IDA eNews: 9/12/07

IDA ACTION ALERTS
1. Japanese Schoolchildren To Get Even More Toxic Dolphin Meat
2. Another Atlanta Falcons Player Faces Animal Cruelty Charges
3. Teens Torture Neighbor's Dog to Death

CAMPAIGN NEWS & UPDATES
1. Celebrate Elephant Appreciation Day, Sept. 22
2. Huntington Beach Makes Spaying/Neutering and Microchipping Mandatory
3. In Memoriam: Dr. Susan Shideler

IDA ACTION ALERTS

1. Japanese Schoolchildren To Get Even More Toxic Dolphin Meat
Reminder: Worldwide Japan Dolphin Day Demonstrations on Sept. 25th

In our eNews last month ( http://www.idausa.org/campaigns/marine/feature_070808.html ), we ran a story about Junichiro Yamashita and Hisato Ryono, two city council members from the Japanese whaling town of Taiji who publicly condemned the consumption of mercury-poisoned dolphin meat, especially as it is used in Japan's school lunch programs. After tests done on dolphin meat samples purchased from supermarkets revealed high levels of mercury, the council members said serving dolphin in school cafeterias is like feeding them "toxic waste."

More than a month after beginning their crusade to get dolphin meat removed from Japan's school lunch program, the two council members are outraged that the government continues to endanger children's health by insisting that eating dolphin is safe. In fact, rather than reduce or remove dolphin meat from students' lunches, the government actually plans to increase the amount served in schools. By choosing to ignore scientific evidence and side with the fishing industry for economic reasons, the Japanese government is needlessly putting children's lives at risk.

Yamashita and Ryono also charge that the Japanese media is complicit with the government in suppressing information about the health hazards of eating dolphin meat. One notable exception is the Japan Times ( http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070904a3.html ), which is one of the few news outlets to report this story. Most others have so far abandoned their journalistic responsibility to expose the truth because they are afraid of criticizing Taiji's drive fisheries, which net huge profits by herding dolphins and whales into shallow bays and harpooning them to death with spears or slashing their throats with machetes.

The fishing village of Taiji, located on the coast of Japan's Kii Peninsula, is considered the birthplace of the country's commercial whaling industry. Despite overwhelming proof that dolphin meat is tainted, the government supports Taiji's plans to build a $3 million marine mammal slaughterhouse with the aim of popularizing dolphin meat consumption in Japan. Artificially driving up consumer demand by making carcass-processing more "efficient" would greatly increase the number of dolphins and whales killed in the drive fisheries -- already over 20,000 a year, about 2,300 of them in Taiji alone.

The longer the Japanese government, media, and fishing industry continue putting profit ahead of people's safety, the greater the risk that the country will suffer another Minamata poisoning ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minamata_disease ) epidemic. In the 1950s, over 1,700 Japanese lost their lives to the degenerative neurological disease, which attacks the brain and can cause psychosis, paralysis, coma, and death. Children are more susceptible to mercury poisoning than adults because of their smaller size.

Human industrial interests pollute the ocean, poisoning dolphins' flesh, then brutally massacre these animals and feed their toxic bodies to people. This cycle of deceit, greed, and exploitation is hurting both animals and humans, and it must be broken -- beginning with an end to the drive fisheries. Thankfully, there are encouraging signs of change: many Japanese supermarkets have removed dolphin meat from their shelves ( http://www.idausa.org/campaigns/marine/feature_070110.html ), and right now, activists around the world are preparing for the annual Japan Dolphin Day on September 25th, when thousands of people will protest outside of Japanese consulates and embassies in their countries. As a member of the Save Japan Dolphins coalition ( http://www.savejapandolphins.org/ ), sponsor and coordinator of Japan Dolphin Day, IDA hopes you will join us.

