Botswana To Ban Hunting Over Wildlife Species Decline

Botswana will ban commercial hunting from January 2014 over growing concerns about the sharp decline in wildlife species, officials have announced.

“The shooting of wild game for sport and trophies is no longer compatible with our commitment to preserve local fauna,” the environment ministry said.

The ban is likely to be controversial as many communities depend on hunting for their livelihoods.

As much as a third of the global elephant population lives in Botswana. Recent estimates place the number at about 130,000.

Conservationists are concerned about the erosion of river banks caused by the animals in some nature parks, the BBC’s Letlhogile Lucas in the capital, Gaborone, reports.

The ban, set to come into place on 1 January, could also pose a threat to local communities, in particular bushmen, for whom hunting is a means to survive, our correspondent adds.

Furthermore, selling hunting licences to wealthy Westerners is an extremely lucrative business, he says.

Hunting concessions currently exist in the northern Okavango Delta and the parks of the Kalahari region, famous for its upmarket safari lodges.

According to the environment ministry’s official statement, the government will continue to issue special game licences “for traditional hunting by some local communities within designated wildlife management areas”.

Average trophy fee per species

• Elephant: Up to $30,000, depending on weight
• Lion: $29,000
• Leopard: $7,150
• Buffalo: $3,744
• Giraffe: $3,500
• Zebra: $1,923

Due to its seasonal nature, hunting has only contributed a minimal amount to the tourism sector, which ranks second to the diamond industry in terms of its revenue earnings, the ministry said.

Designated hunting zones will be turned into “photographic areas”.

The announcement has been welcomed by the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

“The ideal scenario would be that it has a similar effect to the ban on whaling 20 years ago,” the organisation’s spokesman, Adrian Hiel, told the BBC.

“Whale watching is now proven to be more sustainable and profitable than hunting and killing the animals.”

Earlier this year, Spain’s King Juan Carlos faced international criticism for going on a hunting trip in Botswana. “He apologised to the Spanish people, not the world!”

News Link:-http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20544251

 

Please Help Save The Wolves of America :Petition & Letter

“Posting  on behalf of my dear friend, sister in animal welfare, animal warrior extraordinaire & beautiful singer/song writer… Louis Du Toit….please sign & send the letter below to help save the wolves!”

Good morning my dear friends! PLEASE take a stand for the beautiful wolves of America by signing the following petitions:1. http://signon.org/sign/protect-americas-wolves?source=s.icn.em.cr&r_by=2102317&mailing_id=7166

2. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/674/445/131/protect-the-wolves-in-wyoming/

3. https://secure.nrdconline.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=2923&JServSessionIdr004=4nsytiwx03.app304a4. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/494/853/195/?cid=fb_Campaigns_CBDwolfpuppies&fb_source=message#13540943288772&action=fb_connect&fb_id=0PLEASE also sign the following petition for the wolves of France:http://www.mesopinions.com/petition/nature-environnement/protection-loup-france-urgence/9401

Also, it is VERY IMPORTANT that we take action AGAINST a draft management plan which has been developed to provide advice on the management of the Grey Wolf in British Columbia.

The proposed plan supports the elimination of wolves where they overlap with ranchers, the machine gunning of wolves, the continued sterilization of wolves, and lax hunting and trapping regulations, with no bag limits, no specific tag requirements and year-round killing in some regions.

We can OPPOSE this horrific proposal by:

1. Submitting our comments until the 5th of December at the following link – it is URGENT:

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/public-consultation/grey-wolf/

2. Sending our comments to the following addresses – please cc. SadieParrwolfpact@gmail.com on letters sent if possible:

Steve.Thomson@gov.bc.ca
steve.thomson.mla@leg.bc.ca

Honourable Steve Thomson
PO BOX 9049 Stn. Prov. Govt.
Victoria, BC
V8W 9E2

3. Calling or faxing:
Telephone: 250 387-6240
Fax: 250 387-1040

EXAMPLE LETTER: Dear friends, I have constructed a simple letter using and quoting some of the information in the e-mail that was sent to me by Robert Goldman. You are welcome to use it as an example letter for your comments against the draft management plan.

