A n i m a l W r i t e s © sm
The official ANIMAL RIGHTS ONLINE newsletter
Established
1997
Editor ~ JJswans@aol.com
Issue # 09/05/04
Publisher ~ Susan
Roghair -
EnglandGal@aol.com
Journalists ~ Greg Lawson - ParkStRanger@aol.com
~ Michelle Rivera -
MichelleRivera1@aol.com
Webmasters ~ Randy Atlas - ranatlas@earthlink.net
~ Trevor Chin - tmchin@yahoo.com
Staff
~ Alfred Griffith - agriffith@igc.org
~ Denise Higgins -
Demnymets@aol.com
~ Andy Glick - andy@meatfreezone.org
~ Sheridan Porter -
Pad4Paws21@aol.com
~ Bill Bobo - RunRun@aol.com
~ Katie Vann - Vann167@aol.com
THE ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE ARE:
1 ~ Paws Come With Claws
2 ~ Heart Medication Recall
3 ~ Hurricanes
4 ~ Ten Year Sentence For Cruelty
5 ~ Intern/Volunteer Opportunity
6 ~ Hunters Under Fire For Abuse of Taxpayer Money
7 ~ Bedtime Pet Prayer
8 ~ Memorable Quote
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~1~
Paws Come With Claws
That's One Of Nature's Laws
Many
cat owners, who genuinely love their cats, have no idea what declawing means to
their animals. Declawing means far more than leaving your cat defenseless
against an attack outdoors.
Scratching is a normal characteristic of a healthy cat. It exercises the foot
muscles and removes dead tissue from the nails. It also has a soothing,
comforting effect that creates a tranquil disposition.
IT MEANS:
The severing of ligaments and tendons that bring pain.
The creating of an imbalance that can lead to injury.
A change in personality and temperament.
A cat may go berserk, bite and growl.
It means you, as the cat guardian, have renounced the responsibility you
assumed when you fell in love with that kitten or cat.
HOW IMPORTANT ARE A CAT'S CLAWS?
Dr. Louis J. Camuti, a practicing veterinarian for 58 years, puts it this way:
" I wouldn't declaw a cat if you paid me $1,000 per nail ! "
Have you often wondered at a cat's remarkable grace and agility, it's faultless
sense of balance?
To a great extent, this is due to its ingeniously designed retractable claws
that allow it to establish footing for walking, running, springing, climbing or
stretching.
WHAT HAPPENS TO A CAT WHEN IT IS DECLAWED?
First, it awakens from anesthesia, with its feet throbbing under the bandages,
next, it has pain and then it finds it has trouble walking.
The physical effect of declawing is gradual weakening of the muscles of the
legs, shoulder and back. Balance is impaired. Emotionally cats feel defenseless
and thus live in a constant state of stress, making them more prone to disease.
Despite its grace, a cat is not sure-footed. Without the lighting-quick ability
to grasp with its claws, it can easily be injured in a fall.
Deprived of its claws, a cat may turn to its only other form of defense- its
teeth. It is fairly common for a declawed cat to become a biter. They do this
out of fear and frustration.
WHY DO PEOPLE MAKE THEIR ANIMALS SUFFER THE PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL
DISORIENTATION OF DECLAWING?
"To protect the furniture," is the most common reason.
"To keep my cat from scratching us when we try to play with him," is
another.
What can you as a cat guardian do to protect yourself and your furniture
without harming your cat?
GIVE YOUR CAT A MANICURE
It's best to start when it's a kitten. Take your cat to a professional
groomer, or you can do it yourself. Use a pair of clippers made
especially for cats. Have your vet show you how.
PROVIDE YOUR CAT WITH HIS OWN FURNITURE
Your cat should be fluffy-the scratching post should be rough and coarse. Buy a
sisal (a harsh, scratchy hemp product) scratching post or make your own
inexpensively.
TRAIN YOUR CAT
When a kitten starts to scratch furniture, gently pull it off and place its
front paws on the scratching post. Keep the post in an easily accessible place
so the cat becomes accustomed to using it.
If an older cat persists in scratching furniture, give it a squirt of lukewarm
water from a child's water gun. Spray it any place but in the face. At the same
time, say a sharp "NO." then take it back to its scratching post.
Shake a small amount of pleasantly scented bath oil on a piece of cotton.
Attach the cotton to the part of the furniture that the cat scratches. It will
repel the cat as long as the aroma remains.
Your cat gives you love and loyalty. Its the most it can give. You owe it the
same love and loyalty. But you owe it one thing more-to leave its paws with
claws.
