Dear Phyllis,

Just a few grams of the deadly U.S.-made poison carbofuran can paralyze the King of the Beasts -- the African Lion.

As 60 Minutes reported earlier this year, it’s an excruciatingly painful way for this majestic animal to die. [1] Paralyzed, a lioness becomes helpless. In the heat, she can die from dehydration. Without movement, she can starve to death or be eaten alive by a jackal.

Please help us ban the use of deadly carbofuran and win more help for these beleaguered kings and queens of the jungle with a year-end tax-deductible donation today.

Today, this awful neurotoxin -- which the Environmental Protection Agency says is too toxic for America -- is still freely sold in Kenya and sprinkled on livestock carcasses to kill some of the planet’s last remaining African lions.

We’ve received pleas from some of the world’s leading lion researchers to help. And we must do all we can!

Make a year-end tax-deductible donation right now to help save the lion kings.

Fewer than 2,000 of these majestic great cats survive in Kenya -- down from an estimated 35,000 just fifty years ago.

Unless we help, there may not be a single wild lion left in Kenya within 20 years.

Together, we can save Kenya’s lions from extinction, but we need your help. Please make a tax-deductible contribution to support our work right now.

Kenyan officials report that at least 100 lions are killed each year -- many by carbofuran. A multi-year study identified at least 76 incidents of lions being poisoned by carbofuran -- with many more likely unreported.

Defenders of Wildlife helped ban carbofuran in the U.S. Now we’re taking our fight to Africa. Here’s what we’ve done already -- and what we will do with your help -- to save these lions:

* We’ve already collected nearly 45,000 signatures for our petition urging Kenya’s prime minister to ban the use and sale of carbofuran… and we’re only getting started!
* We’re launching a full-court press to win Senate passage of the Great Cats and Rare Canids Act. This legislation -- already passed by the U.S. House and a key Senate committee -- would provide essential funding to support on-the-ground efforts to save lions and other rare species; and
* We’ll fight for lions in the media, online and beyond, using outreach to the media, our website, videos and more to build national awareness and broader grassroots support to save the world’s remaining lions.

These initiatives can help save lions from extinction. But we can’t succeed without your compassionate support today.

Please make a year-end tax-deductible donation of whatever you can afford today to support our work to save the lives of imperiled lions.

With Gratitude,

Rodger Schlickeisen
President
Defenders of Wildlife

Dear Phyllis,

Suffering from severe neglect and starvation at a Grant County, Indiana farm, Casey, along with seven other horses, was rescued and brought to safety by the local humane society. It seemed that Casey's second chance at life had arrived; however, the nightmare for the abused horses was sadly far from over. In a shocking decision by the Court, all of the seized horses were ordered to be returned to Robert Collier - the very person who neglected them so terribly.

It was an almost unthinkable blow for these horribly traumatized horses. For an animal as large and majestic as a horse, starvation is a slow, agonizing process, causing constant pain and suffering. Often, their stomachs and intestines will twist in active colic, a state of terrible cramping causing inescapable and extreme pain, as well as severe psychological distress.

Thanks to the generosity of committed supporters like you, the Animal Legal Defense Fund went to court and fought an aggressive battle for the severely neglected horses. In a great victory, the Court reversed its order and allowed Casey and the other horses to stay in the custody of the United States Equine Rescue League (USERL), the non-profit organization that has been caring for them since their seizure.

"We were very surprised and upset when we received a judge's order this past summer stating that the horses were to be returned to Robert Collier. That is when I asked for ALDF's help, as the volunteers of USERL could not bear the thought of these gentle souls being returned to their former life of abuse and neglect. Were it not for the quick action of the attorneys at ALDF, I fear that we would not have been able to act fast enough to prevent the horses' return."

Jennifer Hack, Executive Director, United States Equine Rescue League

It's victories like this that simply would not be possible without your help and dedication. Your support enables us to give animals like Casey and his friends a second chance to experience life without fear and suffering - something that should be a right for all living creatures.

The sad fact, however, is that for every case on which ALDF is working, there are many more we simply don't have the resources to take on.

That's where the commitment of our supporters - friends like you - comes in. Your voice and your generosity do make a difference in animals' lives. Be the guardian angel to an animal in need this holiday season - please help today.

