Smite Me! » Alert Archive (2007a)

Kinship Circle’s column runs in The Healthy Planet. Ms. Shoss is also a contributing writer for The Animals Voice, Satya Magazine, VegNews, and other publications. To reprint this column, please request author permission at info [at] kinshipcircle.org

LEFT PHOTO: 8/5/06, network.bestfriends.org/middleeast/news/6547.html
– BETA rescued this little kitten, Louli, from the war zone.

RIGHT PHOTO: 6/4/07, from BETA Team, listmaster [at] betabeirut.com — Car bombs and hand grenades went off in Beirut. The first bomb exploded very close to one of our cat shelters in Ashrafieh area…

War devastates. We grieve for soldiers lost and the involuntary destruction of civilian life. But headlines rarely publicize war’s other collateral damage.

Animals, crimeless and naive, dodge mortars and armored combat vehicles. Their lives explode in a flurry of desertion, starvation, injury and death.

A month into last summer’s Israeli-Hezbollah war, bombs rain over Beirut’s southern suburbs. Israel’s military hopes to defuse Hezbollah’s command post, so Lebanese officials can assert autonomy along the border. Meanwhile, Hezbollah launches rocket strikes inside Haifa and northern Israel.

Helena Hesayne, a Beirut born architect, has little patience for the politics behind battle. Her mission is clear: To rescue animals abandoned in Lebanon’s exodus of one million people. In late July 2006, Hesayne and three others from Beirut For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals (BETA) navigate smoldering rubble in a small convertible. Israeli soldiers eye their car full of dog and cat food.

Hesayne displays BETA’s accreditation papers. She has no fear, only stark resolve to retrieve four cats and one puppy seen locked inside a pet shop. “These animals are banging against the glass door, trying to get out. They are without food and water. I don’t know how long,” Hesayne recounts.

The women persuade another storeowner to unlock the pet shop for them. They are without crates, so they ferry animals toward their car under a downpour of bombs. “The entire time, this tiny puppy just licks our faces. It is the most amazing thing,” Hesayne says.

A BRUTAL LANDSCAPE

At the onset of conflict in Lebanon, citizens and foreigners fled. Canadian, British and American evacuation protocols banned companion animals. In the chaos, evacuees released animals into the streets or confined them in buildings. BETA believes thousands of companion animals were discarded.

It is a familiar scenario. War casts companion, wild, zoo and farm animals into the shadows, terrified and hungry. Unlike people, animals do not intellectually grasp their circumstances.

The U.S. invasion of Iraq ravaged Baghdad’s zoo, killing all but 80 of 400 animals. Bombings stranded survivors without food, water, or wound care until U.S. military veterinarians interceded with mobile clinics. Some kind-hearted U.S. troops even shared their ration packs with zoo animals, livestock, horses, donkeys, cats and dogs.

By the time BETA reached a zoo south of Beirut in Tyre, its emaciated inhabitants could barely move. “People fleeing think of animals as possessions, like cars,” Hesayne observes. “We leave the car. We leave the animals.” BETA confiscated several baboons, monkeys, and one macaque from another municipal zoo and transported them to a sanctuary in Wales.

On July 18, 2006, two bombs swept over BETA’s former shelter at the border of the Hezbollah camp and Green Line. Shrapnel lodged between bars inside one dog’s cage. Though animals and people escaped injury, the dogs sustained psychological scars.

One friendly golden retriever “flipped out” after the explosions, Hesayne says. “The next day, he bit my arm. Since the bombing he may randomly attack or bite.” BETA’s other dogs panic each time a plane engine roars overhead.

PHOTOS: 4/25/03 — A lion rests in Baghdad zoo * Sick animals in Iraq to be rescued by vets
news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/animals/newsid_2975000/2975397.stm

A CULTURE OF CRUELTY

War plainly leaves innocents in the line of fire. It can also breed an impulsive culture of cruelty. As infrastructure crumbles — with the paralysis of roads, bridges, ports, communication, water and power sources — some aim their unrest at animals.

In 2007, videos of U.S. soldiers engaged in animal abuse circulated the Internet. Unsettling footage from a CD found in Baghdad’s Green Zone revealed several servicemen hurling rocks at a dog with a spinal deformity. As the dog wailed, one man laughed, “That is the funniest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.” Another suggested they “go over and kill it.”

PHOTO/VIDEO — Soldiers taunt crippled dog in Iraq: www.liveleak.com/view?i=6445f9fdd7

Video 2: US Soldier shoots dog with M203 training round: www.liveleak.com/view?i=0a5ee2d6eb

Indiscriminate abuse stems from the illogical premise that animals matter less during war and are easy scapegoats for violence.

For BETA’s small volunteer staff, constant uprisings afford little respite from bloodshed. By June 2007, steady shelling and machine-gun fire had resumed in Lebanon as the army cornered Fatah Islam militants secluded in a Palestinian fugitive camp near Tripoli.

On June 4, car bombs and hand grenades discharged next to BETA’s cat facility in the Ashrafieh neighborhood. BETA’s dogs, situated in a former pig farm, were miles away from two cat shelters across the old Green Line. The group hopes to consolidate cats and dogs in a new shelter before the hostility escalates.

In this volatile setting, people “go nuts and shoot animals right and left or poison them,” Hesayne says. “We see puppies whose heads were banged against sidewalks or tied in electrical wire. If a dog barks, they just shoot the dog.”

Chicagoan Joanne Greene can attest to animal cruelty during war. From January 15 to February 3, 2007, the Jewish American who runs a dog-walking business joined BETA to feed animals roaming Beirut’s “hot zones.” Though she’d volunteered for three animal relief missions in post-Katrina New Orleans, nothing prepared her for rescue in a combat zone.

Among Greene’s eyewitness accounts, she depicts one particularly “horrid day in Beirut” when she and BETA’s Joelle Kanaan respond to a call about three puppies tossed from a speeding car. The dogs are buried in a sack, their mouths tightly bound in electrical tape. Kanaan retrieves two, but the third pup disappears into the rain and mud.

“We leave, praying the tape around her mouth loosens to ease her suffering,” Greene writes. “But the day is not over.” As Kanaan and another BETA volunteer replenish food stations, they see a sanitation truck hoist a dumpster full of live cats. The drivers ignore the women’s cries and pulverize the screaming cats.

LEFT PHOTO: 1/15 to 2/3/07, from American rescuer in Beirut Joanne Greene — “I’m not sure what’s worse, the war or the average Beirut citizen who tortures, maims, and mistreats animals.”

RIGHT PHOTO courtesy of BETA: Named Bullet for surviving his hideous wound, this Canadian white shepherd was shot through his left eye as he played in a garden. “He was lucky. The bone of his eye deflected the bullet and it exited behind his ear. It did not penetrate his brain. We removed his eye and the bullet fragments…”

LACK OF POLICY FOR ANIMALS IN WAR ZONES

America’s Universal Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) contains no anti-cruelty clauses. Defense leaders seldom penalize soldiers for animal torture. The military also advocates lethal rabies control to safeguard troops, despite proof that rigorous vaccination programs inhibit disease transmission more effectively than gratuitous slaughter.

The Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS) and Humane Society International (HSI) want the U.S. Department of Defense to revitalize rules for animal cruelty and control, as well as permit soldier adoption of animals.

General Order 1-A (GO-1A) forbids soldiers to care for pets or mascots. For reasons unknown, the military lumps animal companionship under behavior “prejudicial to the maintenance of good order and discipline of all forces.” Since 2005, security clampdowns along borders have blocked soldiers from transporting strays back to the states.

Well, some soldiers. The fiercely determined rely on Iraq’s “canine underground railroad.” HSUS gathers their stories as testament to the spirit of the human-animal bond.

During a 2004 offensive in Fallujah, Marines found a grubby, flea-infested puppy. With help from a reporter and the Helen Woodward Animal Center, Lt. Col. Jay Kopelman sent “Lava” from Jordan to California. In Kopelman’s book, “From Baghdad, With Love,” he details arrangements that led to Lava’s homecoming. Another army major saved skin-and-bones Bashur during his tour in Kirkuk, Iraq. The dog, now at home in Illinois, traveled 640 miles with a military convoy en route to Kuwait.

PHOTO: 11/04, Jay Kopelman and Lava in Iraq
(Source.)

A HOME ON DISTANT SHORES

On September 25, 2006, 150 dogs and 145 cats flew from Beirut’s International Airport to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. The Best Friends airlift freed an overwhelmed BETA to recover more displaced pets — like Nougat, a blue-eyed Labrador-Husky mix left for dead in a vehicle collision.

Nougat suffered a shattered jaw and maggot infestation over four days before anyone notified BETA. But emergency surgery saved Nougat, who is now prime pooch at her new Rhode Island home. BETA hopes to orchestrate more adoptions in the U.S.

If there is any light in war’s storm on animals, it is the miracle of compassion without borders. In Iraq, citizens and members of the 1st Armored Division and V corps formed the Iraqi Animal Welfare Society. No significant humane organizations existed in Iraq prior to the war.

Sometimes, the miracle is the animal herself. The last nose Army Spc. Justin Rollins nuzzled — before roadside bombs took his life — belonged to a puppy. When the 22-year-old paratrooper’s grieving family saw photos of him cuddling a white and brown-flecked mutt in Iraq, they campaigned to bring the dog home.

With the aid of Rep. Paul Hodes, D-N.H., Hero journeyed about 6,000 miles to New Hampshire. “It was the last bit of happiness Justin had,” Rollins’ girlfriend Brittney Murray told reporters.

Animals like Hero can soften war’s impact. Rescuing them from harm doesn’t devalue human suffering. In fact, it makes us a bit more human.

###

LEFT PHOTO: 3/25/07 — Tired from a long trip, Hero the dog sits with her new Newport, N.H., family, Skip and Rhonda Rollins and Brittney Murray… Rollins’ son, Army Spc. Justin Rollins, was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq a day after adopting the pup. (AP Photo/Cheryl Senter)
(Source.)

RIGHT PHOTO courtesy of BETA: Nougat, a Labrador-Husky mix hit by a car and left for four days, survives. “Once we found her, our vet operated on Nougat until 1:00 a.m. Her entire jaw was shattered and maggots covered her mouth and head — but he saved her. Now called Bella Nougat, this lucky dog lives with Suzanne in Rhode Island.”

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WHAT YOU CAN DO
================

1. Donate To Beirut For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals

With fundraising activities on hold during times of conflict, BETA desperately needs money to feed and vet animals, maintain shelters, arrange transports/adoptions, cover monthly expenses…

DONATE TO BETA:
beta.beirut.com/donate.php

If interested in adopting war-rescued animals:
beta.beirut.com/Adoption.php

CATS | SEEKING ADOPTION:
beta.beirut.com/display_animals.php?CID=9&stat=1

DOGS | SEEKING ADOPTION:
animals.beirut.com/display_animals.php?CID=4&stat=1

To volunteer for BETA:
animals.beirut.com/howcanihelp.php

Beirut for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (BETA) is a Lebanese Registered Charitable Organization (Charity # 205/AD).

2. Contact U.S. Department of Defense officials and ask them to make regulatory changes regarding animals in war zones.

Specifically, urge the DOD to institute these policies:

* Insert and enforce an anti-cruelty clause in the Universal Code of Military Justice.

*Utilize non-lethal vaccination programs to cope with rabies concerns in Iraq or other countries.

* Implement an adoption system that lets soldiers bring vetted pets back to the U.S. with them.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

SOURCE - www.defenselink.mil/faq/pis/dod_addresses.html

web comment form: www.defenselink.mil/faq/comment.html

Dr. Robert M. Gates, Secretary of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon * Washington, DC 20301-1000

Gordon R. England, Deputy Secretary of Defense
1010 Defense Pentagon * Washington, DC 20301-1010

Kenneth J. Krieg, Under Secretary of Defense
3010 Defense Pentagon * Washington, DC 20301-3010

David S. C. Chu, Under Secretary of Defense
4000 Defense Pentagon * Washington, DC 20301-4000

Eric S. Edelman, Under Secretary of Defense
2000 Defense Pentagon * Washington, DC 20301-2000

Tina Jonas, Under Secretary of Defense
1100 Defense Pentagon * Washington, DC 20301-1100

The Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
9999 Joint Staff Pentagon * Washington, DC 20318-9999

Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
9999 Joint Staff Pentagon * Washington, DC 20318-9999

Secretaries of the Armed Forces
Secretary of the Army
101 Army Pentagon * Washington, DC 20310-0101

Secretary of the Navy
1000 Navy Pentagon * Washington, DC 20350-1000

Secretary of the Air Force
1670 Air Force Pentagon * Washington, DC 20330-1670

The Chiefs of Staff
Army Chief of Staff
200 Army Pentagon * Washington, DC 20310-0200

Chief of Naval Operations
2000 Navy Pentagon * Washington, DC 20350-2000

Air Force Chief of Staff
1670 Air Force Pentagon * Washington, DC 20330-1670

Commandant of the Marine Corps
Headquarters USMC * 2 Navy Annex (CMC) * Washington, DC 20380-1775

DOD answers the question, “Will the Department of Defense change regulations and policies, as they pertain to animal abuse, vaccination and adoption of stray animals in Iraq?” www.defenselink.mil/faq/comment.html

If you believe DOD’s response isn’t good enough, be sure to send them comments!

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Kinship Circle is a nonprofit organization serving the animal advocacy community. Donations help us meet expenses for the literature, website, research/campaigns and outreach — that let YOU take action for animals.

DONATE: www.kinshipcircle.org/donation/donations.html

Action Campaigns I Literature I Voice For Animals
Nonprofit working in animal protection/cruelty + animal disaster relief campaigns
Brenda Shoss, president * Janet Enoch, vice-president
info [at] kinshipcircle.org or kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
www.KinshipCircle.org * www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/default.html

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—–Original Message—–
From: Kinship Circle
Sent: Monday, April 03, 2006 11:34 AM
To: 7. KINSHIP CIRLE Animal Disaster Relief List
Subject: [GULF COAST] Volunteers Still Needed in New Orleans

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*DISCLAIMER: The information in these alerts is verified with the original source. Kinship Circle does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of the information or for the consequences of its use. Nothing in this email is intended to encourage illegal action in whatever country you are reading it in. Kinship Circle does not engage in, nor support, any form of harassment or unlawful activity. Nothing in this alert serves to promote such conduct.

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—– Original Message —–

Hurricane Season is Coming: Are You Prepared?
Keep yourself and your animal companions safe when disaster strikes

Last year, Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast region and took the lives of thousands of people and countless animals. As hurricane season approaches once again, IDA would like to take this opportunity to remind our supporters of the importance of planning ahead in ensuring the safety and welfare of your animal companions in the event of a large-scale disaster.

The best way to ensure the safety of our loved ones (both human and non-human) in the event of an emergency is to be well prepared before disaster strikes. Here are some tips for keeping your animal companions out of harm’s way during a crisis situation.

Pack Emergency Kits

You may wish to pack two emergency kits for your animals — one that has everything they need to stay in your home and another portable kit that you can take with you should you need to evacuate. You may wish to put the portable kit in the trunk of your car so that it will be ready if you need to leave on short notice. These kits should include:

- Enough food (including treats) and water for at least three days preserved in airtight containers
- Food and water bowls
- A pan, litter, and scoop (for cats)
- A supply of any medications your animals need
- A first aid kit (with bandages and medical tape, antiseptic ointment, latex gloves and a reference book on animal first aid)
- Collar with ID tag and a harness or leash
- Copies of vaccination papers and registration information
- A collapsible carrier or crate with bedding

Be sure to check on your kits periodically to make sure the food and water is still fresh and that any documentation is up to date. Also consider getting an identification microchip implanted under your animal companion’s skin and registering with a nationwide recovery database. Consult your veterinarian for more information.

Plan Ahead

Before, during or after an emergency, you may need to determine whether it would be best to stay in your home or evacuate. Whatever you do, keeping your animal companions with you is the best way to ensure their safety. Depending on the nature and extent of the crisis, you may not be able to return home for days or even weeks. Leaving animals alone during an emergency can put them in serious danger of becoming lost, hurt, or killed, so this should be avoided if at all possible.

If for some reason you absolutely must evacuate your home without your animals, do not leave them outside: put them in the most secure area of your home. Also leave out at least a 10-day supply of dry food and several dishes full of water. Your toilet can also be a water source, but be sure that it is free of disinfectants and other toxic chemicals. If you do evacuate without your animals, leave a sign on the front door indicating that there are animals inside, as well as how many and what kinds.

However, you should be able to take your animals with you in the event of a disaster if you take these precautions:

- Know where to go: Many emergency shelters will not allow animals, so you should be prepared to go elsewhere in a crisis. Staying with friends or family in a safe area is perhaps the best choice. Also make a list (including addresses and phone numbers) of hotels that allow animals during an emergency situation and kennels where you could board your animals. Your local animal shelter or animal care and control agency may be able to help you find this information.

- Create a support network: Talk with your family, friends, or neighbors about evacuating your animals should disaster strike when you are away from home. Make sure your backup has a key for your house and any phone numbers where you can be reached, and that you have their phone numbers. Also show them where your emergency kit is kept in case sudden evacuation is necessary. Agree on a meeting place where you can rendezvous.

- Let rescuers know that there are “animals inside”: Put stickers in the windows nearest your doors that indicate you have animals, including what kind and how many. If you are away from home when disaster strikes (a fire, for example), this will let rescue workers know to look for your animals.

Know What to Expect

Each region of the country is susceptible to different types of disasters: for instance, while hurricane season endangers the southeastern U.S. every summer, earthquakes could strike the West Coast at any moment. If you know what kinds of disasters are most likely to occur in your area, you will be better able to prepare for them. Visit www.ready.gov or call 1-800-BE-READY for information about the types of emergencies you may have to deal with and the plans your state and local governments have in place to handle large-scale disasters.

Disaster Relief Resources:

American Red Cross

- Red Cross disaster relief focuses on meeting people’s immediate emergency disaster-caused needs, such as shelter, food, and health and mental health services.

Federal Emergency Management Agency

- As part of the Department of Homeland Security, FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national emergency.

Ready America

- Includes information on making an emergency survival kit and family emergency plan, as well as comprehensive links to community and state disaster relief agencies.

Citizen Corps

- Encourages people to take personal responsibility for disaster preparation by getting trained in first aid and emergency skills and volunteering to support local relief efforts.

Medical Reserve Corps

Dedicated to establishing teams of local volunteer medical and public health professionals to contribute their skills and expertise throughout the year and during emergencies.

National Weather Service

-Provides updates and information on weather-related emergencies.

—– Original Message —–
From: Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
Date: Jun 11, 2007 11:07 PM
Subject: JUSTICE SERVED? St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office In Hot Seat

KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER RELIEF
www.KinshipCircle.org

PLEASE CROSS-POST AS WRITTEN

6/11/07: JUSTICE SERVED?
Lawsuit Puts St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office In Hot Seat

WE MUST NEVER FORGET, from Brenda Shoss, Kinship Circle:

I weep, even now. Not a day passes that I don’t conjure images of those babies, ripped from loving arms. The tiny poodle, GiGi. The faithful Lab marooned on a rooftop, only to watch his people fly away without him.

GiGi’s story (featured in ABC article below) was among those gathered when Shannon Moore and I devoted our days to Louisiana’s Pet Evacuation Bill.

GiGi with Judy Migliore, before Hurricane Katrina

GIGI’S STORY, as told to me while gathering resources during effort to pass Louisiana Pet Evac Bill:

As Judy and Santo Migliore evacuated on to a barge, an official threatened to handcuff Judy if she didn’t abandon GiGi, a 10-pound toy poodle. Judy clung to her 6-year-old dog with the apricot marks inside one ear and along her back. But officials stood firm and Judy was forced to leave GiGi with a St. Bernard Parish Deputy in Violet, Louisiana.

The Migliores and three of five adult children were now homeless, their former addresses washed away in the levee break after Katrina. Desperate to find GiGi, they embarked on an internet search from their hotel room in Lafayette, LA. The checked every shelter in Louisiana and perused Petfinders, once stumbling upon a white miniature poodle relocated to a Michigan Humane Society shelter. That lead, like others, was a dead end.

On October 7, an email arrived: “I am so sorry if this is GiGi,” Dana, a rescue volunteer, wrote. “You cannot see it in the pictures, but the dog’s nails are painted… The dog was found either in room 206, 208, or 210. Please, please accept my condolences if this is GiGi…”

In the photo, a tangle of white fur rested atop a puddle of feces and blood. Patches of sunlight framed the tiny dog and a discarded cigarette butt lay by her head. GiGi had finally been found.

On October 7, Judy Migliore wrote to Ellen Little, another volunteer in the search for GiGi: “Ellen, just wanted to let you know that my baby, GiGi, was found and that it’s been confirmed she was never taken from the shelter. She died. The Pasado Animal Shelter in St. Bernard Parish found her… Once again, thank you and all the kind people who tried to bring this to a happy ending. But, now it has ended in sadness…”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Lawsuit: Katrina Pets Executed
Investigations, Two Criminal Indictments and a Lawsuit Put the Heat on St. Bernard Parish’s Sheriff’s Office

abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/Story?id=3265151&page=1

This white poodle, Gigi, was among the dogs allegedly killed by authorities after their owners were forcibly evacuated during Hurricane Katrina. A lawsuit says an animal rescue worker found Gigi shot in the head.

By JIM AVILA, ELIZABETH TRIBOLET and CHRIS FRANCESCANI
ABC News Law & Justice Unit I June 11, 2007

For nearly two years, pet owners from the low-lying Louisiana parish of St. Bernard have accused sheriff’s deputies of having wantonly killed dozens of dogs they forced evacuees to leave behind during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, without regard to the dogs’ size or the potential threat they might pose.

One owner said her family was forced at gunpoint to leave its dog behind. Another owner said residents became frantic when, they said, they overheard one deputy claim that “once everybody’s gone, we’re going to have target practice tonight.” They claim in court papers that deputies were under ” authorization…of their superiors and employers.

Two deputies have already been indicted by a grand jury in New Orleans on charges of felony, aggravated cruelty to animals. The Louisiana attorney general’s office is investigating and this morning lawyers for a group of owners will file a comprehensive complaint in federal court in Louisiana seeking class action status for their clients.

More on this story tonight on “Nightline” at 11:35 p.m. EDT

For the first time, the St. Bernard Parish sheriff’s office has acknowledged to ABC News’ Law & Justice Unit that an internal investigation has been launched. In an interview last week, Sal Gutierrez, who represents the sheriff’s office, defended the department’s handling of a clearly difficult evacuation. Gutierrez said the shells left behind in the schools did not necessarily come from the weapons issued to department deputies. He denied allegations that orders to kill the dogs came from superior officers, calling that claim “false.” He said that if the investigation turned up any wrongdoing by deputies, the St. Bernard sheriff would take appropriate disciplinary action. If something false has been alleged in the lawsuit, he said he would consider countercharges of defamation of character. He said that he and the sheriff were animal lovers.

In December, the sheriff’s office released a statement declaring that any actions taken had been done with “the utmost care, caution and belief of its necessity,” according to the newspaper New Orleans City Business. But Gutierrez told ABC News that until the internal investigation was complete, he could not adequately answer all the charges. “I can’t tell you we don’t have a renegade or two,” Gutierrez told ABC News.

“If you’re talking about a rabid dog roaming the streets trying to attack, that’s understandable to try and find and euthanize a dog,” said plaintiff attorney Randall Smith. But, he said later, “some of them were poodles, miniature dogs, tied up, most outrageous[ly] in schools, no way a threat to anybody.”

One of the key pieces of evidence in the civil case is expected to be video footage shot by Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer David Leeson Jr., who said he witnessed dogs being shot while filming in the area after Katrina for the Dallas Morning News.

“They shot the dog I was trying to help right in front of me,” he told reporters at the time. On his video, posted HERE
(www.dallasnews.com/s/dws/photography/2005/katrina_video/straydogs.html#dmn) on the newspaper’s Web site, gunshots can clearly be heard.

Mike Minton, a former sergeant from the St. Bernard Parish sheriff’s office, acknowledges shooting dogs but says it was done for humane reasons. Gutierrez told ABC News that Minton was “let go” from the department and was “no longer an employee.” Minton, one of two deputies indicted in December on animal cruelty charges, did not return a call from ABC.

Shooting Gallery

“It was a massacre. It was a shooting gallery,” said Mark Steinway, co-founder of the animal rescue group Posada Safe Haven [sic]. Steinway was among those who discovered the animals’ bodies at three school evacuation centers, gathered evidence and urged the Louisiana State Attorney General’s Office to launch an investigation. “We documented as best we could as a crime scene,” he said. “It was obvious [the dogs] had been chased around. There were so many rounds of ammunition and so many holes in the walls and so many random shots to body cavities and legs, areas where you know the animals were trying to get away from these guys.”

Mark Steinway gathers evidence at scene of shooting. Photos: Pasado Safe Haven
NOTE: These two photos + all photos below were inserted by Kinship Circle, and did not appear with ABC’s online story.

Steinway described one harrowing discovery he made in the one of the parish schools that he said exemplified the wantonness with which the animals were killed. “Somebody carefully tied up these two dogs in one of the rooms and shot them, and didn’t even shoot them at close range in the head to put them out of their misery,” he said. “They backed up and started shooting, with a shotgun started firing. Pellets all over the floor, bullet holes in the wall. It was a slaughter.”

Please Do Not Shoot Her

Some of the pet owners who spoke with ABC News said they had waited until the last minute to evacuate for good reason. One woman’s daughter had just had a major surgery. Another had a medical condition that prevented him from driving and an elderly father too weak to drive. The waters rose rapidly and communication was difficult at best. Many residents were rescued from their rooftops, their animals clinging to them.

On Aug. 28, 2005, with floodwaters roaring through St. Bernard Parish, officials announced St. Bernard’s High School as a shelter of last resort, according to court papers obtained by ABC News. Three days later, on Aug. 31, officials evacuated the high school shelters and took residents to the Algiers Point ferry landing. As residents were separated from their animals and moved out of the shelters, many desperately scrawled messages on the walls of the school rooms.

Photo: Pasado Safe Haven

“There is 1(sic) very nice dog in there. Please do not shoot her. Her name is Angel,” read one message. Another, with a name and phone number, read, “Call me please. I want my pets back.”

“In this room are six adult dogs and four puppies. Please save them! Kit.”

Photos: Pasado Safe Haven

Everybody, We’re Under Water

Plaintiff John Bozes said his black Labrador, Angel Girl, had saved his family’s life. Floodwaters had reached the top of the door of his parish home, he told ABC News. “I walked to the door right there, I go to put my hand on the knob to open it, she got between me and that door and nudged me back. When I looked back I saw water coming through the top of the door and I said, ‘Oh boy, we’re in trouble.’”

“Everybody, we’re under water!” he hollered to his family, who climbed through the attic to reach the home’s roof. They were evacuated to St. Bernard’s High School, where he said they were told to evacuate without the pets. “It was a mandatory evacuation — we either go to jail or get shot, or we leave our pets behind.”

Then, he said, he and other owners heard a deputy say, ‘Man, once everybody’s gone, we’re going to have target practice tonight.”’

“There was so much commotion after that statement was made,” he said. “We stood our ground and said, ‘We’re not leaving them.’”

“Next thing you know, we’re either leaving … or you get shot.”

Bozes’ father, Paul, said he thought about Angel Girl all the time. “I hope I’m not wrong in saying this, but from the bottom of my heart — if I see that boy or the man that shot her, they better have a lot of people around to keep me from hitting them.”

“These are animals,” John Bozes said, “but they have brains just like you and I. They have feelings like we have. … Tough animals, wonderful animals, lovable animals. And to have somebody shoot for no reason at all, I don’t think no animal in that school would have hurt somebody, especially Angel. She was too lovable.”

John Bozes and his sister were separated from their three dogs — Angel Girl, a pit bull named Honey and a Husky mix named Bullet — when they were evacuated. The dogs were taken to Beauregard Middle School and St. Bernard’s Parish High School.

“Bullet, the Husky mix, was found dead in the corner of Beauregard Middle School,” according to the complaint. “The cord from the Venetian blind on the nearest window had been tied to Bullet’s collar. Angel Girl and Honey were found together, also in a corner. Angel Girl had been tethered to the Venetian blinds on a nearby window. Honey was not tied, but lay at Angel Girl’s side.”

John Bozes with photo of Angel Girl. Photo: Pasado Safe Haven

Brenda Shoss stands outside a now deserted, boarded-up Beauregard Middle School (St. Bernard Parish), during an animal aid trip to New Orleans Feb. 07.

Threatened

Plaintiff Joyce Stubbs was told she could not bring her dogs, Max and Lucky, with her when she was evacuated from Beauregard High School, so “she poured bottles of water and soft drinks into a large ice chest for her dogs to drink,” according to court documents. “She also put out a lot of food where the dogs could readily access it.”

“Stubbs and her children spent a long moment saying goodbye to her dogs. A Sheriff’s deputy approached them and pointed a shotgun at her son’s face and threatened to shoot him if they did not leave the dogs. He also pointed the shotgun at their small dog Lucky,” the complaints reads.

I Live With This Every Day

Judy Migliore and her husband spent three days going from rooftop to rooftop with their daughters and their poodle, Gidget, which she said means “small” in Hawaiian. Migliore said they called the dog Gigi. When it was time to go, Migliore said she pleaded with a deputy to let her take the poodle.

“I begged. … I was crying. I said, ‘Please, she’ll never, never touch the ground. She’ll stay in my arms the whole time.’ He said, ‘Ma’am, we can do it either nicely or not nicely,’ and he said, ‘I’m prepared to handcuff you.’

“I turned and looked at my husband and I said, ‘I can’t! I cannot leave her,’ and the deputy I knew came up at that time and he said, ‘Miss Judy, give her to me and I’ll see what I can do.’ I gave her to him because I couldn’t and he turned and give her to the deputy and that was the last time we seen him,” she said, referring to the deputy.

“I kept thinking … she going to be terrified that I wasn’t holding her, she was going to be terrified of bad weather and other dogs because of big dogs. Pit bulls, Great Danes, huge dogs. … I knew she was going to be terrified. … And I kept thinking, ‘I’m leaving her.’”

“I live with this every day in my thoughts and in my heart because she was our baby, and there’s not a day goes by that I don’t think of her.”

Two weeks later, Migliore said, her brother-in-law went back to the school where they Gigi, but he was turned away. One daughter went online to animal rescue sites and another daughter visited shelters. They knew the poodle would be easy to identify. Gigi was pure white, with freshly clipped nails painted red and a brown collar with a St. Francis of Assisi medal around her
neck.

On Oct. 9, according to the complaint, a rescue worker informed the family that Gidget had been found shot in the head .

Presented with some of the allegations made in court documents and to ABC News, Gutierrez, the attorney for the sheriff’s department, said that he would like to depose the plaintiffs under oath.

**********************************

Kinship Circle - Action Campaigns I Literature I Voice For Animals
Nonprofit working in animal protection/cruelty + animal disaster relief campaigns
Brenda Shoss, president * Janet Enoch, vice-president
info [at] kinshipcircle.org or kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
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—–Original Message—–
From: Kinship Circle
Sent: Monday, April 03, 2006 11:34 AM
To: 7. KINSHIP CIRLE Animal Disaster Relief List
Subject: [GULF COAST] Volunteers Still Needed in New Orleans

**********************************

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Kinship Circle Animal Disaster Relief Focus

1. GULF COAST: Once monthly e-newsletters witth news, needs, stories…related to hurricane-affected animals in the Gulf Coast.
Newsletters to continue as long as needed.

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3. ACTION CAMPAIGNS: Sample-letter alerts about

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**Only Kinship Circle Primary (a separate list) regularly posts action campaigns on cruelty issues worldwide, including animals in entertainment, research, fur trade, agribusiness, wildlife, companion animals…

—– Original Message —–

I remember Gigi.

That’s Gigi and her human, Judy Migliore.

Gigi, shot in the head and left to rot by St. Bernard Parish deputies

And that’s Gigi’s decomposing corpse, after she was shot in the head and left to rot by St. Bernard Parish deputies.

I hope they nail the fuckers.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: DawnWatch - news [at] dawnwatch.com
Date: Jun 11, 2007 3:50 PM
Subject: DawnWatch: ABC’s Nightline on “Katrina Pets Executed” 6/11/07

The following report is linked from the ABC news Nightline page, with the note: “More on this story tonight on “Nightline” at 11:35 p.m. EDT.”

Please thank Nightline for covering this issue. Feedback matters! Nightline takes comments at nightline [at] abcnews.go.com.

Lawsuit: Katrina Pets Executed
Investigations, Two Criminal Indictments and a Lawsuit Put the Heat on St. Bernard Parish’s Sheriff’s Office

abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=3265151&page=1

By JIM AVILA, ELIZABETH TRIBOLET and CHRIS FRANCESCANI
ABC News Law & Justice Unit
June 11, 2007

For nearly two years, pet owners from the low-lying Louisiana parish of St. Bernard have accused sheriff’s deputies of having wantonly killed dozens of dogs they forced evacuees to leave behind during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, without regard to the dogs’ size or the potential threat they might pose.

One owner said her family was forced at gunpoint to leave its dog behind. Another owner said residents became frantic when, they said, they overheard one deputy claim that “once everybody’s gone, we’re going to have target practice tonight.” They claim in court papers that deputies were under orders to shoot every dog they found.

Two deputies have already been indicted by a grand jury in New Orleans on charges of felony, aggravated cruelty to animals. The Louisiana attorney general’s office is investigating and this morning lawyers for a group of owners will file a comprehensive complaint in federal court in Louisiana seeking class action status for their clients.

For the first time, the St. Bernard Parish sheriff’s office has acknowledged to ABC News’ Law & Justice Unit that an internal investigation has been launched.

In an interview last week, Sal Gutierrez, who represents the sheriff’s office, defended the department’s handling of a clearly difficult evacuation. Gutierrez said the shells left behind in the schools did not necessarily come from the weapons issued to department deputies. He denied allegations that orders to kill the dogs came from superior officers, calling that claim “false.” He said that if the investigation turned up any wrongdoing by deputies, the St. Bernard sheriff would take appropriate disciplinary action. If something false has been alleged in the lawsuit, he said he would consider countercharges of defamation of character. He said that he and the sheriff were animal lovers.