The letter is the following:

The current draft management plan for the Grey Wolf in British Columbia certainly does NOT cover the needs of a better BC for wolves, wildlife and people. It is a horrendous proposal lacking conservation, ecology, and ethics. Based on fear and mismanagement, it will lead our ecosystems to total impoverishment.

Top predators are among the most outstanding achievements of wilderness, evolving over hundreds of centuries; conservation of wolves and the wild habitat they thrive upon has even been linked to stopping climate change.

Wolves and other iconic predators MUST be protected in an ethical and sustainable way and management plans need to take this into account.

To improve the draft management plan, the following suggestions MUST therefore be considered:1. Extend the deadline for public input to January 30.2. NO helicopter killing or sterilization of wolves.3. NO leghold traps, snares or baiting.

4. Return to former species licence, quotas, bag limits, restricted seasons, and mandatory reporting of kills for hunting wolves.

5. A decision and statement that lethal predator control is NOT an option for the recovery of mountain caribou and a stop to the Quesnell Highland wolf sterilization and removal project.

6. A provincial management plan for wolves that considers the social stability of packs as well as population size to ensure the long term conservation of the species in its most natural form.

7. A commitment to reduce wolf-livestock-human conflicts through prevention, and provision of educational initiatives and incentives for responsible husbandry practices.

8. Protect large tracts of habitat for wolves and their prey. Ensure that protected areas are large enough to support multiple wolf families with no hunting/trapping allowed.

Thank you for your help!!

Face Book Link:–https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3398464858784&set=a.1049173647972.7352.1784642463&type=1&theater&notif_t=photo_comment_tagged

Ohio Owners Sue State Over New Exotic Animal law

(I know, I know, I am behind with a lot of posts, so some news has been & gone… I’m going as fast as I physically can do… 🙂 )

“I honestly don’t think anybody should have the right to own & especially breed wild animals. If want to see a wild animal then go to its habitat instead of being lazy & growing one in your backyard!”

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Four owners of exotic animals in Ohio are suing the state’s agriculture department and its director over a new law regulating dangerous wildlife, contending the restrictions threaten their First Amendment and property rights.

The lawsuit was filed Friday in Columbus federal court. It comes as the owners faced a Monday deadline to register their animals with the state.

In this Aug. 25, 2010 photo, Cyndi Huntsman poses in front of caged tigers at her Stump Hill Farm in Massillon, Ohio. Huntsman is one of four owners of exotic animals in Ohio suing the state’s agriculture department and its director over a new law regulating the dangerous wildlife. Photo: Mark Duncan / AP

The owners’ attorney said Monday that the state has agreed not to enforce certain provisions of the law until there’s a hearing on the lawsuit. Attorney Robert Owens said lawyers were still reviewing the agreement, but a court order detailing the arrangement was expected in the coming days.

For instance, under the agreement, Ohio officials wouldn’t refer owners for prosecution if they didn’t register their animals by Monday.

Under the law, owners who don’t register could face a first-degree misdemeanor charge for a first offense, and a fifth-degree felony for any subsequent offenses.

A spokeswoman for the agriculture department declined to comment on the lawsuit and the agreement.

The owners claim the law forces them to join private associations and possibly give up their animals without compensation. They also take issue with a requirement that the animals be implanted with a microchip before they’re registered, so the creatures can be identified if they get lost or escape.

The state has said it would work with owners on the microchip requirement.

As of Monday, Ohio’s agriculture department said it had received 130 registration forms accounting for 483 dangerous wild animals in the state.

In this Aug. 25, 2010 photo, Cyndi Huntsman holds a baby zebra at her Stump Hill Farm in Massillon, Ohio. Huntsman is one of four owners of exotic animals in Ohio suing the state’s agriculture department and its director over a new law regulating the dangerous wildlife. Photo: Mark Duncan / AP

Ohio’s restrictions on exotic animals had been among the nation’s weakest.

