I figure I would start a thread on the victories of people doing what needs to be done.
Some may believe what can be done well some are working on the solutions.
Here is one to start with.
http://www.e-activist.com/ea-campaign/action.handleViewInBrowser.do?ea.campaigner.email=PHLCybQYFB04o4jOavvv3trfETNni0nM&broadcastId=8152&templateId=5227
Replies
ringling bros to phase out elephant acts by 2018. better to phase out ringling bros right now!
Ringling: 3 Years Too Many, Free Elephants Now!
you can sign the petition at the above link.
in friendship,
prad
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here's an article kel sent me by peter singer:
Progress for elephants, and for the animal rights movement
in friendship,
prad
====
Progress for elephants, and for the animal rights movement
In a significant victory for the animal rights movement, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus announced yesterday that it will phase out the use of elephants in its circuses by 2018.
For many years, Ringling has been targeted by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. On PETA’s website, you can see undercover video of a sharp metal-tipped bullhook being sunk into sensitive parts of the elephants’ body. A head trainer tells circus workers hit them hard to “make ‘em scream!” Particularly heart-breaking is the footage of baby elephants, removed from their mothers and then tied, chained and abused, so as to break their spirit, to make it possible to train them to perform unnatural and grotesque circus tricks.
RELATED: Ringling Bros. ending elephant acts over animal treatment concerns
When not performing or being trained, circus elephants – their bodies evolved for walking long distances through the jungle or across the plains – are chained in boxcars or arena basements. Over the decades they develop painful arthritis.
There are many ways of entertaining our children. We don’t need to choose one that involves abusing animals. We can congratulate Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus on their decision, and hope all other circuses using elephants will soon follow their example. Nevertheless, three more years is too long. Why can’t the elephants go to a sanctuary right now?
It’s true that this victory for animals is only going to affect a handful of them. It matters, though, not only for the elephants, but because it shows that the animal rights movement is getting through to people. Alana Feld, the circus company’s executive vice-president, has said, “There’s been something of a mood shift among our consumers. A lot of people aren’t comfortable with us touring with our elephants.”
It’s now 40 years since I wrote “Animal Liberation.” People often ask me if the animal rights movement has made progress in that time, but it’s only people who were not around in 1975 who ask that question, because in 1975 there was no animal rights movement. The difference in attitudes is enormous. Practical change that improves the lives of animals has been much harder to achieve, but it is happening too.
Most remarkable is the way in which the movement has challenged the huge agribusiness industry, forcing producers of meat and eggs across the entire European Union – all 28 member nations, from the United Kingdom to Greece, from Portugal to Poland – to give hundreds of millions of hens and pigs and veal calves more space and conditions better suited to their needs. And on Jan. 1 this year, it became illegal in California to keep pigs or calves in crates too narrow for them even to turn around, or to raise laying hens crammed into wire cages too small for them to stretch even one wing. That reform is another sign of changing attitudes, following on the heels of an overwhelming victory for animal advocates in a state-wide referendum in 2008.
The California standards are not enough to give farm animals a good life, but they are a marked improvement on what is still happening in other states. Now the most urgent need is to bring the entire nation up to those standards.
RELATED: Gov. Christie vetoes pig gestation crate ban
Something else remarkable happened in 2008. For the whole of the twentieth century, the U.S. had the reputation of being a nation of meat eaters. Consumption of meat just kept going up and up, with just one or two small blips for events like the great depression of the 1930s. Beef consumption peaked in the mid-1970s, but a sharp increase in the amount of chicken eaten more than made up for that drop. Then in 2008, total meat consumption, including poultry, fell, and it has fallen again every year since.
No one quite knows why. Yes, there are more vegetarians and vegans than ever before – if you used the term “vegan” in the 1970s, you got a blank look and had to explain what the word meant. But probably what is making a bigger difference is the “Meatless Monday” movement, with school districts, major caterers, and other food service outlets serving alternatives to meat, and tens of millions of Americans eating something other than meat on at least one day per week.
Whatever the cause, the change is good for animals, good for the environment, and good for our health. I believe, too, that once people see that they don’t have to eat animals, attitudes to all forms of animal abuse will change even more rapidly.
Peter Singer is professor of bioethics at Princeton University, and the author of “Animal Liberation.” His next book, “The Most Good You Can Do,” will be published on April 7.
Thanks Prad, signed petition in 30 seconds flat! :)
Signed petition. Abusers always need a phase out period of time as with the gestation crates and battery cages. Would like to see every elephant retired to a sanctuary.
Jerry and I did a circus protest Saturday; we had a large attendance. I promised Lota, our Milwaukee zoo elephant who has become the poster pachyderm of abuse that until all circuses and zoos are abolished I would protest in her name.
She was stolen from her mother at the age of 2 and held in chains 22 hours a day at our zoo where she was beaten daily. After 35 years they sold her to a monster named Cuneo, who beat and broke her to perform in circuses. She contracted TB, lost 5,000 pounds and was chained in a windowless garage for more years and finally was rescued by TES where she died 2 and a half months later knowing freedom, her favorite food and love.
