At this moment a 16-year-old Siberian-Bengal tiger named Tony is caged at a gas station truck stop in Grosse Tete, Louisiana, 20 miles outside of Baton Rouge. Confined to a cramped metal cage, Tony breathes in diesel fumes daily while passersby tease and harass him. Tony has lived this way for nearly his entire life, and his circumstances are often a shock to the average person, who feels innately that this is not the right place for a tiger, especially an ageing one with neglected veterinary needs. People ask, “how can this be legal?” and the Animal Legal Defense Fund believes firmly that it’s not. In fact, we’ve been fighting for over six years to have Tony relocated to a sanctuary that can meet his complex needs and give him the veterinary care he is entitled to. Our campaign to save Tony is now even more dire after reports raising concerns about Tony’s health.
Let Tony Live the Rest of His Days in Comfort
All across the world, people follow Tony’s story. Recently, we’ve received many reports from worried citizens stating that Tony appears lethargic and is experiencing diarrhoea and a decreased appetite. The Animal Legal Defense Fund obtained photo and video evidence and enlisted the help of a veterinarian with experience treating exotic animals to review it. In the vet’s expert opinion, Tony is likely suffering from kyphosis of the spine and an injury or other condition that is causing him to limp. This isn’t run-of-the-mill ageing; Tony needs help. Living at a truck stop is, at the least, exacerbating Tony’s poor health. While no animal is suited to living at a truck stop, tigers are particularly ill-equipped because of their sharp sense of smell and sensitive hearing. Independent of all our pending legal work to free Tony, the Animal Legal Defense Fund just submitted a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which licenses the Truck Stop under the federal Animal Welfare Act, urging that Tony be inspected by a licensed specialist and given any necessary veterinary care.
The Legal Battle for Tony’s Safety
We believe that Tony, and all big cats held in captivity, deserve to live in environments that meet their psychological and physical needs. Our campaign to remove Tony from his particularly grim captivity at Tiger Truck Stop has been lengthy and determined. Michael Sandlin, the owner of the truck stop, however, has pulled out all the stops to keep Tony in captivity. He has spent over $750,000 fighting our efforts and has also manipulated the legislative system by successfully lobbying the Louisiana legislature to pass a special exemption designed solely to benefit Sandlin and allow him to keep Tony. It’s no surprise that Sandlin puts up such a fight; he’s been exploiting tigers like Tony for decades, using them as a gimmick to lure customers to his gas station. The USDA has cited Sandlin numerous times for violations ranging from failure to provide veterinary care to lack of clean drinking water. In 2003, Sandlin relinquished three tigers amid public outrage over his treatment of the big cats. Only Tony remains.
Inspired in part by Tony’s plight, then Representative Warren Triche, Jr. introduced legislation in 2006 to ban private possession of big cats in Louisiana. The law passed, and while it was a tremendous win for the big cats saved from being the next Tony, Sandlin continued to hold Tony in violation of the law. The Animal Legal Defense Fund sued the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries for unlawfully issuing Sandlin a permit to exhibit Tony. We were joined in the suit by former Rep. Triche, Jr. and several other Louisiana taxpayers. Both the trial court and the Louisiana Court of Appeal held that Sandlin and the Tiger Truck Stop were ineligible for a big cat permit and could no longer keep Tony captive. In October 2013, the Louisiana Supreme Court let that decision stand. Still, Tony remained at the truck stop.
Despite the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s victory, which should have freed Tony and allowed him to be moved to a sanctuary, Sandlin has been able to keep Tony in captivity because of two legal tactics that he has pursued relentlessly.
First, after the trial court ruled against Sandlin and while his appeal was pending, he filed a separate lawsuit challenging the big cat ban as unconstitutional. The Animal Legal Defense Fund, along with concerned Louisiana citizens, promptly filed a petition to intervene in that action to defend the constitutionality of the big cat ban. Both the State of Louisiana and the Animal Legal Defense Fund argued Sandlin’s claims were barred because he failed to raise them in the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s prior action. Those arguments are still pending today, nearly five years later.
Second, Sandlin manipulated the legislative system by successfully lobbying the Louisiana legislature to pass Act 697, a special law designed to exempt Sandlin – and only Sandlin – from the big cat ban. It was signed into law by then Governor Jindal. The Animal Legal Defense Fund again immediately went to work, suing the state of Louisiana and arguing Act 697 violated the Louisiana Constitution because it was a “special law” designed to benefit one individual from existing state public safety and animal welfare laws. We were again joined in the suit by former Rep. Triche Jr. and other concerned Louisiana citizens.
We’re Not Giving Up
The Animal Legal Defense Fund recently combined its challenges to both of Sandlin’s legal tactics into the same action, filing an amended petition in intervention in Sandlin’s lawsuit that challenged the constitutionality of the big cat ban. This will allow the Animal Legal Defense Fund — in one motion — to raise arguments both challenging the constitutionality of Act 697’s exemption for Tony and explain why Sandlin’s challenges to the big cat ban itself should fail. A ruling in favour of the Animal Legal Defense Fund on such a motion should finally put an end to Sandlin’s legal tactics and provide a final resolution allowing Tony to be relocated to a sanctuary.
