SKIN TRADE .Red Carpet Premiere at Paramount Pictures Studios on Feb 25th.

****FEB 25th- HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA--RED CARPET PREMIERE OF SKINTRADE
WITH THE BEAUTIFUL DIRECTOR & FRIEND SHANNON KEITH WITH SKIN TRADE
-PLEASE CHECK OUT THE MOVIE TRAILER AND I'LL BE SURE TO KEEP YOU UP TO
DATE AS IT MAKES ITS WAY WORLDWIDE.!****


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I can look u in peace : i don't eat u any more.

Ady Gil crew member tells of moment Japanese shaling ship rammed his vessel

This photo provided by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society shows the sheared off bow of the Ady Gil being inspected by crew member Laurens De Groot. Source: The Daily Telegraph

A CREWMAN aboard the anti-whaling ship rammed by a Japanese whaling vessel said it was "like looking death in the eye."

Laurens de Groot, 29, was standing on top of the Ady Gil when the collision happened in the Southern Ocean off coast of Antarctica yesterday afternoon.

"It was the most terrifying moment of my life – when you look up and there's the bow of a thousand-tonne steel ship hanging above you, about to split you in two. You're looking death straight in the eye.

"I was standing on the roof of our vessel. Thank God I could just jump out of the way as soon as the bow hit us.

"I fell on the aft deck of our ship and almost rolled off.

"They kept hosing us down with their water hoses as they rammed us. They were running us down and still hosing us."

Mr de Groot said the protest vessel was drifting at the time of crash, had the right of way and the Japanese ship was at fault.

"We decided to drift and let the Bob Barker pass by as well as the harpoon ships which were following the Bob Barker.

"I thought it was going to pass us by but it turned on its LRAD, long range accoustical device, it turned on its water hoses and we thought what's it going to do are they going to come past and try to intimidate us while we're just drifting here.

"We were letting them pass by and all of a sudden the ship just turned into us and t-boned us and cut our ship in two.

"Pete Bethune, our captain, immediately called out a mayday and the Bob Barker launched their boats and were able to save us. We grabbed our passports and by then the small boats had arrived."

He denied the protest vessel had manoeuvred into the path of the whaling ship.

"That sounds insane to me. We're here because we respect the sanctity of life, we respect life, we're not going to put our lives in front of a thousand tonne vessel with an 18 tonne carbon fibre ship.

"It is so clear. The footage shows it. We were drifting. We were not steering our vessel.

"We were not engaging the whaling fleet at the point that it happened. Those pictures you can see us on the roof of our ship waving at the Bob Barker.

"This ship, we've been hassling it, they might have been so pissed off that they thought 'let's intimidate these guys before they head off'. So they tried to pass us and the captain made a complete miscalculation and ran us over.

"Even if you look from a technical point of view, we have right of way."

The aft section of the Ady Gil is still afloat, Mr de Groot says the crew hope to tow it to the nearby French base at Dumont d'Urville before returning it to Hobart for salvage.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government will investigate the clash between a Japanese whaling boat and a Sea Shepherd vessel, as well as allegations that Australian planes have been used to abet the whalers.

Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) had been directed to investigate the incident, adding she was amazed no one was killed in the clash.

"We are strenuously opposed to whaling and strenuously opposed to violence at sea,'' Ms Gillard told reporters in Adelaide.

"We believe in the right to protest, but we believe in the right to peaceful protest.

"Having seen the video (of the collision) it concerns me deeply ... lives are at risk. In fact, it seems miraculous ... that lives were not lost during this incident.

"I have instructed the Australian Maritime Safety Authority to commence its own investigation.''

The results of the investigation will be made public, she said, calling for calm until all the facts are revealed.

The Australian government would not be sending a boat to monitor activities in the Southern Ocean, but it would continue to take advice on the situation as it unfolds, she said.

Ms Gillard said the Australian customs boat Oceanic Viking was sent to the region two years ago to observe and "it did not influence behaviour''.

Opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt earlier today called for the Australian government immediately to send a non-military observation ship to the Southern Ocean.

The government has not ruled out taking international court action against whaling.

Before winning the last federal election, Labor promised to take international legal action to stop Japanese whaling.

No legal action has been taken, but Ms Gillard said the government continued to put its position to the Japanese government in a proper and legal way.

"If ultimately, the matter about whaling cannot be resolved diplomatically, then we reserve our rights to initiate international legal action,'' she said.

"This matter will not be resolved through violence at sea. It will ultimately be resolved through diplomacy or through the courts.''

Meanwhile, Ms Gillard said the government was investigating the alleged use of Australian aircraft to help commercial whaling operations by spotting anti-whaling activists' boats at sea.

Light planes went out from Western Australia and Tasmania to locate Sea Shepherd protest vessels on the high seas.

"If any action has taken place that is contrary to international law, then prosecutions will be taken and breaches will meet the full force of Australian law,'' Ms Gillard said.

ADY GIL - Three Camera Angles = One Decision

Thanksgiving: Disgrace for Turkeys

'Grace': PETA's Thanksgiving ad
Thanksgiving can be the scariest time of year if you're a turkey. More than 45 million of these fascinating birds are killed to disgrace Thanksgiving tables each year.

In hopes of empowering kids everywhere to speak out as their families adorn their Thanksgiving tables with dead birds, PETA offers its Thanskgiving ad, 'Grace.' In the ad, you hear from one straightforward little girl as she tells it exactly like it is for turkeys who are killed for holiday meals when asked to say grace around her family's dinner table.

Despite the fact that it contains nothing graphic, NBC has rejected the ad, which was submitted to air during the iconic Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
When not forced to live on filthy factory farms, turkeys spend their days caring for their young, building nests, foraging for food, taking dust baths, preening themselves, and roosting high in trees.

Regarded by many as little more than a holiday centerpiece, turkeys are as varied in personality as dogs and cats. They relish having their feathers stroked and like to chirp, cluck, and gobble along to their favorite tunes. This year, give turkeys something to be thankful for—pledge to go vegan and leave them off your plate.

Petition:Stop The Fur Trade Industry In Greece.

Dear esteemed members of the great and honorable Hellenic Parliament. We request that you do not spend any money supporting the cruel and barbaric fur industry. In today's economic crises it is the height of irresponsibility to spend a million Euros of the taxpayers hard earned wages propping up the fur industry. We demand that you put people and animals before the profits of an industry with blood on its hands.If you spend money on the fur industry the taxpayers will vote you out of office during the next elections. In addition should you decide to go against the will of the people and give even one Euro to the fur industry we will initiate a worldwide boycott of Greek products. At a minimum you will lose tens of millions of Euros in foreign trade should you decide to support the bloody fur trade. Spend the million Euros instead on people who are truly in need of assistance. Do not support an industry which is literally dying. Greece is the foundation of western civilization. Show that you are indeed civilized and compassionate by supporting people and animals over the barbaric merchants of death.
Sincerely, Voice 4 Asian Animals.Daphne Dimtriadi

Sign here:http://www.thepetitionsite.com/7/stop-the-fur-trade-industry-in-greece

Fur Is Dead : Compassion Is My Fashion - NO FUR .Daphne D.

