IDA eNews: 9/05/07

IDA ACTION ALERTS
1. Get Tina and Jewel Out of the Circus
2. Over 100 Animals Removed from Animal Hoarders' Home
3. Give Vick Dogs a Fighting Chance at Life

NEWS & CAMPAIGN UPDATES
1. IDA's September Guardian of the Month - Ricardo Moreira
2. National Park Service Begins Extermination of Point Reyes Deer
3. Animal Advocates Attack Shark Finning


IDA ACTION ALERTS

1. Get Tina and Jewel Out of the Circus
Urge USDA to send suffering elephants to a sanctuary now

Tina and Jewel are Asian elephants in their early forties who have endured lives of hardship and abuse traveling with the Cole Brothers Circus. They were ordered off the road by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) earlier this year, following many months of being observed to be looking gaunt, sick and broken. They are now enduring conditions that will only damage what remains of their fragile health. Please help us get these elephants sanctuary.

USDA inspection reports on both Tina and Jewel document the abusive and negligent treatment to which these elephants have been subjected over the past decade and a half. They have been beaten with bullhooks and other objects like a baseball bat and PVC pipe, and had their medical needs ignored, resulting in severe weight loss, among other problems. The circus did not even perform legally-required testing for tuberculosis, endangering both the health of the elephants and the people who are in contact with them.

Life under these abusive conditions has taken its toll on Tina and Jewel. During the summer and fall of 2006, while traveling with Cole Brothers Circus, both elephants appeared unhealthy and dramatically thinner than usual. In spring 2007, they reappeared in the L.E. Barnes and Bailey Circus looking even worse.

In March 2007, the USDA ordered that Jewel be taken off the road, noting that she had lost an appalling 2,000 pounds. A veterinary expert confirmed that both elephants had suffered "alarming weight loss" and advised taking both elephants off the road immediately for urgent veterinary care.

Following this order, Jewel and Tina disappeared from public view. After months of searching, IDA located them on July 25th in rural Texas at an unapproved facility owned by the Davenports, another family with a history of horrible animal abuse who have been leasing Tina and Jewel from Cole since January 2006.

When IDA located the elephants, they had already spent several months confined to a tiny outdoor yard enclosed by electrical hotwire, surrounded by circus refuse and other garbage, or locked inside a dilapidated tin barn. There was no shade outside and no ventilation inside, and no water to drink or cool off with in the Texas summer. IDA has since learned that a window has been cut into the barn for ventilation and that Tina and Jewel have been given access to a slightly larger outdoor enclosure. Still, the conditions remain grim and woefully inadequate for these two ailing elephants.

Four of five other elephants who have been "retired" from the Cole Bros. Circus have died, most within weeks of being taken off the road. IDA is gravely concerned that Jewel and Tina will meet the same fate if they are left at the mercy of an industry with a long history of abusing elephants and violating federal animal welfare laws. Both elephants have lost significant amounts of weight, but whatever condition is causing this remains undiagnosed, and untreated. Tina and Jewel's survival is at stake, and they desperately need our help now!

What You Can Do:

1) Please also "Take Action" to urge your federal representative to ask the USDA to intervene on Tina and Jewel's behalf ( http://ga0.org/campaign/tina_and_jewel_usda ). You can also contact your elected officials by phone and postal mail ( http://ga0.org/indefenseofanimals/leg-lookup/search.html ).

2) Please "Take Action" to demand that the USDA immediately confiscate these two elephants and send them to The Elephant Sanctuary (TES) ( http://www.elephants.com/ ) in Tennessee ( http://ga0.org/campaign/tina_and_jewel_usda ), a USDA-approved quarantine facility for elephants that has a proven track record of rehabilitating elephants who have become debilitated from years of life in the circus or zoo. To have the most impact, edit the sample letter to express your personal point of view and print it out as a letter to mail.

The Honorable Mike Johanns
Secretary of Agriculture
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave., S.W.
Washington, DC 20250

Email: Mike.Johanns [at] usda.gov
Tel: (202) 720-3631

3) Learn more about what Tina and Jewel have suffered at the hands of the circus industry ( http://www.helpelephants.com/feature_070905.html ).


