Pet lovers save 800 cats from dinner table in N China's Tianjin

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-11/25/content_12535829.htm


www.chinaview.cn
2009-11-25 10:25:54


BEIJING, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- More than 800 cats, locked up in rows of iron cages in a store in northern China's Tianjin municipality, would have been transported to Guangzhou, Guangdong province, and slaughtered had it not been for about 30 residents who rallied for nearly 24 hours, negotiating with the trader and police, to free the animals Tuesday.

Pet lovers and animal welfare volunteers started pouring into a neighborhood in Hongqiao district of the municipality, 120 km from Beijing, minutes after photographs of the caged cats were flashed on the Internet on Monday night, according to Wednesday's China Daily.

The trader said the cats, which he bought for 10 yuan apiece, were to be sent to Guangzhou, slaughtered and served as food at restaurants in South China.

Li Na, a saleswoman by profession, who was present at the spot, said the cats were either picked up from the streets or stolen from their owners.

Li was among dozens of local residents who spent the night outside the "flower and birds store" to ensure the cats were not sneaked away behind their backs. Residents said the store, which has a license to sell flowers, birds, fish and worms, had been trading cats for the last six months.

Qin Xiaona, chief of the Beijing-based Capital Animal Welfare Association, who rushed to Tianjin as word spread, alleged it was obvious most of the cats were stolen.

"The police told us that the trader bought the cats. But the trader was unable to provide receipts to prove any of the 800 purchases," Qin said. Qin said the cats were suffocating in the cages and many of them would have died on the way to Guangzhou.

It took Li, Qin and their likes 24 hours to convince the trader to free the cats after intervention from the police last night. Police have given the volunteers a room in a nearby school to house the cats, many of which are in need of urgent medical care, Qin said.

"Even though I was happy when the trader agreed to release the cats, I was simply disgusted when he asked for money in return for the animals' lives," Li said.

He Yong, a representative of the International Fund of Animal Welfare, said the incident was only the "tip of an iceberg".

China has no laws prohibiting the trading of cats, resulting in large-scale theft of the animals, which reportedly get eaten.

"The chain of the cat trade is really long," He said.


Editor: Han Jingjing

Mercury danger in dolphin meat

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090923f2.html



By ERIC JOHNSTON
Staff writer

SAPPORO — The annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture, as documented in the film "The Cove" has sparked an emotional international debate, with animal rights activists decrying the capture and slaughter as unnecessary and cruel, and those in Japan who defend the slaughter as both legally permissible under international treaties and an ancient tradition.

But for Tetsuya Endo, a professor at the Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, there is a far more important issue related to the hunt that the public and the government must address.





Dolphin and whale meat is high in mercury, and Endo, one of the world's foremost authorities on mercury levels in dolphins and whales caught off Japan's coastal waters, has discovered Taiji residents who eat the meat sold in local stores have extremely high concentrations in their bodies.

"Between December 2007 and July 2008, myself and a team of scientists and researchers took hair samples from 30 male and 20 female residents of the Taiji area. In three cases, the levels of mercury present were more than 50 parts per million, high enough that it was possible nerve damage, like that seen in victims of Minamata disease, could occur," Endo told The Japan Times in an interview last week.

Endo's tests revealed that one Taiji man in his 50s had a mercury level of 67.2 parts per million. The average mercury level of all 50 subjects was 21.6 ppm for the men and 11.9 ppm for the women.

The average level of mercury present in Japanese people as a whole is only 2.55 ppm for men and 1.43 ppm for women, which means Taiji residents had mercury levels about 10 times the national average.

Meat from pilot whales is quite common in Taiji area stores, and hair samples taken from people who said they ate pilot whale meat more than once a month had an average mercury level of 25.6 ppm, while those who ate the meat once every few months had an average level of 15.5 ppm.

"We discovered that people weren't eating whale meat every day. At most, they were eating it a few times a month. The problem is that although the frequency of eating the meat was low, the levels of mercury in the meat were surprisingly high," Endo said.

Three of the subjects agreed to stop eating whale meat after learning their mercury levels were high.

By the time Endo's study was concluded in July 2008, their levels of mercury had dropped considerably.

The revelation that Taiji residents who ate whale and dolphin meat had high levels of mercury was not a surprise to Endo, as previous testing showed that the meat had far higher levels than the government standard for fish in general.

Between 2002 and 2006, Endo led a team that purchased 60 different samples of whale and dolphin meat in Taiji and neighboring Nachikatsuura.

"The tests showed that the average levels of mercury and methyl mercury in the pilot whale meat bought in Taiji were 9.6 ppm and 5.9 ppm, respectively. Given that Japan's standards are 0.4 ppm and 0.3 ppm, respectively, these are extremely high levels," Endo said.

The standards are based on what is known as the provisional tolerable weekly intake of mercury. Prior to 2003, the international standard was 3.3 micrograms per kg of body weight per week. Based on these numbers, the government established provisional levels of total mercury in fish and shellfish at 0.4 ppm and methyl mercury at 0.3 ppm.

But taking into account the possible effects on pregnant women and children, the World Health Organization revised the 3.3 figure downward to 1.6 micrograms per kg of body weight per week in 2003. Japan, however, adopted a standard of 2.0 micrograms per kg of body weight per week, saying that as a fish-eating culture it is only natural its standard be slightly higher.

The tests on the 50 residents as well as the whale and dolphin meat findings have been made available to Wakayama Prefecture, which is now carrying out further tests. But although Taiji is now the center of international attention, Endo's studies on whale and dolphin meat showed that it was Okinawa, not Taiji, where the highest levels of mercury were found.

"In 2001, meat from a false killer whale that was being sold in Nago had 81 ppm of total mercury (mercury plus methyl mercury) present," Endo said.

Asked why the government doesn't do more to warn consumers of the possible dangers of eating whale and dolphin meat, such as putting warning labels on all meat sold, Endo says it's likely that officials simply don't see a problem.

"The official attitude is probably along the lines of because so few people eat dolphin and whale meat, and since they tend to be mostly older, it's not that big of an issue," he said.

The Japan Times
(C) All rights reserved

Horrific slaughter of Japanese dolphins

Every year, over 20,000 smaller whales, dolphins and porpoises are cruelly slaughtered in Japanese waters. The meat is sold for human consumption, even though it is tainted with toxic industrial pollutants such as mercury, DDTs and PCBs, all known to be hazardous to human health. Those that have witnessed these hunts first hand, or watched our secretly filmed footage, will never forget the appalling brutality and suffering inflicted upon these beautiful, intelligent creatures.