In December, the sheriff’s office released a statement declaring that any actions taken had been done with “the utmost care, caution and belief of its necessity,” according to the newspaper New Orleans City Business.

But Gutierrez told ABC News that until the internal investigation was complete, he could not adequately answer all the charges. “I can’t tell you we don’t have a renegade or two,” Gutierrez told ABC News.

“If you’re talking about a rabid dog roaming the streets trying to attack, that’s understandable to try and find and euthanize a dog,” said plaintiff attorney Randall Smith. But, he said later, “some of them were poodles, miniature dogs, tied up, most outrageous[ly] in schools, no way a threat to anybody.”

One of the key pieces of evidence in the civil case is expected to be video footage shot by Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer David Leeson Jr., who said he witnessed dogs being shot while filming in the area after Katrina for the Dallas Morning News.

“They shot the dog I was trying to help right in front of me,” he told reporters at the time.

On his video, posted HERE (tinyurl.com/38so9a) on the newspaper’s Web site, gunshots can clearly be heard.

Mike Minton, a former sergeant from the St. Bernard Parish sheriff’s office, acknowledges shooting dogs but says it was done for humane reasons. Gutierrez told ABC News that Minton was “let go” from the department and was “no longer an employee.” Minton, one of the two deputies indicted in December on animal cruelty charges, did not return a call from ABC for comment.

‘Shooting Gallery’

“It was a massacre. It was a shooting gallery,” said Mark Steinway, co-founder of the animal rescue group Posada Safe Haven. Steinway was among those who discovered the animals’ bodies at three school evacuation centers, gathered evidence and urged the Louisiana State Attorney General’s Office to launch an investigation.

“We documented as best we could as a crime scene,” he said. “It was obvious [the dogs] had been chased around. There were so many rounds of ammunition and so many holes in the walls and so many random shots to body cavities and legs, areas where you know the animals were trying to get away from these guys.”

Steinway described one harrowing discovery he made in the one of the parish schools that he said exemplified the wantonness with which the animals were killed.

“Somebody carefully tied up these two dogs in one of the rooms and shot them, and didn’t even shoot them at close range in the head to put them out of their misery,” he said. “They backed up and started shooting, with a shotgun started firing. Pellets all over the floor, bullet holes in the wall. It was a slaughter.”

‘Please Do Not Shoot Her”

Some of the pet owners who spoke with ABC News said they had waited until the last minute to evacuate for good reason. One woman’s daughter had just had a major surgery. Another had a medical condition that prevented him from driving and an elderly father too weak to drive. The waters rose rapidly and communication was difficult at best. Many residents were rescued from their rooftops, their animals clinging to them.

On Aug. 28, 2005, with floodwaters roaring through St. Bernard Parish, officials announced St. Bernard’s High School as a shelter of last resort, according to court papers obtained by ABC News.

Three days later, on Aug. 31, officials evacuated the high school shelters and took residents to the Algiers Point ferry landing. As residents were separated from their animals and moved out of the shelters, many desperately scrawled messages on the walls of the school rooms.

“There is 1(sic) very nice dog in there. Please do not shoot her. Her name is Angel,” read one message. Another, with a name and phone number, read, “Call me please. I want my pets back.”

“In this room are six adult dogs and four puppies. Please save them! Kit.”

Plaintiff John Bozes said his black Labrador, Angel Girl, had saved his family’s life. Floodwaters had reached the top of the door of his parish home, he told ABC News.

“I walked to the door right there, I go to put my hand on the knob to open it, she got between me and that door and nudged me back. When I looked back I saw water coming through the top of the door and I said, ‘Oh boy, we’re in trouble.’”

“Everybody, we’re under water!” he hollered to his family, who climbed through the attic to reach the home’s roof. They were evacuated to St. Bernard’s High School, where he said they were told to evacuate without the pets.

“It was a mandatory evacuation — we either go to jail or get shot, or we leave our pets behind.”

Then, he said, he and other owners heard a deputy say, ‘Man, once everybody’s gone, we’re going to have target practice tonight.”’

“There was so much commotion after that statement was made,” he said. “We stood our ground and said, ‘We’re not leaving them.’”

“Next thing you know, we’re either leaving … or you get shot.”

Bozes’ father, Paul, said he thought about Angel Girl all the time. “I hope I’m not wrong in saying this, but from the bottom of my heart — if I see that boy or the man that shot her, they better have a lot of people around to keep me from hitting them.”

“These are animals,” John Bozes said, “but they have brains just like you and I. They have feelings like we have. … Tough animals, wonderful animals, lovable animals. And to have somebody shoot for no reason at all, I don’t think no animal in that school would have hurt somebody, especially Angel. She was too lovable.”

John Bozes and his sister were separated from their three dogs — Angel Girl, a pit bull named Honey and a Husky mix named Bullet — when they were evacuated. The dogs were taken to Beauregard Middle School and St. Bernard’s Parish High School.

“Bullet, the Husky mix, was found dead in the corner of Beauregard Middle School,” according to the complaint. “The cord from the Venetian blind on the nearest window had been tied to Bullet’s collar. Angel Girl and Honey were found together, also in a corner. Angel Girl had been tethered to the Venetian blinds on a nearby window. Honey was not tied, but lay at Angel Girl’s side.”

Plaintiff Joyce Stubbs was told she could not bring her dogs, Max and Lucky, with her when she was evacuated from Beauregard High School, so “she poured bottles of water and soft drinks into a large ice chest for her dogs to drink,” according to court documents. “She also put out a lot of food where the dogs could readily access it.”

“Stubbs and her children spent a long moment saying goodbye to her dogs. A Sheriff’s deputy approached them and pointed a shotgun at her son’s face and threatened to shoot him if they did not leave the dogs. He also pointed the shotgun at their small dog Lucky,” the complaints reads.

Judy Migliore and her husband spent three days going from rooftop to rooftop with their daughters and their poodle, Gidget, which she said means “small” in Hawaiian. Migliore said they called the dog Gigi. When it was time to go, Migliore said she pleaded with a deputy to let her take the poodle.

“I begged. … I was crying. I said, ‘Please, she’ll never, never touch the ground. She’ll stay in my arms the whole time.’ He said, ‘Ma’am, we can do it either nicely or not nicely,’ and he said, ‘I’m prepared to handcuff you.’

“I turned and looked at my husband and I said, ‘I can’t! I cannot leave her,’ and the deputy I knew came up at that time and he said, ‘Miss Judy, give her to me and I’ll see what I can do.’ I gave her to him because I couldn’t and he turned and give her to the deputy and that was the last time we seen him,” she said, referring to the deputy.

“I kept thinking … she going to be terrified that I wasn’t holding her, she was going to be terrified of bad weather and other dogs because of big dogs. Pit bulls, Great Danes, huge dogs. … I knew she was going to be terrified. … And I kept thinking, ‘I’m leaving her.’”

“I live with this every day in my thoughts and in my heart because she was our baby, and there’s not a day goes by that I don’t think of her.”

Two weeks later, Migliore said, her brother-in-law went back to the school where they Gigi, but he was turned away. One daughter went online to animal rescue sites and another daughter visited shelters. They knew the poodle would be easy to identify. Gigi was pure white, with freshly clipped nails painted red and a brown collar with a St. Francis of Assisi medal around her neck.

On Oct. 9, according to the complaint, a rescue worker informed the family that Gidget had been found shot in the head .

Presented with some of the allegations made in court documents and to ABC News, Gutierrez, the attorney for the sheriff’s department, said that he would like to depose the plaintiffs under oath.

(END OF ABCNEWS.COM report.)

Yours and the animals’,
Karen Dawn

(DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal issues in the media and facilitates one-click responses to the relevant media outlets. You can learn more about it, and sign up for alerts at www.DawnWatch.com. You may forward or reprint DawnWatch alerts if you do so unedited — leave DawnWatch in the title and include this parenthesized tag line. If somebody forwards DawnWatch alerts to you, which you enjoy, please help the list grow by signing up. It is free.)

To discontinue DawnWatch alerts go to www.DawnWatch.com/nothanks.php

—– Original Message —–
From: Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
Date: Jun 10, 2007 4:27 PM
Subject: #1. GULF COAST: Still Homeless In Katrina’s Wake

KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER RELIEF - PERMISSION TO CROSSPOST

6/10/07: [GULF COAST] PART #1: Still Homeless In Katrina’s Wake
PAST NEWSLETTERS: www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/default.html

PART 1 / GULF COAST NEWSLETTER:

1. Shannon Moore, July 22, 1969 - May 31, 2006
2. Barn Homes Needed To Spare Hurricane Survivors From Death
3. Voucher Program To End At Expense Of Katrina’s Homeless
4. For Hurricane Season: Pet Friendly Hotel Info
5. The Velcros Need Homes
6. Vote For Louisiana CAAWS To Win $50,000 Donation
7. Join Living With Animals TV & Support MuttShack Disaster Aid
8. STILL Need Way Out…Can You Adopt From Plaquemines?
9. Prod St. John Officials to Build New Animal Facility
10. Dogs Shot In Lincoln Parish

PART 2 WAS SENT IN SEPARATE EMAIL.

If you did not receive PART 2, request it: kinshipcircle [at] brick.net

11. Katrina Lifeline Setting Up Another Major Transport
12. Is A Food/Water Program Still Needed In New Orleans?
13. New Orleans Sweeties Need Homes
14. Homeless Pet Crisis Persists In Katrina’s Wake
15. Animal Rescue After Katrina
16. Lakeview Cats Roaming
17. Adopters Return 2 Katrina Pooches To Owners
18. HSL Lemonade Stand Aids Ailing Katrina Dogs
19. The Woman Behind The Mandatory Spay/Neuter Bill

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

1. Shannon Moore, July 22, 1969 - May 31, 2006

SOURCE: yepitsme770 [at] yahoo.com

6/1/07, from yepitsme770 [at] yahoo.com — Yesterday marked one year since the animal rescue world lost one of its most dedicated and hard-working volunteers. If you would like to sign Shannon’s Memorial Guest Book, it has been extended by Capt. Ron through July 2007. Here is the link [click here].

Other sites are still available for viewing:

Pics of Shannon
www.flickr.com/photos/yepitsme770/sets/72157594155834244/

Memories of Shannon Blog
memoriesofshannon.blogspot.com/

Rest in Peace, Angel. You are dearly missed.

LeAnne

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

2. Barn Homes Needed To Spare Hurricane Survivors From Death

SOURCE: Leigh Schmitt, Cat Help Desk, leighschmitt [at] bellsouth.net

5/30/07, from Leigh Schmitt, leighschmitt [at] bellsouth.net — The Cat Help Desk has several urgent requests to relocate cat colonies. We are racing against the clock to spare the little hurricane survivors from a death sentence at Animal Control. We can only save them if we find a barn or other suitable location with someone willing to feed them.

If you have any leads on places in Louisiana and surrounding areas, please forward to: leighschmitt [at] bellsouth.net or info [at] cathelpdesk.org

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

3. Voucher Program To End At Expense Of Katrina’s Homeless

SOURCE: Forwarded by sandra [at] spaymart.org

Original Message: Lynn Chiche, Spaymart, lynnchiche [at] cox.net

6/8/07, from Lynn Chiche — EVERYONE INTERESTED IN HAVING THE VOUCHER PROGRAM THROUGH LA/SPCA CONTINUED: Please note that, as of August or early September, the present voucher program will have exhausted itself and will terminate. This will leave many people (including caretakers of feral cat colonies) in a desperate situation securing low-cost spay/neuter services.

As we all know, the city is presently overrun with homeless, free-roaming cats and dogs, whose only hope of sterilization is having the present voucher system extended. If you would like to see this happen, it is mandatory you take the time to write a letter to the ASPCA, stating in your own words, why it is necessary for the present program to continue. Otherwise, come August, all of us will have to pay the going rate (normally $50 to $75 at low cost facilities), or, even worse, abandon the issue altogether, at the expense of our homeless animals.

SEND COMMENTS TO:
Aimee St. Arnaud, ASPCA
aimees [at] aspca.org
P.O. Box 820; Perryburg, OH 43552.

Any further questions may be directed to:
Mary Morris, mary [at] la-spca.org
or Lynn Chiche, Spaymart, lynnchiche [at] cox.net

I would like to thank everyone in advance for taking time out of your busy day to address this important issue. Sincerely, Lynn Chiche

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

4. For Hurricane Season: Pet Friendly Hotel Info

SOURCE: Renee Baumy, baumyr [at] usmi.com

Please let folks know that www.petswelcome.com shows hotels and motels that will accept pets and even now has a large dog search engine.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

5. The Velcros Need Homes

SOURCE: Maria Alvarez, tipster [at] bellsouth.net

6/7/07, from tipster [at] bellsouth.net — Monkey Doll, Sandals and Mokasin, rescued from New Orleans East, desperately need homes.

Please help me find them good homes: tipster [at] bellsouth.net or 504-512-0306

Thank you, Maria Alvarez, Stewardship For Strays

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

6. Vote For Louisiana CAAWS To Win $50,000 Donation

SOURCE: Forwarded By: Pam Leavy, tundraleap [at] msn.com

Original Message: Jolene Allbright, CAAWS president, jodakcaaws [at] yahoo.com

6/4/07, from CAAWS (Capital Area Animal Welfare Society) — CAAWS has been selected as one of the 10 non-profit finalists in the Burger King Campaign for Your Cause. Ten area non-profits are now in the run offs for as much as a $50,000 donation. CAAWS is so honored to have recieved this opportunity.

Won’t you please help by simply voting for us? You can vote every day and more than once per day. You can vote from different computers and email sign ons. All you have to do is visit www.CampaignForYourCause.com or text message CAAWS to 287437 (BURGER)

Voting Period begins today June 5 until July 13. Thank you for considering voting for us and please, please forward this email to everyone that would like to help the animals. Every vote counts!

***************************

6/5/07, from Pam Leavy, CAAWS Board Member, Baton Rouge, Louisiana — To those unfamiliar with CAAWS: We are an all-volunteer nonprofit organization. Those familiar with all-volunteer groups will understand the challenges we encounter. We receive funding from donations and fund raisers, 100% of which supports our animal efforts, no administrative expenses. Feel free to visit our website, www.caaws.org

In addition to the animal efforts in the Baton Rouge area, CAAWS supports legislation that affects our state and the nation, such as the anti-cockfighting bill and pet evacuation bill, and has assisted in Katrina animal relief efforts, continuing today to provide pet food funding for my food/water stations in 9th Ward New Orleans.

CAAWS has an opportunity to win $50,000, which would make a huge impact on our ability to help the animals in our community. However, we are racing very large organizations in the final 10, including hospitals, schools, and nationally recognized organizations.

Please help us by voting every day, and encourage others to do the same.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

7. Join Living With Animals TV & Support MuttShack Disaster Aid

SOURCE: Amanda St. John, amanda [at] muttshack.org

Join Living With Animals TV and Support MuttShack Disaster Response — We have a remarkable opportunity that we believe you will truly enjoy. Your love for animals will be thoroughly rewarded. You can become a major contributor to help save animals during a Natural Disaster simply by subscribing to Living With Animals TV, an online magazine.

Your subscription is a big help to MuttShack’s Disaster Response Activities!

SUBSCRIBE NOW: livingwithanimals.tv/ccbill/index.htm

ONLY: $39.99 for the year. Your subscription enables you to access all Living With Animals online video stories and features. A portion of your subscription benefits MuttShack Animal Disaster Response. Don’t miss out.

Living With Animals - livingwithanimals.tv/ - The world’s first on-line video magazine focusing on the relationship between people and animals.

With subscription access you can view all of these top stories:
* MuttShack Awards Knights of Katrina
* Refused Rescue
* No Vacancy for Pets
* Unsung Heroes
* The PETSBill
* Harley’s Story

See - Knights of Katrina Award Now! Amanda and Martin St. John present the “Knights of Katrina” award to Louisiana Senator Heulette, “Clo” Fontenot and Legislative Researcher Cathy Wells. Senator Fontenot introduced and fought for a pet evacuation bill in Louisiana that would ensure that animals are included in evacuations during a disaster. See it LIVE: livingwithanimals.tv/

Amanda St. John, Founder, MuttShack Animal Rescue
www.muttshack.org

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

8. STILL Need Way Out…Can You Adopt From Plaquemines?

SOURCE: Ramona Billot, ramonabillot [at] yahoo.com

ONGOING, from Ramona Billot, ramonabillot [at] yahoo.com — P.A.W.S., the only no-kill shelter in Plaquemines Parish, is COMPLETELY FULL. They seek OUT-OF-STATE, no-kill shelters that can take animals in. Depending upon location, P.A.W.S. can assist in transport to safe a place. As long as P.A.W.S. remains full, animals go to the pound, where they are killed.

Snowman, P.A.W.S., 504-392-1601; plaqueminescat [at] yahoo.com

View other DOGS for adoption: www.petfinder.com/shelters/LA25.html

Shellie, P.A.W.S., 504-392-1601; plaqueminescat [at] yahoo.com

View other CATS for adoption: www.petfinder.com/shelters/LA25.html

CONTACT P.A.W.S. TO HELP

P.A.W.S., Plaquemines Animal Welfare Society
504-392-1601; plaqueminescat [at] yahoo.com
9596 Highway 23 South; Belle Chasse, LA 70037

PAWS is a tax deductible 501(c)3
Donations should be sent to:
P.A.W.S. Relief Fund; P.O. Box 83; Belle Chasse, LA 70037

More information about P.A.W.S.
www.petfinder.com/shelters/LA25.html

Contact Ramona Billot To Volunteer For Animals In Plaquemines
Ramona Billot / Plaquemines Parish
102 A Omega; Belle Chase, LA 70037
504-606-3116, ramonabillot [at] yahoo.com

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

9. Prod St. John Officials to Build New Animal Facility

SOURCE: Jeff Dorson, Executive Director, Humane Society of Louisiana, stopcruelty11 [at] gmail.com

5/24/07, from stopcruelty11 [at] gmail.com — Apparently, the majority of St. John Parish council members have little or no interest in enlarging, improving, or rebuilding the decaying St. John Parish Animal Shelter, located in LaPlace, Louisiana. Even though the population of the parish continues to expand due to the changing demographics after Hurricane Katrina, the parish council refuses to vote to either expand or rebuild the local animal shelter. The vote to rebuild the animal shelter has been on the council agenda repeatedly over the past eighteen months, but action has always been deferred.

The shelter is overcrowded and lacks proper ventilation, heat, and even adequate protection from the elements. The original brick structure, which is presently used to house dogs, was built in the 1970s to house spare parts and equipment.

Please contact these parish officials and let them know that animal control services are vital to every community. Ask them to vote immediately to build a new animal shelter in Laplace, Louisiana.

Councilwoman Cheryl Millet, District 7, email: cherylmilletdistrict7 [at] yahoo.com
Councilman Ronnie Smith, District 6, email: Ssmiths [at] rtconline.com
Councilman Sean Roussel, District 5, email: rouseel [at] rtconline.com
Councilwoman Jaclyn Hotard, District 4, email: jhotard [at] bellsouth.net
Councilman Richard Wolfe, District 3, email: d.wolfe [at] sjbparish.com
Councilman Lester Rainey, District 1, email: Lraineyjr [at] aol.com
Councilman Steve Lee, At Large, email: s.lee [at] sjbparish.com
Councilman Cleveland Farlough, email: c.farlough [at] sjbparish.com
Councilman Allen St. Pierre, cell: 504-559-0293

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

10. Dogs Shot In Lincoln Parish

SOURCE: Rebecca Kaase, president, Humane Society Of Louisiana Lincoln Chapter, nlgsdrescue [at] yahoo.com

www.knoe.com

RUSTON (TV8) - In another part of Lincoln Parish animal control officers have arrested a man for animal cruelty. His case is one of two dog shootings in the parish. TV-8’s Shannon Peoples has that story.

This stray dog is recovering at a Lincoln Parish aninal hospital from buckshot wounds to the face. Hospital workers call him Old Yeller.

The Humane Society does not know who shot Old Yeller, or why. The Humane Society wants you to know that it is never ok to harm an animal if you do you will be prosecuted under the law. Rebecca Kaase says, “It is a thousand dollar fine possible six months in jail for animal cruelty.”

Lincoln Parish Humane Society President Rebecca Kaase says that penalty should serve as a deterrent to anyone who would harm an animal. She wants people people to know there are other ways to treat an unwanted animal, or one that’s a nuisance. She says, “You know hopefully it will teach a few people that it is against the law to treat animals this way there are other avenues. If you have a problem with your neighbors pet, talk to them. If you have to have a mediator call the sheriff’s office or somebody. But do not take it upon yourself to shoot an animals or kill and any animal because you fell it is a nuisance to you.”

Kaase says the shooting of Old Yeller is the second recent attack on a dog in Lincoln Parish. Eighty-three year old John Lee of Choudrant was arrested by an animal control officer on Sunday for shooting another dog. He’s charged with animal cruelty. Lee told the arresting officer he shot the dog because it was dangerous and aggressive. The dog survived, and has since been returned to its owners.

Old Yeller, meanwhile is recovering from his wounds, and looking for a place to call home. In Ruston, Shannon Peoples, TV-8 News.

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DOWNLOAD FREE, HIGH RESOLUTION FACT SHEETS:

DYING FOR A HOME (Pet Overpopulation Crisis + Dispelling Spay/Neuter Myths)

THE VIOLENCE LINK

Over 50 more Fact Sheets: www.kinshipcircle.org/fact_sheets/

Highest quality photos + facts for your advocacy materials

THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO DONATED…
BUT WE ARE FAR SHORT OF OUR $5,000 GOAL.
Please help Kinship Circle spread the word on essential animal cruelty/protection issues. We just don’t have the funding like big national groups…but that won’t “shut us up” when it comes to the animals. Your support is deeply appreciated.

DONATE NOW toward printing our educational literature for national distribution: www.kinshipcircle.org/donation/donations.html

********************************

SUBSCRIBE:
INDICATE WHICH OF 2 LISTS TO SUBSCRIBE YOU TO:

1. Kinship Circle Primary: subscribe [at] kinshipcircle.org
Action campaigns on animal cruelty issues worldwide
TELL US: SUBSCRIBE TO KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY

********************************

Kinship Circle Animal Disaster Relief Focus

1. GULF COAST: Once monthly e-newsletters witth news, needs, stories…related to hurricane-affected animals in the Gulf Coast.
Newsletters to continue as long as needed.

2. RELIEF GLOBAL: E-newsletters/alerts about animals in OTHER DISASTERS as they unfold, i.e., central Florida tornadoes, Northeast (USA) floods, animals in war zones, pet food recall, etc.

3. ACTION CAMPAIGNS: Sample-letter alerts about

* Animal Protection Legislation
* Companion Animal Issues

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
Date: Jun 10, 2007 4:26 PM
Subject: #2. GULF COAST: Still Homeless In Katrina’s Wake

KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER RELIEF - PERMISSION TO CROSSPOST

6/10/07: [GULF COAST] PART #2: Still Homeless In Katrina’s Wake
PAST NEWSLETTERS: www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/default.html

PART 1 WAS SENT IN SEPARATE EMAIL.

If you did not receive PART 1, request it: kinshipcircle [at] brick.net

PART 2 / GULF COAST NEWSLETTER:

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

11. Katrina Lifeline Setting Up Another Major Transport

SOURCE: Katrina Lifeline Programs, katrinalifelineprograms [at] CompanionAnimalNetworkTV.org

5/25/07, from katrinalifelineprograms [at] CompanionAnimalNetworkTV.org — All of the 35 puppies we brought up on April 2 were adopted at the state of the art facility of our rescue partner, North Shore Animal League America. Six different Louisiana parish animal control agencies, rescue groups, veterinarians, and independent rescuers contributed to the April transport. Congrats go to the animal control agencies of Terrebonne, St. Bernard, St. Johns, and Jefferson Davis parishes (and their volunteers who acted as liaison), as well as to Animal Rescue Foundation, two independent rescuers and two compassionate veterinary practices.

We are inviting all southern Louisiana parish animal control agencies (with the exception of Lafayette Parish’s animal control agency), rescue groups, and even independent rescuers to participate. The transportation costs are pre-paid by Katrina Lifeline’s major national rescue partner, North Shore Animal League America. All you need is to get a rabies shot for the puppy if has 2 or more adult teeth (approximately 12 weeks old) and a State of Louisiana health certificate for travel. Puppies up to 15 weeks are sought.

The medical protocols require that litters NOT be intermingled with other litters in order to prevent cross-contamination of parvo, distemper or upper respiratory diseases. We will need pictures of the puppies to be entered into the attached Word database as well as the other information requested. That’s all there is to getting southern pups a new life in and around the Big Apple!

AND DO NOT FORGET THAT WE HAVE A FREE HEARTWORM TREATMENT AND RABIES SHOT AND TRAVEL HEALTH CERTIFICATE PROGRAM FOR SOUTHERN LOUISIANA ALSO.

Thank you all for the wonderful work you are doing. We hope to continue to support the state of Louisiana, its humane organizations and its animals through these difficult times.

Garo Alexanian, Coordinator, Companion Animal Network
P.O. Box 750214; Forest Hills, NY 11375
718-544-PETS (7387)
www.CompanionAnimalNetworkTV.org

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12. Is A Food/Water Program Still Needed In New Orleans?

SOURCE: Lise McComiskey, lmccomiskey [at] SHERGARNER.com

NOTE FROM KINSHIP CIRCLE: Since original ARNO initiated its food/water program to cover 650 square miles in Orleans, St. Bernard and Plaquemines Parishes — controversy has surrounded the notion of sustaining stranded animals in minimally repopulated areas. As recently as February 2007 when Kinship Circle’s 5-person team fed in the Upper 9th Ward East/West and Plaquemines, we received a negative letter from the City of New Orleans… The original food/water program was Jane Garrison’s brainchild. She mapped the New Orleans area into sections and assigned feeders from her trailer at Lamar Dixon in Sept/Oct. 2005. Is an organized system of food/water stations STILL NEEDED nearly two years post-Katrina?

Read resident and longtime ARNO volunteer Lise McComiskey’s rationale below. Visit ARNO’s site - animalrescueneworleans.org/ - to read about their Feral K9 Enrichment Program. Both represent viable reasons to responsibly maintain food/water stations for animals in post-hurricane New Orleans.

5/30/07, from Lise McComiskey, lmccomiskey [at] SHERGARNER.com — Feral Dog Project.wmv
[KINSHIP CIRCLE cannot attach this file, due to its large size.]
Attached is slideshow of feral dog socialization project undertaken in New Orleans between March 14, 2007 and May 28, 2007. The slideshow depicts socialization-in-place, capture and rehabilitation of a feral dog pack, mother and her three pups when lack of resources delayed trapping efforts by animal control personnel. You can also follow the link to Animal Rescue New Orleans’ website to read more about the new Feral K9 Enrichment program which ARNO has recently started.
animalrescueneworleans.org/

Nearly two years after Katrina, my own experiences have indicated that many individuals are supportive of ARNO’s continued efforts to assist these animals, however, there are those who oppose continued “feeding” and/or care of animals that continue to live on the streets of New Orleans and the argument is that feeding only creates more litters.

The feral dog project video is important because it refutes the idea that feeding is counter-productive and in fact supports the idea that controlled feeding, coupled with socialization-in-place, actually helps to resolve one of the real reasons these dogs are so difficult to remove from the streets: feralization

This particular dog pack was already a pack when encountered and without the controlled feeding to keep them centrally located, along with the 65 hours logged to socialize this pack in place and actually reverse the feralization process which had already begun with the pups, this pack would have continued to avoid capture by doing what they do best, roam.

It is because of the controlled feeding of these dogs that three reasonably socialized juvenile dogs are currently safe, continuing the socialization process with amazing results and no longer breeders on the streets. For me, it also proves that no-kill is attainable if we are willing to let go of cookie-cutter solutions from the past that just don’t work…….all those empty buildings on so much vacant land can also be thought of as the cheapest Rehabilation Tents around for unsocialized dogs.

Feeding and supportive care of these animals until such time that they can be removed from the streets are not the causes of new pups and kittens, the estrous cycles of the animals which continue to roam remain beyond our control, the ability to prevent particular roaming behaviors are however attainable.

Please help Animal Rescue New Orleans with their continued efforts by donating money or your time or by sharing this information with others.

animalrescueneworleans.org/

Thank you, Lise McComiskey, ARNO Volunteer
Paralegal, Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert, LLC
909 Poydras Street, Suite 2800, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112
504-299-2236; lmccomiskey [at] shergarner.com

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13. New Orleans Sweeties Need Homes

SOURCE: animalrescueneworleans.org/

Josie
Pit Bull Terrier, Black Labrador Retriever Mix
search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=7650359
Size: Medium * Age: Adult * Gender: Female * ID: Josie
ARNO (Animal Rescue New Orleans), adoptfromarno [at] yahoo.com

Hank
Golden Retriever
search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=7046273
Size: Large * Age: Adult* Gender: Male * ID: HANK
ARNO (Animal Rescue New Orleans), adoptfromarno [at] yahoo.com

Dixie & Lucas
Domestic Short Hair Mix
search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=7592725
Size: Medium * Age: Baby * ID: Dixie & Lucas
ARNO (Animal Rescue New Orleans), adoptfromarno [at] yahoo.com

Foster/Adopt For Animal Rescue New Orleans

ARNO has an ongoing need for foster homes to provide animals a safe and loving environment until transport, reunion and adoption arrangements can be made. Help us continue saving animals from the streets of New Orleans and many surrounding parishes. Your support enables ARNO to trap and rescue more animals from animal control facilities and kill shelters. The surrounding parishes have experienced a drastic increase in Katrina owner surrenders, as many people cannot find new places to live that allow pets.

SEE REST OF ARNO SWEETIES-IN-NEED:
www.1-800-save-a-pet.com/shelter71665-pets.html
search.petfinder.com/shelterSearch/shelterSearch.cgi?shelterid=LA181

TO FOSTER/SHELTER ANIMALS, CONTACT:

GREATER NEW ORLEANS AREA
* ARNO FOSTER INFORMATION & APPLICATION:
animalrescueneworleans.org/fosterinfo.html
* ARNO ADOPTIONS
animalrescueneworleans.org/adoptions.html
* ARNO (Animal Rescue New Orleans)
504-571-1900 / Adoptions email: adoptfromarno [at] yahoo.com

WEST BANK/BELLE CHASSE AREA
* CONTACT RAMONA BILLOT: ramonabillot [at] yahoo.com

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14. Homeless Pet Crisis Persists In Katrina’s Wake

Advocates struggle to deal with animals whose owners can no longer care for them, and with the offspring of cats and dogs lost in the hurricane I By Ann M. Simmons, Times Staff Writer, ann.simmons [at] latimes.com

SOURCE: click here

Laura Horrigan, a volunteer at Animal Rescue New Orleans, visits Hank, whose owners gave him up 10 months after Hurricane Katrina. (Lori Waselchuk / For The Times)

5/29/07, NEW ORLEANS — Hank, a strapping purebred golden retriever, is typical of the second wave of pet problems here in the 21 months since Hurricane Katrina hit.

The first crisis was those lost, abandoned or killed in the storm and its immediate aftermath. Now there are pets like Hank, who stayed with his New Orleans East owners for the first 10 months after Katrina, which submerged their home in 7 feet of water.

After moving several times and struggling to rebuild their lives, Hank’s owners realized they could no longer cope with owning a dog. So they surrendered Hank to Animal Rescue New Orleans, or ARNO, a grass-roots group that cares for animals that were left behind or separated from their owners.

The dog bounded with joy as ARNO shelter coordinator Robin Beaulieu entered his pen one recent afternoon. Hank flipped onto his back for a tummy rub. “He loves to be petted and groomed,” Beaulieu said.The dog has lived at ARNO for the last eight months while he waits to find a new home.

Animal advocates say many pet owners living in trailers and tight on cash while they rebuild their flood-damaged homes opt to give up their animals because they don’t have space or can no longer afford to keep them. “So many people out there need help with their pets,” said Charlotte Bass Lilly, ARNO’s executive director. Beaulieu estimated that the number of families surrendering their pets to shelters had gone up between 45% and 60% since Katrina. ARNO was founded shortly after the storm.

Laura K. Maloney, executive director of the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said that although some of the animals being put up for adoption by her agency these days could be the offspring of animals separated from their families since the storm, most were pets that had been relinquished by their owners.

According to LA/SPCA statistics, about 259,400 families owned pets in Orleans Parish before the storm. As many as 104,000 were left behind after Katrina; about 15,000 were officially rescued. An estimated 3,000 have been reunited with their families, and at least 88,700 pets remain unaccounted for, Maloney said. Thousands of the pets unaccounted for are believed to have died, she added.

ARNO and other animal advocacy groups believe many of the strays that remain on the streets are “Katrina pets” and their fourth- or fifth-generation offspring. And most have not been spayed or neutered.

Bass Lilly said that unscientific counts by ARNO volunteers who manage the group’s 3,000 feeding stations throughout Orleans, Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes indicate that there could be as many as 40,000 cats and 5,000 dogs on the streets. “There are still dogs out there with collars,” Bass Lilly said. She added that although the presence of stray or abandoned animals was not unique to New Orleans, “what makes it different is that these animals are homeless, with no food, water and no garbage to forage. They’re basically in a stress situation.”

University of Pennsylvania researchers surveyed six areas of Orleans and St. Bernard parishes on behalf of the LA/SPCA six months after the storm and found that “relatively few” homeless animals remained. Maloney said that feeding stations were not “in the best interest” of stray animals and made it more challenging to capture them. “We are taking animals that are left there, and we are sustaining them,” she added. “That really doesn’t solve our problem. We are helping create more homeless kittens and puppies, and we need to stop.”

ARNO’s food sites cover a 685-square-mile radius, Beaulieu said. Volunteer trappers try to capture the animals for sterilization. Feral cats are trapped, neutered and released.

Bass Lilly said that over the last nine months, her group had found new homes for an average of 200 animals a month. And since Katrina, the volunteers had helped reunite between 50 and 70 pets with their original owners, Bass Lilly said.

Reunifications are still crucial almost two years after the storm, animal advocates contend. “Every day, animals show up,” said Laura Bergerol, a volunteer with a grass-roots online group called the Katrina Animal Reunion Team. The animals are featured in newspaper ads, on sites advertising missing pets, and even on the classified site Craig’s List, said Bergerol, who is based in Palo Alto.