2. Over 100 Animals Removed from Animal Hoarders' Home
Supplies needed to care for 68 surviving dogs and cats

The wealthy New Jersey suburb of Saddle River was recently the scene of a gruesome animal hoarding case. Authorities recovered more than 100 dogs and cats from a sprawling 20-room hilltop home after a delivery man reported a horrible stench coming from the property. Inside, they found floors covered in feces and rancid food several inches deep, and some cats had to be dug out of the walls where they were living. Animals had also been breeding, as some of the kittens were as young as three weeks old. The bodies of 24 dead animals were recovered, some found in shoeboxes stacked in the garage.

Cynthia Stewart, 49, collected the animals and then left them in the house unattended for several months while she and her husband, Philip Tamis, 62, lived in a hotel. Described as an "animal lover" by her lawyer, Stewart fell into a deep depression after the failure of her job placement business and several bankruptcy declarations by the couple. Their house had been sold at auction for $2.6 million to their next door neighbors less than a week before the animals were discovered.

Tyco Animal Control has removed the surviving animals -- 62 cats and 6 dogs -- and is caring for them at their shelter. Almost all of them suffered from severe matting of their fur with urine and feces, upper respiratory problems, ear mites, and fleas. One of the cats was so diseased that his skin was peeling off. The shelter reports that the animals' condition is already much improved, and that cats who were frightened and aggressive just a few days ago are now purring and craving human attention.

Hoarding animals is a compulsive disorder that causes much suffering for its victims. This was one of the worst hoarding cases in New Jersey history, and the residents of Saddle River were shocked that such terrible abuse had been happening right next door in a neighborhood where people love and care for their animal companions. Police have already charged the couple with 20 counts of criminal disorderly persons complaints, and it is possible that they could each face more than 100 counts of animal cruelty. Each charge of animal cruelty potentially carries up to six months in prison and a $1,000 fine.

What You Can Do:

1) Donate items such as canned cat food, litter and litter pans, paper towels, and bowls to help with the care of the surviving animals. Send to:

Tyco Animal Control
1 Stout Lane
HoHoKus, NJ 07423
Tel.: (201) 652-4554

2) The rescued cats and dogs are likely to be put up for adoption soon, so if you are interested in giving an animal or two a new home, please call the Bergen County Humane Society at (201) 896-9300.

3) Please "Take Action" to urge the state's prosecutor, Joseph Mongelli, to seek sentencing to the fullest extent of the law in this disturbing animal abuse case ( http://ga0.org/campaign/njhoarding ). Also feel free to edit the sample letter and print it out for mailing.

4) Write to Judge Louise Dinice and encourage her to ensure that Stewart and Tamis' sentences include mandatory psychological evaluation and treatment, and that they are prevented from having any more animals.

The Honorable Judge Louise Dinice
Central Municipal Court
10 Main Street
Hackensack, NJ 07601


3. Give Vick Dogs a Fighting Chance at Life
Ask U.S. Attorney to allow rescue organizations to adopt qualified dogs

No matter what punishment Michael Vick gets for his days of dogfighting ( http://www.idausa.org/facts/fighting.html#afb-d ), the fate that may await the 53 pit bulls rescued from a life of deadly combat at his now-defunct Bad Newz Kennels is far worse than anything the disgraced quarterback will face. That is, the dogs he so cruelly abused will likely be killed within a few short weeks -- not by Vick and his dogfighting partners in crime, but by lethal injection at the hands of licensed government agents.

Granted, humane euthanasia is a far sight better than death by shooting, hanging, drowning, or electrocution -- these being some of the methods Vick admits he used to dispatch dogs who were not skilled fighters. Yet, no matter how it's done or who does it, killing the remaining dogs will still have the same tragic result: the unnecessary end of these innocent animals' lives. These would not be "mercy killings" of terminally ill animals, but merely the deliberate destruction of terribly abused creatures whose suffering might still be alleviated by a systematic regimen of kindness and compassion.

When pit bulls are taken into custody during raids on dogfighting rings, they are almost always killed because they are believed to be dangerous and unfit for society. Yet there are numerous success stories of fighting dogs being completely rehabilitated and recovering from their violent conditioning to become loving animal companions. Therefore, rather than simply write these animals off because they've been damaged by hellish treatment, we must commit to giving them the best chance at a decent life that we possibly can.

Vick could have spared the lives of dogs who lost fights, but chose not to for his own convenience, because dogs who cannot win future fights were of no use to him. IDA believes we must do everything we can for these canine victims, and, thankfully, so do many of our colleagues in the animal protection movement.