Save Japan Dolphins Coalition

Campaign Whale is the sole UK representative of the 'Save Japan Dolphins Coalition', which
is fighting to end the slaughter of dolphins and porpoises in Japan. Within our ranks is Ric O’Barry, former trainer of ‘Flipper’ the dolphin (a hugely popular sixties TV series and later Hollywood film). In reality, Flipper was not one, but five animals that all died during the run of the show – a sad reality for these intelligent animals when held in captivity. Ric O’Barry is now working with us, determined to stop the slaughter in Taiji and other Japanese coastal villages, as well as highlight the shocking link between the dolphin hunts and the captive industry for dolphins around the world.

Watch out for ‘The Cove’

Now at last the appalling truth of Japan’s secret dolphin slaughter may be coming to a cinema near you. The slaughter of dolphins has been captured by hidden cameras in a feature length drama-documentary called ‘The Cove’ that has received standing ovations at the Sundance and other film festivals this year.

A trailer of the film can be viewed (and also the code to embed onto a website is) at: http://www.thecovemovie.com/


The film is currently being shown in cinemas across the USA and will be released in the UK and the rest of the world in October. The film focuses on Taiji, a Japanese coastal town where around 2,300 dolphins are speared to death every year for their meat. Each dead dolphin sells for about US $600, but those few captured alive are worth as much as US $200,000 when sold to aquariums and dolphin ‘swim’ parks around the world.

The dolphin slaughter in Taiji takes place between September and March in a heavily-guarded coastal inlet. Taiji has become the epicentre of our campaign, and an undercover team secretly filmed the hunts using cameras disguised as rocks, to expose an ongoing tragedy that is covered up by the local authorities and the Japanese government. What they filmed was truly horrific. After driving the dolphins into the cove by hammering on metal poles, the fishermen repeatedly stab the helpless animals until the water turns blood red. Some of the dolphins, traumatised by witnessing the horrific slaughter of their pod members, are captured alive to be sold to aquaria and ‘swim with dolphins’ programmes around the world. The Japanese government tell the fishermen that dolphins are “pests” that eat too many fish, but the real reason for fishery declines is human over-fishing, climate change and pollution.
A deadly diet

‘The Cove’ also focuses on a major element of our campaign within Japan: to expose the serious health threat posed to the people that eat the dolphin and porpoise meat, many unwittingly as it is often deliberately mislabeled as whale meat. Sadly, dolphins and porpoises carry a massive level of toxic contaminants, such as mercury and PCBs, that build up in their bodies through the food chain. Taiji Town Councillors that bravely warned of the threat of mercury poisoning from eating dolphin meat have now been ostracised in a community they have lived in all their lives, but at least the publicity has forced local schools to stop serving dolphin meat in school lunches. Meanwhile, elsewhere in Japan that problem, hopefully soon to be exposed as a national scandal, continues.

Campaign Whale

Campaign Whale is a well-respected campaigning organisation and the only UK based member of the 'Save Japan Dolphins' coalition. We are working hard stop this cruel slaughter and we will never compromise over the killing of these beautiful, intelligent creatures.

Further details about 'The Cove' and 'Campaign Whale' are available at:
http://www.campaign-whale.org/


Thank you ever so much,

Kind regards

Anna-Lisa Nagel
Campaign Whale

Lemurs butchered in Madagascar

Shocking pictures of slaughtered lemurs killed for bush meat have been released by Conservation International.

A breakdown in law and order due to the recent coup in Madagascar has resulted in poachers killing lemurs for profit.

The dead lemurs are sold to restaurant owners seeking to serve new delicacies, says the conservation group.

It fears this upsurge in the bush meat trade may have been triggered by the suspension of conservation aid by international bodies during the coup.

Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8210000/8210355.stm

Why we shouldn't eat frogs' legs

Every year, the French nibble away at 4,000 tonnes of frogs' legs. But that's nothing compared with the vast number being eaten in Asia, South America and even the US. And it's pushing the world's frog population towards extinction, says Jon Henley


Jon Henley The Guardian, Friday 7 August 2009 Article history

In the cavernous community hall of the Vosges spa town of Vittel, a large and lugubrious man, his small, surprisingly chirpy wife, and 450 other people are sitting down to their evening meal. It's rather noisy. "Dunno why we do it, really," shouts the man, whose name is Jacky. "Don't taste of anything, do they? White. Insipid. If it wasn't for the sauce it'd be like eating some soft sort of rubber. Just the kind of food an Englishman should like, in fact. Hah."

Outside, the streets are filled with revellers. A funfair is going full swing. The restaurants along the high street are full, and queues have formed before the stands run by the local football, tennis, basketball, rugby and youth clubs.

All offer the same thing: cuisses de grenouilles à la provencale (with garlic and parsley), cuisses de grenouille à la poulette (egg and cream). Seven euros, or thereabouts, for a paper plateful, with fries. Nine with a beer or a glass of not-very-chilled riesling. The more daring are offering cuisses de grenouilles à la vosgienne, à l'andalouse, à l'ailloli. There's pizza grenouille, quiche grenouille, tourte grenouille. Omelette de grenouilles aux fines herbes. Souffle, cassolette and gratin de grenouilles.

Everywhere you look, people are nibbling greasily on a grenouille, licking their fingers, spitting out little bones. "Isn't it just great?" yells Jacky's diminutive wife, Frederique. "Every year we do this. It's our tradition. Our tribute to the noble frog."

This is Vittel's 37th annual Foire aux Grenouilles. According to Roland Boeuf, the 70-year-old president of the Confrererie de Taste-Cuisses de Grenouilles de Vittel, or (roughly) the Vittel Brotherhood of Frog Thigh Tasters, which has organised the event since its inception, the fair regularly draws upwards of 20,000 gourmet frog aficionados to the town for two days of amphibian-inspired jollities. Between them, they consume anything up to seven tonnes of frogs' legs.

But there's a problem.

Full article:http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/aug/07/frogs-legs-extinction

2000 Cats Have Been Rescued Near Shanghai

Report From Animal Rights China:

August 6 2009
Among 2000 Cat Have Been Rescued Near Shanghai
From August 5th early morning - 6th evening, after more than 30 hours of the fight, among 2000 cats got rescued near Shanghai.
The video below was the animal protection volunteers （all from Shanghai, Suzhou and Zhejiang Province ）were transferring the cat cages (among 800 cats) down from the truck which was tracing and stopped succsesfully by animal lovers at highway of Changshou City. After long hours negotiations between the Changshou Police, cat lovers and the cat-nappers, the donations of 15000 RMB from Authority of Bixi County in Changshou (the location of the truck got stopped ) finally helped the rescuers bought those 800 cats from the cat-nappers.
Several brave lost cat owners were lying down on front of the truck to stop the cat-nappers drove the trucks away! They said: if you drive the cats away, then roll over from our body first! That was a bloody hard fighting!
Another 1000 cats were rescued earlier on the evening of August 5th at Jiaxing in Zhejiang Province, also not far from Shanghai. All together were among the 2000 cats got rescued from 2 cats-nappers trucks which were on the way to drive down to south, Guangdong Provi nce restaurants.
We urgently call on to launch The Animal Protection Law to protect our poor four legs friends in China!
Many thanks and the greet appreciations to:
Shanghai Pet Union
Suzhou Small Animal Protection Assn
Zhejiang Animal Protection Assn
Loving Cat Owners (who's cats got stolen by the cat-nappers)
China Small Animal Protection Association
Police Officers of Changshou City
The Authority of Changshou City Council and Bixi County
The Authority of Suzhou City Council
The Authority of Public Security of Jiangsu Province
The Animal Lovers from Website All Around the World
Thanks all

Are You Unknowingly Eating Horse Meat?