Help End Animal Cruelty: Urge Dunkin' Donuts to Stop Using Eggs & Dairy!

Help End Animal Cruelty: Urge Dunkin' Donuts to Stop Using Eggs & Dairy!

Compassion Over Killing is asking you to contact Dunkin' Donuts to urge the company to stop using eggs and dairy in its donuts as well as offer vegan menu items.

Dunkin' Donuts is the world's largest coffee and baked goods chain serving more than 3 million customers daily. There are an estimated 6,400 stores in the U.S. alone, offering more than 52 varieties of donuts--and every single donut served contains both egg and dairy products from animals forced to endure miserable conditions on today's massive and mechanized factory farms.

8/3/09 UPDATE: Dunkin' Customer Relations Responds (click here)

8/4/09 NEWS: Boston Herald "Group has beef with Dunkin Donuts' eggs, dairy"

Contact Dunkin' Donuts Today!

---

After successfully working with Morningstar Farms, Lightlife Foods, and BOCA to begin removing eggs from their products and add vegan options, Compassion Over Killing reached out to Dunkin' Donuts about this important issue. The company has not yet replied. That's why we're asking you to contact Dunkin' Donuts.

• Email Dunkin Donuts now!
  
• Call the Company: 800-859-5339
• Send a Letter to the CEO: Dunkin Brands, Attn: Nigel Travis, 130 Royall St., Canton, MA 02021

Please share your concerns, letting the company know you want it to stop using eggs and dairy in its donuts and offer vegan menu items to meet the growing demand for healthier and more humane foods.

Dunkin' Responds: Customer Relations Reply Misses Mark

---

If you've written to Dunkin' Donuts asking the company to stop using eggs & dairy in its donuts, you may have received this standard reply:

"We are currently considering the use of cage-free eggs in our products, exploring quantity of available eggs, feasibility and health issues, among other things. Dunkin' Brands is committed to actively exploring all animal-friendly alternatives. We have established guidelines that meet or exceed industry standards to ensure the proper treatment of laying hens used for egg production. We purchase eggs from suppliers that support our corporate guidelines related to animal welfare and meet or exceed the United Egg Producers (UEP) guidelines. Thank you and have a great day."

Of course, it's encouraging that the company is "committed to actively exploring all animal-friendly alternatives," but we're not asking for cage-free eggs, nor are the United Egg Producers (UEP) battery cage guidelines any assurance at all. Why would Dunkin' Donuts tout that it sources its eggs from factory farms that follow the UEP guidelines? Learn more and see photos from inside UEP certified farms.

That's why it's so urgently important to continue contacting the company with your request for vegan menu items and to continue asking your friends and family to do the same.

July 14, 2009-The World Will Speak Up For The Dogs And Cats Of Korea

July 14, 2009
The World Will Speak Up For The Dogs And Cats Of Korea

The International Day of Action for Dogs and Cats in Korea is July 14. In Defense of Animals (IDA) will again be co-sponsoring this worldwide event to stop the terrible suffering these animals endure.
Demos and other events are scheduled in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Seattle, New York, Asheville, North Carolina, Ireland, Peru, Bolivia, and South Korea. If you can help organize an event in your city or town, please contact Hope, IDA's Grassroots Field Organizer, at hope@idausa.org or 415-448-0048 x. 211.

Click here or scroll down for information about any of the currently scheduled events.
And click here for more information about dogs and cats in Korea.

Background: IDA continues to work with the South Korean animal protection organization Coexistence for Animal Rights on Earth (CARE) to end the brutal slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption. Forced to live in tiny, filthy cages and killed in unimaginably cruel ways, they deserve a voice.
Two million South Korean dogs are electrocuted, strangled, or bludgeoned to death each year. They are killed in the cruelest ways imaginable, because some Koreans believe the adrenaline that rushes through the animal's system pre-slaughter will improve virility in the consumer.
Eyewitnesses have reported dogs being torn apart while still alive, their tormentors saying that the more prolonged the torment of death, the better the taste. This attitude toward any living being is deplorable.
Building coalitions around the world, IDA is creating the network needed to put pressure on the government of the Republic of Korea to end this tragic practice.
(Important note - all references herein to "Korea" are to the Republic of Korea, or South Korea. The problems for dogs and cats are probably at least as bad in North Korea, but we do not have activists in North Korea with whom to partner. If you have information concerning activists in North Korea working to improve the lives of animals, please let us know.)

On July 14, IDA intends to have activists posted at the Korean Embassy in Washington D.C. and as many Korean Consulates and Embassies around the world as possible. There are Korean Consulates in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, Atlanta, Houston, Honolulu, and Newton, Massachusetts. If you would like to help coordinate a demonstration in any of these cities, or wherever you live, please contact Hope@idausa.org or (415) 448-0048 ex. 211. We will provide you with all the materials you need such as posters and brochures to have a successful and effective protest.
If you have already planned an event, please register your event here so you can connect with other activists in your area.
For more information about the plight of dogs and cats in the Republic of Korea, scroll to the bottom of this message, and visit our website.

Demonstrations already scheduled for July 14:

Korean Embassy in New York460 Park Ave. (at 57th St.) New York, New York4 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.contact: Garo - Companion Animals Networkgaro@companionanimalnetworktv.org (718) 544-7387 (PETS)
Korean Embassy in San Francisco3500 Clay St. San Francisco, California11 a.m. - 12 nooncontact: Hope@idausa.org (415) 448-0043 ex. 211
Korean Embassy in Los Angeles3243 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, California11 a.m. - 12 nooncontact: Bill@idausa.org (310) 301-7730
Korean Embassy in Washington D.C.2320 Massachusetts Ave.Washington, D.C. 11 a.m. - 12 nooncontact: Annie@idausa.org (757) 374-8112
Korean Embassy in Seattle, Washington2033 Sixth Ave. #1125Seattle, Washington, 9812111 a.m. - 12 nooncontact: Sandy Clintonnumptyland@yahoo.com (206) 618-4930
Korean Embassy in Newton, MassachusettsOne Gateway CenterNewton, MA. 02458TIME TBAcontact: Laura Raylaurasunray@hotmail.com (617) 512-3468
Korean Embassy in Honolulu, Hawaii2756 Pali Hwy. Honolulu, HI.12 - 2 p.m.contact: Lauren Luislauren_luis@yahoo.com
Pack Park, Asheville, North Carolina(corner of Patton & Bilymore Ave.)11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. contact: Justine Mayelajustinemayela@gmail.com (352) 317-2080
Korean Embassay in Atlanta, Georgia229 Peachtree Street Suite 500International Tower Atlanta, GAlocation and time TBAcontact: Amy Ryanajillryan@yahoo.com 404-438-1610
Embassy to The Republic of Korea in Dublin, Ireland15 Clyde Rd. Ballsbridge, Dublin 4,Ireland 12:30 - 2:30 p.m. Contact: Laura Broxson, Campaign Organizer / Press Officer, National Animal Rights Association naracampaigns@gmail.com 086-8729-444
Seoul, South Korealocation and time TBAcontact: Yuni, Korean Animal Rights Advocates yunismart@hanmail.net 010-3459-7797
Cochabamba, Bolivia Location and time TBAContact: Liliana Tellez Flor- Association for Defense of Animal Rightscarlosfcgcunha@gmail.com
Lima, Perulocation and time TBAContact: Vivianaapdaperu@gmail.com(511) 436-1487

