Target: Walt Disney World Resort; Jeff Vahle, President of Walt Disney World Resort; Josh D’Amaro, Chairman, Disney Parks; Thomas Mazloum, President, Disney Signature Experiences
Save the Disney Dolphins (SADD) together with Dolphin Project, are asking Disney to retire the captive dolphins at Epcot, and to cease sales to any captive dolphin programs on Disney cruises.
Please join us by signing and sharing this petition.
To: Walt Disney World Resort; Jeff Vahle, President of Walt Disney World Resort; Josh D’Amaro, Chairman, Disney Parks; Thomas Mazloum, President, Disney Signature Experiences From: [Your Name]
Dear Sirs,
In April 2019, Izzy Megilley and her family visited Walt Disney World, Florida: “On visiting the Epcot centre, we were horrified to see a solitary dolphin in a very small, barren tank. We had avoided SeaWorld and other such attractions, because we object to the keeping of sea mammals in captivity, so were very upset to have this forced upon us.”
On returning home, Izzy found out that there are 3 dolphins at Epcot who partake in expensive dolphin swims. She contacted Disney and a representative told her that the dolphins are kept mainly for research, education and “not for profit.” In a letter from the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), following an FOIA request, Izzy was informed that the Disney Dolphins are not in the facility for scientific research. The letter stated, “Disney does not, and has not, held dolphins for scientific research purposes.”
Upon further investigation, she discovered that Disney Cruise Line also offers captive dolphin swim-with experiences, including a ‘dance, hug and kiss’ costing as much as $300 per person. Subsequently, Izzy started Save the Disney Dolphins (SADD), a movement to end Disney’s captive marine mammal programs.
Dolphins are wide-ranging, deep-diving, highly social and highly intelligent marine mammals. Everything that we’ve learned about them tells us that they don’t belong in concrete tanks.
SADD together with Dolphin Project, are asking Disney to retire the captive dolphins at Epcot, and to cease sales to any captive dolphin programs on Disney cruises. I, too call on you to show true leadership and ask that Disney Parks and Disney Cruise Line to end all ties to captive dolphin industry.
Linda Sue started this petition to Scott County Attorney Ron Hocevar and
(Links are live) Update 8/18/2022 It appears AHS Supervisor Keith Streff failed to honor his duties as a Humane Agent under Statute 343.12 DUTIES OF PEACE OFFICERS.
Agent Streff despicably and irresponsibly allowed 80-100 rabbits to remain at Peacebunny Cottage after 47 dead rabbits were found decaying among hundreds of live rabbits living in deplorable neglectful conditions, 2 more euthanized on site and 12 babies thereafter died in rescue attempts totaling 61 dead rabbits. Further, many bunnies recovered/moved from the Peacebunny Farm have since died or been euthanized and the count of those deaths is not made public. HOW INCREDIBLY APPALLING.
Liv Hagen, Humane Investigations Mgr. oversees cruelty and neglect cases and Humane Investigations agents; collaborates with law enforcement and legal teams and has allowed this injustice to happen under her watch as well as the President and CEO Janelle Dixon.
Update 8/2/2022 Fluff piece on Stephanie Hope Smith in the Startribune leaves major concerns animal cruelty charges are and will not be taken seriously. The authorities would like you to believe that Stephanie Hope Smith was “over her head” and became overwhelmed when in fact Mrs. Smith knowingly and irresponsibly left rabbits and baby bunnies to suffer and perish in neglect while traveling all over the states promoting their business for profits. 61 rabbits/bunnies have suffered and died from despicable neglect while uncontrolled breeding was allowed by Mrs. Smith. Animal cruelty charges should be honored to fullest extent of the law.
Update 7/29/2022 – CALL TO ACTION Authorities allow a person with multiple counts of animal cruelty including two felony charges to continue operating and owning rabbits. Stephanie Hope Smith is responsible for the suffering and death of 49 rabbits/babies. See Petition Update Here
Original Petition We the petitioners demand a fraud and misuse of nonprofit funds investigation along with prosecution to the fullest extent of the law, shut down and never allowed to reopen a rabbit business. If you were a donor please contact the County or City Attorney to file a fraud complaint and ask for an investigation.
Stephanie Hope Smith, 51, mother of teen entrepreneur and media celebrity sensation Caleb Smith, faces multiple counts of animal cruelty, torture and abandonment, among other charges. Caleb will be 18 on July 4th, charge him as an adult.
Rabbits were tunneling through deep feces and dozens found injured in need of vet care, including tiny baby bunnies. Two rabbits were euthanized – one with a broken back and another infested with maggots from fly strike.
Similar to Puppy mills, multiple rabbits are confined in small cages like a cramped prison where rabbits are unable to move freely without climbing over one another, walk or lay down and their feet get sores from the hard caging. Fighting results in life threatening injuries.
According PBC, Caleb was traveling in DC and prior to that in Kansas to promote his “bunny business” – all while approx 250 rabbits/babies lingered in filth suffering and dying.
According to news articles the self proclaimed rabbit expert/bunny guardian and his family despicably profited from the rabbit business. With various for profits and a nonprofits, they were able to acquire five Islands on the Mississippi River and a house boat.
Caleb Smith and his family were not rescuing rabbits or providing a sanctuary they were defrauding and duping the public. The rabbits were allowed to freely breed and Caleb bred show rabbits for 4H to win blue ribbons and to sell angora fur while the rest of the rabbits lived in squalor suffering.
4H projects do not include rescuing rabbits; their purpose is breeding, showing rabbits and raising them for meat. Sanctuaries do not show, exploit or breed animals and rescues do not breed animals. Lastly, domestic rabbits are not “endangered” and in need of breeding but the complete opposite as every rabbit rescue, shelter is busting at the seams trying to rescue thousands of unwanted and dumped pet rabbits many of whom are discarded in the wild to suffer and die. This is what defrauder Caleb and his family despicably contributed to and there was no honor to their fake mission or cause.
Scott County Attorney Ron Hocevar said his office will hold a press conference regarding the case on Tuesday. Stephanie Smith is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 22.
What can you do? Animal cruelty laws are in place to protect animals as well as the Animal Welfare Act, both include rabbits. Voice your concerns with the authorities and file fraud complaints if you donated.
Respectfully ask the City, County and Police to prosecute all responsible parties of Peacebunny Cottage to the fullest extent of the law, shut them down and never allowed to reopen. Sign, share and educate the public with the petition.
Savage MN Scott County Attorney Ron Hocevar Email: rhocevar@co.scott.mn.us Phone: 952-496-8240 Website
City Attorney Dan Gregerson Email: dangregerson@grjn.com Phone: 612-436-7492 Website
A sweet cat died from blunt force trauma after being beaten up and drenched in bleach in Fairfield, Connecticut, reportedly by an official formerly convicted of animal cruelty twice.
