IDA e-news: 11/02/05

1. Promote Compassion on Fur Free Friday - November 25
2. IDA's Project Hope Team Rescues More Animals Stranded by Hurricane
3. California Bans Hunting of Live Animals Via Internet
4. IDA and Friends of Philly Zoo Elephants Celebrate Postponement of Elephant Exhibit Expansion
5. Montana Calls Open Season on Migrating Yellowstone Bison
6. Help IDA Stop "Bloodless" Bullfight in Mississippi
- Charity Folks' "Bid to Give" Auction for IDA
- Healing Animals at Home, in Our Back Yards, and in Our World
- The Cat Therapist
- Meatout Mondays


1. Promote Compassion on Fur Free Friday - November 25
Join IDA and Other Animal Defenders the Day After Thanksgiving for Outreach Events

Every year on the day after Thanksgiving for the last two decades, thousands of people around the U.S. have held demonstrations, marches, vigils and other activities for Fur Free Friday to protest a global multi-billion dollar industry that kills over 40 million animals annually. Holding this national day of action on the busiest shopping day of the year allows activists to reach the greatest number of consumers, including those who may be thinking about buying fur as a gift or for their own use.

Fur is now used for much more than just full-length coats. The popularity of fur trim, often used on jacket collars and cuffs, has dramatically increased in the last decade. Fur industry experts predict that the number of pelts used to make fur trim will soon surpass those used for full-length garments. Fur manufacturers and fashion designers have especially used fur trim to target the youth market. Fur trim is the industry's way of "introducing" young consumers to fur, increasing the chances of their purchasing a full-length garment in the future. The media reinforces the idea of fur being fashionable by showing supermodels, rappers and other celebrities wearing fur and fur trim while remaining silent about the cruelty involved in its production.

Consumers' ignorance of fur production cruelty is essential to the fur industry's survival. Animals raised in fur mills are killed by anal or vaginal electrocution, which fries them from the inside out and stops their hearts while they are fully conscious. About one quarter of animals caught in the wild with traps escape by chewing their own limbs off (only to be killed by predators). If people knew the ugly truth about fur production, including the industry's use of fur from dogs and cats, they would realize that even a little trim causes animals a lot of unnecessary suffering. Yet fur is now sold not only in fancy fur boutiques but also by mainstream clothing retailers like J. Crew and department stores like Neiman Marcus. Fur's broader availability as a commodity "normalizes" cruelty, making it easier for consumers to block out the fur trade's animal fashion victims.

What You Can Do:

- This Fur Free Friday, join or organize an event in your area to educate people about the cruelty behind fur and fur trim. Every year on this day, thousands of activists gather in front of places where fur is sold to raise people's awareness and give out information. Visit http://www.furkills.org/events.html to check IDA's calendar for protests being planned around the country. If no event is planned in your area, visit http://www.furkills.org/lit.shtml to request brochures, leaflets, stickers and other fur campaign materials. Then submit details for your event http://www.furkills.org/events.shtml so we can add it to our website.

- Visit IDA's website http://www.furkills.org for more information about Fur Free Friday.


2. IDA's Project Hope Team Rescues More Animals Stranded by Hurricane
Thousands of Animals' Lives Still at Stake Two Months After Disaster

On Sunday, October 22nd, dedicated IDA volunteer Eric Phelps once again left his Virginia home and headed to Mississippi to help IDA's Project Hope care for the many animals waiting in shelters or left roaming the streets. He carried in tow 2,000 pounds of much-needed dog and cat food and litter (generously donated by businesses in the Tidewater, Va. area) for animals at the Waveland city shelter, where Project Hope's rescue efforts are coordinated. The area was one of the hardest hit in Mississippi. Ditches are lined with cars washed away by floodwaters, clothes dangle in the empty tree branches, and massive piles of debris darken the landscape. It appears that it will be some time before the area is back to normal.

Eric and other volunteers have continued cleaning and organizing the Waveland shelter so that animals can be cared for, but the shelter is constantly at full capacity, so the work is never ending. The Waveland Animal Control Officer steadily brings in animals found roaming the streets. Many animals come in traumatized and ill, having just survived a long period of time fending for themselves on the streets. Volunteers spend every waking moment trying to make these animals who have endured so much a little more comfortable. Animals are kept at the shelter for 30 days before being adopted out to new homes, giving guardians a chance to claim lost animals. "There are many reunions going on even now," says Project Hope director Doll Stanley. "Some families thought their animals were dead but are just now learning that they were rescued and survived."