State lawmakers worked with a renewed sense of urgency to strengthen the law after owner Terry Thompson last fall released 50 creatures from an eastern Ohio farm in Zanesville before he committed suicide.

Authorities killed 48 of the animals, fearing for the public’s safety. Two others were presumed eaten by other animals. The six surviving animals were placed under quarantine at the zoo. Five were later returned to Thompson’s widow, Marian Thompson. The zoo had to euthanize one leopard.

Marian Thompson was among those who registered animals with the state. She submitted information for the two leopards, two primates and a bear that survived.

Registration forms obtained by The Associated Press through a public records request also show she has two 11-week-old leopards on the property.

The owners suing the state have multiple breeds of exotic animals. They are Terry Wilkins, who owns a reptile and amphibian store called Captive Born Reptiles in Columbus; Cyndi Huntsman, owner of Stump Hill Farm in Massillon; Mike Stapleton, owner of Paws & Claws Animal Sanctuary in Prospect; and Sean Trimbach, owner of Best Exotics LLC in Medway, where he breeds, raises and sells exotic animals.

In their lawsuit, the owners say the cost of implanting a microchip in the animal can exceed the animal’s value. They also contend that joining certain groups to become exempt from the law means they would have to associate and fund organizations with which they disagree.

The law exempts sanctuaries, research institutions and facilities accredited by some national zoo groups, such as the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the Zoological Association of America.

While the law took effect last month, some aspects have yet to kick in. For instance, a permit process for owners won’t begin until next October.

Current owners who want to keep their animals must obtain the new state-issued permit by Jan. 1, 2014. They must pass background checks, pay fees, obtain liability insurance or surety bonds, and show inspectors that they can properly contain the animal and care for it.

One of the factors of obtaining of permit includes timely registration.

If owners are denied permits or can’t meet the new requirements, the state can seize the animals.

News Link:- http://www.chron.com/news/article/Owners-lawyer-Agreement-reached-in-exotics-case-4009262.php#photo-3692025

Cumbrian Man 25, Jailed For Child & Animal Porn

“Yet another sexual predator of the worst kind, these malevolent creatures have no thought or feeling for anyone or anything. They certainly have no empathy for little children; so harming animals is of no consequence to them. Many psychiatric reports state, that these depraved minds, start off by abusing animals.  Putting these perverts on the Sexual Register is of course warranted, children need the highest protection there is, nothing is more sacred than the innocence of a child!”

“Of course, animals need protecting too, sentient beings, voiceless, innocent, the perfect victims…they also need protecting from these corrupt & harmful degenerates. It is a well-known fact, the FBI now see the correlation between those who have abused animals, will usually turn to human victims. They probably set out in life on a very rough hard road, perhaps they were even abused themselves! If so, without help, their anger at being humiliated, touched, usually by a family member, stirs so much pent-up anger, that something blow’s; unfortunately animals are usually the closet thing at hand, & they won’t tell, which is perfect; to start with!”

“The poor voiceless animals are perfect to use, the family dog or cat can’t tell anyone! Therefore they are used as sexual instruments, for experimenting on, learning about pain levels & easy way’s to hurt them, without anyone noticing! Before long it becomes a habit, an addiction, but each time the pain they inflict on the animal will be worse than the last. The more fear & hurt they cause the animal, the better the abuser feels; almost empowered, through his own perverse actions, he will release his own anger & vengeful hatred he has of people & the world! It won’t be long before he kill’s an animal & the rush of excitement & adrenalin he get’s from it…means he is at his most dangerous!  

“As the law stands, sadly Animal Abuse Registers are not mandatory in any Country! But I truly believe if they were, certain lives would not have been shattered; the police would have known about offenders & those offenders, knowing they were being watched; would be a great deterrent. Not only that, both the Sex Offenders List & the Animal Abuse Register could be synchronised, therefore flagging up potential names that have been added to both. A mirror image of the Sex offenders list, in fact it could be the Sex offenders list, but called the Animal Abuse Register…all the data would be the same on both registers, name, address, police records etc. but most importantly a picture of the abuser. If the database was shared throughout veterinary offices, animal shelters, anywhere where animals may turn up to be treated or adopted…if incorporated correctly, I’m sure, animal abusers would be caught; & perhaps a child’s life saved. 

