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 # 03/21/04
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 ~ Rover's Revenge
2 ~ Compassion For Animals Action Symposium
3 ~ Measuring Animal's
Self-awareness
4 ~ University of Rhode Island Animal Rights Conference
5 ~ #14: Female Collie Mix
6 ~ Memorable Quote
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~1~
Rover's Revenge
Every year millions of dogs are killed in humane societies and
shelters. Rather than simply kill them outright, it has been suggested that the
doomed dogs be sent to research laboratories, so their deaths could be in the
service of mankind. Dogs have long been used in medical experimentation, but
are they a necessary adjunct to medical advance? Let's take a brief look at the
contributions of the canine to human health.
Proponents of pound seizure, and all animal experimentation, for that matter,
argue that dogs are essentially four-footed furry humans. After all, to
paraphrase Shakespeare, "hath not a dog eyes, if a dog is cut does not he
bleed" and so on.
Superficially, we seem rather similar. Both dogs and man have a four chambered
heart, are composed of cells and breast-feed our young. Such similarities make
one wonder why it is deemed appropriate to send medical students to one school
and veterinarians to another. The need for two such institutions becomes more
readily apparent on closer examination. On a cellular level, dogs and humans
diverge dramatically. And it is on a cellular level that most of today's
research is done. Cellular differences determine such things as incidence,
clinical manifestation and prognosis of diseases, response to therapy and
susceptibility to toxins.
Have you never wondered why stroke, the number three killer of man, is
extremely rare in dogs? Why doesn't Rover get coronary artery disease despite
his notorious inattention to his cholesterol? How can Fifi possibly get away
with eating some disgusting thing in the backyard and never even suffer
indigestion? When Muffy had a routine ovariohysterectomy (was spayed) she
lowered her risk for breast cancer but when mother under went the same
procedure she was at increased risk for osteoporosis. Why don't we vaccinate
our children for parvo and treat our elders for hip dysplasia? All of these
differences can be traced to seemingly small differences between man and
canine.
These small differences between man and his putative best friend have littered
medical history with catastrophes when discoveries in dogs have been applied to
man. For example: Most of us have come to grips with the idea that smoking
causes cancer, at least in man. Dogs are however extremely resistant to the
cancer causing effects of cigarette smoke. The tobacco companies were able to
hide behind science's inability to reproduce the obvious in dogs for many, many
years and used such research to "prove" that smoking was not
unhealthy.
Interestingly, money is still poured into studying the effects of smoking on animals.
One of the more bizarre animal studies on smoking was performed on dogs in
1987. Dogs with erections were forced to inhale cigarette smoke. Most of the
dogs failed to maintain an erection after the smoke was inhaled. The
researchers said this lent support to the human observation that smoking
interfered with a man's ability to maintain an erection. (For those of us who
don't smoke, it also explains why people in movies are always seen having a
cigarette after sex!)
Animal experimenters often tout the benefits of practicing new surgeries on
dogs. Stanford University pioneered heart transplantation in the United States.
Before their first human heart transplant, the physicians performed the
operation on approximately 400 dogs. Despite this massive experimental
experience, the first humans to receive hearts died secondary to unforeseen
complications. In 1980, Stanford had improved the success rate to a 65% one
year survival secondary to in vitro research and clinical experience, with
humans.
Even when one considers conditions that occur naturally in both species,
surgical outcomes need not correlate. Ruptured cruciate ligaments, a knee
injury common to both man and mutt are addressed quite differently.
Arthroscopic repair has revolutionized the procedure in man and been, at best,
disappointing in dog.
What about the idea that dogs can be used to test drugs before giving them to
humans. Surely, this is necessary to assure safety. Or maybe not. The medical
literature is littered with drugs that passed muster on dogs but proved
dangerous to man. To wit:
* Zelmid, an antidepressant, was tested on rats and dogs without incident. It
caused severe neurologic problems and liver damage in humans.
* Clioquinol, an antidiarrheal passed tests in dogs. It was pulled off the
shelves all over the world in 1982 after it was found to cause blindness and
paralysis in humans. After the animal tests, scientists had gone on record
attesting that there is: "no evidence that clioquinol is neurotoxic."
Closer to home, perhaps, are the common pain relievers ibuprofen and
acetaminophen, marketed commonly in such products as Motrin and Tylenol.
Although quite well tolerated by most humans they tend to cause renal failure
in dogs.