There are about 200 animals living at ARNO’s shelter, housed in a warehouse in Jefferson Parish. Bass Lilly said the group had a “no kill” policy. ARNO survives on donations from volunteers, private sources and other nonprofit groups.

One day last week, a cacophony of barks blended with the occasional purr as Beaulieu showed volunteer Ray Forrester how to trap five kittens that he had recently spotted in his Kenner neighborhood. “You line the cage with newspaper and put food on it,” Beaulieu said. “The best thing to use is sardines. And Popeyes fried chicken works wonders.”

Cats are typically trapped in cages, dogs often with a noose. It can take several months to win an animal’s confidence so that it is willingly captured.

With the population of New Orleans down to half its size, and thousands of people across Louisiana living in cramped trailers, there are fewer local takers for Katrina pets. So the group is working with partners nationwide to find new homes for the animals. “Katrina animal celebrity is a way to make people feel they are directly helping with Katrina,” Beaulieu said.

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15. Animal Rescue After Katrina

SOURCE: Brenda Shoss, info [at] kinshipcircle.org * Kathy Sweeney, kathybsweeney [at] yahoo.com * Ramona Billot, ramonabillot [at] yahoo.com * Traci Kestler, tbkestler [at] cox.net * Jeanette Althans, jalthans [at] chnola.org

Kinship Circle, a nonprofit organization, can accept donations on behalf of key NOLA volunteers devoted to animal recovery. These NOLA residents conduct and incur costs for trap/neuter/release (TNR), medical, adopt/transport, rescue and care. Even as we approach the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the crisis isn’t over for animals.

PLEASE SEND DONATIONS, either:
1.) Directly to NOLA volunteers (below)
OR
2.) To Kinship Circle to forward to NOLA volunteers

1.) DONATE MONEY/SUPPLIES TO NOLA VOLUNTEERS

Traci Kestler / ARNO & independents
P.O. Box 55284; Metairie, LA 70055-5284
504-975-5971, tbkestler [at] cox.net
ONLINE: www.ARFL.petfinder.com

Jeanette Althans / Lakeview
333 Vinet Avenue; Jefferson, LA 70121
504-734-7771, jalthans [at] chnola.org

Ramona Billot / Plaquemines Parish/Belle Chasse
102 A Omega; Belle Chase, LA 70037
504-606-3116, ramonabillot [at] yahoo.com

2.) DONATE MONEY (no gift cards) TO KINSHIP CIRCLE, NONPROFIT ORG.

ONLINE DONATIONS:
www.kinshipcircle.org/donation/

**IF DONATING ONLINE AT KINSHIP CIRCLE WEBSITE:
Please also send an email to kinshipcircle [at] brick.net confirming your donation is specifically for A.R.K.
(Animal Rescue After Katrina)

BY MAIL:
Send check made out to Kinship Circle to:
Kinship Circle
A.R.K. Effort (Animal Rescue After Katrina)
7380 Kingsbury Blvd.; Saint Louis, MO 63130
memo: (A.R.K)

Kinship Circle, nonprofit, registered in the state of Missouri
Charter number: N00071626 * Certification number: 7789294
[Federal] Employee Identification Number (EIN): 20-5869532

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16. Lakeview Cats Roaming

SOURCE: www.lakeivewcats.org/

Welcome to Lakeview Cats Roaming! This website was created for the cats that are still roaming in Lakeview since Hurricane Katrina. Kathy Sweeney and Jeanette Althans coordinate the feeding, trapping, and reunion efforts. The Remote Reunion Campaign, ARNO, Kinship Circle and others provide assistance with various items. Please visit our Other Links page for more information: www.lakeivewcats.org/favorite.htm

Foster and Forever Homes Needed! Many kittens and former pets must be returned to the street if foster or forever homes are not available.

Lakeview Residents Needed to Assist. We’d like to transition some food/water stations to Lakeview residents. Please contact us if you are able to help.

CONTACT LAKEVIEW CATS ROAMING IF…

* You recognize your cat, a friend or neighbor’s cat, or if you would like to foster or adopt a cat.
* You can help by taking care of a feeding station in your neighborhood, or at your house. To ensure the cats are fed on a regular basis, we ask that residents assist with feeding.
* Kathy Sweeney - kathybsweeney [at] yahoo.com
* Jeanette Althans - jalthans [at] cox.net

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17. Adopters Return 2 Katrina Pooches To Owners

Dogs were left at shelter; family sued for custody after pets’ rescue
5/22, 2007 - The Associated Press

SOURCE: Forwarded By: Marnie Reeder, starbright60 [at] webtv.net

[Click here to read online]

TAMPA, Fla. — A custody dispute over two dogs lost in Hurricane Katrina ended Tuesday when the Florida women who adopted them after the storm agreed to give them back.

“This is what we wanted from the beginning, our dogs being back home,” Doreen Couture said at an emotional news conference. She, her husband, Steve, and their two children lived in St. Bernard Parish, La., when they lost almost everything they had in the storm in 2005. They had dropped their dogs off at a temporary shelter before fleeing.

In the chaos that followed, the animals — a St. Bernard and a shepherd mix — ended up at a shelter in Pinellas County, Fla. They were adopted into two different homes. The Coutures eventually learned where the dogs were and sued last year to have them returned. The new owners claimed they adopted the dogs in good faith and vowed to fight. A trial date had been set for this July.

Going home

On Tuesday, Pam Bondi, a local prosecutor who adopted the St. Bernard, said she decided to give him back after getting to know the Coutures and visiting them in Louisiana. Bondi said Rhonda Rineker, the Dunedin woman who adopted the shepherd mix, also agreed to return her dog to the Coutures. Rineker has not commented publicly on the dispute.

A tearful Bondi said she would be able to visit the dog she called Noah and the Coutures call Master Tank. “Thanks to these good people, I will be a big part of his life. … I promised to love and protect him and keep him safe his entire life, and that’s what I plan on doing,” Bondi said. She had said she spent thousands of dollars for the dog’s health problems that predated the storm, while the Coutures denied that his health had been neglected. Steve Couture said the family, now living in St. Tammany Parish, planned to pick up the dogs later Tuesday and then head back to Louisiana.

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18. HSL Lemonade Stand Aids Ailing Katrina Dogs

SOURCE: Jeff Dorson, Executive Director, Humane Society of Louisiana, stopcruelty11 [at] gmail.com

5/22/07, from Jeff Dorson, stopcruelty11 [at] gmail.com — I am pleased to announce that we reached our goal of raising $1,000 in 3 1/2 hours. We are still accepting modest donations of $5.00 and $10 from everyone on this list, so that we can be ready for the next medical emergency. Many of the elderly pets that were rescued during Katrina are now experiencing medical problems and are in need of on-going care. If you are not in a position to help, please forward to this message to potential new supporters.

Sincerely, Jeff Dorson, Executive Director

From the Times Picayune - Lemonade Stand Aids Animals

In an unusual fundraising venture, the Humane Society of Louisiana raised $1,000 Saturday to cover medical expenses of a pair of dogs ailing since Hurricane Katrina. Volunteers sold lemonade for $1 a cup and “gratitude stones” for $10 each outside the Belladonna Day Spa on Magazine Street, raising about $650 between noon and 3 p.m., according to group spokesman Jeff Dorson. He said people interested in the drive had committed to providing donations needed to reach the goal of $1,000 to ensure medical help for the dogs.

One of the dogs, Princess, an 11-year-old chow, was abandoned at her home after law enforcement officers prevented her owners from retrieving her after Katrina hit. Volunteers from the Humane Society of Louisiana later rescued the dog and, after it was temporarily cared for in Kentucky, it was returned to her owner. Princess has suffered from severe eye infections that left the dog blind. One eye has already been removed and a second eye needs to be removed, but the family doesn’t have money needed for the second operation, estimated at $600, according to the animal advocacy group.

Another survivor of the storm, a mix-breed named Missy, was abandoned by her owners after the storm destroyed their junk yard, and the Humane Society of Louisiana is defraying expenses for an elderly neighbor that is caring for the dog. Missy, about six years old, has been diagnosed with advanced heartworm disease and ongoing treatment is expected to cost $400.

Dorson said his organization has spent $500,000 on veterinarian care for animals since the storm and, because of the enthusiastic response Saturday, expects to repeat use of the lemonade-stand idea. “It seems to work when people identify exactly where their money goes,” he said. “The feedback we get is people want to invest in the welfare of these two dogs.”

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19. The Woman Behind The Mandatory Spay/Neuter Bill

SOURCE: www.ocregister.com/ocregister/life/pets/newsfeatures/article_1694464.php

UPDATE: Healthy Pets Act Passes State Assembly

By Jason Kobely, Internet News Producer

LINK: www.news10.net/display_story.aspx?storyid=28787

By the slimmest of margins, a controversial bill that would require California dog and cat owners to spay or neuter their animals passed the state Assembly Wednesday [6/6/07].

The California Healthy Pets Act, which would mandate spaying and neutering for pets within four months of their birth, passed by a 41-38 majority in the State Assembly late Wednesday evening.

AB 1634, authored by Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, D-Van Nuys, needed 41 votes to pass. The bill now goes to the State Senate for consideration.

REST OF STORY: www.news10.net/display_story.aspx?storyid=28787

Animal activist Judie Mancuso spearheaded the bill to require Californians to spay and neuter their cats and dogs.
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

The woman behind the bill AB1634
[is one of original-ARNO’s founding coordinators, Judie Mancuso]
www.ocregister.com/ocregister/life/pets/newsfeatures/article_1694464.php

Judie Mancuso says 320 groups support the California Healthy Pets Act, but breeder associations are fighting it hard.

By LORI BASHEDA/ The Orange County Register

So how does a pork chop-eating, nightclub-dancing Sicilian from St. Louis become a vegan animal rescuer who is now the driving force behind an impassioned campaign to curb pet overpopulation in California?

Well, movie star Pierce Brosnan’s wife had no small hand in the matter. Then there was the ordeal at Rancho Lotsa Cats. In the end, though, it was the Katrina catastrophe that opened the door for Judie Mancuso to spearhead the bill which would require Californians to spay and neuter their pets if it passes this fall.

But perhaps we should take things a bit slower. Let’s begin in 1988. Fresh from St. Louis, Mancuso was sharing an apartment with a roommate on Hollywood Boulevard. Like many 25-year-olds, her life revolved around her computer job and her social life. She went dancing with girlfriends, hit the band bars and ate various forms of chicken without a second thought.

But as fate would have it, her upstairs neighbor was the tomato-planting, earth-protecting Keely Shaye Smith. Smith was a personality on ABC’s morning Home Show, producing a weekly segment dedicated to things like the health of the planet.

One day Smith (a Newport Beach native still four years away from meeting future husband Pierce Brosnan) showed Mancuso a segment she had produced on animal shelters. Viewers got to take that long walk with dogs and cats from their cages to the euthanasia table.

“Kittens. Puppies. And they end up just killin’ ‘em, ya know?” Mancuso said the other day over a slice of tofu cheesecake at the vegan diner Native Foods in Costa Mesa.

Animal activist Judie Mancuso
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

She remembers crying for hours. “And then the head just starts spinning. That whole ignorance is bliss thing; that never fit into my way of thinking. Once I have the information, I need to do something with it.”

About the same time, Smith had given Mancuso “Diet for a New America,” a vegan classic that details the often brutal life and death of farm animals. “I was eating meat; meatballs, the whole deal,” Mancuso says. “I’m Sicilian. Hey, man. That’s all I knew.”

Between the dead puppies and the dirty chickens, Mancuso felt compelled to change the way she was living. She quit eating animals and began volunteering at Earth Save.

In 1995 Mancuso moved to Laguna Beach. She took a seat on the board of Animal Rescue Foundation, Dana Point, and began fostering a revolving door of pets, nursing them to health and finding them homes.

She also began sending money to Rancho Lotsa Cats. Then one day in 2003 she got a call from San Diego Animal Control; 135 filthy, wheezing cats were found at the sanctuary. Officers found Mancuso’s phone number on an old check. The cats were going to be euthanized, they told her, unless someone found them homes.

For three months, Mancuso rallied volunteers and raised money. “We got every one of those cats out of there, and they moved on to better lives.” The ordeal led her and her husband, Rolf Wicklund, to have a heart-to-heart. “What is success?” they asked. “Is it about making a lot of money or is it doing something meaningful?”

Wicklund, 39, has a software development company. The couple had already decided they would not have children so they could devote their life to animals. Now they decided that Mancuso, who had just turned 40, would quit her job and become a full-time volunteer.

This did not go over well with the family back in the Midwest. Mancuso grew up middle class. Dad was a truck driver, mom a housewife. It was bad enough when Mancuso returned home one day and rejected her mom’s spedini, an Italian treat of rolled meat on a stick.

“For me not to want spedinis – holy mackerel!” Mancuso says. Her family blamed it on the bad influence of those fruit-loop Californians. But turning your back on a meatball is one thing; turning your back on financial security is another.

“You should get paid for this!” her mom said.

“By who?” Mancuso asked. “What? Are the dogs and kitties gonna get a jar together?”

Her timing couldn’t have been better. Shortly after quitting work, Katrina hit. Jane Garrison, a fellow rescuer from Redondo Beach, called Mancuso, crying. She was in New Orleans; dogs were tethered to fences, floating in cages. Mancuso was on the next plane. A week later she returned to Laguna and wrote a computer program for Animal Rescue New Orleans, working 12-hour days for the next six months to reunite pets with their owners.

As the rescue effort wound down, Los Angeles Animal Services General Manager Ed Boks held a press conference, encouraging the public to adopt shelter animals to make room for Katrina pets.

Mancuso knew Boks had a “no-kill” philosophy. The only way to reduce euthanasia is to reduce the pet population. Here was her chance. She showed up at the press conference, introduced herself to Boks and asked if he would do a spay-and-neuter bill with her.

Over the next year, the two birthed the California Healthy Pets Act. The bill is making its way through the Legislature. It would require residents to spay and neuter their cats and dogs by the time the animals are four months old. The list of supporters is 320 long and includes rescue groups, the California Veterinary Medical Association and the California Animal Control Directors Association.

But breeder associations are fighting hard. The bill would require people who want to breed dogs to get a permit — every year. Breeders consider it a tax and are pouring millions of dollars into the fight. The American Kennel Club Web site rallies opponents.

To raise money for the battle, Mancuso last summer started the nonprofit Social Compassion, which is based in Laguna.

Bill supporters say they’re not out to hurt breeders, just curb euthanasia and fiscal waste. In 2005, city and county shelters took in more than 840,000 cats and dogs. Some 430,000 were killed. The cost to taxpayers: $250 million.

“Judie is the campaign chairman for an initiative that could change animal welfare … in California,” Boks says. “She’s a force of nature. She’s a consensus builder. She brings people to the table.”

Just don’t expect her to serve you a pork chop.

Contact the writer:
714-932-1705 or lbasheda [at] ocregister.com

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

HURRICANE DIRECTORY: Missing/Found Animals, Rescue & Reunion

* Nola.com: www.nola.com/forums/animals/
* CraigsList: neworleans.craigslist.org/pet/
* Katrina’s Lost Pets: www.lostkatrinapets.com/
* Petfinder’s Animal Emergency Response Network: disaster.petfinder.com/emergency/home.html
* FOUND Katrina/Rita Animals, Still Missing Their People: tinyurl.com/ht9c2
* Pet Harbor: www.petharbor.com/
* CommunityWalk Maps: Cats/Dogs Sighted in NOLA: www.zzcat.com/katrina/ARNO_maps/roaming_pets.htm
* Animal Sightings — Missing, Found: www.communitywalk.com/map/12088
* Lost Katrina Pet Photos: www.flickr.com/photos/yepitsme770/sets/72157594146243742/
* Remote Reunion Campaign: www.arches.uga.edu/~rrhudy/bfrr/
* Lost Pets Reported by Residents of New Orleans’ Ninth Ward: www.angelfire.com/planet/petrecover/
* Pets Missing From St. Bernard Parish in New Orleans: loststbernardpets.org/
* Help to Locate Your Lost Pet / St. Bernard Parish Shelter: www.sbpanimal.homestead.com/katrina.html
* Camp Lucky Rescues: www.flickr.com/photos/yepitsme770/sets/72057594131487111/
* Hurricane Pets Lost From Mississippi: mississippilostpets.blogspot.com/
* Pomeranians Lost/Found in Aftermath of Katrina: katrinapoms.4t.com
* The Lost Pets Of Katrina: www.wroberts.org/PF/LOST/
* Lost and Found.com: pets.lostandfound.com/
* Stealth Volunteers: www.illyria.com/shelter/foundpetlist.htm
* No Animal Left Behind: noanimalleftbehind.blogspot.com/

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IAMS DOUBLESPEAK: Experiments On Cats & Dogs

BORN IN A PUPPY MILL

Over 50 more Fact Sheets: www.kinshipcircle.org/fact_sheets/

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THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO DONATED…
BUT WE ARE FAR SHORT OF OUR $5,000 GOAL.

Please help Kinship Circle spread the word on essential animal cruelty/protection issues. We just don’t have the funding like big national groups…but that won’t “shut us up” when it comes to the animals. Your support is deeply appreciated.

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********************************

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Action campaigns on animal cruelty issues worldwide
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********************************

Kinship Circle Animal Disaster Relief Focus

1. GULF COAST: Once monthly e-newsletters witth news, needs, stories…related to hurricane-affected animals in the Gulf Coast.
Newsletters to continue as long as needed.

2. RELIEF GLOBAL: E-newsletters/alerts about animals in OTHER DISASTERS as they unfold, i.e., central Florida tornadoes, Northeast (USA) floods, animals in war zones, pet food recall, etc.

3. ACTION CAMPAIGNS: Sample-letter alerts about

* Animal Protection Legislation
* Companion Animal Issues

—– Original Message —–
From: Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
Date: Jun 4, 2007 8:40 PM
Subject: [RELIEF GLOBAL] No Ceasefire For Animals In Middle East

KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER RELIEF - PERMISSION TO CROSSPOST

6/4/07: [RELIEF GLOBAL] No Ceasefire For Animals (And Rescuers) In Lebanon
PAST NEWSLETTERS: www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/default.html

IN THIS ALERT:

1. Clashes Disrupt BETA; Bomb Explodes By Cat Shelter
2. Ceasefire Hopes Vanish As Fighting Rages In Lebanon
3. Kinship Circle’s Interview With BETA
4. Surviving Against All Odds

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

1. Clashes In Lebanon Disrupt BETA; Bomb explodes by cat shelter in Ashrafieh area

SOURCE: BETA Team - listmaster [at] betabeirut.com

6/4/07, from BETA Team, listmaster [at] betabeirut.com — We really wished we had some good news this time, but as you may have heard there are, again, more clashes in Lebanon. It seems that we are not entitled to have any time with some kind of peace, there always has to be something dangerous happening and in the end it is the innocents and the animals that suffer the most.

More than a week has already passed now with, at the beginning, severe clashes between the Lebanese army and some armed groups in northern Lebanon. Immediately following those deadly conflicts, car bombs and hand grenades went off in Beirut and its suburbs, and the first bomb exploded very close to one of the cat shelters in Ashrafieh area. Fortunately, the glass and walls remained intact at the shelter.

There were a couple of days of peace in the north, but sadly severe clashes restarted two days ago. There are threats of more explosions in and around Beirut. There is a daily fear amongst the population that another massive/civil war breaks out anytime. Movement around Beirut is restricted and it has become difficult to circulate “freely,” especially at night - it really feels that nowhere is safe anymore.

The horror of the July 2006 war would be nothing compared to a civil war. We have tasted its bitterness before; it is everywhere and gets to everyone…

This is a kitten rescued by a CNBC reporter from one of the mostly bombed Palestinian camps in the north of Lebanon. The reporter was kind enough to pick up the dirty, starving kitten. A few days later, she found the sibling of the kitten and brought her to us.

Photos courtesy of BETA

Both kittens are now boarding at one of the BETA members home, getting lots of food, affection, warmth and care and of course playing with lots of toys.

Imagine what would have been the fate of these two kittens if that compassionate reporter didn’t come to their rescue. They were under the bombing, freaking out, starving and not knowing what those terrible sounds were or why and where they were coming from. Now they’re safe, waiting for someone to adopt them. These two kittens were the lucky ones, do not forget that there is a lot of animals there - domestic, farm and pet shops - at the moment we are unable to reach them. We hope for the war to end so we can go to their rescue. We hope for the suffering to stop for both innocent people and animals.

DONATE TO BEIRUT FOR THE ETHICAL TREATMENT OF ANIMALS

Frustratingly, due to this tense situation, our local fundraising activities are on hold. This was our main source of income to feed and treat animals, maintain shelters, cover monthly expenses…

BETA would appreciate any contribution towards the safety and wellbeing of animals of Lebanon during this difficult period. It may seem as insignificant to you, but no matter how small, any donation will surely look huge in their eyes!

Thanks for donating at:
beta.beirut.com/donate.php

If interested in adopting some of the war rescued animals:
beta.beirut.com/Adoption.php

CATS | SEEKING ADOPTION
beta.beirut.com/display_animals.php?CID=9&stat=1

DOGS | SEEKING ADOPTION
animals.beirut.com/display_animals.php?CID=4&stat=1

To volunteer:
animals.beirut.com/howcanihelp.php

Beirut for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (BETA) is a Lebanese Registered Charitable Organization (Charity # 205/AD). Through education and direct action, BETA rescues and rehomes stray and abused animals, while combating abusive pet shops and illegal trade in wildlife. We exist solely on the kindness of your adoptions, donations and assistance.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

2. Ceasefire Hopes Vanish As Fighting Rages In Lebanon

SOURCE: www.cbc.ca/world/story/2007/06/02/lebanon-camp.html

June 2, 2007 | CBC News — The Lebanese army increased the pressure Saturday on al-Qaeda-linked militants barricaded in a Palestinian refugee camp near Tripoli. Military helicopters joined dozens of army tanks and armoured vehicles pounding the Nahr el-Bared camp.

“The Lebanese army was shelling at a very steady rate. We could hear machine-gun fire and see a number of explosions over the horizon,” the CBC’s Nahlah Ayed reported from outside the camp.

The onslaught forced Fatah Islam fighters to abandon some of their positions.

Local reports said both sides had been considering calling a humanitarian ceasefire to allow civilians a chance to escape the fighting. Instead, the fighting continued. “At the time the ceasefire was supposed to begin, the fighting was as intense as it has been this past couple of days,” Ayed said.

The government has vowed to crush the militants, although an all-out assault on the camp would risk sparking violence elsewhere in the country. “Some people talking from inside the camp to outside media say that the camp has largely been destroyed,” Ayed reported. “We’ve also heard that there have been casualties on both sides, and likely among civilians.”

Three more soldiers died in fighting on Saturday, bringing the army’s death toll to five with 15 others wounded.

Lebanese soldiers take new positions: reports

On Friday, dozens of Lebanese army tanks and soldiers began pounding the camp. Eighteen people had been killed by the evening. At least 50 armoured carriers and tanks massed at the northern edge of the camp and encircled it, in an attempt to trap the militants. There were also unconfirmed reports that Lebanese soldiers had taken over control of new positions on the edge of the camp to snipe at members of Fatah Islam.

Thousands of Palestinians have fled the camp, but thousands more remain inside. Fatah Islam claims to have more than 500 fighters in the camp, armed with automatic weapons, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades. Sporadic gunfire exchanges have continued daily since a truce halted three days of heavy fighting at the beginning of the siege.

Across Lebanon, about 400,000 Palestinian refugees live in refugee camps, many of which are rife with armed groups.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

3. Kinship Circle’s Interview With BETA

SOURCE: Brenda Shoss, Kinship Circle, info [at] kinshipcircle.org; Helena Hesayne, BETA, helena [at] integral.com.lb

Brenda Shoss of Kinship Circle recently interviewed BETA’s Helena Hesayne — a Beirut born architect who volunteers nearly full-time for animals — for an upcoming Kinship Circle column about animals caught in war zones.

EXCERPTS FROM BETA INTERVIEW

Brenda: What is BETA’s primary mission in Beirut?

Helena: To help the animals, because there is nobody else who will do it. We are the only animal association in Lebanon — just 9 volunteers, trying to do the work of a giant! BETA is no-kill and on-call 24 hours to help dogs, cats, all animals. We rescued a bird last week, a turtle just before the war. We hope to facilitate more adoptions abroad, so we can save more animals in the streets.

Brenda: How does warfare accelerate problems for animals?

Helena: ABANDONMENT. [People fleeing] don’t think of animals as family members. They think of them as possessions, like cars. During the [July 2006 Israeli-Hezbollah war], thousands of animals were left behind. Abandoned animals and strays bred in the streets… BETA is trying to secure a spay/neuter program. But while possible to release altered cats back into the streets, municipalities don’t want loose dogs — even if spayed/neutered.

Brenda: Describe what happened to BETA’s shelter when it was bombed.

Helena: The war began July 13, 2006. On July 18, two bombs fell just two meters away from BETA’s old shelter at the border of the Hezbollah camp and green line. Shrapnel from the missiles landed inside one of the dog’s cages and lodged between two bars. No animals or people were hurt, but our staff house sustained cracks and part of the ceiling fell off.

One of our dogs, a golden retriever, flipped out after the bombing. He’d been a gentle dog under my care. The day after the bombing, he jumped on me and bit my arm. He is still the sweetest dog, but since the bombing he may randomly attack or bite.

The other dogs are paranoid of planes. Each time they hear one fly overhead, they think it means bombs will fall. Even if they hear commercial planes, they turn and run or bark like nuts.

Brenda: Where is BETA’s shelter now?

Helena: We’ve been in a abandoned pig farm since one day after the bombing. We installed higher walls, steel doors, plumbing, everything… We moved about 150 dogs in two days, driving back and forth between the ruined shelter and temporary shelter. We only traveled from noon to 4:00 p.m. when the bombing was lightest. This dog shelter is in Beirut’s upper suburbs, close to the mountains in a pine forest, away from downtown Beirut. Currently, we have two separate cat shelters on each side of the old green line. During war, the shelters are isolated from one another. To get from one to the other is hell because there are burning tires and it is forbidden to drive. Last February, Margot, our cat person, had to transfer bags of food and litter in her arms for two hours (it takes 10 minutes by car).

We are trying to consolidate all our dogs and cats into a new shelter secluded from war zones.

Brenda: Does war breed an ongoing culture of violence?

Helena: With so many [animals] abandoned during war, we can’t possibly reach them all. People go nuts [in an already volatile war setting] and start shooting animals right and left.

Some in the extreme faction of the Muslim religion believe dogs pollute their souls. If a dog comes close to them, touches them, they cannot pray until they wash themselves seven times…

During the height of the Hezbollah-Israeli conflict, we saw many dogs with bullet wounds. They shoot them. They poison them. But this type abuse is ongoing. Many of our rescues are abused, especially by children. They just like to kill puppies…Take a puppy and bang his/her head against the sidewalk. Or tie the dog with electrical wire.

Or a guy on a motorcycle drives past a garage where there is a dog. The dog barks at him. So he takes out a gun and shoots the dog. Nobody can say or do anything… One of BETA’s staff members at home asleep awakens to dog barks. Suddenly he hears three gunshots and the dog is silent. They just shoot the dog. We deal with this everyday, war or no war.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

4. Surviving Against All Odds

SOURCE: helena [at] integral.com.lb

Bullet, a Canadian white shepherd shot through his left eye, SURVIVES

Photos courtesy of BETA

Named Bullet for surviving his hideous wound, this dog was shot as he played in a garden. In March 2007, a woman phoned BETA about an injured dog in her garden. She heard gunfire and ran outside believing her own dog had been shot. Instead, she found Bullet — bloody and limp near her unscathed dog.

“I drove like a maniac to get this dog,” recalls BETA’s Helena Hesayne. “Although he’s a white dog, he was completely red with blood when I first saw him. I thought he was dead. I carried him to my car and drove him straight to our vet.”

“He was lucky. The bone of his eye deflected the bullet and it exited behind his ear. It did not penetrate his brain. We removed his eye and the bullet fragments. I kept Bullet at my place for a month and half. Now he is healthy and safe at BETA’s shelter. I want to find him a home in the U.S. because with a missing eye, he’ll never get adopted here. He’s very sweet and nice.”

Nougat, a Labrador-Husky mix hit by a car and left for four days, SURVIVES

Photos courtesy of BETA

Four days passed before anyone called BETA. Her former caretakers knew she’d been hit, but did care. Once we found her, our vet operated on Nougat until 1:00 a.m. Her entire jaw was shattered and maggots covered her mouth and head — but he saved her. Now called Bella Nougat, this lucky dog lives with Suzanne in Rhode Island. She flew to the states in April…

Sugar and Spice, casualties of war, SURVIVE

Photos courtesy of BETA

These two girls were found alone and afraid at three months of age. They’ve thrived at BETA’s shelter and are now very playful.

DONATE TO BETA:
beta.beirut.com/donate.php

If interested in adopting some of the war rescued animals:
beta.beirut.com/Adoption.php

CATS | SEEKING ADOPTION
beta.beirut.com/display_animals.php?CID=9&stat=1

DOGS | SEEKING ADOPTION
animals.beirut.com/display_animals.php?CID=4&stat=1

*******************************

Action Campaigns I Literature I Voice For Animals
Nonprofit working in animal protection/cruelty + animal disaster relief campaigns
info [at] kinshipcircle.org or kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
www.KinshipCircle.org * www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/default.html

KINSHIP CIRCLE is a nonprofit organization. Donations help us meet expenses for the literature, website, research and campaigns — that let YOU take action for animals. Please keep Kinship Circle in mind when you donate.

DONATE: www.kinshipcircle.org/donation/donations.html

*******************************

SUBSCRIBE:
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1. KINSHIP CIRCLE Primary: Action campaigns for animal cruelty issues, worldwide
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Kinship Circle Primary: subscribe [at] kinshipcircle.org
TELL US: SUBSCRIBE TO KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY

Kinship Circle Animal Disaster Relief: kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
TELL US: SUBSCRIBE TO KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER RELIEF
IF YOU ARE A RESIDENT OF LOUISIANA OR MISSISSIPPI

*******************************

Kinship Circle Animal Disaster Relief Focus

1. GULF COAST: Once monthly e-newsletters with news, needs, stories…related to hurricane-affected animals in the Gulf Coast.
Newsletters to continue as long as needed.

2. RELIEF GLOBAL: E-newsletters/alerts about animals in OTHER DISASTERS as they unfold, i.e., Florida tornadoes, Northeast (USA) floods, Kansas tornadoes, animals in war zone, pet food recall, etc.

3. ACTION CAMPAIGNS: Sample-letter alerts about

* Animal Protection Legislation
* Companion Animal Issues

—– Original Message —–
From: Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
Date: Jun 3, 2007 9:31 PM
Subject: [RELIEF GLOBAL] Animal Tornado Victims Still Need Aid In Kansas

KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER RELIEF - PERMISSION TO CROSSPOST

6/3/07: [RELIEF GLOBAL] Kansas: Animal Tornado Victims Still Need Aid
PAST NEWSLETTERS: www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/default.html

IN THIS ALERT:

1. Donations & EARS Volunteers Needed For Kansas Victims
2. Tornado Overload At Pratt County Humane Society
3. Tornado Kills 27 Cats Bound For New Homes
4. Tornado Leaves Hundreds Of Animals Displaced, Confused
5. Animals Displaced by Greensburg Tornadoes

Volunteer Jared Estes coaxes a rescued collie to eat at the makeshift animal shelter in Greensburg. Monday was the first day residents were allowed into Greensburg to retrieve valuables.
Mike Hutmacher/The Wichita Eagle, www.wichitaeagle.com/627/

Mark Slief holds his mother’s dog, Bruiser, while Dodge City veterinarian Deanna Post checks for injuries while brother Gary Slief looks on.
Mike Hutmacher/The Wichita Eagle, www.wichitaeagle.com/627/

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

1. Donations & EARS Volunteers Needed For Kansas Victims

SOURCE: United Animal Nations, info [at] uan.org

6/1/07, from United Animal Nations, info [at] uan.org — Help us help tornado victims in Kansas! Four weeks have passed since tornadoes decimated Greensburg, Kansas on May 4, destroying homes and uprooting people and their pets… And now one small shelter that kindly took in more than 100 of the displaced dogs and cats is overloaded — and in desperate need of the emergency sheltering expertise and volunteer assistance that only United Animal Nations (UAN) can provide.

At the request of the Kansas Animal Health Department, UAN has deployed Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) volunteers to care for approximately 150 animals at the Pratt County Humane Society. Many of the animals who survived the tornado are injured or ill, and all of them, according to EARS Northwest Regional Director Kurt Cruickshank, are “starved for attention,” having been separated from their families for so long.

EARS volunteers are working from morning until late at night, in hot and humid conditions, to feed, love and care for the animals, and to wash dishes, do laundry, and provide general upkeep for the shelter and the additional maintenance needed to accommodate the influx of tornado victims.

And now we’re expecting to begin trapping animals who were left behind in Greensburg — cats and dogs who are reported to be injured and have been wandering the streets alone for weeks.

Thanks to our dedicated EARS volunteers — who have traveled to Kansas from as far as South Dakota and Michigan — UAN is always prepared to respond to emergencies like this one … but we can only do so much without support from compassionate animal lovers like you!

DONATE TO UAN / ONLINE
secure.ga3.org/01/UANdonate

DONATE TO UAN / BY MAIL
United Animal Nations
PO Box 188890; Sacramento, CA 95818

Trained EARS volunteers needed from Monday, June 11 to Friday, June 15.

EARS volunteers are needed to do the following:
• Animal feeding and attention
• Paperwork, animal record documentation and other administration
• Cage cleaning, maintenance and shelter repair
• Donated supply sorting and distribution

If you would like to deploy to Kansas between now and Friday, June 15, please sign up here:
ga4.org/uan/events/2007_ks_shelter_relief/details.tcl

UNITED ANIMAL NATIONS
P.O. BOX 188890 | SACRAMENTO, CA 95818
(916) 429-2457 TEL | (916) 429-2456 FAX | INFO [at] UAN.ORG E-MAIL | www.uan.org/ WEB CONTACT UAN - info [at] uan.org

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

2. Tornado Overload At Pratt County Humane Society

SOURCE: pratthumanesociety.org/?page_id=14

Tornado Relief 2007 — The Pratt Humane Society has coordinated care for more than 160 animals rescued in Greensburg after the tornado. Animals were originally housed in the Kansas Department of Transportation, but in the past week have been moved back to the Humane Society’s normal headquarters.