Sincerely,



Stephen Wells
Executive Director
Animal Legal Defense Fund

Dear Phyllis,

Donate Now
Photo © David R. Schrichte
November is Manatee Awareness Month and a good time to recognize that you make a big difference in the lives of manatees. Working together, look at all we’ve accomplished this year! (pdf) Your involvement and support are crucial to our success.

There's other good news to report: Due to the advocacy efforts of Save the Manatee Club and its conservation partners, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has decided to conduct a full scientific review to determine if new critical habitat designations are warranted under the Endangered Species Act. These new designations will aid in species conservation and recovery.

But it is likely that by year’s end, the total number of manatee deaths from all causes — and the number of manatees killed by boats — will be higher than in any previous year. Clearly, we must expand our efforts to raise awareness about manatees and help prevent their deaths.

As a charitable organization, Save the Manatee Club has been hit hard by the poor economy. Donations are down considerably, and I must ask you to give generously. If there was ever a time when Save the Manatee Club needed a few heroes to step forward, that time is now.

Your extra donation will help us:

* Produce new public service announcements, featuring Jimmy Buffett, to raise awareness and prevent injuries and deaths.
* Start a proactive seagrass protection public awareness campaign. Seagrass beds are declining from pollution and accidental propeller scarring.
* Conduct manatee research that provides the essential information for species recovery and to educate countless people around the world.

With a contribution from you at this time, we can sustain our long-standing commitments to improve the lives of manatees and to the highest standards of programmatic excellence. There are three ways you can donate:

1. Click here to donate online at our web site.

2. Call us toll free at 1-800-432-JOIN (5646) or 407-539-0990 if you live outside the U.S. or Canada.

3. Print a donation form to mail or fax.

With your help, we can keep fighting tirelessly for manatees in 2010. Thanks so much for your generous support.

For the manatees,
pat rose signature
Patrick Rose, Aquatic Biologist
Executive Director
Save the Manatee Club

P.S. Do your holiday shopping with us! Take 20% off your next purchase from our online gift catalog by using this discount code: YE09

We urgently need your help to stop the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of animals next week during the Gadhimai Jatra festival in Bara, Nepal. Humane Society International is working with our local partners, Kathmandu Animal Treatment Centre (KAT) and Animal Nepal, to prevent this reckless animal cruelty before the festival takes place November 24 & 25.


Every five years, hundreds of men are licensed to kill buffalo, pigs, chickens, rats, goats, and pigeons, receiving a fee for each animal they take. Cruelly, the animals are chased and hacked to death with knives in a competition to kill as many as possible within two days. According to Animal Welfare Network Nepal, the real beneficiaries are the festival organizers and business community, who drive up prices for animals in the lead up to the festival and then pressure local people to contribute livestock to the event.


Animal advocates are asking that the community provide fruits and vegetables instead of animals for the festival. KAT and Animal Nepal are organizing a counter-campaign of peaceful meditation, and together we are petitioning the government, which has reportedly paid for an enclosure to hold thousands of buffalo ahead of the event, to stop the slaughter. Please take action immediately by writing to Nepal's Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism to request a halt to this outdated tradition, considered barbaric by many local people who would like to stop it but feel helpless to do so.


Then, ask your friends and family to help, too. We need to let Nepalese leaders know that the world is watching and considers this bloody practice tragic and shameful.


Thank you for making a difference for animals.


Sincerely,

Andrew Rowan

Andrew Rowan

President & CEO

Humane Society International

Dear Phyllis,

NPCA has scored a landmark victory in a long-term battle to protect Joshua Tree National Park from what would be the nation's largest garbage dump--the Eagle Mountain landfill! The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals recently handed down its decision invalidating the land exchange needed for this massive dump to proceed. NPCA has been fighting the proposed landfill--surrounded on three sides by Joshua Tree National Park's wilderness--for more than a decade and we could not have achieved this victory without ardent supporters like you!

The nation's largest garbage dump on the doorstep of Joshua Tree National Park is just a bad idea all around. Development of the Eagle Mountain landfill would threaten the long-term survival of wildlife such as desert bighorn sheep and the desert tortoise; cause light pollution and air pollution that would impair our ability to see stars while camping at Joshua Tree; and destroy the solitude of the wilderness.

And now, with the court's favorable decision--and with your continued support--we are poised for a permanent win on this issue. We need to convince the Department of the Interior to permanently abandon this damaging proposal.

