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 # 01/04/04
Publisher ~ Susan
Roghair - EnglandGal@aol.com
Journalists ~ Greg Lawson -
ParkStRanger@aol.com
~ Michelle Rivera - MichelleRivera1@aol.com
~ Dr. Steve Best -
sbest1@elp.rr.com
THE ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE ARE:
1 ~ How Now, Mad Cow by Greg Lawson
2 ~ An Unlikely Angel by Crystal Ward Kent
3 ~ Website of Note
4 ~ Learn About Animals and Society Online
5 ~ Revealed: How Drug Firms Hoodwink Medical Journals
6 ~ Animal Welfare Trust Internship Programs
7 ~ Canine Profiling By Insurance Companies?
8 ~ 'Twas Not Courage by Diana Moreton
9 ~ Memorable Quote
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~1~
How Now, Mad Cow
By Greg Lawson - ParkStranger@aol.com
Steer Clear of Beef. That would be my message to anyone
concerned about food safety. Ever since mad cow disease was discovered in the
US on December 22, government officials have seen it as their first priority to
reassure the public that our food supply is completely safe. They tell us that
they are taking every possible measure to prevent the spread of BSE, Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy. But all I have seen so far is the spread of BS.
On Christmas Eve, the Food and Drug Administration issued the following
statement in a press release...."This one discovered case of BSE does not
mean that the US food supply is any less safe today than it was
yesterday." Hmm, that's true, but it's also a bit misleading. This
udderance by the FDA does not mean that the federal government is any less
truthful about the safety of our food supply today than it was yesterday.
One early tactic by the fed gov to minimize the impact of the discovery of BSE,
was to accuse the cow of being an immigrant. "This cow came from
Canada." The American public can breathe a sigh of relief, our cows are
sane, this was a foreigner. This almost makes it seem like it was an attack by
a bovine suicide terrorist. The truth is, it is very easy for cows from Canada
and Mexico to enter our borders, in fact, it is much easier to get a green card
to work in the US if you are a cow instead of a human.
It could have just as easily been a domestic cow instead of a foreigner who
developed BSE. Feed producers have been ignoring the 1997 ban on feeding cows
back to cows. A report from the General Accounting Office issued in 2002 found
some ranchers in the US still violate the FDA’s feed ban and do feed cow tissue
to cattle. The GAO concluded: "While (mad cow disease) has not been found
in the United States, federal actions do not sufficiently ensure that all (mad
cow)-infected animals or products are kept out or that if (mad cow) were found,
it would be detected promptly and not spread to other cattle through animal
feed or enter the human food supply."
Federal officials continue to make the false statement that muscle cuts of beef
present no risk, that prions, the malformed proteins that cause BSE, are only
found in the spinal cord and brain. In 2002, Dr. Stanley Prusiner, the
scientist who won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his discovery of prions,
found that muscle cells could contain prions. Similar research in Germany in
2003 confirmed these results that there can be prions in the muscles of
animals.
The discovery of BSE in our country has shown how ineffective our food recall
system is. It is now almost a month since the meat from this infected cow was
distributed and yet some media outlets in California and other states are just
now announcing the recalled items. There is no doubt that some of the meat has
already been consumed.
One good thing has come out of all this. On December 30th, Secretary of
Agriculture Ann Veneman announced a ban on the slaughter of downer cows for
human consumption. Animal advocates had been working for the last decade to
make this reform. It is a small step in cleaning up the US food supply, but it
will mean less suffering for the animals who had been pulled off trucks with
ropes at the slaughterhouses. Perhaps ranchers will take more precautions to
prevent downer cows in the first place.
Hopefully another reform that will take place will be more testing. We only
test for BSE in 20,000 cows of the 33 million we slaughter each year. It’s no
wonder we haven’t discovered a case until now. Japan tests every cow they
slaughter and have found nine cases so far, some in young animals who showed no
symptoms. More testing may show that the US does have a problem with it’s food
supply after all.
