IDA eNews: 7/26/06

IDA ACTION ALERTS
1. Help Baby Chicks Shipped Cross-Country
2. Government Plans to Approve Deadly Drift Gillnet Fishing
3. Rio de Janeiro to Vote on Animal Research Ban

CAMPAIGN NEWS & UPDATES
1. IDA Files Complaint with USDA on Behalf of St. Louis Zoo Elephant
2. Imperial Beach, Calif. Becomes Newest Guardian City
3. International Day for Korean Dogs and Cats a Success


IDA ACTION ALERTS

1. Help Baby Chicks Shipped Cross-Country
Urge your elected officials to oppose Senate Bill 2395

On May 12th, a postal shipment of 200 day-old chicks from a hatchery in Philadelphia were delivered to a Portland post office but not picked up by the person who ordered them. It was estimated that one-third of the chicks died in transit. The Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary received 11 of the chicks and continued their treatment throughout the night, but only four survived despite their best efforts.

This type of tragedy is common in the U.S., as millions of baby chicks are shipped between states every year. While conditions are already bad enough for the young, helpless birds, a new bill introduced by Iowa Senator Charles Grassley could make matters even worse.

Newborn birds are routinely shipped through the mail as "perishable matter," treated no differently from packaged food. Postal regulations require only that the birds be delivered to the receiver (game fowl breeders, farmers, 4-H clubs, commercial laboratories, etc.) within 72 hours of hatching, with no provisions for food, water or weather conditions. As a result, millions of baby chicks, ducklings and other "poultry" are delivered dead and dying each year. Unclaimed birds are often left to suffocate in plastic bags or are otherwise cruelly disposed of. Postal workers who find boxes of dead and dying baby birds shipped through their facility are forbidden by law to intervene.

Responding to complaints from animal advocates, U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employees, and others (including FedEx, which took over the Eagle Service previously run by the USPS and which doesn't want to ship birds as mail), the USPS made small policy changes. They now require that the shipment of all live animals be coordinated through their central offices to ensure the birds' arrival, and have set a four-hour limit on ground transportation.

In response to these modest reforms, Senator Grassley recently introduced S. 2395, a bill that would force the USPS to accommodate the industry trade group Bird Shippers of America and its member associates, which include game fowl breeders, cockfighters and poultry mail order hatcheries. S. 2395 would:

1. Force the USPS to require certain airlines to transport birds
2. Compel those airlines to transport birds through connecting cities, not necessarily on direct flights
3. Require those airlines to transport birds in any temperatures between 0 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit

These new conditions would result in the deaths of millions of more baby chicks being shipped around the U.S. every year. Please speak out for these defenseless birds now.

What You Can Do:

- Click %takeaction-S2395% to urge your two Senators to oppose S. 2395. Also contact their offices by postal mail or phone to have a greater impact. You can locate your elected officials' contact information by clicking http://ga0.org/indefenseofanimals/leg-lookup/search.tcl and entering your zip code.

- Also contact U.S. Postmaster General John E. Potter and urge him to ask the USPS to stop shipping live birds.

The Honorable John E. Potter
Postmaster General & CEO
U.S. Postal Service
475 L'Enfant Plaza SW
Washington, DC 20260-1000
Fax: (202) 268-5211


2. Government Plans to Approve Deadly Drift Gillnet Fishing
Endangered Pacific Coast marine animals face critical threat

In our eNewsletter last month ( http://ga0.org/campaign/fishing ), we reported that the U.S. government had proposed bringing drift gillnet fishing back to a currently protected area along the California and Oregon coast. Thank you to everyone who contacted the Director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) urging them not to move forward with this ecologically-destructive plan.

Unfortunately, despite protests from environmentalists and animal advocates, the NOAA announced a preliminary decision last week to reopen drift gillnet fishing in over 100,000 square miles of ocean along the West Coast. This area has been protected four months out of every year as a leatherback turtle conservation area since 2001. Scientists warn that the critically endangered leatherback sea turtle could soon become extinct in the Pacific if gillnets return. The moratorium on these deadly devices has proven an excellent conservation measure, as no leatherback sea turtles are known to have been captured during the past three years.

In drift gillnet fishing, nets approximately one mile in length are used to catch fish, but many other aquatic species not targeted by the fishing industry get caught as well, including sea turtles, whales, dolphins, seals and sharks. Animals that are not considered commercially valuable are typically thrown, dead of dying, back into the sea. The United Nations has banned drift gillnet fishing on the high seas, but the Bush administration wants to expand it off the U.S. coast in deference to the fishing industry.

