[Shadow_Group] In Defense of Animals: E-News: 2-02-05
ItalysBadBoy
italysbadboy at yahoo.com
Thu Feb 3 11:24:55 PST 2005
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Vol. 3, Issue 50 February 2, 2005
Table of Contents:
1. January's Guardian of the Month - Cheri Brown Thompson
2. New Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) Kit Now Available
3. Greenland Plans to Put Polar Bears in Line of Fire
4. California Seals Are In Danger
5. Over $1 Million in Awards & Scholarships for Humane Youth
6. USDA Puts Crooked Animal Dealer Out of Business
Dear Animal Friends,
Legend has it that if a groundhog sees his/her shadow on Groundhog Day, we will have another six weeks of winter. I always figured that groundhogs had an internal timer set to wake them from their five-month hibernation on February 2nd when they would naturally emerge from their burrows en masse to perform this sacred yearly ritual.
Not surprisingly, the reality is somewhat more surreal. Americans look to an individual "celebrity" groundhog - Punxsutawney Phil - for their winter weather forecast. Phil lives in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania: not in a burrow with his family, but alone in a climate-controlled home at the local library. On February 2nd, his handlers take him out and place him in a heated burrow beneath a simulated tree trunk to perform his prognostication as part of a media spectacle that includes national TV coverage and tens of thousands of spectators.
How accurate are Phil's predictions? Well, since the first official Groundhog Day in 1886, he's been "wrong" 61% of the time: an average that would bankrupt a TV news meteorologist. However, we can't blame Phil for this poor record.
- Firstly, anyone rudely awakened from a deep slumber only to find tens of thousands of people gawking at them would probably want to go right back to bed.
- Secondly, it seems bizarre to expect an animal who lives year-round in an artificial environment protected from the elements to know so much about the seasons. Wild groundhogs consume a wide variety of fresh green vegetation, and only emerge from hibernation when there is enough for them to eat. However, Phil doesn't have to worry about such details because (according to his official Website, www.groundhog.org), he "thrives on dog food and ice cream." The average groundhog is 5 to 10 pounds, yet Phil weighs in at a hefty 15 pounds, making him one obese groundhog. I guess this is what happens when you feed a natural herbivore a standard American diet!
- Finally, how can Phil "predict" the weather when it's not up to him whether he sees his shadow or not? Either the sun is shining and he sees it, or it's not and he doesn't.
Groundhog Day celebrations aside, many people poison groundhogs to protect their gardens and farms, while others hunt them for "sport," mainly as practice for stalking "real" game like trophy bucks and bears. Perhaps someday, Americans will show a little more respect for these intelligent and sentient creatures. In the meantime, we can each celebrate Groundhog Day by nurturing the deep reverence for all animals that inspires us to work on their behalf.
Sincerely,
Mat Thomas
E-news Editor
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1. January's Guardian of the Month - Cheri Brown Thompson
January's Guardian of the Month, Cheri Brown Thompson is the founder and director of the Healing Species, a program that teaches compassion and empathy for animals to over 5,000 South Carolina schoolchildren every year. The 11-week program is based on the principal that the unconditional love offered by animals can boost children's self-esteem and empowers them in a very real way. The willing assistance of one of Cheri's thirteen rescued dogs allows the children to practice empathy directly through interaction and small acts of kindness. She also tells the children each dog's story of abuse and neglect, cruel realities to which many of the children can sadly relate. The acceptance and love offered by these gentle dogs can be especially healing for children who have suffered abuse and help them begin to identify and break the cycle of violence. Cheri creates a warm, relaxed atmosphere that gives children the space to discover their connection with animals and other people.
To learn more about the Healing Species and how to get the program in your school, please visit www.healingspecies.org.
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2. New Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) Kit Now Available
With Neighborhood Cats' new TNR Kit, anyone can manage a thriving feral cat colony. They've taken all the knowledge gained from five years of working directly with feral cats and put it together for the first time ever in one easy-to-use package. The kit includes:
- "The Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook," a complete guide for the feral cat caretaker that includes photos illustrating innovative management techniques. The handbook covers trapping, nutrition, shelter, spaying/neutering, socialization, finding adoptive homes, keeping cats out of gardens, winter care, establishing good community relations and much more.
