Posted on January 16, 2013 by Other Nations
Biting bars in desperation; PETA photo–click image
Kathleen Stachowski Other Nations
Financial greed is a huge motivator for our species–ain’t no new news here–so I don’t wonder about the callous low-lifes who imprison bears in concrete pits and sell tickets to gawk at ’em. I DO wonder about the ones who buy the tickets, though. What motivates them? Are they callous? Are they clueless? We’ll hear from them later.
You’ve probably read about the latest undercover sting at the Chief Saunooke Bear Park. It’s a PETA investigation, so there’s been plenty of press. Cherokee, NC in the sylvan Smoky Mountains is the setting for this, our latest installment of It’s a Speciesist Life. Continue reading →
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal cruelty, animal ethics, animal rights | 6 Comments »
Posted on January 6, 2013 by Other Nations
Kathleen Stachowski Other Nations
Click for movie
National soul-searching over the root cause of violence consumes us in the wake of another horrendous mass shooting. The slaughter of children is anathema to our vision of who we are: we protect the innocent and powerless. We protect the young—those yet unable to wield their voices or our laws—with especial vehemence. Yet, in the swirling, anguished and angry debates about guns and violence, something is missing—something looming so large that we can’t step back far enough to see it. Violence against species other than our own is so pervasive, so normalized, that we don’t even perceive the endless, brutal, bloody slaughter as violence. It’s part and parcel of who we are. It’s how things are. Continue reading →
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal ethics, animal rights, diet, factory farms, hunting | 11 Comments »
Posted on December 30, 2012 by Other Nations
Kathleen Stachowski Other Nations
“What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts are gone, man would die from a great loneliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man. All things are connected.”
Never did a phony speech ring so true. By now we all know (don’t we?) that these words–and that whole web of life riff–come from a fake speech attributed to Suquamish chief Seattle. Its falsified provenance has been exposed many times over, but its staying power persists on posters, T-shirts, bumper stickers, garden plaques (I have one, a gift), in a children’s book–and in hearts. We want to believe that a seer, wise and eloquent (which Seattle was for a fact), speaks to us so poignantly about the strong bond between all species: our irrevocable connection, our shared fate. That a mid-19th-century visionary addressed us directly in the early 1970s–just when our environmental movement was taking off (imagine that!)–and continues speaking ever more urgently in these rapidly-warming, species-depleting 21st-century days. Continue reading →
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal ethics, animal rights, climate change, environmental ethics, factory farms, fishing, fur farming | 7 Comments »
Posted on December 20, 2012 by Other Nations
PBS Nature-click
Kathleen Stachowski Other Nations
When you live in what feels like a war zone–the Northern Rockies states are waging war on their own native wildlife–it’s easy to forget that the act of killing doesn’t rule the roost everywhere. Occasionally something comes along that makes you believe there might be hope (even if it’s not your hope); that at least some place (though not your place), sanity–and maybe even respect for animals–prevails. Today it is this: Costa Rica, one of the planet’s most bio-diverse countries, banned sport hunting on December 10th. Granted, one quarter of Costa Rica’s land is already protected in parks and reserves, so hunting wasn’t a big economic driver to start with. But still. Continue reading →
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal ethics, animal rights, endangered species, environmental ethics, exotic animals, hunting, wolves | 21 Comments »
Posted on December 13, 2012 by Seth
Seth Victor
Late last month PETA filed a suit against Hot’s Restaurant Group in Los Angeles County, CA, alleging that the defendant violated the California state law that went into effect earlier this year prohibiting the sale of foie gras. The essence of the complaint is that Hot’s Kitchen, the specific restaurant in question, has skirted the law by selling a hamburger for an increased price and including with the hamburger a “complimentary side of foie gras.” Being that foie gras is sold legally at gourmet restaurants around the country for a pretty penny, on its face Hot’s seems to be blatantly rebelling against California’s ban, taking a position common among many restaurant owners. Taking the ethical debate over foie gras (ahem) off the table for a moment, is what Hot’s Kitchen doing illegal? Continue reading →
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal cruelty, animal ethics, animal law, animal rights, animal welfare, diet, factory farms, veganism, vegetarianism | Tagged: "THE Burger", activism, animal abuse, animal advocacy, animal cruelty, animal ethics, animal law, animal rights, animal suffering, animal welfare, animals, CAFOS, california, Constitutional Law, environmental law, factory farms, farmed animals, foie gras, foie gras ban, Hot's Kitchen, meat, PETA, vegan, veganism, vegetarianism | 2 Comments »
Posted on December 11, 2012 by Seth
Seth Victor
From the tone of the NY Times article, John Bartmann doesn’t sound like a bad man. Though some readers might demonize him because he is involved in animal farming, this isn’t the CEO of a major industrial producer, and it would be inaccurate to lump him in under the same heading. I expect Mr. Bartmann knows a thing or two about sheep husbandry, and likely has his own grievances with the CAFO industry. Still, his plight is indicative of the complicated issues surrounding modern farming, and is not free from critique. The decline of the modern rancher, especially in the drought of 2012, highlights many of the problems with food in the United States, through both animal and environmental perspectives. Continue reading →
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal law, animal welfare, climate change, environmental ethics, environmental law, factory farms | Tagged: 2012 drought, animal ethics, animal rights, animal welfare, animals, cafo, climate change, Colorado, concentrated animal feeding operations, environmental ethics, environmental law, environmentalism, factory farms, farmed animals, food, global warming, industrial farming, lamb, New Zealand sheep, sheep, US food market, western agriculture | 6 Comments »
Posted on December 10, 2012 by Seth
Seth Victor
As reported by the Detroit News, the Michigan legislature recently voted to increase the penalty for dog fighting. By finding dog fighting to be an organized criminal enterprise, the legislature has made it possible for dog fighting violators to be charged with racketeering, punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Additionally, the property (real and personal) in question could also be confiscated as a nuisance if the House approves the bill. The racketeering classification amendment to the law is expected to be signed by Gov. Snyder soon. As the bill analysis reads:
Under the code, racketeering is defined as committing, attempting to commit, conspiring to commit, or aiding or abetting, soliciting, coercing, or intimidating a person to commit an offense for financial gain that includes any of the listed criminal acts. The bill would amend this list to include a violation of Section 49, concerning animal fighting.