As the world watches the ups and downs of the fight to save Tony, the tiger’s life remains essentially the same. He doesn’t know his story inspired a former Representative to come out of retirement to fight for him, or that the big cat ban will help others of his kind. All he knows is life in a cramped cage off the highway. Tony deserves the veterinary care he needs and to live out the rest of his life in peace. He doesn’t just deserve it, we believe he’s guaranteed it under the law. We won’t stop until Tony is safe
“Nobody will die if dog & cat are taken off the menu!!!”
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
Around 30 animal campaigners carried out the protest today in bid to stop Yulin dog meat festival in China
The controversial festival sees as many as 10,000 animals butchered and eaten on summer solstice
A petition signed by over 11 million people has been submitted to the authority, animal charity claimed
During the event, activists called Yulin in rural Guangxi Province a ‘scumbag’ and ‘a total embarrassment’ to China
A group of animal activists staged a protest today in Beijing in a bid to stop a Chinese dog-eating festival set to occur later this month.
This must stop: A group of around 30 animal activists staged a protest today in Beijing in a bid to stop the Yulin dog meat festival
The demonstration, initiated by three animal protection groups, submitted a petition allegedly signed by over 11 million people, calling on the Chinese authorities to end the Yulin dog meat festival.
The annual festival, which takes place in south China’s Guangxi Province, sees tens of thousands of animals beaten to death, cooked and sold on the market to celebrate summer solstice.
Around 30 activists carried out the protest outside of the Yulin government office as the petition was presented to the authority by three animal charities: Humane Society International, VShine and Beijing Mothers Against Animal Cruelty.
Pictures from today’s event show animal campaigners, many of whom brought their own pet dogs, holding signs saying ‘Scumbag of China’ in English and ‘Shame on Yulin’ in Simplified Chinese.
Wendy Higgins, the Director of International Media at Humane Society International, said over 11 million signatures had been collected worldwide through the internet to demand the festival to stop.
The petition also included signatures gathered by four other international animal welfare organisations. They are RaiseURPaw in Canada as well as the Duo Duo Project, Care2 and Avaaz from the United States.
The petition has been accepted by officials from the Yulin government in Beijing, according to Ms Higgins.
Peter Li, the China Policy Expert at Humane Society International, attended the protest in Beijing today.
Mr Li told MailOnline:
‘There was a huge presence of police, but our hand-in went very peacefully. It was a great feeling to join with our Chinese partner group activists in Beijing today, there was a tremendous sense of determination to get our voices heard to the global media, and to let the world know that many people across China want the brutal Yulin dog meat festival shut down.
He added: ‘We gave a show of strength and defiance against the dog thieves and the blatant animal cruelty, to say loudly – you will not steal our best friends!
‘I hope that the authorities listen, they really should do as the strength of public upset about Yulin and the trade here in China is really growing.
‘Next stop for me is Yulin, where I have been a number of times before, for the grim task of visiting the slaughterhouses before the festival starts.’
Sickening feast: Residents in Yulin tucked in their dinner made with dog meat during last year’s festival. Many of the animals, which were caged and beaten before being slaughtered, are thought to be stolen pets!
Xu Yufeng, founder of Beijing Mothers Against Animal Cruelty who were also present at the protest, said: ‘Yulin is a total embarrassment to China.
‘Its failure to stop mass dog slaughter and mass dog consumption shows that the local authorities are not doing their job to protect the people, especially young children.
‘We urge the Yulin authorities to stand on the right side of history and to end the “festival” in the interests of public security, food safety, social morality and China’s reputation.’
Another member of the protesters, Pan Danyang from China-based small animal protection group VShine, said:
‘This is the third year of our participation in the nation-wide campaign against the Yulin dog meat festival. ‘Since we have over the last few years helped accommodate dogs rescued from the dog meat trade, we know Yulin’s dog meat market relies on dogs from suspicious sources. ‘I hope that Yulin authorities will take actions to stop the dog trucks from going into their city so that the mass slaughter on the summer solstice day won’t happen.’
Visitors play with rescued dogs at a shelter ranby Yang Xiaoyun in Tianjin, China, July 8, 2015. Yang said she spent 300,000 RMB (48,248 USD) to purchase 500 dogs to rescue them from dog meat dealers at Yulin’s annual dog meat festival last month. She keeps more than 1,000 dogs in her shelters, mostly abandoned or she purchased from dog meat traders. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
To learn more & signn other petitions, please visit the following, just a handful of sites that contain very informative material:-
“I would be first in line to pick up this stunning mare, how anyone could just abandon her is beyond my comprehension; there is no & never will be, a good enough excuse for this cruel crime, whilst animal organisation exist to help!. But a former race horse that costs thousands, then doesn’t race well, is more than often sent to slaughter or abandoned! I hope they find whomever she belonged to; then proceed with criminal charges! Then I hope Defense Team gets a forever home & is loved for the rest of her life!!!”
MIAMI, FL (February 17, 2014)
Defense Team, a Thoroughbred gelding, was rescued today by South Florida SPCA. Laurie Waggoner, SFSPCA director of ranch operations, received a mid-morning call from a Hialeah farmer who reported the former racehorse wandering along a road near one of his pastures, and that he looked “really bad…really skinny.” Waggoner and members of the Hialeah police department found the horse ambling roadside, eating grass.