- A new 32-minute instructional video, "How to Perform a Mass Trapping," that complements the handbook by providing a visual guide to the TNR of an entire feral cat colony at once. Each step in the process is demonstrated using footage from successful Neighborhood Cats' projects.
Whether you're trying to persuade your town council to support a TNR program or catch an elusive feline, the Neighborhood Cats' TNR Kit can help. Click here to learn more and to order your kit today!
---------------------------------
3. Greenland Plans to Put Polar Bears in Line of Fire
In an attempt to invigorate the country's sagging economy, the government of Greenland is making plans to allow tourists to shoot polar bears and keep their pelts as souvenirs. Government officials are currently drafting a decree for presentation to Greenland's parliament, and Fishing and Hunting Minister Rasmus Frederiksen expects to officially announce open season on polar bears this summer.
The polar bear is part of Greenland's natural heritage, and actually appears on the country's national coat of arms. Rather than inviting visitors to kill them for profit, Greenland should protect and celebrate its native wildlife, which includes reindeer, wolves and whales.
Please write to the Greenland Tourist Board to let them know that if Greenland proceeds with this cruel plan they will lose far more tourists than they will attract.
Greenland Tourism - The National Tourist Board of Greenland
P.O. Box 1615
Hans Egedesvej 29
3900 Nuuk
Greenland
Tel: 299 34 28 20
Fax: 299 32 28
E-mail: 77info at greenland.com
---------------------------------
4. California Seals Are In Danger
The San Diego City Council voted to overturn a city ordinance and remove warning signs and physical barriers that protect seals in a small cove. The cove is the only nearby habitat where the seals can give birth and raise their young. Some seals have already suffered human-related injuries and death following the removal of these protections. In addition, the stress of human contact may be causing premature births: seven pups born weeks before the beginning of the normal birthing season for the seals have already died.
The seals are legally protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, so anyone harassing or harming them is in violation of both state and federal law. Pleas to the City Council and National Marine Fisheries Service to protect the seals have fallen on deaf ears. This is horrible timing as the seals are preparing to give birth and births peak in the next few weeks.
We are asking all advocates, California residents and beyond, to urge Mayor Dick Murphy and the San Diego City Council to reinstate all protective measures, including signs and barriers, and ensure that the Marine Mammal Protection Act is enforced.
Mayor Dick Murphy/San Diego City Council Members
202 C St. 11th Floor
San Diego, CA 92101
E-mail: DickMurphy at sandiego.gov
Tel: (619) 236-6330
Fax: (619) 229-7228
Please also urge the National Marine Fisheries Service to protect these seals by enforcing the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Vice-Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher
Undersecretary of Commerce, National Marine Fisheries Service
14th and Constitution Ave. NW, Room 5128
Washington, DC 20230
Fax: (202) 408-9674
E-mail: conrad.c.lautenbacher at noaa.gov
---------------------------------
5. Over $1 Million in Awards & Scholarships for Humane Youth
Did you know that there are lots of great awards, scholarships, contests, and fellowships for students and youth who want to help animals? It's true! The Student Animal Rights Alliance (SARA) has done the searching for you and compiled the information in one place so you can find the information quickly and hassle-free. If you are a student or young animal advocate who wants to get recognized for your work on behalf of animals or apply for grants to continue your work, then visit www.defendanimals.org/involved/awards.htm.
Some deadlines are approaching fast, so check out the listings today! Don't miss this opportunity.
For more information, visit www.defendanimals.org or contact the Student Animal Rights Alliance:
PO Box 932
New York, NY 10013
Tel: (212) 696-7911
E-mail: info at defendanimals.org
---------------------------------
6. USDA Puts Crooked Animal Dealer Out of Business
An undercover investigation of the Martin Creek Kennels run by C.C. Baird was conducted by Last Chance for Animals (LCA) and led to the biggest raid ever by federal authorities on a Class-B animal dealer. The investigation included over 72 hours of video footage documenting extreme cruelty, abuse, neglect, and unsanitary conditions.
