HEAL's Animal Rights Campaign

HEAL acknowledges and celebrates all sentient beings, human and non-human alike. We believe that nonhuman animals should be free from cruelty and confinement. We accept the principles of the "circle of life" philosophy and believe that all life lives by taking life or the potential for life. We acknowledge that nature is out of balance and that humans and non-humans alike are suffering as a result. We do not dictate, encourage or manipulate our members or our community into vegetarian/vegan living. We believe all life has value and that all living things require nutrients taken from other living things. We would never shame a dog or a crow for eating flesh or scavenging. Nor would we shame a human being for doing so. We do encourage everyone to live waste-free. Whether you consider yourself an herbivore or omnivore, please do your very best to keep your garbage/waste to a minimum.

We accept that vivisection is a money-making scheme that needlessly tortures billions of nonhuman animals to provide added liability insurance for pharmaceutical companies who will and do test their products on cold-blooded reptiles just to get the results needed to get the next damaging and deadly drug in to the consumer market. This is why HEAL does actively work to expose the fraud and harm of animal experimentation!

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The University of Washington must offer standard animal-free alternatives in all classes requiring dissection of nonhuman animals. As a public university, the UW has a special responsibility to its students, as well as state and national taxpayers, to abide by the U.S. Constitution, including the first amendment, which, guarantees freedom of religion. While dissection is a heatedly debated and controversial issue, it must be concluded to be reasonable that those students who oppose it on ethical and/or religious grounds should be given an animal-free option in courses that require dissection.

Many universities have already made the needed changes in efforts to respect diversity and embrace new technologies. Universities that offer alternatives include the University of California, University of Illinois, University of Virginia, Harvard University, and Johns Hopkins Medical School. The alternatives to dissection available today include plastic models of dissected animals that students can take apart, virtual dissection software, and three-dimensional films. The University of California and the University of Virginia currently offer online virtual dissections as an alternative.

Finally, Freedom of Religion is a right under the first amendment. Many orthodox religions, including Judaism, find touching or dealings with dead animals "unclean" and therefore cannot fulfill such requirements, as dissection, due to their religious tenets. Because the University of Washington is a "public" (as opposed to private) school, they have an obligation to respect and accommodate students who are religiously opposed to participating in dissection. Students are being forced to choose career over morality in many cases, which, sets an unpreferable standard for behavior in the "real world." Since this choice is unnecessary, it begs questioning (which we have done) the University. As said previously, other universities offer a standard option for students who oppose the use of nonhuman animals. Since other accredited public and private universities are offering standard alternatives to dissection and/or not using dissection at all, it is only rational that the University of Washington would be willing to give their students the same alternatives. By not offering standard alternatives they are bending the will of many less vocal students to submit to their system or forget their career goals. That isn't fair. And, in our opinion, is a violation of the highest principle of human rights, that of free will.

HEAL BOOK PROJECT

HEAL has created an online store at http://www.cafepress.com/heal. Also, we are planning to put together a book of art, short stories, poems, and essays regarding human liberation, earth liberation, and animal liberation to sell through this shop. Art includes photography and political/social commentary cartoons. If you would like to submit your work for consideration in the project, please bring it to a HEAL meeting (schedule online at http://www.heal-online.org/events.htm), submit it online to heal@heal-online.org, or mail it to us at HEAL, 126 SW 148th St, Ste C100-422, Seattle, WA 98166-1984. The rewards for contributing items to this project are: helping to educate others about global liberation, having your work published, and a $10 reward for selected items (which you can choose to waive and donate to HEAL). You keep the rights to your material. We only ask that you include with all submissions a letter or e-mail to the effect that you are permitting HEAL to use your work and the work's title.

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HEAL is no longer able to keep up with all outside action alerts. We are now only updating those action alert lists for human rights campaigns, including Teen Liberty and Prison Reform. We have listed below animal rights action alert websites that you can visit to take action for animals! Thank you for standing up against cruelty! If you would like to suggest an animal rights action alert website to us, please click here.

Ask President Obama to Make Animal Welfare a Priority!--Did you know that there are 18 different agencies that oversee animal welfare? That's why The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund are asking the Obama Administration to appoint an Animal Protection Liaison in the White House -- someone who would work with the agencies and Congress to advance animal protection policies in an ongoing and sustained way. We have a goal of 50,000 signatures. Please sign the petition

Support the Truth in Fur Labeling Act of 2009!--The Truth in Fur Labeling Act of 2009 ( H.R. 2480 and S. 1076) would close a loophole in current law that allows fur valued under $250 to be used in clothes without any labeling. In addition, this bill would clearly include raccoon dogs in the prohibition against the use of dog fur. This bill would also give individual states the authority to enact more restrictive laws if they choose.
Take Action Please contact your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and ask them to support the speedy passage of this bill: Find your U.S. Representative here Find your U.S. Senator here For more information, see: http://tinyurl.com/y8q5fod

Take Action to Restore Wolf Population in Washington!--As you may know, wolves are working their way back into Washington state, and a pack is currently denning just outside North Cascades National Park! With your help, they will eventually return to Olympic National Park also.
In response to the wolves' return, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is drafting a plan to protect and manage this state-endangered species. The plan's overall goal to restore a viable wolf population to Washington State is worthy and the WDFW has done an excellent job of involving the public in the development of this plan. But ultimately, the final plan should be based on sound science. A few tweaks to the plan would better ensure a healthy population of this iconic symbol of wilderness. Take Action

Take Action to Save the American Jaguar!--For 13 years, Macho B, the last known U.S. jaguar roamed the wildlands of southern Arizona. But last March, he was unnecessarily, tragically killed by government agencies. This heartbreaking loss to the species, and to us, cannot happen again! Jaguars don't have time to wait -- sign the petition to save and recover the American Jaguar. »

Take Action for Yellowstone Wolves!--I know you will be as saddened as I was by an obituary written about Wolf 527, one of Yellowstone National Park’s beloved wolves. But I hope this tragic story will motivate you to speak out to save the hundreds of wolves in Greater Yellowstone and beyond that remain in mortal danger. Wolf 527 originated from the Druid pack -- one of the best known wolf packs in Yellowstone's Lamar Valley, the scene of numerous National Geographic and PBS documentaries. For years, the movements of some of the members of this Yellowstone pack have been monitored by biologists and wolf-watchers equipped with radio tracking devices and powerful spotting scopes. One of those wolf-watchers wrote the obituary for 527 -- and I am honored to share excerpts of it with you today. "527 was a wolf that marched to the beat of a very different drummer." As a yearling, 527 left the Druids to join the Slough pack -- where she quickly became the beta (second-in-command) female. Then in 2007, she and a male wolf set off to found their own pack -- the Cottonwood Creek pack -- where she became the alpha (first-in-command) female. As a leader of the Cottonwood pack, 527 was known to be a master of survival strategies. While four other packs that inhabited the same area suffered dismal fates, her pack thrived. As her biographer recounts, "She was a genius wolf in her tactics. Strategy was her game and she was a master at it. She would return to feed her pups in the dark of night because she would not take the risk of crossing the road." But in the end, despite 527's "unbelievable survival strategies," this resilient wolf "was not able to outthink a rifle" and was killed on October 3 when Montana unleashed its first public wolf hunt in modern times. Since the public hunts began, 156 wolves in the Northern Rockies have met 527's fate. And over the next year, more than 500 wolves could be shot to death by hunters and government agents ... reducing the region's wolf population by a staggering 40 percent! But the story doesn't have to end as sadly as 527's life -- if everyone who cares about wolves speaks out against this carnage now. So please take a moment to join the national outcry to save wolves. Just click this link to tell the Interior Secretary to put wolves back on the Endangered Species list.