The bill proposal puts it bluntly; “Simply put, animal fighting is animal abuse on steroids.” By moving this crime into the same category as other criminal enterprises, Michigan is recognizing the vast infrastructure behind animal fighting rings. The amendment to the law will also allow prosecutors to go after repeat offenders in a more meaningful manner, rather than having to separately prosecute individual cases that carry less significant penalties. There is a concern that property seizure based simply on an allegation of such abuse might be extreme, and that is an aspect that certainlyshould be carefully considered in each case. Overall, this bill marks a considerable step towards greater penalties for animal abuse, and one that isn’t as particularly tailored as last year’s Schultz’s Law.
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal cruelty, animal law, animal rights, animal welfare | Tagged: animal abuse, animal advocacy, animal cruelty, animal ethics, animal law, animal rights, animal suffering, animals, dog fighting, dogs, Gov. Snyder, Michigan, racketeering | 2 Comments »
Posted on December 6, 2012 by Seth
Seth Victor
You may have your own opinions about the World Trade Organization (WTO), whether positive or negative. Regardless, the WTO wields influence over imports and exports worldwide. As we have discussed at length on this blawg, animals are commodities, and thus the policies of the WTO are important when considering animal rights.
Over the last several months the WTO has taken issue with dolphin-safe tuna. To summarize what is a long and involved debate, since 1990 the United States has provided labels specifying whether dolphins were killed (though “harmed” isn’t covered) through the harvesting of tuna to be sold in the U.S. market under the Dolphin Protection Consumer Information Act (originally the labels really meant that purse seine nets, the type that often harm dolphins, weren’t used). Mexico, via a complaint to the WTO, claimed that these dolphin safety measures unfairly impeded Mexico’s tuna trade. The WTO agreed, and ruled that the dolphin-safe labels are “unnecessarily restrictive on trade.” This ruling comes out of one of the core principles of the WTO’s policy of non-discrimination. Under the doctrine of “the most favoured nation” all WTO countries must extend to each other the same trade advantages as the most prefered trading nation would receive. National equality also states that foreign traders must be treated the same way as domestic traders. When you consider the long history of violence and discrimination associated with international trade, including the United States’s own origins, this is sound policy. Yet as always, the devil is in the application.
Continue reading →
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal ethics, animal law, animal rights, animal welfare, environmental law, fishing, marine animals | Tagged: animal advocacy, animal ethics, animal law, animal rights, animal welfare, dolphin free, dolphin protection consumer information act, dolphins, environmental advocacy, environmental ethics, environmental law, environmentalism, fishermen, fishing, international dolphin conservation program, international law, international trade, marine animals, marine law, Mexico, tuna, United States of America, World Trade Organization | 1 Comment »
Posted on November 29, 2012 by David
Ally Bernstein
Now wouldn’t that be nice. The truth, for once. But no, the disclaimer, “No animals were harmed during the filming of this movie” will roll right across the 60 foot movie theater screen as the new film, “The Hobbit”, reels right along this December. In an article published last week, the American Humane Association claimed that “no animals were harmed during the actual filming.” While it might be true that no animals were harmed during the filming, it is not true that no animals were filmed during the making of “The Hobbit”. In fact, 27 animals died unnecessary deaths due to the horrendous housing conditions they were kept in for use in the film. Continue reading →
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal ethics | Tagged: American Humane Association, animal abuse, animal advocacy, animal ethics, animal welfare, The Hobbit | 5 Comments »
Posted on November 27, 2012 by Other Nations
Kathleen Stachowski Other Nations
Hunting season starts with a bang…and ends with a long, relieved sigh such as we breathed one-half hour after sunset on Sunday. Animal advocates–probably pretty much everywhere, but definitely here in Montana–hunker down, grit our teeth, avoid favorite hikes in the wilds, avoid the newspaper, and count down the days until the elk and deer–and this year, wolf–slaughter ends.
October 18th & 19th, the two days prior to the deer and elk season opener, were designated Youth Hunting Days (deer hunting only for kids 12 to 15, though some aged 11 can participate depending on birth date) and coincide with the state’s no-school teachers’ professional development days. Kids 12 to 17 purchasing their first hunting license don’t actually have to raid their piggy banks–the license is given to them, a gift from the state, perhaps in a bid to cultivate youth ambassadors for hunting’s declining numbers. (See a previous discussion of youth hunting elsewhere at Animal Blawg.)
