Animals 24-7

News on dogs, cats, horses, wildlife, zoonoses, & nature

Geologist John Stockwell co-edited journal Between the Species

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Longtime advocate for animals & vegetarian living John Stockwell,  85,  an advocate for animals and vegetarian living whose involvement dated back to the very beginnings of the late twentieth century animal rights movement,  died on November 23,  2020 in Berkeley,  California,  his home off and on since 1961 and continuously since 1982. Born in Superior,  […]

Vegan animal advocate Thomas “Tommy” Bloom Raskin,  25

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Second young activist suicide in six months raises profile of “compassion fatigue” Vegan animal advocate Thomas “Tommy” Bloom Raskin,  25,  died by suicide on New Year’s Eve 2020. His death,  a shock to hundreds of family,  friends,  and acquaintances,  rekindled an ongoing discussion of depression and suicides among committed activists that had barely simmered down […]

Rick Collord, 72, helped lead transition from the high-kill to the no-kill era

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Headed 10 animal shelters in six states Rick Collord,  72,  a 42-year humane professional and chief executive of humane societies for most of that time,  died on January 26,  2021 in Lexington,  North Carolina,  his home since 2017. Born Irving Richard Collord III in 1948 in New Orleans,  Louisiana,  Rick Collord––no one ever called him […]

Fish farming foe Kurt Oddekalv, no bunny-hugger, dies trying to save dog

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The dog died too Fish farming foe Kurt Willy Oddekalv,  63,  on January 11,  2020 died from drowning and hypothermia suffered in attempting to rescue his daughter’s dog Kompis,  who had fallen through ice on a lake near their home in Kalandseidet, Bergen, Norway. The dog Kompis was found dead nearby. As a sergeant in the […]

Murder along the equator: seven die defending parrots & gorillas

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Colombian and Congolese wildlife guardians were ambushed RONCESVALLES,  Colombia;  VIRUNGA NATIONAL PARK,  Democratic Republic of Congo––Simultaneous sad reminders of the human cost of wildlife conservation came on January 10,  2021 from the Reserva Loros Andinos in southwestern Colombia and Virunga National Park in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The Reserva Loros Andinos and Virunga […]

Siegfried Fischbacher, 81, follows tiger act partner Roy Horn, 75, in death

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Illusionist Fischbacher, of Siegfried & Roy, created image of partner Horn as “positive reinforcement” trainer & conservationist Both were role models for “Joe Exotic” et al             LAS VEGAS––Entertainer Siegfried Fischbacher,  81,  died of pancreatic cancer on January 14,  2021,  at the Las Vegas home he had shared with Roy Horn,  his partner in life […]

Barry Lopez, 75, “literary naturalist,” inspired animal advocates

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Death came four months after Lopez lost home of 50 years to wildfire Barry Lopez,  75,  died on Christmas Day 2020 in Eugene,  Oregon,  after a years-long battle with prostate cancer. Sometimes described as a “literary naturalist,”  Lopez wrote often about animals,  but hardly exclusively,  and as often about the animals of Native American myth and […]

Legendary giant turtle, believed extinct, resurfaces in Hanoi lake

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Five years after the “last” giant softshell turtle died,  one and possibly three more turn up, plus one in zoo             HANOI, Vietnam––Five years after the January 2016 death of Cu Rua in Hoan Kiem Lake plunged Vietnam into national mourning for the legendary giant softshell turtle,  then believed to have been the last of […]

Ethiopian woman who saved rare Italian goat breed is raped, killed

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“Happy Goat” farmer/sanctuarian Agitu Ideo Gudeta,  42,  was reportedly killed by Ghanian she gave a job VALLE dei MOCHENI,  Trentino,  Italy––Goat herder Adams Suleimani,  32,  an immigrant to Italy from Ghana,  has reportedly confessed to raping Happy Goat [La Capra Felice] farmer/sanctuarian and cheesemaker Agitu Ideo Gudeta,  42,  and bludgeoning her to death with a hammer,  […]

Geoffrey Deckers & Marion Bienes brought animal rights to the Netherlands

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Holocaust survivor Bienes inspired organization builder Deckers Award founded in Deckers’ name––see Comments,  below. Geoffrey Deckers,  51,  co-founder of the Dutch animal advocacy organization Een Dier Een Vriend [An Animal, A Friend],   died suddenly on June 29,  2020. Deckers suffered a cerebral hemorrhage on November 20,  2017,  but appeared to have made a full recovery. As […]