IDA eNews: 7/19/06

IDA ACTION ALERTS
1. URGENT: Tell U.S. Leaders to Let Evacuees Take Animal Companions Out of Lebanon
2. Golden Gate Restaurant Association Joins Canadian Seafood Boycott
3. IDA Supporters Help Halt Geese Kill in Scotia, N.Y.

NEWS & CAMPAIGN UPDATES
1. IDA-Project Hope Rescue Two Horses with Panola County Sheriff's Dept.
2. Summer Means More Suffering for Animals on Fur Farms
3. IDA's World Go Vegan Days is October 27th to 29th


IDA ACTION ALERTS

1. URGENT: Tell U.S. Leaders to Let American Evacuees Take Animal Companions Out of Lebanon
Any animals left behind in country under siege face almost certain death

As armed conflict escalates in the Middle East, nations from around the globe are evacuating their citizens from Lebanon. The U.S. government has arranged to transport the approximately 25,000 Americans living in Lebanon out of the country by way of Cyprus. However, they have issued a chilling directive to evacuees: leave your animal companions behind in the combat zone to die.

The U.S. government has apparently learned nothing from the hard lessons of Hurricane Katrina, in which thousands of Gulf Region residents chose to stay and face deadly flood waters rather than abandon their beloved animals in their time of greatest need. These people risked their lives -- and some even died -- to help their animal friends. Countless animals' lives were senselessly lost because of the government's inefficient and heartless "no pets" policy during rescue operations.

The lives of humans and their adored animals are now seriously endangered as the fighting and bombing continues in Lebanon. In only about a week's time, over 300 people have already been killed in this conflict. As the violence and bombing rages and the U.S. seeks to get American citizens to safety, we must remind our leaders to avoid a repeat of the tragedy in New Orleans. By speaking out now, we can help these embattled people save their animals and themselves.

What You Can Do:

Please click http://ga0.org/campaign/Lebanon NOW to urge your Senators and Representative to take immediate action to allow Americans to take their animals with them as they leave Lebanon. Please also contact your elected officials by phone. You can locate your elected officials' contact information by clicking http://ga0.org/indefenseofanimals/leg-lookup/search.tcl and entering your zip code.


2. Golden Gate Restaurant Association Joins Canadian Seafood Boycott
San Francisco Bay Area restaurants take a stand against baby seal slaughter

The worldwide boycott of Canadian seafood to oppose the massacre of baby seals got a boost this week from the Golden Gate Restaurant Association (GGRA) ( http://www.ggra.org ), which released an official statement against the seal hunt that encourages their members to buy seafood from non-Canadian suppliers. While over 40 Bay Area restaurants have already agreed to stop selling Canadian seafood, many more of the GGRA's 800-plus member restaurants are likely to join now that the association is supporting the campaign. The GGRA deserves thanks for urging their members to oppose the cruel massacre of seals.

The GGRA's position reflects the values of millions of individuals worldwide who are working to end the annual slaughter of over 300,000 seals on the Newfoundland ice floes. At least 97% of these seals are helpless babies less than three months old. Eyewitness reports from individuals with animal protection groups documenting the slaughter allege that some are skinned alive while still clearly conscious. Fishermen make money in the off season by taking part in the killing and selling the pelts to European countries where there is a high demand for seal skin clothing. IDA has long protested the massacre, organizing letter writing campaigns and hosting demonstrations at Canadian consulates here in the U.S.

While diners who refuse to buy Canadian seafood greatly impact the industry's economy by voting with their wallets, restaurants have an even greater influence over the market because they purchase seafood in enormous quantities. "There is so much seafood available fresh from all over the world that could be flown in within a day now, that (restaurants) have the ability to choose where they'd like to buy their seafood," stated Kevin Westlye, Executive Director of the GGRA. "And I think that if it starts to erode into the sales of these particular companies that have this behavior, (the Canadian fishing industry) might consider changing their behavior." By withdrawing their financial support from those who profit directly from the brutal slaughter of seals, restaurants send the Canadian government and fishing industry a powerful message that their inhumane policies are ethically unacceptable and must be changed. These establishments also provide diners with more compassionate choices while educating them about this important animal protection issue.

Some Bay Area restaurants had already been avoiding all or most Canadian seafood for months before the GGRA Board of Directors voted to endorse the boycott. These member restaurants prompted the Board to officially support the boycott as a policy decision and support the campaign in their newsletter. As a trade association, the GGRA does not have the authority to tell their members which suppliers to use, but they strongly encourage restaurants to oppose the seal slaughter by joining the boycott.

What You Can Do:

- Encourage restaurants in your area to help the seals by refusing to buy seafood from Canadian suppliers. If there is an association that represents restaurants in your region, urge them to follow the GGRA's example by encouraging members to join the boycott.