IDA commends the ASPCA for agreeing to temperament-test all 53 dogs to determine how dangerous they actually are, and whether they can be properly socialized through retraining. Thankfully, several highly-respected shelters -- including Mariah's Promise in Colorado and Best Friends Sanctuary in Utah -- have already stepped forward with offers to house the dogs and work with them until they are ready for new homes and new lives. Both of these organizations have direct experience handling aggressive pit bulls, as well as rigorous screening procedures in place to ensure that all dogs adopted out go only to responsible guardians.

As the highest-paid football player in NFL history, Vick is a celebrity athlete on par with the most famous names in any professional sport today, so his indictment has done more to awaken Americans to the scourge of dogfighting than any other event in our nation's history. Such a high-profile animal abuse case demands from us the highest consideration for the lives of those most directly impacted by these unique circumstances. We have a responsibility therefore not only redouble our efforts to end dogfighting in this country, but also to do everything in our power to redeem the lives it has ruined -- starting with these 53 dogs.

What You Can Do:

1) Please write a letter to U.S. Attorney Michael Gill urging him to allow all dogs who pass temperament evaluations to be taken by qualified rescue organizations:

U.S. Attorney Michael Gill
Case No 307CV397
600 East Main Street, Suite 1800
Richmond, VA 23219

2) Also email the two ASPCA behavioral specialists who will be evaluating the dogs to thank them for their efforts:

- Steve Zawistowski: Stevez [at] aspca.org
- Randall Lockwood: Randalll [at] aspca.org


NEWS & CAMPAIGN UPDATES

1. IDA's September Guardian of the Month - Ricardo Moreira
Karate black belt and Ultimate Fighter brings compassion into the ring

Ricardo Moreira is a rarity in the world of Ultimate Fighting -- an extreme sport that pits martial artists of all fighting styles against each other, often inside a cage, where they punch, kick, and wrestle one another. In fact, the soft-spoken 26-year-old believes he is the only vegan on the international cage fighting circuit. "There are a lot of pescetarians who still eat fish, and there are fighters who sometimes stop eating meat and dairy to lose weight before a competition," says Moreira. "But besides myself, I don't know of anyone competing in mixed martial arts who doesn't eat any animal products at all, ever."

According to Moreira, "the most important fight is not in the ring, but out in the world where animals need our help." That's why he has been fighting for animals since he was a child growing up in San Francisco's Mission District, a tough neighborhood where he learned out of necessity to defend himself and others who couldn't defend themselves. For instance, young Ricardo got into many a scuffle in the schoolyard and on the street with boys who derived pleasure from kicking pigeons or stomping ants. Moreira joined the fight for animal liberation more formally in his teens, when he started attending IDA protests, and today talks with his fellow fighters about how animals suffer. "It takes both inner and outer strength to help animals," says Moreira. "I work on developing physical strength and skill in martial arts to show that we vegans can be just as strong in our bodies as we are in our convictions."

Once a vegetarian, Moreira was inspired to go vegan by the example of two vegan bodybuilders -- Kenneth G. Williams ( http://www.idausa.org/vegandays/famous_bodies_kgw.html ), spokesperson for IDA's Vegan Campaign, and Robert Cheeke ( http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=3722827 ). Moreira figured if they could be bodybuilders without eating any animal products, then he could be the world's first vegan professional cage fighter. "Like Kenneth and Robert, I want to set a positive example by being someone who is healthy and confident, hopefully inspiring athletes to go vegan and vegans to stay physically fit."

Moreira exercises a lot of discipline in order to compete in his chosen sport. He has a black belt in karate, a contact sport in which he won a state title, and studies other martial arts, such as aikido and jiu jitsu. He also adheres to an ultra-healthy straight edge lifestyle, consuming no alcohol, tobacco, or drugs. In fact, he doesn't even use curse words. "The only things I'm addicted to are training, competing, and animal rights," he says. He also gives private karate and kickboxing lessons at the Northern Tiger Kenpo in San Francisco, and hopes to open his own martial arts studio in the city someday to teach his own style of street-level self-defense. Excelling at the increasingly popular sport of Ultimate Fighting will help Moreira establish a name for himself as someone who people seek out for training.

