Komputer for Alle 1998 #6/1998 CD 6 (Gul).iso/web/ffa/wwwenv~1.org/arrs/digest/news53~7.htm/text0017.txt

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From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (HK) Alert after beef from contaminated US factory imported
  into HK
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"



>Hong Kong Standard
6 Oct 97

Alert after beef from contaminated US factory imported
into HK

By Ceri Williams

THREE Hong Kong meat traders have imported beef from a United States factory
that supplied meat containing potentially lethal E coli bacteria to South
Korea, it was revealed on Sunday.

Director of Health Margaret Chan Fung Fu-chun said they had imported about
100 kilograms of beef from Iowa Beef Packers (IBP) Inc meat factory, in
Dakota City, Nebraska, which may have been sold to the public.

South Korea announced on Friday it was banning the import of US beef from
IBP after health inspectors discovered the strain of E coli bacteria in 19
tonnes of beef shipped from the factory.

Dr Chan called for public and restaurant chefs to handle beef cautiously and
said the bacteria would not survive if the meat was cooked for more than
three minutes at 75 degrees Celsius.

She said they were examining samples of the imported beef to test for the
bacteria and results would be known within a week.

Dealers had agreed to take back the rest of the supplied beef from the market.
The latest food hygiene scares follow a series of other incidents this year.
The E coli bacteria was
found in a sample of beef in May from the same wholesaler that supplied
contaminated meat to the
Yaohan Department Store in March.

The government discovered the bacteria in beef samples taken from the Hop
Lee Fresh Provision
Shop in Western. Another test on beef from the wholesaler in March found the
E coli bacteria.

But concerns about contaminated beef imported from the US are not deterring
restaurant-goers
from enjoying their steaks, local restaurant managers say.

Managers of restaurants such as San Francisco Steakhouse in Tsim Sha Tsui
and Dan Ryan's
Chicago Grill in Admiralty confirmed they imported beef from the US but this
did not come from the
Nebraska meat factory.

Dan Ryan's manager Andrew Dalley said all beef for the chain's Admiralty and
Tsim Sha Tsui outlets
came from Illinois.

Casper Koo of San Francisco Steakhouse said the restaurant got its beef from
Virginia.

Both said customers had asked a few questions about the origin of the beef
they served but neither
noted any decrease in the number of people ordering steaks or other beef
dishes.

``We're a volume business and have the highest quality standards, all the
way from receiving, storage
to preparation,'' Mr Dalley said.

``We defrost overnight in the refrigerator and require food handlers to wear
gloves and hats.''

Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 02:32:43
From: David J Knowles <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: [UK] Eggs from M & S: batteries not  included
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"


>From The Electronic Telegraph - Monday, October 5th, 1997

Eggs from M & S: batteries not  included
By David Brown, Agriculture Editor

                    BATTERY eggs from caged hens have been banned from sale
in all Marks & Spencer stores from today. It is the first major high street
retailer to abandon this form of factory farming.

                    The company said it was acting in response to consumer
demand, and that it had told food suppliers that, in the long term, it
would only use free-range eggs as ingredients of
ready-made meals and prepared foods.

                    Jubilant animal welfare campaigners said the ban was a
triumph in their campaign to end battery farming. The move was also
welcomed by Elliot Morley, the animal welfare minister, who wants the
battery hen system phased out in the European Union. "Retailers at the
quality end of the market are driving change faster than any government
policy could," he said.

                    Guy McCracken, Marks & Spencer's food managing
director, said the company had waited until it could secure enough supplies
of free-range eggs from small farms in Sussex, Nottinghamshire, the Thames
Valley and Northern Ireland before acting.

                    From now on, all its eggs will have been produced by
chickens free to roam in open pasture during daylight hours and given
nesting boxes and perches. They must also be allowed to follow natural
behaviour such as scratching and dust bathing and will be checked regularly
by vets.

                    Philip Lymbery, campaigns director of Compassion in
World Farming, said the decision was "a further nail in the coffin of the
battery egg system".

                    Sir David Naish, President of the National Farmers'
Union of England and Wales, said: "Modern battery systems produce
affordable eggs in hygienic and healthy conditions but Marks & Spencer have
obviously seized a market-driven opportunity."

⌐ Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.

Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 02:45:16
From: David J Knowles <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: [UK] Pet cruelty file 'could trap child abusers'
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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>From The Electronic Telegraph - Monday, October 5th, 1997

Pet cruelty file 'could trap child abusers'

                  THE RSPCA and its Scottish equivalent the SSPCA are
backing a study which could lead to the trapping of child abusers based on
the way they treat their pets.

                  Research in America appears to confirm a link between
animal and child abuse, as well as certain other types of assault including
wife beating.

                  The SSPCA wants a change in the law to make it mandatory
for an exchange of information between animal welfare investigators and
social workers to quickly identify any abuser and potential victims.

                  It has, together with the RSPCA, funded a study costing
ú10,000 to help vets spot abuse of cats and dogs. The study is being
carried out by Helen Munro, an honorary fellow of the Royal Veterinary
School in Edinburgh. She is convinced of the link between the abuse of pets
and children.

                  The American Humane Association is the only organisation
in the world which has a database on the abuse of animals and children.
American police routinely use the database when investigating murders and
serial killings.

                  The California-based Latham Foundation found that a
quarter of battered woman seeking shelter in Colorado Springs said that
animals had been killed or abused in their homes. In another study in New
Jersey, animal abuse was reported in 88 per cent of families in which
physical abuse occurred.

                  Mike Flynn, the SSPCA's senior investigator, said that
representations would be made to the Scottish Office to change the law on
the cross-reporting of animal and child abuse. He added: "Abusers tend to
follow a pattern. They start on animals and progress. Young children and
animals are the same in that they can't tell you who caused their injuries.
Without a doubt there is a link between animal and child abuse."

⌐ Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.

Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 02:48:58
From: David J Knowles <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: [US] Breaking the Cycle of Abuse  [long]
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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>From the Texas SPCA web site

Breaking the Cycle of Abuse



                   "Anyone who has accustomed himself to regard the
                   life of any living creature as worthless is in danger
                   of arriving also at the idea of worthless human
                   lives."

                   Albert Schweitzer, Humanitarian


                   "Animal abuse by member of the family, whether
                   parent or child, often means child abuse is going on
                   too."

                   Randall Lockwood, Psychologist, The Humane Society of the
                   United States


                   "One of the most dangerous things that can happen
                   to a child is to kill or torture an animal and get away
                   with it."

                   Margaret Mead, Anthropologist



Nearly all children go through a stage of "innocent" cruelty during which
they may harm
insects or other small animals in the process of exploring their world.
Most children,
however, with guidance from parents and teachers, develop empathy for the
pain animals
can suffer. Some, however, become locked into a lifetime pattern of cruelty.

Alberto Desalvo, the self-confessed 1962-63 "Boston Strangler" who killed
thirteen women
had,as a youth, trapped dogs and cats in orange crates and shot arrows
through the boxes.

Carroll Edward Cole, executed in 1985, was one of the most prolific killers
in moden history.
His first act of violence as a child was to strangle a cat.

Brenda Spencer fired forty shots at San Diego school children, fatally
wounding two and
injuring nine others. Neighbors later informed police that Spencer had
repeatedly abused
dogs and cats, often setting their tails on fire.

Most animal murders will not commit sensational murders, but they have
already taken a
step on the path of violence. Ground-breaking studies by psychiatrist Alan
Felthous and
others, indicate that many criminals that have been violent toward people
share a common
history of brutal parental punishment and cruelty to animals. Yet, even
today, it is not
unusual to find school and judicial systems in which animal abuse is not
taken seriously.

This is especially disturbing since animal abuse not only can portend the
potential for
violence against humans, but it also maybe an indication of a family in
trouble now.
Research bears this out.

Recently, Deviney, Dickert, and Lockwood studied 57 families being treated
by New Jersy's
Division of Youth and Family Services for incidents of child abuse. In 88
percent of these
families, animals in the home had also been abused, usually by the parent.

These findings are cosistent with those of James Hutton who reviewed the
animal cruelty
reports for one community in England. Of the 23 families with a history of
animal abuse, 83
percent had been identified by human social service agencies as having
children at risk of
abuse or neglect.



What We Can Do

As educators and other guardians of youth, we must affirm that any child
who abuses
animals is in need of immediate help. We must further recognize that if
animal abuse is
occurring in a family, child abuse may be happening also. Most importantly,
we must
intervene to break the cycle of abuse.



Be Aware

Do not ignore even minor acts of cruelty. Correct the child and express
your concerns to
his or her parents. urge your school district to his or her parents,
judicial system,and child
welfare service agency to take acts of animal cruelty seriously.

Take seriously children's reports of animal abuse in the home. Animal
abuse, by a parent or
child, is one indicator that a child may be at risk of abuse. Early
intervention can some
times prevent the abuse from ever occurring. Animal abuse can also mean
that child abuse
is already occurring. Some children who will not talk about their own abuse
will reveal what
is happening to their pet. If a child describes animal abuse in the home,
the school
counselor and psychologist should be immediately notified, as well as the
local animal
welfare agency, which can check up on the care of any animals in the home.

Be on the lookout for other indicators of child abuse and neglect. The
references listed on
the back of this brochure will help you identify other critical indicators.



Report It

If you suspect child abuse or neglect, do not hesitate to report it. All
states require this of
teachers. Some states require teachers to immediately report even
suspicions of abuse or
neglect. Others expect cases to be fairly well documented Know the
guidelines for your
state and school district. All states pro vide reporting teachers with
immunity.

If you believe an animal is being mistreated, contact your local animal
welfare agency (or
the police, if there is no such agency). As a rule, failure to provide
adequate food, water,
and shelter or the use of physical force sufficient to leave a mark or
otherwise cause injury
constitutes cruelty to animals according to most state laws. Your actions
may not only help
the animal, but may also identify a person in need of help. Intervention
can prevent
escalation of abuse.

Don't assume someone else would know if something was wrong.

Be ready and willing to testify against abuse and neglect. Document
conversations and
evidence.



Mobilize and Organize

Distribute copies of this brochure. Make others aware of the link between
animal abuse and
other violent crimes,including child abuse. Speak to your local PTA, child
welfare service
agency, animal welfare organization, clergy, school counselor and
psychologist,
veterinarians, juvenile judges, police, and others. Urge agencies to share
information with
one another.

Establish a task force in your school to work on breaking the cycle of
abuse. Procedures
can be established concerning what to do if a student abuses an animal on
the school
grounds or while waiting for the bus. Teachers can be informed about the
warning signs
that indicate a family is in need of help. Guidelines for contacting social
services can be
distributed, as well as suggestions for communicating with suspected
abusive parents.
Teachers need to know, for instance, what to do if the parent of a
suspected abused child
demands that the child be re moved from the reporting teacher's class.

Utilize resources. There are many excellent sources of help.



Resources

How Schools Can Help Combat Child Abuse and Neglect, a thorough handbook
from the
National Education Association (NEA), is avail able for $10.95 in paperback
(N.E.A., P.O.
Box 509, West Haven, CT 06516).

