Dead Sea Lions in Puget Sound - Again

This has happened before. I don't know whether these are disgruntled fishermen or regular jerks. Here's the whole story from the Washington Post National.

Washington wildlife officials say eight sea lions have been found dead in the Puget Sound region in recent weeks — all apparently shot.

KING-TV reports that both the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are investigating the deaths.

The bodies of seven sea lions with bullet wounds were recently found on the Nisqually River.

On Monday, a sea lion was found dead on West Seattle’s Lincoln Park beach. The animal protection group Seal Sitters says a necropsy showed that the sea lion had suffered a shark bite and had twisted intestines in addition to a bullet wound.

Investigators say they do not know who is responsible.

KING says one of the Nisqually casualties was a Steller sea lion, protected under the Endangered Species Act. The one found in West Seattle was a California sea lion, protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Group to Protest Ringling Brothers

Ringling Brothers is coming to Kent, WA, and I'm happy to know the Northwest Animal Rights Network will be protesting (we live in nearby Seattle by the way.)

Janet Jackson Continues as Spokesperson for Mink Fur Company

What is the attraction of fur? I just don't get it. Wear your own damn skin! I'm disappointed in Janet Jackson and am totally taking her stuff off Rhapsody. No way will I add Jennifer Lopez either.

Excerpted from Popcrush...

Janet Jackson will reprise her role as the spokesmodel for Blackglama’s ‘What Becomes a Legend Most’ ad campaign. Jackson was named a ‘Legend’ in last year’s campaign, as well, so this is familiar territory for her....

The new ads will begin running this fall, with the debut image landing the September issue of W. The black and white image to the left shows Jackson in a catsuit, looking fierce as ever.

In case you were not aware of what exactly Blackglama is, we’ll tell you. The Seattle-based company supplies “the finest, most luxurious and exclusive ranch-raised natural black mink.” Given the fact that Jackson is representing a company that traffics in the fur trade, animal rights activists might get their feathers ruffled by Jackson’s continued associations with a luxe fur brand. Jennifer Lopez has dealt with the same criticisms for her repeated wearing of fur products

Woodland Park Zoo and its Controversial Elephant Breeding Efforts

An article in today's Seattle Times about Woodland Park Zoo's attempts over the last 20 years to breed elephants. Very controversial with organizations such as In Defense of Animals, PETA and the Northwest Animal Rights Network. They say it's cruel. The zoo claims it's to preserve the species....

Silent Auction to Benefit Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

This is now one of my favorite organizations. The silent auction is set for October 1, 2010, and details are here.

You can donate too even if you can't attend the auction.

September 14th update - Auction is sold out! They are working on an online component that you can participate in. Good for them!

Chicken Wars in the Pacific Northwest

Silly piece in a way about the battle between people who want urban chickens and those who don't.

Garbage Found in Dead Whale

It looks like the garbage didn't kill it, but still....just plain gross and unacceptable.

From the Seattle Times....

A gray whale that died after stranding on a West Seattle beach had a large amount of trash in its stomach, ranging from a pair of sweatpants to a golf ball, said biologists who examined the animal.

Scientists with the Cascadia Research Collective said the examination did not immediately determine why the 37-foot near-adult male died, but it was found to be in better nutritional condition than other gray whales that died recently. Starvation was not considered a major contributor to its death.

Sea Lions Shot Near Seattle

This is in our own backyard.

Total cowards. I hope they're caught because they could face a 50 thousand dollar fine. The deaths are a violation of the Marine Mammals Act and, because it’s a protected species, the shooting death of a Steller sea lion also violates the federal Endangered Species Act.

Of course, will be there sufficient resources expended to catch the killers?

Man Busted for Bear Gall Bladders in Washington State

This happened in my own State of Washington. We allow hunters to shoot bears, but not to sell their parts. Note the Asia connection again.

Possible New Sonar Rules to Protect Marine Life

The use of sonar is controversial because of its harmful effects on marine life such as whales. The Navy has been able to get away with using it for "national security" reasons. But there may be rules on their way to help mitigate the damage, at least in the Pacific Northwest.

From the Seattle P-I (yep, the online newspaper!)...

A new set of rules might be in the works for the U.S. Navy's use of sonar off the Washington and Oregon coasts. The goal is to decrease the harm that sonar does to marine mammals.

The National Marine Fisheries Service and Navy expect to make a joint decision on such measures by the end of the year, NMFS spokesman Peter Fischel said.