The idea that not all species respond similarly to all drugs is hardly new. The
inventor of chloroform, one of the first anesthetics, commented in the 1800's:
"Chloroform is so toxic to dogs, especially the young, that had that
anesthetic been tried first on them it would have been withheld for many years
from the services of man."
Even the idea of determining dosages on dogs for application to man has been
fraught with problems. For example, the average man can take the same dose of
diphenhydramine, a popular antihistamine, as his miniature poodle, despite the
fact that the average man weighs 150 pounds to his poodles 20!
Domperidone was designed for nausea and vomiting. It made the heart beat
irregularly and had to be withdrawn. Scientists were unable to reproduce this
in dogs even with 70 times the normal dose.
The list of medical failures that can be directly traced to animal
experimentation goes on and on, but you get the idea. All of us look forward to
the day when responsible pet ownership obviates the need for "man's best
friend" to be killed in shelters. But until that day arrives don't kid
yourself that the dogs' "final sacrifice" in a lab is for the greater
good.
AFMA - Americans For Medical Advancement
http://www.curedisease.com/
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~2~
5th ANNUAL
COMPASSION FOR ANIMALS ACTION SYMPOSIUM
Fellow Activists,
This information is the latest and last update for the upcoming Compassion for
Animals Action Symposium. Please register early for reduced rates. Please check
the DEADLINE DATES for registration
and hotel rates. ( e.g. March 18th
is the deadline to register at the Radisson Plaza Hotel for the $69 rate and March 26th is the deadline to order
meals with your registration. You can not order meals if you register after the
26th.).
If you have the time and the inclination, please ask me to send you the
registration form to download so that you can make copies, and distribute in
your area (Try natural food stores, vet's offices, libraries, school campuses,
tabling events, etc.).
Hope to see you in Orlando.
Peace, Chas Chiodo
5th ANNUAL COMPASSION FOR
ANIMALS ACTION SYMPOSIUM
Presented By: VegEvents -- April 3-4,
2004 in ORLANDO, FLORIDA
Radisson Plaza Hotel, Downtown Orlando
60 South Ivanhoe Blvd.
*Hear
experts in Animal Ethics, Vegan Nutrition and Environmental Issues
*Enjoy Great Vegan Meals * Visit the Exhibit Hall
*Network with Like-Minded Individuals & Form Friendships that will last a
Lifetime! National and State Speakers
Joyce DiBenedetto-Colton, Animal - Ethics Study Center, Miami Dade College
J P Goodwin, (HSUS) Humane Society of the United States
Susan Hargreaves, Wildlife Care Center (Ft. Lauderdale) and EarthkindLydia
Nichols, (IDA) In Defense of Animals
Dawn Moncrief, (FARM) Farm Animal Reform Movement
Jack Norris, RD, (Why Vegan?) Vegan Outreach
Lauren Ornelas, (VIVA) Veg. International Voice for Animals
Miyun Park, (COK) Compassion Over Killing
Heidi Prescott, Fund for Animals
Lt. Sherry Schlueter, (Animal Cruelty Division) Broward County Sheriffs
Department Contact Event Coordinator:
Chas Chiodo @ 386-454-4341
chasmo@netcommander.com www.vegetarianevents.com
FOR BEST RATES, REGISTER EARLY. LIMITED SPACE
Symposium Details
Schedule:
Saturday, April 3: A variety of animal rights issues will be presented via
lectures, panels and rap sessions.
Sunday, April 4: Vegan nutrition, lifestyle and factory farm issues will be
presented.
Housing:
The Radisson Plaza has a special rate of $69.00 for symposium
attendees (up to 4 people per room). Deadline for the $69.00 rate is March
18th. For reservations call the Radisson Plaza at 407-425-4455 and request the
Compassion for Animals Action Symposium rate. Check the website for other
accommodations. www.vegetarianevents.com
Meals:
Symposium meals are Vegan. There will be 5 catered meals over the weekend. The
hotel will use recipes supplied by VegEvents. Prices for all meals are at the
bottom of the page.
How Do I Pay?
Only Checks & Money orders will be accepted.
Make payable to VegEvents and mail to: PO Box 1057, Alachua, FL 32616.
List additional names w/ phone numbers, addresses and e-mails on separate sheet
of paper. Please Note: A limited number of discounts for volunteers are
available.
No one will be turned away because of financial difficulties.
