Wow! Thread #8 filled up very fast, so I'm started thread #9 with this news. Meat on the Menu, But Not the Agenda, at Rio? Posted: 20 Jun 2012 10:58 AM PDT This past weekend, a Washington Post opinion piece by Frances Kissling and Peter Singer raised a question that is on the minds of many who work at the intersection of animal welfare and sustainable development: Why¯when the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has highlighted animal agriculture as “one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale”¯is meat so frequently on the menu but not on the agenda at international conferences and events relating to climate change and sustainable development? Rio+20¯the upcoming United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development¯will bring together world leaders from governments, NGOs, and the private sector to discuss ideas for reducing poverty, creating a more equitable society, and ensuring long-term environmental sustainability. Our undue global appetite for meat belongs on the agenda, as the just released GEO-5 (Global Environment Outlook) report from the United Nations Environment Program suggests. But there appears to be a dismissive attitude toward this issue, perhaps because it requires some level of personal reflection and a modification of eating habits. We know, for example, that the world’s ever-increasing appetite for meat, eggs, and milk places an undeniable strain on the earth’s natural resources, especially since animal agriculture also encompasses feed grain production, which requires substantial inputs of water, land, and energy. Globally, more than 60 percent of our corn and barley crop and more than 97 percent of soymeal are fed to farm animals, who then inefficiently convert that plant matter into animal protein. A growing body of research suggests that the projected growth in meat production will help push the planet to the brink of several sustainability boundaries, including greenhouse gas emissions and water availability¯thereby placing wildlife, farm animals, and human communities around the world at varying degrees of risk. A recent article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences stated that farm animals alone are projected to emit more than two-thirds of the amount of greenhouse gases considered safe by 2050. From our perspective, climate change is an animal welfare issue as much as an environmental one, and it’s an increasingly important focus of work for both The HSUS and Humane Society International. Rising meat consumption is also a significant driver of factory farming, which threatens food security (especially for the poor), water security, public health, and the sustainability of rural communities. If you’d like to help animals and the environment, it’s as easy as starting with your next meal. Visit The HSUS’ Guide to Meat-Free Meals, sign up to get a meatless recipe delivered to your inbox once a week, and check out our Meatless Monday video.
You can help animals and the environment with
our Guide to Meat-Free Meals.
For those of you who haven't finished reading and responding to thread 8, here's the link:
http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=24168&pst=1560646
We wanted to make sure you saw this important message - we need your help to end bear farming and protect animals in need, worldwide.
Your generous donation will make a difference for bears and other suffering animals. Thank you for your support.
As long as we humans have existed, bears have captured our imaginations. Perhaps it's because of teddy bears and childhood fairy tales. Or perhaps it's the stories of bear mothers heroically defending their cubs. Or maybe it's the big eyes and rambunctious nature of the cubs themselves.
We love bears. And maybe that's why their appalling suffering at the hands of the bear bile industry is so disturbing.
A bear farm is little more than a warehouse filled with cages that are too small for the bears to stand up. The wire floor causes the bears constant pain and agitation.
The target of these farmers' efforts is the bile from the animals' gall bladders, a common ingredient in Traditional Asian Medicine. In many cases, in order to get this bile, a tube is crudely inserted into the bear's abdomen. Workers drain the bile from the bears several times a day.
Tens of thousands of bears exist today in these appalling situations. WSPA is working to end bear farming and protect wild bears by compelling governments to change - using research, education and diplomacy to work for an end to bear farming - as well as calling for an end to the illegal smuggling of bear products.
Our approach is working. The Vietnamese government has made bear farming illegal and has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with WSPA to see enforcement tightened. Other governments may follow suit.
But there is so much more to do. With your help, we could see an end to bear farms and to the illegal trade of bear products, as well as other forms of cruelty to animals around the globe.
Sincerely,
Anne Lieberman
Executive Director, WSPA USA
The Atlantic Bluefin Tuna population is being fished to extinction.
Longlines are a staple technology used by industrial fishing fleets to catch Western Atlantic bluefin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico. Longline sets average 30 miles in length, with tens of thousands of baited hooks and are highly efficient at catching the target fish. Unfortunately, they are just as efficient at catching virtually everything else in the local ecosystem, including sea birds, dolphins, sea turtles and sharks.
At the same time, research indicates that the very target species that the longliners pursue--the majestic bluefin tuna--is in catastrophic decline. As adult fish are being taken in high numbers by the longline fleets, pollution and the Horizon Deepwater Oil Spill have reduced larval fish concentrations in the Gulf. Likewise, the demand for sushi is putting a bounty on the take of immature bluefin.
At every stage of its life, the species is under assault from human exploitation.
However, you now have the opportunity to help reform fisheries management policy in order to save Atlantic bluefin tuna from extinction.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is accepting comments on proposed changes that can help protect this species, but some proposed changes could even undermine protection.
Take action and demand that NOAA take a hard line against overfishing, unsustainable longlining and unrealistic quotas and help save these magnificent fish from extinction.
Thank you,
David McGuire, MPH
Director, Shark Stewards
Turtle Island Restoration Network
There are only two states in the country -- North Dakota and South Dakota -- that do not have felony penalties for extreme animal cruelty. In these two states even the harshest form of abuse, such as intentionally burning or dismembering an animal, are punished with a slap on the wrist. But now, there is an opportunity to make a change for animals in North Dakota, and bring us one step closer to making extreme animal cruelty a felony in every state.
North Dakotans to Stop Animal Cruelty is a coalition of animal shelters, veterinarians, pet rescues, animal control officers, animal welfare groups, and other citizens collecting signatures for a ballot initiative that would make it a felony to engage in malicious and intentional cruelty to dogs, cats, or horses in North Dakota.
Sign the pledge today, and join animal lovers across the country in standing with North Dakotans to Stop Animal Cruelty and helping protect animals from extreme cruelty.
