Friends of Animals blocked use of contraception while wild horse herd multiplied GARDNERVILLE, Nevada––One of the largest planned gathers of wild horses in recent memory, scheduled for Pine Nut Mountains Herd Management Area of western Nevada in fall 2018, results directly from … [Read More...]
Pit bulls bring turmoil & turnover to Chicago & Oakland animal shelters
Chicago animal control director out; Oakland director quit but is still there, for now CHICAGO, OAKLAND––More than two weeks after Chicago mayor Rahm Emmanuel controversially fired two-year Chicago Animal Care & Control director Susan Russell, and more than two months after … [Read More...]
Revenge-seeking Icelandic “Ahab” denies killing the great blue whale
"Blood feud" with anti-whalers began when Sea Shepherds sank two of his ships in 1986 REYKJAVIK, Iceland––Kristján Loftsson, the “Captain Ahab” of the North Atlantic, has furiously denied that the 22nd of at least 27 whales killed by his ships in June and July 2018 was the first endangered blue … [Read More...]
St. James Infirmary in Saskatoon: One Health 2018
Humane societies played hooky SASKATOON, Saskatchewan, Canada––From the perspective of 1,500 miles and more than two weeks away, the most remarkable aspect of the recent 5th International One Health Congress in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan was that even though hundreds of people participated, many of those who should have been there were not. No one attended representing any animal … [Read More...]
The eagle has flown!
Around the Saratoga Passage in 80 days Shot through the wing by an as yet unidentified poacher, but rescued by ANIMALS 24-7, Elvis the Eagle on July 10, 2018 returned to the air after 80 days of rehabilitation. The release, by ANIMALS 24-7 photographer and social media editor Beth Clifton, was directed by Progressive Animal Welfare Society wildlife naturalist Jeff Brown and witnessed by … [Read More...]
Pit bulls, bunnies, & advice from Ann Landers on her 100th birthday
"Wake up & smell the coffee" Wrote Sioux City Journal editor Bruce Miller on July 4, 2018, marking the 100th anniversary of the birthdays of identical twin sisters Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren, "When it comes to common sense, no one topped Ann Landers and Dear Abby. The two native Sioux Cityans dispensed miles of columns designed to help readers get over heartache, financial woes and … [Read More...]
The Killer Dog Problem, by Charles Danten
Going to the root of things is always a good idea if you really intend to change things. Let’s start with pit bull advocate Anne-Marie Goldwater’s delirious statement: “We use derogatory words to identify a certain subgroup of dogs which does not form a ‘race.’ Like blacks, Latinos, Arabs... these aren't races. Just like there is only one race, the race of human beings. There is only one … [Read More...]
No more fireworks over grizzlies in Banff National Park
Grizzly Bear #126 gets a good night's sleep BANFF, Alberta––Many of the estimated 8,000 human residents of the City of Banff and 25,000 Canada Day visitors to Banff National Park may have awakened the next day, July 2, 2018, with headsplitting hangovers. Unaccustomed outdoor exercise, a hot late night, a high pollen count, and too much beer took their toll among the guests and … [Read More...]
Should the only dogs available be the offspring of the irresponsible?
by Margaret A. Cleek, Ph.D More than 25 years ago I was off-put by the claims of positive non-reproductive outcomes for neutering dogs. The recent ANIMALS 24-7 article Does castration really alter male dog behavior? reminded me of my concerns. Proponents of surgical neutering, the sooner the better, were and remain largely concerned with pet overpopulation. Animal advocates who focus on … [Read More...]
Does castration really alter male dog behavior?
Data says the notion is nuts Does castration really make male dogs less dangerous? The historical record says it does not. That castration should make male dogs safer has been presumed since 1923, when the American Veterinary Medical Association first approved the safety of the surgical procedure for dogs. But the presumption has been surprisingly little studied, and what research data … [Read More...]
South Korean court rules that killing dogs for meat is illegal
Verdict for the first time upholds 1991 law BUCHEON, South Korea––Upholding parts of the Korean Animal Protection Act which have been on the books since 1991, but were never before successfully prosecuted, a Bucheon city court judge has fined a dog meat farmer the equivalent of $2,050 in U.S. dollars for “killing animals without proper reasons and violating building and hygiene … [Read More...]
Death of Koko, 46, raises question what will become of her rejected mate Ndume?
Koko was among the last great apes used in still controversial 1970s language research WOODSIDE, California––With Koko deceased, what now will become of Ndume, 37, the last and least famous of the three gorillas who once shared the Gorilla Foundation sanctuary and primate language research laboratory in the Santa Cruz Mountains, south of San Francisco? What will become of the … [Read More...]
2018 dog breed survey: at least 41% of U.S. pit bull population are seeking homes
21% of U.S. pit bulls currently available are in first year of life; 19% have lost at least one home Nearly 15% of the dogs available to the U.S. public for sale or adoption as of mid-June 2018 were pit bulls, but that scarcely made pit bulls the most popular breed. Rather, the numbers indicate the magnitude of the pit bull glut afflicting animal shelters and rescues throughout the nation: … [Read More...]
Thinking out-of-the-horse-box to save wild horses from slaughter
by Anthony Marr When Charles Darwin first revealed his theory of evolution, his friend Thomas Huxley exclaimed, “It is so simple and obvious! Why didn't I think of it?!” It is because Huxley, like most people, thought inside the box, meaning within the confines of an established concept, while Darwin not only thought outside the box, but left the old box behind before sailing around the … [Read More...]
$4.25 million award for pit bull attack––and the victim may see some of the money
Landlord's failure to respond or defend puzzles observers ATLANTA, Georgia––A $4.25 million default judgment issued on June 1, 2018 against Atlanta landlord Jonathan Kent Hart, 61, for an August 26, 2016 pit bull attack may be the biggest yet in which the victim is believed to be likely to collect at least a substantial part of the money. But further litigation is expected, … [Read More...]
Nazi zombies from hell: VW monkey tests & New Zealand use of 1080
Pledging to quit animal tests, VW tries again to shake Nazi origin WOLFSBURG, Germany––Monkeys are no longer breathing diesel fumes. Volkswagen publicists are likely breathing sighs of relief. Nazi tactics and ideology live on elsewhere. Examples include the use of the Nazi-developed pesticide Compound 1080 to kill a targeted goal of two million feral cats in Australia, and to … [Read More...]