"This sport is not about violence or beating your opponent," he says of his fighting and teaching philosophy, "it's about being present and doing your best in the same way a batter wants to hit a home run or a basketball player wants to execute an amazing slam dunk. Feats of skill require physical and mental focus rather than anger, which ultimately weakens concentration and your ability to win." Underneath Moreira's calm yet intense demeanor, one can detect a deep sense of outrage regarding animal abuse -- whether it takes place in slaughterhouses, fur farms, research labs, or so-called "sports" like rodeo, hunting, and dogfighting.

"I choose to get in the cage, but animals don't have a choice," Moreira says, pointing out that an activity is not a "sport" if some competitors are being forced to participate -- especially when they are at such great a disadvantage that they could die. "At the core, sports is about becoming your best by competing with opponents who are at least evenly-matched to your skill level. Shooting a deer at long range with a high-powered rifle is about as fair a fight as me stepping in the cage a 10-year-old kid who's just had his first karate lesson."

Moreira continues, "Chasing and terrorizing animals is not a sport, it's a power trip. A lot of guys who try to prove they're tough by exercising power over defenseless animals would never step foot in the cage where they might feel some of the pain that they are inflicting on others. My nose was broken in my last fight, and because I feel like that pain gave me some insight into what animals suffer, I have more compassion for them -- especially since what's being done to them is thousands of times worse."

Moreira's lifelong emotional understanding of animals continues with his dog, Janet, an eight-year-old Rottweiler-Bulldog mix who he has raised since she was a puppy and the smallest of the litter. "Dogs are pack animals, and I really feel like Jan and I part of the same pack, which is basically the same thing as a family," says Moreira. "She's like my daughter, and I treat her as such." He also has a 17-year-old goldfish named Nemo who is the last of his tank mates but still going strong in his golden years, even with only one fin left.

"I've always felt like the underdog, so that would explain why I identify with animals so strongly," says Moreira. "I fight to show that real strength comes from caring about and protecting those who need help, not abusing them. That is what a true guardian does."

What You Can Do:

- Learn more about IDA's Guardian of the Month, Ricardo Moreira, by visiting his MySpace page ( http://www.myspace.com/kickboxer415 ).

- Arrange private martial arts training with Ricardo at the Northern Tiger Kenpo ( http://tinyurl.com/2bk7v7 ) by contacting him at Muaythai3 [at] aol.com or (415) 350-9140.

- If you live in or will be visiting the Bay Area, come see Ricardo Moreira compete at Kezar Stadium ( http://tinyurl.com/ysu3a6 ) in San Francisco on Saturday night, December 8th, 2007. Tickets will be available for purchase at http://www.gladiatorchallenge.com in coming weeks.


2. National Park Service Begins Extermination of Point Reyes Deer
Sharpshooters kill more than 80 White Fallow and Spotted Axis Deer in park

Since the National Park Service (NPS) first announced their intention to exterminate all the non-native White Fallow and Spotted Axis Deer from Point Reyes National Seashore in Marin County, Calif., IDA has actively opposed the plan. As a key member of the Point Reyes Deer Coalition, we have written letters to NPS officials and state legislators, held demonstrations at the park where we educated visitors about the lethal plan, and exposed the NPS's specious claims of environmental damage being caused by the deer. Yet, despite a groundswell of public outrage and Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey's objections, the NPS chose to go ahead with the controversial massacre.

The killing started in June 2007 when NPS brought in a Connecticut-based company called White Buffalo, Inc., using $750,000 in taxpayer's money, to shoot the deer. One of White Buffalo's key "management" methods is "remote euthanasia" -- a euphemism for sharpshooting that sounds humane, but isn't. These hired guns spread corn on the ground to attract the deer, then killed more than 80 of the animals (starting with the White Fallow Deer) by shooting them in their heads or necks.

Or so they claim. In August, recreational hunters discovered the carcasses of several deer shot in the body and left to rot for days, their eyes eaten from their sockets by vultures. With doubts being raised about their sharpshooters' accuracy, White Buffalo categorically denied responsibility for the killings. After initiating a forensic investigation to determine who killed the deer, park officials temporarily suspended the extermination project, which they plan to resume next summer with the ultimate aim of exterminating the entire herd by 2021.

