On Loving Animals...

Hello Fellow Animal Lovers, I met many of you during our successful fight to help save the future of Bergen County geese and/or our battle to save the deer of Garret Mountain . It is a pleasure to know you all, who take the time out of your busy lives to help animals. Now, I'd like to ask you to do something important. I know it's easy to be cynical about politics, but, in this case, you CAN make a difference! There is less than 1 1/2 weeks until election day and it could mean something BIG for our animals! Because of re-districting, the most competitive race in the state is right here! - District 38 - our LOCAL district.... District 38 includes Bergenfield , Fair Lawn , Glen Rock , Hasbrouck Heights , Hawthorne (Passaic County), Lodi , Maywood , New Milford , Oradell , Paramus , River Edge , Rochelle Park and Saddle Brook . League of Humane Voters of NJ (LOHVNJ) has endorsed State Senator Bob Gordon and Assemblywoman Connie Wagner because of their ON-RECOR...

I suspect that this photo has been circulating on the web for a while when it finally made it to my inbox. The challenge before us is to spot the cat in the photo. Yes, this is meant to develop a little frustration in you, but it isn't a fool's errand. There really is a cat in this photo. You need to find it. I recall a documentary on television on how the American army was working hard on invisibility. If the enemy can't see you, then you have a definite, if not decisive, advantage. But the American army's concept of invisibility doesn't entail an actual disappearance from the scene. Their concept involved blending into the background so well that invisibility is achieved. They do this by electronically mapping the background against which a sniper is positioned and then projecting the same patterns on the front of the sniper's gear---rendering him indistinguishable from the background. Invisibility! Good luck spotting the cat. Click on the photo to enlarge it.

I have just concluded a two-week trip to France and Germany, spending seven days outside Paris and six days in Berlin. The last time I was in Paris was 20 years ago. I went to see the same sights and I was struck at how places do not change as much as people do. Sacre Couer looked pretty much the same, but I certainly have lost a considerable amount of my energy and retentive powers since 1992. I do not know if I have another twenty years to live, quite frankly, but cities will live on. Staying outside Paris, I had the chance to hit the roads. The French drive like crazy, and motorcyclists were even crazier with the way they weaved like daredevils through traffic. Many times, they cut you off with only a foot or two between your hood and their tail lights. But, everyone seemed to anticipate the other's bad driving quite well, resulting in no accidents. One can't see this sort of driving when touring Paris, but it becomes quite obvious once you go on and beyond the Peripherique ...

The killing of a hunter by a grizzly bear in Montana has been in the news for the last two weeks. I am glad to say that readers' comments have been overwhelmingly sympathetic to the bear. People argued that anyone who ventures into wild territory is putting his life on the line. If he loses it, then it's all fair and just. I agree, but I must stress that the hunters go in with a huge, if not decisive, advantage with their high power guns, camouflaged gear, scents, and the element of surprise or ambush. The animal only has its natural instincts to rely on; it isn't even out to kill a human but to look for sustenance. Essentially, it all boils down to limped-dick, small-minded ignorami out to refill their macho dreams at the expense of an animal. Unfortunately, my schadenfreude was short-lived with today's news that the hunter, 39-yr old Steve Stevenson from Winnemucca, Nevada , was actually killed by his partner's errant shots and not by the bear. Nevertheless, it so...

How come the dogs of homeless people are so well-behaved? I saw one on 42nd street and it just sat there with the imperturbability of a statue, receptive to its owner but not to the maddening crowd that trudges endlessly by them. The stoics from ancient Greece would be proud, and the renaissance painters who include dogs in their paintings to signify loyalty to the crown would have them as the perfect models. Maybe the dogs sense their precarious lives, make no trouble, and conform with the mendicant ways of their masters.

I arrived early at the shelter this morning, and the none of the people entrusted with a key weren't there yet. So, I walked back to the parking lot to finish my coffee in the comfort of my car when I came face to face with a doe right where my car was. We spent two minutes studying each other, standing still, each very curious of the other, with approximately one hundred feet between us. I felt the urge to approach her, but I suspected she'd bolt and that would be the end of it. I, certainly, wouldn't entice her with some food. That could result in her death; she'd trust someone like me in the future, and wham! Finally, she turned and leisurely walked up the hill behind the bushes, into the woods. I followed and only with some effort did I spot her again, this time with a buck. There was no hurry. They walked with ease, like they were camels, with one eye on me, until they were gone from sight. That was certainly the highlight of my Sunday.