Ask NASA to End Radiation Experiments on Primates!--Please contact NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden Jr., and ask him to put a stop to these cruel experiments and waste of tax-payer dollars NASA is set to begin a new study to understand how the harsh radioactive environment of space affects human bodies and behavior. This new series of experiments will expose 18 – 28 squirrel monkeys to a low dose of radiation that astronauts traveling to Mars can expect to encounter. This study contradicts NASA’s Principles for the Ethical Care and Use of Animals, which states, “Vertebrate animals are sentient. …[I]nvestigators should consider that procedures that cause pain or distress in humans may cause pain or distress in other sentient animals.” The guidelines also state: “Methods such as mathematical models, computer simulation, and in vitro systems should be considered and used whenever possible.” NASA has already developed computer simulations at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory - where the primate studies will take place - that simulate the space radiation environment to investigate radiation effects. According to NASA, “The data on the amount of space radiation and its composition is now more available and well understood.” Moreover, animal experimentation is scientifically invalid because data from animal studies cannot be reliably extrapolated to humans. Because non-human primates are different from humans in a number of significant ways - physiologically, metabolically and chemically – they cannot adequately predict or duplicate human responses. NASA should instead direct its time and resources to developing equipment that will protect our astronauts from radiation exposure. Please contact NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden, Jr. and ask him to end these cruel and useless experiments.

Urgent Action: Yellowstone Wolf Pack Killed!--I have sad news. Yellowstone National Park’s famous Cottonwood Pack has just been destroyed -- all the adult wolves have been killed, and the surviving pups will likely die without the rest of their wolf family. The Cottonwoods are just some of the latest victims of the federal government’s likely illegal decision to eliminate vital protections for our wolves in Greater Yellowstone and the northern Rockies. Unless we are successful in urging Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to reverse this bad decision, hundreds more wolves will be killed. Please sign our petition and urge Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to immediately take action to restore protections for these amazing animals.

Cruelty to Dairy Cows Exposed--A new PETA undercover investigation inside a Land O'Lakes supplier facility in Pennsylvania has revealed routine neglect and cruelty to cows who are milked for the Fortune 250 company's products. Over the course of several months, the investigation documented deplorable, filthy conditions for cows on the farm, such as pens that were filled with deep excrement, and cows who suffered from ailments and conditions so severe that they collapsed and became "downers" but were not put out of their misery or given veterinary care in a timely manner, if at all. Land O'Lakes should send a strong message to this supplier and cease doing business with them. Currently, there are no laws protecting farm animals before they reach the slaughterhouse. Unfortunately, this sort of cruelty is legal under the Animal Welfare Act. In addition to contacting companies like Land O' Lakes, you can make a difference by choosing to not support any dairy company. Take Action
Tell Land O'Lakes CEO, Christopher Policinsk to end blatant cruelty against dairy cows living in filth at a Land O'Lakes supplier.
Sign an online petition http://tinyurl.com/yecnk73

Help Stop the Poisoning of Wildlife on Public Lands!--It's a dirty little secret: government agents spread deadly toxic poisons on public lands to kill wildlife at the behest of agribusiness. Tell the Secretary of Agriculture this shocking slaughter must end. Most Americans don't even know it's happening. But wolves, bears, bobcats and foxes are being senselessly poisoned. So are dogs. And their painful deaths and needless suffering are almost indescribable. Compound 1080, one of the killer toxins the government is using, can take up to 15 excruciating hours to kill. Sodium Cyanide is another poison used in powerful spring-loaded devices known as M-44s that are baited to attract animals. M-44s are distributed throughout our public forests and kill literally thousands of mammals every year. Many animals, including dogs, are unintended victims of this poison device. America's public forests and lands exist for our enjoyment and for the preservation of nature. They should be safe places for wildlife, our pets and our families. That's why NRDC is launching a massive national campaign to tell Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack that our public lands and forests are NO place for such deadly poisons. We need the Secretary to hear from millions of Americans! Please tell the Secretary where YOU stand: Tell Tom Vilsack you want the poisoning to end -- and you want it to end now.

Save Washington's Animals!--Many of you have contacted us with concerns over the recent announcement by interim King County Executive Kurt Triplett that he intends to eliminate the budget for King County Animal Care and Control (“KCACC”) in 2010, as well as with confusion over a new campaign to “Save KCACC.” We write to clarify our position on these issues, and to ask that you consider carefully before you join any campaign that advocates for an agency, rather than for the animals.

First, let us take the opportunity to thank you for what you do for the animals of this region. You are on the front lines of the animal rescue effort in our community, and we know that the work you do is often very difficult. We have worked for both large animal welfare organizations and small community rescues, as well as volunteering in animal shelters and as foster parents. We know that the work that each of you does is vital to the community's effort to save homeless pets, and you cannot be thanked often enough.

KCACC has been at the center of almost constant controversy for more than two years. We first became involved in this controversy as members of the KCACC Citizens' Advisory Committee in July 2007, and then as the co-founders of KCACC Exposed (www.KCACCExposed.org) in September 2008. Along with many of you, we are greatly saddened that King County's elected officials have not yet found a solution to the problems that have plagued KCACC for so long.

We have been openly critical of KCACC and its failure to enact basic reforms to humanely care for the animals in its custody, develop community partnerships, competently conduct animal cruelty and neglect investigations, and provide adequate animal control services. Our criticisms have been echoed by the 2007 report of the KCACC Citizens’ Advisory Committee and two 2008 reports by independent experts who investigated KCACC's operations. We expect that these continued concerns will be validated by an upcoming report by the King County Auditor, expected sometime this fall.

Over the past two years, we have advocated a variety of possible solutions to KCACC's problems. These have included pushing for fundamental reform at KCACC, exploring the possibility of contracting for animal sheltering with an area non-profit organization that could provide the animals with better care, and asking that the investigation of crimes such as animal cruelty be transferred to qualified law enforcement officers. However, we should make clear that we do not advocate, and have never advocated, the cessation of animal care and control services in King County. Such a result would clearly be a tragedy for the animals of the county. When Mr. Triplett made this proposal last month, we immediately spoke out against it, and were relieved when he soon backed away from his statement. (Please read our Blog on this issue at http://www.kcaccexposed.org/Blogs.aspx?ID=100126.)

Despite the fact that Mr. Triplett's proposal was quickly withdrawn, certain KCACC officers have sought to capitalize on the fear and uncertainty created by his announcement to demand that “KCACC” be “saved,” and are trying to organize a rally tomorrow to convey this message. This demand follows in the footsteps of two years worth of efforts by the Guild representing the KCACC officers to preserve KCACC (and the Guild jobs) no matter what the cost to the animals or the taxpayers. In pursuing this single-minded goal, Guild leadership has threatened King County with litigation should it seek to find a more humane and efficient way to provide animal services, and has engaged in a campaign to intimidate and slander KCACC’s critics and induce fear in the animal lovers of King County.

By contrast, we do not advocate for any particular agency. We advocate for the animals. We realize that because of certain limitations, King County may be forced to continue to provide at least some of its animal services through KCACC. If that is the case, we will continue to advocate for fundamental and lasting reforms at KCACC, as well as adequate funding, so that it can fulfill its moral responsibilities to both the animals and the people of this county. On the other hand, we know that KCACC has structural and cultural obstacles that will be difficult for it to overcome, so we hope that the elected officials of this county will continue to explore a better– more humane, more efficient, more responsible – way to provide animal care and control services. This may be through transferring some animal services to a different agency within the county, and by contracting for some services with a qualified non-profit (or non-profits) with a proven track record of providing humane care.

The county is now facing a time of great uncertainty, brought about by looming budget deficits, the upcoming election of a new county executive, and the threat of flooding from the Green River, which will likely force KCACC to close its Kent shelter this fall. If KCACC continues to exist, there is a significant danger that its services will be greatly curtailed as a result of the possible flood, its lack of alternate shelter facilities, and county budget constraints. Thus, a more creative solution may be necessary to preserve even current levels of services for the animals and the people of King County.