Educators, Schools and Child Abuse, published by The National Committee for
Prevention
of Child Abuse, is available for $1.50 per copy (P.O. Box 2866, Chicago, IL
60690).
Additional help is available from The National Center on Child Abuse and
Neglect (P.O. Box
1182, Washington, DC 20013). Written by Patty A. Finch. Special thanks to
Dr. Randall
Lockwood, psychologist, The Humane Society of the United States.

Additional copies of this brochure are avail able, 15 copies for $3.00,
single copies 50
cents. Write to the National Association for Humane and Environmental
Education
(NAHEE), P.O. Box 362, East Haddam, CT 06423-0362.

⌐1992, The National Association for Humane and Environmental Education, the
youth
education division of The Humane Society of the United States.

COPYRIGHT⌐1995 PICnet

Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 06:37:45 -0400 (EDT)
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: State Fair of Virginia article- comments needed
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

The following is an article on the state fair of virginia. Please send
comments or group statements to [e-mail]. In addition to an animal
birthing barn where I bet the animals had induced labor, the fair had a
rodeo, live shark show, pig racing, and a place to take photos with baby
tigers.

State Fair gates close for one more year
New calf, sun greeted crowds on last day

BY WILL JONES
Times-Dispatch Staff Writer

------------------------------------------------------------------------

FAIRLY NEW. A mother cow nuzzles her newborn male calf, born on the
fair's last day. Veterinary student Phillip Washington listens to its
heartbeat.
(Photo by Don Long / Times-Dispatch)
------------------------------------------------------------------------

A dairy cow, known affectionately as 266, helped close the 1997 State
Fair of Virginia yesterday by giving birth to a male calf.

The bovine arrival and its mother, both white with black markings, were
part of the new exhibit ABC's of Life, Animal Birthing Center.The
exhibit gave fairgoers a glimpse of a process that few, apart from
farmers and veterinarians, see.

The Holstein calf was born at 9:45 a.m. and about five hours later was
walking slowly on unsteady legs. His mother, meanwhile, was passing the
placenta in the final stages of labor.

''She actually went pretty easily (through a complicated delivery) this
morning,'' said Phillip Washington, a veterinary student who was caring
for the animals. ''But it can be pretty tough.''

While a couple of adolescent fairgoers seemed bothered by the slightly
bloody display, most onlookers were unfazed and chatted with Washington
about the animals.

Washington is a third-year student at the Virginia-Maryland Regional
College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech, which coordinated the
exhibit with the State Fair of Virginia.

During the fair's two-week run, about a dozen cows and 15 ewes gave
birth as part of the ABC's of Life exhibit. One of the newborn calves
was named Fairchild.

In another corner of the Old Dominion Livestock Center, Dr. Tom Bailey
of the college of veterinary medicine helped 5-year-old Ashton Short
cradle a 3-day-old lamb.

The 8-pound animal, whose skin gave its white fleece a pink tint, was
calm in her arms.

''I liked it because he was cute'' and felt like a teddy bear, she said
afterward.

Cherolyn Short, Ashton's mother, said the exhibit was a great addition
to the fair's varied attractions.

''I thought it was very educational, very informative,'' said Short,
whose family lives with chickens, dogs and cats on a small farm in
Gloucester County. ''They've got the people here to answer questions and
to let you hold'' the sheep.

Yesterday's clear sky and temperatures in the upper 80s helped boost the
fair's attendance.

While the exact number won't be available for several days, officials
are projecting this year's total to be 2 percent to 5 percent more than
last year's figure of 561,166.

''Everything went very well,'' said Kieth Hessey, the general manager.
''We were extremely pleased with the turnout except for (last) Sunday,
when we had rain.''

Chris Traywick and his 7-year-old son, Crisman, were among those who
declined to go to the fair last Sunday because of the rain. Instead,
they showed up yesterday.

''This was the only other day we had available, so we lucked out,'' said
Traywick, of Richmond.

At one game, Crisman threw a couple of fastballs, which registered a
high speed of 32 mph on a radar gun. For his trouble, he got a giant,
inflatable baseball. He had already collected a stuffed frog and banana,
which his father held.

Dustin Sadler and his buddy Sean Coates, both 11 and students at
Dinwiddie Middle School, helped close the fair by taking on a different
challenge. They tested themselves on Dave & Wayne's Most Incredible
Climbing Wall.

The attraction gave them the chance to climb a 22-foot wall as they held
and stepped onto a series of fake rocks that jutted out.

The boys, who declined to remove the tall ''Cat in the Hat'' hats they
had won in a basketball shooting game, were fastened in a harness that
was secured by a rope held by a worker.

While Sean made his way up the wall and rang a cow bell at the top,
Dustin struggled and eventually lost his grip. He swung from the wall
and was lowered to the ground.

''When I got up there my foot got hung and I couldn't get it,'' Dustin
said afterward. ''I was OK until the top.''

Bill Bates, who worked at the Climbing Wall, said the attraction has
been popular with undaunted children, who can climb for $3. Adults could
climb for $5.

The reward for a successful climb isn't a giant Tweety Bird or other
stuffed animal.

''It's a sense of accomplishment that you can't get from throwing a
pingpong ball until it lands in a goldfish bowl,'' Bates said. ''You get
a free trip to the ground. That's what you win.''
Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 06:43:52 -0400 (EDT)
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: another fur site
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

Here is yet another fur site. This page says "Fur Coats!
And not Only for Christmas!"

http://194.135.176.82/Shopping/Meh/index.htm
Date: Mon, 6 Oct 97 08:35:25 UTC
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Masson Now Looks at the Emotional Lives of Canines
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

By Lisa Faye Kaplan, Gannett News Service

Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, psychoanalyst turned observer of animal
emotions, is nothing if not controversial.

In the early 1980s, Masson challenged some of the theoretical footings
of Freudian analysis - that women were fantasizing, rather than reporting,
sexual abuse suffered as a child - and was subsequently fired from the
lofty post of projects director of the Sigmund Freud Archives in London.

Writer Janet Malcolm, long fascinated with the workings of the mind
and the people who attempt to understand it, wrote about the psychoanalytic
brouhaha in a 152-page The New Yorker piece (Dec. 12, 1983), which cast
Masson in an unfavorable light.

Masson sued for libel and accused Malcolm of making up quotations. After 12
years of trials and appeals all the way to the Supreme Court, Masson
ultimately lost the case and a fortune in attorney fees.

Is it any wonder that Masson, 56, has retreated from investigating the
corridors of the human psyche and now has trained his eye on the inner life
of animals?

His "When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals" was a national
best seller. And his new book, "Dogs Never Lie About Love" (Crown: $24),
already is on bestseller lists across the country.

"Dogs Never Lie" gives anecdotal evidence that dogs share many of the same
feelings as humans - love, loneliness, disappointment, loyalty - but
aren't bothered by those emotions that drive us crazy - hate, envy, revenge.

Pet lovers agree. But, true to Masson form, the book has raised the hackles
of some  established animal investigators.

During a recent interview, Masson talked about how he views animals, how
his psychoanalytic drama made the study of mutts appealing, and why con-
troversy seems to, well, dog him wherever he goes.

QUESTION: How does one investigate the question, "Is a dog happy?"
ANSWER: It's a very complex question. When I first started doing my
research on wild animals, I would say to these dolphin trainers, "Are
these dolphins happy?" And they always resented the question. I think
they have these niggling doubts that they're not really happy, and
they don't dare say so. How could a creature that is used to swimming
100 miles a day in the open ocean be happy  when it's confined to a
swimming pool? They'd say things like, "They mate and they play."
OK. But if we mated and played, would that mean we're happy? It takes
all kinds of things to make us happy.
Q. But that's us. Maybe mating and playing is heaven to dolphins.
A. The person answering usually has a hidden agenda. Even with dogs.
Dogs are so easy to read for us. It astonishes me. We don't read any
other animal that easily. We don't even read each other that easily.
That's why I think dogs are superior to us in emotions. They make it very
plain. Nobody has problems knowing their dog is disappointed. If you say,
"Let's go for a walk." And then say, "No, I changed my mind," the dog looks
completely stricken.
Q. Why do we care what dogs feel?
A. I care because it's taught me a lot. It's taught me to live in the
moment, not to make comparisons, about immediacy of feeling, as opposed to
mediating it with words.
Q. Basically, the study of dogs has enabled you to undo years of
psychoanalytic training.
A. I'm trying. Dogs make much better therapists than analysts. The analyst
is only happy to be there if you give him $150. Dogs don't ask for much in
return. I wrote this for the fascination of discovering if there were
creatures on Earth that are our superior in certain aspects. Dogs feel more
than we do, more intensely, more purely, more passionately, without
ambivalence. That's extraordinary...But I have yet to meet a sadistic dog,
a cynical dog. You don't find bitter dogs.
Q. What chord do you think this has hit with the public?
A. Everybody who lives with a dog knows this is true, and they've
never been given  permission to talk about it.
Q. Essentially, you're letting dogs lovers know they're not crazy after all.
A. Exactly.
Q. So, you've done a lot of good as a therapist.
A. The book validates what a lot of people have always believed. It's also
common sense.
Q. Your work has raised controversy before. Just how much did your suit
against Janet Malcolm cost?
A. Probably $500,000. Was it worth it? Whether you believe I'm right or she's
right on a specific issue, everybody now agrees that you should not invent
quotations. But I would never do it again. You realize when you get into
trial that it's not the truth that counts, it's how much money you're able
to spend, how well you know the rules, how good an actor  you are. These
things should be about truth. But they're not, unfortunately.
Q. This you're just now learning?
A. Yeah, it took a long time to learn that. I believe my career as a
public intellectual was over when I lost. When you lose a major case in
America, people don't like you. They don't like losers in this country.
Q. Did you start writing about animals because you were so disenchanted
with humans?
A. I think that's possible, and there's even some truth in it. I was
bitter. I am disillusioned with human beings. And I do feel that they
are not great, including me, at knowing what they're feeling. Schooling
teaches us to hide our feelings. Even when we were doing the case, they
said, "You can't just say what you feel."
I don't like lying. I don't like pretending.
Q. So, to get back to dogs, who could hate you for writing about what
dogs feel?
A. Some veterinarians, laboratory scientists, university researchers,
the American Kennel Club. I've recently taken a pledge that I will not
call myself a dog owner, that they're not my property; that I will never
buy from a breeder. The only way I'll get a pure bred dog is from a
shelter. I'm totally opposed to breeding dogs. It's like eugenics in
humans.
Veterinarians and people who do experiments on dogs hate what I have to say.
Q. Are you surprised?
A. Not at all. But fortunately, there are enough ordinary people out there
who  really see that it makes sense. They're not academics. Not experts.
But yet, it's controversial.


