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Human Earth Animal Liberation
126 SW 148th St Ste C100-422 Seattle, WA 98166-1984
(877)845-3232
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HEAL HEAL’S MISSION STATEMENT HEAL is an egalitarian network of activists self-empowered to plan events, create change, and make the world a better place for all life. Our goals include the liberation of humans, nonhuman animals, and the earth! We work in cooperation with like-minded organizations that put compassion in action! |
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Teen Liberty Environment |
Human Rights Animal Welfare |
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With Chapters In: Colorado♥Illinois♥Iowa♥Kentucky♥New York Washington♥Wisconsin |
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| Teen Liberty | Prison Reform | Human Liberation | Earth Liberation | |||
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HEAL’S animal liberation agenda
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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HEAL'S ANIMAL LIBERATION PROJECTS
Why Should The UW Offer Alternatives to Dissection?
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.
If you find that you agree that students should be offered a standard alternative in Biology and Zoology lab courses, please take a moment to sign the petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/uwdisalt/petition.html. If you would like more information regarding dissection alternatives and student rights please visit http://mail.rochester.edu/~nobs/dissection, http://www.dissectionchoice.org/faq.html, http://avar.org/avar_sep_2001_alternatives.pdf and http://www.internichebrasil.org/literatura/andrew2.htm. If you are a student being unfairly discriminated against by the biology and zoology departments and wish to take legal action, please contact us for help. If you have any questions, please e-mail us at heal@heal-online.org.
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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Educate Yourself on Factory Farming
Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty
Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism
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animal liberation ACTION ALERTS
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.
Defenders of Wildlife Action Center
American Anti-Vivisection Society Action Center
Humane Society of the United States--Teen Action Page
Action Alerts are in order of Priority with Newest/Priority Alerts First!
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.
Fight for Wildlife!--Rush
Limbaugh may think may think global climate change is a “hoax,”[1]
and right-wing pundit Glen Beck may think it’s a “scam.”[2]
But global climate change is very real to the world’s most
credible scientists and to America’s threatened polar bears and
other imperiled animals struggling to survive as weather
patterns change and vital wildlife habitat shifts or vanishes
completely. [3]
Please urge
your Senators to stand up for polar bears and other imperiled
wildlife by co-sponsoring the Natural Resources Climate Adaptation
Act, new legislation to protect our natural treasures in a warming
world.
Save the Wolves!--Since
2003 more than 1,000 wolves have been chased down by private gunmen
in low-flying planes and killed with high-powered rifles.
It’s all part of Alaska’s brutal aerial gunning program
that’s both unscientific and unnecessary --
and we need your help to stop it! Write
your U.S. senators today and urge them to support the Protect
America’s Wildlife (PAW) Act -- vital legislation to end Alaska’s
terrible aerial gunning program, and prevent programs like it from
spreading elsewhere.
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.
Take Action for Forest Elephants!--Forest elephants are smaller than savannah elephants in size, with more rounded ears, and straighter, thinner tusks. Unfortunately, we know relatively little about them, and yet these socially complex and intelligent giants are being slaughtered for ivory and hunted for bushmeat! Help ensure that African forest elephants are still roaming freely in the rainforests generations from now »
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.
Save the Walruses!--It’s
one of the most pressing issues facing our wildlife and our planet.
Scientists warn that our warming climate could cause 20 - 30
percent of the Earth’s plants and animals to go extinct
between now and 2050.[1]
But will the Senate take action to save these
precious natural treasures?
Take action now: Tell your senators to help struggling
wildlife by passing comprehensive global warming legislation.
Save the Jaguars!--Jaguar
recovery has hit a wall -- namely, the hundreds of miles of walls
now being recklessly built along the U.S.-Mexico border.
To survive, jaguars -- which are endangered in
the U.S. -- require an extensive range and the ability to travel
through remote areas between the U.S. and Mexico. It’s a task made
nearly impossible by new border wall construction, and
these big cats may become extinct in
the U.S. as a result. Help
save America’s endangered jaguars! Urge your elected officials to
stop the construction of hundreds of miles of new border walls that
will harm wildlife and do little to secure our borders, and to fund
efforts to address the harm inflicted by previous wall and road
construction.
