News for Florida animal advocates

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

Can you feel that? That cold wind means the Cole Bros. Circus is in the state. Today the circus big top is set up at a mall in Destin. On Friday the circus moves to the Pensacola Interstate Fairgrounds for three days of performances.

2011 has been a very bad year for the Cole Bros. Circus. The circus and its owner have been charged with serious violations of the Animal Welfare Act, and received a $150,000 fine for violating the Endangered Species Act, to mention just two of their problems. Visit ARFF’s website to read more.

With Cole Bros. horrible history, it’s surprising that some local businesses are still willing to help the circus sell tickets.

The following businesses are acting as advance ticket locations for this weekend’s circus in Pensacola. Please contact them and ask that they reconsider their support of the Cole Bros. Circus. Let them know that you don’t support businesses that support cruel circuses. Contact:

Koby’s Hallmark
8084 N. Davis Hwy.
Pensacola, FL 32514
Phone: (850) 477-7963
Online comment form.

Information, Tickets & Travel
Naval Air Station Pensacola
Pensacola, FL
Phone: (850) 452-6354
E-mail: nasptickets@gmail.com

After Pensacola, the Cole Bros. Circus has shows scheduled in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Georgia before returning to Florida in late October.

Last month, ARFF was contacted by a woman who had purchased a Shiba Inu puppy from a Petland store in Orlando on August 8. She named the puppy Castiel.

A few days after leaving the store, Castiel was diagnosed with kennel cough and Coccidiosis, an intestinal disease. The following week, the puppy started vomiting and was taken to an emergency veterinary hospital. The diagnosis was Parvo, a very serious, contagious disease. On August 18, despite the best efforts of veterinarians, Castiel died.

According to documents provided by Petland, Castiel was born in early June at Circle B Farms, a farm owned by Brandi Cheney in Huntsville, Missouri. Missouri is home to hundreds of large-scale, commercial dog breeding facilities. In “Missouri’s Dirty Dozen,” a report released by the Humane Society of the United States, another farm owned by Cheney, S&S Family Puppies, was identified as one of the worst puppy mills in the state (click here to download the updated “Dirty Dozen” report). USDA inspections of the farm repeatedly found Animal Welfare Act violations, such as dogs exposed to freezing cold, and sick and injured dogs not receiving veterinary care. In May, Missouri’s Attorney General ordered S&S Family Puppies to close. Unfortunately, Cheney is still selling puppies.

The woman who purchased Castiel at the Petland Orlando East store admitted to ARFF, “I did not know about puppy mills before this purchase.” She added, “I want to do everything I can to prevent this from happening to others.”

You can help!

1. Join ARFF’s protests. ARFF has regular demonstrations outside Petland and other pet stores in Central Florida that sell dogs and cats. Visit ARFF’s website for details of upcoming protests.

2. Write to Petland. Earlier this month, Petland Canada announced that it would phase-out puppy and kitten sales at its 37 stores in the country! The company said that it would continue to provide adoption space in its stores for local animal rescue groups. Contact Petland’s corporate office and urge them to adopt a similar policy for its stores in the U.S.

Petland
E-mail: operations@petland.com
Online comment form.
Phone: (740) 775-2464

3. More good news from Canada! This week the Toronto city council voted unanimously to ban the sale of dogs and cats at pet stores, unless the animals come from a public shelter or rescue group. Contact your city or county commissioner and propose a similar law. Explain that puppy mills are bad for animals and consumers. Contact ARFF for help.