ANDREW POTTS, EXCLUSIVE, Gold Coast Bulletin; September 4, 2016 3:00pm
A CITY hall cage fight is brewing over plans to revive a ban on circuses with exotic animals performing within the city. Fur is expected to fly, with councillors set to defy the recommendations of bureaucrats and vote to ban circus animals on city controlled properties, nearly four years after such a ban was lifted.
A petition calling for the ban will go before the Community and Cultural Development committee on Thursday with council officers recommending that “no action be taken”. But committee head Bob La Castra said the advice was unacceptable and that he could not stand by and do nothing while animals “suffered”.
He urged ratepayers across the city to put pen to paper and lobby their elected representatives before Thursday’s vote.
Cr Bob La Castra is leading the charge to reinstate a ban on circus animals performing on the Gold Coast. Photo: Jerad Williams
“The views of those who believe this to be still acceptable are totally out of line and dated,” he said. “This should not be happening in our own backyard and we need those people who feel strongly about this to make their feelings known, so write to your councillors, speak out about it and fight this barbarity.
“By allowing these circuses on our land we are complicit in what they are doing and banning them would send a message that what they are doing is not right and that we are taking a stand.”
Police and Animal Rights campaigners outside Gold Coast Council Chambers protesting against the circus. Photo by Richard Gosling
If the ban is successful, circuses with exotic animals would still be allowed to perform on private property. A ban was first put into place in 2009 by the council with the backing of then-Mayor Ron Clarke. It was lifted in a January 2013 decision by the council in which Mayor Tom Tate used his casting vote to break a deadlock tie.
The Gold Coast Bulletin understands councillors on each sides of the argument are running the numbers to determine if the ban could potentially pass.
Both sides concede a vote could go either way.
But Southport councillor Dawn Crichlow, an ardent supporter of circuses, said she would fight the ban tooth and nail and declared the opposing argument to be “crap”.
Cr Dawn Crichlow with Massai the Lion. Pic Jono Searle.
“The kids want the circuses and I will fight all the way because it is a matterwhich is close to my heart and those of many others,” she said. “I am sick of the noisy minority coming up with all this crap.“I cannot believe this women condones & thinks it’s ok for children to see abused & tortured animals, just for their pleasure….condoning this just lets kids think that it is ok to be cruel to animals for the sake of entertainment???? By allowing circuses to carry on using animals is agreeing with the torturous training these poor young animals have to endure. Would it be ok to watch a double human act if you knew that one-half of the act was constantly being physically abused & tortured; just for entertainment???? NO, I DON’T THINK SO!!! ANYONE THAT DOES THINK ITS OK…WELL, I THINK THEY NEED TO BE SEEKING PROFESSIONAL HELP”
RSCPA chief executive Mark Townend called on the council to “move with the times” and end the mistreatment of exotic animals.
“I would hope the council gets into 2016 thinking because realistically circus animals are very 1970s,” he said. “There are great circus which do not put animals through these ridiculous things which are not in their natural behaviour.“I appeal to the council to move with the times because we can have a successful circus without putting animals through such treachery.”
The petition calling for the ban to be reinstated was submitted to the council in March by then-Robina councillor Jan Grew in the final act of her 22 year political career.
More than 45 councils across Australia have exotic animal bans in place. Both City of Melbourne and Penrith both voted to introduce their own boycotts this year. Protesters are expected to attend Thursday’s council committee meeting and security will be on hand.
“See how animals are really trained to perform for your entertainment!! Then ask yourself; is this fair on the animals? Do you enjoy knowing they have been hurt for you entertainment????”
“The Circus, where animals are miserable & go insane; confined to metal cages when not being abused & are trained through fear; fear of being whipped, hit with objects, tied by the neck i.e tortured, etc. etc.”
(Anyone who condones this…will be classed as an animal abuser through my eyes)
“Sorry first news story I’ve posted in a very long time due to illness, hopefully as things improve, I will do more posts. Although keeping it pretty basic for now, apologies for any errors, not up to usual standard, still finding it hard!”
“WTF…Just think; these could be the kind of kids that could lead this nation in the centuries to come! Some will no doubt go on to commit more animal abuse, rape, murder etc. as is well documented; those who commit animal abuse as children usually go on to become psychopaths! What makes kids do this? Is it the parents fault or kids getting access to on-line media through gaming etc. that contains sick & downright evil & violent content. I don’t know, but I do know these kids need finding & be told just how wrong animal abuse is. I was sickened at the thought of kids doing this, so I just had to post in-case anyone knows the culprits.!! Link to help Sadie below; praying this little one will not loose her sight!!”
