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Issue
187 - March 20, 2002
| Farm Bill Update: "Downed Animals" Still
at Risk |
| The Associated Press reports (03/19) that the
Downed Animal Protection provision has come under attack in
the House-Senate Conference Committee, where the final version
of the Farm Bill will soon be determined (view the article, at
http://www.reporternews.com/2002/texas/anim0319.html).
The Downed Animal provision would mandate that stockyards,
auctions and other intermediate markets humanely euthanize
those animals who are too sick or injured to walk on their
own. Said Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY), one of the provisions'
chief sponsors, "These animals, known as downers, suffer
beyond belief as they are kicked, dragged, and prodded with
electric shocks in an effort to move them at auctions and
intermediate markets en route to slaughter." Although the
Downed Animal provisions were included in both the House and
the Senate version of the Farm Bill, it now appears that House
Conferees are trying to weaken them by calling for a study and
giving the Secretary of Agriculture the option to draft
regulations "if needed."
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Contact the following Conference
Committee members and urge them to keep the downed animal
provisions that were approved by the full House and
Senate—without weakening them—in the final Farm Bill.
- Senator Tom Daschle (D-SD): 202-224-2321 / Fax:
202-224-6603
- Representative Larry Combest (R-TX): 202-225-2171 / Fax:
202-225-0917
- Representative Charles Stenholm (D-TX): 202-225-0317 /
Fax: 202-225-8510
- Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND): 202-224-2043 / Fax:
202-224-7776
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| Buffalo Stampede in Washington DC |
| For years, state and federal officials have
been harassing, trapping, and slaughtering Yellowstone's bison
under the guise of "protecting" cattle herds in the area. More
than 3,200 bison have been slaughtered since 1985 to placate
the livestock industry and their unsubstantiated fear of
brucellosis transmission from bison to cattle. The slaughter
continues in spite of the fact that there has never been a
confirmed case of brucellosis transmission from wild bison to
cattle. This winter alone, agencies have slaughtered 26 bison,
releasing motherless calves to survive on their own or die.
Hundreds of bison are likely to be slaughtered this spring if
the agencies are allowed to continue this course. Activists
who are fed up with the government-sponsored slaughter of
bison will be taking their grievances to the Capitol on
Thursday, April 4th in an event organized by the Buffalo Field
Campaign. Anyone interested in participating in the rally and
march for the buffalo should show up at 12 noon outside the
Department of Agriculture building at 14th and Jefferson
Streets in Washington, DC. For more information, call
406-646-0070 or visit http://www.wildbison.org/ |
| Massive Cruelty in the Southeast |
| Cypress Foods, Inc. is one of the nation's
largest egg producers. When it filed for bankruptcy protection
earlier this year, more than one million hens at its
facilities in Georgia and Florida had their food cut off. Hens
trapped at nine facilities in Georgia were so diseased and
emaciated by the time they were discovered that agriculture
officials deemed that nearly 800,000 of them were
"unsalvageable." In Florida, 30,000 hens reportedly died of
starvation and 170,000 more were gassed and buried by state
officials.
One rescuer described the scene as "a nightmare," and the
Tampa Tribune (03/09/02) described it as "gruesome and
appalling." The Tribune further stated: "Florida has strict
laws against inflicting cruelty on animals, either purposely
or through neglect. It does not matter whether animals are
pets or used to produce food. Under the law, all must be
protected from such cruel treatment. Clearly, this is a case
of miserable failure and neglect that requires the prosecution
of those deemed responsible."
The Pasco County Sheriff's office is currently
investigating possible animal cruelty charges in Florida (no
word yet on a similar investigation in Georgia).
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Write to the Pasco County State
Attorney and tell him you want Cypress Foods and all
responsible parties investigated for animal cruelty and
prosecuted accordingly. Remind him that Florida law makes it
illegal for an "owner" (which includes corporations) to
deprive animals of sufficient food, and that, as stated by the
Tampa Tribune, "financial difficulty offers no excuse to
starve animals." Write to:
State Attorney Bernie McCabe
14250 14th St.
North
Room 100
Clearwater, FL 33762
You can also call the State Attorney's office at
727-464-6221 and leave a message for Mr. McCabe asking him to
make sure Cypress Foods is investigated for animal
cruelty. |
| Update: Temporary Reprieve for Colorado
Prairie Dogs |
| The prairie dogs targeted for poisoning by
Boulder Valley School District officials have had their
reprieve extended until July 9th. Negotiations between BVSD
officials and animal activists have produced a compromise in
which the animal advocates will be given an opportunity to
relocate the animals. The agreement is considered a victory,
given the fact that BVSD officials had initially planned a
massive extermination of the prairie dogs to remove them from
school property. To learn more about how you can help the
prairie dogs, visit http://www.prairiedogcoalition.org/ | |
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