On Loving Animals...

In spite of the rain in the morning, this Monday turned out to be a very welcome prelude to Spring. I believe that the temperature hovered around 57F with the rain stopping in the early afternoon. I took my dog, Fidelma, to Van Saun Park for a long walk and she had a wonderful time. We strolled for an hour and a half, in a circuitous route, as usual, with the wet ground having no dilatory effect on her. We're back to old form, and it isn't truly Spring yet. The green lily that grows on Washington's Spring including the resulting stream was as green as ever, as it had been throughout this Winter. I suspect that the spring water is warm. The afternoon wasn't as beautiful and reassuring as I had wanted it to be. I walked around Walden Pond and took these photos of its southern end, the end at which the pond drains across and underneath Howland Avenue. The heavy rains of the morning raised the level and the volume of the pond. Consequently, loose branches and leaves sailed ...

Finally, I found a pair of hiking boots that doesn't have any leather on it. This one is made by Hi-Tech, and it is called Cascadia XCM . It runs around $140-$160, depending on the seller and whatever discounts they are giving at the moment. The Cascadia XCM uses a waterproof but breathable membrane, seamless nylon uppers, brass hardware, and vibram soles. It also sports rubber toe protection. Several users gave it good reviews online, and I don't see any problem with giving it a try especially considering the rarity of animal-friendly shoes. Footlocker sells this model. I am dismayed at how difficult it has been finding hiking boots that do not have leather on them. I have looked at models produced by Asolo, Merrell, Columbia, LaSportiva, Mammut, Garmont and others. One can see that the prevailing attitude is that a good and dependable boot must have leather on it, if not entirely made of leather, at least some trimming. I think this is just more along traditional thinking and...

Nearly thirty years ago, when our son was just a toddler, my wife and I took to camping and hiking quite frequently. We camped mostly in the northeast, but we also made our way to the eastern shore of the Cheasapeake Bay. There was one night when we slept in a leanto without a tent, somewhere near the Canadian border, by a lake. At Cranberry Lake in the Adirondocks, we rented a canoe and spent a couple of hours getting back to our site simply because we paddled against the wind. In the White Mountains of New Hampshire, a bear cub came running along us in a trail. We explored Acadia National Park in Maine, loved Echo Lake, Bar Harbor, and hiked up to Bubble Rock. All these trips were captured in 3X5 color photographs that may have already melted together over time in a warm closet. I wish I could clearly remember all the details, but the fog of time and a declining mnemonic ability have robbed me of the specifics. Those were adventurous times by themselves, but even more considering tha...

Sometimes, a good thing is in wrong hands. Who would think that the New Jersey State Library (NJSL) would become business partners with Ringling Bros Barnum & Bailey circus? It is antithetic to have any library system, widely perceived as a font of wisdom, push for a show that is emblematic of animal abuse, exploitation, and simply an insult to our intelligence. Who, out there, is truly entertained by animals balancing on balls, jumping through hoops on fire, or a quadruped wearing a skirt, walking on two feet??? I don't want to know you. Anthony Botti , Head of Friends of Animals United NJ , (FAUN) sounded the alarm and we now have to convince the officials of NJSL that supporting Ringling Bros Barnum & Bailey Circus is counterintuitive and outright wrong. Here's the pitch: http://njlibrarychampions.org/contests_and_events/join_the_circus_at_the_izod_center Now, it is only fair to note that the NJSL partnered with the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority (NJSE...

Once again, the stink we know as Ringling Bros Barnum & Bailey is in the air. They will be in New Jersey this month, at East Rutherford and Newark Prudential Center. No shows at Madison Square Garden? None. The circus probably can't afford MSG anymore due to slumping sales. An increasing number of people have become aware of the inherent cruelty in captive animal performances. Even China, a country known for unspeakable animal abuse, last month, banned performing animals in zoos and circuses. But, Feld Entertainment , owner of the circus, continues to rake in the dough on the backs on imprisoned and enslaved animals. If you like wholesome family entertainment, Ringling Bros Barnum & Bailey Circus shouldn't be your choice. Below is the schedule of demonstrations at Newark and East Rutherford. Come help us educate the public. The animals need your help. See you there. ******* Prudential Newark Demos ******** DATE Show Time Demo Times Organizer Fri, Feb 25 7:30pm 6:00-8...

What happens when humans leave animals alone? Joy. I thought I'd feature this joyful scene just to ease the malaise that naturally develops around a website like this, one that continuously exhibits the gritty reality of animal abuse. I don't want anyone out there to typecast OLA as nothing but a depressing showcase of animal cruelty issues. There is joy in the animal kingdom, but that is often compromised by human interference. Sure, humans can bring joy and protection to the animals too. These goats and sheep seem to be under the care of a human, frolicking on property owned by a human. But, they don't know that. These animals here are not joyful because of that circumstance. They can't construct abstract philosophical ideas or highfalutin arguments. I suspect that they are incapable of conceptualizing good or bad fortune. Their thinking is uncluttered by greed or ambition. They live in the moment. So, what is their first and natural reaction when left on their own? A...