“Evil kids were bored and allegedly glued the puppy’s eyes shut. The damage to her eyesight will be assessed this weekend. Rescue Dogs Rock NYC”
DESPICABLE ACT OF CRUELTY BY BORED CHILDREN!!
In a disturbing act of animal cruelty, a ten-pound puppy suffered one of the most horrendous acts of torture imaginable. According to Stacey Silverstein, of Rescue Dogs Rock NYC, the tiny, ten-month old puppy’s eyes were glued shut.“A group of kids, we are told, glued both of her eyes shut for kicks! This is one of the scariest abuse cases we have seen in a very long time,” stated Stacey.
The egregious act of cruelty occurred in Henderson, North Carolina; the offenders have not yet been identified. Luckily the Friends of Vance County Animal Sheltercame to Sadie’s rescue and contacted Rescue Dogs Rock NYC for help. Everyone who has met this little dog, comments about her sweet disposition. Sadie is scheduled to be transported to New York City this weekend where she will be evaluated by veterinarian specialists and treated appropriately. Follow her progress on the organization’s Facebook; or click link below.
Research has consistently shown that children’s acts of animal abuse closely correlates with bullying, corporal punishment, school shootings, sexual abuse, and developmental psychopathic behaviors. Animal abuse can be an indicator and a predictor of other violent acts. Parents in the Henderson area are being asked to carefully watch their pets and their children.
“We can only hope these children are caught and punished quickly! What will they do next time they are bored? Sounds like some future serial killers in the making! Top three warning signs for parents: bed wetting, starting fires and torturing animals,”
Stacey explained. If anyone has any information about this heinous crime, you are asked to call authorities.“(sorry doesn’t give a number but if you know or suspect anything, I suggest contacting those that rescued Sadie)” Information will be kept confidential. Help Sadie find justice.
Please help with Sadie’s medical expenses byclicking here.
“I would hardly call this a stiff sentence, but it’s a start if jail hasn’t been given before...the maximum sentence for animal cruelty is now set at five years…yet this heinous crime only warranted six months prison for Laberge? My god, I dread to think what one has to do to warrant the maximum five years; if these dogs had died from their wounds I doubt it would have been five years. Surely this heartless monster deserved, at the very minimum, one year in jail, along with a life long ban on owning any animals.
MONTREAL—Last August, Geoffrey Laberge’s neighbours heard the sounds of dogs being beaten and abused.
On Friday, a Quebec judge handed Laberge the stiffest sentence ever meted out for animal cruelty in the province.
When police arrived at the corner of Pie-IX and 55th Avenue in 2011, they found one of Laberge’s dogs covered in blood. The three-year-old pug had been stabbed multiple times, beaten with a lead pipe and shards of ceramic were poking through her fur.
This pug-mix suffered trauma to the head, including a number of stab wounds, shards from a broken ceramic plate, and being beaten by an iron pipe.
Laberge, 37, will now spend six months in jail after he pleaded guilty to five counts of animal cruelty. Both the defence and crown recommended a sentence that also forbids him from owning an animal for the next quarter century.
“Up until Friday there really was no deterrent effect,” said Alanna Devine, the SPCA’s director of animal advocacy. “Even in egregious cases of animal cruelty when people were found guilty and being sentenced, they weren’t getting jail time.”
Both dogs have since made a full recovery and have been adopted by new homes. The story of Roo, the abused pug, stood out for Devine.
“It’s difficult for us to not get emotional,” said Devine, who was present when the dog was brought to the SPCA. “One of the dogs was in such a critical state that we felt she needed emergency treatment.”
Roo was rushed to an animal hospital in Notre-Dame-de-Grace where veterinarians were not sure if the dog would survive the night. Devine credited the cooperation of the Montreal police, SPCA and first responders for helping save the dog.
After an amendment to the criminal code in 2008, the maximum sentence for animal cruelty is now set at five years. Devine would like to see the maximum sentence imposed in more egregious cases.
Quebec has had a spotty past prosecuting animal cruelty, with a US-based animal rights group ranking the province the best place to abuse animals for 2010 and 2011.
“This is going to have a deterrent effect going forward that the judicial system in Quebec is starting to take animal cruelty seriously,” said Devine.