Take Action Now: NPCA members and supporters have provided thousands of comments at the right time to help us get this far. We now need your help to persuade Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to drop this destructive proposal and give Joshua Tree National Park the protection it deserves. Send a letter to the Secretary now urging him to use his authority to stop the Eagle Mountain landfill.

NPCA--and the desert bighorn sheep of Joshua Tree National Park--thank you for taking a moment to protect one of America's treasured landscapes.

Sincerely,

Mike

Mike Cipra
California Desert Program Manager

Dear Phyllis,

Today, nearly 12 percent of the world's 9,800 bird species may face extinction within the next century. Millions of captive birds lead miserable lives languishing in cages because their keepers fail to understand their unique needs.

The survival and well-being of the world's birds depends upon public education and support for conservation. That's why Born Free USA is asking you to take part in the 8th annual National Bird Day celebration.

A vast array of information and activities that fit your interest, budget, and time availability can be found at www.nationalbirdday.com. Here are just a few:

1. Donate an item to our online auction: In addition to our educational activities, we are working with CMarket Auction to host a special online auction January 5th through 16th, 2010. One of the projects that the online auction will raise money for this year is to provide parrot conservation scholarships for college students in Guatemala — home to some of the last wild scarlet macaws in Central America.

You can participate as an auction item donor. In keeping with the theme, many auction items will be bird- or flight-related, but any item is welcome. Contact monica@bornfreeusa.org for more information.

2. Order a copy of Lucky for a teacher, parent, or child in your life: The humane and environmental educational book Lucky is a perfect fit for National Bird Day activities. Based on a true story, Lucky tells the story of a not-so-lucky lorikeet who is captured in the wild but, with the love and compassion of a young boy, gets his luck back. When you order a copy of Lucky now through January 5th, you'll also receive a free National Bird Day poster featuring illustration from the book, and a Born Free USA bookmark. Order today.

3. Sponsor a National Bird Day ad: Born Free USA offers free print advertisements to activists securing space in newspapers, local distributions, such as weekly entertainment segments, magazines, student yearbooks, athletic rosters, or anywhere else you can think to spread the National Bird Day message.

Due to the various sizes and shapes available for print ads, all you have to do is secure the space and provide Born Free USA with the company's contact information so we can send a sample ad and the ad elements directly. In addition to offering non-profit rates, many companies will lay out the ad for free when you purchase space, so be sure to inquire and Born Free USA can send the company our non-profit number. For more information, please contact Born Free USA at 916-447-3085 x217 or info@bornfreeusa.org.

4. Just have fun: This year we added new features to introduce youth (and adults) to world of birdwatching, with a state bird count challenge inviting participants to report sightings of their state bird for a chance to win a pair of top quality binoculars. We also added a bird call quiz. We encourage you to take part in these new features and share them with your friends — the more people who visit the site the greater our educational impact.

Don't forget to check out the new National Bird Day posters. The posters are available for free download. Plus, Born Free USA is offering 2 free printed posters (one of each) to educators. If you are an educator or are hosting an educational event contact us at info@bornfreeusa.org.

Let's all work to ensure that National Bird Day is another great success!

Tell NASA To Stop Radiation Experiments On Squirrel Monkeys

For the first time in decades, NASA is planning to irradiate monkeys, in preparation for a mission to Mars. The Southampton Press, which covers Brookhaven National Laboratory, reports that approximately 18 squirrel monkeys would be “inundate[d]” by the Lab’s particle accelerator with potentially “large amounts of radiation” in a “concentrated dose” that would be equal to three years of spaceflight (the duration of a spaceflight to and from Mars).

If allowed to occur, these studies will cause incredible suffering for the tiny monkeys, and it won’t make astronauts any safer. IDA sent NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden, Jr. a letter urgently requesting a meeting to discuss ending this experiment before it begins. The letter is co-signed by Dr. Shirley McGreal, OBE, founder of the International Primate Protection League, who used the international outrage over past U.S. radiation experiments on nonhuman primates to convince the governments of India, Bangladesh and Malaysia to ban the export of monkeys to the U.S., saving thousands from an incredibly cruel fate.

IDA and IPPL will soon file a joint complaint with Administrator Bolden detailing why this proposed experiment is cruel, duplicative and unnecessary.

Dear Phyllis:


It's not every day we get a chance to celebrate a milestone conservation victory. Today is one of those special days.


