King Spends 31st Birthday Alone
King turned 31 in October, but with little to celebrate. Since Monkey Jungle has repeatedly refused to give King a new life with gorilla companions at Zoo Atlanta, the silverback lowland gorilla is slated for more years of solitude. For the last six years, Monkey Jungle has promised a new exhibit that will provide King with trees and more space. But each time ARFF calls, we are told the exhibit’s completion date has been delayed.
For 20 years, King has languished in his cell, where he can be seen staring through iron bars, rocking back and forth -- an indication of extreme stress and boredom. He has often been observed banging his head against the wall. Although this new exhibit would be a far cry from King’s 20-by-30-foot concrete-and-bars cage, King will still be without a gorilla companion. Monkey Jungle lost its accreditation eight years ago by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association and therefore does not qualify to receive another gorilla.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), which regulates cage sizes for exhibited animals, has failed to enforce its rules regarding King. FWC has ignored our concerns for King long enough. Please write to the FWC and to Gov. Jeb Bush and ask that King be removed from Monkey Jungle and transferred to Zoo Atlanta immediately!
Action Needed to Help Pregnant Sows
Floridians for Humane Farms (FHF) needs volunteers in statewide effort
In today’s factory farms, a female pig is continually kept pregnant and confined in a barren metal enclosure (gestation crate). As a “food animal,” she is excluded from the federal Animal Welfare Act. The crates have been outlawed in other countries but remain common in our own. For more information on the gestation crates, see our last two newsletters at www.animalrightsflorida.org/newsletters.html and visit www.BanCruelFarms.org
FHF is a political committee to ban the gestation crate and is staffed by Florida citizens and volunteers and chaired by ARFF advisory board member Pam Huizenga-Van Hart. At this time the key organizational backers of this effort include ARFF, Farm Sanctuary and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), who have pooled their efforts to place a question on the 2002 statewide ballot. Hundreds of petitioners are needed to collect signatures of registered voters during and after this presidential election.
FHF has held several meetings to familiarize activists with gestation crates and the ballot initiative. Gene Bauston, co-founder of Farm Sanctuary, and Wayne Pacelle, vice president of communications and governmental affairs at HSUS, joined ARFF members in July at the Humane Society of Broward County in Ft. Lauderdale for the first of several meetings. Other meetings were held in Boca Raton, Daytona Beach, Ft. Myers, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Melbourne, Miami, Sarasota, Orlando, Tampa and West Palm Beach.
Please support our campaign by collecting signatures. We hope to amass most of the required signatures in a single day at the polling locations. If you cannot help on election day, please contact FHF for a petition to gather signatures. Every concerned animal advocate will need to actively participate. Please help in this first-ever ballot initiative in America to address a particular factory farming device. Contact FHF by phone at (954) 917-7654 or by email at info@bancruelfarms.org.
ARFF President Sues City of Miami
Nanci Alexander will seek legal action against the city of Miami for her Jan. 15, 2000, arrest at an ARFF demonstration outside the Miami Arena.
Nanci was holding a sign protesting the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus when she was arrested on charges of trespass and resisting arrest. Nanci had to post a $1,000 bond and remained in custody for processing for more than five hours. The Miami prosecutor’s office dropped charges against her before the case went to trial.
Nanci and approximately 25 other protesters were harshly ordered from the Arena sidewalk by police, although they were not obstructing the flow of pedestrian traffic on the sidewalk.
The trumped-up charges and gestapo tactics the police used revealed their ulterior motive, which was to shield the circus from legitimate protest, Nanci said, adding that Ringling Bros. and other companies that mistreat animals are now on notice that they cannot seek police-protected sanctuary in the Miami Arena from those who wish to exercise their constitutional right of freedom to assemble.
AM 940 Heats Up Over King
As an example of what one phone call can do for animals, ARFF member Judy Silver started a 30-minute on-air discussion on the Rick & Suds Morning Show recently when she called to tell them that, yes, King is still in his concrete cell.
940 AM’s producer called Monkey Jungle ON AIR to speak to the Dumond family, who refused to speak to the station. A spokesperson for Monkey Jungle said the Dumonds were not happy to be hearing the negative comments about their facility over the air waves.
Rick and Suds were covering the news and mentioned Evelyn, a gorilla at the Los Angeles Zoo who had free reign of the zoo for about an hour after she escaped from her cage. The story prompted Rick to ask, “I wonder if King is still in his cage?
Judy Silver picked up the phone and filled them in. The news apparently upset the two deejays, who voiced support for King’s removal from Monkey Jungle.
