University of Texas May Receive Surprise USDA Inspection

PETA has complained to the USDA that the University of Texas has been severely mistreating its lab animals. There may be a surprise inspection, but I don't really understand how effective a "surprise" inspection is when the facility is notified in advance!!

Animal Cruelty at Texas Horse Farm

50 surviving horses were rescued.

For the full story, go here to KLTV.com...

The Humane Society of the United States, SPCA of East Texas and Humane Society of North Texas worked with the Smith County District Attorney's Office to rescue 50 horses from a Lindale property.

The District Attorney's office served a seizure warrant to the owner of the horses Tuesday, opening the door for the rescue team to begin removal on Wednesday.

Most of the horses on the 70-acre ranch are quarter-horses, and most showed signs of neglect and severe emaciation. Some even suffered from parasite infestation and overgrown hooves. The group also included pregnant mares and a few yearlings.

Rescuers also found several dead horses and numerous equine skeletons on site.

Investigation Demanded for Southwest Lab

Stop Animal Exploitation Now! (SAEN) is calling for an investigation of Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research in San Antonio, TX.

SAEN says previous USDA reports revealed primates have died at the Texas lab from dehydration and hypothermia, while others have simply been "found dead" -- possibly without veterinary care -- after suffering from serious disease conditions that include temperatures up to 105 degrees.

Documents show discrepancies in reporting to two different regulatory agencies, suggesting fraud within the lab, SAEN claims.

New Mexico Governor Opposes Chimp Transfer

From the AP...

Gov. Bill Richardson is asking to tour a former medical research lab in southern New Mexico that houses more than 200 chimpanzees.

Richardson made the comment Tuesday after meeting in Bethesda, Md. with officials of the National Institutes of Health, which contracts with a private company to care for the chimps.

The contract expires next year and Richardson opposes a plan by the agency to transfer the chimps from the Alamogordo Primate Facility, where they are no longer used for medical testing.

Richardson said NIH appeared to be "holding steadfast" to its plan and he vowed to continue opposing it. The animals can be used again for medical experiments if transferred to the Southwest National Primate Research Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Texas Father & Son Sentenced for Wildlife Trafficking

They were illegally bringing in deer from Arkansas. (Texas restricts deer importing.) Plus a little matter with stolen property.

San Antonio Zoo Accused of Elephant Mistreatment

In Defense of Animals has taken up the cause of Lucky the elephant, the only elephant at the San Antonio Zoo, alleging poor conditions and emotional distress.

What amazes me is Lucky's age...49 years old. She has been at the San Antonio Zoo for 47 years.

Is this right?

Dogfighting Grows in Texas

From the New York Times....

Investigators found that dogfighting was on the rise in Texas and was much more widespread than they had expected. The ring broken up here had links to dogfighting organizations in other states and in Mexico, suggesting an extensive underground network of people devoted to the activity, investigators said.

Besides a cadre of older, well-established dogfighters, officials said, the sport has begun to attract a growing following among young people from hardscrabble neighborhoods in Texas, where gangs, drug dealing and hip-hop culture make up the backdrop.

The investigation here led to the indictments of 55 people and the seizing of 187 pit bulls, breaking up what officials described as one of the largest dogfighting rings in the country.

“It’s like the Saturday night poker game for hardened criminals,” said one of the undercover agents, Sgt. C. T. Manning, describing the tense atmosphere at the fights.

Disgusting and disturbing.

Baby Squirrels Rescued from Hurricane Ike

Nice rescue news for a Sunday.

For more news of SPCA of Texas' hurricane work, go here.

Friends of Animals Op-Ed Generates Anger

Here is an Op-Ed about Primarily Primates, a Texas sanctuary, written for the Hartford Courant by Lee Hall. The Op-Ed advocates the return to Primarily Primates of several chimps removed to Chimp Haven after the State of Texas took over the sanctuary. The State of Texas took over the sanctuary due to inhumane conditions and improper financial management. It then returned the sanctuary to some of the previous board members' management, but now with the sanctuary being part of FRIENDS OF ANIMALS, a Connecticut advocacy group.

Per the end of the article, Lee Hall is the an author of a model case for the personhood of nonhuman primates in the Seton Hall Constitutional Law Journal and legal director for the Connecticut advocacy group FRIENDS OF ANIMALS. Not an impartial observer I would say.

I direct you to this article more for the comments than for the article itself. There is a lot of anger out there on both sides. Opponents of returning the sanctuary to current management are angry at the State of Texas and Friends of Animals. Supporters of Friends of Animals think this was all a big stink created by PETA. I'm no fan of PETA, but there are independent witnesses that corroborate its findings.

Anyway, I would direct you to review the 25+ comments on this article and see what you think. I myself have withheld my membership renewal to the Jane Goodall Foundation until I find out what exactly their role was in this mess.

Photo by skoop102.