Kinship Circle

1. Japan Scraps Plan To Hunt Humpback Whales
DATE: 12/22/07
SOURCE: www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/12/21/world/main3638462.shtml

EDITED FOR LENGTH
(CBS) Despite Concession, The Hunt Will Still Target Nearly 1,000 Whales From Other Species — Japan dropped the planned taking of 50 humpbacks — off-limits to commercial hunting since 1966 — at the behest of the United States, the chair of the International Whaling Commission, said Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura... Japan's scientific whaling research program kills a total of 1,000 whales (mostly minkes) a year in the Pacific...

• 12/3/07: Stop The Whale Killers - Japan, Norway, Iceland

2. Lawsuit Against Los Angeles County Animal Control Dept.
DATE: 12/20/07
SOURCE: www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/whatsnew.html

PHOTOS: Left, Zephyr begins to show signs of illness... Right, Zephyr, a 10-month old puppy, lies dead in her barren, filthy kennel at the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control, on November 30, 2007.

EDITED FOR LENGTH
The national No Kill Advocacy Center, Cathy Nguyen, a volunteer animal rescuer, and Rebecca Arvizu, a Los Angeles County taxpayer and animal rescuer, have jointly filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles County, its Department of Animal Care and Control, and the Department's Director, Marcia Mayeda. The lawsuit alleges unlawful and abusive treatment of animals at all six Los Angeles County animal shelters. Among allegations in the complaint filed in Superior Court, the County Department of Animal Care and Control routinely:

Kills healthy and treatable animals before their state mandated holding period expires;
Misclassifies animals as "ill" or "injured" in order to kill them before their holding period expires even though the animals are not irremediably suffering as required by state law;
Kills lost animals without making reasonable attempts to find owners...

READ MORE: www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/whatsnew.html
PETITION / End Abuse In LAAS: thepetitionsite.com/1/end-abuse-in-the-department-of-los-angeles-animal-services

3. "Chimp Haven Is Home Act" Passes Congress
DATE: 12/19/07
SOURCE: The National Anti-Vivisection Society, website@navs.org

EDITED FOR LENGTH
A long-awaited amendment to the CHIMP Act, the Chimp Haven is Home Act, passed both the U.S. Senate and House, making the retirement of chimpanzees under the Act permanent. The Act now awaits the President's approval. The Chimpanzee Health Improvement, Maintenance and Protection (CHIMP) Act, which passed in 2000, contained language that would have permitted chimpanzees who were retired to the federally-designated sanctuary to be returned to research, if needed... The Chimp Haven Is Home Act gives chimpanzees once used for research the opportunity to live in peace.

4. Pet Safety & Protection Act Passes As Part Of Farm Bill
DATE: 12/14/07
SOURCE: LCA, www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=803401

EDITED FOR LENGTH
LOS ANGELES, CA: Last Chance for Animals Applauds Senate for Making Pet Theft a Federal Issue — Your companion animal will be safer if the final version of the Farm Bill includes the Pet Safety & Protection Act (PSPA) provision passed today by the Senate... The amendment would phase out the use in research of random source dogs and cats obtained through unscrupulous Class B dealers. These animals are often pets, stolen from yards, dishonestly " adopted" from shelters, purchased at flea markets, or obtained from "free to good home" ads. Last year, HBO released 'Dealing Dogs,' LCA's undercover investigation into pet theft and subsequent bust of the nation's most notorious Class B dealer, C.C. Baird.

• FACT SHEET: Pet Theft Thugs
• 7/9/07: Support Bill To Spare Dogs/Cats From Experimentation
• 4/5/06: Dealing Dogs And Cats For Research

5. Shark Busts Superbowl Of Rodeo, The National Finals
DATE: December 2007
FROM: SHARK Update, afinley@sharkonline.org

EDITED FOR LENGTH
The National Finals Rodeo (NFR) is a ten day series of rodeo performances in Las Vegas, Nevada that determines who is "world champion" of each rodeo event. This is, without a doubt, the most important rodeo expose ever... The first night of NFR, SHARK volunteer and investigator Mike Kobliska identified an individual doing something to horses... We subsequently filmed 4 more performances and found one culprit using a device near the horses' faces just when the bucking chute opened. We've never seen this device at any of the numerous rodeos SHARK has investigated... At least one horse who received treatment from this device, High Life Gal, came crashing down on the arena floor and had to be stretchered out.

