By taking action right now you can be the voice for so many animals to help change their lives for the better and the environment too. Let's see if we can help some or even just one...

Give families like this the right to love the pet they choose and live with other military families in base housing. 

Please take a moment to sign and share the PETITION to Standardize Military Pet Policies 

PETITION

Find more information on Standardize Military Pet Policies on Facebook

Nitro’s Law originated from a case of horrid abuse in Youngstown four years ago. In October 2008, Mahoning County Animal Charity humane agents found seven dead and eight malnourished dogs in the backyard kennel area of High Caliber K-9 on Coitsville-Hubbard Road. HB 108 is named for one of the dogs who died, Nitro, a Rottweiler who was a beloved family companion. His owners joined with others in 2009 to form Nitrofoundation.com to work towards legislation that would make such a crime a felony. The man charged in the animals’ deaths, Steve Croley, received misdemeanor punishment of a paltry 4 months in jail and probation that no one checked on.

Nitro’s Law HB108 is about to expire again because the OHIO STATE SENATE PRESIDENT Thomas Niehaus won’t move the bill to the floor for a vote and THE OHIO STATE SENATORS AREN’T PUSHING HIM TO DO SO. IF YOU AREN’T OUTRAGED, YOU ARE MOST DEFINITELY NOT PAYING ATTENTION! There is no reason for any Senator to act now if they don’t hear from you!! EXPECT MORE, DEMAND MORE OF YOUR OHIO STATE SENATOR! They work for you, you pay their salary. Don’t allow them to forget it! ACT NOW!

OHIO RESIDENTS: PLEASE CALL to pass Nitro’s Law HB 108. The bill would make certain egregious forms of animal cruelty a felony. Right now in Ohio animal abuse in any form is only a misdemeanor. This means no jail time, often no fines, and nothing on the records for future employers. HB 108 can change that. This bill passed the OH House and all Committees in the House. It has also passed committees in the Senate and has now been stuck because Senator Niehaus, head of the Rules and Reference Committee is purposely stalling the bill.

If you are a Resident of OHIO, Please call ALL the Senators on this committee (or as many as you can) and tell them to SUPPORT HB 108 and move the bill HB 108 Nitro’s Law to the Senate Floor for a vote. Tell them to Urge Senator Niehaus to move the bill. If HB 108 is moved to the Senate Floor for a full vote, it will pass!

Stop Air France From Making Money off Cruelty!

Air France claims to be "Making the Sky the Best Place on Earth." But in reality, the airline is making the sky a dangerous and scary place for many of its passengers. Air France continues to ship monkeys to laboratories, despite the fact that nearly every other major airline in the world has ceased sending monkeys on these horrific one-way flights.

Many of the animals being flown to laboratories have been snatched from the wild, ripped away from their homes and families. Crammed into tiny wooden crates in the cargo holds of passenger flights, they endure a dark and terrifying journey. Passengers above often have no idea how much pain and panicking is occurring beneath them.

Each year, tens of thousands of monkeys are flown to the U.S. from countries such as Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Mauritius, and Vietnam. Upon arriving in the U.S., the animals are transported to facilities such as Shin Nippon Biomedical Laboratories and Covance—the U.S.' largest importers of primates—to be imprisoned and tormented in experiments.

While pressure from PETA and our supporters caused Air France to cancel at least one scheduled shipment of 60 laboratory-bound monkeys, the company remains one of the largest traffickers of primates in the world. In fact, Air France is the only airline servicing the island of Mauritius—one of the largest exporters of monkeys for use in experiments—that is still willing to ship primates to laboratories.  

Fortunately, almost all other airlines—including Aer Lingus, Air China, American, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, China Southern, Delta, Lufthansa, and Qantas—have shown great compassion by refusing to transport monkeys to laboratories.

In addition to refusing to fly Air France, what else can you do? Urge Air France and the tiny group of other heartless airlines that still transport primates destined for laboratories to adopt a policy against the practice.

Michael Vick has a new clothing line out to boost his reputation as an athlete. But do you want your child's outfit to support making a sport of animal cruelty? »

Since spending 18 months in prison for five years of illegal dog fighting, Michael Vick has made nice with the media once again by returning to the National Football League (NFL). But playing for a football team does not erase the abuse Vick inflicted on at least 55 dogs, nor does it justify throwing more money his way.

Many children look up to professional athletes, supporting their brand as much as their achievements. Michael Vick's brand, however, is not the sort of logo anyone should sport. When Vick was at the top of his game, he spent his money and time electrocuting, burning, and mutilating dogs when they underperformed - and then lied about it.

Michael Vick does not represent good sportsmanship. Boycott his activewear line and send the message that animal cruelty should not be rewarded! »

Thanks for taking action! Ellyn ThePetitionSite

Vote Bison - Elect our National Mammal

This election year, we have the perfect nominee for the coveted position of National Mammal. The iconic bison is impeccably qualified to join the bald eagle as a symbol of the United States.

The largest land mammal in the country, our nominee helped shape the Great Plains and the lifestyle of the Native Americans who lived there. Bison have been important for centuries to our history and culture, and today, they live in all 50 states.