-- Sherrill
Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 10:32:17 -0400
From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) A Farm Show With No Hens
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

(may be of interest to PA activists)
from CNN web page:
---------------------------------
October 6, 1997 10:29 am EDT

A Farm Show With No Hens

(HARRISBURG) -- Visitors to the annual Pennsylvania Farm Show will have
nothing to crow about in January. Still fighting an outbreak of the avian
flu, Agriculture Secretary Sam Hayes says he's canceling ALL poultry
exhibits at farming's showcase. Hayes says his decision is ``strictly
precautionary.'' There has been no new outbreak if the disease since
July... but the ``ag'' secretary says the department's vigilance must be
maintained. The poultry ban is nothing new for farmers in the southeast.
Hayes canceled the displays at county and community fairs in a nine-county
area earlier this summer.
Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 10:33:56 -0400
From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: UK's M&S Goes Green by Banning Battery Hen Eggs
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from CNN web page:
-----------------------------------
UK's M&S Goes Green by Banning Battery Hen Eggs
Reuters
06-OCT-97

LONDON, Oct 6 (Reuter) - An upmarket British supermarket group blazed an
environmental trail on Monday by banning the sale of battery-farmed eggs.

A statement from Marks and Spencer said the ban, the first of its kind in
Britain, reflected distaste among its customers for eggs laid by hens held
in cages, a practice that animal rights lobbyists label as excessively cruel.

Marks and Spencer will tell its food suppliers that, in the long term, it
will buy only ready-made meals and prepared foods that use free-range eggs.

Animal rights campaigner Philip Lymbery of Compassion in World Farming said
the ban was ``a further nail in the coffin of the battery egg system.''

Rival supermarkets continue to offer customers the choice of free-range and
battery eggs.
Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 10:37:48 -0400
From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Lamb, Mutton Production Drops
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from CNN web page:
----------------------------------
Lamb, Mutton Production Drops

(CHEYENNE) -- Lamb and mutton production in the state hit an all-time low
for August. Federal agriculture officials say the total amount of
commercial red meat production was down 14-percent from August of last
year. The Wyoming Agricultural Statistics Service says red meat production
for the first eight months of the year was down nine-percent from the same
period a year earlier. Wyoming's production numbers have dropped off more
dramatically than the rest of the nation, which has seen a two-percent
fall-off.
Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 10:38:38 -0400
From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Bison Hunt Draws Thousands
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from CNN web page:
---------------------------------
Bison Hunt Draws Thousands

(CHEYENNE) -- More than two-thousand hunters have applied to take part in a
bison hunt west of Cody. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department says a
computer drawing was used to rank who will be called first for the agency's
bison reduction program. The hunt is aimed at controlling the number of
bison in the North Fork of the Shoshone River Valley. Later this month, the
Game and Fish Commission will consider establishing a bison hunting area in
Teton, Sublette and Lincoln Counties.

Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 10:41:52 -0400
From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Animals blessed in tribute to St. Francis of Assisi
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from CNN web page:
---------------------------------
Animals blessed in tribute to St. Francis of Assisi

NEW YORK (CNN) -- New York's Cathedral of St. John the Divine had a few
unusual visitors Sunday -- an elephant, a camel, a monkey and a pet pig
among them.

It was all part of a celebration dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi. Many
Christians -- in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and other cities
across the United States -- paid tribute to the 13th century saint by
holding a special service to bless animals.

"We honor today one of the most simple, plain, unassuming saints," said the
Very Rev. Harry Pritchett of St. John the Divine. "St. Francis is noted for
his amazing hospitality to all creatures."

The Italian saint, who died in 1226, was well-known for his preaching,
poverty and gentleness. Tradition holds that animals responded to his
kindness by listening to his sermons.

Ever since, Christians have commemorated Francis on the first Sunday in
October by blessing animals. The services were first conceived as a way to
give thanks for the creatures who served man by tilling in the fields or
pulling artillery on the battlefield -- or filling plates on the dinner
table.

This religious reverence for animals is, of course, not simply a Christian
tradition.

"In most of the other religions of the world, there's a sense that
respecting animal life is part of the natural makeup of human beings and,
indeed, part of the moral sensitivity that makes us human," said Dr. Ron
Long of Hunter College.

And in recent years, the blessing services in honor of St. Francis have
taken on a new connotation.

"With our increasing attention to the environment and to ecological issues
and ecological justice, (it) has taken on a whole new meaning and power,"
said Pritchett. "I think the message really is that if we're all creatures
of God, nothing is expendable."

Correspondent Cynthia Tornquist contributed to this report.
Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 11:38:57 -0400
From: "Zoocheck Canada Inc." <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: EMERGENCY RESCUE OF EX-CIRCUS BEAR
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

EMERGENCY RESCUE OF EX-CIRCUS BEAR: OSO EMERGENCY FUND.

Ontario bear sanctuary owner Mike McIntosh of Bear With Us has done an
emergency rescue of an ex-circus bear, close to death due to starvation
(see story below).

The <Oso Emergency Fund> has been set up by Zoocheck Canada to help feed
and house the bear, Oso, at the sanctuary. ALL proceeds will be forwarded
to Bear With Us.

This unexpected rescue is putting tremendous strain on Bear With Us and any
assistance would be appreciated. For example, to help Oso gain weight, Mike
is feeding him a nutrent-rich diet including 3-dozen eggs a day. Despite
his maltreatment at human hands, Mike reports that Oso is still amazingly
gentle with him. We'll keep you posted as to Oso's condition.

Please direct enquiries to Zoocheck Canada (see contact information at the
end of this email).

Mike McIntosh is one of those amazing animal people who works day and
night, sacrificing personal comfort and money to help bears in distress.
Please help.

Holly Penfound, Director
Zoocheck Canada Inc.

+++

OSO: A FIRSt-HAND ACCOUNT FROM MIKE MCINTOSH OF BEAR WITH US.

On October 2nd, I drove to the Belleville, Ontario area to rescue Oso.
Working with wild bears has allowed me to see some very thin, wounded or
desparate bears that have been the victims of pathological human treatment.

Oso has spent 11 to 12 years in captivity. First he was subjected to a
circus after he was rid of his claws and his teeth. Then Oso was sold to a
zoo of ill repute near Subury, Ontario. Goverment Officials threatened to
close the zoo and the owners fled.

Oso was found nearly one month later in a very small cage, barely alive,
surviving without food or water for this period. He was sent to the care of
the Pheylonian Zoo near Belleville. They supplied a haven for many
mistreated or forgotten animals such as loins, tigers, wolves and then Oso.

Oso was so weak he could not stand up. Oso had never touched or stood on
natural earth and grass. He was afraid of it. The kind man and his wife
spent many hours massaging Oso and feeding him special nutrients so that he
might live. Oso, the bear, did live and in a year or so was the picture of
health. Life was good for Oso: a large enclosure, good food and kind
caretakers.

Oso was in the care of these kind people for about seven years until a
major fire and other complications meant they had to find a home for all
their animals including Oso.

2- 1/2 years ago, Oso was trusted to the care of another man near
Belleville. Oso's life took a terrible turn for the worst. Poor quality
food, malnutrition and then almost no food.

Oso is a shadow of his former self. His past caretakers heard about his
condition and 3 weeks ago took Oso back from this horrible place. Again,
Oso is very weak from starvation and he is put on a special diet to help
him regain some strength. However, Oso's former caretakers cannot care for
him permanently.

That is when the people who care for Oso decided the Bear With Us Sanctuary
for bears was the place for Oso to go. Oso's former caretakers turned down
$1000.00 to protect Oso from a 16x16 foot cage and the rest of his life in
a roadside circus. They were also told they could sell Oso, dead, for
$2000.00 for only his gall bladder.

They donated Oso to Bear With Us for the promise of a good, permanent home
for Oso.

I personally have never seen an animal so wretched looking from starvation.
Deaths door could not have been far away. What could be more cruel than
starving an animal to death in a cage? Oso has lost nearly all signs of
muscle surrounding his bones. His skull protrudes as do his hips, ribs and
joints. Oso is on the rebound again.

This Alaskan Brown Bear (Grizzly) who began his sad life with humans after
he was purposely orphaned, seems amazingly friendly after all his
misfortune. I can promise him life will be better.

Mike McIntosh
Bear With Us

Re: Donations for Oso: As a charity, Zoocheck can issue a charitable tax
receipt for donations. Please indicate that your donation is for the Oso
Emergency Fund.

Zoocheck Canada Inc.
3266 Yonge Street, Suite 1729
Toronto, ON M4N 3P6
Ph [phone]  Fax    [phone] or [phone]
E-Mail:  [e-mail]
Web Site:  http://web.idirect.com/~zoocheck
Registered Charity No. 0828459-54
Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 11:32:28 -0400
From: Miyun Park <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: 10-05-97 Fish Rescue Review
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Yesterday, more than 20 people--representing the Washington Humane Society,
HSUS, the Fund for Animals, Compassion Over Killing, and local community
residents--participated in an animal rescue effort in Gaithersburg, Md. A
large pond--home to goldfish, minnows, tadpoles, and other animals--was
being drained in order to widen the road. The animals were left to bake in
the sun, as their home was drained.

Rescue efforts had been ongoing since Friday. By Sunday, the pond was
almost empty of water. The mud and muck at the bottom of the pond was very
deep and extremely dangerous. Large sheets of plywood were donated by
Hechinger's and the wood served as make-shift bridges upon which activists
could stand while scooping up the animals into nets. They were then placed
in buckets with water, transferred up a steep mud-covered embankment, and
then, finally, placed in large transport containers where they would swim
until they were transferred to their new home. The rescue was long, hot,
tedious, and strenuous. But, the work paid off: thousands upon thousands of
animals were saved.

Thanks to everyone for their compassion and for giving up their Sunday to
save the animals Montgomery County so unforgivingly left to die.

Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 11:43:34 -0400
From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Court Rejects Fast Food Co. Appeal
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from AP Wire page:
------------------------------------
 10/06/1997 11:21 EST

 Court Rejects Fast Food Co. Appeal

 By RICHARD CARELLI
 Associated Press Writer

 WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court today refused to shield a fast-food
 business in Washington state from being sued in California over a 1993
 outbreak of illnesses linked to hamburgers at Jack-in-the-Box
 restaurants.

 The justices, without comment, rejected an appeal by Washington
 Restaurant Management Inc. (WRMI), which once ran three Jack-in-the-Box
 franchises in Washington state, that California courts have no power over
 it.

 Today's action, although not a ruling, left intact a California Supreme
 Court decision that forces WRMI to defend itself in a California trial
 scheduled to begin this month.

 Three children died and hundreds of people became sick in early 1993
 after eating Jack-in-the-Box burgers that allegedly were undercooked and
 contained E. coli bacteria.

 WRMI was identified as one of the franchises which had sold the tainted
 hamburgers.

 A number of Jack-in-the-Box franchises -- but not WRMI -- sued over lost
 profits as a result of the negative publicity surrounding the outbreak.
 The defendants included Foodmaker Inc., the San Diego-based parent of
 Jack-in-the-Box; the Vons Companies, which supplied ground beef for
 Foodmaker; and beef suppliers that had delivered meat to Vons' processing
 plant in El Monte, Calif.