The device, held in place with a flesh-colored band, is almost undetectable. It appeared to be a miniature electric prodding device that fit in the palm of the hand, imperceptible to most rodeo-goers... The creep who committed such a cowardly act against tame horses is Charles Soileau. Mr. Soileau is not only a member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), but also the PRCA's saddle bronc riding event representative! That means we have direct evidence the PRCA rigs its own competition, since only select horses endured Soileau's dirty tool. The more wild a contestant's horse bucks, the more points he can rack up...

PHOTOS: Las Vegas Channel 8 News / Controversy at
National Finals Rodeo

lasvegasnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=7500463

Ask KLAS Channel 8 to keep covering the NFR scandal. So far, PRCA won't answer questions about the device. How much voltage does it put out? How do they decide which horses get it? How can they justify this in line with their "humane rules?" PRCA is scared witless for this story to break bigger. They know it's as big to their "sport" as the steroid scandal is to baseball. Keep the pressure snowballing!

KLAS-TV • 3228 Channel 8 Drive • Las Vegas, Nevada 89109
Emily Neilson, President and General Manager: eneilson@klastv.com
Ron Comings, News Director: rcomings@klastv.com

• FACT SHEET: MYTH OF THE COWBOY

PHOTOS: Kinship Circle, The Myth Of The Cowboy

6. You Got The Pet-Killing Dogcatcher Canned
DATE: 12/14/07
SOURCE: Kinship Circle's anonymous source in Gerald, Missouri

12/7/07: Serial Pet Killer Goes Unpunished In Small Town— We share news that at least HALF of what we called for in letters has occurred: The Gerald City Council voted to FIRE the dogcatcher who lured, trapped and shot companion animals at close range. Though dogcatcher Dean Tadaro is jobless, he has NOT been charged with violating animal cruelty statutes. Below is an update from KC's anonymous source, a resident of Gerald, Missouri:

"Brenda, last night the City Council meeting was packed! The lady from the Humane Society of Missouri (Brenda Dean) spoke. The mother of the little girl's missing cat spoke. The report from the Missouri Dept. of Agriculture (Mary Martin) was read... Many in the audience had their say and the City Clerk spoke of being swamped with phone calls, fax messages, etc. to the point where they could not get their normal work done this week!

The Council voted to fire the dogcatcher and to get a license and abide by the rules/regulations of the state. So, thanks to your help and others we WON for the humane treatment of all animals in our small town!"

• 12/7/07: Serial Pet Killer Goes Unpunished In Small Town

7. New Laws And Hope After Puerto Rico "Pet Massacre"
DATE: 12/11/07, 12/5/07, 10/23/07, 10/21/07, 10/19/07
SOURCE: J2468@webtv.net • Carl Simonsen, boardwalkcats@webtv.net

EDITED FOR LENGTH
12/11/07, SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico to improve treatment of animals after international condemnation, tourism loss — Officials launched a campaign to build shelters and create animal protection units within every police department...after allegations of inhumane killings of cats and dogs drew international condemnation and led to more than $15 million in lost tourism. www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/11/news/Puerto-Rico-Pet-Massacres.php

12/5/07, SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) 3 Charged in Puerto Rico Pet Massacre — A Puerto Rican judge charged Julio Diaz, owner of Animal Control Solutions, and workers Lucas Montano Rivera, 18, and Roberto Rodriguez Ceballo, 28, with animal cruelty after the company allegedly took pets from a public housing project and hurled them off a bridge. The defendants face cruelty charges that carry maximum prison terms of nine years... ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jnVM28pujsusIu2PeX7-zhySk87AD8TBKT5O0

10/23/07, SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Justice department supports toughening of animal abuse laws — Puerto Rico's Justice Department will support proposed amendments that force violators of animal protection laws to participate in an anger management course...and allow immediate transfer of pet to an animal shelter when mistreatment suspicions are first reported... www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/24/news/CB-GEN-Puerto-Rico-Pet-Massacre.php

10/21/07, SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Owners of Pets Killed at Puerto Rico Bridge Sue for $22.5 Million — Pet owners whose dogs and cats were thrown to their deaths from a bridge have filed a $22.5 million claim in federal court against Puerto Rico's public housing director, the municipality of Barceloneta, its mayor, an animal control company's owner and others...

