The story of Basil, the Very Lucky Baby Bull, by JP Novic.
“If
the owners don’t come to claim him, I would like to adopt
him.” Those words are music to the ears of anyone who has
worked at an animal shelter. Especially when the animal is either
very old, ill, or particularly difficult to place. In the case of
Basil, it’s the latter. Baby bulls weighing 500 pounds are
very difficult to place in loving, forever homes. Last week the animal protection community in Santa Cruz got a big dose of reality about the lack of humane protection for cattle. Not only do cattle have no rights (defined as laws to protect them) but there are actually laws that ensure that any cow, bull, or steer who does not have an official “owner” is required to go to auction where they inevitably are destined for slaughter. We learned about this law when a 5 month old baby bull (he should still have been nursing) was brought in to the Watsonville Animal Shelter by a considerate woman who found him stray at work. If no one claimed him, she said she would be interested in adopting him and providing him sanctuary forever at her home where she has other cows who are not raised for food. That’s when we learned about a state law requiring any cow, bull, or steer that is brought to an animal shelter to go to auction if no “owner” has claimed him after the required stray period. After 2 weeks of caring for this amazing, gorgeous and intelligent animal, the manager of the Watsonville Animal Shelter reluctantly watched as he was taken away to the auction yard. She knew what this inncoent baby’s fate would be. Ultimately he would be slaughtered. He was scheduled to go up for sale last Tuesday. So that’s when she went in to action. With the support of many kind people who work and volunteer at the shelter along with other compassionate people from the community, enough money was raised for the high bid at the auction and to pay for veterinary care and castration. Basil, the very lucky baby bull, now lives on a farm in Watsonville, in a large pasture with other animals. The kind woman who now cares for him says he is doing great and becoming increasingly trusting of humans. I used to have a bumper sticker on my truck that read “Animals have rights too.” I would like to make a new bumper sticker that reads “Animals SHOULD have rights too.” After all, shouldn’t all living beings have the right to a comfortable life free of suffering? Basil’s life could have ended in the tragic way that almost all cows, bulls and steer end up - on someone’s dinner plate. Instead, thanks to the people who cared enough to save him, Basil will live a life he was meant to live - comfortably grazing in a field with fresh air and the company of other beings. |
PETA OFFERS $2,500 TO CATCH COCKFIGHTERS
During the past four months, nearly 400 roosters—many of whom exhibited injuries from having been used in cockfighting- have been discovered on properties in Santa Cruz County. Hundreds of birds have been confiscated and their owners have been charged with possession of “fighting” roosters, possession of fighting instruments, and failure to provide veterinary care to injured and dying birds. Santa Cruz County Animal Services has asked PETA for help in stopping the blood sport. PETA is offering as much as $2,500 for information that leads to the discovery of a cockfight in progress and the arrest and conviction of organizers and attendees at that fight.
Cockfighting is a bloody spectator event in which roosters with razor-sharp blades attached to their legs are made to fight, often to the death, in a pit. “Cockfighting is the sport of cowards,” says PETA Casework Division Manager Martin Mersereau. “Birds commonly suffer broken wings, pierced eyes, and punctured lungs. The losing birds are typically thrown together in a pile and left to die. People who demonstrate such disregard for suffering can pose a risk to the community at large.” Mersereau also points out that animal fighting is almost invariably associated with drugs, weapons, and illegal gambling. Anyone with information about planned cockfights is encouraged to contact Santa Cruz County Animal Services Supervisor Todd Stosuy at (831) 454-7254. For information about the link between animal abuse and violence aimed at people, please visit HelpingAnimals.com.
"ANIMAL FUR USE" EDITORIAL GETS PUBLISHED IN LOCAL NEWSPAPERS
"Animal Fur Use", a recent "Speaking of Animals" show topic, details some of the facts behind the fur industry and other corporation's use of fur-bearing animals that come from fur farms, those that are trapped in the wild, and also domesticated companion animals--dogs and cats. This editorial piece on the same subject, written by a CAPE volunteer, was recently published in the Santa Cruz Sentinel and the San Francisco Herald.
