Cat-killing bill may be stalled

November 1, 2007 Archivist Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November/December 2007:
WASHINGTON D.C.–HR 767, a bill that if passed would allow
the National Wildlife Refuge system to authorize hunters to shoot
feral cats, unanimously cleared the U.S. House of Representatives on
an October 23, 2007 voice vote, and entered the Senate without
organized opposition.
Then, after page one exposure in the October 2007 edition of
ANIMAL PEOPLE, HR 767 ran into Lee “The LocoMotive” Zucker, owner
of The LocoMotive vegetarian restaurant in Eugene, Oregon. Zucker
called many of the national animal advocacy groups and regional
humane societies whose first word was that HR 767 could not be
stopped.

Who was really behind “Your Mommy Kills Animals”

November 1, 2007 Archivist Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November/December 2007:

LOS ANGELES–Producing a video about the
animal rights movement in 2005-2006 called Your
Mommy Kills Animals, Minneapolis documentarian
Curt Johnson, 39, spent much of 2007 and may
spend much of 2008 fighting lawsuits for
allegedly misrepresenting the project to both
anti-animal rights investors and animal rights
advocates Shane and Sia Barbi, who are credited
in the video as associate producers.
Johnson lost the first round to Center
for Consumer Freedom founder Richard Berman and
Speakeasy Video company owner Maura Flynn, wife
of former Center for Consumer Freedom employee
Michael Flynn.
Alleging copyright infringement on
January 12, 2007, Berman and Flynn contended
that Johnson violated their intent to produce a
documentary attacking the People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals.

Proposed “norms and standards” for elephant captivity outrage South African activists

November 1, 2007 Archivist Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November/December 2007:

PRETORIA–Efforts by South African minister for environmental
affairs and tourism Martinus Van Schalkwyk to produce “norms and
standards” governing the capture and use of elephants appear to have
infuriated both animal advocates and the captive elephant industry.
Almost a year into the consultation process, Van Schalkwyk
apparently pleased no one with draft “Norms and Standards” presented
on November 12.
The first conflict was over allowing elephant captures.
“The decision by the department to allow the capture of
elephants from wild herds on private and communal land for training
and use in the safari industry, including elephant- back safaris,
is inexplicable and inexcusable,” alleged Jason Bell-Leask of the
International Fund for Animal Welfare.

One small dog & friends visit Houston

November 1, 2007 Archivist Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November/December 2007:
[Photo caption]

Maria (center) inspired the August 2007 #1 independent label
pop rock hit “One Small Dog,” by British singer Maria Daines.
Thrown into a deep pit to die, Maria, Hailie, Hana, and Tommy
were rescued by the Homeless Animals Protection Society of Ethiopia,
as recounted in the July/August 2007 edition of ANIMAL PEOPLE.
Amsale Gessesse Memorial Foundation founder Anteneh Roba, M.D., who
funded the dogs’ rescue, flew them to Houston on October 28, 2007
to find homes and become ambassadors for HAPS. The two HAPS staff
positions are sponsored by ANIMAL PEOPLE.

Companion Animals

“Operation Foxote” brings chase pen busts in three states

November 1, 2007 Archivist Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November/December 2007:
BIRMINGHAM, INDIANAPOLIS, NORFOLK, WASHINGTON D.C.–An
two-year investigation of “chase pen” hunting businesses called
“Operation Foxote” culminated on November 11, 2007 with arrests in
three states.
The Alabama’ Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division,
which initiated Operation Foxote, arrested 18 people and seized 55
foxes, 25 coyotes, two bobcats, and 33 cardinals who were
apparently used as bait to catch foxes and coyotes. The
investigators also found and seized a moonshine still.
All of the confiscated animals were killed “because they
posed a health risk for native species and their survival chances
were slim,” Alabama Department of Conservation & Natural Resources
chief of enforcement Allan Andress told Birmingham News staff writer
Mike Bolton.

Reintroducing red kites despite hunter opposition

November 1, 2007 Archivist Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November/December 2007:
DUBLIN, ULSTER– The Golden Eagle Trust, Welsh Kite Trust,
and Irish National Parks & Wildlife Service in July 2007 released 15
pairs of red kites in the Wicklow mountains, in an attempt to
rebuild the long extinct native kite population–but someone shot one
of the kites just six weeks later, during National Heritage Week.
The shooting followed a series of killings of birds of prey
in County Down, Northern Ireland, including a peregrine falcon who
was hatched in County Antrim in early 2006 and found dead near
Sprucefield in October, and a buzzard who was found poisoned in the
Drumbanagher area, near Newry.
“There was a case of alleged persecution of peregrines in the
Mourne Mountains earlier,” recalled Royal Society for the Protection
of Birds conservation officer Claire Ferry.

Candidates on animal issues

November 1, 2007 Archivist Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November/December 2007:
Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, a
longtime vegetarian and now a vegan, celebrated Thanksgiving 2007 at
the Animal Acres sanctuary in Acton, California. Kucinich was
scheduled to discuss animal issues on November 29 on a Dialogue for
Democracy webcast with In Defense of Animals founder Elliot Katz,
Farm Animal Reform Movement founder Alex Hershaft, PETA cofounder
Alex Pacheco (who left PETA nearly 10 years ago), and Last Chance
for Animals founder Chris DeRose.
But Ohio Representative Kucinich is rated little chance of
winning the nomination.

Atlanta Falcons & pit bull terriers

November 1, 2007 Archivist Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November/December 2007:
SUSSEX, Virginia–Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael
Vick was on November 27, 2007 scheduled for a jury trial on April 2,
2008 in Surry County Circuit Court for two counts of felony
dogfighting.
The dogfighting charges, brought by the State of Virginia,
are separate from the federal conspiracy charge to which Vick pleaded
guilty on August 27, 2007.
Facing up to five years in prison for the federal conviction,
Vick voluntarily began serving time on November 19, in advance of
his scheduled December 10 sentencing.

Death of largest gopher tortoise ever found draws notice to Florida live burial policy

October 2, 2007 Archivist Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, June 2007

FORT MYERS, Fla.– Phoenix, the largest gopher tortoise
ever measured, at least 60 years old according to Gopher Tortoise
Conservation Initiative coordinator Sarah Shannon, died on April 28,
2007 in care of Amanda Ebenhack of South Florida Reptile Rescue.
Hit by a backhoe on a Fort Myers construction site, Phoenix
was left for dead and buried circa February 28. “Two weeks later,
he emerged and scared the crap out of all of them,” Ebenhack told
Kevin Lollar of the Fort Myers News-Press. “He was taken to another
rescue center, then to me. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I could
barely lift him. Nobody believed he was a gopher tortoise.”
Noted Craig Pittman of the St. Petersburg Times, “For 16
years, Florida officials have let developers bury tortoises alive
and pave their burrows, in exchange for money to buy land for
tortoises elsewhere. Because of their low metabolic rate, tortoises
can take months to suffocate,” Pittman noted. “By this year, the
pay-to-pave program had issued permits to bury more than 94,000
tortoises. Now the species is in sharp decline. Tortoise experts
blame the permitting program. State wildlife officials have decided
to end the program by July 31, prompting a rush by developers to
beat the deadline,” Pittman added. “The permits have no expiration
date, so developers can use them at any time in the future. ”

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