World Farm Animal Day is October 2

Lest we forget their suffering.

Quote of the Week

"Animals and humans suffer and die alike. If you had to kill your own calf before you ate it, most likely you would not be able to do it. To hear the calf scream, to see the blood spill, to see the baby being taken away from its momma, and to see the look of death in the animal's eye would turn your stomach. So you get the man at the packing house to do the killing for you."

Dick Gregory ("The Shadow That Scares Me")

PETA Uncovers Horrible Conditions at Land O'Lakes Supplier

Not a pretty picture. From PETA's site:

A new PETA undercover investigation inside a Land O'Lakes supplier facility in Pennsylvania has revealed routine neglect and cruelty to cows who are milked for the Fortune 250 company's products. Over the course of several months, the investigation documented deplorable, filthy conditions for cows on the farm, such as pens that were filled with deep excrement (see video and photos), and cows who suffered from ailments and conditions so severe that they collapsed and became "downers" but were not put out of their misery or given veterinary care in a timely manner, if at all.

And the disturbing video:

Judge Clears Way for HSUS Suit Over Fur Advertising

A federal judge has issued a ruling that clears the way for a lawsuit against Macy's, Saks Fifth Ave., and several other retailers over alleged false advertising over "faux" fur products.

The lawsuit, filed under the D.C. Consumer Protection Procedures Act, alleges that the companies "misrepresent" the characteristics of the fur-trimmed garments by (1) advertising and labeling products as "faux fur," when they are, in fact, derived from real animal fur or (2) advertising and labeling products as common raccoon, fox or rabbit fur when they are, in fact, made from the wholly distinct species of raccoon dog—a member of the dog family. The complaint also alleges violations of the federal Fur Products Labeling Act and Federal Trade Commission Act, which also prohibit the false advertising and mislabeling of any fur product.

Michelle Obama Fur Free

According to her press secretary, she does not wear fur.

...America's first lady, the fabulously fashionable Michelle Obama, has also declared via her press secretary that she, too, is fur-free. Here's the official statement: "Mrs. Obama does not wear fur."

European Money Goes to Alternative Testing Research

Why is it so damn difficult to get the same kind of interest from the US government? I have yet to read anything official in which there is even an interest of getting away from these barbaric practices. We're not even talking drugs or medical treatment here, we're talking stupid cosmetics.

It's disheartening.

From the University World News...

A substantial fund of EUR50 million (US$74 million) is being offered to European research teams to develop alternatives to animal testing for cosmetics and related industries.

The joint partnership between the European Commission and the European Cosmetics Association (Colipa) is calling on scientists to develop proposals for studies into new non-animal testing methods before a February 2010 deadline.

British Man Arrested in Illegal Tortoise Trade

Another catch by the UK's National Wildlife Crime unit.

Darwin Award Nominee Falls Short

Yet another story of someone who decided to climb into a bear exhibit at the zoo. He was not injured.

Animal Activists Continue Attacks on Max Mara

A bomb threat was called into a Max Mara in Madrid. This comes weeks after an explosion in Mexico at a Max Mara shop there. Max Mara sells furs. From Biteback:

"On Wednesday Max Mara Madrid received an anonymous call that claimed that an explosive device had been placed in the shop.

The warning was false, but an action as simple and with so few risks can disrupt the normal operation of a business, causing them to lose money and creating a climate of suspicion.

We explore and experiment with techniques for fighting using what is within our reach.
For the animals."

Rescue Ink Gets Its Own TV Show

I first read about Rescue Ink in Best Friends Magazine. They are a group of big tattoed guys that go around rescuing animals. Now they have their own show on National Geographic Channel. NGC must be having success with Dogtown in order to bring on another rescue show.

I just love the picture of these guys.

1045 Animals Seized in Houston

The SPCA took 1045 animals out of a home in Texas that were living in horrible conditions.

When SPCA investigators received an anonymous tip Wednesday afternoon about animals in need of medical care at a home in northwest Houston, they had no idea it would turn into one of the largest U.S. animal seizures in memory.

"At that time, we didn't know how many animals were on the property," said Charles Jantzen, chief investigator for the Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

They are apparently still trying to figure out whether to charge these people.

I Wonder If Someone Threw Glenn Beck in a Big Pot of Boiling Water If He Could Jump Out

Glenn Beck boils a frog to try to prove an analogy. It doesn't quite work out as planned.

This is what happens when a major network gives a goober who spent most of his career making fart noises on radio morning his own show. And don't forget it was CNN who gave him his big break in TV.

