IDA e-news: 4/12/06

IDA ACTION ALERTS
1. Help Project Hope Continue Its Lifesaving Work
2. States Debate Hog-Dog Rodeo Bans
3. World Unites Against Chinese Fur Industry Cruelty
CAMPAIGN NEWS & UPDATES
1. IDA Intervention Helps Animals at Waveland Animal Shelter
2. Organize an Event for WWAIL This Month
3. IDA-Africa Welcomes New Arrivals


IDA ACTION ALERTS

1. Help Project Hope Continue Its Lifesaving Work
Funds Needed to Pay Expenses of Sanctuary and Hurricane Relief

Project Hope is IDA's sanctuary in rural Mississippi, where Director Doll Stanley and her staff and volunteers provide a safe haven for hundreds of animals - mostly dogs and cats - until they can be adopted out to loving homes. Project Hope also rescues many animals from abuse, and led IDA's animal rescue effort following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Project Hope's efforts rescued hundreds of starving, frightened animals from the abandoned streets and houses of New Orleans and other storm-ravaged areas.

IDA is counting on the support of our members to help Project Hope and the animals through a lean time. Project Hope's hurricane rescue work, including transport of cats and dogs to distant states, has kept the staff so busy that they haven't had time to hold regular adoptions at PETsMART for the past few months. Unfortunately, this means that the sanctuary's one steady source of donations hasn't been available. Along with travel expenses, food and vet bills, and legal expenses for cruelty cases, this has temporarily tapped out Project Hope's bankroll.

What You Can Do:

Please offer Project Hope your generous financial support in their time of need so that they can continue saving animals' lives. To donate online, visit https://secure.ga0.org/02/PH .

There are also other ways to donate if you prefer not to contribute online:

- Fill out and print our donations form ( http://www.idausa.org/support/faxform.html ) and fax it with your credit card information to our main office at (415) 388-0388. Be sure to note that you request the donation be earmarked for Project Hope.

- Print and fill out our donations form and send it with your check payable to: In Defense of Animals, 131 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, CA 94941. Please print "Project Hope" in the memo section on your check.

- Call our main office at (415) 388-9641 and have your credit card ready.

For more information about Project Hope, please visit http://www.project-hope.net .


2. States Debate Hog-Dog Rodeo Bans
Five Southern Legislatures Consider Bills to Outlaw "Hog Dogging"

Animal blood sports have been around for ages. Cockfights have been held for centuries, and underground dog fighting rings continue to operate throughout the country and the world in spite of widespread efforts to make these cruel events a relic of the past. However, particularly in the last decade, a relatively new blood sport has gained prominence throughout the American South: hog-dog rodeos.

In these cruel competitions, dogs are set upon a captured wild pig in a small pen from which there is no escape. The feral hog's tusks have been amputated, usually with bolt cutters, so he cannot defend himself. One after another, the dogs attack to see which one can pin their "prey" down the fastest. The dogs are trained to viciously assault the pig with their powerful jaws, sinking their teeth into the pigs' flesh as a crowd of spectators cheer and root for the dogs they've placed bets on. The pig may be attacked by as many as 10 dogs as each one is given their turn, but in the end, the pig always loses the contest.

South Carolina State Senator Larry Grooms wants to outlaw hog-dog rodeos throughout the state. In Senator Grooms' view, "The whole purpose of a hog-dog rodeo is to mutilate and inflict pain and suffering on an animal." He is sponsoring a bill to ban the barbaric practice that is backed by South Carolina's Attorney General, Henry McMaster. "It's brutal, it's savage, it's cruel to animals, and it has a bad effect, a harmful effect on the people - especially young people," the Attorney General says. "It lowers their resistance; it makes violence more acceptable." State legislators in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee are also considering bills to ban hog-dog rodeos.

People who hold "hog dogging" events claim that they are "field trials" to train their dogs to hunt pigs in the wild. This is the same defense used by enthusiasts of open field coursing, a blood sport in which dogs are scored according to the speed and agility with which they chase down and maul wild jackrabbits to death. This activity is already illegal in most states, and California legislators may soon ban it. Bills to outlaw animal blood sports, along with several recent high-profile dog fighting busts in the South, indicate that our leaders are getting the message that the public is becoming increasingly intolerant of such cruel and petty amusements as physically pitting animals against one another in deadly competition. Please help show them that the public is fully behind their compassionate efforts.

