Daily Archives: March 30, 2016
petition: Lose the Pit Bull Label to Save More Dogs from Death Row
Pit Bulls May Wait In Shelters Up To 3 Times As Long, Because Of A Meaningless Label | Care2 Causes
How We Could Save More Dogs From Death Row by Changing One Thing
By: Jessica Ramos
March 29, 2016
Whether we like it or not, labels matter — even for dogs. New research from Arizona State University published in PLOS ONE, suggests labels could even lead to a potential death sentence, if you’re a pit bull.
Pit Bulls Wait 3 Times as Long to be Adopted
The pit bull went from America’s darling dog to one of the most feared (and misunderstood) dogs today. Their fall from grace is evident in stories like Olive’s. Olive the Pit Bull was brought in as a stray and stayed in the shelter for approximately 11 years. Olive was lucky enough to find her forever home, but so many dogs like her aren’t — and our arbitrary labels aren’t helping their cause.
According to Science Daily, researchers from Arizona State University wanted to know if breed identification influences adoption. The researchers found that dogs labeled as “pit bulls” could wait three times as long to be adopted from shelters into their forever homes compared to their lookalikes without the label or labelled as another breed.
Compared to other breeds, like Labradors, pits were perceived as less friendly and more aggressive. They also were considered less “attractive” than their lookalikes. Weird, right?
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Even the researchers were surprised by how much the pit bull label influences perception and, ultimately, adoption. As researcher Lisa Gunter from Arizona State University explains, “We were surprised how very similar looking dogs sometimes get labelled ‘pit bull’ and other times as something completely different. These dogs may look and act the same, but the pit bull label damns them to a much longer wait to adoption,” reports Science Daily.
Ultimately, the researchers recommend losing the pit bull label to stop inadvertently penalizing these dogs in the shelter setting.
Heartbreaking Pit Bull Statistics
If you thought that Olive’s story was sad, she’s actually one of the lucky ones — not only for getting adopted, but for staying in the shelter system for the 11 years that she did.
According to Pit Bull Rescue Central (PBCR) 200 pit bulls are euthanized in Los Angeles County animal shelters every single day.
PBCR emphasizes that “for homeless pit bulls the death sentence is almost always automatic.”
Villalobos Rescue Center (made popular by the TV show Pit Bulls and Parolees) had this to say about the pit bull plight in Los Angeles: “The pit bull population has now risen to 40% of all the dogs in 12 shelters in Los Angeles. That means that almost half of the entire Los Angeles dog population is pits or pit mixes! Most are strays, tossed out like dirty laundry. It’s heartbreaking.”
Sadly, the plight of pit bulls is not limited to Los Angeles County. A 2013 Nat Geo Wild infographic reveals that:
60 percent of the total dogs euthanized in U.S. shelters are pit bulls
30 percent of the total dogs admitted to shelters are labeled pit bulls
86.7 percent of pit bulls admitted to open admission shelters are euthanized
Do you know what the worst part of this sad situation is? There’s no such thing as a pit bull.
As Bark Post explains, the pit bull label is just “an umbrella term that most people use to refer to different types of dogs – the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, any mixes thereof, and any dog that vaguely resembles these dogs.”
The breed isn’t real, but the stigma has real consequences. And time and again pit bulls prove that they can be great dogs with the correct guidance and training when they get a second chance. Remember how Jericho the Pit Bull went from death row to being an amazing service dog?
See how much you would pay in taxes under each presidential candidate | WPMT FOX43
See how much you would pay in taxes under each presidential candidate
Posted 10:39 AM, March 30, 2016, by Tribune Media Wire
So how much would you have to pay in taxes under each presidential candidate?
With debates already at a fevered pitch, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are all trying to convince voters to side with them – but it’s hard to size up a candidate from podium time alone. One of the crucial ways the next president will affect every citizen by the changes he or she has planned for the country’s tax policy.
Vox teamed up with the Tax Policy Center to create a handy tax calculator that uses each candidates’ proposal to give you a sharper idea of what April 15, 2017 might look like for your checking account.
If you want see how much you’d have to pay under Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump or Ted Cruz, you can enter in a hypothetical amount into the calculator.
For example, let’s say you are single, have one child and make $50,000. This is what your taxes would like under the four candidates:
If you’re married, make $140,000 and have two or more children:
What about the millionaires? Here’s a married couple with no children who makes $1,000,000:
See how much you might be on the hook for under the different candidates by using this calculator.