Gem, an innocent cat, reportedly was intentionally harmed during a domestic dispute. Charges in her case are still pending.
Another cat named Pearl reportedly was burned with toxic chemicals “down to the muscle” – to the point that her tail had to be amputated— by the same man, also during a domestic dispute, according to an arrest warrant.
The man who allegedly committed these intentional acts of cruelty against cats was convicted of animal cruelty in 2018 — spending 41 days in jail and receiving two years probation for reportedly pouring scorching hot water on his then-fiancée’s 5-year-old dog named Thor and breaking the ribs of her dog named Charlie.
All of the victims were companion animals of women the man reportedly was dating at the time.
Authorities have charged Raymond Neuberger, who served as a member of Fairfield’s Representative Town Meeting from 2013 to 2017 and ran for state representative in 2016, with animal cruelty, according to news reports. Neuberger is out after posting bond while awaiting his court proceedings.
Whoever injured these innocent cats must be held accountable, and this case must be taken seriously. A growing number of studies have established that violence against animals is often used by domestic violence abusers to try to control their human partners.
Sign our petition urging prosecutors to treat this case with the severity it deserves, including pursuing domestic violence related charges if applicable and including any needed interventions, such as counseling or anger management, and a maximum ban on owning and being around animals in any setting.
PETITION TARGET: Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest Service
At least 25 horses were callously shot to death on federal forest land in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest in Arizona.
Horses on the Sitgreaves side of the forest are considered “wild” and are federally protected under the Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act. Horses on the Apache side currently are considered feral and excluded from federal protections.
While forest officials have classified the corpses as “feral” horses, they also have recognized that no horse deserves to be shot to death for simply existing.
A deputy forest supervisor told local news that animal cruelty charges could apply and that the agency is actively investigating. The supervisor also condemned the tragic mass killings, which he said were “not something we think is ok,” according to local news reports.
Horses — regardless of how humans classify them — are highly intelligent, sentient animals who deserve to live their lives in peace with their herds.
Whoever brutally killed these horses must be held accountable.
Sign our petition urging Apache-Sitgreaves Forest detectives to use all resources available to identify the killer(s) of these horses, to forward all applicable animal cruelty charges on to a prosecutor, and to push for maximum accountability.
Target: Kristen Donmoyer, Director of Pennsylvania Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement
Goal: Investigate licensing of shelter that allegedly neglects and mishandles animals under its care.
Protests mounted, drawing national attention, as the planned death date of a Pennsylvania shelter dog neared. Community members, current and former volunteers at the Humane Society of Harrisburg, and even lawmakers urged the society to reverse its decision to euthanize Pursuit, its longest-standing canine. As the hour drew closer, word emerged that a volunteer had removed Pursuit from the shelter. A theft complaint was reportedly filed by the humane society a short time later. In the end, this animal’s life was saved, but his plight highlights what employees apparently say are still-lingering problems within the shelter.
The society claims that the decision to euthanize Pursuit was made after a series of behavioral issues that supposedly made him un-adoptable. Volunteers acknowledge that this animal did need special care, but his issues were reportedly exacerbated by the lack of time he and other on-site animals were able to spend outdoors or going for walks. Some volunteers even claim that Pursuit was completely isolated and cut off from contact with them when his story was made public to the press. Moreover, overtures from entities interested in caring for Pursuit were seemingly ignored. And former employees have alleged a pattern of similar animal mishandling dating back years, leading to the resignation of these individuals.
Sign the petition below to compel an investigation into a charitable organization that may not be putting the welfare of its charges first.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Director Donmoyer,
The planned euthanizing of a Humane Society of Harrisburg dog grabbed national attention and launched passionate protests. While Pursuit, the animal at the center of the debate, is still alive, his situation raises serious questions about his former habitat. The shelter contends that its decision was a last resort measure, but it reportedly rebuffed a recent attempt at adoption. Moreover, volunteers allege that this organization took retaliatory action against them and the dog after a story was published.
Perhaps most troubling are the accusations from present and former employees that a lack of critical stimulation for the animals in this shelter have contributed greatly to any behavioral issues. As caretakers of vulnerable living beings, shelters shoulder an important responsibility that cannot be dismissed. And as a license-granter and overseer of these shelters, the Pennsylvania Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement has a responsibility to ensure that the animals receive the best and most humane care.
Please undertake a strong evaluation of this shelter and take the necessary measures to rectify any violations of these critical responsibilities.
By now, most of us have heard about the Norfolk Southern train that crashed in East Palestine, Ohio while it was carrying toxic chemicals. Residents in the area are rightly concerned that their air, water, and soil could have been poisoned as a result of the crash.
It turns out, they’re not the only ones who should be concerned. Authorities have now revealed that approximately 43,700 animals died because of the hazardous materials involved in this derailment.
Sign the petition to demand a full and thorough cleanup of the waterways these animals called home!
Officials originally estimated that around 3,500 animals had been killed, but after conducting a more thorough investigation, they realized that number was closer to 45,000 animals. And this only accounts for animals that were within a 5-mile radius of the catastrophe!
All of the 43,700 creatures that were killed due to this calamity were aquatic, including many species of fish. There’s a high likelihood that this is going to throw local ecosystems wildly out of balance!
Poisoned dead fish means fish-eating species will be left without food. They won’t be able to breed or migrate. They won’t be able to play their part in the vital food chain that maintains healthy biodiversity.
The government has already required the rail company involved, Norfolk Southern, to pay the costs of all environmental clean-up associated with its toxic disaster. However, we must ensure it actually follows through, and to the highest standard! All too often, corporations find a way to delay, avoid, half-ass the job, or shirk such duties entirely.
Sign the petition to tell the Norfolk Southern company: we will be watching! Conduct a thorough cleanup of your environmental hazards – now!
recipient: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
North Atlantic right whales are a critically endangered species. Only 340 individuals are left alive in the world – and only 70 are females of breeding age. We cannot lose a single other whale.
But that didn’t stop a human vessel from striking a 20-year-old male right whale in the ocean, going at speeds fast enough to cause “catastrophic blunt force trauma.”
As a result, the endangered whale died and washed up on the Virginia shores. The whale must have been in horrific pain, because experts say he suffered several fractures and separations to his vertebrae.
We must protect endangered North Atlantic right whales! Sign the petition to demand justice!
Experts aren’t entirely sure where the vessel hit him, or what kind of boat or ship killed him. What we do know is that the U.S. government hasn’t done enough to protect right whales from these types of man-made assaults. Right now, military gear and vessels traveling lower than 65 feet are exempt from most speed restrictions! That’s a lot of whales left unprotected.
Humans are responsible for the three main threats to right whales’ survival. These include being struck by human vessels, entanglement in humans’ commercial fishing nets or other gear, and feeding and migration changes caused by human-induced climate change.