The bison is ready for the big leagues. It's an animal we can stand behind as National Mammal – but we need your support to make it happen. Please join this historic grassroots campaign: Ask your senators to sign onto the National Bison Legacy Act today.

Alaska's Wildlife at Risk

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• overview
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• Target: Interior Secretary Salazar
• Sponsored by: Pew Environment Group (PEG)

An HSUS undercover investigation at a training barn for Tennessee Walking horses led to state and federal criminal charges against nationally known trainer Jackie McConnell and some of his associates. The group was charged with felony conspiracy to violate the Horse Protection Act as well as numerous violations of the Tennessee Cruelty to Animals Statute after being videotaped using caustic chemicals on the front legs of horses in order to cause pain, resulting in the artificially produced high-stepping gait that wins prizes in the show ring.

This cruel practice is called "soring" and has been illegal for more than 40 years under the federal Horse Protection Act. The HSUS undercover video shows horses being whipped, kicked, shocked in the face, and violently cracked across their skulls and legs with heavy wooden sticks during and after soring of their front legs. Unless the Horse Protection Act is upgraded to include stronger penalties for this type of horrendous abuse and to end the failed system of industry self-policing, inhumane trainers will continue to torture horses.

TAKE ACTION
Please make a brief, polite phone call to your U.S. Representative and two U.S. Senators urging them to fix the problems in the Horse Protection Act. Look up your federal legislators' phone numbers here. You can say: "I am a constituent and I urge you to upgrade penalties in the Horse Protection Act and require more meaningful enforcement by USDA to end the abusive and common practice of soring Tennessee Walking horses."

Then, use the form below to send a follow-up note. Be sure to edit your message so that it stands out.

https://secure.humanesociety.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=5399&autologin=true&s_src=hapm052112&JServSessionIdr004=9yllykbni3.app306b

Help Cats and Ferrets Used in Cruel Training at St. Louis Hospital

St. Louis Children's Hospital, in conjunction with Washington University in St. Louis, continues to torment cats and ferrets for painful intubation training exercises in their Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) and pediatric residency programs. During the exercises, plastic tubes are repeatedly forced down the cats' windpipes. This procedure can cause bleeding, swelling, pain, scarring, collapsed lungs, and even death.

The PALS course's sponsor, the American Heart Association, states that it "does not require or endorse the use of animals in PALS courses" and that "the AHA recommends that any hands-on intubation training for the AHA PALS course be performed on lifelike human manikins." PETA has surveyed hundreds of PALS facilities across the country, and nearly every one of them—including St. Louis University, Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center, and St. Louis Community College—uses non-animal methods for intubation training. Similarly, more than 90 percent of pediatric residency programs in the U.S. use only non-animal methods for intubation training. 

Research shows that in addition to protecting animals, simulators better prepare medical professionals to treat seriously ill or injured children because they more accurately replicate human anatomy and allow people to practice these skills repeatedly.

Please contact officials at St. Louis Children's Hospital and Washington University in St. Louis and urge them to replace the use of animals for intubation training with some of the many effective, non-animal training methods that are available.

Putting your subject line and letter into your own words will help draw attention to your e-mail.

Bipartisan legislation, H.R. 2492/S. 1947, has been introduced by U.S. Reps. Tom Marino, R-Pa., and Betty Sutton, D-Ohio, and by Senators Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Mark Kirk, R-Ill., Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Scott Brown, R-Mass., that would prohibit knowing attendance at organized animal fights and impose additional penalties for causing a minor to attend such events.

Over the past decade, Congress has strengthened the penalties for and closed major loopholes in the federal animal fighting law, but has left the issue of spectators unaddressed. The bill will correct this remaining gap in federal law to allow for a more comprehensive crackdown on this barbaric activity.

TAKE ACTION
Please make a brief, polite phone call to your two U.S. Senators and U.S. Representative to urge co-sponsorship of H.R. 2492/S. 1947. Look up your legislators' phone numbers. You can say: "I would like you to please co-sponsor H.R. 2492/S. 1947 to prohibit knowing attendance at an animal fighting event and bringing a minor to such a cruel event."

After making your phone call (please do not skip that crucial step!), fill in and submit the form below to automatically send a follow-up message to your two U.S. Senators and U.S. Representative. Congress receives a lot of email, so be sure to edit your message so it stands out.

Help Save the Spirit Bear Coast

• Target: Christy Clark, Premier of British Columbia
• Sponsored by: Natural Resources Defense Council

When Allen Holmes took a snapshot of his beloved 17-year-old corgi, Basie, he never expected that his quick photo would soon be the only thing he'd have to remember her by. But vets in Fairfax killed Basie as a stray that very afternoon--only an hour and a half after she went missing from her yard. »

According to the vet who euthanized her, Basie was picked up "in the woods"--really just a row of trees near Basie's owners' home. According to Allen, he took the photo of Basie at 12:06. The exam that decided her fate began at 12:20.

No matter how hard they searched, there was no way Allen and Alison could have found Basie in those fifteen minutes.

