IDA News: 4-13-05

The world celebrates Earth Day on Friday, April 22nd with events to foster the interconnectedness of life on this incredible planet. On every level we are part of a complex web of diverse life forms integrated on an infinitely complex world. The way we relate to other species and the Earth determines the quality of our reality and the evolution of our species.

Biologists estimate that 20,000 to 30,000 species go extinct every year, dwarfing the "background extinction rate" built into the evolutionary process. Eminent Harvard University scientist Dr. Edward Wilson believes that at least one-fifth of the planet's biodiversity will be lost by 2030. It's frightening to imagine such a depleted, dying world. If we don't wake up and stop devouring everything, humans may themselves soon become an endangered species.

This Earth Day let's not forget the animals who become our food, because animal agriculture makes their lives hell while polluting the Earth. Sadly, many "environmentalists" will forget them, fighting for endangered species while eating the dead flesh of "food" animals. We must remind them that eating animals is neither environmental nor ethical. Please volunteer with other animal advocates on Earth Day to educate people with an information table or even just a stack of leaflets. You can request special Earth Day postcards for distribution and find a list of Earth Day events in your area by visiting http://veggiesforecology.org . Go a step further and hold a vegan feed-in to let people savor the taste of a truly environmental cuisine that's good for them and the animals. It's a great way to illustrate interconnectedness.

Happy Earth Day, a little in advance.


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Table of Contents:

1. Help IDA Bring Undercover TV to Your Community
2. URGENT: "Guardian" Language Under Attack in New Jersey
3. Trappers Threaten Survival of Celebrated Denali Wolf Pack
4. Take Action During World Week for Animals In Laboratories
5. Seal Slaughter Protest Spans International Borders
6. Urge Judge to Fully Prosecute Animal Abuser
7. PETA Renews Campaign Against Chicken Killer KFC
8. Animal Guardian Volunteer Day in Your Town



1. Help IDA Bring Undercover TV to Your Community

IDA is thrilled to announce the premiere of Undercover TV, an innovative television series that exposes the extreme animal cruelty deliberately hidden from the American public. This revolutionary new half-hour television program produced by IDA takes viewers where other shows won't - behind the scenes of factory farms, vivisection laboratories, fur operations, puppy mills, and other industries to show people the real truth about society's massive exploitation of animals.

Vegan bodybuilding champion and IDA Spokesperson Kenneth G.
Williams hosts the program by introducing video segments (many of which are quite graphic) that you won't see on any other television show. Kenneth is a powerful vegan role model who embodies the strength of those who speak out against animal cruelty, in bold contrast to the weakness of those seen on the videos torturing and killing defenseless animals.

What You Can Do

1. Watch Undercover TV. It already airs on public access stations in the following areas:
- San Francisco, Calif. - Sundays at 10:00 p.m., channel 29
- Marin County, Calif. - Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m., channel 26 (starting in May)
- Duluth, Minn. - Mondays, 1:00 p.m. & 5:30 p.m. and Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m., channel 20
- Hauppauge/Brookhaven, N.Y. - Thursdays at 12:30 a.m., channel 20

2. Help IDA get Undercover TV in as many cities as possible across the U.S. by putting it on the air in your city. If your city doesn't yet air Undercover TV, volunteer for our distribution network. As a resident of any city, you can submit episodes of Undercover TV to your community public access station. All it really takes is dropping off a box of tapes every few weeks. This simple form of activism is extremely powerful because each episode of Undercover TV that is aired can potentially expose thousands of people to the reality of animal exploitation - something most television viewers would never otherwise see. If you would like to bring Undercover TV to your area, contact undercover [at] idausa.org and we'll show you how.

3. Send IDA your undercover and investigative video footage to show on Undercover TV. If you have video footage that exposes violence against animals, please email undercover [at] idausa.org or send a copy to our main office (131 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, CA 94941). If your footage contains evidence of animal cruelty, we can help bring the perpetrators to justice. If you prefer to remain anonymous, we will not reveal your identity.



2. URGENT: "Guardian" Language Under Attack in New Jersey

Last year, the city council of Wanaque, New Jersey unanimously voted to include "guardian" language in the city's animal-related ordinances. Bruce Zeman spearheaded the effort to win respect for companion animals, who all too often are treated like possessions rather than living beings. Named after his beloved dachshund, "Nathan's Law" helped protect animals and promote kind and humane treatment toward them. Now, Nathan's Law is under attack for these very same reasons by those who want to make sure that animals are "owned."