(Apologies this is a late post, problems with alignment of wording at end of document, I do hope you can make out what is said. I have tried everything I know to fix it, don’t know why it’s only that segments….strange gremlins in the works…lol)
This is the place that fuels China‘s appetite for watching wild animals perform.
At the Niao Yu Lin Park in Harbin, capital of the north-eastern Heilongjiang Province, animals are trained in horrific conditions to do tricks ahead of China’s Mid-autumn Festival and National Day.
The park’s ‘entertainment’ programs include bear rope skipping, dogs jumping through hoops, ball walking for lions and bike riding for monkeys.
On stage: A lion being trained in a cage at the Niao Yu Lin Park in Harbin, capital of northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province
Zoos and circuses that features stunts involving animals are widely popular across China.
But campaigners have warned thousands of animals are routinely beaten and abused to make shows happen.
The park’s ‘entertainment’ programs include bear rope skipping, dogs jumping through hoops, ball walking for lions and bike riding for monkeys
Charity workers claim bears are whipped and beaten with sticks, elephants are prodded with metal hooks, while tigers and lions are made to endure chronic pain by being defanged and declawed.
The Animal Asia Foundation said: ‘The combined aspects of performances, abusive training methods and inadequate housing conditions are causing severe animal suffering for many thousands of performing animals across China.’
A report by Animal Asia Foundation said: ‘The combined aspects of performances, abusive training methods and inadequate housing conditions are causing severe animal suffering for many thousands of performing animals across China.’
A report by the Animal Asia Foundation said thousands of animals are made to perform in Chinese zoos
China bans animal shows at zoos. The new act also forbids cooking animal meat in animal zoos.
Call for law to protect animal welfare From animal Asia website.
28 October 2010: Animals Asia congratulates the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development for issuing a directive (26 October 2010) on the management of zoos in China. This directive calls for zoos to:
end the use of animals in abusive performances
forbid the sale of endangered species products
end the sale of wildlife meat at zoo restaurants.
provide good quality, sufficient and suitable food to all animals
improve housing conditions to create safe housing which provides for the animals’ behavioural needs
construct veterinary hospitals and adopt necessary disease prevention and treatment measures
This directive follows a statement released by the State Forestry Administration on 30 July calling for wild animal facilities to inspect and rectify actions which are causing animal suffering and to improve the management of captive animal facilities for the benefit of animal welfare. For more details of this statement please click here:
“We are now at 2012…what happened, how much more time do they need? It is clear, that animals are still being forced to perform degrading acts that are detrimental to their health! We know that animals suffer, yet zoo owners clearly have a market that makes money out of using animals & they aren’t going to stop, until they are forced to! Those at the park, in the video, think it would be wrong to stop the animals performing, they want their children to see animals performing , its their culture, tradition etc”.
“But what they don’t see is the physical & mental abuse that those animals have to go through, to perform those acts! China & Hong Kong are at the forefront of modern day technology etc. So why are they so behind on animal law…do animals really mean so little?”
“I know of no other animal parks, where the public can pay to see an animal ripped apart & eaten live, than in China. Yet it’s like a normal family day out…go to a wildlife park, pay to board a bus, then be driven amongst a bunch of hungry lions & watch. A little dumper truck comes along & tips out a live calf; for the lions to feed on! Come on, how morbid is that? Yet it’s done, the whole family watch’s, including small children, who are lifted our of their seats to see… as can be seen on You Tube videos”.
“If you are an animal lover, it’s upsetting to see any animal fight for their life, like on (National Geographic Wild)…but that is nature, in the wild, it’s eat or be eaten! To purposefully pay to see an innocent animal ripped apart & eaten, with no chance of getting away..is not what I would call a family day out…like the following:-
(Apologies about the sentences below missing off a last letter etc. Tried all sorts but can’t get it right)
BEIJING – Activists are seeking the prompt introduction of legislation to protect animals in a bid to stamp out increasing abuse, such as the slaughter of strays and live shows at zoos.
The first comprehensive law to address animal welfare was expected to be submitted to the country’s legislature in 2009, but “there is still no clear timetable for legislation“, Chang Jiwen, alaw professor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, who led the drafting team, told China Daily.
The Law on Protection of Wild Animals is the only existing animal law in the country which prohibits trafficking and abuse. It, however, fails to protect animals already in captivity.
Meanwhile, a growing number of cases of animal abuse are being reported.