According to Eric Fuller from the Conservation Law Foundation, “Since 2017, at least 95 critically endangered right whales have been killed or injured by preventable human causes. Yet nothing has been done to reduce deadly vessel strikes. Right whales have been on this planet for millions of years and we are at risk of losing this entire species because of bureaucratic red tape. That cannot be allowed to continue.”
If humans are the problem, then we need to also be the answer! The U.S. government should take accountability and ensure we prevent these unnecessary whale deaths!
North Atlantic right whales are rapidly approaching extinction. With each vessel strike, we launch their population towards species death faster.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) must create more strict speed limits on how fast vessels may travel – and it needs to include military vessels as well. Sign the petition to save the last of these whales before they disappear!
50 years ago, Native peoples came together in solidarity at Wounded Knee, South Dakota: the site where U.S. troops massacred hundreds of Lakota people in 1890.
Fighting for civil rights and sovereignty in 1973, Native peoples gathered together to meet about the problems facing Indian Country and they were met by federal military action. The National Guard and armed FBI agents swarmed in and began a 71-day standoff, punishing many protesters with criminal charges and political imprisonment.
50 years later, we commemorate the occupation of Wounded Knee, which sparked a movement to change the relationship between our sovereign nations and the federal government. Their action was a call to build Native political power. And we renew the call for sovereignty and Indigenous rights, including voting rights.
In 1973, Native peoples in South Dakota were facing major obstacles to voting. South Dakota was called the “Mississippi of the North.”
Today, Native communities in the U.S. still face voter suppression and discrimination that restricts their ability to exercise their right to vote.
In fact, since the historic Native voter turnout in 2020, 19 states have passed 33 laws restricting the right to vote. As of today, 32 states have introduced 150 restrictive laws. For example, in South Dakota, a lawsuit was introduced against the state due to a state redistricting plan that would blatantly dilute the ability for Native representation in government in violation of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
For people living on reservations, there are unique barriers to voting.
Polling places are sometimes hundreds of miles away from reservations. The government has not invested in infrastructure on reservations like Internet access, so it can be difficult to register to vote online. Many people only have Post Office Boxes as their only mailing address, which can limit voting by mail. Some members of Tribal communities only have Tribal IDs, which have been rejected in many states for voting — particularly in states with new, stricter voter ID laws.
To address this crisis and protect Native voting rights, Congress must act now to pass the Native American Voting Rights Act. The bill will:
Mandate voter registration, early voting, and polling places on Native land.
Allow tribes to designate a building on-reservation where the address can be used to register, pick up, and drop off ballots.
Require states to accept tribally issued IDs as voter identification.
Provide for culturally appropriate language assistance so people who speak Native languages can still vote.
Please sign now to support the Native American Voting Rights Act as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the occupation of Wounded Knee.
PETITION TARGET: Lodi Police Department and city of Lodi
Enzo, a 2-year-old husky beloved by his family, died after being tased twice and dragged by officers in Lodi, California, according to news reports.
Enzo reportedly escaped from his family’s home through an unlatched door and was on the loose when officers reportedly received a complaint about a reportedly “aggressive” dog.
Surrounded by police and animal control officers, Enzo first tried to escape. Surveillance video then shows the dog standing still as an officer approaches and tases the dog, who then collapses. Video then shows the officer tasing Enzo again and dragging the dog across the pavement to behind the animal control van, where the dog reportedly died, according to video footage and news reports.
Additional information about how exactly Enzo died has not been released.
Witnesses who lived nearby said that Enzo allegedly had been “wagging his tail” before being tased and that the tasing allegedly had been “unnecessary,” according to news reports.
Currently, Lodi’s animal control ordinances indicate that police may confine or seize a dog on the loose — but the ordinances say nothing specifically about repeatedly using force, including tasers, that could result in the animal’s death in order to do so.
The Lodi Police Department said they’ll carry out an internal investigation — and it’s critical that the investigation be comprehensive, thorough, and fair.
Sign our petition urging the Lodi Police Department and the city of Lodi to thoroughly investigate the use of force that led to Enzo’s death. We’re also asking the department and the city to provide additional training to all officers about other methods of humanely confining and restraining dogs that could have been used in this situation to prevent any additional, unnecessary dog deaths.
The U.S.’s iconic wild horses could be rounded up, slaughtered, and shipped for human consumption if one Wyoming legislator gets his way.
Wild horses have been federally protected since 1971. The brutal slaughter of any horse on U.S. soil for human food — domestically or abroad — has been prohibited since 2007. The Department of the Interior also prohibited using taxpayer funds for the destruction of healthy animals for processing into commercial “products” as recently as 2020.
But House Joint Resolution 3 (HR3), proposed by Rep. John Winter, would ravage that progress for these precious animals who already facepersecution in the state.
A sole round up in one of Wyoming’s “management” areas, known as the Checkerboard region, aimed to remove more than 3,500 wild horses — many of whom died gruesomely or sustained horrific injuries — while leaving 91 percent of that same land open to for-profit livestock grazing, according to nonprofit In Defense of Animals (IDA).
The horrors that defenseless horses face at slaughterhouses also are well documented. They often endure grueling hours-long transports in overcrowded trucks, without access to food or water. Many die or are seriously injured on the way to the facilities, where the industry then claims the survivors are “humanely” killed — most commonly by having a bolt fired into their brains, followed by their twitching bodies bleeding out.
Lady Freethinker, along with numerous other animal welfare groups, asserts that there is no such thing as humane slaughter. Prior to the shut-down of the last U.S. horse slaughterhouse in 2007, reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) noted rampant cruelty — including horses with broken bones, gaping wounds, and eyeballs hanging from their sockets.
Wild horses — as well as domesticated horses who have been cared for, used, or exploited by people for their entire lives — don’t deserve to end their days in cruel slaughterhouses.
This legislation must not go any further.
Sign our petition urging the Wyoming Legislature’s Committee of Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources to strike this preposterous bill and instead uphold needed safeguards for federally-protected horses and all horses in the United States.
Residents in Ohio and Pennsylvania have been repeatedly told that they are “safe” after a Norfolk Southern train derailment caused a huge release of hazardous chemicals into the air, land, and water. Meanwhile, residents are continuing to report that they are experiencing health issues—from rashes to difficulty breathing—and are expected to navigate the emergency response and healthcare systems on their own.
This needs to change.
“Safe” means people can vacuum their homes without worrying about kicking up toxic pollution.
“Safe” means having independent test results that examine every necessary parameter and indicate there’s no harm.
“Safe” means being able to be in your home without the risk that health problems will develop months or years from now.
State officials in Ohio and Pennsylvania must take transparent, proactive steps to ensure that residents are able to access the information and support that they need.
Add your name to this petition to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.
Wolves are being massacred in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.
In the most recent hunting and trapping season alone, these three states slaughtered more than 700 wolves by brutal means like strangulation snares.