In an effort to free up space at the shelters in the affected areas, Project Hope made arrangements with The Haven ( http://www.thehaven-nc.com ) in North Carolina and the Norfolk (Virginia) SPCA ( http://www.norfolkspca.com ) to take animals from the Gulf region. When he departed for these shelters, Eric had 26 dogs and cats of varying ages and sizes packed up for the long drive north. Their whereabouts were registered with the Gulf area shelters in case someone should come looking for them.

Sadly, there are still thousands of animals in the Gulf region who are in desperate need. Two months have passed, and time has started to erode people's sense of immediacy about hurricane disaster relief, but the air of desperation remains in each and every animal left homeless by this disaster. Our work is far from over, and we will not give up on them.

What You Can Do:

- Volunteers are still direly needed to transport and house animals rescued from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Please contact hurricanekatrinainquiries [at] idausa.org for more information on volunteering with IDA's Project Hope team.

- Project Hope needs more shelters outside of the disaster zone to take homeless animals rescued from New Orleans. Please contact hurricanekatrinainquiries [at] idausa.org if you can provide space for needy animals.

- Give to IDA's Hurricane Katrina Animal Relief Fund. Money is still desperately needed for food, medical supplies and transportation costs. To donate, send checks made payable to IDA with a note reading "for hurricane relief" to In Defense of Animals, 131 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, CA 94941. Click https://secure.ga3.org/02/idadonations to donate online using your credit card. Please indicate "hurricane" in the first name field in the "in honor of" section of the form.


3. California Bans Hunting of Live Animals Via Internet
Governor Schwarzenegger Signs Bill to Ban Remote Killing

Computerized hunting of live animals and the importation of animals killed remotely will be illegal in California as of the New Year. Thank you to all those Californians who helped educate their legislators about this issue by responding to the Action Alert that appeared in IDA's e-newsletter way back on March 16th. Our voices were heard and we made a difference.

S.B. 1028 enjoyed strong support with legislators, passing unanimously in the Assembly and overwhelmingly in the Senate on a 27-5 vote. The measure also had the rare distinction of being supported by both animal advocates and sport hunters (groups as dissimilar as the Humane Society of the United States and Safari Club International endorsed it). California Senator Debra Bowen (D-Redondo Beach), who introduced the bill, explains it's broad appeal: "Killing animals over the Internet is about as sporting as shooting fish in a barrel and it ought to bother animal lovers and true hunters everywhere. Pay-per-view shooting doesn't meet any definition of 'sporting' that I've ever heard because there's nothing 'sporting' about sitting at your computer in your pajamas and using your mouse to shoot at hogs or antelope or any other animal that's halfway across the country."

California is the ninth state in the country to enact some type of ban on Internet hunting, and ten others are considering comparable measures. Earlier this year, Congressman Tom Davis (R-Virginia) introduced federal legislation to outlaw Internet hunting nationwide. H.R. 1558 has been assigned to the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, but has yet to be heard.

What You Can Do:

Click http://ga0.org/campaign/InternetHuntBan to urge members of the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security to support a federal ban on Internet hunting.


4. IDA and Friends of Philly Zoo Elephants Celebrate Postponement of Elephant Exhibit Expansion
Urge Zoo Director to Send Elephants to a Sanctuary, Not Another Zoo

After failing to raise the $22 million needed to expand its outdated elephant quarters into a 2.5-acre "savannah," the Philadelphia Zoo recently announced that remodeling of the 1940s-era exhibit will have to put off until at least 2009. This raises the question of what is to become of the Zoo's four elephants, who continue to live in an 1,800-square-foot barn and a quarter-acre yard.

IDA has been working closely with local activists from Friends of Philly Zoo Elephants to get the pachyderms sent to a sanctuary where they can have the freedom to roam on hundreds of acres in a naturalistic setting. The Philadelphia Zoo concedes that the elephants currently don't have enough space. However, with the current elephant exhibit's closure imminent, they are still considering sending the animals to other zoos. These facilities are no more capable than the Philadelphia Zoo of providing enough space for the elephants to live without suffering captivity-related physical and psychological disorders.

The elephants at the Philadelphia Zoo don't have to be shuttled to yet another zoo as though they are pieces of furniture to be placed in their next undersized zoo enclosure. At two accredited sanctuaries in the U.S., elephants have room to walk and live in an environment that is much closer to their homes in the wild. The Philadelphia Zoo's elephants should be sent to a sanctuary for their own safety and well-being.

