Atlanta Falcons & pit bull terriers

November 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November/December 2007:
SUSSEX, Virginia–Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael
Vick was on November 27, 2007 scheduled for a jury trial on April 2,
2008 in Surry County Circuit Court for two counts of felony
dogfighting.
The dogfighting charges, brought by the State of Virginia,
are separate from the federal conspiracy charge to which Vick pleaded
guilty on August 27, 2007.
Facing up to five years in prison for the federal conviction,
Vick voluntarily began serving time on November 19, in advance of
his scheduled December 10 sentencing.

Why did the Central Bureau of Investigation raid the Animal Welfare Board of India?

October 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2007:
CHENNAI, MUMBAI, MYSORE, DELHI, THIRUVANATHAPURAM–One of
the noisiest and farthest-reaching scandals in the often
controversial 47-year history of the Animal Welfare Board of India
may prove to be less about corruption and bribery, when the Central
Bureau of Investigation concludes months of digging, than about
pursuit of mostly symbolic tribute by some AWBI appointees, and
redress of injured pride by some who have been rebuked.
Disputes over the allocation of grant money, partisan
politics, and enforcement of laws governing livestock transportation
and slaughter have become involved.
Yet–from statements and copies of inside correspondence
obtained by ANIMAL PEOPLE–pursuit of public stature and vengeance
for past frustrations and humiliations appears to have most visibly
motivated the persons whose charges instigated CBI raids on several
animal welfare organizations, the homes of their officers, and the
Animal Welfare Board of India offices in Chennai.

Hawaii record dog attack verdict

October 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2007:
HONOLULU–A circuit court jury on October 12, 2007 awarded a
Hawaii dog attack case record $850,000 to Keeton Manguso, age four,
and his mother Veronica Tomooka, who were mauled at Kahala Beach on
Mother’s Day 2005 by a Rottweiler belonging to Mariko Bereday. “The
jury awarded Manguso’s family $500,000 in punitive damages and
$350,000 in general damages. The award included $6,500 in medical
bills,” reported Hawaii Advertiser staff writer Gordon Y.K. Pang.
“Bereday told reporters that photos taken of the boy’s wounds were
faked,” Pang added. “Bereday also said that she intends to appeal.
During a separate criminal proceeding last year involving the
incident and another attack involving a 4-year-old girl six days
after the attack on Keeton, Bereday was sentenced to five days in
jail and a $2,000 fine. The dog was ordered destroyed. The case is
under appeal. The girl victim’s family has also sued Bereday.”

The image of pigeon flying takes a tumble

October 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2007:
PORTLAND, Oregon–Portland U.S. District
Judge Ancer Haggerty on October 11, 2007
sentenced pigeon flyers Peter Kaufman and Ivan
Hanchett to each pay a $2,000 fine plus $2,000
more to the Endangered Species Justice Fund at
the Oregon Zoo, for illegally killing an unknown
number of birds of prey.
Kaufman and Hanchett were also barred
from any involvement with the roller pigeon
fancy, hunting, and fishing during a year on
probation, during which they must each do 120
hours of community service.
The sentences were far lighter than the
fines of $10,000 apiece sought by the
prosecution, and less even than the $7,500 fine
proposed by one of the defense attornies,
objected Audubon Society of Portland conservation
director Bob Salinger. Salinger, Portland mayor
Tom Potter, and Portland Metro Council president
David Bragdon had all called for the stiffest
possible penalties.

Horse defenders try to close borders

October 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2007:
CHICAGO, SAN ANTONIO, WASHINGTON D.C.–A September 21,
2007 ruling by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court
of Appeals appeared to end horse slaughter within the U.S., pending
further appeals by plaintiff Cavel International.
Immediate effects of the ruling, upholding a May 2007
Illinois law prohibiting the slaughter of horses for human
consumption, were to increase exports of horses to slaughter in
Mexico and Canada, and to redouble efforts by the Humane Society of
the U.S. to ban the exports.
“States have a legitimate interest in prolonging the lives of
animals that their population happens to like,” the three-judge
panel opined. “They can ban bullfights and cockfights and the abuse
and neglect of animals.”

Court holds Georgia in contempt for allowing gassing

October 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2007:
ATLANTA–Fulton County Superior Court Judge Tom Campbell on
October 3, 2007 found the Georgia Department of Agriculture in
contempt of court for allowing Cobb County to continue to kill
animals in a gas chamber.
Explained Associated Press writer Dorie Turner, “The state
issued a favorable inspection report last May for Cobb County’s
animal shelter even though the facility was operating a carbon
monoxide chamber at the time of the inspection,” contrary to the
requirements of the 1990 Georgia Humane Euthanasia Act. The act
requires that animal shelters must use sodium pentobarbital to kill
dogs and cats, and prohibits leaving dying animals unattended.

California bans lead shot to help condors –big loss for NRA

October 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2007:

SACRAMENTO–California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on
October 13, 2007 signed into law a ban on hunting species classed as
“big game” and coyotes with lead ammunition in habitat used by
endangered California condors.
Schwarzenegger signed the bill a month after appeasing the
National Rifle Association by obtaining the resignation of former
California Fish & Game Commission member R. Judd Hanna, who had
urged the commission to ban lead ammunition.
The California Fish & Game Commission in February 2005
rejected two similar proposals presented by the Center for Biological
Diversity.
Schwarzenegger asked Hanna to resign one day after 34
Republican state legislators demanded that Hanna be fired.
Schwarzenegger had in February 2007 appointed Hanna to a term that
was to run until 2013. The NRA and Gun Owners of California
militantly objected to Hanna, himself a hunter, when Hanna
researched the effects of lead on wildlife and at an August 27, 2007
Fish & Game Commission meeting distributed 167 pages of his findings
to the other commissioners.

Other prominent pit bull cases

October 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2007:
“Two months after a tipster reported seeing emaciated dogs
and dry water bowls” at the home of rap star DMX in Cave Creek,
Arizona, “there have been no arrests,” reported Carol Sowers of the
Arizona Republic on October 6, 2007. American SPCA forensic
veterinarian Melinda Merck reported after performing necropsies on
August 18 that she was unable to determine the causes of death of
three pit bull terriers who were found buried on the premises.
Guns, marijuana, and cocaine were also found on the property.
“Brad Blackwell, who had been hired to care for the pit
bulls, told deputies that the buried dogs were likely in the house
in cages and died after the air conditioning broke down,” Sowers
wrote. A different vet told the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office
that the dogs were suffering from valley fever, an infectious lung
disease. Blackwell told the sheriff’s office that he had told DMX,
whose actual name is Earl Simmons, that he could look after the dogs
“just for a couple of days” before going on vacation.
“We are still interviewing possible witnesses,” Sheriff Joe
Arpaio told Sowers.

Vick case has impact across the U.S.

October 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2007:
CINCINNATI, NORFOLK, RICHMOND–The National Football League
on September 29, 2007 narrowly avoided embarrassment in yet another
instance of violence against animals when Paul Brown Stadium Limited
withdrew a request to the city of Cincinnati to shoot pigeons prior
to Cincinnati Bengals home games.
Cincinnati City Manager Milton Dohoney had authorized the shooting,
wrote Mark Curnutte of the Cincinnati Inquirer, “but only after
other methods had been tried. PETA representatives jumped on the
issue, urging mayor Mark Mallory to stop any bird killings. They
said they would help stadium officials with ways to get rid of the
pigeons.”
The Cincinnati pigeon issue blew up soon after PETA reaped a
publicity harvest from the aftermath of the plea bargain conviction
of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick for felony conspiracy in
connection with dogfighting.

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