IDA's Bill Dyer Leads Protesters at The Greatest Circus on Earth

History was made in Los Angeles last night. In the biggest circus demonstration the city has ever seen, 300 activists holding graphic signs and colorful banners and wearing elephant costumes and symbolic chains, encircled the Staples Center to protest the opening night of Ringling. Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

The mood was electric as energized activists handed out thousands of leaflets and stickers and educated the public about the suffering of animals in circuses, where they are chained and confined to cramped cages, shipped around the country for 50 weeks a year, and cruelly trained to perform unnatural tricks.

No matter what direction circus customers approached the venue from, they had to walk a gauntlet of protesters passing out descriptive flyers and telling them of the horrors animals endure for their “entertainment.” At least two families decided not to attend after learning the truth about the animals’ miserable lives with Ringling.

A mountain of evidence against Ringling Bros. Circus, including court transcripts, videos and still images, and the testimonies of former Ringling employees, clearly demonstrates that the cruelty has been going on for years and still continues today. The most recent video depicts Ringling workers hitting elephants in the face with bullhooks before performances and whipping tigers during training.

IDA and a variety of animal protection organizations were represented at the peaceful protest, and their message was united: It’s time to end the use of animals in circuses.

Doll Stanley has been rescuing animals in Mississippi since 1992.

On July 10, 2010, Debbie Young, a friend of IDA-Project Hope, and three volunteers went to a Mississippi residence we had inspected on July 4. Debbie had discovered that one of our fellow rescuers was actually a hoarder. She’d tried the gentle approach to convince the individual that the animals she was keeping were in need of intervention. Animals were everywhere – at her residence, the residence of her former husband, and at his office. She seemed content to keep them in horrid conditions. She was respected by many of her colleagues and had managed to shield her scandalous neglect of animals from everyone.

Debbie and I learned that dogs this “rescuer” had taken in after hurricanes Katrina and Rita were still at a boarding facility. I encountered some of them when we boarded dogs from another hoarder.

There were no plans for the adoption of these dogs and several needed immediate attention. One had a huge growth on his side, and a blind Border Collie ran continuous circles in his tormentingly narrow run. His companion had become ill and died a few months earlier. This so-called rescuer had been notified that he was ill and had not acted. An elderly crippled dog suffered the winter on the cold concrete of the run where she was confined.

Debbie got a call from Mississippi Animal Rescue League (MARL) after a deputy reported that animals at the hoarder’s residence were being neglected. MARL asked Debbie to look into the allegations, as she had known the resident for some time. Debbie was horrified and emotionally devastated when she saw the putrid, filthy conditions. Most were in cages laden with feces and soaked with urine.

Debbie advised that great embarrassment and legal ramifications could be avoided if the woman we’d known as a friend would release the majority of the animals for adoption, care for those remaining as they should be cared for, and allow home inspections.

Debbie contacted the organization with which the woman was affiliated. The director was shocked that the individual she’d entrusted with animals was unequivocally a hoarder. The organization sent a rescue team to retrieve the animals.

Nearly 100 have been freed from their nightmarish conditions, and there are still more to rescue. We thank MARL, another group that wishes to remain anonymous, and everyone involved in unveiling this tragic situation and stepping up with a resolution to rehabilitate and place every animal who has any hope of adoption. For those who suffered and were humanely released from their misery, we can only say how very vigilant we all need to be when entrusting animals to anyone’s care.

The hoarder has been advised that charges will not be filed if she immediately seeks therapy, agrees to inspections of the sites where the animals were held, and does not increase the number of animals in her care.

This blog was contributed by Doll Stanely, Director for In Defense of Animals / Project Hope.

"Sign" for the Virtual Demo - Just Right Click in the image and Choose Save. Then you can repost this image anywhere.

Every year approximately TWO MILLION dogs are inhumanely caged, tortured and used for food in South Korea! The dogs are crammed like vegetables into crates. When a customer makes a selection, the dogs are roughly yanked from the cage and intentionally abused before being slaughtered for the sale.

In Defense of Animal’s partner in South Korea recently shut down a dog meat farm in the Gyeonggi Province. While this is a huge victory for the dogs of South Korea, more must be done.