“His body condition score is a 1,” said Waggoner, referring to the lowest score on the Henneke System of Body Condition Scoring (view chart.) Fortunately, Defense Team does not appear to be lame or have any other major issues or injuries. He will receive routine vaccinations and a Coggins test, along with farrier attention to his hooves which appear to have been neglected for some time.
The horse’s tattoo number matched that of Defense Team, and SFSPCA learned he was foaled in Florida on April 6, 1999. He was purchased in Ocala, FL for $6,000, and raced only once at Calder on December 28, 2001 where he finished 11 out of a field of 12. (View pedigree.)
I will never comprehend why humans can throw animals out like trash; or just abandon them….heartbreaking!!!
Waggoner noted Defense Team seemed very happy to be found, loaded easily on her trailer and was welcomed to the SFSPCA ranch in Homestead with a nice, safe stall and a tasty flake of hay.
If you’d like to donate toward the care of Defense Team, please visitwww.spca-sofla.org/donate/donate-nowand indicate that it is for Defense Team at checkout.
Report horses or other large livestock animals that appear to be abandoned, abused or neglected. Call 911 for emergencies, or 305-4-POLICE (Miami-Dade, FL) for non-emergencies.
“WTF…they didn’t have to kill him, Marius was offered various homes & even a business man was willing to pay thousands to save the giraffe! It seems it’s rules for one & rules for another in the EAZA operation! If they can’t or don’t want an animal that doesn’t fit their requirements, they should have a system in place whereby the un-wanted animal can always be offered an alternative home; if they can’t manage that…then perhaps they shouldn’t be breeding animals at all!!
Thanks to my dear friend on twitter.com/9marbar9 for heads up on these. Please sign:
Editor’s note: Liz Tyson is Director of UK charity, The Captive Animals’ Protection Society (CAPS). She previously lived and worked in the Colombian Amazon on conservation projects. She is a board member of conservation charity Neotropical Primate Conservation and a doctoral researcher at the University of Essex, School of Law. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely hers.
Liz Tyson
(CNN) — The killing of a young giraffe named Marius at Copenhagen Zoo sparked international outrage this weekend. On Sunday, he was shot with a bolt gun then publicly dissected before being fed to the lions.
In its defence, the zoo has argued that Marius’ death was necessary to protect the genetic diversity of his species. It was claimed that to allow Marius to take up space that could be used to house another animal with more desirable genetic make-up may hinder conservation breeding programs.
Contraception which required sedation is dangerous and giraffes might die during the procedure. As such, Marius’ birth could not have been safely prevented. Marius could not be re-homed because sending him somewhere other than a zoo which was a member of the European Association for Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) could result in him being sold into a circus, which would be againstEAZA rules.In effect, the zoo’s hands were tied, it was implied.
None of these arguments appear to stand up to scrutiny.
Given that zoos claim that animals are kept in order to support the conservation of threatened species, it is therefore unclear why any member of Marius’ subspecies should be held captive at all.
It was further confirmed that a contraceptive for giraffes has been developed in the last few years whichallows females to be safely injected at a distancethus suggesting that Marius’ birth was not inevitable.
The director of EAZA supported the stance that Marius had to die and encouraged people to consider the “bigger picture.” But EAZA itself is less than consistent in its approach to inbreeding and, indeed, in its concern for the ultimate fate of animals in its member zoos.
Due to the serious welfare implications and the lack of conservation value of inbred animals, breeding of white lions is theoretically not allowed in EAZA zoos. In practice, both West Midland Safari Park and Paradise Wildlife Park in the UK breed white lions.
Both are EAZA members and yet, despite vociferously supporting the killing of Marius to prevent the same problem, a blind eye has been turned by EAZA to the persistent inbreeding of other species in its zoos. White lions are, perhaps tellingly, a great crowd pleaser.
In 2012 West Midland Safari Park were revealed to have sent four white lions to a circus trainer, who sent them on to a Japanese circus. That the safari park remains an EAZA member means that the rules on sending animals to non-EAZA collections are not consistently applied. Despite this, no exception was made for Marius.
In fact, rather than Marius being a tragic exception, the killing of animals considered to be surplus to requirements by zoos is something which is common in the industry.A 2003 study suggested that there are around 7,500 animals deemed “surplus” in European zoos at any one time.
Whilst it cannot be undone, Marius’ death has served an important purpose in shining a spotlight on a practice which is normally kept well-hidden from public view. As long as there are zoos, there will be unwanted animals. And as long as there are unwanted animals, more like Marius will be killed.
It has long been recognised that conservation success is achieved not in city centre zoos or safari parks, but in natural habitats. We would urge anyone with a passion for conservation to support effective in situ efforts which are truly making a positive impact on species conservation.
Viewer Discrestion Advised – Danish Zoo criticized for killing giraffe
Published on 10 Feb 2014
CNN’s Fred Pleitgen on why thousands are angry after a zoo in Copenhagen culled a healthy giraffe.
