News for Florida animal advocates

Primate Products, Inc. is a Miami-based corporation that imports and sells monkeys for use in research and testing. Primate Products is infamous for shocking photographs of injured animals that appeared in 2010. Visit ARFF’s website to learn more about this company’s controversial history.

When animal dealers like Primate Products ship nonhuman primates, they are required to file a certificate of veterinary inspection with the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. The “Official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection for Interstate Movement” must be completed and signed by a veterinarian licensed in Florida who certifies that the animal(s) is sufficiently healthy for shipment.

Recently, in response to a public records request, ARFF received copies of certificates detailing 74 separate shipments by Primate Products between July 2010 and August 2011, totalling 1,818 monkeys. Click here to download a summary of the shipments.

The records reveal that 40% of the monkeys that Primate Products shipped out of Florida during the 12 month period were for one company- WIL Research, a contract research laboratory in Ashland, Ohio.

Another large customer was Battelle, a research organization headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, that made up 10% of Primate Products business during the time period.

One more interesting fact. All the certificates of veterinary inspection were signed by Primate Products’ staff veterinarian, Kathleen Turner, with one exception. In July 2010, a group of 96 monkeys headed to Bristol-Myers Squibb* in Pennington, New Jersey was examined and approved for shipment by Dr. Robert Schachner. Dr. Schachner operates a veterinary clinic and boarding facility in Hollywood, Florida.

You Can Help

Urge WIL Research to reconsider doing business with Primate Products. Contact:

David Spaight, CEO
WIL Research
Phone: (419) 289-8700
E-mail: info@wilresearch.com
Online comment form.

Contact Dr. Schachner and ask him not to work with Primate Products in the future. Let him know that you would not take your companion animal to a veterinarian who helps to send monkeys to their deaths in laboratories.

Robert D. Schachner
Animal Medical Center and Bird Clinic of Hollywood
521 N Federal Hwy.
Hollywood, FL 33020
Phone: (954) 920-2400
E-mail: animalmedicalcnt@gmail.com

*The pharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb reported using 1,403 primates in research and testing during FY2010, including 10 primates who were involved in experiments during which the animals experienced “more than momentary or slight pain or distress” and during which pain relieving drugs were not given to the suffering animals because it could affect the results of the test. In addition, BMS reported that during FY2010, 27 cynomolgus monkeys were housed individually “because they had surgical implants that could be damaged through interactions with cage mates.”

Today through Sunday, the Cole Bros. Circus has shows at Digital Domain Park in Port St. Lucie. The City of Port St. Lucie and St. Lucie County require circuses to have a veterinarian on duty. It’s an important requirement, especially when you consider Cole Bros. history of failing to provide adequate care to animals.

Cole Bros. does not travel with a veterinarian, so they were forced to find someone who could help them in Port St. Lucie. That person is Dr. Enrique Borrego.

Dr. Borrego, the owner of Animal General Hospital in Port Saint Lucie, has been a small animal vet in the community for many years. The doctor and his wife volunteer with the Hobe Sound Animal Protection League.

We don’t know why Dr. Borrego agreed to be the circus’ veterinarian in Port St. Lucie, but regardless of his motivation, he is enabling Cole Bros. to perform. Without a veterinarian willing to help the circus meet the permit requirements, the circus could not perform in St. Lucie County.

Contact Dr. Borrego and politely urge him to reconsider acting as the circus vet in the future. Also ask that, when he is at the circus this weekend, to conduct detailed inspections of the elephants, tigers and other animals who travel with Cole Bros., and to make his findings public.

Enrique Borrego, DVM
Animal General Hospital
501 SW Port Saint Lucie Blvd.
Port Saint Lucie, FL 34953
(772) 344-8835 Fax (772) 344-8836
Email: agh@petsvet.com
Online comment form.
facebook.com/animalgeneralhospital

This week the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) released a new draft management plan for the Florida black bear. The good news is that lifting the ban on bear hunting in Florida is not proposed in the plan (bear hunting has been prohibited statewide since 1994). The bad news is that bears may only remain safe from hunter’s bullets for another four years. According to the plan, if bear populations continue to grow, the FWC could consider allowing hunting in 2015. The headline of an article in the St. Petersburg Times summarized the plan this way, “State agency’s plan for growing black bear population cracks door open for hunts.” The Associated Press said the plan “doesn’t completely take hunting off the table.”