Upcoming Demonstrations:
ARFF has two anti-fur demonstrations planned in November:
Neiman Marcus Grand Opening
Wednesday, Nov. 22, 11 a.m. 151 Worth Ave., Palm Beach.
Directions:
Take I-95 to exit 50 (Southern Blvd.). Turn right on Southern Blvd. Off the next bend, take the second road onto S. Ocean Blvd. to Worth Ave. Turn left onto Worth Ave.
Fur Free Friday
Friday, Nov. 24, noon, Bal Harbour Shops, N. Miami Beach.
Directions:
Bal Harbour is just north of Miami Beach. Take I-95 to exit 13 at 125th St. and go east (125th becomes 123rd just before Biscayne Blvd./ U.S. 1) to Broad Street Causeway (which becomes 96th St. on the island). Bal Harbour shops are one mile on the left just before Collins Ave. (A1A).
Whether the animal is trapped in the wild or raised on a fur farm, the price of fur is agony and death. Fur has become a symbol of vanity, greed and callousness. As people learn the truth about fur, more and more furriers are going bankrupt.
Animals are typically raised in close confinement in small outdoor cages, where many develop psychotic behaviors, literally bouncing off their cage walls all day long as they pace back and forth. Many develop foot problems from standing on wire for months on end. On their final day, these animals are painfully killed using agonizing techniques that preserve the fur, including anal electrocution, gassing, neck breaking and bleeding. There are no laws to protect these animals.
Steel-jaw leghold traps catch wild animals for the fur trade, millions of which are not wanted for fur, including dogs and cats, endangered species and other non-target animals. By the time the trapper arrives, many animals have starved or frozen in a slow, painful death. Others chew their limbs off to escape. Visit www.neimans.org for more information.
No Holiday for Turkeys - Delaware Chicken Farm Demonstration
Directions:
I-95 to exit 25 (Stirling Rd.) Go west on (east) side across from Seminole Bingo. The address is 4191 North S.R. 7 (U.S. 441).
Delaware Chicken Farm sells live and fresh killed turkeys. Please come out and help us spread awareness of the 40 million turkeys that will be slaughtered to celebrate Thanksgiving. These curious, bright birds need the help of animal advocates to speak for them and stop the massacre. Help give turkeys something to be thankful for!
Turkeys in factory farms are manipulated to gain an enormous amount of weight in a short time. This leads to painful, swollen joints, crippled feet and even heart attacks. Turkeys live for months packed tightly in sheds - three square feet per bird. To prevent frustrated birds from pecking and scratching each other, their upper beaks and toes are partially sliced off with a hot blade (without anesthesia).
Ringling Bros. Circus
Saturday, Jan. 6, 2 p.m., Sunrise.
Directions:
The National Car Rental Center (NCR) is located at 2555 Panther Pkwy. (136 Ave.). NCR is near Sawgrass Mills south of W. Oakland Park Blvd. and north of West Sunrise Blvd.
Bears riding bikes, elephants balancing on one leg, tigers jumping through hoops of fire...all very unnatural behavior for these animals.
Trainers force these creatures to go against their natural instincts to perform difficult, demeaning acts, many of which are painful for the animals. But training devices such as whips, muzzles and bullhooks remind them the show must go on.
When not performing, animals are chained or housed in small barren cages, where they develop stress-related disorders.
Please join ARFF in protest of this cruel form of entertainment.
Updates:
Publix Promotes Cruelty
ARFF has received many complaints in the last few months about Publix Super Markets. Members alerted us to their distribution of Royal Palace Circus coupons and to the sale of Betas, or Siamese fighting fish.
Publix’s Director of Consumer Relations responded to our letters saying, We are against the exploitation of animals ... We are a family-oriented company with very high standards and ethics. The company claims that it is reviewing the distribution of circus coupons due to customer complaints. However, they have no intention of stopping the sale of the fish, which are often bought on impulse with little thought to the animals’ best interest. Many perish in transport to and from the store and while on display.
Please help Publix in their decision and express your discontent. Tell them inhumane corporate gimmicks are unacceptable and profiting from an exploitive product is unnecessary and in poor taste.
Ask Publix to cut ties with animal exploiting traveling acts and to refrain from selling animals as decorations. Tell them you will not patronize establishments that derive profit this way.
Howard Jenkins, CEO
Publix Super Markets Inc.
Lakeland Corp. Office
P.O. Box 407
Lakeland, FL 33802-0407
www.Publix.com
1-800-242-1227
ARFF, FPL Plan for Quaker Parrots
ARFF is working with Florida Power & Light (FPL) to investigate deterrents to keep Quaker parrots off electrical sources with a minimum of human contact. The non-native birds find the utility poles irresistible spots for their large nests that can threaten electrical services.