In this time of uncertainty, we believe that we can all join together in demanding that the King County Council and the King County Executive ensure that the homeless animals of King County have a shelter that provides them with humane care, and the best possible opportunity to be placed in new homes.

Therefore, we ask you to join us in conveying a message to our county officials that focuses on the animals, not the agency. Demand humane care. Demand thorough animal cruelty and neglect investigations. Demand animal control services to keep our communities safe. Demand adequate funding. But please , do not be persuaded to demand that King County “save” a particular agency, when the best result for the animals may very well lay in a more progressive solution.

We will continue to cover developments related to this issue on our website, www.KCACCExposed.org. In addition, please feel free to contact either one of us directly with your questions or concerns, at the email addresses listed below.

For the animals –

Kim Sgro (ksgro@aol.com)

Claire Davis (cldavis@wsgr.com)

Co-Chairs, KCACC Exposed

If you wish to contact the King County Council and King County Executive t o voice your concerns about the animals of King County, you may use the following email addresses:

King County Council:

bob.ferguson@kingcounty.gov; larry.gossett@kingcounty.gov; kathy.lambert@kingcounty.gov; larry.phillips@kingcounty.gov;20julia.patterson@kingcounty.gov; jane.hague@kingcounty.gov; pete.vonreichbauer@kingcounty.gov; dow.constantine@kingcoun ty.gov; reagan.dunn@kingcounty.gov; marilyn.cope@kingcounty.gov; jennifer.giambattista@kingcounty.gov; tom.bristow@kingcounty.gov

King County Executive: kcexec@kingcounty.gov

Jim Maddy, President and CEO
Association of Zoos & Aquariums
8403 Colesville Road, Suite 710
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3314
(P) 301-562-0777 X222
(F) 301-562-0888
(E) jmaddy@aza.org

Also write to the zoo in your community and request that it adopt a policy condemning the use of elephants in circuses and other entertainment venues. Find zoo contact information here.

Stop Aerial Killing of Wolves!--California Senator Dianne Feinstein -- joined by Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland -- recently introduced the Protect America's Wildlife (PAW) Act, federal legislation to stop the awful aerial wolf-killing programs championed by now-former governor Sarah Palin. The introduction of the PAW Act is a landmark opportunity to put an end to Alaska's aerial killing and prevent similar practices from spreading to other states. But our partners at Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund need our help to win passage of this important bill. Urge Senator Feingold and Senator Kohl to support the PAW Act and help put an end to the aerial gunning of wolves »

Save the Seals!--You can tell the Arctic ringed seal by the ring-shaped marks on its coat. But like other inhabitants of the Arctic region, the ringed seal's numbers are dwindling due to human activity. Take action to save the Arctic ringed seal >>

Save the Panthers!--A deer hunter sitting in a tree shot and killed a panther in Troup County, Georgia, last year. Because there are no wild panthers in Georgia, authorities weren't too concerned. After all, they thought, a nonexistent wild animal can't be endangered or protected. They thought wrong. Take action for America's wild cats >>

Save Idaho's Wolves!--Idaho's deadly wolf hunt began as scheduled on Tuesday, and Idaho has already confirmed the first wolf kill. Take action now»

Tell Congress to Protect Sharks!--The U.S. Senate's recess ends in a week and we need your help to ensure quick passage of a bill that would end shark finning in U.S. waters. The Shark Conservation Act of 2009, introduced by Senator John Kerry (D-MA) on Earth Day, would end shark finning by requiring that sharks be landed whole with their fins still attached to their bodies. Shark finning is the gruesome practice of slicing the fins off and then throwing the shark overboard to die. The fins are often used to make the Asian delicacy shark fin soup. Take Action! Tell your Senators to Protect Sharks NOW »

Take Action for Wild Horses!--Here's how our government "manages" wild horses: When the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) decides there are too many horses on our public lands, BLM rounds them up and keeps them in holding pens to adopt them out. But there aren't enough people to adopt all these horses, so last summer, BLM announced plans to kill 30,000 healthy wild horses rather than pay to care for them.
Slaughtering healthy animals to control populations should not be an option. Tell Congress to protect our wild horses now! »

Support HR 503 and S 727, Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2009--Tell your Representatives to Support HR 503 and S 727, Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2009. This bill would prohibit the shipping, transporting, moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donation of horses and other equines to be slaughtered for human consumption. This Bill is currently stalled in Committee. Take Action: Please contact your representatives and senators and ask them to support HR 503 and S 727.
Find Your U.S. Representative here:
http://www.house.gov/
Find Your U.S. Senators here:
http://www.senate.gov/

To learn more about the bills and for talking points, check out:
http://tinyurl.com/npjfgb
AND
http://tinyurl.com/nv56ko

Tell USDA "No More Factory Farms"!--Small farmers across the country are struggling to make ends meet, yet the USDA is helping new factory farms come on line by encouraging banks to give them guaranteed loans. Family farm groups from across the country are calling on the USDA to stop backing new factory farms. Can you take action to stop new factory farms?

Save the Wolves!--Yesterday, California Senator Dianne Feinstein -- joined by Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland -- introduced the Protect America's Wildlife (PAW) Act, federal legislation to stop the awful aerial wolf-killing programs championed by now-former governor Sarah Palin.
The introduction of the PAW Act is a landmark opportunity to put an end to Alaska's aerial killing and prevent similar practices from spreading to other states. But our partners at Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund need our help to win passage of this important bill. Urge Senator Feingold and Senator Kohl to support the PAW Act and help put an end to the aerial gunning of wolves »

Take Action for Vegetarian and Allergic School Children!--This year, Congress is reauthorizing the Child Nutrition Act, providing us with a tremendous opportunity to make non-dairy alternatives to cows’ milk available as an option for children in school cafeterias around the country.
Currently, virtually all children participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) are automatically served cows’ milk, despite the fact that as many as eight million schoolchildren are lactose intolerant, and countless others avoid cows’ milk for health, environmental and ethical reasons. Contact your congresspersons today and urge them to support amendments to the Child Nutrition Act that would make non-dairy alternatives to cows’ milk readily available to all schoolchildren.

Save the Wolves!--Since 2003, more than 1,000 wolves have been slaughtered under the State of Alaska's aerial wolf killing programs, shot dead by airborne gunners with high-powered rifles or chased to exhaustion and executed at point-blank range. Help stop this massacre today >

Ask the USDA to take the Elephants Away from Ringling Brothers Immediately--In 2009, PETA went undercover at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and captured Ringling workers on video as they beat and whipped elephants dozens of times in venues across the country. Video shows Ringling Bros. abusing animals http://tinyurl.com/m5x28k The 11 elephants used in the show—most of whom were captured in the wilds of Asia as early as 1957 and some of whom have spent more than 40 years with the circus—suffer month after month at the hands of Ringling and its crew. PETA documented workers as they struck elephants and tigers on the head, face, ears, trunk, legs, and other parts of their bodies with bullhooks and other abusive handling tools. Take Action: PETA has filed a formal complaint with the USDA, but officials also need to hear from you. Write to Secretary of Agriculture Thomas J. Vilsack and demand that the agency seize the elephants whom from Ringling. http://tinyurl.com/m9yv24

Oppose Puerto Rico’s Plan for a Massive Primate Breeding Facility--Join animal protection groups around the world in opposing the construction of a monkey-breeding facility in Puerto Rico. Bioculture, a company that sells primates to laboratories, reportedly wants to capture monkeys from their natural homes in Mauritius, imprison them in Puerto Rico. The proposed facility in Guayama City will, according to plans, breed many thousands of highly intelligent, sensitive macaques for export to research facilities in the United States and around the world, and potentially for on-site and/or local experimentation as well. Take Action: Please send a polite e-mail to Puerto Rican Governor Luis Fortuño and Congressmember Pedro Pierluisi and his staff asking them to put a stop to the construction of the monkey-breeding facility. Let them know that allowing such cruelty to root itself on Puerto Rico's shores will degrade the commonwealth's international standing. Check out the ALDF action alert to learn more and to see the form for contacting the Puerto Rican officials: http://tinyurl.com/kwkho8

Save Wolves from Aerial Hunting!--We’re making big progress in the fight to end Alaska’s barbaric aerial wolf-killing programs and stop programs like them from spreading to other states. Already, more than 70 U.S. representatives have signed on as original cosponsors of California Congressman George Miller’s Protect America’s Wildlife (PAW) Act, which would rein in Alaska’s out-of-control aerial slaughter of wolves. Unfortunately, your representative, Rep. Jim McDermott , has yet to join the fight to save our wolves and other wildlife. Take action now. Urge your U.S. representative to sign on as an original cosponsor of the PAW Act.

