Impeachment of Illinois governor did not surprise SHARK

March 1, 2009 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2009:

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois–When the Illinois Senate impeached
governor Rod Blagojevich for abuse of power on January 29, 2009, by
a vote of 59-0, Showing Animals Respect & Kindness founder Steve
Hindi could say “I told you so.” Hindi had accused the Blagojevich
administration of corruption via the SHARK web site since July 2006.
Hindi fingered Blagojevich himself and senior officials at
the Illinois Department of Agriculture, the Illinois State Police,
and the office of the Illinois State’s Attorney after they refused to
prosecute cruelty to animals captured on videotape by SHARK
investigators at the 2006 Illinois High School Rodeo Association
finals in Springfield, the Illinoi state capital.

A misunderstood coyote tries to avoid trouble

March 1, 2009 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2009:

Captioned “An urban coyote strolls through West Hills, a
suburb of Los Angeles, California, in July 2002,” this photo
appears in Coyote Attacks: An Increasing Suburban Problem, in which
Robert M. Timm, Rex O. Baker, and USDA Wildlife Services employees
Joe R. Bennett and Craig C. Coolahan allege that coyotes are losing
their fear of humans, and are increasing threats toward humans and
pets.
The evidence in the photo, on closer look, tells a
different story. The little girl in the background appears to be
completely unaware of the coyote, but rather than stalking her, the
coyote is not trying to conceal himself. His tail is held low in a
submissive or defensive posture. He is not running as if flushed
from cover, but is walking in the apparent shadows of trees that may
have been cover he has just abandoned. His left ear is cocked toward
the photographer.

Atlantic Canada seal hunt starts slowly

March 1, 2009 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2009:
HALIFAX–The 2009 Atlantic Canadian seal hunt opened quietly
on Hays Island off Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, on February 4, with
only one sealing vessel sailing. The much larger Gulf of St.
Lawrence and Labrador Front phases of the hunt were expected to start
several weeks later
The most prominent protester appeared to be Atlantic Canadian
Anti-Sealing Coalition spokesperson Bridget Curran. The Humane
Society of the U.S. and International Fund for Animal Welfare usually
make appearances at the start of the Gulf of St. Lawrence hunt. The
Sea Shepherd Conserv-ation Society ship Farley Mowat, seized by the
Canadian government after confronting sealers near Cape Breton in
April 2008, remains in custody in Sydney, Nova Scotia.

Cowboys lose copyright case

March 1, 2009 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2009:
CHICAGO–The Electronic Frontiers Foundation on February 12,
2009 announced that the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association has
agreed to pay $25,000 and accept restraints on making claims of
copyright violation against the animal advocacy group Showing Animals
Respect & Kindness.
Asserting that SHARK had violated the federal Digital
Millennium Act, the PRCA in December 2007 pressured YouTube into
removing from the web several videos of rodeo violence posted by
SHARK. The Electronic Frontiers Foundation then sued the PRCA on
SHARK’s behalf.
“The money goes to EFF, not us,” SHARK founder Steve Hindi
told ANIMAL PEOPLE. “That’s only fair, as they put a lot of time
into the case, and we could never have won it without them. The
exciting part for us is that the PRCA has agreed not to enforce a ‘no
videotaping’ provision in its ticket contracts against us, unless it
enforces the same provision against others. This means the PRCA may
no longer selectively enforce the provision against critics.”

Puppy mill raids boost lawmaker interest

March 1, 2009 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2009:
The 2009 state legislative sessions in at least six states
opened with introductions of proposed anti-puppy mill bills, with
many more bill introductions reportedly pending.
Stimulating the legislative activity were some of the biggest
dog seizures from alleged puppy mills on record in Minnesota,
Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington–all involving
small breeds and small mixed breeds, the dogs least often available
from shelters and most in demand through pet stores and Internet pet
brokerages.
The Everett Animal Shelter, just half an hour by car and
ferry boat from the ANIMAL PEOPLE offices in the outer Seattle
suburbs, on February 9, 2009 took legal custody of nearly 160 dogs
who were seized on January 16 in the first of a multi-day series of
raids on sites in rural Snohomish and Skagit Counties. The raids
netted more than 600 dogs in all, most of them of small breeds and
small mixed breeds. Many were pregnant, though humane officers
said Internet reports that thousands of puppies were expected were
exaggerated.

“First dog” may be last Obama pick

January 1, 2009 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, January/February 2009:
WASHINGTON D.C.–The identity of the new First Dog remained
unknown as the January/February 2009 edition of ANIMAL PEOPLE went to
press, a week before the inauguration of incoming U.S. President
Barack Obama–but the Obama family leans toward either a Portuguese
water dog or a Labradoodle, Obama told the ABC News show This Week
With George Stephanopoulous on January 11, 2009.
Portuguese water dogs, usually pedigreed, are rarely seen
in shelters. Labradoodles are a “designer hybrid” of Labrador
retriever with poodle, not recognized by the American Kennel Club as
a breed, but now commonly produced by commercial breeders, often
found in raids on alleged puppy mills, and widely available from
shelters and rescue groups.

Colorado Humane Society in receivership

January 1, 2009 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, January/February 2009:
DENVER–The Colorado Humane Society, operating since 1881,
was on Decemeber 16, 2008 placed in receivership.
“The motion, filed by Colorado Attorney General John Suthers
in Arapahoe County Court, immediately removes executive director
Mary C. Warren, her husband Robert Warren,” who was development
director, “and Mary Warren’s daughter, Stephenie L. Gardner,” who
was director of operations, “and bars them from any control of the
charity’s assets,” reported Howard Pankratz of the Denver Post.

Best Friends announces leadership change

January 1, 2009 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, January/February 2009:
KANAB, Utah–The Best Friends Animal Society on January 13,
2009 announced that “by mutual agreement between the board and Paul
Berry, Mr. Berry would no longer serve as chief executive officer,
a position he has held since the spring 2006. The board is in
discussion with Mr. Berry about a possible future role with the
organization.”
Best Friends cofounder Gregory Castle told ANIMAL PEOPLE that
Berry’s exit would not mean any significant change in the policies,
philosophy, or modus operandi of Best Friends, the largest no-kill
animal sheltering organization in the world, and the fastest-growing
major U.S. animal advocacy organization since reincorporating as a
501(c)(3) charity in 1996.

Funds raised for fake sanctuary

January 1, 2009 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, January/February 2009:
PALM BEACH–The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation
Commission and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office on November 18,
2008 arrested Heather Southworth, 26, for allegedly unlawfully
soliciting funds for an unregistered charity called Rescue: Big Cat
Organization–which appears to have existed entirely in cyberspace.
The Rescue: Big Cat Organization web site, still active on
December 27, 2008 but taken down soon afterward, claimed to
represent a charity founded in Pennsylvania in 1985, also operating
sanctuaries in New York, North Carolina, and Florida. The site
included photos and stories about many purportedly rescued animals,
and listed 18 supposed staff.

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