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AR-NEWS Digest 530
Topics covered in this issue include:
1) Australia - Macaques.
by Lynette Shanley
2) (US) American Still Loves Hamburgers
by allen schubert
3) SUPPORTERS OF HUNGERSTRIKER ARRESTED (US)
by civillib@cwnet.com
4) [CA] Eggless spoon race
by David J Knowles
5) [UK] Dolly the clone to have lambs of her own
by David J Knowles
6) [UK] Oil firms challenged over coral
by David J Knowles
7) [UK] Toads' haven saved from farmer's plough
by David J Knowles
8) [UK]Ashdown rides to defence of Steel over hunting lobby
by David J Knowles
9) National Hunting/Fishing Day
by SDURBIN@VM.TULSA.CC.OK.US
10) Dozens Volunteer for HIV Testing
by NOVENAANN@aol.com
11) Call-In Week to End Pigeon Shoots
by Heidi Prescott
12) UPC Alert: Urge AVMA to Oppose Forced Molting
by Franklin Wade
13) More on Wisconsin research monkeys
by Shirley McGreal
14) (TH) Stealing an elephant march
by jwed
15) ~ACTION ALERT~ Pet Fair Asia '97
by jwed
16) Driving Tips That Save Animals' Lives
by SDURBIN@VM.TULSA.CC.OK.US
17) Pigeon Info.
by Dave
18) HUNGERSTRIKER SUE MCCROSKY, SUPPORTERS FREED (US)
by civillib@cwnet.com
19) YOPLAIT YOGURT CONTAINERS KILLING WILDLIFE
by CFOXAPI@aol.com
20) RELEASE/INDIANA FOX FARM RAID
by civillib@cwnet.com
21) [UK] - Animal Activists Fall Ill After Farm Protest
by "Miggi"
22) (USA) ANTHRAX, ANIMALS - (TEXAS)
by bunny
23) CAMPFIRE: House Conferees Named
by "Christine M. Wolf"
24) (NZ)RCD to be legalised on Upton's Return
by bunny
25) PAWS conference
by PAWS
26) USDA Extends Comment Period for Exotic Animal Handling
Standards
by Wyandotte Animal Group
27) (UK) Huntingdon Rooftop Demo
by Allen Schubert
28) (US) Picking Up Diseases from Pets
by allen schubert
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 15:18:10 +1000
From: Lynette Shanley
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Australia - Macaques.
Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.19970922151810.006bb15c@lisp.com.au>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Since September, 1994 International Primate Protection League - Australia
has written letters and campaigned to have an investigation carried out
into reports we had received about the treatment of macaque monkeys at
Microsearch. Their monkeys were euthanised approx 12 months later.
We finally got a reporter to listen. The following appeared in the Sun
Herald on the 21.9.97. Reporter Heath Gilmore.
Monkeys used for experiments were mistreated at one of Sydney's top
medical research centres which is associated with several prominent people,
it has been claimed.
A copy of the NSW Government report obtained by the Sun Herald showed
concerns about the treatment of primates at a "leading institute", the
Microsearch Foundation of Australia.
The concerns centred on "the conditions in which the animals were housed".
It is understood up to a dozen macaque monkeys were used in foetal surgery
research and to back up work investigating the reconnection of severed
arteries, nerves and veins.
The Animal Research Reveiw Panel's report for 1995-96 said some of the
research had involved multiple procedures at the institute, which was
contrary to the code of practice which outlines care and use of animals in
scientific procedures.
It added that the centres "ethics committee had failed to demonstrate
adequate consideration of research proposals".
Former RSL president Sir William Keys, Lady Sonia McMahon and CSR's
outgoing chairman, Allan Coates, are among prominent people serving on the
Foundation's board. Lady McMahon was a member of the Foundation's animal
care and ethics committee at the time.
The foundation is well connected in the corporate world, with Macquarie
bank's David Clarke, Ferrier Hodgson senior partner Ian Ferrier and
Commonwealth Bank chairman Tim Besley serving on it executive council.
The Animal Research Review Panel, a State Government body, imposed a
temporary suspension on the use of monkeys by the non profit foundation,
formed by Australian pioneer of microsurgery Professor Earl Owen.
A Department of Agriculture source said the institute has suspended the
use of monkeys as part of the foundation's general licence to use animals
in research.
Agriculture Minister Richard Amery has tabled the 95-96 report in
Parliament. It details several problems with the "prominent institute".
Professer Owen, 62, the first Australian president of the International
College of Surgeons, said the use of animals in pioneering microsurgery was
essential.
He was the first surgeon to reconnect a severed digit to a two year old
child at the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children in 1970.
The foundation used animal experimentation to pioneer the effective
replacements of limbs and digits by microsurgery; foetal surgery,
overcoming problems of infertility in men and women; long nerve grafts;
cross-facial nerve grafts; reversal of vasectomies and tubal ligations;
nerve regeneration and microlaser surgery.
Dr Owen said Microsearch had always been a group of devoted humanitarian
surgeons and assistants pushing ahead with ground-breaking research.
"In certain research, you have to use animals," he said. "I would prefer
that not to be the case but it is needed".
"We have kept our animals in conditions always ahead of best recommended
practice by the authorities. We thoroughly back the government regulations
which are essential to prevent any pain and discomfort".
"We have no plans to use primates again".
"Our very sucessful foetal research using monkeys was concluded two years
ago before the closure of our old facility at Surry Hills".
International Primate Protection League, Australian President Lynette
Shanley first complained about the treatment of the monkeys almost three
years ago.
She has since joined the foundation's ethics committee and a month ago
wrote a letter to the state government expressing concern that experiment
proposals had been approved without adequate consideration.
Lynette Shanley
IPPL Australia
PO Box 60
PORTLAND NSW 2847
AUSTRALIA
Phone/Fax 02 63554026/61 2 63 554026
EMAIL ippl@lisp.com.au
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 01:23:27 -0400
From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) American Still Loves Hamburgers
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970922012322.006d6b60@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
(Just goes to show that people don't learn (even from the e. coli thing....)
from AP Wire page:
------------------------------
09/21/1997 20:23 EST
American Still Loves Hamburgers
By SCOTT BAUER
Associated Press Writer
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- So a hamburger can kill you. So what?
This, fellow Americans, is One Nation, Under God, Indivisible, with
burgers and ketchup for all. And if you think that some itty bitty
bacteria are going to change all that, well, you're a Quarter Pounder
short of a full load.
``There's something about eating a big bite of hamburger,'' said Sam
Ross, former manager of King's Drive In, a Lincoln, Neb., fast food
restaurant dating back to the 1960s. ``It's something you can chow down
on.''
There's the ``Sunshine Burger'' in San Francisco, served with sprouts,
scallions and avocado; the ``Jiffy Burger'' in Lincoln, Neb., with peanut
butter and bacon; the five-pound ``Family Burger'' in Sault St. Marie,
Mich., designed to serve 10 to 12 people.
Since the 1940s, hamburgers have been America's favorite food, according
to Nation's Restaurant News. There were 5.4 billion
hamburgers/cheeseburgers served in commercial restaurants in 1996, that
is up 3.8 percent from the previous year.
Ross said burger sales make up 75 percent of King's business -- about 300
burgers a day.
He said business did not slow even with the E. coli contamination scare
that led to the recall of 25 million pounds of ground beef from a
Columbus, Neb., plant -- the largest meat recall in the nation's history.
No lag in beef sales was reported across the country, even though the
contaminated hamburger sickened more than a dozen people in Colorado.
Of course, many years of warnings about cholesterol haven't pushed
McDonald's or Burger King out of business, either.
``All Americans grew up with hamburgers,'' said Alisa Harrison with the
National Cattlemen's Beef Association -- a group that, admittedly, has a
steak in the burger's popularity. ``Especially when you're a teen-ager.
What do you do when you get your driver's license? You get a burger.''
The hamburger's roots can be traced back to the tribes of Tartary living
in the Baltic provinces in the Middle Ages. German trading partners
developed the Hamburg steak -- fried beef seasoned with onions -- and
brought it to America in the 1700s and 1800s.
Stories vary on just how the Hamburg steak evolved into the present-day
hamburger. Some credit Charlie Nagreen of Seymour, Wis., with inventing
it in 1885 and selling it at the Outagamie County Fair. Others say Louis
Lassen of New Haven, Conn., created the hamburger steak in 1900 as a
means for using the trimmings from the steak sandwich he featured at his
lunch wagon.
In any case, the hamburger as we know it today gained widespread
attention at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, Mo., where it was said
to be all the rage.
In 1921, White Castle became the world's first hamburger chain, and
eventually billions and billions and billions were served.
``Everyone has a favorite burger place,'' said Marlys Bielunski, director
of food communications for the cattlemen's association.
And every part of the United States has a different take on what makes a
good burger. In the Southwest it might be a little spicy, in the West
sprouts are a likely addition and in the Midwest it's straightforward
pickles and onions.
The newest thing in the world of burgers seems to be the trendy burgers
with exotic toppings like wild mushrooms, Bielunski said.
Marcel Desaulniers, co-owner and executive chef of The Trellis restaurant
in Williamsburg, Va., collected burger recipes from 47 chefs for his 1993
book ``The Burger Meisters.''
Although there are many types of burgers being cooked up around the
country -- including ones made with buffalo, shrimp, cod, salmon and
rabbit -- Desaulniers said most people seem to go for the traditional
burger when ordering at his restaurant.