Drift gillnet fishing is to the oceans what clear-cutting is to forests, or what strip-mining for minerals is to the earth. It is one of the main causes of overfishing and the dangerous depletion of aquatic species. Environmentalists and animal advocates must continue working together to stop the NOAA from turning back the clock on marine conservation.

What You Can Do:

The NOAA has opened a public comment period on drift gillnet fishing along the Pacific Coast that will end on August 10th (they plan to allow the resumption of drift gillnet fishing on August 15th). Please click %takeaction-NOAA2% to urge Rodney R. McInnis, Regional Administrator of the Southwest Region of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), not to issue a permit for drift gillnet fishing along the Pacific Coast. Also contact him by postal mail, fax or email. All letters must be identified by including "I.D. 070506D" in the subject line and addressed to:

Rodney R. McInnis
Regional Administrator
Southwest Region NMFS
501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200
Long Beach, CA 90802-4213
Fax: (562) 980 4047
Email: 0648-AU25.SWR [at] noaa.gov


3. Rio de Janeiro to Vote on Animal Research Ban
Bill could set international precedent against vivisection

Rio de Janeiro City Counselor Claudio Cavalcanti has introduced an historic bill that could make animal experimentation illegal within the magnificent Brazilian city. While the City Council approved the progressive measure, it hit a setback when Rio's Mayor vetoed it. Fortunately, the Council will have a chance to overturn the Mayor's veto in August when they vote on the matter a second time.

Animal experimentation is both cruel to its non-human victims and ineffective in finding treatments and cures for human diseases. Animals are burned, shocked, irradiated, injected, infected and cut open in the course of medical research. Primates, dogs, cats, rabbits, rodents and other species endure extreme and unnatural deprivation in barren cages where most spend their lives isolated from others of their species. Scientists who conduct experiments on animals use them in much the same ways they use inanimate research "tools" like test tubes and Petri dishes, showing little regard for their suffering.

While animals are forced to endure inconceivable tortures in the name of medicine, the actual results of this supposed research often lead to false conclusions. For example, many drugs that have been tested on animals do not work the same way on human patients because of our substantial biological differences. Similarly, many drugs that could help people are kept off of the market because they failed to work in trials using non-human species. According to Mike Leavitt, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, "Currently 9 out of 10 experimental drugs fail in clinical studies because we cannot accurately predict how they will behave in people based on animal studies."

Meanwhile, much progress is being made in the search for humane and cost-effective research methods that yield results far more applicable to humans. Technologies such as in vitro analysis, cell imaging, epidemiology, computer simulators, videos and mathematical modeling, genetic and protein analysis, clinical research, human brain mapping technologies, autopsy/biopsy studies and advanced MRI imaging continue to provide new scientific breakthroughs. These methods make animal experimentation as antiquated as it is barbaric.

What You Can Do:

Councilman Cavalcanti has issued a statement urging all animal advocates around the world to express their support for his bill to end vivisection in Rio de Janeiro. Please answer his call by clicking %takeaction-Rio% to urge members of the Rio de Janeiro City Council to overturn the Mayor's veto and outlaw cruel animal experimentation in their city. You can also write letters or emails to the Council members about this issue. Postage for a letter to Brazil is $0.84.

Councilman Alexandre Cerruti
Câmara Municipal do Rio de Janeiro
Praça Floriano, s/nº, Anexo 1006
Rio de Janeiro, RJ
20031-050 Brazil
Email: cerruti [at] camara.rj.gov.br

Councilman Aloisio Freitas
Câmara Municipal do Rio de Janeiro
Praça Floriano, s/nº, Anexo 403
Rio de Janeiro, RJ
20031-050 Brazil
Email: afreitas [at] camara.rj.gov.br

Councilman Carlos Brizola
Câmara Municipal do Rio de Janeiro
Praça Floriano, s/nº, Anexo 806
Rio de Janeiro, RJ
20031-050 Brazil
Email: brizolaneto [at] camara.rj.gov.br

Councilman Carlo Caiado
Câmara Municipal do Rio de Janeiro
Praça Floriano, s/nº, Anexo 1005
Rio de Janeiro, RJ
20031-050 Brazil
Email: carlo.caiado [at] camara.rj.gov.br