As a member of Redwings with virtual adopted horses ( See below about Adoptions) from their centre; I received the grim news through the post. I wish I could show you the appalling & very upsetting pictures the state the horse were found in, but I can’t; however I can tell you how some of the rescuers described the scene:-
“This was the worst cumulative case of horse suffering we had ever witnessed. Seeing the pain & distress of so many horses was worse than you can imagine. This is a tragic & upsetting situation, but we have to share the harsh reality of this crisis. In the hope that we can stop it from happening again…
Scenes from the Somme – stranded in a vast expanse of deep wet mud, surrounded by barbed wire, with no food & no hope the site was reminiscent of a battlefield with all the horrors of war – the horses were utterly desperate.
Death Camp – the Redwings team likened the scenes to a ‘ concentration camp for horses’ with the vulnerable youngsters & their mothers most likely to succumb to starvation & disease.
The Fallen – over 100 horses were so sick, injured & malnourished that they lost their lives.
“Read more from the news below”
Multi-agency operation in South Wales
Redwings Horse Sanctuary, the Vale of Glamorgan Council and the RSPCA have spent over a week working to safeguard the future welfare of more than 400 horses at a location between Bridgend and Llantwit Major in the Vale of Glamorgan.
Following a report to the Vale of Glamorgan Trading Standards team, welfare officers and vets moved quickly to assess the horses and provide treatment for those needing it. Over six days (12-17 November), more than 300 horses were removed from the site to places of safety by the organisations involved, with assistance from South Wales police and Bristol-based charity HorseWorld who provided vital support.
These horses will be cared for and receive further treatment as necessary whilst the investigation continues. Redwings have taken immediate responsibility for 19 horses from the site, including 12 orphaned foals.
Sadly, as the operation on site progressed and more animals were assessed, it became clear that a number of the horses were in such a state of suffering that there was only one option for them. Over 100 of the horses had to be put to sleep on veterinary advice.
Redwings Head of Welfare and senior vet Nic de Brauwere said, “I am incredibly proud of the work my team and staff from the other agencies have carried out over the last week to deal with what was an incredibly severe welfare situation. Our interest at all times was to do the best we could for each horse we found, and tragically for some that meant giving them a peaceful end after all their suffering. This operation has been an astonishing feat considering the small number of people involved and the overwhelming number of demands on our time and resources. Our staff worked tirelessly to meet the needs of the animals on the site despite the incredibly difficult circumstances, and we must give special mention to Vale of Glamorgan Trading Standards team who took quick and decisive action in what was nothing less than a state of emergency for these horses.”
Martin Hubbard from the RSPCA said: “This was a difficult and tragic situation that developed very quickly, leaving many of the horses in a desperate condition. It is thanks to the Vale of Glamorgan local authority and to the fast response and hard work of everyone involved that we managed to attend to the animals and get the majority moved to safety.”
Christina Roberts-Kinsey, Principal Trading Standards Officer for Vale of Glamorgan Council, said, “We take all complaints regarding animal welfare very seriously. After visiting the site and witnessing the appalling conditions it was necessary to take this prompt action to prevent any further suffering to the animals. This action would not have been possible without the help and support of Redwings, the RSPCA and South Wales Police.”
This case is sadly typical of the situation right across the UK, where it is believed up to 7,000 horses and ponies are currently at risk of abandonment or neglect. Welfare charities have produced a report into the current equine welfare crisis, which can be downloaded here http://www.redwings.org.uk/news-updatedhorsecrisis.php.
Since January 1st this year we have taken 219 horses and ponies into our care, and we are currently looking after 1300 rescued residents at our Sanctuary sites across the UK.To donate and help us continue to help horses, please text code RWHS00 followed by the amount you’d like to give (eg RWHS00 £5) to 70070, or follow this link to the donation pages, thanks so much.
We are in the middle of an equine crisis situation in the UK. Redwings has justhelped rescue 300 horses from a site in South Wales,a few weeks ago we helped move 46 seemingly abandoned horses from a site in Hampshire, and we are already operating at capacity, with over 200 horses having coming into our care this year already.
Fly grazing and abandonment are two of the major issues contributing to this crisis. We have been delighted to see the fast tracking of new legislation from the Welsh Government to tackle the fly grazing of horses and ponies in Wales and are urgently asking the UK Government to follow suit in England to help stem the tide of unwanted horses across the country.
The new Control of Horses (Wales) Bill was passed in the National Assembly on December 10th and just needs to receive Royal Assent to become law. It grants more powers to local authorities to take action to help fly grazing and abandoned horses. However, the UK government has no such plans in England at a time when thousands of horses are at risk of suffering and death and landowners and local authorities struggle to cope with the problem.
On Tuesday 26th November 2013, MPs held a debate in Westminster Hall and we would like to thank everyone who asked their MP to go along. there was a really good turnout and a fascinating discussion which we hope will have helped pushed this issue up the political agenda. You can watch the full debate here: http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=14264
At the end of September, welfare charities joined forces to remove 46 very hungry and many thin and sickly horses from a bare field in Alton. Eight of the most poorly horses came into the care of Redwings, while the rest found homes at private yards, where the RSPCA is providing for their care.
We very tragically lost Georgiana, only two weeks after her rescue. Georgiana was suffering with salmonella – a disease which several of these horses have – and also had an horrendous small redworm burden. Thousands of small redworms can hide inside the walls of the digestive system undetected, and can suddenly erupt out all at once, causing terrible diarrhoea and internal damage.