At least 25 of them were killed simply for stepping outside the borders of Yellowstone National Park, where they’re safe. Pups as young as eight months old were executed.
It’s taken decades for Yellowstone’s wolves to regain a foothold in the wildlands surrounding this cherished landscape. But a wave of cruel policies enacted by states in the northern Rockies have unleashed the worst massacre of the region’s wolves in 100 years.
The Center for Biological Diversity fought tooth and nail to restore protection to wolves across the lower 48 states, but that restored protection excluded wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains. So we’re doing all we can to save them, too.
Without federal protection, more wolf packs in the state will be decimated, more packs will be torn apart and more pups will be killed sleeping in their dens.
But there’s hope: The Biden administration can save the wolves who remain.
The Center filed an emergency petition to protect northern Rocky Mountains wolves under the Endangered Species Act, but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service missed its deadline to respond. So now we’re in court to save these intelligent, social animals, who are crucial to helping their ecosystems thrive.
Entrusting wolf management to states has resulted in a bloody war on wolves.
Idaho and Montana both passed laws aimed at liquidating their wolf populations. In Idaho hunters, trappers, and private contractors can kill up to 90% of the state’s estimated 1,337 wolves, using cruel hunting methods that used to be illegal — and should be again — including chasing wolves down with hounds and snowmobiles.
In Montana new rules may open the door to killing about 85% of its 1,100 to 1,200 wolves.
We haven’t come all this way to save wolves just to see rogue states wipe them out.
The best way to save these wolves is to protect them under the Endangered Species Act and we are calling on Biden’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to make that happen.
Will you join us?
Tell the Service to immediately restore protection to wolves in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.
Evacuations. People and animals exposed to hazardous chemicals. Mounting cleanup costs. These are just a few of the reasons a community is in crisis after a tragic train derailment.
A Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials, some known to cause cancer, derailed on Feb. 3rd in the town of East Palestine, Ohio. Weeks later, the situation seems to only be growing more dire. The EPA has demanded Norfolk Southern pay for cleanup costs, residents are flooding health centers with reports of illness, and people report animals getting sick and even dying.
The people impacted and American taxpayers could bear the costs for years to come. That is why it is imperative Norfolk Southern commits to paying 100% of the costs associated with the derailment. Add your name if you believe Norfolk Southern, not the victims or taxpayers, should pay for the cleanup, healthcare costs, and all other damages associated with the derailment.
Target: Kevin Shea, Administrator, U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
Goal: Demand zoos use only rescued animals for human display.
Zoos can be a wonderful place to visit. They give us exposure to animals we may never see otherwise in real life. Through these experiences, people can learn more about all the creatures found on the planet and their habits and connections to one another. Zoos also offer opportunities for animals who are endangered or injured and will not survive in the wild. Not only does this give us a chance to fulfill curiosity about other creatures, it gives those animals a second chance at life.
Unfortunately, zoos do not operate so altruistically. Out of the estimated 800,000 animals in zoos, those that are bred in captivity also end up behind bars with generations after them never getting to run free. While it is understandable zoos have an invested interest in staying stocked with animals, they should not lose sight of their goal to operate in the best interest of wildlife under their supervision. Using all or mostly animals rescued from unsafe circumstances is the best way to improve zoo operations.
Rescued animals can include those that are injured or healthy animals close to extinction. Injured animals who may die in the wild can live safely in captivity given they have care sympathetic to the adjustment from their natural habitat. Those facing extinction can be protected, too, chiefly in the event any safely bred in zoos are correctly reintroduced to the wild. According to PETA, animals facing extinction only make up 18% of those in zoos, evidence there is much work to be done to make these establishments a place to sustain species the world may lose otherwise.
Sign the petition below to urge Administrator Shea towards an understanding for how important it is for zoos to be about animal conservation, not just human recreation.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Administrator Shea,
Every year, animal welfare is more important to people than in previous generations. U.S. zoos have always operated on a platform revolving around conservation, though not much has been done to improve animal welfare efforts at a reasonable pace. Their cages are stocked with wildlife that may not need human help whether from injury or endangerment. Those who do face extinction are bred more for entertainment rather than their survival. This is where APHIS needs to step in.
Because zoos will always be popular for children and interested adults alike, they still can survive with a shift in business model. Plenty of animals with permanent injury can be sourced from the wild and nurtured in captivity given fair and understanding care. In addition, with more animals facing endangerment and extinction every day, zoos have a fabulous chance to not only facilitate the survival of these poor creatures, but maintain a population for people to enjoy and learn about. Remember, zoos are first and foremost for the animals.
We urge you to reevaluate the guidelines governing zoos and to enforce a more animal-centric approach to their operation.
Punish Veterinarian Reportedly Caught on Video Beating and Choking Dog – ForceChange
Sign the Petition
Tiffany White
Target: Matthew Hynes, DVM, Director of Michigan Veterinary Medical Association Macomb Branch
Goal: Revoke license and prosecute veterinarian accused of cruelly beating pet dog on video.
A YouTube video surfaced appearing to show a man beating, slamming, and even choking his pet dog. Unfortunately, the circumstances are nothing new. These specific allegations, however, have a troubling new twist: the suspect is a veterinarian.
This man remains publicly unnamed because he is awaiting arraignment on animal cruelty charges. The fact that he has been identified as a professional who is tasked daily with the care of animals merits concern, though. The German shepherd at the center of the allegations, as well as two other pet dogs in the suspect’s home, have been removed from the residence. And an official in the county executive’s office was apparently troubled enough by the allegations to say that “there’s no question we had to get these dogs out of there for their own protection and for their own good.”
If the allegations against him prove true, this man should not be allowed to work with or care for animals. Sign the petition below to urge Michigan’s veterinary board to evaluate this case for possible license revocation.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Dr. Hynes,
Veterinarians by their very nature must have a calm, measured approach. Animals—and especially sick animals—are unpredictable, but they absolutely deserve humane care. A veterinarian in Macomb County has allegedly demonstrated that he does not possess the fundamental qualifications to continue practice.
This man was reportedly caught on video abusing his pet dog to the extent that the animal was removed from the premises and charges were brought against the suspect. Only when authorities went to speak with him did they discover that the suspect worked in an animal care clinic in Shelby Township. Even if the suspect is convicted, the misdemeanor nature of the charges means that he will spend a minimal amount of time, if any, in jail.
Long-term consequences need to be more stringent. Please stay apprised of this case and, if a conviction does result, ensure that this man does not practice veterinary medicine again. The animals—and the people who entrust the care of their precious family members—deserve far better.
Target: Joe Lupo, President of the Mirage Hotel & Casino
Goal: Demand the Mirage release its remaining captive bottlenose dolphins after a third dolphin died at their facilities within a 6-month period.