Lota.jpg
from peta:
VICTORY! Animal Experimenter Resigns in SHAME
text copied below.
in friendship,
prad
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A whistleblower at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) introduced PETA to these monkeys:
They were left under heat lamps and heat pads for hours, completely forgotten by negligent staff and later found with third-degree burns. Their burns were so bad that their skin had peeled off and muscle was slipping off their bones.
Not only that, but while investigating this cruelty, PETA was able to snag proof that Charles Rupprecht, then-chief of the CDC's rabies program, injected monkeys with a dangerous strain of rabies without protecting his staff from the disease.
The good news? Charles Rupprecht has been banned from all CDC animal laboratories and, because of PETA's investigation, was forced to resign from his associate dean position at Ross University!
The animal abusers may run, but because of rock stars like YOU, they cannot hide. And PETA means business. The CDC's negligence has been exposed to the world, and now we're looking at you, National Institutes of Health.
Let's make sure that no more monkeys ever suffer again. Tell the National Institutes of Health to STOP psychologically traumatizing baby monkeys now.
Take action to save baby monkeys!
http://www2.peta.org/site/R?i=DqzIGxkjcZbtsfZiQIuz2w
Danielli Marzouca
Youth Campaigns Project Coordinator
DanielliM@peta2.com
from www.aran.ie about another city banning circus animal acts.
in friendship,
prad
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Dear Members, Supporters;
We are delighted to report that the latest city to say a resounding NO! to
circuses that exploit animals by using public land is now Galway!
That¹s right; this vibrant, bohemian city has now stepped into line by
voting unanimously to support Councilor Pearse Flannery¹s motion which was
introduced yesterday evening at Galway City Council offices. Outside the
offices, ARAN¹s giant, chained ³elephant² greeted arriving councilors, as it
did the press photographers, radio stations and reporters, who were all
looking to get a piece of the action. Newspapers such as Galway Independent,
Connacht Tribune
<http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fconnachttribune.ie%2Fa...
ghts-group-to-lobby-councillors-at-city-meeting%2F&h=qAQEqkJTU> , Galway
Advertiser, Sentinel, Galway Bay FM and Radio Na Life also covered the
campaign. We are expecting all newspapers in the city to cover the story
this week.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
Galway now joins South Dublin Council, Drogheda, Arklow, Wicklow Town,
Waterford, Monaghan, Clonakilty, Cork City and County and Fingal councils,
who have all overwhelmingly passed these motions. It means that any circus
using animals, whether wild or domesticated, will not be allowed to do so on
public land. However, this does not prevent a circus from using private
land. But every town and city that signs up to the Stop Circus Suffering in
Ireland¹ campaign moves us closer to our goal of national legislation to ban
all animals in Irish circuses, in favour of a modern and humane circus
industry which instead uses incredible acrobats, artists and performers
truly modern day entertainment and not a freak show relic from the Victorian
times.
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THE ANIMALS IF CIRCUSES WERE BANNED FROM KEEPING THEM?
ARAN and our highly experienced campaign partners at Animal Defenders
International (ADI) have pledged to work with the Irish circus industry to
help get their animals retired to responsible and caring sanctuaries where
these poor creatures can live out the rest of their lives in peace. That is
if the circus will surrender the animals, instead of selling them on to
other European circuses or who knows what beyond.
THANK YOU!
ARAN wishes to thank Galway member Alison Herbert. She has been campaigning
Galway Councillors for many years now to introduce this motion - and this
time she got a successful response. We also would like to thank Laura Potter
for helping to lobby Galway City councilors over the last year. Moreover, we
want to express our appreciation for Robin Oree, who was our lovely
³elephant² yesterday, and our brilliant photographer, Martina Regan.
We also need to thank our growing army of members and supporters who sent in
emails and made phone calls to councilors. Also, thanks must go to our
campaign partners at Animal Defenders International (ADI) for their support
of the campaign. Thanks also to Galway SPCA and ISPCA, who wrote to the
councilors concerned. Thank you also to longtime ARAN celebrity supporter,
Sharon Shannon, for helping to contact councilors whilst enroute to the USA
to perform. And many more. (image of yesterday included underneath).
WHAT YOU CAN DO?
Please do not go off and try and get your own circus motion introduced, for
it is doomed to failure. Instead, please contact ARAN first if you are
interested in getting a local councilor to back the campaign. Send an email
to arancampaigns@eircom.net <mailto:arancampaigns@eircom.net>
ARAN is indebted to our supporters and especially to our generous and decent
donors, who make all these important victories possible. We can do nothing
without the financial support of caring people. Our extremely efficient and
strict use of donations ensures that everything we touch gets results in
some way or another. So please consider making a donation to ARAN to help us
to continue to try to prevent and expose this cruelty. Log on to www.ARAN.ie
and click donate now¹. Especially if you¹ve yet to send ARAN a gift.