The FWC is accepting public comment on the draft management plan at four workshops- in Bristol (Nov. 22), Naples (Nov. 29), Deland (Dec. 6), and Gainesville (Dec. 13). If you can’t attend a workshop you can learn more about the plan and submit comments online at MyFWC.com/Bear. Tell the FWC to keep black bears protected as a threatened species, and demand that trophy hunting of bears never resume.

The Cole Bros. Circus has performed in the City of Margate since 2009. Each year, the circus has been sponsored by the Margate Chamber of Commerce and the big top raised on land owned by the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency. This year the circus has shows scheduled for November 10-13 in Margate.

At last night’s meeting of the Margate City Commission, several dozen people filled the commission chambers to urge the city to reconsider its support of the circus. ARFF’s Communications Director Don Anthony was the first to speak. He challenged commissioners to do the right thing and adopt regulations to protect elephants and other wild animals who suffer in traveling circuses. Don reassured the commission that if they did act, they would not be alone. Several cities in South Florida, including Hollywood, Lauderdale Lakes and Pompano Beach already have ordinances in place that keep circuses out of the city. The next speaker showed a disturbing video of trainer Tim Frisco beating elephants with bullhooks
and shocking them with electric prods (Frisco traveled with the Cole Bros. Circus in 2010). Another speaker read through the long list of incidents in which Cole Bros. was found to be in violation of federal laws intended to protect animals. Other speakers spoke about the limited ability of the U.S. Department of Agriculture to properly inspect traveling circuses, the threat to public safety from performing elephants, the amazing social lives of elephants, and the many successful non-animal circuses. The testimony was emotional and impassioned.

Then it was the commissioners turn to comment. Commissioner Frank Talerico suggested, and Commissioner Joseph Varsallone agreed, that the city should sit down with the chamber of commerce to let them know that it may not be in their interest to sponsor a circus next year. (Commissioner Varsallone complimented the speakers, “God bless you. Your enthusiasm was great.”) Commissioner Lesa Peerman told the audience that she was also convinced of the need for the city to do something: “This is easy. We got it.” Vice Mayor David McLean asked to inspect a bullhook that ARFF had brought to the meeting, and he passed it to the other commissioners. Mayor Pam Donovan was the last to comment. She instructed the city attorney to draft an ordinance to ban the use of electric prods, bullhooks or similar devices by circuses. The motion was adopted unanimously, and the commission received a standing ovation from the audience!

A bullhook ban would effectively ban the circus, since circuses will not give up the cruel weapon (bullhooks are commonly used by circuses to control elephants through painful physical punishment and the threat of it). But it’s not official yet!

Please contact the City of Margate, especially if you live or work in the city, and thank them for their compassionate stand against circus cruelty. Urge them to support a ban on bullhooks when it comes before them for a vote.

City of Margate
5790 Margate Boulevard
Margate, FL 33063

Mayor Pam Donovan - pdonovan@margatefl.com
Vice Mayor David McLean - dmclean@margatefl.com
Commissioner Joseph Varsallone - jvarsallone@margatefl.com
Commissioner Frank Talerico - ftalerico@margatefl.com
Commissioner Lesa Peerman - lpeerman@margatefl.com

Yesterday, the results of a new public opinion poll of Floridians were released. The poll asked questions about science and health. Research!America, who commissioned the poll, put a positive spin on the results, concluding that Floridians strongly support scientific research. According to the poll, more than 80% responded positively to softball questions like, “How important is it for Florida to be a leader in science and medical research?”

But when it came to questions that were more specific, the results were mixed. ARFF was surprised and encouraged by the response to the question, “Do you believe the use of animals in medical research is necessary for progress in medicine?” Only 52% said yes (25% said no and 23% said they were not sure). If you consider the margin of error for the poll (+/- 3.5%), it cannot be claimed that a majority of Floridians support animal research.