The New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association (NJVMA) has retained a law firm in a bid to reverse the decision of Wanaque's elected representatives and remove the word "guardian"
from the city's by-laws. The reasons they give for seeking to turn back the clock are far-fetched, and represent a poorly-concealed attempt to make it seem as if Nathan's Law will impact veterinary accountability, which it does not. Even though their arguments are unsound, the challenge is a real threat to Nathan's Law because of the NJVMA's power and the fear-based distortions they fabricate for their own self-seeking ends.

The good news is that the citizens of Wanaque are behind Nathan's Law 100%, and won't let it be nullified without a fight. They are proud to be New Jersey's first "Guardian Community," and to be known for caring deeply about their companion animals. Bruce Zeman and the rest of Wanaque's dedicated guardians are prepared to protect their animal friends, but they need your help to achieve a decisive victory.

What You Can Do

1. Contact the following Wanaque decision makers to let them know that people across the U.S. and the world support Nathan's Law because it promotes kindness and respect towards animals and makes Wanaque's residents better animal caretakers.

Warren Hagstrom - Mayor
Tom Carroll - Borough Administrator
Anthony Fiorello - Borough Attorney

Wanaque Municipal Complex
579 Ringwood Avenue
Wanaque, New Jersey 07465
Tel: (973) 839-3000
Fax: (973) 839-4959

2. If you live in the New Jersey area, attend the hearing at which the NJVMA's legal counsel will argue to rescind Nathan's Law. The hearing will take place on Monday, April 18 at 7:00 p.m. at the Wanaque Municipal Complex, 579 Ringwood Avenue in Wanaque.

It is critical that as many people as possible show their support for Nathan's Law, so please take a moment to speak out on behalf of our animal friends.



3. Trappers Threaten Survival of Celebrated Denali Wolf Pack

Of all the wolf packs in the world, the Toklat group in Alaska's Denali National Park has been the most closely studied and photographed. Wildlife biologists have continuously observed and documented this geographically stable family of wolves for over fifty years, creating a vast body of knowledge about the ways they hunt, mate, and care for one another across generations.
This unique group of wolves, fully acclimated to the presence humans, has also been an enduring source of amazement to the tens of thousands of tourists who have visited Denali over the decades. Yet despite the enormous bounty the Toklat group has provided for both natural scientists and nature appreciators, Alaska's Board of Game is now allowing trappers to kill the wolves, threatening the group's very survival. Sadly, some of the Toklat wolves have already been killed or seriously injured by trappers in recent months, devastating the tightly knit family and threatening their very survival.

What You Can Do

1. Click here
(http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/040605/sta_20050406005.shtml) to read an article from the Juneau Empire newspaper and learn more.


2. Click here (http://ga0.org/campaign/DenaliWolves) to send an automatic email urging National Park Service Superintendent Paul Anderson and Interior Secretary Gale Norton to prevent the killing of the Toklat wolves by immediately expanding the no-trap buffer zone around Denali.



4. Seal Slaughter Protest Spans International Borders

On Saturday, April 9, animal activists at both ends of the tunnel connecting Detroit, Mich. with Windsor in Ontario, Canada boldly protested the Canadian slaughter of nearly 320,000 seals that is taking place this week. Nearly 100 protestors held signs urging a ban on the hunt while handing out brochures to Canadian and American commuters passing through the tunnel. As hunters spilled the blood of baby seals on the ice in the largest massacre of mammals anywhere in the world, people from all walks of life expressed disgust with the Canadian Government's cruelty and urged a boycott of all Canadian seafood and tourism.

Increased visibility has helped draw some mainstream media attention to the seal slaughter. Newsweek recently published a highly critical article entitled "An Easter Massacre," which points out the irony that this slaughter takes place every year right after a holiday celebrating rebirth, life and peace. Click here (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4687356/site/newsweek) to read the story.

What You Can Do

On Tuesday, tens of thousands of activists around the world inundated Canadian Embassies with calls, faxes and emails demanding an end to the hunt in a massive International Call-In Day for the Seals. With this kind of momentum, we can't just stop there. It's never too late to tell your local Canadian Embassy officials that you will boycott Canadian seafood and tourism until the seal hunt is banned. Visit http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/can-am/menu-en.asp?mid=5&cat=80 to locate the Canadian Embassy nearest you.



5. Take Action During World Week for Animals In Laboratories

IDA wants everyone to take action during World Week for Animals In Laboratories (WWAIL), April 23 - 30. Events to spotlight the inherent cruelty of vivisection are being planned around the nation. Tens of millions of animals are used and killed in experiments and products testing every year, so it is crucial for advocates to educate the public about the routine abuses and scientific fraudulency of the animal research establishment.