The police use the Sex offenders list to keep an eye on would be molesters etc. Why couldn’t the police use the same tactics to catch these degenerates with animals, convict them, give them a taste of Jail…then hopefully the offender would have been saved in time, before they turn to children…who knows! 

“Did you know,  not all vets have to tell the police if they receive an animal they fear has been abused, depends where they live…that’s another area that need’s addressing. I would hope that most vets, out of a sense of duty, would involve the police in any case they were suspicious of!”

“There is absolutely nothing to lose by trying out Animal Abuse Registers. Animal abuse is a proven predictor of violent behaviour. The FBI considers past animal abuse not only as a predictor of human violence, but uses it when profiling serial killers.”  

“One of the most dangerous things that can happen to a child is to kill or torture an animal and get away with it.” -Anthropologist Margaret Mead”

Please sign this petition to implement registry’s:–http://www.change.org/petitions/european-parliament-implement-an-animal-abuser-registry

A man who downloaded and stored videos and more than 1,500 indecent images of child and animal pornography featuring “real exploitation of the grossest form” has been sent to prison.

Samuel William Clark, 25, of Salterbeck Drive, Workington, pleaded guilty to all 26 charges, including three of possessing images of the highest severity and two of possessing extreme pornography videos featuring animals.

On June 25 of this year police executed a search warrant and seized a laptop, computer and mobile phone belonging to Clark, as well as a number of storage disks.

They discovered more than 1,500 images that Clark had downloaded from file sharing programmes and internet searches.

Defence barrister Greg Hoare said that Clark downloaded and viewed the images “because he was getting bored” and that he was not aroused by them.

The images included pornography of severity levels one to five of children under 13, severity levels one to five of children under 16, and several videos.

Sentencing, Judge Paul Batty said told Clark: “The material featured exploitation of children, some under the age of five. “Certain people should just be extinguished”

“It was real exploitation of the grossest form.

“Unusually, you had gone to the trouble of downloading a considerable amount of it onto disks and that is an added aspect. “He was probably planning to sell them”

“The fact that you were in possession of extreme pornography, the likes of which many people will never have viewed, means I am unable to suspend the prison sentence.”

Clark was sentenced to 12 months in prison, given a sexual prevention order for an indefinite term to prevent him having access to the internet, prohibited from having unsupervised contact with anyone under 16, disqualified from working with children and put on the sex offenders register for 10 years. “Where is the ‘ Not allowed to own animals’??

News Link:–http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/cumbrian-man-25-jailed-for-child-and-animal-porn-1.1010318?referrerPath=news

(My thoughts May Offend) Shame Of Cumbrian Man Who Had over 400 Of Child Pornography & Bestiality

“(Please bear with me if my writing is a bit disjointed. Just out of hospital & I can’t think straight when I am so angry & in such pain, I’m not being a martyr, just trying to protect the voiceless; these stories need to be public… I hope you get the general idea of what I am trying to say)”

“One may be offended by my thoughts”

“The link between child pornography & bestiality, has long been known. Most of the worlds well-known serial rapists, child abusers, abductors or murderer’s; started off in life, abusing small animals etc. So why is it that sexual predators have their names put on a Sex Offenders list, for the police to keep tabs on; & inform the public that a sexual predator may be living along the same street…Yet there is no such compulsory Animal Abuse Registry’s? Surely it would make sense to have the names of those who have been charged with animal abuse, torture or bestiality, on such a list… first wouldn’t it? Not only for the police to keep tabs on but also for animal shelters etc. to cross reference anyone wanting to adopt a pet! I can’t help but wonder if such registry’s were in force, would it have stopped any of the above heinous crimes? 