 Vons responded to the lawsuits filed in a Los Angeles court by filing a
 cross complaint against the owners of several Jack-in-the-Box franchises,
 including WRMI.

 Vons alleged that the franchises negligently and recklessly undercooked
 hamburger patties.

 WRMI sought to have the cross complaint dismissed, contending that
 California courts had no jurisdiction over the Washington-based company.

 A state trial judge and a state appeals court agreed with WRMI, but the
 California Supreme Court reversed those rulings last December.

 It ruled that the franchise agreements WRMI entered into with Foodmaker
 provided sufficient ties to California to give the state's courts
 jurisdiction over the Washington company.

 But lawyers for WRMI say that should not be enough because WRMI never has
 had any contractual relationship with Vons, and Vons was not a party to
 the franchise agreements between WRMI and Foodmaker.

 Foodmaker has settled nearly 100 lawsuits related to the 1993 outbreak.
 Settlements that have been disclosed range from $19,000 to $15.6 million.

 The case is Washington Restaurant Management Inc. vs. The Vons Companies,
 96-1762.

Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 11:49:24 -0400
From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (KR/US) U.S. To Assess SKorea Food Program
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from AP Wire page:
----------------------------------
 10/06/1997 11:45 EST

 U.S. To Assess SKorea Food Program

 By SANG-HUN CHOE
 Associated Press Writer

 SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- A team of U.S. experts arrived to assess South
 Korea's food inspection program in a trade dispute touched off by the
 detection of harmful bacteria on the surface of imported U.S. beef.

 The safety of U.S.-produced foods has become a major consumer concern in
 South Korea. Government inspectors recently detected E. coli bacteria in
 beef imported from Nebraska and ordered a local importer to return or
 destroy 18 tons of U.S. beef stored in warehouses.

 The four-member U.S. team wants to know how South Korean officials
 detected E. coli bacteria on the surface of frozen and sliced beef
 imported from IBP Inc., Nebraska's largest meatpacker.

 IBP has questioned that its meat sold to South Korea was contaminated.

 ``We are concerned about it ... I have no reason to believe there is a
 problem,'' Kay Wachsmuth, deputy chief of the Food Safety and Inspection
 Service of the U.S. Agriculture Department, told reporters in Seoul on
 Monday.

 The Seoul government has said it will provide details of the methods it
 used to detect the contamination but refused to allow the U.S. officials
 to test the meat samples themselves.

 More concern was raised about U.S. imports Monday. Seoul's Health and
 Welfare Ministry announced that nearly half of foreign foods blocked from
 customs clearance due to bacteria infection and other reasons in the
 first six months of the year came from the United States.

 U.S. producers fear that South Koreans may use the alleged bacteria
 contamination and other cases to turn away from imported goods in favor
 of local products.

 News of contaminated meat scared away many customers from restaurants
 serving beef, and stores reported sharp drops in sales of imported beef.

 ``The discovery is having a psychological effect in scaring away some
 customers, especially from imported beef,'' said Ha Soo-yeon, a
 spokeswoman for Lotte, Seoul's largest department store.

 In the United States, E. coli is permitted on the outside of beef because
 the microbes would be killed in cooking. If the bacteria are in ground
 beef, however, they can get inside the product and possibly escape the
 high heat necessary to destroy them.

 American cattle farmers increasingly count on overseas markets for growth
 as changing American eating habits reduce meat consumption at home.

 U.S. beef accounted for 60 percent of South Korea's total beef imports
 during the first eight months of this year. South Korea plans to import
 167,000 tons of foreign beef this year.

Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 11:56:14 -0400
From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (SE) Nobel Winner Could Have Prevented 'Mad Cow'
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from Yahoo news page:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday October 6 9:59 AM EDT

Nobel Winner Could Have Prevented 'Mad Cow'

By Belinda Goldsmith

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (Reuter) - An American neurologist, whose discovery of a
disease-causing agent could have helped prevent the outbreak of "mad cow"
disease but for a skeptical scientific community, was Monday awarded the
1997 Nobel Medicine Prize.

Stanley Prusiner discovered the prion, or proteinaceous infectious
particle, an innocent cellular protein present in all humans and animals
which can transform into a deadly particle, causing several fatal brain
diseases.

He found prion diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) and scrapie
could be inherited, transmitted or occur spontaneously -- a discovery that
could have major implications for Alzheimer's Disease.

Although his find dates back to the early 1980s, it took several years for
the medical world to accept his discovery -- too late to stop the outbreak
of mad cow disease in Britain. The condition is caused by feeding cows
offal from sheep infected with scrapie, a disease which attacks the central
nervous system.

"During the whole of the 1980s, prion was very controversial," Ralf
Pettersson, vice chairman of the Medical Nobel Assembly at Sweden's
Karolinska Institute, told Reuters.

"Acceptance took a while. This could have delayed moves. It was more a
political decision (in Britain) about when to take action, and by then it
was too late."

Mad cow disease -- or Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) -- first
surfaced in the mid-1980s but it was several years before Britain banned
the use of cattle feed containing offal.

Since BSE was identified, about 165,000 cattle have died and one million
have been culled as a preventative measure.

As of January, 1997, there had been 14 known human victims, suffering a new
form of CJD that may have arisen through BSE transmission.

Prusiner, 55, a professor of biochemistry at the University of California
in San Francisco (UCSF), began his work in 1972 after one of his patients
died of dementia resulting from CJD.

Ten years later he and his team produced a preparation derived from
diseased hamsters' brains that contained a single agent he called a prion,
which can be added to the list of well known infectious agents like
bacteria, viruses and fungi.

A prion is much smaller than a virus and neither humans nor animals have
any in-built defense mechanism, as prions are present as natural proteins
from birth and not poisonous.

It is converted prions that interact with one another, forming a
thread-like structure, and ultimately destroy nerve cells in the brain,
causing impaired muscle control, memory loss and insomnia in affected
individuals.

Pettersson said Prusiner's pioneering work had opened new avenues to
understand more common dementia-type illnesses, such as Alzheimer's
Disease.

"We now have a theoretical basis for designing new drugs to prevent the
transformation to a pathological form of protein," Pettersson told a news
conference.

"It will help in research to understand other dementia in forms like
Alzheimer's which have many features in common."

The Nobel Medicine Prize was the first award in the 1997 Nobel season and
will be followed by the peace prize on Oct. 10, the economics prize on Oct.
13 and the physics and chemistry prizes on Oct. 15.

The date of the literature prize is kept secret until just days before but
can be expected on either Oct. 9 or Oct. 16 as it is always announced on a
Thursday in October.
Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 12:01:50 -0400
From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Bison Hunt Draws Thousands
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

 ..
from CNN web page:
---------------------------------
Bison Hunt Draws Thousands

(CHEYENNE) -- More than two-thousand hunters have applied to take part in a
bison hunt west of Cody. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department says a
computer drawing was used to rank who will be called first for the agency's
bison reduction program. The hunt is aimed at controlling the number of
bison in the North Fork of the Shoshone River Valley. Later this month, the
Game and Fish Commission will consider establishing a bison hunting area in
Teton, Sublette and Lincoln Counties.

Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 12:01:35 -0400
From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Lamb, Mutton Production Drops
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

..
from CNN web page:
----------------------------------
Lamb, Mutton Production Drops

(CHEYENNE) -- Lamb and mutton production in the state hit an all-time low
for August. Federal agriculture officials say the total amount of
commercial red meat production was down 14-percent from August of last
year. The Wyoming Agricultural Statistics Service says red meat production
for the first eight months of the year was down nine-percent from the same
period a year earlier. Wyoming's production numbers have dropped off more
dramatically than the rest of the nation, which has seen a two-percent
fall-off.
Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 12:02:12 -0400
From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Animals blessed in tribute to St. Francis of Assisi
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

. .
from CNN web page:
---------------------------------
Animals blessed in tribute to St. Francis of Assisi

NEW YORK (CNN) -- New York's Cathedral of St. John the Divine had a few
unusual visitors Sunday -- an elephant, a camel, a monkey and a pet pig
among them.

It was all part of a celebration dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi. Many
Christians -- in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and other cities
across the United States -- paid tribute to the 13th century saint by
holding a special service to bless animals.

"We honor today one of the most simple, plain, unassuming saints," said the
Very Rev. Harry Pritchett of St. John the Divine. "St. Francis is noted for
his amazing hospitality to all creatures."

The Italian saint, who died in 1226, was well-known for his preaching,
poverty and gentleness. Tradition holds that animals responded to his
kindness by listening to his sermons.

Ever since, Christians have commemorated Francis on the first Sunday in
October by blessing animals. The services were first conceived as a way to
give thanks for the creatures who served man by tilling in the fields or
pulling artillery on the battlefield -- or filling plates on the dinner
table.

This religious reverence for animals is, of course, not simply a Christian
tradition.

"In most of the other religions of the world, there's a sense that
respecting animal life is part of the natural makeup of human beings and,
indeed, part of the moral sensitivity that makes us human," said Dr. Ron
Long of Hunter College.

And in recent years, the blessing services in honor of St. Francis have
taken on a new connotation.

"With our increasing attention to the environment and to ecological issues
and ecological justice, (it) has taken on a whole new meaning and power,"
said Pritchett. "I think the message really is that if we're all creatures
of God, nothing is expendable."

Correspondent Cynthia Tornquist contributed to this report.
Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 12:02:32 -0400
From: Miyun Park <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Fish Rescue Addition and Correction
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

In my haste, I forgot to add that representatives of Friends of Animals
were vital to the fish rescue.

Also, the wood was donated by Home Depot, not Hechinger's.

Thanks,
Miyun

Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 09:17:59 PDT
From: "Kim Chicchi" <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail]
Subject: CALLS NEEDED (concerning Bow Hunt)
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Content-Type: text/plain

I thought I'd fill people in a little more with the situation with
this Bow Hunt & why it is absolutely imperative to call!(I know this is
a bad time with Dawn & Sue in jail, but PLEASE!! CALL!)

5 years ago the community of Fox Chapel decided to have a bow hunt to
"control" the deer population.  Since then, about 500 deer have been
killed, and they "set the stage" for many other communities to have bow
hunts.

Last year, Bethel Park(where I live) decided that they too, would have a
hunt.  This was all decided behind "closed doors" and they have never
done any sort of survery to even see if there is an overpopulation of
deer!  Last yr. 96 deer were killed, and I hate to even think about how
many more will be killed this yr.

Now, since B.P. decided to have the hunt last yr., all the other
communities are having/planning hunts as well.  North Park's hunt
started on Saturday too. Upper St. Clair had been serious about a hunt,
but it was finally voted down, and Peters TWP(which also neighbors B.P.)
is considering having a hunt.

In other words, a strong message needs to be sent aginst these hunts!!!
We're not just trying to get BP's hunt stopped, we're trying to get all
of them stopped, and prevent future ones from happening!  So, PLEASE
PLEASE CALL!!!!!!!

The media's finally starting to pick up on this(I did a radio interview
today) so now I just need people to keep calling!

The following is a list of numbers to call, and if you can't call all of
them, I'd suggest calling:

Phil Ehrman-- cause he's my council member & lives just a few houses
down the street.

