News Briefs and Updates September 16, 2015

SAOVA Friends,

The epidemic of animal abuser registry proposals continues among New York Counties. Niagara County Legislature’s Minority Leader Dennis Virtuoso proposed creation of a database similar to those covering individuals who commit sex crimes. The registry would contain the names and address information for all convicted abusers in Niagara County. Repeat offenders would be assigned to the list for life. County Sheriff James Voutour, whose office would be responsible for monitoring and updating, supports the registry. The registry is based on the Orange County law. Orange County lawmaker Mike Anagnostakis introduced the registry proposal earlier this year which passed the Legislature in August. County residents over 18 years of age convicted of an animal cruelty crime must be listed on the registry and cannot own another animal for 15 years. The registry will be maintained by the County sheriff.

According to a report by Mid-Hudson News, out of several New York counties that have passed animal abuse registry laws only 3 have actually been implemented. If true, this is good news. Perhaps this means that after rushing to appease activists by passing a registry law, legislators had a renewed moment of common sense.

Thank you for reading. Cross posting is encouraged.

Susan Wolf

Sportsmen's and Animal Owners' Voting Alliance

EPA WAS WRONG TO APPROVE DOW PESTICIDE HARMFUL TO BEES

September 10, 2015. A U.S. appeals court ruled on Thursday that federal regulators erred in allowing an insecticide developed by Dow AgroSciences onto the market, canceling its approval and giving environmentalists a major victory. The ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in San Francisco, is significant for commercial beekeepers and others who say a dramatic decline in bee colonies needed to pollinate key food crops is tied to widespread use of a class of insecticides known as neonicotinoids. Critics say the Environmental Protection Agency is failing to evaluate the risks thoroughly. The lawsuit was filed in 2013 against the EPA by a number of organizations representing the honey and honey beekeeping industry. The groups specifically challenged EPA approval of insecticides containing sulfoxaflor, saying studies have shown they are highly toxic to honey bees.

USDA said earlier this year that losses of managed honeybee colonies hit 42.1 percent from April

2014 through April 2015, up from 34.2 percent for 2013-14, and the second-highest annual loss to date. Continue reading http://tinyurl.com/nq2u7ru

US COURT OVERTURNS ESA LISTING

The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas Sept. 1 overturned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) listing of the lesser prairie-chicken under the Endangered Species Act. Ruling in favor of the Permian Basin Petroleum Association and four New Mexico counties, the judge concluded the listing was arbitrary and capricious, and that the USFWS failed to properly follow its own process for listing determinations in this matter. Further, conservation efforts have already been undertaken across millions of acres over five states to improve habitat for the lesser prairie-chicken and diminish threats to its existence. The court determined these conservation efforts, which have resulted in a 25 percent increase in lesser prairie chicken populations from 2014 to 2015, were ignored by the administration. In a 29-page ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Junell stated, “The Court finds FSW did conduct an analysis, however this analysis was neither ‘rigorous’ nor valid as FWS failed to consider important questions and material information necessary to make a proper … evaluation.”

GROUPS FILE PETITION WITH FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE

Animal Legal Defense Fund, Compassion Over Killing, Farm Forward, Farm Sanctuary, Mercy for Animals, and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, filed a rule making petition this month against USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) calling for additional regulations under the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA) and Federal Meat Inspection Act. The coalition claims the FSIS is not meeting its statutory obligations under HMSA. The petition states the group based its claims on undercover investigations conducted by animal welfare groups and government reports. Requested changes include, codify the definition of “egregious” violations of the HMSA; issue Notice of Suspension for all egregious violations of the HMSA; require that intentional cruelty and egregious and reckless abuse be referred for criminal prosecution, fines, and imprisonment.

One proposed change calls for mandatory enforcement standards for Noncompliance Records (NR) and suspensions. For example, multiple stuns would always result in at least a plant suspension. The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) argued that adopting such a rule change would limit the ability of plants to take action when needed. “USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service wisely has permitted plants that acknowledge in advance through written plans that some animals, like large bulls or mature dairy cows, may be difficult to stun with a single blow as the law’s language requires,” Mark Dopp, senior vice president of regulatory affairs and NAMI general counsel, said in a statement. “FSIS’ approach also recognizes that livestock don’t always stand perfectly still and human beings charged with stunning and handling can’t executive every movement perfectly 100 percent of the time. If the agency is forced to use a regulatory sledge hammer when a plant does the right thing — like double stunning an animal when it appears necessary — it will only mean the wrong thing will happen more often — like failing to ensure an animal feels no pain.” Dopp continued. “During the time period detailed in this petition, our industry processed nearly 300 million cattle, pigs and sheep. While we work to ensure optimal welfare, perfection is simply not possible. Still, our overall record is one that reflects a committed, well-regulated and carefully inspected industry.” Sources: ALDF website; MeatPoultry.com