Tell Zoos to Cut Ties with Circuses!--Tell the zoos to sever ties with the cruel circus industry. If zoos want to educate the public about elephants, the place to start is by taking a stand against the use and abuse of these magnificent animals for entertainment.
Contact:
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 »
Save the Wolves!--Seventy thousand permits to shoot and kill wolves in Idaho. Seventy thousand guns trained on the estimated 1,000 wolves in Idaho. It’s unbelievable, but true. Unless they’re stopped, Idaho officials intend to sell as many as 70 wolf hunting permits for each one of these magnificent animals living in the Gem State. In just the first day the permits were on sale, the state sold thousands! Please help me stop this slaughter by watching Defenders of Wildlife’s new video and sending an emergency message to President Barack Obama asking him to stop this devastating wolf hunt.
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! »
Take Action for Urban Coyotes!--Sensationalist news reports across the country have been documenting a rise in coyote attacks on humans in urban areas. State wildlife divisions responded by attempting to eliminate these so-called "urban coyotes" from the population. But instead of killing animals, we should focus on the heart of the problem: urban sprawl >>
Give Human Companion Animal Caregivers a Break!--During these difficult economic times, more and more people find that the financial cost of giving pets the care they deserve becomes a burden, or worse, unbearable. Urge Washington's representatives to support the tax deduction for pet care expenses >>
Take Action to Protect Wild Horses!--Federal
land throughout the American West is home to thousands of healthy
wild horses. Yet as herds continue to grow, Bureau of Land
Management officials have raised the possibility of killing
as many as 30,000 wild mustangs.
Urge Senator Feingold and Senator Kohl to pass help legislation to
save thousands of wild horses from slaughter. »
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
Let the Buffalo Roam!--I
am sorry to report that government agencies continued their annual
hazing and slaughter of Yellowstone National Park’s buffalo this
spring.
Call on the Obama Administration to start defending Yellowstone's
wild buffalo.
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
Whales!--Please
tell Iceland's government: stop the whale hunt now»
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.
Take Action to Protect Wild Buffalo!--I
am sorry to report that government agencies continued their annual
hazing and slaughter of Yellowstone National Park’s buffalo this
spring.
Call on the Obama Administration to start defending Yellowstone's
wild buffalo.
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)
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 Whales!--It's a terrifying week for whales. Iceland's whaling season began on Tuesday, despite international outcry against the bloody hunt. Whalers plan to kill up to 100 minke whales this season. Tell Iceland's Minister of Fisheries to reduce this year's whale hunt quotas immediately, and work toward a full ban on whaling in Iceland »
Save the Panthers!--Now is the time to help protect one of our most iconic wildlife species - the Florida panther - from dying out. Fewer than 100 panthers remain in Florida today, and already five panthers have been killed on south Florida highways this year, with an additional 24 panthers killed by vehicles in the preceding two years. That’s why I am asking you to please, sign our petition to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and help us make sure the rare and extraordinarily beautiful Florida Panther is saved from extinction.
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.
Take Action Against Dogfighting!--Dog fighting is a brutal, heinous crime, but not all states take it seriously. Tell your state governor that dog fighting needs to stop. »
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.
Stop Michael Vick from Profiteering Off of Animal Cruelty!--Sign petition at http://www.isaronline.citymax.com/petition_vick.html
Stop Abuse of Animals in Egypt!--Take action to stop torture and cruel killing of animals in Egypt. Sign petition at: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-egypt-is-a-nightmare-for-the-animals
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.
Stop Shelters from Selling Animals to Vivisection Labs!--Right
now in Michigan, shelter cats and dogs are allowed to be bought for
experimental research. The animals are then euthanized.
Support Michigan House Bill 4663 to eliminate pound seizure in
Michigan animal shelters >>
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.
Save the Horses!--Did you know that more than 100,000 American horses are slaughtered every year to satisfy the market for horse meat in Europe and Asia? Act now to keep horses from being shipped abroad for slaughter. »
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,
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.
Take Action
for Endangered Species!--Before
leaving office, the Bush Administration rammed through a regulatory
change to the Endangered Species Act that threatens efforts to save
polar bears, wolves, manatees and nearly 1,200 other species from
extinction. Now it’s up to Congress to clean up the
mess left by the Bush/Cheney Administration. Will you help?
