KINSHIP CIRCLE UPDATES: August - October 2006 1. SHAC 7: One Inside & Five To Begin Prison Mid-November 9/17/06: Target: HLS Customer Teva + SHAC 7 Update 9/12/06: JAILED: SHAC 7 / Tammy Grimes, Dogs Deserve Better 3/4/06: SHAC 7 VERDICT: Guilty & Jailed For Opposing HLS SOURCE: http://www.SHAC7.com Kevin Kjonaas: 72 months Lauren Gazzola: 52 months Jacob Conroy: 48 months Josh Harper: 36 months Andrew Stepanian: 36 months Darius Fullmer: 12 months + 1 day 10/20/06: SHAC 7 Update -- We received word Kevin, Lauren, Jake, Darius, and Josh will start their prison sentences in mid-November. Remember Andy Stepanian has already started his prison sentence and needs your support!  lettersforandy@shac7.com Andrew Lloyd Stepanian, #26399-050 MDC Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center Brooklyn, NY 11232 Remember: All mail is read by the authorities, must have a complete name and return address, and cannot be decorated with stickers, gel pens, etc. Andy's supporters have launched a website: http://www.AndyStepanian.com The SHAC7 are 6 activists and a corporation, Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty USA Inc., that have been found guilty of multiple federal felonies for their alleged role in simply campaigning to close down the notorious animal testing lab, Huntingdon Life Sciences. They are not accused of actually smashing windows, liberating animals or even attending demonstrations, rather reporting on and ecouraging others to engage in legal demonstrations and supporting the ideology of direct action. After being found guilty, with defendants facing up to 13 years in prison, they are beginning their appeal. Unfortunately this appeal will be done from Prison. During their stay they need your support! WRITE ME IN PRISON! Jake, Lauren, Josh, Kevin, Andy: These SHAC 7 defendants have bail conditions prohibiting them from using the internet. If you would like to hear back from them, include a mailing address.
A prison stay doesn't come cheap. Money is being accepted to put towards prisoners' commissary accounts. This will allow prisoners to purchase vegan food (which is otherwise is not easy to come by) and toiletries, stamps and envelopes, phone cards and other necessities. Checks and money orders can be made out and sent to: The SHAC7 Support Fund 740A 14th Street, #237; San Francisco, CA 94114 ONLINE DONATION: Access Pay Pays via this link - http://www.shac7.com/donate.htm SOURCE: Brenda Shoss, Kinship Circle, info@kinshipcircle.org As Huntingdon Life Sciences enjoys unlimited immunity, its adversaries fight increasing repression. Please keep in mind: None imprisoned are guilty of vandalism in the "first person." None used weapons. None laid a hand on person or property. Just words... mere words landed them behind bars.  Updates, How to Help SHAC 7: http://www.shac7.com/ KINSHIP CIRCLE SAMPLE LETTER: If You Speak For Animals, AETA Concerns You http://www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1576&seriesfirst=true Excellent perspective of SHAC 7 case / Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act: http://www.greenisthenewred.com/blog/ Win Animal Rights (W.A.R.): http://www.war-online.org/index.htm Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC-UK): http://www.shac.net/ Inside HLS: http://www.shac.net/MISC/Inside_HLS.html HLS EXPOSED FOR THE SIXTH TIME - WORKERS REVEAL THE TRUTH INSIDE HLS Download report in PDF format: http://www.shac.net/ACTION/newsletters/Inside_HLS.pdf Help the campaign: http://www.shac.net/MISC/Inside_HLS_What.html Move Over Al Quaeda! Animal And Earth Defenders Top Most Wanted List http://www.kinshipcircle.org/columns_articles/0050.html America's #1 Terrorists, a new film by Tim Gorski of Rattle The Cage Productions WATCH IT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPtKOz2Zouo WHO IS HUNTINGDON LIFE SCIENCES? Fact Sheet with photos: http://www.kinshipcircle.org/fact_sheets/default.html INSIDE/OUT: DIARY OF MADNESS ($10) Booklet with graphic images from HLS protests and investigations To order, email name and street address, to: info@kinshipcircle.org To order online: http://www.kinshipcircle.org/kinshiplace/ Back to top 2. Arrested Dog Rescuer Tammy Grimes Visits One Happy Dog! 9/29/06: 2 Charges Dropped For Grimes; No Charges For Arnolds 9/20/06: Tammy Grimes Update: Vet Says Doogie Is Victim Of Abuse 9/15/06: Tammy Grimes: Save A Life, Go To Jail? 9/12/06: JAILED - SHAC 7 / Tammy Grimes, Dogs Deserve Better SOURCE: http://www.dogsdeservebetter.com/doogie.html Tammy Grimes, tammy@dogsdeservebetter.org 10/18/06 -- Tammy went to see Doogie... He was doing excellently for his age and physical challenges! He is receiving great care, love, home cooked food, and kindness. A big thanks for his wonderful caretakers.  VIDEO: Doogie eating, forgetting for a moment that he is camera-shy. (My favorite!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlUToFd_dwQ VIDEO: Doogie walking in the yard. