News
The number of news found: 24.
06/28/2013 SWITZERLAND'S CATS ARE DISAPPEARING FOR THE FUR TRADE
Despite efforts to stop it, Swiss animal advocates suspect the fur trade may be the cause of sad stories about cats disappearing. A Swiss law designed to protect wildlife allows citizens to shoot feral and domestic cats that are more than 200 meters (656 feet) from their homes. While scientists believe free-roaming cats are responsible for killing millions of birds and other species annually, animal advocates believe the law is being used by some as an excuse to kill cats for their fur. The fur is believed to be more than an accessory, as some claim that wearing it can cure rheumatoid arthritis – a belief borrowed from traditional Chinese medicine, although it has no scientific merit.
06/27/2013 MASS ANIMAL DEATHS IN FLORIDA'S INDIAN RIVER LAGOON
Florida's Indian River Lagoon was once considered one of the most diverse ecosystems in North America, but is now the scene of a murder mystery. 46 bottle-nose dolphins, 300 pelicans, 111 manatees, and 47,000 acres of sea grass beds have died. What’s the cause? Scientists believe it could be one or several things, but all of the possible causes are man-made. According to an article in the Tampa Bay Times, possibilities include overflow from contaminated mosquito control ditches, polluted water from Lake Okeechobee dumped by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, fertilizer-filled storm water run-off, and climate change, which has raised the acidity of the water. So far, biologists are stumped by each dead manatee they examine, and dolphins are turning up dead at a rate of one per day.
06/26/2013 KISS WESTERN BLACK RHINOS GOODBYE
Stories of illegal rhino poaching are as disturbing as they are common. Unfortunately, the West African black rhino is now likely extinct due to this terrible practice. Despite a recent study performed by a French-based survey group, there is no recent sign of the rhino's presence. As a result, the African Rhino Specialist Group's (AfRSG) chairman, Dr. Martin Brooks, revealed the species has been declared extinct. The group also announced the Northern white rhino is "on the very brink of being lost."
06/24/2013 MISS USA WINNERS GET NAKED FOR PETA'S ANTI-FUR CAMPAIGN
Former Miss USA winners Susie Castillo, Shandi Finnessey, Shanna Moakler, and Alyssa Campanella are the latest celebs to strip down for PETA's "Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" campaign. Not only are all four women animal lovers, but they're trying to send a message to the pageant industry: Fur is not beautiful. In their video they all tell stories about being awarded fur as prizes. In fact, as part of her reign, Finnessey was asked to wear a fur coat and sign autographs for the Trappers Association, where members brought in photo albums of trapped animals. Millions of animals die each year for their fur. Foxes, minks, raccoons, rabbits, chinchillas, cats and dogs are all electrocuted, beaten, drowned, strangled, and skinned alive for the sake of making fashionable clothes and other fur items.
06/23/2013 CAT STAND FOR ELECTION IN MEXICAN CITY
It started as a joke between friends, but Morris the cat's bid to become mayor of the Mexican city of Xalapa, the capital of the state of Veracruz, has now turned into a social media phenomenon with a serious message about political disenchantment. The Facebook page for the Candigato now has more than 130,000 "likes" – far more than those accrued by any of the candidates registered to stand in the Xalapa election, and more too than those of Veracruz's current governor. Mexico will hold local elections in around half of the country on July 7. Morris's Facebook page and website are filled with artwork, videos and slogans sent in by supporters from all over Mexico and beyond. Spin-off Twitter accounts have sprouted too. Morris has also inspired a number of other animal candidates in other Mexican cities. None, however, have become as popular as the cat, which appears to have politicians and the authorities genuinely worried. The head of Veracruz's electoral institute, which organizes elections in the state, has urged members of the public not to waste their votes by spoiling their ballots with support for Morris.
06/21/2013 LOS ANGELES TO BECOME BIGGEST US CITY TO BAN PLASTIC BAGS
Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Pasadena, Long Beach... they all ban plastic grocery bags. And soon, Los Angeles will be joining that list. The City Council approved the ordinance 11-1 and the ban will go into place once signed by the mayor. The ordinance specifically bans single-use bags in any store that sells groceries and mandates that retailers charge customers 10 cents per bag unless they bring reusable tote bags. This will surely make a dent in the amount of trash around LA and in their landfills, especially considering the city uses over 2 billion single-use plastic bags a year, according to the council's Environmental Impact Report. The LA ordinance specifies that large grocery stores (those that make $2 million or more in gross annual sales or have 10,000 square feet of retail space) have until January 1, 2014, to phase out their single-use plastic bags. Smaller stores have until July 1, 2014. Since the ordinance didn't pass unanimously, the LA City Council will vote once again next week, but expectations are high that the outcome will be the same. When the council passes the ban again, it will move on to the mayor for a signature, putting it into effect.
