Exposed: The Slaughterhouses Where Racehorses Are Retired

While millions of viewers watch this year's Belmont Stakes, former champions like Charismatic and War Emblem are half a world away in Japan. Thousands of other less famous U.S.-bred thoroughbreds have also been exported overseas for breeding and racing. When they are no longer useful, most of these horses will be slaughtered.

PETA undercover investigators have recorded exclusive footage in a Japanese horse slaughterhouse, in which 4,500 horses are killed and cut up each year—many of them racehorses—to be made into food for dogs and humans. Slaughterhouses such as the Kumamoto Shokuniku Center, which was exposed by our investigators, are often the last stop in a system that routinely produces tens of thousands of "surplus" thoroughbreds each year because there is no plan for what to do with them after their racing or breeding days are over.

Ten years ago Charismatic won the 125th Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. He nearly went on to win horse racing's Triple Crown before he tragically broke his leg near the finish line at the Belmont Stakes. Unlike Barbaro, Eight Belles, and the more than 1,000 U.S. racehorses who suffer fatal breakdowns on the track every year, Charismatic survived and was sold soon after like a commodity and exported to Japan for breeding purposes.

While millions of viewers watch this year's Belmont Stakes, Charismatic—half a world away and with his value as a stallion plummeting—could be facing the same fate as fellow Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand, who was slaughtered for dog food at the end of an unsuccessful stud career in Japan.

In 2008, more than 100,000 American-bred horses were exported to Canada, Mexico, and Japan and slaughtered for meat—many of these were thoroughbreds.

For Charismatic, War Emblem, and the tens of thousands of less famous racehorses who face slaughter, please take the three actions to the right of this letter. While racing fans are glued to media coverage surrounding the Belmont Stakes, there is no better time to make a difference in the lives of thousands of horses. Thank you.

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Group pleads out to save hoarded cat

A north Texas rescue center is pleading for help to save an animal rescued from a hoarded cat situation

Gypsy, a 2-year-old Siamese cat, was rescued from a 300 square foot motel room enclosed with almost two dozen other cats.

Ronald Teague, 62, was arrested by Plano police March 30 for outstanding warrants including cruelty to animals and theft.

Tonja Pfister, Texas Siamese Rescue managing director, said the shelter was contacted by Plano Animal Services about the young cat’s needs. She said Gypsy is a diabetic cat that has not had proper care.

“He is grossly underweight and no treatment for diabetes in months,” Pfister said. “X-rays discovered many broken and self-healed unset bones. I do not even want to speculate what he has been through, yet he is still the sweetest cat.”

Pfister said in addition to being a diabetic, Gypsy also suffers from ringworms, a urinary tract infection, dehydration and a kidney infection.

In order to save Gypsy and give him the care he needs to stay alive, Pfister said the rescue center needs about $1,000. She said Gypsy has to be anaesthetized for blood work, needs x-rays, antibiotics and a glucose curve to ensure he receives the right amount of insulin.

“He will need an insulin supply for a month until we can raise a subscription for him,” Pfister said. “It is a very sad day when a survivor and very sweet kitty like Gypsy cannot be saved because of financial constraints.”

Pfister said the Siamese Rescue center will be forced to euthanize Gypsy if funds are not collected in 13 days.

“He [Teague] might be the only person in the world I would want to physically hurt because of what he has done to this cat,” Pfister said. “I’m not that type of person, but what he did is just awful.”

Jonnie England, Metroplex Animal Coalition director of animal advocacy, said when Plano police arrested Teague, she was notified and was appalled by the condition of the motel room.

She said the room was wall-to-wall with litter boxes, food bowels and plates.

“There were three cats shut in the bathroom and some under the bed and on the furniture,” England said. “The smell was overwhelming.”

England said the cats’ conditions varied some being overweight and some being surprisingly underweight.

“He is a hoarder, a classic hoarder,” England said. “In the mind of a hoarder they think they can care for these animals the best way possible and there is nothing wrong with the conditions.”

Jamey Cantrell, Plano Animal Services manager, said since the cats were recovered, three have been adopted to rescue agencies and staff is trying to find homes for the remaining 18.