What You Can Do:

Contact Pete Hoskins, President of the Philadelphia Zoo, and urge him to send the elephants to a sanctuary, not another zoo where their needs for space will again be frustrated.

Pete Hoskins
3400 West Girard Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19104-1196
Tel: (215) 243-1100
Fax: (215) 243-5385


5. Montana Calls Open Season on Migrating Yellowstone Bison
State Will Allow Hunters to Kill Wild Bison at Park's Border from November 15 - February 15

Every winter and spring for the past several years, state and federal officials have slaughtered bison as they crossed out of Yellowstone National Park and into Montana on their annual winter migration. Since 2001, more than 900 bison have been killed in Montana under provisions of the Interagency Bison Management Plan. The hunt is in no way a fair chase because the bison are standing around grazing when the guns are fired. That's why the spectacle of government officials shooting down virtually motionless and defenseless bison at close range has increasingly drawn fire from a critical public. To deflect some of the controversy, the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission (FWP) is issuing permits this year allowing private hunters to kill the animals.

This same hunt was proposed and cancelled in 2004 because of bad publicity, yet the state is trying again this year with the hope of making a better impression. In order to receive a permit, randomly selected hunters must take a training course not only in shooting bison, but also in communicating effectively with the media. However, despite coaching, this may prove far more challenging for the hunters than plugging the animals with bullets. Last year, revealing video images captured by the Buffalo Field Campaign made the hunt into a target of public outrage. This group has defended the bison for nearly a decade, and has already vowed to document the upcoming hunt and take national network news crews on field tours of the hunting grounds. Yet despite the threat of an unpleasant scandal, the hunt is scheduled to go ahead as planned.

What You Can Do:

- Click http://ga0.org/campaign/YellowstoneBuffalo to urge Montana's Governor, Brian Schweitzer, and to immediately cancel the upcoming hunt and protect the lives of the bison migrating into Montana. If you live outside Montana, let Gov. Schweitzer know that won't spend your vacation in the beautiful state of Montana next year if the buffalo are shot down. You can also contact Gov. Schweitzer by postal mail, phone, fax or through his website.

The Honorable Brian Schweitzer
State Capitol
P.O. Box 200801
Helena, MT 59620-0801
Tel: (406) 444-3111
Fax: (406) 444-5529
Web response form: http://governor.mt.gov/contact/comments.asp

- Visit http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org to learn more about how you can help protect the bison from government-sponsored extermination. Field volunteers are particularly needed for the upcoming hunt to patrol the Yellowstone border and document the killing.


6. Help IDA Stop "Bloodless" Bullfight in Mississippi
Urge Mayor to Cancel Cruel Event

The city of Newton, Miss. is about to hold its first Portuguese or "bloodless" bullfight in an arena built to hold 4,000 spectators. Despite its innocent-sounding name, a "bloodless" bullfight is still inherently cruel because it involves teasing and attacking a helpless animal in a show of violence and dominance.

Bulls "fought" in bullfights never stand a chance in the ring. A recent study conducted by Spain's Salamanca University found that 20 percent of the bulls used in Spanish bullfights are drugged before the event, given anti-inflammatory drugs to mask injuries that could make them weak. Former bullfighters state that bulls are intentionally beaten for weeks prior to the fight and that it is common for several inches to be sawed off the bulls' horns in order to disrupt their equilibrium. Bulls used in "bloodless" bullfights are similarly debilitated. Torment and abuse is part of the show, but in a "bloodless" bullfight, the bull must be killed outside the arena. The particular bull to be used in Newton is not to be killed, but he will certainly feel pain for people's amusement.

Bullfighting, "bloodless" or otherwise, is not an American tradition, and the violence it entails is not consistent with compassionate family values. It is merely a contrived spectator "sport" that degrades both animals and people. The event's promoter plans to make this a regular event in Newton, despite the fact that it is illegal to fight an animal with another animal or for a human to fight an animal in the state of Mississippi. IDA has already respectfully contacted this individual, and he did not indicate a willingness to change his position or his plans. For these reasons, we appeal to the Mayor and town of Newton to reject this type of exploitive "entertainment," which does not foster a positive image for their city.

What You Can Do:

Please write a polite letter to Newton's Mayor, Michael Pickens, and urge him to disallow permits for the "bloodless" bullfight. Ask him to sponsor a day of wholesome activities that brings families together instead of a violent spectator "sport" which teaches children that it is "fun" to tease, terrorize and hurt animals.

