Cockfighting tripled in five years

May 1, 2002 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 2002:

WASHINGTON D.C.–The number of reported U.S. cockfighting
arrests has more than tripled in five years, a review of ANIMAL
PEOPLE file data has discovered.
The number of fighting cocks seized by law enforcement is up tenfold.
Law enforcement agencies throughout the nation are anxiously
looking toward the 2002 Farm Bill for help, as an amendment approved
by the House of Represent-atives in October 2001 and by the Senate
in February 2002 could bring federal aid by outlawing the interstate
transportation of fighting cocks. As ANIMAL PEOPLE went to press,
however, cockfighting lobbyists and members of Congress from New
Mexico, Oklahoma, and Louisiana were reportedly still trying to
strip the anti-cockfighting amendment from the reconciled Farm Bill
that was expected to go before the House and Senate for final
approval perhaps as early as April 25.

Hangin’ judge Roy Bean “justice” prevails in Texas for feral cats

May 1, 2002 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 2002:

WACO, Texas–Circa 1883, Val Verde County justice of the
peace Roy Bean, “The Law West of the Pecos,” ruled at one of the
most infamous trials in U.S. history that “There ain’t no law in the
state of Texas against killing a Chinaman.”
That verdict was recalled on March 19 in Waco when a McLennan
County jury decided that there is no law in the state of Texas
against killing a feral cat, no matter how it is done.

Feral cats, “gophers,” & Canadian politics of cruelty

May 1, 2002 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 2002:

TORONTO, OTTAWA–Con-vincing Ontario Court Judge Ted Ormston
that their intent was to produce an artistic statement about
slaughtering animals for meat, two men who videotaped themselves as
they slowly tortured a cat to death walked free on April 18.
Anthony Wennekers, 25, was sentenced to the time in jail he
had already served since his June 2001 arrest. Jesse Power, 22,
reportedly the son of two wealthy Montreal artists, drew 90 days in
jail to be served on weekends, plus house arrest and three years on
probation.

Bad spring for seals

May 1, 2002 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 2002:

ST. JOHN’S, Newfoundland–Northeastern Newfoundland sealers
in mid-April 2002 reported their most profitable seal hunt in
decades, while sealers from the west of Newfoundland, the Magdalen
Islands, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Labrador were
all but excluded from the killing.
Ice failed to form over much of the Gulf of St. Lawrence,
and melted early where it did form, drowning thousands of newborn
harp seals whose remains washed ashore in western Newfoundland.

Busting an abuser? Get a warrant!

May 1, 2002 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 2002:

RALEIGH, N.C.–The North Carolina Court of Appeals on April
16 threw out six cruelty convictions against Carolyn Nance of Rowan
County because county animal control officers seized her six horses
in December 1998 without a warrant.
The county contended that no warrant was necessary because
the horses were in imminent jeopardy and were clearly visible from
public property. However, three days elapsed between when the
horses were first seen and when they were taken.

Survivors of Farallon de Medinilla shelling get a break–& wise-users get judicial blast

April 1, 2002 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, April 2002:

WASHINGTON D.C.– Judge Emmit Sullivan of the U.S. District
Court for the D.C. Circuit on March 13 ruled that the U.S. Navy and
Department of Defense are violating the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty
Act by using the island of Farallon de Medinilla in the northern
Marianas for bombing and gunnery practice.
The island is nesting habitat for at least two dozen
protected bird species, including great frigatebirds, masked
boobies, and endangered Micronesian megapodes. Admitting that birds
are often killed, the Navy applied for an incidental take permit from
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1996. The Fish and Wildlife
Service refused to issue the permit. Then the Navy claimed no permit
was needed.

State legislative roundup

April 1, 2002 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, April 2002:

Anti-cruelty bills

INDIANAPOLIS–Indiana Governor Frank O’Bannon in mid-March
signed into law bills enabling felony cruelty prosecutions and
criminalizing possession of animal fighting paraphernalia, annonced
American SPCA Midwest representative for government affairs Ledy Van
Kavage.
Bills to introduce felony cruelty penalties were still alive
in Alaska and Kentucky as ANIMAL PEOPLE went to press, while law
enforcement officers joined humane advocates in Fort Smith,
Arkansas, on February 25 to announce a petition drive by Citizens
for a Humane Arkansas to put a proposed felony cruelty bill on the
2002 state ballot. Citizens for a Humane Arkansas must gather 75,000
voter signatures in favor of the bill by June 30.

Wildlife Federation holds huge killing contest

April 1, 2002 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, April 2002:

SASKATOON, WASHINGTON D.C.–From April 1, when fools
reputedly follow groundhogs out of winter hiding, until June 23,
the Saskatoon Wildlife Federation is sponsoring reputedly the biggest
wildlife killing contest in Canadian history.
More animals are expected to be massacred in the Ken Turcot
Memorial Gopher Derby than in the Atlantic Canada offshore seal
hunt–which has a quota this year of 275,000 harp seals and 10,000
hooded seals.

Animal Protection Institute fires snow monkey sanctuary founder

April 1, 2002 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, April 2002:

DILLEY, Texas–Friends of Texas Snow Monkey Sanctuary
founding director Lou Griffin, 54, are urging her to seek legal
recourse after Animal Protection Institute executive director Alan
Berger abruptly fired her in a March 5, 2002 telephone conversation
and follow-up e-mail, without stating any cause.
Berger was scheduled to visit the sanctuary on March 28, a
3,000-mile round-trip from the API head office in Sacramento,
apparently to try to extinguish what may be the hottest controversy
to involve API since founder Belton Mouras was ousted in 1985 and
went on to found United Animal Nations with several other former API
staff.

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