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 #
07/18/04
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 ~ Bobo and Tarzan by Michelle
Rivera
2 ~ Regarding The Question: Is There
An Afterlife For Pets?
by Stephanie Weiss, Ph.D.
3 ~ 800 National Rights Activists
Rally In The Nation's Capital
4 ~ Your Cat or Dog Story Published
5 ~ "Pet" Insurance
6 ~ Learning Without Killing
7 ~ Snow Geese
8 ~ Memorable Quote
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~1~
Bobo and
Tarzan
By
Michelle Rivera - MichelleRivera1@aol.com
Living in Palm Beach County this past week has been anything
but routine and trying to sort out one's feelings about complicated issues is a
formidable and sometimes unnecessary exercise in futility. That is, until one's
editor sends an e-mail that says "Animal Writes" readers surely want
to know what's going on down there in the Sunshine State in the land of Tarzan
and Bobo from someone who lives around the corner from where the big cat was
killed.
Dozens of people gathered for a candlelight vigil the day
after Bobo the tiger was killed. I was not among them. I wondered,
though, while watching them leap on this bandwagon, how many of them have dogs
purchased from petstores, bet on greyhounds in the sweltering heat and roast
pigs on a spit in celebration of birthdays, holidays and promotions.
Well, there is that one lady. Did you hear the one
about the woman who brought a young pig that goes by the unfortunate name of
Baby Back Ribs in the trunk of her Cadillac to the site to offer him up as a
martyr for the cause? Linda Meredith fancies herself an animal rights
activist because she swung into action when she heard that Bobo the tiger was
missing. But let's back up a bit for those who have not been CNN junkies
over the past week and are looking into their dogs' eyes in wonder and
confusion and asking them "What on earth is she talking about?"
Last week a six year old tiger liberated himself from the
confines of his cage in a sanctuary in Loxahatchee, Florida. The animal
was living there with Steve Sipek, a former Spanish movie star who played
Tarzan in all the Spanish language Tarzan movies. Even though that was
thirty years ago, he still receives royalties whenever his movies are played
and thus has become a millionaire. He's not your ordinary millionaire,
however, this man lives without a stick of furniture save for the bed he shares
with six big cats. He can't own furniture, he says, because his six cats
will just tear it apart. Well, make that five cats now.
And here's where the story gets a little sentimental, as
most animal stories are wont to do. While filming a Tarzan movie many
years ago, the set on which Steve and his lion were filming burst into flames.
The crew and actors ran for cover, leaving Steve on the set and engulfed in
flames. One actor, the lion, braved the flames and pulled Steve to safety
where the others doused him with water. This event changed Steve's life
forever in two profound ways. It ended his movie career because his
"movie star good looks" were a distant memory having been replaced by
burn scars, and his affinity for big cats was forever ingrained in his heart.
He made a vow (think Howard Lyman here) about how he would dedicate his life to
helping big cats. And so he has.
Tarzan moved to Palm Beach County, Florida, and set up a
sanctuary for big cats. A few years later, the laws in the state of
Florida were changed that restricted those with big cats to landowners with more
than five acres of property and, of course, proper licensure. Tarzan was
grandfathered in and so was allowed to keep his cats even though his property
was not "up to code." There were more complications in the statute,
such as what kind of big cats were allowed, that had to be addressed by Wayne
Pacelle, President of the Humane Society of the United States who was
interviewed for several stories that appeared in the Palm Beach Post
(www.pbpost.com).
Anyway, Bobo had been acquired by Steve a/k/a/ Tarzan when
Bobo was just six months old. The circumstances under why Bobo was
acquired by Steve a/k/a/ Tarzan are unclear, as are the facts surrounding his
being declawed and de-fanged. He lived on the compound, having run of the
house, with five other cats: two Bengal tigers named Princess and Elvis,
a lioness, Stephanie, Missy the cougar and Oko the leopard. Steve a/k/a/
Tarzan insists that his cats sleep with him every night in his bed. Since
the cats are so big and the bed is so small in comparison, he frequently finds
himself on the floor.
Bobo's escape was cause for concern in the equestrian area
where Steve a/k/a/ Tarzan lives but folks took it in stride. They rounded
up their horses and dogs, they kept a closer eye on their kids and waited out
the storm. Wildlife officers, along with sheriff's deputies, set up a
perimeter and the world waited. Enter Linda Meredith, who showed up in
her Cadillac and, upon opening the trunk of her vehicle, offered the officers a
sweet young pig named Baby Back Ribs as "bait." "Just
twist his ears and yank his legs" she told officers, demonstrating in
front of tv cameras, "and he will scream and the tiger will come to eat
him." I am happy to say that the officials at Animal Care and
Control were flooded with calls complaining about her actions and she was cited
for animal cruelty. She, however, is bewildered by that because, as she
says, she was fattening him up for a pig roast on Halloween and was "going
to be eaten anyway." When a tv reporter remarked to her that
"animal rights activists will be coming after" her, she stated that
she, herself, was an animal rights activist because she was the only one who
was trying to help the tiger.