It is bizarre that mad cow disease causes this much panic in consumers and
investors. Since BSE was discovered in Great Britain in the mid 1980s, only 153
people have died from the disease worldwide. Over 5000 people die each year in
the US from E. coli, listeria, salmonella and other pathogens found in meat and
millions more are sickened. This is a much better reason to give up meat than
mad cow disease.
Compassion is the best reason of all to go vegan.
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~2~
An Unlikely Angel
By Crystal Ward Kent
It was just before Christmas. An angry middle-aged man stood at
the counter of the animal shelter, gripping the leash of an aging German
shepherd. "Why won't you take him?" he shouted. "I need to get
him off my hands!"
The adoption counselor tried once more to explain. "At fourteen, Samson is
too old to be a good adoption candidate," she said.
"Well, then just take him and put him down," the man yelled. "I
want to be rid of him."
"We don't take animals just to put them down," the counselor
explained. "May I ask why you no longer wish to keep the dog?"
"I just can't stand the sight of him," the man hissed, "and if
you won't put him down, I'll shoot him myself."
Trying not to show her horror, the counselor pointed out that shooting an
animal was illegal. She urged the man to consult with his veterinarian for
other options.
"I'm not spending any more money on this animal," the man grumbled
and, yanking the leash, he stalked out.
Concerned, the counselor wrote down the license plate of the man's truck and
offered up a quick prayer for Samson.
A few days later, a German shepherd was found abandoned. He was brought to the
shelter, and the staff recognized him as Samson. The town where he had been
abandoned was where his owner lived. The man was contacted by the police and,
under questioning, admitted that distraught over his recent divorce, he had
sought revenge through the shepherd. He hadn't even wanted the dog, but he
fought to keep him to spite his wife. Once his wife was gone he couldn't bear
to see the animal. The man was charged with abandonment, and Samson came to
stay at the shelter.
The wife and the couple's son were located in Pennsylvania. They were horrified
to hear what had happened to their dog and agreed immediately to have him come
live with them.
There was just one problem: The wife was nearly broke after the divorce and
their initial move. She could take no time off from work to drive to New
Hampshire and get the dog, and she couldn't afford any other method of getting
him to her. She hated to have Samson in the shelter any longer but didn't know
what to do. "We'll come up with something," the staff assured her,
but in their hearts they didn't know what. They were concerned, as well Samson
had lived with his family all his life. Within a few weeks, his whole world had
been turned upside down. He was beginning to mope, and the staff could tell by
his eyes that if he wasn't back with his family soon, he would give up.
Christmas was only two weeks away when the angel arrived. He came by pickup
truck in the form of a man in his mid-thirties. Through a friend of a shelter
staffer, he had heard about Samson's plight. He was willing to drive Samson to
Pennsylvania, and he would do it before Christmas.
The staff was thrilled with the offer, but cautious. Why would a stranger drive
hundreds of miles out of his way to deliver a dog to people he didn't know?
They had to make sure he was legitimate and that Samson wouldn't be sold to
meat dealers or dumped along the interstate.
The man understood their concerns and, thankfully, checked out to be an
upstanding citizen. In the course of the conversation, he explained why he had
come forward.
"Last year, I left my dog in my van while I went to do some grocery
shopping" he explained. "While I was inside, the van caught fire. I
heard people hollering and rushed out to see my van engulfed in flames. My dog
meant everything to me, and he was trapped. I tried to get to the van, but
people restrained me. Then I heard someone shouting, 'The dog is safe! The dog
is safe!' I looked over, and there was this man I'd never seen before, holding
my dog. He had risked his own life to get my dog out. I'll forever be in his
debt. Just when you don't think there are heroes any more, one comes along.
"I vowed then and there that if I ever had the chance to do someone a good
turn when it came to a beloved pet, that I would. When I heard about Samson and
his family, I knew this was my chance, so here I am."