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SREURMgrsHE VIDEO: Doogie's comment for those who think he should go back to his abusers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgTyL-iIlfg (I told him to just ignore them and go about his business, but he said this WAS his business, and he wanted to make sure they knew how he felt.) 9/12/06 -- Tammy Grimes, founder, Dogs Deserve Better, was arrested because she rescued a severely abused, chained, and dying dog. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4-q3Ax2vMk 9/21/06 Hearing -- 2 of initial 4 charges against Tammy Grimes were dropped. Theft - STILL CHARGED; Receiving stolen property - STILL CHARGED Criminal mischief - DROPPED; Criminal trespass - DROPPED 10/8/06 -- Continue to write the D.A. and ask why he refuses to even look at charges against the Arnolds? We have video, photos, at least 2 eyewitnesses to the abuse, and a veterinarian statement. How much more does he need? Blair County District Attorney Richard Consiglio, Esq. 423 Allegheny St. Suite 421; Hollidaysburg, PA 16648 ph: 814-693-3010; email: blairda@keyconn.net KINSHIP CIRCLE SAMPLE LETTER: http://www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1568&seriesfirst=true Tammy S. Grimes, Founder, Dogs Deserve Better Bringing Chained/Penned Dogs Into the Home and Family through Education · Rescue and Rehab · Legislation P.O. Box 23, Tipton, PA 16684 · 814.941.7447 Donate: http://www.dogsdeservebetter.com/donations.html http://tammygrimes.blogspot.com/ * http://myspace.com/tammygrimes  Doogie down, at the scene of his September salvation. Back to top 3. 17,000 Mink Liberated in Spain KINSHIP CIRCLE: We didn't do a campaign about this specifically (other than ongoing anti-fur letters) -- but just think it's really cool! SOURCE: DawnWatch, http://www.stlimc.org/newswire/display/2359/index.php 10/14/06 -- According to reports in major Spanish newspapers, more than 17,000 mink were released from cages at three fur farms in Galicia (northwest Spain, bordering Portugal). The biggest raid was in Oza Dos R’os where 10,500 mink were released. This farm belongs to Charo Carrillo, one of the main furriers in Spain. Between 500-1000 mink were recaptured, the rest remain free. Charo told the media that the raid destroyed 20 years of her research into breeding mink. Another farm was attacked in Muros, where about 6,000 mink were released. At a farm in Negreira, 600 mink made their escape. Media reported that the three raids took place almost simultaneously. Police suspect that the activists who participated in these raids are the same who liberated animals at other farms in Galicia; during one raid in July 2005 thousands of mink escaped, resulting in the closure of the farm. Back to top 4. Former Employee Blames UC Davis Officials In Monkey Deaths 9/3/04: UC Davis Monkeys Die In Overheated Lab SOURCE: Stop Animal Exploitation Now, http://www.saenonline.org http://news.lp.findlaw.com/ap/o/51/10-12-2006/4405000ddb2976f6.html 10/11/06 -- DAVIS, California -- A former employee at the University of California, Davis' primate research center said Wednesday that university officials ignored problems that led to the deaths of seven research monkeys in 2004 when a heater malfunctioned. Some of the research center's monkeys were being kept at the university's Animal Resources Service, a separate entity that houses a variety animals. Cheri Stevens, a former animal technician at the California National Primate Research Center said she was present at the Animal Resources Service building when its ventilation system failed a regular maintenance check. Stevens said she then urged officials to move the monkeys to the primate center, which has 24-hour environmental monitoring in each room. They did not follow her advice, she said. Several weeks later, the heater at the Animal Resources Service building blew hot air into the animals' room, raising the temperature to about 115 degrees (46 Celsius). Stevens was an employee of the primate center who regularly went to care for the monkeys housed at the service building, university spokesman Andy Fell said. The university paid a $4,815 fine to the U.S. Department of Agriculture in December 2005 because of the monkeys' deaths. Stevens said she was never interviewed by the Department of Agriculture's investigators, even though she was the first technician to enter the overheated room. Dallas Hyde, the primate center's director, asked a university committee to investigate the multiple complaints Stevens leveled during her news conference Wednesday, Fell said. Stevens also said mistreatment and starvation of monkeys was common at the Primate Research Center. "It's surprising to us," Fell said. "We think the animals have a very high standard of care." The primate center is routinely inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and is accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care, Fell said. The dead cynomolgous monkeys were breeding monkeys and were not being used for experiments. Back to top 5. It's Law: Bush Signs Pet Evacuation & Transportation Standards (PETS) Act 7/4/06: Dear Senator: Remember Katrina. Pass PETS Act. 9/28/05: Never Again: Animal Evacuation Law Now