10/19/07, ORLANDO SENTINEL, Central Florida groups help find new homes for Puerto Rico stray dogs — News of more than 50 cats and dogs thrown to their deaths from a bridge in Puerto Rico horrified Christine Driscoll. In response, Driscoll, a resident of Baldwin Park in Orlando, founded Amigos de los Animales (Friends of the Animals): 787-313-5653 or www.amigosdelosanimalespr.org

• 10/17/07: Puerto Rico's Massacre At The Bridge

8. Vick Sentenced To 23 Months For Dogfighting
DATE: 12/10/07
SOURCE: www.publicenemy.com/pb/viewtopic.php?t=41960

EDITED FOR LENGTH
By LARRY O'DELL, Associated Press, RICHMOND, Va. — Michael Vick was sentenced to prison for running a dogfighting operation and will stay there longer than two co-defendants, up to 23 months... The disgraced NFL star received a harsher sentence than the others in the federal conspiracy case because of "less than truthful" statements about killing pit bulls...

Dogs that did not perform up to expectations were killed by electrocution, hanging, drowning and other violent means... U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson said evidence, including statements by the co-defendants, showed Vick was more directly involved than he admitted... "He did more than fund it," prosecutor Michael Gill said, referring to the "Bad Newz Kennels" dogfighting operation. "He was in this thing up to his neck..."

Two co-defendants were sentenced Nov. 30. Purnell Peace, of Virginia Beach, got 18 months. Phillips, of Atlanta, got 21 months. All still face animal cruelty charges in Surry County Circuit Court. Trial has been set April 2 for Vick, March 5 for Phillips and Peace, and May 7 for Taylor.

Vick Received Federal Sentence — Demand Tough State Prosecution Now!
getactive.peta.org/campaign/vick_sentencing?c=weekly_enews

9. Vick's Dogs...You Helped Save Their Lives
DATE: 12/4/07
From: Wayne Johnson, seiku@tmail.com
SOURCE: Tom Shaer Media, Inc., 224-305-2551, shaermedia@aol.com

EDITED FOR LENGTH
VALPARAISO, IND. — Of 48 remaining American Pit Bull Terriers in the Michael Vick civil forfeiture case, 47 are recommended for placement with rescue groups, with many likely eligible for future adoption by the public. Recommendations were made by Valparaiso University School of Law Professor Rebecca J. Huss, court-appointed Guardian/Special Master of the dogs. One dog was euthanized for medical reasons... The eight organizations are:

Best Friends Animal Society, Kaneb, Utah (22 dogs)
BAD RAP, Oakland, California (10 dogs)
Richmond Animal League, Richmond VA (4 dogs)
Georgia S.P.C.A., Suwanee, GA (3 dogs)
SPCA of Monterey County, CA (3 dogs)
Recycled Love, Inc., Baltimore, MD (3 dogs)
Animal Rescue of Tidewater, Chesapeake, VA (1 dog)
Our Pack, Inc. (1 dog)

• FACT SHEET: Fatal Fights, Dogs On The Underground Circuit
• OCT. 2007 DIGEST - Ensure Vick's Dogs Are Spared...
• 9/30/07: Vick Teammate Faces Unrelated Cruelty Charges
• 8/28/07: Salvation For Vick's Dogs?
• [RELIEF GLOBAL] Sick Vick Updates & Feedback
• 8/19/07: No Deal For Sick Vick's Dogfighting Crimes
• 8/2/07: Michael Vick Dogfighting Files: Action & Updates
• OCT. KC DIGEST - Ensure Vick's Dogs Are Spared...
• JUNE 2007 DIGEST: Massive K-9 Grave On Vick's Property

10. New York Medical College Drops Live Dog Lab!
DATE: 11/26/07
SOURCE: www.pcrm.org/dogs/

EDITED FOR LENGTH
New York Medical College (NYMC) announced it will replace its live dog lab for its first-year physiology course with non-animal alternatives. Now there are only 10 medical schools left with cruel live animal labs:
     The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University
     Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
     Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
     Medical College of Wisconsin
     Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine
     Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences School of Medicine
     University of Minnesota Medical School
     University of Mississippi School of Medicine
     University of Tennessee College of Medicine
     University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

• 4/20/06: Dinosaurs: Big Med Schools With Animal Labs

11. Washington University Medical School Ends Pig Lab
DATE: 11/26/07
SOURCE: www.pcrm.org/

PCRM confirmed Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis— ranked no. 4 among U.S. medical schools — has discontinued its use of live pigs in a student cardiovascular lab...