Wayne Pacelle, President & CEO
Do you remember the illegal slaughter operation in California?
This past spring, Mercy For Animals obtained shocking hidden-camera video footage of an underground slaughter facility in Los Angeles County.
The evidence showed goats and sheep being violently pinned down, having their throats crudely sawed open, and slowly bleeding to death in a manner that veterinarians and farmed animal welfare experts described as “horrifying.”
I’m pleased to announce that Roberto Celedon, the owner of the facility, has just pled guilty to the charge of felony cruelty to animals. For his crimes he was sentenced to 90 days in jail and five years probation, fined, and ordered not to possess any animals for slaughter, not to operate a meat-producing facility, not to attend auctions where animals are sold, and not to sell any meat products.
His remaining living victims are in rehabilitation at a California-based farmed animal sanctuary.
It is our moral obligation to protect all animals, including animals raised and killed for food, from needless suffering. This is the vitally important work of MFA.
With your support we’ve won countless legal victories for farmed animals. Please take a moment and watch this inspiring video highlighting the successes you helped make possible.
Clicking here will automatically add your name to this petition to the EPA: "The EPA must take action to stop the alarming rate of bee die-offs. Please protect bees and our food system by immediately banning the use of the pesticide Clothianidin pending a full review of its safety."Automatically add your name: 
In the next week, the EPA is expected to issue a decision on the pesticide Clothianidin — which scientists believe is a major factor in this alarming decline in U.S honey bee populations, known as Colony Collapse Disorder.
Since 2006, one third of U.S honey bee populations have been dying off yearly. One third. Every year. That's a terrible rate of species destruction on its own, but it's also a serious threat to our food supply. Honey bees play a crucial role by pollinating 71 of the 100 most common crops, which account for 90% of the world's food supply.1
More than 125,000 CREDO Activists joined the Pesticide Action Network and other groups this March in urging the EPA to suspend its approval of Clothianidin.
The EPA is about to respond, but if the agency doesn't actually act, it likely won't review Clothianidin again until 2018 — and by then it could be too late for the bees.
While the causes of Colony Collapse disorder are complex, studies are increasingly pointing to the role played by pesticides like Clothianidin.
Produced by the German corporation Bayer CropScience, it is used as a treatment on crop seeds, including corn and canola, and works by expressing itself in the plants' pollen and nectar. Not coincidentally, these are some of honey bees' favorite sources of food.
http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/bee_decision/?p=bee_decision&r=6902376&id=42082-3505658-3LidwIx
Signed Protect animals in North and South Dakota...also the Credo Action about Bees 
Thanx Lynn
After reading the Article I surmised that Blue passed on 4 years ago :-0 How can he be voted for becoming exempt of the Leash law ? R.I.P. Blue
Barb, the sentence that your talking about is a little ambiguous because I had to read it a couple of times. It's Blue's owner who passed away four years ago. I don't blame you for being confused. Blue is alive and well.
24,000 Acres Protected for Tiny, Threatened Bird
Following much work in court by the Center for Biological Diversity, the western snowy plover -- a 6-inch-long, buff- and sea-spray-colored shorebird -- is at last enjoying 24,000 protected acres of habitat on the Pacific coast. After a 1999 Center lawsuit won the little bird almost 20,000 acres of "critical habitat," a politically weighted Bush-era decision reduced those protections to just 12,000 acres -- eliminating San Francisco Bay-area habitat deemed necessary for its survival by scientists. Now, after a 2008 Center suit, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has restored the lost habitat -- and then some.
In fact, the western snowy plover is an Endangered Species Act success: Since earning federal protections in 1993 -- when only 1,500 survived in the wild -- the plover has rebounded to more than 3,600. But it still faces many threats, from development to pesticides to human disturbance; the nests of this shy, 2-ounce bird are easily overturned by human beach traffic or unleashed dogs. And climate change threatens its entire beach home with sea-level rise.
Read more in the San Francisco Chronicle and learn about the Center's work to save the western snowy plover.
Suit Launched to Save 10 Aquatic Species in Florida
In the Southeast, where the Center for Biological Diversity recently opened a new Florida office, habitat destruction, water pollution and water withdrawals are driving freshwater and wetland species to the brink of extinction. This week the Center filed a notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over the agency's failure to protect 10 of these rare species under the Endangered Species Act.
The species -- which include black rails, Georgia blind salamanders, Palatka skipper butterflies, purple skimmer dragonflies, small-flower meadow beauties, Ichetucknee siltsnails, Florida cave amphipods and Panama City, Orlando cave and Big Blue Springs cave crayfish -- were the subject of a 2010 Center petition to protect them under the Act; sadly, while the Service determined that all 10 species "may warrant" federal protection as endangered or threatened, it has failed to take any steps to help them.
One, the Ichetucknee siltsnail, is believed to occur on only 10 square yards of the planet, among submerged mosses and cypress roots.
Read more in The Miami Herald.
150 Groups to Obama: Save Polar Bears Now
The Center for Biological Diversity and more than 150 other groups wrote to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on Monday with an urgent message: Please, act now to help polar bears survive by protecting them from global warming.
After a 2005 petition from the Center, plus later lawsuits filed with allies, the federal government finally declared the bear "threatened" under the Act in 2008. But the Bush administration also passed a "4(d)" rule exempting greenhouse gas pollution from regulation under the Act. After we went back to court, a judge ordered the government to reconsider the rule because it ignored environmental consequences. But in response, the Obama administration has proposed to re-issue the same rule -- leaving polar bears, ice seals and other Arctic denizens at the mercy of dirty coal-fired power plants and other activities driving the global warming that's melting the sea-ice habitat from under their feet.
Our groups' letter urges Obama to scrap plans to reissue the "4(d)" rule and give the polar bear a chance to escape extinction. As you read this, the Arctic summer sea ice is melting rapidly, with much less ice today than on this same date in any other year it's been recorded.
