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 # 08/29/04
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 ~ AR Pets by Michelle Rivera
2 ~ California Assembly Passes Bill To Ban Foie Gras
3 ~ Seigfried & Roy Back In The News
4 ~ Job Opportunities
5 ~ Website Of Note
6 ~ Justice At Last
7 ~ The Brutal Beast
8 ~ Memorable Quote
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~1~
AR Pets
By Michelle Rivera - MichelleRivera1@aol.com
I
feel that sometimes we take our relationships with our companion animals for
granted. This feeling comes over me mostly when I am lying quietly by
myself and my very timid, rescued Siamese kitty comes to me and snuggles in
deeply, purring with pleasure. What must it take for her to trust me so
completely? How does an animal learn to trust a species so different from
his own, especially when members of that other species has abused, neglected or
abandoned them in the past?
It's not natural for animals of different species to really love each other.
Sure, sometimes in nature they learn to co-exist, such as squirrels and blue
jays who live in our backyards. They tolerate one another, they learn not
to be fearful of one another, but they don't sleep together, eat together,
carry one another around in their paws or offer their soft underbellies for
petting.
What a privilege! What an honor it is to be so trusted and so loved by an
animal. Animals, for the most part, are very forgiving of our trespasses
and usually show an eagerness to move past such wrongdoings as a bath, a
pedicure, an ear cleaning or an abbreviated play time. They want to love
us, they want to be with us and all they ask is a chance to interact with us
and be our friend.
Admittedly, dogs are much quicker than cats to offer their love and
affection. Cats have to see that we are worthy of their friendship and
every day I have to prove it over and over again. But my reward for earning her
trust is a bond so deep and impenetrable that we often forget that there once
was a time when humans and animals were natural enemies.
Of course, we are still natural enemies of most of the world's animals.
We certainly need to work on that some more.
Despite years and years of co-habiting with cats, I still feel a surge of
pleasure and contentment when I wake up in the night and find that my kitty has
joined me and is sleeping contentedly by my side or on my pillow. I
cherish those moments and find it hard to fall back asleep because I want to
savor the moment and take advantage of the quiet communion between us. My life
is so much richer for having my companion animals in it. I can't imagine,
really, how people without them struggle through their days!
So when I hear the tired old accusation that animal rightists are trying to
turn us into a nation of people without household pets, I feel sad to be so
misunderstood. When Wayne Pacelle recently moved to the head of the
class, so to speak, when he accepted a position as President of the HSUS, the
newspapers were full of admonitions to "enjoy your pets while you
can" because, ostensibly, he's an animal rights activist who believes that
people should not own pets. I don't know where or when this obvious
fabrication started, who started it and why, but it's a nuisance to have to
deny it over and over again. The PETA calendar, year after year,
frequently includes photos of rescued animals who have gone to live with this
Peta worker or that Peta worker. But I guess cold, hard evidence is
considered a moot point if it does not further the lies of those who claim to
have allied themselves in order to protect the "interests" of
animals.
As I work at my desk day after day I am accompanied by my three rescued cats, a
retired greyhound and a puppy who will someday be the next "Hospice
Hound." I believe in the rights of animals and I believe in sharing
our homes with companion animals and I can say with 100% certainty that I am
not alone.
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~2~
California Assembly Passes Bill
to Ban Foie Gras
From In Defense of Animals - alerts@idausa.org
IDA has just learned SB 1520 the bill to ban foie gras is in a desperate
state! Their office is overwhelmed by phone calls against it, and they are
hardly hearing anything in favor of it.
We desperately need YOUR help to ensure that this humane legislation is
enacted.
Please contact Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and urge him to sign SB 1520 into
law!
Contact:
The Honorable Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Tel.: (916) 445-2841
Fax: (916) 445-4633
Online comment form: http://www.govmail.ca.gov
For more information about foie gras, including video footage and photos from
APRL's investigation, please visit www.StopForceFeeding.com.
Sample Letter
Dear Governor Schwarzenegger,
I am writing to ask that you pass bill SB 1520 into law. This bill would
outlaw the animal cruelty of foie gras production.
To produce foie gras (a duck liver appetizer), ducks are pumped full of huge
amounts of food for weeks with large metal pipes in order to enlarge their
livers. This causes tremendous pain and suffering to the birds, and the
birds are literally on the verge of organ rupture in the days before they are
sent to slaughter (many die from this and other injuries).
We cannot allow this horrific industry to continue in our beautiful state. This
is an issue of animal torture, and it cannot be tolerated by any civilized
society.
Sincerely,
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~3~
DawnWatch:
Siegfried and Roy back in the news
and on Prime Time TV on 8/31/04
From news@dawnwatch.com
Siegfried
and Roy are back in the news. This week the press has reported:
-- Roy Horn's first pubic appearance sinnce the attack
-- The refusal of the show's producers tto give government investigators video
footage of the attack and its preceding moments
-- The upcoming NBC animated series, &quuot;Father of the Pride" based on
the Siegfried and Roy show.