As the seasons change, so do shooting conditions. I am talking about photography, not hunting. But, in all seasons, there are good photo opportunities. That's why I always carry one of my cameras wherever I go. Walking in the woods yesterday, I chanced upon a hawk on the ground. Except for its swiveling head, this hawk stood there like a garden statue, unmoved by an approaching human. Birds are the most skittish animals around, but this one stood its ground. Soon, it became apparent to me that its claws held a squirrel, pinned to the ground, beneath a few inches of snow. Animals experience extreme hunger when Winter turns the land into a tundra. The hawk was not about to abandon its newly caught meal, in the snow-covered landscape of January, just because a human was in its proximity. I kept my distance and took some photos. The hawk spread its wings, stooped, and delivered the coup de grace on it hapless prey. It hopped around a bit, and then flew off to the top branches of a tree...

We are at the cusp of another year, and we do not know with utmost certainty what the new year will bring to animal welfare. Chances are, there will be more of the same---heart-warming rescues-- continued protests against the circus, the fur industry, the farm industry, puppy mills, animal experimentation, and hunting. The year 2011 is going to be a stew of unspeakable cruelty mixed in with chunks of sweet animal liberation. Even with morphing specifics, the issues will follow a general, well-trodden path. The route straddles a great divide between good and evil. We are on a continuum, and no one intends to jump off. I can tell you one thing for certain; there will not be a cruelty-free world in 2011. For as long as humankind is around, there will be animal cruelty. Humankind is the common denominator. As I have stated before, there is no animal-to-animal cruelty, no animal-to-human cruelty. But, there is human-to-animal and human-to-human cruelty. It is a small consolation that from t...

Dear Friends of NJ Wildlife, Happy Holidays from Keep Life In the Park to you and your families. Together, we've accomplished so much for our local wildlife. In Passaic County, we showed our outrage at the murder of innocent deer in Garret Mountain and Rifle Camp Parks in Woodland Park. Due to many important follow up meetings with Freeholders, we feel confident that the remaining deer are safe for now. In Bergen County, we've prevented the future gassing of our feathered friends! We've increased the awareness of non-lethal protocol of dealing with geese in the county parks. The politicians heard us loud and clear and this was a true victory for the animals! Almost immediately following the Woodland Park deer bow hunt, the town of Holmdel began a deer bow hunt. Holmdel resident Laurie Perla didn’t waste any time in calling in the media, and worked diligently bringing non-lethal solutions to the Town Council. And, they’re listening! In Essex County, we galvanized a community...

Going over the many different news reports concerning the just concluded 2010 New Jersey Bear Massacre, I am seriously distressed by the crass mentality of those who participated in the killing. A certain Cindy Partipilo commented : " Now we can just hunt however we want but I still have a problem. They say we can kill cubs and I want my 10 year old son to kill his first cub, but he doesn’t want to do it because his class adopted some computer Polar Bear Cub for their Nature and Ecology study. Now he doesn’t get it when I tell him it’s okay to shoot the black ones, just not the white ones. How do I talk some sense into the child? Can we get them to quit teaching about saving the Environment and Ecology so we can teach our children whatever we want? " Believe it or not, the Department of Fish & Wildlife (DFW) permitted the killing of bear cubs. In fact, the DFW encouraged hunters to shoot all bears regardless of their weight and age. And at the other end of the barrel, ...

Who is Dr. Angel Mateo? Dr. Mateo is head of the Animal Welfare Division of the Bureau of Animal Industry. This Division is tasked to implement the Animal Welfare Act or RA 8485. Dr Mateo has been occupying this position since the law was passed in 1998. Ask any animal welfare group if they have received action from this official on any cruelty case and you will be met with a flat out "No." But don't take our word for it: go and call the BAI-AWD at 924-7951 when you want to report animal cruelty and see where it leads you. How to reach Dr. Mateo? We don't know. Call and he isn't there. Text him on his cellphone 09189005784 and he doesn't reply. Write him a letter, and if after one month - if you are lucky - he will reply with a letter that simply refers your letter back to the company you are complaining about or he would refer it to another Division. None of the media practitioners have been able to reach Dr. Mateo himself for comment on the granting of an ...

