Posts Tagged ‘abuse’

Sarah & Billy Joe with Priscilla, Persimmon, Penny, Penelope, Petal

Last month, Petal and Penelope were rescued from a terrible situation of neglect in Coffeeville, Mississippi. Their siblings, seen in the photo of their rescue (the girls are on right in BJ’s arms) were just babies. Because we had so many puppies, our friends with the Mississippi State University student program “Homeward Bound” accepted three of the pups into its foster and placement program. They were all set to go on our February transport to Colorado.

The five siblings arrived with fleas, Coccidia, and worm distension. Petal and Penelope were actually the healthiest of the siblings. But, tragically, we either brought Parvo home with a new pup, or picked it up in one of the many places we may have come into contact with communicable canine disease (even the animal companion section of Wal-Mart).

The girls became ill last Tuesday. Wednesday morning we rushed them to Veterinary Associates for testing and treatment. At the sanctuary we can give sub-Q fluids, but at the hospital they were given IV, and we wanted to minimize contamination of their roommates. It’s uncertain if the two other families of other pups sharing their quarters have been infected.

Our little girls lost their valiant struggle. It just hurts so bad. We saved them from neglect, freed them from parasites, medicated them, loved them, and they were heading to Colorado awaiting guardians, and now they’re gone. I’m sorry but “they knew love” or “they would have died where they were” doesn’t lessen the pain. They were happy, beautiful, and then they got horribly sick—sick enough to suffer death.

We move forward because other animals will suffer if we don’t, and caring people cannot wallow in the luxury of self-preservation or pity. We feel the whole world should know that Petal or Penelope were here and what was lost, so we will all fight to prevent the inevitable misery of animals who are not protected. Our little girls will not be forgotten.

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A few weeks ago we told you about IDA’s Hope Animal Sanctuary being granted custody of 15 starving horses and a mule in Yazoo County, Mississippi. County Justice Court Judge Pam May signed a seizure order on December 21, 2011, and the rescue of the horses began immediately. Within 3 days, all horses were in foster homes receiving much-needed nourishment and loving care.

But the mule eluded capture, earning the name Flying Wind. This past Sunday, a team from In Defense of Animals (IDA), along with a team from Have A Heart Horse Rescue (HAHHR), a Mississippi horse welfare organization, finally accomplished the safe confinement of Flying Wind. IDA would like to especially thank Sheila Horton of HAHHR.

Flying Wind’s capture brings to a close the month-long ordeal that began with IDA being granted temporary custody of 15 horses and a mule found in various stages of malnourishment. Flying Wind’s ability to jump fences not only allowed him to stay nourished with generous access to hay, it also allowed him to freely roam on 70 acres. This made capture very difficult and he was obviously enjoying his freedom and newly discovered superiority.

Once a halter was slipped over Flying Wind’s head, IDA volunteer David Gray led him to a secure confinement area.  After helping Flying Wind calm down, David was able to lead and load him into a waiting trailer and he was finally on his way to Have A Heart Horse Rescue and Sanctuary in Coila, Mississippi to join the seven Yazoo County horses being rehabilitated at HAHHR.

Flying Wind is enjoying his new ‘temporary’ home where he will receive veterinary care and be evaluated for eventual adoption.

In other Hope Animal Sanctuary news, we also rescued a donkey named Percy from a guardian who no longer wanted to care for him. IDA-HAS had previously offered sanctuary for Percy when he was held at a Mississippi shelter. Instead, he was adopted to an individual. That person grew weary of caring for him, and the Drew, MS animal control officer contacted IDA-HAS to ask if haven was still an option for Percy. Members of the IDA-HAS rescue team brought Percy home on January 20.  Percy immediately took to his new home and companions.  He’s been playing with Arlin, the Barbados sheep who barely escaped becoming a trophy intended for a regional man’s wall.

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On January 12, 2012 it was reported that three teenagers in Boulder County, Colorado sadistically herded four geese into the street so they could deliberately run over them with their SUV. Three of the geese died at the scene, with the fourth succumbing to death a few days later at Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.

Victor - the goose that survived being hit by an SUV died on January 6th. (photo credit: CBS Denver)

This comes on the heels of another Boulder incident a few months ago in which three students viciously killed a raccoon with a baseball bat, machete and hockey stick.

Many local citizens believe these teens should be charged with felony animal cruelty and, if found guilty, prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

As long as incidents like these are passed off as “boys will be boys” matters, nothing will change.  In addition, studies and statistics make it very clear that violence to humans quite often follows violence to animals.