EDITORIAL PIECE:
Did you know that Sears, Victoria's Secret, Express, and the soon-to-arrive in our local mall, Macy's are among the top one dozen businesses in the country that sell animal fur?
The individuals whose fur is used to trim garments and other items suffer the same cruel slaughter as those animals used for the purpose of making full-length fur coats. Our compassionate community needs to be aware of the facts.
Most often the fur-trimmed coats, gloves, shoes, hats, lingerie, stuffed animal toys, etc. you might see in these stores contain the brutally obtained skin of mink, fox, chinchilla, sable, coyote, lamb, rabbit, lynx, bobcat, and others.
Many people will find it unfathomable that the fur of domesticated companion animals- dogs and cats--is often used. Because of misleading product labeling, consumers could be buying dog and cat fur--whether they mean to or not.
Each year, millions of animal fur pelts are imported into the United States from countries all over the world, most coming from China and other Asian countries.
In China, thick-coated breeds of dogs are bred and killed for the fur trade. Most of the dogs killed for their fur are German Shepherds, the same courageous and noble breed that leads the blind, rescues the victims of disasters, and patrols our streets in partnership with police officers all across America.
The German Shepherds slaughtered in China are sought for their gray or yellow fur, which is considered desirable for coats and trim. Dogs in China suffer unspeakable terror and pain before being slaughtered for their fur. Stuffed into sacks for transport, left in the cold without food or water, then cruelly killed--many are skinned while still alive. Even the youngest-- puppies--are not spared.
At fur markets and factories in China, cats are killed by hanging. Some may be hung from a wire while water is poured down their throats through a hose until they drown. Then a slit is made in the cat's stomach, the skin is opened, and the fur is pulled over the cat's head. The furriers say that the cats may still be alive while they are being skinned.
Trapping and "fur farming" are two of the most common methods used to supply furriers and corporations with pelts.
Each year, 10 million animals are trapped in the wild for their fur. Trappers use several methods, three of which include leghold, body grip (Conibear), and wire snare traps. Usually, animals caught in these traps are not instantly killed, but instead suffer for days of hypothermia or other trap-inflicted injuries. Many animals are eaten by predators that find them helpless in these traps.
The 31 million animals raised and killed on fur farms each year are forced to endure insufferable conditions. All meet a violent death by anal electrocution, gassing, injection with poison, or by having their necks broken. Agony occurs for the simple purpose of creating a luxury item.
As a person deeply concerned about animal welfare, I attempted to contact our local Macy's customer relations department to voice my opinion; they were unavailable for comment.
Would you choose to spend your dollars in a business that supports cruelty and pain?
What can you do about this? You can let these businesses know that you do not want them to carry animal fur of any kind by using your voice and your educated consumer choices--your most powerful tools. Contact the customer relations department for each of these businesses to let your wishes be known.
Thank you for caring, Tracy Ely
Sources used in the preparation
of this article:
The Humane Society of the United States (hsus.org)
Infurmation (infurmation.com)
Tribe of Heart (tribeofheart.org)
The Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (banfur.com)
The Fund for Animals (fundforanimals.ctsg.org)
Contact information:
Macy's
Harold Kahn, Chairman
151 W. 34 St. New York, NY 10001
800-264-0069
macysmaildesk@fds.com
Express
Mr. Michael Weiss, President
One Limited Parkway Columbus, OH 43230
800-477-8844
Sear's
Mr. Arthur Martinez, Chairman and CEO
3333 Beverly Road, BC-118A Hoffman Estates, IL 60179
847-286-8316
Victoria's Secret
North American Office
P.O. Box 16589 Columbus, OH 43216-6589
800-888-1500
Tracy Ely, an animal advocate and photographer, has been a resident of Santa Cruz County for over 30 years.
"Speaking of Animals", CAPE's Television Show, wins the award for best educational programming by Community Television of Santa Cruz. This is the 3rd year in a row that the show has been awarded this honor.