Conventional wisdom maintains that small kids feel a natural bond with animals, but some research indicates that empathy for animals increases starting in 2nd grade and ethical concerns starting in 8th grade. Continue reading →
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal cruelty, animal ethics, animal rights, fishing, hunting | 13 Comments »
Posted on November 14, 2012 by David
Eliza Boggia
Superstorm, Frankenstorm, Halloween Ruiner. Regardless of its nickname, Hurricane Sandy ravaged much of the east coast, causing severe, and in some places, irreversible damage. However, people were not the only ones put in grave danger by this storm. While many of New York City’s weak swimmer rats drowned, many domestic pets were also displaced from their homes.
There is some good news. New York City has rallied around protecting the lives its domesticated animals. According to USA Today, all of the shelters in New York City accepted refugee pets, which legally they are not required to do. The efforts being made are a grim reminder of the results after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which left approximately 250,000 pets homeless. It is unknown just how many animals were killed or subsequently died of dehydration/starvation in wake of Katrina. To avoid a repeat of this type of tragedy, city hotels that are usually not animal-friendly have waived restrictions and allowed pets to stay during the disaster. It remains unknown whether they were entitled to room service.
There were a few voices supporting animal rights and the importance of a safe haven during and after the storm. Tim Rickey of the ASPCA says, “”If your home isn’t safe for you, it’s not safe for your pet. Once you evacuate you never know when you will be back.” Furthermore, ASPCA at large is helping out in three major ways—by distributing pet supplies at several key points, providing veterinary care, and rescuing animals who were left behind. To donate to ASPCA’s Sandy relief efforts, visit here. Continue reading →
Filed under: animal advocacy | Tagged: animal advocacy, animal welfare, New York City, pets, Superstorm Sandy | 4 Comments »
Posted on November 10, 2012 by Other Nations
Kathleen Stachowski Other Nations
No sooner do we turn the page on the sad story of two wild Montana grizzlies gone psychotic in a Midwestern zoo when along comes more tragedy involving captive wild animals. Yes, wild animals taken from their habitats or born into captivity to live unnatural, diminished lives are tragic cases in their own right. Witness a bear turning endless tight circles in her cement cell (instead of ranging across 100 square wilderness miles) and tell me this isn’t tragic.
But the latest calamities are compounded in that they are also human tragedies–and needless ones but for our speciesist insistence on keeping wild beings captive for our own pleasure and profit. Continue reading →
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal ethics, animal rights, blogging, circuses, exotic animals, fur farming | Leave a comment »
Posted on November 5, 2012 by spencelo
Spencer Lo
There is an extraordinary story developing about a global effort to save two 11 year-old oxen from slaughter, whose bodies will serve the appetites of students at Green Mountain College (GMC), a small institution in Poultney, Vermont. Bill and Lou, affectionately named, have labored at GMC as part of the college’s Food & Farm Project for over a decade—their tasks included plowing fields and even generating electricity. According to the official college statement, Bill and Lou are “draft animals,” rescued from neglect and malnutrition to “do important work which would otherwise be performed by equipment that consumes diesel fuel.” Now their ability to do that “important work” has ended: this past July, after stepping into a woodchuck hole, Lou reinjured his left rear leg which rendered him incapable of working, and his friend Bill, while uninjured, will not likely accept a new teammate. So what to do with a pair of unworkable, elderly oxen, GMC residents who have become de facto mascots? Eat them, of course—which was the decision reached in “an open community forum” participated by both students and faculty. Continue reading →
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal ethics, animal rights, animal welfare, environmental ethics, veganism | Tagged: Bill and Lou, Green Mountain College | 10 Comments »
Posted on November 1, 2012 by Other Nations
Kathleen Stachowski Other Nations
Icons come, and icons go, but “Peanuts” abides. Beginning in 1950, ending in 2000, and living on in syndicated reprints, the round-headed kid and the bodacious beagle are cultural fixtures for generations of American and world citizens. Baby Boomers have spent our entire lives–60+ years!–under the influence of “Peanuts.” And 17,897 published strips later, it shows no sign of waning:
Peanuts, arguably the most popular and influential comic strip of all time, continues to flourish — especially during the holidays. From Halloween through Christmas, Peanuts TV specials pepper the airwaves and are watched endlessly on DVD. The music of Vince Guaraldi is a constant on the radio. Peanuts-related merchandise like calendars, t-shirts, mugs and toys fill the stores. And of course classic editions of the strip continue to appear in newspapers worldwide. ~HuffPost blog
It’s hard to overestimate the “Peanuts” phenomenon: it’s both a warm, familiar, daily presence and a seasonal treat–a beloved friend arriving for the holidays. And that’s why it feels so darn wrong to see the gang pushing milk–(chocolate milk, in this case, “The Official Drink of Halloween“)–a product whose origin lies in animal suffering. Continue reading →
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal cruelty, animal ethics, animal rights, diet, factory farms | 3 Comments »
Posted on October 25, 2012 by David
Patricia Chang
In mid-August, a German Shepherd mix named Missy made international headlines after she was rescued by a team of volunteer climbers from a ridge on Colorado’s 14,000-foot-high Mount Bierstadt. Her owner, Anthony Joseph Ortolani, said that Missy’s paws became so blistered and cut during the climb that she couldn’t walk, and that he and his friend tried to carry the 112-pound dog down the rocky terrain for two hours through rain and snow. When a storm rolled in, however, he chose to leave the dog behind because he feared for his and his friend’s well-being.