Another interesting result: When Floridians were asked, “Can you name a living scientist?”, most couldn’t name anyone, but among those who could, Jane Goodall was one of the top five!

Visit ARFF’s website to learn more about animal research in Florida.

Yesterday, greyhound trainer Ronnie Williams was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to 39 counts of felony animal cruelty. Williams was arrested in October 2010 after 34 greyhounds were found starved to death inside kennels at the Ebro Greyhound Park (located north of Panama City). An additional five dogs were alive, but severely malnourished.

Williams received the maximum penalty (five years) for each count, but the judge ordered the sentences to be served concurrently. We think Williams deserved more than five years in prison, but there is some justice in the fact that he will not get credit for the one year he has already spent in jail.

Mr. Williams’ crimes were among the worst in the history of greyhound racing in Florida, but he certainly was not the first trainer to subject racing greyhounds to cruel treatment, and he likely won’t be the last. Thankfully, a bill has been introduced for the 2012 legislative session that could mean the end of greyhound racing in Florida. Senate Bill 382, introduced by Senators Maria Sachs and Don Gaetz would remove the requirement that dog tracks conduct live racing in order to also offer slots or poker. If passed, many tracks in Florida would almost certainly choose to end live racing to focus on more profitable forms of gambling. (During fiscal year 2010-11 at the Ebro Greyhound Park, the cardroom took in almost three times as much money as live racing.)

Please contact your state representative and senator and ask them to support Senate Bill 382. This very important bill could help thousands of greyhounds.

Click here to find your elected officials.

The 2012 legislative session will begin on January 10, 2012. Visit ARFF’s website for updates on animal protection legislation.

ARFF often receives complaints from tourists about attractions in Florida where animals are suffering from neglect and/or an inadequate environment. We always encourage them to share what they witnessed with online rating/review websites like Yelp.com, TripAdvisor.com or Citysearch.com. These sites are popular and consistently appear at the top of search results when looking for information about local attractions, restaurants, etc.

This week ARFF heard from a visitor to Jungle Island in Miami who was disturbed by the tigers who pace back and forth. She wrote, “I’m not an animal expert but it doesn’t take one to figure out this place does not treat animals right!” Many of the reviews already online were similar. A one star review from last month on Yelp began, “I was immediately disturbed when we walked through the gates and workers shoved a parrot into my arms and put one on my shoulder so I could pose for a picture. They showed zero concern for the parrots.” A visitor to Jungle Island from Kansas wrote on TripAdvisor, “most of the exhibits left us feeling sorry for the animals.” Learn more about Jungle Island on ARFF’s website.

The reviews of the Miami Seaquarium, another depressing South Florida attraction, are even worse. A visitor from Rhode Island wrote on Yelp, “You will leave feeling as though you just supported the mistreatment of animals, or at least that is how I felt!” Another visitor wrote about the captive orca Lolita, “There are pools in people’s backyards in Miami that are bigger than the tank where that poor enormous whale lives in.”

If you or your relatives have the misfortune of visiting an alligator farm, roadsize zoo or substandard aquarium in Florida, please let ARFF know and then share your concerns on Yelp and TripAdvisor so others don’t make the same mistake! When you’re online, be sure to also rate your favorite vegan-friendly restaurants.

Both Yelp and TripAdvisor require users to create a free account, or sign in via Facebook, to post a review.

Imagine that you’ve rescued a dog whose previous owner used a stick to punish the poor animal when he did not obey a command. You would shower the dog with affection and do everything you could to make your home a place where the dog felt safe. One thing you would not do is keep a stick in the house “just in case.” But that’s what some in the zoo community say is necessary when working with abused elephants.

In an article posted today on TCPalm.com, the Executive Director of the Brevard Zoo, Keith Winsten, explains that workers at The National Elephant Center will not use bullhooks… unless they have to. “There are times we may get an elephant, say from a private owner, and that’s all he knows,” Winsten said. “We’ll have to use something until he can be converted over to positive reinforcement.”

It is a horrible thought that an elephant could arrive at The National Elephant Center in Florida after years of abuse in a circus, only to continue to be hit, prodded and intimidated into obedience by a worker wielding a bullhook!