Timothy J. Moury
George K. Beck
Alan Hoffman
and the municipal building

Also, if you can't afford to make long distance calls, you can call
1-800-collect and when it asks for your name say something like just
"stop the hunt" ,"End the masacre" etc.  Also, if you get an answering
machine, you can leave up to a 4 minute message.

So, while I know that this is bad timing, it will only take a few
minutes of your day, so PLEASE CALL!!!!!!!!!!

Hundreds of deer are depending on it, SO DO IT!!!!

Also, I haven't decided if or for how long I'm going to hungerstrike for
the second hunt, but for the last hunt(which starts Dec. 26)I'm going to
hungerstrike for the entire duration of the hunt.

Anyways, here's the #'s again & PLEASE CALL & fax these people!!!!!

THANKS!!!
Love 'n' Liberation!
-Kim


**********************************
Municipal council

all phone #'s have an area code of 412

Timothy J. Moury(president)
833-4615

George K. Beck(vice president)
833-5992

John A. Pape
835-3087

Charles G. Koch
833-5786(home)
429-2204(business)

Judith A, Lorigan
835-5064(home)
833-2800(business)

Donald L. Harrison
833-0449

Mark J. O'Brien
831-0774

Philip B. Ehrman
831-1868)home)
225-3355(business)
225-4058(fax)

Susan J. Hughes
833-4989

Mayor:
Alan F. Hoffman
833-4109(home)
833-6850(business)
833-3938(fax)

Municipal Building:
831-6800











______________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________
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Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 13:04:23 -0400
From: "Patrick Tohill" <[e-mail]>
To: <[e-mail]>
Subject: (CA) Article on Canadian Fur Industry
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1


The following is excerpted from an article entitled "Fur Fights Back" that
ran last week in Marketing Magazine. It contained some interesting numbers
and facts about the fur industry's efforts to once again make fur palatable
to the public. It also demonstrates that most of the much-touted increases
in fur sales the industry has been bragging about are international ($30
million to Russia and an unspecified amount to Japan) rather than domestic.

FOR THE FULL ARTICLE: check out Marketing Online at
http://www.marketingmag.ca/Content/36.97/feat2.html

<Title:> Fur Fights Back

<Byline:> Robert Thompson

<Source:> Marketing Online (Marketing Magazine)

<snip>

You'd think selling fur to Russia would be a folly akin to trying to sell
coal to Newcastle. But, in fact, Canadian ranchers and wild fur trappers
have every reason to believe their forays into this market of the former
Soviet Union will pay off. Indeed, after the fall of communism, Russia's
much vaunted fur industry collapsed too, leaving a huge fur market with
little domestic production.

<snip>

Still, Sebben says, the Russians continue to rapidly increase their
purchases. Five years ago there were almost no Canadian fur sales to
Russia. Now, says Sebben, sales to Russia have increased to about $30
million.

That Canadian fur marketers are aggressively seeking out new untapped
markets like Russia, and willing to work harder than ever to overcome
obstacles in them, is a big reason Canadian fur is seeing an international
comeback.

With the successful outcome of a battle with the European Union, the fur
industry is now looking to add EU members to the growing list of
countries¡which, along with Russia, include China, South Korea, Japan, and
the United States¡that are looking at Canadian fur with a renewed interest.
Total unmanfuctured fur sales, which once peaked around $800 million in the
mid-80s, dropped as low as $350 million by 1987-88, before recent foreign
interest brought it back to about $450 million last year.

"This is an exciting time for the fur industry," says Alison Beal, the
executive director for the Fur Institute of Canada, a co-operative
organization that promotes the fur industry. "The Pacific Rim countries are
now opening up to Canadian fur because it is of superior and finer quality
than furs from other countries."

Certainly the fur industry is unlikely to ever return to the prominence and
economic importance that it held in the early history of this country. But
its health these days is much stronger than it's been in years, perhaps
decades. In the mid-1980s, with the prices of fur skins often exceeding
$65, overproduction of ranched fur, coupled with animal rights protests
over trapping practices, greatly damaged the fur industry in Canada. Nearly
half of the fur ranches in Canada, which are almost exclusively family-run
businesses, disappeared and pelt prices fell as low as $18 before the
industry began to recover in the last few years. The recovery has been led
by tackling non-traditional markets and forming co-operative fur agencies
designed to promote and market Canadian fur around the world.

<snip>

Part of the collective marketing approach the co-operative organizations
have taken includes educating the public on fur issues. Certainly, few
industries have had as much negative media attention as the Canadian fur
industry. In order to counteract this problem, the fur industry has
attempted to promote fur as a sustainable resource and reaffirm the
important role of native people in the trade.

Despite this co-operative strategy, fur farming and wild fur still remain
separate entities, with different approaches to tackling the expanding
foreign markets. The ranched fur pelts sold to foreign customers are mainly
manufactured into coats abroad, due to the fact that the furs are of
similar quality and can be shaped into fur coats and accessories by
unskilled laborers. Now as much as 65% of the million-plus ranched furs in
Canada are purchased by Korean manufacturers.

The challenge in marketing ranched fur to Asian countries is in
establishing the quality of the fur. In order to do this, the ranchers
began to use name recognition to identify their products, says Dagenais. He
says the "Majestic" label, for example, was first started by fur ranchers
in 1989, two years after the fur-price crash. The ranchers needed a way for
the consumer to identify Canadian mink and began using a collective
promotional name. Canada now produces an average of one million mink furs a
year, with the latest Statistics Canada figures showing sales of over $55
million.

Dagenais explains that the government has helped resuscitate the industry
by opening its embassies and consulates to the fur industry. Following the
fur price crash, Foreign Affairs and Agriculture Canada teamed up to
identify foreign marketing strategies. The strategy involves the government
matching the funds the fur councils put into specific foreign marketing
campaigns and helping to assess who the fur councils and co-operatives
should deal with. The federal government has provided $1,046,000 to promote
fur over the last two years and expects to spend another $600,000 over the
1997-98 fur season. With the sales of Canadian fur exceeding $800 million,
which includes retailing and manufacturing, Dagenais says the money seems
well spent.

By opening the embassies up to fur fashion shows and trade displays,
Dagenais says the government is not just marketing fur. "We try to promote
other Canadian products as well," he explained. "If you're at a fur fashion
show, there's a good chance that, for example, the wine you're drinking is
Canadian. We take a big-picture approach to this kind of marketing."

Unlike ranched fur, wild fur requires skilled labor to make the pelts into
coats, says the Wild Fur Council's Sebben. Therefore, the furs are
incorporated into garments and need a different marketing approach from
ranched furs. The main hurdle is that the varieties of wild fur, such as
beaver and lynx, are not as well known as mink. Whereas ranch fur is
primarily marketed to Russia, China and South Korea, the wild fur market is
primarily U.S.-based, with expanding markets in China and Japan.

<snip>

There are other hurdles in dealing with China. "It's fairly expensive,"
Sebben says. "You can easily spend $100,000 on an in-store display.
Generally we spend about a $1 million in advertising in Asia and Russia."

Sebben adds that China is a new market for these goods, though Japan's
sales of Canadian fur products now exceeds $40 million annually.

The U.S. also remains an important market for the fur fashion industry,
with almost 80% of sales heading south of the border.

Allaire says the Fur Council of Canada is spending almost $1 million on a
fall campaign targeting specific fashion magazines like Vogue and Essence.
Other promotions include the Montreal Fur Exposition, a gathering for
people throughout the fur industry.

<snip>



Regards

Patrick Tohill
Communications Officer
WSPA Canada

The World Society for the Protection of Animals has been at the forefront
of animal protection and wildlife conservation for more than 40 years. The
only international animal protection organization recognized by the United
Nations, WSPA represents more than 300 member societies in over 70
countries.

Visit WSPA's website at http://www.way.net/wspa/
Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 13:48:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail]
Subject: EMERGENCY RESCUE OF EX-Gas Station Bear Reaches Crisis Stage - No Home for
Sasha
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

Activists who have worked tirelessly for over three years on the release of
Sasha the Gas Station Bear from her northern Wisconsin "dog-run" home into a
natural sanctuary setting need your help.  The "owner" of Sasha may be
willing to sell her outright at present.  This is a big step for the gas
station owner who feels 'victimized' by the attention that Sasha has
received.  However, the sanctuary that was going to accept Sasha has accepted
another bear and NO LONGER HAS ROOM for our Gas Station Bear.

We are seaching once again for a new home for Sasha.  Please, if anyone can
refer us to a sanctuary _that does not breed bears_  that may provide a new
home for this beautiful bear, contact the below immediately and leave a
message.

D'Arcy Kemnitz
[phone]
Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 10:47:57 -0700 (PDT)
From: Peter Petersan <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: request for info
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Patrick,
        We (The Fund for Animals) have an Urban Wildlife Specialist on staff
who deals specfically with educating people on how to handle nuisance
wildlife problems using only non-invasive methods.  Her name is Laura Simon,
and she has a wildlife hotline at [phone].  I'm sure she will be able
to help you with any problems or questions you may have.

Good Luck

Peter Petersan
Outreach Director
The Fund for Animals



At 04:16 PM 10/3/97 -0400, Patrick Tohill wrote:
>If anyone has any good info on avoiding nuisance wildlife such as skunks or
>raccoons (what kind of things attract skunks and raccoons to homes or
>campsites, humane methods of deterring nuisance wildlife, and info on what
>do if sprayed by a skunk) or knows where I can find it, please email me
>privately at [e-mail]
>
>Regards
>
>Patrick Tohill
>Communications Officer
>WSPA Canada
>
>The World Society for the Protection of Animals has been at the forefront
>of animal protection and wildlife conservation for more than 40 years. The
>only international animal protection organization recognized by the United
>Nations, WSPA represents more than 300 member societies in over 70
>countries.
>
>Visit WSPA's website at http://www.way.net/wspa/
>
>

Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 10:59:07 -0700 (PDT)
From: Michael Markarian <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: Pottsville, PA: Pigeon Shoot Protestor Continues Hunger Strike
  at Prison
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from the POTTSVILLE REPUBLICAN
Saturday-Sunday, October 4-5, 1997

Pigeon-shoot protester continues hunger strike at prison

 BY PAMELA E. WALCK
 Staff Writer

 Holding true to her word, Dawn M. Ratcliffe has refused all meals since
entering the Schuylkill
 County Prison on Friday afternoon.

 Charged with disorderly conduct at the 63rd Annual Fred Coleman Memorial
Pigeon Shoot on
 Labor Day 1996, the 24-year-old North Carolina woman is serving a 45-day
sentence in the
 county prison.

 Ratcliffe has vowed to conduct a hunger strike until legislation to ban
live pigeon shoots is passed
 by state lawmakers.

 ``She hasn't eaten a thing,'' Warden David J. Kurtz confirmed this morning.
``However, we will
 continue to monitor her and doctors will be on hand to check her physically
to see how she is
 doing.''

