Elephant piece in Houston - please thank the reporter!

October 6, 2007

Even tho he didn't use our interview, the piece on the elephants was excellent. This reporter is especially sensitive to the plight of animals and does a lot of stories on them. Since these stories (not slanted toward the blood money making companies) are usually not shown, except the horse slaughter, since it benefits no one but the owners financially, are not shown here, he deserves a short email thanking him. Please write him at bwoodard . Wonderful KHOU reporter Brad Woodard is at it again. Last night,Thursday October 4, he brought us two strong animal stories that appeared onthe CBS affiliate, KHOU, Channel 11 in Houston, and on various otherstations across the state of Texas. They are now

on the web for everybodyto see. The first covers an issue we looked at earlier this week -- thetransport of U.S. horses to Mexico for slaughter. You can watch the story online, or read most of the transcript and avoid the gory images, athttp://tinyurl.com/39mfxg(The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act would ban the transport ofhorses to slaughter. Please go tohttps://community.hsus.org/campaign/FED_2007_horse_slaughter3 tosupport it.)On the 10pm news, Woodard covered captive elephant abuse. We learnabout Tina and Jewel, Asian elephants living in Texas. Handler WillDavenport keeps them for fairs, parades, circuses, weddings and parties. Aswe watch the

huge animals being led around in small circles withchildren loaded onto their backs, Woodard comments on the events: "They are human celebrations, which according to some translate into alifetime of misery for one of the most intelligent mammals walking theearth."We learn that the USDA had cited Davenport for keeping the elephants ina 20-by-space with inadequate food and shelter. He has now broughttheir environment up to match legal standards, but those standards arepaltry. Davenport explains that handling elephants is a family tradition. Woodard tells us:"It's a skill, he said, that’s handed down in the family, which somefind disturbing considering the fact that Davenport’s father wasbarred from the exotic animal business several years ago and fined $200,000after one of his elephants, a baby named Heather, was found dead inthe back of a poorly ventilated truck in Albuquerque."Woodard

also shares video from elephant training at circuses, lettingviewers see the abuse that goes on behind the scenes. You can watchWoodard's wonderful piece at http://tinyurl.com/2nk9ud and you can learneven more about the plight of elephants in circuses at www.Circuses.comwhere you'll see shocking video, or you can read about circuses athttp://www.idausa.org/facts/circusfacts.htmlPlease make sure those at KHOU learn how much their coverage of animalissues is appreciated. Positive feedback will encourage follow-ups andcoverage of more animal issues. It takes just a moment to send acomment and do so much good for the animals. The station takes comments at:http://www.khou.com/customerservice/HelpCenter.doYours and the animals',Karen Dawn While we ourselves are the living graves of murdered beasts, how can we expect any ideal conditions on this earth? --George Bernard Shaw http://www.myspace.com/fortheanmals