Dangerous breeds banned from daycare centers, kindergartens, & elementary schools SEOUL, South Korea––Cracking down on possession of dangerous dogs for the third time in three years, the South Korean Ministry of Agriculture, Food, & Rural Affairs has since April 21, 2020 paired public education about social distancing due to COVID-1 with warnings that a new […]
“Asian murder hornet”: surrogate for COVID-19 terror
Or, how two “great sparrow bees” incited a national hunt for alleged Chinese alien invaders BLAINE, Washington––How did the Asian giant hornet, known for centuries in Japan as the “great sparrow bee,” generally regarded as beneficial to farmers for killing insect pests, suddenly become feared in the U.S. as the so-called “murder hornet”? After […]
Sidney Holt, 93, achieved goal that great whales would outlive him
70-year scientific career focused on whale conservation PACIANO, Italy––Marine scientist Sidney J. Holt, 93, died on December 22, 2019 at his home in Paciano, Italy, about 80 miles north of Rome and 10 miles north of his previous longtime home in Citta della Pieve, Italy. Holt thereby realized his often stated life’s ambition of having […]
Will African swine fever make China vegan?
Whatever happens, most of the world will eat less pork SYDNEY, Australia; HONG KONG––Will African swine fever, a viral disease now projected to kill at least half the pigs in China and a quarter of all the pigs in the world, accelerate the trend toward vegan eating? Or speed the transition toward factory farming? Or […]
Bali: fighting rabies & dolphin captivity amid mud & ashes of a live volcano
Long uphill struggles pay off DENPASSAR, Bali, Indonesia––Fireballs and lava are no longer flying from Mount Agung, the reputed Balinese home of the gods, but smoke, steam, and noxious gases are still rising from thermal vents, keeping most humans at a distance, Bali Animal Welfare Association (BAWA) dog rescuers excepted. Rabies persists in three […]
Dolphin defender Ric O’Barry, cleared by Tokyo court, plans return to Japan
Three-judge panel rules O’Barry was wrongly barred entry & deported in 2016 TOKYO––“I’m gonna go back and do it again!” dolphin defender Ric O’Barry emailed to ANIMALS 24-7 late on October 3, 2019, after attorneys Megumi Wada and Takashi Takano won a Tokyo District Court ruling on O’Barry’s behalf that O’Barry is free to return to […]
Cockfighters vs. coal miners, Taiji vs. Hong Kong: animal suffering gets lost
What happens when animal issues are overwhelmed by current events? HARLAN COUNTY, Kentucky; TAIJI, Japan; BALI, Indonesia––A trainload of coal worth $1.4 million, blockaded for six weeks by illegally laid off miners whose last pay checks bounced, might at a glance appear to have nothing to do with an alleged cockfighting ring run by […]
Elephants, giraffes, sharks, Asian otters & seahorses fare well in Switzerland
African elephants win protection near where exports for display began GENEVA, Switzerland––Live elephant exports from Africa for exhibition at least nominally ended by plenary vote at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Triennial Conference of the Parties on August 27, 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland, about 200 miles north from where the […]
Pit bull advocate charged with hit-&-run killing of Holocaust survivor
Alleged killer had her favorite pit cloned, & was charged with trying to break into a pound to rescue pits who mauled a couple LOS ANGELES, California––Joyce Bernann McKinney, 68, once a globally prominent pit bull advocate, was on July 3, 2019 formally charged with assault with a deadly weapon, hit-and-run driving, and vehicular […]
How to tell a “bait dog” from “click bait”
“Bait dogs” are docile victims to some pit bull advocates, but “urban legend” to others What is a “bait dog”? First of all, learn to distinguish a bona fide “bait dog” from a “click bait” dog, known to rescue insiders as a “donor bait” dog. Fill in the blanks This is the generic description of […]