What ELSE You Can Do:
Send letters, fax, e-mail to:Ambassador Duk-soo HanEmbassy of the Republic of Korea2320 Massachusetts Ave. NWWashington, D.C. 20008 (202) 939-5600 fax (202) 797-0595e-mail: korinfo@koreaemb.org


More Information About Dogs And Cats In South Korea

The practice of eating dogs is not widely accepted in Korea. It gained popularity after the Korean War due to widespread starvation. The practice continues to thrive with the aid of greedy restaurateurs, meat dealers, and butchers.
Many Koreans love dogs and keep dogs as companions. However, we must take action to stop the small contingent of people who blithely ignore the law and continue to abuse these innocent beings to make money.
It is unacceptable that dogs and cats should be kept in filthy crates, forced to watch one another be bludgeoned to death. It is illegal in Korea and it is the Korean government’s responsibility to ensure that anyone who breaks their laws be strictly punished.

Update from AAF -Action Alert :Please write to the members of the Chinese authorities.

Dear All,

Thank you so much for your response and support for our campaign to stop mass dog culling in China, and to engage the Chinese authorities in constructive dialogue on the issue of humane dog population and rabies control.
Many people have responded with various queries and comments and I would like to cover some of those here for your information. As you can imagine, we have our hands full at the moment and unfortunately are unable to answer everybody individually.Firstly, we understand that the images that are being circulated, including some that we have posted on our own site, are very disturbing.
The images we have used are authentic images taken during the recent mass killing of dogs in Shaanxi province. We always try to balance the need to show exactly what is going on, with a desire not to upset our supporters or turn people away. In this instance, we hope you appreciate that it is very difficult to portray accurately the situation withoutusing what are without doubt, profoundly disturbing images.We also understand that the situation in Hanzhong city makes people very upset and angry.
We understand that in these circumstances, it can be a natural response to lash out at the authorities and Chinese people in general, but it is important to understand that many Chinese people keep dogs and cats, have a high regard for the welfare of animals, and oppose the current slaughter policy just as much as anybody else. We need to encourage these people and the groups that represent them to make their voices heard.
They represent the best opportunity for change within China, and need all our support.Our experience also tells us that the authorities in China tend not to respond at all to anger. We need to engage the Chinese authorities in constructive discussion if things are to change for the better over the long term. The only way we are likely to have any success is by offering positive alternatives to the current practice of mass slaughter.
It has taken many years to open doors into the halls of power in China; with angry words, those doors could close.Constructive criticism can work. Dog culls in Heihe were recently stopped as a result of local and international pressure, and the authorities there are considering other methods of rabies control.
Your letters and efforts really can make a difference, so please do continue to support our campaign.We are constantly lobbying the Beijing authorities regarding the need for countrywide legislation and are working with China's Professor Song Wei, who is drafting the country's first animal-welfare laws - a mammoth task, which will encourage the government to adopt comprehensive legislation.
In the meantime, our information tells us that in Hanzhong the slaughter continues, so we need to double our efforts to persuade the authorities there to stop the killing. To that end, and as requested by some supporters, we have attached the addresses of the Mayor of Hanzhong City, and the Governor of Shaanxi province.
These addresses are in Chinese, and will need to be printed off and pasted onto an envelope, or you can fax these officials at the numbers provided.

We urge you to write to these members of the Chinese authorities, politely asking them to reconsider their actions, and copy your letters to your local Chinese consulate, the addresses and emails of which can still be found at http://www.travelchinaguide.com/embassy/ .
If your email bounces, please fax or mail your comments.Once again, many thanks for all your efforts to date and to everybody who has already sent a letter or made a donation to help us help the local animal welfare groups. Please keep supporting us - thousands of lives depend on it.

Regards Mark Jones
Animal Welfare Director Animals Asia Foundation http://www.animalsasia.org/

https://www.animalsasia.org/donate/index.php?DogAppeal&lg=en

Tel: + (852) 2791 2225Fax: + (852) 2791 2320

Response to my email about California Governor's Plan to Cut Shelter Funding

Thank you for sharing your concerns with me about the proposal to lift restrictions on hold times at animal shelters. I value your input during these challenging economic times. As you know, we are in the midst of the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression. We now face a budget shortfall that has grown to $24.3 billion. I have proposed cuts that I would have never proposed except in a worst-case scenario, including eliminating General Fund support for programs like Healthy Families, CalWORKs, Cal Grants and State Parks. This was not an easy decision for me. As a dog owner myself, I have always supported animal welfare and have worked to ensure the humane treatment of animals. Currently, the state requires all shelters to hold stray animals for four or six days and reimburses them for the associated costs. To address our budget crisis, I have proposed to suspend some Non-Proposition 98 mandates, including the reimbursement funds for these shelters. To help local shelters deal with the challenges of this difficult budget situation, I have also proposed that the state no longer require the four or six day hold time. Shelters still have the flexibility to keep the animals for more days, but my proposal avoids placing an unnecessary burden on local communities.As I work with my partners in the Legislature to find solutions to these problems, know that I will keep your thoughts in mind. Working together, I believe we can weather this storm and start the slow but steady march back toward prosperity.

Sincerely,Arnold Schwarzenegger


Background: Humane Society, ASPCA condemn Schwarzenegger plan to shorten animal shelter hold requirements


CONTACT THE GOVERNOR:http://gov.ca.gov/interact#contact

Help Animals Asia end China's dog culls!