SEA WORLD OF TEXAS VS PETA

Sea World of Texas is rejecting the latest allegations raised by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), that the killer whales and sea lions at the park show signs of abuse and should not be held in captivity, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports. "I have to tell you, this is the ninth time in the past two years that PETA has filed claims about our animal welfare, and none of those claims were found to have any merit," Sea World Director of Corporate Communications Becca Bedes told News Radio 1200 WOAI's Megan Bishop.  "This is no different."  Source: WOAI http://tinyurl.com/o8xdyfk

ANIMAL RIGHTS GROUP SAYS IT WILL BILL INHOFE FOR DOWNED DRONE

September 14, 2015. An animal rights group said in a press release Monday that it plans to bill U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe for a drone that was shot down Friday while being flown over the Tulsa Republican's annual pigeon-shooting fundraiser. The Illinois-based group, SHowing Animals Respect and Kindness, or SHARK, was using the drone to monitor the event "for possible violations of Oklahoma law," and said it would release video of the shootdown and crash on Tuesday. SHARK said it would hand deliver a bill to Sen. Inhofe's DC office and file an amendment to SHARK’s ethics complaint against Sen. Inhofe "for the illegal and dangerous discharge of a firearm with his knowledge and potential consent." The complaint will be delivered to the offices of all the members of the Senate Ethics Committee, the group said.  Read more including SHARK press release http://newsok.com/article/5446774

MANDATORY SPAY NEUTER ORDINANCES

Mandatory spay/neuter (MSN) laws are promoted by groups who claim it will end euthanasia of animals, animal abandonment and shelter overpopulation. There is no success story for mandatory spay/neuter yet legislators still fall prey to the belief in a legislative quick fix.  Flyers opposing MSN can be found on the SAOVA website http://saova.org/download.html . Congratulations to the dog owners and groups who defeated recent attempts for MSN legislation.

* Whittier CA City Council removed MSN from a new animal ordinance which passed by a 5-0 vote.

* Proposals for MSN and Breeding Permits were presented for consideration to Spalding County GA Board of Commissioners at their August 3, 2015 meeting and both items were tabled.

City of Savannah GA spay neuter ordinance stalls after commissioners voice concerns. Residents of Savannah and Chatham County should continue to monitor.  

San Angelo TX council held a public hearing for proposed MSN ordinance which would require dogs and cats older than 4 months to be sterilized. Exceptions to the proposed ordinance include permitted/licensed breeders, medical reasons, competition animals, and law enforcement dogs. The ordinance will be considered at council’s October 6^th meeting.

Pet Parents Or Owners: What’s In A Name?

Great article. We are owners and dogs are property, which is in the best interest of both. Read and share.

By Dana Scott in Holistic Care

I am not a pet parent or a guardian: I OWN my dogs.  While this may make many readers cringe, the terms ‘pet parent’ and ‘pet guardian’ really make me squirm.  As a pet owner, I don’t feel that I’m entitled to push my dogs around, treat them like slaves or tie them to the bumper of my car.  In fact, my dogs all live in my house, are allowed on any piece of furniture except my red fabric couches (what was I thinking?), they have their very own kitchen, their own bedroom with a real hand carved daybed to sleep on, with lovely, clean sheets that get laundered twice a week.  They drink spring water, they have three freezers full of fresh food taking up much of my garage (much to my husband’s chagrin), I never think to go out for  a ride without them (unless the weather is too hot), and I refer to myself as ‘mommie’ when I talk to them (which I do a lot).  So why don’t I call myself a pet parent?

 On the surface, it might appear to be a nice gesture to claim that I don’t own my dogs, but the fallout from that seemingly innocuous gesture could be very dangerous for our pets. That subtle slip in language  opens the door to Animal Rights activists.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, “Animal welfare is the ethical responsibility of ensuring animal well-being. Animal well-being is the condition in which animals experience good health, are able to effectively cope with their environment, and are able to express a diversity of species-typical behaviors. Protecting an animal’s welfare means providing for its physical and mental needs.” Animal Welfare supporters believe in our right to own, use and enjoy animals, but insist on humane standards and treatment for all animals, including proper housing, nutrition, disease prevention and treatment and humane handling.