 Although Ratcliffe spent her first 48 hours in solitary confinement, Kurtz
said she now has access to
 the telephone and is in the general female population at the prison.

 ``At this time, I don't know if she has made any calls, but she does have
access to a phone,'' Kurtz
 said.

 Also counting down the meals Ratcliffe has missed since beginning her
hunger strike is Doris
 Gitman, Schuylkill Haven.

 A fellow animal-rights activist, Gitman said she hopes to visit Ratcliffe
on Tuesday.

 Accompanying her to the prison Friday, Gitman said Ratcliffe appeared
``determined'' in her last
 few moments of freedom.

 ``She was just very determined that she was going to follow through with
this hunger strike,''
 Gitman said in a telephone interview Sunday afternoon. ``I've been thinking
about her and how
 many meals she has missed it's hard to imagine.''

 Kurtz said according to procedure, the prison staff is keeping a detailed
record of what Ratcliffe is
 consuming.

 ``It's not unusual for people to do this. We have hunger strikes
periodically,'' Kurtz said. ``But
 ususally they haven't lasted very long.''

 Although he couldn't recall the circumstances surrounding the last hunger
strike at the prison, Kurtz
 said a male inmate did refuse food for a period of time within the last year.

 ``Regardless, we offer them a meal each time,'' Kurtz said.

 In extreme cases, the prison will bring a psychologist in to work with the
inmate. However ``it's too
 early to say if we need it in this case,'' Kurtz said.

 Ratcliffe first announced her intentions during a press conference Friday
on the steps of the county
 prison.

 Although new legislation to ban live pigeon shoots has not yet been
introduced on the state House
 floor, state Rep. Sara Steelman, D-62, Indiana and Cambria counties, is
expected to introduce a
 bill early this week, according to the Fund for Animals. Ratcliffe is a
member of the Fund for
 Animals, the group which protests the Hegins shoot each year.

 Attempts to pass similar legislation in 1996 have failed.

 With women's visiting hours from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Saturdays, Gitman
said she plans to
 visit Ratcliffe this week.

 ``I will be there absolutely religiously every Tuesday and Saturday,''
Gitman said. ``I've already
 told her that if she needs anything, she should just give me a call.''

 Gitman said she has not received any telephone calls from Ratcliffe.

 ``I was watching the clock, thinking we might hear from her,'' Gitman said.
``But we got no word
 from her.''

Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 11:40:26 -0700 (PDT)
From: Michael Markarian <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail],
        [e-mail]
Subject: Fund Offers Mountain Bike to Child for Saving Elk
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>For Immediate Release: October 6, 1997
>
>Contact: Andrea Lococo [phone]
 >           Mike Markarian [phone]
>
>FUND FOR ANIMALS OFFERING MOUNTAIN BIKE
>TO CHILD FOR SAVING ELK
>
>On October 10, in Jackson, Wyoming,  children ages 12-17 will participate in
>a lottery for 70 permits to shoot an elk on the National Elk Refuge.  In an
>effort to protect elk and to encourage children to explore other ways to
>appreciate nature without harming animals,  The Fund for Animals placed an
>advertisement in a Jackson, Wyoming newspaper today.  The Fund is offering a
>new mountain bike, up to $1,000 in value, to the first young lottery winner
>who turns in his or her elk permit and hunting license to its Jackson
>office, and promises not to hunt for the remainder of the season.
>
>Hunter numbers have declined dramatically in the last two decades.  And
>research indicates that if people do not begin to hunt by their late teens,
>they probably never will.  According to Andrea Lococo, Rocky Mountain
>Coordinator of The Fund for Animals, "This spreading cease-fire in the war
>on wildlife may be good for the animals -- but not for the agencies which
>depend on selling licenses for their salaries, and for the companies which
>depend on gun and ammunition sales for their profits."
>
>To reverse this trend, the hunting industry and state and federal wildlife
>agencies have launched aggressive  programs to recruit children into blood
>sports.  Entering public schools with hunter education programs, pairing
>children with hunter/mentors, funding pro-hunting videos and materials  to
>be used in schools, and sponsoring youth hunts on public lands are all part
>of the strategy to ensure lifelong customers.   Adds Lococo, "People should
>be outraged that national wildlife refuges, supported by tax dollars and
>intended as sanctuaries for animals, are being used as training grounds to
>teach children that killing can be fun.  If children learn compassion,
>rather than violence, the world would be a better place for animals and
>humans alike."
>
>The Fund for Animals is a national animal protection organization
>headquartered in New York City with a regional office in Jackson, Wyoming.
>To receive a copy of the report, "They're Never Too Young : A Comprehensive
>Look at How Public Money and Public Agencies Are Being Used to Promote Sport
>Hunting to America's Children," call [phone].
>
># # #
>
>http://www.fund.org

Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 14:53:09 -0400 (EDT)
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Oklahoma Deer Hunting Proposals
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>


In a/w Oklahoma City local hunting news:

Despite persistent opposition, the Oklahoma Wildlife Dept. Game
Division chief, Mr. Richard Hatcher said last week he will stick with
a recommendation for a 16-day deer gun season in 1998, but with a
significant difference.  Along with the longer season, he is proposing
to reduce the number of bucks in the state's five-deer aggregate from
three to two.
He said that an individual who hunts archery, primitive arms and gun
seasons may still take a total of 5 deer, but only two may be bucks.
This means die-hard hunters who take advantage of all three seasons
will not be able to kill a buck during one of their hunts.
Hatcher said "That's biting the bullet.  We're sending a strong message
that we want hunters to be more selective in their buck harvest."  On
the other hand he pointed out that opportunities take antlerless animals
are more liberal than ever.  "We'll have twice as many doe days this year."
  Hatcher said that he will submit his proposals to the Okla. Wildlife
Commission during a meeting at 9 am on Oct. 13th.
  Hatcher said the dept. hopes the lower limit will offset any additional
pressure bucks might receive because of the longer gun season, and will
cause hunters to hold out for a trophy rather than shoot the first buck they
see.  "Most of the bucks being harvested are one and a half years old.
People want to see bigger, more mature bucks."
   He said that hunters will have to make a choice.  If an individual kills
a buck during bow season, he will have to forgo a buck during either
the black powder or gun seasons, but he can still hunt on "doe days."
   Since bowhunters are expected to bear the brunt of the lower limit,
Hatcher is proposing a no. of concessions in archery regulations.
He will suggest opening the bow season a week earleir and allowing
bowhunters to continue hutning thru the gun season on their archery
tag.  He will also propose allowing archery hunters to take another buck
during the second portion (December) of the bow season.
    While some opposition to the 16-day season exists, Hatcher said
that there's plenty of support as well because a telephone survey
conducted by the dept. showed 83 percent of the 967 people
responded favored the longer season.  Most of the opposition is
coming from landowners who don't want deer on their property, but want
hunters even less.
   In the northwest where deer depredation is a serious problem, those
attending public meetings on the isse voted against the longer season.
"We are getting mixed signals from the northwest. I don't know what to
think of it," said Hatcher.  He added that Oklahoma has had a nine-day
gun season for 30 years.  In 1965 hunters killed 4,090 deer while
in 1995 they killed 40,877.  "People are kill 10 times as many deer
in the same amount of time.  This will take some of the frenzy out of
gun season."
  Hatcher said members of the Wildlife Commission who will have to
make the final decision have been receiving much input from the people
in their districts.  "There is no doubt this is controversial.  The vote is
not guaranteed, but it's fair to say there's enuf support to go ahead
and recommend passage," said Hatcher.

                                                 For the Animals,

                                                 Jana, OKC




Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 21:26:43 +0100
From: Jordi Ninerola <[e-mail]>
To: AR News <[e-mail]>
Subject: [EH] New Bullfighting place in Donostia
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
MIME-version: 1.0
Content-type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII


Donostia (Euskalherria): In Donostia, euskalherria, Spain, the council
decided building a new bullfighting place near to Anoeta stadium, in Amara,
an important site in Donostia. All politic groups ( Partido Popular, Eusko
Alkartasuna, Partido Nacionalista Vasco and Partido Socialista de
Euskadi-Euskadiko Ezquerra) decided building this place against believe
that one soundeig said that 72% of citizens hate Bullfighting. An euskal
ecologyst group, Eguzki decided start a campaign to write Donostia council
for avoid this horrible act.

Eguzki
Iqigo n:6
20003- Donostia
Euskalherria
Spain.


Jordi Niqerola i Maymm

http://www.geocities.com/rainforest/vines/6506
http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/academy/2855
http://www.geocities.com/colosseum/loge/3128
[e-mail]
Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 13:05:40 -0700 (PDT)
From: [e-mail] (pawsinfo)
To: [e-mail]
Subject: [Ca] Orca Dies at Vancouver Aquarium 06Oct97
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

October 6,1997

Finna, a male Icelandic orca, held captive at the Vancouver Aquarium for the
last seventeen years, died this morning at 3:40 AM PST. He was approximately
21 years old.

Vancouver Aquarium currently holds a lone female Icelandic orca, a lone
pacific white sided dolphin, and several belugas. Despite the fact that the
aquarium has held White Wings, the dolphin, in isolation for years, all
recommendations are against holding cetacean species in isolation.

Since the Vancouver Aquarium is an inappropriate place to hold cetceans in
captivity (they all die prior to their statistically predicted lifesapn), we
call on the Vancouver Aquarium to immediatley begin investigations on
returning Bjossa, the surviving orca, to the wild.

Comments to the Vancouver Aquarium can be made online at:

http://www.vancouver-aquarium.org/feedback/guestbk.htm


A press release from the Vancovuer Aquarium follows:


News Release
October 6, 1997
Vancouver Aquarium

Male Killer Whale Dies

Finna, the 21-year old, 5,000 kg. Male whale at the Vancouver Aquarium died
at 3:40 a.m. this morning. The cause of death is unknown at this time.

On September 22, 1997, a routine daily examination revealed a 40 cm-wide, 7
cm high swelling on his right flank. Dr. Dave Huff, The Vancouver Aquarium's
consulting veterinarian, examined Finna and ordered standard tests to
determine the cause of the swelling. Treatment for possible infection began
on September 23. Veterinary and animal care staff continued to monitor Finna
closely. DR. Huff described Finna's condition as "generally good". Finna
began to show improvement on September 28 and antibiotic treatment
continued. His appetite picked up on Oct 4.

On Sunday, October 5, Finna's condition changed, he did not eat and appeared
lethargic.

Despite all possible efforts, Finna died at 3:40 a.m. this morning in the
Aquarium's killer whale habitat.

Finna's body will be removed for post-mortem examination around 8:00 a.m.
Following standard protocol, a necropsy team including Dr. Ron Lewis of the
provincial Animal  Health Center, Dr. Dave Huff and Aquarium staff has been
assembled. The necropsy will be conducted this morning.

Finna, an Icelandic killer whale, came to the Vancouver Aquarium in December
1980, along with Bjossa, a 21-year old female killer whale.

Media briefing at 9:00 a.m. at the Vancouver Aquarium. Media are asked to
come to door #5.