K2, a bottlenose dolphin who spent his entire life at Las Vegas’ Mirage casino died in early October, making him the third dolphin to die at the Mirage within the last past 6 months. While dolphins in the wild have an average life expectancy of 20 to 30 years—with a maximum ranging upwards of 65 years—the three who died were all between the ages of eleven and nineteen. The exhibit is temporarily closed so that experts can investigate the deaths; however, ticket sales are expected to resume on October 9th, just a few days after the incident.
Dolphins are highly social, free-ranging animals and being isolated from their friends and kin has damaging effects on their physical and psychological health. It has long been known that dolphins in captivity suffer stress and depression, resulting in appetite loss, ulcers, and increased susceptibility to various diseases. In fact, within the last 31 years, 16 dolphins have died at the Mirage alone.
Sign this petition to demand that the Mirage casino dedicate their efforts towards preparing the remaining dolphins to be released into the wild. No more dolphins should suffer this grim fate for their profit.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Mr. Lupo,
Early this October, an 11-year-old bottlenose dolphin died at the Mirage Hotel and Casino, making it the third to die at this particular facility within the past 6 months. Over the course of the 31 years that the Mirage has been running, a total of 16 dolphins have died. Clearly, this is not an adequate setup for the dolphins–which can live up to 65 years in the wild. When in captivity dolphins grow extremely stressed, which can make them more susceptible to appetite loss, ulcers, and various diseases.
We are asking you, Mr. Lupo, to prevent any future acquisition of dolphins at your facility and work towards rehabilitating and releasing the dolphins currently in the Mirage’s possession.
Target: Tom Vilsack, Secretary of U.S. Department of Agriculture
Goal: Ban breeding and marketing practices that cause suffering and death of countless teacup pigs.
A pig who was once the pet of social media influencer Logan Paul was discovered in dire condition by a California animal rescue organization. The group posted that the pig, named Pearl, “came to us with tattered ears and a potentially life-threatening infection in her uterus that has since been healed. She’s clearly been through so much trauma that we can’t begin to imagine.” Another deceased pig was found alongside Pearl. Paul claims he had rehomed the animal before she was found abandoned, but the tragedy highlights an increasingly dangerous trend.
Pearl is a so-called teacup pig: a potbellied pig bred and marketed for her small size. Individuals who take in these animals are often falsely led to believe that they will maintain their tiny stature. Supposedly cute photos and videos feed this belief. When the pigs grow to their normal size, however, caretakers are overwhelmed, leading to the type of horrific incident that nearly cost Pearl her life. Worse yet, breeders routinely utilize inhumane practices like malnourishment and inbreeding to stunt the growth of these animals. As a result, the lifespan of teacup pigs on average is half the lifespan of a typical pig.
Sign the petition below to demand the Department of Agriculture crack down on these cruel and deadly breeding practices.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Secretary Vilsack,
The discovery of a badly hurt and suffering teacup pig recently attracted national attention because of the pig’s association with a well-known social media personality. But Pearl’s plight is representative of an all-too-commonplace reality for these exploited animals. Tragically, many are never saved from their lifetime of misery and suffering.
The lives of teacup pigs often end at abandonment and death, but they begin with inhumane breeding and neglectful care. Behind the “cuteness” is a legacy of starvation, inbreeding, and social isolation for these highly social animals. Please be an advocate for these vulnerable living beings.
Work for a ban on the breeding and heinous marketing of this animal cruelty.
Target: Simon Kinneen, Chair of North Pacific Fishery Management Council
Goal: Prolong ban on harvesting of snow crabs in Bering Sea.
They once numbered eight billion in the Bering Sea. Within just three years, their population plummeted to one billion. Now the Alaskan snow crab’s ultimate fate is perilous and unknown.
Overfishing has contributed to the plight of these animals. A greater toll, however, has been exerted by the rapidly defrosting Arctic region, which is warming at an alarming four times the rate of the rest of the world. Because the snow crab thrives in cold waters, its quickly changing habitat has left a dangerous and inhospitable home.
The dwindling numbers so alarmed fishery officials that they called off the Alaskan snow crab harvest. Juvenile crabs recently spotted in the region may have a chance to replenish populations as a result. But these animals need multiple years to reach maturity, and they need a safe haven to do so.
Sign the petition below to urge leaders to extend the moratorium on snow crab harvesting indefinitely.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Mr. Kinneen,
The Alaskan snow crab is in dire straits: a reality you recognized when you canceled the harvest for this year. The road to recovery will be long but not impossible if these animals have the time and the room to resurge. Juveniles currently in the sea need years, not months, to bolster the population.
Please think about the long-term and extend the prohibition on harvesting. Give the snow crab a fighting chance.
PETITION TARGETS: University of Minnesota, National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH), Minnesota Members of Congress
Kittens had their skulls drilled open and their brains jolted with electric currents and light rays by researchers at the University of Minnesota, who then killed the tiny animals at the end of the cruel tests.
The experiments’ protocols, obtained by Lady Freethinker through a public records request, said they aimed to better understand the human brain but used kittens as young as 10-weeks-old who were small enough to fit into the researchers’ brain scanners.
Several groups of anesthetized, temporarily paralyzed kittens underwent craniotomies, in which researchers drilled holes into their skulls and implanted electrodes or probes. Another group of paralyzed kittens had their brains scanned while researchers presented “visual stimuli” — including videos of mice — to the immobilized and defenseless animals, according to monitoring records.
While the studies were planned to be terminal — meaning no kittens would survive — records show that kittens also prematurely died from complications and suffered for days before researchers “euthanized” them.
Kittens suffered bruises, vomiting, muscle weakness, punctured veins, inflamed tracheas, and hypothermia. In 2021 alone, at least four kittens also died suddenly or suffered such severe complications from the experiments that researchers chose to kill them.
Casualties included April, a 3-month-old kitten who likely suffered organ damage after a researcher gave her a paralyzer at 4.5 times the approved dose — in alleged violation of the federal Animal Welfare Act — and Casey, an 11-week-old kitten whose tongue turned blue after repeated, failed attempts to intubate him and who had five veins blown during a single session.
Titan, an 11-week-old gray kitten, displayed muscle shakiness, low oxygen levels, a swollen face, and a seizure following a scan and suffered for at least 44 hours before researchers chose to kill him, according to his monitoring records.
Tammy — a 1-year-old kitten who had been anesthetized at least 15 times for experiments, starting when she was a 10-week-old kitten — died suddenly on a morning when researchers planned to drill into her skull. Zeus, a 10-week-old brown tabby kitten, also died on his own after suffering from an inflamed trachea and strained, raspy breathing for two days following a procedure.
The kitten experiments consumed at least $9 million of taxpayer-supported funding and years of precious research time without yielding any direct clinical applications for humans or cats.
The University of Minnesota also told Lady Freethinker the experiments had to be suspended and an “entirely new protocol” created that required researchers to “reexamine all procedures including anesthesia methods and to put in place enhanced monitoring.” That new protocol was approved, but thankfully researchers have not yet started their deadly experiments on kittens back up again — and it’s critical that they never do.