The Redwings Adoption Club is the fun way to support our charity and make a new friend in the process! A year’s adoption of a Redwings horse, pony, donkey or mule costs just £12.50, which goes directly towards the daily care of your chosen equine and their friends.
The moving story of Faith, who was rescued from Essex after she had collapsed and could not get up by herself – she was taken to Redwings Horse Sanctuary and against all the odds, she survived – watch her story here and read more about her at www.redwings.org.uk.Text £5 to RWHS00 to 70070 to donate to Redwings.
Campaigners say they spotted vessels in Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary
Images of whale carcasses on bloodied ship deck captured from a helicopter
Another minke whale was being butchered on board, says Sea Shepherd
Commercial whale hunting outlawed in 1994
Japanese whaling vessels allowed ‘for research purposes’
Sea Shepherd said they had spotted the Japanese fleet today and captured evidence that four whales had been slaughtered, alleging the ships were found inside the sanctuary MURDERERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Militant anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd says it spotted the Nisshin Maru sailing through the protected Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary during the annual whaling season.
As the Sea Shepherd’s helicopter flew above the Japanese ship, campaigners shot footage of the blood-streaked deck and the carcasses of three dead minke whales lying on the ship as another creature was butchered.
This photograph of three dead minke whales was taken by anti-whaling campaigners after they allegedly caught the Japanese vessel inside an internationally-recognised sanctuary. MURDERERS!!!!!
Sea Shepherd said it had spotted the Japanese fleet yesterday and captured evidence that four whales had been slaughtered this morning, alleging the ships were found inside the sanctuary.
Campaigners said they had located all five Japanese vessels and were now in pursuit, forcing the harpooners to cut short their operation and retreat.
Sea Shepherd said that another whale, also believed to be a minke, was being butchered on board. MURDERING BXXXXXD’S
‘That’s just a gruesome, bloody, medieval scene which has no place in this modern world.’
When the Nisshin Maru was first spotted from the air, Dr Brown said it was in Antarctica’s Ross Dependency, within New Zealand’s territorial waters and the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, which he described as a ‘gross breach of international law’.
The commercial hunting of whales is prohibited in the sanctuary, which was designated by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in 1994, but Japan catches the animals there under a ‘scientific research’ loophole in the moratorium on whaling.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully denied whaling was taking place within his country’s maritime jurisdiction, saying the site was considered international waters, as he condemned the ‘pointless and offensive’ practice.
Peter Hammarstedt, captain of the Sea Shepherd ship Bob Barker, said Japan had shown ‘flagrant disregard for international law’ by continuing whaling
‘The New Zealand government has repeatedly called on Japan to end its whaling programme. We reiterate this message today,’ he said.
‘There is nothing scientific about this, it is butchery,’ Mr Brown said.
‘The one thing that’s missing here is gumption – a bit of spine in Canberra and in Wellington to put an end to it.’
Australia has taken Japan to the International Court of Justice seeking to have its research whaling programme declared illegal, with a ruling due this year.
Peter Hammarstedt, captain of the Sea Shepherd ship Bob Barker, said Japan had shown ‘flagrant disregard for international law by continuing their illegal whale hunt while the world patiently awaits a decision from the International Court of Justice’.
Japan’s fisheries agency said its programme was being conducted ‘in line with a research plan submitted to the IWC’
Sea Shepherd left Australia for their 10th annual harassment campaign of the Japanese fleet last month, sending three ships to tail and run interference against the harpooners.
High-seas clashes between the two groups are common, resulting in the 2010 sinking of the Sea Shepherd vessel Ady Gil.
Australia will be monitoring confrontations between the pair from a government jet which is due to fly surveillance missions over the Southern Ocean between January and March.
However, Dr Brown said there had so far been no sign of the aircraft.
“THIS IS A DIFFICULT SUBJECT for me to discuss. I own horses & understand that due to overpopulation, lack of food or abandonment etc. it is causing welfare problems. Charities can’t protect every horse in need of a home, they will simply never have enough funds to protect them all. God…I wish they could, I hate to see horses or any animal for that matter suffer, no animal lover would want an animal to suffer unnecessarily. So to prevent this, if there is no other way possible to save them, I would prefer they were put out of their misery; in the kindest way possible & cremated. Horses die from disease, injury or just old age & their bodies have to be dealt with whatever the circumstance.
“If owners are not permitted to dispose of the body themselves on their own land, which most aren’t; then the body (no matter how loved) has to be dealt with! I dread the day one of my horses dies or has to be put to sleep, but I don’t have land to bury them on or the required permission…it would literally break my heart, but I will have no option but to still call the knacker man (for want of a better word) to cremate the body & return the ashes to me, so I can do with them as I wish.”
