Swarms of Venomous Spiders Invade

An army of venomous spiders invaded a town in India, killing
 two people -- and scientists still don't know much about the arachnids
 or where they came from.

Like in a scene from the movie "Arachnophobia," droves of
eight-legged pests invaded the town of Sadiya in May, during a Hindu
festival. Witnesses said the creepy crawlies latched onto and bit anything that moved or breathed, according to The Times of India.

Doctors today are still trying to figure out what venom the spiders
emit, but they do know that they killed two people -- a man, Purnakanta
Buragohain, and an unidentified boy. They injured many others. Resident
Jintu Gogoi told the paper that he spent a day in the hospital
experiencing extreme pain and nausea over a mere finger bite.

The spiders were highly aggressive and came in waves to wreak havoc, locals said.

Not much is known about this menace. "It leaps at anything that comes close. Some of the victims claimed the spider latched on to them after biting," Dibrugarh University Dr. L.R. Saikia told Fox News.

"If that is so, it needs to be dealt with carefully. The chelicerae and fangs of this critter are quite powerful."

The problem was so bad, Sadiya authorities considered spraying the town with DDT, despite the insecticide's health risks.

                     Arachnid
 experts are working on identifying the species, but haven't nailed down
 an answer. Speculation includes tarantulas, black wishbones or
funnel-web spider. The consensus appears to be that there's no way the
spiders that attacked Sadiya were native to the area.

Researchers are also still testing the toxicity of the venom.
###
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/04/swarms-of-venomous-spiders-invade-india_n_1568799.html

On Human-Nonhuman Relations: Pete Bethune, Sea Shepherd, Veganism and Animal Ri...

On Human-Nonhuman Relations: Pete Bethune, Sea Shepherd, Veganism and Animal Ri...: I have written several blog entries about the difficulties caused when animal advocates who do not take a rights-based position on human-...

Animals in Ukraine

In a clinic in the Ukrainian capital Kiev, two vets lean over a
sleeping puppy and deftly remove its ovaries and uterus.

After a storm sparked by the Euro 2012 co-host's alleged cull of the
stray dogs that plague the country's streets, animal rights
campaigners have stepped in to try to control the errant canines by
sterilising them.

At the helm is Austrian organisation Vier Pfoten (Four Paws), which is
launching a programme notably in the four cities hosting matches in
Euro 2012: Kiev, plus Lviv in the west and Donetsk and Kharkiv in the
east.

--
full story:
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/euro-2012-host-ukraine-tries-stray-dogs-sterilisation-165039706--sow.html
 

Bullfights

A small town in western Spain believes there is one thing more important than jobs: bullfights.

A postcard of rural Spain, the
village of Guijo de Galisteo in the austere province of Extremadura
voted in a referendum on Sunday to keep intact its budget for bullfights
 and other festivities and not divert part of the money into creating
jobs.Local media reported that 242
 of the village's 1,764 inhabitants voted in favour of the bullfights
while 181 backed a proposal to cut the festivities budget by half and
use 15,000 euros to boost employment in the crisis-hit village through
short-term contracts. The referendum drew considerable media attention in recession-hit Spain, where about one in four people are unemployed.
(Reporting by Julien Toyer; Editing by Tim Pearce)
###

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/06/03/uk-spain-bulls-idUKBRE85208N20120603

activists started chasing Magnotta years before

This body-parts story is a thoroughly horrible business, but it is
somewhat cheering to see how many people worked long and hard — though
unsuccessfully — to try to prevent the tragedy from happening.

As soon as a kitten-killing video was posted to YouTube, in December
of 2010, people around the world started to work together on websites,
sharing information and trying to track down the guy who killed the
cats.
...
Volunteers analyzed the digital fingerprints of the photographs and
identified the camera used to make the videos, linking it to photos of
Magnotta. They tracked down products in the background of his
pictures, tried to figure out when and where they were sold.