The rash of horse killings increases the chances of you buying and eating horse meat
By CARLOS MILLER

Getty Images
As a rash of horse killings plague South Florida, the odds of you unknowingly ingesting horse meat increases.

But that's only if you purchase meat from an unlicensed meat vendor, such as from somebody selling meat from the back of their vehicle - which is not the most uncommon thing to do in Miami.

You might not be able to tell the difference between packaged horse meat and cow meat because they both look the same, according to the Caribbean National Weekly.

And once you bite into it, you might be surprised by how sweet and tender it tastes.

You might even ask for seconds.

The truth is, horse meat is a delicacy in many parts of the world.

In Belgium, it is served as steak tartare, where the raw horse meat is marinated in wine and other spices before it is served.

In certain regions of Italy, it is served in stew or made into sausage or even prepared as a basic steak.

And in Japan, it is served raw with soy sauce, ginger and onions, not much different than sushi.

Holland, Sweden, Norway and Switzerland also have popular horse recipes.

In fact, horse meat has been a source of food since the beginning of civilization. And it was even common in the United States during the post-World War II years when beef and pork were scarce.

Even up to the late 1970s, the Harvard Faculty Club served horse steaks, which was one of the most common menu items.

But it has generally been a taboo in the United States because of our cowboy culture. We've always viewed horses as pets, friends, work tools and modes of transportation. We've come to love our horses.

In Europe, the relationship with horses was much more depersonalized.

Nevertheless, thousands of horses were slaughtered in the United States and exported for human consumption until 2007 when Congress ordered them shut down.

But even today, several groups are pushing to renew the slaughter of horses in the United States for human consumption.

Despite the recent law, the slaughter of American horses for human consumption has not stopped because now horses are transported to Canada and Mexico before they are slaughered.

In South Florida, 18 horses have been found slaughtered since the beginning of the year - and many more have been stolen - making it obvious that many in our international community don't view the consumption of horse meat as taboo.

It's gotten so bad that horse owners and supporters gathered in Homestead this weekend in a community rally to discuss ways of putting a stop to the ongoing slaughter.

Richard Couto of the South Florida Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals attended the rally and said they are setting up surveillance cameras to catch the suspects (check out the video).

The slaughtered meat is said sell for up to $40 a pound. But because these horses are not bred for consumption, meaning they may be getting treated with equine medications, the meat can be contaminated.

So if you really want to try horse meat, don't buy it off the black market. Don't encourage the slaughter of somebody's pet.

Simply pick up the phone and call The Meatman, a St. Petersburg-based company that specializes in exotic meats, including horse meat.

While they don't stock the meat, they will order it from a USDA-approved foreign supplier.
http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local-beat/Are-You-Unknowingly-Eating-Horse-Meat-52310827.html

KARA Summer Campaign #1: Love Companion Animals

The first KARA summer rally for 2009 was on Saturday, July 11. The theme was our love for dogs and our rejection of the brutal dog meat industry. Most KARA members and their companion animals wore matching KARA logo t-shirts.

Signs were held appealing to the public to reject dog meat consumption and the dogs had messages attached to their shirts in both English and Korean.



The pink dot was where we were supposed to meet, but the campaign got off to a shaky start when it was discovered that this meeting place had turned into a construction site!

That meant some hasty rearrangements by cell phone. We all met across the road on the sidewalk near Pagoda Park, as seen below. Unfortunately, the unexpected location change led to some people missing the rally.
Full report and pictures here:
http://animalrightskorea.org/actions/kara-campaign-1-love-companion-animals-campaign.html

Trying to get cat off the menu in China

FOSHAN, China–It's a sunny, sweltering morning at the Gui Jiang Three
Birds Wholesale Market, and the air is filled with the anxious,
high-pitched screams of cats.

For these fated felines, the end is nigh.

This market is their last way station on the road to someone's dinner plate.

Every day here, hundreds of cats are on sale for the culinary trade
surrounding this southern city, not far from Guangzhou (formerly known
as Canton), supplying meat for the Cantonese appetite for cat.

Some are strays, some allegedly stolen from their pet owners – but
most are common alley cats. Thousands are shipped by truck and train
to southern China from other parts of the country.

All have one thing in common: they're about to enter the food chain.

Buyers arrive here early to haggle and hover over the selection
process as they would for any commodity.

There's more at this market, too: dog, donkey, foxes, peacock and an
array of exotica to sate the legendary Cantonese taste for the wild.

--
full story:
http://www.thestar.com/world/columnist/article/672031

Dog meat is 'sweet meat'

Seoul - North Korea is promoting the virtue of dog meat as a way to beat the summer heat and says customers are packing Pyongyang restaurants which serve the traditional dish.

The North has been hosting dog meat food contests to help develop the traditional cuisine, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said on Saturday.

Dog meat is called dangogi, or "sweet meat", a euphemism coined by North Korea's founder Kim Il-Sung in the early 1980s. Dangogi-jang is dog meat soup.

"Our ancestors believed hot dangogi soup consumed during the dog days of summer helped prevent diseases from malnutrition and bolster stamina," KCNA said.
Continues Below ?

It cited a 17th century book on herbal medicine to tout the nutritional value of dog meat. According to the book, dog meat is especially good for the digestive organs, blood circulation and bone marrow and improves stamina.

"During the current dog days of summer, many customers are visiting dangogi restaurants in Pyongyang," KCNA said.

"Dangogi-jang is becoming popular even among Koreans living abroad and foreigners as well," it said.

Dog meat is enjoyed in both North and South Korea, especially during hot summer days.

But while dog meat restaurants in the South are assuming a low-profile because of international criticism, in the North dangogi cuisine is a source of pride and a mark of national identity.

Defectors say Pyongyang has many dangogi restaurants but note that dog meat has become a luxury elsewhere in the impoverished communist state. - AFP

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=29&art_id=nw20090725071905496C703931&newslett=1

The Psychopathology of Animal Abuse

The following message will be sent to media around the globe:

"If you have ever shared your life with a dog you will understand the following eulogy:

A Memorial to Boatswain
by
Lord Byron
Newstead Abbey, November 30, 1808.

