Category: Science

Publications: The Endangered Species Act & “Sound Science”

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE,  July-August 2013:

The Endangered Species Act & “Sound Science” by M. Lynne Corn,  Kristina Alexander,  & Eugene Buck Congressional Research Service,  2013.  Free download from <www.crs.gov>

This 30-page document summarizes controversies over alleged “junk science” used in determining the endangered species status of Canada lynx,  hatchery-raised salmon,  Stellar sea lions,  gray wolves in the eastern states,  and endangered species issues pertaining to climate change.   Read more

Promising tests––but no immediate hope for female nonsurgical sterilants

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE,  July-August 2013:

PORTLAND,  Oregon––“I think we will get a single-injection contraceptive product for dogs and cats,  but when,  and at what cost?” rhetorically asked Linda Rhodes,  DVM from the plenary podium at the June 20-23,  2013 Alliance for Contraception in Cats & Dogs conference in Portland,  Oregon. 

That was what most of the audience of about 150 researchers,  animal advocates,  and news media had come to find out.   Read more

Does castration really alter male dog behavior?

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE,  July-August 2013:

PORTLAND,  Oregon––Does castration really make male dogs less dangerous? The return of an injectible zinc gluconate chemosterilant to the U.S. market––Zeuterin,  formerly called Neutersol––has rekindled a debate that most of the humane community,  most veterinarians,  and probably most people involved with dogs in any way thought was long since settled.

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The science of how behavior is inherited in aggressive dogs

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE,  July-August 2013:

by Alexandra Semyonova

 Probably most people recognize that every dog breed results from human manipulation of inherited physical traits.  Until recently,  most people probably also recognized that much dog behavior is also a result of manipulating inheritance:  if you want to do sheep trials,  you get a border collie.  If you get a beagle,  he will likely become instantly deaf to your calls if he picks up a scent to track.  Read more

Renowned wildlife researcher Lynn Rogers loses his permit to radio-collar wild bears

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE,  July-August 2013:

ELY,  Minnesota––Lynn Rogers,  74,   longtime director of the Wildlife Research Institute and the affiliated North American Bear Center in Ely,  Minnesota,  was on June 28,  2013 told by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources that the permit he has held since 1999 to radio-collar wild bears will not be renewed.   Read more

BOOKS / The Genius of Dogs: How Dogs are Smarter Than You Think

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE,  April 2013:

The Genius of Dogs:  How Dogs are Smarter Than You Think  by Brian Hare & Vanessa Woods Dutton (c/o Penguin USA,  375 Hudson St.,  New York, NY 10014), 2013.  367 pages.  $37.95/hardcover or $14.95 paperback.

Publicity for The Genius of Dogs alleges that co-author Brian Hare has done more than anyone else to change human appreciation of the intelligence of dogs.  This overlooks the influence of more than 150 years of highly popular fictional Lassie stories,  originating with The Half-brothers,  by Elizabeth Gaskell in 1859, and countless real-life feats of resourceful intelligence performed by Lassies named after the fictional dogs,  including the rescue and revival of a “drowned” British sailor in 1915 and the rescue of a drowning boy from Lake Ontario in 1936.   Read more

DOCUMENTS: U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook, 2012 edition

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE,  April 2013:

U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook,  2012 edition ($195 member download;  $295 non-member download;  $20 extra for printed copy.) American Veterinary Medical Association,  1931 North Meacham Road, Suite 100,  Schaumburg,  IL 60173. 186 pages,  paperback.    AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals:  2013 edition Free download from:   https://www.avma.org/KB/Policies/Documents/euthanasia-highres.pdf

The American Veterinary Medical Association charges from $195 to $315 for the U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographic Sourcebook,  2012 edition,  depending on the membership status of the customer and the format in which the book is provided,  but the AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals:  2013 edition are free for the downloading. Read more

BOOKS: How Animals Grieve

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE,  April 2013:

How Animals Grieve   by Barbara J. King University of Chicago Press (1427 E. 60th St.,  Chicago,  IL  60637),  2013.  179 pages,  paperback.  $25.00

How Animals Grieve author Barbara J. King asks,  “Is it outlandish to write of animal love?”  No,  of course not.  Some animals love and grieve differently from humans,  but their expressions are real,  and many animals grieve exactly as humans do. Read more

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