On Loving Animals...

Looks like a sad reality is catching up to SeaWorld , but they might not be wise enough to admit that abuse of animals has something to do with it. Hospitality and Travel News reported that attendance at SeaWorld slumped for the third year in a row. If this was baseball, SeaWorld would be called Out at the plate. SeaWorld's spokesman, David Koontz, tried his best to downplay this very significant trend by blaming a slumping economy and an unseasonably cold Summer. Nice try, Mr. Koontz, but that does not make sense. Why is it then that other theme parks like Disneyland, Universal Studios, Knott's Berry Farm, and Disney California Adventure all realized an increase in attendance? Last time I checked, these companies were part of the same economy and Summer season. Treat your animals with dignity, SeaWorld . Consider giving them up altogether. It's not the economy nor the weather; it's your reputation. In the meantime, let's continue to boycott SeaWorld, and mak...

Some good news coming out of Hawaii. The surf is up and so is animal welfare law. Hawaii's natural beauty can give you a false impression. It is not as much a great paradise as you think when the animals in that state do not have ample protection from abusers. In fact, the Humane Society of the United States judged Hawaii as the state with the weakest animal welfare laws. Well, that's going to change very soon. Come July 1st, a new law comes into effect that will make animal abusers, particularly dog fighting aficionados, look over their shoulders. Governor Neil Abercrombie signed Senate Bill 1069 into law this week with t he Hawaiian Humane Society shepherding the bill into fruition. The law prohibits using bait dogs to train other dogs for fighting. If you haven't met a bait dog before, then you wouldn't know that they can be the most gentle and friendly dogs, usually they are pit bulls themselves. Furthermore, the law grants the police authority to arrest anyone atte...

SHARK is on Mitt Romney's tail and rightly so. Politicians will promise us the heavens if only they could get our vote. They will tell us what we want to hear, flush us with that good feeling and hope the satisfaction will carry us all the way to the polling place and check that box with their name on it. Compliance is another thing altogether. We all know that promises are meant to be broken particularly in the political arena. But, hey, promises are also meant to be delivered. And SHARK intends to collect. Watch.

After a slew of bad publicity concerning our men in blue, with the raping of a drunk, unconscious woman in lower Manhattan (she didn't rape herself, did she?) or the bartering of a sexual favor in lieu of a traffic ticket in Long Island, or even the more common drunk driving of off-duty cops, it is quite refreshing to see this man in blue offer help to a family of ducks on what seems to be Interstate 5 in Washington State. Only the most depraved individual would run over a gaggle of geese or a family of ducks who are trying to cross a highway. There is something extra awful about killing a whole family at once. But, there are such individuals who wouldn't allow themselves to be delayed a few seconds so that an animal's life can be saved. And I do wonder what would have happened to these ducks if the police officer wasn't at the scene. Aside from that, this is incredible footage. There is a similar story on the web , happened on the 405, with the cop responding to a call...

I am going to avoid telling too much of the story of these two guys, country singer Troy Gentry and his buddy Lee Marvin Greenly, and let the videos do the talking. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) estimated that there are approximately 1,000 ranches in the country that offer canned hunting, and half of those are located in Texas. Canned hunting is as low as a hunter(?) can get, shooting a corralled animal rather than one that has a running chance to get away. It's like the proverbial shooting of fish in a barrel. Evidently, this isn't an issue for some shooters (I can't call them hunters since there is no hunt), and certainly not for piddling, glory-seekers like Troy Gentry. In 2006, two years after the incident, in a deal with federal prosecutors, Gentry was fined $15,000 after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of falsely registering a captive bear as killed in the wild. He was also prohibited to hunt, trap, or fish in Minnesota for five years, ord...

Animal rights activists march in Sydney : "Up to 1000 people have marched from Sydney's Hyde Park to Parliament House to protest live cattle exports." If you are coming into this just now, you might want to read the story about AnimalsAustralia's investigative report on the inhumane treatment of Australian cattle exported to Indonesia and the subsequent suspension of cattle exports to that country. Praises for the Australians who came out and protested this cruel business at locations across their country, usually at government offices. Thousands of protesters participated. It is not enough to sympathize, whatever the issue is. In our respective places in this world, we need to go out there and show our outrage, to lend our presence and our voices for the abused animals. Show yourself and be counted. Those poor animals have no one else but the AR people to protect them. Whether the Australian government has the gumption and moral fiber to permanently ban cattle expor...

Lisa, a commenter on my blog, said in reference to vivisectors, "What kind of sicko could seriously be happy and content with their life, knowing they abuse and inflict cruelty onto animals, for a living?"

