Inside This Issue:
- NhRP's Elephant Habeas Corpus Lawsuit Tour Reaches Hawaii
- Beagles, the Current Anti-Research Crusade, and a Reminder that Homes for Animal Heroes Exists
- Don't Feed the Bears, Yet More Animal Law, and More!
NhRP's Elephant Habeas Corpus Lawsuit Tour Reaches Hawaii
Asian Elephant.
The Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP) has once again filed a lawsuit, this time in Hawaii, arguing that two elephants at the Honolulu Zoo deserve the same legal rights as people, specifically through habeas corpus. Yes, we know you’ve heard this story before – NhRP is simply going to keep on trying until they find a sympathetic court. The group has tried similar cases in states like New York and Colorado without success, insisting that these elephants should be recognized as legal persons and moved to a sanctuary. Of course, elephants are not humans and would have no understanding of newly granted legal rights, but that’s OK – NhRP and similar groups will no doubt be happy to direct the animals to approved guardians for a fee. Also, while NhRP’s current target is elephants – highly charismatic and intelligent animals – they are not coy that if they succeed in getting elephants legal rights, they’ll lower the bar and continue on with the next species. That’s important to keep in mind.
Back to elephants, the NhRP’s legal team presents themselves as experts on elephant well-being, despite opposition from zoological professionals and other hands-on experts who argue otherwise. Critics of NhRP correctly note that the group often overlooks issues, such as how elephants in managed care rely on routine and stability, and that moving the animals abruptly could be more harmful than helpful. This highlights the way in which ideological and political goals so often trump practical care and welfare concerns when it comes to these groups. We’ll definitely be keeping an eye on this case and keep you posted as it moves forward.
Source: Should Animals Have Human Rights? Hawai‘i Court To Decide
Beagles, the Current Anti-Research Crusade, and a Reminder that Homes for Animal Heroes Exists
Beagle facing camera; one of the most charismatic breeds of dog.
Big Dog Ranch Rescue (BDRR) has finalized an agreement to permanently shut down Ridglan Farms, a major dog breeding facility in Wisconsin that once supplied Beagles for scientific research. In June, BDRR removed 300 dogs out of the facility, with the last group, about 150 Beagles, scheduled to leave by early August. This puts a lengthy process to an end that has seen more than 1,600 dogs relocated from Ridglan. This process coincides with new federal efforts to phase out animal testing, and has been bolstered by BDRR’s support from high-profile members of the current presidential administration.
While BDRR and groups like Beagle Freedom Project have been, by design, highly visible in this and other stories involving animal research, it’s important to recognize the ongoing – and alternative – work of NAIA’s Homes for Animal Heroes (HAH) program. This program has played a crucial role nationwide, quietly finding homes for retired research Beagles and hounds well before the recent media spotlight. Because, despite claims to the contrary, even the best current alternatives to animal research aren’t a viable replacement for whole organisms, and retired research animals need permanent, loving homes.
HAH’s efforts demonstrate that successful rehoming of retired research animals is possible through regulated, cooperative approaches that respect animal welfare and legal boundaries – while also acknowledging the continued vital role of animal research in improving the health of people and animals. Additionally, the Homes for Animal Heroes Project, from the very start, made a conscientious effort to avoid villainizing breeders, researchers, and the people who work with them, but rather focus its efforts on the work of fostering, socializing, and rehoming these wonderful animals. And they truly are wonderful animals that deserve our full honor and gratitude – and to spend the rest of their lives in loving homes, rather than be used as props in anti-research animal rights campaigns. HAH has never engaged in things like trespassing, breaking into labs, and/or holding protests-as-press-conferences, and we have to admit this is not the most lucrative fundraising model out there, but even so – or more accurately, because so – we are so incredibly proud of our volunteers and directors and fosters, and all the great work they do.
Source: Ridglan Farms beagles: Big Dog Ranch Rescue secures release of remaining dogs, Support HAH Today!
Don't Feed the Bears, Yet More Animal Law, and More!
Transfăgărășan Highway ("Bear Pass") in Romania, featuring – you guessed it – a bear.
The majesty of the natural world is a powerful and wonderful thing, and something we want to preserve for everybody and future generations to experience. However – HOWEVER – if you are appreciating said majesty, you gotta remember that the wild animals are, well… wild animals. Offering up food isn’t great for the animals, and it can be bad for your own health, as well.
A visitor to Romania’s “Bear Pass” recently learned this the hard way after offering treats to a mother bear from the relative safety of his car, only for the furry behemoth to suddenly charge, slash him with claws and teeth, and try to drag him from his vehicle. The guy is lucky he was wearing a seatbelt – despite serious bites to his left arm, being strapped into the car may have saved his life! To his credit, he owned his mistake, though he only seemed to acknowledge the issue of being in the bear’s territory – not the compounding issues of how this was a mother bear with cubs, or about how he stopped his car right next to them, or the fact he was offering them treats. “Nature ain’t a Disney movie” is something of a cliché at this point, but things typically become clichés for good reason!
With the ALDF animal law scholarship announcement comes a not-so-gentle reminder that a lot of folks are drawn to animal law not through a desire to improve the world for animals and animal owners as it is, but through an all-encompassing passion for animal rights and a desire to transform the U.S. legal system as it pertains to animals. Laws change all the time, of course – there is nothing inherently wrong with that, and it is important that our legal system properly represents the realities of the society it serves – however, it’s important that laws aren’t changed due to misinformation, cherry-picked data, and the philosophical demands of a small, but highly active and engaged extremist community.
And as if on cue… the chair of the Justice for Animals Program at the University of San Francisco School of Law recently penned an op-ed piece saying the California’s Supreme Court should exonerate Direct Action Everywhere’s Wayne Hsiung from when his organization trespassed on a farm and stole a bunch of chickens, saying he and his compatriots were not only morally, but legally justified.
Two of the world’s wealthiest animal rights organizations grabbed headlines this week through the power of language. First, a proposal to change NBA Finals-runner up San Antonio Spurs’ team name to the “San Antonio Spores,” and second, actor Kevin Bacon cutting a promo where he changes his name to Kevin Bean on Wednesdays for the Meatless Wednesdays campaign.
The first campaign, with all its fungal wordplay and anti-rodeo puns was a little flat for PeTA, honestly. There wasn’t even any shock or gore. Maybe they were on deadline. The Kevin Bean promo was pretty well-done, though, and highlights the troubling issue of how much better animal rights organizations typically are at communicating a memorable message compared to folks who are involved in hands-on animal care or hobbies.
Also in the News...
★ A day with Oakland Animal Control is as wild as the animals they help (Animal Services; Animal Welfare; Public Health & Safety)
★ Knicks fan dog shot dead by LAPD raises insane six-figure sum for his justice campaign (Dog Shootings; From Celebration to Tragedy)
★ Why you may see more black bears this summer (Black Bear Summer; Keep Calm and Bear-Proof That Backyard)
★ Dousman pet boarding business where 21 animals died in fire operated illegally, official says (Few Survivors; Investigation Ongoing)
★ Lancaster Township man banned from owning animals for 30 years after neglecting dogs, DA says (Horrific Abuse Cases)
★ Why This Katydid’s Stunning Beauty Is Actually a Survival Weapon (The Eyes Have It; Amazing Animals)
★ Hat-Wearing Sponge Crab Among Nearly 150 New Animals Discovered by Deep-Sea Explorers (Underwater Lists; Great Pictures & Amazing Finds!)
Click here to see what is happening legislatively