What You Can Do:

- Be a part of Japan Dolphin Day on Tuesday, September 25th, and ask your family and friends to join you. IDA will again hold a protest at the Japanese Consulate in San Francisco, so please be there with us if you will be in the Bay Area (contact melissa [at] idausa.org for more information). If you live elsewhere, check the listings for Japan Dolphin Day events ( http://www.savejapandolphins.org/internationalDay.html) in other U.S. cities, as well as countries throughout the world. For more information on these events, contact ricobarry [at] bellsouth.net .

- Print and hand out IDA's flyer ( http://www.idausa.org/campaigns/marine/pdf/dolphinflyer_2.pdf ) for distribution on Japan Dolphin Day.

- If you run or belong to a conservation, animal protection, or consumer health advocacy organization, urge them to take part in Japan Dolphin Day by organizing or attending an event. Call (415) 788-3666 or email marinemammal [at] earthisland.org for more information.

- Watch a short video about the drive fisheries produced by the Save Japan Dolphins coalition ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd5lHbtyxzs ). Be aware that some of the scenes depict graphic slaughter.

Learn more about IDA's efforts to stop the Japanese drive fisheries ( http://www.idausa.org/campaigns/marine/feature_060927.html ).


2. Another Atlanta Falcons Player Faces Animal Cruelty Charges
Urge prosecutor to seek maximum penalty for Jonathan Babineaux

The indictment of NFL quarterback Michael Vick ( http://ga0.org/indefenseofanimals/notice-description.tcl?newsletter_id=10485691 ) for dogfighting has made international headlines, but he's not the only Atlanta Falcons player facing animal cruelty charges. Back in February 2007, authorities accused Vick's teammate Jonathan Babineaux of killing his girlfriend's pit bull mix Kilo, who died from severe head trauma. Perhaps because Babineaux is less famous than Vick -- he is a defensive tackle filling in for an injured player -- and because the case involves the death of only one dog, this story has not received very much coverage in the media.

Authorities claim Babineaux killed Kilo by smashing his head in after an argument with Kilo's guardian, Babineaux's girlfriend Blair Anderson. Babineaux claims the death was unintentional, because a dog trainer instructed him to swing Kilo by his leash if he acted aggressively, and that he accidentally slammed the dog's head into a wall while doing so. Soon after his arrest, police released Babineaux on $2,300 bail, and he now faces felony charges of animal cruelty. A conviction could send him to prison for up to five years and cost him $15,000 in fines.

With two players facing animal cruelty charges, the Falcons are becoming known as a franchise that tolerates brutality against dogs -- especially because the team has taken no action. Babineaux played in the Falcon's season opener on Sunday, September 9th, and the team has made no move thus far to suspend him pending the outcome of his trial. Michael Vick is not playing for the Falcons at this time because he has been indefinitely suspended from the NFL. However, the Falcons refuse to kick him off the team, even though he has pleaded guilty to the charges against him. If convicted of dogfighting, he could be banned from the league for life.

What You Can Do:

Please contact District Attorney Danny Porter and politely encourage him to prosecution Jonathan Babineaux to the fullest extent of the law if he is found guilty of animal cruelty for Kilo's death.

Gwinnett County District Attorney
Danny J. Porter
Gwinnett Co. Justice & Admin Center
75 Langley Drive
Lawrenceville, Georgia 30045
Tel: (770) 822-8400
Fax: (770) 822-8465
Web email: http://www.co.gwinnett.ga.us/


3. Teens Torture Neighbor's Dog to Death
Thank Assistant County Attorney for her work on this case

Three boys aged 12, 14, and 16 face charges of cruelty to animals resulting in death after kidnapping a dog from their neighbor's yard and murdering him by acts of brutal torture.

Toby was a Pomeranian, a breed often referred to as "toy dogs" because of their small size: adult Pomeranians typically weigh between three and seven pounds. The three boys stand accused of taking this particularly helpless dog to an abandoned house, where they threw him repeatedly from a second-story window until his legs were broken. They then strung Toby upside-down from a tree branch and beat him using a board with protruding nails as though his body was a party piñata. Finally, they burned Toby's genitals with a lighter, and decapitated him using a pocketknife.