06/20/2013 BESTIALITY BAN BRINGS SWEDEN IN LINE WITH REST OF EUROPE
In January 2014 the act of having sex with an animal in Sweden will become illegal, the government announced last week. Until now bestiality was only illegal if cruelty to the animal could be proven and it had been subjected to suffering. The bestiality ban brings Sweden in line with European Union directives and will be punishable by a fine and maximum two-year prison sentence. A similar ban was introduced in Germany last December, where bestiality had been legal since 1969, causing outcry at the time among one pro-zoophilia campaign group.
06/19/2013 BLOCKAGE OF FOIE GRAS IMPORT BAN SPARKS OUTRAGE
Some 100 activists took to the Tel Aviv streets on Friday, to protest the recent ministerial blockage of a bill that aims to prohibit the import and sales of foie gras – the liver delicacy acquired by force-feeding ducks and geese. The bill, initiated by MK Dov Lipman (Yesh Atid) in conjunction with two animal-rights groups, was approved for government support last Sunday in the Ministerial Committee on Legislation. On Tuesday night, however, just before the bill was slated to undergo its first reading in the Knesset on Wednesday morning, Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch (Yisrael Beytenu) filed an appeal against the bill as a favor to Agriculture Minister Yair Shamir (Yisrael Beytenu), according to Lipman's spokesman. The government banned the practice of force-feeding waterfowl in Israel about a decade ago after the High Court of Justice in 2003 deemed it to be abusive, but the import and sale of the product is still legal.
06/18/2013 OBAMA TO UNDERMINE SHARK FIN BANS
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is proposing a rule to implement the Shark Conservation Act of 2010 that, if approved as is, has the potential to overturn the shark protections passed by California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Oregon, Washington, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Signed by President Barack Obama in January 2011, the Shark Conservation Act closed loopholes in the United States' previous shark finning prohibition law by requiring that sharks be landed at port with their fins naturally attached to their bodies. In an effort to further protect sharks, some states and territories passed additional laws. Hawaii was the first state to make the sale, trade, and possession of shark fins a criminal offence. Since 2010, 10 states and territories (Hawaii, California, Washington, Oregon, Illinois, Delaware, Maryland, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa) have implemented shark fin trade bans. In addition to the trade bans, American Samoa, Guam, and Northern Mariana Islands banned catch and possession of sharks in territorial waters.
06/18/2013 COLUMBIA BECOMES LATEST COUNTRY TO BAN ANIMAL-ACT CIRCUSES
After a 6-year campaign Colombia has on June 12 banned wild animals from both static and travelling circuses. Animal Defenders International (ADI) launched their Stop Circus Suffering South America campaign following a two-year undercover investigation. The circuses have two years to comply. ADI stands ready to assist the Colombian Government with rescue and relocation of the animals, so that they can live out their lives in peace. Stop Circus Suffering has now secured bans in Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Paraguay and Colombia.
06/17/2013 BRUNEI BANS THE SHARK FIN TRADE AND THE HARVESTING OF SHARKS
The government of Brunei, in Southeast Asia through the Department of Fisheries and Ministry of Indrustry and Primary Resources will enforce the ban on harvesting of all shark species in Brunei waters, reported the Borneo Post Online on June 9. The government will also now officially enforce the ban on the importation and trade of shark products which has been in place since August 2012. The Minister of Industry and Primary Resources made the announcement during the Celebrate the Sea Festival in-conjunction with the Worlds Oceans Day 2013.
06/17/2013 BABY SEA LION SNUGGLES SAILOR AFTER CLIMBING ABOARD BOAT
J.R. Gilkinson had never seen anything like it. The California man was sailing off Newport Beach with his niece and some friends when a sea lion pup hopped aboard the back deck of the boat and slowly edged closer to him. Thinking quickly, Gilkinson captured the extraordinary moment on film. In the video, filmed on May 18 the baby sea lion snuggles with the sailor and lays in Gilkinson's lap as it appears to rest its eyes. He didn't budge for an hour. "It was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had," Gilkinson told The Huffington Post. "I appreciated every second because I didn't know how long it was going to last." When it was time to return to harbor, Gilkinson actually had to stand up and tell the sea lion it was time to go. After some gentle nudges, the pup walked to the end of the boat and jumped back into the water.