It’s devastating to have to bring you such tragic, horrible news. A rabies outbreak involving 10 human cases, has prompted authorities in China's northwest Shaanxi Province to order a cull that has already seen as many as 30,000 dogs brutally slaughtered on the streets of Hanzhong and surrounding areas. This is one in 10 of the city's dogs.
Despite our best efforts – and those of other NGOs and many desperate local people – because of two more human cases of rabies, the dogs are still being brutally hunted down by gangs of men and women wielding bloody sticks, metal hooks and ropes, then heartlessly clubbed to death. Some are cherished family pets, while others are strays that have already suffered enough in their cruel, short lives on the streets.
The gutters are running with blood, but it’s the hands of the Hanzhong authorities that are stained. The slaughtered dogs were on the streets only because these people still refuse to act on the evidence before their eyes – that the only way to manage stray-dog populations (and therefore rabies and other diseases) is to implement broad vaccination and trap, neuter, release (TNR) programmes.
Over the past two weeks, families have sobbed and fallen to their knees as their beloved dogs were snatched from their arms, roughly collared with rope and beaten to death before their eyes. Often the dogs wag their tails once or twice and look up pathetically between careless heavy blows to the face, head and spine. The dogs’ cries are spine-chilling.
Other dogs whimper and cower nearby – all of them terrified, knowing their turn will come soon. Some of the killers are local men, ordered by the authorities to help in the slaughter. Others are taking part willingly, even laughing as they brutalise the dogs.
We are so grateful to Jiang Hong, founder of the Small Animal Rescue Centre of Xian, who along with representatives of several local animal-welfare groups, made an urgent trip to Hanzhong to plead our case with the authorities.
Sponsored by Animals Asia, Ms Jiang’s group spent three traumatic days witnessing and recording the cull and offering officials help with dog control. In Yangxian town, they saw no dogs alive – just rotting carcasses scattered around the streets and in the waterways, causing a serious risk to public health.
The authorities stubbornly went ahead with the cull despite receiving advice from international and Chinese experts that culls do nothing to eradicate rabies. Our own letter – passed on to Hanzhong officials by Ms Jiang – was virtually ignored, the officials seemingly unmoved and uncaring.
I’m deeply saddened by these events. I’ve grown to love China and hate to see such wanton disregard for the country’s image in the world, let alone the sheer disregard for the suffering of people and animals. But this is just a small part of the story. Every day, we are seeing amazing developments, particularly through our relationships with more than 60 local animal-welfare groups throughout the country.
Even in Hanzhong, the scene of such bloodshed earlier this month, there is positive news. More than 200 residents attended the lakeside vigil, forming a poignant “SOS” with lighted candles to mourn the victims, many of them their pets; and because of the cull, some animal lovers have formed an organisation to lobby their local authorities to adopt stray-dog management measures.
Other municipalities are listening. Just last month, Animals Asia – along with other animal-welfare groups – was able to convince officials in Hehei, Heilongjiang Province to abandon a similar cull.
Please help us with this! We urgently need funds to equip local groups with the materials and information they need to convince their local governments to work with them. With grants from Animals Asia, these groups will be able to produce their own flyers, leaflets and banners to send to the authorities, the media and public along with our Dr Eddie Education Packs, and to continue our TNR programmes.
More and more cities are listening and implementing regulations to control stray dog and cat populations. It is so important that we keep the momentum going. It is the local people themselves who are bringing about these changes. They no longer want to live in fear of walking their dogs on the streets.
These people are willing to work hard, but most are poor and lacking resources. Please help us to help them.
Sincerely,
Jill
Jill Robinson MBE Founder and CEO Animals Asia Foundation

http://www.animalsasia.org/

http://www.animalsasia.org/blog/index.php?entry=entry090609-022349

PS: Please write a polite letter to your local Chinese embassy asking for an immediate stop to the Hanzhong cull and an end to cruel dog culls throughout China. Please also ask that the Chinese authorities work with Animals Asia to introduce effective, lasting and humane anti-rabies measures. See here for embassy addresses, or here for ideas.

Dogs beaten to death on Hanzhong city streets-Please Donate to AAF

Dogs beaten to death on Hanzhong city streets

Wednesday, June 3, 2009, 08

The sight of those wretched dogs trying to crawl away from the people bludgeoning them over the head was beyond words. More heartbreaking still was the scene where a dog was surrounded by men with poles and began to wag his tail in welcome - before screaming in agony as the poles and rods came down upon his body. Howling in terror, he tried to raise himself on already broken limbs as the blows came thick and fast and sent him crashing once more to the ground. Blood gathered in pools around his head before he was picked up by one of his back legs and dragged away. The pile of dead dog grew - and people in the video laughed – satisfied with a job which had so cruelly stilled the beating hearts of our best friends.
I watched the film in disbelief – thinking surely we were of a different species to those dreadful people so utterly disconnected to the agony of animals who feel pain and terror and a host of emotions so similar to ours. That life can be so dismissively snuffed out as if it held no importance in this world reflects so appallingly on a country and people I have grown to love.

Culling in China is back - in all its bloody glory - and we need your help to make a stronger push than ever before to drive it into the dark ages where it belongs. Local animal welfare groups in China are also appalled –and we are working closely with them in appeals to the authorities – united in our call that dogs deserve better.

Animals Asia is trying to raise funds to support these groups in their efforts to stop the cull and provide the Hanzhong city authorities with an alternative solution to dog population and disease control.

Please click here to read our response to this latest cull in Hanzhong and please send any amount you can afford so that dogs who wag their tails at people in the future are met with kind smiles and perhaps an affectionate pat, rather than a hateful bloody end to their lives.

To donate to the dog cull appeal, please click here.

Πρόσκληση σε Ημερίδα με τον Πρωτοπόρο Φιλόσοφο του Κινήματος για τα Δικαιώματα των Ζώων, Τom Regan

Πρόσκληση σε Ημερίδα με τον Πρωτοπόρο Φιλόσοφο του Κινήματος για τα Δικαιώματα των Ζώων, Τom Regan-The American Philosopher and Leader of the Animal Rights Movement, Mr Tom Regan, in Athens‏

Αγαπητοί φίλοι και φίλες, Οι ΜΚΟ και μέλη του ΠΑΝΔΟΙΚΟ, ΠΟΛΙΤΕΣ ΓΙΑ ΤΑ ΔΙΚΑΙΩΜΑΤΑ ΤΗΣ ΦΥΣΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΗΣ ΖΩΗΣ και ΣΟΛΩΝ ΓΙΑ ΤΗ ΣΥΝΘΕΣΗ ΚΑΙ ΤΟΝ ΟΙΚΟΛΟΓΙΚΟ ΠΟΛΙΤΙΣΜΟ, σας προσκαλούν στην Ημερίδα με θέμα "Άνθρωποι - Ζώα - Φύση: από τον Ανθρωποκεντρισμό στον Οικοβιοκεντρισμό" (για τα δικαιώματα της φύσης και της ζωής) την Τετάρτη, 24 Ιουνίου 2009, 17.00 - 21.00, στην Ελληνοαμερικανική Ένωση, Μασσαλίας 22, Αθήνα. http://www.hau.gr/?i=hau.en.map

The ecological NGO, CITIZENS FOR THE RIGHTS OF NATURE AND LIFE AND SOLON FOR THE SYNTHESIS AND ECOLOGICAL CULTURE, organize an event with the subject: “People-Animals-Nature: From Humancenterism to Ecobiocenterism” on Wednesday 24th June, 2009, 17.00-21.00, in the Hellenic-American Union, Massalias 22, Athens.