Ask Breast Cancer Charities to Use Nonanimal Research Methods--Your help is needed in contacting each of the individuals listed in the Action Alert link. In your own words, politely express your concern that they are conducting cruel and ineffective animal research that has not identified the causes of breast cancer or an effective treatment. Ask that they follow the lead of other organizations that conduct ethical and effective, human-centered research. http://tinyurl.com/ng6bj3 (pcrm action alert)

Stop Military Use of Live Animals for Cruel Experiments!--It's a horrifying prospect. The United States military currently uses live animals in medical training programs. In one training course, vervet monkeys are given a toxic dose of a drug that causes seizures and difficulty breathing and can result in death. In another course, an instructor cuts a live goat with a scalpel to create traumatic wounds, causing severe bleeding. End this cruelty today >>

Tell Iceland to Stop Whaling!--On Friday, Icelandic whale hunters brought in their first big catch of the season: two endangered fin whales. The whales were carved up for their meat. Tell Iceland to stop whaling now and save these peaceful giants of the ocean »

Take Action to Protect California's Cows from Tail-Docking!--Many large-scale dairy producers routinely cut off a large portion of their cows’ tails, causing acute and chronic pain. The California Senate recently passed a bill to ban this cruel and unnecessary practice, but the dairy industry is telling assembly-members to oppose the measure. Your voice is needed to ensure that this bill becomes law! Contact your state assembly public safety committee members today urging them to support this important legislation. Time is of the essence, as the committee will decide next Tuesday, June 23, whether to allow the full Assembly to vote on this bill.

Take Action for Feral Cats!--More than 70 percent of cats who enter our nation's animal pounds and shelters are killed each year. That's 7 in 10 cats! It's going on all across America. And it's got to stop. Pledge to be part of the solution! >>

Save the Jaguars!--The U.S.-Mexico borderlands are home to thousands of species of wildlife – including endangered jaguars and ocelots.
But the construction of an enormous border wall and hundreds of miles of roads will have devastating impacts for the surrounding wildlife and communities – and could doom hopes for recovery of jaguars and ocelots in the U.S. Fortunately, there is a better way. The Border Security and Responsibility Act (H.R. 2076) introduced by Rep. Raul Grijalva (AZ) will secure our borders and protect our wildlife and wild places. Please urge your Representative to support legislation that secures our border and protects our wildlife »

Help Retire the 26 Elder Chimpanzees at the New Iberia Research Center!--Of all the stories to come out of the undercover investigation of the New Iberia Research Center (NIRC), some of the saddest are those of chimpanzees like Simba, who was caught in the wild in 1967 (nearly 40 years ago), and Karen, who was caught in the wild in 1958 (more than 50 years ago), both of whom have spent their lives since then behind bars in laboratories. Simba and Karen are two of 26 elderly chimpanzees at NIRC who have languished in laboratories after being taken from their mothers in the wild. Take Action Please contact Dr. Barbara Alving, the Director of the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR)—the center under the National Institutes for Health (NIH) responsible for the oversight and maintenance of the federally-owned chimpanzee colony—and ask her to retire these chimpanzees to sanctuary before it's too late. It is estimated that within the next five years at least half of these 26 chimpanzees will have passed away. See HSUS Action Alert to see the sample letter and contact info--https://community.hsus.org/campaign/US_2009_NCRR_Alving Government officials often get a lot of email, so it is important to personalize the subject line and text below to make your message stand out and have a greater impact.

Speak Out for Bats!--Bats play an essential role in healthy ecosystems and should be protected. These often misunderstood animals -- the world’s only mammals that truly fly -- can consume up to one-third of their own body weight in insects that might otherwise transmit diseases or threaten our forests and crops. Unfortunately, an emerging disease is killing North America’s bats. The mysterious white-nose syndrome has already claimed the lives of an estimated one million bats, yet scientists still know very little about how to stop -- or even slow -- the spread of this terrible disease. Take Action Help save bats! Urge your U.S. Representative and Senators to support vital steps to fight white-nose syndrome. Find Your U.S. Representative here: http://www.house.gov/ Find other U.S. Senators here: http://www.senate.gov/ For more information, and tips on what to say in your letter, check out the Defenders Action Alert: http://tinyurl.com/nrgur7

Take Action for Circus Elephants!--It's heart-wrenching. Baby elephants are ripped away from their mothers and forced into a life of abuse and humiliation that is reinforced with bullhooks, whips and electric prods. Don't allow animal abuse to continue at the circus! >>

Save the Wolves!--Alaska's cruel and unscientific aerial gunning programs have killed at least 1,074 wolves since 2003 -- and at least 251 since November 2008. Your U.S. representative, Rep. Jim McDermott , has yet to sign on as an original co-sponsor of legislation to end this terrible program. Angela, we need your help today to convince Rep. McDermott to act to end the killing. Please take action to save our wolves!

Take Action to Protect African Lions!--Lions in Kenya are dying horrific deaths from carbofuran pesticide poisoning, a toxic chemical used on crops. Unfortunately, once one animal has been poisoned, its carcass attracts other wildlife, poisoning animals and predators up the food chain – including the iconic and beautiful African lions. Urge Kenya to enact a ban on carbofuran pesticide and protect these majestic, wild lions »

Congress Must Act to Protect Former Pets from Research--The National Academies' Institute for Laboratory Animal Research, which advises the federal government and the public on issues related to the use of animals in research, recently released a report entitled “Scientific and Humane Issues in the Use of Random-Source Dogs and Cats in Research.” AAVS commends the National Academies for finding that random source animals from Class B dealers are not necessary for NIH related research. AAVS encourages Congress to go further by eliminating the use of all random source animals in research. Take action now!

Deny License Renewals for AWA Violators--Regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), legislation outlining the minimal standards of care for animals in research and other industries, random-source Class B dealers typically obtain dogs and cats from shelters and then sell them to education and research facilities. Currently, there are 10 random-source Class B dealers operating in the U.S., and the majority have been cited by USDA for multiple violations of the AWA, including C&C Kennels (Wewoka, Oklahoma) and R&R Research (Howard City, Michigan). Random-source Class B dealers have committed violations that range from failure to provide clean, safe housing and adequate veterinary care and treatment to obtaining animals from illegal sources. Although USDA considers these dealers high risk, the agency continues to allow them to retain their licenses. As a result, these dealers are profiting from animal pain and misfortune. In fact, random-source Class B dealers have pocketed well over $3.5 million over the course of just three years, despite their unscrupulous activities. Rather than continuing to repeatedly cite random-source Class B dealers with AWA violations, USDA should terminate their licenses. Take Action Contact USDA and urge the agency to eliminate random-source Class B dealers. You may use the sample letter provided in the action alert link if you wish, or edit it so that it is in your own words.
Dr. Chester Gipson
USDA/APHIS/AC
4700 River Road, Unit 84
Riverdale, MD 20737-1234
E-mail: ace@aphis.usda.gov
Phone: (301) 734-7833g

For more information, check out the AAVS Action Alert: http://tinyurl.com/muholq (aavs)