Animal Rights advocates such as PETA (People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals), and HSUS (Humane Society Of The United States), want to end human “exploitation” of animals.  Ingrid Newkirk, co-founder and President of PETA, defines their vision: “[A]s the surplus of cats and dogs (artificially engineered by centuries of forced breeding) declined, eventually companion animals would be phased out, and we would return to a more symbiotic relationship—enjoyment at ‘a distance.’” The goal of Animal Rights activists is to put an end to companion animals – and ironically, pet parents are helping them accomplish just that.  Continue reading at link

 

New ag organization started to protect state's animal agriculture

By Robert Pore robert.pore@theindependent.com
Published: Tuesday, September 13, 2011 8:27 PM CDT

Animal agriculture in Nebraska is a more than $7 billion industry that supports thousands of jobs.

But a group of agricultural organizations believes the livestock industry is threatened by outside groups, such as the Humane Society of the United States and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

These organizations have formed We Support Agriculture (WSA) to educate Nebraskans about modern agricultural practices and to defend against attacks and misinformation about modern technology used to raise livestock.

WSA was announced on Tuesday at Husker Harvest Days. Pete McClymont, vice president of government affairs for the Nebraska Cattlemen, is WSA president.

He said Nebraska's farmers and ranchers are "caring people who know how to care for their animals properly."

"They go to great lengths to protect their animals from disease, predators and harsh Nebraska climate while feeding their neighbors and the world."

But they now have a new predator to contend with, McClymont said, in the form of increased activity across the country by "extreme animal rights groups who have an agenda to make Americans eat less food originating from animals -- such as meat, eggs and dairy."

He said these groups want to institute "hostile regulations that will increase the price of food and make them much more difficult to produce."

According to WSA, "This negatively affects consumers by inflating the cost of food and limiting the availability of nutritious food choices for their families."

WSA said its goal is to "defend agriculture against this extreme agenda."
Full story
Visit We Support Agriculture website

California Foie Gras ban goes into effect

The Artisan Farmers Alliance and intends to fight the California law.

Chef Gary Danko sears an inch-thick slice of duck liver in a small pan in the San Francisco restaurant where he earned a Michelin star until the meat develops a golden-brown shell.

The delicacy known by its French name, foie gras, is garnished with figs and champagne grapes, a variation on a dish he’s served since opening Restaurant Gary Danko near Fisherman’s Wharf in 1999.

“I sell probably 40 orders a night or more,” Danko said in an interview while salting the meat. “When the protesters are here, double that.”

The protesters are animal-rights advocates who say force- feeding ducks and geese to fatten their livers is cruel. Danko and other California chefs will have to remove foie gras from their menus in July, when the state becomes the first to ban the dish, under a 2004 law.

At issue is the method of feeding the birds, with a tube inserted in the esophagus.

“These birds have done nothing to deserve this fate of being force-fed several times a day,” Paul Shapiro, a spokesman for the Washington-based Humane Society of the United States, said in a telephone interview. “It’s an inhumane practice that should be relegated to the history books.”

Connoisseurs say the process mimics behavior in the wild, where the birds gorge themselves before migrating. Foie gras purveyors say the force-feeding causes no pain, and that opponents are trying to impose the values of vegetarians on everyone else. Full story

PETA Loses Lawsuit Seeking Inclusion in Merck Shareholder Meeting

PETA Loses Lawsuit Seeking Inclusion in Merck Shareholder Meeting
U.S. District Judge Amy Jackson dismissed a lawsuit filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals seeking a court order to force Merck & Co. Inc. to include a resolution from the animal rights group in materials for the pharmaceutical company’s annual shareholder meeting.

Following a motions hearing this morning, Jackson granted Merck summary judgment and dismissed the case in an order from the bench. Since the shareholder meeting in question already took place in May, Merck had argued that the court lacked authority to order Merck to hold a special meeting for the purpose of presenting PETA’s resolution, among other things.

The animal rights group holds 101 shares of Merck. The group accused Merck of wrongfully denying its request to include a resolution in proxy materials that called on Merck to disclose use of animal testing in in-house and contracted research. Full story

ANN ARBOR: U of M defends itself against PETA's allegations

Published: Tuesday, September 28, 2010

By Art Aisner, Special Writer, Ann Arbor Journal News

The University of Michigan took a strong stance last week defending its use of animals in critical-care training amid scrutiny from animal rights activists.

"We are fully in compliance of all state and federal laws and have a program that is fully accredited, funded, and I think, one of the best in the country," said Howard Rush, associate professor and the director of U of M's Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine.

The comments were in response to a complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture by The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals earlier this month. The global nonprofit organization asked for a federal probe into potential violations of the 1966 Animal Welfare Act for what they called cruel and deadly training exercises performed by participants of the Survival Flight course.

PETA argued that the university's use of cats and pigs to train intubation and other trauma-response techniques resulted in injury and even death to many of the animals.

