From “Joe Exotic” to Wayne Pacelle WASHINGTON D.C.––Soon-to-be-former U.S. President Donald Trump and his die-hard defenders who are now facing criminal charges for storming the U.S. National Capitol building on January 6, 2021 were scarcely the only big losers from the events of the day. Former U.S. Air Force security dog handler Ashli Babbitt, […]
COVID-19 & “The Next Big One”: Spillover revisited
Science writer David Quammen saw COVID-19 coming COVID-19, though renamed twice just in the first few months of 2020, “is not as novel as you might think,” explained veteran science writer David Quammen in the January 28, 2020 edition of The New York Times. Quammen, 72, was uniquely positioned to comment, not only because he […]
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 […]
Hawaiian Humane Society CEO Pamela Burns dies after colorful 27-year tenure
Burns remained on the job to her final days HONOLULU, Hawaii––Pamela Burns, 65, Hawaiian Humane Society chief executive since 1990, on September 18, 2017 “died peacefully at her home after taking a leave of absence approximately a week ago for health reasons,” the humane society announced. Burns, who was among the longest tenured humane society […]
China: Stopping dog trucks is the easy part. Saving dogs is harder.
Some dogs die from their ordeal, but more than 80% are saved GUANGZHOU, China––The hardest part of rescuing a truckload of suspected stolen dogs en route to slaughter in Guangzhou, China on June 19, 2017 had only just began when the cages of dogs were unloaded. The cargo, initially believed to be about 800 […]
Why Guangzhou dog rescue reveals more about China than Yulin dog-eating festival
Rescue in hub of dog meat trade won more notice than festival held to boost dog-eating YULIN, China––The largest-ever rescue of dogs from a truck hauling them to slaughter, accomplished on June 19, 2017 in Guangzhau, the longtime hub of dog-eating in China, very nearly upstaged the 2017 Yulin Lychee & Dog-Eating Festival, which […]
Rumored Yulin dog meat festival cancellation still unconfirmed
Global media frenzy overlooks lack of official notice from China YULIN, China––Chinese media, including those that usually publicize government announcements, had through May 20, 2017 remained conspicuously silent about a purported week-long suspension of dog meat sales said to have been introduced in Yulin, China coinciding with the annual Yulin Lychee & Dog-Eating Festival. The […]
Largest dog and cat meat market in South Korea set to close by May
Cages and slaughtering facilities coming down now SEOUL, South Korea––The Seongnam city government and the vendors’ association of Moran Market, representing 22 dog and cat meat dealers whose stalls occupy four short blocks on one side of the marketplace, on December 13, 2016 jointly announced plans to start removing their cages and slaughtering facilities […]
Fur farm releases in China reflect falling fur demand worldwide
Raccoon dogs freed twice in eight months BEIJING, China––For the second time in eight months a Chinese fur farmer appears to have released his animals in response to three years of steeply falling pelt prices and fur garment demand worldwide, with no upturn in sight. Reported the Beijing Daily News on April 13, […]
Viet shelter sold dogs for meat; U.S. shelters sold dogs to fighters
Horrific case, but no cause for cultural finger-pointing DA NANG, CHAMBERSBURG, TAMPA––Vu Van Chinh, founder of the Da Nang Dogs & Cats Information & Rescue Station in Da Nang, Vietnam, “has admitted that he killed dogs and sold them to local restaurants,” reported Philip Sherwell, Bangkok correspondent for the London Daily Telegraph, on April […]