Tell USDA To Do Its Job And Help Elephant Nosey: Please Sign

The USDA has yet again let a chronic violator of federal animal welfare standards get away with little more than a slap on the wrist.

PLEASE  Help save NOSEY A Very lonely Elephant Who Deserves Freedom

Just days before Hugo Liebel was set to face a hearing on March 26, 2013 for 33 violations of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), the USDA announced it had reached a settlement. Instead of revoking Liebel’s license and handing down a maximum penalty of $330,000, the USDA settled with the agreement that Liebel would pay a meagre civil penalty of $7,500 and cease and desist from violating the AWA.

This settlement is a shocking disappointment and a pathetic excuse for government oversight.

For decades, Liebel has blatantly ignored his legal responsibilities and the well being of the elephant Nosey, and other animals he uses for circus shows. The 33 charges described years of mistreatment including failure to provide veterinary care for the weight loss and chronic skin condition of Nosey, chaining her so tightly that she could not move or lie down, and handling her in a way that was dangerous to her and to the public. The charges also included an incident involving a critically endangered spider monkey who escaped and was not recaptured for 10 days.

With your help, IDA has monitored Liebel for years, documenting numerous, flagrant violations of the AWA as he dragged Nosey and other animals around the country to give rides and perform.

IDA submitted multiple complaints with supporting evidence to the USDA, urging the agency to take action to protect Nosey and the public. When the USDA finally filed charges against Liebel in 2011, IDA hoped the agency was finally taking meaningful action to help Nosey. But yet again, the USDA squandered this opportunity to hold Liebel accountable for ignoring the law.

As long as Nosey remains with Liebel, her suffering will continue.

Use the form below to fax Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, who is responsible for ensuring that the agency enforce AWA regulations.

Tell Sec. Vilsack that you are outraged by the USDA’s settlement with Hugo Liebel. Remind Sec. Vilsack that with this settlement, Nosey’s suffering will continue as long as she remains with Liebel. Urge Sec. Vilsack to order the USDA to confiscate Nosey. Then call him, also!

Please visit the following & send the fax:–https://secure2.convio.net/ida/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=2367&JServSessionIdr004=gaqslixzp1.app245b

NOSEY THE ELEPHANT

Published on 2 Oct 2012 – Wendy Michaels

1:14 little movie about NOSEY. On behalf of Nosey let USDA know how you feel:
JUDGE JANICE BULLARD 1-202-720-4443. 1-202-720-9776 (fax)
USDA atty COLLEEN CARROLL colleen.carroll@usda.gov

Please Help Nosey The Elephant

Since 2009, IDA has worked tirelessly on behalf of an elephant named Nosey, who suffers in a variety of travelling circuses at the hands of her exhibitor Hugo Liebel.

With your help, we have documented Nosey’s condition and numerous violations of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) as she was dragged around the country to give rides and perform tricks.

IDA members sent more than 18,000 letters and e-mails to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) urging the agency to help Nosey.

We reported a year ago that the USDA had finally filed charges against Liebel concerning numerous AWA violations for which Liebel had repeatedly been cited between 2007 and 2011. These included safe-handling violations that put Nosey and the public at risk, failure to provide adequate veterinary care, violations of food storage requirements, and unsafe and inadequate conditions in Nosey’s barn, enclosure, and trailer.

Liebel answered these serious charges with a rambling response blaming everyone but himself, without acknowledging any responsibility for the egregious violations. Given Liebel’s history, there is no indication he has any intention of improving his treatment of Nosey.

Liebel continues to haul Nosey around the country, jamming her into a tiny, foul trailer with other animals. Nosey also suffers from a persistent terrible skin condition and is constantly chained, except when giving rides or performing unnatural tricks.

A hearing is scheduled March 26 in Tampa, Florida on the USDA charges. This date was given to us by the Hearing Judge’s office but it has changed once and might change again.

