A Project of Animal People, Inc., 1992-2013
From ANIMAL PEOPLE, April 2013:
Your January/February 2013 editorial “Pi, Dorothy, and the qualities of humane leadership” gave me stuff to ponder that I hadn’t seriously considered before, such as the emphasis on adopting one’s way out of shelter euthanasias versus the likely better bang for the buck approach of focusing even more than currently on spaying and castrating. Read more
From ANIMAL PEOPLE, April 2013:
Letters
Farm animal welfare in Vietnam
Several months ago I was asked by Humane Society International to help them to establish some collaborative relationships concerning farm animal welfare in Vietnam. As mentioned in previous letters to ANIMAL PEOPLE, I used to work at the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, and continue to work with a number of groups involved in animal protection and youth development, so I jumped at the chance. We set up day-long workshops with the veterinary and animal science faculties at Hanoi Agricultural University and Ho Chi Minh City University of Agriculture & Forestry. The principal aim of these workshops was to discuss the impacts of Vietnam’s industrial farm agriculture trends and to begin a conversation about what could be done to alter the trajectory of policies that not only greatly undermine non-human animal welfare, but will also lead to disastrous consequences for the environment and public health. Read more
From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2013:
Letters
Animal rights law pioneer Larry Weiss checks in
Here’s what’s happened since I retired in 2003, after 18 years of practicing animal law in California. I remain involved in mentoring young attorneys and giving occasional presentations at law schools and vegan gatherings. Read more
From ANIMAL PEOPLE, January/February 2013:
Letters
Taiwan agriculture official believes omitting strays from mention will solve the problem
Amendments to the Taiwan Animal Protection Act to limit the capture of stray animals to those who pose a threat to human beings were to be introduced on December 26, 2012. The current policy is to capture and kill all stray dogs. Over the past 13 years, approximately 1.4 million stray dogs have been killed. Since the government does not fully support neuter/return, and hopes to make it illegal, the stray population is destined to keep growing. Read more
From ANIMAL PEOPLE, January/February 2013:
More about Nature Wars: The Incredible Story of How Wildlife Comebacks Turned Backyards into Battlegrounds
Jim Sterba says: Thank you for your generous review of my new book, Nature Wars: The Incredible Story of How Wildlife Comebacks Turned Backyards into Battlegrounds. I much appreciate your commending it to your readers as, in part, “excellent history,” which is high praise indeed. Read more
From ANIMAL PEOPLE, January/February 2013:
Rewriting history
I just wanted to thank you for setting the record straight in your November/December 2012 Watchdog page article “Wildlife SOS ended dancing bear acts in India, but WSPA claims credit.”
I was in India during the 21st International Conference on Bear Research and Management in New Delhi, and I can’t tell you how dejected International Animal Rescue, Free The Bears, and of course Wildlife SOS cofounders Kartick Satyanarayan and Geeta Seshamani were with regards to the World Society for the Protection of Animals shamelessly trying to position themselves as the organization that solved the problem. I don’t know that people were shocked because this fit into a pattern; however, people felt really downtrodden, realizing that WSPA had their marketing wheels in motion trying to rewrite history. Thanks for making it harder for them to take full credit. Read more
From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November/December 2012:
Letters
Where the Leaping Bunny is going
Thank you for your September 2012 article “Where is the Leaping Bunny going?” The issue of using animals to test cosmetics, personal care, and household products is far from resolved, especially given the new animal testing requirements instituted by the People’s Republic of China for companies registering products there. As mentioned in the article, the emerging market of China and the sheer population of the country make it an enticing place to set up shop. However, until China adopts non-animal alternatives for safety testing, untold numbers of animals per year will needlessly suffer and die. Read more
From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2012: (Actually published on November 1, 2012.)
Pit bulls & politics
Thank you for your September 2012 editorial feature, “Pit bulls & political recklessness.” I am so tired of the killing. To stop the killing we must have breeding bans. The statistics tossed about that we have a kazillion adoptive homes, and just need to work to get dogs into these homes are just that: statistics. Amost no one wants the three year old pittie mix with facial scars. When I first started work in rescue/sheltering, pits and pit mixes were not common. Now, if I walk into a shelter, they sit row after row, waiting for death being the common denominator. –Phyllis Lissa Fischer New Albany, Ohio
From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2012: (Actually published on November 1, 2012.)
Thank you for your September 2012 article “Trial of calcium chloride to fix dogs succeeds in Nepal,” bringing attention to calcium chloride dihydrate nonsurgical sterilization, which I believe has the potential to help dog welfare organizations make their funding go further, and to spare dogs the trauma of transport and surgery.