PETA Action Alerts - August 29, 2000

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PETA Action Alerts - August 29, 2000

 

 

 

 

 

Ask Newspaper Group to Drop Ringling Bros. Promotion

 

The Newspaper Association of America administers a program called

Newspaperin Education (NIE) that encourages the use of local newspapers in

classrooms. NIE sometimes features its business sponsors in promotions,

contests, or advertisements. NIE has been offering material provided by

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus to its 700 affiliate papers. Some

affiliates have promoted the circus by offering free circus tickets to

rs, running circus-related essay contests for students, and

offering Ringling's animal care propaganda to teachers.

 

Ringling has a disturbing record of animal care and has been cited by the

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for failure to provide veterinary care

to a dying baby elephant, failure to possess records of veterinary care, and

failure to provide animals with sufficient space and exercise. In less than

two years, two baby elephants died, a caged tiger was shot to death, a horse

with a chronic medical condition collapsed and died, and a wild-caught sea

lion was found dead in her transport container. The USDA recently warned

Ringling that they had caused two baby elephants " unnecessary trauma,

behavioral stress, and physical harm and discomfort, " after inspectors found

painful rope burns caused by separating the infant animals from their

mothers.

 

Circuses miseducate the public by demeaning animals and portraying a

distorted view of wildlife. Furthermore, circuses rely on weapons that

include firearms, whips, and bullhooks to punish and control animals, which

hardly conveys a wholesome message to a violence-plagued school system.

Please ask NIE to withdraw its Ringling promotion and to instead offer

teachers and students educational material that promotes respect for

wildlife. Contact:

 

 

Jim Abbott, Newspaper in Education Program Manager

Newspaper Association of America

1921 Gallows Rd., Ste. 600

Vienna, VA 22182-3900

Fax: 703-902-1735

E-Mail: abboj

 

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Update: Urge Prosecution of Tennessee Puppy Mill Owners

 

In September 1999, Humboldt, Tenn., couple Judy and Stanley Johnson were

charged with cruelty to animals for alleged neglect and abuse of the more

than 350 dogs the Gibson County Sheriff's Department and Dyersburg

HumaneSociety officials found at their puppy mill.

 

Among the atrocious conditions found on the Johnson property were countless

dead animals, adult dogs trying to nurse dead puppies, animals with

cataracts and other illnesses and injuries being used for breeding, animals

matted together, dogs covered with fleas and open sores, and animals shoved

into tight, dark cages filled inches-high with feces, provided with only

moldy food mixed with feces and algae-ridden water. The dogs were found

stacked from floor to ceiling in the house, barn, and trailer.

 

Officials reported that due to their constant confinement in cages, many of

the dogs were fearful when they saw grass for the first time. Dyersburg

Humane Society President Carol Feather told news reporters, " It's an example

of all the horror stories you hear with puppy mills. "

 

Fortunately, through the diligence of humane society employees and

volunteers, all but a few of the dogs were adopted. On August 16, the

Johnsons were each found guilty on 11 counts of cruelty to animals, fined

$11,000, and they will be sentenced on September 22. Please send a polite

letter asking that the Johnsons be required to serve jail time and reimburse

the Dyersburg Humane Society for the cost of care and treatment of the

hundreds of animals taken from their home and be strictly prohibited from

owning or harboring any animals. Send your letters to:

 

 

Larry Hardister, Assistant District Attorney

Gibson County Prosecutor's Office

110 S. College St., Suite 200

Trenton, TN 38382

 

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Update: Bill Needs the New York Governor's Signature

 

 

 

The New York state " Pet Dealer Consumer Protection and Animal Care Standards

Act " was signed into law by Governor Pataki August 16. This important

legislation will help protect animals in the pet trade industry by mandating

that all pet store owners in the state obtain a license to operate and by

requiring annual inspections of all pet stores. In addition, the law sets

forth minimal standards for the care of animals in pet stores with regard to

housing, food and water, veterinary care, and sanitation. This legislation

will enable law-enforcement agencies to address more effectively the horrid

conditions for animals often found in pet stores and will require pet store

owners to maintain specific records with regard to the acquisition and

health of each animal in their store.

 

If you are a New York resident and have not already written regarding this

piece of legislation, please contact Governor Pataki to thank him for

signing the bill into law and to stress the importance of the passage of

animal-friendly legislation:

 

 

Gov. George E. Pataki

Executive Chamber

State Capitol

Albany, NY 12224

Tel.: 518-474-8390

Fax: 518-474-3767

E-Mail: gov.pataki

 

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Help Take a Bite Out of Cruel Experiments

 

 

 

Animal Connection of Texas (ACT) needs your help in ending cruel and useless

lung experiments on dogs at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical

Center in Dallas.

 

Since 1988, Robert L. Johnson has been cutting into foxhounds, removing 68

percent of their lungs and forcing them to run on treadmills with cumbersome

masks placed over their faces. In order to fit the masks, the dogs' canine

teeth are cut down. After the exercises are completed, the dogs are killed

and their lungs examined.

 

After reviewing the abstracts and articles concerning Johnson's work, R.

Hamlin, D.V.M. responded, " The only conclusion I can reach is that

tremendous pain and suffering are being inflicted upon helpless dogs under

the guise of research, and the results being attained are admittedly of no

benefit to mankind. " Despite the existence of hundreds, if not thousands, of

Americans with lung disease who would make superior test subjects in

determining how lung removal affects the human body, Johnson has wasted

countless animal lives and millions of taxpayer dollars trying to replicate

the procedure in dogs.

 

ACT has been protesting the experiments, scheduled to continue through 2003,

and has asked that concerned citizens add their signatures to a petition

that will be presented to the university in October. This petition can be

signed online at:

http://www.123petitions.com/cgi-bin/system/sign1.cgi?id=act@animalconnection

tx.org$26212296100.

 

ACT also asks that calls or letters demanding an immediate end to the

experiments be directed to:

 

 

Dr. Kern Wildenthal

President

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

5323 Harry Hines Blvd.

Dallas, TX 75390-9002

Tel.: 214-648-2508

Fax: 214-648-8690

E-Mail: Kern.Wildenthal

 

Dr. Robert Johnson

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

5323 Harry Hines Blvd.

Dallas, TX 75235

Tel.: 214-648-3426

E-Mail: Robert.Johnson

 

For more information, visit ACT at: www.animalconnectiontx.org

 

 

 

 

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