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AR-NEWS Digest 221
Topics covered in this issue include:
1) Re: bobkidd@ix.netcom.com
by SpecieLink@aol.com
2) Wherever You Are, Pl. Help Our Library Project
by Carmen Lee <105252.3520@compuserve.com>
3) Spending answers
by anmlpepl@whidbey.com (Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE)
4) Cats in Ft. Lee, NJ need help. (USA)
by Joe Miele
5) Announcements from AWIC
by mkoplow@ix.netcom.com (Maureen Koplow)
6) NY Times: A Vet in a Van With a Cause (US)
by Marisul@aol.com
7) Other MI ballot wins
by mchiado@rust.net (mike chiado)
8) The test
by anmlpepl@whidbey.com (Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE)
9) Dallas Observer: PETA and Boy Scouts(US)
by Marisul@aol.com
10) Help needed for zoo protest
by mkoplow@ix.netcom.com (Maureen Koplow)
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Date: Fri, 8 Nov 1996 21:53:55 -0500
>From: SpecieLink@aol.com
To: anmlpepl@whidbey.com, ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Re: bobkidd@ix.netcom.com
Message-ID: <961108215355_1550668999@emout02.mail.aol.com>
Merritt Clifton's description of the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF)
contains major inaccuracies. From any perspective, ALDF IS NOT "PRIMARILY A
LAWYERS" REFERRAL SERVICE." ALDF clearly states in all publications that its
main purpose for existence is to protect animals and establish their legal
rights through litigation and legal projects. Clifton conveniently ignores
that just last week, ALDF won a decision from the U.S. District Court
ordering the U.S. Department of Agriculture to rewrite the regulations
regarding primates in zoos and research laboratories and set minimum
standards. ALDF has been suing the USDA since 1987 to gain better conditions
for animals in captivity in research laboratories and zoos. ALDF has
challenged the leghold trap and the Provimi method of raising calves for veal
consumption. We've challenged the predator killing activities of the federal
Animal Damage Control agency and were instrumental in killing a bill in
Congress that would have allowed primate researcher Fred Coulston to gain
control of 148 chimpanzees currently owned by the U.S. Air Force. ALDF
regularly sues state and federal agencies, private corporations and others
harming animals. And, ALDF provides free legal assistance to prosecutors
nationwide who are handling cruelty cases; in fact ALDF's Zero Tolerance for
Cruelty Campaign is one of its most active current projects.
As with most other animal rights organizations, members of the public come
to ALDF for assistance. Because we are an organization of lawyers, people
assume that we will refer them to lawyers who will represent them. Most
other animal organizations refer people to ALDF for legal help. ALDF MAKES
NO MONEY FROM REFERRING MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO ATTORNEYS. The attorneys to
whom we refer people have never paid us a dime. No foundation pays us money
to do this service. In reality, it costs us money (staff time, costs of
printing materials, postage, telephone) to offer this service. We would love
to be relieved of this obligation, if anyone, including Merritt Clifton,
would like to take it over. We refer people to attorneys because they
consistently demand it of us. Some of the attorneys will work pro bono (for
free), some will require payment of a fee. That is between the client and
the attorney. Clifton would have you think that ALDF is little more than an
attorney referral service. We find that very odd. Our attorney referral
service is but a small part of the services that ALDF provides to the animals
and public.
Clifton then raises an issue, as he has often, about how charities account
for fundraising expenses. This is a subject of debate in the nonprofit
world. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants has a policy
(they call it a Statement of Position) whch states that if a nonprofit sends
out a fundraising appeal, which, in addition to raising money, does something
that also raises consciousness or stimulates the reader to take action to
address the problem, then the organzation can allocate some of the cost of
the mailing to program and some to fundraising. ALDF, like most nonprofits,
follows this policy. The Council of Better Business Bureaus accepts this
policy and, while the BBB does not grade or approve charities, according to
its July 1996 Charity Report, ALDF "meets the CBBB Standards for Charitable
Solicitation." For a copy of this report, contact the CBBB, 4200 Wilson
Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22203-1804. Merritt Clifton seems to believe that
if you ask for money anywhere in a publication, the whole thing should count
as a fundraising expense. We disagree and can give a number of examples of
"fundraising appeals" in which we gathered signatures to petition agencies to
stop harming animals, or urged people to contact their local prosecutors and
inform them of the resources ALDF offers for free. We depend upon our
members to sign petitions and help us pressure governmental officials. It is
an essential part of our program and educational efforts.