Twenty-six hours after Bobo escaped, he was shot and killed
by a Florida wildlife officer much to the chagrin and deep disappointment of
Steve a/k/a/ Tarzan and his followers. Questions abound. Why didn't
they use a tranquilizer gun? Because the officer claimed that the tiger
lunged at him and a tranquilizer gun takes time to take effect. Why
didn't they just let Steve a/k/a/ Tarzan go to him and secure him and walk him
home? Because Steve a/k/a/ Tarzan had left briefly to take a shower and
therefore was "indisposed". Steve a/k/a/ Tarzan says he heard the five
gunshots and knew that his beloved Bobo had been murdered.
So what are we to take from this horrendous event?
Steve Sipek was not one of the bad guys who keeps big cats for pets and
purchases them from dealers. He was trying to help them in the best way
he knew how. But having those cats brings with it a huge responsibility, first
and foremost of which is the responsibility to keep the tiger confined and his
neighbors safe. Because he was irresponsible in that regard, he tied up
law and wildlife officers for twenty-six hours, kept his neighbors on high
alert and in fear of the safety of their horses and other animals for an entire
day and night, and, ultimately, got his tiger killed. Was the officer
justified in killing the tiger? We will never know. I wasn't there in the shoes
of that officer. My feeling is that the officer was trying to do the
right thing with the whole world watching, but then again, maybe he decided
after 26 hours that "enough is enough" and he made the unilateral
decision to end it then and there. Bobo's body has been sent for a
necropsy but officials don't expect any clear answers. The bullets
entered the animals' body and stopped his heart forever. He was a
magnificent cat, a loving cat, but a cat with a history of attacking at least
one other person. A volunteer was attacked by Bobo a few years ago who
sustained a very nasty bite to her head but who still, to this day, volunteers
at Steve's sanctuary and defends Bobo.
There will be a funeral for Bobo and the world grieves with
Steve a/k/a/ Tarzan who, after all is said and done, is in mourning and
deserves our sympathy and compassion for his loss, regardless of how we feel
about his exotic "pets." Good night, Bobo, the world is a
sadder place without you.
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~2~
Regarding
The Question:
Is There
An Afterlife For Pets?
Stephanie
Weiss, Ph.D. - PsychSLW@aol.com
Why wouldn't there be? It actually puzzles me that the
question would be asked. What differentiates us from other species, besides a
few genetic variations is a well developed cerebral cortex. Assuming that
the ability to conceptualize an afterlife, and discuss and write about it
(cortex functions) gives one a greater opportunity to continue in some spiritual
form does not really make sense to me. I understand that Christianity sees
humankind as divine, and therefore superior to all other life forms. With all
due respect, one must recognize that although Christianity is
the most powerful and visible religion in our nation, it's
teachings should not be assumed to be the ultimate truth due to its
large influence on our culture. Many other religions consider non-human beings
to possess a spirit.
From a purely scientific perspective, the only empirical
research exploring the topic of the afterlife is Near-Death Experience
literature. Modern medicine has created a monumental increase in people
being brought back to life after being pronounced dead. This
phenomenon has inspired a huge body of research offering detailed
reports of over 10 million people who have been resuscitated after having been
pronounced clinically dead. It is very common for these survivors to report
interactions with deceased relatives and friends, including beloved pets.
Atheists report these events as often as the devoutly religious. Interestingly,
almost all reporters return to their bodies believing in a spiritual world,
despite their prior beliefs and convictions. One remarkable finding is
that many near-death experiencers report seeing relatives that they thought
were alive, and were puzzled to see them "on the other side." Upon
inquiry, survivors were shocked to learn that these
relatives were in fact recently deceased. Anyone interested in looking
into this subject further can log onto
IANDS -
Near-Death Experiences Home Page
www.iands.org
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~3~
800 Animal
Rights Activists Rally
In The
Nation's Capital
Nearly 800 animal rights activists from throughout the U.S.
and several other countries packed the Sheraton Premiere Hotel near the
nation’s capital on July 8-12, 2004 to map the movement’s national strategy for
the coming year. (Please visit www.AR2004.org for details.)
The Animal Rights 2004 National Conference featured more
than 80 speakers from 60 groups representing every faction of the movement.
