Congress passes ban on interstate transport of animals for fighting

May 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 2007:

WASHINGTON D.C.–The U.S. Senate on April 10, 2007
unanimously passed the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act,
H.R. 137, approved by the House of Representatives on March 25,
368-39. Sent to the White House to be signed into law, the Act
creates a felony penalty for transporting animals across state
lines–including foreign export– to be used in fights.
Cockfighters and breeders mobilized to urge President George
W. Bush to veto H.R. 137, but Humane Society of the U.S. president
Wayne Pacelle was unconcerned. “We have it on good word that it will
be signed,” Pacelle told ANIMAL PEOPLE.
The Act is expected to help in apprehending and prosecuting
dogfighters and cockfighters. Dogfighting is already illegal in all
50 states. Cockfighting is illegal in 49 states plus nine of the 64
parishes of Louisiana, the last state to allow it.

New state legislation

May 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 2007:
The Iowa House of Representatives on April 17, 2007 approved
a bill to ban private possession of dangerous wildlife, 80-19.
Previously approved unanimously by the Iowa Senate, the bill was
sent to Governor Chet Culver.

The Oregon House on April 17, 2007 sent to Governor Ted
Kulongoski a bill to make Oregon the 13th state to include animals in
emergency planning. Virginia Governor Tim Kaine earlier in April
endorsed into law a similar bill, introduced by state senator Walter
Stosch.

Is Primarily Primates takeover drama near an end?

May 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 2007:

SAN ANTONIO–Almost a year of litigation over the future of
the 28-year-old Primarily Primates sanctuary may end at an April 27,
2007 hearing in San Antonio, at which the Texas Office of Attorney
General agreed two days earlier in a “Full and Final Settlement
Agreement” obtained by ANIMAL PEOPLE to “fully and completely
release, acquit, and forever discharge Primarily Primates,”
founder Wally Swett, other staff and board members, and Friends of
Animals, from “all claims” brought against them in connection with
the October 2006 seizure of the sanctuary by now retired Texas
assistant attorney general John Vinson.
Friends of Animals had agreed with the Primarily Primates
board to take over management of the sanctuary, following Swett’s
retirement.

Shelter news

May 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 2007:

The Pigs As Pets Association, of Fort Myers, Florida, and
The Pig Preserve, of Jamestown, Tennessee, on April 14, 2007
announced that they “have joined forces and will now be known as The
Pig Preserve Associa-tion,” headquartered in Fentress County,
Tennessee. PAPA, founded in 1998 by Lana Hollenbeck, has focused
on education, outreach, and placement of cast-off pigs at
sanctuaries. The Pig Preserve, of Jamestown, Tennessee, founded
by Richard and Laura Hoyle in 2006, “is a 100-acre natural preserve,
which will eventually provide a home for approximately 400 rescued
pigs of all breeds,” Richard Hoyle said, “including miniature pigs
and domestic farm pigs.”

Fires destroy three animal shelters in three weeks

May 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 2007:

Thirty-foot flames erupting at about 2:00 a.m. from a laundry
area razed the Jacksonville Humane Society on April 7, 2007,
killing 67 cats and 18 dogs, chief operating officer Danya
Parks-Freel told Matt Galnor of the Florida Times-Union.
Jacksonville Fire & Rescue spokesperson Tom Francis said a fire
captain suffered burns and other firefighters had to be pulled from
the wreckage after the roof collapsed as they tried to open cages and
carry animals to safety. Firefighters reportedly adopted many animals
on the spot. A separate veterinary clinic and runs for about 50
dogs were reportedly the only facilities that remained useable –but
executive director Leona Shed-dan had kept backup computer files off
site, enabling a rapid resumption of most activities. Owning 27
acres, the humane society hoped to rebuild and expand. The city of
Jacksonville has meanwhile planned to build a $9 million new animal
care and control center. Mayoral spokesperson Susie Wiles told
Galnor that the city would be interested in discussing a joint
project with the humane society, which has been no-kill since 2005.

Mother Nature fights the seal hunt

May 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 2007:
ST. JOHNS, Newfoundland– Climatic
conditions appeared likely to do the annual
Atlantic Canadian seal hunt more economic damage
in 2007 than all the protests and boycotts
worldwide combined.
As ANIMAL PEOPLE went to press on April
25, sealers were still assessing the combined
cost of a sealing season that was almost without
ice in much of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, while
drifting sheet ice trapped and badly damaged
sealing vessels along the Labrador Front,
northeast of Newfoundland. A dozen crews had
abandoned their boats after ice cracked the hulls.
“Two Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers,
the Ann Harvey and the Sir Wilfred Grenfell, are
trapped in the ice along with the sealing
vessels. Helicopters are flying food and fuel to
the stranded crews on the ice,” reported Paul
Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.
As many as 90 sealing boats were trapped
in ice, as of April 23, up from 60 ten days
earlier, according to the St. Johns Telegram.
The icebreakers had managed to free only about 10
boats in five days of effort, before becoming
stuck themelves.

Liability cases loom over melamine-tainted pet food

May 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 2007:

EMPORIA, Kansas–“To the extent that we identify that the
cause of any expenses incurred [by pet keepers for veterinary care] are related to the food, Menu will take responsibility,” Menu Foods
chief executive Paul Henderson pledged, after ordering the first of
a flurry of pet food recalls.
But that was just before pet keepers and law firms coast to
coast began alleging in more than two dozen attempted class action
cases that Menu Foods responded too slowly to the crisis, caused by
melamine contamination of pet food ingredients. The contamination
kills dogs and cats–especially cats–by attacking their kidneys.

Cracking the case of the pet food killer

May 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 2007:

PORTLAND, Oregon–As many as 39,000 American dogs and cats
may have been injured or killed by pet foods contaminated by
melamine, a chemical formerly considered safe, during the three
months or longer that the tainted food was in distribution.
Banfield Pet Hospitals, operating 615 veterinary clinics
around the U.S., produced this preliminary estimate from information
on client visits, from December 2006 through mid-March 2007. During
that time the Banfield hospitals handled more than one million animal
visits, and saw a 30% increase in cases of cats suffering from
kidney failure.
The data suggests that three out of every 10,000 cats and
dogs who ate the contaminated pet food developed kidney failure,
Banfield told Associated Press.
Receiving consumer complaints about pet foods allegedly
poisoning healthy dogs and cats, Menu Foods Inc. ordered test
feedings. After 16 cats and dogs died from kidney failure during the
laboratory test feeding, Menu Foods on March 16, 2007 recalled 60
million cans of dog and cat food. A Canadian firm with U.S. plants
in Emporia, Kansas, and New Jersey, Menu Foods supplied products
to at least seven different companies, who sold Menu-made pet food
under more than 100 brands.

Lancaster captive turkey shooters convicted–a first in Pennsylvania

April 1, 2007 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, April 2007:
LANCASTER, Pa.–The Elstonville Sportsmen’s Association on
March 9, 2007 pleaded “no contest” to eight cruelty counts brought
against the club for hosting a live turkey shoot in Rapho Township
on September 9, 2006.
The “no contest” plea acknowledged the facts of the case,
including an agreement to pay all fines, without admitting guilt.
Elstonville Sportsmen’s Association attorney Michael Winters
told Ad Crable of the Lancaster New Era that in response to the
charges the club had elected new leadership, and had adopted a new
rule that forbids “the use of any living entity for the sole purpose
of being a target,” even if the use is allowed by law.

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