Missouri voters approve anti-puppy mill initiative

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2010:
(Actual press date November 3.)

ST. LOUIS–Missouri voters on November 2, 2010 approved
Proposition B, to increase regulation of dog breeders, by a margin
of more than 60,000 votes.
Won by a coalition called Missourians for the Protection of
Dogs, Proposition B was backed by the Humane Society of the U.S.,
the Humane Society of Missouri, the Best Friends Animal Society,
and the American SPCA. It requires dog breeders who keep 10 or more
breeding dogs to provide dogs with larger cages that allow them
freedom of movement, with access to opportunities for outdoor
exercise; prohibits keeping dogs on wire floors and in stacked
cages; and mandates that every dog in a breeding kennel of 50 or
more dogs must receive an annual veterinary examination. Ill or
injured animals must receive prompt treatment. Breeders will not be
allowed to keep more than 50 breeding dogs.

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Serenity Springs cofounder Nick Sculac convicted

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2010:
(Actual press date November 3.)

COLORADO SPRINGS–Serenity Springs Wildlife Center cofounder
Nick Sculac, 60, was on October 26, 2010 sentenced to serve six
years in a halfway house, with probation possible in six to eight
months. The conviction was Sculac’s third for felony theft, but
Colorado mandates a life sentence for a third felony conviction only
if the felonies involve violence.
“When a volunteer was mauled by a tiger last year,”
explained R. Scott Rappold of the Colorado Springs Gazette, Sculac
bilked the man out of $40,500 by falsely claiming– according to
court documents–that he faced fines from the U.S. Department of
Agriculture and that amount was his share. The USDA is still
investigating the April 2009 mauling and has not issued a fine. The
Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined the sanctuary
$7,000,” Rappold added.

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Fired founder Carol Buckley sues Elephant Sanctuary

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2010:
(Actual press date November 3.)
NASHVILLE–Carol Buckley, cofounder of the Elephant
Sanctuary at Hohenwald, Tennessee, has sued the sanctuary, board
member Janice Zeitlin, and then-acting chief executive Mary Baker
for wrongful dismissal.
Placed on involuntary leave of absence on November 21, 2009
and fired on March 17, 2010, Buckley filed suit on September 10,
2010, but word of the case did not reach news media until October 7,
when separate reports appeared from Liz Potocsnak of Courthouse News
Service and Chris Echegary of the Nashville Tennessean.

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Wisconsin Wildlife Federation seeks cruelty charges against alleged snow machine “hunters”

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2010:
(Actual press date November 3.)

 

APPLETON–Asking that felony animal cruelty charges be
reinstated against three men who admitted to running down six deer
with snow machines on January 9, 2009 near Lind, Wisconsin, the
Wisconsin Wildlife Federation and attorney Michael J. Cain contend
in a friend-of-the-court brief filed in mid-October 2010 with the
Wisconsin Fourth District Court of Appeals that two Waupaca County
judges erred in holding that the men could not be charged with
cruelty because the state Department of Nat-ural Resources charged
them with game law violations.

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North Dakota rejects initiative that would have banned canned hunts of deer & elk

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2010:
(Actual press date November 3.)

 

BISMARCK–North Dakota voters on November 2, 2010 defeated
Initiated Measure 2, which would have banned shooting elk and deer
inside high-fence enclosures.
With 434 of 505 precincts reporting, the attempt to ban
so-called canned hunts trailed by 24,911 votes, failing by a margin
of 56% to 44%.

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Video of singer killing tame bear may have helped in eastern N.D.

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2010:
(Actual press date November 3.)
GRAND FORKS–North Dakota ballot Measure 2, seeking to ban
hunting deer and elk within high fences, failed statewide but passed
in the eastern third of the state.
Contributing to the regional split in the North Dakota voting
may have been intensive local exposure during the week before the
November 2010 election of a videotape of country music star Troy
Gentry illegally killing a tame black bear named Cubby at a Minnesota
game farm in 2004.

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Former support of gassing dogs and cats may cost challenger the Illinois gubernatorial race

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2010:
(Actual press date November 3.)

 

SPRINGFIELD–The votes of animal advocates may prove pivotal
in deciding the 2010 Illinois gubernatorial race.
Democratic incumbent governor Patrick Quinn held an 8,000
vote lead over Republican state senator Bill Brady as ANIMAL PEOPLE
went to press on the morning of November 3, 2010, but both Quinn
and Brady had approximately 46% of the ballots, with 97% of Illinois
precincts having reported.
Regardless of which candidate finishes the first count ahead,
a recount appeared to be almost certain.

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Humane Society Legislative Fund candidates did well

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2010:
(Actual press date November 3.)
WASHINGTON D.C.– Among 298 midterm election candidates
endorsed by the Humane Society Legislative Fund, 238 were declared
winners by noon on November 3, 2010, 46 lost, and 14 were in races
still undecided.
In Washington state the HSLF endorsement of incumbent
Senator Patty Murray, a Democrat, may prove pivotal. Murray held a
1% margin over Republican challenger Dino Rossi as ANIMAL PEOPLE went
to press, with a recount certain.

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Record $7 million verdict in pit bull fatality case & related legal updates

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, September 2010:
(published October 5, 2010)
HENDERSON, Texas–A Rusk County District Court jury on
September 17, 2010 held pit bull terrier owners Rick and Christi
George of Leveritt’s Chapel responsible for a record $7 million in
damages for allowing their two dogs to escape and kill skateboarder
Justin Clinton, 10, on June 15, 2009. “The jury heard evidence
from 46 witnesses and viewed 125 exhibits which documented the
vicious attack and conduct of these two animals,” attorney Cynthia
Kent told ANIMAL PEOPLE.
“Although several defense witnesses testified that they had
never seen the dogs act aggressively and one even referred to the
dogs as ‘lovable little fluff balls,’ law enforcement officers and
other witnesses testified to the dogs’ vicious and aggressive nature
as compared to other breeds,” Kent added. Kent, representing the
victim’s family, was previously a district judge in Tyler, Texas.
Soon after the fatal attack Kent announced that she would pursue the
passage of legislation to restrict or prohibit breeding or keeping
pit bulls.

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