12. Nine New Medical Schools To Teach Without Animals
DATE: 11/26/07
SOURCE: www.pcrm.org/newsletter/nov07/med_school.html

EDITED FOR LENGTH
Nine new medical schools being established around the country to address the need for more physicians will not use dogs or other live animals to teach basic concepts in anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, or surgery, PCRM has recently learned. That news confirms a trend in U.S. medical education: Today, more than 90 percent of medical schools in the United States have eliminated live animal laboratories from their curricula. Only 10 medical schools (of 126) continue to use live animals to teach students.

• Letter Library / ANIMAL EXPERIMENTATION
• Fact Sheets: ANIMAL RESEARCH
• Columns & Articles: ANIMAL EXPERIMENTATION

13. Victory For Wildlife Caught In Bush-Style Politics
DATE: 11/26/07
FROM: dhartig@arcor.de
SOURCE: news.yahoo.com

EDITED FOR LENGTH
By H. JOSEF HEBERT, Associated Press Writer, WASHINGTON — U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reversed seven rulings that denied endangered species increased protection, after an investigation found the actions were tainted by political pressure from a former senior Interior Department official.

In a letter to Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., the agency acknowledged the actions had been "inappropriately influenced" and "revising the seven identified decisions is supported by scientific evidence and the proper legal standards." The reversal affects the protection for species including white-tailed prairie dog, Preble's meadow jumping mouse and Canada lynx.

The rulings came under scrutiny after Julie MacDonald, then a deputy assistant secretary overseeing Fish and Wildlife Service, pressured wildfire agency scientists to alter their findings about endangered species and leaked information about species decisions to industry officials...

• LETTER LIBRARY / Wild Animals

14. Who Dumped Huntingdon Life Sciences Lately?
DATE: 12/20/07, 11/20/07, 10/1/97, 9/20/07
FROM: Close HLS, closehls@closehls.net • animallibpress1@yahoo.com • press@animalliberationpressoffice.org

EDITED FOR LENGTH
12/20/07: Once again HLS finds itself with few, if any, friends in the financial world. The following are companies who in the last few weeks have dumped Life Sciences Research stock (LSRI is the name HLS trades stock under): Transamerica Investment, Frontier Capital, SAC Capital, AXA, Wachovia, Alternative Investment Partners & Rathbone Brothers.

11/20/07: The North American Animal Liberation Press Office learned that Wachovia has sold all their shares involving the notorious animal testing company Huntingdon Life Sciences.

10/1/07: Fullerton, CA— Paul Moravek, owner and vice-president of Moravek Biochemicals, supplier of radioactive chemicals to Huntingdon Life Sciences, stated that his company has decided to cease doing business with the notorious contract animal testing company... www.animalliberationpressoffice.org/communiques_home.htm

9/20/07: BNP Paribas, Huntingdon's (former) largest shareholder, sold all shares in HLS... "BNP Paribas does not hold any stock in the US company, Life Sciences Research, or any of its affiliates, on its own account..."

• FACT SHEET: Who Is Huntingdon Life Sciences?
• Bear Witness - Inside Huntingdon Life Sciences
• LETTER LIBRARY / HLS-Related Letter Campaigns
• INSIDE/OUT: Diary Of Madness

15. Bebe Bans Fur? Not For Awhile...
DATE: 11/1/07
SOURCE: sfist.com/2007/11/01/bebe_bans_fur.php

EDITED FOR LENGTH
Bebe Bans Fur — San Francisco clothing retailer bebe has decided to drop real fuzzy-wuzzy fur from all of their designs come January, according to bebe CEO Gregory Scott. The company maintains a 3% fur-use in their lines as of now. Come next year, they will be proudly fur-free...

Bebe Stops Buying Fur But Keeps Selling It! Following over a year of discussions with PETA, bebe plans to continue selling rabbit fur following the company's recent announcement it will go "fur-free." The company has no plans to drop rabbit fur from its inventory for this fall and winter... We urge people to refuse to shop at bebe until it stops selling fur.

• 12/2/05: Fur Flies At bebe, Ann Taylor, Brooks Brothers

16. 1/10/08 Trial For Sergeant Who Let Dog Die In Patrol Car
DATE: 10/24/07
FROM: www.pet-abuse.com/cases/12040/AZ/US/#UPDATES

EDITED FOR LENGTH
Chandler police Sgt. Tom Lovejoy will go on trial Jan. 10 for reckless animal abuse after he left his K-9 partner in a hot patrol car for more than 12 hours. Lovejoy has pleaded not guilty... Bandit, a Belgian Malinois, died on August 11, 2007. Lovejoy apparently forgot Bandit was in the vehicle... He found Bandit dead when he returned to the car later in the day... The high temperature in Phoenix on that day was 109 degrees.

