Call to Action
“Oreo’s Law” was recently introduced in the New York State legislation. This law will make it illegal for animal shelters to kill an animal who a rescue organization is willing to save. This law will allow cat rescue organizations to save un-socialized kittens that the shelter would otherwise euthanize, and it would allow feral cats to be rescued, sterilized, and placed back in his/her colony or relocated to a sanctuary. These animals will be allowed to be saved, even though the shelter director may oppose TNR, foster programs, and working with rescue organizations. This should not be about politics, but about the animals…
ACR encourages our members to thank Mr. Micah Kellner for introducing this law, and to contact your local law makers and request that similar laws be introduced in your state. To read ACR’s letter of support for Oreo’s Law, please click on the above link.
Make Animal Cruelty a Felony in Mississippi
Please take a minute to sign the below petition. Mississippi is one of four states (Idaho, North Dakota & South Dakota) where animal cruelty is still not considered a felony. In these states, abusing an animal is only considered a misdemeanor and punishable by a fine and/or 6 months to a year in jail. By signing the petition, hopefully government officials will ensure this is changed, and Mississippi will agree, that animal cruelty is a crime and punishable to the fullest extent of the law. www.petitiononline.com
Australians Invent New Ways to Kill Feral Cats
In a 1999 report broadcasted by PM on Australia’s Radio National, it was announced that “Victorian animal scientists have developed the world's first poison pill, designed specifically to kill cats. It's hoped the pill will bring the feral cat population under control. Environmental groups say it will save native fauna and flora and it has the support of at least some animal welfare groups.”
According to the broadcast, the toxic pill has been designed specifically for cats and it will not harm other animals. Gerry Maynes, from the Environment Australia Centre, says “The way it operates is that the chemical affects oxygen transport through the hemoglobin in the blood, and effectively what happens is that the cat goes to sleep and doesn't wake up.” Mr. Maynes also states that the pill is humane and its use is supported by animal welfare groups.
Gerry Maynes says, “…In developing this we've kept groups like the RSPCA Australia, and the Australian and New Zealand Federation of Animals Societies aware of what's happening. Dr Hugh Worth from the RSPCA's had a look at some of the experimental work and his concern as you indicated earlier, that this material not be made freely available to irresponsible people. But, on the basis of the work so far, he is satisfied that it would appear to be a humane control method.”
Just recently, in an article appearing in The Sydney Morning Herald, “New traps that attract cats using sound and light, and then squirt them with poison, will soon be tested in South Australia's Kangaroo Island, the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre said on its website.”
"This is a tunnel that emits a... sound and bright features that attract cats to it," said Professor Steven Lapidge. "It requires them to walk through a tunnel and if they set off certain sensors in a certain configuration, then it detects the shape of the animal. If it is a cat then it will deliver a short spray onto its belly of a toxic substance that puts them to sleep."
According to the article, “The [Invasive Animals Cooperative Research] Centre believes Australia may have more than 18 million feral cats descended from escaped domestic pets, which kill native wildlife and are hard to control using conventional poisons.” Australia also is trying to control feral populations of pigs, rabbits, foxes, and even camels, via lethal means.
ACR is urging our members to contact the Australian Ambassador and tell him to look at the US and European countries for humane methods of controlling feral cat populations. Explain to Mr. Beazley that killing cats is not a long-term solution to such a complex situation. Tell him TNR programs should be utilized instead of using toxic pills and poison traps.
Contact Information:
The Honorable Kim Beazley
Australian Embassy
1601 Massachusetts Avenue Northwest
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 797-3000
Fax: (202) 797 3168
AND PLEASE VISIT THE PETITION SITE to sign ACR’S petition to STOP Australia from killing feral cats.
Save the Cancun Tigers
There are nearly a dozen tigers and other exotic animals suffering in Cancun, Mexico today and their lives hang in the balance, as they wait for someone to help them!
In 2005, Hurricane Wilma hit Cancun, Mexico causing massive destruction. Before the hurricane hit, the owner of Pepé’s (previously a restaurant) fled, leaving the animals behind to fend for themselves. When he returned to his property, he found that some of the animals had escaped and some had died, while others were found battered and bruised still inside their enclosures.
Returning to Mexico with no money, Pepé did not reach out for help in caring for these animals, instead he left them in their decaying environment. He is quoting as saying he feeds them whatever he can and often the tigers feed on stray animals that accidentally wander into the cages. One female tiger in particular desperately needs medical attention for an inured leg; she is seen in the video severely limping.
Since the summer of 2008, The Wild Animal Sanctuary (TWAS) located in Colorado has been working with Last Chance for Animals (LCA) in California and a group in Mexico called Gente Por La Defensa Animal (GEPDA) to rescue these desperate animals. The Mexican government revoked Pepé’s permits and officials from the Mexican Wildlife Department (PROFEPA) met with representatives of GEPDA, LCA, and TWAS to discuss a rescue mission to save the animals in Cancun. The Mexican Government had originally agreed to rescue these animals and have them transported to TWAS in the US, but changed their minds a few days prior to the scheduled rescue--leaving the animals to suffer in their filthy environment.
ACR is urging our members to please help rescue these tigers in Cancun, Mexico. Take a moment to watch The Wild Animal Sanctuary’s video regarding the story and contact Mexican and US government officials to express your concern for these beautiful creatures and their desperate need to be rescued. For more information on this situation and how you can help, please visit www.savethecancuntigers.com.
Save the Cancun Tigers from Wild Animal Sanctuary on Vimeo.