What You Can Do:

- If you live in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina or Tennessee, click http://ga0.org/campaign/HogDogging to urge your legislator to support a ban on hog-dog rodeos in your state. To have even more effect, write a letter or fax or give them a phone call. Get contact information for your elected officials by clicking http://ga0.org/indefenseofanimals/home.html and entering your zip code.

- Click http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-04-05-hog-dogging_x.htm to read a recent article in USA Today about hog dogging. Also click http://tinyurl.com/7nkre to see video footage of a hog-dog rodeo. Be aware that the footage is graphic: viewer discretion is advised.


3. World Unites Against the Chinese Fur Industry Cruelty
Contact Chinese Officials in the U.S. on 2nd International Day of Protest

In mid-February 2006, as China rang in the "Year of the Dog," IDA took part in a massive global day of action against China's brutal fur trade, and in particular the killing of cats and dogs for fur. Activists held demonstrations in 23 cities around the globe, with IDA hosting events in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Over 120 protesters marched with us through the streets of L.A.'s Chinatown, while about 60 activists leafleted and held IDA anti-fur banners and signs outside the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China. Other animal rights groups organized simultaneous protests in Washington, D.C. and New York City here in the U.S., and overseas in England, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, France, Venezuela, Brazil, Israel, Thailand, Croatia, Australia, Serbia, and South Africa. The media covered these protests and informed their audiences of the horrors taking place on fur ranches in China.

The second international day of protest against the Chinese fur industry is taking place on Thursday, April 13th. This event aims to flood Chinese embassies and consulates in the U.S. with e-mails, faxes and telephone calls protesting the Chinese fur industry's horrific treatment of animals, including the insufferable cruelty inflicted on dogs and cats. Please act in concert with tens of thousands of animal advocates the world over in letting the Chinese Government know that the international community will not sit silently by while they turn a blind eye to such extreme cruelty.

What You Can Do:

Please write or call the Chinese embassy or consulate nearest you. Click http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/wjb/zwjg/2490/default.htm to get contact information. If you cannot find a consulate in your area, call the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. at (202) 328-2574 or send a fax to (202) 328-2582. Remember to be polite and respectful in your communications: the intention is not to harass diplomatic staff but to educate them about the monstrosities being committed in their country and ignored by their government. Also let them know that you will boycott products "Made in China" until the Government introduces and enforces meaningful welfare standards regulating the treatment of animals within the fur industry.

Visit http://www.furkills.org/dog_fur_horror.shtml to learn more about the Chinese fur industry.


CAMPAIGN NEWS & UPDATES

1. IDA Intervention Helps Animals at Waveland Animal Shelter
Mayor and City Council Take Action to Ensure Animals' Health and Welfare

In February, we reported on IDA's efforts to expose negligence at the Waveland Animal Shelter in Mississippi. After receiving nine letters from volunteers describing shelter employees as playing cards, smoking and leaving work early while animals lay seriously injured without veterinary care for days, IDA Project Hope Director Doll Stanley, accompanied by a local TV news crew, paid the Waveland Animal Shelter a surprise visit. These charges were confirmed when Doll discovered a dog with a head injury and another with a seriously damaged hip that had spent several days at the shelter without any veterinary attention. In addition to failing to provide veterinary care, there was no paperwork available for animals taken in by this city-run shelter, so guardians who came in looking for their animal companions could have missed a precious chance of reuniting with their lost dogs and cats.

Immediately following Stanley's visit, Director Renee Lick arranged for a veterinarian to treat the injured dogs. The dog with the broken hip was seen by a veterinarian and then transported out of state. After four weeks of treatment and two surgeries, he was placed in a home just this past weekend.