If approved, those measures would be in effect from 2010 to 2015 for the Navy's training area in the Pacific Ocean off the Washington, Oregon and Northern California coasts.

On the negative side...

Meanwhile, the Navy is also asking NMFS to allow incidental harm and fatalities to marine mammals from training exercises in a 122,400-square-mile section of the Pacific Ocean off the Northwest coast.

Stupid Seattle Seahawks Fans Would Take "Sick Vick"

Sometimes I can't believe the stupidity and callousness of people. An informal poll shows that 51 percent of Seattle Seahawks fans would actually welcome Vick to the team.

Talk about desperation to win something at any cost. What a pathetic bunch.

Seattle People Helping Protect Seal Pups

The group is called Seal Sitters and they protect baby seals who have been left on the each while their moms fish.

It's a nice story to offset the cruelty of the dead baby tiger in Hanoi.

WA State Troopers Accused of Clubbing Seagulls

Right in my own home of Seattle. Most rednecks wouldn't be so cruel or so stupid. I hope the allegations turns out to be false.

What's the Truth About Woodland Park Zoo's Elephants?

I live in Seattle where Woodland Park Zoo is located. I just don't know what to think.

On the one hand, Woodland Park is very proud of its elephant conservation program and its elephant residents.

On the other hand, Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants says they are not well-treated and should be in a sanctuary.

I'm definitely open to feedback. Elephants need to roam and I don't particularly like having any animal gawked at in a zoo....but I don't really know if Woodland Park is worse than any other zoo. I used to think they were better than many....

King County, WA to Consider Law Against Continuous Dog-Chaining

This article was actually on the first page of the soon-to-be-exclusively online Seattle PI. While I know that sometimes people have little choice when it comes to keeping their animals outdoors, you can still tell when the animal is cared for. They have proper shelter, a generally clean environment, room to move, perhaps a leash tied to a runner so they don't get tangled when they run, etc.

The dog spotlighted in this article just doesn't seem to fit that "cared for" criteria.

And he is simply one of many.

Blog for Rescued Dogs in Western Washington

Remember how we posted about the raids on puppy mills in Mount Vernon and Gold Bar, Washington? Here's a blog for people who are trying to help them. About 600 dogs were seized from horrible puppy mill conditions. Our pet sitter alerted us to the site.

Puppy Mill Busted in Gold Bar, Washington

This story comes out of Gold Bar in Snohomish County, north of Seattle (where we latte-sucking liberals live.)

Officers rescued 155 dogs and several other animals found living under ghastly conditions in a puppy mill operation so horrific that it shocked even veteran animal control officials.

...After obtaining a search warrant, deputies and officers raided the property, where they found many of the dogs stuffed inside small crates and pens overflowing with urine and feces.

Several dead puppies also were found in a freezer, and two dead dogs were found elsewhere on the premises. Eighty-seven of the dogs were living in a converted attic.

Adult dogs and puppies were found living in crates and small pens filled with large accumulations of feces and heavily soiled shavings, said Vicki Lubrin of Snohomish County Animal Control Services.

NARN Protests Fur Store in Everett, WA

Northwest Animal Rights Network (NARN) will be staging protests at this fur store in Everett, WA.

The company is Terry L. Fieck Furs.

Here is their idea of a fur coat. Nice and GREEN! Literally and sarcastically.

King County Animal Shelters Still in Trouble

After all the brewhaha about improving the conditions at the King County animal shelters in Washington State (where we live), I'm still seeing this kind of stuff.

A group of veterinarians that volunteered this year to treat sick animals at King County's two animal shelters has quit, citing a lack of accountability and a reluctance from shelter staff to fix a broken system.

In a searing letter to the county last month, one veterinarian stated that "pervasive negativity" and an unwillingness to change led the vets to stop offering their services at the Kent and Bellevue shelters.....

The vet setback is the latest for King County Animal Care and Control, which has come under fire in the past year for running understaffed, overcapacity shelters with high euthanasia rates.

Two reports, one from a citizens committee in 2007 and a follow-up from a group of veterinarians at the University of California, Davis, called conditions at the Kent shelter deplorable, and pointed to poor sanitation, outbreaks of canine parvovirus and feline upper-respiratory infections, failure to vaccinate some animals and no place to isolate sick dogs.

When is King County going to clean up its act? What is up with this "progressive" county government?

Seattle Considers Ban on Pit Bulls

I am totally opposed to this. Instead of banning the breed, why don't we we crack down on mistreatment of these animals and on unlicensed owners? It's the humans, not the animals.

Stupid people.