“Euthanizing is our last resort,” Cantrell said. “We are getting these cats healthy and are hoping to find them a home.”

To make a donation for Gypsy visit www.tx.siameserescue.org and click on Support Us. To inquire about the remaining cats in Plano contact Animal Services at 972-769-4360.

Contact Stephanie Flemmons at sflemmons@acnpapers.com

Ban the Gas Chamber for Animals in Michigan!

Target: Michigan House
Sponsored by: American Humane Association


Michigan House Bill 4263, the Humane Euthanasia of Shelter Animals Act, would ensure that when the state's unwanted, sick or unadoptable shelter animals have to be euthanized, the procedure will only be done by injection of sodium pentobarbital. This method is called euthanasia by injection.

The American Humane Association considers euthanasia by injection to be the only acceptable and humane means of euthanasia for animals in animal shelters.

Even though a majority of the shelters in the state use euthanasia by injection, 12 still use outdated, inhumane gas chambers. Shelter workers overwhelmingly wish to hold and comfort a frightened animal in its final moments of life. That act may be the only kindness the animal has ever known.

In contrast, even with vigilant oversight, euthanizing any animal by means of a carbon monoxide or dioxide gas chamber is both severely inhumane to medium and large animals, and demoralizing to the workers who have to euthanize. Such outdated practices also create public outcry and demean the purpose of an animal shelter.


HB 4263 is sponsored by Rep. Rick Jones and was drafted by American Humane and the State Bar of Michigan Animal Law Section. Please sign today to support this bill.

Horse-slaughter bill gallops through state Senate

By MIKE DENNISON
Gazette State Bureau

HELENA - The bill to encourage construction of a horse-slaughtering plant in Montana won endorsement from the state Senate Thursday, putting it one step away from the governor's desk for signature into law.

The Senate endorsed House Bill 418 on a 27-23 vote, setting up a final vote today before the measure advances to Gov. Brian Schweitzer, who hasn't taken a position on it.

HB418 expressly allows private horse-slaughter plants to be built in Montana and offers them legal protections from those who might challenge a plant's license.

Supporters have said a slaughter plant not only would bring needed investment and jobs to Montana, but also would provide a place for people to dispose of unwanted horses, which most Montanans consider livestock.

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Tracking Animal Cruelty Crimes Act (S. 2439)

Please visit the Compassion Index - AWI's Legislative Action Center to find your federal legislators and see how much compassion they show on important animal protection measures currently
before Congress. The CI also allows you to contact your legislators on these issues.

The FBI tracks the incidence and pattern of crimes committed in the United States. The data provided by such crime-tracking enable law enforcement agencies to target their crime fighting resources and implement better prevention and prosecution. However, there is currently no separate
reporting category for animal cruelty crimes. The Tracking Animal Cruelty Crimes Act (S. 2439), introduced by Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), would change this.

Why is it important to track animal cruelty crimes?

• Animal cruelty is a heinous offense in and of itself, causing terrible suffering for so many sentient creatures. It is a crime in all 50 states and certain egregious acts are felonies in 43 states and the District of Columbia.
  
• Animal cruelty also often coincides with domestic and child abuse. Moreover, a clear and recognized link exists between animal abuse and other forms of violence in society. Ironically, the FBI was one of the first to establish this link, yet the agency has yet to track
  animal cruelty crimes as a separate category.
  
• The FBI’s programs for collecting and disseminating crime statistics are invaluable tools for guiding law enforcement operations, crime prevention programs, and research and planning
  efforts. Assigning the crime of animal cruelty to its own reporting classification, as required under S. 2439, would enable law enforcement, social service agencies, researchers, and others to track trends at the state and national level and to determine the demographic characteristics and other factors associated with animal abuse. Significantly, the National District Attorneys Association supports the legislation.
  
• Having the improved information about animal cruelty crimes that S. 2439 would generate would lead to much greater understanding of—and more effective responses to—both animal abuse and other offenses. Animal cruelty—including animal fighting—would be regarded as serious crimes against society, thereby bringing greater investigative and prosecutorial resources to the problem at the state and federal level.

This small change would yield significant benefits for efforts to prevent and intervene in the cycle of violence that victimizes so many animals and people.