Please help us ensure a positive outcome for Nosey

“Watch this video, the metal frame used to carry the public is put on top of a flimsy old thin rug, then winched into place; like they do with transport carriers, the safety belts are thrown over then manually, winched to tighten them! Can you imagine how that metal frame must dig into Nosey’s back? Her walking looks slow & laboured as if she is in pain from her joints etc. “

Liebel/Liebling Circus with Nosey the elephant in Haines City 

Uploaded on 27 Feb 2010

Liebel Bros Circus with Nosey ( AKA Tiny ) the elephant at the Studio C Dance Studio in Haines City , FL 2-27-2010 with Nosey AKA Tiny AKA Peanut owned by Hugo ( Tom ) Liebel AKA Hugo Bloom

Nosey The Elephant 

Published on 2 Oct 2012 – Wendy Michaels

1:14 little movie about NOSEY. On behalf of Nosey let USDA know how you feel:
JUDGE JANICE BULLARD 1-202-720-4443. 1-202-720-9776 (fax)
USDA atty COLLEEN CARROLL colleen.carroll@usda.gov

Please send a message to Colleen Carroll, who is prosecuting on behalf of the USDA. Thank Carroll for her work on this case and encourage her to press for the maximum available penalties. Please ask Carroll, in the event that Liebel is found to be in violation, to push for the maximum allowable amount of fines and termination of Liebel’s license to exhibit animals.

We don’t want to disrupt Attorney Carroll’s office with emails and faxes, so we’re asking you to please take an extra few minutes to mail her a hard-copy letter instead. Below is a sample letter. Please personalize that model letter or compose your own similar letter and mail to:

Colleen Carroll, Esq.
Office of General Counsel
US Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20250-1400

Sample letter:

Dear Attorney Carroll:

As a supporter of In Defense of Animals (IDA), I am very concerned about the plight of Nosey the elephant, who has been exhibited around the country by Hugo Liebel. Liebel is charged with numerous substantial, wilful violations of the Animal Welfare Act, including repeated non-compliance with veterinary care, handling, housing, and husbandry requirements from 2007 to 2011. If Liebel is found to be in violation on these charges, I urge you to press for the maximum allowable sanctions.

I would also like to express my gratitude for your work on this case to date, particularly your decision to pursue serious charges against Liebel.

The violations charged in the complaint are, as you point out, substantial, and many of them are repeated violations for which Liebel has previously been cited. Many of the violations are allegedly wilful  His documented lengthy record compels the conclusion that Liebel is either unable or unwilling to comply with the laws and regulations put into place to protect exhibited animals and the public.

Therefore, I urge you, in the event that Liebel is found to be in violation on these charges, to press for the maximum allowable sanctions, including the highest possible amount in fines and termination of Liebel’s license to exhibit animals. I see no other way of ensuring the safety of Nosey, the surviving monkey, and any other animals who Liebel could acquire for exhibition.

Again, thank you for your efforts and attention to this serious matter.

Sincerely,

News Link:-http://ida.convio.net/site/MessageViewer?em_id=26641.0&printer_friendly=1

Breaking News – Hope For Nosey!

January 13th, 2012 |  Author: Deborah Robinson

Breaking news – NOSEY: Following many complaints by IDA over the past several years regarding Nosey, the USDA  has filed a Complaint against Nosey’s exhibitor Hugo Liebel alleging numerous willful violations of the Animal Welfare Act. These include repeated noncompliance with the veterinary care, handling, housing and husbandry requirements: in all, some 25 violations over a period from early 2007 to early 2011. These are grave violations, the possible penalties for which include fines and suspension or revocation of Liebel’s license to exhibit animals.

IDA will continue to monitor Nosey’s ongoing care.

For more information about IDA’s work on elephants in circuses, go to www.helpelephants.com.

To support IDA – In Defense of Animals, work please click here.

 http://www.idablog.org/featured/breaking-news-hope-for-nosey/

News Link:-http://asianelephantstoday.com/2012/01/13/ida-new-hope-for-nosey-the-circus-elephant/

“Don’t let Nosey suffer another 10 years of tricks & rides! She needs to be moved now so she can enjoy the rest of her natural life, at PAWS Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee; living as an elephant should…walking freely with other elephants…without shackles…without pain!”

Please sign this petition:–http://www.change.org/petitions/confiscate-nosey-the-elephant-from-the-traveling-circus?utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=url_share&utm_campaign=url_share_before_sign