SOURCE: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/10/10/MNGQPLLPNI1.DTL EDITED FOR LENGTH 10/10/06 -- States must help save pets, New law puts funds at risk if animals are not in disaster plans, Kimberly Geiger, Chronicle Washington Bureau Washington -- States will be required to help evacuate pets during a natural disaster such as a hurricane or earthquake or risk losing federal money under a bill signed Friday by President Bush. The bill was prompted by reports that as many as 50,000 pets were stranded during Hurricane Katrina. Rescue agencies have been criticized for the "no pets" policy that required pet owners to abandon their animals or defy evacuation orders and stay in the disaster area. Nearly half of those who refused to evacuate said they didn't want to leave their pets behind, according to an April poll by the Fritz Institute, a nonprofit agency involved with providing humanitarian relief work. "Katrina gave us insight into the lack of preparedness for people and their pets," said Michael Markarian, executive vice president of the Humane Society of the United States, an animal advocacy group that rescued thousands of abandoned pets during and after the hurricane. Markarian said that even disabled people with guide dogs were being forced to choose between their pets and their safety. Though many states have responded to criticism of the "no pets" policy and now incorporate pets' needs in their evacuation strategies, the federal law will require all states to present the Federal Emergency Management Agency with pet evacuation plans before receiving federal funds for emergency preparedness. The law also authorizes FEMA to provide additional money to create pet-friendly shelters and provide special assistance to pet owners. "People victimized by disasters should not suffer needless additional injury by having to abandon their household pets or service animals to their fate," said Rep. Tom Lantos, D-San Mateo, who introduced the legislation after seeing coverage of a young boy being separated from his dog after Katrina... A Zogby poll from October 2005 reports that Americans, by 2-to-1 ratio, believe that rescue efforts should include plans for accommodating pets, though only 4 percent say government agencies such as FEMA should be responsible for performing pet rescues. Instead, 42 percent say animal rights groups should conduct rescues, and 40 percent say the task should be shared among private groups, government agencies and individual pet owners. A majority -- 54 percent -- say they disagree with the "no pets" policy used in Katrina's aftermath. San Francisco Chronicle: letters@sfchronicle.com Back to top 6. Purrs Over Closing of Pet Cloning Company 2/22/02: Oppose Kitten Cloning Experiments SOURCE: American Anti-Vivisection Society, http://www.aavs.org EDITED FOR LENGTH 10/11/06 -- For Immediate Release / Contact: Sue Leary, President, 215-887-0816 X 311, sleary@aavs.org -- Jenkintown, PA: Genetic Savings & Clone, Inc., the only company to ever sell cloned companion animals to the public, has closed its doors. The American Anti-Vivisection Society (AAVS) welcomes the news that Genetic Savings & Clone will no longer be able to capitalize on pet owners' grief with false promises to 'bring back' a beloved deceased pet in exchange for up to $50,000. ...Cloning is a remarkably inefficient and harmful technology. Studies highlighted on http://www.NoPetCloning.org report less than four percent of cloned embryos are carried to term, and of those that survive, most die shortly after birth or suffer severe health problems and abnormalities. AAVS estimates that hundreds of animals, including surrogate mothers who underwent multiple surgeries, were required for Genetic Savings & Clone to produce just one cat for sale. In spite of that enormous cost, there is no guarantee that any cloned animal will physically match the original and even less likelihood that there will be a behavioral similarity. "We hope this closure will send a message to other companies looking to sell cloned animals: American consumers are not interested," said Sue Leary, AAVS President. In fact, several independent national surveys reveal that the overwhelming majority of Americans are opposed to cloning companion animals such as cats and dogs and feel companies should not be allowed to sell genetically engineered animals as pets. "Given the public's strong opposition to pet cloning, it is not surprising that Genetic Savings & Clone was only able to sell two cloned cats in over two years of promoting them," noted Tracie Letterman, AAVS Executive Director. Back to top 7. Brothers Appear In Court For Allegedly Baking Puppy 9/10/06: Justice For Puppy Baked Alive In Oven SOURCE: http://www.wsbtv.com/news/10032435/detail.html EDITED FOR LENGTH 10/9/06 -- ATLANTA -- Two brothers charged with torturing a puppy and putting the animal in an oven face a court hearing in Atlanta today. Joshua Moulder, 17, and Justin Moulder, 18, are accused of binding the dog with duct tape, dousing her with paint and putting the puppy in an oven at the community center at Englewood Manor Apartments, where they lived. The brothers face an 11-count indictment on charges including aggravated cruelty to animals, burglary, criminal damage to property in the second degree, making terroristic threats... The Moulders will have a chance to enter a plea to the charges during their arraignment today. Meanwhile, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard is lobbying state lawmakers to incrase sentences for animal cruelty. The maximum now is five years in prison. Howard was recently honored by the Humane Society of the United States. In Howard's words, "Something is wrong with a person who would torture a helpless animal." 