In Mississippi in 1997, 16 year old Luke Woodham killed his mother and two students, and injured seven other students.  He had earlier written in his diary about the torture and killing of his own dog, Sparkle.  Diary entries stated, “I’ll never forget the sound of her breaking under my might.  I will never forget the howl she made . . . It sounded almost human.  We laughed and hit her more.”  An adult neighbor witnessed Sparkle’s killing, but never reported it to police or animal control.  Could intervention have prevented the human tragedy that followed?

I agree that this is very difficult to read and you might want to look away, but it’s not as difficult as it was for the tortured dog or the dead and injured humans.

Fortunately, Boulder District Attorney Stan Garnett has stated with regard to animal cruelty cases, “We want to make these cases a priority because they matter to the community on a lot of different levels . . .There seems to be a correlation between people who abuse animals and people who abuse other people.”  The DA’s office has decided to charge two of the teens with, among other charges, Aggravated Cruelty to Animals which is a felony.  The teens will appear before the judge on February 1, 2012.

We strongly believe that violence in all its forms will never stop if we don’t take animal cruelty seriously and treat these cases like the heinous acts they are.

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Documenting any activity on an animal farming operation my soon be a criminal offense.  Last year, because of pressure from the animal agriculture lobby, four states tried to pass bills that would make it illegal to document farm activity without the owner’s consent. Although this legislative effort was defeated in all states, similar bills have cropped up in Florida, New York, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska so far in 2012, and more are expected. These bills are designed to undermine whistleblowers seeking to keep the public informed and to hold the industry accountable to basic levels of food safety and humane standards. These courageous individuals risk their personal safety to go undercover and document the egregious practices inside the closed doors of livestock facilities. But instead of being heralded as heroes, they could soon face criminal prosecution.

In recent years, undercover investigators have successfully exposed horrific cruelty in the animal agriculture industry, documenting abuse on video and in photos. Mainstream news outlets have aired the footage of graphic violence and miserable conditions farm animals endure daily in commercial animal agriculture. Viewing this appalling treatment of farm animals can make even a strong stomach turn and with each new investigation it becomes clear that the callousness is widespread; misery is the industry standard, not just a few rotten egg facilities. Yet, instead of improving conditions for animals and workers, big agribusiness is trying to draw a curtain to shield their inhumane operations from public accountability.

So-called “ag-gag” or whistleblower suppression bills are a violation of free speech rights and an attack on the freedom of the press. For democracy to function properly, the public must be well informed. Whistleblowers exposing the wrongdoing in this or in any other industry should be protected, not victimized.

“Big Ag” has a reason to be concerned. These videos are instrumental in furthering laws to protect farm animals from cruel and unnecessary suffering. By informing consumers about the wretched conditions of these facilities, the public may choose to reduce the amount of animal products consumed and create consumer demand for alternatives and more humane production. Humane standards may detract from the inflated revenue streams of industry moguls, so the industry has elected to keep the pubic ignorant.

It is imperative that people continue to have access to factory farming operations to witness and expose their abusive activity. The abuse that years of undercover video has revealed should prompt the USDA and other oversight committees– and, frankly, any farming operation that claims to care about welfare– to mount video cameras themselves throughout animal agriculture facilities, to oversee employees and keep a watchful eye for further abuse, rather than keeping the public in the dark.

These so called “ag-gag” bills are being condemned as unconstitutional by civil liberties, public health, food safety, veterinarian, environmental, food justice, and workers’ rights organizations. They are excessive and unnecessary as there are already extensive trespassing and slander laws that protect private property owners. The public has the right to know about illegal and unethical practices on farms such as food safety issues, working conditions and blatant animal abuse.

IDA has joined a coalition of powerful animal organizations including HSUS, ASPCA, Mercy for Animals, Compassion Over Killing, Farm Sanctuary and more to combine our efforts and defeat these bills. IDA will be sending alerts to states where bills are appearing, asking our members in those states to contact their legislators and tell them that lawmakers should be holding animal agribusiness accountable for cruelty, instead of falling under the influence of industry that seeks to censor whistleblowers and keep the public uninformed for their own financial motives. Be on the lookout for those alerts and please take action against these dangerous and unethical bills.

For more information on the ag-gag bills, contact hope@idausa.org

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What? Yelling at people and insulting them isn’t effective?

There’s a phenomenon online where people feel free to say whatever they want to strangers, even when they wouldn’t say the same things in person. I have heard many people say that vegans and vegetarians are some of the rudest and nastiest people they have ever encountered on the internet and I’ve witnessed this myself.