The shelter staff was amazed. They all knew about the van rescue story. It had
been in all the papers, and the shelter had even given the rescuer a reward,
but they had never dreamed that Samson's angel was connected to this earlier
good deed.
A few days later, Samson and his angel were on their way. The dog seemed to
know he was going home, because his ears perked up and his eyes were brighter
than they had been in some time.
Just before Christmas, the mail brought one of the best cards the shelter had
ever received. Along with a thank-you note were photos of a deliriously happy
Samson romping with his family in the snow and snuggling with them by their
Christmas tree. Samson was truly where he belonged, and the staff knew he would
live out his days happily there.
They also knew that Samson's journey home was a true Christmas miracle, and
that angels - and heroes - may still appear when you need them, even in the
most unlikely forms.
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~3~
Website of Note
Think fur trim is just harmless scraps? Check out the tale
of the Fufanu -- a three-minute operatic mini-musical that tells the story of
Penny, a young woman who has just purchased a fur-trimmed coat and handbag,
only to have a creature called the Fufanu emerge from her collar. Watch this
Flash movie to learn more!
http://www.MoreThanYouDo.com
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~4~
Learn About Animals and Society Online!
PERMISSION TO CROSS POST
Ever wanted to take an animal rights class, professionally taught
by experienced and committed faculty? You can by enrolling today in the online
course, Animals and Society, at the Community College of Baltimore County (MD).
This distance course, which is the first in a program of four 3-credit classes,
is open for enrollment until Monday, February 2, 2004. There is no time to
waste in enrolling because the class is limited to 30 students. The faculty
includes Kim W. Stallwood, executive director, Institute for Animals and
Society, and Brenda Fick, a CCBC instructor equally well informed on animal
advocacy issues. Students explore sociological, historical, economic, philosophical,
and public policy issues regarding the treatment of animals. The uses of
animals in factory farming, medical research, hunting and trapping, and the
entertainment industry are examined.
For more information, visit
http://student.ccbcmd.edu/courses/anst101d/index.html.
Or contact:
Brenda Fick
Tel: (410) 285-9877
E-mail: bfick@ccbcmd.edu
Kim W. Stallwood
Tel: (410) 675-4566
E-mail: kim.stallwood@animalsandsociety.org
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~5~
Revealed: How Drug Firms
'Hoodwink' Medical Journals
Pharmaceutical giants hire ghostwriters to produce
articles - then put doctors' names on them.
Hundreds of articles in medical journals claiming to be written by academics or
doctors have been penned by ghostwriters in the pay of drug companies, an
Observer inquiry reveals. The journals, bibles of the profession, have huge
influence on which drugs doctors prescribe and the treatment hospitals provide.
But The Observer has uncovered evidence that many articles written by so-called
independent academics may have been penned by writers working for agencies
which receive huge sums from drug companies to plug their products.
For more on this important article, see the following website:
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,1101680,00.html
The
Observer | UK News | Revealed: how drug firms 'hoodwink' medical journals
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~6~
Animal Welfare Trust
Internship Program
Request For Applications
Summary: Animal Welfare Trust (AWT) is a private operating
foundation dedicated to funding grassroots organizations and projects that
promote animal well-being. AWT's Internship Program was created to (1) fund
independent student research projects; or (2) provide funding to otherwise
unpaid internship positions with established organizations. Internships must be
consistent with AWT's mission statement.
While AWT is devoted to all areas of animal welfare, its primary areas of focus
are factory farming, farm animal issues and humane education. The program
commenced last year by funding a summer internship for a law student to conduct
legal research to support actions against Concentrated Animal Feeding
Operation's (CAFO's) based on environmental violations. This year, AWT would
like to continue its program by funding an internship that directly impacts
animal welfare.
