From Open Graves, Open Minds August 12, 2015 by Lucy Northenra
Recent events suggest that Animal Rights is quickly becoming one of the most talked about social justice issues of the twenty-first century. Garry Marvin, Professor of Human and Animal Studies at the University of Roehampton will be opening up some of these issues for debate at the Company of Wolves Conference in September. Prof Marvin will be giving a keynote address on ‘Cultural Images of the Wolf and the Wolves’ Re-emergence in Europe’. Once again OGOM seems to have its finger on the pulse of contemporary society as these issues are red hot just now.
Those of you who are following the Cecil the Lion story will be know that Cecil’s death has sparked outrage worldwide, as people everywhere lament the damage that humans continue to inflict on the populations of not just lions, but the planet’s many endangered creatures. On Saturday night, the Empire State Building served as a timely, sky-high reminder of this devastating impact, as images and videos of threatened animals were projected onto the façade of the iconic New York City skyscraper. Cecil was one of the animals featured.
Large images of endangered species are projected on the south facade of The Empire State Building, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2015, in New York. The large scale projections are in part inspired by and produced by the filmmakers of an upcoming documentary called “Racing Extinction.” (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
You can read about this story in Huffington Post
Looking forward to debating some of these issues at the conference.
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From: IDA – In Defense of Animals
February 18th, 2015 by Sharon Stone
Named for Carroll County, Mississippi, where she was found, Carroll is a two-year old female shepherd mix who came to In Defense of Animals Hope Animal Sanctuary in late January. This thin, starving dog had been chained to a post without access to food or water and then cruelly abandoned and left to die by an unknown perpetrator.
Carroll is a gentle dog who is friendly with everyone she meets and she walks politely on a leash without pulling which indicates that at some point she must have been trained by people who invested their time and patience in her care, perhaps as a four legged member of their own family. One possibility is that Carroll was perhaps stolen and then abandoned, but we may never know for sure. Sadly, another dog was chained similarly on the property, but did not survive the ordeal.
The property where these dogs were abandoned and left to starve was reportedly located next to one of the many ‘hunting clubs’ found throughout rural Mississippi. The reports of Carroll and the other dog who died came to IDA only after the first dog had already perished in front of the comings and goings of the hunting club without anyone speaking up on behalf of two dogs starving to death before their very eyes. Carroll was finally brought to Hope Animal Sanctuary after it was too late to save one dog and almost too late to save Carroll herself. She came to us weighing just 32 pounds, dehydrated, mere days from death, and testing positive for heartworm.
Carroll is now enjoying life off the chain with her own bed to sleep in and wide open spaces to roam while she begins the long road to recovery. In the next few weeks, she will need to gain 20 pounds of additional body weight, after which she will begin the months long process of heartworm treatment and medication. Once she has fully recovered she will be placed into a loving forever home.
How can people pass an d property, see these two dogs and do absolutely NOTHING to try and either save them on their own or at the very least call someone who can? That is totally beyond my comprehension.
About IDA:
Working to protect the rights, welfare and habitats of animals.
Founded in 1983 by Dr. Elliot Katz DVM, In Defense of Animals is an international animal rights and rescue organization dedicated to protecting the rights, welfare and habitats of animals.
We are supported by a network of tens of thousands of determined activists, dedicated volunteers, interns and donors. We work to expose and end animal experimentation; protect wildlife and restore balance in their natural habitats; end the exploitation and abuse of wild species living in captivity, protect domestic and wild species worldwide from abuse and slaughter for food, conduct cruelty investigations and rescue operations, and provide veterinary care for sick, abused and orphaned animals in our natural habitat sanctuaries.
FIGHTING APATHY, BUILDING EMPATHY: In Defense of Animals works to educate the public to fight apathy, build empathy and take concrete action to end all forms of animal exploitation worldwide. We work to ensure that decisions made involving animals, from the legislative level to the dinner table, are made with consideration of their needs and interests.
We seek to redefine the role of animals in society on local, national and international levels by elevating human perception of animals from that of mere property, objects and things, to that where animals are recognized to be individuals, with feelings, needs and interests of their own. Through our work to inspire and shift the way people think about non-human beings, we believe a positive change will result in the way people treat them today and in the future.
Animal Rights and In Defense of Animals
Humans and other animals share many similarities, despite our differences in appearance, forms of communication and ways of living. As feeling beings, we are united by our desires to seek pleasure and enjoyment, and to avoid pain and suffering.
When we speak of animal rights, we are not referring to political rights or rights that we presume to bestow as the dominant species on Earth.
The rights of animals are birthrights, similar to those we claim for ourselves—the right to live our lives free of subjugation and institutionalized violence, where the random and special joys of being alive can be experienced.
The Golden Rule is not a ‘do-gooders’ slogan. We need to treat others as we want to be treated not only for their sake, but also because our own good is interwoven with the good of others, including other species. Animal Rights and Human Rights are linked at their core, because how we treat those most affected by our actions is the best reflection of who we are as a species. We must strive to do right when our actions, needs and interests intersect with those of other species.
IDA is unwavering in our promotion of actions that support doing right for animals and their interests, and our opposition to doing what is wrong, harmful or malicious.
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From: DNAIndia.com
Dec 13, 2014
by Tanea Bandyopadhyay
In order to save elephants, the Maharashtra Forest Department has banned their entry into municipal corporation areas in the state. The order was passed on December 8 by the principal chief conservator of forests, Sarjan Bhagat, after a presentation was made by members of the People for Animals (PFA) to forest minister Sudhir Mungatiwar and other forest officers.
Poonam Mahajan, MP and trustee, PFA, said: “We are grateful to Mr Mungatiwar and the forest department for this positive step. The hon’ble Minister has truly understood the plight of elephants. Elephants are wild animals and crowded cities are no place for them. The order rightly points out that elephants in cities are a risk to themselves and people. This is certainly a step in a positive direction. We are working on other wildlife issues in Maharashtra as well. Our aim is that people must understand and respect animals and the environment.”
According to Ambika Hiranandani, animal rights lawyer and member of PFA, getting the order passed is only half the battle won as to have a Maharashtra free from elephants in captivity is the long-term goal.
“There are so many elephants forced to perform in circuses and held in zoos under horrific circumstances. Elephants are pricked at the sensitive spot behind their ears and made submissive. What could possibly justify such treatment,” asked Hiranandani.
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Wolf Is My Soul 