SO IF YOU LOVE YOUR CAT, DON'T
DECLAW
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~2~
Heartworm Medication Recall
WASHINGTON - ProHeart 6, a twice-a-year
time-released heartworm medication used to prevent the parasite in millions of
dogs, was recalled Friday at the request of the Food and Drug Administration
after thousands of animals suffered adverse reactions.
ProHeart 6 was the first, and only, product approved by the FDA to be
administered once every six months to treat heartworm disease in dogs. Its
active ingredient, moxidectin, has been administered without problem to horses
and cattle.
The time-released version caused few problems when given to dogs at higher
doses in clinical trials. Health and safety problems quickly cropped up,
however, when ProHeart 6 was used to treat dogs after receiving FDA approval.
As of Aug. 4, the drug agency received 5,552 reports of adverse reactions after
dogs received heartworm shots. About 500 dogs died, though the agency said many
deaths were not directly attributable to the product, manufactured by Fort
Dodge Animal Health, based in Overland Park, Kan., a subsidiary of the
pharmaceutical company Wyeth.
Some dog deaths were linked convincingly to the heartworm medication, which
prompted the recall, said Stephen F. Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for
Veterinary Medicine.
Dog owners were urged to consult veterinarians about other medications to
prevent heartworm.
The agency had already asked Fort Dodge to revise the drug's label and to issue
notices to veterinarians and dog owners pointing out safety questions
associated with the product.
"Despite all of the things that have been done, we continue to see these
adverse events at approximately the same rate," Sundlof told reporters
late Friday.
The problems suffered by dogs include sudden lethargy, uncontrolled bleeding,
vomiting, diarrhea, heart and liver problems and such nervous system
abnormalities as seizures.
"We don't really understand why this product is causing these
problems," Sundlof said. "It affects dogs of all sizes and,
apparently, dogs of all ages."
Fort Dodge Animal Health is cooperating with FDA's request for a recall but has
"concerns about how the agency interpreted these complex data," the
animal health product manufacturer said in a prepared statement. "Based on
a thorough evaluation of FDA's data and consultation with independent experts
in veterinary medicine and
epidemiology, Fort Dodge Animal Health stands behind ProHeart 6."
The FDA will convene an independent scientific advisory committee to review the
matter.
Heartworm disease is caused by a parasite transmitted to dogs via mosquito
bite. Roughly 250,000 dogs develop the potentially fatal ailment per year. Fort
Dodge Animal Health said it has sold 18 million doses of ProHeart 6 to
veterinarians since FDA approval in June 2001.
Yahoo!
News - Popular Heartworm Medicine Recalled
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=20&u=/ap/20040903/ap_on_re_us/recall_dog_heart_drug
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~3~
Hurricanes
Last
week we highlighted disaster aid by the HSUS. Another group that is
helping in Florida to aid hurricane victims with their animals is UAN - United
Animal Nations with their EARS - Emergency Animal Rescue Service - program.
Please visit the following websites that give information about the current
situation in Florida:
FOR UP-TO-DATE INFO ON ANIMALS IN THE HURRICANES:
http://www.uan.org/ears/action_report.html
(Includes a link, near the bottom, to photos of Charley rescues)
FOR DIRECT LINK TO PHOTOS OF CHARLEY RESCUES:
http://www.uan.org/ears/bartow/index.html
For more information on the EARS program, see this site:
United Animal Nations.
http://www.uan.org/ears/index.html
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~4~
Ten Year Sentence For Cruelty
(Houston Chronicle, 2 Sept. 2004)
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2774451
Associated Press
DALLAS
- A 23-year-old Dallas man who unleashedd his two pit bull terriers on a
neighbor's dog and watched as they mauled the hound-Dalmatian mix has been
sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined $14,000.
Carey D. McMillian received the maximum possible sentence on Wednesday at the
animal-cruelty trial.
A witness to the September 2003 attack in Pleasant Grove described seeing
McMillian goad his dogs to attack and ultimately kill the dog named Cisco.
"The only reason for killing Cisco was for his own perverse
pleasure," lead prosecutor Rick Jackson said in closing arguments.
"This case cries out for the max."
When the panting and exhausted pit bills let up, McMillian would grab Cisco and
shake the dog to provoke the pit bulls to "tear the dog apart," the
neighbor said.
A neighbor surreptitiously videotaped a portion of the attack. Jurors watched
the tape three times before deliberating for 30 minutes and returning a guilty
verdict.
The charge of animal cruelty carries a maximum punishment of two years in a
state jail, but the offense was enhanced to a third-degree felony after
prosecutors proved that state law could define the two dogs as "deadly
weapons," The Dallas Morning News reports in its Thursday editions.
Jurors also found McMillian guilty of a lesser misdemeanor charge of dog
fighting.