Applicant Qualifications: In order to qualify for an AWT internship award, the
applicant (1) Must be a post-undergraduate level student; (2) The applicant
must be a student during the time period of the proposed internship; (3) The
applicant must have a demonstrated interest in animal welfare; (4) Internship
funding must be for an independent project approved by and under the
supervision of a university professor or for an unpaid position within an
established organization; (5) Internship can be for a summer, semester or
year-long duration.
Application Process: All interested applicants must submit (1) a cover letter
describing in detail the project or position they wish to have considered; (2)
a resume; (3) a list of three references, with at least one from a professor at
the school they are currently attending; (4) a current transcript; (5) a
writing sample or summary of prior research conducted, if the proposed
internship would involve significant research or writing.
Deadline for Submission: All applications for consideration in 2004 should be
submitted on or before March 15, 2004. Decisions on applications submitted will
be made on or before April 1, 2004. Applications are to be submitted to:
Animal Welfare Trust
P.O. Box 737
Mamaroneck, NY 10543
Attn: Lydia Antoncic
Amount of Award: Approximately $5,000, depending on a variety of factors,
including type of project proposed, length of internship and whether alternate
sources of funding are also available.
For further information,
please contact Lydia Antoncic at (914) 381-6177, ext. 102
or e-mail Lydia@animalwelfaretrust.org.
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~7~
Canine Profiling by Insurance Companies?
From the ASPCA Advocacy Center
Has your homeowners’ or renters’ insurance policy been canceled or
denied simply because of the breed of dog that you own? More and more
homeowners across the United States are finding they are faced with the
hardship of choosing between keeping a beloved friendly dog and obtaining
homeowners’ insurance simply because their dog belongs to a breed the insurance
company has deemed unacceptable.
Previously we have asked you to contact the ASPCA to tell us your stories. Now
we are asking you to contact the Insurance Commissioner of your state to let
him/her know of the difficulties you have encountered. They need to hear the
stories directly from consumers. To send a letter directly to your Insurance
Commissioner, Click
here
(https://secure2.convio.net/aspca/site/Advocacy?id=513&autologin=true&page=UserAction&JServSessionIdr006=18gv9gcla1.app14a)
When composing your letter, please remember to include the following:
* The name of the company that denied coverage
* The approximate date of the denial or refusal to provide coverage
* The breed of dog you own
* The fact that canine profiling has not been proven effective in preventing
dog bites
* That companies should look at the individual bite history of each dog when
deciding whether to provide coverage.
* Companies should consider whether a dog is spayed or neutered; whether it is
in a fenced yard and whether the owner keeps the dog tethered or chained all
day long.
If this trend continues, more and more of these innocent family pets will end
up as UNADOPTABLE animals at shelters and will have to be euthanized because no
one will be able to obtain insurance.
Insurers should practice sound underwriting practices and look to the “deed” of
the dog rather than the “breed” of the dog. HELP STOP CANINE PROFILING BY
INSURANCE COMPANIES!
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~8~
'Twas Not Courage
by morton_diana@hotmail.com
`twas not courage that lay him down to sleep
`twas necessities tears ended pain so deep
for had I a choice who's life to take
would surely be my own at stake
oh, death be nimble, death be quick
buddy dances in a flickering candlestick
my heart will hurt a long, long time
forever over my son's death I pine
I am biblical rachel unconsoled
within my breast a pain so old
will fester 'til the day I die
then next to him I'll gladly lie
those who haven't loved a dog
live like a petrified, sunken log
primordial woods of moss and rain
to love a dog one can only gain
<>
diana moreton.
(In loving memory of my son, Buddy Moreton,
who died December 17, 2003, from a
malignant nasal tumor.)
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~9~
Memorable Quote
"Meat is dirty. I wouldn't touch a hot dog without a condom on it."
~ Bill Maher
Tonight Show, 1/2/04
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Susan Roghair - EnglandGal@aol.com
Animal Rights Online
http://www.oocities.org/RainForest/1395/
-=Animal
Rights Online=-
«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»
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