Once Ortolani made it down, he contacted the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office but was not given any assistance; he was told that rescue crews do not attempt to retrieve animals. Missy, stranded and injured, was left on her own for eight days. Continue reading →
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal cruelty | Tagged: animal advocacy, animal law, animal suffering, animal welfare, mountain climbing, rescued animals, stranded animals | 6 Comments »
Posted on October 21, 2012 by Other Nations
Kathleen Stachowski Other Nations
Circling Bear, left (emerging from shadow); Pacing Bear, right
“The animals in this zoo walk in circles.”
The boy, about eight years old, made this observation as he stood inches from a compulsively-circling grizzly, a thick wall of plexiglass between bear and child. He repeated it–now more question than statement–but neither parent responded. “The bear’s gone crazy from captivity,” I ventured in his direction. His mom agreed. “Yes, it’s so sad,” she said. “I feel sorry for them.” Meanwhile, the bear circled and circled while her sister paced a linear route back and forth, back and forth. Meanwhile, a lump was forming in my throat. Continue reading →
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal ethics, animal rights, endangered species, exotic animals | 5 Comments »
Posted on October 15, 2012 by spencelo
Spencer Lo
Professor Gary L. Francione recently appeared in a Philosophy Bites podcast interview and discussed his abolitionist approach to animal rights. Despite the short length of the interview (around 15 minutes), many topics were covered, including:
- The ideology of animal welfare: Jeremy Bentham and Peter Singer
- Veganism as a moral requirement
- Moral status of animals: sentience and cognitive characteristics
- Achieving abolitionism via welfare reforms
- Alleged differences between factory farming and humane farming (e.g., free range, “happy meat,” “compassionate consumption”).
- Domestication, pets and non-vegan cats
- Unintended harms of a vegan diet
- Eating road kill
- Veganism and its relation to the modern animal rights movement
(For interested readers, I left some comments about some of the above).
———————
More Philosophy Bites podcasts pertaining to animal ethics: Peter Singer on using animals, Jeff McMahan on moral vegetarianism, Tim Crane on animal minds, and Paul Snowdon on persons and animals.
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal ethics, animal rights, animal welfare, veganism | Tagged: abolitionist approach, gary francione, philosophy bites, veganism | 1 Comment »
Posted on October 14, 2012 by Other Nations
Kathleen Stachowski Other Nations
Ocean Conservancy – click image
Michigan City, Indiana is a great hometown–a Great Lakes hometown. Located on the southern tip of Lake Michigan, we Michigan Cityzens were lucky to grow up basking on warm, “singing sand,” diving into big breakers (with dire warnings of the undertow looming large in childhood), and exploring the wild dunes that would eventually become the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. On a recent trip home, I crammed in as many visits as possible to “my” great lake. Even Montana’s Big Sky country can’t quell the frequent longing for that spectacular lakefront, its reeling shorebirds, towering dunes, and waving marram grass. Continue reading →
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal welfare, environmental ethics, marine animals | 3 Comments »
Posted on October 8, 2012 by David
Eliza Boggs
On September 23, 2012, a baby panda cub died unexpectedly at the National Zoo in Washington, DC. Shortly after, the mother panda began cradling a toy, indicative of the idea that she too is struggling with the reality of no longer being a mother. In both the wild and captivity, baby pandas face surprising obstacles. In 2006 in China, a mother panda, weighing in around 200 lbs., fell asleep while nursing her baby and accidentally crushed her four-ounce cub to death. Unlike the fate of the Chinese cub, the death of this cub remains a mystery. Though the zoologists are still unable to determine the cause of death, a necropsy ruled out strangulation. But what happened?
With the murky and at best minimal protections afforded to thefragile existence of the panda bear, this issue is more important than ever. Dovetailing this important issue of protecting pandas in zoos is the debate over whether the preservation of pandas is an effort worth making at all. Some make the contention that saving pandas are a waste of governmental time, resources and money. Indeed, The Linnean Society of London has already scheduled a debate entitled, “Do we need pandas? Choosing which species to save.” Continue reading →
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal ethics | Tagged: animal advocacy, animal ethics, animal welfare, endangered species, environmental ethics, Linnean Society, National Zoo, pandas | 1 Comment »
Posted on October 7, 2012 by Other Nations
Kathleen Stachowski Other Nations
click image
You don’t have to be Catholic to appreciate the Blessing of the Animals offered by churches during October, usually near the Oct. 4th Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals. In fact, non-Catholic denominations frequently conduct their own animal blessing services, and why not–what’s not to love?!? Heck, you don’t even have to be religious to find beauty in this simple, compassionate gesture. Continue reading →
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal cruelty, animal ethics, animal experimentation, animal rights, circuses, diet, factory farms, hunting, vivisection | 10 Comments »
Posted on September 22, 2012 by spencelo
Spencer Lo
The judges on France’s Constitutional Council, a 9 member body, ruled yesterday that bullfighting does not contravene the constitution, rejecting a challenge by the animal-rights group CRAC who seeks to ban the practice nationwide. Although bullfighting is prohibited in certain parts of France, the tradition has remained popular in the south – particularly in the Nimes and Arles areas – for the past 150 years. Professor Diane Marie Amann offered a brief analysis of the Council’s ruling here. CRAC contended that an exception contained in the country’s criminal code which explicitly protected bullfighting—if it occurs in regions “where an uninterrupted local tradition can be invoked”—violates equal protection principles (“The law…must be the same for everyone, with respect to protection as well as to punishment”). In other words, because bullfighting is prohibited in some areas on animal cruelty grounds, the same practice should be prohibited everywhere, otherwise unequal treatment would result. Rejecting this argument, the judges affirmed the tradition exception as constitutionally permissible. But the decision raises the obvious question, what’s so special about tradition? Why should entrenched cultural traditions, however humanly significant, take precedent over the welfare-interests of animals? Read more
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal cruelty, animal ethics, animal law, animal rights, animal welfare | Tagged: animal advocacy, animal cruelty, animal ethics, animal law, animal rights, animal torture, animal welfare, art, bullfighting, bulls, estoque, Hemingway, matador, PETA, picadors | 42 Comments »
Posted on September 19, 2012 by David
Eliza Boggia
On August 16, 2012 in the east village of Manhattan, man’s best friend gave the ultimate sacrifice—being willing to die in an effort to protect his owner. What for do you ask? Maybe in a valiant effort save his owner from a burning building? If only. Unfortunately, the pit bull mix named Star was shot by a police officer on 14th St., while protecting his owner who was having a seizure.