By the time they tracked her whereabouts down the next day, all that was left were her remains. »

Allen writes, "Clearly there are different perspectives about when a dog’s life should end. The vet and the woman who picked up Basie obviously believed that Basie’s life should end on November 1. However, we are the ones who actually knew Basie. Our decision not to have euthanized her were based on our daily observations of her behavior…we knew that she continued to want to live."

Basie wasn't ready to go, especially not scared and alone in a strange veterinary hospital.

This can't ever happen again. It may be too late to save Allen Holmes and Alison Radcliffe their heartbreak, but please sign the petition to ensure that no other dogs in Fairfax County are ever taken from their owners before their time.

Tell Fairfax County to stop euthanizing animals today.

Thanks for taking action! Kathleen ThePetitionSite Team

Here's another great petition from the folks at Care2

Elijah can barely walk. After years of neglect by his owner, his toenails had grown so long they were curled and cutting into his pads. Clearly, Elijah didn't matter much to his owner. Thank goodness there are organizations that think he -- and all animals -- deserve good care, love and a forever home » Elijah had plenty more problems like matted hair that pulled at his skin and urinary problems. But they're all eminently fixable, as long as someone cares enough to try. At many shelters, Elijah would have been put down -- but how is that fair? All he's ever wanted was a safe home and someone to love him. Dogs and cats like Elijah need and deserve a chance to heal and have a real life. Support efforts to help every homeless, neglected animal find a home » Thanks for taking action! Emily V. Care2 and ThePetitionSite Team

Every Pet Deserves a Home

Tell Topsfield Fair to Stop Exploiting Exotic Animals 

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• Target: Topsfield Fair
• Sponsored by: Concerned activists

The Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act (H.R.1513 and S.810) has been reintroduced with strong, bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. This common sense legislation would phase out invasive research on chimpanzees in laboratories in the U.S., retire the more than 500 government-owned chimpanzees to sanctuary, and end breeding of chimpanzees for invasive research. Furthermore, this much needed legislation will save taxpayers approximately $30 million every year. Please contact your U.S. senator and representative and ask them to co-sponsor this important bill to protect chimpanzees!

TAKE ACTION
Watch this video featuring Glee's Charlotte Ross, then fill in and submit the form below to automatically send a brief, polite message to your lawmakers, asking them to co-sponsor the Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act. Elected officials receive a lot of email, so remember to personalize the email message below so that your message will have a greater impact.

To read more: https://secure.humanesociety.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=5023

Dear PCRM supporter,

I need your help today. We have to unite to save the lives of sweet, innocent cats like the one pictured here.

I've told you before about the horrors that rabbits, cats, and ferrets face in pediatrics residency training. There are at least 12 programs across the country that use animals like this. They force tubes in their tiny mouths and jam them down their windpipes. The poor animals are used over and over for this incredibly painful procedure—and many die.

PCRM is fed up with such blatant cruelty!

We're kicking our campaign into high gear—and hope you'll help. Please tell Indiana University School of Medicine (IU) that practicing on cats is wrong!

Infants clearly have different anatomy than cats—which means doctors at IU are using inferior training methods. This is bad for the babies that will eventually be treated by these doctors and bad for cats!

Please, take action now. We need to harness the energy of the thousands of PCRM supporters like you to prove to IU that harming animals is unacceptable!

PCRM's success comes from the strength of our supporters. In the coming days, you'll receive more e-mails about our Pediatrics Residency Campaign—and how you and your friends can make a difference.

We've made lifesaving changes at other schools, so I know we can do it here, too!

Thank you in advance,

Neal Barnard, M.D.
President

P.S. You can also spread the word to your friends, by sharing PCRM's message on your Facebook page.

Support the Pet Safety and Protection Act Class B Dealers

• Target: U.S. Congress

• Sponsored by: Alicia Graef

We know we cannot let our oceans go unprotected.

Millions of marine species rely on these precious ecosystems, and the ocean is directly responsible for 2.3 million jobs. Even in this challenging economy, supporting healthy oceans is a wise investment for the nation.

We have seen how the coastal economy suffers when the ocean is not adequately protected. Fishermen can’t work. Tourists don’t visit. Hotels stand empty. Restaurants are closed.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), have introduced the National Endowment for the Oceans bill, and I urge you to take action and sign a petition of support.

This legislation will establish a national endowment for the study, protection and restoration of America’s oceans, coasts and Great Lakes. It will be paid for by revenue generated from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, offshore energy development and a portion of the fines and damages collected for violations of laws meant to protect our ecosystems. This revenue, generated from commercial uses and misuses of our marine environment, will ensure a steady investment in its long-term health and viability. 

Show your support for the National Endowment for the Oceans bill. Sign the petition today.

Sincerely,

Christopher Mann
Director, Campaign for Healthy Oceans
Pew Environment Group

                     Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act with increased funding.

               

Each Spring, millions of birds migrate to the U.S. But these amazing travelers face increasing threats habitat loss, human population pressures, invasive species and climate change.