Near this spot
Are deposited the Remains of one
Who possessed Beauty without Vanity,
Strength without Insolence,
Courage without Ferocity,
And all the Virtues of Man without his Vices.
This Praise, which would be unmeaning Flattery
If inscribed over human ashes,
Is but a just tribute to the Memory of
BOATSWAIN, a DOG
Who was born at Newfoundland, May, 1803,
And died at Newstead, Nov 18th, 1808.


The virtues of an animal, as described by Lord Byron, that is beloved throughout the world for it's decency and willingness to help and cooperate with humans means nothing in Korea. The dog is an animal that would willingly risk it's life to save a human, yet in Korea this good-natured, loyal and companionable being is considered as nothing more than a bowl of stew with alledged medicinal properties, in a culture that does not even grasp the spiritual poverty of this betrayal of man's best friend.

Until now dog meat consumption in Korea has been an underground affair, but in September 2008 a law went into effect which classifies dogs as livestock along with all the accompanying abuses of this industry:

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/


Korean superstition holds that if a dog is agitated ( i.e. visciously abused) prior to slaughter the potency and flavor of the meat is enhanced. Even if this were not the case the killing of an animal, who is a functioning member of human society, to be used as a snake-oil tonic for the feeble and infirm, exhibits a lack of compassion and empathy so profound that it borders on depravity.

If one probes further, it becomes apparent that this is not the only animal abuse in Korea which is based on superstition and ignorance. Beneath the surface of Korea's seemingly modern and technologically advanced facade lies a primitive, expoitive and cruel view of animals which allows for their sacrifice in shamanistic rituals intended to bring good fortune to those paying for the killing. A highly evolved spiritual view appreciates that the lives of all living beings is sacred and should be respected. Clearly this message has been perverted in Korea into bartering the life of an animal to obtain good fortune. Please refer to the following for additional information:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/07/world/asia/07korea.html

South Korea has one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and one would have hoped that with increased wealth there would also be an increase in consciousness. This does not seem to be the case, as it seems increased wealth has resulted in increased abuse of animals in the name of superstition, greed and suppressed rage taken out on animals.

The following is a depiction of a 'performance art' piece involving the evisceration of a piglet carried out for an audience that cheered wildly as the the poor creature screamed in excruciating pain, The brutalization of those attempting to protest this sadistic display is further evidence of a deep-seeded rage that attempts to preserve and maintain such violence to living beings. The following is an action alert issued by In Defense of Animals:

"S. Korean Political Protesters Torture and Kill Pig as "Performance" ...

WARNING: The following contains graphic descriptionsof animal
mutilation which some readers may find objectionable and revolting.

Our members know that IDA has long led the fight against the
brutal practice of eating dog and cat meat in South Korea.

Unfortunately, this is just one of the abuses taking
place in a country that has lax laws regulating the
treatment of animals slaughtered for food.
Recently, this lack of protection left one young
piglet the helpless victim of a revolting public
spectacle, as she was bound, stabbed, and gutted while
fully conscious for symbolic purposes at a political
protest.

Hundreds of demonstrators organized by the Icheon City
Committee assembled in front of city hall in
opposition to a plan by the Ministry of National
Defense to build military bases in the area. To
represent the protesters' outrage, self-styled
"performance artists" tied a two-month-old piglet by
all four limbs and stretched her out in the air on a
stage. Men wielding knives then ritualistically sliced
the pig's skin and eviscerated her as she screamed and
struggled in agony. National and local officials
attending the event cheered and applauded,
some waving Korean flags. By the end, men pulled like
a tug-of-war on the ropes tied to pig's limbs, tearing
her body to shreds.

Several days after the protest, two animal protection
organizations -- Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth
(CARE) and Korean Association for Animal Protection
(KAAP) -- held mourning rites for the pig. At the
second vigil, they were attacked by members of the
Icheon City Committee, who hurled insults at mourners
over loudspeakers and destroyed the shrines
they had constructed out of flowers, hanging banners,
and framed photos of the sacrificed pig. One female
animal advocate was severely beaten...."

Pyschological studies have established a link between violence to animals and human on human violence. Therefore it comes as no suprise then, that in a society which displays such a predilection for violence to animals there will also be an increased rate of violence to humans as well. Not coincidentally, two Koreans hold the world's record for number of killing-spree victims in one burst of rage: One can't help but wonder how much gratuitous violence to humans and animals these fragile individual were exposed to as children: Woo Bum Kon carried out the largest known incident of spree killing in modern history. His victims included 58 dead and 35 wounded. Seung Hui Cho committed mass murder of 32 people and wounded 25 in what has come to be known as the Virginia Tech Massacre.


An animal who has been nothing but a friend to mankind is himself in desperate need of a friend in Korea. If you would like to protest the latest development in Korea which now includes government regulation of dog farms in the Livestock Act and in essence sanctions dogs as livestock please inform Korean government officials that you will not tolerate such abuse. You may address your concerns to:

1. Mayor of Seoul Mr. Oh Se-hoon

Email: ohsehoon@seoul.go.kr
Address: Euljiro1, Jung-gu, Seoul, 100-744, Korea
Tel +82 2 735 6060

2. Korean President Mr. Lee Myung-bak
Email: webmaster@president.go.kr
Address: 1 Cheongwadae- ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea
Tel: +82 2 730 5800

Ambassador Lee, Tae-Sik
Embassy of the Republic of Korea
2450 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20008
Tel: (202)939-5600
Fax: (202)797-0595
E-mail: korinfo@koreaemb.org

Extreme violence to animals, as a means of dealing with suppressed rage is not an acceptable cultural mechanism for relieving psychological stress. Surely there must be a better way to work out this anger without vicitimizing helpless, innocent animals.



"He that would hang his dog, gives out first that he is mad" a British proverb"
............ ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... .....

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WATCH, WEEP, and let's get to WORK to end of one of the cruelest practices in the world
July 7, 2009



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www.CompanionAnimalNetworkTV.org





SOUTH KOREAN
DOG MEAT MARKET

CLICK ON PICTURE ABOVE TO WATCH RECENT VIDEO OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN SOUTH KOREA RIGHT NOW . . . . . . .