A witness who was visiting a doctor’s office nearby alerted police officers that the owner of the dog was in danger of being hit by traffic. He was lying in the middle of the road, twitching and shaking. Now here’s the rub. The police get too close, the dog, in an effort to protect his owner, lunges at the police. The police officer shoots Star at nearly point blank range, he says, in an effort to provide medical assistant to the owner having a seizure. What’s missing here? The police officer that shot Star discharged his mace on Star after shooting him. According to theblaze, “In a split second, the officer pulls his gun and fires a single shot that sends the dog writhing in pain. The dog eventually stops moving as a pool of blood is visible.” Continue reading →
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal cruelty | Tagged: animal ethics, animal law, animal rights, animal welfare, pets, pit bulls | 29 Comments »
Posted on September 18, 2012 by David
Stephen O’Donohue
On August 24, 2007 Michael Vick plead guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Travel in Interstate Commerce in Aid of Unlawful Activities and to Sponsor a Dog in an Animal Fighting Venture, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371. U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson sentenced Vick to twenty-three months in prison. Vick admitted to organizing and running a dog fighting enterprise known as “Bad Newz Kennels,” where he oversaw not only the dog fights themselves (which often led to the death or maiming of at least one dog) but also admitted to directly participating in the killing of many dogs by hanging or drowning. Vick served his sentence, and upon release performed a token amount of public service work and promptly returned to the NFL as a quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, where he is still so employed.
The initial widespread condemnation of Vick’s conduct was, I believe and hope, a reflection of our society’s heightened value for the well being of animals. Sponsors dropped Vick immediately, as did his former team, the Atlanta Falcons. There was no place for him in our accepted culture. Currently in 2012, however, Vick is still controversial but not Continue reading →
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal ethics, animal law | Tagged: animal abuse, animal advocacy, animal cruelty, animal ethics, animal law, Michael Vick | 6 Comments »
Posted on September 18, 2012 by spencelo
Spencer Lo
In our culture, the moral divide between humans and animals is sharp in numerous areas, but perhaps most consciously so in one: the sport of hunting. Since the activity involves consciously deciding to kill another sentient, sensitive being, the issue of inflicting suffering and death cannot be avoided, at least for the hunter. At some point every hunter will inevitably confront unsettling questions: Is my having a good time an adequate moral reason to deliberately end an animal’s life? Should I be concerned about my prey’s suffering, as well as the resulting loss for his or her family? These reflective questions, and many others, will now be asked by New York youths (ages 14-15) this Columbus Day weekend during a special deer hunt planned just for them. Armed with either a firearm or crossbow, junior hunters will be permitted to “take 1 deer…during the youth deer hunt”—no doubt in the hope that the experience will enrich their lives. A hunting enthusiast once observed after a youth hunt, “I’ve never seen a [9-year old] kid happier…We were all the better for it.” Read more
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal cruelty, animal ethics, animal law, animal rights, animal welfare, hunting | Tagged: animal advocacy, animal cruelty, animal ethics, animal law, animal rights, animal welfare, art of killing, environmentalism, Families Afield, hunting, James McWilliams, Monte Burke, Seamus McGraw, youth hunting | 57 Comments »
Posted on September 16, 2012 by spencelo
Spencer Lo
Like factory farming, animal experimentation is an entrenched practice, one which causes extensive suffering to millions of animals per year despite the poor justification in terms of human benefits. Bioethicist Dr. Andrew Knight, author of the book “The Costs and Benefits of Animal Experiments,” discussed the ethical problems of animal experimentation and related issues over at ARZone (see also here). Because of the problems with justification, a welcome development is the continuing search for alternatives to animal testing, and animal ethics committees (AECs) set up to scrutinize research proposals are required to consider such alternatives before granting approval, as part of their mandate to ensure compliance with the 3Rs—the principles of Reduction, Refinement, and Replacement. In Australia, for instance, a guiding principle in the Australian Code of Practice is to “promote the development and use of techniques that replace the use of animals in scientific and teaching activities.” The Replacement Principle gained further strength in 2008 with the following guideline: “if a viable alternative method exists that would partly or wholly replace the use of animals in a project, the Code requires investigators to use that alternative.” Thus, at face value, it appears that animal experimentation can be carefully scrutinized and suffering minimized, with animal use permitted only for the most important reasons. Read more
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal ethics, animal experimentation, animal law, animal rights, animal welfare | Tagged: 3Rs, Andrew Knight, animal advocacy, animal ethics, animal experimentation, animal law, animal rights, animal welfare, Australian Code of Practice, Denise Russell, human biotechnology, information technology, Replacement Principle | 1 Comment »
Posted on September 14, 2012 by Other Nations
Kathleen Stachowski Other Nations
The Big Lick. For most of us, it’s a good thing. It’s what we get when we come home to our wildly-ecstatic canine companion: the full-body wag and the slobbery, big lick.