``I think people love the convenience of it and I think people also enjoy
the creativity,'' he said. The Trellis sells 60-100 burgers a day,
accounting for about 15 percent of total sales, he said.
Brian Lewis, 24, of Lincoln, Neb., said he doesn't think about why he
likes hamburgers so much.
``I don't really know,'' he said, eyeing his bacon double cheeseburger at
Wendy's in downtown Lincoln. ``It's just something that's not too
difficult.''
Bingo. Ross, the man who managed the Lincoln drive-in, says burgers are
relaxing food. Is that special sauce dripping down your arm? Who cares?
``You don't have to worry about silverware,'' he said.
Date: Sun, 21 Sep 1997 23:25:39 -0700 (PDT)
From: civillib@cwnet.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: SUPPORTERS OF HUNGERSTRIKER ARRESTED (US)
Message-ID: <199709220625.XAA16041@smtp.cwnet.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
*************************************************
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 21, 1997
10 Jailed At Protest
At DeKalb County Jail;
Effigy Of Judge Torched
ATLANTA, GA – At least 10 people were arrested and jailed Sunday here
during a demonstration at the DeKalb County Jail protesting the continued
jailing of an animal rights activist, who has gone nearly 3 weeks without
eating.
Those arrested reported police using excessive force, including
pulling them by their handcuffed wrists into the police station, and the use
of unathorized pain holds.
Observers reported that about 2 dozen demonstrators converged outside the
jail, and that when police began to tear down their "Free Sue McCrosky"
banner, one activist was arrested. Other activists then entered the lobby of
the jail to protest his arrest – and 10 others were promptly arrested. One,
a 14-year-old boy, was later released.
They are to be arraigned on charges ranging from trespassing on government
property to disorderly conduct Monday.
As part of the demonstration, activists burned an effigy of DeKalb Judge
Ralph Merck to show their disgust with his refusal to release Sue McCrosky,
who was jailed Sept. 3 for 45 days for a petty infraction – picketing on a
sidewalk in a residential area. Then the judge refused to release Ms
McCrosky pending appeal, on constitutional grounds, of that law.
Ms McCrosky now resides in solitary confinement in the medical wing of the
jail, and has been hospitalized after the jail reportedly refused to give
her doctor-prescribed anti-stroke medication. As part of his political
protest against jail conditions, Ms McCrosky has now gone 19 days without food.
Protests in support of her took place in nearly a dozen cities worldwide
this weekend, including New York, Dallas, Denver, Austin, Boston and Green
Bay, and New Zealand.
-30-
Contact: Activist Civil Liberties Committee 916/452-7179 or Jail Phone
404/296-8721//297-9130
Date: Sun, 21 Sep 1997 21:46:22
From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [CA] Eggless spoon race
Message-ID: <3.0.3.16.19970921214622.22579366@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
VANCOUVER, BC - The annual Family Festival, held on the last weekend of
summer in Coquitlam, near Vancouver, added an unexpected touch this year.
Organizers replaced the traditional egg-and-spoon race with a
golfball-and-spoon race.
Not an earth-shattering piece of news, but significant nontheless given the
Lower Mainland/Fraser Valley area of British Columbia has several
chicken-raising, egg-production and chicken processing plants.
Moreover, as far is as known, the decision was taken without any protests.
threats or other actions - just an increased awareness of what was
considered to be "politically correct" according to BCTV, who aired the story.
David J Knowles
Animal Voices News
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 01:07:11
From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [UK] Dolly the clone to have lambs of her own
Message-ID: <3.0.3.16.19970922010711.08a75b12@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>From The Electronic Telegraph - Monday, September 22nd, 1997
Dolly the clone to have lambs of her own
By Sandra Barwick
DOLLY, the cloned sheep, is about to try for motherhood - but her lambs
will not be identical to her.
She will be put through a breeding programme early next year that will help
establish how fertile she is and whether any effects from her unusual
conception are traceable in her
descendants.
Her lambs will not be cloned but produced by more conventional methods -
possibly artificial insemination - so they will be genetically different
from her.
Dolly, who lives quietly in the Roslin Institute near Edinburgh despite her
supersheep status, was the first mammal cloned from an adult cell.
Some scientists suggested that Dolly, now a year old, may have a shortened
lifespan as a result. Fears were raised that cancers might arise if the
cell's genetic code was damaged in
the process.
The principle that cloned sheep can reproduce has already been established.
Megan and Morag, sheep who were conceived through a different cloning
process, already have lambs.
An established ability in cloned animals to breed easily with healthy
offspring would be likely to increase the value of the cloning process to
PPL Therapeutics, the Scottish biotechnology company formed to exploit
research at the institute.
© Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 01:20:30
From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [UK] Oil firms challenged over coral
Message-ID: <3.0.3.16.19970922012030.1c5f3bc8@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>From The Electronic Telegraph - Monday, September 22nd, 1997
Oil firms challenged over coral
By Charles Clover, Environment Editor
GREENPEACE will take on 30 oil companies and the Government in court
tomorrow when it seeks permission to contest the granting of oil licences
in an area of sea known for a rare deep-water coral protected under
European law.
Greenpeace, which wants to stop all exploration in the area west of
Shetland know as the Atlantic Frontier, claims that the Government failed
to consider protecting coral reefs
before the 17th round of oil exploration licences were issued earlier this
year. Coral reefs are listed for protection under a European directive but
no one suggested until this year that
deep-water coral, Lophelia pertusa, which grows over 300 metres down in the
Atlantic, should enjoy the same protection as species in shallower waters.
However, Greenpeace said that there is evidence that Lophelia, which only a
handful of scientists have ever seen alive, supports 800 species of plants
and animals, comparable with coral reefs of the Caribbean or South Seas.
Greenpeace said the Government has not taken steps to protect St Kilda, a
colony of 400,000 breeding birds already protected under the EU birds
directive, from possible oil
spills.
The Government and the 30 companies are expected to field three QCs, with
their own legal teams, in an action that is estimated to be costing
£500,000 for the two-day hearing alone.
© Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 01:28:30
From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [UK] Toads' haven saved from farmer's plough
Message-ID: <3.0.3.16.19970922012830.1c5f321a@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>From The Electronic Telegraph - Monday, September 22nd, 1997
Toads' haven saved from farmer's plough
By Charles Clover Environment Editor
A SUSSEX farmer has been prevented from ploughing up one of the country's
best sites for the common toad, following intervention by Michael Meacher,
the Environment Minister.
English Nature is to pay Justin Harmer, the farmer, not to plough up Offham
Marshes, a site of special scientific interest, near Lewes, East Sussex.
Between 10,000 and 15,000 toads were found there in 1989 when the site was
first protected.
It is the second time this year that Mr Harmer has been prevented from
ploughing up a special site and the second time English Nature has stood by
until there was a public
outcry.
Earlier this year, English Nature proposed to allow Mr Harmer to plough up
the marshes in the River Ouse valley to grow ryegrass or flax. He was
required only to leave narrow buffer zones around the ditches.
English Nature came up with the revised solution, which will prevent
ploughing the fields which are part of the toad's habitat, after a vigorous
campaign by local people and Friends of the Earth and after Mr Meacher
asked English Nature to think again.
Friends of the Earth says it is the second time this year that English
Nature has been "too feeble" to protect a site until forced to do so.
Earlier this year John Gummer, then Environment Secretary, asked English
Nature to reconsider and protect a site on Offham Downs which Mr Harmer had
begun ploughing up to plant flax.
Matt Phillips, wildlife campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: "We are
concerned that this will happen again. That is why we are campaigning for
the law to be strengthened."
A mystery remains about Offham Marshes as to why, according to English
Nature, there are virtually no toads left.
As part of the three-year agreement to be negotiated by English Nature, the
farmer will maintain high water levels on the marsh and in the drainage
ditches in the River Ouse
valley in the hope that the toads will come back.
© Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 01:15:40
From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [UK]Ashdown rides to defence of Steel over hunting lobby
Message-ID: <3.0.3.16.19970922011540.08a708ce@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>From The Electronic Telegraph - Monday, September 22nd, 1997
Ashdown rides to defence of Steel over hunting lobby
By George Jones, Political Editor.
PADDY Ashdown [leader of the Liberal Democrats] yesterday defended Lord
Steel, the former Liberal leader, after it was revealed that he was paid
nearly £100,000 while he was an MP to campaign for the pro-hunting lobby.
Lord Steel received a total of £93,752 for an average of one-and-a-half to
two days' work a week as part-time chairman of the Countryside Movement.
The payments covered a period of 18 months, from October 1995 to the end of
March this year.
Lord Steel's chairmanship was declared as a "remunerated directorship" in
the Commons Register of Members' Interests, and he was reported to have
admitted that it was "a well-paid job".
But the disclosure of the total he was paid on the eve of the Liberal
Democrats' conference in Eastbourne proved embarrassing for the party
leadership. Mr Ashdown said Lord Steel had done nothing wrong. His views on
fox-hunting were not against party policy and were well known.
Mr Ashdown said on BBC television's Breakfast With Frost programme: "It was
out in the open. It was in the Members' Register of Interests. It was
neither wrong, nor was it secret,
nor was it kept from the party membership, nor was it kept from the wider
public."