For the first time in nearly 30 years, the brown pelican, an iconic coastal bird species found in southern California, throughout the Gulf Coast, and along the Eastern Seaboard, has recovered sufficiently to be taken off the Endangered Species List.


This is an inspiring conservation victory, one in which Environmental Defense Fund played a significant role.


EDF was founded in 1967 in campaign to ban the use of DDT, which is known to thin eggshells of many bird species, causing them to crack prematurely.


Thanks in part to our efforts, Congress passed a national DDT ban in 1972.


In the decades since, many endangered birds, including the American bald eagle, the peregrine falcon, the whooping crane (still listed as endangered), and the brown pelican, have seen dramatic recoveries.


As we celebrate this inspiring recovery, we'd like to hear from you. Please take this opportunity to share your thoughts on the brown pelican's recovery in the Green Room.


You can also join our Facebook group to engage the conversation there.


Today, we celebrate. But we also dedicate ourselves to using the brown pelican's recovery to re-inspire our efforts to protect America's natural heritage and recover the more than 1,300 other plant and animal species listed as threatened or endangered in the U.S.


Thank you for your activism and support. We couldn't do our work without you and we appreciate everything you help make possible.


Thank you,

Environmental Defense Fund


P.S. On a much sadder note, it is with great sorrow that we learned this morning of the passing of Tom Graff, longtime Director of EDF's California office.


Tom was a legendary environmental leader, an icon of the conservation community, and a friend to all who knew him. He will be sorely missed.


For more on Tom Graff's amazing life and environmental accomplishments, please read our online tribute to him.

Ella lovingly gathered some of her family's belongings to comfort her while she waited for their return.

Ella's nest
Donate now to help pets affected by foreclosures and other financial setbacks >>

Ella today
Donate Now >>

Hi Phyllis,

When Kathy spotted an emaciated Rottweiler along the side of a highway in Tennessee, she realized that there was something different about "Ella." Ella was friendly and eager for attention -- behavior that is unusual for either a stray or an abused animal. She had clearly been loved by someone.

In the wooded area just off the highway, Kathy discovered a "nest" where Ella had been sleeping (pictured here). It was strewn with someone's personal items, including a toothbrush, razor, comb and candle.

Please donate to American Humane's Foreclosure Pets Grants >>

Then Kathy remembered something crucial. A few weeks earlier, a terrible car wreck had taken place on the highway... very close to where Ella had made her makeshift home. Kathy contacted the state's highway patrol and learned that a family had been in the car, and that they all survived.

Rescuers had never seen Ella, who had likely been thrown from the car. The dog foraged on her own for a few weeks, drinking from a drainage ditch and patiently waiting for beloved family members who thought their special pet was dead!

Help pets that have been separated from suffering families: donate to American Humane today >>

American Humane stepped in when they learned that the family's medical bills had caused tremendous financial strain. The money they had set aside for a new home had to be used for medical bills instead. While the family struggled with this financial hardship, American Humane provided a critical grant to Kathy's animal shelter to help fund Ella's care.

Though unable to bring Ella back into their new home at this time, the family was thrilled to see her and hopes to be reunited for good in the future. Meanwhile, Ella is living safely and comfortably in a loving foster home.

During this month of giving thanks, please consider a donation to help fund American Humane's Foreclosure Pets Grants. A single act of generosity -- no matter how small -- will make a tremendous difference for pets like Ella, whose families are undergoing extreme financial hardship. Get started >>

From Care2
With gratitude,
Robyn E.
Care2 and ThePetitionSite Team

Humane Action
Take action!
Take action!
Take action!
November 10, 2009

Dear Phyllis,
I bet you enjoy looking at animals. I know I always have. Our pets are amazingly cute and endearing. Many wild animals are dazzling, too -- though most tend toward the majestic, the unusual, or the spectacular.

But no matter what they look like, all animals are worth celebrating and protecting. So here at The Humane Society of the United States, we're proud to introduce the new humanesociety.org to you. Through pictures, videos, and stories, it celebrates the incredible animals who share our world -- and makes it easier than ever for you to join in protecting them.

So check it out. And then tell us what you think. When you do, you’ll have a chance to win a $250 gift certificate to our online store, Humane Domain.
Wayne Pacelle

Wayne Pacelle, President & CEO
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Forward to a friend

Humane Action Humane Action
Sign up fo mobile alertsGo Mobile!

