IDA eNews: 8/23/06

IDA ACTION ALERTS
1. USDA Seeking Public Comments on IDA's Elephant Petition
2. Animal Companions Abandoned in Lebanon Need Help
3. Help Save Feral Cat Colony at Netherlands Resort

CAMPAIGN NEWS & UPDATES
1. Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act Targets Animal Rights Activists
2. Country Western Star Troy Gentry Charged in Hunting Scam
3. International Anti-Fur Coalition Entreats Fashion Designers to Oppose Cruelty


IDA ACTION ALERTS

1. USDA Seeking Public Comments on IDA's Elephant Petition
Speak out now to increase space and improve living conditions for elephants in zoos

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is currently seeking public comments on space and living conditions for captive elephants in the U.S. This important development is a direct result of IDA's citizen's petition ( http://www.idausa.org/news/currentnews/zoo_petition.html ) seeking enforcement of the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA) at zoos and circuses, where elephants are suffering due to inadequate space, unnatural conditions, lack of exercise and social deprivation.

What You Can Do:

Zoos are mobilizing their members to write and defend the status quo. NOW IS THE TIME FOR EVERYONE WHO CARES ABOUT IMPROVING THE PLIGHT OF THESE MAGNIFICENT ANIMALS TO WRITE FORCEFULLY IN SUPPORT OF DRAMATICALLY IMPROVING THE STANDARDS FOR CAPTIVE ELEPHANTS (see sample letter below).

1) Elephants are suffering in zoos and it's just not right. Please write to the USDA TODAY on their behalf! Please submit your comments to the USDA by October 10th.

Via Internet:

• Visit the Federal eRulemaking portal ( http://www.regulations.gov )
• In the "Search Regulations and Federal Actions" box, select "Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service" from the agency drop-down menu
• Click on "Submit"
• In the Docket ID column, select APHIS-2006-0044 to submit or view public comments and to view supporting and related materials available electronically

By postal mail, send an original and three copies to:

Docket No. APHIS-2006-0044
Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS/USDA
Station 3A-03.8
4700 River Road, Unit 118
Riverdale, MD 20737-1238

2) Express your outrage at Clara's suffering ( %takeaction-ClaraSLZ% ) and demand that the new baby, her family and all the elephants at St. Louis Zoo be transferred to a sanctuary with the space and natural habitat elephants need. To have a greater impact, also call the St. Louis Zoo at (314) 781-0900 and ask to speak with President Jeffrey Bonner, and write to him directly at administration [at] stlzoo.org or at Saint Louis Zoo, One Government Drive, St. Louis, MO 63110.

Get more information on IDA's petition to the USDA. ( http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/content/2006/08/captive_elephants.shtml )

Learn more about IDA's campaign to help elephants in zoos. ( http://www.helpelephants.com )

Sample Letter

To Whom It May Concern:

I strongly urge the USDA to improve enforcement and standards for captive elephants in the U.S.

Zoos and circuses are not giving elephants the conditions they require for their health and well-being. Elephants are big animals who need big spaces. But in too many zoos and circuses they suffer from lack of space, unnatural conditions and social deprivation that eventually cause a range of preventable ailments -- from painful arthritis and foot disease to reproductive and digestive disorders to neurotic behaviors like swaying and head bobbing.

To make matters worse, many zoos lock their elephants in barn stalls for at least 12 hours a day when the zoo is closed. And, in northern zoos, elephants are confined indoors for extended periods during the cold winter months.

Additionally, circuses and many zoos control their elephants through force, domination and aggressive use of the bull hook and prolonged chaining.

I support all efforts to dramatically improve conditions for captive elephants in this country.

• Exhibitors of elephants must be required to provide large, naturalistic environments similar to those at The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee and the PAWS sanctuary in California. These two refuges provide hundreds to thousands of acres over which elephants can roam, socialize and maintain their health.

• The use of bullhooks, chains, electric shock devices and other instruments of force must be outlawed.

Please add your personal experiences here ( i.e., As a mother, teacher, concerned citizen, etc. I have seen elephants in circuses. . .)

Thank you for your consideration,

[your name]


2. Animal Companions Abandoned in Lebanon Need Help
Rescue group needs emergency funds to feed, shelter and protect survivors

In only 36 days of fighting between Lebanon and Israel, approximately 1,000 Lebanese and 163 Israelis have been killed -- at least 900 of these casualties of war being civilians. While a cease-fire negotiated by the United Nations has slowed the death toll, further destruction seems almost inevitable. It has been a brutal conflict for both sides, and all kinds of animals are suffering terribly alongside human beings as the fighting continues.

The mass evacuation of Lebanon has caused a major crisis for guardians abroad as some world governments order their citizens to leave helpless animal companions behind to face almost certain death from rocket strikes, starvation or disease. While the French, for instance, made arrangements to evacuate animals along with people, the U.S. government forced 25,000 evacuees to abandon their animal companions in the combat zone soon after the bombs started to fall over a month ago. In this instance, it seems that U.S. officials have learned nothing from the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, in which thousands of Gulf Region residents courageously chose to stay and face deadly flood waters rather than abandon their beloved animals in their time of greatest need.

