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EEYORE'S COMPLAINT

ANIMAL ABUSE

by Dee Finney
and others as named

"Forget that you cannot do enough; it is enough to do whatever you can."

HOW THIS PAGE CAME ABOUT

2-18-01 - A few weeks ago, Joe Mason and I were watching some news programs on television. There was a piece on animal abuse in a slaughterhouse in Belgium, which a activist group was trying to stop. It was so difficult to watch it, I was in tears, feeling quite ill and Joe said he'd never eat meat again. (I had already stopped eating beef prior to this)  I thought to myself that I needed to do a web page on animal abuse, but other things kept coming up and I didn't do it because I didn't dream it, which is what our site is basically about.  But, now I have and here is the story.

2-18-01 - DREAM - (I hope none of this is true)  I was in the country somewhere.  I was driving along a mountain road on which a woman had driven off the edge and crashed into a gully below. There were some reporters or investigators there. I listened to their conversation. They were trying to figure out how the accident happened, as from the crash evidence, it wasn't obvious. One of the guys said, "What would it look like if she had been going the other direction?" The second guy just gasped like it was a horrible thought. According to what I heard, a woman had been driving her car along the road and ran into the back end of a propane truck, then careened off the highway into the gully.

The scene switched and I was now on a farm where the farmer lived ,who owned or had something to do with driving the propane truck that was in the accident.  Here again I was listening to the conversation between the farmer and the man who was repairing the propane truck. I was hidden behind the corner of a farm building, watching the men who were in the driveway. The repairman was telling the farmer that the propane truck had been hit on the left rear corner, then careened off the highway.  The farmer said, "All I care is that the truck gets fixed fast. I need it." The repairman said that it would be done shortly.

The repairman and the farmer then both left the scene and drove away. I wanted to see for myself what was going on, so as soon as the men were gone, I rushed back to another barn where I thought the truck was being kept. For some reason I had a bottle of catsup in my right hand. I realized how stupid that was by the time I got there, but I had it there to prevent myself from doing something ... I don't know what.  

I got to the steps of this small outbuilding and set the bottle of catsup down on the ground. I ran into a green grid fence of some kind which was protecting the steps ... perhaps to keep other animals from going up the steps. It seemed to be made of plastic. There were 5 steps going up to a small porch, before getting to the door.  I didn't see the green grid fence at first, and when I hit it with my legs, I bounced back and quite a few goats came running out from behind the building. I immediately assumed that hitting the green grid fence set off an alarm of some kind, or released the goats to scare someone from entering the building.

But I wasn't scared enough by this not to climb over the fencing, so I stepped over it and continued climbing the steps.

The door to the building wasn't locked so I just pushed it open.

Behind the door a white calf came to the door and stuck it's nose out, and behind it was a purple donkey. I knew immediately the donkey was named Eeyore as soon as I saw it.  I was afraid of large animals, but I was determined to see what was going on in the building, so made myself get over my fear and pushed my way past the white calf and Eeyore the donkey.

Once I got past Eeyore, I was able to see out another door into an animal pen behind the building. In the pen were dozens of starving calves. They were beyond just hungry. I could actually see their ribs sticking way out underneath their hide. They were too weak to even cry out in hunger.  At the same time I knew that the farmer was shooting six of them a day to feed himself.  I knew too that 6 calves a day would be too much meat for just one man even as skinny as these calves were. There was something else going on too, but I didn't know what .....

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Quotes from Eeyore

"They're funny things, Accidents. You never have them till you're having them."

"Anyone who tells you that getting thin takes 'about a week' is lying."

"They haven't got Brains, any of them, only grey fluff that's blown into their heads by mistake,
and they don't Think."

"Pathetic, that's what it is, Pathetic."

"A little Consideration, a litle Thought for Others, makes all the difference. Or so they say."

"Remember, nobody minds, nobody cares."

"No brain at all, some of them."

"Don't Blame Me."

DON'T OPEN THE FOLLOWING FILES
UNLESS YOU CAN HANDLE THE SIGHT OF
ANIMAL CRUELTY

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Conscious cow hanging upsidedown awaiting slaughter

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Veal calves will never leave these crates

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Worker in a chicken slaughter house

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Cow Heads hanging on hooks after slaughter

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Filthy chickens hanging on hooks awaiting slaughter

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Farmer kicks cattle to frighten them

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Sow nursing piglets through bars

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Pigs live in these chutes until slaughter

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Rhesus macaque with brain electrodes in US laboratory

SLAUGHTERHOUSES

It should be required that suppliers immediately and humanely dispatch any animals who arrive at the slaughterhouse unable to walk, with broken limbs, or in severe pain (frozen, suffering from heat stroke, etc.). These animals should not be dragged or forced to walk to the kill floor, nor should they be left in "dead piles."

