News for Florida animal advocates

The final week of Florida’s legislative session is a frantic time, so we forgive legislators for not completely understanding each bill that comes before them for a vote. But we do expect the sponsors of bills and amendments to understand the changes they are asking for.

So we were surprised when an aide in State Senator Ellyn Bogdanoff’s office admitted that the Senator did not realize that her amendment (see below post) to repeal an existing law prohibiting the dyeing or coloring of animals would also repeal the ban on the sale of baby rabbits, ducks and chickens as pets. The aide told the Sun-Sentinel, “Oops. That’s an unintended consequence. We had no clue.”

Contact Sen. Bogdanoff and urge her, in light of the unintended consequences of her amendment, to withdraw her support of the bill. Ask her to ask Governor Scott not to sign HB 1197.

Senator Ellyn Setnor Bogdanoff
E-mail: bogdanoff.ellyn.web@flsenate.gov

In Tallahassee on Tuesday, during debate of an agriculture bill having to do with beekeeping, State Senator Ellyn Bogdanoff introduced an amendment to weaken Florida’s anti-cruelty law.

Sen. Bogdanoff’s amendment repeals a law (828.161) that prohibits the dyeing or coloring of rabbits, chickens and other animals. The law also makes it unlawful to sell or give away baby chickens or ducklings under 4 weeks of age or rabbits under 2 months of age.

On the Senate Floor, State Senator Nan Rich spoke in defense of current law: “This is a way of ensuring that we don’t have a lot of little adorable ducks, rabbits and chickens that are given away at Easter time and look so cute and then two or three months later nobody wants them.” Despite her efforts, the amendment was adopted. The revised bill (HB 1197) was later passed by the Florida House and the bill is now headed to the governor’s desk.

Bunnies, chicks or ducklings purchased as gifts quickly become rabbits, chickens and ducks. These animals are often purchased on a whim by people unaware of the time and expense that is required to properly care for them. Allowing the coloring of animals, and the sale of baby animals, makes it more likely that the animals will be neglected or abandoned.

Join ARFF in asking Governor Scott to veto House Bill 1197.

Florida Governor Rick Scott
Online comment form

*It is our understanding that if signed by the governor, HB 1197 will not affect local ordinances. Several counties and cities in Florida ban the artificial coloring of animals and/or the sale of baby rabbits, ducks and chickens.

Since 2009, ARFF has kept a close eye on the Liebling Bros. Circus, a small Florida circus that travels with one female African elephant named “Nosey,” as well as horses and two monkeys.

In December 2011, the USDA charged the circus with numerous violations of the Animal Welfare Act for inhumane treatment and dangerous handling of Nosey and the monkeys. The USDA charges cite the escape of a monkey, failure to provide veterinary care for Nosey’s chronic skin condition and weight loss, chaining Nosey so tightly that she could not move, and handling her in a way that was dangerous to the public.

The Liebling Bros. Circus is based in Davenport, Florida but the circus spends several months each year performing in small towns across the country. When the circus left Florida last month, ARFF urged people to contact the venues that would host the circus and ask them to reconsider.

On Friday, the circus posted a note on their facebook page that blamed “pressure from animal rights organizations” for the cancellation of a performance in Batesville, Arkansas.

We need your help to keep up the pressure!

Visit ARFF’s website for contact details for hosts of upcoming performances of the Liebling Bros. Circus (the circus is currently performing under the name, “Great American Family Circus”).

A horse died on Saturday night during the “Orange Blossom Festival Rodeo” in Davie, Florida. According to an eyewitness, the bucking horse “ran right into the fence and then he went down.” Another witness reported, “I was crying in the stands.” The horse’s name was El Vira. He was 10 year-old.

In order to put on a good show for the crowd, horses in bronc riding events are often physically provoked into displaying “wild” behavior through the use of bucking straps, spurs, electric prods or tail-twisting. It is not uncommon for animals in rodeo events to suffer injuries. If you love horses and other animals, rodeos aren’t for you.