Επίσημος ομιλητής ο πρωτοπόρος φιλόσοφος του κινήματος για τα δικαιώματα των ζώων TOM REGAN -συμμετέχει και η Ελληνική Εταιρεία Ηθικής

The official lecturer is the honorary emeritus professor of Philosophy in the University of North Carolina, Tom Regan. Mr Regan is considered the philosophical leader of the movement for the rights of animals in the USA and has been rewarded with the Gandhi award. He has written and published more than twenty books as well as hundreds of papers on environmental policy, euthanasia and animal rights in which he explores what is really moral and right.
Other speakers that will honour with their presence the event, are the professors of Philosophy in the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Theodosis Pelegrinis, Evangelos Protopapadakis, and Elena Papanikolaou, as well as representatives of political parties.

Event of this scope and content takes place for the first time in Greece, and has as an objective to promote the ideas of deep ecology and ecological culture, giving emphasis on the equitable and just relations of the person with himself and his/her environment and the other forms of life. The event aims to puzzle us strongly for our attitude toward nature and life, and to lay hopefully the foundations for a different stance towards all living organisms, based on the principles and values of respect, peaceful living and harmonious coexistence.

Truth in Fur Labeling Act Introduced

May 20, 2009
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Jim Moran, Virginia Democrat, joined with Representative Mary Bono Mack (R-CA) to introduce legislation today, the "Truth in Fur Labeling Act," which requires honest labeling of fur products sold in the United States. The bill, supported by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), would close the loophole which allows products valued at less than $150 to not list the types of fur included in the garment or product. "The fur loophole deprives American consumers of the facts needed to make an informed purchase," said Moran. "Many Americans choose not to purchase fur products, preferring instead "faux" fur as a substitute. This loophole is being exploited by exporters pawning off dog and cat fur as an artificial fiber. The public would be outraged to learn their favorite hat or pair of gloves was lined with the fur of their favorite companion animal." "People depend on product labels to make informed decisions about their purchases," said Bono Mack. "This bill would close the loophole that has allowed too many companies to sell fur products made from cats and dogs under the guise of being ´faux.´ Consumers deserve to know what they´re buying and be confident in whether or not it´s fake or real fur, regardless of the cost of the product." It is illegal to import, export, sell or advertise any domestic dog or cat fur in the United States. Fur from other animals must be identified with a label, but only if the value of the fur exceeds $150. The Moran-Bono Mack legislation aims to protect consumers and animals by requiring all garments that include fur be labeled, regardless of value.In recent years, HSUS investigators found a proliferation of falsely labeled and falsely advertised dog fur on fashion clothing sold by some of the largest names in U.S. retailing. Of the fur-trimmed jackets subjected to mass spectrometry testing by HSUS, 96 percent were found to be domestic dog, wolf or raccoon dog, and either mislabeled or not labeled at all.
"Consumers need to know what they're getting so they can make informed purchasing choices," says Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. "As a result of our investigations, we´ve seen dog fur labeled as coyote, and real fur labeled as faux fur. We are grateful to Representatives Moran and Bono Mack for introducing this important consumer protection bill, and we urge the Congress to pass it swiftly into law."Half of all fur garments entering the United States come from China, where large numbers of domestic dogs and cats as well as raccoon dogs are killed every year for their fur by brutal methods, sometimes skinned alive. The Dog and Cat Protection Act of 2000 banned the trade in dog and cat fur after an HSUS investigation revealed the death toll at 2 million animals a year and found domestic dog fur for sale in the United States. The Moran-Bono Mack legislation will close a loophole in the Fur Products Labeling Act of 1951 that exempts garments with a "relatively small quantity or value" of fur from requiring labels disclosing the name of the species, the manufacturer, the country of origin and other pertinent information for consumers. The Federal Trade Commission defines that value today as $150—an amount that allows multiple animal pelts on a garment without a label. It would also require the FTC to hold a rulemaking process to review its Fur Products Name Guide ensure the accuracy and consistency of species names.

Stop Long Distance Transport of Sheep for Slaughter Petition

PLEASE SIGN MY PETITION TO THE GREEK MINISTER AGAINST THE LIVE EXPORT OF SHEEP TO ARABIAN COUNTRIES-THANK YOU

Stop Long Distance Transport of Sheep for Slaughter Petition

To: Minister Sotirios Xatzigakis

I am writing to express my concern and opposition regarding the government’s plan to resume the export of live sheep to Arabian countries.
Transporting animals long distances for slaughter falls well short of providing the level of animal protection now demanded by most developed countries.
Despite efforts in recent years to improve the welfare of farmed animals transported for slaughter over long distances, many thousands of animals continue to suffer and die every year on long sea and road journeys, and I believe it is impossible to make these grueling trips humane.
I urge you protect the animal welfare laws by refusing to resume live sheep exports , to stand firm against the cruelty of live export and maintain the country’s reputation.

Major Victory for Seals

After decades of violent slaughters on the ice floes of Canada, the Canadian sealing industry's biggest customer, the EU, has stood up for seals and voted for compassion.

Should the seal hunt be banned?

Should the seal hunt be banned?
Canada's annual seal hunt began , to the dismay of animal rights activists. Meanwhile, EU lawmakers are to vote on a ban on the trade in seal parts. Should Canada outlaw seal culling?
It's cruel and inhumane, and should be banned
No, what about the livelihood of seal hunters?
Poll starter: Daphne D See Results

HELP SAVE THE SEALS PETITIONS -HSUS

The Canadian seal hunt is underway, and the ProtectSeals team is on the ice to document the kill. This is the largest slaughter of marine mammals on Earth. Join us to stop this atrocity.

Live in Canada? Click Here!
http://e-activist.com/ea-campaign/clientcampaign.do?ea.client.id=104&ea.campaign.id=2968

Live in the European Union? Click Here!http://www.hsus.org/about_us/humane_society_international_hsi/seal_trade_ban.html

Don't Buy While Seals Die: Boycott Canadian Seafood!Make your personal pledge below."I pledge not to buy seafood products produced in Canada—such as snow crabs, cod, scallops, and shrimp—until Canada ends its commercial seal hunt for good." http://www.hsus.org/protectseals.html

Take the Challenge with Cat Cora to Stop Canada's Cruel Seal Hunt

Not long ago, I was at the Sundance Film festival celebrating the campaign to protect seals from Canada's commercial seal slaughter. We watched Nigel Barker's beautiful and heartbreaking documentary and dined on a special meal I created. I was thrilled to become one of the many celebrities who've pledged to boycott Canadian seafood until Canada ends the commercial hunt.But now I'm saddened by the knowledge that before the end of the month, fishermen will again invade the harp seal nursery and club or shoot to death every harp seal pup they can find. I can't stand by and watch this happen, year after year.
I was honored to receive an award for the work I've done for seals.
That's why I'm issuing a challenge to you to sign the pledge to boycott Canadian seafood. After you've signed, please ask your friends, family, and coworkers to sign it as well. The person who gathers the most signatures will win a trip to New York City to meet with me -- plus a seal pup photograph taken by Nigel Barker. Ten runners-up will receive prizes, too. Read all of the details and contest rules here.The Canadian seafood boycott is the best tactic we have to pressure Canada's East Coast fisherman to end the hunt.Please take my challenge today so that together we can stop this senseless cruelty!

https://community.hsus.org/campaign/protectseals_cat_cora

Petition : you can make all the difference for baby seals‏

Tell Clearwater that you will boycott Canadian seafood until the commercial seal hunt is overClearwater is one of the largest exporters of seafood from the sealing provinces. The company buys huge quantities of Canadian seafood every year, and it has the power to help convince the Canadian government to end the barbaric seal hunt forever. The commercial fishing industry won't stop the killing just because it's the humane thing to do, so we have to give it a choice: End the hunt, or sacrifice profits.