Earlier this year the Countryside Movement and the Countryside Business
Group amalgamated with the British Field Sports Society. The three joined
forces as the
Countryside Alliance to organise this summer's mass pro-hunting rally in
London, at which Lord Steel spoke.
Mr Ashdown, clearly annoyed at the attention given to the story, criticised
the media for "deliberate and blatant mischief-making". Party officials
said that while Mr Steel was personally opposed to hunting, he did not
believe that other people should be prevented from taking part in the sport.
Nick Harvey, Liberal Democrat campaigns and communications chairman, said
Lord Steel had been "perfectly open" about his role."
© Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 97 07:46:53 UTC
From: SDURBIN@VM.TULSA.CC.OK.US
To: ar-news@Envirolink.org
Subject: National Hunting/Fishing Day
Message-ID: <199709221304.JAA27458@envirolink.org>
The Tulsa World is heavily promoting National Hunting/Fishing Day
which is September 27th. A long article in today's paper stresses
how hunters have literally SAVED and BENEFITED wildlife. One excerpt,
"Virtually all species of wildlife, from songbirds and chipmunks to
bald eagles and whooping cranes, benefits from the programs supported
through the sale of hunting and fishing licenses and proceeds from
special excise taxes on hunting and fishing equipment." It also says,
"Led by President Theodore Roosevelt, sportsmen proposed and supported
the first laws to conserve wildlife and habitat. Roosevelt - a lifelong
avid hunter - dramatically strengthened the federal wildlife program by
establishing our first wildlife refuges and the national forest system.
The first national refuge was Pelican Island in Florida, created
primarily for the purpose of protecting endangered birdlife."
To write the Tulsa World for promoting hunting, yet refusing to allow
any PAID animal rights ads, write to: The Tulsa World, "The People's
Voice," PO Box 1770, Tulsa, OK 74102 or fax: 918-581-8353.
-- Sherrill
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 10:20:38 -0400 (EDT)
From: NOVENAANN@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Dozens Volunteer for HIV Testing
Message-ID: <970922102002_-1965421532@emout12.mail.aol.com>
By ALEXANDRA ZAVIS
CHICAGO (AP) - Joe Zuniga, who has watched friends and loved
ones die of AIDS, is willing to risk his life for the sake of
science by being injected with a vaccine carrying a live, weakened
strain of HIV.
Zuniga is not alone. The International Association of Physicians
in AIDS Care announced this weekend that it has 50 volunteers
willing to take part in the project - and dozens of others calling
in offering to participate.
The volunteers are doctors, nurses or health policy activists
from around the world. And while the group wants government
approval, it said it will go ahead with the study without it.
Human injections aren't anticipated for at least two years,
Zuniga said.
``Considering that there are 8,000 new infections of HIV per
day, we think that bold steps should be taken while observing good
science,'' said Zuniga, deputy director of the Chicago-based
association.
Added Gordon Nary, the group's director and another volunteer:
``There are millions of lives going by while we sit around debating
the research.''
AIDS vaccine development is a slow process because of the safety
measures and rigorous animal testing needed before injecting humans
with a trial vaccine. Research in the past decade has focused on
vaccines that do not involve a live strain of the human
immunodeficiency virus because of fear that even a weakened strain
might cause AIDS or other complications.
The Chicago group argues that live strains of HIV have shown the
most impressive protection abilities in tests on animals.
While the greatest strides in research have been made in
developing drugs that prolong the lives of HIV-infected patients,
they are expensive. Nary said only 6 percent of the population can
afford the drugs.
Study participants point to the success of Dr. Ronald
Desrosiers. The Harvard Medical School researcher has developed a
vaccine that seems to protect monkeys from the primate-equivalent
of HIV.
It is that vaccine the group would like to use in its
experiment. But animal test results have been mixed and other
combinations of the vaccine has resulted in disease in test
monkeys.
``We are not calling for a trial tomorrow, or even the next
day,'' Zuniga said Sunday. ``We want there to be enough safety
protocols in place for this not to harm anybody.''
Dr. Mark Grabowsky of the National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases was skeptical of the proposed study, saying it
is premature to talk about injecting healthy people with a live
vaccine.
Nonetheless, Grabowsky told the Chicago Tribune: ``I admire
them. That kind of activism can't help but be inspiring. But the
scientific questions still remain.''
The group wants approval from the National Institutes of Health
and the Food and Drug Administration but promises to go on even if
they don't get it. They could proceed with the trial without FDA
approval by holding the study within one state or conducting it
outside the country.
Grabowsky said he has invited the group to discuss the study at
the National Institutes of Health in Rockville, Md., on Thursday.
Meanwhile, AIDS researcher David Ho said researchers are
developing protease drugs that would be taken once a day - instead
of the current regimen of dozens of pills several times a day.
Trials involving patients could begin within six months, he said
Saturday at the U.S. Conference on AIDS in Miami Beach, Fla.
The combination drug therapies have been widely successful in
making the virus undetectable in some people's bloodstreams. Ho
said he and his colleagues have discovered tiny, dogged traces of
virus in bits of lymph tissues, the very heart of the immune
system.
``We still don't know whether it's feasible to eradicate HIV,
mainly because we don't know if it's feasible to eradicate the last
residual bit of virus,'' said Ho, the New York virologist who was
named Time magazine's 1996 Man of the Year for his work.
AP-NY-09-22-97 0627EDT
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 07:53:39 -0700 (PDT)
From: Heidi Prescott
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Cc: McIsaac58@atc-enviro.com, "Guy Brooks" , Plannet@epix.net,
mmarkarian@fund.org
Subject: Call-In Week to End Pigeon Shoots
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19970923120152.231fee22@pop.igc.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
URGENT PIGEON SHOOT ALERT:
I am re-posting the following alert. It is very important to flood Senator
Jubelirer and Representative Matt Ryan's office this week with calls from
Pennsylvania residents. If you have any friends or relatives in
Pennsylvania, PLEASE encourage them to call and get their friends to call.
Next week is national call-in week. Please call any groups you know and ask
them to activate their phone trees. I will be in Harrisburg tomorrow and
post whether or not they are getting flooded with calls. Thank you for your
efforts..
Heidi Prescott
>URGENT ACTION ALERT:
>CALL-IN WEEK TO END PIGEON SHOOTS!
>
>Every year across Pennsylvania, tens of thousands of pigeons are gunned down
>in shooting contests. The birds are released one at a time from tiny boxes,
>and contestants shoot from 20 yards away. About 75 percent of the birds
>released are not killed immediately, but rather wounded and left on the
>shooting fields to writhe in pain. Children collect wounded birds, killing
>them by ripping off their heads, stomping on them, or throwing them into
>barrels to suffocate.
>
>The most infamous pigeon shoot takes place every Labor Day in Hegins, but
>lesser known pigeon shoots take place nearly every weekend across
>Pennsylvania in at least 6 different counties. Most other states prohibit
>this barbaric ritual, and use clay targets instead of breathing ones. You
>can help bring Pennsylvania up to the humane standards of the rest of the
>civilized world.
>
>State Senator Roy Afflerbach (D-Lehigh County) has introduced a bill to ban
>the use of live pigeons in shooting contests -- SB 764. Unfortunately,
>because of their ties to the gun lobby, the Republican leaders of the Senate
>and House have refused to bring the bill up for a fair vote!
>
>*** September 22-24: Pennsylvania Residents Call-In Week!
>
>This is the first week the Legislature comes back from summer recess. Please
>call the House and Senate leaders below and urge them to bring up the pigeon
>shoot legislation for a vote!
>
>*** September 29-October 1: National Call-In Week!
>
>We need to flood the offices of the House and Senate leaders with calls from
>around the country, telling them that pigeon shoots are a nationwide
>embarrassment to Pennsylvania!
>
>Representative Matt Ryan, Speaker of the House: (717) 787-4610
>Senator Robert Jubelirer, President Pro Tempore: (717) 787-5490
>
>If you live in Pennsylvania, also call your own State Senator and State
>Representative and tell them to support legislation to ban live pigeon
>shoots. Call the switchboard and ask to be connected to their offices. If
>you don't know who your Senator and Representative are, please contact The
>Fund for Animals at fund4animals@fund.org or (301) 585-2591. We can look
>them up for you and tell you how they voted last time.
>
>Senate Switchboard: (717) 787-5920
>House Switchboard: (717) 787-2372
>
>Thank you! We are closer than ever, and we need your help to end pigeon
>shoots for good!
>
>
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 11:22:42 -0400 (EDT)
From: Franklin Wade
To: Undisclosed recipients:;@smart.net
Subject: UPC Alert: Urge AVMA to Oppose Forced Molting
Message-ID:
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
ACTION ALERT FROM UNITED POULTRY CONCERNS
Please Write to the American Veterinary Medical Association
September 21, 1997
United Poultry Concerns (UPC) and the Association of
Veterinarians for Animal Rights (AVAR) have undertaken a campaign
to eliminate the food deprivation practice known as forced
molting in hens used by the egg industry. UPC and the AVAR have
approached the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
asking them to change their position statement which currently
accepts forced molting, referring to it as "an acceptable
management practice, when done under careful supervision and
control." We are asking the AMVA to oppose force molting. Their
opposition would carry great weight.
What Can I Do?
*The AVMA is going to review its position on forced molting
at its upcoming AVMA Animal Welfare Committee meeting the first
week in November. Please take a minute to write a letter urging
the AVMA to oppose forced molting altogether. Your letters are
urgently needed before November 1st. We would not condone
depriving cats, dogs, and horses of food for several days. Food
deprivation is just as cruel to chickens.