What You Can Do

Speak out against animal experimentation by joining with others.
WWAIL events are already being planned in San Francisco, Boulder, Orlando, Atlanta, Boston, Grand Rapids, and other cities around the globe. Visit http://wwail.org/index.cgi?page=list_events to find out what events are planned for your area.

Also let us know if you would like to organize an event in your city, and we will help you plan it. Contact Kristie [at] idausa.org for more information and to receive free materials.



6. Urge Judge to Fully Prosecute Animal Abuser

Officers in Alpharetta, Ga. who responded to a call from Thomas Spencer's wife reporting that he was killing their German Shepherd puppy found the drunken Spencer holding the dog's bloody face wedged between his knees while he repeatedly punched the helpless animal with his fists, smiling all the while. After being arrested, Spencer laughed at police when they erroneously told him that they could only charge him with a misdemeanor (animal cruelty is actually a felony offense in the state of Georgia).

In addition to other crimes, Spencer also threatened to kill his wife for calling the police, and three years ago pled guilty to setting his neighbor's car on fire for testifying against him in another animal cruelty case. The judge who has been assigned to try the case is reluctant to hand down a stiff sentence because of his compassion for Spencer, a Vietnam veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. However, leniency in this case seriously endangers the safety of both people and animals.

Thomas Spencer's violent actions may seem out of synch with socially acceptable behavior towards animals, but they actually represent the idea of animal "ownership" taken to its logical extreme. In a society where animals have no more legal standing than material possessions, people are conditioned to think that they can do whatever they want to the animals they "own." By redefining the language we use to represent ourselves and our animal companions, IDA's Guardian Campaign seeks to change the mindset of objectification that naturally gives rise to violence against animals.

What You Can Do

1. If your city's legal ordinances still refer to people as animal "owners," become a Guardian Angel by convincing your community to adopt "guardian" language. Contact max [at] idausa.org for more information and help with the process.

2. Click here (http://ga0.org/campaign/Spencer) to send an automatic email urging Fulton County Judge Marvin Arrington to make Spencer's sentence commensurate with the seriousness of his crimes and ensure that he can no longer victimize animals or people.



7. PETA Renews Campaign Against Chicken Killer KFC

When fast food behemoth Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) said that they were ready to get serious about improving conditions for the 850 million chickens slaughtered for their franchise every year, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) was hopeful but wary. After weeks of negotiations, their skepticism was justified recently when KFC announced it would not follow even the minimal recommendations of its own animal welfare experts to eliminate the worst cruelties that are routine procedure at KFC suppliers. Disappointed but with a renewed commitment to show KFC that abusing chickens will hurt their bottom line, PETA has revived their campaign against the chain by rallying activists for battle.

IDA joins PETA in calling for an all-out boycott on KFC and encourages IDA members to participate in and organize demonstrations as part of the campaign. Like other consumer boycotts, PETA's anti-KFC campaign seeks a concrete gain for the
animals: to reduce the amount of suffering that chickens endure in a society that chooses to eat them by the billion. At the same time, outreach against cruelty to chickens gives advocates an excellent opportunity to simultaneously promote veganism as the surest way to end cruelty to all animals.

What You Can Do

Join activists around the world by protesting KFC on the first Saturday of every month (or any other day you feel like taking a stand). Contact JoeHinkle [at] peta.org to receive leaflets and posters and for help organizing an event in your area. Also visit http://www.kentuckyfriedcruelty.com/index.asp to learn more about the campaign and the many different ways that you can help it succeed.



8. Animal Guardian Volunteer Day in Your Town

IDA started Animal Guardian Volunteer Day to provide an opportunity for people to celebrate the strong emotional bonds shared by humans and companion animals. IDA is encouraging everyone who cares about animals to volunteer for an animal-related cause on Saturday, June 11 as a way of giving back to the animals who give so much unconditional love to us each day.

What You Can Do

1. Choose a volunteer project such as walking an elderly or sick neighbor's dog, organizing a fundraiser for a local shelter, presenting a humane education program to children, or hosting a pro-animal film screening. Register your event at http://www.guardiancampaign.org and IDA will mail you the Animal Guardian Volunteer Day 2005 poster pictured above, which was designed by award-winning artist Patrick McDonnell, creator of the comic strip "Mutts." Contact valerie [at] idausa.org for assistance planning your event.

