Senator Maria Cantwell Receives Award for Animal Welfare Work

She is a US Senator from our home state of Washington. My husband worked for her years and years ago, when she was just a State representative.

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) received the Humane Society’s Legislative Leader award for her leadership in protecting animals. The Humane Society of the United States cited Senator Cantwell’s efforts to improve marine mammal rescue capability, including such challenges as disentangling marine mammals from fishing nets. The Society also noted Cantwell’s work on climate change.

$10 Million Euros in Smuggled Wildlife Seized

From the AFP...

Police seized tiger bones, anteater scales and bear gall bladders in an international operation against the use of endangered plants and animals in traditional medicine, officers said Friday.

Illegal animal and plant products with a retail value of 10 million euros (13.6 million dollars) were seized in a month-long drive carried out by forces around the world, the global law enforcement agency Interpol said.

"National wildlife enforcement authorities, police, customs and specialised units from 18 countries across all five continents worked together as part of Operation Tram which ran from 1 to 28 February," Interpol said.

Operation Tram "revealed a large amount of medicines either containing or marketing the use of illegal ingredients such as tiger, bear and rhinoceros," according to the French-based international coordinating body.

Tales of Wildlife Smuggling

Weird stuff found at Anchorage airport.

South Carolina Only State that Bans Capturing Marine Mammals for Display

The law has been around since 1962 and it's the legacy of an albino dolphin named Snowball.

VERY IMPORTANT POST! Humane Society Launches Whistleblowing Line for Chimpanzee Research

This is important. Pass it around.

From the Advertiser...

The Humane Society has launched a confidential whistleblower hotline for employees of chimpanzee research laboratories to anonymously report alleged abuses.

In the areas surrounding the seven remaining U.S. chimpanzee research laboratories, Humane Society newspaper advertisements and billboards urge anyone with information about poor treatment of chimpanzees or other animals in research facilities to call The HSUS’ confidential hotline: 1-866-293-HSUS.

Animals Should Kept in the Wild

Nice argument for animals to be kept in the wild, not in captivity. It's from a Malaysian news site.

West Virginia University to Build Animal Research Lab

Thanks to your tax dollars, federal stimulus money is being used to build a $14.5 million dollar research lab. It is the largest grant thus far under the stimulus package. It will house rodents for use in experiments.

Why would this West Virginia University project be the recipient of federal stimulus money? Because it will create JOBS! And research for drug development, which means more MONEY and JOBS!

From West Virginia Metro News...

The laboratory will be used to study human diseases and treatments.

“Setting up experiments to try and develop new insights that would be even before the drug development phase. It would be looking at biomedical or cellular mechanisms that are changed, for example in heart disease, and get insights into what might be a target for drug development.”

...The new facility is expected to result in 253 additional permanent jobs on the WVU campus, including 13 directly in the animal quarters and 240 in biomedical research laboratories around the Health Sciences Center. During construction, the project will add 113 jobs to the local community.

Are Micro Pigs the Next Stupid Pet Trend?

Great. This lady is breeding tiny pet pigs that can live up to 11 years. People are buying them like crazy, which means...eventually people will start dumping them like crazy. And who will suffer? The animal shelters who have to find them homes at the expense of other animals.

Thanks lady! And, yes, she plans on making money from these animals by franchising.

All for the love of animals right?

Yale Animal Researchers Complain About Paperwork

Yale animal researchers complain that all these darn regulations for animal welfare are creating too much paperwork.

Oh waaaaa! (insert crying baby here)

PETA Wants Knut Castrated!

We're talking about Knut the polar bear. He was the cute little polar bear whose birth at the Berlin Zoo was so controversial because his mother rejected him. He was raised by a trainer.

PETA Germany's position is that he should be castrated so he doesn't mate with his cousin Giovanna. She's here temporarily for companionship, but the group is concerned.

Check out a couple of the pictures in this story. How suggestive!

PETA Attacks Jack Hanna

Sea World has hired him to defend the use of captive whales. PETA calls him an animal pimp "entertainer." You can read some pretty strong words from PETA here.

"Year of the Tiger" Simply Means "Year of More Summits"

I like this opinion piece in the Huffington Post. It's the Year of the Tiger on the Chinese calendar and there's plenty of talk and meetings going around. But what does it really mean if you and I don't engage in saving this beautiful animal?

Spanish Woman Leave $3M Euros to Save Lynx

Specifically, the near-extinct Iberian Lynx. I know people will whine about why she didn't leave the money to human causes, but I'm proud that she did it. I'm especially proud that she is Spanish.

I get so tired of people calling for money to human charities. Humans control the frigging WORLD. They run the governments, they run businesses, they run everything. And they still don't have enough money! That's a problem with humans as a species, not with specific people like this woman. They are a tiny minority. Stop blaming general human selfishness on people like her.

Grrrrrr!!!!

Labour Urges New Zealand to Support Australia's Call to End Whaling

I hope they do it. We just need to end this useless practice of whaling.

Orca Whale Article Appears in Salon

Informative article with one expert saying captivity can drive orcas insane.

I'm not surprised. They are used to miles and miles of ocean. The argument that they have "plenty of room" has been made about elephants too. In fact, the animal research supporter in my book club said that very same thing.

(By the way, she works for a company that does clinical testing for drug companies. Animals are commodities for her. So why should I be surprised at her elephant comment?)