2006 by The Associated Press Back to top 8. Monkeys Freed From UCSF Labs - An Inside Job With Outside Help 2/10/05: Dogs Die In Futile UCSF Heart Studies 9/23/04: UCSF Faces Prosecution For Animal Cruelty SOURCE: Forwarded by Kate Danaher, katedanaher@animalearthhuman.org Bob O'Brien, Vigil For Animals EDITED FOR LENGTH 10/8/06 -- Because one person (or more) has a "heart" within UCSF's walls, two monkeys were released to a sanctuary in Oklahoma in March of this year - though the news of their release just reached me in late September. From what I know, due to the strong insistence of a female veterinarian at UCSF, two rhesus monkeys - named Wyatt and Eddie, former subjects of Dr. Stephen Lisberger's experiments - are now enjoying a virtual paradise (compared to UCSF's labs) at Mindy's Memory Primate Sanctuary, located just a few miles from Oklahoma City. And more good news: another monkey is slated to be released from UCSF to the sanctuary later this month. I can't tell you how surprised I was to hear the news broadcast on Bob Linden's "Go Vegan Radio" http://www.goveganradio.com/ several weeks ago... From what I gathered from Shelly Ladd (President of Mindy's Memory Primate Sanctuary) in a recent phone conversation with her, the sanctuary has been around since 1995, taking in unwanted monkeys from humans who once had them as pets, as well as taking in monkeys formerly exploited in research labs. Currently Mindy's is home to about 80 monkeys... I want to interject a pitch for Mindy's (a 501c3 tax-exempt nonprofit organization). The more dollars you can give, the more the monkeys will benefit. So please consider a donation to make the sanctuary even a better environment for the monkeys there. Visit http://www.mindysmem.org/ for more information on how you can help. All in all, I feel it's a good reason to celebrate, since several monkeys - whom we have advocated for on numerous occasions in demonstrations at UCSF - have been given a happier and healthier place to live. May this be the start of a trend that would mean happier endings for monkeys and other animals currently at UCSF. Bob O'Brien, Vigil For Animals Back to top 9. Namibia's Largest Seal Pup Cull Draws to a Close 7/5/06: Slaughter Of Nursing Seal Pups In Namibia SOURCE: SealAlert-SA, sasealion@wam.co.za EDITED FOR LENGTH 10/8/06 -- Namibia's largest seal pup cull draws to a close, as the 7th mass die-off becomes evident. After months of campaigning to end Namibia's largest cull of 85 000 nursing baby seals in nursing and birthing grounds. The species continues to collapse. Since July 1, the sealers have clubbed their way through every living nursing baby seal pup in their desire to fill their export orders for the EU. Sealers are now concentrating their killing spree on shooting 6000 young and old bulls for the far east genitalia trade. Whilst the 2006 sealing season draws to a close on November 15. Seal Alert-SA is once again receiving reports, that a 7th mass die-off has once again taken place since 1988.  Starving Cape fur seal comes ashore only to be run-over Prior to the start of this year's sealing season. The seal population was at 1982 levels. After 91 000 has been slaughter, (with 100% of the new-born pups), one can only imagine what the Namibian seal population has further declined to, with these further reported mass die-off's. The lowest official population figures we have are in 1972. How long before the seal population will declined off the chart, and yet Namibia still claims its seal population is healthy and sealing is sustainable. Just a few of the extracts, Seal Alert-SA has received in recent days: "My name is Yolanda, we are currently visiting Swakopmunt in Namibia. We went to the beach (Mile 4 -Mile 8) this morning and were shocked by the number of dead seals on the beach, we only drove on part of the beach but counted a total of 97... We even saw a couple of baby seals also dead, do you know what is going on? This is shocking, first of all the decaying bodies and second of all the sadness of why this is happening. We live in South Africa - Pretoria and we came to Swakopmunt to look at this beautiful place and now we get a slaughter field... In the last three days, Seal Alert-SA without any funding (except from one loyal supporter in the Netherlands) has rescued one juvenile, two sub-adults and one weanling pup. All severe starvation cases. Sadly the juvenile after a courageous fight died. All the large international