“Obviously the internet has made it very easy for these sick & twisted imbeciles to access sites; which partly fulfil their garish need. But when does just looking , turn into something more sinister? What turns them from viewers to doers? I don’t have the answer to that, but, I believe to protect sentient beings, we need compulsory Animal Abuse Registry’s…this old man has to sign the Sex Offenders list, so the police can keep tabs on him… so why not sign an Animal offenders list, when the two go hand in hand…or are animals not important enough??” 

“Regards the  charges against this degenerate; they are pathetic! Attending a “Sex Offenders treatment plan” is not going to cure someone with such perversions, especially when they have been at it for so long? Taking away his internet access, is an obvious necessity , but it won’t necessarily stop him. How are the police going to know if he goes & buys a laptop, then uses Wi Fi  internet spots; or use a friends internet connection! In reality, if he can’t get internet access,  I can’t help worrying, what is he going to do to calm his craving for his neurosis?”

“His perverted cravings won’t just go away! What if he was to go to the nearest shelter & adopt a dog or get one of the many dogs that are advertised as ‘free to good home’…..perish the thought. The only way to keep tab’s on these repulsive degenerates is for them to sign an Animal Abuse Registry as well as the Sex Offenders Registry. Shelters etc. could check a person’s name & picture against the registry. As it is, almost anyone can obtain an animal this way..Interpol should have implemented the Animal abuse Registry’s at the same time as the Sex Offenders list. For the life of me, I can’t see why this wasn’t done years ago, when reports pertained proof, that those who abuse children, usually started off their sick life by abusing or raping animals first; often to the point where animals usually die from internal injuries. SO WHY ARE ANIMALS NOT BEING PROTECTED FROM THESE RAPIST’S???? The public can already get information about sexual offenders…so why can’t they have the same for those who offend against animals??”

Please sign this petition:- http://www.change.org/petitions/european-parliament-implement-an-animal-abuser-registry  (This petition has been started by Occupy for Animals on date of 18 October, 2012 and has been submitted to the European Parliament for official registration on the same date.)

A man found with more than 400 images of child pornography and bestiality was told his crimes were “a matter of shame”.

Dennis Campbell, of King Street, Aspatria, heard the comments at while being sentenced in Carlisle Crown Court.

He had pleaded guilty to 18 different charges. Three were for possessing extreme pornography, the others for making indecent images of children.

Police in Germany passed details of people using a website containing child pornography, including Campbell, to British officers last year.

Campbell was questioned in June 2011 and three computers in his home were searched.

Officers found a variety of images graded from one to five, with five being the most extreme. Two of these were level five images, 22 at level four, 43 at level three, 40 at level two and 263 at level one.

Police also found 54 images of bestiality which Tim Evans, prosecuting, described as “of the most deeply upsetting kind”.

Mr Evans told the court Campbell claimed to have found the images by accident while browsing mainstream pornography on the internet and looked at the images of bestiality out of curiosity.

“It must have definitely been continuing curiosity to look at 54 of these sorts of images,” he told the court.

Judge Peter Hughes, presiding, said: “It is a matter of shame that, at the age of 60, you should be before the court for such foul offence.” “You don’t get to his age & suddenly start this behaviour. This pervert will have been at it, long before he was caught…I wonder how many poor innocent souls he has had his filthy hands on…be it human or animal!

Campbell, who appeared in court wearing a grey jacket, dark trousers, blue jumper and shirt and tie, was sentenced to a 36-month concurrent community order and ordered to complete a sex offenders treatment plan.“Does this plan contain anything to do with bestiality? 

He also has to sign the sex offenders register for five years and has been banned from owning equipment to access the internet. “This is where the Animal Abuse Registry comes in...the animals deserve some kind of protection”

News Link:-http://www.timesandstar.co.uk/shame-of-cumbrian-man-who-had-400-pornographic-images-1.1006181?referrerPath=home

64 Wolves Killed In Opening Days of Hunt: Protect Red Wolves

Duluth, Minn. — Minnesota wolf hunters have killed 64 wolves as of 8 p.m. Monday in the first weekend of the state’s first regulated wolf hunt.

The DNR set a quota of 200 wolves for this first season, which runs concurrently with the deer rifle-hunting season. The opening weekend harvest is in line with the agency’s expectations, said DNR wolf expert Dan Stark.