The public learned of one technique FPL uses to remove those nests in April when Channel 10 and and area newspapers reported that workers blasted a nest, eggs and hatchlings down with high-pressure water hoses in Cooper City. FPL crews also hand nestlings to passersby and breeders for the pet trade.
ARFF presented the April incident to State Attorney Thomas Crowder on grounds of animal cruelty. Crowder did not file charges against FPL, but recommended a mediation session.
In October, ARFF met with FPL officials and Crowder, where a permanent policy was discussed regarding future dealings with the parrots and other birds. FPL has put together a research team and will continue to work with ARFF in this matter.
Miami Airport Hilton’s Exotic Bird
ARFF members Bob and Liz Johnson, who have devoted their lives to providing a safe haven for rescued exotic birds, followed up on ARFF’s letter to the Miami Airport Hilton addressing concerns regarding tropical birds kept in the lobby. The Johnsons sent recommendations to the hotel’s veterinarian, Dr. Don J. Harris.
ARFF had suggested the creation of a bird habitat within the hotel to release the birds from their cages. Since then, the hotel has purchased larger cages and supplied the birds with more recreational items for their entertainment.
Dr. Harris said hotel officials have discussed the creation of a habitat that would offer the birds increased freedom and a more natural environment, but will not do so at this time.
Please write to the hotel and ask that they take serious steps to create a safe environment to release the birds from their cages. Remind them that birds should neither be confined to cages, nor should they be bred in captivity.
Victories:
Police Taking Dogfighting Seriously After Bust in Palm Beach
Animal fighting bill in the works in Florida Senate, needs state sponsor in the House
Thanks to your letters regarding the dog fighting bust in Palm Beach County that involved the arrest of two deputies, Alton Harrell and Reginald Mickins, both officers have been terminated.
Due to the outpouring of intolerance for pit-bull fighting, officials at the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) are installing a task force to deal specifically with this issue. PBSO will network with Miami-Dade, Broward and Martin counties to track elusive dogfights. South Florida police departments are finally getting serious about dogfighting since PBSO made 60 arrests and seized 12 dogs, drugs and $89,000 in July. Officials are recognizing the links between the fights and other crimes such as illegal drugs and weapons.
Currently, state law bans baiting or fighting of animals. However, breeding and conditioning them to fight are legal, making it so police must witness a fight to make arrests. ARFF needs your help in getting state officials to sponsor a bill in the 2000-2001 legislative session.
Please write to your representative and senator and ask them to co-sponsor this animal fighting bill. You can call ARFF for the names and addresses of your officials or go to www.leg.state.fl.us.
Tell them animal fighting is inherently cruel:
- Pit bulls are chained to treadmills and forced to run for hours to improve stamina.
- Many breeders and trainers withhold water prior to a fight, thinking a dehydrated dog bleeds less.
- Roosters used in cockfights are toughened by being forced to peck through wood to reach food; they are hung from a trapeze to develop strong leg muscles.
- The natural, bony spurs on the roosters’ legs are replaced with metal blades, tied on with leather straps.
- Animals bred for fighting are killed, often inhumanely, if they do not exhibit sufficient aggression.
Hollywood Prohibits Canned Hunts!
In September, Hollywood joined enlightened cities all over the world that are saying no to animal cruelty in the name of recreation.
Not only have animal displays such as circuses, rodeos and petting zoos been nixed, but city officials made sure the act of hunting an animal within a fenced enclosure won’t be a sport in their town, as it is in at least five other Florida cities.
Most animals supplied in canned hunts are reared in captivity and have little or no fear of humans. Many of these are “surplus” animals purchased from zoos, petting zoos or circuses.
Hollywood just keeps getting closer to being a model city for animal rights.
Save-A-Pet Celebrates the Vegan Way
"Make it a vegan dinner and I’ll come," ARFF President Nanci Alexander said when she was invited to Save-A-Pet’s 28th Anniversary celebration.
The organization’s president, Gertrude Maxwell, agreed to have a VEGAN meal at the Ritz Carlton in Boca Raton for the first time. Nanci distributed complimentary copies of "The Power of Your Plate," by Neal Barnard.
ARFF In The Media:
- 7/15/00: The Sun Herald previewed ARFF’s protest of the Special Youth Challenge Hunt for disabled youth at Brady Ranch, Indiantown.
- 7/15/00: Outreach Coordinator Brett Wyker was interviewed by Channel 7 (FOX) about the West Palm Beach dogfighting bust that involved two officers from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
- 7/29/00: Channel 5 (NBC) aired our demonstration at the alligator hunt training class.