seal campaigning organizations, with many millions of supporters and many millions of dollars more in funding, posted recent opposition press releases on their websites, denouncing Namibia as the "Cruelest baby seal hunt on earth." I have to wonder why none has reported these latest mass die-off's or offered Namibia to send in rescue teams to offer to save some of these seals... Although 50% of these seals were slaughtered and are now dying on the diamond restricted land, De Beers likewise has remained silent. No word as yet either, from Green Party Dr. Caroline Lucas or the Commissioners in Europe or CITES Secretariat, so it's safe to assume once again all these slaughtered baby seal pup pelts will be welcomed into the EU... For the Seals, Francois Hugo Seal Alert-SA Back to top 10. Philly Zoo Closing Elephant Exhibit KINSHIP CIRCLE COLUMN: Why I'll Never Be A Zoo Mom SOURCE: DawnWatch, news@dawnwatch.com 10/6/06 -- The Friday, October 6, Philadelphia Daily News announces "Philly Zoo elephants packing their trunks." (Pg 10) The announcement came yesterday from Vik Dewan, the new president and chief executive officer of the Philadelphia Zoo. The article tells us: "Three will go to the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, where they eventually will live in a six-acre exhibit, with a special walking trail featuring an elephant wallow, water holes and foraging space, according to a spokesman for that zoo. The Philadelphia elephants now live in a half-acre space... The fourth Philadelphia elephant, Dulary, who was injured in August 2005 in a head-butting incident with one of the other pachyderms, will be sent to an elephant sanctuary in Tennessee." We read: "Animal activists were glad the Philadelphia exhibit is shutting down but unhappy that Kallie, Bette and Petal are being sent to another zoo, said Marianne Bessey of Friends of Philly Zoo Elephants. The animals are beloved by the public and a huge draw for zoos... Veterinarian Dr. Elliot Katz, president of the animal-advocacy organization In Defense of Animals, said the Philadelphia Zoo is the second facility in the last two weeks and the 11th zoo in the U.S. that has shut down or will close its elephant display." Read the full article on line: http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/news/local/15692308.htm Though it is unfortunate that Kallie, Bette and Petal will not yet be allowed to roam the hundreds of acres at the elephant sanctuary, six acres is better than a half, and it is encouraging that another zoo is willing to acknowledge that it does not have the capacity to care for elephants. For information on the pitiful plight of elephants in zoos please visit IDA's site http://www.helpelephants.com or PETA's http://www.SaveWildElephants.com Yours and the animals', Karen Dawn / (DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal issues in the media and facilitates one-click responses to the relevant media outlets. You can learn more about it, and sign up for alerts at http://www.DawnWatch.com. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.dawnwatch.com/cgi-bin/dada/dawnwatch_unsubscribe.cgi You are encouraged to forward or reprint DawnWatch alerts but please do so unedited -- leave DawnWatch in the title and include this tag line.) Back to top 11. USDA Reverses Policy on Long-Distance Trucking of Farm Animals 7/29/06: Livestock Trailer Becomes Coffin For 150 Pigs SOURCE: http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/usda_reverses_policy_on.html EDITED FOR LENGTH 9/28/06 -- WASHINGTON -- The Humane Society of the United States, Compassion Over Killing, Farm Sanctuary and Animals' Angels today hailed a decision by the U.S. Department of Agriculture announcing that it will apply the nation's oldest federal animal welfare law -- which was passed in 1873 when farm animals were transported by rail -- to the modern transport of animals by truck. The decision came in response to a legal petition submitted in October 2005 by the humane organizations... The federal Twenty-Eight Hour Law, the nation's first and only federal law regulating the transport of farm animals, requires that animals be offloaded after 28 hours in transit on a "vehicle" so that they may eat, drink and rest for at least five hours. However, both USDA and the agribusiness lobby have tried for years to avoid applying the law to truck transport. This has effectively rendered the law meaningless, since more than 95 percent of all animal transport in the United States is via trucks. The agency's decision marks the first time USDA has publicly announced that the Twenty-Eight Hour Law applies to the transport of animals by truck. In a 1997 publication entitled, Cattle and Swine Trucking Guide for Exporters, USDA informed the livestock industry that the Twenty-Eight Hour Law "applies only to rail shipments." Likewise, a 1995 Federal Register Notice issued by the USDA states unequivocally: "The Twenty-Eight Hour Law does not apply to transport by truck." ...In its response to the humane organizations' legal petition, USDA concluded that "[w]e agree that