Quote of the Week

If a rabbit defined intelligence the way man does, then the most intelligent animal would be a rabbit, followed by the animal most willing to obey the commands of a rabbit.

~Robert Brault

ALDF Provides Grant to Fund Investigation of Animal Abuse

The Animal Legal Defense Fund provided $3500.00 to investigate the abuse of over 100 dogs by an animal hoarder in Michigan. From the ALDF site:

Dearborn, Mich.– Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced today that Dearborn dog hoarder Kenneth Lang Jr is being charged with two counts of cruelty to 10 or more animals, after more than 100 live and approximately 150 dead Chihuahuas and Chihuahua mixes were removed from the filthy home this past July. The national non-profit Animal Legal Defense Fund provided a grant of $3500 to allow the Dearborn Police Department to conduct necropsies on 10 of the Chihuahuas whose bodies were removed from freezers on 56-year-old Lang’s property. ALDF offers grants for necropsies, DNA testing, and other forensic support nationwide to ensure that local law enforcement is able to collect the necessary evidence to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in cases of criminal animal abuse.

You can read more about it by clicking on the link.

Japan's New Government Supports Whaling

Japan's new center left Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama continues to support Japan's whaling operations.

Japan's new government urged Australia on Tuesday to help prevent violent attacks by activists on Japanese whalers as it stood by the country's traditional support for whaling, an official said.

Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada met his Australian counterpart Stephen Smith on the sidelines of this year's UN General Assembly.

Why Top Chef Makes Me So Mad

I'm just watching the fourth or fifth episode of the latest season of Top Chef. It just irritates the hell out of me.

First of all, it highlights the deficiencies of today's chefs' training. Throughout the entire show, the judges and contestants always refer to their meats as the "protein." It's as though there is no other protein around. That's not true. Vegetarians and vegans know that you get protein from vegetables. Protein is not dependent on meat at all. That is total misinformation. Is that all these people can cook?

I've seen two chefs wear stupid meat-inspired shirts. Last season, one idiot (who actually won the season) wore a stupid shirt saying "Bacon is a vegetable." Another one from this season was wearing a diagram of a cow with all its "cuts" outlined.

Today's vile episode is one featuring French cooking. I have yet to see an episode featuring vegetarian cooking. Vegetarians are far more predominant than people who go to snooty French restaurants. And frankly, I'm not sure these chefs have the training to do anything that doesn't involve a baby animal.

Today, I've seen an elimination challenge involving snails and foie gras. The main challenge involves frog legs, rabbits, live lobsters (still moving) and other animals.

What the eff? I am so unimpressed by this pathetic bunch. And this frigging show. Add cooking schools to the list of animal exploitation promoters, along with medical schools.

UPDATE

On Top Chef Masters Season 1, a show in which famous chefs compete against each other for charity, there was a vegan episode.

South African Caught Smuggling Live Crocodiles

He was caught at an airport with about 70 live animals, including at least three different endangered species and eight inch-long Caiman crocodiles.

The article says most are okay, but in varying stages of health. I don't know how these poor animals survive stuffed in luggage. Very cruel.

India Reaches Out to Neighbors to Save Tigers

They have been pretty frustrated with China, who really doesn't give a rip about tigers...unless they can raise them on farms for "medicinal" harvest and other capitalist pursuits. Anyway, India is appealing to its other neighbors which would include Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Russians Introducing Leopards Back to Caucusus

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was on hand when two leopards were released into the Caucasus. While I think the gesture is nice, it appears to be more of a publicity stunt to head off environmental criticism of the 2014 Olympic Games construction.

"We are standing here and admiring your animals. Glorious animals, very beautiful," Putin, surrounded by International Olympic Committee members, told Berdymukhamedov by telephone as he stood by the cage in the Sochi national park.

Russia won the right to host 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi and major construction works are about to begin.

Critics say huge construction projects may harm the environment. They question the need for spending billions of dollars on the games during a financial crisis and say they do not believe all the infrastructure would be ready by 2014.

Putin has at least shown some interest in saving the Siberian tiger, so let's hope this is more then just a gimmick.

Tiger Killed in India

It may not be poaching this time though.

A tiger was found dead outside the Kohra forest range of Kaziranga on Saturday, sparking suspicions of revenge killing by angry residents of adjoining villages. With this, the big cat death toll in the national park rose to three this year.