Read about our letter in the Center's press release, get more on the Arctic's sea-ice nosedive from ThinkProgress and then learn about the Center's long work to save the polar bear.
Bat Epidemic Spreads to 21st State, Iowa -- Take Action
The fungus that causes deadly white-nose syndrome in bats has reached Iowa -- the 21st state affected by the outbreak that has killed up to 7 million bats since it was first documented in upstate New York in 2006. The disease starves and kills bats as they hibernate, sometimes reaching 100 percent mortality in bat caves. There's good reason to believe people help spread the fungus when they enter caves.
Bats are crucial to people's way of life and economy, saving farmers about $22 billion a year by eating crop pests, for instance. The Center for Biological Diversity has been working hard to fight white-nose syndrome for years -- from petitioning to protect bats to requesting scientific funding for white-nose research to pushing for crucial cave closures and seeking a national action plan from the White House.
Take action now to help bats get the urgent attention they need to survive. Then find more ways to help (as this girl did) and get the details at the Center's Save Our Bats page.
Mount Hood's Woods Reveal Sierra Nevada Red Fox Population
Using motion-triggered cameras, our friends at Cascadia Wild this spring found on Mount Hood the first montane red foxes in northern Oregon in decades. Biologists think they're a subspecies known as the Sierra Nevada red fox -- one of the rarest mammals in North America, with fewer than 50 individuals known to exist in the only two remaining populations in California.
That's good news for the Center for Biological Diversity's work to protect the Sierra Nevada red fox under the Endangered Species Act. We petitioned the federal government for those protections last year, and new populations in Oregon could prove critical to resulting recovery efforts.
Read more in the San Francisco Chronicle and learn about the Center's work for the Sierra Nevada red fox.
Wild & Weird: Happy Wild Father's Day
Father's Day has come and gone, and we're sure the dad in your life loved that necktie or tin-can pencil holder. But what about those other dads out there -- the ones with tails or six legs or birth canals? Here's a brief rundown of some of the Earth's most loving papas:
Barking frog fathers in Texas are protective of their broods and stay very close. If the eggs begin to dry out, these progenitors will lovingly moisten them with their own urine. Other frog daddies have been known to carry their larvae on their backs and even, should the need arise, swallow the young tadpoles into special mouth sacs that serve as safe havens from predators.
Father giant water bugs in California carefully tote around broods of about 150 eggs, cemented onto their backs by lady friends during courtship, for protection till they hatch; daddy seahorses see that commitment and raise it, taking on pregnancy itself. Female seahorses deposit eggs in the males' pouches, where expectant fathers carry up to 2,000 babies during the 10-to-25-day gestation period.
South African owl monkey dads form monogamous life-bonds with their mates and are known to be the overall caregivers of the young, handling transport and grooming so that the mothers can conserve energy for nursing. Very rarely is a youngster seen outside its father's loving presence.
Get photos and video footage from National Geographic.
This post was modified from its original form on 21 Jun, 16:21
Los Angeles Zoo Elephant Exhibit On Trial This Week
After winding its way through the courts for five years, a taxpayer lawsuit against the Los Angeles Zoo regarding its controversial $42 million elephant exhibit has finally gone to trial. The lawsuit, filed by attorney David Casselman, seeks to stop the display of elephants in a small, inadequate exhibit that does not meet their needs. The zoo currently holds a male elephant Billy, and females Tina and Jewel, on little more than two acres of useable space.
Filed in 2007, the suit alleges ongoing illegal, damaging and wasteful actions by the zoo, including construction of an exhibit that does not provide the large space and natural conditions elephants need for health and well-being. The plaintiffs charge that inadequate conditions perpetuate captivity-caused foot and joint diseases that kill elephants prematurely, and that the risk of abusive handling practices still exists.
Witnesses in the trial include world-renowned elephant researcher Dr. Joyce Poole, wildlife veterinarians Dr. Mel Richardson and Dr. Phil Ensley, Emory University neuroscientist Dr. Lori Marino, Born Free Foundation CEO Will Travers, and The Elephant Sanctuary CEO Rob Atkinson. IDA Elephant Campaign Director Catherine Doyle, who has been fighting for the elephants at the Los Angeles Zoo since 2003, was also called to testify.
The trial is attracting media attention and is sure to open the eyes of the public to the outdated practice of confining elephants in unnatural zoo exhibits that lead to terrible suffering and premature death. A win in the lawsuit would set a precedent that could send shockwaves through the zoo industry. The trial is expected to last through the week.
Take action for turtles! Tell NMFS to close the deadly loophole around turtle excluder devices.
The leading killer of endangered sea turtles in the U.S. is drowning after becoming entangled in skimmer trawl nets used by shrimp boats. Last year alone, more than 3,500 endangered and threatened sea turtles washed up dead on the Gulf and Atlantic coasts due to drowning.
to close the legal loophole and require turtle excluder devices (TED) on all shrimp boatsSkimmer trawl nets are responsible for the accidental capture of as many as 28,000 sea turtles every year. This needless hazard to already endangered and threatened turtles should have become a thing of the past in 1987 when shrimp trawlers were required to implement the use of TEDs on their boats. Due to a provision exempting trawlers using a particular kind of net know as a skimmer from the requirement, thousands of turtles continue to become entangled.
Tell NMFS to protect endangered sea turtles by requiring TEDs on skimmer trawl nets.
These nets are so hazardous to marine life that they are banned in Texas and Florida requires the use of TEDs on them. Shrimpers in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama are the holdouts. The NMFS is taking public comments through July 9th on a proposed rule that would solve this by requiring TEDs on all skimmer trawls, pusher-head trawls, and butterfly trawls. This single action would save tens of thousands of endangered sea turtles.
Thank you for all that you do for America's threatened and endangered species and the laws that protect them.