Tell Congress that you care about migratory birds and want programs that protect them to increase »

There is one key program that helps provide the safe wintering grounds these birds need to survive. Since its inception in 2002, the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act has provided millions of dollars for habitat restoration, education, and more in the U.S, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean. But many conservation projects that could mean the difference for migrating songbirds remain unfunded.

Speak out today, and ask Congress to reauthorize the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act with increased funding.

Thank you for taking action! Emily L.  Care2 Campaign Team

Please help us free the remaining 70 bears still being forced to fight in horrific bear baiting events in Pakistan.

The practice of “bear baiting” in Pakistan is one of the world’s most savage blood sports and worst forms of cruelty to animals. Poached from the wild as cubs, the bears used in this industry know only fear, pain and abuse. Forced to “fight” from the time they are young, most have open and infected wounds and ripped ears and muzzles. When they aren’t fighting, they are held in small dirty cages that offer no protection from the sweltering sun and are fed measly scraps that leave them desperately malnourished and weak. The majority of these bears, perhaps mercifully, do not live past the age of ten - half the life expectancy of bears in the wild.

But there is hope.

WSPA and our local partner organization, the Bioresource Research Center of Pakistan (BRC), have been working to bring an end to this cruel sport for over a decade. Tragically, our first bear sanctuary was destroyed in 2010 by severe flooding, but we have constructed a new sanctuary in Balkasar, Pakistan, which is already home to 7 rescued bears. The Balkasar Sanctuary has room to provide a home to the remaining 70 bears who are still being forced to fight. BRC’s dedicated teams have identified several of these bears, and we have a plan to rescue them and give them the care and relief they need...but we can't do it without your urgent assistance. 

Please watch the video below to hear a special message from Fakhar-i-Abbas, BRC’s dedicated founder, and to learn how you can help WSPA bring an end to bear baiting for good.

This video contains a few graphic images of bear baiting

With your support, we’ll continue our vital work:

• Identifying the remaining bears still being used to fight.
• Convincing bear owners to give up their bears in exchange for alternative, cruelty-free livelihoods.
• Bringing rescued bears to our sanctuary to give them new lives of freedom.
• Educating the public about the cruelty of bear baiting so that people will no longer attend and support these cruel events.
• Calling for stronger legislation and enforcement of current laws to prevent bear baiting and the poaching of cubs from the wild.

Please make your gift to help WSPA end this cruelty for good and bring desperately needed relief to these bears and other suffering animals. https://www.wspadonations.org/pages/3684_bear_baiting_appeal_5_11_version_m.cfm

 See video below

Stop Criminalizing People Who Expose Animal Abuses

SUPPORT CHARITY'S LAW - MAKE BESTIALITY A CRIME AND A FELONY IN ALL U.S. STATES

Tell the Department of the Interior, "No new lease sales in the Arctic Ocean for the new 5-year plan!"

The Arctic Ocean is the remote home to extreme weather and such unique species as beluga and bowhead whales, walrus and polar bears. This fragile area is being considered for more oil and gas leasing.  While the Department of the Interior has recently initiated some positive reforms in the OCS offshore drilling program, several steps are needed before this sensitive marine ecosystem is exposed to more oil and gas activity. 

• Integrated research and monitoring plans are needed to fill the large gaps in our understanding of the Arctic marine ecosystem, expecially as it changes with the warming climate. 
• Areas considered biologically important or necessary for subsistence should be identified and excluded from lease consideration.
• Technology to clean oil spilled in broken ice has not been tested and proven to work in U.S. Arctic Ocean conditions.  The recent spill in Norway has shown that even a small amount of oil in broken ice is extremely challenging to clean up. 
  

There are 3.8 million acres currently leased in the U.S. Arctic Ocean. More research is necessary to understand the ecosystem, protections should be in place for important areas and spill response technology must be proven to work in the U.S. Arctic before allowing new leasing. Tell Secretary Salazar not to offer any new lease sales in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas in the 2012-2017 plan! 

Sincerely,

Marilyn Heiman
Director, U.S. Arctic Program
Pew Environment Group 

Tell USDA: Stop Cruelty to Downer Calves | Michael Markarian: Animals & Politics

Tell USDA: Stop Cruelty to Downer Calves

Posted: 10 Mar 2011 07:34 AM PST

Last month, in response to a legal petition filed by The HSUS, the U.S. Department of Agriculture tentatively approved new rules to protect downed calves—those unable even to stand up on their own—from abuse. Under current federal law, slaughter plants have the option of setting aside calves who are too weak or injured to stand—so-called “downer” calves—and slaughtering them later. These infant calves, some just days old, can suffer extreme abuse including repeated electric shocks, kicking, and beating as workers try to drag the helpless animals to the kill box.

The new rules, if finalized, will remove the option of slaughtering calves who cannot stand and require that downed calves, like adult downed cows, be immediately and humanely euthanized. In 2009, an HSUS investigation of a Vermont slaughter plant revealed the horrifying abuse to infant calves, and removing the possibility of letting these calves linger indefinitely at slaughterhouses will help to prevent such cruelty.

