Horses and Cattle

May 1, 1993 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 1993:

Senator Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) and Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-New York) have reintroduced the Downed Animal Protection Act, as S. 367 and H.R. 559, which would require stockyards to promptly euthanize sick and injured animals. Support for the measure may be addressed to Senators and Congressional Representatives.

The American Horse Protection Association’s sixth annual training seminar for equine cruelty investiga-

tors will be held May 20-21 at College Park, Maryland. Get details from Ellen Foysyth, 202-965-0500.

Norma Bearcroft, president of the Canadian Wild Horse Society, has asked members to approve a resolution to disband the struggling group by year’s end.

CHILDREN AND ANIMALS

May 1, 1993 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 1993:

The National Institutes of Health is now distrib-

uting seven sets of Let’s Visit a Research Laboratory Lesson

Plans free to public schools and to anyone else on request.

“Even though the Michigan Humane Society agrees with

legitimate uses of animals in biomedical research,” MHS

lobbyist Eileen Liska told U.S. Senator Carl Levin in a

recent letter of protest, “these are clearly an example of bla-

tantly one-sided pro-animal research propaganda, and as

such are an inappropriate use of tax dollars. The brochures

do not portray the scientific and ethical complexities of ani-

mal research. I have found a disturbing number of factual

errors in the texts. And also please notice how the refer-

ences at the end of each lesson plan are equally one-

sided––especially the frequency with which the National

Association for Biomedical Research and Foundation for

Biomedical Research are referenced. These are special

interest organizations with sizeable budgets for promoting

their viewpoint. There is no justication for allowing the NIH

to use limited federal funds,” supposed to be spent on pro-

moting public health, “to help such special interests.” The

lesson plans are available from Public Inquiries, National

Institute of Mental Health, NIH, Room 15C-05, 5600

Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857.

HUNTING

May 1, 1993 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 1993:

The Wildlife Legislative Fund of

America, a hunting and trapping lobby,

recently sneaked an amendment to the 1994-

1995 Ohio Department of Natural Resources

budget through the state House of

Representatives that would raise $450,000 a

year for a subsidiary, the Wildlife Conserv-

ation Fund of America, through a 25¢ sur-

charge on the sale of hunting, fishing, and

trapping licenses. The amendment was intro-

duced by representative Ronald Amstutz, at

request of WLF director Tom Addis. After the

proposed diversion of public money to a spe-

cial interest lobby became known, Amstutz

claimed it was all a mistake. “I was misin-

formed,” he told Michael Sangiacomo of the

Cleveland Plain Dealer. “I thought it was a

small raise for the people who write the licens-

es. I made certain assumptions, and apparent-

ly I was wrong. I never looked at the lan-

guage.” ODNR legislative liasion Scott Zody

said his agency “did not ask for” the amend-

ment, “and does not support it.”

COURT CALENDAR

May 1, 1993 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 1993:

Animal Trafficking

Worldwide Primates propri-

etor Matthew Block, 31, of Miami,

drew 13 months in federal prison on April

17 for his part in arranging for six infant

orangutans to be smuggled from Indonesia

to the Soviet Union––the 1990 Bangkok

Six case. Hoping to win a plea bargain,

Block testified against three accomplices

and helped set up the January 26 arrest of

a Mexican zoo director for allegedly trying

to smuggle a gorilla. However, assistant

U.S. attorney Guy Lewis told U.S. district

judge James Kehoe that Block had never

fully cooperated with either investigation,

had lied about his degree of involvement

in the orangutan deal, and was still in

touch with smuggling associates. Block

now faces USDA action for allegedly

feeding primates at his facility spoiled

food, failing to provide water, and keep-

ing them in vermin-infested cages.

Wild Cats

May 1, 1993 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 1993:

Genetic researchers trying to save

the highly endangered Florida panther on

April 9 recommended a shift away from cap-

tive breeding, the focus of present recovery

efforts. Instead, the team suggested, closely

related Texas cougars should be released into

panther habitat to diversify the gene pool by

natural means. Under the plan, panther kittens

would no longer be removed from the wild for

use in captive breeding, since their gene pool

is presently so narrow that the offspring would

be likely to inherit genetic defects.

Zoos & Aquariums

May 1, 1993 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 1993:

Soon after Hurricane Andrew, the Miami Metro Zoo

mailed nearly a million appeals for emergency aid to members of ani-

mal protection groups and to subscribers to magazines about animals.

Zoological Society of Florida deputy director Cynthia Zeigler told

The Chronicle of Philanthropy recently that 27,675 people responded

within the first six months, donating $484,000––results so impres-

sive that TCPgave the story a full-page spread.

Organizing to obstruct attempts by the Shedd Aquarium

in Chicago to capture three Pacific white-sided dolphins off Santa

Catalina Island, California, the Whale Rescue Team claims to have

commitments for participation from the owners of 40 boats and two

aircraft. “The flotilla will use all nonviolent means necessary to pre-

vent the capture,” says Whale Rescue Team founder Peter

Wallerstein.

Wildlife

May 1, 1993 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 1993:

Interior Secretary Bruce Babbit announced April

15 that Georgia Pacific, the largest U.S. forest products com-

pany, has agreed to leave at least 10 acres of woods standing

around each colony of endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers

found on company land in Arkansas, the Carolinas, Louisiana,

and Mississippi. The deal protects 50,000 acres while allowing

Georgia Pacific to log the remainder of its 4.2 million acres of

southern timber.

The World Wildlife Fund has agreed to hire mem-

bers of the impoverished Hoopa tribe in northern California to

restore logged-out forests and eroded stream beds. The Pacific

Gas & Electric Co. has already provided 30,000 trees to the pro-

ject, which is expected to benefit bald eagles, peregrine fal-

cons, and northern spotted owls.

Bill to stop wolf-strafing

May 1, 1993 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 1993:

WASHINGTON D.C.––As he

promised he would last winter, Oregon Rep.

Peter DeFazio has introduced amendments to

the Airborne Hunting section of the Fish and

Wildlife Act of 1956 that would bar using

aircraft to kill native endangered or threat-

ened species on public lands––even for

wildlife management purposes. Support for

the bill, H.R. 1391, may be addressed to any

member of the House or Senate.

Postage hike to hit charities

May 1, 1993 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 1993:

Third class nonprofit postal rates, used to

mail ANIMAL PEOPLE and most other humane infor-

mation mediums, are scheduled to take another big jump

in the fall, following increases of 80% over the past three

years. Further, President Clinton’s fiscal 1994 budget

proposes abolishing nonprofit third class privileges for

publications, such as ANIMAL PEOPLE, that contain

either advertising or political advocacy materials.

Nonprofit second class privileges would be removed from

periodicals devoting more than 10% of their space to

advertising (30% to 40% advertising is the usual periodi-

cal breakeven point). Letter-sized nonprofit mailing

rates, used chiefly for fundraising, may go up 32%, from

a current basic rate of 11.1¢ per piece to 14.7¢ apiece.

While the gradual reduction of nonprofit mailing subsidies

hurts all charities, some observers believe the higher rates

will most hurt organizations such as the Doris Day Animal

League, which were formed with the active participation

of commercial direct mail fundraising firms, and whose

programs consist largely of “public education” via letters

and bulletins distributed with funding appeals.

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