It’s time for the University of Minnesota to permanently end experiments that kill kittens and find a more compassionate way forward.
Sign our petition urging the University of Minnesota to officially shut down deadly kitten experimentsfor good and to allow any surviving kittens to be adopted into loving homes. We’re also asking for the National Institutes of Health to never again fund experiments on kittens at this university and for legislators to demand answers about why taxpayer dollars were used to fund these experiments.
Target: Thomas J. Vilsack, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Secretary Goal: Punish zoo that failed to safely house rare white rhino, leading to its death in a hail of 15 bullets.
Fifteen gun shots rang out and a rare white rhino collapsed in a heap on the ground. The rhino’s crime was nothing more than seeking freedom. The zoo that had recently taken custody of the rhino had failed to provide a secure enclosure. As a result, on only the rhino’s second day at the zoo, he was able to break through multiple fences that separated him from the general public.
When the rhino reached the final fence separating the rhino from the public, the zoo was compelled to shoot the rhino to death, in order to protect the public. Of course, had the zoo provided a sufficiently robust security system, the rhino would never have made it so close to the general public.
Rather than taking responsibility for this tragic event, the zoo has blamed the government for failing to require the zoo to provide more robust security measures. The zoo defended itself by stating, “Wild Florida took all proper precautions to prepare for the rehoming of the deceased rhino. Despite these efforts, which included a full inspection and approval from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the enclosure constructed to house the rhino failed.”
When the USDA conducted an inspection of the zoo after this incident, it apparently found the zoo to have other problems, including “unprotected electrical cord,” “floor wire fencing exposed with sharp points protruding,” “several expired medications,” including some that had been expired for years. Additionally, there was found to be an “excessive accumulation of fecal material” in places.
And, of course, the biggest violation was permitting the rhino to be housed in an insufficiently secure enclosure, which lead to his death in a hail of fifteen bullets.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Secretary Vilsack,
Fifteen gun shots rang out and a rare white rhino collapsed in a heap on the ground. The rhino’s crime was nothing more than seeking freedom. The zoo that had recently taken custody of the rhino had failed to provide a secure enclosure. As a result, on only the rhino’s second day at the zoo, he was able to break through multiple fences that separated it from the general public.
When the rhino reached the final fence separating the rhino from the public, the zoo was compelled to shoot the rhino to death, in order to protect the public. Of course, had the zoo provided a sufficiently robust security system, the rhino would never have made it so close to the general public.
When your agency conducted an inspection of the zoo after this incident, it apparently found the zoo to have other problems, including “unprotected electrical cord,” “floor wire fencing exposed with sharp points protruding,” “several expired medications,” including some that had been expired for years. Additionally, there was found to be an “excessive accumulation of fecal material” in places.
And, of course, the biggest violation was permitting the rhino to be housed in an insufficiently secure enclosure, which lead to his death in a hail of fifteen bullets.
Blaming the government is no excuse for allowing a white rhino to be homed in an insufficiently secure enclosure. Please seek the maximum penalty for any violations that may have occurred at Wild Florida.
Target: Ben Butler, Prosecuting Attorney for Cass County, MO
Goal: Advocate for rescue organizations to be granted legal custody of animals rescued from potential neglect and abuse.
The Super Bowl is perhaps most noted by animal lovers for the event that precedes it: the Puppy Bowl. This tongue-in-cheek televised event brings needed attention to the many young dogs in search of a forever home. But the work remains year-round, as highlighted by a recent case in Missouri.
The fate of several dogs was in the balance after they were rescued from a residence described as an unsafe and unhealthy environment. The state’s humane society removed the dogs from this alleged neglect and abuse and moved them to a recovery facility in St. Louis. But the society still had to fight for full custody of the dogs in court. If they were successful, the dogs could be restored to health and put up for adoption into forever homes. If not, the possibility existed that they would be returned to their accused abusers.
Fortunately, at least in this case, the odds seem in the rescue society’s favor. Sign the petition below to urge officials in the county where this incident took place to grant immediate custody of at-risk animals to capable and professional caregivers.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Prosecutor Butler,
The recent rescue of several dogs from a Cass County property is another unfortunate reported example of the neglect and abuse taking too many animals. Care for these vulnerable living beings should be an immediate and first priority. Do not force rescue organizations into court to prove they are a better custodian than alleged abusers.
Give these caregivers priority and ensure that no animal is placed back into the custody of a potential danger to their health and well-being.
Target: Tom Vilsack, United States Secretary of Agriculture
Goal: Investigate Franklin County Animal Rescue for alleged mistreatment of shelter animals.
Franklin County Animal Rescue has come under fire from its own employees alleging gross mistreatment of dogs and cats in their care. In a recent incident, a 5-week-old kitten was found by a staff member—Brittany Kilbur—reportedly crying out as though in pain and distressed. Although Kilbur contacted the shelter manager, she states she didn’t hear back and proceeded to contact a local veterinary technician, who reportedly informed her the kitten was dying and that she should bring the kitten in to die more peacefully. Kilbur’s manager reportedly denied her permission to transport the kitten, and once the kitten died apparently instructed staff members to wrap her body up and stuff her in the freezer.
There have been multiple similar incidents, including an orange kitten infected with feline infectious peritonitis who was allegedly denied veterinary access, apparently leading to the kittens’ prolonged suffering and slow death. Several employees and volunteers have apparently described the shelters’ management as being stingy with money, reportedly putting the health of dogs and cats in jeopardy as a result. The shelter’s executive director has reportedly denied permission for animals to receive critical care in the name of saving money. According to staff members, animals have reportedly been left without water, fed expired food, and forced to use underfilled litter boxes.
While animal shelters across the country are struggling to make ends meet in the current economy, this is no excuse for them to mistreat animals entrusted in their care. Sign this petition to demand an investigation of Franklin County Animal Rescue and to help protect innocent dogs and cats.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Secretary Vilsack,
Workers and volunteers of Franklin County Animal Rescue have come forth with severe allegations against the management at the shelter, citing multiple cases of ill-treatment towards animals. In a recent incident, shelter staff member Brittany Kilbur recounts her apparent experience trying to comfort an dying 5-week-old kitten. When she reportedly found the kitten in a distressed and suffering condition, she called her manager, but to no avail. A compassionate veterinary technician reportedly told Kilbur to take the kitten in, and that she would help the kitten die more peacefully. When she asked her manager for permission, she was reportedly denied and later told simply to stuff the kitten’s body in the shelter fridge.
Multiple similar incidents have allegedly gone down at Franklin County Animal Rescue, and employees and volunteers reportedly claim that management does everything in their power to reduce shelter costs–including denying veterinary access to sick and dying animals. Animals have apparently been forced to eat expired food, use underfilled litters, and go without water for indefinite periods of time.