After media coverage broke the scandal to an outraged public, IDA contractor Chris McLaughlin coordinated members of the community in an effort to get the Mayor and City Council to make some much-needed improvements at the shelter. IDA representatives who spent a great deal of time at the facility after Hurricane Katrina, as well as former staff and residents of the community, met with the Mayor and the City Council to offer testimony describing the substandard treatment given to the animals and the outright negligence that was taking place on a daily basis.

Fortunately, the Mayor agreed to negotiate. IDA initially called for the termination of the shelter's entire staff and replacement with capable and caring people, but the Mayor instead decided to let the staff stay on if they could prove they could fulfill their responsibilities towards the animals. Ultimately, our top priority was ensuring that the animals at the shelter get the medical attention they need and that their basic needs are met, so we consider this a positive outcome overall.

Waveland Animal shelter is still experiencing an onslaught of intakes since Hurricane Katrina, so IDA arranged to transport seven dogs and six puppies, as well as six cats and two kittens, this past weekend to the Maryland SPCA in Baltimore for placement. This gave IDA representatives a chance to see firsthand what has changed at the shelter. We are glad to report that some progress has already been made. All of the animals had been checked by a veterinarian and registered, and they had paperwork for all the animals except new arrivals. The staff was welcoming and helpful, indicating that they are committed to working with us to improve the situation. In addition, the city has hired a staff member specifically to work with national organizations on transporting animals to other locations. The Waveland Animal Shelter had an 80% kill rate prior to Hurricane Katrina, and the facility is still suffering the storm's impact. Placing dogs and cats in shelters in other states will prevent the need to put down any adoptable animals.

What You Can Do:

Contact Waveland Mayor Tommy Longo by postal mail, phone or e-mail and thank him for making a commitment to improving the city's animal shelter.

Mayor Tommy Longo
P. O. Box 539
Waveland, MS 39576
Tel: (228) 467-3177
mayorsoffice [at] mchsi.com


2. Organize an Event for WWAIL This Month
Activities Planned Worldwide for April 23rd - 30th

IDA's World Week For Animals In Laboratories (WWAIL) will be here in just a couple of weeks, but there's still time to plan an event that will educate the public about the inherent cruelties and scientific failures of vivisection. As always, animal advocates across the country and around the world will hold demonstrations, vigils and outreach efforts during this global week of action. IDA has acted as the international coordinator of WWAIL since 1986, and each year sees more activity aimed at ending the suffering of animals used in experiments. Please join IDA and others this month in letting the public know that there are much more humane and effective ways to do medical research and test products for consumer safety than killing animals. Already we have events registered in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, as well as internationally.

What You Can Do:

Visit http://www.wwail.org to learn more about animal experimentation and to plan and register an event in your community. IDA Campaign Coordinators will be happy to assist you with the details and provide you with free outreach materials. Also check out the WWAIL event calendar to see what activities are being planned in your area.


3. IDA-Africa Welcomes New Arrivals
Eight Orphaned Chimpanzees Find a Home at Sanaga-Yong Rescue Center

With the generous help of IDA members and supporters, IDA-Africa has been able to rescue 55 chimpanzees orphaned by the bushmeat trade and give them a chance at a new life at the Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue Center (SYCRC). In 2005, IDA-Africa was grateful for the opportunity to welcome eight young orphans who need a safe place to call home: Mintak, Tic, Johnny, Jimmie, Avery, Zach, Yoko and Baati. Here are a few of their stories:

Avery was confiscated in very poor condition from a man on a motorcycle - she was hidden away in his backpack. The deep rope cuts around her waist where she was tethered have healed, she has grown and gained weight, and today she is blossoming into a beautiful spring flower. Today, Avery is a loving, adorable girl who shrieks with joy at every feeding because of her love of fresh fruit. She dotes on the younger chimpanzees despite being so young herself, and is very good friends with young Zach who was held captive on a short chain before being rescued within days of Avery's arrival to Sanaga-Yong Center.

Baati (which means "tiny" in the local dialect) had a very difficult adjustment when he arrived at Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue Center. He was only two months old and full of fear and anxiety - even a gentle touch caused him to scream and cry. The staff and volunteers were terribly worried for Baati who refused any form of affection or care for nearly two weeks. We believe that as his memories began to fade, his trust began to grow. Now, four months after his rescue, he loves to be hugged and nurtured. He is just learning to walk and we are excited to introduce him to other chimpanzees in the nursery.