the plain meaning of the statutory term 'vehicle' in the Twenty-Eight Hour Law includes 'trucks' which operate as express carriers or common carriers." ...As described in the organizations' legal petition, more than 50 million of the nearly 10 billion farm animals transported by truck every year must endure trips far in excess of 28 hours without food, water or rest. A 2005 Compassion Over Killing undercover investigation of long-distance pig transport found numerous cruelties, including dead animals left on trucks for more than 30 hours, animals enduring extreme heat without water, and animals suffering from a variety of injuries, including bruises, abrasions and bleeding lacerations on their bodies, legs and ears. Back to top 12. CA First State To Outlaw Chaining Dogs 3+ Hours KINSHIP CIRCLE COLUMN: Leashed For Life SOURCE: League of Humane Voters, California Chapter ph: 323-666-9075; fax: 323-666-8007; email: alan1@ix.netcom.com EDITED FOR LENGTH 9/27/06 -- Governor Schwarzenegger's office called the offices of the California Animal Association this morning to tell us the Governor signed the Anti-tethering Bill SB 1578 (Lowenthal). This makes California the first state in the country to outlaw the stationary tethering (chaining) of dogs for a period exceeding three hours. This is a great victory for animals who prior to this legislation have been left unattended for long periods of time, tied to a chain, staked to the ground and ignored... Now it is incumbent on all of us to be alert to cases of this crime and report it to animal control agency with jurisdiction in the area where the animal is confined. Should you find that there is an improper response on the part of the authorities, please report it to the League of Humane Voters at the above contact information and we will bring pressure to bear to see that this law is enforced. There are two allowable circumstances that you must be aware of. A dog may be tethered for longer than three hours by a hunter with more than one dog who tethers one of his dogs while in the field training another. A dog may also be tethered for longer than 3 hours by a farmer doing "active" farm work. In all other cases, it is a crime. Should you have the time, we would appreciate a letter or a phone call to the Governor and to Senator Lowenthal thanking them for their empathy in effecting this important legislation... To all of you who helped, thank you. To anyone in the state of California who would use a chain, a rope or a wire to restrain a dog for longer than 3 hours, beware. We will find you. We will prosecute you. We will end this crime in this state. Rich McLellan MD, Director, California Chapter Back to top 13. A Ray Of Hope In China's Merciless Dog Culls? 8/3/06 - China's Slaughter Of Innocents: 50,000+ Dogs In 5 Days SOURCE: http://www.animalsasia.org/index.php?module=3&menupos=10&lg=en  A beautiful dog saved from the pet dog cull EDITED FOR LENGTH 9/25/06 -- AAF Praises Nanjing For Compassionate Dog-Control Measures Animals Asia Foundation (AAF) praised Nanjing officials for their responsible dog control measures in the wake of massive dog culls in other Mainland cities. AAF founder and CEO, Jill Robinson, also announced plans to work with the Nanjing authorities, including inviting them to a Hong Kong workshop to learn more about humane animal control methods and ways to educate the public on caring for pets. Robinson who has just returned from the Jiangsu province capital, said that instead of adopting a brutal quick-fix measure, the officials were looking for compassionate, long-term solutions. Representatives of Nanjing Police met with Robinson and AAF's China Relations manager, Christie Yang, last week to discuss measures such as de-sexing and dog registration. "Unlike other authorities that adopted a cruel reactionary stance by bludgeoning and slaughtering dogs en masse, the Nanjing Police decided to place stray dogs into the care of a local animal shelter, and even give the shelter manager funds to feed and care for the dogs," Robinson said. Ha Wenjing, who runs Nanjing Ping An A Fu Stray Animal Rescue on the outskirts of the city, currently has about 600 dogs and 100 cats in her care. Ms Ha says she has a good relationship with the local police, who call her when they have picked up a stray. Robinson said that while placing the dogs in shelters was a good immediate option, more needed to be done to control the exploding stray population in Nanjing... Robinson said AAF would support the city's efforts by directing funds towards education programmes and organising a workshop in Hong Kong in conjunction with other animal welfare groups... READ ENTIRE RELEASE: http://www.animalsasia.org/index.php?module=3&menupos=10&lg=en ### Please also take a moment to write a letter of thanks to the Nanjing Police Department supporting and applauding Nanjing's decision to find humane ways to tackle the problem of rabies and stray dog overpopulation. Please send your letter c/o Animals Asia either by email to info@animalsasia.org or by mail: Animals Asia Foundation * GPO Box 374 * Hong Kong We