Mayor Michael Pickens
P.O. Box 300
Newton, MS 39345


Charity Folks' "Bid to Give" online auction to benefit IDA from November 9 - 23

IDA is pleased to announce an exciting new online auction to benefit our work on behalf of animals. We have partnered with Charity Folks ("Bid to Give") - a leading online auction venue - to offer an amazing array of TV, film and sports memorabilia, plus other tantalizing items, for auction.

The auction will be conducted from November 9 through November 23 at the Charity Folks' website - http://www.charityfolks.com (press "upcoming auctions" today and "current auctions" after November 9).

Donations of auction items - such as timeshares, airline miles, celebrity memorabilia, tickets to shows or events, jewelry, gift baskets and gift certificates to restaurants or stores - are still being accepted. If you have an item that you would like to donate, or if you would like more information about the event or IDA in general, please contact Nicole Otoupalik at (800) 338-4451 or via e-mail at Nicole [at] idausa.org . All donations are tax deductible.

We'll be sharing more details on the auction and the fantastic items to be offered in upcoming e-newsletters and on our website as we get closer to the November 9 launch date.

P.S. Please help us spread the word about IDA's upcoming online auction by sharing this information with your network of family and friends. Use the "tell a friend" button at the bottom of this message.


Healing Animals at Home, in Our Back Yards, and in Our World
by Jan Allegretti

A few weeks ago, on a warm Sunday afternoon, Savannah's canine and human friends gathered in the park to celebrate her twelfth birthday. There were balloons covered in paw prints, party favors made of Greenies and giant cookies, sparkling party collars for the four-legged guests, and a cake topped with peanut butter frosting. And yes (how could I forget?), there was vegan ice cream.

It was quite a milestone for my sweetheart. She'd spent her first two and a half years as a breeder in a puppy mill; Great Dane Rescue saved her from the six-foot pen that was her home, and found her a family who loved her for three years and then left her at the local pound. That's where we met, more than six years ago. Last spring we found a mass on her spleen, and feared she wouldn't be around more than a couple of months. When in September she was still as happy and vibrant as a youngster, we had a lot to celebrate.

In several ways Savannah's story is representative of many of the reasons the need to work for the health and well being of animals runs in my veins. She's experienced the abuse and exploitation we humans are far too often disposed to inflict, and yet she greets the world with the sweetness and gentleness of her untainted spirit. And the holistic lifestyle she's enjoyed the past six years, including a multitude of natural healing modalities as she's needed them, have helped her to surpass the expected lifespan of her Great Dane genes and stature. How very fortunate we both are. Savannah has seen both the dark and the bright side of what healing and advocacy are all about. That she is still here teaching us what love really means - as our animal friends are prone to do - renews my inspiration every day.

That's why it's a special privilege to come to you through the IDA newsletter to explore how we live with, love and care for the animals that share our homes, the land we live on, our communities, and our planet. In the coming months I'll bring you ideas for taking a holistic approach to the health and happiness of the nonhuman family members who greet you every morning. We'll discuss lifestyle, nutrition, homeopathy, bodywork and more. I'll also explore the heart and spirit of animal advocacy, and how we relate to our nonhuman friends as individual guardians and as a society. I welcome your input. Let me know what questions you have, or any topics you'd like to see addressed. It won't be possible to respond to all comments individually, but knowing what you're thinking will help make this column a place to explore the things that matter most to all of us.

Jan Allegretti is a teacher, consultant and writer in the field of holistic health care for animals. She is the author of Listen to the Silence: Lessons From Trees and Other Masters, and co-author with Katy Sommers of The Complete Holistic Dog Book: Home Health Care for Our Canine Companions.

Contact Jan at AskJan [at] idausa.org .


The Cat Therapist

Every 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://www.idausa.org/cat_therapist/index.html to read the latest edition of Cats on the Couch.
Men: the deadline to enter Carole's "Men and their Cats" contest has been extended to November, so there's still time to enter. Also visit Carole's Cat Store at http://thecattherapist.com/cat_store.htm to purchase a copy of her classic book, "Cat Talk: What Your Cat is Trying to Tell You."

Contact Carole at TheCatTherapist [at] idausa.org .


Help Someone Kick the Meat Habit with FARM's Meatout Mondays 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 Halloween-themed Meatout Mondays includes a profile of longtime vegetarian Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, and her meat-free Thanksgiving dinner for celebrity friends. Click http://www.meatoutmondays.org/05-10-31.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.