A group of Web users, who formed a chat group “cat tortures”, constantly posted on-line pictures of cats being killed or suffering cruelty.
The group allegedly threatened to kill more than 1,000 cats on Christmas Eve across the country in what they described as an act paying tribute to the group’s founder.
“So far, the group has not posted new photos of killing cats on line, but animal lovers are trying every means to find the cat abusers to stop them,” an animal activist in Beijing, who identified herself as Xiaomiao, told China Daily.
Animal rights groups said that the rising number of abuses stemmed from public indifference.
The lack of public awareness is part of the reason why a comprehensive animal protection law has not been enacted, said Cai Chunhong, a Beijing lawyer.
“Without strong public endorsement the legislature will not put legislation on the table,” she said.
“Although awareness of animal welfare is rising thanks to growing pet ownership in recent years, animal lovers are still a minority,” she said.
If a comprehensive law takes time to be drafted, introduced and passed, then specific laws or regulations to punish animal abuse should fill the vacuum, Cai said.
These laws could help regulate zoos, where abuse is common.
Live animal performances often involve acts of cruelty at zoos and wildlife parks, despite a government ban, Mang Ping, a professor at the Central Institute of Socialism, said.
Mang, an animal rights activist, based her conclusion on a study of animal welfare in zoos over the past 15 years.
The survey, China Zoo Watch, covered 21 zoos and wildlife parks in cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Shenzhen.
“More than 95 percent of wildlife parks and 50 percent of zoos surveyed are making profits by increasing animal performances and those animals are treated poorly,” she said.
A ban on animal shows issued by central authorities came shortly after 11 Siberian tigers at a north east wildlife zoo in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning province, were starved to death in 2010. A panda was also killed in 2010 by poisonous gas being used to disinfect a nearby air raid shelter in a zoo in Jinan, East China’s Shandong province.
“Obviously the ban is poorly implemented due to the lack of harsh punishment,” Mang said.
In Beijing, animal performances, such as jumping through fiery hoops, were a growing feature in some zoos, according to Guo Geng, vice-director of Beijing Elk Ecology Research Center and a local political adviser.
“In order to maximize profit most performance programs involve cruelty,” said Guo, who filed a proposal to ban animal performances in Beijing zoos in December.
Guo called for the Beijing government to step up efforts to ensure animal welfare by holding zoo owners accountable.
Authorities encouraged zoos to make money to be financially self sufficient. That prompted many zoos to promote animal performances.
Statistics from the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens showed that the country now has more than 200 zoos.
More than 30 of the zoos are designated wildlife parks, three times the number in the United States and five times that of Japan, according to Mang’s survey.
“Entertainment and profit are always priorities for zoo owners. But when animal trainers torture animals in front of audiences the zoo can never full fill its role to educate people to protect animals,” she said.
China should learn from other countries, she said.
For instance, Toronto council voted in October to move three African elephants in the zoo to California where the climate would be better for them.
A Bronx man accused of viciously kicking a pit-bull in a Harlemelevator was held Tuesday in lieu of $3,500 bond.
Brian Freeman, 28, was caught on surveillance tape at the Wagner Houses on E. 120th St. on Aug. 26, leading the cowering pooch into the lift, then repeatedly kicking and punching the poor pup, prosecutors said.
Freeman’s father-in-law took the dog — a tan-and-white pitt-bull mix named Hazel — to an area animal shelter for treatment after the elevator beat-down, prosecutors said.
A rep for New York City Animal Care and Control said Hazel was doing “okay” Tuesday, but offered no additional details about her health.
Freeman, who was arrested yesterday on unrelated marijuana possession charges, was charged with one count of torturing an animal.
The video shows the “dog cower on the elevator floor and move around as if said dog was experiencing substantial pain,” according to the complaint.
Freeman’s lawyer said it’s impossible to determine who the attacker is based solely on the video. — Janon Fisher
BROCKTON — Animal cruelty charges will be lodged against a city resident after authorities seized 10 pit bulls from a Cairn Road home this week, police said.
The pit bulls – a mother dog and her nine puppies – were removed from 73 Cairn Road on the city’s East Side after police received a call at 5:19 p.m. Sunday reporting animal cruelty.
The caller told police the mother dog was being beaten and mistreated and “yelping in pain,” according to police reports.
When officers arrived, they found the dogs in the back yard contained in a small dog cage, said Lt. Paul Bonanca. Police said the dogs were malnourished.
“There’s going to be charges of animal cruelty,” Bonanca said Tuesday.