Contact Information:
United States:
Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan
Embassy of Mexico
1911 Pennsylvania AV, NW
Washington, D.C. 20006
Tel: (202) 728 1600
Mexico:
Name: Secretario Juan Rafael Elvira Quezada
Title: Titular de la Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales
(Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources)
Address: Blvd. Adolfo Ruiz Cortinez 4209
Jardines en la Montaña
C.P. 14210
Tlalpan, D.F.
México
Email: c.secretario@semarnat.gob.mx
Name: Dr. Hernando Guerrero Cácerez
Title: Coordinador de Asesores Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales
(Chief of Staff to Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources)
Address: Blvd. Adolfo Ruiz Cortinez 4209
Jardines en la Montaña
C.P. 14210
Tlalpan, D.F.
México
Email: hernando.guerrero@semarnat.gob.mx
Name: Martín Vargas Prieto
Title: Director General de Vida Silvestre
(Director of General Wildlife)
Email: martin.vargas@semarnat.gob.mx
Name: Patricio Patrón Laviada
Title: Procurador Federal de Protección al Ambiente
(Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection)
Address: Camino al Ajusco No. 200, Piso 8 Ala Sur
Col. Jardines en la Montaña
C.P. 14210
Tlalpan, D.F.
Mexico
Korea’s Meat Industry
In Korea, there thrives an industry that subjects companion animals to some of the cruelest forms of abuse and exploitation. Each year millions of dogs and thousands of cats are tortured, slaughtered, and consumed
for purported medicinal properties of the meat. Despite laws protecting dogs and cats from this mistreatment, the Korean government has
refused to uphold its responsibilities and enforce these laws.
One of ACR’s members contacted the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) regarding Korea’s habit of consuming cat and dog meat, and IFAW responded by saying that they have supplied KAPES (Korea Animal Protection and Education Society that works in conjunction with IAKA) a generous grant to help build a new animal education facility in the capital of Seoul. Studies have shown that the best possibility for change will come from within (Korea). “IFAW believes that the social change necessary to end the consumption of cats and dogs is best generated by the promotion of good animal welfare, education, and legislation from within communities where the problem exists…Through support of [IAKA] and KAPES, and its hands-on work in Seoul, there will be a strong Korean voice to pressure the Korean government to stop this abominable practice.”
With this good news, ACR still encourages our members to pressure the Korean government to outlaw the consumption of cats and dogs, but to also continue to support such amazing groups like IAKA and KAPES. The animals of Korea still have a long way to go, but this a good step in the right direction!
Fortunately, International Aid for Korean Animals (IAKA) was founded to promote animal protection and humane education in Korea and to stop the practice of consuming dog and cat meat. To help stop the massacre of dogs and cats in Korea, please write to Korea’s government officials. For addresses and printable postcards, please follow this link http://www.koreananimals.org/help/materials.htm
China’s Fur Industry
Every year, millions of animals, including more than 2 million cats and hundreds of thousands of dogs, are killed for their fur in China. Some are strays, while countless others are people’s pets, who are rounded up and thrown into crates and taken to market. China is one of the world's largest fur suppliers, with more than 95% of the country's finished garments being exported, with a large portion ending up in North America. However, Chinese companies have also been known to deliberately mislabel cat and dog fur as “Asian jackal,” “rabbit,” or “raccoon” to fool consumers. “According to Chinese fur industry sources, a growing number of international fur traders, processors and fashion designers have gradually shifted their business to China, where cheap labor and the absence of restrictive regulations make life easier and profit margins broader,” says the Swiss Animal Protection’s website.
Undercover investigators from Swiss Animal Protection (SAP) toured fur farms in China's Hebei Province, and it quickly became clear why outsiders are banned from visiting. There are no regulations governing fur farms in China—farmers can house and slaughter animals however they see fit. According to SAP, “[animals] are stunned with repeated blows to the head or swung against the ground. Skinning begins with a knife at the rear of the belly whilst the animal is hung up-side-down by its hind legs from a hook. A significant number of animals remain fully conscious during this process. Supremely helpless, they struggle and try to fight back to the very end. Even after their skin has been stripped off breathing, heart beat, directional body and eyelid movements were evident for 5 to 10 minutes. Conditions on Chinese fur farms make a mockery of the most elementary animal welfare standards. In their lives and their unspeakable deaths, these animals have been denied even the most simple acts of kindness.”
Currently, China has no national animal welfare legislation, only the China Wildlife Protection Law and the Regulations on the Licensing of the Rearing and Breeding of Protected Wildlife of National Importance, that contains some sections covering the management of wildlife breeding, but no regulations on treatment or handling, let alone any information regarding animals such as cats and dogs. According to a SAP investigator, “The propaganda department’s statistics show that the fur industry has already become a mainstay of Suning’s flourishing economy. The county’s revenue generated from fur grew from 80 million yuan in 2002 to over 200 million yuan [18.8 million or US$24 million] in 2004.”
Regardless of the kind of animal slaughtered to manufacture fur items, these are products of cruelty on a massive scale, and we must do everything to stop it! To help these animals, we must educate consumers, corporations, and even governments about the pain that goes into every piece of fur trim and every fur cat toy produced in China.
For a report on China’s fur trade by the SAP click on this link:
http://www.animal-protection.net/furtrade/more/fur_report.pdf
Please write to China’s Ambassador located in the US:
The Honorable Zhang Yesui
The People’s Public of China
3505 International Place, NW
Washington, DC 20008
Phone: (202) 495-2266
Fax: (202) 495-2138
Email: chinaembpress_us@mfa.gov.cn