With partner Cheryl Craig, planned transition CALEDONIA, Mississippi––Cedarhill Animal Sanctuary founder Kay McElroy, 74, died at the sanctuary after a multi-year illness on January 3, 2019. “In the final weeks of her life, as McElroy's illness progressed, she was confined to her bedroom. … [Read More...]
Deadliest dogs in South Africa? Boerboels challenge pit bulls
The most dangerous dogs of the apartheid era make a bloody comeback PRETORIA, DURBAN, South Africa––Boerboels are back in contention with pit bulls for the dubious distinction of deadliest dogs in South Africa, after killing two people in first 52 days of 2019 and nearly killing two … [Read More...]
Diane Chontos of Wild Burro Rescue charged with felony neglect
Sanctuary endured 35 years, but failed to thrive OLANCHA, California––At least 67 U.S. animal shelters, nonprofit animal rescues, and animal sanctuaries failed in 2018. Twenty have failed in the first 75 days of 2019, a record pace, obliging other shelters, rescues, and sanctuaries to … [Read More...]
Johnny Rodrigues, 69, fought to save wildlife in Zimbabwe
Felled by cancer after surviving two wars, poachers' gunfire, & the Mugabe regime QUARTEIERA, Portugal––Johnny Rodrigues, 69, founder of the the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force and an enthusiastic contributor of information and occasional guest columns to ANIMALS 24-7, died on September 17, 2018 at his daughter Lorraine and son-in-law Gavin Randall’s home in Portugal, after a prolonged … [Read More...]
Will Santa Anita figure out what’s killing race horses? Don’t bet on it!
Investigators are only 3,500 years behind Chinese potters in figuring out that wood ash hardens clay ARCADIA, California––Cro-Magnon troglodytes apparently never figured out that wood ash hardens clay, despite having many millennia of opportunity to do so. Thus the failure of the Santa Anita Park management to investigate the effects of soot and ash fallout from the 96,949-acre Woolsey Fire … [Read More...]
Drove out the snakes? What did St. Patrick do with the Irish wolves?
He made friends with them! DUBLIN, TEL AVIV, ROME––As of St. Patrick’s Day 2019, there are still no wild snakes in Ireland, more than 1,660 years after the patron saint of Ireland allegedly drove them all out. Paleontologists say there were never any wild snakes in Ireland in the first place. But there were certainly wild wolves in Ireland in Patrick’s time. There are no … [Read More...]
No, China did not ban sales of pangolin scales. But it might.
National People's Congress has been asked to consider banning sales of pangolin scales BEIJING, China––Pangolins, perhaps the cutest and most harmless animal jeopardized by poaching and wildlife trafficking whom hardly anyone has heard of, remain in as much trouble today as yesterday, two years ago, and five years ago, despite news items, activist alerts, and even “Victory!” … [Read More...]
Why would a personal injury law firm promote pit bulls?
Part of Carter Mario Injury Lawyers' co-promotional history with the West Haven Animal Shelter MILFORD, Connecticut––A March 12, 2019 dog-for-adoption posting by the West Haven Animal Shelter, of West Haven, Connecticut, superficially resembled thousands of others posted every day to social media. But it struck one ANIMALS 24-7 reader as alarmingly different. What the … [Read More...]
Ahmed el Sherbiny, 66, brought “humane spring” to Egypt
Headed three leading organizations CAIRO, Egypt––Ahmed el Sherbiny, 66, who with his British-born wife Jackie led the Egyptian Society of Animal Friends, the Egyptian Federation for Animal Welfare, and the Middle East Network for Animal Welfare, on March 7, 2019 died at home in Shabramont, Giza, a Cairo suburb, after several years of fighting multiple illnesses that he attributed to too … [Read More...]
Fire, horses, & Santa Anita: ashes, ashes, they all fall down?
A global warming connection to record racehorse deaths? ARCADIA, California––All eyes concerned about horses and horse racing have had the Santa Anita Park turf and track surfaces under microscopic examination since Ash Wednesday, March 6, 2019. Yet hardly anyone so far seems to be looking at the possible track-hardening effects of soot and ash deposition from the 96,949-acre Woolsey Fire, … [Read More...]
Trial of David Wills on child sex abuse charges again delayed
Case may hang on pending U.S. Supreme Court ruling CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas––The multi-time postponed trial of former humane society executive David Keith Wills on a federal charge of allegedly trafficking a minor for sexual purposes has yet again been rescheduled. Wills is now set for trial in September 2019, ANIMALS 24-7 has been informed. Arrested in April 2015, on a warrant … [Read More...]
20 racehorses die in 10 weeks at Santa Anita Park––why?
Santa Anita deaths revive debate over track surface safety ARCADIA, California––Famed as the oldest horse racing venue in California, hosting races 1904-1909, 1934-1941, and 1945-present, and as the scene of some of the most memorable wins by Seabiscuit and come-from-behind specialist Silky Sullivan, Santa Anita Park is suddenly notorious for 20 horse deaths in barely more than … [Read More...]
Shark-dragger gets five weekends in jail, fine of $2,500
Copped a plea; last alleged participant will go to trial TAMPA––Florida man Michael Wenzel, 22, who shot a shark in June 2017, then was videotaped exulting as the dying shark was dragged behind a speedboat, will spend five weekends in jail for related offenses, beginning on March 8, 2019, is to pay a fine of $2,500, must perform 100 hours of community service, will be on probation for … [Read More...]
How to count feral cats & street dogs in the 21st century
Spay/neuter success makes old projection methods obsolete––& makes doing new surveys essential Counting feral cats and street dogs in the early 21st century is not what it was in your grandparents’ time, or your own time any more, either, if you have lived much longer than the oldest cat or dog of your acquaintance. For the first 100 years after American Museum of Natural History … [Read More...]
Russians bust alleged “whale jailers”
The suspects are already in Siberia ––where else can they go? MOSCOW, VLADIVOSTOK–– Responding to orders from Russian president Vladimir Putin, the Russian agency for border security has reportedly brought criminal charges against four related companies for allegedly illegally capturing and holding more than 90 beluga whales and as many as 13 orcas in sea pens at a facility called … [Read More...]
What Kenya’s wildlife needs most is water
Rumors of death penalty for poachers don't hold water, but Patrick Mwalua's projects do VOI, Kenya––Rumors stoked since May 2018 by Kenya wildlife and tourism minister Najib Balala that Kenya will soon introduce the death penalty for poachers as yet have no legal or legislative foundation, despite recent mainstream media reports treating Balala’s statements as a fait … [Read More...]