This practice of killing and eating dogs is not because of some long-standing cultural tradition. In fact, most Koreans find the cruelty and killing appalling. Yet it continues because it is backed by government indifference and because profit-driven industry forces aggressively promote the superstition that the more the dog suffered in his death, the more virility a man will experience when he eats the flesh.

Please join IDA and our Korean colleagues by participating in The International Day of Action! There are demonstrations happening all over the world but don’t worry if there isn’t one in your area. This year we are also having a “virtual demonstration”!

It is very easy to take part in the “virtual demonstration” – just change your profile photo on your Facebook or Twitter pages to our “Sign” (provided in this blog entry) and post this petition to the South Korean Embassy in your status line or tweet it to your friends! By encouraging your friends and followers to sign this petition – you’ll be urging the Korean government to strengthen and enforce animal protection laws so that these cruelties can be brought to an end! So even if you can’t be outside an embassy next Tuesday – you can still let those decision makers inside the embassy know you care about how these dogs are treated and you want them to do something about it!

Please replace your profile pictures with the Virtual Demo "Sign"

Saturday is the International Day of Action for Elephants in Zoos, when activists around the world will be sending a message that elephants just don’t belong in cramped, unnatural displays that shorten their lives by decades.

This year, everyone can help the elephants, no matter where you live, by participating in our first-ever virtual demonstration on Facebook and Twitter. It’s easy to do and a great way to spread the word that it’s time to stop the elephants’ suffering.

Here’s how it works:

Facebook Instructions – Speak up for Elephants in 3 easy steps!

1. Make sure you have your protest “sign“. All you have to do is right click on the “Elephants Suffer” image and choose “Save” to get this “sign”. Replace your profile photo to your “sign” and keep it up all weekend!

2. Go through the zoo list and “Like” the promotional pages for these zoos. This will allow you to post comments on their pages:

• Albuquerque Biological Park, Albuquerque, NM
• Audubon Zoo, Audubon, LA
• Baltimore Zoo, Baltimore, MD (Maryland Zoo in Baltimore)
• BREC’s Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge, LA
• Bronx Zoo, Bronx, NY (phasing out)
• Brookfield Zoo, Chicago, IL
• Buffalo Zoological Gardens, Buffalo, NY
• Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, FL
• Buttonwood Park Zoo, New Bedford, MA
• Caldwell Zoo, Tyler, TX
• Cameron Park Zoo, Waco, TX
• Central Florida Zoological Park, Lake Monroe, FL (may not replace elephants after they die)
• Chaffee Zoological Gardens, Fresno, CA
• Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Colorado Springs, CO
• Cincinnati Zoo, Cincinnati, OH
• Cleveland Metro Park Zoo, Cleveland, OH
• Columbus Zoo, Columbus, OH
• Dallas Zoo, Dallas, TX
• Denver Zoo, Denver, CO
• Dickerson Park Zoo, Dickerson, MO
• Disney Animal Kingdom, Lake Buena Vista, FL
• El Paso Zoo, El Paso, TX
• Fort Worth Zoo, Ft. Worth, TX
• Greenville Zoo, Greenville, SC
• Hogle Zoo, Salt Lake City, UT
• Honolulu Zoo, Honolulu, HI
• Houston Zoological Gardens, Houston, TX
• Indianapolis Zoo, Indianapolis, IN
• Jackson Zoo, Jackson, MS
• Jacksonville Zoological Gardens, Jacksonville, FL
• Kansas City Zoo, Kansas City, MO
• Knoxville Zoo, Knoxville, TN
• Lee Richardson Zoo, Garden City, KS
• Little Rock Zoo, Little Rock, AK
• Los Angeles Zoo, Los Angeles, CA
• Louisville Zoological Gardens, Louisville, KY
• 37.  Lowry Park Zoo, Tampa, FL
• Marine World, Vallejo, Vallejo, CA
• Memphis Zoo, Memphis, TN
• Miami Metro Zoo, Miami, FL
• Milwaukee Zoological Garden, Milwaukee, WI
• Montgomery Zoo, Montgomery, AL
• Nashville Zoo, Nashville, TN
• Niabi Zoo, Coal Valley, IL
• North Carolina Zoo, Asheboro, NC
• Oakland Zoo, Oakland, CA
• Oklahoma City Zoo, Oklahoma City, OK
• Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo, Omaha, NE
• Oregon Zoo, Portland, OR
• Phoenix Zoo, Phoenix, AZ
• Pittsburgh Zoo, Pittsburgh, PA
• Point Defiance Zoo, Tacoma, WA
• Reid Park Zoo, Tuscon, AZ
• Riverbanks Zoo, Columbia, SC
• Roger Williams Park Zoo, Providence RI
• Rosamond Gifford Zoo, Syracuse, NY
• Saint Louis Zoological Park, St. Louis, MO
• San Antonio Zoo, San Antonio, TX
• San Diego Wild Animal Park, San Diego, CA
• San Diego Zoo, San Diego, CA
• Santa Barbara Zoo, Santa Barbara, CA (phasing out)
• Sedgwick County Zoo, Wichita, KS
• Seneca Park Zoo, Rochester, NY
• Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Washington, DC
• Toledo Zoo, Toledo, OH
• Topeka Zoological Park, Topeka, KS
• Tulsa Zoo and Living Museum, Tulsa, OK
• Virginia Zoo, Norfolk, VA
• Wildlife Safari, Winston, OR
• Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, WA
• Zoo Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
• Calgary Zoo (Alberta)
• Toronto Zoo (Ontario)
• Granby Zoo (Quebec)