Write: American Veterinary Medical Association
Attn: Dr. David Granstrom
1931 North Meacham Road, Suite 100
Schaumburg, IL 60173-4360
_____________________________________________________________________
franklin@smart.net Franklin D. Wade
United Poultry Concerns - http://www.envirolink.org/arrs/upc
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 11:26:32 -0400
From: Shirley McGreal
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: More on Wisconsin research monkeys
Message-ID: <1.5.4.32.19970922152632.006ffa50@awod.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
The Capital Times, Thursday, Sept. 18, 1997
UW official backtracks on monkeys' fate
By Jason Shepard
A month after the UW-Madison admitted to a "serious breach" of an
agreement with the Henry Vilas Zoo, new incidents are still coming to light
and questions are being raised about the candor of UW officals regarding
research on zoo monkeys.
In a written statement released Tuesday, Joe Kemnitz, interim
director of the university's Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center,
admitted that at least one animal has been used in invasive studies since he
took over the helm of the primate center in August 1996.
The monkey had a fetus removed from her womb 20 days after
conception so scientists could study it.
"This assignment and procedure were made by error and not as an
intentional exception to the agreement," Kemnitz wrote. "I am chagrined that
this oversight occurred."
Kemnitz wrote to newspapers last weekend to say that no improper
assignments had been made under his leadership.
He wrote: "I deeply regret this breach of trust between the primate
center and the zoo's administration, as well as the public. Importantly,
none of our current staff intentionally violated the agreement. Furthermore,
no exceptions to the agreement have been made during my tenure as interim
director, which began one year ago."
The Capital Times has learned that two other monkeys in addition to
the one that Kemnitz refers to were used in biomedical research projects
within the past year in ways that may have violated the zoo agreement.
Computer records from the primate center show that one monkey was
given a heavy dose of drugs, and another had its ova surgically removed
after it was given hormone injections.
Monkey No. 920022 was given a heavy mixture of drugs on July 7,
1997, including Valium, which typically has a calming effect; dexamethasone,
a steroid; and furosemide, a diuretic.
The veterinarian's report states: "animal was dosed with
experimental compound. Had an immediate seizure but recovered within 30
seconds. Thirty minutes, down in cage, tempature (was) 108 degrees."
Additionally, five monkeys have been taken from the zoo within the
past year and have been used in AIDS studies, although Kemnitz said none of
them have been injected with the simian AIDS virus.
Some are used for occasional blood samlples or for "responsiveness
to a vaccination-like challenge," Kemnitz said.
As recently as Monday, Kemnitz had denied any violation of the
agreement since he was director. A statement released then had Kemnitz
saying: "No monkeys have been removed from the zoo facility since Aug. 21,
1996, and used for what we have traditionally categorized as invasive
procedures. Two monkeys ...underwent a fertility protocol and had eggs
harvested by a laproscopic procedure. This is no longer allowed pending
establishment of a formal definition of 'invasive.'"
The UW/zoo agreement, most recently updated in 1995 states: "These
animals (removed from the zoo) are studied in non-invasive research or
assigned to our breeding colony. Investigative procedures include those,
with no damage or consequences to the animal, required for veterinary health
or routine procedures utilized in human medicine. These procedures cause no
physical or sensory deficit."
The Capital Times in August reported potential violations of a 1989
agreement between the UW and the zoo. That agreement banned invasive
research on monkeys housed at at the monkey house at the zoo, which is owned
and operated by the university.
The UW admitted it violated the agreement as many as 201 times since
1989, but said finding out how and why would be nearly impossible. The also
said all of the violations occurred under directors who were no longer with
the UW.
After the initial media reports of potential violations, Graduate
School Dean Virginia Hinshaw launched an investigation into the matter.
She found that UW scientists used 65 zoo monkeys in invasive
studies, killed 26 for their tissues, and sold 110 to outside organizations.
She vowed never to let a violation occur again, but said she was not
planning to hold anyone directly accountable.
At that time, Hinshaw said she wished someone would have come to her
earlier with knowledge of the breach. The Capital Times then obtained a copy
of a letter written to Hinshaw in May 1996 informing her of the breach.
While acknowledging that she received the letter, she said she
honestly did not remember reading that portion of the letter because she was
dealing with other personnel-related issues with its author at the time.
The same scientist who wrote the May 1996 letter, Dr. Kim Bauers,
filed an open records request with Kemnitz and UW attorney John Dowling in
June asking to review records related to the transfer off zoo monkeys for
invasive studies.
Her request went unanswered and she wrote a follow-up letter on July
7, 1997, reminding Kemnitz and Dowling about her request. She still did not
receive a response.
Her unanswered request fuels concerns of critics that UW officals
may have known about the improper use of zoo monkeys before The Capital
Times reports, but did nothing about it.
Bauers contended that primate center officials did not respond to
the requests because they did not want her to know what happened to the
monkeys once they left the zoo.
Bauers has alleged previously that officials were involved in a
cover-up and said they locked her out of research data that was essential
for her to complete a seven-year research project.
Bauers is on the UW payroll until February 1998. Her contract has
not been renewed.
Dowling, the UW lawyer working on the Bauers case, told The Capital
Times that the open records request is being worked on and has not been
delayed for malicious reasons. He said he has simply been working with
Bauers and her attorney on many different personnel issues and never felt
the open records request was a pressing issue.
"I've been informed by Joe Kemnitz that he's still in the process of
working on it," Dowling said. "It involves a great deal of information...and
he's had some difficulty putting it all together."
Hinshaw, in a written statement Friday, said she had asked Dowling
to "expedite" the requests. She said she was not aware of Bauers' requests
until last week when The Capital Times asked about them.
"Since our overall goal is to respond as quickly as possible in a
reasonable time frame, I was concerned that the request had not been
completed," Hinshaw said.
"However, responding has been particularly difficult in this case
because of the volume of requests directed to different people and the
detailed nature of the information sought."
Tina Kaske, executive director of the Madison-based Alliance for
Animals, is calling for an independent review of the primate center violations.
"My concern is that it is like the fox guarding the hen house,"
Kaske said.
She added: "This is not just about us as animal rights people. The
UW violated a promise to the public about the use of these monkeys that are
on display at the zoo. It's not just a problem between our group and the UW.
This is an issue that involves everyone in Madison."
|---------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
| Dr. Shirley McGreal | PHONE: 803-871-2280 |
| Int. Primate Protection League | FAX: 803-871-7988 |
| POB 766 | E-MAIL: ippl@awod.com |
| Summerville SC 29484 | Web: http://www.ippl.org |
|---------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 1997 02:20:13 +0000
From: jwed
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (TH) Stealing an elephant march
Message-ID: <3.0.3.32.19970923022013.00699a9c@pop.hkstar.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Monday September 22 1997 South China Morning Post
WILLIAM BARNES in Bangkok, Thailand
Does Indonesia covet the Thai elephant? The Land of Smiles has dark
suspicions that the Indonesians are trying to steal their pachyderm knowhow.
Thailand lent Indonesia four elephants 16 years ago to help start a
training school, but they were never seen again.
Thai officials and environmentalists are now against allowing Indonesia to
"borrow" another 10 beasts.
Indonesia has many more elephants than Thailand, but the Thais claim to be
many trunk-lengths ahead in the race to domesticate elephants and train
them to carry people - or more precisely tourists.
Elephant trips are seen as a powerful lure for tourists, especially those
engaged in trendy "green" holidays.
"Eco-tourism will never be possible if their elephants don't allow people
on their back," Soraida Salwala, the founder of the Friends of the Asian
Elephant Foundation, said.
Thai officials said that before Thailand's four trained elephants landed in
Indonesia the country had no domesticated elephants. Now it has 570.
"The truth is our elephants are taken to their elephant centres to train
the wild ones," Mr Soraida said.
However, Indonesia might take a warning from Thailand, where many
unemployed mahouts and their charges trudge Bangkok's streets begging for
food.
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 1997 02:26:48 +0000
From: jwed
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: ~ACTION ALERT~ Pet Fair Asia '97
Message-ID: <3.0.3.32.19970923022648.0069b9ec@pop.hkstar.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Dear Friends,
The first Pet Fair Asia '97 is set to take place in Hong Kong from 4
October to 6 October 1997.
The slogan on their poster reads:
"Little animals are big business - a Booming market in Asia."
The fair aims to fuel the pet trade in countries such as Hong Kong, China,
Taiwan, Japan, Korea and Singapore.
Abandonment of animals and impulsive buying of pure-breds are big problems
in many of these countries.
Also, please consider the tragic irony of the fair's aim considering:
*In Hong Kong 5539 dogs and 5366 cats were put to sleep in the SPCA (HK)
from 1 April 95 to 31 March 96 inclusive. (Source: SPCA (HK)). There is a
ban on the keeping of dogs in public housing and in many private housing
schemes.
* In China, there are no SPCAs or shelters or any animal cruelty laws
(outside HKSAR). They have officials who put unlicensed dogs in sacks and
beat them to death in the street. And not many dogs are licensed as the dog
licence fee in the cities can be more than a month's wage for the average
worker.
* The Taiwan Council of Agriculture has commenced what is thought will be
the largest slaughter of stray dogs in history - that is 700,000 dogs.