Bryan Heiney of Duluth killed this wolf at about noon Monday, Nov. 5, 2012 in southern Koochiching County, Minn., on the third day of the state’s first wolf hunting season. (Photo courtesy of Bryan Heiney)

“Typically about 50 percent of the harvest occurs the first weekend, and that’s when most of the hunters are out there,” Stark said. “We aren’t going to know exactly until the end of the season, but it’s likely to track that pattern.”

The number of wolves killed so far in Minnesota is higher than at the beginning of other states’ hunts, Stark said. He also said the agency will survey hunters about their methods and how long they hunted. That information will be used to make any needed changes to next year’s hunt.

At the end of Monday, the DNR closed the east-central wolf hunting zone around Lake Mille Lacs where eight of the zone’s allotted nine wolves were killed over the weekend. Hunters will be able to kill another 200 wolves during a second season beginning at the end of the November. That season will include trappers as well as hunters.

News Link:-http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2012/11/05/environment/wolf-hunt/

Fewer than 100 Wild Red Wolves Remain in the world

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission recently approved a temporary state rule that allows the hunting of coyotes at night using spotlights, including in the area inhabited by the only wild population of red wolves, one of the world’s most endangered animals.

Take action now! Sign our petition calling on the commission to halt all coyote hunting — day or night — within the red wolf recovery area.

Red wolves once roamed most of the Southeastern United States, but harsh predator control programs and habitat loss resulted in their near elimination — and in 1980 red wolves were declared extinct in the wild.

After a small population of captive red wolves was reintroduced into the eastern part of North Carolina, the species slowly began to repopulate and today about 100 red wolves have regained a fragile foothold in the wild.

Red wolves and coyotes are similar in size, coats and coloring, so red wolves are frequently mistaken for coyotes, even in daylight. In nighttime conditions it is nearly impossible to tell them apart.

Please take this urgent action today!

At least two red wolves have already been killed within the eastern North Carolina area designated for red wolf recovery. Defenders of Wildlife has joined two other conservation organizations to file suit in the Superior Court of Wake County, North Carolina to prevent nighttime coyote hunting throughout North Carolina, including within the red wolf recovery area.

The groups have also put the North Carolina Wildlife Commission on notice that we will seek a federal enforcement action unless it stops all coyote hunting — daytime or nighttime — in the area where these critically endangered wolves live.

That’s why we need supporters like you to speak out on behalf of these wolves and tell the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to halt all coyote hunting in the red wolf recovery area!

The red wolf only exists in the state of North Carolina, and with a population so small and fragile, an increase in red wolf shooting deaths could mean they’ll never recover

Petition link:-https://secure.defenders.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=2503

$3000 Reward Offered For Apparent Dogfighting Victim

Meet Gideon. His is the face of dogfighting and his eyes speak volumes about his history; pain, agony and worst of all, hopelessness.

The Newark NJ Associated Humane Popcorn Park Shelter is offering a $3000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the monsters who dumped this poor dog on the side of the road. The address where he was found is 384 South 6th Street in Newark.

Illegal dogfighting is running rampant through our country and innocent victims like Gideon are paying the ultimate price for this “sport”. Whether it’s bait dogs used to train the fighters or the actual fighters themselves, all of them are hurt in ways no animal should ever have to endure. It’s the complete and total betrayal of the trust animals should be able to have for their guardians. What these animals endure is unspeakable fear, pain and almost always, a brutal death.

Gideon the innocent victim

Gideon was found after being dumped on the side of the road like a bag of trash with massive injuries. He has been transferred to the care of a specialist because of his horrendous wounds, which include a shattered leg that has become infected due to lack of needed medical care. His condition is considered to be grave, and it’s touch and go right now if he’ll even survive.

Gideon’s situation shouts out at the backwards manner in which our country and other countries are handling the crime of dogfighting. These sick monsters exploit a bully breed’s inherent dedication, devotion and overwhelming desire to please their guardians and then bastardize them into fighting machines for profit and ego.