Text HUMANE to 30664 or sign up online for HSUS mobile alerts and get news and ways to take action sent straight to your phone. Sign up »

Our holiday gift suggestionsHoliday Gifts to Help Animals

Need special gifts for your loved ones? Check these out. Each purchase helps support our mission. Browse »
You’ve Seen Her on TV

Actress Wendie Malick stars in a TV ad for The HSUS to help get the word out about animal cruelty to all Americans, and to inspire them to help. Find out why she’s a hero for animals »

Will Animals Get a Voice in the White House?

Imagine the progress we could make for animals with an Animal Protection Liaison in the White House. Sign our petition and join the effort to move our bold agenda for animals forward. Sign now »
join us
Facebook You Tube Twitter MySpace Flickr

More from hsus
Shop Humane Domain Wayne's blog

Care2 Action Alert


Your voice will make an important difference.
Take action >>

Forward to friends >>

Hi Phyllis,

Salmon raised in open net fish farms pose dramatic problems for the environment and public health -- but it doesn't have to be so, if the aquaculture industry were to adopt strong protections on salmon farms.

Demand stronger protections for salmon >>

The waste from millions of captive fish at fish farms empties directly into the ocean, polluting the water with untreated sewage, toxic chemicals and other wastes.

Additionally, captive farmed salmon make ideal hosts for highly contagious diseases and parasites; escapees compete with and threaten wild salmon in British Columbia and Europe's wild Atlantic salmon and sea trout.

Two companies -- Marine Harvest and Cermaq -- are the world's largest salmon producers, with open net cage operations in Norway, Scotland, Ireland, Chile and Canada. Tell Marine Harvest and Cermaq to clean up their act! >>

From Care2 Thank you,
LiAnna
Care2 and ThePetitionSite Team

Take action link: http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/AFr4q/zJ.4/lgBn

fur free friday stationery



IDA Home | Action Center Home | Donate | Sign Up! | Tell a Friend



Click here to view an on-line version of this message.


Are You Getting Ready For Fur Free Friday?



Activists worldwide will speak up for fur-bearing animals on November 27. Please join us.



Fur Free Friday is the most widely-attended annual demonstration in the history of the animal protection movement. Fur Free Friday always occurs simultaneously outside fur-selling retailers in high-visibility locations worldwide, on the day after Thanksgiving, one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Don't miss this opportunity to join with thousands of other activists in this international day of action.



nordstrom fur demoMark your calendars, contact IDA, and plan now! November 27 is almost here, and we will raise our voices in unison to educate shoppers and the media about the real cost of fur - the cold, brutal fact that more than 50 MILLION fur-bearing animals are slaughtered for fashion each year. Whether on fur farms, where they go crazy from the cramped, filthy conditions, or in the wild where they are trapped and left to suffer, these animals need your help now.



What You Can Do



Please take a few minutes right now to visit our web site, www.FurKills.com, to see if there is a Fur Free Friday event already planned in your area. You can also register an event that you are organizing. Some events are already posted, but this list will continue to grow so check back often if your community is not yet represented.



It is critical that events get posted so other activists in your area can join you, so please, if you are organizing a Fur Free Friday event that is not yet listed here, take the time to use our automated web form and post the event. It's a quick and easy way to make your event even more successful.



If there's not an event in your community, we can help you organize one!



Please e-mail our grassroots anti-fur coordinator Melissa Gonzalez to find out how you can get signs, literature and ideas for outreach in your community. Every single voice counts.



This year's Fur Free Friday Focus - Nordstrom: Go faux!



rabbit fur fundraiserIDA is using Fur Free Friday to re-launch our education and outreach campaign concerning one major retailer, Nordstrom. Please help convince Nordstrom to make the right choice and go completely faux. Already Nordstrom customers enjoy a large selection of faux fur, and Nordstrom is perfectly positioned to make an ethical choice and become the first upscale department store to stop selling all fur, leading the way for competition like Saks, Macy’s, and Neiman Marcus to follow suit.



Fur-bearing animals need YOU!



IDA needs animal advocates across the country to help with our Nordstrom outreach. If you have a Nordstrom in your area and a few extra hours to dedicate to the animals, please contact IDA's Fur Campaign Coordinator, Matt Rossell. From Fur Free Friday until Valentine's Day, we are encouraging weekly leafleting events at a Nordstrom near you. It's easy and rewarding! We'll send you our Nordstrom cards to hand out to shoppers. The card has a message about fur and encourages shoppers to politely ask Nordstrom to go fur free.



fur_demo_NW_NordstromNordstrom needs to hear from their compassionate customer base, and you can help make it happen. Click here for a list of Nordstrom locations. And scroll down for contact information for Nordstrom headquarters and their president, Blake Nordstrom.



