Victory! Army to Discharge Monkeys From Lab

derekkeats | cc by 2.0

In a huge victory for vervet monkeys, U.S. military officials have confirmed that the Army is ending cruel and archaic monthly training exercises at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in which monkeys are poisoned with a drug overdose that makes them suffer from violent seizures in a crude demonstration of the effects of nerve-agent exposure. Instead of abusing terrified monkeys, Aberdeen—the only Army base in the country that uses animals for this training—will now use human patient simulators, just as every other military facility already does. The move follows months of vigorous campaigning by PETA.
PETA's campaign against the barbaric chemical casualty training exercises included a series of protests this week outside the annual meeting of the Association of the United States Army. Supporters of this effort included veterans, physicians, active service members, and actor Woody Harrelson, who sent a letter on PETA's behalf to Army Chief of Staff Ray Odierno. Many others have also been protesting at Army recruitment centers, flooding the offices of Army officials with e-mails and phone calls, and even gathering outside the homes of Army officials affiliated with the monkey lab. One PETA member even disrupted a speaking event last week by Aberdeen's commanding general, Nick Justice.
Please send an e-mail to Maj. Gen. Nick Justice to thank him for this compassionate decision and ask that he ensure that the transition to simulators be made immediately.

Source : Peta

Written declaration on dog population management in the European Union

Wow we made it! Thanks to everyone who helped get the Written Declaration on dogs in the EU signed by a majority of MEPs!

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Adina Valean, ALDE MEP, has initiated, this week, together with Daciana Sarbu and two other MEPs, a written declaration concerning “the management of the dog population in the European Union,” asking Member States to adopt relevant strategies on this, that include “measures such as sterilisation of owned and stray animals, dog control laws and the promotion of responsible pet ownership.” If the declaration gathers half + 1 from the number of MEPs, it will become the official position of the European Parliament in this dossier.

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Irvine bans dog and cat sales

IRVINE—Animal activists, including one man dressed in a head-to-toe dog costume, cheered Tuesday night when City Council members banned the retail sale of cats and dogs.

The ordinance, which was passed by a 4-1 vote with Councilman Jeffrey Lalloway dissenting, also bans rodeos and circuses featuring exotic animals.

"It's just a win for animals all around," said resident Wendy Fears, one of a small local group that helped organize supporters of the ban. "I'm just real proud of Irvine for standing up against animal abuse."

While Lalloway expressed disgust for those capable of animal cruelty, he worried that the proposed ordinance may move pet sales to the Internet and "import a pet problem rather than stop it."

"Today, tonight, we are here to deal with a problem that simply does not exist," Lalloway said. "We do not have any mass breeding facilities here in Irvine. We have one pet store, Russo's, which will not be selling dogs and cats after next year."

In August, The Irvine Co., which owns the Irvine Spectrum, where Russo's Pet Experience operates, announced that it would not renew the store's lease when it expires in October 2012.

The city also does not host circuses featuring wild animals or hold rodeos, Lalloway said.

While existing animal welfare laws should be enforced, new legislation in the city should "focus on putting people back to work, not on a problem that does not exist," he said.

More than 50 public speakers presented arguments to the council citing the animal cruelty found in puppy mills and buyers' lack of education of the conditions and health risks of those facilities.

"The reason that we need to make these laws is that the public is duped," Fears said. "Every pet store will tell you that they get their dogs from responsible breeders, but the truth is that responsible breeders would never sell to a pet store."

However, Fears, who volunteers with multiple animal rights groups, said that activists will now start looking toward other cities to adopt similar ordinances.

"This is just the first step in a process," Fears said. "People are starting to be become aware of how horrible a puppy mill is."

Breaking News: 70 Malls Across US To Ban Pet Sales

Global Animal just received news that shopping center developer Macerich is banning sales of live animals in more than 70 malls across the US. This new humane policy designed to break the puppy mill business chain is taking effect nationwide within 30 days. Macerich confirmed that they will not renew the leases of existing pet stores that sell animals and in their place, are opening humane stores offering adoptions of rescued pets.
Some of the high profile shopping malls include Los Angeles’ Westside Pavilion, which is opening a rescue store this month in association with the nonprofit Friends of LA Shelters, Scottsdale’s Fashion Square, Chesterfield Towne Center in Richmond, Virginia, and Santa Monica Place.

Jennifer Peterson with a menagerie of dogs. Photo credit: J. Peterson