Unfortunately, there’s a sinister “big lick” lurking in the horse industry. (Does it ever turn out well for animals when their name is coupled with the word industry?) While I hate to be the one to reveal a whole new realm of animal abuse, you’ll find its motivation to be the same old same old: humans exploiting animals for ego, entertainment, and greed. Prize money here, blue ribbons there, and horses whose forefeet are injured or destroyed for coerced performances while spectators roar their approval of the pain-induced, artificial gait called the Big Lick. ABC’s “Nightline Investigates” aired the topic (a must-watch 6-minute video) last May, featuring undercover video from the Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS). Continue reading →
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal cruelty, animal ethics, animal rights, animal welfare | 12 Comments »
Posted on September 13, 2012 by spencelo
Spencer Lo
My last post explored the ethics of consuming “happy meat,” which was prompted by Nicholas Kristof’s recent NYT article on the matter—with great enthusiasm, he endorsed it as an ethical alternative to the consumption of factory-farmed animals. I attempted to show why this view is deeply mistaken by briefly sketching an argument from philosopher Jeff McMahan’s paper. Here, I want to raise the question of whether, from an animal advocates perspective, there is anything positive to be said about shifting the public consciousness away from consumption of factory-farmed meat to “happy meat”—encouraged by Kristof—notwithstanding the fact that both are problematic. In other words, although influential people like Kristof are ultimately advocating an unethical practice, is that nevertheless a welcome change in some respects? Should the change be encouraged to some extent? Read more
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal ethics, animal rights, animal welfare, Uncategorized, veganism, vegetarianism | Tagged: aminal advocacy, animal ethics, animal rights, animal welfare, David Sztybel, gary francione, Gary Steiner, happy meat, humane meat, James McWilliams, Jeff McMahan, Nicholas D. Kristof, Paul Shapiro, Peter Singer, veganism, vegetarianism | 21 Comments »
Posted on September 12, 2012 by Adonia David
Adonia David
It is state and county fair season. Speaking as a born and bred Midwesterner, I can say that for many of us, there is a bit of magic associated with them. Fairs are hot summer days and evenings, cotton candy, roasted corn, and the sound of cicadas floating high above the tumult. Fairs are ferris wheels and other scary looking rides set up by carnies overnight that look as though they may tumble to the ground any moment. And fairs are animals. Animals – the glory of a state fair: cows and calves and bunnies; goats and pigs; chickens of all shapes and sizes and plumage. The animals are beautiful. Many are gentle, hand-raised by children in 4H, and many of them are destined for slaughter. Just what this death involves seems to be generally ignored by fair-goers. It disturbs the magic. Continue reading →
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal cruelty, animal law, animal rights, animal welfare, Uncategorized | Tagged: animal advocacy, animal cruelty, animal suffering, animal welfare, animals, farmed animals, free speech, Kansas, PETA, state fairs | 4 Comments »
Posted on September 11, 2012 by spencelo
Spencer Lo
Suppose animals could be raised humanely, live considerably long lives, and then painlessly killed for food. Would eating such happy creatures be wrong? That question is suggested in a recent article by New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof, who answered it in the negative. According to Kristof, as an alternative to consuming tortured animals raised in factory farms, which is problematic, it is possible to consume happy ones raised on efficient farms with “soul.” Some will even have names: like “Jill,” Sophie,” and “Hosta.” In the article, Kristof introduces us to his high school friend Bob Bansen, a farmer raising Jersey cows on “lovely green pastures” in Oregon. Bob’s 400+ cows are not only grass-fed and antibiotic-free, they are loved “like children” – every one of them named. “I want to work hard for them because they’ve taken good care of me… They’re living things, and you have to treat them right.” With great enthusiasm, Kristof concludes: “The next time you drink an Organic Valley glass of milk, it may have come from one of Bob’s cows. If so, you can bet it was a happy cow. And it has a name.” read more
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal ethics, animal rights, animal welfare | Tagged: animal advocacy, animal ethics, animal rights, animal welfare, farmed animals, gary francione, happy meat, Jeff McMahan, Nicholas D. Kristof, speciesism | 22 Comments »
Posted on August 31, 2012 by Seth
Seth Victor
Do you love your meat? Well, love it or hate it, it may well cause the collapse of our global society. In the latest report confirming the strain factory farming and overconsumption of animal products causes our environment, The Guardian reports that mass food shortages are predicted within the next 40 years if we as a species do not scale back meat consumption. It’s a simple matter of not having enough water to produce the crops necessary to support the animals needed to satisfy current consumption, to say nothing of what another 2 billion human mouths will bring to the table. If we do not scale back, food shortages and water shortages could be a worldwide reality, as well as food price spikes. Continue reading →
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal rights, animal welfare, climate change, environmental ethics, factory farms | Tagged: animal advocacy, animal suffering, animal welfare, animals, arctic, Arctic oil drilling, CAFOS, clean energy, climate change, drought, endangered species, Endangered Species Act, environmental advocacy, environmentalism, factory farms, farmed animals, food shortage, GOP, industrial farming, obama, Pennsylvania gas, polar bears, Romeny, us drought, vegan, veganism, vegetarianism | 3 Comments »