In order to house the animals, additional facilities need to be created. The staff at Pratt is working to put up a new prefab building that will then be piped with water and electricity. While all the dogs have been moved back to Pratt Humane Society, the cats are being housed at a veterinarian in Pratt’s until the cat house is built at the Humane Society, which they expect to take 10 days.

Amazingly, only 18 displaced dogs remain, and 70 cats. Most of the animals have been reunited with their people. All animals will be held for 60 days before fostering, and will then be on 60 day foster agreements in an attempt to reunite animals with their owners.

Pratt Humane Society is overwhelmed with inkind donations of food and shelters, and at this point, requests that people hold onto their donations as they have no more room for storage. At this juncture, the only remaining need is a desperate cry for funds. PHS has just written checks to Orson’s for dog pens for $5000, another $1000 on dog houses.

DONATE TO PRATT COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY BY MAIL:
Pratt County Humane Society
1402 W. 1st St.; Pratt, KS 67214-3300

ONLINE:
You can also donate online through Network for Good, here

*If the link above doesn’t work, go to Pratt County Humane Society page and click on Network For Good logo: pratthumanesociety.org/?page_id=13

Teri McCollum, wife of Greensburg Mayor Lonnie McCollum, holds her Yorkshire terrier, Rocky, while waiting in line with other Greensburg residents on U.S. 54 to re-enter the town. Monday was the first day residents were allowed into Greensburg to retrieve valuables.
Mike Hutmacher/The Wichita Eagle, www.wichitaeagle.com/627/

Debris from homes are all that remain after a tornado struck Greensburg, Kan.
G. Marc Benavidez/The Wichita Eagle, www.wichitaeagle.com/627/

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

3. Tornado Kills 27 Cats Bound For New Homes

SOURCE: cats.about.com/b/a/257874.htm

Volunteers Roy Huff and Terry Gaul, of Friends of Felines, a cat welfare group in Sedgewick, Kansas, were hauling a precious cargo of rescued cats from a farm in Syracuse to be spayed preparatory to being taken to new homes. When they encountered a heavy rain and hail storm, they pulled into Greensburg to seek shelter from the storm. Three minutes after parking in town, the devastating tornado hit, destroying the van and trailer and killing all 27 of the rescued cats. Huff and Gaul escaped unharmed.

The journey started with the plight of approximately 100 “barn cats” living on the farm, when the owner had to move into assisted living. Dedicated to his mission, Huff plans to return to the farm on May 18th to try to relocate some of the remaining cats…

I know that all of us share the sorrow of the hundreds of people who lost everything they owned, including irreplaceable personal mementos. But I also think some of us will set aside a moment to light a candle or say a prayer for these cats who might have had had a chance at wonderful new lives. The story goes even deeper, as I found when I “Googled” Friends of Felines. This project, dubbed “The Syracuse Project,” was initiated at the request of Alley Cat Allies, and with support from Best Friends Animal Society, and the Cat Care Society, the initial rescue was scheduled in April, but postponed due to inclement weather. The Friends of Felines web site refers to an explanation of The Syracuse Project, however it is on a Word Doc file. I have reproduced that file in a forum discussion for those readers who feel uncomfortable downloading .doc files.

A Cry for Your Help — The Project

Friends of Felines, Sedgwick, Kansas: www.felinefriendsks.com/

The bottom line is that Friends of Felines needs help in rescuing as many of the Syracuse cats as possible, and I hope at least a few of my readers will be able to contribute in some way, whether it be a donation, volunteer help, or foster care. Monday May 7, 2007

###

Tornado kills 27 cats bound for new homes
www.kansas.com/233/story/63964.html

Twenty-seven feral cats that were being transported from a farm in Syracuse to be spayed and neutered in Pratt before going to new homes were killed in the Greensburg tornado. Ray Huff of Friends of Felines, a cat welfare group based in Sedgwick, said he was driving a van and trailer carrying the cats Friday night when he encountered heavy rain and large hail.

Huff and fellow volunteer Terry Gaul “pulled off the highway into Greensburg looking for a car wash or any business with a large overhang” where the cats, who were in cages and covered by a tarp, would be protected from the weather, Huff said.

“Three minutes after we hit town and parked, the tornado hit,” he said. The van, trailer and all 27 cats were destroyed, Huff said.

Huff and Gaul rode out the tornado in the van. “We’re beat up — we’ve got some bruises and cuts and abrasions — but other than that we’re both very lucky,” Huff said Monday.

The cats were part of a group of about 100 that had been living on a farm in Syracuse, in far western Kansas, and needed new homes after their owner had to move into assisted living.

Veterinarians in Pratt and Johnson had offered to spay and neuter the cats, vaccinate them and treat them for parasites before volunteers were to take them to new homes in Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico.

The mission to rescue the cats — dubbed The Syracuse Project — was originally set for April 13 but had to be rescheduled because of a snowstorm in western Kansas.

Huff said they’ll try again to relocate more of the cats on May 18. “I’ve already started looking for another trailer and have ordered some traps,” he said.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

4. Tornado Leaves Hundreds Of Animals Displaced, Confused

SOURCE: www.dodgeglobe.com/stories/051007/kan_20070510003.shtml

5/10/07, By Ashley Nietfeld and Walter Jones, Dodge City Daily Globe — In the eerie silence that followed the deadly tornado in Greensburg Friday, fire trucks and ambulances pulled onto streets that were strewn with debris, searching those who were injured and in need of immediate help.

It was in the silence of that night, 45 miles away in Dodge City, that Glenna Walker, manager of the Dodge City Animal Shelter received a call asking for her support. “I got to Greensburg at probably 3:30 in the morning on Saturday with only one other animal rescue worker and three plastic crates,” said Walker on Wednesday afternoon, back at her office in Dodge City.

They went to work, and it wasn’t long before volunteers from as far away as Wichita poured onto the scene, setting up a makeshift pen behind the Kansas Department of Transportation building, one of the few that remained standing.

Animal rescue workers searched the streets on Saturday, watching and waiting for animals to begin to crawl from underneath the rubble. “Cats are the hardest to catch,” said volunteer Ed Carmichael of Dodge City.

Pratt County Humane Society took the reins, keeping track of the animals that were coming in and where they were found. By midmorning, veterinarians had begun setting up makeshift tables for onsite treatment, and the more severely injured were taken to Pratt and Dodge City for more intensive care.

“It’s just been ongoing,” said Toni Myers. She and her husband Pete founded the Ford County Humane Society and spent Saturday in Greensburg. “There was a lot of livestock that had no feed,” she continued. “I know of one horse that had to be put down because it was too injured.”

On Sunday, when predictions of even more storms began to reach the town, volunteers began sending the animals to shelters in Pratt and Dodge City. When the skies began to clear once more, they brought the animals back into Greensburg so their owners would be able to find them more easily.

“The State of Kansas Animal Health Department has come in and they’re going to be taking over actual supervision of the whole animal rescue and holding operation,” explained Walker.

On Monday, the confusion began to clear and donations of animal crates, food and cat litter had started to come in. By Tuesday, 168 animals had been brought to a makeshift shelter in an equipment shed at the Kansas Department of Transportation facility, and 20-30 have been reclaimed by their owners. They ranged from dogs, cats and horses to goats, lambs, a turtle, a ferret and even a snake.

“I wasn’t going to be on snake duty,” quipped Alice Bailey, manager of the Pratt County Humane Society who assumed charge of the rescue operation.

Krysty Young was happy to be reunited with the three goats her daughter is raising for a 4-H project. They had been rounded up once already but had escaped, one fracturing a horn in the process. “She’ll be OK,” Young said.

Plans for the animals have been changing from day to day as new information come in, but Walker said Tuesday that the small animals would be sent to the Ford County Fairgrounds in Dodge City and the livestock would be shipped to the Pratt Sale Barn for boarding. “They’re concerned about the people, but they’re also concerned about their pets,” said Myers. “Once they make sure all their family’s okay and there’s nothing to do at their house, then they come looking for their pets.”

Many people are having to surrender their pets. Unsure even of where they’ll be in another week, bringing a pet along can often prove more of a hindrance than anything. “That’s a very sad situation,” said Myers, “but if anybody’s thinking about adopting, please think about these pets first. They’re displaced, they’re confused, they’re shocked. They need to find somebody to take care of them.”

Bailey said cash contributions are the most useful to buy the carrying crates, collars, leashes, food and hay that is needed. Donors can make contributions in the Humane Society accounts at the city credit unions in Dodge City and Cimarron.

“Everybody has just really dug deep,” said Myers. “Until you come in from the west end of Greensburg and look to the east. It just looks like you’re driving on a great big landfill road. I’ve never seen anything like it and I hope I never have to see that again.”

Eleven-year-old Tyler McIntosh found a new friend while collecting things in his destroyed home in Greensburg, Kansas on Sunday, May 6, 2007.
(AP Photo/The Wichita Eagle, Fernando Salazar) Fernando Salazar/The Wichita Eagle, www.wichitaeagle.com/627/

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5. KS Animal Health Depart., UAN, Join Forces For Animals Displaced by Greensburg Tornadoes

SOURCE: www.uan.org/index.cfm?navid=324

UAN 2007 Press Release /PRATT, KANSAS (May 30, 2007) — The Kansas Animal Health Department; United Animal Nations (UAN) and the State Animal Rescue Team (SART) are working to help the Pratt County Humane Society care for an influx of animals displaced by recent tornadoes in Greensburg and to contain an outbreak of canine parvovirus at the shelter.

According to Debra Duncan, Director of the Animal Facilities Inspection Program with the Kansas Animal Health Department, Pratt County Humane Society staff offered to care for 108 dogs and cats displaced by the May 4 tornadoes until they could be reunited with their families or adopted into new homes. But shelter staff and volunteers soon became overwhelmed by the additional animals.

Duncan asked United Animal Nations to provide animal care and sheltering assistance for all of the animals at the shelter through its volunteer-driven Emergency Animal Rescue Service . Currently several volunteers with UAN are providing direct care to the animals; at least 20 more are expected to arrive in the coming days.

“This is a small shelter with a very dedicated group of volunteers, and they quickly became overwhelmed by dozens of additional animals,” Duncan said of the Pratt County Humane Society. “The Kansas Animal Health Department and United Animal Nations are working together to help the shelter and the community through this crisis.”

“UAN has a 20-year track record of providing emergency sheltering to animals displaced by natural disasters,” said UAN President and CEO Nicole Forsyth. “With our network of 3,200 volunteers in the United States and Canada, we are prepared to give these animals the tender loving care they so desperately need until this crisis is over.”

The Kansas Animal Health Department placed the Pratt County Humane Society under quarantine on May 25 after several dogs were diagnosed with parvovirus, a highly contagious canine disease. Members of the public are asked to avoid dropping off any animals at the Pratt County Humane Society shelter until the quarantine is lifted on or around June 10.

“We are being exceptionally cautious and taking every step possible to prevent the spread of this disease and to treat any dogs who become ill,” Duncan said. “Parvovirus is very common in animal shelters and the dogs who came in from Greensburg were already stressed and vulnerable.”

Symptoms of parvovirus include lethargy, vomiting, lack of appetite, stomach discomfort and diarrhea. Puppies are extremely vulnerable. If your dog is exhibiting signs of parvovirus, contact your veterinarian immediately.

Mike Sutton, his daughter Aryca, wife Jessica and dog “Mia” walk down South Main with a suitcase full of their belongs as they evacuate.
Greensburg. G. Marc Benavidez/The Wichita Eagle.

Bernard Taylor holds his roommate’s baby as they both take refuge at the Haviland High School gym after a tornado struck Greensburg.
G. Marc Benavidez/The Wichita Eagle

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DONATE: www.kinshipcircle.org/donation/donations.html

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SUBSCRIBE:
Kinship Circle maintains 2 separate mail lists:

1. KINSHIP CIRCLE Primary: Action campaigns for animal cruelty issues, worldwide
2. KINSHIP CIRCLE Animal Disaster Relief List: Animal rescue coordination/news in disasters

Kinship Circle Primary: subscribe [at] kinshipcircle.org
TELL US: SUBSCRIBE TO KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY

Kinship Circle Animal Disaster Relief: kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
TELL US: SUBSCRIBE TO KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER RELIEF
IF YOU ARE A RESIDENT OF LOUISIANA OR MISSISSIPPI

*********************************

Kinship Circle Animal Disaster Relief Focus

1. GULF COAST: Once monthly e-newsletters witth news, needs, stories…related to hurricane-affected animals in the Gulf Coast.
Newsletters to continue as long as needed.

2. RELIEF GLOBAL: E-newsletters/alerts about animals in OTHER DISASTERS as they unfold, i.e., central Florida tornadoes, Northeast (USA) floods, Middle East crisis, Pet Food Recall, etc.

3. ACTION CAMPAIGNS: Sample-letter alerts about

* Animal Protection Legislation
* Companion Animal Issues

—– Original Message —–
From: Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
Date: May 28, 2007 2:54 PM
Subject: Give Jessie & Cupcake A Future

Kinship Circle Animal Disaster Relief
PLEASE CROSSPOST

Help is desperately needed for 2 puppies in Mississippi, a Gulf Coast state still operating with limited resources in the aftermath of Katrina.

Linda Merideth lives in Greenville, Mississippi. She rescued 19 dogs from miserable conditions at a Mississippi shelter. Of the 7 dogs she was forced to leave behind, 3 have since died.

Linda has managed to place all survivors except Cupcake and Jessie. These two puppies, both under 4 months, need foster homes by THIS FRIDAY (June 1, 2007) when Linda travels out of state.

Linda is willing to pay for transportation or other necessary fees, if assured the dogs go into “good, loving hands.”

If Cupcake and Jessie do not find homes by this Friday, they will return to the same substandard shelter from which they were rescued.

ANYONE WHO CAN HELP, CONTACT:
Linda Merideth
662-332-7955, HLM500 [at] aol.com

**Due to urgency of situation, please do not waste time contacting Kinship Circle. Speak to Linda Merideth directly. You are welcome to copy us on any emails.

This is Cupcake.

German Shepherd mix
Female, Unaltered
Estimated Age: 3 to 3-1/2 months
Weight: 18-20 lbs.
Coloring: black and brown

This is Jessie.

Mix (?) With Some Shepherd
Female, Unaltered
Estimated Age: under 3 months
Weight: 15 lbs
Coloring: brown and gold

ANYONE WHO CAN HELP, CONTACT:
Linda Merideth
662-332-7955, HLM500 [at] aol.com

**Due to urgency of situation, please do not waste time contacting Kinship Circle. Speak to Linda Merideth directly. You are welcome to copy us on any emails.

********************************

BEAR WITNESS. SPEAK. DEMAND. ACT.
Action Campaigns I Literature I Voice For Animals
Nonprofit working in animal protection/cruelty + animal disaster relief campaigns
info [at] kinshipcircle.org or kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
www.KinshipCircle.org * www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/default.html

DONATE: www.kinshipcircle.org/donation/donations.html

********************************

SUBSCRIBE
INDICATE WHICH OF 2 LISTS TO SUBSCRIBE YOU TO:

1. Kinship Circle Primary: subscribe [at] kinshipcircle.org
Action campaigns on animal cruelty issues worldwide
TELL US: SUBSCRIBE TO KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY

********************************

Kinship Circle Animal Disaster Relief Focus

1. GULF COAST: Once monthly e-newsletters witth news, needs, stories…related to hurricane-affected animals in the Gulf Coast.
Newsletters to continue as long as needed.

2. RELIEF GLOBAL: E-newsletters/alerts about animals in OTHER DISASTERS as they unfold, i.e., central Florida tornadoes, Northeast (USA) floods, animals in war zones, pet food recall, etc.

3. ACTION CAMPAIGNS: Sample-letter alerts about

* Animal Protection Legislation
* Companion Animal Issues

NOT A STANDARD RESCUE LIST: As a rule, we do not post requests regarding animals in need of rescue, transports, donations, etc. around the country. We do, however, post rescue requests concerning animals in Katrina-affected areas since this disaster has severely compromised resources in the rescue/shelter community.

********************************

*Kinship Circle cannot guarantee the validity of email addresses. During a campaign, recipients may change or disable their email addresses.

—– Original Message —–

Via the National Wildlife Fund:

Check Your Senators First Global Warming Vote!

The U.S. Senate voted May 15, 2007 against Amendment No. 1094 to the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). The amendment–offered by Senators Kerry, Feingold, Collins, Sanders, Carper, Biden, Reed and Whitehouse–triggered the first global warming vote in the Senate this year and would have directed the Army Corps of Engineers to make sure it considers the impacts of global warming when it designs levees and other projects.

The good news is a majority of the Senate voted for the amendment, 51-42. Unfortunately the amendment required 60 votes to pass, so despite the majority support, it was defeated.

Find out how your senators voted below and send a quick message with your thanks or disappointment.

Crossposted at easyvegan.info

—– Original Message —–
From: Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
Date: May 17, 2007 12:30 AM
Subject: [GULF COAST] Katrina-Affected Animals Still Need You

KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER RELIEF - PERMISSION TO CROSSPOST

5/16/07: [GULF COAST] Katrina-Affected Animals Still Need You
PAST NEWSLETTERS: www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/default.html

ANIMAL ISSUE OF THE WEEK:
Louisiana - Ban Chicken Blood Sport Now
TAKE ACTION

IN THIS ALERT:

1. NOLA: Urgent Need For Feeder(s) In Section F
2. CAN ANYONE IN LA & BEYOND HELP? Re-posting due to lack of response…
3. Buras, LA - Where Eye Of Katrina Hit - Still In Critical Need
4. Re-Homing Of Hurricane Katrina/Rita Animals
5. Roicy Animal Control: Help Needed Posting Flyers, Fostering…
6. LA Cockfighting Bill Progresses, But Needs Improvements
7. All States Respond: Ban Cockfighting For Good
8. Katrina Rescue Inspires Pit Bull Advocacy/Rescue Group
9. New Orleans: West Esplanade Veterinary Clinic Reopens
10. New Orleans Sweeties Need Homes
11. Jefferson Parish Animal Shelter Cruelty
12. Katrina-Affected Animals Still Need You

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1. NOLA: Urgent Need For Feeder(s) In Section F
SOURCE: Maria Alvarez, tipster [at] bellsouth.net

5/5/07, from Maria Alvarez, tipster [at] bellsouth.net — FEEDER URGENTLY NEEDED ASAP TO PERMANENTLY TAKE OVER SECTION F. THE MAJOR BOUNDING STREETS ARE BULLARD TO PARISH ROAD AND MORRISON TO HAYNE BLVD. (New Orleans)

48 STATIONS NEED FOOD/WATER AT LEAST WEEKLY. Several stations will have cats waiting for you by empty boxes and water containers from previous week.

IF YOU CAN FEED IN SECTION F, CONTACT:
Maria Alvarez, 504-512-0306, tipster [at] bellsouth.net

Whether or not someone comes forward to serve the animals at these locations, it is with sad regret that I no longer will do it. THE HUNGRY AND THIRSTY HOMELESS ANIMALS THANK YOU!

Maria Alvarez, Stewardship For Strays

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2. CAN ANYONE IN LOUSIANA & BEYOND HELP?

There has been no response to this alert, so we are re-posting it…
SOURCE: Ramona Billot, ramonabillot [at] yahoo.com

Animals In Hard-Hit Plaquemines Need Way Out

4/15/07, from Ramona Billot, ramonabillot [at] yahoo.com — P.A.W.S., the only no-kill shelter in Plaquemines Parish, is COMPLETELY FULL. They seek OUT-OF-STATE, no-kill shelters that can take animals in. Depending upon location, P.A.W.S. can assist in transport to safe a place. As long as P.A.W.S. remains full, animals go to the pound, where they are killed.

Jana, P.A.W.S., 504-392-1601; plaqueminescat [at] yahoo.com

View other DOGS for adoption

Gus, P.A.W.S., 504-392-1601; plaqueminescat [at] yahoo.com

View other CATS for adoption

CONTACT P.A.W.S. TO HELP
P.A.W.S., Plaquemines Animal Welfare Society
504-392-1601; plaqueminescat [at] yahoo.com
9596 Highway 23 South; Belle Chasse, LA 70037

PAWS is a tax deductible 501(c)3
Donations should be sent to:
P.A.W.S. Relief Fund; P.O. Box 83; Belle Chasse, LA 70037

More information about P.A.W.S.
www.petfinder.com/shelters/LA25.html

When Katrina Hit Plaquemine Parish…

Homes, farms, and trees toppled over highways and beaches. Two protective levees crumbled. Oil tanks exploded, spilling millions of gallons of black crude. Still, life persevered. Hundreds of dogs and cats swarmed Guardsmen for food and water. Bewildered horses were submerged in water and cows floated in watery fields.

I [Kinship Circle] contacted the New Mexico National Guard to gain access into “no-go” Plaquemines and found a kindred spirit in Major Kimberly Lalley. Soon rescue teams led by Chris and Sarah Stevens and Terri Kelley of Indiana cleared security checkpoints with permission from Colonel Dick Almeter. We were the first out-of-state rescue effort in Plaquemines.

…Today, lower Plaquemines remains eerily quiet:

Sprawling FEMA trailer parks are home to most residents of lower Plaquemines. (photo: Kinship Circle. 2/20/07)

Abandoned schoolyards and churches patiently wait. Skeletal homes are still heaped in ruined belongings. (photos: Kinship Circle in Plaquemines, 2/20/07)

Here amid the clutter, animals survive. (photo: Kinship Circle, 2/20/07)

Kinship Circle: New Orleans 2007 - A Place Between Hope And Despair

STORY/PHOTOS: www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/nola_now.html

MOVIE: www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/nola_video.html

Best viewed if movie is downloaded to your computer and opened in Quicktime, so you can enlarge view.

Contact Ramona Billot To Volunteer For Animals In Plaquemines
Ramona Billot / Plaquemines Parish
102 A Omega; Belle Chase, LA 70037
504-606-3116, ramonabillot [at] yahoo.com

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

3. Buras, LA - Where Eye Of Katrina Hit - Still In Critical Need

SOURCE: Forwarded From: Pam Leavy, tundraleap [at] msn.com

Original Message: L B, mail2lynear [at] gmail.com

4/20/07, from mail2lynear [at] gmail.com — Buras Louisiana is where the eye of Hurricane Katrina hit, the eye was 30 mi. in diameter, several F5 tornadoes touched down between here and Port Sulphur the town 20 mi. north of here…absolutely NOTHING was not annihilated…recovery is just now getting a foothold, but, there is pressure for survival here…its chronic stress here for the population trying to establish any degree of normalcy. The closest grocery store is 25 mi. or better (and that just opened last week - it used to be 75 miles), little kids have to be put on school busses at 4am to get to school…

Its rural here, everyone pretty much has dogs…but, we could really use donations of pet meds, food, shampoos, etc., etc. Emergency Communities has a distribution center here for the residents open 7 days a week, 10a-6p.

ANY help, greatly appreciated:
Emergency Communities
36342 Hwy 11; Buras, LA 70041
www.emergencycommunities.org

REPLY TO:
Lyn, cell: 352-346-0425, mail2lynear [at] gmail.com

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

4. Re-Homing Of Hurricane Katrina/Rita Animals

SOURCE: AngelsGate, victor [at] angelsgate.org
Susan Marino, susan [at] angelsgate.org

EVENT: Re-homing of the Hurricane Katrina/Rita Animals [presentation]
WHEN: Thursday, May 24, 2007, 6:30 pm
WHERE: House of the NYC Bar Association, 42 West 44th Street

This program will clarify the difficulties encountered during the animal rescue effort and the re-homing of the animals after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. It will also address the various state laws affected by this rescue effort and what we have learned including what changes have been implemented in order to be ready for the next disaster.

MODERATORS: Melissa Gillespie, Jane Hoffman
SPEAKERS:
Laura Maloney, Chief Executive Officer, Louisiana SPCA
Stacy Wolff, Senior Director. Legislative Services and Anti-Cruelty Training-ASPCA
Marcello Forte, Executive Director, Animal Haven, New York
Susan Marino, founder, Angels Gate- Hospice and Rehabilitation Center for Animals, New York
Kathryn Beez, Attorney, New Orleans, LA
Richard Elliot, Attorney, Philadelphia, PA
Kelly Nilsson, Director; New York State Disaster Response Services, ASPCA, New York
SPONSORED BY: Committee on Legal Issues Pertaining to Animals, Jane Hoffman, Chair

Members of the Association, their guests and all other interested persons are invited to attend. There is no fee for attending the program.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

5. Roicy Animal Control: Help Needed Posting Flyers, Fostering…

SOURCE: Jennifer Rohrbach, whippetdogs [at] yahoo.com

REPLY TO: roicyvolunteers [at] gmail.com
Roicy Duhon Animal Control
613 W. Pont des Mouton; Lafayette, LA
(off north University or I-49 north heading toward Carencro)
ph: 337-291-5645 (keep trying…they are busy); fax: 337-291-7051
www.acadiana.petfinder.com
or www.petfinder.com/shelters/LA40.html

Help needed posting and emailing flyers, fostering, and assisting volunteers. Email roicyvolunteers [at] gmail.com if you can help.

Cat adoptions are very low. Without rescues such as AHS, the cats wouldn’t have a chance (especially adults). HOLD OVERS include many wonderful mature cats in need of good homes. Girly Girl is super friendly and rubs her head against your hand to give herself a massage (already spayed!) The Tortie is another very friendly cat with beautiful black fur and rust highlights. The black/white Tux kitty is a really loving cat as is the big Tabby with pink nose. Two litters of Tabby babies remain as well. There are several new cats and kittens such as the black Tabby who just grabs your heart with his sweet disposition. Kitten season is upon us. This week there is a Siamese kitten, Russian Blue mix kitten, and gray and brown tabby babies.

Poor Smokey (a female Russian Blue) is the heartbreak story this week… Smokey’s disabled homeless owner tearfully surrendered her when he realized she needed to get vaccinations and he couldn’t afford to care for her properly. He loved her but was unable to provide for her so did the best thing he could think of and turn her in here to try and find a new and equally loving home.. Please help make this man’s wish come true…for Smokey to find a new loving home.

Last week was a pretty good week on the dog adoption/rescue side but the kennels are full once again. HOLD OVERS include a darling Min Pin who sits on his hind legs just waiting to learn new tricks; a light brown Catahoula Terrier baby with unusual blue markings and a darling face; and Loving Look, a little Terrier mix who is a bit shy but already coming around with a soft pat and kind words. A medium size Terrier mix who looks like he has Husky markings without the longer fur has a great personality and is about 40 lbs of love. Poor Mitch is a Chocolate Lab only 4 months old and already looking for a new home. There are 2 new Black Lab pups and one is so depressed he’ll hardly even get up to to be petted. How tragic…

Another small Poodle, cinnamon colored, will be a gem with a good bath and haircut. A very pretty young Husky Shep mix picked up as a stray is sweet and would make a great family pet. A very sweet but shy, scared Sheltie Terrier mix is a great little dog just waiting for someone to love her. A Basset Lab mix looks like a red Basset with a white chest and is a great dog with very unusual coloring. And last, but certainly not least, an adult Chocolate Lab who knows commands, so he has had some training. Now he just
needs someone to love him.

Thanks to all those who help to get the word out about the animals and help them find new homes and rescues.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

6. LA Cockfighting Bill Progresses, But Needs Improvements

SOURCE: Forwarded From: Charlotte Bass, ARNO, table25 [at] bellsouth.net
Original Message: Laura Maloney, LA-ASPCA, Laura [at] la-spca.org

5/3/07, from Laura Maloney, Laura [at] la-spca.org — LOUISIANA SPCA LEGISLATIVE ALERT UPDATE / History is Made Today: For the first time in Louisiana’s history, a bill to outlaw cockfighting made it favorably out of the House Agricultural Committee. Although there is much more work to do to ensure it’s effective legislation, we applaud legislators for taking a giant step forward in recognizing that it’s unacceptable to practice a sport where living beings are harmed merely for entertainment or profit.

HB 108 was amended to reduce the proposed phase-out period from three-years to 18-months. We are continuing to discuss the phase-out issue and to work with legislators to strengthen the bill so that legislation is effective ensuring that it’s enforceable.

We expect HB 108 to move to the full House floor early next week where amendments may be added and the bill voted upon. Senator Lentini’s Senate Bill 39 has not yet been assigned to committee. We will update you throughout the process. Thanks for your support and willingness to call upon legislators! Your voice makes a huge difference.

SYNOPSIS OF DIFFERENCES AMONG 2007 LOUISIANA COCKFIGHTING BILLS

All bills have same punishment ($1000 fine and not more than 6 months in jail), which means they are all misdemeanors. However, in SB 39, if person is caught second time, he can have all property seized and sold at auction.

What we like about SB 39 (Senator Lentini’s bill):

1. Removes clause in current cruelty statute which says “fowl shall not be considered animals.”

2. Addresses gambling, organization, and promotion of fights.

3. Addresses seizure of property after second offense. We can also seize animals on first offense since it falls under the cruelty statute. We can ask the owner to post bond in order to hold birds longer than 15 days.

Suggested amendments to SB 39:

1. Include possession of paraphernalia (gaffs, knives) along with roosters as evidence a person is intending to fight. This will aid enforcement agencies if the person is arrested for transporting roosters. Paraphernalia will help the prosecution prove “intent.”

What we do not like about HB 108, 101

1. Neither bill addresses cruelty to animals’ statute. Consequently, the birds remain with the owner. The only penalty is a fine and/or jail. It does not repeal (strike from law) 14:102.1 (d) where “fowl” is exempt the state’s cruelty of animals’ statute. Essentially, if a person is arrested for cockfighting, a cockfighter may consider it the “opportunity cost of doing business.”

2. There are no consequences for 2nd offenses.

3. Does not address gambling or the promotion, organization, or financial aspects of cockfighting.

4. It does not address transporting birds with the intent to fight. A person must be caught in the act of fighting birds. An analogy in human terms…you would have to catch a person in the act of murdering another in order to prove guilt. How many times is law enforcement present when an actual murder happens?

5. It does not include paraphernalia.

6. HB 108 allows a 3-year phase out.

Laura Maloney, Chief Executive Officer, Louisiana SPCA
701 Thayer Street; New Orleans, LA 70114
504-368-5191 ext 200; laura [at] la-spca.org * www.la-spca.org

The Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is an organization devoted to improving the lives of animals and eliminating the homelessness, neglect and abuse that signal animal suffering. Chartered in 1888, our history has been paved with an understanding that only through an improved human-animal ethic can we better the lives of companion animals and that of our community. Our programs and services are infused with the highest standards of care and compassion.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

7. All States Respond: Ban Cockfighting For Good

SOURCE: Pam Leavy, tundraleap [at] msn.com

5/14/07, from Pam Leavy, tundraleap [at] msn.com — We have a window of opportunity to get the anti-cockfighting bill passed, with an immediate ban, but we desperately need phone calls to the Senate. Cockfighters have a large following, and they do call their representatives and senators because they enjoy the “blood sport” and want it to continue. We, and the animals, rely on you, whether you are an animal lover or not, to stop this barbaric practice and bring Louisiana up to a civilized level. Remember, Louisiana is the only state allowing this barbaric practice, and we pose a health hazard to the rest of the nation. Remember, the entire country came to our aid after Katrina. We remain in the spotlight, and cockfighting is a huge blemish to our reputation.

CALL TODAY / What to say in the email or phone call:

State that you support Senate Bill 39 by Senator Lentini, without amendment and with an immediate ban. This bill provides for an immediate ban and allows chickens to be “considered animals.” Also, express your concerns over the bird flu dangers to our entire nation.

DO NOT support HB108 by Senator Ritchie. This bill allows an unacceptable one year phase out for cockfighting. Cockfighting will escalate during that year. In addition, amendments were added to this Ritchie bill which excludes farm (food) animals from animal cruelty laws (such as allowing, within the law, the skinning of animals alive, boiling animals alive, abuse, neglect, etc.) The passage of this bill would be a huge step backwards for Louisiana.

CONTACT INFORMATION

SENATORS CAN BE REACHED VIA THE SENATE RECEPTIONIST: 225-342-2040

Ask for these senators:
Adley, Robert
Amedee, Jody
Bajoie, Diana
Barham, Robert, Agriculture Committee member
Boasso, Walter, Agriculture Committee member
Broome, Sharon Weston, Judiciary C Committee member
*Cassidy, Bill
*Chaisson, Joel T., Judiciary C Committee chairman
Cheek, Sherri Smith
Duplessis, Ann, Judiciary C Committee member
Dupre, Jr., Reggie P.
Ellington, Noble E., Agriculture Committee member
Fields, Cleo
*Gautreaux, Butch, Agriculture Committee member
Heitmeier, Francis
Hines, Donald, Senate President
*Hollis, Ken
*Jackson, Lydia P., Judiciary C Committee member
Jones, Charles D.
*Kostelka, Bob
Malone, Max T.
Marionneaux, Rob
McPherson, Joe, Agriculture Committee member
Michot, Mike, Judiciary C Committee member
*Mount, Willie, Judiciary C Committee member
Murray, Edwin R.
Nevers, Ben, Agriculture Committee member
*Quinn, Julie
Romero, Craig
*Schedler, Tom, Judiciary C Committee member
Shepherd, Derrick
Smith, Mike, Agriculture Committee member
Theunissen, Gerald, Agriculture Committee chairman
Ullo, Chris

If you are unable to make the phone calls, send an email. Copy these email addresses and paste to the Bcc address bar, or you can send the emails individually. Include your name, address and phone number on your email.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

8. Katrina Rescue Inspires Pit Bull Advocacy/Rescue Group

SOURCE: Althea McLaughlin, altheamclaughlin [at] yahoo.com

4/24/07, from Althea McLaughlin, altheamclaughlin [at] yahoo.com — I was in New Orleans in Sept. 2005 doing rescue and back again in Nov. 2005 doing shelter work. I have done two transports from New Orleans and Mississippi bringing animals into forever homes in the Northeast (I live in Boston). I’ve never had a dog but because of my experience, I adopted a pit bull (if you had told me the week before Katrina that I’d fall in love with pits I’d have said you were nuts). I now have 2 pit bulls and started a pit bull education, advocacy and rescue group in Boston (a city with BSL).