There are estimated to be 200,000 stray dogs in Taipei alone. ``Taiwan is
one of the worst places in the world to be a dog,'' according to the World
Society for the Protection of Animals, which inspected Taiwan in February.
The Taiwan Government admits that brutal execution methods have been
widespread in the past but claims that the methods to be used this time
will be "kinder and gentler". (Source: Reuters August 1997)
* In Singapore, 4682 cats and 3013 dogs were put to sleep in the SPCA from
July 1995 to June 1996. Emergency put to sleep cases accounted for another
589 dogs and 1599 cats during the same period. (Source: SPCA, Singapore).
There is a huge stray cat problem there. The public are told by the
Primary Production Department not to feed strays and cat-traps are made
available to the public to catch cats. Some stray dogs are shot to death in
the open.
* In Japan, 722,132 abandoned animals were killed in 1995. This means that
every 44 seconds, a dog or cat is killed. This number does not include
animals sold for experiments. (Source: Japan Anti Vivisection Association)
Pet Fair Asia will attract a regional attendance as well as importers and
wholesalers from Europe and the USA. Others who will attend the exhibition
include retailers (specialty shops as well as from general shops and
supermarkets), distributors, veterinarians, groomers, government officials,
associations and representatives of research institutes. The final
exhibition day will be open to the general public.
While promoting free trade may be used an argument for the fair, the major
difference between this industry and other commodity trading is that live
beings are at stake here. If the governments of these countries cannot
deal with the huge stray and abandonment problems, they should not be
silent on events that are going to exacerbate the situation.
Please write letters to the addresses given below as soon as possible. You
may want to include points made above. Basically that given that these
countries
1) have substantial stray and abandonment problems
2) do have not sufficient government subsidised services or mechanisms to
address these problems in a humane way, what does the government see as a
responsible stand towards Pet Fair Asia '97 and will it be taking this stand?
Will it send government officials to the fair and lend respectability to
the fair?
What steps is the government taking to control imports and breeding?
What steps is the government taking to institute humane stray control
practices?
For those who wrote letters to the Taiwanese authorities about the dog
massacre and have received replies, it may be very important to bring in
this point about Pet Fair Asia '97 in your second letter.
While dealing with the symptoms of the problem - fostering puppies,
euthanising unhomeables - is important, the problem needs to tackled at its
roots - i.e. the overproduction of companion animals. Governments should
be strictly controlling imports and breeding.
Many relevant animal groups in these countries are buckling under a huge
workload, have very limited resources and some have to work under difficult
and restrictive political climates. We need your help to
put animal issues, and for a start this basic issue of companion animals,
on the governments' serious agendas.
Thank you very much for any help.
If you need more information, please email:
jwed@hkstar.com or
kuma@cyberway.com.sg
For the animals,
Ms Ng Wai Yee, EarthCare, Hong Kong
Ms Ip Pui, Reach 11, Hong Kong
Dr John Wedderburn, EarthCare, Hong Kong.
Ms Kyenan Kum, Korean Animal Protection Society, Korea
Ms Elizabeth Oliver, Animal Refuge Kansai, Japan
Ms Mina Sharpe, Taipei Abandoned Animal Rescue Foundation, Taiwan
Ms Vadivu Govind, Singapore.
ADDRESSES TO WRITE TO:
The Director
Agriculture and Fisheries Department
Government Offices
393 Canton Road
TST
Kowloon
Hong Kong
Fax: + 852 2311 3731
The Chairman
Council of Agriculture
Executive Yuan
37 Nanhai Road
Taipei
Taiwan.
Fax: + 886 2312 4645
The Minister
Mr Lim Hng Kiang
Ministry of National Development
5 Maxwell Road
#21-00 & #22-00
Tower Block
MND Complex
Singapore 069110
Fax: + 65 325 7254
Minister Lee Hyo Kye
Ministry of Agriculture
Government Building #2
1 Chungang-dong,
Kwachun City, Kyoungki-do
South Korea 427-760
Tel : + 82 2503 7201, Fax + 82 2507 3968
For Japan, please write to the Japanese Ambassador in your own country.
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 97 14:09:32 UTC
From: SDURBIN@VM.TULSA.CC.OK.US
To: ar-news@Envirolink.org
Subject: Driving Tips That Save Animals' Lives
Message-ID: <199709221911.PAA06393@envirolink.org>
(Woman's World):
* Slow down when you see an animal-crossing sign, so you'll be able to stop.
* Be aware of high-risk times. About half of deer deaths occur from October
to December. This is when they're most migratory, evading hunters, mating,
and establishing feeding grounds.
* The riskiest times of day? Two hours after sunset and two hours after
sunrise are the times wild animals cross roads to find food. As for cats
and dogs, early morning is particularly risky because many animals are let
out then.
* Be alert when you see woods on one side of the road and a lake, pond, or
river on the other. Plus, anywhere you see kids playing outside, assume
there are pets also.
* Reduce your speed when you see an animal. Even if it's off to the side
of the road, slow down and flick your headlights a few times, or honk
your horn. You don't want to frighten the animal, just alert it to your
presence so it won't dart in front of your car.
* Drive in the center of the lane instead of near the edge.
-- Sherrill
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 14:15:27 -0700
From: Dave
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Pigeon Info.
Message-ID: <3426DFEE.29AF@goodnet.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Dear List:
In support of posts against pigeons shoots (which also occur
regularly and legally in Arizona), below is a handout you may find
useful to help stop pigeon abuse. All I ask is that you let me know if
you use it and what you think of it.
GEE WHIZ ANIMAL QUIZ
1. What animal has been a domesticated friend to man longer than any
other?
2. What animal has helped save so many people that you might not exist
had one of your ancestors not been saved by one of them?
3. What animal is the traditional symbol of love and peace? (Be
specific.)
4. What animals can routinely find their way home from strange places
over hundreds or even thousands of miles away?
5. What winged creature can think abstractly, form concepts, and commit
images to memory many times faster than human beings?
6. What birds did Queen Victoria raise and love?
7. What animal formed the basis for Charles Darwin's studies and later
became his loving friends?
8. What animals did Picasso love so much he named his daughter after
them?
9. What animal has Jimmy Smits grown to love, personally, because of the
character he plays in the hit TV show NYPD Blue?
10. What kind of dove did Noah release from the ark? (Be specific)
11. What bird was used to take aerial photography?
12. What animal did Lockheed Aircraft Company use to send messages
between facilities across Los Angeles in order to avoid traffic?
13. What bird has no sound for pain - and therefore suffers and dies in
silence?
14. What animal has been revered for 12,000 years and, only in the last
century, has been severely abused by man?
15. What bird brings life to an often otherwise bleak inner-city
landscape?
16. What non-native bird inhabits areas without displacing native
species?
17. What animal was used in Desert Storm to send messages that otherwise
would not have gotten through due to intense radio jamming?
18. What was a favorite animal of the famous artists Picasso, Monet and
Matisse?
19. What animals are encouraged to provide a fertilizer of choice for
famous brands of champagne?
20. What is the common name for the Rock Dove?
21. What word in the dictionary means the same as the word "dove"?
22. What bird is falsely accused of spreading many diseases to people?
23. What birds feed milk to their babies?
24. What birds solved incredibly complex puzzles to become one of the
two top birdbrains of England?
25. What bird is commonly sacrificed by murderous bullies as nothing
more than live targets placed in the sights at the end of a shotgun?
26. What bird adorns foods, beauty products, a famous bank, and credit
cards worldwide? (Be specific)
27. What is one member of the dinosaur family who is still alive and
well today?
28. Unscramble the following word to find the answer to these questions:
GINEPO
Turn to the next page for answer and explanations - but don't cheat!
© D.L. Roth, 25 August, 1996
1. New evidence shows that the Egyptians domesticated pigeons some
7,000 years earlier than was previously thought.
2. Throughout history, pigeons have been used to carry lifesaving
messages, and even medications, very quickly, over impassable terrain,
and with a better than 98% success rate - and still do so in some parts
of the world, today.
3. Only in recent times has the white colored pigeon become widely used
as the symbol of love and peace, much like the portrayals of Jesus with
light, straight hair and blue eyes. Neither are accurate
representations of their traditional counterparts.
4. Pigeons are raced worldwide, which involves transporting them to
places where they have never been, releasing them, and letting them find
their way home. Despite extensive investigation and experimentation,
science is still baffled by this uncanny ability.
5. Dr. Theodore Barber, Ph.D., states in The Human Nature of Birds, that
scientific findings converge on three unexpected conclusions: 1.
Birds have many abilities that humans assume are unique to humans,
including musical ability (appreciation, composition, and performance),
ability to form abstract concepts, ability to use intelligence flexibly
to cope with constantly changing life demands, and ability to play with
joy and mate erotically. 2. Although humans are superior to birds in
certain kinds of intelligence (such as symbolic-linguistic
intelligence), birds are superior to humans in other kinds of
intelligence (such as navigational intelligence). 3. Birds are not
only intelligent, aware, and willful; they also can communicate
meaningfully with humans and relate to them as close, caring friends.
Investigations initiated by Professor Richard J. Herrnstein at the
Harvard Psychological Laboratories yielded surprising results.