Now tens of thousands of animals are trapped in the middle of a deadly military conflict with no means of escape or survival. There remains one main rescue group in Lebanon -- Beirut for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (BETA) -- and they're hanging on by a thread. After their shelter was destroyed by missiles, they managed to evacuate dozens of dogs and cats to an abandoned pig farm in the hills around Beirut donated by a generous German supporter. While over one million people have fled Lebanon over the past several weeks, BETA volunteers have vowed to stay with and protect the rescued animals even at extreme risk to their own lives.

What You Can Do:

BETA desperately needs emergency funds to buy food and medicine from nearby countries in the Middle East. You can donate money to support BETA's lifesaving efforts through the Best Friends Rescue Fund ( http://network.bestfriends.org/middleeast ). Be sure to indicate in the "comments" section of the donation form that you want your contribution to go to BETA's rescue efforts.


3. Help Save Feral Cat Colony at Netherlands Resort
Urge Pelican Bay Resort manager and Commissioner of Tourism not to kill any more cats

A colony of spayed and neutered feral cats living at the Pelican Marina Residences and taken care of by the residents was recently forced to leave their home because of construction. The cats relocated themselves to the Pelican Bay Resort next door, where they are now being heartlessly exterminated. The St. Maarten Animal Welfare Foundation has provided the Pelican Bay Resort with traps and the Resort manager has ordered the security department to trap and kill the cats. They have killed more than a dozen cats already, and only ten remain.

What You Can Do:

Urge the Pelican Bay Resort and the Netherland's Commissioner of Tourism ( %takeaction-PBRferals% ) to immediately stop killing the cats and allow the colony to stay or be relocated to another area.

To learn more about feral cats, visit Neighborhood Cats ( http://www.neighborhoodcats.org ) and attend the 3rd Annual National Feral Cat Summit, co-sponsored by IDA, on September 9th in San Francisco. We are pleased to announce that Michael Mountain ( http://www.bestfriends.org/aboutus/staffdepartments/biommountain.cfm ), President of Best Friends Society in Utah, has just been added as the morning's Keynote Speaker. In addition, IDA founder and President Dr. Elliot Katz will give the opening remarks, and many other speakers will give presentations. See the complete program and register today. ( http://www.neighborhoodcats.org/special/nfc_summit_2006.htm )


CAMPAIGN NEWS & UPDATES

1. Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act Threatens Freedom of Speech
Urge your federal Representative to oppose bill that violates First Amendment rights

Some lawmakers are now trying to broaden the government's power to target animal rights activists with a new bill, H.R. 4239, also known as the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. This bill seeks to define even non-violent activist tactics such as civil disobedience, whistleblowing and undercover investigations as "terrorism."

According to the language of H.R. 4239, causing any business classified as an "animal enterprise" (e.g., factory farms, fur farms, vivisection labs, rodeos and circuses) to suffer a profit loss could become a crime punishable by a lengthy prison sentence -- even if the company's financial decline is caused by peaceful protests, consumer boycotts or media campaigns. No other industrial sector in U.S. history has ever been afforded such legal protections against people exercising their constitutionally-granted First Amendment rights to free speech.

Activists who use non-violent tactics to oppose corporations that profit from animal suffering are not terrorists, and "animal enterprises" do not deserve special protection from those who speak out for animals. If anything, too many corporations blatantly and repeatedly violate the federal Animal Welfare Act without suffering any legal or financial repercussions. Instead of wasting tax dollars to punish and jail law-abiding U.S. citizens, the government should focus on stopping real terrorists who actually pose a serious and proven threat to the public's safety.

What You Can Do:

Urge your federal Representative to protect our First Amendment rights to freedom of speech by opposing the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act ( %takeaction-HR4239% ). Also write and call your Representative personally to have a greater impact. You can get the mailing addresses and phone numbers for your elected officials by clicking http://ga0.org/indefenseofanimals/leg-lookup/search.tcl and entering your zip code.

To learn more about what the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act could mean for animal rights activists, read what journalist Will Potter ( http://www.greenisthenewred.com/blog/2006/08/15/ar2006-plenary ) has to say on the subject.


2. Country Western Star Troy Gentry Charged in Hunting Scam
Federal government charges that popular singer shot captive tame bear but claimed a wild kill

Federal authorities have charged singer Troy Gentry, from the popular country western duo Montgomery Gentry, of illegally killing a tame black bear approximately two years ago and then trying to make it appear as if he'd hunted the bear in the wild.

Gentry paid Lee Marvin Greenly, a hunting guide and owner of the Minnesota Wildlife Connection, $4,650 for the bear, who was named Cubby. The government charges that Gentry then shot Cubby with a bow and arrow in an enclosed pen on Greenly's property, where he keeps numerous captive wild animals. Afterwards, the two men labeled Cubby's carcass with a Minnesota hunting license and fallaciously registered the kill with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources on the claim that Gentry had shot the bear in the wild.