It seems another circus company is soiling the ground and stinking up the air in our general area. The Kelly Miller Circus is performing, their animals actually, in Washingtonville , New York in mid-June 2011. Our dear colleagues from Hearts for Animals will be there to protest their appearance, specifically on June 15 th at 630pm. The indefatigable Claudia Rose Emerson, founder of Hearts for Animals will be leading that protest. With great disappointment, I can tell you that this event was sponsored by Washingtonville High School's class of 2011. The circus website said so. Students, no doubt with the cooperation of their school, invited the circus to town. What were they thinking? Haven't the bloody news surrounding circuses reached these people? It is particularly discouraging when the circus is invited by an educational institution. I find this to be in utter contradiction to the spirit and purpose of education. Education, if done right, includes an awareness of the sign...

Rain, wind, and a slight mix up with the address didn't stop us from delivering our message. In fact, even a scuffle with some discontented members of society made no difference. It took several officers of the NYPD to break up the disturbance. The Air France offices on East 50th and Third Avenue was yesterday's demo site. Praises for Friends of Animals United New Jersey (FAUN) under the able and tireless leadership of Anthony Botti. Finally, the veil of secrecy was lifted; a dirty little known fact revealed. Air France-KLM is responsible for shipping thousands of primates to laboratories all over the world. So, the next time you fly Air France-KLM, it's no longer just a matter of chicken or beef. You might just be sitting above enumerable crates of captive and unfed animals on a one-way ticket to clinical hell. And we all know what happens to those animals when they get to the laboratories. Some, including mice, are mercilessly overdosed with nicotine as in the case of D...

The back way is often the most revealing in many instances, and it certainly was in the case of the Cole Bros Circus last weekend. It was Sunday afternoon and the last show of their stop in Garfield, NJ neared its end. After demonstrating at the front gates, I walked around the block to the backside of the circus. There, I saw the circus animals being fed and loaded unto trailers for their next stop which I believe was Middletown, New York. What do circus animals do when they are not performing? If you are still wondering, then you don't have a clue about the cruelty that exists in circuses. Animals are either being whipped to learn new tricks, bodies contorted, or being whipped to practice tricks they have already learned. In between the beatings, they are chained or caged, restricted in their movements, and made to wait until the next performances. If you think that they graze or run happily in an open field until its time, then I have a bridge in New York to sell you for a very ...

Demonstrating against the infamous Cole Bros. Circus in Garfield, NJ last weekend, I was approached by a passerby who asked me, " Where is the balance between those who do not respect animals at all and those who believe that animals should have more rights than humans (pointing to us demonstrators)?." "Sir, in all my years in animal rights and in all my associations with animal lovers, I have never met an animal rights activist who believes that animals should have more rights than humans. We're not the extremists you think we are."

" I know that in a criminal trial a verdict of not guilty does not necessarily mean the defendants were found innocent, but I am devastated and disappointed by the jury’s decision. I have waited two and half years for closure that will now never come. Hearing that verdict brought me to my knees; it brought me back to my bedroom on that awful night when my world was turned upside down by the actions of two police officers who were sent there to protect, but instead took advantage of their authority and broke the law. Everything they say about the difficulties of a rape trial is sadly true. One’s word is not enough in these days of C.S.I. and DNA. Even if people believe you, you are tested beyond what any crime victim should have to endure. While on the witness stand, the defense attorneys seek to shame and humiliate you for hours, even days, with deeply personal questions about your body, your intimate life and your social life simply because you dare to come fo...

I arrived in Sydney, Australia on May 15th for a two-week visit. My mom, sister, and brother-in-law live in the western suburbs known as the hills area. After a couple days rest, we drove down to Wandiligong, Victoria to have a look at my maternal grandfather's hometown. His family,the Norleys, was one of the pioneer families who settled in the area, working at the quartz and gold mines that flourished in Wandiligong beginning in the 1850s. It was a wonderful trip for us. We were finally able to relate images to the oral history that my grandfather handed down to us. We even found the very spot on which the old homestead stood on what is now Growler's Creek Road. Thanks to a 93-yr old local historian who still remembered some of the family members---my grandfather's siblings and most certainly some members of the following generation ( mom's cousins ). A trip to the local cemetery was imperative. The cemetery is located in the next town of Bright. There, we found the gr...