Downed Animals Farm Sanctuary News, Spring 1997

Downed animals, animals too sick or weak even to stand, suffer horribly at stockyards, auctions, and slaughterhouses throughout the United States. Incapable of getting to food or water troughs, downed animals endure hours or days without receiving their basic needs. Downed animals are commonly moved by the most convenient, though least humane methods, and are dragged with wenches and chains or pushed with tractors and forklifts--procedures which cause injuries ranging from bruises and abrasions to broken bones and torn ligaments. Incapacitated animals lay in alleyways or "out back" until it's convenient to take them to slaughter--usually the next day. Thousands of downed animals die of gross neglect before ever reaching the slaughterhouse.

Farm Sanctuary on Downed Animals

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Slaughterhouse takes readers on a frightening but true journey from one slaughterhouse to another throughout the country. Along the way, we encounter example after example of mistreated animals, intolerable working conditions, lax standards, the slow, painful deaths of children killed as a result of eating contaminated meat, the author's battle with the major television networks, and a dangerously corrupt federal agency that chooses to do nothing rather than risk the wrath of agribusiness, before the whole affair is blown wide open in this powerful exposé.

In the last 15 years, thousands of America's small to mid-sized slaughterhouses have been displaced by a few large, high-speed operations, each with the capacity to kill more than a million animals a year. With fewer slaughterhouses killing an ever-growing number of animals, slaughter "line speeds" have accelerated and a production mentality has emerged in which the rapid slaughter line never seems to stop for anything -- not for injured workers, not for contaminated meat, and, least of all, not for slow or disabled animals.

While investigating the slaughter industry, Eisnitz gains the trust of dozens of workers across the United States. Without exception, the individuals interviewed admit to deliberately beating, strangling, boiling, or dismembering animals alive in violation of the federal Humane Slaughter Act or failing to report those who did -- all in an effort to "keep the production line running." Many also discuss the web of violence in which they have become ensnared and the alcoholism and physical abuse that plague their personal lives.

In an effort to understand how such rampant violations could occur right under the noses of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspectors -- the individuals charged with enforcing humane regulations in slaughterhouses -- Eisnitz examines the inspectors' track record for enforcing meat and poultry safety regulations, their primary responsibility. Following a long paper trail, she learns that contaminated meat and poultry are pouring out of federally inspected slaughterhouses and, not surprisingly, deaths from foodborne illness have quadrupled in the United States in the last 15 years.

Determined to tell the whole story, Eisnitz then examines the physical price paid by employees working in one of America's most dangerous industries. In addition to suffering disfiguring injuries and crippling repetitive-motion disorders, employees describe tyrannical working conditions in which grievances are met with severe reprisals or dismissals.

The Human Slaughter Act

The Humane Slaughter Act, passed in 1958, requires packing companies that sell meat to the federal government to use humane slaughter methods. The Act defines these methods as those which render an animal insensible to pain by mechanical, electrical, chemical, or other means. These methods must be utilized rapidly and effectively before the animal is hoisted, shackled, thrown, cast, or cut. The Act exempts kosher killing methods, where the animal is slaughtered while conscious for religious reasons. Federal law, however, does not include poultry, so it is up to each state to cover chickens and turkeys under state statute. At the urging of the Animal Protection Institute, the California State Legislature passed such a measure in 1991.

In 1978, the Humane Slaughter Act was amended and significantly improved to include the Federal Meat Inspection Act, which requires that all livestock slaughtered for meat imported into the United States be humanely slaughtered. This means foreign packers importing to the U.S. must meet the same guidelines required of U.S. packers. This Act also empowered federal meat inspectors to shut down U.S. slaughtering lines immediately if any cruelty is observed. Slaughtering can only resume after the observed deficiencies are corrected.

Most facilities in the United States are covered by the Humane Slaughter Act, although some packing houses (which don't participate in the federal meat inspection program) are subject only to state legislation. Although laws exist in some states to protect animals in these facilities, more legislation is needed.

