Category: Letters

LETTERS [Sep 1995]

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, September 1995:

What’s best for Willy?
While I favor of moving Keiko the killer whale out of
Mexico City and into a better situation, it is obvious that
Warner Brothers opted for the easy, politically correct solution
rather than what is in the best interest of Keiko. Their decision
to turn him over to Earth Island Institute and the Oregon Coast
Aquarium was public relatons damage control at its best––or
worst, from Keiko’s perspective.
Although I’m sure the Oregon Coast Aquarium is a
fine institution, Keiko would have been much better off going
to a facility that had other killer whales for possible future
companionship, with experienced husbandry personnel who
recognize that training, although frowned upon by most animal
activists, is one of the key activities that helps maintain the
mental and physical well-being of cetaceans in oceanariums.
Keiko helped make over $100 million for Warner
Bros., and he deserves better. What’s worse, Earth Island
Institute’s Free Willy/Keiko Foundation is politicizing his
future for their own agenda, ignoring the fact that from a sci-
entific standpoint, Keiko is probably one of the poorest candi-
dates for release among all the cetaceans in North America.
Everything they’re doing is predicated on the short-term goal of
dumping him into the ocean and declaring victory. They have
not addressed his long-term needs if he remains in captivity.

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LETTERS [July/Aug 1995]

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, July/August 1995:

Kindest fate
The April 2005 edition of
ANIMAL PEOPLE included the
subheading “Dog Meat Farms Spread
Rabies.”
Perhaps the kindest fate for
dogs who are raised for consumption
is to be killed to prevent the spread of
disease, rather than being put through
the horrors of the dog meat markets.
Some years ago, I watched
a local TV program regarding cats
bred and sold for human consumption,
probably in southern China. What
shook and haunted me more than any-
thing else was the picture of cats
being skinned alive at the market and
being carried away alive for the pot.

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LETTERS [June 1995]

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, June 1995:
Banana republic
The Agudo-Romero case is a good example of how
environmentalists and their claims, however well substantiat-
ed, are treated in many Latin American countries, including
my own––Brasil––to a great extent. However, as I understand,
the situation in Venezuela is even worse because of the wide-
spread disregard for civil rights.
The banana republic-like attitude of the Venezuelan
ruling bureaucracy, denying facts and launching a witch hunt
against these two persons, cannot be tolerated. It has expand-
ed the issue of dolphin-killing into a matter of human rights,
including the right of researchers to challenge government rul-
ings. It may not affect many of you in the U.S. and Europe,
but it certainly is a matter of daily concern for me and my col-
leagues in Latin America. Let’s not forget Romero and Agudo!
––Jose Truda Palazzo Jr.
Brazil

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LETTERS [May 1995]

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 1995:
Fix dogs too
There is little disagreement in the animal welfare
movement that neutering is the humane answer to pet over-
population and destruction. It is also recognized that most
low-income pet owners are unable to afford the usual veteri-
nary charges for surgery––especially for dogs. It is therefore
unbelievable to read in your April edition that in San Jose
$100,000 “obtained from a surplus in animal licensing,” i.e.
dog licensing, will be used for free vouchers to neuter only
cats, the rationale being that costs for dogs are twice as high
so two cats can be helped for each dog. Consider two equal-
ly poor pet owners, one with a large dog and one with a cat.
Because the surgery costs for the dog are more than twice as
much as for the cat, only the cat owner will be assisted.
––Elisabeth Arvin
Ojai, California

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LETTERS [April 1995]

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, April 1995:

Distortion
Your headline “FARM campaign backfires” does
great injustice to a highly successful campaign and repre-
sents a gross distortion of the facts. Over the past six
months, Farm Animal Reform Movement activists have
placed nearly 250 letters in 100 of the nation’s largest
newspapers. The letters denounced various aspects of ani-
mal agriculture and advocated a non-violent, wholesome
plant-based diet. Your story reports the problem that one of
the 100 editors had with our letter placement practices,
after publishing two of our letters. That is hardly a sign
that “FARM campaign backfires.”
We don’t expect any special consideration in
your reports of our actions, but a little journalistic objectiv-
ity and fairness would do nicely.
––Alex Hershaft, President
Farm Animal Reform Movement
Bethesda, Maryland

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LETTERS [March 1995]

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 1995:

In Africa
Please be advised that the
city of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, is
not the first in Africa to have enact-
ed a law to address pet overpopula-
tion. Though the amount of fines
levied for allowing bitches in heat to
roam vary from one municipality to
another, such bylaws are in place
and have been for many years in
South Africa. The National Council
of SPCAs has in addition submitted
proposals to the Government to
address the population of domestic
pets. Educational programs on this
issue have been carried out by the
SPCA movement in South Africa
for nearly 20 years.
––Barbara Nash
Administrator/PRO
National Council of SPCAs
Southdale
Republic. of South Africa

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LETTERS [Jan/Feb 1995]

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, Jan/Feb 1995:

Moral idiocy
If this country had devot-
ed a thousandth of the media time it
has spent on O.J. Simpson and his
similarly good-for-nothing
mur-
dered wife on another issue, say the
crimes of an opportunistic Alaska
against its non-commercially valu-
able wildlife, something of real
value might have emerged. As it is,
let’s take heart that even an atom of
exposure was able to detonate an
uproar, and that it takes an almost
total blackout to keep ugly deeds
and traditions in place. I remain
convinced that it is the cultural and
media superstructure that dominates
our waking hours, built every inch
of the way on the system’s central
values, that should be blamed for
the state of moral idiocy in which
we dwell.
––Patrice Greanville
Westport, Connecticut

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LETTERS [Dec. 1994]

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, December 1994:

S.F . Zoo responds to HSUS charges
I am writing to respond to reports
about the San Francisco Zoo regarding transac-
tions with alleged hunting ranches made by the
Humane Society of the U.S. and reported in
your October article, “Easy targets.”
The San Francisco Zoo is an accred-
ited institution that abides by the standards and
ethical policies set forth by the American Zoo
and Aquarium Association. In 1992 we adopt-
ed one of the most stringent transaction agree-
ments anywhere. Recipient institutions are
required to sign a disposition and acquisition
transaction agreement that prohibits the sale of
animals to auctions or hunting ranches or to
anyone who provides animals to either.

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LETTERS [Nov. 1994]

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November 1994:

IFAW defends The Body Shop
Your October article about The Body
Shop wrongly asserts that following recent
critical publicity, the International Fund for
Animal Welfare does not wish to be associated
with Body Shop International.
In fact we have reviewed the recent
publicity and have found nothing within it to
concern us about The Body Shop’s opposition
to animal testing. Criticisms of the five-year
criteria operated by The Body Shop and others
are well known to us, but have not persuaded
us from viewing it as an effective means of
increasing the pressure to end animal testing
for cosmetic products and especially cosmetics
ingredients.

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