We are asking you, Mr. Vilsack, to investigate these claims in the name of protecting dogs and cats at this shelter.
A Norfolk Southern freight train carrying toxic chemicals near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border derailed and caught fire in early February. The spill of chemicals seeped into the earth, air, and water. Locals have reported feeling sick, and many in the affected area’s pets have died.
Sign the petition to demand Norfolk Southern set up and fund healthcare and monitoring for residents in both states!
Norfolk Southern could have prevented this crash, but instead, chose to take shortcuts, resulting in the toxic chemical spill that caught fire and turned into hydrochloric acid.
Residents were told to evacuate for only three days, and many are questioning if it’s actually safe to return.
Even short exposure to hydrochloric acid can lead to blindness, severe burns, and internal damage – and now, it’s in the air and water in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
It’s still unclear exactly what the lasting effects of the spill could be, but some scientists say that the impact of the spill could potentially be felt for years.
Many have voiced their distrust of the government and Norfolk Southern, which is already being sued for the crash. A journalist was even arrested for trying to do his job during a recent news conference about the crash.
Sign the petition to demand Norfolk Southern set up and fund healthcare and monitoring for residents affected by the train crash!
*Update 7/14/2022: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has opened a public comment period; take action now to help save these iconic animals.
The common hippopotamus is facing population declines in a significant portion of its range, due to habitat loss, poaching for illegal trade, commercial overutilization and other factors. Not only are hippos a globally recognized icon, but they are also irreplaceable to the health of African ecosystems. It is imperative that we turn our attention to these unique animals before it is too late.
Listing hippos under the Endangered Species Act would protect them by ending imports of hippo parts, products and trophies to the U.S. unless it can be shown that import would benefit the survival of the species. As a global leader in conservation and the top consumer of hippo ivory, skins and trophies, the U.S. has a vital role to play in protecting hippos from extinction.
TAKE ACTION
Please take a moment to contact U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and urge them to protect hippos by listing them under the Endangered Species Act using the form below. Editing your message will help it stand out.
Representative Image (Photo Credit: Bharathi Kannan via Unsplash)
PETITION TARGET: Miami-Dade Police Department
Two defenseless puppies – one of whom was locked in a feces-covered crate – were found dead and dumped near a roadside in Miami-Dade County, Florida.
Investigators said the first puppy, found under a cardboard box at an intersection, had likely been left there for about a week,according to news reports. The second dead puppy was discovered in a crate on the same road. The crate had wire wrapped around it to prevent the animal from escaping and there was a reported inch of feces inside that the animal was forced to sit in.
The puppy’s paws and tail were completely black from the feces.
Before both of these incidents, another dog was shot in the face along the same road, according to news reports.
It’s crucial that this horrendous trend of fatal and intentional violence against animals ends, and everyone responsible is held fully accountable.
Sign our petition to urge the Miami-Dade Police Department to use all available resources to find the individual(s) responsible, forward any applicable animal cruelty charges on to a prosecutor, and push for full accountability — including a maximum ban on owning animals to prevent any future acts of neglect.
SIGN: Help Stop Factory Farms from Cooking Animals Alive
Image via Alamy Stock
Tania Roa
PETITION TARGET: United States Senate
Millions of animals were massacred amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as slaughterhouses shut down and disease broke out across the United States. With a return of the highly-contagious avian flu, farmers have killed millions more – and have often chosen to do so in the most inhumane way possible.
Ventilation shutdown, or “death by heatstroke,” involves the lengthy, horrific killing of birds through heat-induced asphyxiation. Millions of birds get crammed into sealed barns and are left to suffer and suffocate to death – some for longer than two days – as workers crank internal temperatures up to 170 degrees.
If passed, the bill would require factory farms to have a disaster plan in place that would ensure that if animals are massively killed, the methods used should be as humane as possible. The bill also would usher in more humane practices throughout food production processes and transportation.
The legislation would increase investments for inspections, starting with a pilot program to train and hire inspectors specializing in smaller meat processing plants. It would no longer allow the incessant slaughter of injured animals, and it would lead to tighter regulations for farmed animals being transported over long periods.
This legislation could transform the way sensitive and intelligent chickens, cows, and pigs are treated. It would prioritize the well-being of animals over “convenience” killings and their exploitation, and it would hold those involved in industrial agriculture operations accountable.
Sign our petition supporting this compassionate and commonsense legislation. Then, contact your U.S. senator today to urge them to cosponsor this bill.
Target: Michelle Cooley, Founder and President of Kaaawa K9 Rescue
Goal: Ensure health and safety of rescue animals at seemingly neglectful facility.
Five dogs allegedly had to be saved from a “rescue” facility in Hawaii. The Hawaii Humane Society took custody of the dogs from Kaaawa K9 Rescue after abuse allegations were made online and to local authorities about the organization. The accusations stated that animals were in poor health and possibly being neglected.
The owner of Kaaawa K9 Rescue claims the issues are due to a landlord dispute and a recent alleged arson on the property. While the local humane society found no outright evidence of abuse, the fact that they felt compelled to remove nearly half a dozen animals from a property charged with the care of these animals is disturbing. Even the owner herself reportedly admits difficulty in keeping up with care of these animals.
Sign the petition below to urge closure of an aid facility that has seemingly become a danger itself.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Ms. Cooley,
No matter the source of your recent troubles with Kaaawa K9 Rescue, you have reportedly admitted that these issues are impeding your ability to care for at-risk animals. The mission of a rescue organization should always put the vulnerable living beings under its care first. Please honor this mission.
Close Kaawa until this organization can live up to its billing.
Target: Candice Hooper, District Attorney of San Benito County, CA
Goal: Prosecute animal abandonment case that led to death of small dog to fullest extent.
Tiffany White
Last year, dozens of chihuahuas were mysteriously abandoned around Hollister, Missouri. The case raised questions about how and why the animals were left and prompted renewed discussion about the responsibility pet caretakers have to their animals. A similar situation recently unfolded when a chihuahua was dropped off overnight at a pet shelter in Hollister, California. While this Hollister is in another state, the same basic questions and debates remain.
The latest case, tragically, did not have a positive ending. The abandoned chihuahua was reportedly in such bad condition that the animal had to be euthanized. This type of incident is not new for the shelter. Just a few months prior, a suspect allegedly confessed to abandoning nearly two dozen dogs at the Hollister Animal Shelter’s overnight kennel. The person in that case faced a criminal citation, and the incident involving the chihuahua should be no different.
Sign the petition below to demand appropriate charges be filed when the party responsible for this deadly and neglectful act is identified.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear DA Hooper,
When the Hollister Animal Shelter discovered 23 dogs at its overnight kennel in recent months, the operation had to remind the public that abandoning animals is unlawful. Unfortunately, not everyone got the message. The shelter recently found another small dog in its kennel, and this animal tragically died because of poor health. The only way to begin preventing future acts of passive and lethal cruelty is to send a decisive legal message.