Help animals in China: take action today

Unfortunately, the Chinese fur industry continues its unrepentant slaughter of dogs and cats, whose skins are often deliberately mislabeled as "Asian Jackal" or "rabbit" when sold overseas. While the attention of the world is on the Olympic Games, we want to spotlight this cruel practice and invoke worldwide pressure against the Chinese fur industry.

Now more than ever, we need your help to make sure as many people as possible know about the suffering that goes into the production of every fur garment.

Consumers everywhere need to know the truth about fur. When people learn that millions of innocent animals are beaten, boiled, hanged, and electrocuted for their fur every year ... when they learn that every fur coat, lining, trim, or fur cat toy represents the intense suffering of several dozen animals? and when they learn that furriers intentionally mislabel fur as not taken from dogs and cats or as fake ... then every decent human being will want to go FUR-FREE.

Take the FUR FREE PLEDGE!

Congress Takes Horse Cruelty Head On!

For seven years now, you have helped us fight hard to protect America’s horses from the cruel and preventable practice of horse slaughter. Sadly, the few individuals profiting from this industry have spent vast sums of money to mislead some in the horse industry and US Congress. They have turned a serious animal cruelty issue into a political game. Despite all of this, support continues to grow for a ban because no false stories or fabricated tales of “unwanted horses” can derail the simple truth – horse slaughter is cruel.

As of today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and Congressman Dan Burton (R-IN) have taken up the reins of this cause and committed themselves to ending horse slaughter by sponsoring H.R. 6598, the Conyers-Burton "Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act". This bill directly addresses the cruelty of horse slaughter – a consequence of the industry that even opponents of ending horse slaughter admit exists. This legislation is not new, as the original bill introduced in 2002 to end horse slaughter included enforcement language from Title 18 of the US Criminal Code for those found guilty of breaking the law. Chairman Conyers has simply removed the unnecessary language from the earlier versions to specifically target those causing the cruelty to horses.

Every five minutes, an American horse is brutally slaughtered for human consumption in plants in Mexico and Canada. Ironically, industry lobbyists admit to Congress that the foreign horse slaughter plants are cruel, yet the companies the lobbyists represent also own and operate these very plants across the border! Despite unsubstantiated claims of “unwanted” and “abandoned” horses, these foreign-owned plants and their killer-buyers continue to buy horses from all over America at an alarming rate to meet the demand for the animals’ flesh in fancy European restaurants.

Horse slaughter is a brutal process from beginning to end. Killer-buyers have no regard for the horses’ welfare; they just need to find as many of the animals as possible in order to fill a quota. Because the horses’ final destination is slaughter, no concern is paid to their treatment when they are collected, during transport, or in the slaughterhouse. A former equine investigator for the Pennsylvania state police summed this industry up perfectly when she said, “… horses were deprived of food and water because they were going to slaughter anyway. My conclusion is that the slaughter option encourages neglect…Money is the only objective of selling horses to slaughter. Those of us in the trenches have seen enough.”

Constituents concerned about the welfare of America’s horses must use this opportunity to speak up to their Members of Congress. The slaughterhouses, their lobbyists and the few pro-horse slaughter groups will be on Capitol Hill screaming loudly because they know support for ending horse slaughter is already strong. They know that if this issue is given a fair hearing and a fair vote, horse slaughter will end immediately.

Even though this fight has gone on for years, we must never forget that until Congress acts and passes a federal ban, horses are being hauled across the United States before being sent to Canada and Mexico to be slaughtered under even worse conditions. The slaughterhouses and their supporters hope to wear down horse advocates by stalling the political process. We must send a message that we will not stop until ALL horses are protected from slaughter.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Please call, write or email your Representative today, urging him or her to support H.R. 6598, the Conyers-Burton "Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act". Chairman Conyers and Congressman Burton intend to do everything in their power to move this measure through Congress as soon as possible. Be sure to mention the facts above and those found here.

Many Members of Congress have already supported a similar measure, so this is not a new proposal; click here to see if your legislator cosponsored the original bill. If your Representative is on the Judiciary Committee, please urge him or her to attend any upcoming hearing and speak out on this important legislation as well.