Blake Nordstrom clearly has a heart. His family loves animals, and they refuse to wear fur. Blake even sat his entire family down to watch undercover footage shot by IDA’s Matt Rossell inside an Illinois fur farm, and was appropriately disgusted.



Working four months undercover on that fur farm left Matt more than disgusted. He now spearheads our anti-fur campaign. Matt shared some of his experiences:



“My heart was breaking every day, and I was so depressed, and even more furious that these poor creatures had to endure the stench, the boredom, and the depravity of this living hell hole, for something as frivolous as a fur coat."



"The only thing worse than death for one of these fur-bearers is their life. Confined inside tiny cages and exposed to harsh weather extremes, they run back and forth across the wire desperate to escape, going mad, sometimes even cannibalizing one another. I personally witnessed … a fur farmer who denied water to foxes dying of dehydration. His rationale: “that’s one less fox I have to kill”. And in the end, death came by anal electrocution, a crude and horribly cruel process."



"I made a silent promise to each fox that I wouldn’t let their death be in vain. I would do everything in my power to help end forever this needless suffering.”



Please Donate



Help IDA end this horrible suffering.



Join IDA's anti-fur efforts today!



Click here for more information about IDA's Nordstrom campaign.



See more fur literature and outreach tools here.



Check Out These Great Nordstrom Fur Information Cards Available Free To Activists

You can download these and print your own, or e-mail IDA's Literature Department and we'll send you some. A limited number of banners are also available.



And even if you can’t participate in an outreach event, contact Nordstrom Corporate Offices with a polite message, “F

Dear Phyllis,

Each year as many as 8 million dogs and cats enter animal shelters in the United States, with 3 million healthy and treatable pets euthanized simply because they do not have homes.

That's why it is critical we pass the winning idea of the HSLF's "There Oughta Be a Law" contest, submitted by animal rescuer Cheryl Woodcock of Baldwin, N.D. Please make a special gift today to make Cheryl's winning entry a reality.

Cheryl's law would create a tax credit for spaying and neutering pets. This timely and innovative proposal incentivizes personal responsibility and encourages pet owners to do their part to help reduce pet overpopulation.

"Cheryl’s Law" could become part of the solution toward ending the euthanasia of three million healthy and treatable dogs and cats each year in America's animal shelters, and reducing the financial burden of animal care and control on local communities.

HSLF looks forward to working with members of Congress to introduce a new federal bill to promote the spaying and neutering of pets, but we need your help. Help us pass "Cheryl's Law" and reduce pet homelessness.

Thanks for all you do for animals!

Sincerely,
mike_sig_blue.gif
Mike Markarian
President
Humane Society Legislative Fund

Facebook Share on Facebook

In Defense of Animals


Call For Nominations - Worst Zoos for Elephants In 2009


Do the elephants in your community's zoo constantly sway from side to side? Do the keepers use bullhooks to force them to comply with commands? Is the elephant exhibit at your zoo pitifully small? Are any of the elephants held alone or with only one other elephant?

Does freezing weather force the elephants indoors for the majority of the winter?


If you answered "yes" to one or more of these questions, then you should nominate your zoo for IDA’s annual list of the Top Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants!


blue divider line


elephant QueenieQueenie Update - Charges Filed, We Must Keep Pressure On USDA


We're thrilled to report that the USDA has filed formal charges against circus trainer Will Davenport ("Maximus Tons of Fun") for abusive and negligent treatment of the elephants Tina, Jewel and Queenie, and for defying federal officials who attempted to protect the elephants.


Your thousands of calls, emails and faxes led to the removal of Tina and Jewel from the grip of abusive Will Davenport. Now that you have helped lead the USDA to take this enormous step towards rescuing Queenie, we must keep up the pressure so that the USDA finally takes Queenie out of Davenport’s hands and ensures that she is placed in an elephant sanctuary.


blue divider line


cowsm2_JPGWorld Watch Report Reinforces Message of World Go Vegan Week


World Go Vegan Week is underway, with over 40 events now taking place in at least 10 countries. Events include tabling, leafleting, film screenings, vegan food samplings and potlucks, Halloween parties and more! Events outside the U.S. include Australia, Austria, Bolivia, Canada, Congo, India, Ireland, the Netherlands, and South Africa.


