DUBAI // Local authorities and non-profit groups are calling for a co-ordinated national attack on animal cruelty, after the shooting of two cats this month and other incidents.

Mickey, a cat from Al Barsha, was shot 12 times and suffered skull, lung, pelvis and leg injuries. The other cat, Safa, who lives near Safa Park, has been shot in the head twice in three months.

"Proactive steps against animal cruelty are taken by the authorities but such acts happen globally when individuals ignore the law," said Dr Max Spicer of The Veterinary Hospital in Al Quoz, who treated both cats.

Such crimes and other cases of cruelty prompted the municipality's veterinary department to last week organise its first UAE Animal Welfare Conference.

Participants including representatives from municipalities, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (Ifaw) and K9 Friends met officials from the Ministry of Environment and Water to call for a more cohesive strategy.

Dr Elsayyed Mohamed, the programme manager of Ifaw, said common violations included dog fights, irresponsible ownership, improper transport and keeping exotic and endangered animals as pets.

"We need a nationwide database clearly identifying the number of cases that go to court and penalties should be specific and categorised," Dr Mohamed said.

Jackie Ratcliffe, chairman of the dog rescue group K9 Friends, said: "There is still frustration and emotion around this topic. The laws are there but need to be properly implemented because, in the area of cruelty, there are still unanswered questions."

In 2007, the President passed a law outlining animal welfare policy, and in 2008 a ministerial decree outlined which crimes against animals were punishable.

The animal welfare division in the Ministry of Water and Environment is responsible for setting laws and regulations, and carries out its own inspections, while municipalities are responsible for enforcing the laws in their emirates, issuing fines and referring cases to prosecution.

In Dubai, the municipality's veterinary department investigates cases. Adil Al Badri, the head of theanimal welfare unit, said its inspectors had seen cases of overcrowding, animal depression, injuries, overworking and disease on farms, at ports and in markets, and issued fines accordingly.

In Abu Dhabi, the animal welfare department at Abu Dhabi's Food Control Authority investigates the treatment of animals at farms.

"If there is good management, animals will not fall ill and disease will not spread," said Mutasim Al Rosan, a food-safety inspector at the Ministry of Environment and Water.

Mr Al Rosan said a law regarding the transport of animals would soon be introduced and a national law on farms inspection was also being studied because "a unified code of practice is currently not in place".

Animal welfare is a matter of "fine tuning", said Dr Hamid Orban, a specialist from the animal welfare section at Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, who also stressed transport was a crucial issue.

"One of the main unanswered questions is who is responsible for issuing licences for transporting animals and overseeing the movement within the Emirates?" Dr Orban said, agreeing with Dr Mohamed that there were too many "irregularities in penalties".

"It is irresponsible ownership that leads to animal suffering," he said.

Mrs Ratcliffe said the situation was far better than when the organisation was established in 1989.

Since 2000, she said, more than 3,000 dogs had been given new homes through K9 Friends. And about 143 dogs were being cared for in K9 Friend's new shelter in the Jebel Ali Industrial Area, paid for by the Dubai Government in 2007.

"Cruelty is often caused by ignorance," Mrs Ratcliffe said. "We have many educational campaigns to teach young kids so that these cases do not happen in the future."

Developers can never again claim that residents of Alaska’s Lake and Peninsula Borough want them to build the dangerous Pebble Mine at the headwaters of Bristol Bay.

In a major victory for opponents of the mine, voters in the Bristol Bay region have passed the Save Our Salmon initiative, which would prohibit the borough from issuing permits for mining projects that would threaten to destroy salmon habitat.

Pebble Limited Partnership hopes to develop the mine roughly 200 miles southwest of Anchorage and just north of Iliamna. Pebble Mine would be the largest open-pit mine in North America, involving the excavation of billions of tons of raw ore containing copper, gold and molybdenum.

The mine would threaten the largest remaining wild sockeye salmon run in the world, which sustains the world’s richest commercial wild-salmon fishery; the habitat for tens of millions of salmon that spawn in the streams of the Bristol Bay watershed; and the subsistence ways of life of Alaska Natives who depend on fishing to feed their families. Sixty-five percent of the borough’s residents Alaska Natives, and most continue to practice traditional subsistence fishing activities that have sustained their people and culture for thousands of years.

The issue will now head to court in November because Pebble Limited Partnership has challenged the initiative’s legality. So has the state of Alaska, which claims authority over the development of natural resources belongs to the legislature, not local governments.

Concern that Pebble Mine could cause an environmental catastrophe in Alaska has unified a vast coalition of sport and subsistence-fishing interests, commercial fishermen and seafood processors, Native groups, former state and federal regulators and elected officials, conservation groups, and even churches.

Pebble Limited Partnership, which includes Northern Dynasty Minerals and the giant mining company Anglo American, has waged its own public relations campaign to convince the public that the mine would be an economic boon to the Lake and Peninsula Borough region.

But when local residents mailed in their ballots over the past few weeks, the majority approved the initiative 280 to 246.