To find your Representative and learn his or her stance on horse slaughter, please visit www.compassionindex.org. You can contact your legislators directly through the Compassion Index as well.

Write to:

The Honorable (name of US Representative)
US House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Please note: HR 6598, the Conyers-Burton "Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act" is NOT the same as H.R. 503/S. 311, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (AHSPA), but it will do the same thing – end horse slaughter. Many members already support the AHSPA, so garnering support should be straightforward.

Rescues/Organizations: The list of organizations and rescues supporting a ban on horse slaughter is tremendous, and we want to make sure your voice is heard on Capitol Hill, too. If you represent a rescue or organization, please take a minute to draft a letter of support for H.R. 6598, the Conyers-Burton "Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act" for us to share with the bill's sponsors and other Members of Congress. Give personal experiences, include photos and share your work with us. Opponents of horse slaughter are not working every day with horses -- you are. Please email your letters and some pictures to chris@awionline.org or fax them without a cover to (888) 260-2271. We will ensure that Congress hears your support!

No matter how you contact your legislator, please be sure to provide him or her with your name and mailing address, and as a constituent, request a response on this issue. Please also share our “Dear Humanitarian” eAlert with family, friends and co-workers, and encourage them to contact their legislators, too. As always, thank you very much for your help.

Sincerely,

Cathy Liss
President
www.awionline.org
www.compassionindex.org

Stop Plan to Kill America's Wild Horses

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is the agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior that administers America's public lands, including the animals who call this land home.

As part of its wild horse management program, the BLM has spent the past several years rounding up wild horses and keeping them in private, long-term holding facilities—which is expensive. Now, the agency wants to euthanize thousands of healthy horses, claiming it is too costly to feed and care for them.

The ASPCA encourages the BLM to explore other solutions, including but not limited to reopening additional land for the horses and increasing certain contraception programs that have already proven safe and effective.

What You Can Do

Please visit the ASPCA Advocacy Center to email a letter to your legislators in the U.S. Congress urging them to oppose the BLM’s plan to kill thousands of healthy wild horses.Thank you for taking action for America's animals.

Urge Revocation of Dickerson Park Zoo's Accreditation

With your support, PETA will pressure the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to pull its accreditation from zoos that engage in outright cruelty to animals. We recently discovered that the Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield, Mo., has sold or "donated" a giraffe, a kudu, five kangaroos, and two deer to Buddy Jordan—a notorious animal dealer who sells animals to exotic-animal auctions and breeders, unaccredited zoos, and even hunting ranches.

Babies born at the zoo should not end up as trophies on a hunter's wall. By taking action today, you can help us pressure zoos everywhere to provide a safe environment for the animals entrusted to their care. Please take a moment to do the following:

Sign the petition to the AZA and demand that it immediately yank the accreditation of the Dickerson Park Zoo for transferring animals to wildlife dealers and ranchers.

Watching A Dog Starve To Death Is Not Art!

AKC Executive Field Rep

AKC RHP Field Coordinator

Please sign and crosspost to everyone you know. Not just rescuers. Send to friends and family, too.

This is a very serious matter...

In 2007, the 'artist' Guillermo Vargas Habacuc, took a dog from the street, tied him to a rope in an art gallery, and starved him to death.

For several days, the 'artist' and the visitors of the exhibition have watched emotionless the shameful 'masterpiece' based on the dog's agony, until eventually he died.

Does it look like art to you? (there were pictures in my original email that are so horrible to see I couldn't post them - but they are people watching a dog starve to death and the dog begging for help. It's heart breaking)

But this is not all... the prestigious Visual Arts Biennial of the Central American decided that the 'installation' was actually art, so that Guillermo Vargas Habacuc has been invited to repeat his cruel action for the biennial of 2008.

PLEASE HELP STOP HIM.

http://www.petitiononline.com/ea6gk/petition.html


Please read to the end of this....He has been INVITED to do this again THIS year.

Note: He paid five local children to help him catch the terrified stray dog...in the impoverished area. The dog had no way to escape capture or his fate once he was in the hands of this cruel maniac.

But this is not all... the prestigious Visual Arts Biennial of the Central American decided that the 'installation' was actually art, so that Guillermo Vargas Habacuc has been invited to repeat his cruel action for the biennial of 2008.