One American soldier who fought for South Korea 's independence commented:

"This is not what my friends died to defend. "

Although eating dog meat was officially banned in 1991, people in South Korea still consume vast quantities of “Gaegogi” (literally: dog meat) the fourth most popular meat, after pork, beef and chicken. There is even an unofficial ‘holiday' known as 'Malbok' (August 17 in the Korean lunar calendar) when Koreans - mostly old men - eat lots of dog meat in the belief that it will boost virility. Others believe that dog meat helps keep one cool during the intense Korean summer. The South Korean government defends their monstrosities as "cultural food," and by equating the eating of dogs with eating farm animals, arguing that anyone who eats any meat has no moral right to complain the eating of any animals, including dogs. Any person with ordinary intelligence knows that tortuting former family pets under the guise of "culture" is a disengenuous argument and that there is a significant difference between eating farm animals specifically raised for
food and torturing and eating former family pets who have lived with people as man's best friends. South Korea 's inability or unwillingness to acknowledge these differences has earned it our accusation that:
SOUTH KOREA IS TO DOGS WHAT NORTH KOREA IS TO PEOPLE !!
End military support to South Korea , the animal terrorist nation.
To find out which cities and countries are holding protests and vigils visit
www.idausa.org

In July and August up to 2 million family pets are first tortured and then killed with hammers, suffocation, bleeding, hanging and other horrific ways!
They are squashed into cages like factory chickens, unable to stand, sit, turn. They are not given water in 100 degree heat. They are former family pets intentionally being tortured prior to being killed for food. Why torture? Because the dog meat dealers have fabricated reasons to eat dog meat with the myths that the excretion of hormones during bodily duress makes the meat more tender, and that eating dog meat helps people better cope with the summer heat and that it is an aphrodisiac. . . . . . .with no medical evidence in support of any of these fabrications!

Join "Golden Girl" Rue McClanahan
and
Councilman Mayoral Candidate Tony Avella and
New York Post Pet Reporter
Julia Szabo

NEW YORK CITY VIGIL
July 14, 2009
4 - 6:30 PM
South Korean Visa Office
460 Park Avenue (57th St. & Park Ave )

C.A.N.
PO Box 656712 , F.M. , NY 11365
718-544-PETS






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To: korinfo@koreaemb.org ; webmaster@president.go.kr ;
ohsehoon@seoul.go.kr
Subject: brutal slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption

Honorable Officials,

The civilized world is horrified, disgusted and appalled to learn that the Republic of Korea continues to allow the brutal slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption. Forced to live in tiny, filthy cages and killed in unimaginably cruel ways, the fate of these unfortunate animals can in no way be compared to the slaughter of cattle in the western world, although this too is an abomination.
Two million South Korean dogs are electrocuted, strangled, or bludgeoned to death each year. They are killed in the cruelest ways imaginable, because some Koreans believe the adrenaline that rushes through the animal's system pre-slaughter will improve virility in the consumer. This is shameful and demonstrates the ignorance, superstition and misinformation which South Korean citizens continue to believe, thanks to the failure of the Government to make any real effort to educate its own people or to pass and enforce humane laws that would prohibit such depraved practices.
Eyewitnesses have reported dogs being torn apart while still alive, their tormentors saying that the more prolonged the torment of death, the better the taste. This attitude toward any living being is barbaric and deplorable.
The Republic of Korea will continue to be the object of scorn, derision and boycotts by civilized people all around the world, so long as this practice is allowed to continue. Dogs and cats are beloved companion animals in almost every country around the globe, including in South Korea. Most of your own citizens view the abuse, the cruelty and killing of cats and dogs as barbaric and reprehensible. It is time to put an end to this hideous and unholy practice.
Respectfully,
Zelda Penzel, President
PEACE~People for the End of Animal Cruelty and Exploitation
New York, NY

The International Day Of Action for Dogs and Cats in Korea-July ,14

Houston Demo On July 14

Speak Up For The Dogs And Cats Of Korea

The International Day of Action for Dogs and Cats in Korea is July 14. In Defense of Animals (IDA) is again co-sponsoring this worldwide event to stop the terrible suffering these animals endure when raised and slaughtered for human consumption. Events will be taking place all over the world.

What: Peaceful educational demonstration concerning dogs and cats raised and slaughtered for human consumption in South Korea.

When: Tuesday July 14, Time TBA

Where: 1990 Post Oak Blvd., #1250, Houston, TX 77056

Contact: Elaine Hutzelman, emhutzelman@ sbcglobal. net, 281-556-5913


For more information about IDA's campaign to help the dogs and cats of Korea, please contact Hope, IDA's Grassroots Campaign Director: hope@idausa. org or 415-448-0048 x. 211.

And click here for more information about dogs and cats in Korea.

Background: IDA continues to work with the South Korean animal protection organization Coexistence for Animal Rights on Earth (CARE) to end the brutal slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption. Forced to live in tiny, filthy cages and killed in unimaginably cruel ways, they deserve a voice.

Two million South Korean dogs are electrocuted, strangled, or bludgeoned to death each year. They are killed in the cruelest ways imaginable, because some Koreans believe the adrenaline that rushes through the animal's system pre-slaughter will improve virility in the consumer.

Eyewitnesses have reported dogs being torn apart while still alive, their tormentors saying that the more prolonged the torment of death, the better the taste. This attitude toward any living being is deplorable.

Building coalitions around the world, IDA is creating the network needed to put pressure on the government of the Republic of Korea to end this tragic practice.

(Important note - all references herein to "Korea" are to the Republic of Korea, or South Korea. The problems for dogs and cats are probably at least as bad in North Korea, but we do not have activists in North Korea with whom to partner. If you have information concerning activists in North Korea working to improve the lives of animals, please let us know.)
1) Attend a demo (info above)

2) Send letters, fax, e-mail to:

Ambassador Duk-soo Han
Embassy of the Republic of Korea
2320 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20008
phone: (202) 939-5600
fax: (202) 797-0595
e-mail: korinfo@koreaemb.org

3) Send a donation to support IDA's campaign.





More Information About Dogs And Cats In South Korea

The practice of eating dogs is not widely accepted in Korea. It gained popularity after the Korean War due to widespread starvation. The practice continues to thrive with the aid of greedy restaurateurs, meat dealers, and butchers.

Many Koreans love dogs and keep dogs as companions. However, we must take action to stop the small number of people who ignore the law and continue to abuse these innocent beings to make money.

It is unacceptable that dogs and cats should be kept in filthy crates, forced to watch one another be bludgeoned to death. It is illegal in Korea and it is the Korean government’s responsibility to ensure that anyone who breaks their laws be strictly punished.




In Defense of Animals, located in San Rafael, Calif., is an international animal protection organization with more than 85,000 members and supporters dedicated to ending the abuse and exploitation of animals by protecting their rights and welfare. IDA's efforts include educational events, cruelty investigations, boycotts, grassroots activism, and hands-on rescue through our sanctuaries in Mississippi, Mumbai, India, and Cameroon, Africa.

In Defense of Animals is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization. We welcome your feedback and appreciate your donations. Please join today! All donations to IDA are tax-deductible.

In Defense of Animals
3010 Kerner, San Rafael, CA 94901
Tel. (415) 448-0048 Fax (415) 454-1031
idainfo@idausa.org





“All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is
violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.”

Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)




"The fate of animals is of greater importance to me
than the fear of appearing ridiculous;
it is indissolubly connected with the fate of men."