3. IDA Supporters Help Halt Geese Kill in Scotia, N.Y.
Initiate humane wildlife management solutions in your community

On June 1st, IDA sent an alert to our New York supporters warning that the Village Board of Scotia, N.Y. planned to reduce the Canada goose population in Collins Park through lethal methods. We are pleased to report that the Village of Scotia's Mayor and Board of Trustees have decided to follow the recommendation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and call off the killing. Thank you to everyone who wrote to the Mayor and Board members of Scotia: your voices helped change their minds.

Much credit for the victory belongs to local animal advocates with Save the Geese ( http://www.savethegeese.webhop.net ) who managed to stave off extermination of the birds using a simple yet very effective technique. Village officials had initially proposed killing 150 (out of approximately 180) geese to reduce the high levels of coliform bacteria found in Collins Lake. Their plan was to secretly capture the geese at an undisclosed date and time, gas them to death and bury their bodies in a mass grave. So, for the past several weeks, several dozen Save the Geese volunteers took turns chasing geese away from Collins Park to prevent authorities from gathering and gassing them the death. "We've always wanted (the geese) to not be killed more than anyone wanted to kill them," explained Laura Brown, one of the group's founders, after the extermination plans were cancelled.

This tactic has proven that humane management of the geese is possible by demonstrating that they will avoid inhospitable areas and find someplace else to swim and feed. It also strongly suggests that waterfoul may not even be causing the lake's high coliform levels. The lake has been geese-free since early June, yet even after the application of chemicals and installation of an aeration system the coliform levels haven't dropped. Schenectady County Health Department and Village officials agree that the cause of the imbalance is unknown and could be attributed to a number of factors.

Collecting and killing the geese would have been an inhumane and ineffective short-term fix to cleaning up Collins Lake. So long as a habitat remains appealing and accessible, other geese from surrounding areas will move in to fill any newly vacant niche. The only way to maintain manageable waterfowl populations so that people and geese can coexist is to make the habitat unattractive or inaccessible to them through an integrated waterfowl-management program that includes habitat-modification strategies, repellents, fencing and reproductive controls. Save the Geese has prepared a proposal ( http://www.savethegeese.webhop.net ) for the Board urging them to adopt a resolution that all future wildlife management issues for all animals in Collins Park be handled using only humane, non-lethal methods.

What You Can Do:

What Save the Geese is doing for wildlife demonstrates what animal advocates can accomplish with commitment and determination. They are an example of what Margaret Mead meant when she famously said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

Positive policy changes can be of great and permanent benefit to the animals who share the places where we live. If your community manages wildlife populations by killing animals, urge local officials to adopt humane and effective non-lethal methods. Learn more about humane wildlife management techniques by visiting GeesePeace ( http://www.geesepeace.org ), an organization that offers innovative tools for finding effective, humane, long-term solutions to community/wildlife conflicts that promote harmonious coexistence between human and wild animal populations.


NEWS & CAMPAIGN UPDATES

1. IDA-Project Hope Rescues Two Horses with Panola County Sheriff's Dept.
Neglected mare and Shetland pony now have new home with police chief's family

On Thursday, July 6th, IDA-Project Hope Director Doll Stanley received a call from the Panola County Sheriff's Department requesting assistance with several animal cruelty investigations, including the alleged neglect of a quarter horse mare and Shetland pony. Later that day, Doll accompanied one of the Department's deputies to pay the horses and their guardians a house call.

When they arrived, they found the two horses emaciated from malnutrition, languishing on a barren plot of dirt with no pasture to graze on. Both were severely underweight; the mare by at least 250 pounds and the pony by about 150 pounds. There were bales of hay stacked near the paddock, but it was gray with mildew and age. No one was home at the time, so Doll and the deputy obtained a seizure warrant for the animals and returned later.

When they came back for a second visit, several of the family's daughters were at home, but not the oldest, who was the pony's guardian. The young women who spoke to the investigators didn't seem to understand that the horses were starving. She phoned the oldest sister, whose husband had recently acquired the pony for her, and urged her to come over. When the sister arrived and was informed of the situation, she too seemed clueless to the fact that the pony was suffering from severe neglect.

The girls then called their mother, who initially railed against the investigators for upsetting her children and insisted the family was providing adequate care for the animals. Doll and the deputy explained to her that the matter was now an issue for the courts to decide. Doll also promised to work with the oldest daughter because her horse was a foal. She hoped to console the young woman and help her understand that she and her family lacked the knowledge and capability needed to care for an equine.

By the next morning it was settled that the family didn't wish to go to court, so charges won't be filed against the horses' guardians. This granted Doll and the Panola County Sheriff's Department the authority to put the mare and pony up for adoption. Both horses were soon placed with the family of the Vaiden Chief of Police, where they will live with another adopted horse and a precious dog that IDA-Project Hope rescued from a hoarder with 28 others. In their new home, these lucky horses will never again suffer from lack of food or love.

What You Can Do:

Click http://www.project-hope.net/victories.html to read more stories about animals rescued by IDA-Project Hope.