will allow these letters to accumulate and present them to the authorities at the appropriate time. Back to top 14. Declawing [Big] Cats Banned Under Animal Welfare Act 4/26/06: Declawing Hurts. Urge AVMA To Oppose It 9/1/04: Urge Governor To Pass Declawing Ban SOURCE: ThePawProject@aol.com EDITED FOR LENGTH 9/12/06 -- LOS ANGELES, Declawing captive wild or exotic animals such as lions, tigers, wolves and bears is no longer permitted under the federal Animal Welfare Act. In the recently announced policy decision of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the agency has declared that declawing, the amputation of the claw-forming bone of an animal's foot, cannot be performed with the intent of making the animals easier to handle... Defanging, or the removal of canine teeth, from these animals and from primates, such as monkeys and apes, has also been banned. "This policy change is the culmination of efforts by many animal advocates within and outside the USDA," stated Dr. Jennifer Conrad, director of the Paw Project and exotic animal veterinarian. "It will spare captive animals the crippling pain and misery caused by declawing." The new policy applies to animals held by USDA license holders including exhibitors, dealers and breeders of wild and exotic animals, as well as research facilities. This decision is estimated to affect thousands of animals. Though the new policy does not affect animals previously altered by these methods, it will protect all animals that have not had these procedures already performed. Continued routine use of these procedures may subject USDA license holders to citation for noncompliance with the Animal Welfare Act and may result in a fine or license revocation... Currently there are more than 100 big cat sanctuaries in 41 states caring for thousands of declawed cats. Since 2000, veterinarians working with the Paw Project have performed reparative surgery on over fifty lions, tigers, cougars, leopards, and jaguars that had been victims of declaw surgery. The surgery cannot replace the missing claws, but can lessen many of the crippling effects of declawing. "This is a major victory for the animals and those who care about them," said Conrad. For more information, please contact Paw Project director Dr. Jennifer Conrad at 310-795-6215 or info@pawproject.org Back to top 15. USDA Cites UCONN Animal Researchers For Violations 3/23/06: Call for End To Primate Research at UConn SOURCE: UConn Animal Rights, uconnanimalrights@sbcglobal.net EDITED FOR LENGTH 9/12/06 -- Storrs, CT: Accusations of negligence first leveled last year by members of a University of Connecticut student group against neuroscience researchers at the school's Health Center have been reviewed and corroborated by an inspector from the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). In November 2005, the University of Connecticut Animal Rights Collective began a campaign to end research on primates at the UConn Health Center. The group's president, graduate student Justin Goodman, 26, discovered that, for the last 15 years, Health Center faculty member Dr. David Waitzman has engaged in neuroscience research funded by the National Institute of Health that entails drilling holes into the heads of otherwise healthy monkeys, implanting steel springs in their eyes, intentionally inflicting brain damage and measuring its effects on eye movements. The monkeys are killed at the end of the study. Goodman stated that, in addition to being cruel, the research is neither necessary nor useful for the treatment of any degenerative human neurological disorder... According to new documents released by the USDA through the Freedom of Information Act, an inspection conducted at the Farmington facility on March 7-8, 2006 at the behest of Goodman, resulted in five citations for non-compliance that contributed to the tragic death of a rhesus monkey, Cornelius, in November 2005. Among the improprieties identified in the inspection report is the employment of personnel who are not appropriately qualified and trained to handle nonhuman primates, a failure to provide appropriate sedatives to animal research subjects, a failure to painlessly euthanize an animal who would otherwise experience severe or chronic pain and a failure to provide a complete description of the proposed use of the animals in the study to the oversight committee. Waitzman's lab was also cited by the USDA in November 2005 for not effectively seeking out alternatives to potentially painful or distressful procedures... Contact: Justin Goodman, uconnanimalrights@sbcglobal.net University of Connecticut Animal Rights Collective http://www.uconnanimalrights.org Back to top 16. U.S. House Passes American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act 8/28/06: [Early Sept.] House Vote On Horse Slaughter Bill 7/24/06: ACT FOR HORSES: Call-Email-Fax By 7/25 6/23/06: Grant Horses Immunity From Butchers [URGENT] 5/17/06: ACT: Save U.S. Horses - Call/Email This Week 2/11/06: USDA Sends Horses Back to Kill Floor SOURCE: https://community.hsus.org/humane/notice-description.tcl?newsletter_id=3756076 