Horses

The Horse Protection Act of 1970 bans the use of devices or methods known as "soring" to affect the gait of horses such as the Tennessee Walking Horse. The forefeet of these horses are deliberating made sore by blistering agents, burns, cuts, lacerations, and chains to produce an elongated smooth running walk that is considered desirable in the showing of the breed. In 1976 the law was strengthened by an amendment that made soring a felony offense punishable by imprisonment up to three years and fines up to $5,000. The amendment also broadened the definition of "sore" by including any horse that demonstrated unusual sensitivity in both forelegs and expanded protection to other horses often drugged to hide the effects of soring while performing. Many states have also passed legislation against similar cruel acts to horses.

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FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS AND STORES

In 1997, McDonald’s was found “culpably responsible” for cruelty to animals in a court of law. Here are just three examples, among many, of McDonald’s indifference to animal suffering:

Chickens raised for McDonald’s are crammed into crowded, filthy warehouses with less space per bird than a standard sheet of paper. This overcrowding causes disease, suffocation, and heart attacks.

Some breeding pigs raised for McDonald’s live their entire lives in cement stalls, unable to turn around, lie in a comfortable position, or nuzzle their babies.

U.S. federal standards for slaughter say that all animals should be fully stunned before their throats are slit, but McDonald’s considers it acceptable if slaughterhouses inadequately stun 1 in 20 animals, and refuses to even ask their suppliers to hire extra stunners, an action their own animal welfare experts say would markedly improve stunning efficacy.

What You Can Do to Help

1. Thank McDonald’s for taking the important steps it has taken, but ask that the company do more. Ask McDonald’s to commit to PETA’s list of specific steps to improve animals’ lives. Please also ask McDonald’s to offer a veggie burger at all its restaurants, as it does now in Europe and in some restaurants in New York. Write to:

Jack Greenberg, CEO
McDonald’s Corporation

1 Kroc Dr.
Oak Brook, IL 60523
Tel.: 630-623-6198
E-mail: www.mcdonalds.com

Please also write to the following fast-food and grocery store chains and ask them to meet or exceed McDonald’s standards. Write to:

Mr. Dennis Malamatinas, President and CEO
Burger King Corporation
17777 Old Cutler Rd.
Miami, FL 33157
Tel.: 305-378-3535
Jack Schuessler, CEO
Wendy’s International, Inc.
4288 W. Dublin-Granville Rd.
Dublin, OH 43017
Tel.: 614-764-3100
Chuck Rawley, CEO
KFC, Inc.
1441 Gardiner Ln.
Louisville, KY 40213
Tel.: 800-225-5532
Truett Cathy, CEO
Chick-fil-A, Inc.
5200 Buffington Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30349
Tel.: 800-232-2677
Joseph A. Pichler, CEO
The Kroger Co.
1014 Vine St.
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Tel.: 513-762-4000
Gary Michael, CEO
Albertson's
P.O. Box 20
Boise, ID 83726
Tel.: 208-395-6200
Steven Burd, CEO
Safeway Stores
5918 Stoneridge Mall Rd.
Pleasanton, CA 94588-3329
Tel.: 925-467-3000
Mr J. E. Pepper,
Chairman of The Board,
Procter & Gamble,
PO Box 599,
Cincinnati, OH 45201,
U.S.A.

Every year approximately 35,000 animals in Europe, and millions across the world, are subjected to intense pain and suffering in crude and unreliable experiments to test cosmetics products and their ingredients. Perfumes, shampoos, toothpastes, hair dyes, skin creams, make-up, deodorants: all of these and more are tested on animals. The BUAV believes that there can be no justification whatsoever for inflicting such suffering on so many animals solely to satisfy human vanity.

The Draize Eye Test, is used for eye irritation studies. Here, chemicals are dripped into the eyes of conscious rabbits, often immobilised in stocks. Rabbits have far less tear flow than humans and are therefore less able to 'cry away' painful substances, which is one of the reasons why scientists use this species. Rabbits also have no blink reflex, which makes applying the chemicals easier. During the tests, damage to the eyes is recorded over a number of days. No pain relief is normally given.

The LD50 Test, (Lethal Dose 50%) is one type of toxicity test. The LD50 involves poisoning a group of animals with increasing doses until half the group dies, in order to establish a substance's 'lethal dose'. The substance is administered either by force-feeding, injection or inhalation and usually without any pain relief. The LD50 is widely criticised as being crude and unscientific, as well as causing extreme suffering. The LD50 (oral toxicity) test was banned in the UK in 1999 following a legal challenge by the BUAV. However, elsewhere in the world LD50 tests are still commonplace.