At least as disturbing as this act of violence against someone's beloved animal companion is the fact that the three young perpetrators showed no remorse for torturing and killing Toby. Dr. Harvey Ginsburg, a psychology professor at Texas State University-San Marcos, speculated that the boys may have been emulating Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, who faces charges of running a dogfighting ring and executing dogs who lost fights by hanging them, beating them against the floor, and other gruesome methods. According to Ginsburg, children who lack of empathy for others, whether animal or human, may look up to idols like Vick and want to be like him. "They were treating this puppy like a stuffed animal," he told the San Antonio Express-News ( http://www.mysanantonio.com/salife/pets/stories/MYSA090607.01B.TobyReact.32d1602.html ). "They just don't get it." He also emphasized that "These kids need to be in an institution now."

Assistant County Attorney Nan Udell, who is prosecuting the case, warned that "Behavior like this is an indicator that they will victimize others in the future." The F.B.I. and U.S. Department of Justice have also drawn a clear connection between animal abuse and other acts of violence ( http://www.guardiancampaign.com/violencestats.html ), which, when left unaddressed, can lead to victimizing humans. Many of the world's most notorious mass-murderers -- including Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, Eric Harris, and Dylan Klebold -- are known to have tortured and killed animals before moving on to humans.

If there is a silver lining in this sad story, it is that Toby's terrible death has outraged and inspired people around the world to prevent future tragedies like this one. Udell's office has been bombarded with phone calls urging her to throw the book at the boys, and British musician Maria Daines recently released "Toby's Song," which can be downloaded from her website for free ( http://www.maria-daines.com/music.html ). Toby's guardians, Leonora Tavera and her daughter Stephanie, say the sympathy others have shown for their loss, and the family's new puppy, are helping them work through their intense grief.

What You Can Do:

As punishment, Assistant County Attorney Udell plans to send the three teens to a Texas Youth Commission rehabilitation facility until they each turn 19. Please call or write to Udell to thank her for all the work she has done on this case, and for seeking justice for poor Toby.

Assistant County Attorney Nan Udell
Guadalupe County Attorney
101 East Court Street, Suite 104
Seguin, Texas 78155
Tel: (830) 303-6130
Fax: (830) 379-9491


CAMPAIGN NEWS & UPDATES

1. Celebrate Elephant Appreciation Day, Sept. 22
Take time to learn about elephants and help make their lives better

Elephant Appreciation Day is held every year on September 22nd to honor one of the world's noblest and most beloved creatures. Unfortunately, elephants are also one of the world's most exploited and threatened creatures, so this day serves as an opportunity for people to appreciate elephants by helping them.

At different points in human history, we have used elephants in different ways. The ancients rode elephants into war, forced them into labor building cities, and made them battle other wild animals in the Roman Coliseum. Today, elephants are still exploited by zoos and circuses, and still illegally hunted in their native homelands for their meat and ivory tusks. Because of this, Asian elephants are classified as "endangered" and African elephants as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act.

The elephant is a unique and fascinating species. Not only are elephants the largest land mammal on Earth, they are also the only animal with a trunk. They use this protuberance like an arm to grasp objects, drink water, smell their surroundings, and communicate with each other (e.g., "trunkshakes" instead of handshakes). The elephant's trunk is both nimble and powerful. With adult male elephants weighing as much as 12,000 pounds and standing over 10 feet tall, elephants are one of the world's strongest animals. Not surprisingly, they are also natural herbivores who mainly eat grass, leaves, and fruit.

In this way, as well as others, they are role models for the human species. Observations from modern ethological field research confirm anecdotal stories from down the ages of elephants' intelligence, courage, altruism, and emotional depth. For all of these reasons, IDA reminds you never to forget the elephants, and to do something nice for them on Elephant Appreciation Day!