2. Hang Animal Guardian Volunteer Day 2005 posters on the bulletin board at your local animal shelter. Contact valerie [at] idausa.org with your name and address, and IDA will mail posters to you.

3. If you are active in a local animal advocacy group, promote Animal Guardian Volunteer Day by including a banner or button on your website. Contact valerie [at] idausa.org for more information.



Invest in Compassion: Make a Gift that Gives Back

A Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA) is a combination gift and investment. In return for your gift, IDA provides you (and/or a loved one) with a guaranteed income that you can never outlive.
Many friends of IDA find that the CGA allows them to increase current income while continuing in their efforts to help stop animal abuse and exploitation. A New Jersey IDA member and annuity holder since 1998 says:

"I want to thank you for offering charitable gift annuities to your members. It is such a wonderful way for members to make a substantial gift to help the animals while offering a nice income stream and tax benefits. I am presently looking forward to receiving my 4th annuity with IDA. Thank you again for making them available."

When you establish a CGA, you transfer cash or securities to IDA and, in return, we pay you a guaranteed, fixed payment for the rest of your life. You can even name someone else as the beneficiary, or annuitant, of a gift annuity. Generally, the older you are when your gift annuity begins, the higher your scheduled payment. Upon your passing, or that of the last survivor of a "two-life" annuity, the principal underlying the annuity then becomes available to IDA.

Benefits of an IDA Charitable Gift Annuity:
- The security of fixed annual payments for the lifetime of you and/or a loved one.
- Entitles you to a charitable income tax deduction for a portion of your gift in the year it is established.
- Reduced capital gains taxes (if your annuity is funded with long-term, appreciated securities.
- Receive fixed interest income of up to 11.3%.
- Supplement your retirement income while contributing to the welfare of our animal friends.
- Portions of the guaranteed annual payments you receive are tax-free. As with the amount of your payments, the older you are, the greater the tax-free percentage of each payment.

For more information on establishing a Charitable Gift Annuity (including interest rate information as proposed by the American Council on Gift Annuities), or to learn about other Planned Giving options, please contact IDA's Planned Giving Coordinator Nicole Otoupalik at (714) 389-2823 or via email at Nicole [at] idausa.org.



Help Someone Kick the Meat Habit with FARM's Meatout Monday Newsletter

If you know someone who says they'd like to cut meat out of their diet but thinks it's too hard, then tell them about Meatout Mondays, a free weekly e-newsletter designed to help those who don't want to quit "cold turkey" kick the meat habit one day at a time - starting with Mondays! Easy and fun to read, Meatout Mondays encourages individuals to make changes at a pace that is comfortable for them, and is an excellent tool for introducing vegetarianism to anyone.

Every week, Meatout Mondays includes tasty vegan recipes, new product and book reviews, important health information, and inspirational stories of people who have changed their lives for the better by cutting animal products from their diets. This week's Meatout Mondays recommends Satya Magazine, an outstanding monthly publication that focuses on vegetarianism, environmentalism, animal advocacy, and social justice. Click here (http://www.meatoutmondays.org/05-04-11.htm) to read the latest issue.

Please visit http://www.meatoutmondays.org to review past issues and to subscribe your friends and family members. Meatout Mondays is a free e-newsletter, and individuals can easily unsubscribe at any time.

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Team IDA encourages teammates to take part in local athletic events to raise awareness of animal issues and much-needed funds to rescue and protect animals from cruelty and abuse. You don't have to be an avid runner or a serious athlete to sign up. Just by cheering and wearing your Team IDA apparel you can show your pro-animal attitude.

Wear your Team IDA t-shirt whenever you are running, biking, walking, or just hanging around your neighborhood to help promote a cruelty-free world. If you have a Team IDA t-shirt and have received comments about it, we want to hear from you! If you do not already have a Team IDA t-shirt, please call (415)
388-9641 to inquire. Also, if you have participated in any events in your area on behalf of Team IDA, or would like your picture and bio posted on our website, please let us know!

You can also make Team IDA even more successful by spreading the
word: a great way to do this is by distributing Team IDA brochures at races and placing them in athletic stores and clubs. Team IDA brochures are always available free of charge by
(415) 388-9641.

We are always interested in learning more about your experiences and hearing your ideas regarding Team IDA. Please send an email to teamida [at] idausa.org and tell us your story. Visit http://www.teamida.org for more information. Join Team IDA today!

http://ga0.org/join-forward.html?domain=indefenseofanimals

You can sign up for In Defense of Animals Action Center at:

http://ga0.org/indefenseofanimals/join.html