Sincerely,
Leda Huta
Executive Director
Endangered Species Coalition
The next step is for the entire U.S. House of Representatives to vote on the Agriculture Appropriations bill. The vote will happen this coming Tuesday (June 26). You can help us change the course of history by contacting your federal representative TODAY and urging him or her to oppose any new amendment that would allow horse slaughter in the U.S.
The Agriculture Appropriations bill has included a prohibition on federal funding for horse slaughter inspections every year since 2005—until last year, when Congress failed to include language banning inspections. As a result, precious tax dollars are now at risk of supporting the return of this barbaric practice. The pro-slaughter industry is hard at work looking for locations around the country to set up shop and lobbying intensely against efforts to defund horse slaughter. We must stay committed to this fight and ensure that Capitol Hill continues to hear our message to protect horses!
What You Can Do America’s horses need you now! We must tell Congress that the budget should NOT include federally subsidized horse slaughter.
Visit the ASPCA Advocacy Center right now, where we make it easy for you to contact your U.S. representative in Washington, D.C.
On behalf of America’s horses, thank you!
Take Action Now »
Mexican President Felipe Calderón has just rejected plans for a massive resort complex that could have devastated the marine paradise of Cabo Pulmo, its coral reef and the local community.
This is a huge victory for NRDC and all the local, national and international groups that waged a strong multi-year campaign urging officials to abandon the destructive proposal called Cabo Cortés.
Tens of thousands of BioGems Defenders like you stood strong in vocally opposing this mega-tourism scheme.
Please send a message to President Calderón and thank him for stopping Cabo Cortés in its tracks.
Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park is home to the only living hard coral reef in Mexico’s entire Gulf of California. This pristine haven is teeming with whales, porpoises, dolphins, orcas, sharks, sea lions and five of the seven species of endangered sea turtles.
But it was all put at risk by Spanish developer Hansa Urbana, which would have built up 9,400 acres next door with condos, hotels, golf courses, a marina and a private jet port -- imperiling the coral reef’s marine life and the local communities that depend on eco-tourism for survival.
Make no mistake: We may have won this battle, but Cabo Pulmo still lacks permanent protection from industrial development. Now, the region needs a plan to ensure that communities do not have to repeatedly rescue this valuable resource, a sustainable plan that takes advantage of the natural riches of Baja California’s marine ecosystems.
Send your message to President Calderón today. Thank him for halting Cabo Cortés. Then urge him to work with the people of the region to guarantee that this globally-important marine sanctuary will be sheltered from massive development projects forever.
I hope you’ll join us in celebrating this hard-won victory. And thank you for fighting alongside NRDC to help save the irreplaceable coral reef and wildlife of Cabo Pulmo.
Sincerely,
Frances Beinecke
President
Natural Resources Defense Council
Noted and signed Lynn Bats, Turtles, Thank-you President Felipe Calderon ...Thanx for filling me in on Blue's owner ) ) )
Wild horses grazing in Nevada's Jackson Mountains have been facing drought for several weeks. Their food and water resources are thin, but now the Bureau of Land Management plans to make their lives even worse. As a method of corraling the horses, the BLM wants to use a helicopter to drive them into a stampede.
This will pose a terrible, unnecessary danger to the more vulnerable horses in the herd. »
Stampeding can be especially harmful for pregnant mares--who could miscarry under the stress--and foals whose hooves are not yet well enough developed to handle a long-range run at high speeds.
While stampeding horses into corrals is a common practice, it would be infinitely better to wait until the end of the horses' foaling season.
Representative Raul Grijalva and other horse advocates point out that gently luring horses into corrals with bait would be a much more humane practice.
Tell the BLM not to stampede horses at such a critical time for their population! »
Thanks for taking action!
Kathleen
ThePetitionSite
BLM: Don't Stampede Foals and Pregnant Mares
Take action link: http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/AGsxv/zMcA/Br5kfLive from Rio+20: Making Progress for Farm Animals
Thanks to your support, WSPA has helped secure agreement from the UN to include sustainable livestock and animal health on the agenda for the UN Earth Summit (Rio+20). This is the first time that the treatment of animals has ever been considered in global discussions on sustainable development at this level. Read more about this milestone for animals >>
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Victory: Rescuing Reech, Pari and Shabnam from Cruelty
WSPA and our local partner in Pakistan, BRC, recently rescued three helpless bears from the cruel "sport" of bear baiting. Since then, Reech, Pari and Shabnam have spent time recovering from their injuries and regaining much-needed strength, and now live with 11 other rescued bears in the beautiful WSPA-funded Balkasar Bear Sanctuary. Read more about Reech, Pari and Shabnam >>
Update: From Bears to Bakeries
Our joint work with partner Wildlife Trust of India is seeing great progress - a new bakery in Kongia Kalan run by former "dancing" bear owner, Aziz, is now three months in business! The bakery was funded under our alternative livelihoods program and is generating enough money to help support Aziz, his wife and three children. Thanks to projects like this one, which provide alternative and sustainable jobs to former bear owners, only a handful of "dancing" bears remain. Read more about WSPA's work to end bear "dancing" >>
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Breaking News: Rhode Island Bans Tail-docking!
A big thank you to everyone who signed our petition against tail-docking - we are happy to report that Rhode Island has banned gestation crates, veal crates and cattle tail-docking!
Goodmorning Lynn Noted all your wonderful articles...Wrote to Congress on behalf of the Horses.... See ya later Barb ) ) )
Did you know that scientists estimate that bats are worth $22 billion annually to American farmers? It's true. These furry, fly-by-night mammals help keep insect populations in check. Despite their value, their health hangs by a precarious balance due to an incurable illness known as white-nose syndrome.
White-nose syndrome has caused bat populations to decline by more than 90 percent in some states »
Recent research provides strong evidence that the most likely mode of transmission of white-noise syndrome was from fungal spores hitching a ride on gear from Europe to the USA. The Forest Service's land managers wisely implemented cave closures in 2009 to prevent further spreading.