Further info: Chris Stairs 604-631-2505 pager 320-3289














Bob Chorush  Web Administrator, Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)
15305 44th Ave West (P.O. Box 1037)Lynnwood, WA 98046 [phone] ext
862, [phone] fax
email [e-mail]      http://www.paws.org

Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 14:11:49 -0500
From: Liz Grayson <[e-mail]>
To: ar-news <[e-mail]>
Subject: Grandmothers arrested at Cassini demo
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

at the Cassini website you can join the worldwide protest
http://www.animatedsoftware.com/cassini/cassini.htm

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida
       (CNN) -- A Saturday protest against NASA's upcoming launch of a
plutonium-powered  spacecraft ended with the  arrests of several dozen
people.
        Hundreds gathered outside the fence surrounding the  pad where
the
Cassini rocket  is scheduled to be launched October 13 for a seven-year
trip to  Saturn. At the end of the rally, five members of the group
Grandmothers for Peace walked through the main gates of to  facility and
were arrested by Air Force guards.  Other protesters threw pieces of
carpet over the barbed-wire  fence, and about 20 people were arrested
when they attempte to climb over.  The Cassini rocket will be powered by
72 pounds of plutonium --  the most ever rocketed into space. Protesters
say that if the rocket explodes it could sprinkle deadly poison for
hundreds of  miles.
        "Winds can blow (plutonium) into Disney World, Universal City
into the
citrus industry and destroy the economy of central Florida," said Michio
Kaku, a protesting physics professor from New York. He claimed that
casualties could run as high asa million people if there were an
accident. NASA uses solar power for most projects, including the Mir
Space Station, but says Saturn is too far from the sun for that to be an
efficient power source. Plutonium has been used on previous missions,
including the Galileo probe that was launched in 1989.
 NASA maintains there is little danger because the
RadioisotopeThermoelectric Generators (RTGs) on Cassini have been test
to resist intense heat. Other government officials agree. It cannot be
exploded like a bomb," said Beverly Cook of theEnergy Department. "It is
an alpha emitter. Alpha radiation can be stopped by a piece of paper."
        Protesters maintain that the material is highly toxic, an
downplayed
NASA's safety assurances. "Jimmy the Greek would say: Look at the track
record," Kaku said. "The track record is one out of 20 booster rockets
blow up on launch ... Ten percent of our space probes actually come
down."
The Cassini rocket is scheduled to reach Saturn's atmosphere on July 1,
2004, when it will begin a four year period of data gathering. It also
will send a probe to the surface of Saturn's moon Titan -- the most
distant landing ever attempted, according  to NASA.
Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 19:28:16 -0400 (EDT)
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: SPECIAL WOLF CHAT ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8TH - NAWA
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

The North American Wolf Association is pleased to announce our first live
chat in the "Wolf Den" located on our web site. We are hoping to make this a
weekly addition to our activities!  This is an interactive chat and everyone
is encouraged to participate. We welcome anyone and everyone interested in
learning more about wolves!

We have invited some of the leading experts on wolves to lecture, and have
received a most enthusiastic and generous response!

This concept was designed especially for you, and since this is our maiden
voyage, your ideas and suggestions are welcomed!

Topic:  The Mexican Gray Wolf Reintroduction into the Blue Range Mountains in
Arizona.

Host:  Marcia Sullivan, President of the Mexican Wolf Coalition of Texas

Where:  http://www.nawa.org/chat.html

When: 8:00pm CST on Wednesday, October the 8th.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE NEVER PARTICIPATED IN A LIVE CHAT

NETIQUETTE:

For this chat to run smoothly and in an organized and orderly manner, please
print this out and keep it handy for your first experience, or until you get
the hang of it.

When in a live, interactive chat that is hosted by a speaker, it is
considered proper netiquette to observe the following:

PLEASE do not interrupt the speaker while the lecture is in progress.

AFTER the speaker finishes with each segment, they will open the forum to
questions. It is considered proper to WAIT until the speaker opens the forum
before making yourself known.

If you have a question, type in a simple "?" (without the quotation marks)
The chat is being monitored by several helpers who will put the questions in
the order they are received - if your question is not addressed immediately
BE PATIENT!! The speaker will answer questions as they arise and are
appropriate to the area in which the speaker is addressing.

If you have a comment, type a simple "C" (without the quotation marks) -
please do not insert it without permission. Your comment will be acknowledged
by the speaker at the appropriate time.

The lecture is expected to last approximately one hour.

After the lecture is finished and all of the questions are asked and
answered, we invite you to stay awhile for an open discussion.

In an unmoderated forum, please afford each other the same respect that you
yourself would ask.

It's a given that foul language and/or deliberate attacks on another visitor
will get you thrown out on your keister. Polite discussion is encouraged -
however, we also realize that wolf reintroduction is a "hot" topic and can
draw some heated arguments. Having a difference of opinion is accepted -
please do not sink to a level of barbaric behavior by attacking another
visitor or their ideas on a personal level. This is unevolved, unnecessary,
and only demonstrates a lack of self-control and communication skills.

We're looking forward to seeing you there!

For the Wolves,

NAWA Staff

North American Wolf Association
http://www.nawa.org


--- Sherrill
Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 18:23:13
From: David J Knowles <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Cc: Stephanie <[e-mail]>, <[e-mail]>,
        <[e-mail]>.
Subject: [CA] Death of Finna
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

VANCOUVER, B.C - The Vancouver Public Aquarium announced this morning that
Finna, a 21-year-old orca, died at 3:40 today.

Finna, together with his pod mate Bjossa and three others, was captured off
Iceland 17 years ago.

Preliminary results from an autopsy show he died from a bacterial infection
found in three seperate sites in his body. It is believed that he also had
pneumonia in one lung. Aquarium staff noted a lump on Finna's body last
week, and were treating him with antibiotics. Yesterday, he became
lethargic and stopped eating.

Aquarum director John Nightingale told reporters that the average life
expentancy of a B.C. orca was about 29 years. (This figure is only
applicable to males - the figure for females is 50.) The average lifespan
of an orca is  60 years for a male and 90 for a female.

Hyack, the other orca in the aquarium at the time Finna and Bjossa arrived,
died at the age of 25 in 1991.

In September, 1991, a calf born to Bjossa, and fathered by Finna, died
after only 4 months, and in March, 1995, another calf died immediately
after birth as she didn't have the strength to reach the surface to breath.

Figures released by the aquarium claim 10,000 people particpated in
whale-watching trips in B.C., whilst 800,000 people passed through the
turnstiles of the aquarium. The figures may be influenced by cost -
admission to the aquarium is much cheaper than whale-watching; accessabilty
- the aquarium is easier to get to than most whale-watching outfits, but
there are now tours operating out of the inner harbour in Victoria, a major
tourist destination; and publicity - the aquarium receives a high profile
in the local media.

Peter Hamilton, founder of the Lifeforce Foundation, said today that this
brings the number of deaths of cetaceans - including narwhals, Pacific
white-sided dolphins, belugas and orca.

"The Vancouver Aquarium should get out of the marine mammal slave trade. In
captivity, orca suffer physically and psychologically. They should reunite
Bjossa with the lone orca "Keiko" the hero of the Free Willy movie rescued
from a deplorable Mexican aquarium, in the deep-water rehabilitation and
release pool at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. In order to stop these crimes
against nature, we must demand freebom - not captivity," said Hamilton.

The problem of what happens following the death of one of the orca was
discussed in a report prepared for the Vancouver Parks and Recreation Board
last year when the passing of a bylaw limiting or prohibiting the further
importation of cetaceans into the aquarium was being debated. The report
was drawn up by Dr Peter Watts PhD, an independent marine mammal biologist.

Watts noted that in the event of the the death of one of the orca, "...the
Aquarium would be faced with a solitary animal whom animal advocates will
probably describe as miserable and lonely. One obvious solution would be to
import a companion animal from another facilty. Two killer would likely be
less "miserable" than one, and the Vancouver Aquarium is certainly
considered to be one of the best marine facilities extant, imported animals
would most probably be better off there than in their original facility."

Although this may be the case, and the bylaw eventually agreed to between
the aquarium and park baord allows for the introduction of only cetaceans
that are already captive, the resultant vacancy in the originating facility
could well be filled by a newly "caught-to-order" orca. Nightingale
promises this wouldn't be the case, as they would ensure any donating
facility would be required to sign a promise that they wouldn't be
replacing their orca with a newly-captured one.

Rehabiltation, while not ruled out for Bjossa in Watts' report, he noted
that due to a dental problem brought on by teeth grinding in the early
years of her capture would not make her a good candidate for a rehab. and
release program.

Currently, there are 32 captive orca on display in North America, 16 of
which were captured and 16 were born in captivity. Outside North America,
there are a total 22 orca, of which 20 were captured.

David J Knowles
Animal Voices News

Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 21:21:11 -0400
From: jeanlee <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: International Whaling Commission meeting
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1


Hi All-

Here's a letter to copy and send to your rep and senators.  Do it soon,
because the meeting is Oct. 17-24.  The pressure is on to increase
whaling quotas and our legislators need to hear from us so they can
pressure the IWC.  If you don't know who represents you, call
1-800-688-9889.  Same letter to rep and senators:


Dear Congressman/Woman/Senator:

The International Whaling Commission (IWC) will have its annual meeting
in Monaco, October 17-24, and will attempt to reconcile the interests of
whaling nations with the survival of whales.  Two issues threaten the
1986 global moratorium on commercial whaling:  a petition by the Makah,
Native American in Washington State, for the right to hunt five gray
whales annually, and discussion of a so-called ôfinal solutionö (the
whalersÆ term) to the whale ôproblem.ö  The ôfinal solutionö is
pro-whaling.

I am very unhappy that $200,000 of U.S. taxpayer funds have been
distributed to the Makah so they could lobby IWC nations.  I totally
support the international whaling moratorium and resent my unwilling
participation in this special interest.  ItÆs important to keep in mind
that the gray whales have been off the endangered list for only two
years.  Most frightening prospect - if this quota is granted, it would
set a legal and political precedent for cultural or traditional whaling
that would cast wide open the flood gates of commercial whaling.  There
are nonlethal ways the Makah can revive cultural traditions, given the
current vulnerability of whales and other species.  I am suspicious that
the rationale of ôcultural or traditionalö whaling is taken advantage of
and becomes a coverup for COMMERCIAL whaling.

I read an article recently by Richard Paddock, Los Angeles Times, who
writes about a Lorino, Russia fur business using the IWC regulations
(which permit indigenous people who historically hunted whales to kill a
limited number for their own ôsubsistenceö) to capture and slaughter
about 120 whales a year and then use the equivalent of about 50 of those
whales to feed caged foxes being raised for furs to export!  (Sounds
commercial to me!)  The whale hunters in this case are employees of the
Lorino fox farm.  They pursue their prey in motorboats and kill each
whale by shooting it as many as 500 times with .30-calibre army
carbines.