Laboratory PIGEONS conceptualize at a high level of abstraction. Each
PIGEON concept that was assessed in the laboratory was surprisingly as
general and complete as typical concepts of humans. Laboratory PIGEONS
also succeed at other tasks that were thought to be unique to humans or
to primates. Laboratory PIGEONS learned to recognize each of the
twenty-six letters of the English alphabet. It seemed odd to the
researchers that the birds made the same kinds of initial mistakes as
elementary school students. In brief, the prevalent notion that
concepts are unique to humans is not valid. Laboratory birds have
conceptualized what they were "requested" to conceptualize. It appears
likely that birds in nature conceptualize everything that matters to
them.
6. In fact, much of the royalty throughout the world, starting with the
Pharaohs of Egypt, maintained the prized birds in their royal pigeon
lofts.
7. Charles Darwin used pigeons to formulate his theory of the evolution
of species. As he worked with the birds, he developed a love for
them. As a result, he could no longer kill and dissect the birds who
had become his beloved companions.
8. Picasso loved pigeons so much, he named his daughter Paloma, which is
Spanish for pigeon.
9. Jimmy Smits narrates, in a video entitled Man's Oldest Feathered
Friend, "Only in this century have [pigeons received] our ridicule
instead of our respect. Few urban humans truly understand the beauty,
bravery, and our shared history with these aerial wonders." In working
with pigeons on his hit TV series, Jimmy Smits has developed a real
affection for these birds.
10. According to legend, says folklorist Boria Sax of Pace University,
"Noah sent out a raven that didn't come back and later a [pigeon] that
returned with the olive branch, a sign of peace."
11. American and allied armed services released pigeons with cameras
strapped to their bodies to take aerial photography during the First
World War.
12. Isn't it amazing that an aircraft company would use this natural
form of airmail!
13. Pigeons are constantly and senselessly exterminated, shot, and
tortured in huge numbers. One wonders if such cruelty would be so
prevalent if pigeons could cry out loudly when purposely subjected to
such excruciating pain.
14. See Jimmy Smits' quote in answer number 9, above.
15. Pigeons are uniquely adapted to life in the city. In many urban
areas, children would not have contact with or appreciation of any
wildlife were it not for pigeons.
16. Pigeons are benign residents. In fact, they lose their very lives
to sustain endangered Peregrine Falcons, hawks, and other predators
which would find it difficult, if not impossible, to survive without
them.
17. In a world of high technology, sometimes the lowest technology is
still the most successful.
18. Monet, Matisse, and Picasso all loved pigeons. A pigeon loft still
exists in Monet's garden.
19. The next time you tip a glass of fine champagne, enjoy a bit of the
essence of pigeon.
20. Most people don't even know that a pigeon is a dove.
21. The words "dove" and "pigeon" are interchangeable. All pigeons are
doves and all doves are pigeons.
22. State and local health departments report that there has never,
ever, been even one case of any disease spread from pigeons to people
throughout the history of Arizona. The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention says that the risk of getting a disease from a pigeon
anywhere in the entire country is extremely rare.
23. Pigeons make "crop milk", which is similar to mammals' milk, to feed
their babies. Prolactin, the same pituitary hormone responsible for
milk production in mammals, causes crop milk to be produced by both
sexes and forms the complete diet of nestlings for the first few days of
life. Scientists first isolated prolactin from pigeon milk and have
used that knowledge to advance dairy science.
24. Researchers in England devised incredibly complex devices to test
the intelligence of all types of birds. Pigeons came out on top.
25. Unfortunately, Arizona is one of only 4 states that allow the dove
of love and peace to be trapped and shot for fun and profit.
26. Paul Mitchell, Dove soap, Dove Bars, Dove chocolate, the Bank of
America, VISA credit cards, and many other companies adorn their
products with the image of the pigeon.
27. Pigeons are dinosaurs. Birds are not just descended from dinosaurs
-- they are dinosaurs. So, cast your gaze upward. You might just see
the dinosaurs flying.
28. GINEPO unscrambled is PIGEON.
Do what you can to protect our oldest feathered friends. Call the Urban
Wildlife Society at 602.265.BIRD.
© D.L. Roth, 25 August, 1996
Good Luck,
Dave Roth
State President
Urban Wildlife Society
and Chairman
Avian Affairs Coalition
717 West Cambridge Avenue
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
Phones: Office 602.265.4320
Hotline 602.265.BIRD
E-mail: animals@goodnet.com
Fax: 602.265.4320 Notify by voice before faxing.
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 14:26:58 -0700 (PDT)
From: civillib@cwnet.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: HUNGERSTRIKER SUE MCCROSKY, SUPPORTERS FREED (US)
Message-ID: <199709222126.OAA20205@smtp.cwnet.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 22, 1997
Hunger Striker Freed From
DeKalb Jail; Supporters
Also To Be Released
ATLANTA – Animal rights activist Sue McCrosky – after spending 20 days on a
protest hunger strike – was released from DeKalb County Jail Monday. Her
immediate condition is not known, but she was wheeled out of the jail in a
wheelchair, according to Capt. W. Elliot, assistant jail commander..
In a related development, all but one of 10 people arrested Sunday at a
protest at the DeKalb Jail for Ms McCrosky were to be released sometime late
Monday after the $500 bail was not required by a Magistrate Court pre-trial
hearing. Only Joel Capolongo, arrested for disorderly conduct, remains
jailed, but supporters believe he also will be released without bail.
Ms McCrosky was serving a 45 day sentence for violation of the petty
infraction involving residential picketing during a peaceful demonstration
at the home of the director of primate research at Yerkes Primate Research
Center. Activists were complaining about the abuse and killing of animals at
the facility.
Ms McCrosky was jailed Sept. 3, hospitalized once and spent the past nearly
2 weeks in the hospital wing of the jail. She was to observe her 54th
birthday Thursday.
Her jailing sparked protests in more than a dozen U.S. cities this past
week, and demonstrations as far away as England and New Zealand. The jail,
and court have been flooded by hundreds of callers throughout the U.S.
-30-
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 17:52:40 -0400 (EDT)
From: CFOXAPI@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: YOPLAIT YOGURT CONTAINERS KILLING WILDLIFE
Message-ID: <970922175049_405553120@emout15.mail.aol.com>
Please note: This is a re-post of an alert posted earlier this month on
ar-news with more complete contact information for reaching Yoplait/ General
Mills, including an email address for the company and a sample letter.
-Camilla Fox
_______________________________________________________________
ANIMAL PROTECTION INSTITUTE
***ACTION ALERT***
Yoplait Containers Killing Wildlife
A member of the Animal Protection Institute, who is also an animal control
officer in California, recently contacted our office about a recurring
problem she and other animal control officers have experienced in the field
regarding wild animals getting their heads stuck in Yoplait yogurt containers
and suffocating to death. She requested that we distribute this Action Alert
and sample letter to the President of General Mills. Please write or fax a
letter requesting that they address this problem as soon as possible. Wild
animals do not appear to get their heads stuck in other yogurt containers, so
the problem is most likely the actual shape of the Yoplait containers. A
simple change in design could rectify this problem.
Letters should be addressed to:
Mr. Steve Sanger, President
General Mills Incorporated
P.O. Box 1113
Minneapolis, MN 55440
fax 612-540-4925
phone 1-800-967-5248
Email Yoplait@cis.compuserve.com
Sample Letter
Mr. Steve Sanger
President
General Mills Incorporated
P.O. Box 1113
Minneapolis, MN 55440
Dear Mr. Sanger,
I am writing to convey what many wildlife advocacy and rehabilitation
organizations see as a serious problem with the shape of your Yoplait yogurt
containers. Many animal control officers and wildlife rehabilitators have
expressed concern regarding Yoplait yogurt container's impact on wildlife.
The current design of Yoplait containers, with its narrow top and wide
bottom, is such that certain species of wildlife have been found to get their
heads stuck in the container and are suffocating to death as a result. This
appears to happen primarily with juvenile skunks and raccoons and ostensibly
as a result of these animals attempting to retrieve any uneaten yogurt at the
bottom of the container. For some reason this problem is only occurring with
Yoplait yogurt containers. Clearly the shape of the containers is such that
it makes it impossible for a juvenile wild animal to remove its head before
suffocating to death.
One animal control officer in California in a recent letter to the Animal
Protection Institute wrote, "I have worked in dispatch communications for
animal control since 1992, and have had numerous calls from citizens of young
wildlife getting their heads stuck inside Yoplait containers since they are
so narrow at the top. These are the only containers we have found causing
problems. Last week, we had three juvenile skunks that officers had to
rescue. It is quite a tug to get the container off; many have suffocated this
way. We have seen as many as 5 in one week in the San Mateo County California
area. Our previous Captain had written to Yoplait years ago, but nothing was
changed."
When a staff member at the Animal Protection Institute recently contacted
your company, she was told that your company is aware of the problem and has
"known about the problem for years" but has refused to do anything about it.
I urge you, as President of General Mills, to take this issue seriously and
to respond to the public's concerns with concrete action. A slight change in
the Yoplait container design could easily rectify this problem without
jeopardizing the brand recognition of the product. As a national corporation,
General Mills has a responsibility to respond to the public's concerns about
the safety and environmental impacts of your products. Please ensure that
this problem is addressed as soon as possible.