The carcass was spotted beyond the park boundary, near an upcoming resort in the Mohpara area. The tiger was aged between seven and eight and may have died around two days ago. Forest officials ruled out a poaching bid, for the corpse had not been mutilated and no organs were missing. "We found the ninth rib of the tiger broken and partially calcified. We are waiting for the report on the exact cause of death," said Kaziranga divisional forest officer D D Gogoi.

Over the past week, tigers have frequently lifted livestock from the villages outside Kaziranga, with a tiger killing a domestic pig in the park's Sildubi area on Saturday itself. This has given credence to the perception that the animal had died in a revenge attack.

Another Bird of Prey Killed in the UK

This time it was a young female peregrine falcon.

Animal Lab Tech Arrested in Yale Killing

I don't know if this guy working in an animal lab has anything to do with the crime he is accused of committing. But, if he's guilty of such a horrible and violent crime, it makes me wonder how he treated his animal subjects when no one was around.

I guess we'll see what happens next.

Prominent Canadian Attorney Takes Up Cause of Lucy the Elephant

Canadian Defense attorney Clayton Ruby has taken up the cause of getting Lucy the elephant released to an animal sanctuary.

Clayton Ruby is famous for getting the wrongfully convicted out of jail.

Now, the high-profile criminal lawyer will work to free a different kind of jailbird -- Lucy the elephant -- from a different kind of cage: Edmonton's Valley Zoo.

"I have been retained to look into the Lucy problem and find a solution," Ruby confirmed yesterday.

Biomedical Foundation Launches Campaign to Show Animal Research is Grrrrrrreat!

From their press release....such BS. Once again, they're just using their most effective weapon....guilt.

The Foundation for Biomedical Research (FBR) announced today it has launched a one-year national animal research education campaign. Since 2004, public support for humane animal research to advance human and animal health has fallen 10 points. The ResearchSaves campaign is designed to counter this drop in public support for biomedical research.

"As we went out and talked with the public, we realized many people truly don't understand why animals are such a critical part of the scientific process. There is so much misinformation, people don't appreciate that whether they're waiting for the H1N1 vaccine to avoid becoming victims of the flu pandemic or taking a high blood pressure medication, they are beneficiaries of animal research. ResearchSaves is designed to correct any misconceptions people might have about biomedical research and to simply explain that animal research is sound, humane, and necessary to save lives," said Frankie Trull, president of FBR.

Weird Meat Seized in Malaysia

Ewwww....I don't know how I come across these weird stories. In Malaysia, 12 tonnes of exotic animal meat was seized from smugglers. It consisted of bear, iguana and owl meat.

Any kind of meat is gross to me, but owl? That's new to me!

Activists in Mexico Bomb Max Mara Store

ALF activists in Polanco Mexico bombed a Max Mara clothing shop. Max Mara is an Italian fashion house. You can read about them here.

According to a communique received by Bite Back, they did this in protest of Max Mara's use of furs.

With this sabotage we join the international week against MaxMara. The explosion that damaged the facade of the store was not a coincidence. It was not a whim or an attempt to get attention, as the sensationalist press will say; instead this is a response to the domination, objectification and commodification of millions of animals (mink, chinchilla, fox, raccoons, etc.) raised in the infernal fur farms, which are nothing more than concentration camps, where non-human animals are subjugated and forced to live a life of torture and imprisonment waiting for their murder, sick and crazed due to the denial of their wild natures.

Max Mara has long been the target of anti-fur activists in Europe and around the world. You can read more about that here.

Now I'm Really Annoyed

Here's a site for kids to program them to become "the next generation of laboratory animal science professionals." It's sponsored by (surprise!) the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science Foundation. Experimenting on animals is fun and it helps everyone...even animals! Weeeeeeee! Also, it's a great way to get girls interested in science!

And where did I find this lovely site? There was a link from Drovers, America's Beef Business Source. Here's how they describe it.

The AALAS Foundation has teamed up with the Whyville Web site to launch the Community Animal Research Environment (CARE), a series of educational games in a virtual laboratory. This virtual reality public outreach project, is designed to teach teens and pre-teens how animals help scientists in research - and how research, in turn, benefits animals. At CARE, Whyville citizens create habitats for animals, take on the role of an animal caregiver and discover how animal research generated cures and treatments for ailments impacting humans and animals.

Talk about an unholy alliance...beef and medical research.

Sharecropping the Oceans

As someone who used to work for a seafood company, I can tell you these monstrosities are just pillaging our oceans with no care about anything. All the life in the ocean is simply raw materials for products. I don't know how many cases of shrimp, squid, salmon, etc. I had to order dumped because of expiration issues. All that life for nothing. And they just keep bringing in more of it.