Now, with this policy up for renewal, the Service is considering weakening protections for bats, increasing the risk of cave visitors bringing the disease into the caves.
You can easily help prevent this wildlife crisis. Tell the Forest Service you support maintaining the current, responsible management policy »
Thanks for taking action!
Colleen H.
Care2 and ThePetitionSite Team
Keep Caves Closed to Save Our Bats
Take action link: http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/AGs7N/zMco/Br5kf
Lilly suffered for months at Caboodle Ranch before dying, and the facility's founder, Craig Grant, now faces a felony cruelty charge as a result. Hundreds of cats who suffered alongside Lilly—and those who might have ended up there—are now safe from Caboodle!
I am happy to share with you breaking news of a wonderful victory for animals prompted by a PETA undercover investigation.
Earlier this year, we released the findings of our investigation of Caboodle Ranch, Inc., a "rescue sanctuary" in Madison County, Fla. The investigation exposed the reality that nearly 700 cats confined to the "no-kill" facility faced each day: an essentially one-person operation with no paid full-time help that subjected animals to severe crowding, filth, disease, neglect, suffering, and a miserable death.
Based on PETA's evidence, officials seized Caboodle's animals. Now, after three days of hearing evidence in the case, Judge Greg Parker of Florida's Third Judicial Circuit, has ordered that all the animals be kept safely away from Caboodle for good!
Judge Parker ruled that the evidence indicated "clearly and convincingly" that the animals were not receiving proper care and concluded that Caboodle "is not able and fit to have custody of the animals." These cats will finally have the chance to find happiness with responsible families who will give them all the love, attention, and catnip that they deserve.
Just as importantly, Judge Parker ruled that Caboodle cannot possess or take custody of any live animals! By effectively shutting Caboodle down, the ruling spares thousands of cats from the misery of being shipped across the country, abandoned in hellish conditions, and left to die slowly of disease and neglect.
Read more about PETA's findings and watch our undercover video here. Based on PETA's evidence, officials arrested and charged Caboodle's founder and operator, Craig Grant, with felony cruelty to animals.
Grant and Caboodle continue to ask the public for donations, including asking for money to defend Grant against a felony charge of scheming to defraud those who already gave him money. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services can help end this by canceling Caboodle's registration to solicit contributions. Please click here to contact officials now.
Thank you.
For all animals,
Daphna Nachminovitch
Vice President
Cruelty Investigations Department
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
Save Turtles from Nets
Turtle Excluder Devices (shown above) help turtles escape from fishing nets
Sign today to support TEDs and give turtles a second chance»
If a turtle gets swept up in a net, it's in trouble. Sea turtles need air to breathe, and when held underwater by fishing gear, they will drown. Tens of thousands of turtles meet this fate in the US every year.
But it doesn't have to be this way. Turtle excluder devices (TEDs) are escape hatches for fishing nets—big turtles can push them open and swim away, while smaller fish or shrimp stay inside.
Help turtles escape. Sign today to support making TEDs mandatory on shrimp trawlers»
TEDs are life-savers. But not everyone uses them. And turtles keep dying.
A new rule would require all shrimp trawlers in the Gulf of Mexico and southeast Atlantic to use TEDs, saving thousands of turtles' lives. Shrimp trawling is one of the largest threats to sea turtles in the Gulf, with thousands captured in nets each year.
Sign TODAY and show your support for turtle-friendly fishing»
All six sea turtle species in the United States are threatened or endangered. This regulation will save lives and give the turtles a chance to recover.
But there is some backlash in the fishing industry against these new regulations, and we need to make sure the National Marine Fisheries Service knows that the new rules for turtle-friendly nets have support. That's where you come in. Sign today and tell the NMFS to keep turtles safe with TEDs»
For the turtles,
Emily Fisher
Oceana
Hiya Lynn, had a browse through this thread today - some great info and good news included. I signed BLM - don't stampede foals and Pregnant Mares AND Keep Caves closed to save our bats. Tried signing the Oceana Save Sea Turtles from drowning, but it's only for Americans. The other 2 are also for Americans but I signed anyway. I wonder sometimes if a non American signature is worth anything on a lot of petitions, but I sign lots anyway.
To its residents, 1254 Sherman Avenue was a normal Bronx apartment building. But its grimy, windowless basement held a horrifying secret.
The endangered red-cockaded woodpecker takes over a year to carve out a bowl for nesting in a pine tree. Once that cavity is created, other bird species can use it, too -- making the woodpecker a true citizen of the forest. But now, the US Forest Service may allow energy companies access to the forest the woodpecker calls home.
Tell the US Forest Service that it must not sacrifice the woodpecker to energy companies! »
Alabama's Talledega Forest is not just home to this rapidly disappearing woodpecker; it's also the habitat of the endangered long-leaf pine tree in which the bird prefers to nest.
Now energy companies want leases that will allow them to "explore" the forest. Exploration inevitably leads to oil and gas extraction, especially through fracking.
The Talladega is a national forest, and it should belong to the citizens and wildlife of the United States. Using it for short-term, destructive energy solutions is a potentially devastating action.
Tell the US Forest Service to deny all energy exploration rights in the Talladega! »
Thanks for taking action!
Kathleen
ThePetitionSite
Save the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker!
Take action link: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/643/339/073/save-the-red-cockaded-woodpecker-in-alabama/
Speak up for whales ... before they are silenced forever 
The Navy estimates that its five-year plan for training with sonar and explosives will harass, injure or kill marine mammals more than 33 million times! Urge the Navy to put safeguards in place before unleashing this deadly barrage.
The Navy is moving full speed ahead with plans for sonar and explosives training that threaten to deafen, injure -- and even kill -- countless whales, dolphins and other marine mammals.
Starting in 2014, the Navy will harass, injure, or kill marine mammals more than 33 million times in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans during five years of testing and training with sonar and explosives. Those alarming numbers come from the Navy itself!