A witness told The Enterprise on Tuesday the dog could be heard in the backyard “screeching” in pain in recent days, including during the torrential rain on Friday.
The witness said the dog owner was overheard saying he was going to kill the dog and bury it in the backyard. The dog owner was seen digging a hole in his yard, the witness said.
At 73 Cairn Road on Tuesday afternoon, an empty dog pen surrounded by a chain-link fence could be seen in the backyard. Other debris was strewn around the gray-colored, single-family home in a quiet residential neighborhood.
Hakeem Richardson, 22, the owner, denied abusing his dogs.
In an interview with The Enterprise, he said the female blue-nosed pit bill, which is almost 3 years old, got stuck under the kennel fence in the backyard, police were called, they removed the dog from the fence and took her and the puppies.
She is unregistered, he said.
Richardson also said he had just sprayed the house for fleas so he put the dogs in the backyard for three hours until it was safe for them to go back in.
All 10 dogs are being cared for at Brockton Animal Control on Court Street.
Animal Control Officer Darren Hand said an animal cruelty investigation is ongoing. He declined further comment on Tuesday.
BROCKTON — Eliza, one of three pit bulls rescued from squalor and starvation last month, has been euthanized.
Jeni Mather, founder of the Brockton Blue Dog Shelter, said she and dog trainers and volunteers worked with the abused dog for a month, but he did not show any progress in learning to trust humans and was deemed too much of a threat. For the public’s safety, she said, the dog was euthanized on Wednesday morning.
Darren Hand, of Brockton Animal Control, works to catch the last of four pit bulls, three living and one deceased, from 1007 Montello St. in Brockton on Sunday, July 1, 2012.
“It was really, really difficult for everyone,” she said. “He practiced being aggressive and dangerous for a long time and it’s disturbing that someone did this to him.”
Mather has set up a fund to help two other pit bulls – Sadie and Blue – that were rescued from a Brockton apartment house July 1 after being left outside with no water or food as temperatures reached 91 degrees. A fourth pitbull died outside the building.
Animal Control officials and police arrived at 1007 Montello St. and found the dogs in a feces-filled backyard.
Days later, officials deemed the dogs too aggressive and said the three surviving pit bulls would be destroyed. But a public outcry to save the animals won over Mather, who is now caring for and rehabilitating Blue and Sadie. The dogs “have come a long way,” she said.
Shows cows who were still alive after being shot in the head then being suffocated by workers who stand on their mouths and nostrils preventing the cows from breathing
Most of the animals slaughtered by CVM are ‘spent’ dairy cows who are no longer economically viable as milk-producers to the dairy industry
USDA regulators who shut down the slaughterhouse after viewing the animal welfare video are investigating whether beef from sick cows reached the human food supply
Horrifying undercover footage from inside a Californian slaughterhouse shows incompetent workers standing on the mouth and nostrils of a cow to suffocate it after failing to kill the animal with a bolt-gun.
A cow which is still alive is suffocated by a worker who stands on its mouth and nostril after a pneumatic bolt gun failed to kill it
The shocking video, which allegedly demonstrates rampant animal abuse and suffering from inside Central Valley Meat Co., has led the the U.S. Department of Agriculture to shut down the slaughterhouse which was a major supplier of their National School Lunch Program and In-N-Out Burger.
The sad film produced by animal rights group Compassion Over Killing reveals how already sick cows are stunned when they are unable to walk to their deaths and shows how they are hoisted up by their legs onto conveyor-belts even if the bolt-gun has failed to kill the animal.
Most of the animals slaughtered by CVM are ‘spent’ dairy cows who are no longer economically viable as milk-producers to the dairy industry.
A cow starts throwing up after a pneumatic bolt gun fails to kill it as it is transported along a conveyor belt in a slaughterhouse
And now USDA regulators who shut down the slaughterhouse after viewing the animal welfare video are investigating whether beef from sick cows reached the human food supply.
The investigation will determine whether sick cows were slaughtered and whether meat products from the company should be recalled, said Justin DeJong, a spokesman for the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service.
There is no indication any of the cows slaughtered at the Central Valley Meat plant were diseased and the USDA did not order a recall of beef coming from the plant.
A spokesman for In-N-Out Burger said that CVM provided between 20 to 30 percent of the meat used by their restaurants and that it canceled its contract immediately.
The west cost burger chain has a loyal following and is regulalry patronised by Hollywood celebrities such as the soccer player David Beckham.