Rush and other U of M officials said the program that uses cats and pigs to train medical professionals is in full compliance with federal law and that they would welcome regulators to take a closer look.

They also criticized PETA's use of inflammatory language, and not presenting their members and supporters with all the facts.

"They are leaving out a lot of details to the general public in a campaign to discredit the university, but in reality there is nothing to be ashamed of," Rush said. FULL STORY

Don't be afraid to use the S-word

Grandin recalled that in the 1950s, school kids went on tours of slaughter plant facilities, but kids today are separated from reality. Farmers and ranchers need to show what they do in a matter-of-fact way.

High Plains Journal 8/21/2010 By Doug Rich

Temple Grandin, Ph.D., professor of animal science at Colorado State University, is known around the world for communicating with livestock producers about low-stress livestock handling techniques. Speaking at the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association's annual convention and trade show on July 30, Grandin talked about what she has learned about communicating with the general public about livestock production since the release of an HBO film about her life.

Prior to the release of the HBO film, which has been nominated for 15 Emmy awards, Grandin was busy attending press conferences in Hollywood to promote the film. She said reporters asked more questions about livestock production than they did about the movie.

"The public is hungry for this information," Grandin said.

Grandin said ranchers need to show all the stuff they do every day. Ranchers need to tell how they do their job plainly and clearly without emotion, because many people are totally separated from where they get their food.

"Get away from all the public relations fluff," Grandin said. "Put it in your own words, a ranch is a family farm."

Grandin works with packing plants, and she calls them just what they are--slaughter plants. She does not shy away from using the S-word and regrets that people have started referring to the process as harvest. Grandin said she used the S-word when doing interviews about the movie.

"Harvest is what we do with grain," Grandin said.

Grandin recalled that in the 1950s, school kids went on tours of slaughter plant facilities, but kids today are separated from reality. Farmers and ranchers need to show what they do in a matter-of-fact way.

"We need to clean up our house and show it," Grandin said.

To communicate what livestock producers do Grandin started putting some of her training videos on the Internet. One of these showed how to humanely stun a pig. The video got 400,000 views right away, but not all of the responses were positive. Grandin said she took off all the F-bombs, nasty posts, racist comments, and wacko comments.

"If they said something that made sense, I made a reasoned response," Grandin said. "Keep your own emotions out of it. Don't respond with anger. We need to take the mystery out of what we do. People are interested--just look at the popularity of shows like Dirty Jobs."

FULL STORY

R-CALF: Group Takes Proactive Stance On Animal Welfare Issues

Due to concerns about how groups like the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and other extremist organizations are railroading animal-care regulations in several states, R-CALF USA members who attended the group’s recent annual convention in Rapid City, S.D., felt it was imperative to get policy on the books to emphasize that cattle farmers and ranchers are the experts when it comes to the proper management of their livestock.

Statistics show that the U.S. live cattle industry generates to the national economy about $50 billion dollars per year.

R-CALF USA members will vote on the following proposed resolution this spring via a mail-in ballot:

Be it resolved: R-CALF USA opposes extremist animal rights individual’s or groups’ views and tactics that impair animal owners’ Constitutional rights to the pursuit of life, liberty and the right to own property.

“Our animals are a tremendous investment in our livelihoods, so of course we’re going to give them what they need to be healthy and productive,” said R-CALF USA Member Jim Foster, who sponsored the proposed resolution. “These extremists’ threats are real and come in various forms, including media attacks and ever-increasing state ballot initiatives whereby these activist organizations end up deciding how we ranchers should manage our animals and then convince unknowing voters to approve these radical restrictions in a general election.”

“Having this sort of policy on the books will simply make it official where we stand on the matter,” said R-CALF USA President/Region VI Director Max Thornsberry, a Missouri veterinarian who also chairs the group’s animal health committee. “Farmers and ranchers, without doubt, are the best stewards of their land and livestock because that’s what they rely on to pay their bills.”
Source: CattleNetwork

Attorney: PETA worker neglected snakes in his care

KansasCity.com Posted on Wed, Dec. 30, 2009 06:44 AM
Attorneys for an exotic animal dealer have accused an employee of intentionally neglecting animals to further his work as an undercover investigator for an animal rights group.

Howard Goldman could have done more to provide food, water and care for the animals that he said were being mistreated, said Lance Evans, an attorney for Jasen and Vanessa Shaw, the owners of U.S. Global Exotics.

Instead, Goldman secretly took photos and made daily reports to send to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Evans said.

"He was more concerned about helping PETA achieve its goal of putting U.S. Global out of business than actually aiding any animals that he felt were in distress," Evans said. Goldman worked at the Arlington facility for seven months.
Full story ....