Archive for the ‘deplorable practices’ category

Soup of Cruelty

December 20, 2009

– – Shark fin soup can cost more than $100 a bowl, and is served at weddings and on important occasions in China and other Asian countries, both to display wealth, and in the belief that it can improve one’s health.

The soup is actually made by de-finning a shark, often while they’re alive, causing the animal a slow and cruel death as they are dumped mutilated back into the ocean.  The shark fin component provides gelatinous bulk to the soup but is itself tasteless; the soup  is then flavored with chicken or other stock.   Demand for shark fin soup, driven largely by Chinese consumers, has caused populations of some shark species to decline by as much as 99 percent, according to a WildAid study.  Furthermore, a 2007-08 study indicated that a quarter of all shark fin samples sold at Hong Kong markets were unfit for human consumption, containing high mercury levels that increase the risk of infertility and brain damage.

Fortunately, NBA star Yao Ming is featured in a commercial produced by the San Francisco-based conservation group WildAid which shows Yao urging largely Chinese patrons to stop ordering shark fin soup…and public awareness and pressure may eventually lessen consumer appetites for the item…

Lizards In The Underpants…

December 10, 2009

– – I, for one, do not pack skinks in my underwear.  I’ll even resist the temptation to mine that remark for other comic possibilities, ’cause this is a semi-classy place…

A German tourist, however, was caught by airport security attempting to leave New Zealand with a total of 20 skinks and 24 geckos of various species hidden in a small box concealed amidst his underwear.- – One gecko was even rolled into a sock!  The Geico Gecko would be appalled…

Now the geckos had an estimated black market value of $35, 850; the value of the skinks was unknown.  The tourist admitted to taking the reptiles from the wild, and trading and transporting them without a permit…

Skinks have no pronounced neck, and sport relatively small legs, with several genera having no legs at all!  They usually have long, tapering tails that can be shed and regenerated.- -That’s a neat trick if you can pull it off…ROTFL!    😉

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(BTW, Happy International Animal Rights Day!–Bite the Power!!!)

Poaching Goes On…

December 2, 2009

– – I’m not talking about cooking eggs here, but rather the illegal hunting of rare and endangered animals protected by law, often just for a body part such as their hide or the ivory of elephants.

In a three month operation, African authorities in Nairobi, Kenya seized over 3,800 pounds of illegally-taken elephant ivory, together with leopard, crocodile, and snake skins.   Poaching has increased in Kenya in the past two years, with more than 216 elephants killed illegally this year compared to 47 in 2007.

The elephant populations of many African nations were being decimated until a global ban on the ivory trade was implemented in 1989.   In 1973 an estimated 167,000 elephants roamed Kenya, with their population dropping to 16,000 in 1989.  Since the ban on the ivory trade, the Kenya elephant population has grown to 35,000 this year…

Deer Season…

December 1, 2009

– – It’s the first day of Pennsylvania’s twelve day deer season as I write, and I had originally planned on posting a disturbing picture of a shot and bloodied deer, the true result of what is euphemistically called, “the harvest.”  We ain’t talking about heads of cabbage here…but I must accept what I can’t change.

Instead, I will fantasize about a revenge for the antlered, that a mighty champion might arise to turn the tables on the hunters.  I will pray for a Rambuck, since turnabout is fair play…“God would have mercy on them, ‘Rambuck’ will not…”

Pray for the prey…

Animal Sacrifice…

November 26, 2009

– – Note: This is a potentially upsetting topic not for young viewers. Animal sacrifice is sadly not just an Old Testament thing…it continues to exist in the 21st century.

–Where?–In places like Nepal, where over 200,000 buffalo, goats, chickens, and pigeons were to be sacrificed earlier this week in a ritual to honor Gadhimai, a Hindu goddess of power.  The festival is held every five years, and while criticized by animal rights groups, the festival is defended as a centuries-old tradition.  Animal rights groups carry little power in Nepal…

Animal sacrifice, in contrast,  has a long history in Nepal and parts of neighboring India…

–Is Dem Chickens Crazy?