3. Starting on Saturday June 19th, start posting your comments! Remember that your comments will be seen by followers of all ages and comments that include profanity or can be interpreted as “abusive” will probably be removed before the general public gets a chance to read them and may result in your profile being reported and/or deleted by Facebook. IDA is not responsible for any comments you may leave or action that results.

Twitter Instructions:

1. Make sure you have your protest “sign“. All you have to do is right click on the “Elephants Suffer” image and choose “Save” to get this “sign”. Replace your profile photo to your “sign” and keep it up all weekend!

2. Go through the zoo list above and “Follow” these pages. This will allow you to send them direct messages and Tweets using the @. here’s an example of how this works – you Tweet : @ZooAtl Elephants need more space than urban zoos can provide. It’s cruel to keep elephants in zoos!

And that Tweet goes directly to the Zoo Atlanta Twitter page.

3. Encourage your friends to join your Twitter Demo! Tweet to them to also change their profile image to their “sign”. Here is an example of a Tweet you can use to encourage them to Tweet the zoos you are Tweeting: FF! Follow these zoos ( Then list a bunch of Twitter pages for zoos with elephants and put a @ before their address. Example : @ZooAtl ) & Tweet about what you think of zoos!

4. Starting on Saturday June 19th, start sending direct messages and Tweeting to the zoos you are following using the Reply function. Here is are some examples of a great Twitter Demo Tweet: @ZooAtl is no fun for the Elephants who live there. OR Elephants belong in the wild not @ZooAtl

5, You can run your Twitter Demo all day – Rain or Shine! But remember messages and Tweets that include profanity or can be interpreted as “abusive” may result in your profile being reported and/or deleted by Twitter. IDA is not reasonable for any messages or Tweets sent or action that results.

Here are some quick messages you can send (but feel free to create your own):

Elephants are suffering and dying prematurely in zoos.

Zoos are entertainment, not education, and elephants should not be used for our entertainment.

Elephant captivity does not equal conservation!

No one has the right, or the need, to see elephants in person, especially when keeping them in zoos causes them so much suffering.

Elephants need more space than urban zoos can provide.

It’s cruel to keep elephants in zoos.

Elephants in zoos suffer painful foot disease and arthritis that cripple and kill them, infertility, high infant mortality and stillbirth rates.

The repetitive rocking and swaying you see elephants doing are signs of psychological distress. Elephants don’t do this in the wild.

Misery, disease and early death: what an elephant gets in a zoo.

Think about it: Elephants have a natural life span of 50-60 years, yet more than half of elephants who died in zoos didn’t live to age 40. You call this conservation?

Elephants in zoos live on a few acres at best; in the wild they live in enormous home ranges of hundreds of square miles. It just isn’t right!

Time to ban the bullhook in zoos! Stop cruel, circus-style training.