PLEASE HELP STOP HIM.

http://www.petitiononline.com/ea6gk/petition.html


Besides signing the petition, please also write or e-mail the gallery that will host the 2008 exhibition to ask them to prohibit him. We can also write to other galleries that carry his other works and ask them to boycott him. Here's some addresses:

(1) EXHIBITION IS TAKING PLACE AT:

info@madc.ac.cr

Centro Nacional de la Cultura
Antigua Fábrica Nacional de Licores.
Avenida 3, calle 15/17. San José, Costa Rica.
Teléfono: (506) 257 7202 / 257 9370
Fax: (506) 257 8702


(2) ANOTHER GALLERY SHOWING HIS WORK:
This is the email address to a gallery which currently holds some of
Vargas' work for display and sale. If anyone would like to ask the gallery to
drop him from their list of artists the email address is below.
Email address: info@jacobkarpio-galeria.com

ALSO: The Animal Legal Defense Fund. suggests:

At this point, we feel the most effective method of protest is to write local animal protection agencies demanding they put a stop to this exhibit. You can search for agencies here in the Latin America/Caribbean section http://worldanimalnet.org/new.asp?co=&geo=SA&prov=&cat=are .

Stop China From Skinning Cats & Dogs Alive!

China has emerged as one of the world’s most powerful economies but is still mistrusted and feared (as distinct from respected) because since emerging from behind the bamboo curtain, it’s government has done little to dispel its autocratic image and apparent disregard for human rights. Quite apart from human rights, decent people everywhere could never accept a society so depraved and bereft of common decency as to accept the skinning of live animals as acceptable behaviour.

It’s burgeoning economy has resulted from flooding the world with cheap consumer products produced by a cheap unregulated work force. A fact that is understandable, having regard to its enormous population and fantastic work ethic.

In turn, China has developed an insatiable appetite for raw product from other countries and governments keen to export to China are reluctant to criticise or offend the Chinese government.

Given this background, will your government impose economic sanctions against China or openly criticise the Chinese government or demand that it puts a stop to the Chinese cat and dog fur trade? Most unlikely. However, there will surely be individuals within governments, so incensed and horrified by the trade that they will support Our Cause.

The Chinese government is well aware of the economic power play behind the scenes. It also knows it has a long way to go earn acceptance from the free world.
And make no mistake, China absolutely craves acceptance as a world leader that is trusted and respected and there are emerging signs that it is prepared to adopt more acceptable and responsible policies to earn that acceptance.

It knows that if it behaves or permits behaviour that is abhorrent to people of the democratic world, it will not earn the trust or respect it craves. Its our duty to show China that it can take a single , but highly significant step towards overcoming the prejudice of the millions of free-thinking decent people, if it recognises animal rights and, in particular, abolishes the abhorrent trade in cat and dog fur.

Cat and dog pelts sell for about US$1 each and every year, 2,000,000 cats and dogs suffer a horrific death, skinned alive for the pelts.

For what?

1. An insignificant contribution towards the Chinese economy - a few million US$; and

2. A clear message to the world that so long as the Chinese government permits the trade, China is not fit to take its place as a leading nation and certainly not one that is entitled to any trust or respect.

The “adverse fallout” and abhorrence for the Chinese government resulting from the trade will far exceeds the paltry contribution it makes towards China’s economy. It is in China’s interest, to abolish the trade.

It’s our duty to tell the world about the trade and kick up such a stink that our message reverberates around the world.

Remember Tianamen Square. Let’s make this another Tianamen Square – this time, for the animals.

Please sign the Online Petition. It’s the First Step in Our Fight!”

http://animalsaviors.org/petition.html

Please help! First baby seal killed this morning

Dear Friend,

Just before dawn this morning, the annual hunt for baby seals began in Canada.

Over the next few weeks, 275,000 harp seals will be brutally clubbed or shot for their fur. Incredibly, though, many people believe that Canada ended this hunt in the 1980s. But it's still happening, right now. That's why the sealers don't want us here -- with our cameras rolling.