The first pit in my rescue was Noel, a dog I drove up from New Orleans a month ago as Anne Bell at Southern Animal Foundation couldn’t find a transport who would take her because she is a pit. Noel is now in a wonderful forever home. All of this is because of the hurricanes, and I take an ounce of comfort in knowing that people like me all across the country were changed forever in the same way and are doing things they never thought possible before that fateful day.

Noel, the first official PAL rescue who I drove 30 hours from New Orleans in March. She was recently adopted which tore my heart out.

We need funds for mounting vet bills and to help us continue the important work of education and advocacy. We are not only a rescue — as education is the most important piece to me in order to stop the spread of BSL and the absolute slaughter of these wonderful dogs… We are now a certified therapy dog team and visit hospice patients in a nursing home.

Send donations to:
Pits Are Love, Inc. (PAL)
P.O. Box 301238; Boston, MA 02130
gooddog [at] pitsarelove.org
website: www.pitsarelove.org

501c3 pending / We are a nonproft education, advocacy and rescue organziation working on behalf of the loving, loyal and misunderstood pit bull population. We are Boston-based with a nationwide network. We believe that an inner city presence, especially a city with breed specific legislation (BSL), is crucial to the rehabilitation of pit bull stereotypes and the end of BSL.

Me with a pit bull in New Orleans

Jimmy, pulled from Virginia shelter, will need his front leg amputated…was very abused.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

9. New Orleans: West Esplanade Veterinary Clinic Reopens

SOURCE: Forwarded From: Ginger, birdkeeper [at] bellsouth.net
Original Message: kbheaton [at] swbell.net

4/20/07, from kbheaton [at] swbell.net — Special Announcement / West Esplanade Veterinary Clinic: I spoke with Dr Rich and he told me he would reopen the West Esplanade Clinic on Monday morning April 23. Hurricane Katrina repairs have been difficult, and there are probably a few loose ends, but he and his staff will begin seeing patients at the completely renovated and expanded Clinic at 3640 West Esplanade Ave, Metairie, LA, 70002.

Call 504-455-6386 for appointments.

Dr Rich and his staff will be available to offer the highest quality & most up to date care for your Birds, Ferrets, Rabbits, Reptiles & small Exotic Pets. Ron Williams * Visit: gnoexpo.com/

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

10. New Orleans Sweeties Need Homes

SOURCE: www.animalrescueneworleans.com

Foster/Adopt For Animal Rescue New Orleans

HOLLY (left photo - Female, Young Terrier Mix) BEAUTIFUL KITTENS (middle photo - Domestic, Medium-Hair, Cream or Ivory) PRISCILLA (right photo - Hemingway/Polydactyl) are among many animals who need homes at ARNO.

See rest of sweeties-in-need:
www.1-800-save-a-pet.com/shelter71665-pets.html

TO FOSTER/SHELTER ANIMALS, CONTACT:
GREATER NEW ORLEANS AREA
* ARNO FOSTER CARE APPLICATION:
www.animalrescueneworleans.com/foster_form.html
* More ARNO foster info and contacts:
www.animalrescueneworleans.com/fosterinfo.html
* ARNO ADOPTION APPLICATION:
www.animalrescueneworleans.com/adoptions.html
* ARNO (Animal Rescue New Orleans)
504-571-1900 / Adoptions email: adoptfromarno [at] yahoo.com

WEST BANK/BELLE CHASSE AREA
* CONTACT RAMONA BILLOT: ramonabillot [at] yahoo.com

TO VIEW ANIMALS IN NEED:
www.1-800-save-a-pet.com/shelter71665-pets.html

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

11. Jefferson Parish Animal Shelter Cruelty

SOURCE: Forwarded From: sandra, sandra [at] spaymart.org
Original Message: Leigh Schmitt, leighschmitt [at] bellsouth.net

4/26/07, from leighschmitt [at] bellsouth.net — This report explains how several dogs at the Jefferson Parish Animal control facility were poisoned to death because an employee carelessly sprayed pesticide into their water bowls. WE must demand reform at the facility now!

blog.nola.com/times-picayune/2007/04/insecticide_spray_kills_13_dog.html
www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-8/1177569801205190.xml&coll=1

Campaign To Reform Jeff Shelter by Slidellee, 4/26/07

Attention all residents of Jefferson Parish: Let’s write letters to Aaron Broussard and members of our parish council demanding reforms to the Jefferson Parish shelter. We must honor the lives of these poor dogs by demanding this type of negligent cruelty never happen again. In addition, we must demand measures be taken to reduce the kill-rate, to support TNR efforts, AND TO STOP THE GASSING! We must call for the hiring of a new Director of animal control who will have a strong animal welfare approach, along the lines of Nathan Winograd’s No Kill Solutions organization.

Here’s the link to find your council members:
www.jeffparish.net/index.cfm?DocID=7

Sent: Thursday, April 26, 2007 10:07 PM
Subject: TERROR AT JEFFERSON PARISH ANIMAL CONTROL
From: Maria Alvarez, Stewardship For Strays, tipster [at] bellsouth.net

This is no surprise. Sad, however, it took 13 MORE lives and 34 DAYS to finally expose to the general public the horrors at Jefferson Parish Animal Control. This was not a chemical error. This was a CHEMICAL TERROR. Why would any animal be sprayed with anything toxic? And why would any chemical be used in kennels while the dogs and their water are in the kennels?

“The No. 1 tragedy here is that these animals lost their lives,” Smith said. “But secondarily, I am worried about all the good employees there. There will be some in the public who will think this is a brutal place run by people who don’t care about animals. Just the opposite is true.”

The no. 1 tragedy is the hiring practices for this facility and the lack of control by previous and present directors — either because they have no power or they don’t care or both. This facility is a disgrace to the Parish of Jefferson… I’ve seen neonatal kittens left in cold cages without even a sheet of newspaper between the metal and their tender bodies and without a drop of formula. There is no way a truly caring staff will sit in the break room knowing a neonatal is laying on a cold surface and screaming with hunger pains… But as Mr. Smith said to me twice during his tenure, “We are not a humane society. We are animal control.”

In memory of Lucy, 1996-10/30/04, gassed at Jefferson Parish Animal Control before serving her time. Lucy, I knew your injustice would be exposed one day and I know you are loving those 13 little dogs as much as you did Susie.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

12. Katrina-Affected Animals Still Need You

SOURCE: Brenda Shoss, Kinship Circle, info [at] kinshipcircle.org; Kathy Sweeney, kathybsweeney [at] yahoo.com; Ramona Billot,
ramonabillot [at] yahoo.com; Traci Kestler, tbkestler [at] cox.net

A.R.K. Effort (Animal Rescue After Katrina)

These NOLA residents, Katrina evacuees themselves, have been devoted to animal recovery since returning to their damaged homes nearly two years ago.

They conduct and incur costs for trap/neuter/release (TNR), medical care, adopt/transport, rescue, and food/water programs:
- Traci Kestler, ARNO & independents
- Kathy Sweeney, Lakeview, New Orleans
- Ramona Billot, Plaquemines Parish/Belle Chasse

YOU CAN HELP THEM BY DONATING MONEY OR SUPPLIES:
CHECKS OR PETCO/PETSMART GIFT CARDS
Mail directly to Traci, Kathy or Ramona. Addresses below.
ARRANGE SHIPMENT OF FOOD/SUPPLIES
Contact Traci, Kathy or Ramona directly.
Traci Kestler / ARNO & independents
P.O. Box 55284; Metairie, LA 70055-5284
504-975-5971, tbkestler [at] cox.net
ONLINE: www.ARFL.petfinder.com

Kathy Sweeney / Lakeview
1105 Taft Park; Metairie, LA 70001
504-343-3683, kathybsweeney [at] yahoo.com

Ramona Billot / Plaquemines Parish
102 A Omega; Belle Chase, LA 70037
504-606-3116, ramonabillot [at] yahoo.com

OR, you may send checks (no gift cards) via Kinship Circle, a nonprofit org.

We’ll distribute funds monthly. Please send donations earmarked for A.R.K.:
ONLINE DONATIONS:
www.kinshipcircle.org/donation/

**IF DONATING ONLINE AT KINSHIP CIRCLE WEBSITE:
Please also send an email to kinshipcircle [at] brick.net confirming your donation is specifically for A.R.K.

BY MAIL:
Send check made out to Kinship Circle to:
Kinship Circle
A.R.K. Effort (Animal Rescue After Katrina)
7380 Kingsbury Blvd.; Saint Louis, MO 63130
memo: Animal Rescue After Katrina (A.R.K)

Kinship Circle, nonprofit, registered in the state of Missouri
Charter number: N00071626 * Certification number: 7789294
[Federal] Employee Identification Number (EIN): 20-5869532

To volunteer for FOOD/WATER DISTRIBUTION, contact ARNO’s volunteer coordinator to tell her you want to do food/water while in New Orleans:
Jimmie Jenkins - ph: 770-789-9266
email: jjenkins88 [at] bellsouth.net

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

HURRICANE DIRECTORY: Missing/Found Animals, Rescue & Reunion

********************************

DONATE: www.kinshipcircle.org/donation/donations.html

BEAR WITNESS. SPEAK. DEMAND. ACT.
KINSHIP CIRCLE - Action Campaigns I Literature I Voice For Animals
Nonprofit working in animal protection/cruelty + animal disaster relief campaigns
info [at] kinshipcircle.org or kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
www.KinshipCircle.org * www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/default.html

********************************

SUBSCRIBE:
Kinship Circle maintains 2 separate mail lists:

1. KINSHIP CIRCLE Primary: Action campaigns for animal cruelty issues, worldwide
2. KINSHIP CIRCLE Animal Disaster Relief List: Animal rescue coordination/news in disasters

Kinship Circle Primary: subscribe [at] kinshipcircle.org
TELL US: SUBSCRIBE TO KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY

Kinship Circle Animal Disaster Relief: kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
TELL US: SUBSCRIBE TO KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER RELIEF
IF YOU ARE A RESIDENT OF LOUISIANA OR MISSISSIPPI

********************************

Kinship Circle Animal Disaster Relief Focus

1. GULF COAST: Once monthly e-newsletters witth news, needs, stories…related to hurricane-affected animals in the Gulf Coast.
Newsletters to continue as long as needed.

2. RELIEF GLOBAL: E-newsletters/alerts about animals in OTHER DISASTERS as they unfold, i.e., central Florida tornadoes, Northeast (USA) floods, Middle East crisis, Pet Food Recall, etc.

3. ACTION CAMPAIGNS: Sample-letter alerts about

* Animal Protection Legislation
* Companion Animal Issues

—– Original Message —–
From: Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
Date: May 8, 2007 11:51 AM
Subject: Our Companions Count - FDA Must Monitor Food

Kinship Circle Primary - PERMISSION TO CROSS-POST AS WRITTEN
(Please do not delete identity/disclaimer information)

5/8/07: Our Companions Count - Ask FDA To Regulate Pet Food
KINSHIP CIRCLE ACTION CAMPAIGN
www.KinshipCircle.org

SOURCE OF INFORMATION:

Clean Up The Pet Food Supply - Senator Dick Durbin
ga3.org/campaign/petfoodsafety?qp_source=petfood%5fgoogle

==========================

SAMPLE LETTER & CONTACT INFO

Sample letters are prepared to give you ample background on an issue.

Try to change some words, pare down letters, and make them your own.

**DELETE ALL REFERENCES TO KINSHIP CIRCLE BEFORE SENDING**

==========================

Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach
U. S. Food and Drug Administration
5600 Fishers Lane; Rockville MD 20857-0001
ph: 301-827-2410; email: andrew.voneschenbach [at] fda.hhs.gov
source: ds1.psc.dhhs.gov/hhsdir/eeKey.asp?Key=26763&Format=Table

CC:
Daniel G. McChesney, Ph.D., Director
Food and Drug Administration, Center for Veterinary Medicine
Office of Surveillance and Compliance
7500 Standish Pl., HFV-230; Rockville, MD 20855
ph: 240-453-6830; fax: 240-453-6880
email: daniel.mcchesney [at] fda.hhs.gov
website: www.aafco.org/NameSearch/tabid/76/Default.aspx#M

Dear FDA Commissioner von Eschenbach,

Cats and dogs are domesticated animals reliant upon our care. The largest (and still expanding) pet food recall in history is more than a “pet crisis.” It is also a human crisis for over 100 million households where animals live as family members.

Until recently, the FDA minimized confirmed deaths due to food additives tainted with melamine (an element in plastics and fertilizer). At PetConnection.com, a self-reporting, veterinarian sponsored website, 4,800 deaths (2,499 cats and 2,301 dogs) were listed as of May 7, 2007. Full tally of sick or dead pets recorded by this date: 14,553.

This catastrophe exposes the vulnerability of our food supply and the Bush Administration and FDA’s failure to safeguard, report, inspect and communicate. Now that melamine has been found in animals farmed for human consumption, the government may finally increase FDA authority and funding. I am pleased to learn the Senate recently passed a measure that identifies consistent standards for pet foods and fines for manufacturers that neglect to report faulty products.

Menu Foods, the initial pet food maker named in the recall, became aware of contaminated goods by February 20, 2007. But public recalls were not issued until March 16. During those three weeks, unsuspecting caretakers continued to poison beloved animals.

Reporting delays are unacceptable. I call upon the FDA to stipulate prompt reporting and enforce penalties for companies that do not comply.

In addition, I urge the FDA to step-up pet food inspections. Less than one-third of pet food plants underwent FDA inspections in the last three and half years. Unbelievably, the FDA had never inspected Menu Foods — the manufacturer behind some 90% of pet food brands. I respectfully insist the FDA standardize inspection rules for pet food plants nationwide.

Finally, the FDA must launch a more coherent system for information gathering, so veterinarians and animal caretakers can notify the agency without as many bureaucratic obstacles.

The latest survey from American Pet Products Manufacturers Association shows 73 million dogs and 90 million cats share homes with humans. Our companions count. Caretakers deserve timely, credible facts so they can protect animals from disease and death.

I hope this tragedy will impel the FDA to revamp its oversight of the pet food industry.

Thank you,

********************************

TWO BREAKTHROUGHS FOR ANIMALS

1. Pres. Bush Signs Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act Into Law

If your state only has misdemeanor penalties, urge STATE legislators to make animal fighting a felony. Map of State Animal Fighting Laws: www.animallaw.info/articles/armpusanimalfighting.htm

SOURCE: [here]

EDITED FOR LENGTH

May 3, 2007 — Today, President Bush signed into law a bill that will help law enforcement rid the United States of dogfighting, cockfighting, and other forms of animal fighting.

Dogfighting and cockfighting crimes are rampant in the United States, with individuals arrested every week in scores of locations under state laws. The vast underground networks generate pervasive animal cruelty, drug trafficking, illegal gambling, public corruption and even violence and murder. The Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act, which passed Congress with large bi-partisan support, will give law enforcement a stronger tool to crack down on this illegal activity.

www.hsus.org/legislation_laws/federal_legislation/cruelty_issues/2007_animal_fighting.html

www.hsus.org/legislation_laws/federal_legislation/cruelty_issues/animal_fighting_bill_forward.html

…The law takes effect immediately. It provides felony penalties for interstate commerce, import and export related to animal fighting activities, including commerce in cockfighting weapons. It will make it much harder for criminals who engage in dogfighting and cockfighting to continue their operations. Each violation of the federal law may bring up to three years in jail and up to a $250,000 fine for perpetrators.

Cockfighting is outlawed in every state except Louisiana, although there is mounting pressure in that state to ban the practice. Many states still have misdemeanor penalties for cockfighting. The federal law slaps felony penalties on interstate cockfighting trafficking, and this should provide an enormous deterrent for the tens of thousands of people involved in this criminal industry.

The law will have a devastating impact on major breeders of fighting animals, who depend on customers from all over the United States and abroad. Dog kennels rely on transporting their fighting dogs across state lines and across the world to customers. The new law should substantially curb the transport of fighting animals across state and U.S. borders…

The Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act will help end the export of fighting animals to other countries. Selling roosters to customers in the Philippines and other nations can be lucrative for American cockfighters. The new law puts increased pressure on the airlines to stop shipping roosters to cockfighting hot spots…

2. Horse Slaughter Bills Move Forward In Congress

SOURCE: Permanent Ban On Horse Slaughter Advances In Congress

community.hsus.org/humane/notice-description.tcl?newsletter_id=9212126

Ban on Horse Slaughter One Step Closer to Becoming Law
www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/horse_slaughter_ban_senate_committee.html

April 25, 2007: WASHINGTON — In an unyielding campaign to end the slaughter of American horses for human consumption overseas, lawmakers on the Senate Commerce Committee today approved the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (S. 311) by a roll call vote of 15 to 7. The Humane Society of the United States applauds the committee and urges Senate leadership to give the bill a full floor vote.

April 26, 2007: The U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly (277-137) to restore a 34-year-old ban on the commercial sale and slaughter of America’s wild horses and burros. On Wednesday, the bill to ban the sale and transport to slaughter of all American horses cleared a critical Senate committee by a decisive 15-7 vote. These victories move us even closer to banning horse slaughter in the United States permanently.

********************************

DONATE: www.kinshipcircle.org/donation/donations.html

BEAR WITNESS. SPEAK. DEMAND. ACT.
Kinship Circle - Action Campaigns I Literature I Voice For Animals
Nonprofit working in animal protection/cruelty + animal disaster relief campaigns
Brenda Shoss, president * Janet Enoch, vice-president
info [at] kinshipcircle.org or kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
www.KinshipCircle.org * www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/default.html

Please use GoodSearch and select KINSHIP CIRCLE as your designated cause.
www.goodsearch.com/

********************************

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* Select a Kinship Circle ALERT received in your mailbox.
* Hit “FORWARD”
* Enter kinshipcircle [at] brick.net and send. [Type UNSUBSCRIBE in your subject line].
* Make sure the “To” line from our original alert is in your email, LIKE THIS:
—–Original Message—–
From: Kinship Circle
Sent: Monday, April 10, 2006 11:34 AM
To: 7. KINSHIP CIRLE
Subject: LETTER/ Costco Brings Back Baby Seal Oil Capsules

********************************

SUBSCRIBE:
INDICATE WHICH OF 2 LISTS TO SUBSCRIBE YOU TO:

1. Kinship Circle Primary: subscribe [at] kinshipcircle.org
Action campaigns on animal cruelty issues worldwide
TELL US: SUBSCRIBE TO KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY

********************************

*Kinship Circle cannot guarantee the validity of email addresses. During a campaign, recipients may change or disable their email addresses.

—– Original Message —–
From: Julie, SaveOurEnvironment.org - action [at] saveourenvironment.org
Date: May 7, 2007 3:39 PM
Subject: Tell the Senate that Global Warming should not be ignored

No More Hurricane Katrina Messes!

Ask your Senators to help avoid future Hurricane Katrina disasters by voting ‘Yes’ on two important water resources amendments this week.

Contact them now - click here.

We need your help to make sure the Army Corps of Engineers gets its priorities straight with regards to global warming.

The Army Corps’ faulty levees, bad planning, and refusal to heed the warnings of climate scientists led to over a thousand deaths and billions of dollars in damages in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

If we hope to minimize the impact of future natural disasters, the Corps MUST start paying attention to the realities of global warming when managing America’s waterways.

This week, your Senator will be voting on two great amendments to the Water Resources Development Act that will reform the Corps and force it to consider global warming in prioritizing projects.

Contact your Senators today to ask them to make sure the Corps takes the threats posed by global warming into account.

Although natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina cannot be avoided, we can reduce their impacts by protecting wetlands, factoring in global warming and reforming the Army Corps of Engineers.

This week, the Senate has the opportunity to prevent damage like that caused by Hurricane Katrina by passing the “Kerry-Feingold Global Warming Amendment” and the “Feingold-McCain Prioritization Amendment” to S. 1248, the Water Resources and Development Act (WRDA).

These amendments will modernize the Army Corps of Engineers so that it will spend taxpayer dollars more responsibly and protect and enhance the environment.

Please don’t delay - contact your Senators now about this week’s upcoming vote!

Once you’ve sent your message, please forward this email on to your friends and family and ask them to join you in contacting their Senators.

Thank you again for your support.

Sincerely,

Julie Waterman
www.SaveOurEnvironment.org

Support Our Work - Click here now to make a secure online donation to help support our efforts to protect our clean water, clean air, endangered species and wild places.

—– Original Message —–
From: Humane Society of the United States - humanesociety [at] hsus.org
Date: May 7, 2007 11:29 AM
Subject: Kelly, is your pet’s food safe?

The Humane Society of the United States
May 7, 2007
community.hsus.org/campaign/FED_2007_pet_food/

TAKE ACTION FOR PET FOOD SAFETY!

Pets are part of our families, and millions of American families were shocked by the recent pet food recalls. The deaths of pets from tainted pet food tragically demonstrate the need for greater oversight of this industry. Fortunately, Congress is listening, and you can take action here: community.hsus.org/campaign/FED_2007_pet_food/

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) introduced the Pet and Human Food Safety Act on May 1 to provide more oversight and regulation of the food industry. In a remarkable demonstration of how important this issue is, the U.S. Senate approved a Durbin amendment on pet and human food safety on May 2 — just one day after the bill was introduced — by a resounding vote of 94 to 0!

You can help make the food supply safer.

TAKE ACTION

1. Make a short polite phone call to your U.S. Representative. Urge him or her to support and quickly enact the DeLauro/Durbin Pet and Human Food Safety Act.

Making a call is easy. A staff member will take your message and pass it to your legislator. When you call, you can say:

“Hello my name is [your name] and I’m calling from [your town and state] to urge [your representative's name] to support the DeLauro/Durbin Pet and Human Food Safety Act (H.R. 2108/S. 1274). The ongoing pet food recall has revealed that there is very little regulation of the pet food industry. We need to change this to ensure that the food consumers are feeding their pets is wholesome and safe. Thank you.”

After you make your call, send a follow up email in support of safer pet food: community.hsus.org/campaign/FED_2007_pet_food/

2. Tell your friends how they can help: https://community.hsus.org/campaign/FED_2007_pet_food/forward/

The more people who contact Congress, the more support this legislation will receive and the better its chances of being quickly passed into law.

Here are some details on what the pet food bill will do:

+ Help regulate the industry by establishing mandatory processing and ingredient standards and requiring more inspections of pet food processing plants.

+ Create an early warning system to help identify possible contaminants earlier and penalize companies that don’t report possible contamination.

+ Ensure that any future recalls are conducted quickly by giving the Food and Drug Administration the power to order mandatory recalls of tainted food.

As a Humane Society of the United States supporter, I know I can count on you to take action and help move this important legislation forward. Thank you for all you do on behalf of animals.

Wayne Pacelle
President & CEO
The Humane Society of the United States

P.S. This legislation is an important first step toward a safer pet food supply. But in the meantime, be sure your pets are protected. Check our Pet Food Safety Center for the latest
information on recalled pet foods:

********************************

Copyright 2007 The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).
All Rights Reserved.
The Humane Society of the United States | 2100 L Street, NW |
Washington, DC 20037
humanesociety [at] hsus.org | 202-452-1100 | www.hsus.org

—– Original Message —–
From: Last Chance for Animals - campaigns [at] lcanimal.org
Date: May 4, 2007 5:41 PM
Subject: Pet Food Recall Update

May 4, 2007: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated yesterday that consumers have reported the deaths of as many as 8,500 dogs and cats as a result of tainted pet food. LiveSmart Adult Lamb and Brown Rice was added as the latest companion animal food to the recall list.

According to Los Angeles Times “federal officials traced the initial problem to protein concentrates imported from China that were tainted with melamine and other chemicals…some of the tainted pet foods were sold for use in feed for 6,000 hogs and nearly 3 million chickens destined for human consumption”.

Now is the time…to act, to start making more responsible, informed choices about our food, the food we feed our companion animals and the products we use. There are heathy, safe alternatives!

For you…

With reports of laced feed ending up in the stomachs of animals set for human consumption, one cannot help but stop and think about our food system and the things we are putting in our bodies. As always we encourage you to go Vegetarian or Vegan! Take that step for animals, for the environment and for your health. There is a new free book that may help convince those of you that are not already vegetarian or vegan. For a limited time the book The Real Forbidden Fruit: How Meat Destroys Paradise and How Veganism Can Get it Back, can be downloaded free of charge. Check it out it might just change your life and life of hundreds of animals.

For your companion animals…

Consider what is in your pet food and where it comes from. The pet food industry profits from waste products deemed unfit for human consumption, they use vague ingredient names (i.e. by-products, meals, and digests) and are essentially unregulated for their animal protein sources.

While not all of us have time to prepare meals for our dogs and cats, there are responsible steps you can take to protect your companion animals. Become familiar with pet food ingredients, read labels carefully, and consider making the same compassionate choice you did with your diet, by feeding your companion animal a vegetarian diet. Always remember that making major changes to your companion’s diet (whether it be going vegetarian or changing the type of food) takes time, make the transition slowly and monitor your pet’s behavior, appetite, weight, coat, teeth and gums for any change. For more information about label reading and common pet food ingredients visit the The Dog Food Project.

Keep Updated on the Pet Food Recall

To get up to the minute email alerts about the Pet Food Recall visit the Pet Food Project.

For a complete list of the recalled pet food products and information about the FDA and regulations on pet food production and ingredients visit the FDA website.

For the Animals,
Campaigns Department

Last Chance for Animals | 8033 Sunset Blvd. #835 | Los Angeles | CA | 90046

—– Original Message —–
From: Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
Date: Apr 25, 2007 9:30 PM
Subject: UPDATES: Pet Food Saga Hall Of Shame

Kinship Circle Animal Disaster Relief
PERMISSION TO CROSS-POST AS WRITTEN

4/25/07: Pet Food Saga Hall Of Shame
www.KinshipCircle.org

Kinship Circle - 2007-04-25 - UPDATES - Pet Food Saga Hall Of Shame

Returned cans of pet food fill a shopping cart at Petco in Miami last month. Federal officials are investigating the possibility that the contamination with a plastics chemical was deliberate.
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18210224/

IN THIS ALERT:

1. Latest Death Toll
2. Pet Food Saga Hall Of Shame - Timeline
3. Feeling Powerless? 2 Ways YOU Can Take Action
4. (Duh) Pet Food Recall Expands To Human Foods
5. Recently In The News
6. Product Recall Lists And Info
7. Bookmark Links With Continually Updated Info
8. To Make Reports And Follow Government News
9. Goodbye Precious Babies

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

1. Latest Death Toll

Update 4/24/07: 4,474 pets (2,288 cats and 2186 dogs) have been reported as deceased to our PetConnection database. Total number of affected pets reported: 13,801.

Yeti - Died March 31, 2007

Yeti passed away on 3-31-2007 after eating recalled dog food. He was a very good boy, and will be missed.
www.flickr.com/photos/badadam/383827766/in/pool-petfoodrecall/

PET FOOD RECALL PHOTO GALLERY
www.flickr.com/groups/petfoodrecall/

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

2. Pet Food Saga Hall Of Shame - Timeline

4/23/07: BEIJING — China gives US regulators permission to enter the country to investigate whether Chinese suppliers exported contaminated pet food ingredients to the United States this year, leading to one of the largest pet food recalls in American history…

Late April, 2007: Wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate imported from two suppliers in China are contaminated with melamine. Originally, Chinese officials cooperate with the FDA investigation. As of this week, US officials learn the Chinese government is blocking requests from the FDA to send personnel to China to inspect the facilities suspected of producing the contaminated products… vetmedicine.about.com/b/a/257164.htm

4/23/07: Senators Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) send letter to FDA Commissioner asking him to identify companies that received contaminated rice protein shipments from China and to request the FDA identify and inspect all suspect pet food ingredients imported to the U.S.

4/21/07: Melamine-tainted corn gluten, imported from China, has been confirmed in South African pet food.

4/21/07: FDA identifies a second Chinese company that exported animal feed tainted with melamine to American pet food and animal feed suppliers. The company, Binzhou Futian Biological Technology, declines to comment. Earlier this month, regulators said another Chinese company, the Anying Biologic Technology Development Co. in Xuzhou, sold wheat gluten contaminated with melamine to suppliers of American pet food.

4/19/07: FDA expands recall to pet food makers, Royal Canin US and C.J. Foods. Identify affected products:
www.royalcanin.us/
www.extrudedpetfood.com/index.php?pagename=Recall_Information

4/19/07: Blue Buffalo, of Wilton, Conn. announces recall of 5,044 bags of Spa Select Kitten dry food, made with rice protein concentrate contaminated by melamine. Identify affected products: www.bluebuff.com/

4/19/07: Wilbur-Ellis Company’s San Francisco Feed Division voluntarily recalls products shipped to pet-food manufacturers — due to risk that rice protein concentrate may have been contaminated by melamine, an industrial chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers that can lead to illness or fatalities in animals. Wilbur-Ellis obtained rice protein from a single source in China and shipped to a total of five U.S. pet-food manufacturers located in Utah , N.Y., Kansas and two in Missouri.
www.nationalpetfoundation.com/dog-food-recall.html/wilbur-ellis.html
webprod.wecon.com/WECOWeb/WECO/newsevents.htm

4/19/07: FDA announces its investigation of a theory that imported ingredients used in recalled pet food may have been intentionally spiked with melamine to boost protein content.

4/17/078: Menu Foods adds Natural Life Vegetarian can/pouch foods to recall list. Identity affected products: www.nlpp.com/

4/16/07: Natural Balance, of Pacoima, Calif. announces recall of Venison and Brown Rice dog treats and Venison and Green Pea dry cat food, after the company confirms evidence of melamine in the food. That chemical is believed to have contaminated rice protein concentrate, an imported Chinese ingredient. Identify affected products: www.naturalbalanceinc.com/

4/12/07: FDA issues press release warning consumers retail stores may have recalled food on shelves. U.S. Senate begins hearings to investigate the food recall and the government’s role in regulation of pet food.

4/10/07: Menu Foods adds 36 more cat food products to recall list.

4/5/07: Menu Foods expands recall list — more than 100 products.

3/26/07: FDA finds chemical melamine, used in plastics and fertilizers, in tainted food.

3/24/07: Menu Foods expands recall list — more than 90 products.

3/23/07: New York State Department of Agriculture and Cornell University find aminopterin, a rat poison also used to fight cancer, in several Menu Foods samples.

3/16/07: Menu Foods announces initial recall of several brands of pet food after deaths of 16 animals.

Note the month-long gap here, between Menu Food’s discovery of toxic foods and its public recall. Kinship Circle

2/20/07: Menu Foods notifies Food and Drug Administration that it received reports of sick animals that ingested its products.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

3. Feeling Powerless? 2 Ways YOU Can Take Action

1. Clean Up The Pet Food Supply – Be a voice in Senator Dick Durbin’s letter campaign to FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach — For more than 100 million Americans, a cat or dog is part of the family. That’s why the recent pet food contamination crisis, a tragedy that has led to the illness or deaths of thousands of pets across the country, has hit so close to home.

Recently, I spearheaded a Senate Committee hearing to find out what went wrong — why contaminated pet food made its way into the food supply, and how we can make sure it never happens again. So far, we’ve learned that the response of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been wholly inadequate.

That is why I hope that you will forward an email to FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach — tell him that it’s time for the FDA to improve the safety of our pet food supply now!

SEND YOUR ONLINE LETTER FROM SENATOR DURBIN’S WEBSITE:
ga3.org/campaign/petfoodsafety?qp_source=petfood%5fgoogle

2. My Pet Counts! Postcard Blitz
www.petconnection.com/

We are calling on all pet owners, parents, guardians who have lost a pet due to contaminated pet food to join us in a post card blitz to demonstrate the full scope of this pet food recall disaster.

WHO: Anyone who has lost a pet due to contaminated pet food.

WHAT: Post cards may have a picture of your pet, or can be blank. Purchase cards or design your own. Each set of postcards represents one pet. If you have lost multiple pets, send multiple cards to each address. Only one set of postcards per dead pet , please. Postcards ONLY, this is to ensure the mail is delivered with no security delay.

WHERE: No need to leave home. Mail your postcards from your own mailbox.

WHEN: All postcards should be mailed on Saturday, April 28, 2007. This coincides with the national march organized by KOPS (Keep Our Pets Safe). If all postcards are mailed on the same day, the impact will be all the greater when received at the other end.

WHY: By sticking to the “only 16 confirmed deaths” wording this disaster is being grossly minimized. The word must get out!

HOW: Mail a postcard to each of the addresses provided.

The message should be very short, easy to read, no anger, profanity, or rudeness of any kind. Let them see your grief. Tug at their heartstrings. Use your pet’s name. Use the words “My Pet Counts!”