What we should be hearing is that vegans and vegetarians are some of the most compassionate and respectful people on the internet and in the world, and even though I don’t adhere to their principles, I have the highest respect for their compassion and commitment.  Only then will they be open to our message.

Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages. –Thomas Edison

Snack time at IDA's Hope Animal Sanctuary

As Animal Advocates, many of us frequently watch horrific videos of animal neglect, abuse and slaughter. It is quite natural when watching a defenseless child or animal being abused to become angry and have unkind thoughts toward the person committing those heinous acts. Those “unkind thoughts” need to be kept to yourself as private thoughts in order for us to be effective.

Recommending the eye for an eye philosophy only hurts animals and our efforts on their behalf. At IDA, we do not condone verbal abuse or acts of violence.

We want to win people over and make them comfortable with vegans. No one makes changes in their lifestyle if they are demeaned or addressed with disdain. Negative attacks will only push people further away from our message and deeper into their own denial and excuses. People change when a “friend” or respected authority gives them information in a caring and compassionate manner.

Speak up for animals, speak up for what is right, and speak loudly. Never be afraid to be labeled an extremist, but be an extremist for peace and compassion for ALL beings!

So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice? –Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Work every day of your life to right what is wrong.

Most of the smaller circuses are now in their brief winter break, a good time for an update on some of the elephants we’ve been watching closely this circus season, with your invaluable assistance.

George Hanneford, Jr. (Hanneford Family Circus) was cited by USDA/APHIS early in 2011 for failure to provide veterinary care to his elephant, Liz, who was noted to be extremely underweight (her last weight was noted at 4760 pounds) and to have deformities to one front and one hind leg, which were affecting her gait. Liz stopped performing, but she continued to travel around the country with Hanneford and two other elephants, Carol and Patty, to a variety of Shrine venues. A follow-up by APHIS determined that Hanneford had consulted with a veterinary specialist, as ordered, and that he was complying with the recommendations of the specialist. Presumably, those recommendations included preventing Liz from performing. IDA pressed our position with APHIS that allowing her to travel, even without performing, would cause further mental and physical deterioration in an already sick elephant.

As of this writing, Carol and Patty are performing with a Ringling Bros Circus unit, and we believe that Liz is “at home” in Florida with George Hanneford, Jr. We have asked that APHIS urgently investigate her situation and ensure that she is getting appropriate care and handling to improve her health, and, if not – as we believe to be the case – to confiscate her immediately.

George Carden (George Carden Circus International) apparently manages to fool even the USDA by hauling elephants around in a variety of group sizes and configurations and under an array of mantles including many Shrine organizations and the Jordan World Circus. Three of the elephants listed and at times inspected under George Carden’s license appear to also be licensed by his son, Brett (B and C Ranch). It is extremely difficult to keep track of Carden and “his” elephants for monitoring purposes. We do know that at least three of the elephants – Betty, Bimbo and Tory – have severe problems with their front legs. IDA complained numerous times to APHIS about these elephants, obviously in pain, being forced to give rides and perform. We also pointed to serious stereotypic behavior as an indicator of poor health in other elephants. APHIS then cited Carden for failure to provide veterinary care and ordered a thorough examination by an experienced veterinarian in order to assess their fitness to travel and perform. Unfortunately, Carden was able to obtain statements from a veterinarian with close ties to the circus industry, claiming that all three elephants could continue performing. We continue to monitor Carden’s elephants wherever possible, with an eye toward demonstrating to APHIS that their welfare is severely compromised and that steps must be taken to protect them.

WE NEED YOUR HELP: Getting agencies such as the USDA to act to protect elephants in circuses can be an excruciating process, but it can be very effective. Frequent monitoring of the elephants’ condition is required. We can’t go to circuses all over the country, but the help of wonderful activists has allowed us to check on elephants in New York, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Illinois and Florida, to name only a few. With more people willing to go to circuses to videotape the elephants, we can accomplish even more. Please email circuses@idausa.org if a circus is headed your way and you can help.

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

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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.

Nosey

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.

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Our report this week comes from our extraordinary volunteer Debbie Young.  It’s a tale of 15 horses and a mule who will survive because Debbie launched and maintained our efforts for their rescue and care. And a huge thanks to Have A Heart Rescue for aiding with the treatment of some of the horses.

Debbie: “I’d been watching the news about starving horses five miles from my home. I had been told a few days earlier that the local humane society was working on either a seizure order or attempting to the get the keeper of the horses to voluntarily surrender them.