November 20, 2009

– – “Their bones and muscles waste away and they go insane.” So says a spokesman for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals about chickens raised in the so-called “battery cages” which measure 24 inches wide by 25-1/2 inches deep, and are shared by up to nine hens from the day that they are born to the day that their egg-laying days end 18 to 24 months later.  About 96% of the eggs sold in the United States come from chickens raised in such conditions.

Although the chickens can’t fully extend their wings in such cages, producers claim caged hens are healthier and satisfied with the only lives that they’ve ever known.  Producers contend that the chickens are not stuffed in so tightly that they can’t move around the cage, and that accordingly these conditions don’t constitute animal cruelty.

Public opinion appears to side with those who oppose the cages, and voters in California approved a proposition that bans cramped cages for hens.   Michigan’s governor signed legislation last month requiring confined animals to have enough room to turn around and fully extend their limbs.

A three-year study is being funded by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture on the issue.  I know what  Foghorn Leghorn thinks about the matter, but can’t quote what he said in a blog not rated for mature content…  😉

Too Much of a Good Thing…

October 9, 2009

cat hoarding— In Sacramento, California animal control officers seized 77 cats from a home in one of the worst animal hoarding cases seen in that county.  Cat cages were stacked floor to ceiling with animals roaming everywhere and feces caked around the home…the homeowners say that they were taking good care of the cats…right!

The house in Sacramento has been condemned, and police say that they’ll seek felony animal cruelty charges against the couple.   A maximum of seven cats is allowed in that area.

Animal hoarding may be considered a form of Obsessive-Compulsive disorder…and I won’t make a comment about excessive petting…

Furry Court Case!

October 8, 2009

bullfighting– – Warning:  Some Adult Topic Matter. The Supreme Court has been asked to rule on a law with furry implications which involves video depictions of animal cruelty. The disputed statute was used to prosecute a Virginia man who sold videos of pit bull fights.

The law originally was created in 1999 due to rightful congressional worries over “crush” videos, which, I’m horrified to say, depict women pounding high heels into small animals to appeal to an extremely sick and sadistic sexual kink.  Civil liberty groups say that the statute is overly broad and could leave to prosecutors’ discretion whether to go after films that show hunting and bullfighting; I’ve found such videos objectionable as well, but it boils down to what is considered animal cruelty, and how broadly one defines it.

The justices have indicated that Congress went too far in its attempt to protect animals from abuse…note that Justice Scalia is an avid hunter.  I regret that civil liberties and animal rights groups have found themselves at odds over this one, a case which may have unfortunate and far-reaching implications, and may be construed as a step backwards…

Sticky Business…

September 29, 2009

cat duct taped— Now this is just plain wrong!   A cat dubbed “Sticky” was wrapped in duct tape head to tail and dumped in a paper bag in a neighbor’s yard for 12 hours.  The 19-year-old Philadelphia man who did this was described as having, “a lot of issues.”  He faces animal cruelty charges, a fine, and jail time.

Other that being dehydrated, Sticky the cat survived his ordeal.  He was sedated to have the duct tape removed.

‘Scuse  me now, but I’ve got a human to wrap in duct tape…for if there are no human laws to fit the crime, there is always a higher law which can (holds up a large roll of gray duct tape, laughs darkly, and exits…)

Mobile Dog Fighting…

September 26, 2009

dog fighting– -This picture is a mild example of dog fighting; most are bloody and sickening.–How are dog fighters adapting to increasing law enforcement against their despicable activities?–By going mobile, in a practice called “trunking”…

in “trunking,” large cars with spacious trunks are used to stage dog fights while loud music is played to muffle the sounds of the brutality.  The vehicle may actually be kept moving while the fighting transpires, then stop.  Whichever dog is still alive at that point is the winner, with the dead loser simply tossed to the side of the road.   As the entire operation is mobile, it’s difficult for law enforcement to target it and close in.

Animal control officers in Paterson, New Jersey are stepping up enforcement and warning the public about the practice, with arrests having occurred in other states.  The Humane Society is offering a $5,000 reward for information on anyone participating in trunking…