Posted on August 30, 2012 by Seth
Seth Victor
This week Brian Douglas was convicted of felony animal cruelty in Hoke County, North Carolina, and was sentenced to 30 days jail, and nearly four years probation. Mercy for Animals has hailed this conviction as “the first felony cruelty to animals conviction related to birds used for food production in US history.” Other related defendants’ cases are pending. Since the investigation into the abuse commenced last December, Butterball has maintained that as an organization it does not condone animal cruelty. Although my search for “animal rights” or “felony” did not turn up any results on Butterball’s website, the self-described largest turkey supplier in the United States does have a slide show demonstrating the love and affection each and every bird receives. I particularly enjoy the image of a mother and son handling a poult with the text, “Our turkeys need the proper care and attention from the start. This concept of well-being is essential in order for the birds to grow and thrive.” It’s true. I’m sure the turkeys do need that care. Whether they actually get it is the question. Butterball also states that “Regular veterinary exams monitor for diseases and help to ensure the health of flocks.” Again, true, but would these be the same veterinarians that tip-off Butterball prior to a police raid? Some people are skeptical. Continue reading →
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal cruelty, animal law, animal rights, animal welfare, factory farms, thanksgiving | Tagged: activism, animal abuse, animal advocacy, animal cruelty, animal law, animal rights, animal suffering, animal welfare, animals, battery cages, Brian Douglas, Butterball, butterball animal abuse, butterball felony, CAFOS, factory farms, farmed animals, Hoke County, industrial farming, Mercy for Animals, North Carolina, turkey, turkey cruelty | 8 Comments »
Posted on August 21, 2012 by David
David Cassuto
Via the Lewis & Clark website (I’m blushing here):
Animal Law Authors Honored at World Animal Rights Conference
On August 22 – 25, 2012, The Abolitionist Institute for Animals (IAA), in partnership with the Federal University of Pernambuco and Federal University of Bahia will hold the Third World Congress on Bioethics and Animal Rights.
The Congress, which will take place in Recife, Brazil, will feature scholars and activists from all over the world. In addition, there will be a special panel and ceremony recognizing Professors David Cassuto, David Favre, and Steven Wise. These scholars will be awarded the title of Lifetime Member of the Institute in honor of their important work in the struggle for animal rights. Favre, Cassuto and Wise will join the select group of lifetime members of the IAA, including Edna Dias Cardoso, Marly Winkler, and the founders of the IAA, Heron Gordilho, Luciano Santana and Laerte Lavai. Continue reading →
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal law | Tagged: animal advocacy, animal ethics, animal rights, animal scholarship, Brazil, Instituto Abolicionista Animal | 2 Comments »
Posted on August 14, 2012 by Seth
Seth Victor
Rather than regurgitate Scott Heiser’s words, I encourage you to read ALDF’s post about State v. Nix, in which the Oregon appellate court held that individual horses count as separate victims, reversing a trial court holding that multiple abused horses merged into a single count of animal abuse. As the post mentions, this is a very exciting case, and will be very useful persuasive law for cases across the country.
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal cruelty, animal law, animal rights, animal welfare | Tagged: ALDF, animal abuse, animal advocacy, animal cruelty, animal ethics, animal law, animal rights, animal welfare, animals, appeal, horses, Oregon, State v. Nix | 4 Comments »
Posted on August 14, 2012 by Seth
Seth Victor
Recently French President François Hollande pledged to fight California’s ban on foie gras. How he plans to do this, I am not sure, and the president himself has admitted that he cannot fight the law directly. Fearing that California’s legislation will encourage other states and, perhaps closer to home for the new leader, other EU countries to implement similar laws, he vows to use free trade treaties to continue to export this traditional French product while “bombard[ing] US political leaders with gifts of foie gras ‘for their own great enjoyment.'” How kind of him. Continue reading →
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal cruelty, animal ethics, animal law, animal rights, animal welfare, diet, factory farms, vegetarianism | Tagged: animal advocacy, animal cruelty, animal ethics, animal law, animal rights, animal suffering, animal welfare, animals, cafo, california, environmental law, European Union, factory farms, farmed animals, foie gras, François Hollande, France, meat, vegetarianism | 3 Comments »
Posted on August 13, 2012 by David
Spencer Lo
Gary Francione argues that it is, even under the most ideal scenario. I find myself disagreeing with Francione on this one—or at least am very resistant to his conclusion. On his view, even if we could “guarantee” that animals under our care will have loving homes and lead great lives, domestication would still be morally problematic: that’s because they are entirely dependent on us, and producing creatures for companionship who are in effect like human children—and who will remain so until they die—is inherently wrong. [And note: in Francione’s hypothetical scenario, pets would no longer be property, and thus not mere things under the law.]