Speak up for seals :

https://community.hsus.org/campaign/hsi_seals_09_clearwater/i875gdi4478jj3bj

Video Exposes Military's Stabbing of Dogs‏

PETA has received horrific torture videos that show live dogs who scream in pain while they are stabbed and killed during combat-training exercises conducted by soldiers in the Bolivian military. The soldiers state that their instructors received training from the U.S. military in how to conduct these exercises, and the training partnership is corroborated by a written agreement signed by the two countries.In the U.S., the Department of Defense currently stabs, shoots, poisons, burns, and cuts the limbs off thousands of living animals each year in medical-training exercises. The U.S. exercises differ from those used by the Bolivian military, but the victims are the same—vulnerable animals.Please click here to take action by sending an urgent note asking Bolivia to ban these cruel, outdated, and bloody training exercises on animals.

http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/bolivia_military

DEATH ON A FACTORY FARM

Death on a Factory Farm From the makers of HBO's 2006 documentary Dealing Dogs, this film takes a harrowing look at animal cruelty in an Ohio factory hog farm, as chronicled through undercover footage taken by "Pete," the same animal-rights investigator who appeared in the first film. Premieres Monday, March 16 at 10pm. Read more.

Urge the European Union to Ban All Seal Products

Urge the European Union to Ban All Seal Products
Every spring, hundreds of thousands of baby harp seals in eastern Canada are bludgeoned, shot, and skinned for their fur. Some veterinarians estimate that up to 42 percent of the seals killed are skinned alive. Watch PETA's shocking video of this slaughter. Canada's annual seal hunt is the largest marine-mammal slaughter on the planet, and most of the seals' fur goes through European ports before ending up in Europe, Russia, and China.
The European Commission has proposed a ban on products made from seals “killed in inhumane ways.” This is a significant step forward, but loopholes could allow the slaughter to continue. A total ban on seal products could mean that hundreds of thousands of baby seals would be spared from the horrifying fate of being bludgeoned and dragged to their bloody deaths.
Please join us in urging Commissioner Dimas to follow in the footsteps of the U.S. and draft legislation for a total EU ban on seal products.

Take Action on This Issue
http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/eu_ban_seal?rk=ApNoT8KqYFkOW

Help Pass Historic Bill to End Seal Hunt‏- Help us collect 200,000 letters before April!

A miracle on ice, the birthing grounds of hundreds of thousands of baby seals will turn red with the cruel slaughter of Canada's commercial seal hunt in just a few short weeks. Seals as young as three weeks old will be clubbed and beaten. Others will be shot in open water ... many will suffocate under the ice or even be skinned alive. But for the first time in our history, a Canadian politician is proposing a law to end this suffering of baby seals. Tell Canada you support the Harb Seal Bill to end Canada's commercial seal hunt.Each year, IFAW travels to the ice to document the cruelty inherent in this hunt. I've seen baby seals dragged onto boats with metal hooks while alive. Seals left alone to die on the ice after they are bludgeoned on the head. Suffering you and I could not prevent because the law prevents us from intervening.Until now. The Harb Seal Bill would end this hunt.Senator Harb has shown incredible leadership and courage by speaking out on behalf of the majority of Canadians on this issue. But he cannot win this fight on his own.You and I must act quickly to ensure this bill is passed into law. Senator Harb wants to fill his office from floor to ceiling with messages of support for the Harb Seal Bill. Our goal is to collect over 200,000 emails, action cards and letters in the next few weeks (one message for every seal that will be killed in this year's slaughter) - so I'm counting on you to act right now.Let's flood the Senator's and Canadian Embassy inboxes with messages. This is our chance to ensure no more baby seals are skinned alive or shot and left to suffer. Please also consider a donation at this time to help us pass this historic legislation.The world is watching.Sincerely,
Fred O'ReganIFAW President

SUPPORT THE "HARB SEAL BILLHelp us collect 200,000 letters before April!

EU Parliament committee approves ban on the import of seal products

From The Associated Press, March 2, 2009
EU Parliament committee approves ban on the import of seal products BRUSSELS (AP) - A European Parliament committee has approved a proposal that would prevent EU countries from importing seal products.The proposed ban, approved Monday by a 27-7 vote, would not affect imports from Canada's and Greenland's Inuit communities.The vote appeared to reflect Europe's widespread public opposition to seal hunting, which many people regard as cruel.To become law, the ban on products such as pelts, blubber, oil and meat would still need the approval of the entire EU assembly and EU governments.Nordic EU countries such as Denmark, Sweden and Finland have opposed such a ban, and EU legal experts say it could violate world trade rules.Canada and Greenland have warned the EU that they could challenge such a ban before the World Trade Organization.

EU panel OKs partial ban on seal products
Last Updated: Monday, March 2, 2009
The Canadian Press
A European Parliament committee has backed a proposal for a partial ban on the import of seal products from Canada and other sealing countries.The legislators rejected an initial bill that recommended tough labelling rules instead of a ban.The amended bill, approved by a vote of 27 to 7, calls for a ban but includes an exemption for Canada's and Greenland's Inuit communities.The European Parliament is scheduled to vote on the proposed ban April 2. The European Council will then make a decision on the matter, likely in June.Canadian politicians, including Sullivan and federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea, have met with their European counterparts in recent weeks in an effort to convince them that the commercial harp seal hunt is humane.The import ban could deliver a devastating blow to Atlantic Canadian fishermen who rely on the annual hunt as a source of income, shutting down critical shipment points, including in Holland and in Germany.Canada's largest markets for seal products, such as Russia, China and Norway, are outside the EU. But sealing industry experts fear a ban would curb the demand for seal fur from the fashion industry and disrupt shipping routes.In the past three years, the total allowable catch in Canada has hovered between 270,000 and 335,000 seals annually.Shea is expected to announce this year's seal hunt quota by the middle of this month.Nordic EU countries, including Denmark, Sweden and Finland, have all voiced opposition to a ban on seal hunting