We appreciate that the requestor wants to get unbiased, complete
information about ALDF, or any other animal rights group. Unfortunately, we
do not believe the response she received fits either of those criteria.
Joyce Tischler, Executive Director, ALDF
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Date: Fri, 8 Nov 1996 15:57:13 -0500
>From: Carmen Lee <105252.3520@compuserve.com>
To: AR-News
Subject: Wherever You Are, Pl. Help Our Library Project
Message-ID: <199611082242_MC1-BBD-DFD3@compuserve.com>
The following message was posted several days ago.
Please note that we are not only seeking help from those who live near
Baltimore. Assistance from other parts of the country and even outside the
U.S. is perfectly possible and most welcomed!
Wherever you are, please lend us a hand and e-mail us for more information:
<>
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Date: Sat, 9 Nov 1996 01:45:01 -0800 (PST)
>From: anmlpepl@whidbey.com (Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE)
To: AR-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Spending answers
Message-ID:
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
"Does the Doris Day Animal League spend more than North Shore Animal League?"
As a percentage of orgnizational income, no animal-related charity
among the 100-odd that we've monitored over the past seven years has
ever--even in one year--spent more on fundraising and overhead than the
Doris Day Animal League.
The North Shore Animal League (34%) isn't even in the same ballpark.
Actually, North Shore fundraising expenditure as a percentage of income is
right in the middle of the normal range; it just looks like a lot because
of the size of the organization [half again larger than the Humane Society
of the U.S., the second-biggest animal protection organization, which in
turn is about twice the size of PETA (27%), the next runner-up.]
The normal range for charity spending on fundraising and overhead is
25% to 33% of organizational income. The National Charities Information
Bureau sets a ceiling of 40% for approval. Charities which derive much of
their income from "old" money, e.g. trust funds and bequests, often end
up in the 17%-24% range, not because they are especially efficient, but
rather because they've been around a long time. Other charities may score
in that range if they don't do "prospect" mailings to people who haven't
previously donated. Charities scoring below 17% usually either have very
heavy funding from a few individual sponsors, so that they don't have to
do much fundraising from the public; or are shirking fundraising; or are
operated almost entirely by volunteers, so have little payroll to meet; or
are (in a relative handful of cases) just plain misrepresenting the
figures.
We'll be publishing the figures based on fiscal year 1995 IRS Form 990
filings in our December edition, going to press very soon. Meanwhile,
based on fiscal year 1994 filings, the animal-related charities that were
over the NCIB standard of 40%, among 64 we looked at, were:
68% - Doris Day Animal League
59% - In Defense of Animals
59% - Safari Club International (opposition group)
58% - Animal Industry Foundation (opposition group)
52% - Animal Legal Defense Fund
48% - National Humane Education Society
48% - IFAW
46% - Animal Protection Institute
(probably a fluke, as API has never been high in other recent years)
46% - Humane Society of the U.S.
45% - Last Chance for Animals
(possibly a fluke, as LCA had just begun doing mass mailings)
41% - PsyETA
--Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE.
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Date: Sat, 9 Nov 1996 09:43:00 -0500
>From: Joe Miele
To: AR-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Cats in Ft. Lee, NJ need help. (USA)
Message-ID: <19961109144255241.AAB62@LOCALNAME>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Hello folks,
There is a desperate situation that we need help with in the worst way.
Construction of a new shopping plaza (Ft. Lee, Bergen County) is threatening
to displace a colony of feral cats. A local activist (and member of NJARA)
needs help rescuing the cats before the shed they are living in is torn down
by the construction workers.
It may take only an hour or so of your time in order to help us go into the
shed and remove any cats and/or kittens who may be living there.
Homes are also needed for these cats.
If you can help out in ANY capacity, please call Terry at (201) 461-4756
How is this for irony; the cats are living under a billboard advertising fur.
Thanks for your help.