“WHAT I OPPOSE is the use of slaughterhouses TO KILL HEALTHY, ILL & ABUSED HORSES FOR FOOD & PROFIT! This planet already kills way too many animals to feed the population, some in the most barbaric, cheapest & despicable ways, with rife abuse & cruelty: which is why I don’t eat animals. Those who don’t own horses but own dogs, would find the practice of a slaughterhouse for dogs horrific & wouldn’t stand for it! Just as it is with horse owners/lovers… HORSES DO NOT BELONG ON THE MENU in this century or the next. By all means their bodies have to be dealt with…BUT NO HORSE SHOULD END UP ON A PLATE! Killing horses for their meat & profit alone is not justified; THOSE WHO WISH TO KILL HORSES FOR FOOD, ARE IN IT FOR THE MONEY, PURE GREED ALONE & IT IS THEY WHO SHOULD BE BANNED!!”
A federal appeals court on Friday removed a temporary ban on domestic horse slaughter, clearing the way for companies in New Mexico, Missouri and Iowa to open while an appeal of a lawsuit by animal protection groups proceeds.
The appeals court’s order Friday said the groups had “failed to meet their burden for an injunction pending appeal.”
Blair Dunn, an attorney for Valley Meat and Rains Natural Meats, said the order lifts the emergency status of the case, meaning it will likely be months before a final decision is issued.
Dunn said the plants are ready to open, although they could agree to remain shuttered if the plaintiffs agree to post a sufficient bond to cover the companies’ losses should they ultimately prevail.
“They are getting ready to go as quickly as they can. It shouldn’t take too long. Not more than two weeks,” he said.
The Humane Society, however, said “the fight for America‘s horses is not over.”
“We will press for a quick resolution of the merits of our claims in the 10th Circuit,” said Jonathan R. Lovvorn, the group’s senior vice president of animal protection litigation and investigations.
The plants would become the first horse slaughterhouses to operate in the U.S. since 2007. Congress effectively banned horse slaughter by eliminating funding for inspections at the plants in 2006. It restored that funding in 2011, but the USDA did not approve the first permits for horse slaughterhouses until this summer.
The issue has divided horse rescue and animal welfare groups, ranchers, politicians and Indian tribes about what is the most humane way to deal with the country’s horse overpopulation, and what rescue groups have said are a rising number of neglected and starving horses as the West deals with persistent drought.
Valley Meat and Responsible Transportation were set to begin horse slaughter operations in August, but U.S. District Judge Christina Armijo blocked their plans while she heard the lawsuit by The Humane Society of the United States, Front Range Equine Rescue and others. The groups claimed the plants should have been forced to undergo environmental reviews under provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act.
Responsible Transportation abandoned its horse slaughter plans and converted its plant to cattle before Armijo dismissed the lawsuit in November.
Attorneys for the plants have argued that the plaintiffs are simply in court because they are morally opposed to horse slaughter and are looking for a way to delay the plants while they lobby Congress for a ban.
Proponents of a return to domestic horse slaughter point to a 2011 report from the federal Government Accountability Office that shows horse abuse and abandonment have increased since domestic horse slaughter was banned. They say it is better to slaughter the animals in humane, federally regulated facilities than have them abandoned to starve across the drought-stricken West or shipped to inhumane facilities in Mexico.
Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States, calls the practice barbaric and has said blocking a return to domestic horse “is an issue of national importance and scale.”
“There are 2 news pieces in this post! Now, just about everybody knows Mr. Michael Sandlin, who owns & displays Tony ‘The truck stop tiger in Louisianan Animal advocates, the ALDF & Mr Sandlin have been at the centre of a costly court case concerning Tony. Advocates say a truck stop is not a good place for a tiger to live, which I agree with! I have posted several videos of Tony, taken by my good friend Mary! But what does this have to do with Joe Exotic; who has just filed bankruptcy??
Well, Sandlin is a good friend of Joe Schreibvogel & last year, Sandlin was quoted as saying “if he was forced to move ‘Tony the truck stop tiger’ he would send him to G.W Exotics ( now called G.W. Zoo ) So I was wondering, if it actually came down to Mr Sandlin having to move Tony the tiger, would he still go to Joe Exotics?? I don’t know what the legal stance would be, moving yet another tiger into a zoo, with a lawsuit hanging over their head? G.W. Exotics were even asking for donations, to build Tony a suitable enclosure!!
Just six weeks after a federal judge ordered him to pay a Florida animal sanctuary nearly $1 million to settle a lawsuit, a Wynnewood man who goes by the name Joe Exotic has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection.
Joe Schreibvogel, who also goes by the namesAarron Alex and Cody Ryan, lists debts totaling $1.2 million, most of which are traceable to the judgment handed down in February by a judge in Florida.
Schreibvogel, who operated what is now the G.W. Zoo in Wynnewood from the late 1990s until February, in court records lists assets of $127,739. Roughly half of that total is in the form of vehicles used to run the animal park.
Schreibvogel lists 43 tigers and five black bears as personal property. Records show the carnivores are worth an “unknown” sum of money.
Schreibvogel also owes more than $30,000 to attorneys who worked on the trademark infringement case, records show.
An affidavit signed by Schreibvogel and filed in federal court states he “became unemployed on Feb. 26, 2013, and I am not receiving any monthly income.”
During a recent interview with The Oklahoman, Schreibvogel said he would file for bankruptcy protection because he didn’t have the roughly $1 million the judge in Florida ordered him to pay the owners of Big Cat Rescue.
Schreibvogel and Big Cat Rescue founder Carole Baskin have been publicly feuding for years over their philosophical differences on the exotic pet trade.