- Emile Zola (1840-1902)

INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST KOREAN DOG EATING

PLEASE ATTEND

WHAT: Vigil to expose the Korean dog eating season coming up in July and August.

WHERE: Korean Visa Office
460 Park Avenue, (57th St. & Park Avenue)

WHEN: July 14, 2009 4-6:30 PM


South Koreans are preparing for the July and August dog eating months, where up to 2 million dogs will be slaughtered and
eaten. In Defense of Animals has been a leader in exposing this horror by holding protests and vigils.
Won't you join everyone at this event? Previous such events have made the Korean print and television news, both here and
in Seoul, South Korea. We will have banners, DVDs showing the horrors, posters, flyers, speakers, and of course, BRING YOUR DOGS !!

PLEASE PRINT OR ORDER 25 COPIES OF THE FLYER AT http://www.idausa.org/campaigns/korea/multimedia.html AND BRING WITH YOU.
REACH OUT TO POTENTIAL SPEAKERS SUCH AS CELEBRITIES, POLITICIANS, AND REPS FROM OTHER GROUPS AND INVITE THEM TO SPEAK.
TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND RELATIVES.

To find out what cities/countries are holding protests and vigils Visit the In Defense of Animals website announcement at

http://www.idausa.org/campaigns/korea/events.html

If you have any questions call 718-544-PETS. If you have no questions SEE YOU ON JULY 14TH !!!

ANIMALS ASIA:DOG AND CAT EATING IN CHINA

Animals Asia: Dog & Cat Eating in China
Dear Ms Croke and staff of the Secret Lives of Animals.

When you pander to the panda myth that the chinese are compassionate because they take such good care of the cute pandas this is what you perpetuate:

The following text and pictures are taken from Animals Asia, a British organization that works to end dog meat consumption in China.


Dog & Cat Eating in China
Dog Eating

3 caged dogs await their fate

Dogs arrive by the truckload

While some countries in Asia such as Hong Kong, the Philippines and Taiwan have banned the practice of dog eating, evidence shows that in China, the biggest dog eating country in the world, it continues to thrive. It is estimated that up to 10 million dogs are slaughtered every year in China, many deliberately slowly and cruelly in the belief that "torture equals taste", while all suffer the stress and pain of being farmed in concentrated numbers before being killed in a variety of ways which rarely ensure a quick and humane death. Animals Asia field investigators have witnessed trucks loaded with anything up to 2,000 dogs per truck arriving at the wholesale Hua Nam Wild Animal Market in Guangzhou.

These poor animals have spent 3 days and 3 nights, squashed together in tiny cages, unable to move, without food, water or shelter. The dogs are then brutally lifted by the neck and hurled into a pen by a man wielding a metal tongs. Here they fight through fear, hunger and desperation to survive while awaiting a horrendously slow death in order to provide meat for restaurants in Guangzhou. Diseases such as parvo virus, canine distemper and leptospirosis are rife and spread like wildfire in dogs whose immune systems are already low due to depression and starvation. We often witness a large number of dead and diseased dogs and cats which have been pulled out of the cages and slung by the side.

The dog meat trade is becoming increasingly industrialized and is even promoted by the government in some provinces. Huge dog farms have been developed and giant gentle breeds, like the St. Bernard, have been imported to be cross-bred with the local Chinese mongrel to produce a fast growing, docile “meat dog” that can be slaughtered at 4 months. Livestock sections of large bookshops stock books and VCDs on dog farming which promote horrific slaughter methods, in the misguided belief that the more the dog suffers the better the meat will taste

Consequently, vacuum packed and canned dog meat are becoming increasingly available in some supermarkets. Investigations also reveal that the fur from slaughtered dogs is now entering local and international markets and being used as "trim" for fashion items, or for trinkets such as keyrings and hair accessories. Animals Asia has examined arguments ranging from those referring to culture, to those which state that, as long as the animal does not suffer, then eating dog meat is no different to eating the meat of other domestically raised animals such as pork, chicken and beef. However, we believe that to advocate humane slaughter for dogs would legitimize the practice and undermine the tireless and effective work of those Asian countries that have recently outlawed the practice. Time and time again, dogs across the world have proved their unique qualities and how valuable they can be in partnership with people. We believe that they should not be part of the food chain.

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- -----

Please consider doing a show that is an accurate portrayal of the life of a dog in China.

The secret lives of dogs in China is a nightmare.

Ruth Eisenbud
Cambridge, Ma

UPDATES FROM VIVA!

Viva! Victory: Makro Drops Kangaroo Meat!
Success featured in today’s Independent

Last November, Viva! persuaded the cash and carry chain Booker to stop selling so-called ‘exotic meats’, and we have now done the same with Makro. This means that no major UK retailer currently sells kangaroo meat. It is just as well, kangaroos are under attack in Australia more than ever before. Since 2001, the kangaroo population has plummeted by over 50 per cent due to drought and over-hunting. The Australian government’s answer is to open up new killing fields in New South Wales. Viva! is determined to stamp out the ‘exotic meats’ trade in Britain to help protect these beautiful animals. Get involved and find out more at www.savethekangaroo.com. Find out more about the Makro victory here and read The Independent coverage here.

Plus, thank you to everyone who signed the petition against the proposed massacre of kangaroos at the Majura military base in Australia. More good news: it has been postponed until June whilst a review is carried out. However, they are still under threat. If you haven’t already, please sign the petition here.



Fashion Crimes: the Cruelty of the Fur Industry

Viva!’s The Big Cover Up campaign (www.thebigcoverup.org.uk) has now turned its attention to the fur industry. Mirroring the way that billions of animals world wide are intensively farmed for meat, millions of animals are also reared in the most appalling conditions, killed in ways that should outrage and sicken any normal individual – all for trivial items no one needs. However, despite evidence the fur trade is shrinking in the recession, the UK is still one of the largest markets in the world. Sadly, whilst fur farming itself is banned in Britain, it is not illegal to import it. Read the report here and find out how you can get involved here.



Incredible Veggie Show an Incredible Success!

Again, thousands of people packed London’s Royal Horticultural Halls for the veggie event of the year. Top speakers and cookery demos by Rose Elliot and Heather Mills provided food for the mind as well as the stomach! A big thank you to everyone who attended, as well as the Show’s sponsors: Ecotricity; Cook Vegetarian; Beanies Health Foods; The Redwood Wholefood Co; Speak Political; Bute Island Foods; Plamil and The Vegetarian & Vegan Foundation.

Incredible Veggie Roadshows

The next free regional Show is at Cheltenham Town Hall on Saturday, September 26 (10.30am-4.30pm). More information here. Please note: due to a downturn in donations during these difficult times, the Show in Carlisle (which was to be on July 18) has been cancelled, and the one in Cambridge (which was to be on November 7) will take place in Spring next year.