Councilman Dr. Adilson Soares
Câmara Municipal do Rio de Janeiro
Praça Floriano, s/nº, Anexo 703
Rio de Janeiro, RJ
20031-050 Brazil
Email: adilson.soares [at] camara.rj.gov.br

Councilman Lois Antonio Guarana
Câmara Municipal do Rio de Janeiro
Praça Floriano, s/nº, Anexo 606
Rio de Janeiro, RJ
20031-050 Brazil
Email: laguarana [at] uol.com.br

Councilman Jorge Pereira
Câmara Municipal do Rio de Janeiro
Praça Floriano, s/nº, Anexo 402
Rio de Janeiro, RJ
20031-050 Brazil
Email: jpereira [at] camara.rj.gov.br

Councilman Luiz Carlos Ramos
Câmara Municipal do Rio de Janeiro
Praça Floriano, s/nº, Anexo 601
Rio de Janeiro, RJ
20031-050 Brazil
Email: lcramos [at] camara.rj.gov.br

Councilwoman Marcia Teixeira
Câmara Municipal do Rio de Janeiro
Praça Floriano, s/nº
Rio de Janeiro, RJ
20031-050 Brazil
Email: pastoramarciateixeira [at] camara.rj.gov.br

Councilman Renato Moura
Câmara Municipal do Rio de Janeiro
Praça Floriano, s/nº, Anexo 801
Rio de Janeiro, RJ
20031-050 Brazil
Email: renato.moura [at] camara.rj.gov.br

Councilman Rogério Bittar
Câmara Municipal do Rio de Janeiro
Praça Floriano, s/nº, Anexo 304
Rio de Janeiro, RJ
20031-050 Brazil
Email: rogerio.bittar [at] camara.rj.gov.br

Councilman Rubens Andrade
Câmara Municipal do Rio de Janeiro
Praça Floriano, s/nº, Anexo 306
Rio de Janeiro, RJ
20031-050 Brazil
Email: rubens_andrade [at] camara.rj.gov.br

Councilwoman Silvia Pontes
Câmara Municipal do Rio de Janeiro
Praça Floriano, s/nº, Anexo 904
Rio de Janeiro, RJ
20031-050 Brazil
Email: silviapontes25025 [at] camara.rj.gov.br

Councilwoman Suely Santana Da Silva
Câmara Municipal do Rio de Janeiro
Praça Floriano, s/nº, Anexo 605
Rio de Janeiro, RJ
20031-050 Brazil
Email: suely.silva [at] camara.rj.gov.br

Councilman Théo Silva
Câmara Municipal do Rio de Janeiro
Praça Floriano, s/nº, Anexo 305
Rio de Janeiro, RJ
20031-050 Brazil
Email: theosilva [at] camara.rj.gov.br

Copy and paste the address block below to send Council members a group email:

cerruti [at] camara.rj.gov.br, afreitas [at] camara.rj.gov.br, brizolaneto [at] camara.rj.gov.br, carlo.caiado [at] camara.rj.gov.br, adilson.soares [at] camara.rj.gov.br, laguarana [at] uol.com.br, jpereira [at] camara.rj.gov.br, lcramos [at] camara.rj.gov.br, pastoramarciateixeira [at] camara.rj.gov.br, renato.moura [at] camara.rj.gov.br, rogerio.bittar [at] camara.rj.gov.br, rubens_andrade [at] camara.rj.gov.br, silviapontes25025 [at] camara.rj.gov.br, suely.silva [at] camara.rj.gov.br, theosilva [at] camara.rj.gov.br


CAMPAIGN NEWS & UPDATES

1. IDA Files Complaint with USDA on Behalf of St. Louis Zoo Elephant
Letter asks government agency for immediate intervention for ailing elephant

IDA last week sent an urgent letter to Dr. Robert Gibbens, Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA)'s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) calling on the agency to look into the state of health of 52-year-old Asian elephant Clara at the St. Louis Zoo.

Clara has long suffered from severe arthritis, chronic foot abscesses and foot erosions as a result of spending decades in a cramped zoo enclosure. She is forced to wear "sandals" on her back feet, and constantly shifts her weight from one foot to another, a sign that she is in serious discomfort and/or pain, according to experts.