To be frank, yesterday, I was flat-on-my-ass surprised that Governor Christie conditionally vetoed S2923. Evidently, the Governor realized its harmful and inconsiderate proviso that sought to end the 7-day grace period afforded stray animals before they are euthanized at the shelter. That was one big bullet we all dodged regardless of your persuasion. You don't have to be an animal rights proponent to be against S2923. Any sensible person will be alarmed by its overarching condemnation of stray animals. I can only imagine the volume of calls and emails that went the Governor's way in the week before his deadline to veto the bill or not. S2923 was the brainchild of Senator STEPHEN M. SWEENEY , District 3 (Salem, Cumberland and Gloucester), Senator JEFF VAN DREW , District 1 (Cape May, Atlantic and Cumberland), and Assemblyman JOHN J. BURZICHELLI , District 3 (Salem, Cumberland and Gloucester). How could these people propose, even conceive of, a bill like S2923 (http://www...

It hasn't been a year yet, and I am already thinking about it. What horror awaits our black bears we will soon get a whiff of. Governor Christie, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin, and Fish & Wildlife's Lawrence Herrighty, I imagine, are champing at the bit. In fact, the recent cases of roaming black bears (shot dead, of course, as in Clifton) are rumored to be contrived. Bears captured at a remote place are transported and deliberately let loose in populated areas, making the case for bear over population easier. It's all so devious and diabolic. This may seem far-fetched, but rumor often turns out to be premature fact. You've got to wonder about the mindset of people who look forward to another bear hunt. It must be, for them, something like what we feel when the time to procreate with our chosen partner is imminent. Well, for these hunters, it will not be about caressing. The only squeezing they have in mind involves the trigger, ejaculatory for them nevertheless. ...

Is it just me, or is New Jersey really going to pot on animal welfare? We're hitting all the stops on the animal cruelty line. New Jersey has become the Kill State with kill the bears, kill the deer, kill the geese, and now kill the strays. That's quite a fall from grace since we were once the Garden State. We still are? Don't insist. It's no longer true. Killing is our forte now. Well, where does this malaise come from? This bill S2923 isn't just an afterthought. At this point, It has passed both houses of legislature and it is ready to be made into a law by a stroke of the Governor's pen. Quite frankly, I don't see Gov. Christie having a pang of conscience and vetoing this bill. He has no conscience. He's not a friend of the animals unless they are on his plate. If you too feel that everything is starting to stink in New Jersey, remember that the fish rots from the head. With this bill becoming law, pray for those pets who happen to lose their w...

The deer of Morristown, New Jersey need your help. They have had relative safety in the woods of Morristown National Historical Park, but that may end soon. The National Park Service (NPS) may decide that it is time to cull their population in order to preserve mixed hardwood species that don't get a chance to grow (the white-tailed deer eat up the saplings, according to them) and consequently nonnative invasive species would overrun the place. With an eye on aesthetics, the NPS prefers that the national historical park look like it did when our revolutionary army was encamped there. I don't get the point here. Obviously, with the creation of park centers, parking lots, roads, and trails, the NPS had become a greater, guilty party than the deer in changing the landscape of the area. Further, if the NPS is so concerned about authenticity, then why have they not enlarged the present day continental army parade ground to its original dimensions? Along the same lines, why have t...

The Animal Protection League of New Jersey is joining the Bear Group's protest. See details below. We hope to see you on Sunday. The BEAR Group will hold a protest THIS Sunday, July 24 (10am - 12 noon) to condemn the senseless killing of an orphan bear cub by the Clifton Police Department... and we need your support. Police claim the cub was creating a hazardous situation because it had crossed back and forth Rt 46. But the media has reported that the cub was shot in a wooded area OFF of the highway. Another source tells us that this cub was shot WHILE the police were waiting for the Division of Fish & Wildlife to arrive. Please join us...show them that such extreme acts of cruelty will NOT be tolerated. Date : Sunday, July 24, 2011 Time : 10:00 am – 12:00 noon Place : Van Houten Ave & Clifton Ave, Clifton, NJ 07013 http://tinyurl.com/3f72k9y PARKING : Please park in the public municipal lot behind the municpal building. Thank you and we look forward to seeing you on S...