If there is one thing for certain, we know who supports Tambucho Gassing as a form of euthanasia at the Committee on Animal Welfare (Philippines). Their names appear on the poster shown above. They have either openly argued about the benefits(?) of Tambucho Gassing, or have voted to have it retained or reinstated in an administrative order. This is a fact, and not a point of contention. Sometimes, we need to present the sad truth graphically in hope that the errant parties will realize their bad judgment and correct it. Gassing animals to death via vehicular exhaust fumes is cruel, uncivilized, and unacceptable. Tambucho Gassing is not Euthanasia. It is incumbent upon the members of CAW to seek a path around the cruelty, to make drugs like Euthal readily available, and to be progressive in their decisions.

If you haven't been to Jockey Hollow in Morristown , NJ, go! The continental army camped there for three Winters in their struggle to liberate us from the British. You can see a few examples of the crude huts that were built by the American soldiers. Evidently, hundreds of these huts stood in the area surrounding what used to be Wick's farm. You can still visit the original farmhouse. The original huts do not exist anymore, but some of the original hearths are still in the ground. Life proved tough enough that during those Winters soldiers deserted en masse . Nevertheless, for all your sacrifices, dear patriots, the country is forever grateful. Not too far from the hill where the soldiers' huts are located, I chanced upon some birds frolicking in the branches above. It was wonderful and refreshing to hear all the chirping, singing, and whistling going on up yonder. I felt that they egged me out of the malaise that consumed me that day; my pessimistic moods often get the bet...

Does it really matter where this is? It's a lovely place wherever you want to place it. Something good can be said about running water. It is soothing and cathartic. Stagnant water translates to trouble, but a raging river is an adventure. Active is better than passive. In its grander form, running water is a natural wonder. I am, of course, not talking about a leaky faucet. Think Niagara Falls, Colorado, Mississippi, and Susquehanna. These mighty rivers have been incorporated in our folklore. They are the subject of poems, songs, and myths. Rivers also teach us to flow, to adapt, and to carry on. It's all water under the bridge, as some say. This is actually the Black River. It runs through the Hacklebarney State Park in Chester, New Jersey. If you follow the Red Trail for approximately a mile from the parking lot, you'll come to this spot. It's a good hike but not challenging by any means. The trails (there are several) take you down picturesque ravines with picnic be...

Have you seen this alleged animal abuser? - National Dogs Examiner.com

Last week, I sat down at my dining table to read the overnight emails and posts on Facebook, hot cup of morning coffee at hand, when I looked out unto the deck and saw our little friend on a ledge. Spring brings new life, and don't the Blue Jays know it. Mating season for these birds runs from March through May. Yep, a new generation of these nest-raiding, territorial birds is germinating among the bushes and tree limbs at this very moment. That's just fine with me. It's the human population explotion that we should be concerned/alarmed about. We're taxing, polluting, and outright destroying the natural resources of this planet as fast as a young lady loses her virginity in Hollywood nowadays. Think gas exploration in the arctic, BP in the Gulf, and mountain top removal in the U.S. If these photographs look soft to you, you're right. I had to shoot through glass and a screen door. There was no time to set up a better shot because there wouldn't have been a shot ...

I am reposting a message from Keep Life in the Park (KLIP). ====================================== Dear Friends of NJ Wildlife, Our friend Dee at Wildlife Freedom Rehab is still in need of volunteers. 'Hands on' volunteering is rewarding, and you'll spend time with like-minded people who respect and support our wildlife. If you are physically able and have some free time, what better way to 'give back' to nature? Please phone Dee for more information. Wildlife Freedom Rehab is located in Wanaque, NJ (North Jersey). Thank you!!! Dee writes: I am still looking for some sincere responsible volunteers to help out at my Wildlife facility in Wanaque, New Jersey. The season has begun for orphaned wildlife as we already have some tiny, fox, raccoons and squirrels. Whatever spare time you may have to offer, your assistance will be very much appreciated. I am waiting for some new arrivals from the Humane Society as I write this e-mail. So please contact me ASAP if you have t...

Believe it or not, the Committee on Animal Welfare (CAW) is again pushing for the reinstatement of Tambucho Gassing as an accepted form of euthanasia in the Philippines. This comes after CAW dragged its feet from August 2010 to April 2011, stultifying a directive from Secretary Proceso Alcala of the Department of Agriculture to rewrite a previous CAW-endorsed administrative order that embraced Tambucho Gassing like it was a God-sent cure-all for stray or unwanted animals. For those coming into this matter only now, Tambucho Gassing is not carbon monoxide gassing as CAW would like the world to believe. Tambucho Gassing is death by vehicular exhaust fumes. No gas cylinders are used, just a rubber hose connected to a clunky, old, usually badly tuned gas engine. The animals are entombed in a sealed metal container and toxic fumes are pumped into it. In terms of expediency, the process is slow, inefficient, and ineffective against the problem. In terms of humanity, it is depraved, utterly c...