POST CARD MAILING LIST:

Marcia K. Larkins, D.V.M
FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine
Ombudsman
7519 Standish Place HFV-7; Rockville, MD 20855

Senator Richard Durbin
309 Hart Senate Office Building; Washington, DC 20510

Your own Senator:
addresses at tinyurl.com/b1lm

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW; Washington, DC 20500

Anderson Cooper
c/o CNN
One CNN Center; Atlanta, Georgia 30303-2762

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

4. (Duh) Pet Food Recall Expands To Human Foods

SOURCE: Pet Food Recall Extended to Human Foods

The distinction between the pet foods and human foods being recalled is starting to blur. News of contaminated pork reaching human dinner tables was released last week from a hog farm in California. The hogs were fed food salvaged from pet food manufacturers before the recall. Now the FDA has issued warnings for pork in 6 states as well as chicken meat…

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

5. Recently In The News

* CHECK FOR LATEST HEADLINES HERE
del.icio.us/poopcity/food_recall_07

* 4/25/06 - Pet Food Recall Extended to Human Foods
vetmedicine.about.com/od/nutritioninformation/a/PetFoodRecall2.htm?nl=1

* China to allow US pet food inquiry
www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2007/04/24/china_to_allow_us_pet_food_inquiry/

* 4/24/07 - Pet Food Recall - Intentional Contamination?
vetmedicine.about.com/b/a/257164.htm

* 4/23/07 - You Are What You Eat: The Politics of Pet Food
www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_john_r_m_070423_you_are_what_you_eat.htm

* 4/21/07 - Senate to look at food safety
www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/living/17107899.htm

* 4/21/07 - Pet owners should remain alert about recalled food list
www.orovillemr.com/news/chico/ci_5718948

* 4/21/07 - Fear on menu: Local pet owners taking dinner into their own hands
www.mlive.com/news/fljournal/index.ssf?/base/news-43/1177158056132180.xml&coll=5

* FDA: Pet food tainting might be intentional
Plastics chemical can make feed appear more protein-rich
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18210224/

* 4/18/07: Nationwide recall expands to include rice protein, FDA says
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18173908/

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

6. Product Recall Lists And Info

* COMPREHENSIVE, CURRENT RECALL LIST
www.howl911.com/petfoodrecall_list.htm

* 2007 Pet Food Recall Database
data.tennessean.com/DB/petfood2007/petfood2007.php

* AVMA Comprehensive Pet Food Recall List
www.avma.org/aa/menufoodsrecall/products.asp

* MENU FOODS Recalled Dog Product Information
www.menufoods.com/recall/product_dog.html
Recall Information 1-866-895-2708

* MENU FOODS Recalled Cat Product Information
www.menufoods.com/recall/product_cat.html
Recall Information 1-866-895-2708

* NATURAL LIFE
www.nlpp.com/

* BLUE BUFFALO
www.bluebuff.com/

* ROYAL CANIN
www.royalcanin.us/

* C.J. FOODS
www.extrudedpetfood.com/index.php?pagename=Recall_Information

* NATURAL BALANCE
www.naturalbalanceinc.com/

* NUTRO
www.nutroproducts.com/menufoods.asp

* DEL MONTE
www.delmonte.com/petfoodrecall.html

* SUNSHINE MILLS
www.sunshinemills.com/

* PURINA
purina.com/

* HILL’S (SCIENCE DIET)
www.hillspet.com/menu_foods/md_Recall_03302007_en_US.htm

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

7. Bookmark Links With Continually Updated Info

* FDA’s Comprehensive Pet Food Recall News Updates
www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/petfood.html

* PetConnection.com
www.petconnection.com/blog/

* SUBSCRIBE TO RECALL E-UPDATES from The National Pet Foundation
www.nationalpetfoundation.com/pet-food-recall.html

* SUBSCRIBE TO E-UPDATES from Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=fda-recalls-l&A=1

* Information Portal For Pet Food Recalls & Related News
www.howl911.com/

* Poop City
poopcity.typepad.com/poop_city/

* Pet Food Tracker
petfoodtracker.blogspot.com/

* Itchmo
www.itchmo.com/

* The PetsitUSA.com Blog
petsitusa.com/blog/?p=210

* Pet Foods NOT On Recall List
www.thepetfoodlist.com/

* ASPCA Pet Food Recall Resource Center
www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=recall

* Get The Facts: What’s Really in Pet Food
www.api4animals.org/facts.php?p=359&more=1

* HSUS Pet Food Safety Center
www.hsus.org/pets/pet_food_safety_center/

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

8. To Make Reports And Follow Government News

Report your pet’s illness or death to the PetConnection.com database, a self-reporting veterinarian-sponsored website: www.petconnection.com/recall/

Report your pet’s illness or death to the FDA for your pet to be counted: www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html

FDA posts new information on pet food recall and its regulation of pet foods: www.fda.gov/cvm/petfoods.htm#newsreleases

FDA Enforcement Report Index: www.fda.gov/opacom/ Enforce.html

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

9. Goodbye Precious Babies

SOURCE: www.flickr.com/photos/lisacat/445640800/in/pool-petfoodrecall/

Sachi lost her life to poisoned, recalled food
www.flickr.com/photos/7486018@N06/431675615/in/pool-petfoodrecall/

Blitz - Died March 23, 2007
www.flickr.com/photos/lisacat/436628993/in/pool-petfoodrecall/

My Angel died from the recalled food on March 2, 2007
www.flickr.com/photos/7490429@N06/431965063/in/pool-petfoodrecall/

PET FOOD RECALL PHOTO GALLERY
www.flickr.com/groups/petfoodrecall/

KINSHIP CIRCLE RESOURCES

4/14/07: PET FOOD RECALL: News, Updates, Action
www.kinshipcircle.org/updates/updates_04_14_07.html

4/2/07: TOXIC FOOD - Essential Recall Updates
www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1638&seriesfirst=true

Demand Action Against Menu Foods:
www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1638&seriesfirst=true#8

*****************************

Kinship Circle is a nonprofit organization. Donations help us meet expenses for the literature, website, research and campaigns — that let YOU take action for animals. Please keep Kinship Circle in mind when you donate.

DONATE: www.kinshipcircle.org/donation/donations.html

BEAR WITNESS. SPEAK. DEMAND. ACT.
KINSHIP CIRCLE - Action Campaigns I Literature I Voice For Animals
Nonprofit working in animal protection/cruelty + animal disaster relief campaigns
Brenda Shoss, president * Janet Enoch, vice-president
info [at] kinshipcircle.org or kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
www.KinshipCircle.org * www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/default.html

*****************************

SUBSCRIBE:
Kinship Circle maintains 2 separate mail lists:

1. KINSHIP CIRCLE Primary: Action campaigns for animal cruelty issues, worldwide
2. KINSHIP CIRCLE Animal Disaster Relief List: Animal rescue coordination/news in disasters

Kinship Circle Primary: subscribe [at] kinshipcircle.org
TELL US: SUBSCRIBE TO KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY

Kinship Circle Animal Disaster Relief: kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
TELL US: SUBSCRIBE TO KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER RELIEF
IF YOU ARE A RESIDENT OF LOUISIANA OR MISSISSIPPI

*****************************

*Kinship Circle cannot guarantee the validity of email addresses. During a campaign, recipients may change or disable their email addresses.

—– Original Message —–
From: Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
Date: Apr 24, 2007 2:04 PM
Subject: 4/30 Deadline For Abused Cats Near NOLA

KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER RELIEF - PERMISSION TO CROSSPOST

4/24/07: [GULF COAST] 4/30 Deadline For Abused Cats Near NOLA
www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/default.html

SOURCE: Teresa Baker, tbakerarno [at] yahoo.com

4/23/07, from tbakerarno [at] yahoo.com — On 4/22, Susan, Cathy [from Best Friends] and I rescued 10 cats in Franklinton, Louisiana — about 1 hour/40 minutes outside New Orleans. The cats were rescued from very poor conditions and there are at least 10-15 more left behind.

They were found in a cramped wire enclosure under a crumbling ceiling. Their floor is a blanket of hay, trash and feces. Spiders and roaches crawl over the area and the animals. Their pen is hot, bug-infested…and one is dead among them. All the cats have fleas and ticks… Some are ill.

Running Out Of Time!

Deadline to retrieve rest of cats is 4/30/07. These cats will be destroyed if not rescued by 4/30. We plan to return 4/29/07, but urgently need help:

* CATCHING the cats
* TRANSPORTING them
* FOSTERING them until placement in homes or sanctuaries
* ADOPTING cat(s) permanently

Volunteers Needed Sunday, 4/29/07

To help with the rescue of these abused cats:

* MEET: Sunday, 4/29/07, 10:30 a.m.
* WHERE: Franklinton, Louisiana (will provide directions to anyone who responds)
* CONTACT: Teresa Baker, 504-914-6512 or tbakerarno [at] yahoo.com

CONTACT: Teresa Baker, 504-914-6512 or tbakerarno [at] yahoo.com

* If you can help with 4/29 rescue
* If you can foster or adopt any of the cats

Background

We don’t have many details on the background of this case… Only that this caretaker took in cats and housed them in an outdoor enclosure which we consider very poorly maintained and not suited for animals.

The animals are kept inside a wire mesh type enclosure. The ceiling is falling down, the floor is covered with hay and garbage and animal feces. There are spiders and roaches covering everything including the animals. The pen is hot, infested with insects and had one dead cat that we found so far. The cats are infested with fleas and tics and some are sickly.

The property is going to be taken over by someone who does not want the animals and has given a deadline of 4/30 to get them taken away. I responded to an email put out by Best Friends and drove out to find the cats trapped in this mesh enclosure. They were fed recently by a friend of the lady who passed away but needed clean water and additional food.

We can get the manpower to catch and transport the cats — the problem is what do we do with them once we get them. So far we have run out of resources to place them. Surely, there is some organization that can take these animals or a few that can each take some of them. The cats are friendly and supposedly are spayed and neutered.

So far ARNO has come to our rescue but cannot take any more animals. They’ve already taken in 10 cats. There are also dogs who come to the back of the property for food. They’ll have to be trapped… We couldn’t find them but saw where they’re eating from. A neighbor left them raw meat that was rotted and infested with insects. We left dry dog food but had no luck finding any dogs for the last three days. We believe there are puppies and older dogs roaming around. We will continue to investigate the dog situation.

CONTACT: Teresa Baker, 504-914-6512 or tbakerarno [at] yahoo.com

*****************************

DONATE: www.kinshipcircle.org/donation/donations.html

BEAR WITNESS. SPEAK. DEMAND. ACT.
Action Campaigns I Literature I Voice For Animals
Nonprofit working in animal protection/cruelty + animal disaster relief campaigns
Brenda Shoss, president * Janet Enoch, vice-president
info [at] kinshipcircle.org or kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
www.KinshipCircle.org * www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/default.html

*****************************

SUBSCRIBE:
Kinship Circle maintains 2 separate mail lists:

1. KINSHIP CIRCLE Primary: Action campaigns for animal cruelty issues, worldwide
2. KINSHIP CIRCLE Animal Disaster Relief List: Animal rescue coordination/news in disasters

Kinship Circle Primary: subscribe [at] kinshipcircle.org
TELL US: SUBSCRIBE TO KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY

Kinship Circle Animal Disaster Relief: kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
TELL US: SUBSCRIBE TO KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER RELIEF
IF YOU ARE A RESIDENT OF LOUISIANA OR MISSISSIPPI

*****************************

Kinship Circle Animal Disaster Relief reports Gulf Coast needs, news, missing/found animals, reunions, etc. There are still many animals roaming sparsely populated areas… We also report needs/news for animals in other disasters as they unfold, i.e. central Florida tornadoes, Northeast (USA) floods, Middle East crisis and other war zones, Kentucky pound flood… Thank you for your commitment to forgotten victims in disasters.

*****************************

*Kinship Circle cannot guarantee the validity of email addresses. During a campaign, recipients may change or disable their email addresses.

—– Original Message —–
From: DawnWatch - news [at] dawnwatch.com
Date: Apr 19, 2007 3:05 PM
Subject: DawnWatch tip: Natural Life vegetarian cans added to pet food recall list 4/17/07

While I cannot entirely keep up with the pet food recall story, I wanted to let people know that there has been an addition particularly likely to affect some people on animal rights lists. Menu foods has added Natural Life Vegetarian 13.2oz cans to its list. See
www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/menu304_07.html.

Thanks to activist Mary Finelli for making sure we knew about it.

None of the organic vegetarian pet foods are on the recall list.

Yours and the animals’,
Karen Dawn

—– Original Message —–

Menu Foods Recall Update
Sources indicate that nearly 40,000 animals ingested contaminated food

The recall of pet food manufactured by Menu Foods that has killed approximately 3,900 cats and dogs has made many guardians understandably fearful for their animal companions’ health and safety, and many people have called the IDA office seeking information in recent weeks. The deaths and illnesses caused by the poisoned food are great cause for concern, and IDA will continue to provide our members with the latest updates on this crisis.

Since we first reported on this story in our March 21st eNews, the source of the contamination has been identified as a wheat gluten imported from China that contained melamine, a toxic industrial chemical that causes kidney failure. The most comprehensive database on the effects of the contamination have been compiled by Banfield, The Pet Hospital, one of the nation’s largest veterinary hospital chains with over 600 locations throughout the U.S. According to this source, approximately 39,000 cats and dogs probably ingested the poisoned food.

With an estimated 130 million cats and dogs in the U.S., it is believed that only about one out of every 30,000 animal companions were directly affected. However, when it comes to our animal friends, each one is a unique, precious, and irreplaceable being, so even one death is too many. IDA offers our condolences to those who lost their animals to this tragedy. Yet we remain hopeful that perhaps this misfortune will awaken people to the need for greater safeguards on the foods we feed our animal companions, and the development of better mechanisms to deal with problems that may arise in the future.

For example, when there is an outbreak of foodborne illness among the human population, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) take charge of the tracking and documentation of cases, which is essential to minimizing the number of victims. However, no such federal agency exists to protect animal companions. Just as Hurricane Katrina prompted the government to pass the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act, the Menu Foods recall may provide the impetus needed to form a CDC for cats and dogs.

What You Can Do

- Contact the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and politely urge them to push the federal government to form an equivalent to the CDC for cats and dogs so that future foodborne illness outbreaks among animal companions can be more closely tracked and more quickly contained.

AVMA
1931 North Meacham Road, Suite 100
Schaumburg, IL 60173
Tel: (847) 925-8070
Fax: (847) 925-1329
E-mail: avmainfo [at] avma.org

- To obtain further information on the Menu Foods recall, here are some helpful websites and phone numbers:
Menu Foods: (866) 895-2708 or (866) 463-6738
Procter & Gamble (Iams, Eukanuba): (800) 882-1591
Nutro Products: (800) 833-5330
Purina (Mighty Dog): (800) 551-7392
Hill’s Pet Nutrition (Science Diet): (800) 445-5777

- If you believe your animal companion has eaten contaminated food, contact one of the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinators in your area to report the illness for tracking purposes.

- If your animal companion has suffered or died as a result of eating the brands that are now being recalled, you may qualify to be part of a possible class action lawsuit. Submit your complaint to a lawyer for a free evaluation. Also learn more about class action lawsuits.

—– Original Message —–
From: Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
Date: Apr 17, 2007 2:18 PM
Subject: Animals In Katrina-Wasted Area Need Way Out

KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER RELIEF - PERMISSION TO CROSSPOST

4/17/07: [GULF COAST] Animals In Katrina-Wasted Area Need Way Out
www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/default.html

This is Baby Noah

Isn’t he gorgeous? Baby Noah adopted me during Kinship Circle’s animal-aid trip to New Orleans in February. He is Katrina’s offspring, a no-name kitten left at P.A.W.S. (Plaquemines Animal Welfare Society) — along with an endless stream of others like him. Baby Noah’s name reflects the flood imagery of Plaquemines — a region bounded by the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico. Katrina’s winds struck at over 150 mph. Levees crumbled on both banks and water gushed in at 20 feet or higher.

Help Animals Like Baby Noah In Plaquemines

As long as P.A.W.S. remains full, animals go to the pound, where they are killed.

Jana, P.A.W.S., 504-392-1601; plaqueminescat [at] yahoo.com

View other DOGS for adoption

Gus, P.A.W.S., 504-392-1601; plaqueminescat [at] yahoo.com

View other CATS for adoption

CONTACT P.A.W.S. TO HELP

P.A.W.S., Plaquemines Animal Welfare Society
504-392-1601; plaqueminescat [at] yahoo.com
9596 Highway 23 South; Belle Chasse, LA 70037

PAWS is a tax deductible 501(c)3
Donations should be sent to:
P.A.W.S. Relief Fund
P.O. Box 83; Belle Chasse, LA 70037

More information about P.A.W.S.
www.petfinder.com/shelters/LA25.html

When Katrina Hit Plaquemine Parish…

…Today, lower Plaquemines remains eerily quiet:

Sprawling FEMA trailer parks are home to most residents of lower Plaquemines. (photo: Kinship Circle. 2/20/07)

Abandoned schoolyards and churches patiently wait. Skeletal homes are still heaped in ruined belongings. (photos: Kinship Circle in Plaquemines, 2/20/07)

Here amid the clutter, animals survive. (photo: Kinship Circle, 2/20/07)

Kinship Circle movie: A Place Between Hope And Despair

STORY/PHOTOS: www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/nola_now.html

MOVIE: www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/nola_video.html

Best viewed if movie is downloaded to your computer and opened in Quicktime, so you can enlarge view.

Contact Ramona Billot To Volunteer For Animals In Plaquemines
Ramona Billot / Plaquemines Parish
102 A Omega; Belle Chase, LA 70037
504-606-3116, ramonabillot [at] yahoo.com

*****************************

DONATE: www.kinshipcircle.org/donation/donations.html

*****************************

SUBSCRIBE:
Kinship Circle maintains 2 separate mail lists:

1. KINSHIP CIRCLE Primary: Action campaigns for animal cruelty issues, worldwide
2. KINSHIP CIRCLE Animal Disaster Relief List: Animal rescue coordination/news in disasters

Kinship Circle Primary: subscribe [at] kinshipcircle.org
TELL US: SUBSCRIBE TO KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY

Kinship Circle Animal Disaster Relief: kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
TELL US: SUBSCRIBE TO KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER RELIEF
IF YOU ARE A RESIDENT OF LOUISIANA OR MISSISSIPPI

*****************************

Kinship Circle Animal Disaster Relief reports Gulf Coast needs, news, missing/found animal reports, etc. There are still many animals roaming sparsely populated areas… We also report needs/news for animals in other disasters as they unfold, i.e. central Florida tornadoes, Northeast (USA) floods, Middle East crisis and other war zones, Kentucky pound flood… Thank you for your commitment to forgotten victims in disasters.

—– Original Message —–
From: Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
Date: Apr 14, 2007 4:09 PM
Subject: ARNO Registration of Feeders

REPLY TO ARNO CONTACT: arnoinfo [at] cox.net

DO NOT REPLY TO KINSHIP CIRCLE
If you reply to Kinship Circle, which cannot answer questions directly for ARNO, we will forward your email to ARNO.

—— Forwarded Message
From: Charlotte Bass - table25 [at] bellsouth.net
Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2007
Subject: ARNO Registration of Feeders

P L E A S E C R O S S P O S T A S W R I T T E N

All ARNO feeders need to register before May 1

In an effort to provide dry food on a regular basis ARNO is requiring registration of all feeders/trappers/caretakers. ARNO has dry food scheduled to come in over the next few months starting next week, but in the past three months dry food on hand that should have lasted months has disappeared in only weeks. Dry food costs us money, either for the food itself or for the transportation to get it to our area or both. Personal hoarding of food by individual feeders cannot be allowed… it only deprives the next feeder of needed food.

Why register?

ARNO intends that mandatory registration will allow us to calculate an allotment of food for each feeder, as well as monitor food usage and schedule TNR efforts in the area(s) you service. Some of you already have submitted your information based on the notice posted at the feeder’s logout clipboard. Make sure we have all the information from you that we ask for below under ‘requirements.’ With an ARNO ID you will still have to signout your food allotment, so we know when you receive your food.

Substitute feeders

Each feeder (including substitute feeders) must have an ARNO ID to obtain available food. If your stations are serviced by more than one person each of you still needs to register. Just please state that you are a part-time ’substitute’ feeder and for whom. You will still be required to provide all the information listed under requirements to be granted an ARNO ID which will enable you to pickup available food from ARNO’s warehouse. If you have indigents in your area that you supply cat or dog food for their personal pets (not public feeding), please list them as a ‘Citizen’ as opposed to a ’station’ or ‘colony’ and their address. If you know their name please provide.

Requirements

1. Digital scan of your driver’s license (prefer scan to be at 150-200% jpeg, dpi settings 100 to 300dpi, under 5mb) to be emailed to arnoinfo [at] cox.net. If you do not have scanning abilities, please go to a Kinko’s or other local quick printer to have this done. (We do not have the staff to scan and collate the information we receive, it is up to you to get this to us if you wish to continue receiving food from ARNO. Some of you have turned in a copy of your license, and those we already have we will accept, but an identification card WILL NOT be produced if we do not receive the rest of the information as noted below via email.)

2. All contact information for you; including cell phone, a current address if not as per your license. We also need your email address, or the email address of someone who can and will receive information and pass on to you if you do not have email.

3. Physical street addresses of the stations or colonies you feed. Sightings and other comments are extremely helpful.

Deadline

All required information/scans must be received by May 1. After April no ARNO IDs will be issued, except to substitute feeders or trappers, and only at our discretion.

Email your info

In your email subject line put: FEEDER. Make sure to send all information together via email to arnoinfo [at] cox.net. If we are missing any of the above info you will not be granted an ARNO ID card, i.e. you will not be granted a food allotment. Separate emails may delay you getting an ID card, which will delay you in being able to obtain available food. Feeding stations can be listed in the email, or provided in a separate Word document or an Excel spreadsheet.

Monitor your food usage

ARNO supervisors have been spot checking food/water stations and find in many cases they are filled with too much food. If you have food left in your pans (other than a smidgen) when you service your stations then you know you are putting out too much food. Each aluminum tin should be filled with no more than 1.5 to 2 lbs. of dry food. A 20-lb. bag of dry food will minimally service ten stations. (Dense foods, such as Nutro dry, require half the amount of regular dry per station.) Wet food should only be used in conjunction with humane traps because of spoilage. We recommend feeders’ obtain a 16- oz. (one pound) container to measure food more accurately.

Initially we will not be able to calculate all feeders’ food allotments, but shortly all will have a food allotment based on number of stations and number of animals sighted for each feeder. Supervisors will be routinely checking different areas to monitor food usage and resident return in order to consolidate and eliminate stations, and facilitate TNR. Feeders will be notified of trapping in their areas and their assistance will be required.

Questions?

Address all comments/questions to arnoinfo [at] cox.net and NOT to volunteer staff at shelter. Your questions will be answered in the order they are received as schedule allows.

Answer to FAQs

* If you have provided by email ALL the required information, your name and initial allotment will be given to shelter staff to receive food while waiting for your ARNO ID card. If missing any information you will not receive even an initial allotment.

* Granting of an ARNO ID does not mean you will always be able to receive food. We purchase food based on the funds we have available. Food is not our only necessary expense, a roof over the food and the animals, as well as utilities, are also required to operate. Donation levels do not always provide enough funds to have a constant supply of food. Careful management of food and feeding, combined with TNR efforts, will put ARNO in a better position to keep food on hand.

* The information you provide is for ARNO’s use only. In addition to stated reasons for managing food and feeding, the collection of data will allow us to better address public health concerns, as well as aid trappers engaged by ARNO in TNR efforts.

—— End of Forwarded Message

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GET COOL CLOTHES - www.kinshipcircle.org/store/default.html

DONATE: www.kinshipcircle.org/donation/donations.html

BEAR WITNESS. SPEAK. DEMAND. ACT.
Kinship Circle - Action Campaigns I Literature I Voice For Animals
Nonprofit working in animal protection/cruelty + animal disaster relief campaigns
info [at] kinshipcircle.org or kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
www.KinshipCircle.org * www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/default.html

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SUBSCRIBE:
Kinship Circle maintains 2 separate mail lists:

1. KINSHIP CIRCLE Primary: Action campaigns for animal cruelty issues, worldwide
2. KINSHIP CIRCLE Animal Disaster Relief List: Animal rescue coordination/news in disasters

Kinship Circle Primary: subscribe [at] kinshipcircle.org
TELL US: SUBSCRIBE TO KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY

Kinship Circle Animal Disaster Relief: kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
TELL US: SUBSCRIBE TO KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER RELIEF
IF YOU ARE A RESIDENT OF LOUISIANA OR MISSISSIPPI

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—– Original Message —–
From: Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
Date: Apr 14, 2007 4:09 PM
Subject: [GULF COAST] For The Animals’ Sake
To: “14. KINSHIP CIRCLE Animal Disaster Relief List” brick.net>

KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER RELIEF - PERMISSION TO CROSSPOST

4/14/07: [GULF COAST] For The Animals’ Sake, In Gulf Coast And Beyond
PAST NEWSLETTERS: www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/default.html

ANIMAL ISSUE OF THE WEEK:
Rivers Of Blood - Canada’s Brutal Seal Hunt
TAKE ACTION!

IN THIS ALERT:

1. Online Movies About Animals Of Storm
2. Don’t Let Duke Die At The Hands Of Bureaucrats
3. A.R.K. Effort (Animal Rescue After Katrina)
4. Lone Louisiana Needs To Ban Chicken Fighting Now
5. Louisiana State Police Raid Cockfighting Arenas
6. New Orleans Sweeties Need Homes
7. Support Landmark CA Law For Mandatory Spay/Neuter
8. St. Bernard Parish Shelter Fails Inspection
9. Katrina Has Had Emotional Effects On Pets, Too
10. Noah’s Wish No More?
11. Humane Society Louisiana Aids Abused Duck
12. Happy Endings…

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1. Online Movies About Animals Of Storm

Kinship Circle movie: A Place Between Hope And Despair

STORY/PHOTOS: www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/nola_now.html

MOVIE: www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/nola_video.html

Best viewed if movie is downloaded to your computer and opened in Quicktime, so you can enlarge view.

In Defense of the Peaceful Pit Bull Terriers:

Forwarded by Pam Leavy, tundraleap [at] msn.com

server.inalbum.com/show/jodipreis/Message_to_the_Media2.html?296033009

From: Pam Leavy, tundraleap [at] msn.com

These are all the videos, beginning with Lamar Dixon just after the storm, thru Dec. of 2006. I’ll be doing another one covering Jan - April 2007…

You’ll Never Walk Alone - Filmed Sept-Oct. 2005
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kvtKcrQ-3o

I Want To Live - Filmed Oct.-Nov. 2005
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqVAFaCRNe4

Somebody’s Praying - Filmed Dec. 2005
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnrAnRnGUrY

Still Forgotten - Filmed July-Sept 2006 (with some early year footage)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl4D3dW0N_o

Troubled Waters - Filmed Oct.-Dec. 2006
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2G5ssfTOIu4

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2. Don’t Let Duke Die At The Hands Of Bureaucrats

SOURCE: ilovemybacon [at] yahoo.com

4/13/07, from ilovemybacon [at] yahoo.com — This is the last chance for Duke, the Suffolk County Pitbull imprisoned for 3-1/2 years and sentenced to death for allegedly biting another dog. His case is now under review by the Appellate Court with hopes they’ll view the prior decision as unjust and give poor Duke his life back. For those unfamiliar with the story, here is the latest entry in Newsday that summarizes the situation.

Denise Melendez asks all those who support Duke to please write a letter to the court. See sample letter to the Appellate Court below. Your letter could bring Duke one small step closer to freedom…

At the Appellate Term: Order to Show Cause return date is April 27, 2007, Issue at this court is whether to vacate the first hearing that you received a default on because of the defective notice and the one man hearing that was held.

SAMPLE LETTER FROM DENISE MENENDEZ

**SAMPLE LETTER ALSO ATTACHED TO THIS EMAIL, in Word Doc format for easy modifications, printing and sending.

Appellate Division 2nd Department
45 Monroe Place
Brooklyn, NY 11201

RE: Dominick Motta v. Denise Melendez
IN SUPPORT OF DUKE AND THE APPELLANT DENISE MELENDEZ

Dear Appellate Division 2nd Department,

I am writing to you to express my support of Denise Melendez and her pet Duke. I believe that the sentencing on the second hearing was too severe based on the misapplication of the dangerous dog law which did not cover dog on dog attacks at the time of the incident.

Please take into consideration that there has been no evidence that Duke was the dog involved in the attack. He has been tested several times by a professional and has been deemed a non aggressive dog. The employees at the Town of Islip shelter claim that he is the nicest dog they have seen in years. He is obviously not a threat to anyone. Please do not allow breed discrimination to be a factor in your decision. Duke has proved himself to be a good dog and deserves to go home to his family.

Sincerely,
Your name, address, phone

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3. A.R.K. Effort (Animal Rescue After Katrina)

SOURCE: Brenda Shoss, Kinship Circle, info [at] kinshipcircle.org; Kathy Sweeney, kathybsweeney [at] yahoo.com; Ramona Billot,
ramonabillot [at] yahoo.com; Traci Kestler, tbkestler [at] cox.net

Cat recently spotted in New Orleans

Katrina-Affected Animals Still Need You

New Orleans cats and dogs scavenge in sparsely populated areas. Even in semi-repopulated areas, many residents are so financially strapped (and living in FEMA trailers alongside destroyed homes) they can no longer care for their own pets — let alone street animals.

These NOLA residents, Katrina evacuees themselves, have been devoted to animal recovery since returning to their damaged homes nearly two years ago.

YOU CAN HELP THEM BY DONATING MONEY OR SUPPLIES:
CHECKS OR PETCO/PETSMART GIFT CARDS
Mail directly to Traci, Kathy or Ramona. Addresses below.
ARRANGE SHIPMENT OF FOOD/SUPPLIES
Contact Traci, Kathy or Ramona directly.
Traci Kestler / ARNO & independents’
P.O. Box 55284; Metairie, LA 70055-5284
504-975-5971, tbkestler [at] cox.net
ONLINE: www.ARFL.petfinder.com

Kathy Sweeney / Lakeview
1105 Taft Park; Metairie, LA 70001
504-343-3683, kathybsweeney [at] yahoo.com

Ramona Billot / Plaquemines Parish
102 A Omega; Belle Chase, LA 70037
504-606-3116, ramonabillot [at] yahoo.com

OR, you may send checks (no gift cards) via Kinship Circle, a nonprofit org. We’ll distribute funds monthly. Please send donations earmarked for A.R.K.:

ONLINE DONATIONS:
www.kinshipcircle.org/donation/

**IF DONATING ONLINE AT KINSHIP CIRCLE WEBSITE:
Please also send an email to kinshipcircle [at] brick.net confirming your donation is specifically for A.R.K.

BY MAIL:
Send check made out to Kinship Circle to:
Kinship Circle
A.R.K. Effort (Animal Rescue After Katrina)
7380 Kingsbury Blvd.; Saint Louis, MO 63130
memo: Animal Rescue After Katrina (A.R.K)

Kinship Circle, nonprofit, registered in the state of Missouri
Charter number: N00071626 * Certification number: 7789294
[Federal] Employee Identification Number (EIN): 20-5869532

Some of the hungry animals Kinship Circle fed while in New Orleans in February. These two cats are in Plaquemines Parish.

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4. Lone Louisiana Needs To Ban Chicken Fighting Now

SOURCE: Bfleb2 [at] aol.com

FROM KINSHIP CIRCLE: With cockfighting now outlawed in New Mexico — followed by recent passage of a federal bill that makes the bloodsport a felony — Louisiana is the only state left to condone fatal fights between two drugged birds with razor-sharp gaffs strapped to their feet.

4/13/07, from Bfleb2 [at] aol.com — Chicken Fighting (sorry but I won’t refer to this garbage with the positive term “Cockfighting” term that glorifies it) is still legal in backward state of Louisiana where I reside. There is an effort yet again to make it illegal. Despite an overwhelming majority of people in Louisiana wanting the practice made illegal a powerful group of backward, rural legislators want to continue fighting chickens.

1. SUPPORT SEN. LENTINI’S PROPOSED COCKFIGHTING BAN
Senator Arthur J. “Art” Lentini
P.O. Box 94183
Baton Rouge, LA 70804
ph: 225-342-2040; email: lentini [at] legis.state.la.us

Senator Arthur J. “Art” Lentini (District 10) leads the effort to ban chicken fighting in Louisiana. He has consistently sponsored bills to outlaw animal abuse and chicken fighting. He is an ardent supporter of humane treatment for animals. Support Senator Lentini’s efforts by thanking him and urging him to continue on behalf of Louisianans and the nationwide majority.

2. ASK JOE SALTER (Speaker of the LA House) TO HEAR BILL
Rep. Joe Salter
house.louisiana.gov/H_Reps/members.asp?ID=24
State Capitol Building
P.O. Box 94062 Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70804-9062
ph: 225-342-7263, 800-259-4135; fax: 225-342-8336

Please contact Rep Joe Salter (Speaker of the House) and urge him to move Sen. Lentini’s bill into the House Judiciary Committee so it does not die in Agriculture Committee.

Gov Blanco has also expressed support for a chicken fighting ban. One proposed bill to ban “chicken fighting” has a “phase out” period of 3 years, which is of course ridiculous and is simply an attempt by the “chicken fighting” lobby to take the spotlight off the issue and let them repeal this bill at some point during the next 3 years. Do not be fooled by this subterfuge. It’s LA politics at its worst.

Senator Lentini will issue a far more encompassing bill to make it illegal to engage in “chicken fighting” or be a spectator at “chicken fights.” This is the bill we must support.

These bills traditionally go to the Agriculture Committee where committee members kill them. On the days they dismiss/kill these bills, the Ag Committee even goes so far as to order in fried chicken for lunch as a statement of contempt for the “animal freaks.” This committee should not hear this bill. Instead, it should go to the House Judiciary Committee, which normally handles matters of crime and punishment.

3. TELL LOUISIANA’S “BAD GUYS” HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THEIR BLOODSPORT

House Agricultural Committee: house.louisiana.gov/H_Cmtes/H_Cmte_AG.asp

Rep. Troy Hebert
PO Box 32
Jeanerette, LA 70544
ph: 337-276-6564; fax: 337-276-5497
email: Jeanerettelarep049 [at] legis.state.la.us

Sen. Donald Cravins Jr.
707 N. Main Street
Opelousas, LA 70570
ph: 337-943-2407; email: cravinsd [at] legis.state.la.us

Bad guys in the Chicken Fighting Debate: All House Agricultural Committee members voted the last 2 years to retain “chicken fighting.” Among legislators who favor retaining chicken fighting are Rep. Troy Hebert and Sen. Donald Cravins Jr. Both are long time public chicken fighting advocates and say they attend chicken fights and bring their children. Send them letters, faxes and emails with your opinion of chicken fighting.

LINKS TO RECENT NEWS STORIES:
news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070409/ap_on_re_us/louisiana_cockfighting
www.thetowntalk.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070320/NEWS01/703200321

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

5. Louisiana State Police Raid Cockfighting Arenas

SOURCE: Jeff Dorson, Executive Director, Humane Society of Louisiana
stopcruelty11 [at] gmail.com

4/1/07, from stopcruelty11 [at] gmail.com — For the first time in recent memory, agents from the Louisiana State Police Gaming Enforcement Division raided 2 cockfighting arenas and arrested the owners and some participants, charging them with money laundering, racketeering, illegal gambling, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according to Associated Press reports. “It was a cockfighting casino,” said Doug Pierrelee, state police spokesperson, about the recently raided Sunrise Game Club. The Sunrise Game Club, located just south of Logansport, and the Milk Dairy Game Club located in the village of Tickfaw in Tangipahoa parish were both recently raided by the state police, after conducting a year old investigation.