In the media, instead of focusing attention on the human monsters, it seems everywhere the focus is on the breed itself, trying to eliminate all bully breeds from the face of earth. Single stories of any dog remotely resembling a bully breed attacking a human are emblazoned in the media, spewing out the horrors of the overall breed itself and adding fuel to the insanity. The stories about attacks by any other breed of dog are rarely ever mentioned. After all, according to the media, those are all “good dogs”.

Take a long hard look into Gideon’s face. This innocent victim has suffered inconceivable pain and for what? So some gang banger can boast about his big bad fighting dog? So some greedy subhuman can gather his or her friends together for a day of standing around the pit, watching the blood spew, hearing the yelps and screams from the dogs and watching the money fly in bets? So one human can feel bigger and better than another?

At what price does all of this come? It comes in the form of dogs like Gideon who, once used up and unable to fight any more are either brutally killed or dumped like yesterday’s garbage. The trust he put into his guardians was violated in the most despicable ways. He suffered and continues to suffer immense pain and his very life hangs in the balance, while the monsters drove off into the night to do it all again another day.

If you have any information that can lead police to the capture, arrest and conviction of these monsters, please contact the Associated Humane Popcorn Park Shelter at 973-824-7080. Please network Gideon’s story to help bring these sick people to justice. He deserves that from the humans who truly do care.

If you would like to donate towards Gideon’s care, please visit the AHS website at the link provided below. Gideon is facing a long and painful journey and needs all the help he can get.

Click here to donate for Gideon’s medical care.

Click here for the AHS Facebook page.

News Link:-http://www.examiner.com/article/3000-reward-offered-for-apparent-dogfighting-victim?cid=PROD-redesign-right-next

 

Former huntmaster vows to fight Hunting Act charges

 

Jonathon Seed

Five members of the Avon Vale Hunt, including a Wiltshire councillor, have appeared in court charged with breaching the Hunting Act 2004.

Joshua Charlesworth, 18, from East Tytherton; Benjamin Pethers, 28, from Hoopers Pool, Southwick; Stuart Radbourne, 28, from The Common, Bromham; Paul Tylee-Hinder, 58, of Quemerford, Calne and Jonathon Seed, 54, of Chittoe Heath, Bromham all denied the breach when they appeared before magistrates in Chippenham on Tuesday.

Four of them denied an additional charge of intefering with a badger sett, though Mr Radbourne, one of the joint hunt masters, indicated a guilty plea to that charge.

 The case has been brought by the RSPCA and refers to incidents alleged to have taken place on March 6 this year at Stockley Hollow, near Calne.

The bench heard that the case could not proceed on Tuesday so it has been adjourned until November 9 when a date for the trial will be set. The five all appeared on summons so the question of bail did not arise.

Mr Seed, Wiltshire councillor for Summerham and Seend and a former hunt master, said he intended to fight the allegation against him.

In a statement outside court he said: “This is a private prosecution by the RSPCA and I believe that is has been commenced for political reasons as their stance against hunting is well known and it is of great significance that Wiltshire Police, after advice from the Crown Prosecution Service, declined to take this case forward.

“In my opinion these proceedings are an abuse of the private prosecution system which needs to be addressed in due course. I totally deny the allegations of any offence against the Hunting Act and there is simply no evidence of either myself or any of the other defendants or anyone else being involved in any illegal hunting on the day in question.”

 News Link:-http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/news/9948094.Former_huntmaster_vows_to_fight_Hunting_Act_charges/

 

Tragic rugby trio died trying to save dog

The accident that killed Irish rugby player Nevin Spence, his father and brother came about after the family dog fell into a slurry pit on their farm, it has emerged.

The three men drowned in the slurry tank on their family farm in Hillsborough, County Down, on Saturday evening.

Family members have since explained that father Noel fell into the tank while trying to save his pet dog, with his two sons killed while trying to rescue their dad.

All three were overcome by toxic fumes in the incident, with sister Emma – who was present at the accident – also suffering from fume inhalation.