Dear Friends of NJ Wildlife, Many of you may be in the midst of vacation plans, but if your schedule permits. won't you come out to join us in Jockey Hollow for the public meetings on July 27 and/or 28th? Directors and members of the League of Humane Voters, the Animal Protection League of NJ, and members of the press will be in attendance. It is critical that we have a large turnout for these meetings. PLEASE come out and lend your voice to 'science, not slaughter.' Also, please be sure to submit comments via the link below. We hope to see you in Jockey Hollow on July 27th and 28th. Thank you on behalf of NJ Wildlife! Merrilee Cichy for K.L.I.P. Animal Protection League of NJ ...

Video streaming by Ustream Animal Chronicles is a weekly, one-hour radio show hosted by PAWS Director Anna Cabrera on DZRJ, 810 khz. Showtime, as of today, is Monday, 7pm Manila time which is 7am on the American eastcoast. Although I don't live in Manila, I know enough of the goings-on in that city to say that this is the first radio show devoted specifically to animal welfare. You can call it a breakthrough. This was unheard of when I was growing up in Manila. It's a wonderful opportunity, a virtual bullhorn, to spread the gospel of animal rights, welfare, and responsible dog guardianship. Not ownership, but guardianship. I cringe at the word, "owner," and I avoid it like the plague. The Philippines is still in the nascent period of its animal welfare revolution, but the country is making great strides towards a more humane society with the passing of the Philippine Animal Welfare Act (R.A. 8485) and the Anti-Rabies Act . Animal cruelty cases have begun to be heard ...

Last month, I joined other animal rights advocates in a demo outside the Air France offices on E50th street in Manhattan. Air France-KLM is the largest transporter of animals to testing facilities around the world. We remained at the site with our leaflets, posters, and megaphones for three hours and then moved on to the Grand Army Plaza on 59th street and Fifth for another 3-hour protest against the horse-drawn carriages. It was just our little contribution to the cause, our way, the traditional way of protesting. Over in France, members of the organization known as Air Souffrance carried their message like no other has done before. With their natural good looks, charm, and coordinated dress, they spread the ugly truth about the airline in style. See them HERE

Marzigliano's is a live animal market on Bergenline Avenue, West New York, NJ. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the NYC area, yes, there is a town in New Jersey called West New York. Marzigliano's has been the site of a live animal market for decades. The usual selection would include ducks, goats, pigeons, chickens, and rabbits. There is a slaughter pen in the rear of the store. They can manner-of-factly kill the animals onsite for you, if you so desired. A friend who is already in her late 50s told me that, as a child, she witnessed three goats shoved into the trunk of a car outside Marzigliano's and off they went to be slaughtered in someone's backyard. So, the place has a long history in the sale and slaughter of animals. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Marzigliano's was the last stop for many thousands of animals before slaughter. This place reeks with sadness, misery, and death. When consumers come into Marzigliano's, after a few min...

When I used to eat meat, I looked forward to those family-style dining places in or nearby Lancaster, Pennsylvania . Gettysburg was usually my final destination, and so these places would be along the way. I could see their ads on the highway; Good N Plenty was one of those places. Well, I am no longer interested in them and I don't think I will ever eat there again unless they've turned vegetarian. Here's a sign that would surely turn heads. I love it, just love it. Pennsylvania's countryside, bucolic scenes replete with monumental grain silos standing next to postcard-like barns and farmhouses, hides a nasty truth. Pennsylvania is spangled, better still, pockmarked, with innumerable puppy mills. It's like a beautiful face compromised by zits. This billboard ad informs travelers that there is misery in God's little acre. Animals that live(?) in Pennsylvania's puppy mills do not think it is a beautiful and happy place. Adopt. Do not buy from pet stores. Mo...

Goose Chase: Inwood Hill Park Geese Captured It's unconscionable for Mayor Bloomberg, the city government, and the USDA to use the poor and hungry in Pennsylvania to acquit themselves, to exonerate, to justify the mass roundup and slaughter of Canada Geese in the Inwood area. These people are pitting poverty and hunger against compassion and animal rights in true manipulative form, shoving geese down the throats of the poor whether they asked for it or not, hoping that the feeding of the poor will soften their image and wrongdoing. Let the poor be, and don't use them in your grand designs. This geese roundup and slaughter do not make good sense. The geese that flight 1549 sucked into its engines are migratory geese, not local park geese. The incident happened at approximately 4,200 feet. Park geese do not fly that high. What for? Come next Winter, there will be migratory geese up there again because they come from somewhere else. It is irresponsible of the USDA to enact measure...

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...