As of December 15, with at least 15 horses in various stages of malnourishment and several dead horses on the property in various stages of decomposition, the Yazoo County (Mississippi) Sheriff’s Department filed cruelty charges against Alvin Ross. Mr. Ross turned himself in and immediately posted bond. He then moved the horses to unknown locations. Now the horses wouldn’t even get the extra hay that was being thrown over the fence to them by concerned people.

On December 20, I received a call from a friend who was frantic because nothing was being done to take custody of the horses and get them the rehabilitative care they so desperately needed. It turned out the local humane society had decided NOT to proceed with seizure action, and the Sheriff’s Department was unable to take responsibility for the care of the horses.

I placed an urgent call to Doll Stanley of Hope Animal Sanctuary and her response was immediate. IDA would attempt to secure a seizure order for the horses. That afternoon, with a seizure order in hand thanks to IDA, I went to the Yazoo County Sheriff’s Department to request its assistance in processing the order. After some serious verbal wrangling, the investigator realized we weren’t going away. He instructed us to return early the next morning when the deputy who had been working the case would be on duty, and the Justice Court judge would be in court. After an extended wait, the deputy took us to Justice Court where a sympathetic clerk gave me the first ray of hope since this all began. Thanks to excellent television coverage regarding the case, she was aware of the condition of the horses and made sure the judge was shown all the accompanying photos. We had a signed seizure order that was served immediately.

Within hours, we took over the care of the first four horses. That night they were warm, with fresh hay, and a measured amount of senior horse feed to begin their long journey back to a healthy weight.

The Mississippi Board of Animal Health (MBAH) responded to a phone call regarding the dead horses on the property. The Board discovered five dead horses and four sets of skeletal remains. Mr. Ross had a “killing field” for horses. Mississippi law requires dead “livestock” be buried within 24 hours, so Mr. Ross was charged a $1,000 fine for each of the dead horses. He could not be fined for the skeletal remains since the time of death could not be accurately determined. He also faced fines for each horse he removed from the property without a verifiable Equine Infectious Anemia test. He was ordered to provide the location of the horses he had moved.

Thanks to the action of the MBAH, coupled with the issuing of the seizure order, Mr. Ross complied the next day with the remaining 11 horses. The lone mule is still on the property and being fed.

All of the horses suffer malnourishment ranging from moderate to severe. Their bodies are covered in thousands of blood-sucking ticks (the veteran rescuers agree they have never seen such infestation) and rain rot (bacteria) so bad it has gone through their skin. Two of the horses, both mares, suffer life-threatening conditions due to starvation and neglect but both are starting to show small signs of regaining their strength, and we are hopeful they will live to enjoy a life filled with love and comfort.

Have a Heart Horse Rescue graciously offered to take on some of the horses to help with their rehabilitation. Seven of the horses are in their care. All the others are in foster care at multiple locations and are doing as well as can be expected. Now that they are receiving life-saving nutrition, the ticks are being removed by brushing. The emaciated state of the horses makes it dangerous to use chemicals that will kill the ticks, so brushing is the safest remedy. The rain rot will be treated slowly with antibacterial shampoos as the weather allows.

I wish to thank Doll Stanley and In Defense of Animals for always being ready to take decisive action to help animals who have no voice. There are now fifteen horses in Mississippi who have food in their bellies and warmth from the cold. I am also so grateful to IDA supporters.”

Deborah L. Young

Stay tuned to IDA’s website and eNews for more news about the 15 horses as they fight their way back to health (and the mule), as well as the cruelty charges filed against Alvin Ross.

*UPDATE*

January 13, 2012 – IDA has been granted permanent custody of 15 starving horses and a mule seized after Yazoo County resident Alvin Ross was found guilty today in Yazoo County Justice Court, of nine counts of cruelty to animals. Charges were filed by the Sheriff’s Department on December 15, 2011, following the discovery of nine dead horses in varying stages of decomposition on the property. Ross was found guilty of confining the horses without sufficient quantity of wholesome food, a misdemeanor under Mississippi animal cruelty laws.  The remaining horses were seized under a court order issued by Justice Court Judge Pam May on December 21, 2011, and are now at various locations receiving much-needed rehabilitative foster care and veterinary treatment.  Judge May, who presided over the hearing today, offered to suspend the fines if Ross would surrender all rights to the seized horses.

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We are thrilled to report a very happy ending to a tragic story. Do you remember Kapone, the missing Memphis dog we first told you about in our July 21, 2011 eNews? IDA had just added $3,000 to the reward fund for info about Kapone, a family’s adored pit bull, who had been missing since he was picked up by a Memphis Animal Services (MAS) animal control officer.

