Report All Gulf Wildlife Casualties

Hi everyone, Thanks to pressure from local and national wildlife groups, Unified Area Command (UAC) in charge of the oil disaster response will now protect the Gulf's endangered sea turtles from burning and skimming clean-up operations. But UAC needs to do more to protect the wildlife threatened by the massive BP oil spill » Protecting the sea turtles is a great first step, but we must ensure proper monitoring, reporting and appropriate intervention to protect Gulf wildlife in harm's way. In fact, we still have no idea how many animals have been killed or injured in the spill and clean-up efforts because there is no public reporting of wildlife casualties. With millions of migratory birds headed straight for the oiled Gulf shores, we can't afford to wait. The victory for sea turtles shows that the UAC will listen to our concerns about wildlife. We just need to speak up. Add your voice. Tell the UAC to publicly report all wildlife casualties » Thanks for taking action! Emily V. Care2 and ThePetitionSite Team

Take action link: http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/AFYyW/zk6w/BeOuo

Report All Gulf Wildlife Casualties

Prevent Unintended Death of Wildlife, Pets and People

Pass H.R.5643: Prevent Unintended Death of Wildlife, Pets and People

Target: U.S. Congress
Sponsored by: Care2.com

When Brooke and Cliff Everest set out for a day of river rafting with their dog Bea, they never suspected the beloved spaniel would suddenly die. But that fateful day, Bea inspected a sheep carcass laced with Compound 1080.

H.R. 5643 would prohibit the use, production, sale, importation, and exportation of Compound 1080 and the use of sodium cyanide.

These two poisons, ranked Level 1 by the EPA for their high degree of acute toxicity, are used by Wildlife Services. Though intended to protect livestock from native predators like coyote, Compound 1080 and sodium cyanide are indiscriminate killers, and other wildlife (including endangered species), pets and people often fall victim.

In 2007, Wildlife Services admitted that it had internal issues with safely handling hazardous chemicals. Protect wildlife, pets, and people from unintentional and agonizing death by telling Congress to support H.R. 5643.

 

Sign the petition here

Puppy Mill Horrors (Watch the Video)

Puppy Mill Horrors (Watch the Video)

posted by: Cris Popenoe 20 hours ago

We've all heard about puppy mills that supply those sweet little puppies in pet stores. 

Well, this video documents a raid of a puppy mill in North Carolina -- a state that, for the second year in a row, failed to pass a bill aimed at combating puppy mills by regulating commercial dog breeders.

Below, see what the inside of a puppy mill looks like and how the dogs are treated. And after watching it, I hope you'll never consider buying an animal from a pet store or breeder again. Always adopt!










TAKE ACTION:

• Pass the PUPS Act!
• Help Shut Down Puppy Mills

Living Like Wolves

How about behaving like a wolf today? Yes, I said wolf. Wolves are perhaps the most misunderstood of all animals. Often portrayed as vicious predators, they are truly wise and wondrous creatures.
As seen in the 2007 documentary, Living With Wolves, researchers Jim and Jamie Dutcher studied the Sawtooth Pack in an enclosed nature reserve for six years, and made many amazing discoveries. (www.livingwithwolves.org) Their findings revealed a completely different perspective on the creatures often associated with scary movies and full moons.
Here are a few of their “surprising” revelations. Wolves are affectionate, compassionate and loyal to their pack. Although there is an alpha male and female who lead the group, all adults have a role in raising the young. The resources of the pack are shared. Wolves care for the sick and wounded, and grieve deeply when a member is killed.
What I found most interesting in the documentary was the relationship of the omega male to the other animals. He appeared to be the least of the pack. He was not permitted to eat until after everyone else, he was frequently picked on, and generally seemed to get the “short end of the stick”. But when it came time to move the pack to another sanctuary, it was the alpha male who guided the fearful omega out of his cage. He would not be left behind.
When we look at the omega from the perspective of what he taught the other wolves, he clearly wasn’t the least important. This male allowed himself to be the ”last”  in order for the rest of the wolves to learn survival skills. Without this training, they would not be able to protect themselves from outside predators. In actuality, the omega may be the most spiritually advanced of the wolf pack.

More on Dr. Susan Wagner (32 articles available)
More from Susan Wagner (34 articles available)

Pet Sales Ban in San Francisco Tabled

Pet Sales Ban in San Francisco Tabled

The City of San Francisco has reviewed a proposal to ban the sale of all pets except fish. While it might be seen as extreme, there is some valid reasoning behind the proposal. If it had passed, San Francisco residents would have had to adopt a pet from an animal shelter or buy one from a store in another city. The problem at the center of the proposal is the impulse purchasing of pets by people who find they don’t want them not long after the purchase. Then they want to get rid of them and the poor animals wind up left at shelters where they are euthanized. Reportedly the problem is not such much abandoned cats and dogs, as it is small animals like hamsters. Hamsters are the number one euthanized animal at the city’s animal shelter.
The shelter’s small animal population currently is about six hamsters, nine rabbits, nine mice, nine rats, two guinea pigs, a bowl of goldfish, two birds, a leopard gecko, a bearded dragon and a hermit crab named Charlie. Thirty percent of small animals there are euthanized.
Pet store owners, of course, were very upset by the proposal, and said they might have gone out of business if it passed. Not to take a side one way or the other, but if it had passed, those small business owners could could have relocated. However, given the current economic times, they might not have been able to afford such moves. Even though the proposal has not been passed into law, at least it has drawn attention to the issue and perhaps there will be less purchasing of small animals like hamsters and gerbils. Perhaps the proposal can be amended to focus only on the small animals that are the most abandoned and most euthanized. Originally the proposal was intended to reduce the number of puppies sold that came from puppy mills.
Some of the reactions to the proposal:
Sarah Han – “Perhaps those who might otherwise buy a pet new will see that shelter animals are the pets “they’ve been searching for all along.”
Michael Yaki – “And if they allow the sale of animals through Craigslist or the classifieds, are we going to see the establishment of pet store speakeasies to consummate the delivery of the live, but otherwise prohibited, goods?”
Jeff Blyskal – “Ban hamster sales only, and let the sale of other pets continue.”
Image Credit: cdrussorusso

More on Adoption & Services (32 articles available)
More from Jake Richardson (113 articles available)

Save the Critically Endangered Florida Panther

Hi everyone, The Florida Panther is one of the most endangered species on the planet, with fewer than 100 alive today. Their already minimal habitat is disappearing, further jeopardizing this fragile population. Urge Secretary Ken Salazar to save critical habitat for the Florida Panther. » In June 2010, a panther was found dead, struck by a car along a road near Immokalee, Florida. This is the 13th Florida panther to die this year. It is a tragedy that these animals, with minimal habitat space, are forced to roam in dangerous territory, like highways and other human-populated areas. Don't let the last Florida panthers be found lying in the road. » To save the critically endangered Florida panther and end the dangerous collision of wild animals with human areas, we must protect the panthers' remaining habitat. » Thanks for taking action! Kayla ThePetitionSite

Save the Critically Endangered Florida Panther

Take action link: http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/AFYdf/zk4J/BeOuo