Short-term profit for short-term gain. It's a rape of the seas, but this article is more polite by calling it a "sharecropping." Big companies using little guys to do their dirty work for them, but the end result is the same. Lost sea life and a bleak future for the oceans.

Monkey Rescued in India

A monkey was rescued from a factory in India where it was being held in captivity. It's an adult male macaque suffering from zoochosis. It's the first time I've ever heard the term. According to the article, "Zoochosis is a term used by animal rights activists in reference to the degrading effect of zoos on animals that have been kept in captivity over a long period of time. The problem is characterised by the animal swaying its head and pacing up and down in its enclosure incessantly in a trance-like state, indicating it may be suffering from boredom."

Poor monkey! They don't know what they are going to do with it because it is so severely traumatized and probably can't be released back to the wild.

Here's what I'd like to know...if an animal can be psychologically traumatized, why in the world do we still wonder if it has any intelligence?

Why Is the Federal Government Awarding Contracts to a Company That Was Involved in Smuggling Primates?

Worldwide Primates Inc. was started by Mathew Block to import primates into the US for animal experimentation. In 1993, he went to prison for smuggling baby orangutans. Despite this, it looks like this has been no barrier to his company getting federal contracts. Here is a synopsis from a Brown University web site about his case:

Matthew Block, of Worldwide Primates, Miami, FL, was sentenced to 13 months in federal prison, three years of supervised probation, and a $30,000 fine at a 2-day sentence hearing on April 16, 1993. Block pleaded guilty in February to felony conspiracy to violate the Lacey and Endangered Species Acts by conspiring to smuggle orangutans. This is the case in which six infant orangs were discovered on February 20, 1990, at the Bangkok airport in two small containers marked "Live Birds." Three of the infants died of injuries and diseases, one has disappeared from a rehabilitation center in Borneo and is presumed dead, while the other two are still being rehabilitated. The International Primate Protection League was active in exposing and urging prosecution of this case.

Now, Matthew Block is not listed as a principal of the Corporation according to the Florida Department of Corporations. The principals are Brooke Block (his wife) and Gertie Block (his mother). Is the Matthew Block listed as the contact on this job announcement from June of this year the same one that went to prison? If so, what is his role in the company that he founded?

According to this website, Worldwide Primates has received $2,411,795.00 from the Dept. of Defense since 2000. DOD contracts are not the only government contracts that they have been pursuing.They were denied contracts by HHS back in 2003 due to what the government said was an insufficient response for their RFP. But, according to City-Data.com, they have been successful in getting other government contracts"

WORLD WIDE PRIMATES INC (16450 SW 180TH ST in MIAMI, FL; small business): $362,855 in 5 contracts from 2002 to 2006

Contracts for Live Animals, Not Raised for Food, Laboratory Equipment and Supplies by Army, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health
Signed by year: 2000: $0; 2001: $0; 2002: $42,000; 2003: $0; 2004: $37,145; 2005: $282,120; 2006: $1,590.

Biggest contracts:
$232,500 with Army for Live Animals, Not Raised for Food. Signed on 2005-08-12. Completion date: 2005-10-17.
$49,620 with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for Live Animals, Not Raised for Food. Signed on 2005-12-22. Completion date: 2006-03-20.
$42,000 with National Institutes of Health for Live Animals, Not Raised for Food. Taking place in MT. Signed on 2002-08-15. Completion date: 2002-11-15.
$37,145 with National Institutes of Health for Live Animals, Not Raised for Food. Signed on 2004-04-15. Completion date: 2004-05-05.

Aside from the moral issues involved in animal experimentation, why are US taxpayer dollars going to a company started by a man who went to jail for smuggling, and then transferred control of the company to his wife and mother?

Domesticated Dogs May Have All Originated in China

Here is an interesting article about research out of Sweden that suggests that all domesticated dogs may have originated from China. And it may have been for reasons other then what we would like:

A new study of dogs worldwide, the largest of its kind, suggests a different answer, one that any dog-owner is bound to find repulsive: Wolves may have first been domesticated for their meat. That is the proposal of a team of geneticists led by Peter Savolainen of the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.

DNA Bar Codes Could Help Identify Illegal Bush Meat

This is an interesting piece from the Scientific American blog.

One of the major challenges in combating the bushmeat trade is identifying the source species for the meat and products. Once an animal has been carved up, meat looks like meat and leather looks like leather. How is anyone to know if it came from a species that is protected under national or international law?