Thankfully, the article also quoted representatives from the Performing Animal Welfare Society and The Elephant Sanctuary, two sanctuaries that have accepted retired circus elephants, and never used bullhooks. Pat Derby, the president of PAWS, called Winsten’s comments “hogwash” and added, “We’ve had elephants for 25 years and we’ve never used a bullhook on any one of them.”

The Brevard Zoo is the only facility in Florida to be represented on The National Elephant Center’s Board of Directors. Please contact Mr. Winsten and ask him to press The National Elephant Center to make a commitment to use only safe and humane elephant handling methods that rely on positive reinforcement. Bullhooks should not be allowed at The National Elephant Center. Contact:

Keith Winsten, Executive Director
Brevard Zoo
8225 North Wickham Road
Melbourne, FL 32940
Phone: (321) 254-9453
Fax: (3210 259-5966
E-mail: admin@brevardzoo.org

Click here for more information about The National Elephant Center.

The image of dairy cows grazing on pasture is increasingly becoming a fantasy in Florida.

An article this week in Highlands Today about the future of Florida’s dairy industry described how over the past 25 years, over 700 dairy farms in the state went out of business. But although there are fewer farms, the existing farms are much larger.

Many of the dairy farms north of Lake Okeechobee chose to close due to regulations designed to protect the environment by limiting pollution from farmland. The article featured one Highlands County dairy, Butler Oaks Farm, that reacted to the new environmental regulations by constructing what is called a “free-stall” barn- a huge structure where hundreds of cows are confined under a metal roof, with fans and sprinklers to keep them cool.

According to the article, at Butler Oaks Farm cows “remain in the barn 24 hours a day, 10 months a year.” (The cows are allowed outside for a few weeks before giving birth. Immediately after giving birth, the cow’s calf is taken from her and the bleak cycle of pregnancy, birth and milking begins again.)

Free-stall barns make it easier for farmers to control manure and wastewater, but the intensive confinement creates problems for cows. As a result of standing on concrete, and from lack of exercise, dairy cows commonly suffer from painful feet or leg injuries. Lameness is one of the most frequent reasons that dairy farmers kill cows. Click here to learn more about dairy farming in Florida.

ARFF recommends that people wishing to reduce animal suffering minimize or, better yet, eliminate dairy and other animal products from their diet. Contact ARFF for ideas on how to make the change to a healthier, animal-free lifestyle.

ARFF has learned the results of a complaint we filed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture following the June 2 importation of 64 wild-caught vervet monkeys from the Caribbean island of St. Kitts.

The monkeys arrived on a Monarch Air Group flight at Miami International Airport. The plane was met by a company called Animal Air Service, and upon unloading the monkeys were driven by truck to Primate Products where they spent at least 31 days in quarantine. (The monkeys were imported by Three Springs Scientific, a company that sells animals to research facilities.)

The Animal Welfare Act makes it very clear that enterprises involved in the transportation of “regulated animals” such as monkeys must have a USDA license. Monarch Air Group was not licensed. ARFF filed a complaint and upon investigation, the USDA cited Monarch Air for violating the Animal Welfare Act (click here to download USDA documents related to the citation).

The Animal Welfare Act is the primary federal law governing the use of animals in research. The law sets minimum standards of care to protect animals from inhumane treatment and neglect. It is shocking that Primate Products and/or Three Springs Scientific apparently chose to disregard the Animal Welfare Act and hire an airline that not only was unlicensed, but that had no experience in transporting primates.

The good news is that, following the June shipment, Monarch Air Group promised never again to transport monkeys for research. But we need your help to make sure that Animal Air Service is more careful about who they do business with!

Animal Air Service is licensed with the USDA as an “Intermediate Handler,” which means they take custody of animals between the carrier and the dealer. Animal Air Service’s main business is helping in the import/export of horses and livestock.

Please contact Animal Air Service and urge the company to ensure that any future flights they assist with involve properly licensed carriers. You may also want to suggest that they not do business in the future with companies like Primate Products or Three Springs Scientific. Contact:

Rique Valdivieso, President
Animal Air Service, Inc.
Phone: (786) 331-9801
E-mail: animalair@live.com