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December 2009 No Bull Paws Up! To the Catalan Parliament for voting overwhelmingly to ban bull fighting in Catalonia. According to news sources, “…a change in Catalonia’s animal cruelty law…would see fighting bulls, which are currently excluded, protected from any kind of torture.” Although the ban brings to an end bullfights in Catalonia, it “will not prohibit street fiestas in which bulls are tormented, sometimes with balls of fire attached to their horns.” Bullfighting is often called a tradition. However, there are some traditions that need to change. Animal cruelty, in the form of bullfighting, is one tradition that needs to change today. Take Action: Please write a letter to the president of the Catalan Parliament thanking him for the members’ action in banning bullfighting in Catalonia. Further, urge the Parliament to continue working toward animal cruelty laws to protect bulls across the board. M. H. Sr. Ernest Benach i Pascual El president del Parlament de Catalunya Parc de la Ciutadella, s/n
Barcelona Spain 08003
E-mail: ernest.benach@parlament.cat Telephone: 93 304 65 00
Fax: 93 304 65 46 Source: www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6961985.ece www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/12/19/18633109.php # Bill Will Save Thousands of Lives Paws Up! To Representative Bob Filner for introducing HR 4269, the BEST Practices Act, which directs the Secretary of Defense to use human-based methods and models for training service personnel in the treatment of severe injuries. HR 4269, also known as the Battlefield Excellence through Superior Training Practices (BEST) Act, requires human-based methods for training members of the Armed Forces in the treatment of severe combat and chemical and biological injuries. Across the United States, more than 90 percent of trauma training courses are taught using only human-based simulators. The American College of Surgeons has approved nonanimal models like the TraumaMan System, SimMan, and cadavers for these courses. According to Dr. John Pippin, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, “It's especially inhumane and especially indefensible [to use live animals] when there are alternatives in hand which not only would spare the animals the trauma of going through this but also would provide a better educational experience.” The BEST Practices Act will spare thousands of animals’ lives while at the same time creating superior training opportunities for combat personnel in the treatment of severe combat and chemical and biological injuries. Take Action: Write a polite letter to your Congressperson asking him or her to co-sponsor HR 4269. Source: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/thomas # Dog Fighting Is Illegal Paws Up! To Acting United States Attorney Michael W. Reap and others for the successful prosecution and sentencing of four Missouri men for engaging in illegal dog fighting ventures. According to news sources, “Four men received prison sentences in federal court Tuesday (Dec. 8) for their roles in a dog-fighting conspiracy and selling dogs for fighting purposes.” An additional defendant is awaiting sentencing. New sources further stated, “Each defendant admitted that they routinely inhumanely abandoned, destroyed, and otherwise disposed of Pit Bull Terriers that lost fighting competitions, did not perform aggressively enough, or that became injured, wounded, or disabled as a result of participating in an animal fighting ventures (sic).” The sentences ranged from 1 year to 18 months. All sentences included two years of supervised release during which time none of the four could own dogs or other animals. Take Action: It’s important to thank our law enforcement and judicial personnel who work tirelessly in fighting to protect animals. Please write a letter thanking Mr. Reap and all those who worked in conjunction with him for the successful outcome of this prosecution. Michael W. Reap Acting United States Attorney United States Attorneys Office Eastern District of Missouri Thomas Eagleton U.S. Courthouse
111 S. 10th Street, 20th Floor
St. Louis, MO 63102 Telephone: 314-539-2200
Fax: 314-539-2309
Source: www.lincolncountyjournal.com/news/view_sections.asp?idcategory=9&idarticle=3574 # Preserving the Arctic Waters Paws Up! To U.S. Department of Commerce for closing almost 200,000 square miles of Arctic waters to industrial fishing. According to news reports, “[N]ew regulations [will] close all U.S. waters north of Alaska’s Bering Strait to commercial fishing to allow time for more science to assess the health of Arctic ocean ecosystems and the potential impacts of large-scale fishing given the impacts the Arctic is already facing from climate change and ocean acidification.” Those in favor of this ban wish to see a, “science-based precautionary approach for oil that is now in place for fishing, especially given the higher risks of oil spills in the Arctic and the inability to contain, control or clean up an accident in the icy waters of the Arctic.” According to Dr. Chris Krenz, Arctic Project Manager for Oceana, “We need a rush of scientists into the Arctic, not an armada of cargo ships, oil platforms and fishing trawlers.” Subsistence fishing by native populations will continue to be allowed. Take Action: Write a letter to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke thanking him for taking this action to protect these waters from industrial fishing and urging him to continue protecting this valuable ecosystem from intrusion by oil companies. Gary Locke, Secretary U.S. Department of Commerce 1401 Constitution Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20230 Telephone: Main: (202) 482-2000 E-mail: TheSec@doc.gov Source: http://na.oceana.org/en/news-media/press-center/press-releases/us-closes-arctic-waters-to-industrial-fishing # |