Call VegEvents at: 386-454-4341
Meals provided ONLY w/reservations
postmarked by Mar 26All dates are postmarked
Costs
____ $35 Full Symposium by Jan. 30th ____$70 Full Symp. w/5 meals by Jan. 30th
____ $45 Full Symposium by Feb. 26th ____$80 Full Symp. w/5 meals by Feb. 26th
____ $50 Full Symposium by Mar. 26th ____$85 Full Symp. w/5 meals by Mar. 26th
____ $55 Full Symposium after Mar. 26th
Student rates
____$15 Full Symposium by Jan. 30th ____$60 Full Symp. w/5 meals by Jan. 30th
____$20 Full Symposium by Feb. 26th ____$65 Full Symp. w/5 meals by Feb.26th
____$25 Full Symposium by Mar. 26th____$70 Full Symp. w/5 meals by Mar. 26th
____ $30 Full Symposium after Mar. 26th Individual Meals per day: Sat. and Sun.
Breakfasts $7. each, Sat. and Sun. Lunches $9. each, Saturday Dinner $12.
Please register early, your contribution
helps VegEvents offset pre-symposium expenses.
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~3~
Measuring Animal Self-awareness
By Marc Bekoff - Marc.Bekoff@Colorado.EDU
March 13, 2004
http://www.bouldernews.com/bdc/guest_opinions/article/0,1713,BDC_2493_2725745,00.html
Did David Graybeard, the chimpanzee who was first observed to use a tool by
Jane Goodall, have any idea of who he was? Do elephants, dolphins, cats,
magpies, mice, salmon, ants or bees know who they are? Was Jethro, my late
companion dog, a self-conscious being? Do any of these animals have a sense of
self? What do these animals make of themselves when they look in a mirror, see
their reflection in water, hear their own or another's song or howl, or smell
themselves and others? Is it possible that self-awareness "Wow that's
me!" is a uniquely human trait ?
Because there's much interest and much exciting work to be done concerning what
animals know about themselves, it's worth reflecting on what we do and don't
know about animal selves. There are academic and practical reasons to do so.
In his book, "The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex,"
Charles Darwin pondered what animals might know about themselves. He wrote:
"It may be freely admitted that no animal is self-conscious, if by this
term it is implied that he reflects on such points, as whence he comes or
whither he will go, or what is life and death, and so forth."
Darwin also championed the notion of evolutionary continuity and believed that
animals had some sense of self. In the same book, he wrote, "Nevertheless,
the difference in mind between man and the higher animals, great as it is,
certainly is one of degree and not of kind." Thus, there are shades of
gray and not black-and-white differences between humans and other animals in
cognitive abilities. So, while animals might not ponder life and death the way
humans do, they still may have some sense of self.
After decades of studying animals ranging from coyotes, gray wolves, domestic
dogs, and Adlie penguins and other birds, I've come to the conclusion that not
only are some animals self-aware, but also that there are degrees of
self-awareness. Combined with studies by my colleagues, it's wholly plausible
to suggest that many animals have a sense of "mine-ness" or
"body-ness." So, for example, when an experimental treatment, an
object, or another individual affects an individual, he or she experiences that
"something is happening to this body." Many primates relax when being
groomed and individuals of many species actively seek pleasure and avoid pain.
There's no need to associate "this body" with "my body" or
with "me" (or "I"). Many animals also know the placement in
space of parts of their body as they run, jump, perform acrobatics, or move as
a coordinated hunting unit or flock without running into one another. They know
their body isn't someone else's body.
In my book, "Minding animals: Awareness, Emotions, and Heart," I
argued that a sense of body-ness is necessary and sufficient for most animals
to engage in social activities that are needed in the social milieus in which
they live. But, while a sense of body-ness is necessary for humans to get along
in many of the situations they encounter, it's often not sufficient for them to
function as they need to. A human typically knows who he or she is, say by
name, and knows that "this body" is his, Marc's, or him, Marc.
There's a sense of "I-ness" that's an extension of
"body-ness" or "mine-ness."
So, my take on animal selves means that David Graybeard and Jethro knew they
weren't one of their buddies. Many animals know such facts as "this is my
tail," "this is my territory," "this is my bone or my piece
of elk," "this is my mate," and "this is my urine."
Their sense of "mine-ness" or "body-ness" is their sense of
"self."