Save the Wolves!--Since 2003, the State of Alaska has allowed private citizens in aircraft to chase down and kill more than 1,000 wolves. But Congressman George Miller is planning to re-introduce the Protect America's Wildlife (PAW) Act, federal legislation to end the controversial practice of using aircraft and gunmen to chase and kill wolves. Urge your U.S. Representative to support the PAW Act as an original cosponsor of this important legislation »

Take Action to Protect Elephants!--IDA is deeply saddened to report that the elephant Ned, who was confiscated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in November 2008 and sent to The Elephant Sanctuary thanks to the diligence of IDA, has passed away. Ned's sad life was filled with abuse and suffering, but in his last six months he finally experienced love, caring and trust. Despite the sanctuary's heroic efforts to heal Ned, his body appears to have been too damaged from his years of abuse. Only 21 years old, Ned left us far too soon. Amazingly, he died just 12 hours after the passing of Bunny, another of the sanctuary’s elephants and the first to die from natural causes related to old age. Ned’s passing is a tragic reminder of the inaction of the USDA, which waited until Ned was at death's door before confiscating him. Our staff will work hard in Ned's memory to force the USDA to fulfill its mandate to uphold our nation's animal welfare laws before it is too late for Tina, Jewel, Queenie, Val and other elephants who are victims of abuse at the hands of the circus and zoo industries. Email Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and demand that his agency start to enforce the Animal Welfare Act to protect elephants. The USDA must start by confiscating Jewel, Tina and Queenie and send them to an elephant sanctuary.

Take Action to Protect Wildlife on US Border!--The borderlands of the U.S. and Mexico are home to thousands of species of wildlife -- including endangered jaguars and ocelots. But the construction of an enormous border wall and hundreds of miles of roads will have devastating impacts for the surrounding wildlife and communities -- and could doom hopes for recovery of jaguars and ocelots in the U.S. There is a better way. The Border Security and Responsibility Act (H.R. 2076) introduced by Rep. Raul Grijalva (AZ) will secure our borders and protect our wildlife and wild places. Write your Representative today and ask him or her to support legislation that secures our border and protects our wildlife.

Save the Sharks!--It's shocking that a practice like "finning" still goes on in U.S. waters. I'm talking about slicing off a shark's valuable fins for soup and tossing the body back into the sea. Help us protect sharks and end this wasteful practice. »

Save the Whales!--The people of Iceland have chosen a new Prime Minister, Johanna Sigurdardottir. A well known opponent Iceland's whaling whaling, before the election, Ms Sigurdardottir's interim government made clear its opposition to Iceland’s whaling legacy. In the coming month, while the Prime Minister and her colleagues are busy creating a new government and working to regenerate the nation’s economy, Iceland has a real chance to end decades of damaging policy, by becoming a world leader in whale conservation. Click here to write to Iceland's Prime Minister now.

Save the Sheep!--Five years ago after a tragic accident involving the death of five thousand sheep on a transport ship, the government of New Zealand made the humane decision to stop the long distance transport of sheep - But now that decision is in danger of being overturned and we need your help to ensure that the ban remains in place. New Zealand's Minister of Agriculture recently revealed that the country is negotiating to resume the live export of sheep for slaughter to Saudi Arabia. If this trade is restarted tens of thousands of sheep will be subjected to torturous 20-day land and sea voyages every year - stuffed into cramped and filthy containers, thousands will die along the way from starvation, dehydration and disease, while those who survive will be subjected to further cruelty and suffering only to be slaughtered at journey's end. Your voice is crucial to send a strong message to New Zealand As New Zealand's second largest export market, the US plays a significant role in the country's economy - each year New Zealand exports $3 billion worth of goods to the US. Because New Zealand has an international reputation as a responsible exporter of agricultural products to protect, Americans have the power to influence the decision on whether live sheep exports in New Zealand resume. Make your voice heard for thousands of sheep - ask New Zealand to stand firm against the cruelty of live export.

Save the Sharks!--As the new spokesperson for Oceana's campaign to protect sharks, I'm excited to dive in to my first task: urging Congress to pass the Shark Conservation Act of 2009. The bill, which was introduced by Senator John Kerry (D-MA) on Earth Day, would end shark finning by requiring that sharks be landed whole with their fins still attached to their bodies. Please join me in protecting the ocean's top predators. Take Action! Tell your Senator to Protect Sharks

Take Action to Protect Grizzly Bears!--In the next few weeks, the U.S. Forest Service plans to reopen a road that runs through the heart of grizzly bear habitat in Wyoming's Sweetwater Valley. Please go to www.savebiogems.org/bears/takeaction and urge the Forest Service to keep the road permanently closed.

A Prescription for Disaster--As factory farms have crammed more animals into tighter spaces, pharmaceuticals have become regular tools of the trade, leading to unintended consequences: more antibiotic resistant germs. Now legislation has been introduced in Congress to stop this reckless behavior. Take action.

Save the Wolves!--Washington residents were thrilled to learn this summer that gray wolves had returned, on their own, to the mountains of the North Cascades. Last July, Conservation Northwest helped document and track Washington's only known family of endangered wild wolves, dubbed the "The Lookout Pack." Sadly, we broke the news last week that at least one, possibly two, of the nine wolves in the pack was killed by poachers. Two residents of Twisp are suspected of illegally trapping and shooting two wolves, including one of the pups photographed by Conservation Northwest this summer. This latest news, coming at such a delicate phase of wolf recovery, is just one of a string of recent stories of illegal wildlife killing to come out of Washington State. Please write our elected officials with the message that Washington cares about its endangered wildlife and wants to see the recovery of wolves in our state. Send a message to Washington's Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell supporting Washington's endangered wildlife.

Ban the Gas Chamber for Animals in Michigan!--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. Sign today to ban the cruel practice of euthanasia by gas chamber. >>

Help End the Sale of Fur at Nordstrom--Nordstrom is a local, fourth generation family business that has a solid customer service reputation, and a name that evokes a sense of responsibility and success. Why then does the Nordstrom Family continue to sully its reputation with ties to the fur industry? Despite making a pledge in the 1990s that they would not sell fur, Nordstroms has gone back on its word and has had fur in their stores since 2001. Take Action Help Nordstrom make the right choice by boycotting their stores. Contact Nordstroms and tell them why you refuse to shop there until they remove all of the fur from their stores for good. Please keep your message polite, positive, and on point about the animal suffering. Let Nordstrom know that you will not be a customer again until they stop carrying all fur items.

Nordstrom Corporate Offices
President Blake Nordstrom
1700 Seventh Avenue, Suite 300
Seattle, WA 98101
206-373-4331

For more information on what you can do, contact matt@idausa.org

Urge Congress to Include Vegetarian Options in School Lunches--Many school cafeterias serve greasy, unhealthy food. Bad food is unfair to the children that have no other lunch options and can risk their health over the long run. But now is the time for you to ask Congress for the healthy school lunches that children deserve. Take Action This petition urges Congress to include vegetarian and vegan options in school lunches. http://www.healthyschoollunches.org/wyntergrace/ Better yet, contact your Senators and Representatives and tell them that students deserve healthy foods—more vegetables, fruits, vegetarian foods, and healthful nondairy beverages. Find Your U.S. Representative here:
http://www.house.gov/ Find your U.S. Senators here: http://www.senate.gov/

Ask Coca-Cola to Enforce Their Animal Welfare Policies--As Shark ( http://www.sharkonline.org/ ) has discovered, Coca-Cola is a huge rodeo sponsor in spite of their corporate policy against supporting events where there is a risk of animals being injured. Currently, Coca-Cola is supporting animal abuse by sponsoring rodeos. They are starting to feel the pressure from animal advocates, so we need to keep contacting them. The animals need you to make your voice heard at Coca-Cola. Take Action Contact Coca-Cola and demand all of their bottlers and affiliates stop sponsoring rodeos and adhere to the company's official policy: "The Coca-Cola Company does not endorse or condone any practice of cruelty to animals, and the Company does not sponsor or promote events where there is a risk of physical harm to animals."