In addition to spending time on sharpshooting detail, White Buffalo staff also injected another 80 female deer with a contraceptive called GonaCon, then tagged the animals and fitted them with radio collars that enable tracking. The company will recapture the deer next year to see whether this method effectively prevented them from breeding. It is because of the efforts of IDA and other animal protection groups that contraception is even being attempted: if left to do as they please, NPS would probably have already shot and killed every last deer.

The beautiful White Fallow and Spotted Axis Deer have lived at Point Reyes National Seashore for more than half a century, delighting visitors and residents alike. NPS defends their hasty extermination of all the Fallow and Axis Deer by claiming that they are harming the environment and taking food from native Black-tailed Deer, yet they have so far presented no scientific documentation to support this claim. IDA will continue to fight eradication of the deer, and promote humane management of the herd through a 100% non-lethal contraception program.

What You Can Do:

1) Write a letter to the editor of the Marin Independent Journal ( http://www.marinij.com ) advocating the humane, non-lethal management of the Fallow and Axis Deer at Point Reyes National Seashore. Click here ( http://www.marinij.com/opinion ) for submission guidelines and instructions.

2) If you live in or will be visiting the San Francisco Bay Area this month, please join us at the park for a rally to save the deer. Let Park officials know that their tactics are inhumane by making your voice heard!

What: Save the White Deer Rally
When: Sunday, September 9th, 2007 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Where: 2350 Bear Valley Road, Point Reyes Station, Calif. (map - http://tinyurl.com/24vpqm )

Bring food, drink, and your own sign. Call Trinka Marris at (415) 663-5420 for more information or to RSVP.


3. Animal Advocates Attack Shark Finning
Nationwide effort asks restaurants to drop shark fin soup

In the food marketplace, sharks' fins are considered the only economically valuable part of their bodies. That's why commercial fishermen who hunt sharks simply cut off their fins while they are still alive, and then simply toss their finless bodies back into the ocean. Most die of suffocation, because sharks need to swim in order to breathe. Others slowly bleed to death, or are eaten alive by other fish who are attracted to the scent of fresh blood.

Many countries have passed laws against shark finning. In 2000, the Shark Finning Prohibition Act outlawed this cruel and exploitive activity in U.S. waters, so today, most of the fins used by restaurants to make shark fin soup are supplied by Asian fishing companies. By law, all fins delivered to U.S. ports are supposed to be attached to dead sharks, but enforcement is difficult due to smuggling. Several arrests and convictions indicate that there remains a thriving underground shark fin trade in the country.

Meanwhile, over 100 species of sharks are currently threatened, according to the World Conservation Union, some facing imminent extinction due to irresponsible finning practices. About 70 million sharks are killed for their fins every year, a number that far exceeds the species' ability to reproduce. The absence of these top ocean predators can easily throw vast marine ecosystems into imbalance.

What You Can Do:

IDA supports the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI)'s nationwide effort to ask restaurants in the U.S. that currently serve shark-fin soup to stop selling the dish immediately. Print out their fold-over coupon ( http://www.awionline.org/pdf/SFcoupon(multiple).pdf ) and give it to owners of restaurants that sell shark fin products ( http://www.awionline.org/oceans/Fisheries/shark_fin/restaurants_shark_fin.htm ). The coupon includes a message in both English and Chinese requesting businesses that carry the product to "Let Sharks Keep Their Fins … Say No to Shark Fin Soup."


World Veg Festival Weekend in San Francisco, 9/29-30

Be sure to save the date for the upcoming World Veg Festival Weekend in San Francisco, co-presented by IDA and the San Francisco Vegetarian Society. This year's festival will be held on the weekend of Saturday, September 29th and Sunday, September 30th from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the San Francisco County Fair Building in beautiful Golden Gate Park. This fun and educational event will feature:

- World-renowned speakers such as Howard Lyman, Dr. Gabriel Cousens, Dr. John McDougall, Dr. Michael Greger, Dr. Milton Mills, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, and IDA president Dr. Elliot M. Katz, to name just a few.
- International vegan cuisine and healthy food demos.
- Vegan vendors and non-profit booths.
- Live cultural and musical entertainment.
- A catered vegan dinner (Saturday at 6:30 p.m.) for $12 featuring a special appearance by cartoonist Dan Piraro of "Bizarro" fame.

The World Veg Festival Weekend is free to kids under 12 and seniors over 65. It is also free to everyone who comes before 10:30 a.m., after which a $5 donation is suggested.