Skin Irritancy Tests involve applying a test substance to the shaved back of a group of animals, usually rabbits or guinea pigs. Over one or two weeks, any signs of redness, swelling, inflammation, skin cracking and ulceration are recorded. No pain relief is normally given.

Parkinson's Disease

Primate Research: Marmosets and Macaques used in Parkinson's research have their brain artificially damaged by injection with a neurotoxic chemical called MPTP, which reproduces the symptoms similar to those of Parkinson's disease such as uncontrollable tremors, delayed movement and unnatural posture. These experiments are classed as being of substantial severity and must be extremely distressing to the animals.

At UK pharmaceutical company Glaxo, Marmosets have had tubes inserted into their heads through which the anti-Parkinson's active ingredients could be administered into their brain. This involved their scalps being shaved and holes being drilled into their skulls. The monkeys were then observed for degrees of shaking, vomiting and scratching induced by the administered drug. Half the monkeys received daily doses of MPTP and developed Parkinson's-like symptoms. The various test substances were then applied.

Primate Research: Brain research and neurophysiological studies on primates generally begin with a training phase in which the primates have to master certain skills. Following this the animals are then deliberately brain-damaged in various ways. The animals are later assessed for their ability to achieve the task for which they underwent training.

OXFORD UNIVERSITY is one of the largest academic users of primates in research in the UK. In 1991, it conducted a programme of research on the taste stimuli 'umami' in macaque monkeys. 3 monkeys had an area of skull removed and electrodes inserted into their brain. During the experiment, the monkeys were restrained in 'primate chairs' for up to six hours per day and had various substances, such as glucose, salt and quinine, squirted into their mouth whilst specific nerve cells in the brain were recorded.

BUAV CAMPAIGNING TO STOP ANIMAL TESTING

Thanks to PETA for this list of companies that test on animals. When in doubt just look for an against animal testing symbol or labels saying that they do not test on animals.

Alberto-Culver

Allergan

Arm & Hammer (Church & Dwight)

Bausch & Lomb

Benckiser (Coty, Lancaster, Jovan)

Bic Corporation

Block Drug Co.

Boyle-Midway (Reckitt & Colman)

Braun (Gillette Company)

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (Clairol, Ban Roll-On, Keri, Final Net)

Carter-Wallace (Arrid, Lady’s Choice, Nair, Pearl Drops)

Chesebrough-Ponds (Fabergé, Cutex, Vaseline)

Church & Dwight (Arm & Hammer)

Clairol, Inc. (Bristol-Myers Squibb)

Clorox (Pine-Sol, S.O.S., Tilex, ArmorAll)

Colgate-Palmolive Co. (Palmolive, Ajax, Fab, Speed Stick, Mennen, SoftSoap)

Coty (Benckiser)

Cover Girl (Procter & Gamble)

Dana Perfumes (Alyssa Ashley)

Del Laboratories (Flame Glow, Commerce Drug, Sally Hansen)

Dial Corporation (Purex, Renuzit)

DowBrands (Glass Plus, Fantastik, Vivid)

Drackett Products Co. (S.C. Johnson & Son)

Elizabeth Arden (Unilever)

Erno Laszlo

Gillette Co. (Liquid Paper, Flair, Braun, Duracell)

Givaudan-Roure

Helene Curtis Industries (Finesse, Unilever, Suave)

Jhirmack (Playtex)

Johnson & Johnson (Neutrogena)

Kimberly-Clark Corp. (Kleenex, Scott Paper, Huggies)

Lamaur

Lever Bros. (Unilever)

Max Factor (Procter & Gamble)

Mead

Melaleuca

Mennen Co. (Colgate-Palmolive)

Neoteric Cosmetics

Noxell (Procter & Gamble)

Olay Co./Oil of Olay (Procter & Gamble)

Oral-B (Gillette Company)

Pantene (Procter & Gamble)

Parfums International (White Shoulders)

Parker Pens (Gillette Company)

Perrigo

Pfizer (Bain de Soleil, Plax, Visine, Desitin, BenGay)

Playtex Products, Inc. (Banana Boat, Woolite, Jhirmack)

Procter & Gamble Co. (Crest, Tide, Cover Girl, Max Factor, Giorgio)

Reckitt & Colman (Lysol, Mop & Glo)

Richardson-Vicks (Procter & Gamble)

Sally Hansen (Del Laboratories)

Sanofi (Oscar de la Renta, Yves Saint Laurent)

Schering-Plough (Coppertone)

Schick (Warner-Lambert)