The Humane Society of Louisiana urges residents of Louisiana and other concerned citizens to thank Colonel Henry L. Whitehorn for his decision to authorize these raids and for overseeing these investigations conducted by the Gaming Enforcement Division. You may also wish to praise the work of Lt. Colonel Dane Morgan, Major Genny May, Captain Joe Lentini, and Lt. Rhett Trahan for their roles in planning, organizing, and/or participating in these investigations for over the past year.

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR LETTERS OF SUPPORT:
Colonel Henry L. Whitehorn
Superintendent of the Louisiana State Police
P.O . Box 66614
Baton Rouge, LA 70896-6614

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

6. New Orleans Sweeties Need Homes

SOURCE: www.animalrescueneworleans.com

Foster/Adopt For Animal Rescue New Orleans

TO FOSTER/SHELTER ANIMALS, CONTACT:

GREATER NEW ORLEANS AREA
* ARNO FOSTER CARE APPLICATION:
www.animalrescueneworleans.com/foster_form.html
* More ARNO foster info and contacts:
www.animalrescueneworleans.com/fosterinfo.html
* ARNO ADOPTION APPLICATION:
www.animalrescueneworleans.com/adoptions.html
* ARNO (Animal Rescue New Orleans)
504-571-1900 / Adoptions email: adoptfromarno [at] yahoo.com

WEST BANK/BELLE CHASSE AREA
* CONTACT RAMONA BILLOT: ramonabillot [at] yahoo.com

TO VIEW ANIMALS IN NEED:
www.1-800-save-a-pet.com/shelter71665-pets.html

TEDDY (left photo - Male, Young Labrador Retriever Mix), POGO (center photo - Female, Young Labrador Retriever Mix) and ANDY (right photo - Male, Senior Cocker Spaniel Mix) are some of many animals who need homes at ARNO shelter.

See rest of sweeties-in-need: www.1-800-save-a-pet.com/shelter71665-pets.html

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

7. Support Landmark CA Law For Mandatory Spay/Neuter

SOURCE: Marie Atake, Forte Animal Rescue, PawAngel [at] FARescue.org; Zelda Penzel, AnimalAlert-SOS-RESCUE [at] yahoogroups.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.cahealthypets.com/

OR CONTACT: Judie Mancuso, judie [at] cahealthypets.com; Rich McLellan, rich [at] humanevoters.org

4/12/07, from PawAngel [at] FARescue.org — [You do NOT need to be a California resident to support this proposed state law]. The very cause of the dog/cat overpopulation is lack of spay/neuter. Unless we stop the reproduction, our efforts are no different from scooping water out of a sinking ship. THE WAY to stop unnecessary deaths: Reduce reproduction.

Some rescuers oppose this bill because it is not “perfect.” But while breeders are exempt at the state level, local jurisdictions can include them in their ordinances. For this very reason, many breeders are pouring all their energy and power into blocking this effort (see bottom). It’s time to stop animals’ suffering for profit and greed.

CAST YOUR VOTE TODAY
Should the state require pet owners to spay or neuter dogs and cats?
The opposition is winning by tenfold, please take a moment vote YES: www.mercurynews.com/localnewsheadlines/ci_5640017?source=email
(Click on Cast Your Vote)
You do not need to be a California resident.

4/13/07, forwarded from Zelda, zpenzel [at] nyc.rr.com — AB1634: PRO-PASSAGE has less THAN 500 SIGNATURES. ANTI-PASSAGE HAS OVER 4,000.

PETITION FOR SPAY/NEUTER LEGISLATION
California Healthy Pets Act: AB 1634
www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/877889052?ltl=1176232780

FAX SACRAMENTO COMMITTEE MEMBERS RIGHT NOW
You don’t have to write a long letter. You can just say “I am writing to support AB 1634 The California Healthy Pets Act.” Sign the letter and include your mailing address with zip code, and phone number.

This bill will make it mandatory to spay and neuter pets which will change the outrageous pet overpopulation in LA. Supporters of the bill in Sacramento are horrified to learn from staff of committee members who will vote on this bill that 80-90% of faxes received so far are AGAINST its passage. They told me supporters of the bill need to fax EVERY COMMITTEE MEMBER RIGHT NOW (not just the Chairperson) if we are to convince legislators to pass the bill.

For some reason, they’ve been told only faxes will count, NOT emails and phone calls.

SEND FAXES TO:
Chairman Mike Eng: 916-319-2149
Shirley Horton: 916-319-2178
Karen Bass: 916-319-2147
Wilmer Amina Carter: 916-319-2162
Vice-Chair Bill Emmerson: 916-319-2163
Mary Hayashi: 916-319-2118
Edward Hernandez: 916-319-2157
Shirley Horton: 916-319-2178
Bill Maze (916) 319-2134
Curren Price Jr.: 916-319-2151
Alberto Torrico: 916-319-2120
Lloyd Levine: 818-902-0764

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8. St. Bernard Parish Shelter Fails Inspection

SOURCE: Jeff Dorson, Executive Director, Humane Society of Louisiana, stopcruelty11 [at] gmail.com

4/11/07, from stopcruelty11 [at] gmail.com — UPDATE: After the conditions at the St. Bernard shelter were covered extensively in the local media, parish officials admitted that they were aware of the problems and were considering options to address the issues. In the meantime, Kathryn Destreza, lead investigator for the LA-SPCA, graciously provided personnel, guidance, and some supplies to assist with the operations at this shelter. The LA-SPCA has assisted our organization on a number of different projects, and they continue to do a fantastic job of assisting the Humane Society of Louisiana and law enforcement agencies around the state.

4/2/07, from stopcruelty11 [at] gmail.com — News Release

Contact person: Jeff Dorson 901-268-4432

ST. BERNARD SHELTER FAILS INSPECTION - ANIMALS AND WORKERS EXPOSED TO UNSANITARY AND UNSAFE CONDITIONS.

Acting on tips from visitors to the St. Bernard Animal Shelter, based in Chalmette, representatives from the Humane Society of Louisiana recently inspected the facility and found numerous violations of accepted shelter guidelines. “It appears that virtually nothing has been done to improve this shelter after it was damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita,” says Jeff Dorson, executive director for the group and its primary shelter inspector. “It appears that the parish accepted a substantial amount of funds, which were donated by national humane organizations immediately after the 2005 hurricane season, but it appears that the funds have not been used for their intended purposes,” adds Dorson.

The American SPCA, based out of New York City, and the Humane Society of the United States, which is not affiliated with the Humane Society of Louisiana, donated $70,000 directly to the parish and another $100,000 to a non-profit group that worked closely with the shelter prior to Katrina. “We made several attempts to review our findings with Mr. Chris Merkel, supervisor of the St. Bernard shelter, but he refused to talk to us. We also wanted to know specifically what happened to the funds that were given to this administration and why they were not used. These same 2 national groups pledged to donate an additional $500,000 to build a new shelter for the parish. However, in light of these developments, these funds may be in jeopardy,” says Dorson.

The Humane Society’s inspection report was sent to administration officials last week and copies were also forwarded to the Office of the Attorney General for comment. The report listed serious structural and operational problems, among them:

- Shelter has no working electrical outlets. Extension cords must be used to operate fans to cool the building.

- Dozens of ceiling panels are missing and wires are hanging down throughout the facility.

- Drainage system is inadequate and backs up on a daily basis.

- 2 broken windows that allow rain to enter the building.

- Shelter’s 3 doors cannot close or lock properly, which poses safety issues for employees, visitors, and to the animals.

- Nursing cats and kittens are housed in a stainless steel container that has neither electricity nor running water and which will soon expose th animals to high, life-threatening temperatures.

- No training program or written guidelines for new employees.

“The eyes of the nation continue to shine on St. Bernard parish and its treatment of animals. Recently, a grand jury indicted 2 sheriff’s deputies who have been charged with shooting peoples’ pets during Katrina. A civil lawsuit has also been filed in federal court, alleging the same actions,” concludes Dorson.

Mr. Dorson is available at 901-268-4432 for interviews throughout the day.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

9. Katrina Has Had Emotional Effects On Pets, Too

SOURCE: Forwarded by Marnie Reeder, starbright60 [at] webtv.net
www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/living/16950308.htm

I have discussed today’s topic with many clients over the past year and a half. You won’t find any scientific data on the subject, whether indexed in veterinary publications or on Internet searches. It is simply a result of conversations with clients in my exam rooms.

The topic is that of stress in the pets who endured Hurricane Katrina and the recovery period of their pet owners since then. There is no doubt that many pets have scars that parallel emotions of their human owners. I’ll share some of the situations I’ve heard about. Post-Katrina dog aggression

There have been cases surfacing in which dogs who never showed aggression toward people or other dogs have started showing aggression since the hurricane. No doubt, frustration from having to endure abnormal containment (or lack of) in the days following the storm resulted in behavioral changes for some dogs.

Furthermore, moves to FEMA trailers, other residences, or sometimes relocations to other states before returning home left permanent changes in these dogs. We have yet to see if time will change these behavioral patterns once things normalize a while.

Cats post-Katrina

There is no doubt that cats are creatures of habit, and they do not like changes. I see that at my home, which remained intact for the most part post-Katrina. However, rebuilding or substantial remodeling of a home is enough to shake up the delicate psyche of a feline. Just think about what a radical change a complete relocation or relocation followed by a homecoming would do. No doubt, there have been these and other behavioral changes in many cats of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Of course, depression because of loss of fellow pets (those who perished in Katrina), has been a common thread in many communities along the Coast. I have regularly seen 3-5 month periods of depression in pets when other pets were lost in households where there were strong emotional bonds with a fellow pet. I have used antidepressants on some of these pets, but in most cases, I have just allowed for a tincture of time.

So what’s been the most surprising behavioral change as part of the post-Katrina stress syndrome that I’ve seen in practice? Increasing neuroses like tail-chewing and the acral lick dermatitis (a.k.a. lick granuloma complex-habitual licking of the paws). Some of my clients have attributed the paw-licking to seawater-linked infections after the storm, but there have not been any nasty lingering infections that I’ve had to treat on them. As a result, I am concluding that the problem is emotional, not physical.

Once again, we’ll see if time will literally heal these wounds.

Any other syndromes you might have seen in your pet(s) post-Katrina? Share them with me at bamc [at] datasync.com. I’d like to add them to my list of post-Katrina traumatic stresses that have been prevalent in our pets.

Dr. Chris Duke is a veterinarian at Bienville Animal Medical Center in Ocean Springs, MS.

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10. Noah’s Wish No More?

SOURCE: www.noahswish.org/

Dear Noah’s Wish Volunteers, Supporters, and Friends:

We are writing to inform you that Noah’s Wish is in the midst of an ongoing civil investigation by the California Attorney General’s office concerning funds received by Noah’s Wish during Hurricane Katrina. The California Attorney General has taken the position that certain funds donated to Noah’s Wish during this period, and its immediate aftermath, are restricted and may only be used for the animal victims of Hurricane Katrina, rather than the animal victims of other disasters or for general disaster preparedness. Noah’s Wish disagrees with the Attorney General’s position with respect to those funds, but is working cooperatively with the Attorney General toward a timely resolution of the dispute.

In response to the California Attorney General, Noah’s Wish has set aside the disputed funds and agreed not to use those funds pending final resolution of the investigation. Noah’s Wish is unable to predict when the matter will be resolved. Because Noah’s Wish does not presently have access to the disputed funds, it is unable at this time to continue with its efforts to provide disaster preparedness services and volunteer training.

We will provide you with an update once we have resolved this matter.

We appreciate your patience and also wish to express our gratitude for all that you have done to support Noah’s Wish in carrying out our charitable mission. — Sincerely, Noah’s Wish Board of Directors, March 26, 2007

Announcement, March 28, 2007
As of today, Terri Crisp is no longer associated with Noah’s Wish, Inc. in any capacity. We wish her well in her future endeavors.
Noah’s Wish Board of Directors

sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2007/04/02/story1.html
www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/illinoisnews/story/35BCE09E15EE5AC7862572B2001043FE?OpenDocument

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11. Humane Society Louisiana Aids Abused Duck

SOURCE: Jeff Dorson, Executive Director, Humane Society of Louisiana, stopcruelty11 [at] gmail.com

4/10/07, from stopcruelty11 [at] gmail.com — News Release
Contact person: Jeff Dorson 901-268-4432

INJURED DUCK RESCUED, JUVENILES SUSPECTED OF ATTACKING FOWL

Juveniles are suspected of attacking ducks, who make their homes in many of Kenner’s canals, with 5 inch metallic darts. Several ducks have been victimized by such attacks, and at least one was observed to have more then 6 darts protruding from his body and neck. Officials from the Humane Society of Louisiana investigated the complaint last week and discovered one duck with a dart pinned to his side. After failing to capture the injured Muscovy duck on 2 consecutive nights, the group asked “Trapper” John Schmidt, a licensed animal handler, to rescue the duck.

On Saturday, Trapper John was able to capture the slippery duck, after a 3 1/2 hour chase. The duck still had a dart pinned to his side when caught. The Humane Society of Louisiana has placed the duck, now named Daffy, into a safe environment and will be transporting the duck to the Clearwater Sanctuary later today. Daffy will be treated for his injuries and released back into the wild.

Since receiving the original report of kids attacking these harmless ducks, the Humane Society has received other reports of juveniles victimizing other water foul. One resident observed kids deliberately trying to place the ducks in harm’s way. The kids were seen enticing the ducks to cross the street by throwing them pieces of bread in front of passing vehicles.

The Humane Society is also encouraging the Kenner Police to take note of these incidents. Neighbors have observed groups of juveniles prowling the canals at dusk with the same metallic darts that have been found in the ducks. During the 2006 legislative session, ducks and geese were granted protection under the state’s animal protection laws. “The deliberate maiming and mutilation of animals, which now includes ducks, is a felony under our revised statutes,” says Jeff Dorson, Executive Director of the Humane Society of Louisiana.

The Humane Society is also accepting donations to pay for Daffy’s treatment and for other victims of animal abuse. Donations may be sent to the Humane Society of Louisiana, P.O. Box 740321, New Orleans, La 70174. To contact the society, please call 1-888-6-HUMANE or visit their website at Humanela.org.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

12. Happy Endings…

NOLA KITTIES FIND FOREVER HOMES IN ST. LOUIS

SOURCE: Nancy Lupia, felinesforever [at] hotmail.com

On 2/22/07, Kinship Circle gently loaded 13 NOLA cats into the back of an SUV for a 10-hour drive to St. Louis. Baby Noah lives with KC’s Brenda Shoss. The remaining cats, fostered by Nancy Lupia of Felines Forever, have ALL BEEN ADOPTED. One pregnant kitty, Rita, gave birth on 3/16/07…

DEVOTED VOLUNTEERS MOVE ABOUT 60 NOLA KITTIES TO ARIZONA

SOURCE: Kathy Sweeney, kathybsweeney [at] yahoo.com, arneworleans [at] aol.com

3/25/07, from kathybsweeney [at] yahoo.com — Thanks to all that helped Jeanette and I make this transport happen of about 50 ARNO cats plus 8 others cats from fosters. All of these cats and kittens will be going directly into fosters or into 4 Petsmart stores for adoption.

3/24/07, from arneworleans [at] aol.com — This transport was made possible by Jeanette Althans, Kathy Sweeney, Linda Graf in AZ, Karen O’Toole in AZ. All I did was gather the paperwork. Thank you ladies for making it happen. Also, thanks to all the volunteers who responded to our calls for help, especially Aleta, who made the carriers as comfortable as possible. Dion and Tom, our drivers, Jackie, Melinda, Lisa Dimarco, Leigh Schmidt, and Anastasia, the good mommy! Lise Mc, who lost about 5 pounds helping us to walk the dogs tonite, and all of you who lifted us with your good thoughts and helped us to get thru these last few days… Hugs, Robin

SAMMIE RESETTLES IN ST. LOUIS

SOURCE: Forwarded by Ramona Billot, ramonabillot [at] yahoo.com (Sammie’s rescuer)

Sammie is among the 13 cats Kinship Circle transported from NOLA to St. Louis in late February.

3/31/07, from Jill Carles, kindhrtdone [at] yahoo.com (Sammie’s new mom) — Sammie is great. He is such a sweetie like you said. He greets me everyday at the door when I come in. Many times he follows me around. He is quite social. At night when we go to bed, if he is not in the bed with me already, I just call him and he comes in and lays down. He is a real joy and quite some company when my son is not here. The other day I gave him some wet food and he didn’t like it so much. I left it in the bowl for maybe 2 days thinking he would eventually eat it. Instead, I found that he had tore open a hole in his big food bag in the basement and was feeding himself. Ha! He showed me, huh? He loves playing with plastic soda caps too.

HAPPY REUNION IN LAKEVIEW

SOURCE: Kathy Sweeney, kathybsweeney [at] yahoo.com

3/21/07, from kathybsweeney [at] yahoo.com — This reunion results from the combined efforts of three Lakeview feeders: Kathy Sweeney, Lisa DiMarco, and Jeanette Althans.

Shorty, a pretty gray and white tuxedo, escaped from his Lakeview home over a year ago, in February 2006. Kathy saw a flyer that Shorty’s owners had posted in Lakeview. Kathy contacted Shorty’s owners, Dave and Eileen, took down the information and added it to the “Lakeview missing cats spreadsheet” compiled by the Lakeview feeders.

This past week, Lisa trapped a gray and white tuxedo about 8-10 blocks from Shorty’s home. She brought him to ARNO, along with another trapped cat, for TNR. On Tuesday night, Kathy and Jeanette went to ARNO and took photos of the trapped cats in order to forward to the remote reunion volunteers that they are working with. After looking at the gray and white tuxedo, Kathy remembered that Shorty was missing from the area where the cat was trapped. Wednesday morning Jeanette called Eileen and told her that a cat that matched Shorty’s description had been trapped and was scheduled to be released later that day.

Eileen related that Shorty had been her husband’s “baby” and her husband had just passed away Sunday morning. Eileen thought this might be a sign from God. When Eileen went to ARNO, she met with Robin and discovered that the trapped cat was indeed Shorty. Because Eileen is in the middle of funeral arrangements for her husband, ARNO will keep the cat for a few days until she can take him home. Eileen believes this is truly a miracle.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

HURRICANE DIRECTORY: Missing/Found Animals, Rescue & Reunion

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Kinship Circle Animal Disaster Relief reports Gulf Coast needs, news,missing/found animal reports, etc. There are still many animals roaming sparsely populated areas… We also report needs/news for animals in other disasters as they unfold, i.e. central Florida tornadoes, Northeast (USA) floods, Middle East crisis and other war zones, Kentucky pound flood… Thank you for your commitment to forgotten victims in disasters.

—– Original Message —–
From: Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
Date: Apr 14, 2007 4:09 PM
Subject: PET FOOD RECALL: News, Updates, Action

Kinship Circle Animal Disaster Relief
PERMISSION TO CROSSPOST AS WRITTEN
www.KinshipCircle.org
www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/

4/14/06: PET FOOD RECALL: News, Updates, Action

IN THIS ALERT:

1. Latest Death Toll
2. Bookmark These Blogs, Sites With Updated Info
3. To Make Reports And Follow Government News
4. Product Recall Lists And Info
5. In The News
6. ACTION: Support Congressional Inquiry On Toxic Food
7. Goodbye Sweet Sam

FROM KINSHIP CIRCLE: The landscape changes daily: MORE foods are recalled, “conspiracy theories” (that food was intentionally poisoned) are suggested, Menu Foods is accused of delaying the recall as animals died, Congressional hearings are underway… There is far too much fluctuating info to include in any single alert. So here are recall cliff notes, with links to full articles, updates, and affected products.

View Kinship Circle’s last detailed alert:
4/2/07: TOXIC FOOD - Essential Recall Updates

And demand action against Menu Foods

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

1. Latest Death Toll

Update 4/14: 4,133 pets have been reported as deceased to our PetConnection database. Of these, 2,129 are cats, and 2,004 are dogs. Total reports of all owner-suspected cases of food-related illness: 12,820.

www.petconnection.com/recall/

Baby - Died February 21, 2007

Photo posted for Baby’s people by lisacat

“I poisoned my baby, kept on feeding her the same poisoned food. The recall wasn’t announced yet, now my life will never be the same. Her name was Baby, she died on February 21, 2007. Miss her terrible…”

Baby’s mom has posted a more complete story here:
www.menufoodsvictims.blogspot.com/index.html

PET FOOD RECALL PHOTO GALLERY
www.flickr.com/groups/petfoodrecall/

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

2. Bookmark These Blogs, Sites With Updated Info

* PetConnection.com
www.petconnection.com/blog/

* SUBSCRIBE TO RECALL E-UPDATES from The National Pet Foundation
www.nationalpetfoundation.com/pet-food-recall.html

* Information Portal For Pet Food Recalls & Related News
www.howl911.com/

* Poop City
poopcity.typepad.com/poop_city/

* Pet Food Tracker
petfoodtracker.blogspot.com/

* Itchmo
www.itchmo.com/

* The PetsitUSA.com Blog
petsitusa.com/blog/?p=210

* Pet Foods NOT On Recall List
www.thepetfoodlist.com/

* ASPCA Pet Food Recall Resource Center
www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=recall

* PETITION: Require Pet Food Companies to be Held Accountable for Damages
www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/231907158?ltl=1175473367

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

3. To Make Reports And Follow Government News

Report your pet’s illness or death to the PetConnection.com database, a self-reporting veterinarian-sponsored website: www.petconnection.com/recall/

Report your pet’s illness or death to the FDA for your pet to be counted: www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html

FDA posts new information on pet food recall and its regulation of pet foods:
www.fda.gov/cvm/petfoods.htm#newsreleases

FDA Enforcement Report Index:
www.fda.gov/opacom/ Enforce.html

Senate Hearing On Pet Food Contamination [held] April 12, 2007
An oversight hearing on the ongoing investigation and regulatory mechanisms that govern the pet food industry as the widespread recall of contaminated pet food continues… www.durbin.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=272058

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

4. Product Recall Lists And Info

* COMPREHENSIVE, CURRENT RECALL LIST
www.howl911.com/petfoodrecall_list.htm

* 2007 Pet Food Recall Database
data.tennessean.com/DB/petfood2007/petfood2007.php

* AVMA Comprehensive Pet Food Recall List
www.avma.org/aa/menufoodsrecall/products.asp

* MENU FOODS Recalled Dog Product Information
www.menufoods.com/recall/product_dog.html
Recall Information 1-866-895-2708

* MENU FOODS Recalled Cat Product Information
www.menufoods.com/recall/product_cat.html
Recall Information 1-866-895-2708

* NUTRO Recalled Product Information
www.nutroproducts.com/menufoods.asp

* DEL MONTE Recalled Product Information
www.delmonte.com/petfoodrecall.html

* SUNSHINE MILLS Recalled Product Information
www.sunshinemills.com/

* PURINA Recalled Product Information
purina.com/

* HILL’S (SCIENCE DIET) Recalled Product Information
www.hillspet.com/menu_foods/md_Recall_03302007_en_US.htm

* ROYAL CANIN Recalls Medi-Cal Prescription Food for Cats
www.itchmo.com/read/royal-canin-recalls_20070410

Kinship Circle - 2007-04-14 - Menu Foods Recall

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

5. In The News

* CHECK FOR LATEST HEADLINES HERE
del.icio.us/poopcity/food_recall_07

* 4/13/07 - FDA urges retailers to double check for contaminated pet food
www.wstm.com/Global/story.asp?S=6363953&nav=2aKD

* 4/12/07 - Pet Owners Have Some Advice for Congress
www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007/04/pet_food_recall24.html

* 4/12/07 - Tainted Pet Food Is Still Sold in Stores, FDA Says
www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=agLaaVjAViLU&refer=us

* 4/12/07 - So What’s In Fido’s Food, Anyway?
www.wboc.com/Global/story.asp?S=6332368&nav=MXEFM7m3

* 4/11/07 - Pet food recall expands again; UCD toxicology lab detects tainted varieties not on FDA list, triggering a wider alarm.
www.sacbee.com/101/story/153049.html

* 4/10/07 - Pet food insider sold shares before recall
here OR tinyurl.com/2mfbs6

* 4/10/07 - Owners turn to organic, natural pet foods
www.usatoday.com/money/industries/2007-04-05-petfood-market-usat_N.htm

* 4/10/07 - Lawyers Set to Argue New Legal Theory in Pet-Poisoning Cases
www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1175517541569&pos=ataglance

* 4/9/07 - Pet Food Recall: Pet Cat & Dog Food Contaminated Intentionally?
www.postchronicle.com/news/original/article_21273861.shtml

* 4/4/07 - Tainted Wheat Gluten Sold as “Food Grade”
www.huffingtonpost.com/david-goldstein/tainted-wheat-gluten-sold_b_44743.html

* 4/4/07 - Tips on Cooking Fluffy and Fido a Home-Cooked Meal
www.avma.org/press/releases/070404_homemade_diets.asp

* 4/3/07 - ChemNutra Announces Nationwide Wheat Gluten Recall
www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/chemnutra04_07.html

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

6. ACTION: Support Congressional Inquiry On Toxic Food

SOURCE: Judy Reed, AnimalVoicesNews [at] earthlink.net
AnimalVoices Groups, AnimalVoicesNews [at] earthlink.net
BushWatchers, BushWatcherNews [at] googlegroups.com

U.S. Senator Richard Durbin and Representative Rosa DeLauro have demanded answers about the status of current investigations and call for better regulation of the pet food industry.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Domestic Policy of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, has sent Menu Foods’ CEO a letter of inquiry which asks hard-hitting questions, including a request for ‘all internal documents, correspondence, email, records, data and information … relating to this incident and to nutritional information or purity testing on all Menu Food pet food products.’”

Show your support by thanking each and encouraging them to follow through:

Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.)
durbin.senate.gov/
309 Hart Senate Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
ph: 202-224-2152; fax: 202-228-0400

230 S Dearborn St. STE 3892
Chicago, IL 60604-1483
ph: 312-353-4952; fax: 312-353-0150
web email: durbin.senate.gov/contact.cfm#contact

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.)
www.house.gov/delauro/
2262 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
ph: 202-225-3661; fax: 202-225-4890

59 Elm Street
New Haven, CT 06510
ph: 203-562-3718; fax: 203-772-2260
web email: www.house.gov/delauro/IMA/issue.htm

Durbin’s and DeLauro’s letter to the FDA:
www.hsus.org/web-files/PDF/Durbin-Menu-Foods-letter-3-26-07.pdf
www.aspca.org/site/DocServer/Pet_Food_Letter_March_26_2007_Durbin.pdf?docID=10661

Rep. Dennis Kucinich
kucinich.house.gov/
2445 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
ph: 202-225-5871; fax: 202-225-5745
web email: kucinich.house.gov/Contact/

Link: kucinich.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=62055

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

7. Goodbye Sweet Sam
SOURCE: www.flickr.com/photos/lisacat/445640800/in/pool-petfoodrecall/

Sam April 1993 - March 27, 2007

Photo posted for Sam’s people by lisacat

This is Sam. Sam was born in Shanghai, China in mid-April, 1993. We met her, fell in love and adopted her in early May. Although we did not know it at the time, Sam was totally deaf which is common in pure-white cats and she had the loudest voice of any cat we’d ever known. Actually, because of her voice, we called her Sammy Jay after the squawky blue jay in the Burgess classical children’s story but somehow that got shortened to Sam…

Learning how to deal with a deaf cat was a whole new learning curve for us. It took a lot more patience and understanding. Unless she was looking directly at you, every movement startled Sam, as she had no advance warning by sound. When she was a kitten and happened to fall asleep when we were in the same room with her and we left while she was still sleeping, when she woke up, she would cry out in a very loud voice until we went to show her that we were still there. Being deaf made Sam seem more vulnerable and dependent on us and made us love her even more.

Sam was not a cuddly cat, but she was a good cat and gave us all the love she had inside of her. She was feisty and always let you know what she liked and wanted or didn’t like, in that very loud voice. All she ever asked of us was to be fed at regular times (she always let us know if we were off schedule) and to be there when she wanted us around. Sam loved to play and up until she got sick, she was very active.

Sam got sick in mid March. Our veterinarian ran blood tests which showed that her kidneys were failing and she was scheduled to start treatment the next day. That night, while watching the late news, we first saw the report on the tainted cat food recall. Because the food we were using was named, we immediately checked the internet and discovered Sam’s cat food contained the serial numbers of the tainted food. We were devastated. Needless to say, neither of us slept that night. The next morning, we took the food to our vet in the hope that knowing this might help in her treatment. For seven days, Sam went every day for treatment. Our vet was so good to her, he tried very aggressively to help her, even including surgery, but we were too late. Her kidneys had been too badly damaged. Sam died on March 27, 2007 a little after 6:00 p.m., in my husband’s arms.

Some of you may say - why get so upset, it was just a cat. But to us Sam was a member of our family, she depended on us to look after her and protect her. Like all the other cats and dogs affected, Sam was an innocent and did not deserve this fate. Because of her deafness, Sam was unable to even get comfort from the sound of our voices trying to sooth her. She will be remembered in our hearts.

PET FOOD RECALL PHOTO GALLERY
www.flickr.com/groups/petfoodrecall/

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BEAR WITNESS. SPEAK. DEMAND. ACT.
KINSHIP CIRCLE - Action Campaigns I Literature I Voice For Animals
Nonprofit working in animal protection/cruelty + animal disaster relief campaigns
Brenda Shoss, president * Janet Enoch, vice-president
info [at] kinshipcircle.org or kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
www.KinshipCircle.org * www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/default.html

Please use GoodSearch and select Kinship Circle as your designated cause.
www.goodsearch.com/

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—– Original Message —–
From: DawnWatch - news [at] dawnwatch.com
Date: Apr 11, 2007 8:02 PM
Subject: DawnWatch: Menu foods CFO sold shares before recall — Toronto Globe and Mail, Wash Post, and USA Today April 10-11, 2007

There is more discomforting news this week regarding the pet food crisis. The Tuesday, April 10, Toronto Globe and Mail included an article, by Keith McArthur, headed “Pet food insider sold shares before recall; CFO calls sale a ‘coincidence’.” (pg B1)

The article opens:

“The chief financial officer of Menu Foods Income Fund says it’s a ‘horrible coincidence’ that he sold nearly half his units in the troubled pet food maker less than three weeks before a massive recall of tainted pet food.

“Insider trading reports show that Mark Wiens sold 14,000 units for $102,900 on Feb. 26 and Feb. 27. Those shares would be worth $62,440 today, based on yesterday’s close of $4.46 a unit.

“That represented 45 per cent of Mr. Wiens’s units…”

We read:

“Mr. Wiens said the first reports of illnesses and deaths related to Menu Foods products came in to the company’s toll-free customer relations line in late February. But he said he did not hear of any possible problem with the company’s products until early March.”

Jay Strosberg, a Windsor, Ont., lawyer who has filed a lawsuit against Menu Foods on behalf of a woman whose six-year-old cat died of kidney failure on Feb. 22 is quoted:

“At this point in time, we have absolutely no information about what the company knew or when they knew it. That information would not be disclosed to us until we’re further along in the class action.”

You’ll find the whole article on line here OR at tinyurl.com/2mfbs6.

The Wednesday, April 11 Washington Post carries the story on page D3, headed, “Pet Food Officer Sold Stock Before Recall.”

That article tells us, “Meanwhile, a large veterinary hospital chain said it saw a 30 percent increase in kidney failure among cats during the three months that contaminated pet food was on the market, supporting the belief among pet owners and animal doctors that adulterated food has sickened or killed far more pets than officially recognized.”

It ends with:

“Pet owners have complained that Menu Foods should have acted more quickly after the first complaints or after it realized it might have a problem in mid-February. Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) is to hold a hearing tomorrow on the controversy and on the FDA’s investigation.”

(Of course we read at the top of piece that the CFO did indeed act quickly in one way — but that was an unfortunately timed coincidence.)

The story is on the Washington Post website here or at tinyurl.com/2mbtc8.

The story is on the USA Today website under the heading “Menu Foods CFO sold shares weeks before pet food recall”, here or at tinyurl.com/3b7r4x.

It might be in USA Today’s print edition, and in many other papers, on Thursday.

This sad scenario opens the door for letters to the editor of every paper, discussing any aspect of the way our society treats members of other species.

The Globe and Mail will take letters about the pet food article at tinyurl.com/34hldq.

The Washington Post takes letters at letters [at] washpost.com — or you can post a comment at the bottom of the article on the Post web page cited above.

And USA Today takes letters at tinyurl.com/cee7y.

But why not get in the habit of sending to your local media?

Always include your full name, address, and daytime phone number when sending a letter to the editor. Remember that shorter letters are more likely to be published. And please be sure not to use any exact comments or phrases from me or from any other alerts in your letters. Editors are looking for original responses from their readers.

Yours and the animals’,
Karen Dawn

To discontinue DawnWatch alerts go to www.DawnWatch.com/nothanks.php

—– Original Message —–
From: DawnWatch - news [at] dawnwatch.com
Date: Apr 6, 2007 12:42 PM
Subject: DawnWatch: Strong article on pet food recall on San Francisco Gate site 4/3/07

The pet food recall has been in every news outlet this week. I don’t think you could have missed it. I hope many people have responded with letters to their local papers, discussing the treatment of other species by human society. I will share, below, one of the better articles on the issue, published on the San Francisco Gate website earlier this week.

Perhaps it will inspire you to write to your media!

YOUR WHOLE PET
Bigger than you think: The story behind the pet food recall

By Christie Keith, Special to SF Gate

Tuesday, April 3, 2007

Photo via Charley Lhasa

The March 16 recall of 91 pet food products manufactured by Menu Foods wasn’t big news at first. Early coverage reported only 10-15 cats and dogs dying after eating canned and pouched foods manufactured by Menu. The foods were recalled — among them some of the country’s best-known and biggest-selling brands — and while it was certainly a sad story, and maybe even a bit of a wake-up call about some aspects of pet food manufacturing, that was about it.