Peace,
Joe
######################################################
# "Tactics based solely on morality can only succeed when #
# you are dealing with people who are moral or a system that #
# is moral."
#
# - Malcolm X #
######################################################
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Date: Sat, 9 Nov 1996 08:36:51 -0800
>From: mkoplow@ix.netcom.com (Maureen Koplow)
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Announcements from AWIC
Message-ID: <199611091636.IAA14787@dfw-ix5.ix.netcom.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
These announcements were in the latest AWIC Newsletter. There was
lots of other interesting & disturbing "stuff". To get your own free
subscription, send an e-mail request to
or write to:
US Dept of Agriculture
Agricultural Research Service
National Agricultural Library
AWIC Newsletter Staff
10301 Baltimore Ave.
Beltsville, MD 20705-2351
Ask to be put on the mailing list for the "Animal Welfare Information
Center Newsletter"
You can also visit their web site at http://netvet/wustl.edu/awic.htm
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National Youth Livestock Program Ethics Symposium
Recent times have given rise to the public revelation of unethical
and illegal activity associated with youth livestock programs across
the United States. While the majority of exhibitors at youth livestock
expositions are responsible stewards of their animals, the actions of
a few unethical individuals could endanger the existence of educational
youth livestock programs.
In keeping with its history of addressing issues of concern in
animal agriculture, the Livestock Conservation Institute will facilitate
a Youth Livestock Progam Ethics Symposium on December 6-8, 1996, at
the Hyatt Regency in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas.
The symposium, designed to help livestock show competitors,
educators, and others deal with the problem of unethical activities, will
include two "Super Sessions" keying on the topics "Adult Involvement -
What's Excessive?" and "Jackpot Shows - How to Make Them Part of
the Solution."
The symposium will also include break-out sessions on individual
youth livestock issues and workshops that will include information
about innovative programs that are addressing ethical issues.
For registration information, please contact the Livestock
Conservation Institute at (502) 782-9798 or fax: (502) 782-0188.
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Electronic Newsletter: NetVet LInks
Ken Boschert, DVM, founder of the popular website NetVet,
introduces "NetVet Links", an electronic periodic summary of new
veterinary websites. The inaugural edition (May 1996) includes over
100 sites. The newsletter will be distributed to the following mailing
lists and online services: VETINFO, VETMED-L, COMPMED,
VETWEB, VETLIB-L, PROMED, NOAH, and VIN. For additional
information, contact Dr. Boschert, Washington University, Division
of Comparative Medicine, Box 8061, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis,
MO 63110, phone: (314) 362-3700, fax: (314) 362-6480, e-mail:
ken@wudcm.wustl.edu.
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National Cell Culture Center
The National Cell Culture Center is a resource facility that
provides large-scale mammalian cell culture services. The center,
available to researchers throughout the United States and Canada,
has been established to alleviate the shortage of facilities and
expertise required to meet the cell culture needs of the biomedical
research community. It provides researchers with large quantity
production of mammalian cells in suspension or monolayer cultures,
production of monoclonal antibodies, and nonhybridoma cell secreted
proteins. Direct programmatic inquiries can be addressed to Elaine
Young, phone: (301) 435-0776, e-mail: elainey@ep.ncrr.nih.gov.
Application and resource inquiries should be addressed to
Dr. Mark Hirschel, phone: (800) 325-1112.
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Date: Sat, 9 Nov 1996 13:50:43 -0500
>From: Marisul@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: NY Times: A Vet in a Van With a Cause (US)
Message-ID: <961109135043_224451396@emout07.mail.aol.com>
Copyright 1996 The New York Times Company
The New York Times; November 3, 1996, Sunday, Late Edition - Final Section
13CN; Page 8; Column 6; Connecticut Weekly Desk
A Vet In a Van With a Cause
By SAM LIBBY
WHY did Vernon A. Tait leave an initial bequest of $500,000 to John A.
Caltabiano and his nearly bankrupt nonprofit foundation, All-Animal Adoption?
Dr. Caltabiano does not know.
But, he said, he immediately knew what he wanted to do with this windfall
and all others that might follow. Dr. Caltabiano, who has run a mobile
veterinary practice in the lower Connecticut River Valley, for 16 years, says
the money will be used for all the problems that assail the state's domestic
and wild animals.
Upon receiving the first bequest Dr. Caltabiano reorganized his foundation
and named it the Vernon A. Tait All-Animal Adoption Preservation and Rescue
Fund Inc., informally known as Tait's Every Animal Matters (TEAM), and set up
a state-wide toll-free telephone number for the placement of unwanted pets
and to address concerns of animal lovers.
"But this is only the beginning. You haven't seen anything, yet," says Dr.