Thank you for taking my concerns into consideration. I look forward to
receiving a response from you about this important issue.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 15:32:56 -0700 (PDT)
From: civillib@cwnet.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: RELEASE/INDIANA FOX FARM RAID
Message-ID: <199709222232.PAA23504@smtp.cwnet.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Immediate Release
(Sept. 22, 1997)
UNDERGROUND ANIMAL RIGHTS GROUP
FREES 200 FOXES FROM INDIANA FUR FARM
ANDERSON, IN – At least 200 foxes were freed this weekend when an
underground animal rights group – responsible for dozens of other
"liberations" throughout the U.S. -- cut fences and broke open cages during
an early morning raid at Adam's Fox Farm here.
The Animal Liberation Front (ALF), a clandestine organization with a secret
membership throughout the U.S. and Europe, claimed responsibility for the
Saturday attack in a communique sent to sympathetic above-ground animal
rights groups.
"About 200 foxes were liberated," said the ALF in the communique, adding
that "a large gate that led to a field and freedom was opened..and the foxes
found it before the liberators left." The communique also described how the
ALF destroyed a 3-foot tall fence "in its entirety" in order to provide a
route for the foxes to escape.
"Animals locked in cages don't have a voice, and so you may not hear their
cries. They still feel pain. Murderers of the innocent have spilled blood
for too long unchallenged...Now we will destroy the industries of torture,"
ALF has stated after past raids.
The ALF, contrary to any fur industry claims, said the animals released
from farms have a excellent chance of survival. And, much more so then if
they were left in their cages to be killed, often by anal-electrocution.
The raid is the 34th in the past 2 years at U.S. and Canadian fur farms,
that has resulted in the freeing of an estimated 50,000 mink, fox and other
fur-bearing animals. States affected by the raids include Indiana, Utah,
Washington, Oregon, Ohio, Massachusetts, Texas, Minnesota, Wisconsin,
Michigan, Tennessee, New York and Maryland. Tens of thousands of fur-bearing
animals have also been liberated from Germany, Sweden, Finland, Italy,
Denmark, England, Austria and Norway this year.
The Animal Liberation Front, which has a code of nonviolence and in 20
years of operation in the U.S. has never harmed a human or nonhuman animal,
has claimed responsibility for the release of tens of thousands of animals
from research labs, fur farms and factory farms, as well as the destruction
of animal abuse industries, including labs and fur farms.
-30-
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 22:06:23 +0000
From: "Miggi"
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [UK] - Animal Activists Fall Ill After Farm Protest
Message-ID: <199709222232.XAA28880@serv4.vossnet.co.uk>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
>From The Independent On Sunday 21/9/97
Animal Activists Fall Ill After Farm Protest - By Matthew Kalman
Animal rights activists who fell ill after protesting outside a
cat-breeding farm may have been poisoned by an organophosphate
pesticide spray. Environmental health officers have found "substantial
amounts" of a potentially lethal organophosphate pesticide, called
dimethoate; on the road-side verge where protesters stand outside the
Oxfordshire farm, which breeds cats for medical experiments.
At a July demonstration out-side Hillgrove Farm, near Witney
activists initially noticed a chemical smell and yellowing of the 20
yard stretch of grass which serves as the centre for protest.
Sixteen activists subsequently reported unexplained symptoms
including nausea, sore throats, head pains and breathing
difficulties. Exposure to organophosphate pesticides may be one of
the causes of Gulf war syndrome and of the severe illnesses
contracted by farmers after using certain sheep dips. The owner of
Hillgrove Farm, Chris Brown, dismissed suggestions that he had
sprayed the verge. "I am not concerned at all," he said. " I don't
know who did it" "The protesters did not need to be there and
locals are getting fed up with them," he said. "I don't honestly
think it was spilt by accident. I have got a suspicion but I'm not
foolish enough to say who my suspicions are about. They'll do
anything to discredit me. Dimethoate is an outdated pesticide and
not one we use anyway". Sheila English, a protester who had eaten
her lunch at the site, said: "The next day I had ulcers on my
tongue. Three days later I got terrible pains in my throat and mouth
and my air passages started to close up:" Another protester, who did
not want to be named, said: "On the day after I began to feel queasy
and suffered with diarrhoea. I felt sick for over two weeks. I am
usually a fit person and can shake off bugs easily." Dr Irubert
Davies, who has treated 60 sheep farmers for low-level
organophosphate poisoning, said dimethoate could have caused the
protesters' symptoms. "The symptoms described by the protesters are
almost identical to those experienced by sheep farmers when they
dip. "Dipper's flu consists of symptoms including muscular aches and
pains, general lassitude and lethargy, feeling awful, in some cases
tightness of the chest, and mild depression." The use of
organophosphates against people harks back to military use. They
were developed by the Nazis in the late 1930s as nerve agents and
are precursors to the sarin nerve gas used in the 1995 Tokyo subway
attack. "It's very worrying if derivatives of military nerve agents
are now being used as, how shall I say weapons, if that indeed is
the case," said Dr Davies. There was no agricultural reason for
spraying the pesticide on the verge, he added. West Oxfordshire's
principal environmental health officer Keith Dalton, who collected
samples for analysis after the incident, confirmed the dimethoate
found was dangerous. "The analyst's opinion was that the levels were
such that there may be possible health implications," he said. The
council does not spray organophosphates. Police involved in
supervising the protests are also concerned they may have been
contaminated. "From our enquiries we have no evidence of who put it
there;" said Superintendent Pauline Sydenham of Thames Valley
Police. "It could have been the protesters for all we know It
certainly wasn't us. We're concerned about our officers in addition
to those other people who were present," she said.
Christine Gosden, Professor of Medical Genetics at Liverpool
University has written to Jack Straw, the Home Secretary, whose
weekend cottage is less than a mile from the farm, to press him
to look into the health effects on police and protesters.
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 1997 06:43:36 +0800
From: bunny
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (USA) ANTHRAX, ANIMALS - (TEXAS)
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970923063414.2b0ff1b6@wantree.com.au>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
ANTHRAX, ANIMALS - USA (TEXAS)
******************************
Date: Fri, 19 Sep 1997
The current (September) issue of "Disease Prevention News", a publication
of the Texas Department of Health, reports a case of anthrax in a Terrell
county goat with follow-up investigation to determine the extent of
possible human exposures.
In the months prior to identification of the disease in the goat
approximately 90 sheep, cattle and goats on the ranch had died of an
undetermined cause.
Some human exposure may have taken place but there was no documentation of
human anthrax infection.
There was a prior history of anthrax (25 years ago) at this location, at
which time the ranchers instituted annual livestock vaccination. The
current ranch owners, who bought the property 17 years ago, discontinued
this policy.
The TDH postulates that increased rainfall after four years of drought
caused rapid growth of grass which was contaminated with soil containing
the _B. anthracis_ spores, which were ingested by the animals and thus
caused disease.
The dead animal carcasses were destroyed by burning.
This article and a brief review of animal and human anthrax is available at
http:/www.tdh.state.tx.us/phpep/dpnhome.htm
===========================================
Rabbit Information Service,
P.O.Box 30,
Riverton,
Western Australia 6148
Email> rabbit@wantree.com.au
http://www.wantree.com.au/~rabbit/rabbit.htm
(Rabbit Information Service website updated frequently)
/`\ /`\
(/\ \-/ /\)
)6 6(
>{= Y =}<
/'-^-'\
(_) (_)
| . |
| |}
jgs \_/^\_/
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 14:01:48 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Christine M. Wolf"
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: CAMPFIRE: House Conferees Named
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19970403094320.270f72a8@pop.igc.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Our final chance to eliminate taxpayer subsidies to the CAMPFIRE program
will be when the conference committee, consisting of certain House and
Senate members, meets to work out the differences in the versions of the
Foreign Operations Spending Bill that passed each chamber.
Just a refresher...
The SENATE approved language that prohibits taxpayer subsidies of the ivory
trade through the CAMPFIRE program in Zimbabwe.
The HOUSE rejected a similar amendment on September 4th by a vote of 267-159.
A few weeks ago, I posted a list of the senators who were on the conference
committee, and I now have the list of house members.
IF YOU LIVE IN ONE OF THE DISTRICTS LISTED BELOW, PLEASE CALL YOUR
REPRESENTATIVE AND ASK HIM OR HER TO "SUPPORT THE SENATE LANGUAGE
IN THE
FOREIGN OPERATIONS SPENDING BILL THAT PROHIBITS TAXPAYER SUBSIDIES
TO THE
IVORY TRADE."
All offices can be reached through the Capitol Switchboard: 1-800-972-3524
(D.C. area residents, use 202-224-3121). Conferees are expected to meet
later this week, so please call as soon as possible.
STATE AND DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE
Alabama-01 Sonny Callahan
Illinois-10 John Porter
Illinois-09 Sid Yates
Virginia-10 Frank Wolf
California-48 Ron Packard
California-08 Nancy Pelosi
California-34 Esteban Torres
Michigan-11 Joe Knollenberg
New York-01 Michael Forbes
New York-18 Nita Lowey
Georgia-01 Jack Kingston
New Jersey-11 Rodney Frelinghuysen
Louisiana-01 Bob Livingston
Pennsylvania-01 Thomas Foglietta
Wisconsin-07 Dave Obey
**** As always, please call me if you have any questions, want to know how
your legislator voted on the amendment, or want to know who your elected
officials are.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ACTIVISM - THIS IS OUR LAST CHANCE TO WIN ON THIS
ISSUE!