As part of the process, USDA is requesting comments from the public on whether to make this change permanent. Click here to urge the USDA to protect calves from abuse by permanently adopting these new rules. The agency needs to hear from all concerned Americans that the abuse of calves cannot be permitted to continue.

The HSUS’ petition was filed in the wake of its 2009 exposé of Bushway Packing, Inc. in Grand Isle, Vt., where investigators documented unacceptable and callous cruelty to infant calves, some just days old with their umbilical cords still attached, including repeated electric shocks, kicking, and even cutting off a hoof and partial decapitation of conscious animals. The HSUS investigation prompted state and federal officials to shut down the slaughter plant and open an investigation that resulted in a felony aggravated animal cruelty conviction.

More than 50,000 citizens wrote to the Secretary immediately following news of the Bushway case, urging the agency to close the downer calf loophole and make other needed reforms, including establishing an ombudsman’s office to take whistleblower complaints. The agency announced in December 2010 that an ombudsman will be appointed to focus on humane handling concerns.

USDA has made important progress under Secretary Vilsack’s leadership on stronger enforcement of humane handling and slaughter laws, puppy mill regulations, and other important issues. Eliminating the option of holding downer calves indefinitely will be another important step forward and will stop a tremendous amount of suffering for these young creatures. Please take a moment to tell the USDA to make these changes permanent. Your voice will go a long way in helping to end this unconscionable cruelty.

End Bear Farming

China: Don't Support Bear Bile Farms!

End Cockfight Cruelty in Texas

• Target: Texas Lawmakers
• Sponsored by: Care2.com

Cockfighting is a felony in Texas, but the current law only applies to the people that actually place their own rooster into the pit to fight.

It does not cover spectators who attend the events and bet on the roosters' lives and it doesn't criminalize people who raise the birds with the intention of fighting them.  In addition, the law doesn't outlaw the buying and selling of cockfighting paraphernalia, like the tiny razors that quicken the killing.

Please sign this petition to urge legislators to pass House Bill 1043, which closes loopholes in Texas's cockfighting laws. Help end this cruel, violent sport!

To sign petition: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/187/142/750//?z00m=19942235

Secretary Vilsack: Stop Poisoning Our Wildlife Should our government be in the business of killing animals? The HSUS is challenging the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Service’s department to stop poisoning predators. To address private livestock interests, the USDA has been using two highly controversial poisons, sodium cyanide in M-44 devices and Compound 1080 in livestock protection collars, to kill livestock predators. As a result, many non-target wild animals such as endangered wolves, bald eagles, California condors, in addition to pet dogs and cats, have died. Over the past few years, at least half a dozen federally protected wolves have been killed by these poisons. TAKE ACTION Please contact Secretary Vilsack and tell him that the USDA should stop killing wildlife and immediately prohibit the use of sodium cyanide and Compound 1080. More effective and less expensive nonlethal methods are available to resolve conflicts between wildlife and ranchers.

https://secure.humanesociety.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=4703&autologin=true&s_src=humaneaction&sub_src=091510&JServSessionIdr004=eaotuxhr51.app303a

Save Critical Habitat for the Florida Panther

Scientists conclude that the panther's existing habitat is the bare minimum needed for the remaining population to survive. As of Monday, January 18th the first Cougar death of 2010 has been reported, adding this number to the seven panthers killed on south Florida highways in 2009, and an additional 24 panthers killed by vehicles in the preceding two years. And scientists conclude that the panther's existing habitat is at the bare minimum needed for the remaining population to survive. This situation must not continue.  

Wildlife underpasses
The installation of wildlife crossings, which consist of special passageways and directional fencing, have proven very successful in reducing the panther’s highway mortality. During the upgrade work on Alligator Alley, along I-75 between Naples and Miami, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) installed 24 underpasses and 13 bridge extensions to allow safe passage of panthers and other wildlife. These installations and 40 miles of associated fencing have nearly eliminated panther strikes along this corridor.

Stop the Needless Slaughter Each winter, thousands of the last genetically pure wild bison face harassment and slaughter.   Urge Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to prohibit the annual ritual of hazing and slaughtering of America's wild bison.    Share on Facebook

Dear J

A tragic slaughter nearly wiped them out more than a century ago. Now some of America's last wild, genetically pure bison face hazing and slaughter as they leave the safety of Yellowstone National Park -- one of the last havens they have left.

Please take action now: Urge Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to prohibit the annual ritual of hazing and slaughtering of America's wild bison.

Each winter, Yellowstone's bison migrate from snow-covered highlands to lower elevations outside the park’s boundaries in search of food.

But because of an unsubstantiated fear that bison will transmit a disease called brucellosis to domestic cattle, bison face a grim fate: Harassed back into the park where food is scarce; shot on sight; or shipped off to slaughter.

This out-dated and terrible policy continues even though there has never been a documented case of a wild bison transmitting the disease to cattle. Yet over the last five winters, thousands of bison have been needlessly harassed and killed.

Take action now: Urge federal officials to end the slaughter of America's last genetically pure wild bison.

Your voice can make a difference for some of America's last wild bison -- descendants of those that survived the horrific slaughter of the 1800s. Please take action today and help end their terrible plight.