Rob Lambdin’s University Dodge is a major sponsor of the rodeo in Davie. Please urge the dealership, in light of last weekend’s tragic incident, to reconsider its support of the rodeo.

Jorge Haimovich, General Manager
Rob Lambdin’s University Dodge
E-mail: jorge.haimovich@southfloridadodge.com
Online comment form

Previously on this blog (here and here), we’ve told you about veterinarians who appear to have forgotten their oath to prevent animal suffering. Unfortunately, we have another Florida veterinarian to add to the list.

Dr. Suzanne Billiar is the staff veterinarian at the Silver Springs theme park and also has her own clinic (All Pets Clinic) in Ocala. Following last month’s alert that wild monkeys living along the banks of the Silver River are being trapped and sold into the research industry, ARFF received a tip that Dr. Billiar was conducting the required pre-shipment inspections of the trapped monkeys. ARFF attempted to get an explanation from Dr. Billiar, but we have not received a response to our phone messages and emails.

If Dr. Billiar is indeed making it possible for monkeys to be shipped to a cruel death in a research or testing lab, it is particularly disappointing because her Facebook page is full of photos of “Journey,” her pet siamang. There’s no doubt that she is familiar with the intelligence and sensitivity of nonhuman primates.

Please contact Dr. Billiar and politely urge her to end her involvement in the cruel trapping and sale of monkeys for vivisection.

Suzanne Billiar, DVM
Phone: (352) 351-3588
E-mails: sue.billiar@yahoo.com, drsue@myallpetsclinic.com

Click here to sign ARFF’s petition asking the Florida Park Service to halt the trapping of monkeys at Silver River State Park.

Today is the 20th anniversary of an incident in Palm Bay, Florida that made national headlines and was one of several similar incidents that motivated a generation of animal advocates to speak up against the cruelty of traveling circuses.

On February 1, 1992, a few minutes before a Saturday afternoon performance of the Great American Circus, a 27-year-old Asian elephant named “Janet” (aka Kelly) was giving rides when she suddenly bolted with an adult and several children on her back. Unable to stop the elephant as she rampaged through the circus grounds, police officers had no choice but to shoot the elephant. Janet was shot dozens of times before she finally died. Twelve spectators and a police officer were treated for minor injuries. Amateur video of the rampage was broadcast nationally.

Following the incident, elephant trainer Tim Frisco was charged by state wildlife officials with maintaining wildlife in an unsafe manner. (Frisco, who was later acquitted of two misdemeanor charges, is still handling circus elephants.) One of the police officers on the scene, Blayne Doyle, said later: “I think these elephants are trying to tell us that zoos and circuses are not what God created them for. But we have not been listening.” Janet was buried at a Brevard County landfill.

Senate Bill 1184 and House Bill 1021 contained a provision (Section 6) that would make it a crime to take photographs or make any audio/video recording at a farm without the owner’s permission. If enacted, the legislation would criminalize exposing animal abuse, unsafe working conditions, and environmental problems on factory farms.

During Monday’s meeting of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, SB 1184 ran into resistance from lawmakers and a vote was delayed until the controversial section was removed from the larger bill. The companion bill in the Florida House of Representatives, HB 1021, was debated this morning in the Criminal Justice Subcommittee. During the meeting, an amendment was adopted that also removed Section 6.

The “ag gag” language could be added as an amendment to a different bill, but that is very unlikely. We are confident that the proposal is dead for 2012!

ARFF thanks everyone who contacted their state representative/senator in response to our email alerts (the alerts were sent to residents of the committee members districts).

Are you on ARFF’s email list? If not, please sign up to receive action alerts about pending animal-related legislation (we need your address or 9-digit zip code to send alerts specific to your senate/house district). Click here to sign up or modify your subscription.

Similar “Ag Gag” bills have been introduced in Iowa, Minnesota, New York, Indiana and Nebraska.

Yesterday, the Hillsborough County Commission unanimously approved a strong anti-tethering ordinance. When the law goes into effect in August, it will be illegal to tie up a dog outdoors unless a guardian is outside along with the dog.

Please thank the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners for their compassionate vote. Click here to send a note to commissioners.