S. C. Johnson Wax (Pledge, Drano, Windex, Glade)

SmithKline Beecham

SoftSoap Enterprises (Colgate-Palmolive)

Sun Star

3M (Scotch, Post-It)

Unilever (Lever Bros., Calvin Klein, Elizabeth Arden, Helene Curtis, Diversey)

Vidal Sassoon (Procter & Gamble)

Warner-Lambert (Lubriderm, Listerine, Schick)

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CRUELTY TO ANIMALS USED TO MAKE LEATHER

HOLY "COW" URGES END TO CATTLE ABUSE

For more information on PETA’s Indian Leather Campaign, please visit our Web site www.PETAIndia.com. Copies of PETA’s exposé into the Indian leather trade are available, as are copies of Paul McCartney’s, Crispian Mills’ and Arun Gandhi’s letters.

PETA Targets Cruel Transport of Animals Killed in Leather Trade

For Immediate Release: April 15, 2000

Contact: Jason Baker 98201 22602

Bangalore –– Holding a sign reading "Stop Cruel Cattle Transport––Don’t Buy Leather", and handing out chilis, like those that are smeared into the eyes of cows who have collapsed en route to slaughter, a "cow" will urge Bangalore residents to oppose the abuse of cows by refusing to buy leather:

Cows were once held sacred in India, but demand for cheap leather has spawned a grotesquely cruel underground industry. Because it is illegal to slaughter cows in most of the country, corrupt skin-traders use bribes to smuggle the animals at night across state borders. The cows and calves, who are bought under the pretense that they’ll live out their lives on rural farms, are instead marched for days to slaughter in direct violation of the Constitution of India. Those who collapse have chili peppers and tobacco rubbed into their eyes and their tails broken in an effort to keep them moving.

The Indian leather trade has become the target of animal activists around the world who agree with Mahatma Gandhi’s belief that "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way it treats its animals". In addition, PETA’s campaign to expose the horrific conditions that Indian cattle are kept in during transport has drawn the attention and support of numerous celebrities.

Superstar Pamela Anderson Lee appears in PETA’s video of the Indian leather trade, shot during visits by PETA’s president, Ingrid Newkirk, to Tamul Nadu, Kerala, Mumbai and other states. Rocker Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders turned her latest concert tour into a protest tour, demonstrating outside of stores that purchase Indian leather. Hynde was arrested in New York after climbing into the display window of a store and destroying jackets made from Indian cows.

Former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney has written to the Indian Prime Minister, asking for protection for these animals, as has Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, urging the prime minister to enforce existing laws that would protect the cows. Musician Crispian Mills of Kula Shaker also sent a letter to the prime minister saying, "Without animal protection, the principle of dharma is in a state of collapse".

Animal-free "leather", called "pleather", is growing rapidly in popularity overseas and has become a major trend in the United States and Europe. Many celebrities, including Woody Harrelson, Drew Barrymore and Alicia Silverstone, are setting stylish and compassionate trends by choosing synthetic materials over real animal skins. Famous designers, including Todd Oldham and Stella McCartney, use "pleather" instead of cow skin, and animal-free synthetics are becoming available everywhere, from the most expensive boutiques to discount shoe outlets.

Buying leather directly supports the misery of the slaughterhouse. Statistics from the Ministry of Food Processing Industries and the Council for Leather Exports conclude the value of leather exports from India is 10 times more than the value of its meat exports, and with India as the largest leather manufacturer in the world, cows, buffaloes, and other animals suffer cruel slaughter just for their skins.

Believe it or not, India's treatment of cows and cattle is among the cruelest in the world. Since it is illegal to kill healthy, young cattle, they are often deliberately maimed. Their legs are often broken or they are poisoned so that they can be declared fit for slaughter.

Cattle are tied together with ropes through their pierced noses and beaten mercilessly in forced "death marches" over hundreds of kilometres and transported in appalling conditions, crammed on top of each other into lorries in the searing Indian heat. They trample one another and suffer and die from suffocation and horn gouges. The lorries careen across the kilometers on bumpy dirt and gravel roads and mountain passes, pitching the cows around and causing more injury and death.

During the marches, cattle collapse from hunger, exhaustion, injury and despair. Handlers force them along by snapping their tails at each joint and rubbing tobacco, chilies and salt into their eyes. Each snap brings pain analogous to that of breaking a finger. They are never offered food or even as much as a drop of water.

By the time they arrive at the slaughterhouse, some are dead and many are so sick and injured that they must be dragged inside. A closer look at the animals still conscious reveals sheer terror, indicated by their fur standing on end. Once inside, their throats are slit in front of their companions. Some have their legs hacked off whil estill conscious or suffer the agony of being skinned alive.