Caltabiano.
Soon the state's worst animal problem -- the uncontrolled growth of the
state's domestic and feral cat population will be addressed, he said.
Dr. Caltabiano's plan is to customize a 24-foot van into a mobile
veterinary operating theater, and to drive to each of the state's 169
municipalities.
The van will not leave town until all the cats needing to be spayed or
neutered are gathered up by volunteers or brought in by owners and attended
to, free, he said.
The program is directed at animals who ordinarily would never receive any
veterinary treatment, Dr. Caltabiano said.
A network of volunteers from Spay/USA, a program of the Pet Savers
Foundation, will help capture feral or stray cats, says Esther Mechler,
director of the animal protection organization, which has over 5,000
veterinary volunteers nationwide, and at least 80 in Connecticut.
Ms. Mechler's group has gathered 700 cats in Bridgeport for spaying, this
year alone.
Strays that need a home will be placed by TEAM, Dr. Caltabiano said. Feral
cats too wild to be placed will be released. Only when a municipality's cat
overpopulation problem has been solved will the van travel to another
municipality, and begin the process all over again, he said.
"There's no question that the biggest killer of cats is overpopulation,"
said Ms. Mechler.
Dr. Caltabiano agreed. When TEAM initiated its state-wide animal hot line,
the majority of the calls were about cat overpopulation problems, he said.
"Then I got a call from Esther. I asked her what she thought had to be
done, and she told me about her very detailed plan," he said.
Cat overpopulation has many ramifications, said Dr. Caltabiano. Cats, for
example, reduce the numbers and diversity of the state's bird population.
By February Dr. Caltabiano's van will park in the first municipality, and
begin a program that is expected to continue into next summer.
Vernon Tait, 71, of New Haven, drowned in Lake Zoar in Southbury in 1992.
He left half his multimillion-dollar estate to Yale University and half to
Dr. Caltabiano's foundation, of which the $500,000 is a first payment.
Before receiving Mr. Tait's bequest, All-Animal Adoption received no
funding and very few donations, although it had placed hundreds of animals,
including a pig, and operated a toll-free number costing more than $2,000 a
month, said Dr. Caltabiano.
"It's karma, it's fate, it's providence. I want to be true to the spirit
that Mr. Tait had when he made the bequest, I want to make sure this serves
the animals," he said.
Animals needing homes will be placed, he said. Wild animals needing help
will be rescued and rehabilitated.
The next priority of TEAM will be to work with the North American Wildlife
Association, a state-wide animal rescue organization, to train young people
to rescue, rehabilitate and release injured wild animals, he said.
More information is available by calling 888-FOR-TEAM or 860-399-5569 in
the Westbrook area. Phones are staffed from 10 A.M. to 7 P.M. daily.
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Date: Sat, 9 Nov 1996 17:41:42 -0500
>From: mchiado@rust.net (mike chiado)
To: MikeM@fund.org, ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Other MI ballot wins
Message-ID:
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
In addition, there were 4 county ballot proposals in MI to eliminate Sunday
hunting bans. Three of the 4 counties upheld the bans. I reported on one
yesterday, but have since verified the others.
>MICHIGAN -- Proposal D to ban the baiting and hounding of bears is losing,
>41 to 59 %, with 22% of precincts reporting. Proposal G, to strip the voters
>of their rights to decide on wildlife issues at the ballot, is ahead with 68
>to 32 %.
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Date: Sat, 9 Nov 1996 14:32:35 -0800 (PST)
>From: anmlpepl@whidbey.com (Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE)
To: AR-news@envirolink.org
Subject: The test
Message-ID:
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
The test ANIMAL PEOPLE uses to determine whether a mailing should be
classified as "fundraising" or "program service":
"Would the organization have done this mailing if postal rules forbade
the inclusion of a funding appeal?" (Appeal = item with donor card and
return envelope.)
Apply that test yourself to the mailings you get. Tally up what you
think is what for a couple of months, and then decide for yourself whether
you think the organizations you hear from can legitimately claim direct
mailings as a "program" expense.
--Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE.
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Date: Sat, 9 Nov 1996 19:43:33 -0500
>From: Marisul@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Dallas Observer: PETA and Boy Scouts(US)
Message-ID: <961109194332_137226431@emout05.mail.aol.com>
Copyright 1996 New Times Inc.