What You Can Do:

Here are some ideas for ways to help elephants on September 22nd and throughout the year:

- Get involved in IDA's campaign to help elephants suffering in zoos by visiting http://www.helpelephants.com, and join IDA's Elephant Task Force ( http://www.helpelephants.com/form_signup.html ) to stay updated on elephant issues around the country and in your own area so you can take action.

- Download and print or order copies of IDA's outreach materials on elephants ( http://www.idausa.org/shop-ida/lit6.html ), and hand them out to people outside of zoos and circuses.

- Support IDA's elephant campaign by making a tax-deductible donation ( https://secure.ga0.org/02/idadonations_project ).

- Learn more about elephant sanctuaries. The Elephant Sanctuary ( http://www.elephants.com/ ) and PAWS ( http://www.pawsweb.org/ ) offer hundreds of acres of open land where elephants can have freedom to roam and yet live protected from poachers. These sanctuaries rescue elephants from cramped zoos and cruel circuses that exploit them for profit, and provide a permanent home where they no longer have to perform or live in undersized enclosures.

- Got kids? Then get fun and educational Elephant Appreciation Day ideas for the young ones, too ( http://www.himandus.net/elephanteria/eday/main_eday.html ). To learn more about Elephas maximus and Loxodonta africana, check out Elephant Voices ( http://www.elephantvoices.org/index.php ) and the International Elephant Foundation ( http://www.elephantconservation.org ).


2. Huntington Beach Makes Spaying/Neutering and Microchipping Mandatory
City is first in California to pass historic law for dogs and cats

Huntington Beach, the Southern California coastal community also internationally known as "Surf City USA," recently became the first city in the state to pass a law requiring almost all dogs and cats to be both spayed/neutered and microchipped. Proponents of the new program hope it will greatly reduce the number of accidental litters (and therefore the number of homeless animals destroyed by overcrowded shelters) and ensure that lost dogs and cats can be quickly returned to their guardians.

Every year in the United States, an estimated three to four million cats and dogs are killed in animal shelters. While it is widely known that spaying and neutering ( http://www.idausa.org/facts/spayneuter.html ) has proven the most effective method of stemming the dog and cat overpopulation crisis ( http://www.idausa.org/facts/overpopulation.html ), many people are unaware of the added benefits of spaying and neutering for our animal companions. Spayed female dogs and cats have no risk of contracting uterine cancer, and their risk of contracting breast cancer is significantly reduced. Sterilized male cats and dogs are less likely to roam in search of mates, helping to guard animals from fatal diseases like feline leukemia or feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV).

Less roaming also means fewer cats and dogs will wander off so far from home that they lose their way. If they do, shelter workers will be able to quickly and decisively identify any animal companions by scanning microchips, safely and permanently embedded in their necks, containing their guardians' contact information. Microchips are invaluable in ensuring that lost animals are returned to their families, and not adopted out or euthanized because their rightful guardians could not be found.

The new law in Huntington Beach (pop. 195,000) is similar to one that Assemblyman Lloyd Levine ( http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a40/mainpage.htm ) proposed for the entire state called the California Healthy Pets Act. Though it was recently defeated in the Assembly ( http://ga0.org/indefenseofanimals/notice-description.tcl?newsletter_id=10017806#7 ) (and may be reintroduced next year), at least Huntington Beach has shown that communities can create their own solutions to dog and cat overpopulation

At least 30 states have passed legislation requiring sterilization of cats and dogs adopted from community shelters, but like the California Healthy Pets Act, Huntington Beach's ordinance goes further by holding animals purchased from pet stores and breeders to the same standards. Some animals will be exempt from the law -- such as police and service dogs, and those bred for dog and cat shows -- but guardians of these animals will have to pay an additional licensing fee. No citations will be issued to violators for the first year, giving guardians a chance to learn about and comply with the law, after which the city council will review the program to see whether it has effectively reduced the number of homeless dogs and cats in Huntington Beach.


3. In Memoriam: Dr. Susan Shideler
Animal advocates mourn passing of humane wildlife management pioneer

The humane community suffered a tragic loss with the death of Dr. Susan Shideler of Inverness, Calif. on August 10th, 2007.