Thanks to the CAPE television crew for all their amazing work and dedication on behalf of the animals!
CAPE Education Programs
"OLD FRIENDS"
"Old Friends" is an award winning, 30 minute documentary produced by CAPE
that celebrates friendships between people and animals. It received 1st
place in both the San Mateo County Fair Video Festival, and in the Pomona
Film Festival. It was featured on Bay TV's (KRON-NBC) Documentary series
and their 1999 Holiday Film Festival.
"In a manner that lightly touches the emotions of anyone who is close
to a pet, the new film ("Old Friends") comes down solidly on the side
of animals: not as food or as free labor, but as life-long friends."
-Wallace Baine, Santa Cruz Sentinal film writer
The soundtrack features the Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel song "Old Friends, from their Bookends album, 1964.
Copies of "Old Friends" are available to any interested individual or organization. Please call 831-426-2214 to obtain a copy.
"SPEAKING OF ANIMALS" - CAPE's Television
Show
"Speaking of Animals" is back on the air and airing each Monday
night at 6:30 pm on Santa Cruz Community Television, Channel 27. The show
is now in its eighth season and has produced over 90 episodes. It recently
won honors in "outstanding educational programming" by Community
Television of Santa Cruz. "Speaking of Animals" addresses every
aspect of our shared world with animals - from basic dog and cat health
care to animal communication, legislative issues to what's new in animal
rights.
To view previous shows, please review our library of tapes, available
for viewing and borrowing.
CAPE is pleased to offer a variety of educational videos on a wide variety of topics. These materials are available to individuals, schools or other organizations. A wide range of topics have been explored, featuring guests with specific expertise and, of course, starring many animals. Please call 831-426-2214 to obtain a copy. Donations requested to cover shipping and handling:
1. The Pet Overpopulation Crisis
with guest Diane Koletski
3. Cruelty at the Rodeo
with guest Eric Mills
4. Animals in Medical Research
with guests Dr. Raymond Giraud and Mrs. List Giraud
5. Programs at CAPE
with guest JP Novic
8. Cruelty in Veal Production
with guest Bonnie Stoehn
9. TTouch
with guest Jodi Frediani
10. Chickens in Your Yard
with guest Hilary Yoffe Sharp
11. Rats and Hamsters
with guest Karla Koebernick
12. Making Friends with Horses
with guest Bonnie Stoehn
13. Animals in the Circus
with guest Nichole Cunningham
14. Intro to Dog Training
with guest Pat Miller
15. All About Rabbits
with guest Heather Maurer
16. CAPE's Rescue Program
with guest Hilary Yoffe Sharp
17. Sharks and Whales
with guest Sean Van Someran
18. Premarin
with guest Bonnie Stoehn
19. Kids and their Animal Friends
with a bunch of delightful kids
21. Rabbits and Other Small Animals
with guest Karla Koebernick
23. Dogaerobics
with guest Jane Devlin
24. Pet Pursuit
with guest Kat Albrecht
25. Vegetarian Cooking
with Vegetarian Country
27. Heartworm/Horse Colic
with Dr. McKay and Dr. DeBuere
28. In Defense of Animals
with guest Russel Tenofsky
65. Wildlife Rehab
with guest Vicki Krupp
71. Kitty Hill Resort
Luxury kitty accommodations in Santa Cruz
79. The Filly Project
with guest Bonnie Stoehn
80. Elders and their Companion Animals
81. Animal Place, Farm Animal Sanctuary:
Volume 1
Learn about cows, pigs, chicken and poultry
82. Animal Place, Farm Animal Sanctuary:
Volume 2
Learn about pigs
83. Animal Place, Farm Animal Sanctuary:
Volume 3
Learn about chicken and poultry
84. Animal Place, Farm Animal Sanctuary: Volume 4
Tour of Animal Place with Kim Sturla
85. Legislative Update with Virginia Handley, Fund for Animals
90. The Best of Speaking of Animals
PO BOX 67176
SCOTTS VALLEY, CA 95067-7176
831.336-4695
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