Dear Friends, My sincere thanks to all who came out to the demo yesterday in the Whittingham Wildlife Management Area in Fredon. We easily numbered 150 and our energy was palpable as we expressed our outrage at this hunt, not only at the few hunters who brought in the bears they slaughtered, but to the NJ Div. of Fish & Wildlife staff, whose arrogant Assistant Director of Operations, Larry Herrighty aka 'Lampchop', viewed us cowardly through binoculars. All week, they felt so threatened that not only were State Police on hand, AND Homeland Security, but some DFW officers appeared to be wearing green bullet-proof vests. Excuse me - we are NON-VIOLENT. THEY HAVE THE GUNS! This is not the end but only the beginning of much ongoing dedicated work to ensure that NJ legislators, 'get the message' LOUD AND CLEAR: that we are not going to forget this; that we are going to hold them accountable; and that we will VOTE THEM OUT. We are going to expose the New Jersey Outdoor Al...

This video was filmed in 2009, just before Gov. Christie took office. Even then, it was obvious to many that he would support and abet the hunting of NJ's black bears. In December 2010, we heard him state that the ongoing hunt, his chosen measure for controlling the alleged bear population growth, is based on Science. Gov. Christie's Science consists of the duplicated reports of human-bear encounters by the Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW), and reports stating that nearly 100% of the residents of bear country are securing their garbage by using bear-proof garbage bins (DFW). If this is true, then I am Neil Armstrong and I walked on the Moon. If truth be known, this hunt is a gift to the Governor's political supporters, a massacre, a program of extermination, and a joyride for the blood-lusting hunters. The Governor, and his pathetic Yes-Man Bob Martin of the DEP, are not interested in empirical and scientific evidence, like this video, where we can witness the non-aggres...

Monday, the 6th, marked the first day of a scheduled 6-day "bear hunt," and I joined a handful of protesters at the Whittingham Wildlife Management Area in Newton, New Jersey. It is located along Route 206, just north of Andover. The Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) manages this controlled area, and this is where they located one of their four weigh stations. Hunters are supposed to haul their kills to these stations for weighing and tagging. Handful? Well, yeah. The DFW limited the number of protesters to 25, citing safety and crowd control. The state police and DFW rangers were in attendance to enforce this rule. But there is another, rather convenient, reason for the DFW to limit protesters. The DFW is accused of cooking the books concerning the number of bear sightings in residential areas, and a certain Professor Dr. Edward Tavss of Rutgers University proved, through an extensive study of the records, that serious anomalies, such as doubling the number of human-bear e...

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcnewyork.com/video . It usually takes an insider to show us the way through the veil of hypocrisy and past a wall of lies. Governor Christie, together with Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Bob Martin, champions a science-based "bear hunt" to control the black bear population in New Jersey. But, is it truly a hunt when hunters are allowed to bait the bears with food instead of the traditional method of stalking the prey? Where is the skill, or sportman's honor, in shooting a baited animal? Even worse, bear cubs no bigger than your average sized dog have been shot dead. What is euphemistically referred to as a hunt is, in reality, a wholesale massacre of bear families. It is a hate-based destruction of our natural treasures. This massacre, over 400 bears killed in the first three days, panders to the blood lust of the hunting community. It is as banal as that and the hunters frolick upon the blood of innocent a...

Now that the cold weather has set in, I can no longer sit in Bryant Park in the mornings prior to beginning work. Gone are the days, at least for almost a year, when I can sip my coffee under a warm and bright sun and watch the early birds enjoy the beginning of a new Summer day. Even at 9am, there were already tourists in the park, snapping away with their cameras, sitting in circles on the lawn, while the pigeons and birds enjoy an abundance of food. Other office workers stopped and took in the sun. It is a morning ritual repeated throughout the city in cafes, public parks, church yards and in those office building promenades that fail miserably in their intended purpose. There is a need for people to flush their pyschologic drains before they face the withering fire of the new workday. But in these cold months, people trot across the park like it was a place of contagious diseases. Most benches are empty. The trees stand tall and cold like condemned criminals waiting to be shot. The...

Dear Friends of NJ Wildlife, The following alert is from APL-NJ. Please try to come to Trenton if you can! This rally is being sponsored by Friends of Animals . For specific information, please contact Edita Birnkrant, NY Director, Friends of Animals at Edita@friendsofanimals.org or 212.247.8120 , or Dustin Rhodes at Dustin@friendsofanimas.org or 202.906.0210 . APLNJ is grateful for FoA's support in stopping the NJ bear hunt and we encourage your attendance. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Support The Right To Arm Bears Rally Reject the Slaughter Defend Black Bears in New Jersey Friday, December 3, 1pm - 3pm State House , Trenton, NJ Your presence is urgently needed at a rally organized by Friends of Animals (FoA) and joined by NJ-based group Heart for Animals http://www.meetup.com/HeartforAnimals , on Friday, December 3, where we’ll protest New Jersey's bear hunt directly to Gov. Chris Christie’s (R-NJ) off...