Muhtar Kent
President and CEO The Coca-Cola Company
P.O. Box 1734
Atlanta, GA 30301

Board of Directors The Coca-Cola Company
P.O. Box 1734
Atlanta, GA 30301
Phone: (770) 989-3000

Toll Free: (800) 438-2653 (GET-COKE)
Send an email through Coca-Cola's website:
http://tinyurl.com/cnndvo

The Seal Slaughter Has Begun - Take Action--Canada’s slaughter of baby seals has begun. The Canadian government will allow sealers to kill 338,200 seals this year. These defenseless animals have their skulls smashed in or are shot and then skinned for their fur.
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 you should call on the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee (VANOC) to use its clout to help stop the Canadian seal slaughter. Take Action Please call VANOC CEO John Furlong at 1-877-408-2010 and urge VANOC to use its influence to help put an end to this carnage. Even if you have taken action before, it is vital that you make your voice heard now and urge everyone you know to do the same. Please also check out PETA's Action Alert for more information on what you can do
http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/seal_hunt_09

Don't allow Factory Farms to be exempt from the Clean Air Act --A bill (S 527) introduced by Sens. John Thune (R-SD) and Charles Schumer (D-NY) aims to exempt factory farms from the Clean Air Act and prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from enacting a “cow tax” on the methane emissions generated by animal agriculture. Factory farms, generating more than three times the amount of waste produced by Americans annually, are destroying the environment. The EPA sourced the rise in dangerous methane emissions to the current trend toward confining pigs and dairy cows in larger, more industrialized facilities. In addition, they tied the rise in nitrous oxide emissions (another potent greenhouse gas) to the heavy concentration and overall expansion of the poultry industry. To track the progress of S 527, see:
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-s527/show Take Action Don’t let livestock producers shirk their responsibility! Contact your U.S. senators today to let them know this bill stinks. Send a quick and easy e-mail telling them to vote NO on S. 527 Check out Farm Sanctuary's Action Alert for more information and to view a sample letter: http://www.farmsanctuary.org/get_involved/alert_s527_cowtax.html

Save the Wolves!--With the lives of nearly 1,000 wolves in Greater Yellowstone and the Northern Rockies at stake, compassionate people like you are really stepping up to help save our wolves! Last week, dedicated supporters like you logged more than 6,700 calls to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service protesting the Department of Interior’s deadly decision to eliminate vital federal protections for wolves in Idaho and Montana -- a decision that could lead to the slaughter of more than two-thirds of the region’s wolves. Now help us take our message to the top! Send an email to President Obama now and urge him to maintain Endangered Species Act protections for these wolves.

Take Action for Farm Animals!--Under the previous regulations, a case-by-case assessment was made of cattle that went down at the slaughterhouse after passing the pre-slaughter inspection. The loopholes encouraged slaughterhouse workers to get cattle to stand and walk on their own, dragging them by the ears and tails, prodding them with electric shocks, even dragging them with chains and pushing them with forklifts, because an animal deemed a downer meant a loss in profits. While the meat industry pushed to allow sick and non-ambulatory cattle to enter the food chain amid the mad-cow disease scare (a reality the country has yet to truly confront), and hung on during an exposé of a California slaughterhouse that led to the largest meat recall in U.S. history, the Obama Administration moved quickly to address some of our longstanding concerns. Since its inception, Farm Sanctuary has advocated an end to downed animal abuse and urged the USDA to ban their marketing. Our No Downers Campaign was founded in the belief that if downed animals are prevented from entering the food supply, producers would have less of an incentive to maintain the status quo of pushing these animals past their biological limits at any and all costs. Through the years that we have waged this campaign, we have worked for passage of the first laws in this country to end the marketing of downed animals, we have seen slaughterhouses and stockyards convicted of cruelty, and we have rescued and come to the aid of hundreds of downed animals. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said this new rule "is a step forward for both food safety and the standards for humane treatment of animals." Yet it is just a step and more steps are needed. The USDA needs to extend these same protections to all species—pigs, sheep, goats and other livestock who are disabled due to the intensity of factory farming and the push to maximize profits at the expense of living animals. Please take a few minutes to contact Secretary Vilsack, thank him for closing the loopholes for downed cattle, and urge him to expand the umbrella of protection to other animals.

Take Action for Horses!--With a new Congress, we have an amazing opportunity to make this the year to finally ban the cruel transport of horses for slaughter for human consumption on U.S. soil as well as in other countries. Almost as many American horses were sent to slaughter in 2008 as in 2007, making the passage of federal legislation to ban slaughter more urgent than ever. The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2009 (H.R. 503) will prevent the slaughter of American horses for human consumption -- here and in other countries. It is critical that you weigh in with your federal legislators to let them know you want horse slaughter stopped as soon as possible. Ask your Representative to co-sponsor and vote in favor of H.R. 503. Click here to take action.

Take Action for Washington's Wildlife!--How did the bear cross the road? Safely, if we have anything to do with it! As you’ve probably heard, Congress has finally approved a stimulus package that will provide funds to help each state fuel its economy, generate jobs and improve its infrastructure. These funds can also help save the lives of thousands of animals in the Cascades. And we can make it happen just by urging Governor Gregoire and Secretary of Transportation, Paula Hammond, to dedicate a portion of the federal stimulus funds to help wildlife cross our roads safely. Ask your state leaders to invest in safe passage for wildlife.

Save the Whales!--We have received worrying rumours of a political deal that could result in increased whaling off the coast of Japan - threatening already endangered whales. We need your your help in ensuring that this deal is killed off - and not the whales. According to leaked reports from a closed door meeting in Hawaii, the International Whaling Commission is currently considering a proposal that would involve the trading of a small reduction in the quota of whales that Japan hunts in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, in return for an agreed increase in hunting minke whales off the coast of Japan. Of greatest concern is that one of the minke whale populations in this areas is listed as endangered. The only acceptable agreement would be a complete end to Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary - but we cannot let this happen at the cost of endangered whales in the North Pacific. The most disturbing information about these reports is that the United States IWC Commissioner and the US Chair of the IWC seem to be at the forefront of the proposal. Both are appointees from the Bush administration who are still in place, and already attempting to undermine Obama's foreign policy on whaling. It is clear that there are many, many big issues on President Obama's plate in his first week in the Oval Office. His words and action on climate change and other environmental issues are very welcome but if the news reports are true, then this issue simply cannot wait. While on the campaign trail, President Obama's position was unequivocal - no commercial whaling and stronger international regulations on whaling. Take Action! Ask the US to stop negotiating at the expense of endangered whales

Tell the Discovery Channel to Put a Leash on Man vs. Wild!--Visit http://extweb.discovery.com/viewerrelations and tell the Discovery Channel that Bear Gryll's consistent torturing and eating of live animals on the show has to stop. A HEAL Supporter wrote: "Some time ago we have an opportunity to see Discovery Channel TV, and between others we can follow a “Man vs. Wild” TV show. That TV show is full of animal exploitation in a worst possible manner. It is not matter of taste, it is not about changing the channel. Every time when that evil man appears, he eats few animals, alive. Last night that passed all limits of tolerance. He killed, he has eaten alive a small lizard. Then he found a small scorpion, he detached its stickler by knife, he eaten the scorpion while it was still alive. After that he found a corpse of zebra killed by lions, he took a knife and cut a peaces of meat. Every TV show is like that. Not any respect toward animals, insects, that creatures which share this Planet with us was shown." Please write the Discovery Channel and ask them to reign in Mr. Gryll and stop the needless exploitation and torture of our fellow creatures. You can do this here: http://extweb.discovery.com/viewerrelations

End Cruel Confinement Nationwide--California voters approved Prop 2 on Election Day 2008, banning battery cages, gestation crates and veal crates in their state. Please take action now to ask your state legislators to ban these cruel farm animal confinement systems in your home state.