9/7/06 -- Historic news: Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R. 503) by a vote of 263-146. Our opposition tried to introduce two "poison pill" amendments that, if passed, would have killed the bill. But thanks to your calls and emails, these amendments were soundly defeated, and the House passed the legislation. Your work carried the day for America's horses! Your actions have also paved the way for a victory in the Senate. To ensure final passage of this vital legislation, please contact your two U.S. Senators and urge them to immediately pass the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (S. 1915)... Back to top 17. Loss For Murkowski, Big Win For Wolves 1/3/06: Aerial Wolf Hunt Violates Federal Law 12/1/04: Cornered In The Snow: Alaska's Aerial Wolf Hunt SOURCE: Rodger Schlickeisen, Defenders of Wildlife, defenders@mail.defenders.org DISCLAIMER: Kinship Circle does not support Defenders of Wildlife due to their endorsement of "conservation" hunting. We've included this Defenders of Wildlife update solely to report news related to a past Kinship Circle campaign. As a rule, we do not support their organization. EDITED FOR LENGTH 8/24/06 -- Governor Murkowski has presided over one of the worst wolf massacres since the 1950s. His defeat brings new hope for more sensible wolf management strategies. Something remarkable happened earlier this week: Alaska's anti-wolf governor lost his primary. And he lost big. In a three-candidate race for the Republican nomination, current Governor Frank Murkowski came in third well behind the winner, former Wasilla Mayor Sarah Palin. Palin will now face former Governor Tony Knowles in the November election to determine Alaska's next governor. What, you may ask, does this have to do with wolves? A lot. Governor Murkowski has presided over one of the worst massacres of wolves since the 1950s. As governor, he appointed a Board of Game that has bent over backwards to maintain the state's barbaric aerial gunning program. Since the program was reinstated a few years ago, hundreds of wolves have been killed chased and shot by marksmen using low-flying aircraft. From November 2005 to May 2006 alone, more than 150 wolves were killed. Worse, Murkowski's hand-picked Board of Game has worked to expand the program by allowing aerial gunning of brown bears and the use of snow machines to chase, harass and kill wolves. Earlier today, we filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging Alaska's aerial wolf killing program. The lawsuit calls for science-based conservation and rejects back room decision-making on wolf management... Murkowski's defeat is no guarantee that the State of Alaska will adopt a more sensible approach to wolf management, but it is a hopeful sign... Back to top 18. Accused Kitten Beheader Turns Himself Into Police 8/2/06: Man Severs Kitten's Head With Knife SOURCE: http://www.wndu.com/news/072006/news_51454.php 8/19/06 -- The Elkhart man accused of beheading his neighbor's kitten turned himself into police. Michael Pifer was arrested Wednesday morning. Police say he admits taking his neighbor's cat and cutting its head off. Police say Pifer told them the cat kept coming in his home and he just, "snapped." Pifer is charged with a class D felony count of animal cruelty. Back to top 19. Congress Shoots Down Taxidermy Tax Scam 3/12/05: Canned Hunters Need New "Hobby" SOURCE: http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/congress_shoots_down_taxidermy.html 8/4/06 -- Victory for Hunted Exotics (and Taxpayers) -- For years, big game trophy hunters have been sticking American taxpayers with the bill for their hunting vacations. A two-year investigation by The HSUS revealed that some trophy hunters are shooting rare animals around the world and donating their mounted prizes to phony museums so that they can take a tax deduction. A comprehensive pensions bill passed last week by the House and last night by the Senate contains provisions that tighten the laws on charitable giving and closes this trophy hunting tax scam loophole. There is nothing charitable about shooting rare animals and writing off the cost. Closing this loophole will help save rare wildlife around the world and save American taxpayers an estimated $43 million over the next decade. Back to top Kinship Circle needs ongoing donations to fund the literature, website, research and campaigns that let YOU take action for animals. Please keep Kinship Circle in mind each time you make a charitable donation. Thank you! DONATE NOW: http://www.kinshipcircle.org/donation/donations.html  BEAR WITNESS. SPEAK. DEMAND. ACT. Kinship Circle - Action Campaigns I Literature I Voice For Animals Nonprofit working in animal protection/cruelty + animal disaster relief campaigns Brenda Shoss, president * Janet Enoch, vice-president info@kinshipcircle.org or kinshipcircle@brick.net http://www.KinshipCircle.org * http://www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/default.html Kinship Circle is a non-profit organization. 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