They include more than five million instances of temporary hearing loss, 16,000 instances of permanent hearing loss, almost 9,000 lung injuries, and more than 1,800 deaths.
Please send a message right away, telling the Navy that inflicting such far-reaching harm on marine mammals is simply unacceptable.
The sheer scope of the Navy’s proposed training and testing activities is staggering, potentially assaulting entire populations of marine wildlife off the East Coast, Southern California, Hawaii and the Gulf states.
Navy ships will flood millions of square miles of ocean with high-intensity sonar, which is known to cause disorientation, hearing loss, stranding and death in whales. In addition, the Navy will be detonating high-powered explosives with the potential to fatally injure the lungs and other organs of marine mammals.
The waters around Hawaii and Southern California -- including critical habitat for endangered blue and humpback whales -- would be among the hardest hit. The Navy predicts that more than 1,000 marine mammals would be killed in this area alone.
And the threat to even one North Atlantic right whale may be one too many, as fewer than 400 of these survivors now hover on the brink of extinction.
The Navy should and must take common sense precautions -- like keeping training out of key whale habitat -- before launching this sonic assault. Such precautions will NOT compromise the nation’s military readiness.
Send a message right now, urging the Navy to enact tough safeguards for marine mammals before it conducts the next five years of training exercises.
Thank you for coming to the defense of whales!
Sincerely,
Frances Beinecke
President
Natural Resources Defense Council
In 1986, the International Whaling Commission issued a moratorium on commercial whaling. Yet Japan's whaling industry continues to hunt and slaughter these majestic animals in outright defiance of the ban and global outcry.This senseless killing must end, and you can help: Implore Japan's Prime Minister to stop allowing the whale massacre now!
Take Action!
Painted Bunting by Greg Lavaty, texastargetbirds.org
The House of Representatives has cut over $50 million in funding for key bird conservation programs in its budget. If passed by the Senate, these destructive cuts will harm birds and other wildlife, and undo decades of successful conservation efforts.
Three of our most valuable programs are threatened by the proposed cuts: the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act Grants Program, State Wildlife Grants and the North American Wetlands Conservation Act.
Representatives and Senators need to hear from bird advocates like you today to ensure that these critical bird conservation programs continue to be funded.
Thank you for your help in ensuring the next generation of Americans will have a chance to appreciate the native birds we enjoy today.
Adoption Story: Pit Bull Goes from Fighting Ring to Loving Home
Posted: 26 Jun 2012 02:37 PM PDT
I love redemption stories. Last summer, I wrote about our Animal Rescue Team helping to rescue dogs from two fighting rings in North Carolina. It was a blazing hot day, and most of the animals were chained outside in the woods. The HSUS and Hello Bully set up an emergency shelter and cared for these dogs, with staff sleeping on cots at the shelter to make sure the animals were safe as Hurricane Irene barreled into the region. Through the Dogfighting Rescue Coalition, several shelters and rescue groups then took in the dogs to place them for adoption.
One brown pit bull-type dog named Gizmo had been attached to a heavy chain, was denied water and sufficient food, and seemed destined for the fighting pit. When he arrived at our emergency shelter, Gizmo didn't trust people yet. Over time, and with the right amount of human patience and a lot of dog toys, he got better, step by step.
BEFORE: Gizmo was tied to a heavy chain. AFTER: Gizmo enjoying a toy.
Next, Gizmo traveled to the Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania, where a dedicated volunteer helped him get used to unfamiliar things like stairs, riding in the car, television, and grass to play in. The dog went to obedience classes and saw that life offered more than a heavy chain and being forced to fight. Finally, one day a family came to meet Gizmo and decided to adopt him. He got along great with the family and their other dog, and now this formerly mistreated pit bull-type dog has a new bed, even more toys, and a heaping of love and attention from his new human companions.
I know there are truly millions of stories and adoption and redemption in communities throughout the country. But it's through these intentional acts of kindness and redemption that we can give so many creatures their fair shot at a rich and full and happy life.
P.S. This video shows the conditions where Gizmo was rescued:
We're very happy to tell you that UNIQLO (the world's fifth largest retailer) has given us assurance that the company has begun to phase out wool from farmers who practice the cruel "mulesing" mutilation. Activists like YOU made this happen! Sincere thanks from PETA to everyone who wrote to UNIQLO, confronted the company on Facebook, or attended a leafleting session or protest.
In mulesing, farmers force sheep onto their backs and use instruments resembling gardening shears to cut skin and flesh from their backsides, often without any painkillers, in a crude attempt to prevent flystrike (a maggot infestation that can occur when flies lay their eggs in the folds of the sheep's skin). Many Australian farmers already use humane flystrike control methods, and other wool-producing countries do not practice mulesing.
UNIQLO now joins other compassionate retailers—including Gap Inc., Muji, Topshop, H&M, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Next—in taking action against mulesing.
Thanks again for all your help in making this happen!
Sincerely, 
Jason Baker
Vice President
PETA Asia
Protect big cats and public safety!
In the U.S. an estimated 10,000 - 20,000 big cats are currently in private hands, causing significant public safety concerns by endangering neighbors -- including children and pets -- as well as officers who act as first responders.
The animals are frequently victims of neglect, living in deplorable conditions. Additionally, some captors might use the animals for illegal international trade in their parts. Taxpayers and local agencies bear a high financial burden when dangerous animals escape or when they are seized due to cruelty and neglect.
The Big Cats and Public Safety Protection Act (H.R. 4122) would help stem the exotic "pet" trade by strengthening provisions in federal law by prohibiting future breeding, possessing, or owning of lions, tigers, and other big cats. The bill also would require people who currently possess big cats to register those animals with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This bill amends the Lacey Act, which already provides exemptions for government agencies and wildlife sanctuaries. H.R. 4122 adds an exemption for accredited zoos, too.
Take Action!