Thank you for your compassion!
ARAN
Fighting animal abuse across Ireland¹
news for mercyforanimals.ca about phasing out of veal crates in ontario.
in friendship,
prad
====
MFA Canada Investigation Forces Phase-out of Veal Crates
I am certain that you all remember our heartbreaking investigation into one of the largest veal farms in North America, Délimax Veal, which aired on W5 in April of this year.
Since sharing with each of you what really goes on behind the closed doors of these veal farms, Mercy For Animals Canada has been working tirelessly to ensure that the feces-covered wooden boxes that these baby calves are housed in are banned.
I am very pleased to share with you that the Ontario Veal Association has just publicly announced that it is recommending the phase-out of inherently cruel veal crates by 2018. A huge success!
As a result of our investigation, which exposed the egregious acts of cruelty considered standard practice by the veal industry, the Quebec Veal Association banned veal crates, and major retailers Loblaws, Sobeys, and Metro also agreed to a ban. Such a ban was already in effect at Costco. This means that 97 percent of the veal produced in Canada will now be crate-free.
But what continues to befuddle us is that the Retail Council of Canada (RCC) still refuses to support a ban of this horrible practice, even though its involvement is critical to holding producers and retailers to their commitment in the long run. The RCC's directors have been dragging their feet on this critical issue -- they are letting consumers down! Don't let them sit idle on what should have been done months ago.
Please sign our petition, and then write to the RCC to send a loud and clear message that the Canadian public will not tolerate this abuse!
Krista Osborne
Executive Director
Mercy For Animals Canada
Thank you Prad, I sent RCC an e-mail and signed the petition!
not yet a victory, but may be a good start:
Animals to get sentient status in Quebec
(from sarah of www.cfawr.org)
in friendship,
prad
from www.care2.com
China Ends Mandatory Animal Testing for Cosmetics
you can help the usa to catch up by signing this petition.
in friendship,
prad
====
Animal advocates are celebrating another victory for animals in labs following the announcement that as of this week, China will no longer require animal testing for some types of cosmetics products manufactured in the country.
As of Monday, the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) stopped requiring tests for ordinary cosmetics, including make-up, skin, hair and nail care products and fragrances that are produced in the country and will instead allow manufacturers to choose available alternatives to conduct risk assessments.
“This is an important first step for China in moving away from cruel and unreliable animal testing for cosmetics. Our Be Cruelty-Free campaign has worked hard to achieve this milestone, but we know much work remains before we eliminate all cosmetics animal testing in China, so we are not resting on our laurels. In making this rule change, China is acknowledging the global trend towards cruelty-free cosmetics, and that’s hugely significant,” Peter Li, PhD, Humane Society International’s China policy adviser, said in a statement.
HSI estimates that as many as 300,000 rabbits, guinea-pigs, mice and other animals are used to test cosmetics in the country annually and that if every eligible company that can chooses to take advantage of this change in policy an estimated 10,000 animals could be spared from cruel and unnecessary tests every year.
China’s mandatory testing requirement hasn’t just caused unnecessary suffering for animals, but has shut companies that refuse to test on animals out of the market. It has also caused problems for companies that claim they don’t test on animals, but still sell in China, including Avon, Mary Kay and Estée Lauder, which has also led to confusion and anger for consumers who want to buy cruelty-free products and were led to believe they were.
While the new rule doesn’t apply to imported cosmetics or other types of personal care items, such as hair dye, deodorant and sun screen, animal advocates are hoping that this change represents a growing shift away from using animals and that it will be the first of more victories to come on the road to a cruelty-free world.
This weekend, HSI and more than 20 Chinese animal advocacy organizations welcomed the news in a letter to the CFDA and are now urging the agency to go further to stop animal testing in China.
While we celebrate China’s regulatory change, we also hope very much that China will go further and next apply the removal of mandatory animal testing to foreign-imported cosmetics too, as well as replace post-market animal testing with in vitro-based safety tests. In doing so, China would establish itself as a major cruelty-free cosmetics producer and market, with cruelty-free brands from around the world bringing their beauty products to Chinese consumers, and Chinese cruelty-free products expanding to international markets. It would also see China well placed to take a leading role in the manufacture and development of high-tech non-animal research tools.
Meanwhile, animal advocates are continuing to push for more countries to ban the practice. While the European Union and a few other countries, including Israel and India, have bans in place many others still allow it, including the U.S.
Now there’s hope that the U.S. could join others that have stopped the practice. In March, the Humane Cosmetics Act was introduced, which if passed would make it illegal to conduct or commission animal testing for cosmetics after a phase in period. With the availability of data on thousands of ingredients we already know are safe and the growing demand for cruelty-free products there’s no reason not to stop the practice here.
Please help the U.S. catch up to other countries that already have, or are working towards, banning animal testing cosmetics by signing and sharing the petition urging your rep to support and co-sponsor this historic piece of legislation.
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