Think about it: U.S. zoos will spend close to half a billion dollars on enlarging exhibits that still are too small for elephants. This money could protect entire elephant populations of animals in Africa and Asia.

Think about it: Annually, zoos spend more than $16 million to display fewer than 300 elephants. This money could protect entire elephant populations in Africa and Asia.

Some of the world’s leading elephant experts say elephants don’t belong in urban zoos. Why aren’t zoos listening?

Think about it: Scientists have found that elephants in zoos are dying far younger than those in relatively protected wild populations.

Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary/photo credit: Karla Goodson

Throughout my 20 years in the animal protection field I have admired the work of In Defense of Animals, and I’m truly honored to accept the position of President of this esteemed organization. I feel very fortunate to have inherited a solid foundation created by Dr. Elliot Katz, and look forward to building on this platform of excellence in order to expand IDA’s positive impact for animals.

More than two decades ago I realized the common thread in the network of animal cruelty – the cage. The cage represents the imprisonment and mistreatment of the animals of this world. I have focused my career on tearing down these cages in their many forms and uses.

The cage is a fundamentally flawed contraption that causes rapid emotional, social and physical decline of its inhabitants. In my experience any animal confined to a cage goes through three phases of decline; typically starting with high anxiety, leading to depression, and resulting in psychological turmoil. Putting an animal in a cage is a violation of that creature’s innate right to live naturally and without suffering. This type of confinement also forces animals to eat, sleep and defecate in a space often only a few times the size of their body. This causes human and animal health problems and can ultimately lead to death in some species.

I conceptualized and built a revolutionary cageless animal shelter that set global humane standards. I lobbied for the adoption of guardian language to change people’s ideas concerning our relationships with animals. I lead the rescue of tens of thousands of animals from puppy mills, dog and cock fighting, hoarding cases, equine farming and countless other cruel instances of confinement and mistreatment. I have liberated hundreds of thousands of animals from the confines of cages and the grip of man-made cruelty.

Throughout the centuries, humans have used cages to take non-human animals out of their natural habitats and confine them for enjoyment or financial gain. This phenomenon flows through many forms of animal cruelty. Unnatural confinement is central to puppy mills, vivisection, the dog-meat trade in South Korea, zoos, circuses, aquaria, the exotic bird trade, fur farms, and most of the other exploitative industries IDA fights against.

Puppy mills are one of the most obvious incarnations of this imprisonment. Breeding dogs are often confined to small wire cages for their entire lives, forced to live in horrific conditions while producing litter after litter. These dogs are treated more like a cash crop than living beings capable of pain, loneliness and fear. They live in feces-caked enclosures without proper veterinary care and often only feel the touch of a human hand when they are being forced to breed or their puppies are being taken from them. In this miserable existence they become one with their cages – many have never felt solid ground beneath their feet – only the hard grate of their metal enclosures. One of the most disturbing examples of this abuse I have seen was a Pekingese I rescued from a puppy mill in Arkansas. His severely matted hair had grown around the bars of his tiny cage. I actually had to cut him out of that dank prison to free him.

Another nightmarish example of the cage’s cruel impact is vivisection. Animals are held in laboratories across the country and forced to undergo unimaginable suffering in the name of science. These innocent primates, dogs, cats, rabbits, rats, and other animals cower in the corners of their cages as rough gloved hands reach in to inflict torture. Animals in laboratories are commonly dissected, infected, gassed, burned and blinded. I don’t think that we can fully comprehend the terror of such an existence. For these animals every human interaction is filled with confusion and suffering.

The confinement of birds is perhaps the most fundamentally disturbing use of the cage. Birds are gifted with the incredible ability to soar through the air, envied by all other creatures.  Humans, on a whim, fueled by their desire for an exotic, luxurious pet, take these winged creatures from their rainforest and jungle habitats and force them to live in unnatural confines without proper enrichment. An exotic bird who would naturally fly uninhibited through the treetops is forced to live in a cage often only several times his size. This bird, born to be part of an intricate, social flock, is often forced to live in solitary misery. Some species of parrots can live close to 90 years, but inadequate care and constant confinement dramatically decrease the life expectancy of birds kept as pets.  Until humans cease the imprisonment of these regal creatures they will continue to suffer and die behind the bars of their gilt cages.