Take Action for Polar Bears!--We're at a pivotal moment in our history: President-elect Barack Obama takes office in just 28 days. And when he does, we'll deliver 50,000 petitions from people like you calling on his administration to reverse the anti-environmental policies of the Bush era to stop global warming and save the polar bear. Please sign the petition now at www.SaveThePolarBear.org.

Take Action for Turkeys!--The findings of PETA's most recent undercover investigation are so shocking and the need for action is so urgent that we're sending this message to everyone on our contact list! If you don't want to receive another e-mail from peta2 ever again, please click the link at the bottom of this email. The holiday season is upon us, but for turkeys on factory farms, there is nothing to be thankful for. PETA has just released video footage from an undercover investigation that reveals a rarely seen side of the turkey industry. I must warn you that the cruelty to turkeys that we found is horrifying and heart-wrenching. Men shoved feces and feed down turkeys' throats and held turkeys' heads under water. One worker bragged about jamming a broom stick 2 feet down a turkey's throat because the turkey had pecked at the worker's back. The same man mimicked raping a turkey hen whom he had pinned against a shed floor. Others told PETA's investigator that they had killed turkeys, including by hitting them with pieces of lumber and pipes. Workers broke turkeys' necks, sometimes leaving them to suffer for several minutes before trying again or stomping on their heads. A supervisor said that he saw workers kill 450 turkeys with 2-by-4s. Many of the workers kicked and violently threw turkeys, and hens' beaks were cut with dull pliers. You can watch video footage from the investigation here. Now that our undercover investigator has exposed what the turkey industry does not want America to see, we need you to help turkeys on factory farms by writing to the National Turkey Federation (NTF) and asking it to support PETA's seven-point animal welfare plan, which would help reduce the suffering of turkeys.

Take Action Against Puppy Mill Profiteering!--Maybe you saw Oprah’s show on puppy mills earlier this year, and wondered how this cruelty can persist and who’s responsible. Today, The Humane Society of the United States released the results of a shocking investigation showing that pet store chain Petland Incorporated is the nation's largest retail supporter of puppy mills. The cruelty must end – watch our video and take action today. Our national, eight-month investigation shows that Petland stores in multiple states are marketing dogs from cruel puppy mills to unsuspecting dog buyers. The investigation into Petland stores in Florida, Indiana, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, and other states revealed that many of the puppies sold at these stores came from massive commercial breeders in Missouri and other states in the Midwest where hundreds of breeding dogs are packed into filthy, crowded cages. Most of the puppies bred at puppy mills are eventually sold over the Internet or through pet stores, including many Petlands in the U.S. The unseen victims are the mother dogs who are forced to live their entire lives behind bars – without exercise, without socialization, without ever being part of a family or even seeing the outside of their cages.

Tell the Susan G. Komen Foundation to Cut Out Animal Research--Every 12 minutes, a woman in America succumbs to breast cancer, but the Susan G. Komen Foundation continues to waste funds on cruel, outdated, and unreliable animal tests as the clock ticks on cancer patients' lives. Doing nothing that will actually help in a real "Race for the Cure," the Susan G. Komen Foundation has instead focused its time and your money on infecting mice and rats with breast cancer. These tests are extremely cruel to mice and rats—who, like all animals, experience pain and anguish—and the tests are also completely inaccurate because of the vast physiological variations between species.
Take Action Check out PETA's Action Alert for more information on contacting the Susan G Komen Foundation: http://tinyurl.com/3sjcab

Tell NIH To Stop Testing Nicotine On Animals!--Every year in the U.S., hundreds of animals are harmed and killed in experiments to test the effects of nicotine and tobacco. Since 2002 alone, the NIH has spent at least $16.5 million to conduct nicotine experiments on pregnant and newborn animals. This appalling figure does not reflect the total cost of all nicotine research on animals, which numbers far higher (into the millions), but only that which focuses on nicotine’s effect on fetal and newborn development. Take Action: Please check out IDA's Action Alert here and tell the NIH what you think about wasteful and cruel experimentation: http://ga0.org/campaign/NIH_Nicotine

Take Action for Wolves!--I have some sad news. Unfortunately, Alaska voters defeated a ballot initiative yesterday that would have ended the state’s brutal aerial hunting program. Thousands of Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund supporters gave invaluable support to this important campaign, but in the end, deep-pocketed special interests carried the day. This morning, I spoke with Nick Jans, co-chair of Alaskans for Wildlife, our grassroots partners in The Last Frontier who spearheaded the state ballot initiative to end Alaska’s brutal aerial hunting program. He wanted me to pass on this message to you:

Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund will continue to partner with groups like Alaskans for Wildlife and our sister organization Defenders of Wildlife to end Alaska’s slaughter from the skies. As we prepare for another bloody season of aerial hunting in Alaska, we are redoubling our efforts to pass the Protect America’s Wildlife (PAW) Act in Washington, DC to bring an end to Alaska’s aerial hunting program -- and prevent programs like it from spreading to places like the Greater Yellowstone region. This bill already has strong bipartisan support in the House of Representatives -- now we must ensure that this important bill gets passed. Please take a moment to write to your Representative in Washington, DC and urge him or her to support this important wildlife-saving legislation today.

Save the Leatherback Turtles!--Shhhh. Did you hear that? That was the sound of another species doomed with extinction. And that's the problem. There was no sound. No loud explosion. No sonic boom. No tremor that shakes the world when another beautiful creature goes extinct. Instead magnificent creatures like the leatherback turtle slip nearer to the edge in utter silence every 20 minutes. That's about 3 species every hour. 72 of Mother Nature's precious creatures each day. A devastating 500 a week and a world-changing 26,000 a year. In fact, right now the world's largest turtle and the second largest reptile on the planet, the leatherback, may be nothing more than a memory in a few decades if current rates of loss continue. Angela, we're talking about an incredible creature that has survived on this planet for more than 100,000,000 years. Yet populations of these sweethearts of the sea have declined by more than 80% in many areas thanks to pollution, poaching and commercial development, not to mention the potential for climate change to cause havoc, such as raising water levels and swallowing up their nesting areas beach by beach. But you can give a voice to these helpless creatures and help stop the extinction clock for the leatherback turtles and all species right now, simply by signing our petition

Save the Seals!--As you read this, fishermen in Canada are preparing for the 2008 seal hunt. They will kill an astonishing 275,000 seals, almost all of them babies just weeks old. The Humane Society of the United States' ProtectSeals team is also preparing. We'll be on the ice, too -- documenting the cruel realities of the largest commercial slaughter of marine mammals. Will you stand with us and help us tell the world what is happening? Here are two steps you can take to speak out against the hunt and spread the word on how we can end it. Help send a strong message to the Canadian government to end the seal slaughter. The hunt is opposed by the overwhelming majority of people in Canada and around the world, and Canada's Minister of International Trade, David Emerson, is in a unique position to stop it. But he must be convinced that the seal hunt damages Canada's economy and international reputation. Contact the Canadian Minister of International Trade and urge him to end the seal hunt.

A first for the anti-bullfighting movement--The United against Cruelty conference, taking place February 21 and 22 in Barcelona, will be the first time that representatives from such diverse fields as animal welfare, politics, science, art and media gather to share their unique perspectives on the cruelty of bullfighting. WSPA and our member society Asociación Defensa Derechos Animal (ADDA) are hosting the conference. Delegates will also support a resolution encouraging the Catalan Parliament to push forward with a proposed ban on bullfighting in the region, which when passed will relegate this cruel 'sport' to the past once and for all. Sign our petition to end cruel bullfighting in Catalonia >>

‘Wildlife Survival’ Depends on You--Capitol Hill could finally lend a hand to polar bears and other wildlife that are facing a grim future due to global warming. Last month, the Global Warming Wildlife Survival Act -- crucial legislation already passed in the House -- was introduced in the Senate. Urge your Senators to be a part of the solution to global warming -- tell them to co-sponsor this important bill today!