Further down in the article, Francione observes that his “abstract argument” would not likely resonate with people who find it acceptable to kill and eat Continue reading →
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal ethics | Tagged: animal advocacy, animal ethics, animal rights, animal welfare, gary francione, pet-free world | 52 Comments »
Posted on August 12, 2012 by Seth
Seth Victor
Gary Francione rejecting the premise that animals can be property is not new; the good professor has been expressing his view for decades that the key to animal equality must be, in part, approached through our definitions of ownership. He recently posted that pet ownership is unnatural, even if it were possible to create and enforce laws that gave pets legal status as persons. He goes on to say that even if there were only two dogs left in the world, and good homes could be assured to all of the offspring, pet ownership would still have no place, and he would work to end the institution. Continue reading →
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal ethics, animal rights, animal welfare | Tagged: animal advocacy, animal ethics, animal law, animal population, animal rights, animals, cats, dogs, domestic, gary francione, pets, wild animals | 15 Comments »
Posted on August 10, 2012 by Other Nations
Kathleen Stachowski Other Nations
Meatless Monday merch – click
The gnashing of teeth. Charges of heresy. Outrage…sputtering outrage. In a heinous affront to the beef industry, the U.S.D.A. suggested–suggested!–that folks dining at the agency cafeterias–(brace yourself)–go meatless on Mondays. Oh the humanity!
From the New York Times: The message seemed innocuous enough, coming as it did from the federal agency tasked with promoting sustainable agriculture and dietary health: “One simple way to reduce your environmental impact while dining at our cafeterias,” read a United States Department of Agriculture interoffice newsletter published on its Web site this week, “is to participate in the ‘Meatless Monday’ initiative.”
Certainly, we assure ourselves, the U.S.D.A., though faced with stiff industry opposition, staunchly defended its reasonable sugges…no, wait, what’s this? Continue reading →
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal cruelty, animal ethics, animal rights, diet, factory farms, veganism, vegetarianism | 9 Comments »
Posted on August 1, 2012 by Seth
Seth Victor
Population control is a powerful justification. If a species has outgrown its habitat, the population needs to be managed, lest the over-abundance of animals wreak havoc on the natural environment. And if that habitat wasn’t destroyed by the animals, but instead was converted into pools and condominiums, limiting the range of the animal, it seems that the solution remains the same.
I don’t intend to discuss the hypocrisy of population control as a whole just now. I bring it up, however, because the way in which it is done is of great concern. The problems with wolf hunts have been covered extensively in this blawg. Recently, their ranks of the persecuted have been joined by a perhaps unlikely bedfellow – hogs. Continue reading →
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal cruelty, animal law, animal rights, canned hunting, exotic animals, hunting | Tagged: animal abuse, animal cruelty, animal law, animal welfare, animals, dog hunting, exotic animals, florida, Florida hog hunt, hog hunts, hunting, Sarasota, Sarasota County, wild hogs | 8 Comments »
Posted on July 25, 2012 by Seth
Seth Victor
Oh, Magoo, you’ve done it again. And by Magoo, I of course mean New York, which as a state is doing a fine job staying on the forefront of advances in animal law. Recently the state assembly passed this nice new bit of legislation, which makes it a class B misdemeanor to possess, with the intent to use, animal fighting paraphernalia. That’s up to 90 days in jail upon conviction. Certain items such as breaking sticks and fighting pits are specified and defined, but there is also a catch-all provision for “any other instrument commonly used in the furtherance of pitting an animal against another animal.”
I like the idea of going after the materials used in animal fighting. It’s one of the more preventative measures I’ve seen. Prosecuting dog fights is all very important, but those animals are often far too damaged at that point. With this kind of approach, the fighting rings can be shut down before they happen. The mens rea will prevent wanton application of the law. Hopefully showing intent will not be too big of a hurdle for the courts. Then again, I’m not sure what else a “cat mill” could be used to do.
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal cruelty, animal ethics, animal law, animal rights, animal welfare | Tagged: animal abuse, animal cruelty, animal ethics, animal law, animal rights, animal suffering, animal welfare, animals, dog fighting, dog fighting paraphernalia, dogs, New York, New York State Assembly | 6 Comments »
Posted on July 23, 2012 by Other Nations
Kathleen Stachowski Other Nations
I don’t read the morning paper anymore so much as I confront it. What will it be today–a romantic, river-runs-through-it feature on catch-and-release fly fishing? Gloating trophy shots of dudes in hunter orange and the ungulates they conquered with high-powered rifles? Another guest opinion column defending trapping as a management tool for a renewable resource? (Or, in the case of wolves, as suppression of unwanted competition for the aforementioned ungulates?)
Maybe a photo of a child clinging to a sheep in a mutton bustin’ contest? An article on taxidermy, horse racing at the fairgrounds, or a feature on the derring-do of bullfighters? (You used to know them as rodeo clowns, but they’ve come up in the world.) A full-page ad for a local ammo manufacturer featuring teenage girls and their African safari kills? Ice fishing tourney stats? No matter the season, there’s always a reason for animal exploitation–and someone willing to talk about it, someone ready to report it, and someone eager to read about it.
Within four days recently, a trio of items appeared in the paper to perfectly illustrate the speciesism that so naturally saturates the human experience. Whether for entertainment, convenience, or greed and entitlement, we human animals are a speciesist species. Continue reading →
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal cruelty, animal ethics, animal rights, environmental ethics, fishing, hunting, wolves | 29 Comments »