These are only three of many examples of the cruelty of confinement. But the cage itself  is not the driving force of the cruelty – it is the humans who stand to profit from the suffering. To make a significant positive impact for these victimized animals we must change the mindset of those who profit from their misery. I remain confident that we are in a position to drastically reduce animal suffering. The need to end animal suffering is great everywhere, but the power of compassion is equal to that need.

In my position as president of IDA I plan to continue that crusade to bring animals out of the darkness of caged confinement and into the safety of a more natural and fulfilling life. We can win only if we band together in a unified circle of compassion, not wavering until we realize our vision of a humane society. IDA has the tools necessary to fight this battle, but we need you every step of the way to ensure victory. I call on you as guardians of the sentient beings of this planet to do your part and continue to support IDA in our work to protect the rights, habitat and welfare of animals. On behalf of the animals who benefit from your acts of kindness, thank you.

While you are gone, however, the temperature begins to soar – within a few minutes your car becomes a roasting oven. A Stanford University test found that even if it’s only 72°F outside, a car’s internal temperature rockets to 116°F in a very short time. You’re almost through the check-out line, and Duke is fighting for his life. When it is 80°F outside, a car’s temperature inside rises to 99°F in 10 minutes, and to 109°F in 20 minutes, a San Francisco State University study found. Because dogs, swathed in fur, can only cool down by panting and sweating through their paws, the heat is especially deadly.

Every year, hundreds of beloved canine companions die in parked cars from heatstroke while their guardians leave them, often for “just a few minutes.” This can happen even if you leave the windows cracked – there isn’t enough air circulation to compensate for the rising temperature. It can happen if you park in the shade – a car in the shade on a balmy 78°F day reaches internal temperatures of over 90°F quickly. In the sun, make it over 160°F. Humidity makes it even worse.

Dogs, whose normal body temperature ranges between 100.5°F to 102.5°F, can withstand only minor increases to their body temperature for extremely short period of time before suffering heatstroke, often resulting in brain damage, or even death.

Leaving your dog in a parked car on even a mildly warm day could result in a terribly high price to pay for a quick shopping trip.

Leave Duke safely at home.

HOW YOU CAN RESPOND TO DANGER

Signs of heatstroke to watch for include the following: rapid panting; wide eyes; excessive drooling; trouble breathing; anxious expression; increased heart rate; thick saliva; bright red tongue or dark tongue; refusal to obey commands; staring; warm, dry skin; high fever; vomiting; staggering or lack of coordination; restlessness; excessive thirst; lethargy; lack of appetite; collapse or loss of consciousness; and seizure.

What to do if tragedy does strike: call 911 immediately as well as a veterinarian—heatstroke is a medical emergency. Follow the veterinarian’s specific directions.

While you wait for help, address the situation first:

* Get animal out of an overheated car immediately and in to the shade
* Apply towels soaked in cool water to the hairless areas of the animal’s body to lower the temperature, including the head, neck, and chest area, or hold icepacks to these areas.
* If necessary, immerse the dog in lukewarm (not cold) water.
* Offer water for the dog to drink
* Keep the dog calm while you go to the veterinarian, where medication can be given to prevent or reverse brain damage, further cooling techniques can be undertaken, and intravenous fluids administered.

What can you do to avoid this tragedy?

* Be a true animal guardian—never, ever leave your animal companions in the car. If they can’t come with you, leave them at home where they will have shade, food, water, and air circulation.
* Don’t leave your animals in cages in the sun, chained, or in an outdoor run without sufficient shade, air circulation, or fresh water (*water should always be provided in bowls that cannot be tipped over).
* Ask your veterinarian if your dog could use a summer haircut.
* If you see a dog left alone in a car, get the car’s make, model, color, and license plate, and ask the nearest store to page the animal’s guardian, or call the local humane society, police, or mall security. These authorities can do whatever it takes to get the dog out of the car.
* Help others understand these dangers in any way you can. United Animal Nations’ My Dog is Cool Campaign is designed for this purpose and can supply flyers, posters, and other outreach material with such slogans as “Don’t leave me in here—it’s hot!”
* Go to MyDogisCool.com’s Web site to determine how hot a car gets at various ambient temperatures, and to get an instant current temperature reading for any location.
* Go to In Defense of Animal’s Web site’s Guardian Campaign page, to learn more about ways you can help change people’s thinking about their companion animals by replacing the term “owner” with the term “guardian” when referring to the animals with whom we share our lives.