KINSHIP CIRCLE REFERENCES:
• 9/30/07: Bandit Died Waiting In Officer's Scorching Car

17. Stu Is Spared, But NOT Free Or Exonerated
DATE: 10/20/07
FROM: Jeff de la Rosa, stu.911@gmail.com
SOURCE: blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=107121886&blogID=320755348

EDITED FOR LENGTH
"This photo was taken by a good friend who was instrumental in securing Stu's transfer from [Los Angeles] pound to Bobby Dorafshar's New Leash on Life. The attorney and I are preparing opening briefs and have received key evidence we hope will help us win. No date on the court hearing yet, but Stu is thriving with all good reports from his trainers..."

Stu was impounded on Sept. 16, 2005 for an "attack" on a pet sitter who confronted him after he'd been injured... Though an Animal Services Hearing Examiner found him NOT DANGEROUS, Stu languished in Los Angeles Animal Services pound, gaining weight and losing his spirit until his very recent transfer to New Leash On Life. The case is not over, as Stu is still not with his dad, Jeff de la Rosa, but for now "he's safe, sound and loved" and Jeff can visit him in this positive environment.

MORE ABOUT STU AND JEFF'S NIGHTMARE:
stu.911.googlepages.com/

• SEPT. 2007 DIGEST: Unhappy Anniversary For Stu!
• 8/12/07: My Dog Stu Unjustly Imprisoned Since 9/15/05
• JUNE 2007 DIGEST: They Can Kill Stu Any Day Now

18. Spain: Bird Hunts With Glue Ruled Illegal
DATE: 10/10/07
FROM: mentayflor@ciudad.com.ar
SOURCE: mediambient.gencat.net/eng//el_departament/sala_de_premsa/notes/NPCa_aenBarraca.jsp

Despite a 1986 ban under European law, the Valencian government still condones the tradition of parany. During this annual hunt for tordos (thrushes), killers coat tree branches in glue. When birds settle in the trees, their delicate feet adhere to the deadly limbs — causing immense physical and psychological torment. As they struggle to escape, hunters tear them from the branches to fatally beat them with racket-like instruments. A Catalan government law that would have legitimized this "custom" was vetoed, making bird hunts with glue forbidden again.

• 1/25/04: Heartless Slaughter Of Songbirds In Spain

19. Mercy's Killer Behind Bars For Four Years
DATE: 9/20/07
SOURCE: www.pet-abuse.com/cases/8126/TX/US/#UPDATES

EDITED FOR LENGTH
CASE: Pit bull doused with gasoline, set on fire
LOCATION: Dallas, TX
A 22-year-old Dallas man who tortured his dog by setting her on fire was sentenced Friday night to four years in prison for animal cruelty. Deshawn Brown stabbed his dog, poured an accelerant on her stomach and set her on fire in April 2006. Prosecutors say he was mad she wouldn't mate.

Prosecutor David Alex had asked jurors to give Mr. Brown the maximum 10 years — one year for each day she suffered before dying. Jonnie England, executive director of Operation Kindness, the shelter that cared for the pit bull mix they named Mercy, called the jury's sentence "insignificant." "We're extremely disappointed," she said. "It's not enough, and it's not about revenge. It's about justice."

• UPDATES / JUNE - SEPT 2007: Mercy's Killer Faces Bond Increase
• DEC. 2006 DIGEST: Mercy's Killer Will Stand Trial On April 23, 2007
• 4/29/06 - A World Without Mercy: Justice For Tortured Pup

GET COOL STUFF: www.kinshipcircle.org/store/

Action Campaigns I Literature I Animal Disaster Aid Networking
www.KinshipCircle.org • www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters
info@kinshipcircle.org or kinshipcircle@accessus.net

Use GoodSearch and select KINSHIP CIRCLE as your
designated cause: www.goodsearch.com/

*DISCLAIMER: The information in these alerts is verified with the original source. Kinship Circle does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of the information or for the consequences of its use. Nothing on this web site is intended to encourage illegal action in whatever country you are reading it in. Kinship Circle does not engage in, nor support, any form of harassment or unlawful activity. Nothing in this alert serves to promote such conduct.

*Kinship Circle cannot guarantee validity of email addresses. During a campaign, recipients may change or disable their email.