Spring Sale at the Viva! Shop

Now is the time to stock your cupboards with some yummy vegan nosh, expand your wardrobe with ethical t’s and brush up on your veggie culinary skills, all without breaking the bank! For a limited time only, the Viva! Shop is having a spring clear-out, with chocolate from £2, clothing from £5 and books from £5…this is the sale of the season. Remember, buying from Viva! saves animals, so what are you waiting for?



Become a School Speaker
.... and do one of the most effective things you can for the animals!
Viva! and the Vegetarian & Vegan Foundation School Speaker Training Day
Saturday, August 29, 10am-5pm, at the Charity Centre, 24 Stephenson Way, London NW1 2DP

Calling all animal advocates! We need you to get into schools and promote the veggie message! Speaking to teenagers in schools about vegetarian issues is a truly uplifting experience. This no obligation training is fun and rewarding. The day costs only £10 waged/£5 unwaged, which includes a copy of The Viva! Guide to Speaking in Schools, our teen video Food for Life, leaflets and vegan refreshments. Find out more here.



Viva! Proudly Presents: Jeffrey Masson Launching His New Book The Face on Your Plate: The Truth About Food
Thursday 18th Jun, 7pm (early arrival is advised as places are limited)
Cabot Room, The Hawthorns, Woodland Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1UQ


The best-selling author of When Elephants Weep and Dogs Never Lie About Love explores our relationship with the animals we call food. In this uplifting and fascinating talk, Jeffrey Masson shows how what we eat affects our moral selves, our health and our planet. His new book raises questions to make us conscious of the decisions behind every bite we take: what effect does eating animals have on our land, waters, even global warming? The Face on Your Plate brings New Zealand based Masson's intellectual, psychological and emotional expertise built up over 20 years into this pivotal book of the food revolution. With an introduction by Juliet Gellatley, Viva!’s founder and director.

The VVF and Viva! Present Dr. Greger’s Latest in Nutrition
Book your ticket now to see world vegan nutrition expert in London
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Edmond J Safra Lecture Theatre, Strand Building, Strand Campus, Kings College, London, WC2R 2LS (1.15pm-5pm)
Tickets only £5 (incl. P&P)


Learn first hand how going vegan is the most effective thing anyone can do to prevent, treat and even reverse chronic disease – from one of the world’s premier clinical nutritionists. The VVF present a fascinating afternoon with Dr Michael Greger, featuring the latest in cutting-edge health research and how giving up meat and dairy products can really transform your life! This is bound to sell out quickly – so, for more information and to book your tickets visit the VVF website now! With an introduction by Juliet Gellatley, Viva!’s founder and director.


Become a Viva! Investigator

Do you know of a factory farm near you? Would you be interested in exposing animal abuse on your door step? Viva! is compiling a database of intensive farming across the UK and we need your help. Send us information, or contact us about how you can get involved, by emailing investigations@viva.org.uk.


Give a Hen a Home!
Take part in large hen rescue

Ten thousand hens, from a battery farm in Norfolk which is closing down, face slaughter, but have a chance to be re-homed. If you can help, or know someone who could, please contact littlehenrescue@googlemail.com.



Viva! Competition with Ecoture

Ecoture is an eco-friendly company owned and run by a Vegan couple. They offer Eco-friendly, Ethical Products at great prices. If you attended the Incredible Veggie Show this year you may have seen the couple there! Since the event they have organised a competition, which is exclusively for Viva! members. WIN any item of your choice from their EcoShop! Visit the website: www.ecoture.co.uk and click 'Viva!' to enter.


Business Friends

Redwood Wholefoods www.redwoodfoods.co.uk
Once again we are delighted to be the highest rated ethical supplier of vegan foods. For details of Redwood’s delicious award winning products call us on 01536 400557 or visit us at www.redwoodfoods.co.uk

The Lucy Rose Organic Beauty Boutique www.lucyrose.biz
The Lucy Rose Organic Beauty Boutique boasts an extensive hand-picked selection of the finest organic and natural beauty brands. You will find chemical-free alternatives for effective sun care, baby care, makeup, skin and anti-ageing – available with free P&P within the UK.

Other Links and Events

May
Saturday May 30 – May 31
Bristol Vegan Fayre
Featuring live music including Horace Andy & Dub Asante, Macka B and The King Blues, stalls, talks and cookery demos. Meet the Viva! and VVF team there! For details www.bristolveganfayre.co.uk


For more upcoming events see our online diary here.



Your Viva!City

This email alert reaches thousands of people but we’d like your help to make it even better. At the moment we have just one list of addresses which means that we have to send the same email to everyone. From time to time we’d like to let people know about things happening in their area or get in contact with our younger supporters but we don’t want to fill everyone else’s mailboxes with information that isn’t relevant to them. What we’d like to do is compile email lists separated into different regions so that if we do have something we’d like to tell people in Scotland or Yorkshire about, we can send them the information without bothering anyone else.

The simplest way for us to identify which area you live in is to know your postcode and so we’d be grateful if you could take a minute to fill in our online questionnaire. We’d also really like to know your age if you’re under 18 – you can fill in your date of birth on the form. You won’t receive any postal mailings (unless you want them and fill in your other details) and the information will be used only to sort your email addresses. You don’t even have to give us your name if you don’t want to.

As ever, if you would like any more information about any of our campaigns, check out our website www.viva.org.uk or get in touch with us directly – contact details at the top of this email. Please don’t click “reply”, however – your email won’t be seen at that address.

Thanks again for all your support.
http://www.viva.org.uk

THAI SMUGGLERS BUSTED WITH GRIZLY HALVES OF TIGER CARCASSES!

Written by Derek Markham

The Thai Navy arrested eight animal traffickers in possession of two tiger carcasses, both chopped in half, and 45 pangolins as they attempted to smuggle the animals across the Mekong River into Lao PDF.

“The trail of butchered Tigers winds through many countries in Southeast Asia.” - Chris R. Shepherd, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia’s Acting Director
Officers in the Thai Navy followed two cars with the grisly cargo and arrested eight people as they attempted to transfer the animals from cars into a boat for the river crossing. Two of the pangolins were already dead.
The Thai Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division sent the tiger carcasses to the Dept. of National Parks for DNA testing to determine if they were domesticated or wild animals.
“TRAFFIC lauds the Thai authorities for carrying out these DNA tests. Determining the origin of these Tigers is crucial if authorities hope to end this tragic trade.”- Shepherd
Previous attempts to smuggle tigers across the border have been recorded, with the Thai Navy preventing smugglers from bringing six slaughtered tigers, five leopards and 275 live pangolins across the Thai-Laos border in January 2008. The tigers in that incident were also sliced in half, and the leopards were missing their organs.
In January 2009, police in Thailand seized the carcasses of four tigers in Hua Hin, all decapitated. Police believed those tigers came from Malaysia and were en route to China. In February, two tiger carcasses and a panther carcass were seized in the province of Pattani.
TRAFFIC encouraged governments in Southeastern Asian countries to work together to stem the flow of illegal animal trafficking across borders.
“Tracking down those who illegally kill and trade these Tigers and putting them behind bars is a task countries cannot accomplish on their own.” - Shepherd
Images: Mekong Waterfront Guard & Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression

CHINA-ACTIVISTS SEEKING TO PROTECT KANGAROOS!