Yoko's mother was killed for bushmeat and he was taken from her dead body as a very young baby. IDA-Africa, with help from our supporters, rescued Yoko and today he lives in peace at Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue Center.

Mintak (which means "proud" and also "joy" in the local language) and Johnny came from southeast Cameroon, where the Bayaka people, or pigmies, live. A few days after killing their mothers, a hunter relinquished both Mintak and Johnny to Peace Corps volunteer Carey Johnson in the village of Ngoila. They came from just south of a forest where two chimpanzees and two gorillas had recently been found dead of an unidentified disease. At the time they were taken in by Carey Johnson, there was no way of knowing whether the little chimpanzees had been exposed to the deadly disease. Therefore, to ensure the safety of Sanaga-Yong's residents, Dr. Speede insisted that Mintak and Johnny stay in the village were they were found for a three week quarantine period. During the quarantine, volunteer veterinarian Simona Papa was in charge of their care. After three weeks, Mintak and Johnny showed no signs of sickness, so they were transferred with the assistance of the World Wildlife Fund to Sanaga-Yong. Mintak has remained suspicious of humans in general since his arrival, but he trusts his caregiver Marie. Each day, as Marie and the three babies pass near the camp to go to the forest, Mintak stomps around and displays like a big, tough adult male for the benefit of whoever is around.

Tic was found by Dr. Speede in a parking lot in Yaounde wearing baby clothes. He had been treated kindly by a misguided family that kept him as a pet. Tic has formed close friendships with Mintak and Johnny at Sanaga-Yong.

What You Can Do:

Visit http://www.ida-africa.org to learn more about the 55 chimpanzees living at SYCRC, donate to IDA-Africa or "adopt" a chimpanzee.

Bid for Items in IDA's eBay Auction for the Animals

Help IDA defend the rights, welfare and habitats of animals while having fun bidding on a wide selection of items during IDA's Auction for the Animals on eBay. We have over 200 elegant, exciting and unique items valued at more than $55,000 that have been donated to IDA for this very special online fundraising event. Auction items include fantastic travel and accommodation packages, special celebrity memorabilia, and tickets for great entertainment and sporting events.
Click http://www.ebay.com/ida to view the auction items. Once you find an item that you like, click on the link to view its description, the current bid price, and how much time is left until the bidding ends. Place your bid and keep an eye on it to make sure that, by the time the bidding ends, it's yours. The auction will run in four waves, one wave per week, with new items being added April 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th.

We are still accepting donated items to sell during the auction, so if you have an item that you would like to contribute, please contact Nicole Otoupalik at (800) 338-4451. All donations are tax deductible. If you already sell on eBay, now is a great time to designate 10-100% of your own auction proceeds to IDA by registering at http://www.missionfish.org , the partner of eBay Giving Works.


Advertise in IDA's Guardians Magazine

IDA's magazine has a new look and a new name - Guardians Magazine - and it will be coming out soon. Our full-color magazine will keep you up to date on all of our latest campaigns to help animals, from our sanctuaries in Cameroon, Africa and Mississippi to our fight against the Korean dog and cat meat trade and beyond, so you can see what we are accomplishing with your support.

The readers of Guardians Magazine are people who care about animals, so if you own an animal-related business or non-profit, placing an ad in our pages is a great way to reach potential customers and supporters. We offer very reasonable advertising rates, and have an average circulation of 65,000 - 75,000 mailed directly to homes. In addition to those mailed out to schools, retail stores, and to individuals and groups for use at events, the total circulation per issue is 120,000 - 150,000." For more information, contact Jill Cooney at jill [at] idausa.org or (415) 388-9641, ext. 211.

To subscribe to IDA's Guardians Magazine, click http://idausa.org/donate.html and type "magazine" in the "in honor of" first name field in the donations area. You can also subscribe using your MasterCard or Visa by calling (415) 388-9641.