Another cow bleeds profusely from its nose after a bolt gun fails to kill it at Central Valley Meat Co. in California
On the firm’s website the chain claims to make its own hamburger patties ‘using premium cattle selected especially for In-N-Out Burger’, and says it pays ‘a premium’ for this.
In a statement to ABC News, the company’s chief operating officer, Mark Taylor said, ‘In-N-Out Burger would never condone the inhumane treatment of animals, and, in fact, all of our suppliers must agree to abide by our strict standards for the humane treatment of cattle.’
The agency suspended operations Monday at Central Valley Meat Co. in Hanford after receiving the video Friday from the animal welfare group Compassion Over Killing (COK).
The footage shows animals bleeding and thrashing after being repeatedly shot in the head with a pneumatic gun in unsuccessful efforts to kill them for slaughter.
Federal regulations say that to avoid unnecessary suffering during slaughter, animals must be rendered unconscious by a single shot to the head from a pneumatic gun that fires a bolt through the skull to pierce the brain.
A worker stuns a cow that cannot stand at Central Valley Meat Co. in California
The USDA said investigators are trying to determine whether the cows in the video were just lame or sick, which would render them unfit for human consumption.
‘That’s the main issue right now,’ said DeJong of the USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service.
Central Valley Meat Co., owned by Brian and Lawrence Coelho, declined to comment on the video, saying company officials had not seen it.
‘We were extremely disturbed to be informed by the USDA that our plant could not operate based upon a videotape that was provided to the department by a third-party group that alleged inhumane treatment of animals on our property,’ said a company statement.
Brian Coelho added, ‘Our company seeks not just to meet federal humane handling regulations, but exceed them.’
Terrified cows are herded along a narrow gangway as they make their way to their slaughter at Central Valley Meat Co. in California
The video taken by an undercover investigator for Compassion Over Killing also shows cattle lying in pens unable to move, and at least one unable to stand to leave a stock transportation trailer.
Some clips show cattle with swollen udders that are unable to keep their legs under them.
Other footage shows a downed cow trembling and unable to stand even as workers try to pull her up by the tail.
Within hours of seeing the video, the USDA’s Office of Inspector General sent investigators who found evidence of ‘egregious inhumane handling and treatment of livestock.’
The possibility that animals were being inhumanely treated caused officials to shut down the plant while the investigation unfolds.
The USDA had at least two inspectors stationed at the site, and federal officials, when asked whether there was evidence the inspectors had neglected their duties, said the investigation is ongoing.
The USDA received hours of videotape from the Washington D.C.-based animal welfare group, which said its undercover investigator was employed by the slaughterhouse and made the video over a two-week period in June and early July.
In the four minute video compiled by the animal rights group various abuses towards the cows are witnessed.
A worker applies a pneumatic bolt gun to the head of a cow in an attempt to kill him
One worker appears to be suffocating a cow by standing on its muzzle after a gun that injects a bolt into the animal’s head had failed to kill it.
In another clip, a cow is still conscious and flailing as a conveyor lifts it by one leg for transport to an area where the animals’ throats are slit for blood draining.
‘The horror caught on camera is sickening,’ said Erica Meier, executive director of Compassion Over Killing.
‘It’s alarming that this is not only a USDA-inspected facility but a supplier to the USDA.’
Online USDA records show the company has contracted to sell ground beef to USDA food programs.
‘It’s a good sign that the USDA is taking this seriously, but I want to see what comes next,’ said Meier of Compassion Over Killing, adding the video will be posted on the organization’s website.
After viewing the video, famed Californian fast-food firm In-N-Out Burger immediately severed their ties with CVM.
The case is reminiscent of a 2008 undercover operation by the Humane Society of the United States at the Hallmark slaughter plant in Chino that led to the largest-ever recall of beef and the conviction of two people found to have treated cows cruelly. In that case, video showed downed cows being prodded with a folk lift.
Learn more and take action now: http://COK.net/californiacows — in response to COK’s investigation, USDA shut down this facility and In-N-Out Burger has severed ties with Central Valley Meat.
Aug. 21, 2012: An undercover video, filmed by a Compassion Over Killing investigator, exposes rampant animal abuse and suffering inside Central Valley Meat Co. (CVM), a slaughterhouse in Hanford, California. CVM is a major supplier to the USDA’s National School Lunch Program and other federal food initiatives.