They presented in 70 sessions, including keynote addresses, briefings on
various forms of animal abuse, workshops on organizing and outreach skills, ‘rap’
sessions, and campaign reports. More than 50 video documentaries were shown,
including four premiere screenings. Nearly 70 organizations exhibited their
literature and merchandise.
PETA Vegetarian Campaigns Director Bruce Friedrich and
Animals Voice President Laura Moretti were elected to the U.S. Animal Rights
Hall of Fame. "Bizarro" Cartoonist Dan Piraro was honored with the
Media Celebrity Animal Advocate of the Year Award. Aryenish Birdie from Kansas
City won the Rosenberg Award for outstanding contribution to farmed animal
liberation by a teenager.
Other prominent speakers included University of Texas
philosophy professor Steve Best, Washington Post syndicated columnist Michael
Fox, film star Tippi Hedren, former rancher Howard Lyman, University of North
Carolina philosophy professor Tom Regan, and Greenpeace cofounder Paul Watson.
Animal Rights 2004 was sponsored by FARM, a national
public interest organization advocating wholesome, nonviolent plant-based
eating. Key supporting organizations included Animals Voice, Animal Rights On
Line, In Defense of Animals, Lantern Books, Veg News, and Vegetarian Times.
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~4~
Your Cat
or Dog Story Published!
Do you have a true story, article or anecdote about dogs or
cats that will uplift, inspire or entertain other dog and cat lovers? A story
that heightened your appreciation of the bond we share with dogs and cats?
Best-selling authors, Dr. Marty Becker, Carol Kline and Amy D. Shoja
I invite everyone to submit stories for publication in two
new volumes: Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul and Chicken Soup for the Cat
Lover’s Soul, both scheduled for release in autumn of 2005. These special
Chicken Soup books—one just for dog lovers and one just for cat lovers—will
include heartwarming true stories about dogs and cats and the people who love
them. Please visit www.yourpetstory.com to find out more about this project. To
receive submission guidelines by mail, send a SASE to CS/Dog (or Cat) Lover’s
Soul. P.O. Box 1262, Fairfield, IA 52556. Please pass this information on
to other writers, pet professionals and anyone else who cherishes dogs and cats
and might be interested in contributing to these books.
Caring for pets and people, Marty Becker, DVM
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~5~
"Pet"
Insurance
The costs of veterinary care can run extraordinarily high,
and one way to protect our companion animals from our inability to manage those
high costs is to invest in Pet Insurance. It's important to do your
homework before signing up for one of these plans. The article on the
following webpage is well worth reading if you are considering pet
insurance. Please go to:
MSN Money
- Should you buy pet insurance?
http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Insurance/P76008.asp
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~6~
Learning
Without Killing
Launch of www.LearningWithoutKilling.info
Contact: Dr. Andrew Knight, info@learningwithoutkilling.info
Please distribute this information on campuses that use
animals in teaching!
Hundreds of thousands of animals are needlessly experimented
on, killed and dissected each year in schools and universities worldwide.
However, increasing numbers of students and teachers are no longer willing to
harm or kill animals. Ethical, compassionate and courageous students have been
the most powerful advocates of humane alternatives, and, despite frequent faculty
opposition, their recent campaigns on several campuses around the world have
resulted in the elimination of many labs in which animals were harmed or
killed, saving hundreds of dogs, frogs, pigs, sheep, guinea pigs, mice and rats
annually.
Unlike academic staff, students campaigning for humane
alternatives cannot be fired, and students with a committed and professional
approach and access to the resources they need have proven enormously powerful
advocates of humane education in schools and universities around the world.
Created by veterinarian Dr. Andrew Knight, who won several
major battles not to kill animals in veterinary school,
www.LearningWithoutKilling.info has just been launched to provide students with
easy access to the resources they need to win their campaigns. It includes
books on humane alternatives to harmful animal use in education, conscientious
objection student guides, lists of educational studies proving that alternative
students perform at least as well as those trained via harming animals,
alternatives submissions (that have already been successful in ending hundreds
of animal experiments at several major universities worldwide), and the world’s
largest photo gallery on the subject, including 125 high-quality photos of
animal dissection, experimentation, surgical training, computer simulations,
mannequins and models, preserved tissues, and humane surgical training
alternatives. A memorial page contains stories from students about animals
they’ve seen harmed or killed.
Said veterinarian Dr. Knight, “As a student I refused to
participate in the mass killings of healthy animals that commonly occur during
surgical and other veterinary training. I was penalized and threatened with
failure. But I persisted, and discovered that students with a committed and
professional approach can take on their universities and win! Since then
colleagues have done the same at several other major universities around the
world, ending many labs and saving hundreds of animal lives. I created
www.LearningWithoutKilling.info to give students around the world access to the
resources they need to win these campaigns in the face of faculty opposition.