Ask your Congressional representative to support the Big Cats and Public Safety Protection Act to protect people and animals! H.R. 4122 has bipartisan support, but it is languishing in a subcommittee of the House Committee on Natural Resources.
For the animals,
Stephen Wells
Executive Director
Animal Legal Defense Fund
Take Action: Tell Congress you want wildlife protected from climate change.
The American pika can't survive above 78 degrees. Less snow is interfering with the Canada lynx's ability to hunt. Birds are being forced to change their migration patterns.
And even the koala--the adorable Australian icon--faces a bleak future as the planet warms.
Climate change is altering the koala's habitat, forcing them into populated areas and exposing them to new risks like cars and even dogs.
It is time to take a stand for koalas and all the amazing abundance of wildlife threatened by our addiction to dirty energy. We need to send this message to our members of Congress and urge them to take action to limit pollution and unleash our clean energy future.
Please take action today. Tell Congress you support strong climate pollution controls. 
Thanks for your activism and support,
Heather Shelby
Action Network Coordinator
Take Action: Tell Congress you want wildlife
Polar bears are on the front lines of global warming. But they're not alone. Carbon pollution is threatening the survival of innumerable species all around the world.
This post was modified from its original form on 27 Jun, 15:17
Some longtime friends recently shared the joyful news that they're expecting a baby. They already have a houseful with two dogs and two cats. So naturally we talked about many questions related to their pets and the new baby.
One of their biggest concerns was how, during her pregnancy, she could continue to get heavy bags of dog food from the store to their house every single month. With two dogs this is over 60 pounds of dog food. Being pregnant she could injure her baby or injure her back.
Even before she was pregnant she did not look forward to lugging a 40-pound bag of dog food from the store shelf into the shopping cart, and then from the cart into the car, and then from the car into the house (to be honest I don’t look forward to this either).
So what is the solution?
Well, she can buy smaller bags of food, but we all know that with larger bags, you can save more. She can send her husband to the store, but he is not always available and is sometimes forgetful.
Wouldn’t it be great if every month a bag of her dog’s favorite dog food magically appeared at her front door. She would never run out or have to carry heavy bags of food around and could focus on the baby and the other countless items on her iPhone to-do list.
Does such a service exist?
I am glad to report that this service is now available from an innovative pet company called PetFlow. Petflow has been getting incredible coverage in the news lately with stories in The Wall Street Journal. The New York Times and Inc. Magazine.
Why all the fuss? Well, Petflow carries over 140 brands of pet food, even some of the hard-to-find natural and organic foods and veterinary diets, and will deliver them right to your door every month for a flat shipping rate of $4.95 or FREE shipping with orders of $49 or more after the discount! (I am not sure how they are able to offer such affordable shipping rates but this a really great deal).
And here's some exciting news... as a Dr. Jon newsletter subscriber, we're going to save you $10.00 right now (with minimum $40 purchase).
To receive your $10.00 off, just go to PetFlow.com and enter coupon code "DRJON410" at checkout.
With PetFlow.com, you can quickly locate the food you want. Just choose the quantity you want, how often you want it and you're done! Also, no matter where you live in the US, you'll receive your order in about 2 to 5 days via FedEx. Returns are easy, too. Petflow has a 100% customer satisfaction policy. They offer excellent customer service - you could send an email or pick up the phone and speak with a real person
I suggest that you give PetFlow.com a try today. It will save you time and money. I think you are going to love the convenience of getting your food delivered right to your door...
Your back will love you for it!
Until next time
Dr. Jon
P.S. – We are all busy people with too much to do and too little time. Simplify your life as much as possible. Services like PetFlow will take one more thing off your plate so you can spend more time with your family or getting a much needed break.
Unfortunately, the Care2 latency issues and posts flying away into la la land are making it difficult for most people, Ellen. I myself, am going crazy with the latency problem wherein you post something and it doesn't show up until at least the next day. Aarrgghhh!!!!
Dear Lynn,
The number one reason government agents remove wolves in the wild is rancher complaints.
Since the Mexican wolf recovery program started in 1998, 70 wolves and their pups have been removed because ranchers choose to graze their cattle on public lands and don’t want to share this land with wolves.
WildEarth Guardians wants to provide wolves a place of their own to live free and unmolested. Join us in asking the U.S. Forest Service to retire land currently permitted to ranchers and make it a sanctuary for wolves.
We have a unique opportunity to do this as a result of a legal agreement between the Forest Service and WildEarth Guardians. The Gila National Forest in Southern New Mexico is required to consider a wolf-friendly alternative proposed by WildEarth Guardians for grazing management on a portion of the forest.
Our proposed alternative retires cattle grazing from four contiguous grazing allotments and reallocates that land to native wildlife giving wolves room to roam.
Show your support for wolves by advocating to close these selected public lands to grazing. Send your email to the District Ranger on the Gila National Forest.
WildEarth Guardians’ alternative for this actively grazed land will result in significant improvements for imperiled species—especially el lobo—and will improve ecosystem processes and water quality. Our alternative will also save $1 million for taxpayers by preventing the need to construct government-funded fences, pipelines and stocktanks.
For the Wilderness,
Bryan Bird
Wild Places Program Director
WildEarth Guardians
bbird@wildearthguardians.org
Revlon has been on PETA's cruelty-free list for years, but its status has come into question as the company has been evading our questions about animal tests in China. Tell Revlon to come clean!
Help Animals in Entertainment
Animals trapped in circuses, on film sets, or in zoos deserve freedom! Find out how you can be their voice. Never be silent!
Featured
Our CUTEST Video Ever
Watch Ella, one of the irresistibly cute and beloved pups at PETA's L.A. office. Whether she's snacking on peanut butter or greeting all her friends, she's always up to something! Watch the video now.
******** Stop Cruelty to Turkeys
Following a horrific crash that resulted in the painful suffering and eventual deaths of 540 turkeys, PETA is urging Circle S and other factories to craft a humane crash-response plan to prevent further suffering. Take action!