You'll find USA Today's coverage of Feld Entertainment's refusal to release the
footage at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-08-25-roy-horn-video_x.htm?POE=click-refer
The article headed, "Producer won't share tiger mauling video" opens
with:
"The company that produced the Siegfried & Roy magic show has refused
to turn over video to federal authorities investigating the tiger attack on
illusionist Roy Horn, The Associated Press has learned.
"The U.S. Department of Agriculture attempted to obtain video of the show
through two recent subpoenas but Vienna, Va.-based Feld Entertainment would not
hand over the footage, a USDA source familiar with the case said Tuesday.
"Under the federal Animal Welfare Act, the USDA has been investigating the
Oct. 3 attack in which Horn was mauled by a 300-pound tiger during a live
performance at The Mirage hotel-casino in Las Vegas.
"Horn survived the attack but suffered a stroke that left him partially
paralyzed and the successful show closed.
"USDA spokesman Jim Rogers said Tuesday from Washington D.C., that the
probe into the tiger attack remains open and confirmed that the show is under
investigation for possible violations of the Animal Welfare Act."
Other articles have reported that Feld is allowing the USDA to view the tape
but will not release it to the agency's care. It has been reported that the
company is worried about the footage being aired on the news. In the day or two
immediately following the incident, some reports mentioned that Roy Horn had
been hitting the tiger on the nose with a microphone just before the attack --
it is not tape that circus proponents would want to have aired widely.
The Thursday, August 26 edition of USA Today (LIFE; Pg. 9B) reports on
the new NBC series in an article headed "Tooth and claw: NBC puts 'Pride'
in prime time." You can read it at:
http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2004-08-25-pride-main_x.htm
The show has received poor reviews. The current, September 3, edition of
Entertainment Weekly heads its review "Animal Instinks" and gives the
show a C+.
The Los Angeles Times has a particularly interesting large story about the new
series on the front page of the Friday, August 27, Business section, (Page
C1.) It is headed, "With 'Pride' Problems, NBC Finds It's a Jungle
Out There;" and sub-headed "A mauling put the series in doubt. Its
content has raised concerns."
It opens:
"Scripts had been written, voice tracks recorded and millions of dollars
spent on DreamWorks Animation's upcoming TV comedy about the animals in
Siegfried & Roy's Las Vegas show. Then tragedy intruded.
"Roy Horn was mauled by a 600-pound Siberian tiger and dragged off the
stage during an October performance. He was near death, his prognosis
uncertain.
"Back at DreamWorks' facility in Glendale, executives were confronted with
a delicate but inescapable decision: Should production continue on the computer
animated show "Father of the Pride"?
Jeffrey Katzenberg is quoted explaining the theme of the show: "What would
it be like to be one of these animals and to raise a family, and live in the
Jungle Palace and go to work every day at a place where the CEOs are these two
eccentric guys, Siegfried & Roy?"
We learn that after the October 3 attack "In Burbank, most NBC
entertainment executives figured they should pull the plug. They worried that
the mauling would make a satirical look at Siegfried & Roy and the animals
seem in poor taste. Zucker, however, continued to champion the project, as did
Katzenberg."
And we learn about an upcoming prime-time special focused on Horn's recovery
called "Siegfried & Roy: The Miracle," hosted by Maria Shriver
and scheduled to air Sept. 15.
The Times reports:
"For a while, NBC executives considered running the Shriver special on the
same night as 'Father of the Pride.' They changed course after hundreds of
advertisers were left cringing in their seats during NBC's presentation of its
fall lineup in May."
You can read the full Los Angeles Times report at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/valley/la-fi-pride27aug27,1,2088143.story
Stories about Siegfried and Roy, and the new show, present perfect
opportunities for letters to the editor regarding the suffering of wild animals
in circuses. You'll find loads of information on that issue, including
distressing circus animal training tapes at: http://www.circuses.com
USA Today takes letters at:
http://www.usatoday.com/marketing/feedback/feedback-online.aspx?type=18
This Tiny URL might work better: http://tinyurl.com/2yw46
The Los Angeles Times takes letters at: letters@latimes.com
And please consider a letter to your local paper.
You'll find more information about the upcoming NBC show at:
http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Father_of_the_Pride/
You can view video excerpts. They include a line in which the head lion, after
slapping one of the lionesses on the butt, says "God I love this
business."
I doubt it.
NBC is taking email regarding the show at: FatherofthePride@nbc.com
The general feedback address (perhaps for feedback regarding the Shriver
hosted special) is nbcshows@nbc.com
There is no institution in modern society more powerful than the media.