06/15/2013 VANCOUVER BECOMES FIRST CANADIAN CITY TO ENDORSE MEATLESS MONDAY CAMPAIGN
For vegetarians, the idea of abstaining from meat one day of the week isn't a big deal, but Vancouver's city council is asking local omnivores to try dropping meat from some meals, and opt for more sustainable choices instead. The City of Vancouver proclaimed June 10, 2013 "Meatless Monday" following a request from its food policy council, in support of more sustainable agriculture and healthier consumption, the CBC's Emily Elias reports. According to Meatless Monday Canada, similar meat-free campaigns began during World War I, when Americans were encouraged to aid the war effort by forgoing some staples.
06/14/2013 ARGENTINIAN BELLE VISTA PLAYER SENT OFF FOR THROWING DOG OFF PITCH BY ITS NECK
An Argentinian footballer has been sent off after he hurled a pitch-invading dog into a fence by the scruff of its neck. Belle Vista player Jose Jimenez is seen rushing up to the animal after it ran onto the pitch during a lower league game against San Juan in the province of de Tucumán. He is seen picking him up and throwing him into a metal fence, earning himself a red card and a sending off by the referee. Thankfully the dog gets to its feet - apparently unhurt. Jimenez's brutal act saw him pelted by furious supporters and a brawl was sparked as hosts San Juan turned on the player. GiveMeSport calls the incident "one of the worst acts of animal abuse ever seen on a football pitch."
06/13/2013 DICAPRIO AND OTHERS HELP SCORE £500K TO PROTECT RHINOS
Leonardo DiCaprio, Edward Norton, Blink-182′s Mark Hoppus, and other celebrities turned to Twitter recently to raise awareness about rhino poaching and support a solution. Twenty-five celebrities spread the word on behalf of the Zoological Society of London in hopes of landing them as "fan favorite" for the Google Global Impact Award. With their tweets reaching over 20 million people, their efforts paid off and ZSL won the £500,000 grant from Google. This new funding will install cameras with automated sensors in poaching hotspots around Tsavo National Park in Kenya. Over the next two years, this will mean hundreds of animals saved from gangs of armed poachers who kill thousands every year. These high-tech cameras can detect vehicles from vibrations, triangulate the sound of gunshots, and instantly transmit images of the intruders, arming park rangers with vital information for swift interventions. ZSL's field conservation director, Professor Jonathan Baillie, predicts that poaching in Tsavo National Park will go down 50% in two years, thanks to these cameras.
06/12/2013 BELINDA CARLISLE REFLECTS ON GETTING NAKED FOR PETA
As a band, the Go-Go's have made history more than once. Not only were they the first female group who played their own instruments to top the Billboard charts, but they were also the first stars to appear in PETA's "Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" campaign, way back in 1991. Now, as the group heads out on their 2013 tour, lead singer and animal lover Belinda Carlisle is talking to PETA about her vegetarian lifestyle and how posing in the anti-fur photo impacted her. Carlisle says that when the band first posed for the campaign, they had no idea that it would become as big as it has. Carlisle is proud of her appearance in the shot. She believes that the anti-fur movement is as important today as it was then. Her love of animals has also affected her lifestyle, particularly her diet. Carlisle was a vegetarian years ago, but fell off the wagon for a time. Now, however, she's back to her vegetarian ways and stronger than ever, a fact she partly credits to yoga.
06/11/2013 ISRAEL APPROVES BILL BANNING FOIE GRAS TRADE
The Ministerial Committee on Legislation approved the launch of a bill on Sunday that would prohibit the trade of liver originating from ducks or geese that have undergone forced-fattening processes. Drafted by the organizations Anonymous for Animal Rights and Let Animals Live, the bill to ban the import and sales of such liver – known commonly as foie gras – was launched by MK Dov Lipman (Yesh Atid) and has garnered the signatures of 20 Knesset members. The Israeli government banned the practice of forcefeeding waterfowl about a decade ago, when the High Court of Justice deemed the activity to be illegal abuse. Nonetheless, to this day, importing and selling foie gras from ducks and geese who have been force-fattened abroad has remained legal, Anonymous explained.
06/10/2013 OVER ONE MILLION SIGN ANTI-WHALING CAMPAIGN
Over one million people have signed the anti-whaling petition organized by the international movement Avaaz to try to ban the transfer of Icelandic fin whale meat through Dutch ports. Iceland's whaling has been a source of renewed criticism in recent days. Head of whaling company Hvalur, Kristján Loftsson, was described in an article entitled "Shame on You, Iceland," in the Morning Star as a "butcher." Minister of Fisheries Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson described the article as radical and reflecting little understanding of Iceland's sustainable use of resources. Chairman of the Icelandic Travel Industry Association, Árni Gunnarsson, however, told visir.is that he is concerned about the issue. "We are concerned about whaling itself but are also worried about not just that the animals that we watch are about to be hunted but also the image of the country." According to Árni, whaling hurts the efforts of tourism companies in promoting whale watching.