Charged by the USDA with hundreds of Animal Welfare Act violations and facing trial with 64 witnesses scheduled to testify against him, Baird knew he was in trouble. Just days before the trial was set to begin, he made a deal to relinquish his license and the hundreds of animals under his "care," making it illegal for him to sell any more animals. He was also slapped with a $262,000 fine, the largest ever imposed by the USDA, and put on five years' probation.
Baird was the biggest (and most notorious) animal dealer in the U.S., and this sends a strong message to other dealers that federal authorities take animal cruelty cases very seriously. Now that the civil case has closed, LCA will focus on the criminal case against Baird and monitor him to ensure that he doesn't attempt to deal animals through others.
Click here to learn more about LCA's investigation of Martin Creek Kennels and C.C. Baird.
---------------------------------
Join IDA's President's Circle
Become part of a special group of people who help animals each month.
Twenty-one years ago Dr. Elliot Katz and a motivated group of animal advocates came together to stop cruel animal experiments at the UC-Berkeley research laboratories. From this initial call to action through the formation of IDA as a non-profit organization and over these many years, IDA has expanded the circle of caring and compassionate individuals. Our growing numbers have helped us achieve many amazing victories for animals.
We could not do our vitally important work on behalf of our animal friends if it weren't for the time and financial support that you and our other supporters so generously provide to us.
We are very grateful for all that we have accomplished together. We are dedicated to continuing our mission to defend the rights, welfare and habitats of animals and we know that we will have many more victories in the coming years thanks to your support!
Pursuing the promise of continued success, we invite you to join Dr. Katz in a special group of supporters by becoming part of IDA's President's Circle.
President's Circle members are IDA donors who support our critical efforts to help animals by making a regular monthly contribution. Your monthly gift, along with those of the other President's Circle members, will afford us the resources necessary to act in defense of animals quickly. In addition, your monthly gift will provide a pool of stable funding that Dr. Katz and our staff can count on whenever an emergency need to help animals arises. It will also help us maintain the critical on-going campaigns we carry out in support of our mission.
The President's Circle makes giving easy. Giving automatically through your credit card each month lets you save time while conserving IDA's resources.
To find out more and to join the President's Circle, please visit our web site at: www.idausa.org/supportf.html and scroll down to the President's Circle section. From there you can click the link to our secure on-line enrollment form at: www.secure.ga3.org/02/prescircle.
---------------------------------
Team IDA encourages teammates to take part in local athletic events to raise awareness of animal issues and much-needed funds to rescue and protect animals from cruelty and abuse. You don't have to be an avid runner or a serious athlete to sign up. Just by cheering and wearing your Team IDA apparel you can show your pro-animal attitude.
Wear your Team IDA t-shirt whenever you are running, biking, walking, or just hanging around your neighborhood to help promote a cruelty-free world. If you have a Team IDA t-shirt and have received comments about it, we want to hear from you! If you do not already have a Team IDA t-shirt, please call (415) 388-9641 to receive one. Also, if you have participated in any events in your area on behalf of Team IDA, or would like your picture and bio posted on our website, please let us know!
You can also make Team IDA even more successful by spreading the word: a great way to do this is by distributing Team IDA brochures at races and placing them in athletic stores and clubs. Team IDA brochures are always available free of charge by (415) 388-9641.
We are always interested in learning more about your experiences and hearing your ideas regarding Team IDA. Please send an email to teamida at idausa.org and tell us your story. Visit www.teamida.org for more information. Join Team IDA today!
Tell-a-friend!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++STOP THE WALL++++++++++++++++++++++++++
www.stopthewall.org www.nad-plo.org www.hrw.org www.pal-arc.org www.endtheoccupation.org www.sustaincampaign.org
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Yahoo! Search presents - Jib Jab's 'Second Term'
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