Like all federally inspected slaughterhouses, CVM is required to comply with federal animal welfare requirements as well as California’s animal protection laws. However, COK’s whistleblowing video uncovers acts of cruelty that appear to violate both state and federal laws.
After viewing the footage, the USDA shut down the facility, citing “egregious inhumane handling and treatment of livestock.”
“OMG…these poor souls look like they have never had the hand of love, respect or kindness, in their entire lives…thank God an Angel found them & they are now in the care of professionals. Judging by their scars they could have easily been bait dogs, even though their breed is large, left to starve weakens one’s body, so they would have had little fight in them. It pains me greatly to see this suffering, but I can’t stop…people have to see the truth, see what humans are capable of; because that someone may be living next door to you! Somebody must be aware that 2 Doberman dogs have disappeared from the neighborhood, please ask around everyone…the person that let these dogs suffer needs to be caught & do a spot of his/her own suffering…anything you can think of could lead to capture. So please keep this circulating!!”
The situation of two badly-injured Dobermans who were near death was brought to my attention by an amazing and compassionate advocate. Help is desperately needed for the two apparently purebred Dobermans, now named Zeus and Athena. They are currently being cared for at the Elizabethtown Veterinary Hospital in Clarkton, N.C., and their care is being coordinated by Silvia Kim, the director at A Shelter Friend, in Elizabethtown, N.C.
“Note this is the only picture I wish to share, you may look at the others for yourselves.”
Skin draped over bones
Based on the information obtained in a telephone call with Ms. Kim, these precious babies were found by the local Animal Control officer as strays, with injuries that clearly indicated they had been attacked by another dog or perhaps multiple dogs. They both have severe injuries from the attacks, and also bear the scars from what could be prior dog attacks, as well as prior beatings. Their body condition was so bad, they could not have strayed far, because they were far too sick and weak to travel.
Zeus is the worst of the two, with infected and festering wounds on his face and body. When found, he had ants crawling all over him and inside of the massive wound on his face. Poor little Athena was at first terrified of any sudden movements of a human hand; a definite indication that she has been beaten and abused by humans at some point, perhaps numerous times.
As if the injuries were not bad enough, they are both emaciated, with their bodies appearing to be nothing more than skin draped over bones. They were starved for who knows how long, which has made them terribly weak. Zeus had surviving by eating dirt and rocks to fill that burning emptiness in his belly from the hunger. As with most dogs neglected in the southern states, they are heartworm positive and will require treatment for that at some point.
Athena’s body shows signs that she has recently gave birth to a litter of puppies, but there were no puppies near the area where she and Zeus were found. One can only wonder what might have happened to those tiny babies, considering the amount of cruelty and neglect Zeus and Athena have been endured.
Clearly, these innocent dogs have suffered for probably their entire lives, and it was only a stroke of good luck that they were found before they both died. The networking between Animal Controland A Shelter Friend is amazing, as evidenced by the information provided by Ms. Kim. Thanks to this relationship, the euthanasia rate in that area has been reduced over the last five years from a 98% kill rate to only around 10% now. More areas should develop this kind of relationship between the shelters and the rescue groups, since more innocent lives could be saved.
Since Zeus and Athena were found as strays, there is no one to charge with his heinous act of cruelty and neglect. However, if the perpetrators can be found, appropriate charges will definitely be filed against them. Surely someone out there will recognize these two dogs, and perhaps have information about who harmed them and allowed them to be neglected so badly. Please network this story through your contacts in social media, and do what you always do so well, which is help get justice for abused animals.
The cost of the medical care for both of these precious dogs is going to be very high. A Shelter Friend is a registered 501c charitable organization, so any donations made to them to help with the medical care for Zeus and Athena is completely tax deductible. You can make donations to them here, or at the contact information at the end of the article.
“OMG…wouldn’t surprise me if this was done by kids…unfortunately some parents aren’t fit to have children! Their behavior can manifest itself through to the child, who then doesn’t know how to deal with the things they have seen or felt; thus they take their rage out on defenseless animals or smaller kids etc Please if anyone know’s anything, contact the local police!!”
TRACY — Larry the puppy had a bad start on life. Found in a Tracy ditch last month, he had been abused, his right eye poked out, and was left in the dirt to die.
But theLabrador pup is resilient, and after being treated for his injuries, is now looking for a new home.
“Our foundation was contacted after an anonymous good Samaritan found the puppy and took him to the local animal shelter,” said Larry Hite, founder of the Noah’s Ark Foundation.