The suit involved Schreibvogel’s use of logos and images that were similar to those created and owned by the Florida animal park.
In the suit, attorneys for Big Cat Rescue alleged Schreibvogel and his associates launched a “counter-campaign of disinformation, misinformation and disparagement” aimed at damaging the credibility of the Florida organization.
The sanctuary’s lawyers claimed Schreibvogel used a logo and other artistic elements “confusingly similar” to materials trademarked by Big Cat Rescue.
Schreibvogel admits he did model a logo for Big Cat Rescue Entertainment — one of the many businesses he’s formed over the years — after the Florida sanctuary’s design, but said he didn’t realize it was wrong to do so.
“We thought we were in the clear,” he said. “We thought they only owned ‘Big Cat Rescue’ with a cat jumping over it.”
Schreibvogel, known for performing magic shows and bringing tiger cubs to shopping malls for paid photographs with the public, said a new company is running the G.W. Zoo. He said he will continue to house his animals at the facility, just off Interstate 35 in Wynnewood.
“They’re my animals … I’m still licensed to exhibit,” he said. “By law, I do not have to be a (business) to exhibit.”
WYNNEWOOD, Okla., April 3 (UPI) — An Oklahoma man who goes by the name “Joe Schreibvogel or Joe Exotic” filed for bankruptcy after being ordered to pay nearly $1 million to settle a trademark infringement lawsuit.
Joe Schreibvogel also known as Joe Exotic of Wynnewood said he has debts amounting to $1.2 million, most of which are attributable to a judgment filed against him in February by a federal judge in Florida, The (Oklahoma City) Oklahoman reported Wednesday.
He also owes in excess of $30,000 in attorney’s fees for the trademark case.
From the late 1990s until February, Schreibvogel operated what is now the G.W. Zoo in Wynnewood, The Oklahoman reported. He listed assets valued at vehicles and other assets of $127,739, plus 43 tigers and five black bears as personal property, which are worth an “unknown” amount, the newspaper said.
The trademark infringement case stems for a feud between Schreibvogel and Big Cat Rescue founder Carole Baskin in Florida. The case involved Schreibvogel’s use of images and logos similar to those designed and owned by Big Cat Rescue.
Schreibvogel said he modeled a logo for one of his businesses, Big Cat Rescue Entertainment, after the Florida business’ logo, but said he didn’t realize he did not have the right to do so.
George Bengal of the Pennsylvania SPCA is like the Ed McMahon of animal rescues. There’s just one difference: When he comes to your door, he’s not bringing an oversized check and balloons.
“I’ve had cases where the people we’re investigating will say to me, ‘I know you, I’ve seen you on TV,” said Bengal. “And to that I say: ‘And now you’re going to be on TV with me, but it’s not for a good reason.”
With 12 humane officers on the team, the group can have a workload of 30 to 50 cases at one time. They also have the daunting task of enforcing theanimal cruelty laws for 16 counties.
“People often think that we’re funded by the state because we’re enforcing state laws, but that’s not the case,” said Bengal.
His team is constantly following-up on calls and investigating animal cruelty and abuse.
“We have a twenty-four-seven hotline,” said Bengal, “calls come in everyday and we look into each one. Every time I think I’ve seen the worst case, another one will top it,” said Bengal.
Bengal says he has seen horrific scenes of animal fighting. The fights, which are motivated by money, involve high-end betting.
“In one case, my team found half a million dollars in cash at a home,” said Bengal. “It’s a blood sport. These animals are trained to fight, even to the death.”
He says the fights attract large crowds and he’s seen over 100 people in one house. Spectators can be charged just for watching.
“In many cases, women will be cooking and actually selling food upstairs in the kitchen, while downstairs the men are watching the fighting,” said Bengal.
A dog rescued from dog-fighting. (Courtesy of the Pennsylvania SPCA)
He says the animals are trained to fight from a young age. Owners may start out playing tug-of-war with the dog as a puppy using a towel or rope. Eventually, they will start training with weight pulls for a sled, which are legal.
“They train them like it’s a fun game,” explained Bengal. “Eventually, they’ll put heavy chains on their necks to strengthen them, pump them full of steroids and have them run on treadmills. Animal fighting is like a boxing match.”
The fights are so serious that the owners will even pay for a cutman to treat physical damage during the fight.
“These guys will go so far as to put a sedative or poison on their fur, so that when the other dog bites, he’ll get weak and sick,” explained Bengal. “With cock fighting, they will implant knives or gaffs on the animals claws.”
When asked if the owners ever feel remorse for their actions, Bengal says they only think of the animals as valuable property.
“They’re mad when we take their animals because some of them are worth thousands of dollars,” said Bengal.
“Some of these dogs are grand champion fighters, and their pups alone can be worth $20,000 to $50,000.”
Dangerous hoarder homes
Can you imagine 110Chihuahua‘s living in one home? Bengal can. He says that typically, animal hoarding goes hand-in-hand with other types of hoarding, which can mean a dangerous situation for both animals and humans alike.
“These are some of the most tragic cases,” said Bengal. “These people have serious issues. They’ve lost their ability to know what’s right and wrong. They don’t having running water, they don’t get things fixed.”