The AWA mandates that zoos provide elephants with adequate space and conditions consistent with their well-being. As the Earth's largest land mammal, elephants in the wild walk tens of miles each day. However, the St. Louis Zoo holds elephants in yards of less than one-half acre and confines them to concrete-floored barn stalls for long periods of time, especially in winter when cold temperatures force elephants to stay indoors for days on end. These conditions deprive elephants of freedom of movement and exercise, and prevent them from behaving and socializing naturally. Standing on hard surfaces for extended lengths of time causes lameness, joint problems, chronic foot abscesses, arthritis, infections, cracked skin and nail problems in elephants.

As a result of a separate complaint submitted by IDA, the USDA is currently investigating the Los Angeles Zoo, where the 48-year-old elephant Gita died prematurely last month after suffering for decades from chronic foot disease, the leading cause of euthanasia for elephants in zoos. IDA had urged L.A. Zoo and City officials to send Gita to an elephant sanctuary where she could heal from her lifelong confinement, but they refused, sealing Gita's sad fate. IDA is now urging the USDA to send Clara to a sanctuary before a lifetime of captivity does her in.

What You Can Do:

Click %takeaction-StLouisZooClara% to urge APHIS Administrator Ron DeHaven to investigate IDA's charges against the St. Louis Zoo and send Clara to an elephant sanctuary. You can also contact him by postal mail, phone, fax or email.

Ron DeHaven
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
U.S. Department of Agriculture
4700 River Road
Riverdale, MD 20737
Tel: (202) 720-3668
Fax: (202) 720-3054
Ron.DeHaven [at] usda.gov

Visit http://www.helpelephants.com to learn more about IDA's elephant campaign.


2. Imperial Beach, Calif. Becomes Newest Guardian City
Dedicated veterinarian spearheads successful ordinance update

IDA is pleased to report that on Wednesday, July 19th, Imperial Beach, Calif. -- the "Most Southwesterly City" in the continental U.S., -- became the latest community to pass an ordinance recognizing individuals as the "owner/guardian" of their animal companions, rather than merely the "owner." Imperial Beach -- a "classic laid-back beach town" between downtown San Diego and the Mexican Border -- joins fourteen other American cities, two counties and one state in officially adopting guardian language. The city's nearly 28,000 residents are now among the more than 2.7 million people in North America who can be officially recognized as "Animal Guardians."

Veterinarian and longtime animal advocate Mike McCoy introduced the ordinance change to promote responsible treatment of companion animals and reduce the number of abused, neglected and abandoned animals in the coastal community famous for surfing and sandcastles. When McCoy first heard about the Guardian Campaign at a veterinary conference, he recognized that the term had the power to change people's perceptions and, ultimately, their actions towards animals. "The concept of being a guardian connotes responsibility toward animals,” said McCoy. “The more responsible people are toward animals, the less likely maltreatment of animals will occur, and the more likely animals will be properly cared for and kept off the streets." After a months-long campaign, McCoy succeeding in convincing the Imperial Beach City Council to support the adoption of guardian language.

The change in Imperial Beach reflects a growing trend towards modernizing the terms society uses to describe the close bond that often develops between humans and animals. An increasing number of people now see the term "owner" as outdated since it does not accurately convey the recognition that animals are living beings who need care and affection. The term "guardian," however, acknowledges a deeper level of respect, compassion and responsibility toward animal companions that can help reduce abuse, neglect and abandonment.

What You Can Do:

Help your community become the next Guardian City by working with your local officials to incorporate "guardian" language into city ordinances. Visit our Guardian City page ( http://guardiancampaign.com/guardiancity.htm ) for a listing of Guardian Cities and check whether your city is there. If it is not, please call (415) 388-9641, ext 225 to speak with IDA President Dr. Elliot Katz. He will tell you what steps you need to take and send you a Guardian Pack to provide further information.

For more information on IDA's Guardian Campaign, please visit http://www.guardiancampaign.com .


3. International Day for Korean Dogs and Cats a Success
Events around the world focus global opposition to cruel cat and dog meat trade

On July 20th, 2006, IDA held our 2nd annual International Day for Korean Dogs and Cats to protest South Korea's continued trade in dog and cat meat. On this global day of action, activists held demonstrations outside of Korean consulates and embassies throughout the U.S. (in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Fresno, Calif.; Atlanta, Ga.; and Syracuse, N.Y.) and the world (in Barcelona, Spain; Mexico City; Vancouver, Canada, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Seoul, South Korea. Thank you to all of the groups and grassroots activists who took part in protests and made this day such a success. Special recognition is due to the Korean animal protection groups that co-sponsored International Day with IDA: Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth (CARE), Korean Association for Animal Protection (KAAP) and Animal Freedom Korea (AFK).