- 8/9/00: Channel 4 (CBS), Channel 6 (NBC) and News Radio 610 covered our Seaquarium demonstration marking Lolita's 30th year in captivity.
- 8/22: Boca News interviewed Brett Wyker for a story about sea turtle "eggs" filled with hot sauce and placed in nests to prevent predators from eating them.
- 8/29: Communications Coordinator Heather Deeley was interviewed in the Miami Herald on Florida Power & Light’s cruelty to Quaker parrots.
- 9/2/00: ARFF President Nanci Alexander was interviewed for a Miami Herald story about Hollywood considering a canned hunting ban.
- 9/6/00: Heather Deeley spoke to the Sun-Sentinel about dog and cat overpopulation and the importance of adopting from a shelter.
- 9/8/00: Brett Wyker spoke to the Miami Herald about the construction of King’s new exhibit at Monkey Jungle and ARFF’s billboard on the Florida Turnpike.
- 9/9/00: The Associated Press interviewed Brett Wyker about King.
- 9/14/00: Heather Deeley had a letter published in the Miami Herald condemning greyhound adoption groups that fail to denounce the dog-racing industry for its use and treatment of greyhounds.
- 9/22/00: ARFF member The Honorable Lilliana Torreh-Bayouth appeared on the Cristina show, where she was interviewed about exotic and other animals becoming dangerous in captivity.
- 9/25/00: Heather Deeley had a letter published in the New York Times attacking the Seminoles’ search for alligator wrestlers.
- 10/1/00: Nanci Alexander was featured in the first of a weekly series, "South County Voices," in the Boca Raton News.
- 10/8: Brett Wyker spoke about alligator hunting in the Miami Herald in a story that ran after 26 alligator carcasses spilled onto I-595 on the way to processing.
- ARFF sells t-shirts, $15 (Boycott Veal . . . Circus Animals . . . Liberate
Lab Animals . . . Be Kind to Animals, Don't Eat Them . . . All Animals Have
Rights); caps, $10 ("Animal Rights Foundation of Florida," all cotton, khaki
with blue brim and lettering); and over 50 different books (always less than
cover price!). Please visit our website, www.AnimalRightsFlorida.org, to
view t-shirt/cap designs and book titles.
ARFF In The Community:
- Naples, 9/14: ARFF member Don Agony spoke about Animal Rights to the Naples Rotary Club.
- Miami, 8/1: Humane Educator Amalia Santiago tabled at Florida International University (FIU), South Campus.
- Miami, 8/28, 29: Amalia Santiago tabled at FIU, North Campus.
- Boca Raton, 8/30, 31: Amalia Santiago tabled at Florida Atlantic University (FAU).
- Boca Raton, 9/7: Amalia Santiago tabled at the FAU Volunteer Fair.
- Coral Gables, 9/13: Amalia Santiago tabled at University of Miami at the Volunteer Fair.
- Boca Raton, 9/19: Amalia Santiago tabled at Lynn University.
- Ft. Lauderdale, 9/25: Animals on Campus Committee member Amalia Santiago and ARFF member Judy Fish participated in a meeting of the Broward County School Board.
Letters to the Editor:
Congratulations to the following for having letters published:
Congratulations to the following for having letters published:
Evelyn Alexander, Irene Baker, Barbara Bancker, Patricia Coyle, Roger Fried, Paul Halpern, Don Higler, Catalina Kidd, Chris Laird, Judy Lindley, Lisa Marconi, Mari McLeod, Diana Moreton, Michele Rivera, Bessie Shumansky, Jim Slitor, Lynn Snyder and Amy Taylor.
Publications:
Letters to the editor appeared in:
The Miami Herald, Palm Beach Post, Gainesville Sun, Ft. Pierce Tribune, Sun-Sentinel and Florida Today.
Gifts and Memorials:
- In memory of Sandi Schuster’s mother, from Diane Hoffman.
- In honor of Roberta and Bernard Mesco’s marriage, from Mr. and Mrs. Peter Kaplan.
- In honor of Jodi Alexander and Logan Smith’s engagement, from Mr. and Mrs. Peter Kaplan.
- In honor of Jody Schultz’s birthday, from Diane Hoffman.
- In memory of Mary Palamara, from Sandy Burns, Colleen Ferro, and Marc and Cheryl Wiederhorn
Humane Education in Your School
Our vegetarian slide show is available to schools and local community groups. We provide the speaker and the materials, but we need your help to find the audiences. Please contact your children’s teachers and ask if they’re willing to invite us to their school. Please contact Amalia Santiago for more information by calling the office or by email, amy@animalrightsflorida.org.