Update: April, 2000:

GAP announces a ban on using Indian and Chinese leather

"While the cows were being loaded, I could hear the gurgling of one cow choking on her own blood. The rope in her nose had been improperly placed, and with the constant tugging on it by rough handlers, as well as being tethered to her fellow cattle during the 12-hour march, it had ripped through her nose, and blood was pouring down her face".

—PETA investigator

The Role of the Dairy Business

A common source of hide for ahinsak footwear is dairies! Since male calves are of no use to dairy owners, some are sold for slaughter, while others are intentionally starved to death so that their skin can be sold to ahinsak manufacturers.

Milk is not necessary in a balanced diet:

In a recent Times of India article by Vijaya Venka entitled, "Go Natural: The Myth of Milk", the health benefits appear to be no better than the cruelty involved in the dairy industry.

Now, it seems that milk can also cause Crohn's disease, which claims up to 3,000 victims a year in the UK alone. The main symptoms include tiredness, urgent diarrhea, loss of weight, etc., which are often misdiagnosed as psychosomatic manifestations. Crohn's disease causes inflammation, deep ulcers and scarring of the intestine.

Cattle Are Not the Only Animals Killed for Their Skins

While most leather products are made from the skins of cattle and calves, leather is also made from the skins of horses, sheep, lambs, goats and pigs who are slaughtered for meat. Most of these animals suffer the horrors of factory farming—overcrowding, unanesthetized castration, branding, tail-docking and dehorning. Other species are hunted and killed specifically for their skins, including zebras, bison, boars, deer, kangaroos, elephants, eels, sharks, dolphins, seals, walruses, frogs, crocodiles, lizards and snakes. Rats, cats and stray dogs are also killed for leather, but since people are typically put off by this fact, it is passed off as simply "leather". Much of the leather sold as "crocodile" and other wildlife items are actually made from endangered, illegally poached animals. When you buy leather, you can’t tell what animal it was made from.

"Exotic" animals such as alligators are factory farmed for their skins. Ranched alligators are kept in tiny structures, with up to 600 inhabiting one building, which reek of rancid meat, alligator waste and stagnant water. Although alligators may naturally live up to 60 years, on farms they are usually butchered before their fourth birthday.

Alligators on farms are often beaten with hammers and sometimes take up to two hours to die. Snakes and lizards are often skinned alive because of the widespread belief that live flaying imparts suppleness to the finished leather. Kid goats may be boiled alive to make kid gloves, and the skins of unborn calves and lambs—some purposely aborted, others from slaughtered pregnant cows and ewes—are considered especially "luxurious".

According to recent international press reports, in one province in Thailand, dogs are rounded up and crushed, more than 50 at a time, into a lorry for five days without food or water, only to become "briefcases, car seat covers, trimmings on a fancy coat or ironically, fancy rawhide chews for pampered "pet" dogs".

Each month, 30,000 dogs suffer the same fate, with their hides being exported internationally. The consumer is largely unaware of these products' origin, as the seller uses cover labels such as "lamb", "calf" or "goatskin". The labels will never say "dog"; however, it is not technically illegal to sell or import dog fur, even in the European Union.

Tannery Toxins

Leather factories wreak havoc on the environment. The leather tanneries around the Ganges have been cited for dumping toxic metals such as chromium into the river. All wastes containing chromium are considered hazardous. Tannery effluent also contains large amounts of other pollutants, such as protein, hair, salt, lime, sludge, sulfides and acids. Groundwater near tanneries has been found with highly elevated levels of lead, cyanide and formaldehyde.

People who work in tanneries and live near them are dying of illnesses caused by constant exposure to such toxic chemicals. Pollution such as that dumped into the Ganges by surrounding leather tanneries has been cited as one major reason for outbreaks of illnesses as well as death of marine life. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the incidence of leukemia among residents near one tannery was five times the U.S. average.

Environmentalists and Citizens Protest Tannery Toxins

On March 13, environmental activists and villagers in Kanpur, home of the largest tanneries in India, banded together and blocked a tannery drain that releases toxic effluent into the Ganges River.

The protest stems from the fact that the effluent from leather tanneries, although polluted with chromium and other chemicals used in the tanning process, is being promoted as "treated" and safe for irrigation of farmland. But the polluted water has laid waste to crops and is rendering the soil infertile.