Together we can ensure that America’s wild bison will be restored to the American West.

For the Wild Ones, Rodger Schlickeisen President Defenders of Wildlife

Your Voice is Needed to Ban Cruel Tail Docking

Your voice is urgently needed to help farmed animals. Please use the form below to contact your district representative today to encourage him or her to support the bill to ban the cruel practice of tail docking dairy cows in New York state.

After reviewing MFA's undercover investigation at Willet Dairy, New York's largest dairy operation, Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal proposed a ban on tail docking – A.09732 – similar to the one enacted in California last year.

Tail docking cattle is among the most disturbing practices MFA's undercover investigator captured on film at Willet Dairy. A worker uses a bladed clamp to slice off the ends of calves' tails, severing nerves, skin and vertebrae - all without the use of anesthesia. The calves' legs buckle from the pain, as they stagger and stumble to the ground. The worker then applies a smoking cautery device to the amputations.

The New York State Assembly Agriculture Committee will be voting on this issue on June 15 and the animals need your help! Only members of the Agriculture Committee will be voting on this bill at this time. Please select your Assembly Agriculture Committee member from the drop-down menu below and encourage him or her to support the bill to ban tail docking of cattle now.

You can find your Assemblymember using your zip code here.

If your representative is not on the Agriculture Committee, you can still help. Please consider donating to support Mercy For Animals' work on behalf of farmed animals. Click here to make a tax deductable donation.

http://www.mercyforanimals.org/ban_tail_docking_NY.aspx

Increasing Penalties for Killing Protected Birds | Michael Markarian: Animals & Politics

Increasing Penalties for Killing Protected Birds

Posted: 29 Apr 2010 01:01 PM PDT

Every month that goes by, we see more heinous and illegal killing of federally protected migratory birds. In February, two red-tailed hawks were gunned down in the Puget Sound area of Washington state. In March, a golden eagle was tortured in central Utah and the bird’s tail feathers were ripped out. Then two bald eagles were shot in eastern Washington, one in Ford and another in Riverside State Park.

Congress needs to strengthen the penalties for intentionally
killing federally protected birds, like the peregrine falcon.

It’s a constant drumbeat of cruelty and disregard for the law, because the federal penalties are too weak to be a deterrent. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, thanks to the leadership of Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), last week approved a bill which had passed the House last year and if enacted would put more teeth into the federal law that protects eagles, hawks, falcons, and other raptors from intentional maiming and killing.

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act Penalty and Enforcement Act—S. 2811 by Sen. Merkley and H.R. 2062 by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.)—would strengthen the penalties for intentionally killing federally protected birds. As we have seen in our work to combat illegal dog fighting and cockfighting, people treat anemic fines as simply a cost of doing business, and are only deterred by tougher consequences.

I wrote last year about one of the most shocking and sickening scourges of bird-related crime in recent years, in which members of “roller pigeon clubs”—enthusiasts of domestic pigeons specially bred for their seizure-like ability to do rapid backward somersaults while flying—deliberately killed peregrine falcons, Cooper’s hawks, and red-tailed hawks by shooting, trapping, poisoning, clubbing, suffocating them with bleach and ammonia, baiting birds into glass panels, and even baiting birds with pigeons rigged with fishing hooks and Drano liquid. The club members had no fear of meaningful penalties and even boasted of their crime spree on public web sites.

Urge the USDA to Revoke Ringling's Exhibitor's License

 https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=3046&autologin=true&c=weekly_enews&JServSessionIdr004=ac3wtpd9e1.app333a

Help America Protect Animals from Domestic Abuse!

You love and protect your animals. Help domestic violence survivors do the same.

A national study revealed that the pets of over 71 percent of battered women are threatened, tortured, or even killed. When victims seeking shelter leave pets behind, abusers often do the unthinkable: they retaliate by torturing or killing the pets.

This heartbreaking fact makes the decision to leave an abuser often seem simply impossible.

A domestic violence protective order is a court order that can command an abuser to stop harming and contacting the domestic violence survivor. Encouraging judges to include pets in these orders is critical toward combating the cycle of domestic violence and empowering survivors and their pets.

Thankfully, pets are currently protected by domestic violence protective orders in California, Connecticut, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Nevada, New York, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, and Vermont. But while progress has been made, the dire plight of pets caught in domestic violence situations is still not recognized by the law in 40 states.
  

Sign the Pledge to go Fur-Free

Photo Credit: © Digital Vision/Getty Images

Vulnerable, helpless, and suffering.

These words describe the millions of individual animals on Chinese fur farms. Each year, more than 2 million cats and hundreds of thousands of dogs are tormented and killed for their fur in China. Animals are beaten, hung upside down, and skinned alive, and their skins are used for companion animal toys, fur trim, fur lining, and coats. Fur manufacturers often intentionally mislabel fur as fake in order to hide their abusive practices from an unsuspecting public. By signing the pledge never to buy fur products, you'll send a message not only to the fur industry but also to designers, retailers, and others who directly profit from the suffering caused by this exploitative industry.