When a suspect is identified in this latest case, please pursue the maximum possible charges. Help stop another vulnerable animal from dying in vain.
Goal: Ban reportedly unethical and unnecessary animal fur farms throughout Romania.
A recent undercover investigation of 11 chinchilla fur farms in Romania has revealed—once again—the disturbing nature of animal breeding and use by the fashion industry. The animal welfare group that conducted this series of investigations reports severe breaches of Romanian law by the facilities in question. Hundreds of chinchillas were allegedly kept in a dark basement in filthy, barbed wire cages stacked one on top of the other. Females were reportedly constantly bred—remaining in what was described as permanent pregnancy cycles—and forced into a stiff neck brace that would prevent them from escaping during mating. Newborns allegedly struggled to walk against the harsh barbed wire, while older chinchillas frantically chewed at the cages as if to try and escape.
Chinchillas were allegedly illegally killed, as operators were reported to viciously break the sensitive animals’ necks. One farmer even apparently showed investigators a gas chamber—which he constructed out of a pressure cooker—that spews poisonous gas, killing the animals slowly and painfully. These abuses are seemingly common to most every fur farm across every nation, and we must do better to protect those targeted by the apparently cruel methods employed on these farms.
Sign this petition to demand Romania ban fur farms once and for all. Animal fur is not ours to wear.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Prime Minister Circa,
An undercover investigation of 11 fur farms across Romania has revealed the seemingly horrific circumstances in which chinchillas are forced to live and die. Chinchillas were reportedly kept in a dark, dingy basement, shoved into tiny barbed wire cages that were rarely, if ever, cleaned. Newborns apparently struggled to walk, while females were allegedly restrained with neck braces to prevent them from escaping during repeated mating affairs. Investigators report multiple breaches of Romanian law, including illegally killing chinchillas by breaking their necks.
We are asking you, Mr. Circa, to ban fur farms throughout Romania and stop torturing innocent animals in the name of fashion.
At the start of 2022, most gray wolves across the lower 48 states were void of federal protection, save for a small Mexican gray wolf population in Arizona and New Mexico.
But that changed in February when a federal judge struck down a Trump-era delisting rule to restore Endangered Species Act protections to thousands of wolves. While this was a massive victory in protecting wolves, the decision reinstated federal protections in only 44 of the 48 contiguous states.
The ruling didn’t apply to Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, where the war on wolves is ongoing and being waged most intensely. Especially since 2021, when emboldened politicians in Montana and Idaho passed a slew of controversial laws and regulations. All of which were actively aimed at decreasing the wolf population with longer hunting seasons, higher limits, and year-round trapping seasons.
They legalized snaring, hunting wolves at night on private land, killing newborn pups and nursing mothers, reimbursement payments for killing wolves, and even using snowmobiles and ATVs to chase down wolves to kill them. In Montana alone, hunters responded during the 2021-2022 season by killing 273 wolves, including Yellowstone wolves, considered the “most-viewed” wolves worldwide.
Montana and Idaho’s newly enacted policies were not going unnoticed by wildlife advocates nationwide, and after two petitions were filed to list these wolves, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service responded. In September 2021, the federal agency acknowledged these wolves’ grave challenges and initiated a 12-month status review of wolves in the western United States, stating that “a listing action may be warranted.”
Although it’s been over a year, USFWS has maintained radio silence. Wildlife advocates have continued to fight tirelessly, with some measures of success, but the fight is still ongoing, and there’s a clear path for you to help that fight.
Join us in calling for the Biden administration to enact an emergency listing of wolves in the Northern Rockies.
In a world where we increasingly understand the importance of predators and our ability to coexist, the Biden administration mustn’t continue to turn a blind eye to what is happening in states bent on delegitimizing science and killing wolves.
Wolf recovery requires us to develop a healthy relationship with wolves and each other. We must recognize the ecological importance of wolves, advance non-lethal measures to help foster coexistence with them, and refrain from unjustified persecution.
Urge the Biden administration to immediately issue emergency relisting protections for wolves in the western United States.
Recipients
President Joseph ‘Joe’ R. Biden
Secretary Deb Haaland
Director Martha Williams
Message
Please immediately enact an emergency listing of wolves in the western U.S.
Dear [Decision Maker],
As a lifelong supporter of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and someone who cares deeply for our nation’s wolves and wildlife, I am writing to urge the Department of the Interior to enact an emergency listing of wolves in the western United States.
Wolves are a critical keystone species, and the extirpation of wolves and large carnivores from large portions of the landscape is a global phenomenon with broad ecological consequences. A growing body of scientific literature demonstrates that top predators play critical roles in maintaining a diversity of other wildlife species and, as such, the composition, function, and resilience of ecosystems.
Yet wolves in the Northern Rockies have faced brutal attacks from increasingly extreme and controversial hunting legislation in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.
Wyoming allows a virtually unrestricted hunt. Montana has authorized hunters to slaughter up to 85% of its wolves and even permits baiting, trapping, and hunting on the border of Yellowstone National Park. And in Idaho, where the state is offering a bounty of up to $2,500 for each wolf killed, hunters may slaughter up to 90% of the state’s wolf population using unethical hunting practices such as snaring and even using snowmobiles and ATVs to chase down wolves to kill them.
These extreme hunts have been highly controversial and particularly detrimental to wolves residing in Yellowstone National Park. The 2021 decision to eliminate quotas in areas surrounding Yellowstone brought a sizeable increase in the death toll of Yellowstone’s wolves. Hunters killed at least 25 park wolves during the 2021-2022 season, including several members of the “most-viewed” wolf pack in the world.
The Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under President Obama has called on the Biden administration for an emergency listing. He stated in an Op-Ed that “what is happening in Idaho and Montana is not hunting. It is pure, unbridled cruelty,” and called out their extreme wolf management policies as “ecocide.”
It’s past time to bring our wildlife policies into the 21st century.
Wolf recovery requires us to develop a healthy relationship with wolves and each other. We must recognize the ecological importance of wolves, advance non-lethal measures to help foster coexistence with them, and refrain from unjustified persecution.
The Department of the Interior has the authority to enact an emergency relisting. I urge you to immediately issue an emergency regulation to restore federal protections through the Endangered Species Act to the Northern Rocky Mountain DPS of the gray wolf.
In a world where we increasingly understand the importance of predators and our ability to coexist, you mustn’t continue to turn a blind eye to what is happening in states bent on delegitimizing science and killing wolves. I’m counting on you to enact an emergency relisting immediately.
Following in the spirit of Britain's Queen Boudica, Queen of the Iceni. A boudica.us site. I am an opinionator, do your own research, verification. Reposts, reblogs do not neccessarily reflect our views.
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