--
full story:
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/life/Maher+Animal+rights+activists+started+chasing+Magnotta+years+before/6710225/story.html

FDA issues health warning to veterinarians, pet owners about chicken jerky

A dog owner in the Chicago area has filed a class action lawsuit alleging
that his 9-year-old Pomeranian died as a result of eating Nestlé Purina¹s
Waggin¹ Train Yam Good dog treats. The fatality and resulting lawsuit are
the most recent in a series of events illustrating the public¹s growing
anxieties over an apparent connection between chicken jerky treats from
China and a surge of unexplained illness in dogs.

According to the lawsuit, filed on April 18 in U.S. District Court for the
Northern District of Illinois by Dennis Adkins of Orland Park, Ill., the dog
became ill and died of kidney failure less than two weeks after consuming
the treats in March. Adkins says he gave one of the treats to his dog daily
for two days and that no other changes were made to the dog¹s diet. His
other Pomeranian was not fed the treats and did not become ill. The suit
names as defendants Waggin¹ Train LLC, the manufacturer of the product;
Nestlé Purina Petcare Co., the corporation that owns Waggin¹ Train LLC; and
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., the distributor.

The lawsuit states that although Nestlé Purina and Waggin¹ Train had
received complaints of more than 500 incidents in which dog treats
containing chicken jerky imported from China caused dogs to become sick or
die, they continued to market their product as being ³wholesome² and placed
no warnings concerning the product on the packaging. Additionally, it states
that Nestlé Purina and Waggin¹ Train knew there was a substantial risk of
death or harm associated with its dog treats and intentionally concealed
known facts concerning the safety of the dog treats in order to increase or
maintain sales.

Keith Schopp, spokesperson for Nestlé Purina and Waggin¹ Train, states, ³We
believe the claims made in the lawsuit to be without merit and we intend to
vigorously defend ourselves. We can say that Waggin¹ Train products continue
to be safe to feed as directed.²

The lawsuit brings eight counts against the defendants by Adkins and on
behalf of all consumers who purchased the chicken jerky dog treats. The
allegations include breach of implied and express warranty, consumer and
common law fraud, unjust enrichment, negligence, and strict products
liability with defective design or manufacture and failure to warn. Adkins
is seeking an excess of $5 million for compensatory and punitive damages and
costs of the suit.

The case is just one of many reported incidences of illness in pets in
association with the consumption of chicken jerky products. Numerous
complaints concerning Waggin¹ Train chicken jerky treats sickening or
killing dogs can be found on the Internet and have sparked the creation of
petitions and social media groups by and for pet owners who have lost their
pet to illness that they believe is associated with the treats.

Dating back to 2007, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been
investigating a potential connection between the illnesses reported and the
treats and has tested a number of samples for contaminants and toxins.
However, according to the FDA, scientists have been unable to determine a
definitive cause for the reported illnesses. Unless a contaminant is
detected and there is evidence that a product is adulterated, the FDA is
limited in the regulatory actions it can take.

The FDA did issue cautionary warnings to the public concerning chicken jerky
treats in September 2007 and issued a Preliminary Animal Health Notification
in December 2008. The number of complaints declined during the latter part
of 2009 and most of 2010, the agency reports, but an increase in consumer
complaints prompted the FDA to issue a cautionary update again in November
2011. Since that issuance, there has been a steady rise in complaints
regarding the chicken jerky products,with more than 900 cases reportedly
affected by consumption of these treats, the FDA says.

No recalls have been issued for Waggin¹ Train or any brand of chicken jerky
treats to date. On the company¹s web site, Waggin¹ Train addresses consumer
concerns and continues to maintain the integrity and quality of their
chicken jerky treats, asserting a comprehensive food safety program and
strict quality assurance teams dedicated to overseeing the various steps of
the manufacturing process.

Despite the absence of a formal recall, the FDA recommends that pet owners
monitor their dogs closely for signs of illness if they choose to feed
chicken jerky treats. Symptoms of disease include vomiting, lethargy and
anorexia, and based on preliminary data, the problem appears more likely to
occur in small-breed dogs that are fed the treats regularly or in amounts
exceeding the labeled feeding recommendations. Veterinarians who suspect a
pet illness associated with the consumption of chicken jerky treats are
urged to report the case to the FDA immediately.