06/07/2013 LESS SUPPORT AMONG YOUNGER AMERICANS FOR MEDICAL TESTING ON ANIMALS
Though opinions on animal testing were essentially uniform across age groups in 2001, that pattern has changed over the past 12 years, as the overall percentage supporting it has declined from the mid-60s to the mid-50s. The greatest change has been among Americans between the ages of 18 and 34, for whom support for medical testing on animals has dropped by 18 points. Older Americans are now slightly less supportive of medical testing on animals compared with 12 years ago.
06/06/2013 TURTLE CONSERVATIONIST SHOT DEAD "BY POACHERS" ON COSTA RICA BEACH
Late in April a dedicated young Costa Rican conservationist, Jairo Mora Sandoval, logged on to his Facebook page, with its pictures of cavorting baby sea turtles and wild beaches, and typed out an urgent plea. In a comment beneath the post, Mr Mora Sandoval, who was working to protect the endangered leatherback turtles on his country's Caribbean coast, explained that the beach was being targeted by egg thieves. Five people liked the message and 135 shared it. But the response was insufficient. The 26-year-old's naked body was found on the same beach shortly before 7 A.M. on Friday. His hands had been tied behind his back and he had been shot in the head after being kidnapped by a masked gang. Four of his female colleagues, all foreign volunteers, were also bundled into a car as they patrolled the beach and have given evidence to the police. The murder has shed light on the criminal trade linked to the largest of living turtles. Mr. Mora Sandoval, a biology student, worked for the state-run animal rescue group Paradero Eco-Tour and also for the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network (Widecast), a non-profit organization. His Facebook postings are testimony to his passion for the work.
06/06/2013 HERO DOG RELEASED FROM CALIFORNIA VETERINARY HOSPITAL
A famed dog that lost her snout and upper jaw saving two girls' lives is heading back to the Philippines after treatment at a California hospital. The dog - named Kabang - was released Monday from the University of California, Davis veterinary hospital. Kabang had her snout and upper jaw sheared off in December 2011 when she jumped in front of a motorcycle in the Philippines. Newspapers in the Philippines reported she saved the lives of her guardian's daughter and niece, who were apparently in the path of the oncoming cycle. UC Davis veterinary professor Frank Verstraete says doctors were able to heal her wounds and treat other ailments during her seven-month stay at the hospital, but unable to reconstruct her snout and jaw. Kabang will return to her owner in the Philippines.
06/05/2013 ADORABLE TODDLER ADVOCATES FOR VEG DIET
We invite you to watch the adorable video of Luiz Antonio, a pretty well-spoken toddler who doesn't believe in eating animals. In the video, Luiz's mom serves him octopus with gnocchi and rice. Concerned about the presence of animals on his plate, Luiz begins grilling his mom about the octopus. "This octopus isn't real, right?" he asks. When his mom confirms that it is, he asks where its head is. She explains that it's at the fish market, and that's all it takes for Luiz to get going. He immediately starts listing animals, explaining that they die when we eat them and that he likes them better when they "stay standing up." As he questions his mom about why they eat meat, her answers get increasingly less emphatic. By the touching end, she sees his point ("These animals... you gotta take care of them and not eat them!"), and it's a beautiful moment.
06/04/2013 MAD COW ALARM RAISED OVER EUROPEAN BEEF IMPORTS TO AUSTRALIA
Neurology professor Colin Masters, executive director of the Mental Health Research Institute at the University of Melbourne, has warned that some British cattle are still contracting mad cow disease. People who eat beef contaminated with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) risk dying from a human variant of the brain-wasting illness. Australia has never had a case of BSE, but has lifted its blanket ban on beef imports from countries with a history of mad cow disease. Professor Masters - an eminent scientist who has advised both the Australian and British governments on mad cow disease - told a Senate inquiry into beef imports that Europe's horsemeat contamination scandal exposes a "weak link'' in certifying imports.
06/03/2013 BOB BARKER AGAINST LIVE PIGEON SHOOTS
Animal activist and living legend Bob Barker has recorded a new video urging the Pennsylvania legislature to pass a bill ending live pigeon shoots. The 89-year-old passionately argues against the "barbaric act" of shooting pigeons, describing in detail over graphic video how the birds are launched into the air and participants gun them down for sport. Barker has joined forces with SHowing Animals Respect And Kindness (SHARK) on the issue – an organization he personally donated $1M to back in 2010.
The number of news found: 24.