Dallas Observer, November 7, 1996, Thursday; News Shorts
Buzz
By Glen Warchol
...
Maybe they're not even clean
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is complaining that, when
it comes to kindness to animals, the Boy Scouts of America--there's no nice
way to put this--aren't exactly Boy Scouts.
"In light of the Boy Scouts' history of animal cruelty," PETA cruelty
caseworker Zoe Rappoport (Buzz has to pause in awe of that job title) has
demanded that the beloved youth paramilitary corps offer a merit badge for
the humane treatment of animals. Rappoport claims her office has received
reports of Boy Scout cruelty to animals ranging from a California troop
stoning to death a black bear to scouts in Kansas "arranging for disabled
hunters to slaughter deer on a ranch" (PETA-speak for hunting).
The scout handbook already calls for scouts to be "kind" and "not hurt or
kill harmless things without reason." (Could we get this book distributed in
the Balkans?) PETA, of course, believes there is no good reason to rub out an
animal--something that diverges from the ethics of most humanoids. Buzz
believes Texans--who enjoy gnawing on mammal parts at Sonny Bryan's now and
again--fall roughly into the latter category.
From Buzz's observations of boys in general, maybe a merit badge for just
not giving each other wedgies might be a more reasonable goal.
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Date: Sat, 9 Nov 1996 20:34:01 -0800
>From: mkoplow@ix.netcom.com (Maureen Koplow)
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Help needed for zoo protest
Message-ID: <199611100434.UAA17945@dfw-ix2.ix.netcom.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
There's going to be another protest at the Scotch Plains Zoo
in Union County, NJ. Here's the new info, followed by the
message I posted back in October about the first protest. Lots
of details about the conditions in that previous message. Please
support this if you can, and write if you can't be there.
Thanks -
Maureen
November 17, 1996 - Sunday -
** Scotch Plains Zoo Protest - join activists working to close this
horrific zoo in Union County, NJ, that has animals living in concrete &
metal prisons & is cited by the NJ Division of Fish, Game & Wildlife as
well as the USDA for violations of the Animal Welfare Act. Meet in the
Sears parking lot (near Rt 22), 11:30am. Protest is at the zoo, Terrill &
Raritan Rds, nnon-2pm. Call Sherryl, 201-332-0279.
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Old Message ......
I just received a call from Sherryl Volpone, phone 201-332-0279.
She is organizing a protest at the Scotch Plains Zoo, in
Scotch Plains, NJ, this coming Sunday, October 6, at noon.
Sherryl needs people to join the protest, and to contact the USDA &
the media to bring an end to the horrors at this animal prison. Call
her to find out what you can do, even if you can't be at the protest.
Scotch Plains is in the northeastern section of the state, near
Cranford, Plainfield, Piscataway, Union - the zoo is on Rt. 22.
The situation is really hideous! One of the main reasons for the
protest is Rusty, an orangutan who has been at the zoo for 10
years, kept in a windowless room, the size of a small bathroom,
with no outside air or lighting. The zoo has about 110 animals on
approximately 3 acres. Many of the animals are kept in isolation,
with only 1 of each species. Animals include 1 spider monkey who
hugs himself and rocks in place; 1 bear in an 8' x 12' cage; 1 tiger in a
12' x 12' steel-barred cage with concrete floor & 5' high ceiling;
1 lion in a similar cage; 1 jaguar in a smaller cage & 2 other jaguars
in another small cage; 2 female chimpanzees, mother & daughter, kept
in a cage similar to Rusty's, also with no outside air or light & no
window, but with a small fan wired to the ceiling for "ventilation"
(a male chimpanzee from a research laboratory was brought in
to the zoo recently to breed with the two females - Sherryl says he
appeared to be quite insane and just rocked for the approximately
6 months he was there - he's been returned to his laboratory "home").
The zoo has been investigated by the US Department of Agriculture
many times, & is currently under investigation for violations listed in
a 13 page report. The zoo has been in existence for about 30 years,
& has been owned by Harold Kafka for the past 3 years. Violations
have made this zoo one of the 10 worst in the country for many years.
In spite of the horrible record of violations over the years, there has
never been a prosecution for any of the violations - just warnings and
more reports. People go with their families, parents bring their children,
and the animals are kept in hideous conditions.
Thanks for anything you can do to help.
Maureen
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