As Russia and the United States seek permission to expand aboriginal
whaling in their northern territories, the annual Lorino hunt calls into
question what practices are allowed under the IWCÆs rules.  Indigenous
hunters in Russia, Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and the Caribbean are
already allowed to kill more than 400 whales a year!  If these people
take advantage of their privileged status, you can be sure other
indigenous populations do and will do the same thing.  It is very, very
distressing.

Please urge the IWC delegation to deny the Makah their petition for the
right to kill whales and to take a more aggressive stand against whaling
nations.

Sincerely yours,
Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 21:48:36 -0400 (EDT)
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Livestock World Web site
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

By LANDON HALL
c. The Associated Press

BOARDMAN, Ore. (Oct. 6) - Just a holler from Kenn Evans' throat is enough to
bring his goats running.

''Goaters!'' he yells, although the command can be anything, as long as it's
loud. ''C'mere! C'mere!'' he shouts, and the curious amber and white animals
skitter along to see what the commotion is all about.

Evans, 57, has as little trouble luring customers. He sells the goats mainly
to people near his ranch in eastern Oregon a few miles from the Washington
border. He also gets calls responding to an ad he places in a Salem
agricultural weekly.

But when a friend across the state in Grants Pass offered to put his goats on
the Internet last fall, Evans, who has little experience with computers,
jumped at the chance.

''I think it's going to be a tool for the future,'' says Evans, wearing a red
ballcap and sunburned cheeks as he surveys his 80-acre ranch. ''You never
know where your name is going to show up.''

Donna Higgins put Evans' name and ad on her Livestock World Web site (<A HREF=
"../../../tppmsgs/msgs22.htm#2231" tppabs="http://www.pitchfork.com/">www.pitchfork.com</A>) for about $29 a month. The
site draws thousands of hits a week from people interested in buying an
Arabian horse or a patch of farmland in Missouri.

Hundreds have found Evans' listing - or clicked on a postage stamp-sized
picture of one of his prized Boers - to check out how to raise one of the
exotic animals.

One of the first to surf across the site was Shelly Whelan, a St. Paul,
Minn., woman who wanted to start a goat-breeding business. She called Evans
and bought two goats over the phone.

Evans even delivered them while on vacation, taking the 90-pound kids on the
plane in pet carriers as he flew to Milwaukee to visit his son. He then
helped Whelan load them into her tiny car for the six-hour trip to St. Paul.

''She had to drive all that way with those stinky animals,'' Evans says.

Evans cleared about $1,300 on the sale, but he says the idea of reaching
people well beyond the rolling plains of eastern Oregon is much more
valuable.

Other people have called from all over the country, and Evans handles the
sudden interest in his goats with the same business savvy he applies to his
other, off-line ventures.

He owns a crane and contracts it out for construction jobs. When he learned
of a building boom on the way to the area, he leased a small piece of land
along Oregon Highway 395, on which he parked the crane and a sign with his
name and number on it.

''It's the same thing with the Web page,'' he says. ''If you don't have
anything out there, it's a cinch nobody's going to see it.''

Copyright 1997 The Associated Press. The information contained in  the AP
news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise
distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.



Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 22:48:15 -0400
From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) King Royal Circus Hearing Begins Today
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

USDA news release:
-------------------------------------------------
Jamie Ambrosi [phone]
[e-mail]
Jim Rogers       [phone]
[e-mail]


MEDIA ADVISORY KING ROYAL CIRCUS HEARING BEGINS TODAY

     RIVERDALE, Md., Oct. 6, 1997--The U.S. Department of Agriculture's
administrative hearing for King Royal Circus owner John Davenport
begins today at 1:30 p.m.

     The hearing will take place in Suite 4210 of the Albuquerque Federal
Building at 517 Gold Avenue, S.W., and is open to the public.  USDA
public affairs officials will be both on-site and in Riverdale, Md., to
answer questions and provide background information.

     USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is seeking both
civil penalties and the permanent revocation of Davenport's Animal
Welfare Act license.

     APHIS charged Davenport with alleged violations of the AWA on Aug.
22, citing deficiencies in the areas of handling and veterinary care.  The
allegations stem from Davenport's movement of three elephants and six
llamas across the Southwestern United State in early August.

     APHIS' animal care program, a part of its marketing and regulatory
programs mission area, licenses animal exhibitors and dealers and
registers research facilities, carriers, and handlers to ensure compliance
with the AWA.

     The AWA covers animals that are sold as pets at the wholesale level,
transported in commerce, used for biomedical research, or used for
exhibition purposes.

                               #

NOTE: USDA news releases, program announcements, and media
advisories are available on the Internet.  Access the APHIS HOME Page
by pointing your Web browser to
http://www.aphis.usda.gov and clicking on "APHIS Press Releases."
Also, anyone with an e-mail address can sign up to receive APHIS press
releases automatically.  Send an e-mail message to
[e-mail]
and leave the subject blank.  In the message, type
subscribe press_releases




Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 23:30:53 -0400
From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Panel To Seek Beef Safety Measures
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from AP Wire page:
---------------------------------------
 10/06/1997 20:21 EST

 Panel To Seek Beef Safety Measures

 By SCOTT BAUER
 Associated Press Writer

 LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- Hoping to repair the damage done to beef's
 reputation by several health scares, Nebraska's governor said Monday a
 new group would be formed to find ways to ensure greater food safety.

 Emerging from a two-hour closed-door meeting with 17 representatives of
 the beef industry nationwide, Gov. Ben Nelson said the committee will
 bring together researchers, producers and politicians to find a way to
 eradicate the E. coli bacteria from food.

 ``Everybody wants to come together and solve the problem,'' Nelson said.

 The committee, which will be chaired by Chuck Schroeder, chief executive
 officer of the National Cattlemen's Association, will examine scientific
 advances such as irradiation and biotechnology. The group will be formed
 in the coming weeks.

 Nebraska, which is the nation's No. 1 beef-producing state, will be well
 represented on the committee, he said. There are about 28,000 beef
 producers in the state and beef production is worth an estimated $5
 billion a year to Nebraska.

 The announcement comes after three high-profile food contamination scares
 that originated at Nebraska plants -- the largest meat recall in U.S.
 history, a shipment of beef South Korean officials ordered sent back and
 a recall of 444,000 pounds linked to a rare bacteria.

 While the beef market has not suffered dramatic losses since the three
 contamination incidents, the industry needs to do a better job letting
 people know how to eradicate the bacteria, said John McMillin, a food
 analyst with Prudential Securities in New York.

 ``We need to ensure that the American public has confidence in our meat,
 in our system,'' said U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., in a telephone
 interview from Washington D.C.

 On Wednesday, representatives from the nation's beef industry will
 testify at a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing on food-safety
 concerns.

 U.S. Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb., said the country's food supply could be
 even safer if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration would approve
 irradiation -- which uses gamma rays to kill microbes.

 Supporters say irradiation would help a food-inspection system that
 cannot guarantee meats are free of E. coli, salmonella or other organisms
 that cause human illness. But it has strong opposition from consumers who
 fear the use of radioactivity.

 In the meantime, the only way consumers can be sure the meat is safe is
 to cook it thoroughly.

 The Hudson Foods Inc. plant in Columbus closed in August after 16 people
 in Colorado got sick from E. coli-tainted meat processed there and 25
 million pounds of ground beef was recalled. The plant was later sold to
 IBP Inc., which plans to restart operations there next week.

 On Friday 443,656 pounds of meat processed at the BeefAmerica plant in
 Norfolk was recalled. The USDA said beef from that plant sent to an
 Emporia, Va., grocery store tested positive for E. coli.

 U.S. food inspectors arrived in South Korea on Monday to investigate
 Korean claims that meat shipped to that country from an IBP plant in
 Nebraska was contaminated. IBP has questioned the test results.

Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 23:35:10 -0400
From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Dispute Over Famous Whale's Health
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from AP Wire page:
------------------------------------
 10/06/1997 19:20 EST

 Dispute Over Famous Whale's Health

 By BRAD CAIN
 Associated Press Writer

 NEWPORT, Ore. (AP) -- Owners of the whale that starred in the hit movie
 ``Free Willy'' accused an aquarium Monday of putting greed ahead of the
 animal's well-being by saying he was too sick to be released into the
 wild.

 Keiko's arrival at the Oregon Coast Aquarium aboard a plane from an
 aquarium in Mexico in January 1996 had a storybook quality, with hundreds
 of cheering children lining the streets of this tourist town to welcome
 him.

 Now, the uplifting saga of a whale's rehabilitation and possible release
 has turned into an ugly dispute marked by charges of greed and
 malfeasance.

 Last month a veterinarian quit over Keiko's care and the state is
 investigating charges that the mammal is in poor health and being
 exploited.

 And in the latest turn of events, the foundation that owns Keiko held a
 news conference Monday to rebut statements made last week by Oregon Coast
 Aquarium officials who claimed Keiko was listless and being treated for
 respiratory ailments.

 Dr. Lanny Cornell, a San Diego veterinarian representing the Free
 Willy-Keiko Foundation, accused the aquarium of saying Keiko was ill to
 prevent their star attraction from being set free.

 ``If I had a cash cow, and I saw it about to disappear, I would become
 upset about it,'' Cornell said.

 Cornell said he and another doctor examined Keiko Monday morning and
 found him to be fit. ``He is, in essence, a very good-looking, mature
 killer whale,'' Cornell said.

 Within a year or two, it may even be possible to begin the process of
 returning Keiko to the North Atlantic, Cornell said.

 Keiko's presence has helped double attendance at the aquarium and has
 generated an estimated $75 million for the local economy since his
 arrival.

 But Phyllis Bell, president of the aquarium, said economics had nothing
 to do with the announcement last week that Keiko was ailing.

 ``We just want what's best for Keiko,'' she said.

 She also denied allegations by foundation officials that aquarium
 employees had let the water quality in Keiko's tank get so bad that it
 made the whale sick last summer.

 Aquarium officials cared for Keiko from the time he arrived until July 1,
 when the foundation assumed care for him. He is still being kept at the
 aquarium.

 Last month, a veterinarian and the aquarium's chief of animal husbandry
 resigned, citing ethical concerns about Keiko's care.

 ``I would not sign a life insurance physical on that animal today,'' said
 Steve Brown, who had been one of the whale's two veterinarians. Brown,
 who had worked as a subcontractor to the foundation, said Keiko was sick
 with a fungus in his respiratory system at that time.

 The Oregon Veterinary Medical Examining Board last week launched an
 investigation to determine who is caring for Keiko and how well.

 Nonetheless, foundation officials announced in August that Keiko had
 gained 1,900 pounds and grown 6 inches, to 21 feet, since his arrival in
 Oregon. They said he had begun to catch fish swimming in his tank.

 And if Keiko was under the weather, he wasn't showing it Monday. The
 9,600-pound whale made several quick passes and delighted several hundred
 tourists by pushing an inflated blue ball around his tank.

 ``He looks a lot better than when he arrived here,'' said Dolores Hamel,
 66, of Sunriver, Ore., who was visiting with her husband. ``I don't know
 if he's ready to leave or not, but he sure looks good.''

Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 23:37:59 -0400
From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) E. Coli Sickens About 20 Students
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"