What chance does a relatively small group of voters have against an international juggernaut willing to spend millions of dollars trying to force the construction of an open-pit mine in such a rare and special place? We’ll see what the courts say.

But the voters have already decided: Pebble Mine isn’t welcome in Bristol Bay.

Peta update

In the aerial view of SeaWorld, one can see how little room orcas have. Inside the circle is Tilikum, whose nose and tail almost touch the ends of his tank.
In a groundbreaking move for animals, PETA, with the help of three marine-mammal experts and two former orca trainers, will file a landmark lawsuit tomorrow asking a federal court to declare that five wild-caught orcas forced to perform at SeaWorld are being held as slaves in violation of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The 13th Amendment prohibits the condition of slavery, without reference to "person" or any particular class of victims. PETA's general counsel, Jeffrey Kerr, stated, "Slavery does not depend on the species of the slave any more than it depends on gender, race, or religion."

In the wild, orcas work cooperatively, form complex relationships, communicate using distinct dialects, and swim up to 100 miles every day. Their life at SeaWorld deprives them of everything that is natural and important to them. They are limited to small, barren concrete tanks and are forced to perform stupid tricks in exchange for dead fish.

Our understanding of animals grows every day. Animals should no longer be regarded as "things" to dominate, but as breathing, feeling beings with families, intellect, and emotions. The 13th Amendment exists to abolish slavery in all its forms—and this lawsuit is the next step. Please read about this precedent-setting lawsuit, post it on Facebook and Twitter, and tell everyone you know about it.

You can help animals imprisoned by SeaWorld today. Click here to write to The Blackstone Group—the company that owns SeaWorld—and ask that it immediately set in place a firm and rapid plan to release the animals to sanctuaries that can provide them with an appropriate and more natural environment.

7/1/11

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. - Palm Beach County pet owners must unchain their animals Friday and remove them from tight outdoor cages under a sweeping new law enacting some of Florida's toughest animal-care measures.

The controversial law, which passed in March, prohibits tethering animals at any hour — a step up from the previous daytime ban. Dogs still can be tied up under direct supervision and at some events such as shows.

The law also requires outdoor dog shelters be at least 80 square feet; they never can reach more than 85 degrees inside.

The new rules mark a victory for animal-rights groups and a major defeat for hunting-dog clubs and other groups that claim it goes too far.

Terry Workman, president of the Everglades Regional Dog Hunters Association, said the strict cage requirements will force lead some hunters to give away or abandon their dogs.

"It starts costing people a lot of money if they have two or three dogs," said Workman, adding he doesn't object to the tethering ban.

Workman keeps eight hunting dogs in cages behind his West Palm Beach home — three hound dogs and five Curs. Some fellow raccoon and hog hunters can't afford new shelters or don't have room in their yards, he said.

First-time violators of the tethering and shelter rules face a $100 fine. A second offense within a year comes with a $250 fine and a third offense costs $500. Depending on the severity of the violation, criminal charges may be filed.

Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control drafted the new law, aguing that it targets animal owners who keep their pets in deplorable conditions, Capt. Dave Walesky said.

"We were seeing people putting dogs in rabbit hutches," he said. "Before, we didn't have anything to stop them from doing that."

The county law requires more health protections for guard dogs and more disclosure to pet-store customers about where dogs and cats come from.

Palm Beach County's anti-tethering rule closely mirrors other restrictive measures gaining steam in Florida. Miami-Dade passed a similar ban in 2009. Broward County has no law on the books preventing people from tying up their dogs or requiring specific shelters outdoors.

Failed attempts to change that led some Broward cities to pass their own anti-tethering laws. Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale, Deerfield Beach and Pembroke Pines are among those that ban daytime or unattended tethering.

Heidi Jones, who represents Miami and Broward for the nonprofit group Dogs Deserve Better, said she pressed Pembroke Pines to pass a tethering ban in August. It goes farther than other laws by also banning tethering in garages and requiring people supervising a tethered dog to stay within arm's reach.

Jones said Palm Beach County's law is a big step in the right direction.

"Palm Beach County has really been at the forefront," she said.

However, groups such as the National Animal Interest Alliance were unhappy with the unanimous passage of the Palm Beach County regulations. The organization, which represents animal breeders, owners and their animals, failed to get Palm Beach County commissioners to soften the tethering law.

"It's too black-and-white," said Patti Strand, National Animal Interest Alliance chairwoman. "[People] will either let their dogs go or take them to a shelter."

Many people cannot afford to fence-in their dogs, she said, and in some cases, tethering them can be appropriate and humane. Dog trolleys or runners attached overhead allow dogs to move around more. The county could have allowed the option of a fence around a tethered dog in urban areas where dogs are more likely to bite passersby.

You may love your cell. But aren’t there times when you’d like to tune it out? Forbes magazine writer Monte Burke has just put together a list of some of the best places to escape the rat race.

The list is a reminder that you can still find places in this great land where the only sounds are created by Mother Nature: the song of the hermit thrush, rustling leaves, the howl of a wolf.