Therefore, for the sake of the animals, animal advocates must do all that we
can to befriend the media. It is never a good idea to send hostile notes to
stations. However, a flood of polite email expressing much disappointment at
the station's choice could be very useful. Stations take their feedback
seriously.
Please write.
Yours and the animals',
Karen Dawn
(DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal issues in the
media and facilitates one-click responses to the relevant media outlets.
You can learn more about it, and sign up for alerts at
http://www.DawnWatch.com.
To unsubscribe, go to www.DawnWatch.com/unsubscribe.php. If you forward or
reprint DawnWatch alerts, please do so unedited -- leave DawnWatch in the title
and include this tag line.)
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~4~
Job Opportunities
City Of Norfolk– Human Resources Department
Immediate openings for the following positions:
100 City
Hall Building
810 Union Street
Norfolk, VA 23510
EMAIL ADDRESS: WWW.NORFOLK.GOV
Animal Services Supervisor (#3679)
Norfolk Police - Animal Management Center, 5585 Sabre Road, Norfolk.
This individual will supervise animal shelter operations. Oversees the
processing of incoming animals including assessment with regard to adoption and
euthanasia, application of appropriate medical attention and the maintenance of
adequate kennel supplies and equipment. Must attach a copy of DMV
driving record (obtained within last 30 days) to application.
Requires equivalent or graduation from an accredited four-year college or
university with a bachelor’s degree or any combination of training and
experience or a related field. Three (3) years experience in kennel or
animal management is required. Must become State of Virginia Euthanasia
Competency certified. Submit Applications to: HR Dept. Attn. Julia
Rodriguez, 810 Union St., Norfolk, VA 23510, fax to (757)664-4492. Visit www.norfolk.gov
for
complete description and to download application. Open until filled.
Humane Officer I (#3676)
Animal Management Center, 5585 Sabre Road, Norfolk
40 hrs. Per week. Rotating day, evening, and night shifts. On-call
nights, weekends, and holidays. This is responsible and technical work
involving the protection and control of animals and the enforcement of laws
governing animals. Must attach a copy of Division of Motor Vehicle driving
record (obtained within last 30 days) to application. Graduation from
high school or vocational school or any equivalent combination of training and
experience to establish and maintain effective working relationships with the
public. Submit Applications to: HR Dept. Attn. Julia Rodriguez, 810 Union
St., Norfolk, VA 23510, fax to (757)664-4492. Visit www.norfolk.gov
for complete description and to download application. Open until filled.
Humane Officer II (#3665)
Animal Management Center, 5585 Sabre Road, Norfolk
40 hrs. Per week. Rotating day, evening, and night shifts. On-call
nights, weekends, and holidays. This is law enforcement supervisory work
involving the protection and control of animals and enforces Federal, State,
and local animal laws. Directly supervises personnel and involves
frequent contact with hostile or dangerous animals and people. Must attach a
copy of Division of Motor Vehicle driving record (obtained within last 30 days)
to application. Two year associate’s degree, or specific vocational,
administrative, or any equivalent combination of training and experience. Two
years experience in the animal care field. Must become State of Virginia
Euthanasia Competency certified. Submit Applications to: HR Dept. Attn.
Julia Rodriguez, 810 Union St., Norfolk, VA 23510, fax to (757)664-4492.
Visit www.norfolk.gov
for complete description and to download application. Open until filled.
Julia I. Rodriguez
City of Norfolk
Public Safety Recruitment
757/664-4483 Fax 757/664-4492
julia.rodriguez@norfolk.gov
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~5~
Website of Note
Last weeks issue of Animal Writes included a commentary on
what you can do to help animals in your own neighborhoods. It was called
to my attention that there is an excellent website listing numerous things you
can do in only 10 minutes, or for only $10 (or less). This website is
well worth visiting, and well worth taking the time to read each of the pages
accessed through every one of the links. It's a superb resource to pass
on to those who care about the animals, but claim to not have the time or the
money to become activists.
The
10-Minutes Or 10-Bucks Animal Advocate
http://www.floridapets.net/tenminuteanimaladvocateindex.html
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~6~
Justice At Last
Miami Herald
Sat, Aug. 28, 2004
CUBA | TRADE EMBARGO
Doctor fined $70,000 for buying Cuban dolphins
An American physician is facing a $70,000 fine after buying dolphins from Cuba
for exhibition in aquatic parks in the Caribbean.
BY CHARLES D. SHERMAN
Special to the Herald
An American physician who bought wild dolphins from Cuba for aquatic parks in
the Caribbean is facing a $70,000 fine by the U.S. Treasury Department for
violating the trade embargo against the communist nation.
''I've admitted the thing to the government and am paying a settlement.'' Dr.
Graham Simpson, now living in Reno, Nev., said this week. He said he was
''negotiating a fine of up to $70,000'' but declined to comment further.
