Court Calendar: Precedental verdicts

July 1, 2003 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, July/August 2003:

A three-judge panel of the Oregon Court of Appeals ruled 2-1
on July 9 that a ballot initiative prohibiting the state government
from confiscating private property without first obtaining a criminal
conviction against the owner was structured in violation of state
constitutional rules. Passed by two thirds of the voters but not yet
enforced, the initiative was challenged by the Lincoln Interagency
Narcotics Team with several humane societies as co-plaintiffs. If
enforced in cruelty cases, the initiative could prevent taking
animals into protective custody upon charging the defendants, and
therefore might expose the animals to continued suffering.

Five convicted of murder-by-dog, three charged in new cases

July 1, 2003 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, July/August 2003:

TEMECULA, California–Baby sitter Jackie Batey, 30, was on
July 9 charged with felony child endangerment and involuntary
manslaughter for the June 20 fatal mauling of Sumner Clugston, age
2, in the front yard of her home in Riverside County, California.
Batey allegedly left Clugston and three other children alone with her
pit bull terrier.
The charges against Batey followed five convictions on felony
charges in three other murder-by-dog cases during the preceding 12
days.
The Batey charges came 20 days after Kathleen Josephine
Hansen, 60, and her son Roger Allen Hansen, 35, were jailed and
charged with involuntary manslaughter, endangering the welfare of a
child, reckless endangerment, and dog law violations after a
similar incident in Clarion County, Pennsylvania. In that case,
Roger Hansen allowed his three Rottweilers to escape while Kathleen
Hansen was playing with her two-year-old granddaughter Lillie
Krajewski of Buffalo.

Legislative Calendar

July 1, 2003 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, July/August 2003:

Reviewing proposed amendments to the Fiscal Year 2004
Agriculture Appropriations Act, the House of Representatives on July
14 added $800,000 to the USDA Animal & Plant Health Inspection
Service budget to support enforcement of legislation banning the
interstate transport of gamecocks and fighting dogs, by a vote of
222-179, but voted 202-199 against an amendment by Representatives
Gary Ackerman (D-NY) and Steve Latourette (R-Ohio) that would have
forbidden processing non-ambulatory livestock for human consumption.
This was the closest that Ackerman has come yet in many attempts to
pass “anti-downer” legislation.

Cockfighters cleaned up on Newcastle clean-up

July 1, 2003 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, July/August 2003:

SACRAMENTO–Cockfighters who spread Exotic Newcastle Disease
throughout Southern California and into Arizona between November 2002
and May 2003 by illegally transporting gamecocks between fighting
pits appear to have created a financial windfall for themselves,
according to documents obtained by Associated Press under the federal
Freedom of Information Act.
The USDA paid compensation of $22.3 million to poultry owners
whose infected or exposed flocks were killed as part of the
eradication effort. Most of the 3.7 million birds who were destroyed
were egg-laying hens, for whom the USDA paid $2.89 apiece,
according to Associated Press: $10.7 million.

“Flushing Nemo” & the soaring threat of “101 Snowy Owls”

July 1, 2003 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, July/August 2003:

OAKLAND, California– “Sadly, audiences are missing some of
the most important messages in Finding Nemo,” says Action for
Animals founder Eric Mills, suggesting that activists should leaflet
theatres to help ensure that what the Disney film actually says is
absorbed.
“This popular animated film has a strong vegetarian theme,”
Mills points out, “and one of the characters says that ‘Fish don’t
belong in boxes.’ Nonetheless, there has been a tremendous increase
in the demand for clown fish by hobby aquarists.”
“Everyone who comes in says they want Nemo,” confirmed
Michael Diaz, manager of Jewels of the Sea in West Palm Beach,
Florida, to Jill Barton of Associated Press.

Latest U.S. data shows shelter killing down to 4.2 million/year

July 1, 2003 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, July/August 2003:

Continued rapid progress against pet overpopulation in some
of the fastest-growing parts of the South, the Sunbelt and the
Midwest combined with continued low shelter killing volume in the
Northeast and Northwest to bring estimated total U.S. shelter killing
in 2002 down to 4.2 million–a record low.
Our 2002 estimate is projected from 2000-2002 data covering
every major shelter in cities and states including 39% of the current
U.S. human population of 281 million.
If 1999 data is included to get better representation from
the South, Sunbelt, and Midwest, the projection edges up to 4.3
million. The ANIMAL PEOPLE projected toll in 2001 was 4.4 million,
and the tolls in 1999 and 2000 were almost identical, rounding off
to 4.5 million and 4.6 million.

Nonlethal bison and pigeon population control

July 1, 2003 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, July/August 2003:

“The Santa Catalina Island Conservancy has given In Defense
of Animals the opportunity to adopt and relocate 100-150 bison to the
mainland,” IDA regional director Bill Dyer announced on June 20.
“Fourteen bison were introduced to Catalina for the filming of The
Vanishing American, starring Richard Dix, in 1924. The population
has grown beyond what the island can sustain. It is imperative that
the relocation take place by August 1, 2003. A managed colony of
100-150 bison will remain on the island.” Dyer welcomes offers of
care-for-life homes for the bison at 310-301-7730 or
<Bill@idausa.org>.

Listen to what Keiko wants!

July 1, 2003 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, July/August 2003:

Listen to what Keiko wants!
Guest column by Bonnie Norton

Do you (along with thousands of other people), know in your
heart that after five years of trying to free Keiko, it is now time
to bring him to a place where he can be taken care of and again be
with people?
I am a devoted animal lover. In general, I am not in favor of
keeping wild animals in captivity, but have learned to observe,
listen to, and honor each animal as an individual.
In 1997 I learned to communicate with animals. While visiting
the Oregon Coast Aquarium I communicated with Keiko who, to my
surprise, told me he did not want to be set free and would continue
to behave in ways to discourage his handlers from releasing him
because his work was with the people who came to see him.

Did Navy sonar kill porpoises in Puget Sound?

July 1, 2003 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, July/August 2003:

FRIDAY HARBOR, Washing-ton–U.S. National Marine Fisheries
Service strandings coordinator Brent Norberg on July 1 indicated that
tests to find out if Navy sonar killed porpoises in Puget Sound
nearly two months earlier would be complete within another three
weeks.
“In all, 13 dead porpoises were found beached or floating
between May 2 and May 20–eight of them on or after May 5,” the
Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported. NMFS recovered eight of the
porpoises, the Whale Museum at Friday Harbor collected three, and
two floated away.
On May 5 the destroyer USS Shoup conducted a five-hour sonar
test in the Haro Straight, between the San Juan Islands and
Vancouver Island.

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