Cubby's death was also caught on videotape and allegedly edited to make it appear as though Gentry had hunted and killed the bear as part of a "fair chase" scenario in the wild. He and Greenly then falsified the tag on his victim, claiming the bear as a wild kill, and sent the pelt to a taxidermist in Kentucky to have Cubby mounted. Shipping his hide across state lines violated the Lacey Act, a federal law which prohibits trade in illegally taken, possessed, transported or sold animals and plants.

Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Raymond Erickson, Gentry pled not guilty to conspiracy charges in connection with falsely tagging the dead bear as a wild kill. Gentry's manager claims his famous client fully believed what he did was in full compliance with the law and that he expects to be found innocent of any wrongdoing.

However confident of his innocence Gentry may be, he and Greenly could each face up to five years in federal prison and a $20,000 fine if convicted. Greenly faces additional charges for illegally setting up bear-baiting stations and hunting stands in the Sandstone National Wildlife Refuge last year and guiding hunters to the spot where they killed two black bears.

What You Can Do:

Write or call Senior Judge Paul A. Magnuson, who is trying Troy Gentry and Lee Marvin Greenly for conspiracy charges, and respectfully urge him to seek the maximum punishment allowable under the law for both men.

Senior Judge Paul A. Magnuson
316 N. Roberts Street
St. Paul, MN 55101
Tel: (651) 848-1150


3. International Anti-Fur Coalition Entreats Fashion Designers to Oppose Cruelty
Join or organize an event on September 13th - demonstrations taking place worldwide

IDA is a proud member of the International Anti-Fur Coalition ( http://fur.arforum.org ), a collection of individuals and organizations working together to end the atrocities committed against animals by the global fur industry. Since February, the Coalition has been holding worldwide days of protest against the fur industry by coordinating activists in different countries to hold demonstrations simultaneously. The Coalition is about to host its third day of protest, and is seeking volunteers to organize a worldwide press conference urging top fashion designers to take the lead in casting off fur.

The majority of fur-bearing animals are raised on fur mills in wire cages stacked in long rows, with large mills holding up to 100,000 "livestock." About half of the world's fur is imported from China, where animal welfare laws don't exist and dogs and cats are also killed for fur. Minks -- the most commonly raised animals in mills -- have a two-mile range in their natural habitat, and spend much of their time swimming. Trapped in cages, they are denied their most basic natural behaviors. After a lifetime of confinement, fur-bearing animals are killed painfully. So as not to damage the animals' valuable pelts, farmers commonly break their necks or insert an electrified rod in their anus or vagina, literally frying them from the inside out.

On this third day of protest, the Coalition will publicly encourage fashion designers to take a stand against animal cruelty with a series of simultaneous press conferences. Events are already being planned for 13 countries -- Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, England, France, Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Portugal, Thailand, Turkey and Venezuela. With groups in so many countries acting in synchronicity to create such a strong planetary presence, U.S. activists must step up and represent their country by holding press conferences throughout the nation.

What You Can Do:

Hold a press conference in your city on Wednesday, September 13th to help fashion designers see that making clothes from the fur of abused animals leaves blood on their hands. Visit http://fur.arforum.org for more information about the International Anti-Fur Coalition. If you would like to get involved, contact Melissa Gonzalez at (415) 388-9641, ext. 228 or Melissa [at] idausa.org .


Invest in Compassion: Give a Gift that Gives Back

A Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA) is a combination gift and investment that allows smart investors to increase current income while helping stop animal abuse and exploitation. When you establish a CGA, you transfer cash or securities to IDA and, in return, we pay you a guaranteed, fixed payment for the rest of your life. You can even name someone else as the beneficiary, or annuitant, of a gift annuity. Generally, the older you are when your gift annuity begins, the higher your scheduled payment. Upon your passing, or that of the last survivor of a "two-life" annuity, the principal underlying the annuity then becomes available to IDA.

The benefits of an IDA Charitable Gift Annuity include:
- The security of fixed interest income of up to 11.3% for the lifetime of you and/or a loved one.
- A charitable income tax deduction for a portion of your gift in the year it is established.
- Reduced capital gains taxes (if your annuity is funded with long-term, appreciated securities).

For more information on establishing a Charitable Gift Annuity (including interest rate information as proposed by the American Council on Gift Annuities), or to learn about other Planned Giving options, please contact IDA's Planned Giving Coordinator Nicole Otoupalik at (714) 389-2823 or via email at Nicole [at] idausa.org .


Beyond Body, Mind, and Spirit

Jan Allegretti is a teacher, consultant and writer in the field of holistic health care for animals. Her books include "Listen to the Silence: Lessons from Trees and Other Masters," and "The Complete Holistic Dog Book: Home Health Care for Our Canine Companions." In every other IDA eNewsletter, Jan explores how we live with, love and care for the animals who share our homes and how we relate to our nonhuman friends as individual guardians and as a society.

Click http://www.idausa.org/askjan/askjan_060823.html to read Jan’s latest column, When Illness Strikes: Homeopathy & Herbs or Surgery & Drugs?