For four years, The Humane Society of the United States' ProtectSeals team has stood its ground as Canada's extraordinary harp seal nurseries are transformed each spring into bloody killing fields. The sealers have rammed our cars, smashed our boats, and brandished the very same clubs that they use to kill baby seals -- all in a vain attempt to intimidate us.

Then yesterday, Canada’s government took an unprecedented step: It refused to issue hunt observation permits to our team -- and to journalists -- in time for us to document the slaughter this morning. This means that sealers, if they have reached the seals by now, are killing baby seals without witnesses. Which is exactly what they want.

Watch our video to see what we're up against. It's hard to watch (and you can skip it if you prefer). But it shows why we'll remain here, steadfast, until Canada ends this barbaric hunt for good. Exposing the hunt is the surest way I know to stop it forever.

As another year's slaughter begins, watch our video now -- and then please make a donation to sustain our team on the ice and end this hunt once and for all.

The seal hunters don't want us here, but with your support, we'll continue the fight until the cruel hunt ends.

Sincerely,
Rebecca Aldworth
Director of Canadian Wildlife Issues
The Humane Society of the United States

Yellowstone Buffalo Headed to Slaughterhouse. Save Them Now.

Yellowstone's wild, free-roaming buffalo herd is under siege.

The Bush Administration is turning America's greatest national park into a killing ground for hundreds of mighty bison -- better known as American buffalo.

We must speak out against this cold-blooded cruelty NOW -- because every week, more of these noble creatures are being herded into cattle trucks to be slaughtered.

This winter alone, more than 1,000 wild bison have been brutally killed by the National Park Service and the Montana Department of Livestock -- or shipped to slaughterhouses.

And come May, newborn calves are just as likely to be killed as their mothers.

We cannot stand by and let this massacre continue: Send a protest message now.

Right now, it's still winter in Yellowstone, and these unsuspecting buffalo are following historic migratory routes in search of food at lower elevations where there is less snow.

When the buffalo venture near or beyond the park's boundary, they will continue to be rounded up and killed -- unless we start a national outcry.

What makes this sacrifice so senseless is that it's all to protect 12 to 16 domestic cows and steers that graze near the park from the theoretical risk of a disease -- brucellosis -- that has never been transmitted from bison to cattle in a natural setting.

Yes, you read those numbers right: 1,000 wild bison slaughtered to protect a little more than a dozen cows outside the park that have most likely been vaccinated against the disease, or easily could be.

Please speak out and stop the slaughter. Yellowstone's buffalo are a national treasure: America's last, free-roaming herd. The National Park Service should be their guardian, not their executioner.

Our goal this week is to create a virtual "stampede" of 50,000 protest messages that will convince the National Park Service to call a halt to the killing.

Together, we must speak out to spare the lives of Yellowstone's surviving buffalo so that they can again roam wild and free.

Sincerely,

Frances Beinecke
President
NRDC Action Fund

Pigs Scalped in the Name of Medicical Education - There is a Better Way!

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD is one of the last schools to use live animals for surgical training.

Tell the Dean of Johns Hopkins to stop teaching cruelty to animals and start teaching compassionate medicine!

One of their heartless practices involves anesthetizing pigs and cutting into their bodies with scalpels while they are still alive.

When the class is over, the poor creatures are killed and their bodies end up in waste disposal bags.

It’s time for every single medical school to stop inflicting pain and suffering on defenseless animals and start using human-focused or computer simulated teaching alternatives!

Last year the American Medical Student Association passed a resolution encouraging non-animal alternatives in medical education. Already, more than 90 percent of schools have eliminated live animal labs from their curricula altogether. Urge Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine to follow suit >>

Thank you for doing what's right for every living creature.

Run This Ad, Save Wolves from Slaughter

The Bush Administration has just handed down its long-awaited "License to Kill" rule. It's the equivalent of a death sentence for hundreds of endangered gray wolves in Greater Yellowstone and across the Northern Rockies.

We can still force the White House to call off the guns -- before any shots are fired -- but we must move quickly.

All we need is your help.

We've produced a powerful ad that is ready to run and spark nationwide opposition. But we must raise $150,000 to place it in the national edition of The New York Times, where it will alert both the public and Congress in time to stop the slaughter.