******************************************************************
Christine Wolf, Director of Government Affairs
The Fund for Animalsphone: 301-585-2591
World Buildingfax: 301-585-2595
8121 Georgia Ave., Suite 301e-mail: CWolf@fund.org
Silver Spring, MD 20910web page: www.fund.org
"When a man wantonly destroys a work of man, we call him a vandal. When he
wantonly destroys a work of nature, we call him a sportsman."
-Joseph Wood Crutch
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 1997 08:14:03 +0800
From: bunny
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (NZ)RCD to be legalised on Upton's Return
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970923080438.2b27a712@wantree.com.au>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
The Dominion 23/9/97
RCD to be legalised on Upton's Return
The Government was working on regulations to legalise
the spread of the rabbit-killing calicivirus, a spokesman
for Biosecurity Minister Simon Upton said yesterday.
But the Biosecurity Act regulations were not expected
to be formalised till Mr Upton returned on Thursday or
Friday, after attending environment meetings in Montreal
and London.
The Government announced a fortnight ago that it would
legalise the possession and spread of the virus, after
a Crown Law Office opinion contradicted Agriculture
Ministry advice to farmers that spreading it was legal.
Though those who spread the virus before the regulation
changes would be technically have broken the law,
the ministry considers it impractical to prosecute most
of the people involved.
But those who smuggled the virus into New Zealand and
were involved in its initial spread were still being sought
with view to prosecution.
Ministry spokeswoman Debbie Gee said the ministry's
enforcement unit was "still hopeful" they would be caught.
Meanwhile, the ministry was monitoring the virus spread.
But once the virus spread was legalised, the ministry expected
its main role would be in giving advice to farmers who wished
to spread it further.
"Other than that, we're not resourced for a major monitoring
operation".
===========================================
Rabbit Information Service,
P.O.Box 30,
Riverton,
Western Australia 6148
Email> rabbit@wantree.com.au
http://www.wantree.com.au/~rabbit/rabbit.htm
(Rabbit Information Service website updated frequently)
/`\ /`\
(/\ \-/ /\)
)6 6(
>{= Y =}<
/'-^-'\
(_) (_)
| . |
| |}
jgs \_/^\_/
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 20:16:10 -0400 (EDT)
From: PAWS
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: PAWS conference
Message-ID:
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
PAWS annual Animals in Entertainment Conference will be held at the
Beverly Garland Hotel in North Hollywood November 13-16.
The weekend begins with a cocktail party and award ceremony featuring as
our special guest Mr. Bob Barker of television's "The Price is Right."
Seminars will be held on Friday, Saturday,and Sunday, November 14, 15 1nd
16. Speakers and special guests for the weekend include friends from
"The X-Files," "The Leeza Show," "Entertainment Tonight," and "Animal
Planet" as well as Roger Fouts, author of "Next of Kin," Jeffrey Masson,
author of the new best-seller "Dogs Never Lie About Love," veterinarian
Holly Cheever, Bob Hillman of Albuquerque Animal Services, elephant and
gorilla expert Ian Redmond, and many more.
On Sunday, we are replacing our traditional "field trip" with an
"Elephants 101" workshop which will address activists' most-asked
questions about elephants in circuses, such as: How do I know if an
elephant's behavior is 'normal'? How can I tell if an elephant's skin
and feet are healthy? How can I tell if an elephant is underweight or
dehydrated? What are the warning signs that an elephant is ill? and many
more. (In the spring, PAWS will sponsor a hands-on 2-day seminar at the
PAWS sanctuary on elephant-related issues and problems. Registration
forms for this event will be available at the November conference.)
Registration for the Animals in Entertainment conference is $100 in
advance, $125 at the door. This fee includes a vegan lunch on Friday and
Saturday. There is an additional charge of $35 in advance/$50 at the
door for the Thursday evening cocktail party.
For a registration brochure, e.mail us or call the PAWS office at (209)
745-2606.
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 22:28:14 -0400
From: Wyandotte Animal Group
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: USDA Extends Comment Period for Exotic Animal Handling
Standards
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970923022814.231ff8a4@mail.heritage.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
> Jim Rogers (301) 734-8563
> jrogers@aphis.usda.gov
> Jerry Redding (202) 7206959
> jredding@usda.gov
>
>
>USDA EXTENDS COMMENT PERIOD FOR EXOTIC ANIMAL HANDLING
>STANDARDS
>
> WASHINGTON, Sept. 22, 1997--The U.S. Department of Agriculture is
>extending the comment period for its request for information concerning
>currently used practices for handling and training potentially dangerous
>exotic or wild animals used in exhibition that are covered by the Animal
>Welfare Act.
>
> USDA also needs input on training and experience requirements for
>trainers and handlers of potentially dangerous exotic or wild animals.
>
> "We are reopening and extending the comment period for accepting
>informaiton on dangerous and exotic animal training guidelines," said
>Michael V. Dunn, assistant secretary for marketing and regulatory
>programs. "We will now accept comments until Nov. 6."
>
> The request for information was originally published in the July 24
>Federal Register.
>
> To comment, send an original and three copies of comments to Docket
>No. 97-001-2, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, USDA,
>Suite 3C03, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, Md. 20737-1238.
>
> Comments received are available for public review at USDA, Room
>1141 South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue, S.W.,
>Washington, D.C., between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday,
>except holidays. Persons wishing access to this room are requested to
>call in advance at (202) 690-2817.
>
> #
Jason Alley
Wyandotte Animal Group
wag@heritage.com
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 22:46:57 -0400
From: Allen Schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (UK) Huntingdon Rooftop Demo
Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.19970922224657.00698d38@envirolink.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
posted for "Miggi" due to computer error:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------
I've just heard on the radio (Ridio 5 + Virgin Radio) that 3 people
got onto the roof of Huntingdon Research Centre yesterday, and are
still up there (police unable to persuade them to come down)
There were also 9 arrests yesterday (they didn't give reasons)
I will post stuff later if I hear more.
-
UK People - Please remember the HRC people are at the High Court in
London tommorrow to fight their eviction from the camp. Please try to
get there to support them.
-
Mark
Type Bits/KeyID Date User ID
pub 1024/BBFB4A25 1997/08/01 Mark Ridley
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Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 22:56:04 -0400
From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Picking Up Diseases from Pets
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970922225601.006e03fc@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
from Yahoo news page:
-------------------------------------
Monday September 22 1:41 PM EDT
Picking Up Diseases from Pets
NEW YORK (Reuters) -- The cats and dogs we love can also be a source of a
host of infectious diseases, experts say.
"Pets are found in approximately 70% of households and have been directly
or indirectly associated with the transmission of at least 30 infectious
agents to humans," according to Dr. James Tan of Northeastern Ohio
Universities College of Medicine in Rootstown, Ohio.
Tan's review of pet-borne disease, written to raise awareness of these
illnesses, appears this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
He divides pet-to-human infection into three disease types:
-- Bacterial infections. Tan points out that dog and cat bites, "no matter
how insignificant" should be brought to medical attention, since they are a
possible source for bacteria such as Streptococcus and Staphylococcus.
Cat scratches pose a serious threat as well. Flea-bearing cats may carry
Bartonella henselae -- the bacterial cause of 'cat scratch disease'. More
than half of cats in the United States have tested positive for the
presence of bacterial antibodies for B henselae.
Other pet-borne infectious bacteria include diarrhea-causing Campylobacter
and Salmonella. Tan says all of these illnesses, while serious, can be
treated with antibiotics.
-- Rickettsial infections: These illnesses are also caused by bacteria, and
often involve rashes along with fever and diarrhea.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever, the best known rickettsial disease, is
associated with the bite of the dog tick. Contact with dog saliva or feces
is not thought to be a route of transmission, Tan says, but cases of the
fever in dogs should send up a 'red flag' that the disease is endemic to
the area.
Other rickettsial infections include ehrlichiosis and Q fever, both
tick-borne and both suspected of having possible cat/dog-human infection
transmission routes. Antibiotics can usually control most rickettsial
diseases before they become a serious threat to human health.
-- Parasitic infections. The intestinal worms that plague dogs and cats --
hookworms and tapeworm -- can be transmitted to humans via contact with
animal feces. Tan explains that children, playing in parks where pet feces
are present, can pick up hookworm or tapeworm while walking barefoot.
He says Cryptosporidium, a microscopic parasite leading to severe diarrhea,
has also been linked to drinking water contaminated with animal feces.
And external parasites -- such as the scabies mite, and fleas -- can make
the inter-species leap from pets to humans as well. Tan believes the
control of parasites in household pets is a first line of defense against
human parasitic infestation.
He believes pet owners bear ultimate responsibility for controlling all
pet-borne disease. "The responsibilities for the pets begins with proper
immunization, disease prevention, hygiene, and treatment of diseases," Tan
says.
Outdoor pets are always placed at higher risk of contracting -- and
spreading -- disease than those kept indoors. To stop the spread of
fecal-borne disease, "Pets should not be permitted to defecate on beaches
or playgrounds," Tan says. 'Pooper-scooper' laws should be strictly adhered
to, and "pet feces should not be used as fertilizer."
Tan says dog and cat lovers need to realize that the risk of pet-borne
disease is real, but controllable through simple precautions.
In the final analysis, Tan admits that the benefits of household pets to
humankind still outweigh most risks. Pets, he says, "contribute greatly to
people's emotional, psychological, and even physical welfare." SOURCE:
Archives of Internal Medicine (1997;157:1933-1943)
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