How do animals differentiate themselves from others? Many studies of
self-awareness have used mirrors to assess how visual cues are used. They've
been effective for captive primates, dolphins and elephants. Although
mirror-like visual images are absent in most field situations, it's possible
that individuals learn something about themselves from their reflections in
water. But we also need to know more about the role of senses other than vision
in studies of self-awareness because some animals for example, rodents who can
distinguish among individuals don't seem to respond to visual images. Odors and
sounds are very important in the worlds of many animals. Many mammals
differentiate between their own and others' urine and glandular secretions, and
many birds know their own and others' songs. Moving Jethro's "yellow
snow" from place to place allowed me to learn that Jethro made fine
discriminations between his own and others' urine. Perhaps a sense of self
relies on a composite signal that results from integrating information from
different senses .
While there are "academic" questions about animal self-awareness,
there also are some very important practical reasons to learn about animal
selves. Achieving reliable answers to questions about animal selves is very
important because they're often used to defend the sorts of treatment to which
individuals can be ethically subjected. However, even if an animal doesn't know
"who" she is, this doesn't mean she can't feel that something painful
is happening to her body. Self-awareness may not be a
reliable test for an objective assessment of well-being.
So, do any animals, when looking at themselves, hearing themselves, or smelling
themselves, exclaim "Wow, that's me"? Do they have a sense of
"I-ness?" We really don't know, especially for wild animals. It's
time to get out of the armchair and into the field. Speculation doesn't
substitute for careful studies of behavior.
Some people don't want to acknowledge the possibility of self-awareness in
animals because if they do, the borders between humans and other animals become
blurred and their narrow, hierarchical, anthropocentric view of the world would
be toppled. But Darwin's ideas about continuity, along with empirical data and
common sense, caution against the unyielding claim that humans and perhaps a
few other animals such as other great apes and cetaceans are the only species
in which some sense of self has evolved.
<><><><
Marc Bekoff is professor of biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder and
the author of many books, including "The Ten Trusts: What We Must Do to
Care for the Animals We Love," with Jane Goodall.
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~4~
University of Rhode Island Animal Rights Group
Presents our 2nd annual Animal Rights Conference
The conference will be held on Wednesday, March 31, 2004, in the Memorial Union
Ballroom at URI's Kingston Campus. The event is free to all.
Contact Laura Barlow at 874-1709 for more information and directions.
This years schedule of events will be as follows:
* 2pm, Dr. Theo Capaldo Ed.D: Dr. Capaldo is the president of the New
England Anti-Vivisection Society and will be speaking on the Realms and Realities
of the Possibilities of replacing the use of animals in education. Her
presentation includes a very interesting slide show and question and answer
session.
* 3:15pm, Loring Harkness, a
representative from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, speaks on
factory farming titled, “The Animals Holocaust.”
* 4:30pm, Dr. Michael Greger, an
expert on vegan nutrition, mad cow disease and foreign policy and its effect on
animal rights will be speaking and answering questions.
* 5:45pm, Steven Best: Steven Best
is an author, activist, teacher and department chair of the Philosophy
Department at the University of Texas, he will be speaking on the Philosophy
behind the animal rights movement.
* 8:00pm, the screening of the new
film, Peaceable Kingdom.
To learn more about the film please visit: www.tribeofheart.org
After the video there will be a small activist training session.
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~5~
#14: Female Collie Mix
By Michelle Salob
Locked in a cage, a prison
Yet her tail still wags
Her family dumped her
Like refuse by the curb
A toy they were tired of
Left over from holidays past
She looks at me through the wire
Her ears standing up.
I put your leash on
While you lick my hands
We run out to the field
Where the others have brought your cell mates
The ice and snow cut my legs
But I don't notice
You are so eager to be loved
Ready to leave with a stranger
You don't want to run free
Only my hand stroking your fur.
It's time to take her back
To her temporary home
Made of concrete and steel
She refuses to enter the shelter
I have betrayed her
She thought I was taking her away
But I am just a visitor, a volunteer
Browse but do not buy
What will become of her?
Next time she will be gone
Loving family or burning incinerator?
I put her back in her cell
She jumps up, doing her best tricks
I already love her, but it cannot be
BANG The slam reverberates
I lock the door and look away.
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~6~
Memorable Quote
"People often say that humans have always eaten animals, as if this is a
justification for continuing the practice. According to this logic, we should
not try to prevent people from murdering other people, since this has also been
done since the earliest of times."
~ Isaac Bashevis Singer
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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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