Villagers who are exposed to the "treated" water also complain of itching and raw skin, numbness, and paralysis. Livestock who drink the water are also suffering adverse effects. Environmentalists fear that the toxins from the tannery effluent are being passed along the food chain through the exposed crops and report that some villagers are already showing signs of poisoning.

Leather Alternatives

It’s easy to find inexpensive quality shoes and accessories that are stylish and free of animal suffering. Just about anywhere you shop you can find a wide selection of nonleather jackets, shoes and accessories made from materials such as cotton, linen, ramie, canvas and synthetics.

RODEO ABUSE

In calf roping, baby calves weighing less than 300 pounds are forced to run at speeds in excess of 25 miles per hour when they are roped. The reason they run at such high speeds is that they are being tortured in the holding chute. Their tails are twisted, their tails are rubbed back and forth over the steel bars of the chute and they are shocked with electric prods until the gate opens. They burst out of the chute at top speed only to be stopped short -- clotheslined -- with a choking rope around the neck. They are often injured and some are killed. These calves would still be with their mothers on pasture if they were not in the rodeo.

In order for a calf roper to become proficient he must spend a great deal of time practicing. Baby calves sold to the practice pens are roped over and over until they are injured or killed. Dr. T. K. Hardy, a veterinarian who was also a calf roper, was quoted in Newsweek stating that calf roping is an expensive sport. He stated that 2 or 3 calves are injured in each practice session and have to be replaced.

Animal Abuse Inherent in Rodeo

As with calf roping, steer tripping puts a rodeo animal at extreme risk of injury or death. Steers weighing approximately 700 pounds are forced to run at top speed while the roper throws the rope around the steer's horns. The roper then flips the rope over the right side of the steer, while turning his galloping horse to the left.

Within a split second, the steer's head and neck are jerked 180 degrees and more, causing the animal to be violently tripped, rolled and dragged for approximately 30 feet. That's a 700 pound body being dragged by the neck, with the horns digging into the dirt. Sometimes the horns fracture. The stress to the neck is enormous.

The roper's intent is to make the steer sustain a sufficiently violent fall and subsequent dragging to stun him. The purpose of the stunning is merely to enable the roper to tie the steer's legs for a score. If the steer is not sufficiently stunned in the first attempt, he may be tripped and dragged repeatedly in the same run until he stays down.

These steers are usually very thin, with sores on their backs and hips. They appear to be depressed, not lively. They are used so often that their injuries do not have time to heal. As with roping calves, tripping steers may be used over and over again in practice sessions. When they are crippled from the repeated abuse, they are sent to slaughter.

Cowboy fined for allowing 31 horses to starve to death.

Shane Nash, formerly of the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association, which is associated with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, was fined $5,000 July 27, 2000, for allowing 31 horses under his care to starve to death. The fine against Nash is the largest of its type ever handed down under the Alberta Animal Protection Act.

Nash was hired to pasture horses during the winter of 1999. Incredibly, in spite of deep snow, Nash never checked the animals under his care.

Supporting the fine was the Wildrose Equine Ranching Association. Spokesperson Greg Ruzicka said his association is "intolerant of the abuse or neglect of horses and supports the efforts of the SPCA in dealing with people who commit such actions."

Doug Rombough, of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, investigated the matter with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Rombough said all he could find were carcasses and bones.

"I was pretty mad, I was angry," Rombough said. "These horses were running out of energy, lying down, not being able to get up. I just hope they were dead before the coyotes arrived."

The Rodeo Mafia and Animal Abuse

This is a Good Thing?

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IMPORTED ANIMALS

No Import

The Dominien Republic sent a bunch of frogs to a certain person-67 boxes to be exact. These boxes of turtles sat in the person's closet from March 7, 2000 to March 16, 2000.It was reported to US Fish and Wildlife. Soon afterwards, they come and find the boxes. When they open the boxes, they find a bunch of dead frogs stuck in nets. The owner of the frogs had a fine of $450 for killing over 1350 frogs.
See the pics here.

These geckos were baked on their way to the USA  Click here.

These iguanas were stuffed into a bag and died! On their way to wherever they were being sent to, these reptiles were killed because of they way they were packed!  Click here.

Exibitors

Animal exhibitors operate animal acts, carnivals, circuses, public zoos, "roadside zoos," and marine mammal displays. Rodeos, animal preserves, hunting events, and private collections of animals are not regulated by the AWA. Most of the animals exhibited are species not native to the United States, but exhibited animals may also include domestic farm animals and wild animals native to this country. Licensed exhibitors under the AWA either obtain or dispose of animals in commerce or exhibit them for compensation. Since these regulated businesses make money from the display of their animals, the public can play a major role in enforcing the law by reporting violations to APHIS. Check the bottom of this page for instructions on how to alert the agency to abuses.