The Last Stand for Polar Bears: As news becomes ever more grim for polar bears, we finally have a chance to permanently safeguard the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge -- one of the most important habitats they have left. Write your elected officials today and urge them to support the Udall-Eisenhower Arctic Wilderness Act (H.R. 39), a bill that would permanently protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. In a report issued last week, the government’s top scientists have painted a bleak picture: polar bears will likely disappear entirely from Alaska within 50 short years due to a drastic decline in Arctic sea ice. To make matters worse, ExxonMobil and other big oil companies continue to push for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge -- one of the most important onshore denning habitats for America’s remaining polar bears. With around 400 crude oil and toxic spills each year, the Prudhoe oil field (just 30 miles west of the Arctic Refuge) is testament to the destruction that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge would face if Big Oil were allowed in. Now, we have a chance to safeguard this special place -- permanently. The Udall-Eisenhower Arctic Wilderness Act will make the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge forever off limits to Big Oil’s rigs -- and give America’s polar bears a fighting chance to survive. Butto preserve the Arctic Refuge for good, your elected officials must hear from you. Tell Congress to support this legislation. It is vital to protecting our remaining polar bears and other Arctic wildlife.

Urge Veg Rockers Not to Perform at Brutal Rodeo-- Tell Def Leppard and Bon Jovi that animal cruelty isn't cool: http://www.idausa.org/campaigns/sport/rodeo/alert_070620.html

Ask Unilever to Stop Testing Food and Beverages on Animals: Companies like Unilever (maker of Lipton Tea and other food products) continue to conduct and fund needless tests on animals simply to substantiate health claims or assure product safety. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states: "[T]he Agency is not aware of any circumstances that would result in the FDA requiring a food or beverage company to conduct laboratory experiments on animals ..." We need your help to urge these companies to end their animal tests. Please write to them at the addresses shown below:

Unilever
Michael B. Polk (Group VP and President, Americas)
Unilever PLC
700 Sylvan Ave.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632
201-894-4000
1-877-995-4483
201-871-8257 (fax)
comments@unilever.com
patrick.cescau@unilever.com (Unilever's group chief executive and director, based in the U.K.)

Tell Army to End Rodeo Sponsorship: Every year, the U.S. Army gives about $2 million of taxpayers' money to the Professional Rodeo Cowboys' Association (PRCA) and the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) in hopes of recruiting soldiers into their ranks. The cash is spent on sponsoring cowboys who cruelly treat unwilling horses, calves, and bulls like nothing more than living sports equipment in their pursuit of fame and riches. Please send an email to the Department of Defense politely urging them to immediately stop the Army from using taxpayer money to support rodeo cruelty: http://www.defenselink.mil/faq/comment.aspx Click on "Ask a Question/Submit a Comment"

Tell the Pope, No Fur!--Sign petition now at: http://www.petitiononline.com/FauxFur/petition.html

SAVE THE MANATEES: Please click on the link below to to send an quick and easy online letter to Governor Crist and the FWC Commission, asking them to delay the downlisting of the Florida manatee and fix the state's modified classification system. Take action at:
www.savethemanatee.org/actionalert.cfm?id=20

Save the Sharks: Please contact the Washington, D.C. restaurants that still sell shark fin products and politely request that they immediately stop supporting this industry. Take action: www.idausa.org/campaigns/marine/support_070404.html

SAY NO TO MINING IN GRIZZLY HABITAT: The Cline Mining Corporation wants to gouge a heavily polluting coal mine out of the Flathead River Valley, a thriving Rocky Mountain habitat for grizzly bears that straddles the border of Montana and British Columbia. We need your immediate action to block this dangerous open-pit mining scheme, which would poison the headwaters of the Flathead River and jeopardize the survival of downstream populations of imperiled grizzly bears, wolves, cutthroat trout and other wildlife. Please go to http://www.savebiogems.org/bears/takeaction and urge the British Columbia government to protect the spectacular wildlands and wildlife of the Flathead basin by rejecting the Cline Mining Corporation's reckless plan.

Help end Washington’s deadliest horse race: Each year in mid August, Omak, a small town in Eastern Washington State, proudly promotes an event called The World-Famous Suicide Race. Although the name suggests it’s not a race for the weak at heart, the reality is it’s literally murder on horses. Many of the horses, “on-loan” for the event, have suffered heart attacks from over exertion, broken bones from collisions, shocking tumbles, and even gruesome deaths by drowning. Practices for the race have already started. The official event is August 10-13. There is still time to make a difference this year! Check out this link to see what you can do to help: http://www.paws.org/outreach/campaigns/omak.php

Help Save these Chickens! : Yes, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) rabbits are not actually rabbits, but chickens. This isn't the first time the USDA has changed the meaning of commonly understood words. Perhaps you remember when the agency declared that ketchup was a vegetable. USDA officials have a well-established pattern of playing word games to avoid compliance with federal laws. And they're at it again. This time, they're doing it to avoid enforcing the federal Humane Slaughter Act—the law requiring animals to be rendered unconscious before they're butchered. Fifty years ago, the USDA lobbied against passage of the Humane Slaughter Act. Today, USDA officials continue to do everything in their power to not enforce that law. As a result, farm animals—from cattle to pigs to horses—are often subjected to the pain and terror of being brutally skinned, immersed in scalding water, and dismembered while still fully conscious. And when it comes to smaller animals, the USDA doesn't even pretend to protect them from cruelty. Species that the USDA deems to be "poultry", including the 9 billion chickens and turkeys slaughtered each year, are excluded from the Humane Slaughter Act. Amazingly, the USDA has arbitrarily decided to classify rabbits as "poultry". This has resulted in nothing short of torture at the slaughterhouse. For some rabbits, this means having their throats sliced open while they're fully conscious and struggling. For others, it means having their necks broken or being struck in the head with a metal pipe or a piece of wood. "The animals are completely aware of what's happening and are fighting for their lives." According to the USDA's own meat inspectors, some rabbits are fully conscious as they have meat hooks jabbed through their legs. Workers hang them up by "running a meat hook through a leg muscle" and "possibly through the bone." Next, they decapitate the rabbits. Hung upside down, the rabbits have their heads sawed off as they struggle and cry in pain. According to inspectors, workers "use a dull knife and have to keep using it over and over to decapitate the rabbit. The workers were having to try three or four times to remove the rabbit's head. There were occasions where the knife slipped and the rabbit's ears were cut off.” "A worker had numerous scratches and bite marks from the rabbits struggling to survive as he was killing them," the inspectors continued. "The rabbits will cry almost like an infant with loud shrieking noises." Outraged by what they saw, some USDA inspectors contacted their supervisors. They were told that no action would be taken to stop these atrocities "because rabbits are classified as poultry by USDA and are therefore excluded from Humane Slaughter Act enforcement."

HEAL BOOK PROJECT

Tell Iceland to Stop Whaling!--On Friday, Icelandic whale hunters brought in their first big catch of the season: two endangered fin whales. The whales were carved up for their meat. Tell Iceland to stop whaling now and save these peaceful giants of the ocean »

Take Action for Feral Cats!--More than 70 percent of cats who enter our nation's animal pounds and shelters are killed each year. That's 7 in 10 cats! It's going on all across America. And it's got to stop. Pledge to be part of the solution! >>

Take Action for Circus Elephants!--It's heart-wrenching. Baby elephants are ripped away from their mothers and forced into a life of abuse and humiliation that is reinforced with bullhooks, whips and electric prods. Don't allow animal abuse to continue at the circus! >>

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