Please urge your U.S. Representative to co-sponsor H.J. Res.
18, a resolution that would overturn the Bush Administration’s
11th-hour attempt to undermine the Endangered Species Act.
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
Learn More about Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty and Get Involved--www.shac.net and www.shac.net/HLS/exposed/inside_hls/Inside_HLS_Full_Report.html
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.
Please Vote Right Now In This L.A. Times Poll--You Can Help Free The Elephant Billy--Can you take ten seconds to vote in an L.A. Times poll for Billy?
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:
“I want to thank Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund supporters for their help in this hard-fought campaign.
"We faced an approximately $750,000 campaign from our opponents -- including Safari Club International and a $400,000 state-funded campaign approved by Governor Sarah Palin and the Alaska legislature. They used deceptive propaganda and the authority of the Alaska government to defeat the ballot initiative.
"But thanks to the generous support of Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund activists and donors, we were able to reach thousands of voters. Yesterday, over 75,000 Alaskans voted to end this barbaric practice.
“Despite this loss, we’re not giving up -- Alaskans for Wildlife will continue to hold the state Board of Game’s feet to the fire and redouble our efforts to end this brutal program.”
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.
Take action against the inhumane dog cull in India--The state of Kerala in southern India is a popular tourist destination known for its sandy beaches, tropical lagoons and diverse wildlife. Unfortunately, Kerala is also known for their ongoing dog culls. Evidence from investigations by local animal welfare groups indicate that government authorities in Kerala have been culling stray dogs since 2006 in an effort to stop the spread of rabies. Culling, or reducing population numbers using methods such as poisoning and clubbing, is not only inhumane, but also ineffective at combating rabies and other diseases. We need your help to send a message to the government of Kerala that culling is unacceptable and must stop. Read more and take action >>
Help Stop
Bear Poaching!--America’s
bears are facing a poaching plague. The reason? The lucrative black
market for bear parts is on the rise. But bipartisan legislation
in Congress can help put an end to this disturbing trend.
Urge your Representative to sign on as a cosponsor to the Bear
Protection Act (H.R. 5534) -- a bill that would help save America’s
bears.
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
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!
STOP THE TORTURE NOW
Please contact the Secretary of Agriculture. Tell him that no farm
animals should be slaughtered while still fully conscious. Tell the USDA
that rabbits are NOT poultry and ask that they adopt regulations to
include rabbits under the Humane Slaughter Act. Urge the Secretary to
take immediate action to stop the kind of brutality that his own
inspectors are witnessing.
Mike Johanns
Secretary of Agriculture
Room 200-A
United States Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave.,
Washington, DC 20250
Phone: (202) 720-3631
Fax: (202) 720-2166
Please also print the flyer and distribute copies far and wide. You
can download the flyer here:
http://students.washington.edu/careuw/HelpStopTortureofBunnies!.pdf
SIGN PETITION TO PROTECT PETS AND PROSPECTIVE OWNERS FROM FRAUD AND ABUSE: Learn more and take action at: http://www.petitiononline.com/SAAS/petition.html
ACT NOW TO STOP
TORTURE OF SLED DOGS:
Please send protest emails to race supporters using the list below of
organizations that are 2006 Iditarod race sponsors, musher sponsors, or
Iditarod promoters. Emails are first given in block form and then
individually under the sample letter. Email addresses with semi-colons
in block form can be found at
http://www.helpsleddogs.org/sponsors.htm
on the bottom of the page.
SIGN PETITION DEMANDING AN END TO THE CRUEL AND DANGEROUS HANDSOME CAB
INDUSTRY!:
Every year car accidents are caused by out of control/frightened horses
in metropolitan areas.
Please stop this cruel, unnatural, and dangerous practice.
Sign the petition today at:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/889709747
Reduce the number of artificially created watering holes-this would
divert elephants to previously under-utilized areas.
Expand protected elephant habitats by linking them to adjacent
areas, such as Limpopo National Park in Mozambique, and develop
migration corridors to other regions.