"This happens every day, but in most cases it's not caught on tape,"
Ken Qualls, an investigator with the SPCA of Texas, told the Fort Worth
Star-Telegram for its Thursday editions. "This shows that behavior like
this will not be tolerated."
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~5~
Intern/Volunteer Opportunity
The organizers of the Grassroots Animal Rights Conference, to be held at New
York University, February 18-21, 2005, want to work with activists like YOU to
develop the content of our conference.
Opportunities are available for both formal internships, as well as volunteer
positions to assist in contacting speakers, evaluating proposals, prioritizing
content types, and developing an overall conference framework to plug content
into.
If you'd like to find out more about how you can get involved, call me at (201)
968-0595 or email grassrootsar@ejnet.org.
You can also participate in the Agenda Working Group working group conference
call Monday, August 23rd, at 9 PM eastern time.
We will discuss building a structure for conference content, contacting
speakers and setting up workshops, panels, protests, etc., and publicizing our
call for proposal for content at the conference. If you want to help plan
what's actually going to be happening at this conference, please join us for
this call.
To get on the call, dial (413) 200-7060 and then type 33935# when
prompted.
The call cost is no different than a regular long distance call. If you
can't afford long distance, we can cover the cost of a phone card for you or
bring you into the call via three-way calling, so please let us know by calling
(201) 968-0595 or by emailing grassrootsar@ejnet.org.
I hope you will choose to be part of our Agenda planning team and I look
forward to working with you!
For Animal Liberation,
Adam Weissman
Agenda Coordinator
Grassroots Animal Rights Conference
P..S. Volunteers are also needed for our Outreach, Logistics, and
Fundraising/ Finance working groups. You can write to
grassrootsar@ejnet.org or wait for details to be posted to this list.
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~6~
Hunters Under Fire For Abuse Of
Taxpayer Money
Westchester, NY August 16, 2004 Members of several NYS activist groups have
joined in commencing legal action against the NYS Dept. Of Conservation (DEC)
for using tax payer money to fund hunter-training courses in satellite
locations of Mt. Vernon, Yonkers and Rye.
This statement, under the heading COALITION FOR THE ETHICAL USE OF PUBLIC MONEY
was prepared by Taffy Williams, Dir., NY Whale and Dolphin Action League:
"We find the use of public funds to train hunters and bow hunters a
misuse, discriminatory and unethical management of public funds. ..also, the
use of taxpayer funds for hunting-related activities is a discriminatory use of
public monies, since there are no programs to benefit birdwatchers, kayakers,
nature-enthusiasts, etc. The link between hunting and other forms of violence
has been established in such sources as the Journal of Interpersonal Violence
(B.W.Boat, June 1995) and the Purdue University Press (Child abuse, Domestic
Violence and Animal Abuse, 1999).
According to Anne Muller, President of the Committee to Abolish Sport Hunting,
"Towns should be frowning upon the DEC's practice of building wildlife
populations for hunting. The Bureau of Wildlife is running a private hunting
business on taxpayer money. The excise taxes on firearms, bows and arrows are
insufficient to pay for their sport of killing animals. (New York State is
required to match 25% of the federal excise tax that is contributed to the
State.) All of the Bureau of Wildlife's overhead costs are paid out of the
general fund. With our money the Bureau of Wildlife increases "game"
species which then create human-animal conflicts.
Councilperson Dee Barbato, (R-Yonkers) agrees: "While safety should always
be paramount, in this time of heightened security for our waterways and water
supplies, I would think that the DEC could find better ways to safeguard the
citizens than using taxpayer dollars for these sessions."
Please visit our website:
www.adow.org
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~7~
Bedtime Pet Prayer
From "Dawn" - APRDawn@bellsouth.net
Now I lay me down to sleep,
the king sized bed is soft and deep.
I sleep right in the center groove,
my human being can hardly move.
I've trapped his legs, He's tucked in tight,
and here is where I pass the night.
No one disturbs me or dares intrude,
till morning comes and "I want food!"
I sneak up slowly to begin,
and nibble on my human's chin.
For the morning's here, and it's time to play...
I always seem to get my way.
So thank you Lord for giving me,
this human person that I see.
The one who hugs, and holds me tight,
and shares his bed with me at night.
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~8~
Memorable Quote
"For all children everywhere. May you drench your interactions with
our animal kin with respect, compassion, spirit, humility, and love. Keep
hope even when things seem grim. Don't let go of your dreams. There
are many better tomorrows......."
~ Marc Bekoff <bekoffm@spot.Colorado.EDU>
from the dedication in his book ~
Strolling With Our Kin
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Susan Roghair - EnglandGal@aol.com
Animal Rights Online
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«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»
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