BEIJING, May 15 (UPI) -- An animal rights activist says his visit toChina Friday is oriented toward preventing the consumption ofkangaroos there.
Animal Liberation Executive Director Mark Pearson said he wouldattempt to convince Chinese residents during his visit that theconsumption of kangaroo meat promotes cruel and unhygienic hunting andstorage of the animals, The Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald said inits Saturday edition.
Pearson's visit to China comes in the wake of Australian Minister forAgriculture Tony Burke's visit to the Asian country. Burke used histime in China to promote the consumption of kangaroo meat, saying suchfoods are good for consumers.
--full story:http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/05/15/Activist-seeking-to-protect-kangaroos/UPI-26401242406459/
SEE ALSO:Animal Rights Groups' Attempting to Co-opt Religion

ANIMAL ATROCITIES-ARCHIVE

[Harvard Crimson - opinion - comments at full story link]

I could hear the howls from three blocks away. But I still gasped as I
walked into the sprawling Dong Xuan live-animal market in Hanoi,
Vietnam. Dogs, many with open wounds, cowed in the corners of tiny
wire cages stacked five high, as restaurateurs and butchers haggled
over slaughter prices. Monkeys, chickens, and lizards huddled in cages
scarcely larger than their bodies. In one cage, two young rabbits
silently shook in fear as a python was placed in alongside them.

For the last three semesters I’ve written a Crimson column on animal
protection, and for many years I’ve been a strict vegetarian. During
that time, many friends and readers have voiced their surprise that I
care so much about such an unlikely cause. Many, I think, have simply
assumed I’ve always been this way—as if I were born with a PETA
membership card and an inexplicably visceral distaste for KFC.

Yet, for the first 15 years of my life, the opposite was true: I ate
meat, attended rodeos, and even occasionally went hunting in our
family’s forest. A longtime vegetarian friend recently remembered that
I teased her in middle school for her “rabbit diet” of fruit and
vegetables. So what changed? In this, my last Crimson column, I would
like to tell the story of how I became an animal advocate and explain
why I believe history will judge our generation harshly based on our
treatment of animals.

Looking back, I would love to pretend that my life changed after my
chance encounter with the Vietnamese live-animal market. But it
didn’t. In my mind, vegetarianism remained the preserve of
health-obsessed teenage girls and animal rights the territory of
self-righteous former hippies. Being neither, I returned to New
Zealand and continued attending meat-filled barbeques at weekend rugby
games.
...
We are all complicit in a great moral crisis. But there is also hope:
By informing ourselves, supporting political change, and even going
vegetarian, we can end factory farming. I hope that I have persuaded
you over the past year and a half that we must.

--
full story:
http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=527969

Tails of Asia

To listen to the radio talk show click the title!


Once again, WFL Endangered Stream Live radio talk show host and animal
welfare advocate, Katia Louise, has brought to the public an informative
and thought-provoking show with "Tails of Asia", which examines
the use of dogs and cats for fur and food. Those of us who are deeply
touched by animals are, by nature, sensitive people and therefore might
attempt to protect our feelings by shying away from such a topic. But
"Tails of Asia" host, Katia Louise, successfully approaches the
unsettling subject matter with tact and compassion without discounting
the importance of the issues.

Instrumental in achieving the show's objective are the featured
guests, which include Dena Jones, U.S. Program Director for the World
Society for the Protection of Animals, Bill Dyer, Regional Director for
In Defense of Animals, and Jill Robinson, Founder and CEO of Animals
Asia Foundation. These remarkable individuals, who work tirelessly to
put an end to animal cruelty around the world, are happy to share their
vast knowledge of the issues in an effort to bring awareness that will
motivate others to take action.

Perhaps you've wondered just how many dogs and cats are killed each
year in Asia for their fur or their meat. Maybe you've curiously
pondered the conditions in which these animals are kept or the methods
in which they're killed. You may have even contemplated how the fur
fashion industry's exorbitant profits are realized at the expense of
unimaginable suffering by animals and the damaging impact on the
environment. Ranging from the specific (how many chinchillas are killed
to make one fur coat) to the general (why many Asians choose to eat dog
and cat meat), "Tails of Asia" provides the answers to these and
many other questions relating to the issue—answers that arm the
listener with the knowledge they need in the fight for animal rights.

There were encouraging points made during the show as well. Guest Bill
Dyer noted that Israeli politician Nitzan Horowitz recently made an
unprecedented move by introducing a bill that would ban the fur industry
entirely in Israel. Jill Robinson, who called in to the show from China,
said that the tides are slowly changing there with regard to how people
view animal welfare. She told of a recent incident in China in which a
small, unorganized group of animal advocates broke into a facility to
rescue several hundred cats from a tragic fate, and while they
technically broke the law, the local authorities essentially turned a
blind eye to the group's actions and chose not to arrest them. It
was well-noted by all the guests that even the smallest of victories
should be celebrated as they end suffering of some animals and bring
awareness to the problem. Positive changes are slowly being made as a
result of the combined efforts of animal advocates world-wide.

To learn more about what you can do to help combat the cruelty, listen
to "Tails of Asia". This engaging show can now be accessed on
demand at http://www.blogtalk radio.com/ WFLEndangerdStre amLive
.

-by Kara Lemire

300+ Gorillas Killed Each Year for Bushmeat in the Congo

Written by Alex Felsinger


An undercover investigation by Endangered Species International has disclosed the horrific scale of the endangered species market in the Republic of Congo.
The nonprofit found that hunters source 95% of bushmeat around the Kouilou region, one of the most biodiverse areas in the country. In additon to gorilla meat, the investigation discovered the sale of other at-risk species like the forest hinged tortoise, draft crocodiles, blue duikers, and white-bellied pangolins.



Gorilla meat is sold pre-cut and smoked and sells for about $6 per “hand-sized” piece — actual gorilla hands are also available. The group estimated that 300 gorillas are slaughtered each year to be sold at market.

“If the present trend in forest exploitation continues in Kouilou, most edible endangered wildlife — including great apes — will vanish within a few years in this region,” reads a press release from ESI. “Gorilla illegal market trade is thriving in Congo and the mass arrival of the Chinese in search of natural resources will exacerbate illegal hunting for rare and endangered species.”

For more information, view ESI’s photo gallery of their findings.

Photo courtesy of ESI.