Baby seal hunting banned in Northern Russia‏

26 February, 2009,

The government has banned the hunting of baby seals in the regions surrounding the White Sea.Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin called seal hunting a "bloody industry"."It is clear that it should have been banned a long time ago," said Putin at a meeting with the Minister of Natural Resources.Putin acknowledged the importance of the hunting industry in the region and said that he would require the government to compensate incomes of the White Sea people in connection with the ban on hunting."This is one of their means of existence. Therefore, simply banning is inadequate.A system of support measures must be worked out to secure employment and income of those who live and work there," said PutinMany of the residents around the White Sea depend on sales from the seals, especially their fat, for survival.The Ministry of Natural Resources is also preparing proposals to ban the hunting of seals up to the age of one.Recently, the Russian representative of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) along with other ecological organisations repeated their call for a moratorium on the hunting of baby seals.The IFAW's Russian representative even challenged the myth that seal hunting provides the indigenous people with a stable living, saying they can earn no more than $US 200 a month from their exploitation."Developing ecological tourism would provide a more stable source of welfare," said the representative.Professor Aleksey Yablokov, an associate professor at the Russian Academy of Science, believes that the seals could soon number no more than 150 thousand."This is a real biological catastrophe. At the current rate, in a few years the seal could become a rarity in the White Sea," said Yablokov.Currently around 800 thousand inhabit the White Sea.Yablokov agreed with current scientific investigations that if the quota is lowered by up to five per cent, a balance will be kept.

Urge the Olympic Committee to Help End the Canadian Seal Slaughter

All eyes are on Canada as it prepares to host the 2010 Winter Olympics. This extra attention will bring increased scrutiny and comes with the added responsibility of setting a positive example for the world. That's why we are calling on the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee to help stop the Canadian seal slaughter.
During Canada's annual war on seals, hundreds of thousands of baby seals are killed for their skin in the most horrific ways imaginable. Seals stand no chance against club-wielding trappers who are after their fur, and they must look on as fellow pups are bludgeoned to death before meeting the same bloody fate.
These seals, many of whom are only weeks old when they're barbarically killed, have their skulls smashed in or are shot point-blank by hunters who are driven by profit and greed. The anguish that a mother seal feels as she watches her baby being beaten to death just a few feet away from her is horrifying and can be heard in her desperate cries and seen in her attempts to get to her baby.
Last year, more than 205,000 individual seals were killed during the massacre, which is nothing more than a money-making scheme orchestrated by professional fishers, and Canada will soon begin its annual merciless attack on seals for their fur. We need you to speak up for seals now and demand a permanent end to the cruel seal slaughter.
Please write to the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee and demand that they help bring an immediate end to the seal slaughter.

Take Action on This Issue

SIGN THE PETITION : http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/seal_hunt_09?c=weekly_enews

Help Stop McDonald's Cruelty Now!

Almost everyone has heard of McDonald's, and most people have eaten at the chain at least once, but many people don't know about the horrific cruelty that goes into every portion of chicken served under the Golden Arches.In the slaughterhouses of McDonald's U.S. chicken suppliers, birds are dumped out of their transport crates and hung upside-down in metal shackles, which often results in broken bones, extreme bruising, and hemorrhaging. Workers have the opportunity to abuse live birds, and birds have their throats cut while they are still conscious. Many birds are immersed in tanks of scalding-hot water while they are still alive and able to feel pain.McDonald's has the ability to end these abuses.
There is a less cruel method of chicken slaughter available to McDonald's suppliers called controlled-atmosphere killing, or CAK, and it would cost the corporation nothing to demand that its suppliers use it. CAK would eliminate the worst abuses currently suffered by chickens killed for McDonald's in the U.S. In fact, a 2005 study about CAK produced by McDonald's concluded that it is far better for animals than the current method of slaughter.
Write to McDonald's now, and demand that it phase in the exclusive use of chickens killed by CAK by requiring that its suppliers switch to this method.

SIGN THE PETITION :

http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/mccruelty

Major victory for dogs in Vietnam

Here's Tuan at our rescue centre with Max, a puppy bred for slaughter. Max is now part of our Vietnam family

Major victory for dogs in Vietnam
Wednesday, February 18, 2009, 10:16
I’ll never forget filming dogs being slaughtered in a restaurant in Hanoi several years ago. For two long hours I silently cried on the inside, while making a pathetic attempt to look calm on the outside, so that the people slaughtering the dogs would really believe that I was writing a travel brochure on the delights of “exotic” food in Vietnam. In full view of the others, these dogs were dragged out of “pig crates”, bludgeoned over the head with a hammer, and then bled out via a knife into their jugular and heart. It was brutal and cruel – especially seeing the dogs waiting for death turning their heads away from the strangled screams and the last struggled breaths of life.







With our staff and resources limited, we knew that it made sense to focus on bears in Vietnam – where bear farming was illegal too – and so we agreed to postpone a dog and cat campaign until the bear rescue and sanctuary were well under way। As ever, fate played a hand। In early February, Tuan Bendixsen, our Vietnam Director, received an official letter from the Central Department of Animal Health, Ministry of Agriculture. Apparently they had received official requests from various provincial governments in the country asking the department to provide them with the government's guidelines on the slaughtering of dogs for human consumption. Tuan's heart stopped when he heard this news and he began to work on a submission to the department – in defence of dogs. Tuan knew it was important to collate evidence from other Asian countries that had banned dog eating, rather than only using laws from the West, and we immediately contacted Nita, Anna and team from PAWS, the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (who coordinate our Dr Dog programme in Manila) as we knew that we could count on their support. Within a heartbeat, Anna was sending over all the relevant documents and legislation from the Philippines – summarising a campaign that they had worked on for so many years until dog-eating became illegal. Tuan’s final letter to the government outlined our Dr Dog programme in seven countries of Asia and why the benefits of being in the company of companion animals far outweighed their value as a food source. He stated that no country in the world has developed a humane method of dog slaughter under intensive farming practices and that countries, such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Philippines, Taiwan had already banned dog meat from the table.Tuan even touched on the economics of raising dogs as food compared with raising them as companions – citing the growing pet industry in Beijing and how much pet owners were contributing to the economy. And of course he made clear about the health risks to those involved in the dog-meat trade and to consumers themselves, highlighting parasites, rabies, leptospirosis, and other disease. Finally he offered Animals Asia’s help in promoting public education programmes across the country as we are currently doing in China – emphasising why dogs are our friends, not food. Within a few days, the response came back and here, in Tuan’s own words this morning, is the official announcement from the government: ”I’m very happy to announce that the Central Department of Animal Health has put out an official letter saying that the Central Government of Vietnam will not enact a regulation on the processing of dog meat for human consumption. Although the local government can enact such a regulation for their own area, usually they will not go against the Central Government’s directive. I’m now looking at getting the Central Govt to officially ban it instead of just not enacting it. Thank you every one and especially Anna from PAWS. Although this is an important first step, we still have a long way to go to achieve our main goal of ending the consumption of companion animals in Vietnam.” This is an incredible victory for the dogs of Vietnam – and potentially in China too where we can use this development in our efforts to persuade similar bans there. Tuan, I know that everyone reading this blog will be so proud of this first, significant step for the dogs of Vietnam.