Almost all these spots belong to you, and to the rest of us. Some are part of the National Wilderness Preservation System, protected for all time from mining, oil drilling, motorized traffic, and the like. Others on his list do not enjoy that level of protection but remain undeveloped for now.

We worked with Monte as he developed his list, and he cites members of our staff who are knowledgeable about some of these first-class getaways. You can read his story and enjoy photos of the places on his list at:

The Wilderness Society is dedicated to the wise management of the lands that you have inherited. In this increasingly noisy and crowded country, the need for places to escape is growing every day. We are teaming up with other conservationists, churches, business owners, the Garden Club of America, sportsmen, and others to protect this natural legacy.

Eight endangered Rothschild's giraffe recently arrived at their ancestral home on the shores of Lake Baringo, Kenya. Their arrival marked a long-awaited homecoming for the species—for nearly 70 years, Rothschild's giraffe have been absent from the Lake Baringo area, which was once part of their native range. The area has now been turned into a nature reserve—the Ruko Conservancy—to help ensure the long-term protection of the rare species of giraffe.

With only 670 Rothschild's giraffe left in the wild, conservationists hope that by transferring these eight giraffes to the Ruko Conservancy, they can establish a new population and thereby reduce the risk that now looms over this endangered species.

The transport of the eight giraffe took conservationists four years to plan and required input from multiple organizations including the Kenya Wildlife Service, the Northern Rangelands Trust, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, The Tusk Trust and The Born Free Foundation.

Immense care was given to the well-being of the giraffes during each stage of the journey. The translocation effort began in Soysambu Conservancy near Nakuru, Kenya. Conservationists captured eight giraffe and placed them in a holding area for three weeks to minimize stress on the animals and to prepare them for the move. The giraffes were then taken by specially-designed vehicle to the edge of Lake Baringo and transferred onto a modified landing craft. The landing craft ferried the giraffe across the lake to the Ruko Conservancy. The giraffe were released into another holding area where they will be kept for several weeks while they adjust to their new surroundings.

In August 2010, Rothschild's giraffe were recognized as an endangered species by the IUCN, in large part due to the efforts of scientists from the Giraffe Conservation Foundation who have been studying the species.

This Wednesday the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared the eastern cougar extinct and is now moving forward with plans to remove them from the Endangered Species Act.

While many suspected that cougars, otherwise known as catamount, mountain cat, mountain lion, panther, or puma, had been wiped out in the east for a while, others believed they were still here eluding humans as to their whereabouts, which lead to their nickname “ghost cat.”

At least 108 sightings have been reported between 1900 and 2010, although none of them were confirmed. Most were believed to have been western cougars spotted during migration, or domesticated or captive cougars that got loose.

In 2007, the UWFWS began a review of trail cameras, eyewitness accounts and road kill reports and is now confident that the eastern cougar is extinct. It’s been 70 years since the last confirmed sighting in Maine.

Eastern cougars once thrived, but became the victims of overzealous hunting and bounties and also suffered from a decline of white-tailed deer, their main prey, which lead to their decline. They were added to the Endangered Species Act in 1973.

The loss of a top predator has lead to a vast increase in deer populations and a decline in forest health in the east. Some experts believe that the western cougar will eventually makes its way east to fill in the gap.

Others including organizations, such as the Cougar Rewilding Foundation, would like to see a reintroduction of wolves and cougars, but expect that suggestions or plans to do so would meet opposition.

"Our ecosystems are collapsing up and down the East Coast, and they're collapsing because we have too many white-tailed deer," said Christopher Spatz, the organizations president. "Our forests are not being permitted to regenerate."
He added that cougars and wolves would naturally thin the deer herd through direct predation while also acting as "natural shepherds," forcing deer to become more vigilant and "stop browsing like cattle."

SACRAMENTO, CA, March 4, 2011 – United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that Dean Lundie, 59, of Orland, was convicted yesterday of unauthorized taking from a National Wildlife Refuge, destruction of natural objects from a National Wildlife Refuge, unlawfully cutting, injuring, or destroying trees on United States land, and trespassing on a National Wildlife Refuge. The guilty verdict was returned by a federal jury in Sacramento after a four-day trial before United States Magistrate Judge Kendall J. Newman.

According to testimony presented at trial, Lundie cut down more than 35 trees in the Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge, took the cut wood for himself, destroyed additional flora on the refuge land by pouring gravel, and trespassed by exceeding the scope of his access on the refuge land. Lundie owns property adjacent to the refuge, which has an easement to allow him access to his well on the refuge property, but he did not have authorization to do any of the acts for which he was prosecuted.

This case is the product of an investigation by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Misdemeanor Prosecutors Catherine Chyi and Robert Sweetin are prosecuting the case.

Lundie is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Newman on May 18, 2011, at 9:00 a.m. The maximum statutory penalty for a misdemeanor violation of unauthorized taking, destruction, and trespass is six months in prison. The maximum statutory penalty for a misdemeanor violation of destruction of trees is one year in prison. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.