It is my hope that new people will join the growing international community of
ethical and compassionate students unwilling to harm animals during their
education.”
Background: Life and health sciences education has
traditionally involved the harmful use of animals, and countless animals have
lost their lives in attempts to teach practical skills and demonstrate
scientific principles which have, in most cases, been established for decades.
However, at the start of the 21st century, many thousands of humane educational
alternatives exist. These include computer simulations, videos, plasticised
specimens, ethically-sourced cadavers (obtained from animals that have died
naturally, in accidents, or been euthanased for medical reasons), models,
diagrams, self-experimentation, and supervised clinical experiences. At least
28 educational studies covering all educational levels and disciplines have
proven that students learning via humane methods are at least as competent as
those trained via harmful animal use; indeed, 50% actually showed that humane
methods produced superior learning outcomes. Despite the overwhelming scientific
evidence, humane teaching methods are resisted in many schools and universities
around the world, resulting in fierce struggles with students unwilling to harm
animals during their education.
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~7~
Snow Geese
From
redseed2001@yahoo.com
Autumn in
the Arctic,
and over
the red tundra streaming,
like a
white silk flag of peace,
shredded
into 10,000 fragments,
and each
fragment like a living kite,
a bird,
flown free, flying,
10,000
Snow Geese let go
into the
azure, sapphire sky,
and the
birds like diamonds
sparkling
white between sun and earth.
Flock upon
flock, before any men walked
or women
wove mats of rushes.
flew from
the Arctic to the Mississippi delta,
from Alaska
over the blue eye of Crater Lake,
over the
stone Kivas of Mesa Verde,
flew in
white streams
wing-edges
soaked in midnight black
and
breasts tinted with the Aurora Borealis,
beak,
orange, dipped in sunset:
white,
"blue phase" and the ill-named Ross's---
Snow
Geese, all,
flying,
carrying
feathers full of arctic snow glare,
from Polar
bear Country at Hudson's Bay,
past
glistening tributaries of the Missouri
down to
Seminole jungles
in the
overheated Bayou.
I've
listened to their HUM,
like the
sound of being,
pulsing
like one mind in unison with
all
existence--- the hum of being,
shared by
10,000, 20,000 birds,
humming in
the wetlands,
a huge
white raft floating--
And Mount
Shasta distant
and all
the still mountains listening,
to
millennia after millennia of Snow Geese
Humming
and dabbling, honking and flying,
each
spring and fall,
each cycle
of migration like a breath, in and out,
breathing
in and out of the lungs of time,
like a
life-breath of being humming between
the birds
and the seasons and the eons.
One breath
humming, through all
the
members of the community
like a
note that calms all troubles
and
silences the movement of time.
White as
opals, moon glowing with avian magic,
they fly
against the infinite milky way
like satin
streams against the ultramarine stars.
They have
as much right to the continent
as ancient
herds of buffalo, pronghorn
or the
once infinite waves of migrating ducks.
As
indigenous as corn and milkweed, arctic foxes
and
wolverines, cougars and chipmunks: this continent is theirs,
and we are
their guests.
A drop of
blood drips
from the
breast of a Snow Goose.
White as a
messenger of the Arctic sun
white as a
silken flag of peace,
white as
the moon in an opal sky,
Snow geese
like snow flakes fall,
in a rain
of bullets,
Snow geese
falling through vast American nights,
falling by
day from infinite vistas
thousands
of Snow Geese falling
bloody
into rivers and lakes.
Dead Snow
Gesse in the Tule reeds,
dead Snow
Geese in the ponds and sedges.
The men
who decimated the Buffalo and the Pronghorn
now want
to kill Snow Geese.
Men with
guns
want to
bloody the memory of ancient migrations,
betray the
white breath of the continent
and blast
into silence the Hum of Being.
The
brilliant white of the sun itself
asks them
to stop this senseless slaughter.
Somewhere,
in the depths of my heart,
millions
of white birds are flying home,
free of
the malice of murderers
free of
the greed of governments.
Somewhere,
deep in the depths of my memory
my white
wings reach into the Milky Way
and I see
the sunrise over the horizon
and the
sunrise glistens with a million white birds,
all free,
and all flying home with me.
And I hear
the gentle of Hum of being all around me.
*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`³¤³´`*:»³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`´`*:»«:*³¤³´`³¤³´`
~8~
Memorable
Quote
"....it
does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority
keen to set brushfires in people's minds."
~ Samuel
Adams
«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»
Susan
Roghair - EnglandGal@aol.com
Animal
Rights Online
http://www.oocities.org/RainForest/1395/
-=Animal
Rights Online=-
«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»
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