic
evidence. Witnesses also heard unexplained
shooting in the area before the three suspects
said they were present at the scene, so other
people cannot be ruled out,” the CPS
spokesperson added. “The three suspects, who
were interviewed by police, all denied that the
birds were killed by them.”

Guangzhou bans eating snakes– ban helps cats

November 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November/December 2007:

GUANGZHOU–Guangzhou bureau of forestry director Guo Qinghe
suppressed human consumption of cat meat during the first weekend of
November 2007 by announcing on local television his intent to enforce
a four-year-old Guangzhou city ordinance against eating snakes. “It
is illegal for companies, restaurants and individuals to sell live
snakes, snake meat, and related foods,” Guo said, not mentioning
cats, but in case there was any doubt about what he meant, Zheng
Caixiong of the official government newspaper China Daily spelled it
out.
“The popular Cantonese dish longhudou or ‘dragon duels with
tiger’ has been banned,” wrote Zheng Caixiong. “The delicacy
derives its name from snake and cat meat. Apart from having their
snakes and snake products confiscated, those caught flouting the ban
will be fined between 10,000 yuan ($1,300) and 100,000 yuan
($13,000).”

Blue Cross of India is cleared by the Central Bureau of Investigation

November 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November/December 2007:
CHENNAI–Notified by telephone on November 12, 2007 that it
had been completely cleared of allegations of fiscal impropriety,
the Blue Cross of India on November 29 was still trying to retrieve
files taken on September 28 by inspectors from the Central Bureau of
Investigation.
The CBI raid on the Blue Cross followed a series of raids on
the offices of the Animal Welfare Board of India and the homes of
current and former AWBI staff. Blue Cross of India chief executive
Chinny Krishna had served on the Animal Welfare Board in the past,
but not since the board was reconstituted after the election of the
present Indian national government in mid-2004.

Cat-killing bill may be stalled

November 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November/December 2007:
WASHINGTON D.C.–HR 767, a bill that if passed would allow
the National Wildlife Refuge system to authorize hunters to shoot
feral cats, unanimously cleared the U.S. House of Representatives on
an October 23, 2007 voice vote, and entered the Senate without
organized opposition.
Then, after page one exposure in the October 2007 edition of
ANIMAL PEOPLE, HR 767 ran into Lee “The LocoMotive” Zucker, owner
of The LocoMotive vegetarian restaurant in Eugene, Oregon. Zucker
called many of the national animal advocacy groups and regional
humane societies whose first word was that HR 767 could not be
stopped.

“Operation Foxote” brings chase pen busts in three states

November 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November/December 2007:
BIRMINGHAM, INDIANAPOLIS, NORFOLK, WASHINGTON D.C.–An
two-year investigation of “chase pen” hunting businesses called
“Operation Foxote” culminated on November 11, 2007 with arrests in
three states.
The Alabama’ Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division,
which initiated Operation Foxote, arrested 18 people and seized 55
foxes, 25 coyotes, two bobcats, and 33 cardinals who were
apparently used as bait to catch foxes and coyotes. The
investigators also found and seized a moonshine still.
All of the confiscated animals were killed “because they
posed a health risk for native species and their survival chances
were slim,” Alabama Department of Conservation & Natural Resources
chief of enforcement Allan Andress told Birmingham News staff writer
Mike Bolton.

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