According to the new World Watch report "Livestock and Climate Change" by Robert Goodland and Jeff Anhang, the impact of animal agriculture on climate change been vastly underestimated, comprising over half of all human caused greenhouse gas emissions. Goodland was the lead environmental adviser for 23 years to the World Bank and Anhang is a research officer and environmental specialist for the World Bank. They say the widely-cited 2006 U.N. report estimating that animal agriculture accounts for 18 percent of annual worldwide greenhouse gas emissions grossly underestimates that sector's impact. In fact, they conclude that farmed animals and their byproducts actually account for at least 32.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year, or 51 percent of annual worldwide greenhouse gas emissions.


Based on their research, Goodland and Anhang conclude that replacing animal products with soy-based and other alternatives would be the best strategy for reversing climate change. “This approach would have far more rapid effects on GHG emissions and their atmospheric concentrations - and thus on the rate the climate is warming - than actions to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy.” They argue that food producers should mount a major campaign to promote the consumption of plant-based foods, including meat analogs. Please write a letter to the editor of your local paper and ask them to report on the connection between animal agriculture and climate change.


blue divider line


The CoveThe Cove Stirs Outrage Over Dolphin Hunt In Japan


From the New York Times, October 22: "For years, dolphin hunts off the seaside town of Taiji, which turn coastal waters red with blood each winter, have drawn the ire of Western activists. But few among the Japanese public seemed to care, or even know, about the slaughter."


"That could change with the first public screenings here of “The Cove,” an American documentary that used hidden cameras to film Taiji’s annual dolphin hunts. On Wednesday, Japanese moviegoers got their first glimpse of it at the Tokyo International Film Festival, held here this week." Read more about the Japanese reaction to The Cove here.


blue divider line




IDA Africa funeral for Dorothy


World Marvels At Photo From Dorothy's Funeral At IDA Africa


Thanks to National Geographic and London's Daily Mail, this photo from Dorothy's funeral at IDA's Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue Center in Cameroon, West Africa spread rapidly around the world via the internet. The image should settle the debate over whether chimpanzees grieve for lost family members.

Scary New Video: Invasion of the Burmese Pythons, Rats and Exotic Wildlife

It may not offer the Cineplex scares of Dracula, Frankenstein or Michael Myers, but our new video is pretty scary.


Each year, pythons and hundreds of millions of other non-native wild animals are imported into the U.S. with no good way of screening out species that can harm native ecosystems or threaten human health.


To draw attention to this frightening situation and build support for congressional action to stop the exotic wildlife invasion, we’ve produced a brand-new internet video… just in time for Halloween!


Please watch our terrifying new video about the exotic wildlife invasion and urge Congress to take action to protect our native wildlife and public health.


Each year, millions of live wild animals enter our country legally. Eventually some escape or are released into the wild and harm native wildlife and wild places -- including many endangered species.


Taking into account control and monitoring programs and damage to our ecosystems, economies and public health, these invaders can cost America tens of billions of dollars a year.


But this exotic wildlife invasion isn’t just costly -- it’s also dangerous to native wildlife and can be deadly to people.


* In Florida, former pet pythons have been clashing with alligators in a battle for the top of the food chain -- and these non-native reptiles could someday slither their way as far north as Washington, DC;
* In the central U.S., Asian carps are decimating the natural ecosystems of our rivers and lakes;
* Across the country, European starlings have driven native birds out of their nesting sites; and
* Giant Gambian rats, imported as pets, have spread the highly contagious monkeypox virus.


Learn more about the exotic wildlife invasion and what you can do to help. Check out our new video and then take action.


To stem the exotic wildlife invasion, Defenders of Wildlife is calling on Congress to enact legislation that would provide for crucial screening of wildlife imports to reduce the risk of harm to our native wildlife, wild places and human health. We’re also urging decisive action on H.R. 2811 and S. 373, two bills to regulate the importation and interstate transportation of some of the deadliest pythons and other large constrictor snake species.


Help us stop the invasion of dangerous pythons, Gambian rats and other exotic wildlife. Please watch our new video and take action today!


Best Regards,


Peter Jenkins, Defenders of Wildlife Peter Jenkins
Director of International Conservation
Defend