'Top 10 Animal Abusers of 2001'

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United Animal Nations Names 'Top 10 Animal Abusers of 2001'

Wed Jan 16, 1:30 PM ET

 

United Animal Nations Names 'Top 10 Animal Abusers of 2001'

National Desk Contact: Pam Runquist of United Animal Nations, 916-429-2457

 

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Jan. 16 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following was released today

by United Animal Nations:

 

United Animal Nations (UAN), a national animal advocacy and rescue group, today

announced its " Top 10 Animal Abusers of 2001, " a list of the individuals,

corporations and government entities responsible for the most horrifying types

of animal cruelty and/or the largest amount of animal pain and suffering during

the past year.

 

Topping the list, which is UAN's inaugural ranking of the " worst of the worst "

of animal abusers, is Smithfield Foods, which slaughters 12 million hogs per

year at its factory farms. Other ignominious " winners " include the Coulston

Foundation, a New Mexico animal research facility with an unbelievably bad

history of caring for the hundreds of primates locked up at its lab, and the 777

Ranch in Hondo, Texas, one of the largest " canned " hunt facilities in the United

States, where penned animals are shot down by trophy hunters.

 

" Our goal in releasing this list is to identify those who are causing the most

pain and suffering to animals in our country and to hold them responsible, " said

UAN President Jeane Westin. " Factory farms are killing most of the 9.2 billion

food animals per year in our nation, and research labs have 24 million animals

locked up inside. We need to point fingers if we are going to tackle this

overwhelming and completely unacceptable abuse of animal life. "

 

The complete list of the " Top 10 Animal Abusers of 2001 " follows:

 

1. Smithfield Foods for operating one of the largest and most lethal FACTORY

FARMS in the United States. An estimated 12 million hogs per year are

slaughtered by Smithfield, and, worst yet, the hogs have to endure miserable

factory-farm living conditions prior to slaughter.

 

2. The Coulston Foundation for representing all that is ugly about ANIMAL

EXPERIMENTATION. Coulston has a horrible history of caring for hundreds of

primates locked up at his lab, including the discarded Air Force space

chimpanzees.

 

3. BACKYARD BREEDERS AND IRRESPONSIBLE CAREGIVERS in Valencia County, New

Mexico, who have failed to spay or neuter their animals. The community has one

of the highest euthanasia rates in the country, with 6,300 dogs and cats put to

death in its shelter every year -- or 97 animals per 1,000 residents.

 

4. The State of Utah for sponsoring coyote " contest hunts " as part of its

PREDATOR CONTROL program. Utah offers cash and prizes to hunters who bring in

the most coyote tails or ears.

 

5. Mike Gochnauer of Lapalta, Missouri, for operating a PUPPYMILL where nearly

200 dogs were found stacked in cages and living in deplorable conditions. Some

dogs were so sick from mange, heartworms and other ailments they were close to

death.

 

6. 777 Ranch in Hondo, Texas, for running one of the largest and most deadly

CANNED HUNT operations in the United States. 777 Ranch bills itself as " Africa

in Texas " and trophy hunters pay up to $40,000 to gun down a fenced-in exotic

animal.

 

7. Ringling Bros. for its continued use and abuse of CIRCUS animals under the

guide of entertainment, education and propagation. Ringling has been cited by

the USDA multiple times for failure to properly care for its animals. And, in

less than two years, two baby elephants in Ringlings' care died, a caged tiger

was shot to death and a horse died during an animal march.

 

8. Bobby Jones of Texas for breeding gamecocks, or roosters, for COCKFIGHTING

matches and for leading the charge against efforts to restrict this brutal

industry in the three states where it is still legal.

 

9. Baylor University students Derek Brehm and Clint Bowers for allegedly

committing one of the most violent ANIMAL CRUELTY acts of the year. The pair has

been charged with shooting, skinning and beheading a stray cat.

 

10. Wyeth-Ayerst for its continued abuse of tens of thousands of pregnant mares

and their baby foals in the production of the menopausal drug PREMARIN. Premarin

is made with estrogens extracted from the urine of pregnant mares. The mares are

confined to small stalls for most of the year to collect this urine and most of

their baby foals are discarded for slaughter.

 

" Our long-term goal in publishing this list is to help educate the public about

the magnitude of animal abuse in our nation. We can't stop factory farming or

animal experimentation or even animal cruelty in the near future but we can

encourage compassionate Americans to take a few simple steps to begin the

process of ending animal suffering. "

 

A more detailed list of the UAN's " Top 10 Animal Abusers " is available on the

organization's Web site at http://www.uan.org/campaigns/top10.html. The Web site

also includes UAN's " Top 10 All-Time Types of Animal Abuse " at

http://www.uan.org/campaigns/top10types.html. This list ranks the overall worst

forms of animal abuse, each of which is represented in our 2001 list, and offers

simple suggestions on how compassionate people can help reduce or end each type

of cruelty.

 

Headquartered in Sacramento, United Animal Nations is a national organization

which specializes in disaster rescue for animals, aid for emergency veterinary

care and an Anti-Premarin Campaign. UAN also advocates on farm animal,

spay/neuter, animal cruelty and other animal issues. For more on UAN, visit the

Web site at http://www.uan.org or contact UAN, P.O. Box 188890, Sacramento, CA

95818, Tel: 916-429-2457, e-mail: info.

 

http://story.news./news?tmpl=story & u=/020116/180/yv1a.html

[Guest guest]

Fraggle

 

That's a good idea - I hope they do it in the UK too.

 

Jo

 

 

> United Animal Nations Names 'Top 10 Animal Abusers of 2001'

> Wed Jan 16, 1:30 PM ET

 

 

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