You can make it happen. If just 6,000 supporters like you donate $25 each, we can make sure this ad sounds the alarm within the next few critical days.

Click here to read the full text of the ad -- and help us run it.

Millions of Americans have no idea that the Bush Administration is planning to spend our tax dollars to slaughter hundreds of wolves -- while they are still protected under the Endangered Species Act!

But with your help, millions of Americans will know within a matter of days.

And thousands of them will go online and urge their members of Congress to unite in opposition to this outrageous attack on an endangered species.

At the very same time, our partner organization -- the Natural Resources Defense Council – will be challenging the Bush Administration's cold-blooded plan in federal court.

Together, we can block the slaughter -- before it starts -- but only if we act swiftly.

Planes and helicopters, capable of killing entire packs of wolves in seconds, are waiting for the Open Fire order that could come at any time.

So please, read the full ad right now and make an emergency online contribution.

Help us give America's wolves a fighting chance.

Thank you.

County Shelter Locked Up and Animals Left for Dead

Camden, Tennessee police and the Benton County sheriff have shut down the Benton County Animal Shelter. On Friday, January 11, 2008 several rescues and volunteers along with authorities entered the facility. The police and sheriff's deputies were forced to break a lock to get inside.

And, once inside, they say at least 12 animals were found dead. The remaining 60 animals were suffering from illness and starvation, some barely breathing. One dog was found near death with her litter of dead, decaying puppies lying next to her in a cage that also contained other dogs. The dog was described by Shannon Dykstra of West Tennessee Animal Rescue, Inc., as "severely emaciated, lethargic and severely anemic". The dog, named Miracle Myrtle, was rushed to a hospital.

The animals were found without food and water. The cats were being held in cages that were too small.

Law enforcement authorities declared the facility a crime scene. About 25 puppies were euthanized because of parvo. Click here to watch a video filmed by a local TV station of the conditions found in the shelter. Click here for another video of this ghastly scene.

The rescue groups and volunteers spent hours cleaning the shelter and began efforts to provide care and placement for the remaining animals. Several animals have been placed in boarding kennels for now. West Tennessee Animal Rescue is caring for several of the dogs.

Apparently, the shelter's one full time employee, Jackie Boyett, had simply locked the shelter and left. Boyett is already facing trial on January 23 on drug charges. Boyett was also found this week to have one of the shelter's pit bulls at home where the dog was being used in a stud service. As of Friday, though, it was not clear Boyett had even been fired.

Camden police plan to meet with the Benton County District Attorney General, Hansel McCadams, to request a full investigation. They expect charges to be filed.

What You Can Do

If you can help with the animals, please contact Shannon Dykstra at wtar@bellsouth.net or info@WestTnAnimalCoalition.org or call at (901) 541-5090

Also, write or call District Attorney General McCadams and urge prosecution in this case.

District Attorney General Hansel McCadams

P.O. Box 686
100 Court Square
Huntingdon, TN 38344
Phone: (731) 986-5031
Fax: (731) 986-5208


Miracle Myrtle

Oh, and Miracle Myrtle was found to have a severe infection and underwent surgery. So far, she is holding on....

The dogs pictured here are available for adoption from West Tennessee Animal Rescue, www.petfinder.com/shelters/VT31.html

http://www.animallawcoalition.com/public-shelters/article-342

Shelter or Prison?

For more than a decade, PETA has routinely fielded serious complaints from volunteers, employees, and visitors alleging cruelty and terrible neglect at All Creatures Great and Small (ACGS)—a "no-kill" shelter in Hendersonville, North Carolina.

Illness runs rampant among the estimated 400 dogs and 300 cats who are warehoused in an inadequate facility at ACGS. Animals sustain injuries daily—the majority of which are ignored, no matter how severe and painful they are.

PETA's undercover investigation—spanning seven months—revealed blatant, ongoing violations of state animal protection laws, state and local health and environmental laws, state laws applicable to the solicitation of charitable contributions, and state laws applicable to the administration of state payroll and income taxes. In April 2007, representatives of PETA and the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) met with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture (NCDA) and presented extensive documentation of systemic animal abuse and neglect at ACGS.

Undercover Investigation »