Emma Spence has since been released from hospital.

Grieving family members said in a statement released by their church: “The families of Noel, Graham and Nevin Spence are trying very hard to come to terms with their tragic loss.

“The three men were very close to each other in life, and that love was expressed in their final moments trying to help one another.

“The family is being supported and comforted by other family members, friends and neighbours.

“Arrangements for a thanksgiving service for the three is currently under way and details will appear in the press in due course.”

The 22-year-old Nevin, who played centre for Irish province Ulster, played an exhibition game for the Irish senior team against the Barbarians this year, but had not made his full competitive debut.

Tragic accident R.I.P

He was widely expected to become a full Irish international in the future.

Graham, 30, was a father of two.

A slurry tank contains animal waste and other biodegradable material that is turned into organic fertiliser.

“Nevin was an outstanding young player,” Irish Rugby Football Union President Billy Glynn said in a statement. “The game has been robbed of a very talented young man.”

Spence, who was named Young Player of the Year at the Irish Rugby Football Union Players’ Association Awards in 2011, played three games for the second-tier Ireland Wolfhounds.

He had an injury-blighted start to the current season and played for the Ulster Ravens against Munster A on Friday as he worked his way back to full fitness.

New Zealand fly-half Daniel Carter, golf’s world number one Rory McIlroy and Wales winger George North were among those who expressed their condolences on Twitter.

“Devastating news about Nevin Spence, his dad and brother. What a wonderful talent he was,” said Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll.

News Link:–http://asia.eurosport.com/rugby/top-14/2010-2011/irish-rugby-star-killed_sto3425848/story.shtml

Missy the dog, stranded by owner on mountain, will live with rescuer

Missy was rescued Monday by volunteers. Her owner, Anthony Joseph Ortolani, faces animal cruelty charges. (Photo courtesy: Alex Gelb)
Read more: Missy the dog, stranded by owner on mountain, will live with rescuer – The Denver Post

“My personal opinion is that nobody should take a pet along with them on their dangerous sports & hobbies events! Typical example here, that dog could have died…if you want to risk your own life, fine, but leave those who can’t speak for themselves…at home!”

The owner of a dog rescued from a Colorado fourteener last month after he had to abandon her to help a friend down the mountain has agreed to give the 5-year-old pooch to one of her rescuers.

Anthony Ortolani, 31, faced charges of animal cruelty for leaving his German shepherd/rotweiller mix, Missy, behind on the saddle between Mt. Bierstadt and Mt. Evans.

He will plead guilty to a less serious violation of a Clear Creek County ordinance, said his lawyer, Jennifer Edwards, founder and attorney with The Animal Law Center.

Missy was stranded for eight days before rescuers found her bloodied and close to death on the ridge.

Ortolani received death threats after the story broke, he said Sunday. The threats have made him concerned for his family, and for Missy as well, he said.

Discussions leading to the plea bargain included talk of him giving the dog up, said Edwards, but are not the reason for his surrendering the animal.

“I don’t want to give her up, I love her, but those people risked life and limb to get her out of there and that has got to be worth something,” he said.

Ortolani is an experienced climber who has submitted seven of the state’s fourteeners, and Missy accompanied him on six of those climbs, he said.

Ortolani was climbing with the 19-year-old son of a friend.

Bad weather was moving in, and the canine, whose feet were blistered and bleeding, was unable to walk.

When his climbing companion’s water supply broke, Ortolani decided it was time to come down. The two men tried to carry the 112 pound dog over the rocks for two hours. “Lifting and carrying her over that type of terrain is exhausting,” he said.

He decided to leave her there and help his partner down, he added.

Ortolani called a friend who contacted the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office and asked if a search and rescue party could get to the dog. The friend was told that the region was too dangerous and search and rescue doesn’t rescue animals.

Edwards said mountain communities should make some provisions for rescuing stranded pets. “We would hope that there be some sort of process in place to assist animal owners who choose to take their beloved pets up into the mountains,” she said.

News Link:-http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_21558095/missy-dog-stranded-by-owner-mountain-will-live