We’ve written about tethering ordinances many times on this blog. The cruel chaining of dogs is something that Floridians, and their elected officials, care deeply about. Now that Hillsborough County has passed an ordinance, five of the top six most populous counties in Florida (Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Hillsborough, Orange and Pinellas) have ordinances restricting the cruel chaining/tethering of dogs. The only hold-out: Broward County.

Contact the Broward County Commission and urge commissioners to follow the lead of other counties in Florida and pass an ordinance to restrict the chaining of dogs. Let them know that continuous chaining is bad for dogs and can be dangerous for people as well.

Mayor John Rodstrom and Commissioners
Broward County Commission
E-mail: Mayor@broward.org

Do you live in Broward County? Contact ARFF to get more involved in efforts to enact an anti-tethering ordinance.

ARFF continues to work in support of ordinances banning or restricting the chaining of dogs in other cities and counties in Florida. Next Tuesday, January 24, the City of Sunrise will vote on an ordinance restricting the chaining/tethering of dogs.

In October 2011, ARFF launched Stolen from Paradise, a website arguing for a ban on the export from St. Kitts & Nevis of monkeys destined for the research industry. ARFF sent letters and emails to the Prime Minister and to the island’s tourism authority’s, and we encouraged animal advocates and visitors to the islands to do the same. This week the government responded.

On January 9th, Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas met with Cabinet Ministers for the first meeting of 2012. In his post-cabinet meeting briefing, the Information Minister noted, “an animal welfare group has been active in the international media in denouncing the trade of monkeys from St. Kitts and their use in biomedical research.” He added that the two facilites on St. Kitts that export wild-caught monkeys have “experienced some challenge with respect to… the shipment of live monkeys overseas” (in 2011, under pressure from animal advocates, three airlines that were once carriers of monkeys from St. Kitts made commitments to no longer transport monkeys destined for laboratory experimentation). The minister explained that the government was sensitive to “concerns about animal rights,” but that the island’s monkeys are an important “resource” for use in research and testing.

The response was not what we were hoping for, but a negative response is better than no response at all. We now know that ARFF’s campaign has reached the highest levels of the Government of St. Kitts & Nevis.

ARFF will continue to protest the cruel trade in wild-caught monkeys from St. Kitts & Nevis. If you haven’t already done so, please contact the Prime Minister and politely ask for a ban on the export of monkeys destined for the research industry. Visit Stolen from Paradise for contact details and more information.

For over 70 years, rhesus monkeys have lived along the banks of the Silver River in Marion County. According to local legend, the monkeys were introduced into the area by a tour boat operator in the 1930s. Spotting the monkeys can be a highlight of canoe trips in the Silver River State Park, or during glass-bottomed boat tours at the adjacent Silver Springs theme park. The monkeys have lived a peaceful existence in the wild, but the State of Florida considers them to be “nonnative” and allows occasional trapping of monkeys.

Although there have been reports in the past that trapped monkeys were sold into the research industry, recently a tipster provided information to ARFF that strongly suggests a laboratory cage is the likely destination for monkeys leaving Marion County this month. According to the anonymous tip, a group of live-trapped monkeys will be delivered to PrimGen (formerly Three Springs Scientific), a supplier of monkeys for use in experimentation and testing.

There are methods of population control that are humane and effective, such as the trapping, sterilization and return of monkeys. In fact, a sterilization program has been carried-out before in Marion County, in collaboration with the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida.

It is a tragedy that wild monkeys from Marion County are torn from their families and forest homes and sold to research and testing laboratories. Once wild and free, these sensitive and intelligent animals will end their lives in labs where pain and suffering are routine. Please contact the Florida Park Service and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and demand an end to the trapping of monkeys for the research industry at Silver River State Park and other state lands.

Contact:

Donald Forgione, Director
Florida Park Service
Online comment form (select “Silver River State Park” from the drop-down list)

Please copy your comments to the Florida DEP:

Herschel T. Vinyard Jr., Secretary
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Online comment form (select “Recreation & Parks” from the drop-down list)