A technique called DNA bar coding could be the answer. According to a paper published in the September 1 online edition of the journal Conservation Genetics, DNA bar codes can be used to quickly and clearly distinguish the source species of meat or leather goods for many rare and threatened species.

More Arctic Species in Trouble

Global warming and climate change (aren't they one and the same thing?) are wreaking havoc on Arctic species.

Profile of "Pro-Test"

Wow. Here's a scathing overview in Primate Freedom of the new organization "Pro-Test," an organization of animal researchers who want to advocate for their work.

Long and impressive expose.

Newly Found Species Already Endangered

The wild Saola, which resembles antelopes and was only discovered in 1992, is already near extinction due to hunting.

Way to go humans! Another notch to add to our belt!

Poet Laureate of California Questions Animal Testing

Here's her piece in the Huffington Post.

Some Groups that Still Support Animal Research

From PETA's Animal Times (I tore out the page and there's no date anymore...but it was 2009).

*The US Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association
*March of Dimes
*American Heart Association
*Susan G. Komen Foundation
*British Heart Foundation
*World Cancer Research Fund

I can't tell you all what I do for a living because it's kind of sensitive, but let's just say that my unit has had dealings with Susan G. Komen and they are a pretty arrogant, corporate bunch (just an FYI!)

The BS of Animal Research

I like this post on Primate Freedom. Here's part of my response (I'd been thinking about posting these thoughts recently anyway.)

.....People who support animal research cloak themselves in altruism. They are only researching on animals because they "put people first." That's a lie. They are putting their patents, royalties and tenure first.

Another tactic is to make opponents out to be traitors to our own species. It's just like what the Republicans did to the Democrats in the US before going into Iraq. If you didn't support the war in Iraq, or president w, then you were a traitor to your country. Very effective means of trying to shut people up.

Update on National Meat Association vs. Brown

Did anyone know this was going on?

The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently heard arguments in National Meat Association v. Brown, a case in which the meat industry is attempting to invalidate a California law designed to reduce animal suffering and protect public safety.

At issue is Section 599f of the California Penal Code, which, among other things, prohibits slaughterhouses from purchasing, receiving, selling, dragging, or pushing non-ambulatory animals, also known as “downers,” and requires immediate euthanasia of such animals. The industry sued California, arguing that Section 599f is preempted by the Federal Meat Inspection Act. A coalition of animal protection groups consisting of the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), Farm Sanctuary, and the Humane Farming Association (HFA), intervened in the case to ensure that the interests of animals and the public were represented.

Cutting Duplicative Research Could Save Millions

Just read an August update from an ALDF lawyer about medical research. I was struck by this paragraph.

I recently attended a presentation on animals and toxicity testing in which I was stunned to hear the speaker estimate that by merely requiring researchers to share their research results with other scientists to decrease duplicate testing, and by harmonizing chemical testing standards, several million animals would be immediately spared from use in unnecessary research.

That's a lot of saved lives. But would researchers be willing to share their results? Doubtful if it means endangering their potential patents.

Vick to Play in Game 3

Just realized that we reported this on Critter World News, but never posted about it.

Michael Vick is now eligible to return in Game THREE instead of just Game Six of the regular season.

Someone up there must like him.

Trader Joe's Eggs NOT Humane

I decided to look online for some information regarding the "Organic Free Range Eggs" that Trader Joe's, my favorite store, sells.

Here is what their web site says.

6. A Note About Eggs

At Trader Joe's we listen to what our customers tell us about the choices we give them. Thanks to their valued feedback, in 2005 we made an important change in our egg selection. As of this time, all Trader Joe's brand eggs come only from cage-free hens. Now customers looking for cage-free eggs need to look no further than the Trader Joe's label. Any conventional eggs sold in our stores are in a brand name carton, not under the Trader Joe's label.

But are they really free-range eggs? I looked online and all I could find was this article on The Vegetarian Site. Here's what they say about Trader Joe's eggs (definitely does not sound humane to me.)

Trader Joe's, a national specialty grocer, offers a large range of vegan and soy products. They also offer "Cage Free" eggs. None of the employees at my local store could offer any information concerning the welfare of the hens. However, I did get a response from corporate headquarters: "The hens live in barns with some access to the outdoors. They are debeaked because that is necessary to keep them from injuring each other." If, in fact, Trader Joe's deems debeaking as necessary, then this immediately reveals the high density of birds. Under a true free range setting, hens can establish a "pecking order" and none is in danger so long as she can move easily to a different area. Under a high-stress, high-density environment, a natural pecking order cannot be established and the sharp beaks of hens can result in injury (and death) to large numbers of birds.