Develop community-based wildlife conservation programs outside the
existing protected areas to increase the benefits of tourism to
nearby rural areas.
Protect vulnerable and valuable areas by erecting and maintaining
fences and implementing other nonlethal deterrents.
Administer contraception, which is an affordable method involving
minimal intervention that can reduce the number of elephants within
a large population.
Her Excellency Barbara Joyce Masekela
Ambassador of South Africa
Embassy of South Africa
3051 Massachusetts Ave. N.W.
Washington, DC 20008
202-232-4400
202-265-1607 (fax)
ambassador@saembassy.org
Even though the proposed elephant massacre has generated a worldwide
outcry, the zoo community has remained strangely silent. If zoos truly
foster respect for wildlife, as they purport to do, they should be
leading the charge to prevent this tragedy. Please contact your local
zoo officials and ask them to:
Speak out publicly against the proposed killing of African elephants
at Kruger National Park.
Notify their zoo's members about the situation and ask them to write
to South African officials, urging them to oppose the kill.
Pledge not to obtain any orphaned calves if the kill takes place,
thus removing South Africa's financial incentive to slaughter adult
elephants.
SIGN PETITION DEMANDING AN END TO PRIMATE EXPERIMENTATION IN WASHINGTON
STATE!—To learn more about this issue, visit:
http://www.BanApeResearch.org
and to sign the petition visit:
http://gopetition.com/online/6954.html.
PLEASE SIGN! DOGS BEING USED AS SHARK BAIT!!!:Dogs are being used as
live bait on the French island and holiday destination La Réunion! This
is absolutely horrifying and not worthy of anyone calling themselves
human beings... Please sign this French petition (click "sign petition"
to get details in English).
Click here to take action on this issue!
MONSANTO FILES PATENT CLAIMING OWNERSHIP OF MILLIONS OF PIGS:Monsanto
has filed patents in 160 nations for... pigs. The World Intellectual
Property Organization in Geneva recently published the patent requests,
which has left the pork industry squealing with contention. If approved,
Monsanto would gain ownership of certain types of breeding techniques
that are already in common use by farmers around the world. The patents
also request Monsanto overtake of ownership of the pigs born of those
breeding techniques as well as their related herds. Although
controversial, the profit incentive of this legal maneuver for Monsanto
is enormous, as annual pork sales in the U.S., alone, are $38 billion
annually. Take action:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/monsanto/pigs.cfm
USDA COVER-UP OF MAD COW CASES:
The USDA has refused to respond to allegations that it has been covering
up cases of Mad Cow disease in the U.S. for well over a decade. Lester
Friedlander, a former USDA veterinarian, says he was told by USDA
officials as far back as 1991 that if his testing laboratory ever found
evidence of Mad Cow disease, he was to tell no one. He and other
scientists say they know of cases where cows tested positive for the
disease in laboratories but were ruled negative by the USDA. Mad cow is
a concern to public health because humans can contract a fatal brain
illness known as variant Creutzfeldt Jakob disease from eating beef
products contaminated with the mad cow pathogen. TAKE ACTION! Sign
the Mad Cow petition:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/madcow.htm
SIGN PETITION TO SAVE 800 ANGORA FERRETS FROM GAS CHAMBER:
Please sign our petition to stop Ferpharm from gassing 800 unwanted
ferrets. We would like to find homes for them instead. And pass it
around --- from here to heaven and back again!
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/nogas/petition.html
SIGN PETITION TO DEMAND PREVENTION OF EXOTIC BIRD SMUGGLING!--
With a newly elected Indonesian president, this is a prime time to try
to make conservation of their birdlife a priority. Won't you please take
just a moment a sign this new petition to prevent the smuggling of
Indonesian parrots and cockatoos? Visit and sign at:
http://www.petitiononline.com/forchina/petition.html
PLEASE HELP!!!
The Animal Rescue Site is having trouble getting enough people to
click on it daily to meet their quota of getting free food donated every
day to abused and neglected animals. It takes less than a minute to go
to their site and click on "feed an animal in need" for free. This
doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the
number of daily visits to donate food to abandoned/neglected animals in
exchange for advertising. Here's the web site! Pass it along to people
you know.
www.theanimalrescuesite.com