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• http://www2.peta.org/site/PageServer?pagename=fur_free_pledge
  

Cruelty Of The White Tigers...

What they normally look like when they are born. These are usually destroyed.

What is Big Cat Rescue?

Big Cat Rescue, a non profit educational sanctuary, is devoted to rescuing and providing a permanent home for exotic (i.e. wild, not domestic)cats who have been abused, abandoned, bred to be pets, retired from performing acts, or saved from being slaughtered for fur coats, and to educating the public about these animals and the issues facing them in captivity and in the wild.  The sanctuary housesthe most diverse population of exotic cats in the world, with 14 of the35 species of wild cat represented among more than 100 residents. These include tigers, lions, leopards, cougars, bobcats, lynx, ocelots,servals, caracals and others, many of whom are threatened, endangered,or now extinct in the wild. The sanctuary began in1992 when the Founder, Carole Baskin, and her then husband Don,mistakenly believing that bobcats made good pets, went looking to buysome kittens.  They inadvertently ended up at a “fur farm” and boughtall 56 kittens to keep them from being turned into fur coats.  See How We Started. Inthe early years, influenced by breeders and pet owners, they believedthat the cats made suitable pets and that breeding and placing the catsin homes was a way to “preserve the species.”  Gradually they sawincreasing evidence that not only was this not the case, but that itwas leading to a consistent pattern of suffering and abuse.  See History and Evolution.

The Tiger below is a result of over breeding to gain the white fur... 

Today the sanctuary is devoted to its Vision of a world where animals are treated with respect, and its Mission of providing the best possible home for the animals in our care and trying to stop the flow of animals needing sanctuary by educating the public about the plight of the animals and supporting stronger laws to protect them.  See Vision and Mission. The sanctuary is a 501(c)(3) not profit charity.  It receives no government support and relies on its educational activities, such as tours of the facility, and the generosity of donors for support of the cats. Donations are tax deductible.  Because non program expenses (i.e.administration and fund raising) are funded from tour income, 100% of donations go directly to support the cats. We hope you enjoy your visit to our web site.  We believe it is the most complete resource for information on big cats in the world.

We are proud  members of:
Goodsanctuaries do not breed, buy or sell their animals and they do notallow contact between potentially dangerous animals and the public. Big Cat Rescue meets or exceeds the Sanctuary Standards detailed at SanctuaryStandards.com We are partners with Capitol Advantage for better laws and FLA USA.

WSPA Needs Our Help With 400 Million Dogs Around The World...

Right now there are an estimated 400 million stray dogs around the world - dogs like the ones above, who are sick, suffering, abandoned and alone.  These dogs desperately need relief, and we're working to bring it to them, but we cannot do it alone.  We need your support now to make a difference for these dogs. The stray dog problem is a truly global issue - at this very moment there are millions of dogs on the streets, outside in all weather, with nothing to call home other than the bare dirty pavement.  Their food is whatever paltry scraps they can scavenge from dumps and trash cans, and they suffer from agonizing diseases and live in constant fear, as authorities attempt to control stray dog populations by mass shooting and poisoning. You can help us stop this suffering. With your support now we can continue bringing desperately needed veterinary care, spay and neuter services, and aid to tens of thousands of strays and create permanent changes in the way dogs are treated:

• We're working to stop the cycle of uncontrolled breeding: We are training vets to spay and neuter dogs, and we are setting up mobile clinics with vital equipment and medical supplies to treat sick and injured dogs on the street.  Our projects are bringing relief to animals in places all over the world, from Costa Rica to Sierra Leone, India, and Nepal.
• We're joining with local governments and authorities to introduce legislation that protects stray dogs:  Fear and misunderstanding can lead to inhumane methods of stray control, including mass shooting, poisoning, and electrocution.  We're spreading the message that these methods are not only extremely cruel, but also ineffective.
• We're providing humane education to communities, governments and dog owners:  We're teaching people to treat both stray and pet dogs with the care and respect they deserve.  We're also encouraging owners to sterilize their dogs so that unwanted breeding does not lead to more strays.  With your support we'll keep reaching out to schools, government authorities and the public to make a difference for even more animals. 

Thank you again for all that you do for animals!

http://www.wspa-usa.org/

    The Cruelty Of Bear Baiting

Just a few of the many petitions actively circulating:

• 1. Prevent return of Amersham horses prior to animal cruelty trial
• 2. Support Tougher Sentences for Animal Cruelty
• 3. Stop Japan's whaling programme
• 4. Support the Kennel Club and responsible dog breeders
• 5. U.S. Horse Owners in Favor Of Re-Opening Slaughter Plants

Rodeos are Neither Fun Nor Sport

Forget The Myth!

Forget the myth of rodeos as all-American sport. Rodeos are cruel and deadly for animals, some are corrupt, and the crimes of some rodeo people go far beyond animals.

Rodeo associations claim very few animals are injured and killed in rodeos. That is a lie. In fact, rodeo associations do not disclose animal injuries and deaths. Furthermore, those who do commit humane violations are granted anonymity.