Kapone disappeared on June 24, when he and the family’s other dog, Jersey, got out of their fenced yard. Neighbors witnessed both dogs being loaded onto an MAS truck. Over 3,000 IDA members sent emails complaining about MAS to Memphis city officials and Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. Click here to read our news release about this from July 2011.

Well, Kapone is now back home for the holidays!

Kapone reunited with his family!

Our dear friend and animal advocate Beverly King learned that yet another dog had simply vanished without a trace of paperwork or documentation after being picked up by Memphis Animal Control. Beverly and associates alerted the media, and helped Kapone’s family push the city to prosecute Animal Control Officer Demetria Hogan for Kapone’s disappearance and the death of another dog Hogan left confined in the back of her city truck. Beverly alerted IDA and we offered a reward. PETA joined us, as did a private source, and the reward grew to $8,000.  A banner with the reward information and a photo of Kapone has hung prominently since his disappearance. Just days before Christmas, a tip that Kapone might have been seen in Senatobia, Mississippi broke the case, and, after investigation, Kapone was reunited with his family.

The case is not closed, but is solved, and very satisfying. Kapone is relishing his playtime with his family, while Hogan’s animal cruelty charges are surely to be added to a felony animal abduction charge.  We refuse to use the word theft – “theft” is what happens to property, and Kapone is nobody’s property. He is, however, back with his guardians. How awesome this is!  Oh, by the way, the tipster has asked for and received only $3,000 of the $8,000 reward.

Additional notes:

Jersey was reunited the day after she was picked up.  She was at MAS.

The cloth on Kapone’s neck is his bandana.

Hogan is charged with cruelty.  Theft, we don’t know yet.

As far as we can assume, Kapone could have been used for breeding, even at his age.  He was unneutered.  He was unharmed when found so he hadn’t fought.

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Most of the smaller circuses are now in their brief winter break, a good time for an update on some of the elephants we’ve been watching closely this circus season, with your invaluable assistance.

Nosey

NOSEY: After several years of touring with Piccadilly Circus, Nosey’s “owner” Hugo Liebel left the circus after a reported falling out with its owners this spring. Nosey then spent the summer performing several shows a day and giving rides at the Circus World Museum in Baraboo, Wisconsin. Since CWM closed in September, the Liebels have been reported in a few southeastern states, touring as the Liebling Family Circus, with little advance fanfare. Nosey is still performing and giving rides.

There was good news when the USDA confirmed to IDA in April that there is an active investigation into Animal Welfare Act violations by Liebel. This can result in serious sanctions against Liebel including loss of his license to exhibit. IDA filed numerous complaints leading to that investigation and, with the help of many people, we continue to monitor Nosey, and to focus the USDA’s attention on serious ongoing problems related to veterinary care and handling.

It does not appear that Nosey is getting any respite from circus life, so please keep your eyes and ears open, particularly in the Southeastern states, for appearances by the Liebling Circus or for elephant rides, and contact circuses@idausa.org if you think she’s coming to your town.

Makia

DOLLY, LOU, LOVEY AND MAKIA – UNIVERSOUL CIRCUS: The four African elephants touring during the past few seasons with UniverSoul are exhibited by Jorge and Louann Barreda. As in past seasons, IDA this year filed several complaints concerning the condition and the handling of these elephants. In April, the Barredas were cited for inadequate veterinary care due to lack of proper foot care. Foot and joint problems are the leading cause of death for elephants in captivity.

A USDA inspection following an IDA complaint in July found “no noncompliances”. Armed with photographic evidence that, in the opinion of the expert we consulted, demonstrated a lack of appropriate foot care, IDA pressed the USDA to investigate further. This resulted in the issuance of an Official Warning to the Barredas for failure to provide adequate veterinary care. This should mean that heightened attention is being paid by APHIS inspectors; failure to improve their care could well bring about legal sanctions and confiscation (rescue) of these suffering elephants.

WE NEED YOUR HELP: Getting agencies such as the USDA to act to protect elephants in circuses can be an excruciating process, but it can be very effective; frequent monitoring of the elephants’ condition is required. We can’t go to circuses all over the country, but the help of wonderful activists has allowed us to check on elephants in New York, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Illinois and Florida, to name only a few. With more people willing to go to circuses to check on the elephants we can accomplish even more. Please email circuses@idausa.org if a circus is headed your way and you can help.

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