The Herald first reported in February 2002 that Simpson, a naturalized U.S.
citizen from South Africa, was under federal investigation for buying six Cuban
dolphins for water parks he owned in the Caribbean islands of Anguilla and
Antigua.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
In an interview at the time, Simpson said he paid a broker in the Dominican
Republic for the animals but acknowledged they had come from Cuba and that he had
visited officials at Havana's national aquarium.
He said he traveled to Cuba on a British passport and paid $45,000 each for the
dolphins.
The Treasury's Office of Foreign Asset Control, which enforces the embargo,
refused comment on the case, citing privacy concerns.
Simpson, 53, has long been the target of a campaign by animal rights activists
in the United States and Canada. Cuba is the world's largest exporter of wild
dolphins, according to the United Nations, and the animal rights activists have
grasped the U.S. embargo as a tool to crimp the trade.
The dolphins that Simpson bought were put to work in high-end resort
destinations in the Leeward islands east of Puerto Rico.
Two years ago, when asked about having possibly violated the trade embargo,
Simpson said: ``I thought of myself as a British citizen living for the last
three years in Anguilla, which has no law against buying from Cuba. It really
didn't occur to me this might be a problem.''
Dolphin defenders have focused on the Simpson case to highlight the dangers
they see in the exploitation of the marine mammals. One of the leaders in the
effort to bring Simpson to account is Gwen McKenna, a 50-year-old Toronto
housewife.
''This substantial fine handed down to Simpson brings to an end years of hard
work, gathering information and providing it to the Office of Foreign Assets
Control, and pressuring them directly and through the media to prosecute
Americans purchasing Cuban dolphins,'' McKenna said.
``But Simpson is just the tip of the iceberg. There are a number of other
Americans hiding behind foreign corporate veils who have purchased large
numbers of Cuban dolphins.''
`FINE IS A GOOD THING'
Ric O'Barry of Miami, a former Miami Seaquarium Flipper trainer who several
years ago began trying to find ways to return dolphins to the wild, is now a
consultant for One Voice, an animal protection society based in France.
He, McKenna and several activists on Anguilla and Antigua have worked closely
together in the campaign against Simpson. ''The fine is a good thing,'' O'Barry
said.
''The real value is that it will send a message to the other U.S. citizens that
are doing business with Cuba,'' he said.
A number of aspects of the dolphin business anger animal rights activists. They
say dolphin hunters chase the creatures to the point of exhaustion before using
nets in violent captures that can severely injure or even drown the animal.
Beyond what they see as the immorality in the removal of individual dolphins
from their pods, or families, the activists say the animals face food
deprivation during their training and confinement sometimes in tanks not much
larger than a public swimming pool.
Simpson and other aquatic park owners counter these arguments by saying they
provide a valuable service for customers who want to play with the animals and
learn more about them.
At many dolphin encounter parks, including Miami's Seaquarium, customers can
pay upwards of $150 for a half hour in a pool with dolphins. Park owners say
they include educational information about dolphins as part of the experience.
Cuba and Russia, according to U.N. studies, are the world's leading exporters
of dolphins.
The countries are immune to publicity campaigns against the trade, and a
healthy, young dolphin can fetch between $40,000 and $70,000 on the
international market.
MAJOR SUPPLIER
In the past decade, Cuba has supplied more than 100 dolphins to burgeoning swim
parks in the Caribbean, Mexico and Latin America, according to U.N. figures.
Earlier this year, Simpson and his wife sold their business on Anguilla to
Dolphin Discovery of Cancun, a company run by several Americans with six bases
of operation across the Caribbean.
According to the latest U.N. figures, Cuba has supplied 33 of the animals to
Dolphin Discovery. Animal rights activists have raised the case with the
Treasury.
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~7~
The Brutal Beast
By CHALISSA1@aol.com
Why do we kill
Is it necessary?
For sport you say
Bambi & Yogi
Lesser forms of the
Animal kingdom
Maintain the balance of nature
The brutal beast
Enjoys inflicting pain
Rape the defenseless
No honor, no integrity
Just animal passions
The basest instincts
Why?
God gave ability
To comprehend & think
Why not love
To subdue the brutal beast
<><><><><>
To
propagate the cause of Vegetarianism- And Animal Compassion:
Receive a free copy of the CD "Meet your
Meat" and a host of other relevant Audio and Visual material.
Provided you have a CD burner or have access to one AND are PLEDGING to
make at least 4 copies to give to your carnivore friends. Send your mailing
address to Chalissa1@aol.com
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~8~
Memorable Quote
"A meow massages the heart."
~ Stuart McMillan
«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»
Susan Roghair - EnglandGal@aol.com
Animal Rights Online
http://www.oocities.org/RainForest/1395/
-=Animal Rights Online=-
«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»
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