Another Excuse for Michael Vick

Sigh. I see a lot of these rationales. Essentially, it goes like this.

What Michael Vick did really sucked.

But everything humans do to animals really sucks anyway.

So, let's cut him some slack and forgive the guy.

In that case, why do we punish humans for crimes against other humans? We are a pretty cruel society that cares little for children, the poor and the elderly. If someone harms them, well, it's okay if you place it in context.

Let's give the perpetrator a second chance!

Wolf Killing in Idaho Under Scrutiny

I'm not surprised Sarah Palin's family is from Idaho. The state government is as crazy about wolf killing as she is. But a US District Court Judge has granted a hearing on stopping the killing to wolf advocates represented by Earthjustice.

Montana is another state where wolf killing is allowed.

France's Ugly Secret: Eating Endangered Songbird

Now France can add another to its long list of gastronomic sins...eating ortolan, an endangered songbird.

From the Guardian...

In a co-ordinated protest, members of the League for the Protection of Birds (LPO) destroyed hundreds of traps and set free the birds inside. The time had come, they said, to prioritise biodiversity over gastronomy.

"For 10 years now, not only has the state turned a blind eye [to the poachers] but it has been complicit," said Allain Bougrain-Dubourg, president of the LPO. "It is time to make the state face up to its responsibilities."

The hunting and selling of ortolans, which have suffered a Europe-wide decline of 40-50% in the last 40 years, has been illegal in France since 1999.

But that has not stopped hundreds of poachers setting traps to catch between 30,000 and 50,000 of the songbirds a year.

During the hunting season, which lasts from mid-August until the end of September, the birds are taken from their cages, fattened up in the dark and then drowned alive in Armagnac. Plucked and roasted, they are served whole.

Humans Not Natural Milk Drinkers

I've heard this before, but it's fascinating every time it comes up.

There is such a push in society to drink milk for calcium for strong bones. But really, it's not natural for us to be drinking milk past infancy. It's the perfect example of a market being created out of nothing. Of misinformation that is repeated so often it becomes fact. If you really think about it, how many prehistoric people were grabbing pregnant cows to suckle on?

Lactose intolerant people are actually the normal ones.

Happy Friday

It's a cruel world, but sometimes you just have to enjoy the simple things in life the way this puppy is.

ALF Activist Pleads Guilty in Utah to Damaging Mink Farm

A man in Utah has pled guilty to "interfering with an animal enterprise" in federal court.

The raid to which Viehl pleaded guilty took place at the McMullin mink farm in South Jordan in August 2008. Rydalch said the raid consisted of releasing minks and spray-painting parts of the farm, including a barn. She said the plea agreement "stated the damage and loss to real and personal property at the farm exceeded $10,000."

Spray painting a barn? Wow, good thing the feds were on this instead of the local cops.

Baby Chicks Ground Up

What a subject line, but it's true. Thanks to Mercy for Animals for their undercover work exposing this egg industry practice.

This is the second time this year that I've heard of this group capturing headlines. I'd never heard of them before. I'm very impressed by their courage and tenacity.

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Efforts Being Made to Halt Dolphin Slaughter in Japan

It's that time of year in Taiji Japan when they start slaughtering dolphins. You can read about Save Japan Dolphin's efforts here. It looks like there is at least some hope.

Thai Government Deals with Victims of Wildlife Trafficking

Sad, but at least the government is trying to help these animals.

RSPCA Collects 68,000 Signatures Supporting an End to Animal Research

That's an even larger number if you realize that each signature probably represents a few non-signers who feel the same way.

I really believe the more people learn about what research animals go through, the more common decency becomes a factor. The problem is that people don't really look at the pictures, read the stories or think about what's happening. They are too disturbed, frightened, or threatened to do so. But how many animal research supporters (non-scientists) actually step into a room and observe an experiment? How many of them actually see these animals in the labs?

That's why so many people don't want to talk about these issues. It upsets them. But their silence and cluelessness is essentially their consent.

The RSPCA collected these signatures leading up to the the 7th World Congress on Alternatives & Animal Use in the Life Sciences in Rome.

[The conference] began on the 30th of August and runs until the 3rd of September, two members of the RSPCA’s Research Animals Department are attending the event together with worldwide representatives of NGOs, industry and science as well as authorities and decision-makers.

68,315 people signed an online RSPCA petition stating "We, the undersigned, call on the British Government to work towards ending the use of animals in experiments, replacing them with humane alternatives."