News for Florida animal advocates

You may not have heard, but Governor Charlie Crist has proclaimed July 31 as “Florida Animal Preparedness Day” (according to the Tallahassee Democrat). We didn’t learn much about the proclamation from the Governor’s office, but it’s a nice reminder for the millions of Floridians who share their homes with dogs, cats and other animals to […]

The case of accused dogfighter and NFL quarterback Michael Vick has made animal fighting a topic of conversation across the country. The enormous media attention that the case has generated has put a spotlight on a brutal activity that some people may have not known about.
Unfortunately, dogfighting existed before Michael Vick and has continued after […]

We have to admit a certain fascination with the Discovery Channel reality show, “Deadliest Catch.” During each episode, fishing vessels pull hundreds of crabs up from the freezing ocean depths. Many of the unfortunate animals are destined for seafood restaurants right here in Florida.
Next month, four of the captains featured on the show will travel […]

Last week, The Zoo in Gulf Breeze announced that it may have to close if it doesn’t raise $3 million by the end of the year. The zoo is struggling to recover from hurricane damage and poor attendance. Today’s news probably won’t help their fundraising efforts.
“Sammy,” a 10-year-old giraffe, was found dead at the zoo […]

Our guess is that if 8 people showed up for a Florida Marlins game, professional baseball in Florida would quickly become history. But that’s exactly what’s happening with greyhound racing.
At the beginning of July, the Melbourne Greyhound Park surprised kennel owners by announcing that the track would not have live racing this summer. Instead, the […]

There are many good reasons for keeping cats and other companion animals indoors. Free-roaming cats are far more likely to contract contagious diseases like FIV, or fleas and ticks. Cats that are allowed outdoors also face dangers from vehicle traffic, and injuries from fights with other cats. But, in one of those “only in Florida” […]

In late June, the governor of Oregon signed a measure prohibiting gestation crates- narrow, metal cages where breeding pigs on factory farms are kept for most of their lives. The crates are so small that the animals can’t even turn around. Oregon is the third state to prohibit gestation crates; in 2006 voters in Arizona enacted […]

Beginning on Sunday, pet stores in Florida can no longer sell red-eared slider turtles. The small turtles have been popular pets, but sadly are often considered disposable. In banning their sale, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was concerned primarily about the turtles impact in the environment (when released by irresponsible people, the “non-native” […]

Last week the St. Petersburg Times ran an article about a woman who moved to Tampa from New York and found Florida to be a very unfriendly place for vegans. Her experience encouraged her to found New Tampa Vegans, a great group for local vegetarians/vegans. 
In the article, veganism is presented as a difficult diet, and […]

Late at night on June 21, someone broke into the Knights of Columbus building in Port St. Lucie and stole 15 cases of beer, 10 bottles of liquor and hundreds of pounds of meat and vegetables from the freezer. The only thing the thieves left behind in the freezer was veal.