Rodeos Abuse, Maim and Kill Animals

Videos Yanked from YouTube are Reinstated

Many of the videos on SHARK's sites are available via YouTube. In response to a false copyright claim by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), YouTube pulled down nearly 40 videos on December 13, 2007 that SHARK had created from our investigative footage.  Although we have had rodeo videos posted on our site for years, SHARK's footage of animal abuse, injuries, and deaths at PRCA rodeos was getting more widespread attention on YouTube than ever before. The rodeo industry can't withstand that kind of honest attention, and they know it. The PRCA doesn't want you or their sponsors to be able to see what really happens at their rodeos. SHARK has successfully fought back and all our videos are again available worldwide. See what the PRCA is so scared of at TheCruelTruth.com.

If you'd like to know more or help:

Make DENMARK STOP!!!

Horror as Philippines Horses Are Forced to Fight to the Death!

On Sundays or fiesta days in the Philippines the so called "sport" of Horse Fighting is illiegally conducted. Two stallions are pitted against each other and results in horrific injuries and deaths and often last for hours.

Some stallions are hit so hard in the head their eyes are popped from their sockets. If death doesnt result from the kicks and bites and gruesome injuries, then the horses are inhumanely slaughtered and barbecued and fed to the crowd. Others limp around in the arena with a glazed look in their eyes or break limbs as they try to escape from the bloody arena.

These stallions fight due a mare on heat which is used as bait in the arena for up to six hours - often she is hit by stray blows from the stallions and has to suffer being mated by the winning stallion of each bout - up to 30 times in one tournament. The more blood shed, the louder the crowd during these fights.

Although horse-fighting is illegal in the Philippines, corruption and lack of enforcement ensure that the tournaments continue - and with apparent official sanction.Matches are featured on TV, and local businesses sponsor horses and tournaments. Local authorities offer prize money.The tournaments are promoted as a "cultural tradition", but in fact they are largely organised and controlled by crime syndicates, who rake in huge profits from gambling.

By signing this petition you are urging the Government of the Philippines to uphold its own Laws and ban this barbaric "traditional" sport.

The petition :

We, the undersigned, call on the Government of the Philippines to uphold Animal Welfare Legislation and bring the cruel and barbaric sport of horse fighting and the inhumane slaughter of horses to an end.
The Undersigned may also consider boycotting travel to the Philippines while Horse Fighting in this country continues.

( Online petition - Ban Horse Fighting In The Philippines)

See the video:

Help Stop Bullfighting From Expanding.

 How would these men and women who call themselves rodeo sportsmen like to be yanked around the neck by a rope or stabbed with swards ?  I can only imagine the fear and terror these animals must have when they are running for their lives and not understanding what made these barbaric people hate them so much.  What fun could possible come out of terrorizing these animals ? Please support not paying to watch this kind of cruelty.

The issue here is not entirely the cruel treatment of the bulls. After all, animals are slaughtered for food everywhere, sometimes just as painfully as these bulls are put to death in the ring. Rather more important is the idea that people consider the killing of an animal in this way 'sport', and will pay money to watch it.

This brings into question the entire notion of killing animals for 'sport' at all. It could be argued that killing animals for 'sport' is hardly a sport at all, if the animal has no chance to survive.
In the ring, the bull has no chance.

Many prominent former bullfighters report that the bull is intentionally debilitated with tranquilizers and laxatives, and beatings to the kidneys. It has petroleum jelly rubbed into its eyes to blur its vision, heavy weights hung around its neck for weeks before the fight, and is confined in darkness for hours before being released into the bright arena. A well-known bullfight veterinarian, Dr. Manuel Sanz, reports that in 1987 more than 90 percent of bulls killed in fights had their horns "shaved" before the fight. Horn shaving involves sawing off several inches of the horns so the bull misses his thrusts.


The matador, two picadors on horses, and three men on foot stab the bull repeatedly when he enters the ring. After it has been weakened by fear, blood loss, and exhaustion, the matador attempts to make a clean kill with a sword to the heart. Unfortunately for the suffering bull, he rarely succeeds, and must make several thrusts, often missing the bull's heart and piercing his lungs instead. Often a dagger must be used to cut the spinal cord and spare the audience the sight of a defenseless animal in the throes of death. The bull may still be fully conscious but paralyzed when his ears and tail are cut off as the final show of "victory."

Mexican bullfighting has an added feature: novillada, or baby bullfights. There is no ritual in this slaughter of calves. Baby bulls, some no more than a few weeks old, are brought into a small arena, where they are stabbed to death by spectators, many of whom are children. These bloodbaths end with spectators hacking off the ears and tail of the often fully-conscious calf lying in his own blood. This is 'sport'?
 This is the sort of thing you should not admit, but it is because such things have not been admitted that the bullfight has never been explained."

If you'd like to read more:
http://www.worsleyschool.net/socialarts/bull/fighting.html

 
There were bullfights in Shanghai. After attempts were made in 2005, 2006 and 2007 to hold bullfights in other Chinese cities.
 
According to several articles published in Spanish newspapers, bullfights will return to China to stay.