BUSH ADMINISTRATION SABOTAGES FERRET RECOVERY:
In yet another attack against endangered species, the Bush Administration is undermining the recovery of one of the most endangered animals in North America, the black-footed ferret. The black footed-ferret was considered extinct until a tiny population was found in Wyoming in 1981. Since then, captive-breeding programs and reintroduction efforts have raised hope that the wild population might be saved.  So far, the Buffalo Gap National Grassland in South Dakota has been the only successful ferret reintroduction area in the world.

But the Bush Administration is trying to undo all these hard-fought gains by opening the Buffalo Gap National Grassland to activities to kill the ferrets' prime food source: the prairie dog.  Prairie dogs are key to the survival of black-footed ferrets because they comprise over 90% of the ferrets' diet.  But now they are being blamed for vegetation loss in the area -- something that is actually a result of an ongoing drought combined with livestock overgrazing.   In times of drought, it's livestock -- not wildlife -- that should be removed from ferret recovery areas.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Please tell Bush administration officials to keep Buffalo Gap National Grassland closed to prairie dog shooting and poisoning. Ask them to:
 

• Uphold the existing Buffalo Gap management plan and to reject the "South Dakota Prairie Dog Management 2004-05 Inter-Agency Action Plan;"

• remove all livestock grazing from ferret reintroduction habitat on Buffalo Gap until the drought is over; and

• develop voluntary incentive programs to assist landowners adjacent to Buffalo Gap who choose to protect prairie dogs or remove livestock from adjacent private land. 

Send your letters to:

 

And cc a copy of your letter to:

 

 

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URGE PROSECUTION OF LOUISIANA HORSE DRAGGING CASE:
The Louisiana Advocate has reported that a horse trainer in Kaplan, Lousiana has been charged with aggravated animal cruelty, a state felony, after he allegedly tethered a colt to his truck and drove off, dragging the horse behind.  The young horse was left bleeding, missing skin and flesh, and so severely injured that he had to be euthanized.  Vermilion Parish Assistant District Attorney Richard Putnam III told The Advocate that he had never seen such injuries to an animal and that "it was a mangled mess."

The vicious nature of the crime is all the more alarming because the alleged perpetrator, Donald J. Stelly, is a horse trainer, whose business it is to handle and train horses.  It is shocking to think that a person who regularly works with and handles horses is capable of such cruelty.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Although the prosecutor in this case deserves commendation for pursuing the prosecution of Mr. Stelly, he needs to hear further encouragement from citizens asking him to seek the strictest penalities against Mr. Stelly, should he be convicted of felony animal cruelty.  Most importantly, ask the prosecutor to obtain a permanent prohibition on Mr. Stelly from working with or keeping horses in the future.

 

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UPDATE: HUGE VICTORY FOR THE DUCKS IN CALIFORNIA
On Tuesday (8/24), the California Assembly passed Senate Bill 1520 (SB 1520), the landmark legislation to ban cruel foie gras production practices.  Because a slightly different version of SB 1520 passed the California Senate earlier this year, SB 1520 now heads back to the Senate for concurrence.  Following final concurrence, the bill heads to Governor Schwarzenegger's desk for his signature into law.

The passage of SB 1520 is a huge victory not just for ducks suffering on foie gras farms in California, but for farmed animals everywhere in the U.S.  It marks the first time that legislators in the U.S. have outlawed a farming practice because of its cruelty. Although legislators and courts in at least a dozen other countries have banned foie gras production because of its inherent cruelty, U.S. lawmakers are only just beginning to examine the practice.  The decision in California heralds a changing of the tide in favor of farmed animal welfare and against cruel, institutionalized animal farming practices.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
All citizens, especially Californians, should contact Governor Schwarzenegger and ask him to sign SB 1520 into law when it reaches his desk.

 

For more information on the cruelty of foie gras production, see www.nofoiegras.org.

 

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THE ANIMALS NEED YOU TO REGISTER TO VOTE:
The 2004 presidential race is shaping up to be extremely close and critical. Each and every vote will be vital in determining the course of the nation-- for both its human and animal citizens! The Student Animal Rights Alliance (SARA) has partnered with Working Assets as part of a national campaign to register voters for the critical 2004 election, and they've made voter registration incredibly simple!

Just go to http://www.defendanimals.org/vote to register to vote or to change your registration address. Just fill out the form, print, and mail. If you’re already registered, please forward the link to friends and family.

 

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GIVE WILDLIFE A BRAKE!
The approach of fall signals one of the most hazardous times of the year for many wildlife populations. Elk, deer and moose become ensconced in courtship rituals. Many other animals like squirrels are so busy foraging for their winter food stores that they become all but oblivious to normal threats their safety, including roadways and automobiles. This makes safely navigating roads and highways all the more challenging for drivers.  To learn how you can reduce the likelihood of hitting wildlife, order your free supply of Give Wildlife a Brake! brochures and bumper stickers today! To order, contact The HSUS at wildlife@HSUS.org or call 301-258-3112.


To receive directly, call 202-955-3668 or email humanelines@hsus.org For more information on legislation, how to find your legislators, or past HUMANElines, go to http://www.hsus.org/ or http://www.fund.org/