This blog was contributed by guest blogger and IDA Staffer E.Read Adams.

Milton was left behind when his “guardian” moved out of his life. I know the area he came from well. I know that there are caring people that provided food for him once they realized he was at risk, but except for sustaining him, there was no remedy for his homelessness. Frightened and hopeless, Milton had already been chased off several times by property owners who didn’t want him hanging around.

I took Milton to Dr. Abernathy for an exam, bath, shave, and assessment. He was scared and defensive at the clinic and had to be sedated for the exam and shave.

Once back at the Sanctuary, his mood greatly improved. It was as if seeing the other happy dogs made him feel a hope he’d not had in a while.

In no time at all Milton pranced, literally skipped, and definitely smiled. He wouldn’t allow us to touch him, but would climb up and sleep on my legs when he thought I’d slipped off into dreamland. This precious happy little fellow was blossoming.

Yesterday I noticed Milton’s right ear was troubling him. He was due for another shave, and he probably needed a dental exam. As any of these procedures would require sedation, it only made sense to sedate him to ease his concerns.

This morning I picked little Milton up from his overnight vet visit – I could hear his terrified cries from the kennel area. As I’m welcome in most areas of the clinic I went to aid the staff member handling him and to help ease his fear. Milton had chewed the leash bound to him in half and was just starting to realize he could flee – which he then did – becoming wedged behind some crates. I placed his crate near the ones he’d wedged himself behind and put my hand on his shoulders. He was terrified and uttered a weak growl. I gave him a minute and then gently eased him around and aimed him towards the open crate. He went in and quickly settled down.

Back at the Sanctuary, as Milton’s little feet touched the ground he began to skip. He went to check out his favorite hangouts and then joined the grazers. For the rest of the day Milton was my shadow.

Hard to believe he was referred to as vicious, even dangerous this morning. I spoke up like any good guardian would and said he was just misunderstood. I know the concerns for his behavior were real, but it was a stab to this loving guardian’s heart.

I know there’s a world of suffering out there, but here in this little haven of hope there is safety and security for animals who have suffered traumas, like Milton, that we can only try to understand.

This blog was contributed by Doll Stanely, Director for In Defense of Animals / Project Hope.

Working on the Korean Dog campaign can be more challenging then other issues as South Korea seems at times to be a world away. But then I get word of an amazing development that makes me feel so close to the activists working tirelessly for the dogs of Korea, uplifts me, and makes me proud to collaborate with them. IDA recently learned that in South Korea, IDA’s partner Coexistence for Animal Rights on Earth (CARE) received information about a remote dog meat farm in Gyeonggi Province. CARE activists paid a visit to the facility and what they found was appalling.

Dogs of different breeds were living in miserable conditions in soiled, ramshackle cages. Some of the dogs had injuries and all were filthy and uncared for. The waste in the cages appeared to have never been cleaned and the dogs sat in piles of feces. The conditions were so horrible that these brave activists felt they couldn’t leave without the dogs. At the risk of being arrested and possible personal injury, they rescued the dogs and brought them to CARE’s animal shelter to be treated, cleaned, and most likely, loved for the first time.

CARE has filed a civil complaint against the facility and instead of getting more dogs, the owner has agreed to demolish the buildings; a momentous victory for the dogs of Korea!

With IDA’s assistance, CARE is also gearing up for a series of lawsuits against dog meat shops in the Mo-ran Market in Gyeonggi Province, citing violations of animal cruelty laws. If convicted, the butchers could be fined up to 5 million won (around $5,000), which could be a significant deterrent for selling dog meat. IDA and CARE are fervently committed to seeing a permanent end to dog meat eating in South Korea.

Check out the amazing photos of this dramatic rescue here- http://www.idausa.org/campaigns/korea/korea_lifesaving_rescue.html