“Seeing his injury, shelter staff took him to the local vet and that’s when we got the call. When I saw him I knew I couldn’t walk away. I felt so sorry for the little guy that I ended up paying most of his vet bills out of my own pocket,” Hite said. “His right eye could not be saved.”
The pup was nicknamed Larry after Larry Hite, both of whom are blind in their right eye.
Noah’s Ark, a non-profit, was formed by Hite, a Tracy resident, in January. The goal of the foundation is to rescue sick or injured animals and be able to cover their medical costs. The average surgical cost for a dog could run $600 to $800, and in one case it was upwards of $1,000,” Hite said.
The foundation has helped both dogs and cats in multiple cities including Dublin, Brentwood, Tracy and Stockton. It has also been featured on the morning news show “Good Day Sacramento.”
After surgery, the pup was placed in the care of Sharon Silbert, a member of Noah’s Ark.
“Larry is just a love,” she
said. “He gets along great with other dogs and even cats. He has a mellow personality, which is rare for a puppy. He’s very playful, housebroken and has manners. Who ever gets him is going to get a wonderful dog.”
This past week, Larry traveled to Dublin where he will remain in foster care with Tri-Valley Animal Rescue until a home can be found for him. Larry is current on his shots and has also been micro-chipped.
“He has so much energy and loves to play,” said Chris Stein who is now fostering the injured puppy. “When you watch him play you realize that he doesn’t even know he had this injury. And, on top of that, he is highly intelligent.”
Stein plans to bring Larry, recently re-named Raider, to their pet adoption fair which is held Saturdays in downtown Pleasanton at the Farmer’s Market. For information on adopting him, call Stein at 925-461-4347.
Albert Schweitzer said…
“The thinking person must oppose all cruel customs no matter how deeply rooted in tradition or surrounded by a halo…. We need a boundless ethic, which includes the animals also.”
“The $2 billion dollar-a-year South Korean dog and cat meat industry, which extinguishes the lives of approximately two and a half million dogs a year for meat or gaesoju, a dog wine or broth, and thousands of despised and doomed cats for so-called “health” tonics or goyangyeesoju, and soup, operates in a sordid and illicit world where farmers and butchers kill with frightening impunity in the most abominable fashion.”
In South Korea, dogs are deprived of everything that is natural to them. From birth to death, they are imprisoned in deplorable tiny excrement encrusted raised up wire cages, fed rotten garbage with no protection from scorching heat of summer and freezing cold of winter with no water, medical care or human interaction. This is a hell on earth for these dogs and they have to endure the life of utter misery and agony just to meet their ghastly fate of being electrocuted, hanged, beaten, thrown into boiling water, burned sometimes alive,…
It is hard to believe that a nation such as South Korea which is one of the major economic power (13th largest) and boasts the highest education level in the world is still committing this type of barbaric and inhumane atrocity in this day and age. But for the millions of dogs and cats that are being slaughtered each year in South Korea’s markets, slaughterhouses, restaurants, dog farms and in private residences, it is a tragic reality and nightmare that they can’t escape from.
If South Korea wants to join the civilized nations and be respected not only as a nation of economic miracle but as a nation of conscience, they need to strengthen their animal protection law and ban the dog and cat consumption once and for all. This has been going on way too long and it’s time for their government to take a moral leadership for their citizens. Not only does this benefit the animals of South Korea but it will further their economic interest in the world because we will not stop speaking out against South Korea.
South Korea can host the most extravagant Olympic game in the history of the Olympics but as long as this treachery against the animals known to be our most loving and faithful companion continues, it will be tainted with heartless brutality and their country and its people will be subject of world’s condemnation.
We will boycott PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics and the South Korean businesses until the South Korean government stops neglecting their duty and illegalize the horrific cruelty of dog and cat consumption.
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.
Please note....all people mentioned in this blog, are presumed innocent, until proven otherwise, in a court of law.
Error: Please make sure the Twitter account is public.
Flag Counter Added May 2012
Face Book – Please Take Notice
For anyone wishing to connect to me via my Facebook page...PLEASE NOTE, ONLY PEOPLE I ADD AS ANIMAL ADVOCATES CAN SEE MY WHOLE PAGE...I do this out of respect for those friends I have who do not wish to see graphic images, videos or links of animal abuse!
As 99% of my page is animal related; anyone not in the above group of friends; will only see a limited amount of posts!!
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!!
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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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