As a reproductive endocrinologist with the John Muir Institute for the Environment's Center for Health and the Environment at the University of California Davis, Susan was a trailblazer for humane treatment of wildlife. She was a pioneer in the development and implementation of immunocontraception for wildlife management as an alternative to lethal population control.

Susan was a great help to IDA's efforts over the years to protect animals and combat a conventional mentality in wildlife management that sacrifices animal welfare for expediency and tradition.

In the early 1990's, when IDA learned of the Point Reyes National Seashore's plan to kill 40 female tule elk a year for population control, we helped coordinate a team of scientists to propose a non-lethal approach to managing these beautiful creatures who are native to the area. As a scientist, Susan led immunocontraception trials on the tule elk. She spent hours, days, and months out on the range, learning to identify each animal by sight, collecting fecal samples to non-invasively measure hormone levels, and delivering contraceptives by remote dart from horseback. Her humane approach stands in stark contrast to that of White Buffalo, Inc., with whom the Pt. Reyes National Seashore has contracted to exterminate the Axis and Fallow Deer ( http://www.saveptreyesdeer.org/ ) by shooting them.

Dr. Susan Shideler was a pioneering scientist and a humanitarian. All of us at IDA who worked with her over these years are deeply saddened at her passing. She will be sorely missed.

What You Can Do:

The Pt. Reyes National Seashore has turned its back on the humane wildlife management strategies pioneered by Dr. Shideler and adopted a policy that calls for extermination of the beautiful Axis and Fallow Deer, who, although non-native species, have lived in the area since the 1950's. Phase I, implemented this summer, saw the killing of 80 deer with high-powered rifles, while another 80 were contracepted. Phase II will begin next summer, so there is still time to convince federal officials to save these beautiful deer from being shot and killed in this popular national park.

Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey has taken a proactive stance to protect the deer at Pt. Reyes from being exterminated. Please write or call her office to thank her for this. Also contact Senator Barbara Boxer to ask that she also direct the park to abandon its lethal plans and focus only on humane contraceptive strategies for controlling the exotic deer populations.

The Honorable Barbara Boxer
112 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Tel: (202) 224-3553
Web email: https://boxer.senate.gov/contact/email/policy.cfm

The Honorable Lynn Woolsey
2263 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Tel: (202) 225-5161
Fax: (202) 225-5163
Web email: http://woolsey.house.gov/contactemailform.asp


World Veg Festival Weekend in San Francisco, 9/29-30

Be sure to save the date for the upcoming World Veg Festival Weekend in San Francisco ( http://www.sfvs.org//wvd ), co-presented by IDA and the San Francisco Vegetarian Society ( http://www.sfvs.org ). This year's festival will be held on the weekend of Saturday, September 29th and Sunday, September 30th from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the San Francisco County Fair Building in beautiful Golden Gate Park ( http://tinyurl.com/pbrzd ). At this fun and educational event, thousands will enjoy world-renowned speakers, international vegan cuisine and healthy food demos, vegan vendors and non-profit booths, and live cultural and musical entertainment.

The World Veg Festival Weekend is free to kids under 12 and seniors over 65. It is also free to everyone who comes before 10:30 a.m., after which a $5 donation is suggested. If you don't live in the Bay Area, it's a great excuse to take a vacation and enjoy some wonderful weather during San Francisco's famed Indian summer. Learn more about the World Veg Festival Weekend ( http://www.sfvs.org//wvd ).


The Cat Therapist

Once a month, Carole Wilbourn, the Cat Therapist, answers questions and offers advice on how guardians can enrich their relationships with their beloved feline companions. Click http://idausa.org/cat_therapist/index.html to read the latest Cats on the Couch column. Also visit Carole's Cat Store ( http://www.thecattherapist.com/cat_store.htm ) to purchase a copy of her classic book, "Cat Talk: What Your Cat is Trying to Tell You."


Subscribe to IDA's Weekly eNews

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