http://www.animalsasia.org/blog/index.php?entry=entry090218-221648

Video: NYC Stores Caught Mislabeling Fur

Fashion Week is in full effect and The Humane Society of the United States is watching out for our furry friends, as usual। This morning the organization led a press conference with NY State Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal following an investigation that uncovered some big NYC retailers selling unlabeled fur-trimmed garments in violation of state law (which requires that all apparel with real or fake fur be labeled as such, giving shoppers access to product information)। All the big names were on their list, including Bloomingdale’s, Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue।

Footage of the investigation shows what may happen to confused customers:

http://gothamist.com/2009/02/16/humane_society.php#

This morning Rosenthal stated that she "passed this law to ensure that consumers in New York could make informed decisions about the type of clothing they are buying. Many people prefer not to wear animal fur, and they should be able to tell at a glance whether an article of clothing is made with fur or not. Retailers have had more than a year to comply with this law, and it is appalling that so many have disregarded it." Just last November the HSUS filed suit against a number of major retailers including Macy's, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue for mislabeling fur. The organization's VP Michael Markarian declared that there's "widespread deception in the fashion industry, and consumers simply don’t know whether they’re buying synthetic fur, or fur from animals skinned alive in China." Here's a gruesome look at the fur trade.

Tell President Obama: No compromise on saving whales' lives‏

Tell President Obama to strengthen the whaling ban

During the last several years, the United States has reversed its long-term leadership role of protecting whales from commercial hunting and has initiated efforts to allow Japan and possibly other whaling nations to expand hunts to coastal waters.

By leading closed-door meetings to discuss compromises that would allow an expansion of whaling, the current U.S. delegation, a holdover from the previous administration, to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) is contradicting U.S. policy on both whaling and transparency in government. U.S. citizens and the international public are against the commercial slaughter of whales. We depend on the U.S. to protect whales from cruel and ecologically unsustainable hunts.

Please join us in urging President Obama to strengthen, rather than weaken, the global commercial whaling ban and to restore U.S. leadership on whale conservation before the next IWC meeting which will be held March 9-11, 2009.

TAKE ACTION
Help strengthen the global commercial whaling ban and protect thousands of whales from slaughter. Show your support by signing our petition to President Barack Obama, copying Judd Gregg, U.S. Secretary of Commerce-Designate. The deadline for signing is February 28।

https://community.hsus.org/campaign/obama_whaling/ixibdkg4f7itwjkj?

Urgent dog rescue appeal from Animals Asia‏

Rescued from meat traders, they need your help now!

I hope you had a great New Years’ Eve and are looking forward to the Year of the Ox!

For us, it was a bumpy start to the year – elation at being involved in the first major rescue of “meat dogs” from a trader in China, but also sadness at seeing the state of the dogs and the knowledge that millions of others are still trapped in this brutal industry.

It all started on New Year’s Eve when the Qiming Rescue Centre, a dog shelter in Chengdu, asked for our help. The authorities in nearby Pengzhou had just confiscated 149 dogs from an unlicensed trading station (after a tip-off from Qiming staff) and the dogs were on their way to the shelter.

	Our first sight of the dogs was shocking.

A small team, including one of our vets and a vet nurse, quickly grabbed medical supplies and headed for the shelter. We arrived just as the truck carrying the dogs pulled in. I couldn’t believe what we were witnessing! It was horrible in every sense of the word – the stench (so familiar from our visits to live animal markets), the blood-curdling cries coming from the cages as the terrified dogs bit into each and, as always, the terrible feeling we all get when we look into the haunting, sad eyes of these beautiful animals.

I hate to think how long they had been in those cages, many of them packed in so tightly that they were piled on top of each other. Some of the dogs were shaking with anxiety, while others were rigid with fear. Many were suffering terribly and showing symptoms of parvovirus, distemper and kennel cough. Most were skeletal and their coats filthy from being excreted and urinated on by the top layer of dogs.

	Our volunteer vet nurse Helena tends to the dogs.

Animals Asia is health-checking the dogs, treating their wounds, vaccinating them and, sadly, euthanising those that are just too sick to save or so aggressive that we could not rule out rabies or other diseases; these dogs are also a serious risk to other dogs and handlers. The process is ongoing, but we hope many of the dogs will recover and find good homes. However, these are the lucky ones – this year alone, millions of other dogs (and cats) will be slaughtered in the most brutal manner in hellish meat markets in China.

	Many of the dogs were chronically ill and weak.

They will be crammed together into tiny cages, loaded onto trucks and driven day and night for four or five days with no food or water (if they are lucky, they might be hosed down, just to keep them alive). Once at the markets in southern China, they will be bludgeoned across the face, stabbed and bled out, or slowly, torturously beaten to death in the misguided belief that their meat will taste better if they are panic-stricken at the point of death. The same fate awaits millions of cats – some of them are even boiled alive.

What is so encouraging about this rescue is that it was a local animal-welfare centre that alerted the authorities about the unlicensed trader and, for the first time, the authorities actually confiscated the dogs! This is a wonderful example of Chinese people standing up and saying “no” to the cruel dog-eating trade – and it underpins our education efforts to stop demand and bring this industry to an end.

Many of the dogs were wearing collars and a number of them were pure-bred; these were possibly stolen pets; others had been collected as strays from the streets, bred in dingy cages on dog farms or raised in rural houses purposefully for meat.

At the moment, Qiming Rescue Centre has only cramped room to house these new dogs – at least temporarily – as we revamp and upgrade the facility and help them recover from their terrible trauma while they await adoption.

	Animals Asia’s Christie comforts some of the survivors.

We have much work to do, as the bitterly cold winter months close in on us, including more weatherproofing, extending the roof to cover many more dog runs, concreting the enclosures and runs and making dry, wooden-box beds. With the added expense of food and medical care, this is going to be a costly process.

All the money raised in this appeal will go directly to the care of the dogs at the Qiming shelter. Any remaining when our work there is finished, will go to our ongoing campaigns to end dog-and-cat eating.

Already, dogs that ran away whenever we walked into the enclosures are now slowly approaching us with cautious tail wags and trusting eyes. Some will stand nervously as we gently stroke their fur – but when we stop they will turn towards us shyly asking for more. Somehow I think they know they're the lucky ones – but there is still a long way to go.

Right now, these poor dogs need your help! Please send a donation, however small, to help us save them – and maybe turn some into animal-therapy “ambassador” dogs.


Warm wishes,





Jill Robinson MBE
Founder and CEO
Animals Asia Foundation

PS: This year is going to be particularly hard for us with the global economic crisis. So please, even if you can afford only a small amount, your donation will be greatly appreciated. Money goes a long way in China, and I guarantee that none of it will be wasted.

For more information, visit Jill's Blog: www.animalsasia.org/blog
To donate now, please go to our website: www.animalsasia.org