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Filed in: News, Politics
Topics: BERNIE SANDERS, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, taxes, ted cruz
Why Saving Our Forests Means Saving the Future For Animals – and Us | One Green Planet
Recently, the United Nations celebrated International Day of Forests, bringing awareness to the alarming rate at which the most biologically diverse ecosystems on land (home to more than 80 percent of the terrestrial species of animals, plants, and insects) are being destroyed.
Between 1990 and 2005, net forest loss in Africa was about 300,000 square miles – roughly comparable to the area from North Carolina to Maine along the eastern United States. The resulting loss of habitat and food, increased carbon dioxide emissions, and reduced oxygen production is a direct threat to the life cycle and our climate. Industrial logging and mining, agriculture, and urban sprawl are primary causes of forest destruction.
Why We Need Forests to Maintain a Stable Ecosystem
Forests act as catalysts, turning groundwater into moisture in the air. This provides a natural cooling effect. When forests are destroyed, this cycle is lost and temperatures increase…
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Petition · Michigan State House, Charles Brunner: Prevent pet owners in Michigan from leaving pets outside in extreme weather! · Change.org
Petition · Mike Pence: Save Wild Indiana! Limit Logging in State Forests & Create Protected Areas · Change.org
Man Charged with Cruelty for Transporting Sick Horse, ‘Lily,’ to New Holland Auction | WPMT FOX43
Man Charged with Cruelty for Transporting Sick Horse, ‘Lily,’ to New Holland Auction
Posted 12:56 PM, March 30, 2016, by Paul Smith, Updated at 12:58pm, March 30, 2016
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lily
NEW HOLLAND, Pa. — New Holland Police are charging a Rhode Island man with animal cruelty for transporting a lame horse to the New Holland Sales Stables for auction.
On Wednesday, Phillip S. Price, 65, was charged with five summary citations, regarding his handling of Lily, a pony mare now receiving treatment in Kennett Square.
New Holland police Detective Lt. Jonathan Heisse filed the charges, which will be mailed to Price.
Lancaster County SPCA investigated the case. Police, after consultation with and approval by Assistant District Attorney Christine L. Wilson, filed charges.
The injured horse was very thin and blind when it was dropped off March 14 at the New Holland Sales Stables on West Fulton Street.
lily-trailer
Price, of East Providence, R.I., is charged with 3 counts of animal cruelty, a single count of dealing and handling animals without a license, and a single count of importing animals without an interstate health certificate.
The horse was transported from a location in New Jersey to the auction site.
Each summary citation carries a maximum fine of $300, plus additional court costs, which will be ordered by District Judge Rodney Hartman, if Price is proven guilty. At that point, restitution for the horse’s care will also be ordered.
The three cruelty charges regard Price’s neglect of Lily, the transport of the horse, and her being offered for sale.
The investigation continues into how Lily received paint markings on her body.
Lily is being cared for at Penn Vet New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, where she continues to improve and gain weight.
Her progress is updated on the center’s Facebook page.
Justice for Five Animals Shot to Death With BB Gun
Five dead animals, including raccoons, opossums, and a feral cat, were found with foam at the mouth and BB gun wounds. Authorities say that this was an act of animal cruelty but haven’t been able to find the heartless animal killer. Demand that this person be found and punished to the fullest extent possible.
Costa Rica: Make laws to punish the torturing of animals
Target: Politicians of Costa Rica, Costa Rica is a beautiful country that has so much to offer regarding its nature, people and especially its animals. But
Source: Costa Rica: Make laws to punish the torturing of animals
Prevent Abuse by Installing Surveillance Cameras in All Slaughterhouses
Young lambs are allegedly hacked and butchered while still conscious according to video footage taken from an organic slaughterhouse. Demand that surveillance cameras are installed in slaughterhouses nationwide to ensure greater transparency in these facilities.
Source: Prevent Abuse by Installing Surveillance Cameras in All Slaughterhouses
Stop Poaching Endangered Bird for “Red Ivory”
The rare helmeted hornbill is being poached to extinction for its ivory-like skull which is in high demand in China. Demand a stop to the red ivory trade in order to protect this critically endangered bird.
Urge Footwear and Accessories Retailer DSW to End Fur and Angora Wool Sales
Selling shoes and accessories made with fur and angora wool makes DSW complicit in the torment of animals. Urge the retailer to stop immediately.
Source: Urge Footwear and Accessories Retailer DSW to End Fur and Angora Wool Sales
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