Reports from the field indicate that International Day events garnered the attention of Korean officials working in the U.S. and the media. At the Republic of Korea Consulate General in San Francisco, activists rang the doorbell and were buzzed inside the building -- even the woman dressed in a dog costume! Staff called security when they realized someone had let the protestors in, but IDA's Melissa Gonzalez still handed over signed petitions and politely asked officials to abandon their policy on sanitation management of dog meat. Activists also conducted public outreach outside the Consulate, distributing even more leaflets than expected. At one point, Korean officials arrived in an official car, and pulled up right in front of protesters holding a banner chanting in unison "Shame on Korea!" over and over until they disappeared inside.

IDA's Bill Dyer hosted a demonstration at the Republic of Korea Consulate General in Los Angeles which was attended by both animal advocates and reporters from Korean newspapers and TV and radio stations. Bill cordially told a Consulate spokesperson, Mr. Heesang Yoon, that if he could show that the Consulate was taking action to help Korean dogs and cats, IDA would make a point of publicizing their efforts. Meanwhile, activists in Barcelona, Spain lined the sidewalk with people holding signs and laid out packages of supposed dog and cat meat with nametags on the plastic wrap to remind people that animals are individuals. Activists in Seoul, South Korea packed themselves into cages loaded onto a truck bed to illustrate that people should not eat dogs any more than they should eat meat made from humans. Groups in other states and countries hosted still more demonstrations to make people aware of what Korea is doing to dogs and cats and pressure the country's Government to stop the slaughter. We will be posting photos in the next week from International Day events that took place around the world.

What You Can Do:

- Sign IDA's petition ( http://ga0.org/campaign/koreandogs_06 ) urging the Korean Prime Minister to strengthen his country's Animal Protection Law and prevent cruelty to dogs and cats killed for meat.

Please visit IDA's Korean Dog and Cat Campaign web site ( http://www.idausa.org/campaigns/korea/korean.html ) to learn more about IDA's efforts to stop the Korean dog and cat meat industry.


IDA-Project Hope Needs Your Support

IDA-Project Hope ( http://www.project-hope.net ) has come a long way since Doll Stanley first started an animal sanctuary and rescue organization as a project of IDA thirteen years ago. In that time, IDA-Project Hope has rescued and found homes for hundreds of animals, investigated and prosecuted numerous animal cruelty cases, spearheaded animal rescue and relief actions in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and educated countless people about the importance of being a responsible guardian.

As the only animal sanctuary in the region, IDA-Project Hope tries to help as many animals as possible, but the sheer number of homeless and abused animals means that the sanctuary is, by necessity, limited by their resources in their ability to aid needy animals. Right now, IDA-Project hope is taxed well beyond its capacity, and needs additional funding to continue pursuing their investigative mission and caring for abandoned animals. You can help needy animals enjoy a life free from abuse, pain and suffering by supporting IDA-Project Hope's important and life-saving work with a generous contribution. Here are some options:

- Donate online by clicking https://secure.ga0.org/02/idadonations_in_honor and typing "Project Hope" in the "First name" field of the "In honor of" section.

- Donate via mail by sending a check (with a note indicating the donation is for Project Hope) payable to In Defense of Animals, 3010 Kerner Blvd., San Rafael, CA 94901.

- Make a donation via telephone using your credit card by calling our office at (415) 388-9641.

- In addition to monetary contributions, IDA-Project Hope is in need of various supplies to help run the sanctuary more efficiently. Visit http://project-hope.net/wycd.html to see some of the items on their wish list


Beyond Body, Mind, and Spirit: Supporting the Immune System for Good Health Today—and for Many Years to Come

Jan Allegretti is a teacher, consultant and writer in the field of holistic health care for animals. Her books include "Listen to the Silence: Lessons from Trees and Other Masters," and "The Complete Holistic Dog Book: Home Health Care for Our Canine Companions." In every other IDA eNewsletter, Jan explores how we live with, love and care for the animals who share our homes and how we relate to our nonhuman friends as individual guardians and as a society.

Click http://www.idausa.org/askjan/askjan_060726.html to read Jan’s latest column, Supporting the Immune System for Good Health Today -- and for Many Years to Come.


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