Zoos in Japan

Dolphin Abuse

MYSTERIOUS CATTLE MUTILATION

Mystery Helicopters Add to Animal-Abuse Puzzle

Animal owners who are finding carcasses with tongues, eyes, ears and hearts missing, have a new mystery for authorities, unlighted helicopters swooping out of the night sky.

Dozens of cases of dead, mutilated animals-cows, goats and at least one dog.

The animals were found in the pastures with no traces of automobile tracks, footprints or blood. The sexual organs and rectum was removed and the blood is gone.

"They take tongues, eyes, ears, hearts. Sometimes, they take blood. There are no suspects.

Cattle Mutilation Information

Cattle Mutilation in Oregon

200 Cattle Mutilation Links

HOW TO REPORT ANIMAL ABUSE

If you wish to report a case of animal abuse,  to your local Humane Society,
be prepared to give the following information:

Your name, address and phone number.

The address/location of the problem.

The nature of the problem -- Is food, water or shelter being denied?

Is the animal being beaten? You must know the conditions.

What kind of animal is it?

All information that you have regarding the owner.
The owner's name at the very least, if possible.

In cases involving abuse where criminal charges are going to be laid,
photographic or video evidence of the conditions or incident are also
helpful. Often the investigators will handle this themselves if they feel it
is warranted

Providing all of this information allows investigators to make the
best-informed decision that they can and speeds their investigation time.
The faster they get this information, the faster they can get out to investigate
and possibly rescue an animal in desperate need. Know the phone number
of your local humane society and call them if you suspect animal abuse of
any kind. Public support is essential to improving the lives of pets and
animals everywhere.

HOW TO SPOT ANIMAL ABUSE

Here are some pointers on problems to look for in various types of facilities,
what laws apply, and who is responsible for inspecting each type of facility.

Zoos

What to look for: Are the animals in good health? Can people get too close to the
animals?

What form of population control is used?

What happens to surplus animals?

Laws that apply: Animal Welfare Act; state anti-cruelty statutes.

Who inspects: USDA/APHIS; local law enforcement.

Exhibitors and traveling animal shows

What to look for: Physical condition; abnormal stereotypical behavior;
unnecessary  suffering; travel accommodations.

Laws that apply: Animal Welfare Act; state anti-cruelty statutes; commercial
laws; zoning regulations.

Who inspects: USDA/APHIS; local law enforcement.

Dog dealers, wildlife dealers and auctions

What to look for: Physical condition; overcrowding; selling endangered species
without the required permit.

Laws that apply: Animal Welfare Act; state anti-cruelty statutes;

Endangered Species Act (if selling endangered species).

Who inspects: USDA/APHIS; local law enforcement; U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.

Animal shelters

What to look for: Conditions at shelter; method of euthanasia; adequate
veterinary care; employee reliability and attitude.

Laws that apply: State anti-cruelty statutes; local ordinances.

Who inspects: County and state officials.

Pet stores

What to look for: Sanitation; physical health; overcrowding; selling endangered
species.

Laws that apply: Animal Welfare Act (if selling wild animals); state anti-cruelty
statutes; health regulations.

Who inspects: USDA/APHIS (if selling wild animals); local law enforcement; state
health department; state environment officials.

STATE LAWS AND FINES

OTHER LINKS

Animal Legal Defense Fund

PETA:  People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

All about Donkeys

Animal Abuse Alert

Animal Abuse Alert

Animal Abuse at a Chinese Theme Park  (Sickening)

Animal Concerns Organization

Animal Cruelty Statues - by State

Animal Protection League

ASPCA - SPCA America

San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

SPCA Ireland - Caring for all Animals in Ireland

Breaking the Cycle of Abuse

Burger King Animal Abuse

Criminal Code Changes in Canada

Elk Ranching

First Strike Against Animal Abuse/Human Cruelty

Is There An Animal Abuser in Your Neighborhood

Horse Aid

Buying a puppy at a Pet Store promotes Puppy Mills

Puppy Mills

The Absurdity of Vivisection

What Is Animal Abuse? - "Meat is Killing"

THE OTHER SIDE

People Eating Tasty Animals

DREAMS OF THE GREAT EARTHCHANGES - MAIN INDEX