Animal “personhood” rights?

Wisconsin Wildlife Ethic-Vote Our Wildlife

 From the New York Times

The Opinion Pages

‘Animals Are Persons Too’

APRIL 23, 2014

This short documentary follows the lawyer Steven Wise’s effort to break down the legal wall that separates animals from humans.

To begin, click on Video

Video Credit By Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker on Publish Date April 23, 2014.

Op-Docs

By CHRIS HEGEDUS and D. A. PENNEBAKER

How does a thing become a person? In December 2013, the lawyer Steven Wise showed the world how, with a little legal jujitsu, an animal can transition from a thing without rights to a person with legal protections. This Op-Doc video follows Mr. Wise on his path to filing the first-ever lawsuits in the United States demanding limited “personhood” rights for certain animals, on behalf of four captive chimpanzees in New York State.

Mr. Wise (who is also the subject of The New York Times Magazine’s cover story

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Wildlife: Denali wolf packs hammered by hunting

Summit County Citizens Voice

Wolves draw tourists to Denali National Park.

Death of breeding wolves affects pack size and persistence

Staff Report

FRISCO — Following a steep drop in the Denali National Park wolf population, biologists have documented how the death of breeding wolves affects pack size and persistence. The number of wolves in the 6million acre park in Alaska dropped from 143 in the fall of 2007 to just 55 wolves in the spring of 2013, raising concerns about impacts to tourism.

Many visitors come to Denali with the expectation of seeing wolves, but a recent state decision to allow wolf hunting in area previously deemed a buffer zone has had a big impact on wolf numbers. According to the latest research, the death of a breeding wolf sometimes results in a wolfpack disbanding.

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CALL TO ACTION: Oppose the Planned Killing of 16,000 Cormorants Along the Columbia River

Exposing the Big Game

http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/2014/07/07/call-to-action-oppose-the-planned-killing-of-16000-cormorants-along-the-columbia-river-1602

Cormorants are being targeted simply
because they eat salmon
Photo: Sea Shepherd The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced plans to shoot thousands of double-crested cormorants in the Columbia River Estuary beginning next year.

Much like California sea lions at the Columbia River, cormorants are being targeted simply because they eat salmon. Federal officials are claiming that these seabirds, protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, eat too many juvenile salmon, as well as steelhead, as the fish migrate through the river estuary to the Pacific Ocean. The proposed cull program would claim the lives of 16,000 cormorants over the course of four years, with killing taking place during the birds’ nesting seasons. Oil will also be spread over cormorant eggs to suffocate the eggs and ensure that they do not hatch. While the Army Corps emphasizes the increase in the East Sand Island double-crested cormorant population in…

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Range riders program expands to cover territory of five wolf packs

The Wolf Preservation Blog

“On June 1st, Washington ranchers began turning out their cows and calves onto summer grazing lands. Some of those lands overlap with territory home to Washington’s recovering wolves. And that’s where you’ll find livestock under the watchful eye of range riders co-sponsored by Conservation Northwest.

This year we’re collaborating with even more cattle operations on the ground in wolf country to protect livestock and wolves.   

Working with the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) and four ranchers from the Methow and Teanaway valleys, the Wenatchee area and Stevens County in northeast Washington, we’ll have at least six riders patrolling grazing allotments this season. For the first time, they’ll be covering the territory of five confirmed wolf packs on horse and ATV working to minimize wolf-livestock conflict.

Range riders work long, hard days in tough conditions, covering thousands of miles a season to make sure the cattle are calm…

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Wisconsin hunters can train dogs to chase wolves, court says

The Wolf Preservation Blog

A gray wolf in a wooded area near Wisconsin Dells, Wis. (AP Photo/Jayne Belsky via the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, File)

“MADISON, Wis. — A state appeals court ruled Thursday that hunters can train dogs to chase down wolves, rejecting arguments from a group of humane societies that wildlife officials are allowing deadly wolf-dog clashes and cementing one of the most contentious elements of Wisconsin wolf hunting.

The 4th District Court of Appeals’ ruling marks another chapter in the bruising political battle over the state’s wolf hunt. Republicans and farmers contend that the hunt is necessary to control a burgeoning wolf population that’s preying on livestock and deer; conservationists and animal lovers say the population is still fragile and that the animal is too majestic to kill.

A Republican-authored law establishing the wolf hunt permits hunters to use up to six dogs to track and trail wolves after the…

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Horses Healing Humans

Victory! Kampala Says ‘No’ to Inhumane Dog Culling | Care2 Causes

Life or Lunch?

In Kampala, Uganda, people are finally saying “no” to abusive dog culls.

The problem started nearly a month ago when a suburb of the city called Bukoto experienced a chilling visit from the KCCA (Kampala City Council Authority). In an attempt to control the stray dog population in the market, the KCCA entered with buckets of poisoned meat, and proceeded to kill every dog they could find.

These actions were filmed by a local news network, which documented the brutality as helpless street dogs buckled and seized under the effects of the poison. Most were killed in broad daylight, in front of children and market patrons. A copy of the video can be found here, although please keep in mind the content is graphic and heartbreaking.

Soon after the Bukoto cull, it was announced the KCCA would be taking their poison meat to another suburb of Kampala, called Nakawa…

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GOING “BEYOND PESTICIDES” TO SAVE THE BEE POPULATION

spiritandanimal.wordpress.com

Bees are a vital species to humans and the environment as pollinators of most of our crops. But they are dying off at a rapid pace. Jay Feldman, Executive Director of Beyond Pesticides, takes a hard look at what may be behind the large declines in bee populations, and what’s at stake.

Earth Focus is an environmental news magazine that puts a human face on the environment by featuring under-publicized stories about how changes in our environment are affecting everyday People.

Watch more at http://www.linktv.org/earthfocus.

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Help #freearturo

#freearturo

I have been really deeply affected by the story of Arturo, a polar bear trapped in terrible conditions (40 degree heat, not enough water, no fresh water, no enrichment) in the Argentinian desert. Mendoza Zoo are blocking attempts to relocate him and improve his living conditions. Over the last week or so, I have been researching his story and wanted to list all the actions that people who are also concerned about him can take to help this poor bear. I need to do all I can to help improve his conditions.

I’m not posting pictures here as many are available online (e.g. http://osoarturo.tumblr.com), this just details the actions you can take to add more force to the movement. PLEASE take a few minutes to do one of the following, or as many as you can. Just as we can judge the degree of civilisation of a society by…

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These 20 Honest Slogans Reveal The Truth About World’s Biggest Brands | DeMilked

digger666

via These 20 Honest Slogans Reveal The Truth About World’s Biggest Brands | DeMilked.

Jul 11, 2014

Companies invest loads of money to make their brands look flawless, however, even the top brands can’t do everything perfectly. Clif Dickens, a graphic designer from Nashville, decided to point out these flaws on his blog, called Honest Slogans.

Instead of writing their own slogans, Clif adds something a bit more honest. The slogans are deceptive in their apparent simplicity – they are exactly what we thought of these brands, but couldn’t  put to words ourselves.

(Editor’s Note: With regards to the above text, management of this blog take the position immortalised by Francis Ewan Urquhart, “You might very well think that; I couldn’t possibly comment”,

More Info: honestslogans.com (h/t: dailymail)

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