At first, that was it for me, too. But I’m a contributing editor for a nationally syndicated pet feature, Universal Press Syndicate’s Pet Connection, and all of us there have close ties to the veterinary profession. Two of our contributors are vets themselves, including Dr. Marty Becker, the vet on “Good Morning America.” And what we were hearing from veterinarians wasn’t matching what we were hearing on the news.

When we started digging into the story, it quickly became clear that the implications of the recall were much larger than they first appeared. Most critically, it turned out that the initially reported tally of dead animals only included the cats and dogs who died in Menu’s test lab and not the much larger number of affected pets.

Second, the timeline of the recall raised a number of concerns. Although there have been some media reports that Menu Foods started getting complaints as early as December 2006, FDA records state the company received their first report of a food-related pet death on February 20.

One week later, on February 27, Menu started testing the suspect foods. Three days later, on March 3, the first cat in the trial died of acute kidney failure. Three days after that, Menu switched wheat gluten suppliers, and 10 days later, on March 16, recalled the 91 products that contained gluten from their previous source.

Nearly one month passed from the date Menu got its first report of a death to the date it issued the recall. During that time, no veterinarians were warned to be on the lookout for unusual numbers of kidney failure in their patients. No pet owners were warned to watch their pets for its symptoms. And thousands and thousands of pet owners kept buying those foods and giving them to their dogs and cats.

At that point, Menu had seen a 35 percent death rate in their test-lab cats, with another 45 percent suffering kidney damage. The overall death rate for animals in Menu’s tests was around 20 percent. How many pets, eating those recalled foods, had died, become ill or suffered kidney damage in the time leading up to the recall and in the days since? The answer to that hasn’t changed since the day the recall was issued: We don’t know.

We at Pet Connection knew the 10-15 deaths being reported by the media did not reflect an accurate count. We wanted to get an idea of the real scope of the problem, so we started a database for people to report their dead or sick pets. On March 21, two days after opening the database, we had over 600 reported cases and more than 200 reported deaths. As of March 31, the number of deaths alone was at 2,797.

There are all kinds of problems with self-reported cases, and while we did correct for a couple of them, our numbers are not considered “confirmed.” But USA Today reported on March 25 that data from Banfield, a nationwide chain of over 600 veterinary hospitals, “suggests [the number of cases of kidney failure] is as high as hundreds a week during the three months the food was on the market.”

On March 28, “NBC News” featured California veterinarian Paul Pion, who surveyed the 30,000 members of his national Veterinary Information Network and told anchor Tom Costello, “If what veterinarians are suspecting are cases, then it’s much larger than anything we’ve seen before.” Costello commented that it amounted to “potentially thousands of sick or dead pets.”

The FDA was asked about the numbers at a press conference it held on Friday morning to announce that melamine had been found in the urine and tissues of some affected animals as well as in the foods they tested. Dr. Stephen Sundlof, director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine, told reporters that the FDA couldn’t confirm any cases beyond the first few, even though they had received over 8,800 additional reports, because “we have not had the luxury of confirming these reports.” They would work on that, he said, after they “make sure all the product is off the shelves.” He pointed out that in human medicine, the job of defining what constitutes a confirmed case would fall to the Centers for Disease Control, but there is no CDC for animals.

Instead, pet owners were encouraged to report deaths and illness to the FDA. But when they tried to file reports, there was no place on the agency’s Web site to do so and nothing but endless busy signals when people tried to call.

Veterinarians didn’t fare much better. They were asked to report cases to their state veterinarian’s office, but one feline veterinary blog, vetcetera, which surveyed all official state veterinarian Web sites, found that only eight had any independent information about the recall, and only 24 even mentioned it at all. Only one state, Vermont, had a request on their site for veterinarians to report pets whose illnesses or deaths they suspect are related to the recall. And as of today, there is no longer a notice that veterinarians should report suspected cases to their state veterinarians on the Web site of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

The lack of any notification system was extremely hard on veterinarians, many of whom first heard about the problem on the news or from their clients. Professional groups such as the Veterinary Information Network were crucial in disseminating information about the recall to their members, but not all vets belong to VIN, and not all vets log on to VIN on the weekend (the Menu press release, like most corporate or government bad news, was issued on a Friday).

But however difficult this recall has been for veterinarians, no one has felt its impact more than the owners of affected dogs and cats. While the pet media and bloggers continued to push the story, the most powerful force driving it was the grief of pet owners, many of them fueled by anger because they felt that their pet’s death or illness wasn’t being counted.

Many of them were also being driven by a feeling of guilt. At Pet Connection, we received a flood of stories from owners whose pets became ill with kidney failure, and who took them to the vet. The dogs or cats were hospitalized and treated, often at great expense — sometimes into the thousands of dollars — and then, when they were finally well enough, sent home.

For some, the story ended there. But for others, there was one more horrifying chapter. Because kidney failure causes nausea, it’s often hard to get recovering pets to eat. So a lot of these owners got down on their hands and knees and coaxed and begged and eventually hand-fed their pets the very same food that had made them sick. Those animals ended up right back in the hospital and died, because their loving owners didn’t know that the food was tainted.

To many pet owners, the pet food recall story is a personal tragedy about the potentially avoidable loss of a beloved dog or cat. Others have a hard time seeing the story as anything more than that — with implications beyond the feelings of those grieving pet owners. Which brings us to the bigger picture, and questions — not about what happened but about the system.

How did this problem, now involving almost every large pet food company in the United States, including some of the most trusted — and expensive — brands, get so out of hand? How come pet owners weren’t informed more rapidly about the contaminated pet food? Why is it so hard to get accurate numbers of affected animals? Why didn’t veterinarians get any notification? Where did the system break down?

The issue may not be that the system broke down, but that there isn’t really a system.

There is, as the FDA pointed out, no veterinary version of the CDC. This meant the FDA kept confirming a number it had to have known was only the tip of the iceberg. It prevented veterinarians from having the information they needed to treat their patients and advise pet owners. It allowed the media to repeat a misleadingly low number, creating a false sense of security in pet owners — and preventing a lot of people from really grasping the scope and implication of the problem.

And it was why Rosie O’Donnell felt free to comment last week on “The View”: “Fifteen cats and one dog have died, and it’s been all over the news. And you know, since that date, 29 soldiers have died, and we haven’t heard much about them. No. I think that we have the wrong focus in the country. That when pets are killed in America from some horrific poisoning accident, 16 of them, it’s all over the news and people are like, ‘The kitty! It’s so sad.’ Twenty-nine sons and daughters killed since that day, it’s not newsworthy. I don’t understand.”

In fact, Rosie didn’t understand. She didn’t understand that the same government she blames for sending America’s sons and daughters to die in Iraq is the government that told her only 15 animals had died, and that the story was about a pet “poisoning accident” and not a systemic failure of FEMA-esque proportions.

Think that’s going too far? Maybe not. On Sunday night, April 1, Pet Connection got a report from one of its blog readers, Joy Drawdy, who said that she had found an import alert buried on the FDA Web site. That alert, issued on Friday, the same day that the FDA held its last press conference about the recall, identified the Chinese company that is the source of the contaminated gluten — gluten that is now known to be sold not only for use in animal feed, but in human food products, too. (The Chinese company is now denying that they are responsible, although they are investigating it.)

Although the FDA said on Friday it has no reason to think the contaminated gluten found its way into the human food supply, Sundlof told reporters that it couldn’t be ruled out. He also assured us that they would notify the public as soon as they had any more information — except, of course, that they did have more information and didn’t give it to us, publishing it instead as an obscure import alert, found by chance by a concerned pet owner, which was then spread to the larger media.

All of which begs the question: If a system to report and track had been in place for animal illness, would this issue have emerged sooner? Even lacking a reporting and tracking system, if the initial news reports had included, as so many human stories do, suspected or estimated cases from credible sources, it’s likely this story would have been taken more seriously and not just by Rosie O’Donnell. It may turn out that our dogs and cats were the canaries in the coal mine of an enormous system failure — one that could have profound impacts on American food manufacturing and safety in the years to come.

Christie Keith is a contributing editor for Universal Press Syndicate’s Pet Connection and past director of the Pet Care Forum on America Online. She lives in San Francisco.

(End of San Francisco Gate piece.)

To discontinue DawnWatch alerts go to www.DawnWatch.com/nothanks.php

—– Original Message —–
From: Kinship Circle kinshipcircle.org>
Date: Apr 2, 2007 12:30 AM
Subject: TOXIC FOOD: Essential Recall Updates

Kinship Circle Primary - PERMISSION TO CROSS-POST AS WRITTEN

4/2/07: TOXIC FOOD - Essential Recall Updates

In this alert:

1. To Make Report + Get New Information
2. New & Ongoing Recall Info, As Of 4/2/07
3. Good Advice…
4. Suspicious DRY Food Contamination?
5. Some Retailers Not Pulling Recalled Food
6. Pertinent Articles & Websites

www.Petconnection.com
Update 4/1, 7:50 am: 2,822 pets have been reported as deceased to our PetConnection database. Of these, 1,557 are cats, and 1,265 dogs.

Photos from: Pet Food Recall Photo Gallery
www.flickr.com/groups/petfoodrecall/

Photo via Jelsy

My favorite photo of Sasha (1994(?)-March 21, 2007). Loyal, chatty, purring; cuddler; alarm clock; lap warmer; soccer player; head turner; shy; sweet. You are missed, little kitty.

Photo via fuzzybunnystew

At the end of this past February, Mao stopped eating. His vet told me he had late stage kidney failure with off the chart readings. I made the decision to have him put to sleep. I stayed up all night with him, took pictures, and sobbed. He’d lay his head on my arm trying to comfort me… I found out a couple of weeks ago about the recall. I fed Mao Iams Select Bites in Gravy daily before his sudden death. I am livid. I’m going to speak out on this issue as much as possible. I don’t want Mao or the thousands of other animals to have died in vain. Menu Foods does not deserve protection.

***********************

1. To Make Report + Get New Information

Adverse effects or deaths of pets conclusively linked to eating contaminated foods should be reported to the FDA:
www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html

American Veterinary Medical Association website contains helpful information for pet parents and veterinarians:
www.avma.org/aa/menufoodsrecall/default.asp

The FDA has also posted new information on the pet food recall and its regulation of pet foods:
www.fda.gov/cvm/petfoods.htm#newsreleases

FDA Enforcement Report Index:
www.fda.gov/opacom/Enforce.html

***********************

2. New & Ongoing Recall Info, As Of 4/2/07

SCIENCE DIET DRY FOOD:

Hill’s Pet Nutrition recalls Prescription Diet m/d Feline DRY food
www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/30/pet.food.recall.ap/index.html

Hills Pet Nutrition, Inc. Voluntarily Recalls Single Product, Prescription Diet™ m/d™ Feline DRY Food, Only Product Containing Wheat Gluten
www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/hills303_07.html

Hill’s Pet Nutrition
www.hillspet.com/

DEL MONTE PET PRODUCTS:

Del Monte Pet Products Voluntarily Withdraws Specific Product Codes of Pet Treats and Wet Dog Food Products

Del Monte Pet Products: www.delmonte.com

Consumer Hotline: 800-949-3799

NESTLE PURINA PETCARE PRODUCTS:

Pet food recall expands to new wet brand
news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070331/ap_on_go_ot/pet_food_recall

Nestle Purina PetCare Co. said it was recalling all sizes and varieties of its Alpo Prime Cuts in Gravy wet dog food with specific date codes…

Nestle Purina PetCare: www.purina.com

MENU FOODS RECALLED DOG PRODUCT INFO:

Recall Information 1-866-895-2708
www.menufoods.com/recall/product_dog.html

MENU FOODS RECALLED CAT PRODUCT INFO:

Recall Information 1-866-895-2708
www.menufoods.com/recall/product_cat.html

PETSMART PRODUCTS THAT ARE PART OF RECALL:

l.petsmart-mail.com/l/r/04LRGH8B0LfKq02HkX

PETSMART RECALLED BRANDS:
Authority: 1-866-738-7375
Award : 1-866-738-7375
Eukanuba” 1-800-882-1591, www.eukanuba.com
Grreat Choice: 1-866-738-7375
Hills/Science Diet: 1-800-445-5777, www.hillspet.com
Iams: 1-800-882-1591, www.iams.com
Mighty Dog: 1-800-778-7462, www.purina.com
Mixables: 1-303-768-8400, www.varietypetfoods.com
Nutro: 1-800-833-5330, www.nutroproducts.com
Sophisticat: 1-866-738-7375

***********************

3. Good Advice…

From: Judy Reed (AnimalVoicesNews [at] earthlink.net), AnimalVoicesNews

1. DO NOT FEED PET FOODS CONTAINING WHEAT GLUTEN.

(CNN, 4-1-07 - Unfortunately, Not an April Fool’s Joke) I have purged my pantry of all pet foods containing wheat gluten whether or not the producer is on the recall list at this time. I have set these foods aside and have NOT thrown them away or returned them, yet.

NOTE FROM KC: I know for a fact Wellness Brand uses NO WHEAT GLUTEN.

2. SAVE ALL receipts for ANY and ALL pet foods and bills for veterinary visits, tests, medications, and your personal incidental expenses (including but not limited to mileage to and from stores for different pet food, to vets, to pharmacies, for physician visits and medication YOU require during this stressful time, etc) in connection with any illness in your pet you suspect or believe “may” be related to contaminated food — whether or not you intend to make a claim at this time. (This language is intended to ensure you leave nothing out!) Also, retain a portion of, or all of any pet foods you have fed to your pets prior to this contamination recall, particularly prior to an illness, including packaging, and receipts or proofs of purchase for the foods. Remember, if at such time you decide a claim is in order, too many documents and kinds of physical evidence are better than none or not enough.

Judy Reed, Former Legal Assistant
(Not licensed to practice law in Colorado, California, or anywhere else!)
AnimalVoices / Speaking For Animals & Their Environment / BushWatcherNews

***********************

4. Suspicious DRY Food Contamination?

IAMS DRY

Is Iams Dry Food Also Contaminated?
www.peta.org/feat-iams.asp

PETA has received queries from concerned dog and cat guardians who are worried animals might fall ill after eating dry food, and as a result, PETA is demanding that Iams and Menu Foods also recall dry food products until they are chemically tested — and cleared — for safety. We have also sent an urgent letter to the director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine urging him to investigate Iams and other companies that sell food supplied by Menu Foods…

SEVERAL REPORTS OF IAMS DRY FOOD LINKED TO ILLNESS
tinyurl.com/37d8en

DISCUSSION ABOUT POSSIBLE DRY FOOD CONTAMINATION
www.gothamist.com/2007/03/17/pet_food_recall.php#comment-1043832

NUTRO DRY

IS NUTRO DRY FOOD ALSO CONTAMINATED?
From: labailey428 [at] charter.net

I called Nutro after the emails I got b/c my dogs are vomiting yellow bile too - they confirmed they are about to do an official recall on dry food . They said to quit feeding it to them immediately and go buy something not distributed by Nutro or Menu Foods. Nutro: 800-833-5330

CLARIFICATION REGARDING NUTRO DRY

From: Despina Andrelus yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2007

Although some people were told of this pending recall from Nutro, others were told that Nutro’s soon-to-be recall is not true… but here is my take on it: The main thing I know is that my big dog, Zak, who was eating Nutro dry (the others are on prescription food, thankfully!), was throwing up, as well… with the yellow bile… blood in stool. So, I took a urine sample in and was told that it tested strong for probable kidney failure, they would have to take a blood test to be sure. After the blood test, I was — thankfully — told that the kidneys were okay, but he did have a bladder infection, and possible Cushing’s Disease. Aside from that, I have had so many of my cats die in the past couple of years from kidney failure and unknown symptoms, and they were all on Nutro dry cat food…

I have heard so many people that have animals with similar symptoms with Nutro dry, with blood in their urine, as well, testing strong for kidney failure, coming out of it with with urinary infections, that I have to believe something is dreadfully wrong with Nutro’s food. I have now switched to Blue holistic food for Zak (Royal Canin for my two remaining cats), and he no longer vomits…no longer seeks out grass to eat… His stool is near perfect and he’s interested in food again. As a matter of interest, I will also be calling the number, and asking for someone higher up to explain the situation. But for me, talk is cheap… my dog is the proof of the matter, and Nutro has way past betrayed my trust…

NOTE FROM KINSHIP CIRCLE: In light of last year’s Nutro “poison scare,” and now the current recall, we advise everyone to steer clear of all Nutro products.

WHAT ABOUT WHEAT GLUTEN?

SHOULD I GET RID OF ANY BRAND WITH WHEAT GLUTEN IN IT?
From: Judy Reed earthlink.net>

Question: Not all pet foods contain wheat gluten, but what about the companies not listed in the recall that DO!?

Answer: At this time, the ASPCA is uncertain … other pet food manufacturers may also issue voluntary recalls, and advises pet parents to contact their pet food manufacturer directly. With the addition of this brand of dry pet food to the massive Menu Foods recall.

ASPCA Urges Caution as Dry Food is Voluntarily Added to Pet Food Recall Advises Consumers Not to Panic—Not All Dry Foods Contain Wheat Gluten: www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=press_033107

***********************

5. Some Retailers Not Pulling Recalled Food

From: adrienne dearmas chrisusher.com>
Subject: Something YOU can do about the Menu Foods recall

PetSmart has an invested interest in taking the Menu Foods recalled food off their shelves but supermarkets do NOT.

I was in a Giant supermarket today (March 26); in their “Reduced for Quick Sale” bins I saw multiple cans of “Companion” cat food, all of which were cuts, sliced and non-pate style canned food. I took the can to the general manager and asked him if he was aware of the Menu Foods recall. He informed me that the cans in the store were not on “the list,” and that they had removed the tainted cans, based on the UPC code, last week. I asked if he was following the story and was he aware that Menu Foods had recalled ALL cans, regardless of date code. He said, “well, yes, I saw something about that this morning and I told my guy to look into it.” He then went back to what he was doing.

Go to your local grocery store or Walmart and check to see what is on the shelves. If you find the poisoned food, remove it and take it to the general manager and ask him/her to make it a priority to remove the food from the shelves.

Assume that the average person a) doesn’t know about the recall b) thinks the quality food they buy at their local grocery store is “not on the list” and help protect their pets for them! Also, the Washington Post did a story several years ago about canned cat and dog food being purchased by poor and homeless people as a cheap means of protein. You’d think the grocery stores would be mindful of that sad fact even if they don’t care about cats and dogs!

Thanks,
Adrienne DeArmas, Chris Usher Photography & Associates, Inc.
www.chrisusher.com

*NOTE FROM KINSHIP CIRCLE: I experienced the same thing at a local Walgreens. The manager I spoke to seemed unaware of the changing nature of the recall.

***********************

6. Pertinent Articles & Websites

Barking up wrong tree in pet food recall?
Lawyer claims culprit is vitamin D
cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2007/04/01/pf-3888145.html

4/1/07, By ALAN CAIRNS, SUN MEDIA - As the poisoned pet food crisis widened yesterday with the recall of a dry food, a Toronto lawyer leading a $60-million class-action negligence suit against a Guelph company fears scientists might be barking up the wrong tree.

With suspicions in the Menu Foods poisoning shifting from animopterin rat poison to melamine used in Asian fertilizers, lawyer David Himelfarb said suspect food should be “immediately” tested for excessive vitamin D.

Himelfarb said the kidney failure seen in the Menu Foods case is “exactly” the same as symptoms that left a Whitby woman’s dog seriously ill in 2005. The woman, Janet Grixti, alleges in a statement of claim filed in Superior Court of Ontario that her chocolate Labrador Mocha became ill after it was fed Royal Canin pet food with excessive amounts of vitamin D.

10 TIMES NORMAL: “We have taken hundreds of samples of (Royal Canin) food from across the GTA. I can’t give you accurate numbers … but there is an awful lot of (vitamin D) … some tests have shown more than 10 times the normal amount … might even be more,” said Himelfarb, who is on the class-action case with lawyer Joe Rochon.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has received 8,800 complaints of dog and cats deaths or illness… READ MORE: cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2007/04/01/pf-3888145.html

List of recalled pet foods grows longer
www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/31/pet.food.recall.ap/index.html

Story Highlights

• One type of Alpo wet dog food recalled on Saturday
• Hill’s Pet Nutrition recalls Prescription Diet m/d Feline dry food
• FDA says chemical used in plastics found in recalled pet food, sick animals
• Scientists not sure melamine was cause of pets’ deaths

www.Petconnection.com
Update 4/1, 7:50 am: 2,822 pets have been reported as deceased to our PetConnection database. Of these, 1,557 are cats, and 1,265 dogs.

Tainted Food Pet Deaths Put At Over 100

Cats may be more sensitive to pet food contaminant
Greater susceptibility to melamine may explain why more cats than dogs died
www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/31/pet.food.recall.cats.ap/index.html

FDA: Plastics Chemical In Recalled Pet Food
www.wlky.com/tu/5nJcbXZhu.html

What is melamine?
blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/03/fda_plastics_ch.html
What is melamine? The safety sheet for this chemical says it is a white crystalline solid that has proved toxic in lab tests on rabbits and rats. AP says it is used as fertilizer in Asia…

OTHER INFORMATIVE RECALL SITES
www.howl911.com/petfoodrecall.htm
l.petsmart-mail.com/l/r/04LRGH8B0LfKq02HkX
phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=196265&p=factset16

What’s in a Can of Dog Food? Don’t ask.
www.slate.com/id/2162164?GT1=9231

EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT: PET FOOD RECIPE?
SOURCE: Cornwall’s Voice For Animals, cvfa.uk [at] virgin.net

[From my friend on myspace] 3/22/07, Gayle writes: My brother has actually been to the [MENU FOODS] plant in Columbia/Lexington, South Carolina. (He automates machinery and they bought machinery from the company my brother works for.) He said it was DEPPLORABLE! Upon entering the road to the plant, there are barrels lined up, starting at the street. People from nearby areas bring their dead pets, cattle, road kill and shelters (their euthanized animals) and dump them in the barrels. The barrels are then taken inside the plant where the carcasses are boiled. They pull out the larger bones to resell as pet bones. The meat, hide, small bones and fur are ground up and sold as pet food to the companies on the recall list. My brother said the smell at that place is unbearable. He could not stay there because of the smell and knowing how they made the pet food. He said he could not stop from gagging… He said they also use rotten fish from the grocery store, old dead chickens. After his trip to that plant, he began making his own dog food for his dog

KINSHIP CIRCLE RECOMMENDS…

Check out natural, preservative/additive-free lines:
www.petfooddirect.com

All-Natural Dog Food:
www.petfooddirect.com:80/store/brands4dept.asp?dept%5Fid=130

All-Natural Cat Food:
www.petfooddirect.com:80/store/brands4dept.asp?dept%5Fid=131

We [the five furry ones] love Wellness, PetGuard, Innova, Wysong, by Nature Organics, Avoderm, and Halo.

***********************

Kinship Circle is a nonprofit organization. Ongoing donations help us meet expenses for the literature, website, research and campaigns — that let YOU take action for animals. Please keep Kinship Circle in mind when you donate.

DONATE: www.kinshipcircle.org/donation/donations.html

Please use GoodSearch and select Kinship Circle as your designated cause.
www.goodsearch.com/

***********************

SUBSCRIBE:
Kinship Circle is a volunteer organization serving the animal advocacy community.
We maintain two separate mail lists:
KINSHIP CIRCLE Primary - Action campaigns for worldwide animal cruelty issues
KINSHIP CIRCLE Animal Disaster Relief - Animal rescue coordination/news in disasters

Kinship Circle Primary: subscribe [at] kinshipcircle.org
TELL US: SUBSCRIBE TO KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY

Kinship Circle Animal Disaster Relief: kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
TELL US: SUBSCRIBE TO KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER RELIEF
IF YOU ARE A RESIDENT OF LOUISIANA OR MISSISSIPPI

**********************

*Kinship Circle cannot guarantee the validity of email addresses. During a campaign, recipients may change or disable their email addresses.

—– Original Message —–
From: Kinship Circle - info [at] kinshipcircle.org
Date: Apr 2, 2007 12:29 AM
Subject: UPDATE/ Demand Action In Menu Foods Recall - 2800+ Deaths

Kinship Circle Primary - PERMISSION TO CROSS-POST AS WRITTEN
(Please do not delete identity/disclaimer information)

**If you already sent letters, based on our original 3/24 alert — that is fine. Those letters reflect all information available at that time. However, in light of CHANGING INFORMATION, including discovery of a different contaminant (a chemical used in plastics) and over 2,800 animal deaths…we HAVE REVISED THE SAMPLE LETTERS BELOW.

PLEASE USE THESE SAMPLE LETTERS, IF YOU HAVE NOT YET SENT COMMENTS.

4/2/07: UPDATED - Demand Action In Menu Foods Recall
KINSHIP CIRCLE ACTION CAMPAIGN
www.KinshipCircle.org

SAMPLE LETTERS IN THIS ALERT:

1. To Menu Foods
2. To Canadian Authorities
3. To Authorities Re: Iams
4. To Authorities Re: Sinclair Research Center
5. To the Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

====================

SAMPLE LETTERS & CONTACT INFO

Sample letters are prepared to give you ample background on an issue.

Try to change some words, pare down letters, and make them your own.

**DELETE ALL REFERENCES TO KINSHIP CIRCLE BEFORE SENDING**

====================

SAMPLE LETTER #1: To Menu Foods

Menu Foods is majority owned by the Menu Foods Income Fund, based in Ontario, Canada.
www.menufoods.com

Paul K. Henderson, President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Menu
Foods GenPar Limited
Menu Foods Income Fund
8 Falconer Drive; Streetsville, ON
Canada L5N 1B1
ph: +1-905-826-3870; fax: +1-905-826-4995

Serge Darkazanli, President and Chief Executive Officer
Menu Foods Income Fund
8 Falconer Drive; Mississauga, ON
Canada L5M 2C1
ph: 905-826-3870; fax: 905-826-8102
email: sdarkazanli [at] menufoods.com, adoremus [at] menufoods.com

Mark Wiens, Executive Vice President
Menu Foods Income Fund
8 Falconer Drive; Mississauga, ON
Canada L5M 2C1
email: mwiens [at] menufoods.com

Dear Mr. Henderson, Mr. Karkazanli, Mr. Wiens, and Menu Foods:

Thank you for announcing plans to reimburse caretakers able to link their animals’ illnesses with products named in the recall of 60 million Menu Foods cans and pouches.

As you know, results from the New York State Food Laboratory originally identified the rat poison aminopterin as the contaminant behind the deaths of 15 cats and two dogs (as of 3/24/07). Since then, FDA and Cornell University scientists uncovered melamine, a component in plastics and fertilizer, in wheat gluten used in affected Menu Foods products. However, experts are uncertain if melamine is the primary culprit.

While FDA and Menu Foods recognize a handful of deaths, a veterinarian at Cornell University’s prestigious New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Center predicts fatalities may skyrocket into the thousands. At PetConnection.com, a veterinarian’s self-reporting website, at least 2,822 deaths (1,557 cats and 1,265 dogs as of 4/1/07) are linked to poisoned foods. The mortality rate is certain to climb.

In addition to compensating guardians for veterinary tests, therapy, and loss arrangements — minus any bureaucratic delays — I urge Menu Foods to:
* Overhaul its system of oversight at all manufacturer sites.
* Discontinue testing toxic food on lab-confined cats and dogs.
* Replace all animal experiments with laboratory analysis and other non-animal methods.

I am shocked to learn Menu Foods induces kidney failure in cats and dogs for lab tests engineered to counter consumer grievances. Histological analyses and necropsies of already deceased animals who ate noxious food ought to present sufficient data to isolate and even treat the effects of the contaminant. Other cruelty-free models include a functional gastro-intestinal dog (FIDO) or TIM-1 and TIM-2 (small and large gastro-intestinal models).

I cannot purchase your goods until a no-animal testing policy is instated. Quite simply, polluted human foods are never tested in humans. The forced ingestion of “suspect raw materials” in animals is equally repugnant.

Though manufacturers are not legally required to experiment on animals to earn market approval, Menu Foods has authorized animal studies long before the March 2007 recall. Tests to gauge “metabolic energy” of dog and cat food restrain animals in barren stainless-steel cages, sometimes for years. Exercise and other forms of stimulation (such as toys) are virtually nonexistent.

In 2002 and 2003, investigations inside Sinclair Research Center, a laboratory under contract with Iams and Menu Foods, exposed dogs with muscle chunks severed from their thighs huddling on a cold floor. Two dogs died post-surgery and at least 27 were killed over the course of this experiment alone. Sinclair recently settled with the USDA for alleged violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act.

The recall initiated a chain of fear and pain for animals and people. I encourage Menu Foods to implement stricter security measures and prevent future tragedies. In addition, please replace old-fashioned animal experiments with progressive, non-animal research modes.

Thank you,

====================

SAMPLE LETTER #2: To Canadian Authorities

The Honorable Mark Saltmarsh
Crown Attorney’s Office
Grenville & William Davis Courthouse, 5th Fl., Ste. 100
7755 Hurontario St.
Brampton, ON L6W 4T6, Canada
ph: 905-456-4777; fax: 905-456-4780

Dear Mr. Saltmarsh:

In light of the recent recall of 60 million pet food cans and pouches, I respectfully ask you to open an investigation to determine if the manufacturer, Menu Foods, has disobeyed Canadian law.

Menu Foods allegedly learned about contamination concerns by February 20, 2007, yet waited until March 16 to recall foods marketed across North America under 95 brands. During this delay, caretakers continued to feed their animals tainted food, thus prolonging the potential for illness and death. I urge you to hold Menu Foods liable for each fatality, to the extent permissible under Canadian law.

Furthermore, Menu Foods is inducing kidney failure in cats and dogs for lab tests engineered to counter consumer grievances. Histological analyses and necropsies of already deceased animals who ate noxious food ought to present sufficient data to isolate and even treat the effects of the contaminant. Other cruelty-free models include a functional gastro-intestinal dog (FIDO) or TIM-1 and TIM-2 (small and large gastro-intestinal models).

Please consider a statute in Canada’s criminal code that seems relevant to these circumstances:
* R.S.C., ch. C-34, S 446.(1)(a) “Every one commits an offence who willfully [causes]… unnecessary pain, suffering or injury to an animal…”
* R.S.C., ch. C-34, S 446.(1)(e) “Every one commits an offence who willfully, without reasonable excuse, administers a poisonous or an injurious drug or substance to a domestic animal…”

If your investigation shows Menu Foods in violation of Canadian law, I urge you to prosecute implicated parties to the maximum degree allowed by law.

Thank you for your valuable time and deliberation,

====================

SAMPLE LETTER #3: To Authorities Re: Iams

The Honorable Joseph D. Deters, Prosecuting Attorney
Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office
230 E. Ninth St., Ste. 4000; Cincinnati, OH 45202
ph: 513-946-3006; fax: 513-946-3017
email: Joe.Deters [at] hcpros.org
website: www.hcpros.org/directory.html

Dear Mr. Deters,

In light of the recent recall of 60 million pet food cans and pouches, I respectfully ask you to open an investigation to determine if Iams Company has disobeyed Ohio anti-cruelty law (Ohio Rev. Code Ann. S 959.131). Iams and Eukanuba are among the 95 recalled brands manufactured at Menu Foods and distributed across North America.

Iams’ manufacturer, Menu Foods, allegedly learned about contamination concerns by February 20, 2007, yet waited until March 16 to issue a mass recall. During this delay, caretakers continued to feed their animals tainted food, thus prolonging the potential for illness and death. Iams presumably became aware of contaminated foods well before the publicized recall. I urge you to hold Iams liable for each related fatality, to the extent permissible under Ohio law.

Thank you for your valuable time and deliberation,

====================

SAMPLE LETTER #4: To Authorities Re: Sinclair Research Center

Molly Aust
Animal Control
616 Big Bear Blvd.; Columbia, MO 65202
ph: 573-449-1888; fax: 573-442-5416
web email form:
www.gocolumbiamo.com/Feedback/feedback.php?email=grw [at] GoColumbiaMo.com

Dear Ms. Aust,

In light of the recent recall of 60 million pet food cans and pouches, I respectfully ask you to open an investigation to determine if Sinclair Research Center and Menu Foods have disobeyed state law.

Furthermore, Menu Foods is inducing kidney failure in cats and dogs for lab tests engineered to counter consumer grievances. Please question Sinclair Research Center’s possible participation in the forcible ingestion of toxicants. News sources indicate this experiment occurred on or near February 27.

As you may be aware, 2002/2003 investigations inside Sinclair, a Columbia, MO laboratory under contract with Menu Foods and [formerly] Iams, exposed significant violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act. Investigators documented dogs with muscle chunks severed from their thighs huddling on a cold floor. Two dogs died post-surgery and at least 27 were killed over the course of this experiment alone. Sinclair recently settled with the USDA.

The deliberate poisoning of healthy animals is particularly repugnant. Histological analyses and necropsies of already deceased animals who ate noxious food ought to present sufficient data to isolate and even treat the effects of the contaminant. Other cruelty-free models include a functional gastro-intestinal dog (FIDO) or TIM-1 and TIM-2 (small and large gastro-intestinal models).

I urge you to consider a statute in Missouri criminal code, Mo. Ann. Stat. SS578.005-578.012 that seems relevant to these circumstances. Please thoroughly investigate Menu Foods and Sinclair (a Menu Foods’ contract Laboratory). If deemed in violation of Missouri law, prosecute all implicated parties to the maximum extent allowed by law.

Thank you for your valuable time and deliberation,

====================

SAMPLE LETTER #5: To Food And Drug Administration (FDA)

Daniel G. McChesney, Ph.D., Director
Food and Drug Administration, Center for Veterinary Medicine
Office of Surveillance and Compliance
7500 Standish Pl., HFV-230; Rockville, MD 20855
ph: 240-453-6830; fax: 240-453-6880
email: daniel.mcchesney [at] fda.hhs.gov
website: www.aafco.org/NameSearch/tabid/76/Default.aspx#M

Dear Dr. McChesney,

In light of the recent recall of 60 million pet food cans and pouches, I am relieved to know the FDA has opened an investigation into contaminated Menu Foods products and escalating animal deaths.

While FDA and Menu Foods recognize a handful of deaths, a veterinarian at Cornell University’s prestigious New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Center predicts fata