Related Links
FDA issues health warning to veterinarians, pet owners about chicken jerky
products from China
http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/Veterinary+news/FDA-issues-health-warning-to-veterinarians-pet-own/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/749800>

More complaints; more caution from FDA about chicken jerky products for dogs
http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/Veterinary+news/More-complaints-more-caution-from-FDA-about-chicke/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/572912>
 

Diamond Pet Food Recall Expands

Diamond pet food recall expands again, violations found
Philadelphia Inquirer (blog)
In the current situation, this dog food, which was produced in South
Carolina, was recalled nationally by the manufacturer in cooperation with
the FDA. A day later the Health Department issued a warning about
contaminated shellfish that may or may not ...
<http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/pets/153150915.html>

Multiple failures cited at Diamond Pet Foods facility
DVM 360
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released a preliminary
inspection report of Diamond Pet Foods' Gaston, SC, production plant, which
was linked to the company's massive pet food recall in April. The recall was
initiated after the ... ...
<http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/Veterinary+news/Multiple-failures-cite
d-at-Diamond-Pet-Foods-facil/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/774745?contextCa
tegoryId=378>

Diamond adds cat food to the growing list of recalled pet foods because of
...

Pet Food Recall

Nestlé Purina Petcare has issued a voluntary recall of one lot of its Purina
Veterinary Diets OM Overweight Management canned cat food in response to a
customer complaint received by the FDA. This specific brand of cat food is
only available for purchase through veterinarians in the United States and
Canada. Analytical testing of the product by the US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has revealed low levels of thiamine (vitamin B1).

Cats eating this specific lot of the food for several weeks are at risk for
developing thiamine deficiency. Thiamine is essential for cats. Early signs
of thiamine deficiency in cats include decreased appetite, salvation,
vomiting, and weight loss. Advanced symptoms may include signs of the neck
bending towards the floor, wobbly walking, falling, circling, and seizures.
However, if treated promptly by a veterinarian, thiamine deficiency is
usually reversible.

Only cans with the following information are affected by the voluntary
recall: Can Size: 5.5oz, ³Best By² Date: June 2013, Production Code:
11721159, Can UPC code: 38100-13810. No other Purina pet food products are
included in this recall.

³EMSL Analytical tests for numerous vitamins, including all forms of vitamin
B,² states Shannon Kauffman, Food Chemistry Lab Manager. ³Our vitamin
analysis is compliant with FDA regulations, and RDI and DV percentages can
be provided when applicable.²

For more information about EMSL¹s food testing division, please contact EMSL
at 800-220-3675, email info@EMSL.com, or visit www.EMSL.com or
www.foodtestinglab.com.

About EMSL Analytical, Inc.
EMSL Analytical is a full service testing company providing quality lab
services under the same private ownership since 1981. Including the
corporate lab facility in Cinnaminson, NJ, EMSL Analytical operates over
thirty laboratories nationwide in the US and Canada. We provide analytical
services for environmental, indoor air quality (IAQ), industrial hygiene,
forensics and materials science, consumer products, food safety, PCR,
pharmaceutical, asbestos, lead, and radiological samples. The company has an
extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations, as well as
state and federal regulating bodies. Please see our website for a complete
listing of accreditations.
 

Petition to sign!

PLEASE help us get more signatures before this is printed out next
week.  *Currently
we have 121,643 *- Let's see how many we can get to present to Governor
Cuomo by next Saturday.  If you have not signed - please do so now and
please forward this e-mail or tweet.  thanks.

http://www.change.org/petitions/ban-horse-drawn-carriages-in-new-york-city-new-bill-needs-support

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2153641/Squeezed-corridor-nets-sliced-open-bled-death-The-cruel-600-year-old-fishing-ritual-animal-rights-campaigners-want-banned.html

Animal rights campaigners want the Italian government to ban an
ancient fishing ritual, claiming it causes unnecessary pain and stress
to fish.

The ceremony, known locally as La Mattanza, has taken place off the
coast of Sicily and Sardinia each year since the 15th century - but
activists want to make this year's the last.

The ritual involves coaxing rare bluefin tuna as big as three metres
long through a three mile long corridor of nets.

--
full story:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2153641/Squeezed-corridor-nets-sliced-open-bled-death-The-cruel-600-year-old-fishing-ritual-animal-rights-campaigners-want-banned.html