He says for many hoarder cases his team must wear protective gear and breathing masks due to mass amounts of feces and garbage.
“We’ll find dead animals inside these houses,” said Bengal. “One woman actually asked if she could take pictures of the dead ones before we took them out, she was that mentally attached.”
He says homicide cases for humans mean a felony or a death sentence, but when an animal is killed, it may only mean minimal jail time or a fine.
“When we go to a location, it’s a lot like a narcotics investigation. We get forensic evidence and autopsy results to determine thecause of death,” said Bengal. “We treat these cases as if it were a regular homicide.”
The SPCA works with the Licenses and Inspections (L&I) department to get people out of these conditions and find them psychiatric help. In some cases the properties may be deemed unlivable and are condemned.
“We try to do as much as we can,” said Bengal. “You have to stay professional at all times. Our job is a combination of a cop, social worker and educator.”
Healing hands at the SPCA
Wendy Marano, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania SPCA, says the group has a “no kill” philosophy.
“No animal comes here with a clock ticking,” said Marano. “We work hard to get them better, we want to give them a second chance.”
She says the SPCA team works to rehabilitate abused animals so that they may one day enter into an adoptive home.
Calling the killing of two dogs “an act of an evil heart,” Circuit Court Judge Larry Hyman inGeorgetown County, S.C. sentenced Bobby Joe McConnell on Monday to ten years in prison and a $10,000 fine for two counts of the ill treatment of dogs.
McConnellpleaded guilty to killing two dogs who belonged to his relatives. According to abcnews.com, McConnell’s public defender told the judge his client had been diagnosed with a bipolar disorder and had been under the influence of alcohol on the day he killed the dogs.
Circuit Court Judge Larry Hyman sentenced McConnell to ten years in prison for the ill treatment of dogs. Credits: Georgetown County/abcnews.4
On July 2, 2012, a fisherman found a black Labrador retriever muzzled and tied with duct tape and left in a canal to die.Luckily after surgery to remove her spleen, the dog survived. The dog, named Dara has been in the care of Saint Francis Animal Care Center.
Two other dogs were not so lucky. Their bodies were found a few days later at the same canal. One dog had been duct taped in the same manner as Dara.
Saint Francis Animal Care Center will receive half of the $10,000 fine. McConnellhas also been ordered to repay the shelter $1,872 for the cost of Dara’s lifesaving operation. Custody of Dara has now been awarded to Saint Francis Animal Care Center.
“It’s a fitting punishment for an awful crime towards innocent dogs. I just wish other judges would follow the footsteps of Judge Hyman,” stated Margaret Holman of Myrtle Beach. “Only when judges get serious about letting the punishment fit the crimes will animal cruelty ever be taken seriously.”
DUE TO THE NATURE OF THIS BLOG - SOME PICTURES & VIDEOS CAN & WILL BE VERY GRAPHIC - SO PLEASE, VIEW THIS BLOG AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.
You can find out more about me & this blog by reading "ABOUT THIS BLOG" on the menu (when i finish it) lol
PLEASE NOTE.....
Not all of my posts will be current news, or even about animal abuse! I do like to share other animal news, uplifting stories or videos; some that are funny or just touch the heart!
If I have anything to say on any post, you will see it in bold blue writing. I try to remain a lady, but it's hard to contain my anger & emotions at the some of the stories I post; I don’t have a heart of stone, tears stain many articles I write!
Lastly, my apologies for any errors; I am learning whilst posting, so if you find anything that doesn't work or a broken link, sorry, I'm only human!!!!
ABOUT THESE POSTS
I would just like to make readers aware, that I search for stories on the internet; regards animal abuse etc. I copy stories etc. from the internet; assuming these stories are correct at time of publishing. Having said that, sometimes the press get it wrong! So I just want to add that at the time of me posting a news story, I presume all the facts seem present & correct.
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DUE TO ANIMAL HATERS...I WILL ONLY ADD PEOPLE WHO CAN PROVE WHO THEY ARE via Facebook, Wordpress, Twitter etc. & WHO HAVE A GENUINE INTEREST IN ANIMAL WELFARE... i.e. if your Facebook page has absolutely nothing to do with animals, I see no point in joining my page. My Facebook is solely for animal welfare, I am not interested in playing games etc. I don't mean to sound rude but I am not interested in the amount of friends I have, its the quality of those friends that count.
PLEASE DO NOT SEND REQUESTS FOR YOUR FRIENDS TO JOIN. I do not want anyone to be upset by graphic images etc.
My aim is to educate & raise awareness to the horrors animals face, at the hands of humans, every day, around the world!!
We can not hope to achieve better laws, to protect animals, unless we unite as one, to speak up for those who are voiceless!!
.
Stephen Wells, ALDF 
April 21, 2017 
Sickening feast: Residents in Yulin tucked in their dinner made with dog meat during last year’s festival. Many of the animals, which were caged and beaten before being slaughtered, are thought to be stolen pets!
DUE TO THE NATURE OF THIS BLOG - SOME PICTURES & VIDEOS CAN & WILL BE VERY GRAPHIC - SO PLEASE, VIEW THIS BLOG AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.
STOP ANIMAL ABUSE 
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