2. Summer Means More Suffering for Animals on Fur Farms
Deaths from excessive heat common occurrence among cramped cages

In the sunny summertime when far fewer people wear fur, it's easy to forget that tens of millions of animals suffer and die horribly every year on fur farms. But cruelty to fur-bearing species takes place year-round, hidden away on remote and inaccessible fur farms where animals live in pain and anguish while awaiting a brutal end by neck-breaking, poison gas asphyxiation or anal electrocution. No matter what the season, the conditions endured by these captive creatures are punishingly harsh, and summer offers its own particular horrors.

Scorching summer temperatures cause many animals to die from heat-related causes. More than 25 million mink are raised and killed on fur farms every year, and about 10% of these animals typically die from excessive heat in the hottest summers. Wild mink cool off in warm weather by taking a refreshing dip, but animals on fur farms never get to swim. In their natural habitat, mink spend a substantial portion of their time in the water, and have an average range of over two and a half miles. Whether born in the wild or bred on a fur farm, all minks retain their wild nature and need for space. Intensive lifelong confinement in wire mesh cages measuring only about 10 by 24 inches causes these animals to suffer from extreme and ongoing physical and psychological stress. Disease, self-mutilation and even rampant cannibalism are all too common among animals -- including foxes, chinchillas and other species -- exploited for fur.

During the hot summer months, most people who wear fur keep their expensive garments in air-conditioned closets or even in special cold-storage facilities to preserve the fur's luster. Tragically, millions of living animals are meanwhile being tortured so that stores can make huge profits by selling their fur in time for the fall fashion season. The good news is that people who care about animals can help fur-bearing animals by speaking out for them any time of the year.

What You Can Do:

Organize a demonstration at a fur store in your area to raise awareness about how animals suffer and die from heat on fur farms in the summertime. Visit http://www.furkills.org to learn more and click http://furkills.org/lit.shtml to order free brochures, stickers, posters and other campaign materials from IDA. Also email antifur [at] idausa.org to tell us about your event so we can put it on IDA's online Action Calendar ( http://www.idausa.org/calendar/calendar.html ).


3. IDA's World Go Vegan Days is October 27th to 29th
Start planning an event or activity now

IDA's 2nd annual World Go Vegan Days will take place this year from October 27th to 29th, offering vegans an excellent opportunity to help family, friends and co-workers learn more about how a plant-based diet can improve their health, alleviate animal suffering and preserve the environment. World Go Vegan Days allows us to share our most deeply held values with others -- whether family, friends, co-workers or the general public -- by making personal connections and taking action.

What You Can Do:

Start organizing a World Go Vegan Days activity or event now. Here are some ideas:

- Celebrate with a potluck dinner, restaurant outing or colorful "lifestival." Public lectures, cooking demonstrations, feed-ins with vegan food samples, leafleting, information tables, library exhibits and street theater are also excellent ways to get people interested in veganism.

- Order T-shirts, bumper stickers, posters, pins and other fun stuff from vegan merchants to have for the day of your event. Check out http://www.veganessentials.com , http://www.veganstore.com and http://www.ethicalwares.com for the latest fashions.

- Students: join or start a vegan club in your school and plan an event with your friends that will educate people about how a vegan diet benefits human health, the earth and of course the animals.

- Host a screening of "Peaceable Kingdom," an eye-opening documentary about the lives of farmed animals, at your local library or another venue. Invite a guest speaker to talk about animals and their abuse on factory farms. Visit http://www.TribeofHeart.org to order the film on DVD or videocassette.

- Ask your local newspaper to write a story about the benefits of a vegan diet or the cruelties of factory farming, or write a letter to the editor on the subject.

- Enter cooking competitions and bake sales using vegan recipes. Emphasize the fact that you didn't use any animal ingredients to make your delicious dishes. Dan Handley, a chef at the Virginia Beach Hilton Hotel, won a barbecue cookoff contest with his vegan recipe!

- If you have a company or a contact at a company that would be willing to donate prizes for giveaways or food for tabling and samplings, please contact Kenneth [at] idausa.org .


Tell A Friend to Subscribe to IDA's eNewsletter

IDA's eNewsletter is a powerful tool for spreading the animal rights message. Each week, we provide thousands of supporters with essential information about animal issues from around the world and what IDA is doing to make a difference. Just as importantly, we provide Action Alerts that let people advocate for animals with a simple mouse click.

The effectiveness and impact of IDA's eNewsletter Action Alerts greatly increase as more people use them to voice their concern for animals. Time and time again, we have seen how business leaders, government officials and others in authority can be held accountable to public opinion. Our many voices speaking as one can be a powerful force that compels society's decision makers to do right by animals, and we have only to harness this immense power to use it effectively.

Please get others involved by asking your friends and family to subscribe to IDA's eNewsletter. One way to do this is to tell your friend about a specific eNews story in which he or she may take particular interest. For example, if you have a friend who likes horses, forward this week's piece on IDA-Project Hope's equine rescue, and encourage them to sign up for the eNews at http://ga0.org/indefenseofanimals/join.html . You can also click %tellafriend% to send them an email invitation to subscribe. With your help, we can make a difference!