Celebrate A Victory - California Foie Gras Ban Takes Effect July 1
July 1 marks the realization of a long-awaited, incredible victory for animals in California. In 2004, IDA helped pass a law that banned foie gras, the enlarged livers of force-fed ducks and geese. Force-feeding is the extremely cruel practice of inserting a long, wide tube down the throat to force in many times the amount of food that a bird would normally eat, until the liver is engorged with disease. Legislators sided with scientists, veterinarians and advocates who exposed this cruelty. The food industry 
was given eight years to comply.
The ban finally takes effect on July 1, after which this cruel dish may no longer be produced or sold in California. Chefs who defy the ban are subject to a $1,000 citation. This is cause for celebration, though some chefs and restaurants are hinting that they will find creative ways to serve foie gras anyway, such as by charging a "corkage fee" to prepare foie gras that customers bring in themselves. There is also speculation that some will sell items such as toast at exhorbitant fees, and then tack on "free" foie gras to go with it. That's still illegal.
You can help IDA monitor and ensure compliance with the law. If you live in (or visit) California and see any business selling foie gras, please tell us so we can contact the proper enforcement agency. Email hope@idausa.org with any information about violations.
Hi Lynn I watched the Ella video and she was so good I sent message about grazng
Allotment Closure for Mexican Lobos and thr Painted Bunting Bird (Audobon Society ) Thanx Lynn
Save turtles from drowning in nets
Every year, tens of thousands of turtles are caught in fishing nets. Held underwater for more than an hour, many drown. But equipping nets with Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) gives turtles an escape hatch, granting these endangered creatures a new chance at life. Right now the rules for using TEDs in shrimp trawlers don't go far enough, and turtles are dying needlessly. Sign today to show your support for a new regulation that would require ALL shrimp trawlers to use TEDs and keep turtles safe.
Great News for Caboodle Cats
Thanks to a major court victory this week, the cats rescued from Caboodle Ranch are a big step closer to finding the forever homes they deserve! Read what the judge said about the Florida “sanctuary” and what that means for these kitties. Read more...
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Senate Votes to Criminalize Animal Fight Attendance
Did you hear about our big dog fighting bust in NYC last week? Well, here’s more good news: Attending an animal fight may soon be a federal offense punishable by up to a year in prison.
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ASPCA Happy Tails: Mama’s Pride
Milo the cat became totally blind in March 2012. But when Joanne M. met this sweetie, she saw past his special needs. In fact, she saw the perfect Mother’s Day gift for herself.
This post was modified from its original form on 29 Jun, 21:35
re California Bans Foie Gras, I was just reading an article from the Daily Telegraph in our Vancouver Sun this morning titled Foie gras goes underground as ban takes force. "In this affluent Silicon Valley neighbourhood (Los Gatos) a clandestine sunset gathering is taking place. 12 guests from all walks of life whisper conspiratorially as they introduce themselves before indulging in a shared, soon to be illegal passion. These are subversive gourmands who cannot live without a quick fix of foie gras. Enthusiansts are not letting it go without a fight, and a final stand has been launched in the form of secret, last min. dinner parties. At one of the cloak-and-dagger feasts last week, furtive foodies gathered at a well heeled apt. ...An extravegant belt busting menu featured 8 courses ALL of foie gras, even fois gras cupcakes.
Seems they don't like having to eat with protesters with megaphones, banging pots and pans outside. Some chefs have even rec'd death threats.
1 guest brazenly promised to smuggle in foie gras from other states (Calif. is the 1st to ban it) and was prepared to risk the $1,000 fine for each offence. Another said "We've got contacts outside the state". 1 had already bought and frozen a yrs. supply.
There was also skepticism that the process of force-feeding by putting tubes down throats, known as gavage, was cruel. "People don't understand how a bird eats", one said. "They eat a whole fish, they don't swallow like us."
Supporters of the ban diagree. John Burton, current chairman of the Calif. Democratic Party who drew up the law, has compared gavage to waterboarding.
The article, bu Nick Allen, compared this situation to that of the "furtive atmosphere that might have been found in the 1920s speakeasies as miscreants knocked back homemade liguor."
Just wanted to put this on FYI.
Also signed Save the Red Cockaded Woodpecker
Protect Whales from Navy's Sonic Onslaught
Noticed "Tell Japan It's Time To Stop Slaughtering Whales" link from 3 days ago after I'd posted above. How could I not sign that one???
Goal is 15,000 and progress so far is 23,220. I hope to send that one on to some friends later on this week. Thanks Lynn for all your hard work.
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In 1986, the International Whaling Commission issued a moratorium on commercial whaling. Yet Japan's whaling industry continues to hunt and slaughter these majestic animals in outright defiance of the ban and global outcry.
This senseless killing must end, and you can help: Implore Japan's Prime Minister to stop allowing the whale massacre now! Take Action!
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Dianne, thank you so much for all this information. Too think that certain people will clandestinely meet in a group just to eat foie gras is bordering on the insane, not to mention gluttonous. I really appreciate that you added to the information that I posted.
take action NOW! Join the Fight to Save Rhinos from Poaching
signatures: 21,954
sign petition
LEAN BACK AND GET READY TO ENJOY AND LAUGH!
These Dutch tourists certainly lucked out when
they came upon this!
http://www.youtube.com/embed/f_gBWPs4r3U
This post was modified from its original form on 30 Jun, 16:25
Bunawan Mayor Edwin Cox Elorde stands over Lolong, the giant crocodile. Click image to see more photos. (AP)
This thread is getting too long, so I'm going to start thread #10 now. Look for more news there and keep on being activates for the animals of the world. Thank you for your interest, my friends.
WOW!!! That is some BIG Crocodile :-0 Thanx Lynn Will catch up on your #10 thread Lots of great photos and News !!!
