| |
|
|
ARFF Newsletter:
July - September 2001
News:
For the past 12 years ARFF has been fighting against the needless
destruction of life, and against wanton violence. Thus, it is was with
a deep loathing and sadness that we witnessed on September 11th the
deaths of so many of our fellow Americans, and citizens of almost 80
other nations. No religious dream, no lofty rationalization, and no
historical wrong, real or otherwise, can justify what was done to our
people, to our nation. While we all feel the pain, our hearts especially
go out to those who experienced a loss first hand. The loss of a loved
one is almost unbearable, and as best we can, we mourn with you. We
also grieve for the many animals who suffered and lost their lives in
this tragedy. Some were family members, some were homeless and some
were wild. All of them mattered, and we mourn for them too.
Essential Actions for Animal Advocates:
A Checklist for the Animals
1. LIVE BY EXAMPLE - GO VEGAN!
A compassionate and healthy vegan diet is the single most important
thing you can do every day for animals. More animals suffer in the production
of meat, dairy and eggs, than in all other forms of animal exploitation
combined. By going vegan, you are not only directly helping to end animal
cruelty, but are setting an example for others to follow a peaceful
and compassionate lifestyle.
2. KNOW YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS!
If you don’t know who your local, state, and federal elected officials
are, find out and keep that information handy. When animal issues are
being considered, your elected officials act based on what they hear
from constituents. If you don’t tell them, they don’t know
that animal issues are important to you! Also, encourage your elected
officials to initiate new ordinances or statutes to benefit animals.
3. WRITE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR!
The importance of writing letters to your newspaper editor can not be
over emphasized. Keeping animal issues alive in the media is essential
to forwarding the animal protection movement. Often, a newspaper story
provides a reason for positive or negative feedback, or is an opportunity
to connect the article to current animal issues: A plea to members of
your community to adopt from shelters instead of puppy stores (explain
the horrors of puppymills); a letter regarding a circus coming to town
detailing the cruel treatment animals in circuses are subjected to;
a comment on the lack of vegetarian lunch options for school children.
Remember, letters to the editor are your opinion, and do not need to
be fact filled. Whatever the topic and whatever inspires you to write,
just write! Because if you don’t, who will?
4. DEMONSTRATE!
Demonstrations are a powerful tool to educate the public and let animal
exploiters know their cruelty will not go unchallenged. See ARFF’s
Upcoming Demos on page 3, and please join us in as many demonstrations
as possible. If you have an idea for a demonstration, please call the
ARFF office and we’ll help you with the details. Don’t underestimate
the power of public protest! Apathy is an animal exploiter’s best
friend.
5. BE A “WATCHDOG” FOR CRUELTY!
Don’t let animal cruelty in your community go unnoticed. Remember,
we must be the voice for the voiceless. If you see the abuse or neglect
of any animal, contact the appropriate law enforcement agency, file
a complaint, and follow up! If you need help determining who to call,
call ARFF and we’ll help.
6. SUPPORT ARFF!
Your tax deductible contribution to ARFF goes directly to efforts to
end animal suffering in Florida. ARFF continues to thrive due to the
generosity of our members.
Dollywood to Bring Cruelty to Orlando
As a singer and actress, Dolly Parton can surely think of ways to entertain
people without abusing animals! The country singer plans to bring her
animal exploitive Dixie Stampede Theater to Orlando. Included in her
entourage of cruelty are ostrich and pig races, chicken chases, and
dancing horses.
The animals, kept in unnatural surroundings, are often confined to
cages or small pens between shows. Trainers make these animals' lives
worse still. No matter what spin-doctors tell us, it is virtually impossible
to persuade an animal to perform silly tricks day in and out without
fail under such stressful conditions without the use of punishment or
violence.
Please tell Dolly we’d love to have her, just not the abuse!:
Dolly Parton
c/o Dollywood
1020 Dollywood Ln.
Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
(865) 428-9400
Also, please contact Mayor Hood
and Commission:
Mayor Glenda Hood
District 1 Commissioner: Don Ammerman
District 2 Commissioner: Betty T. Wyman
District 3 Commissioner: Vicki Vargo
District 4 Commissioner: Patty Sheehan
District 5 Commissioner: Daisy W. Lynum
District 6 Commissioner: Ernest Page
400 S. Orange Ave.
P.O. Box 4990
Orlando, FL 32802-4990
407-246-2382
407-246-3010 Fax
Tiger’s Eye Production DESTRUCTION
ARFF plans to cause a major setback for the visious animal abusers
at Tiger’s Eye Production (TEP) in Orlando, Florida. The abuser
is now a featured guest at Westgate Resorts, a timeshare resort, in
downtown Orlando. Appearing regularly as a promotion to bring in new
customers, Westgate has ignored videotaped evidence of TEP animal “trainer”,
David McMillan, hitting tigers in the face with PVC pipes, jabbing a
lion with wooden sticks, and dragging animals by their necks with chains
to make them "behave" and "perform”. McMillan’s
days are numbered, though, as ARFF kicked off a campaign and series
of demonstrations on October 25th to convince Westgate that associating
itself with animal abusers is bad business! See p.3 for information
on ARFF’s next TEP demo.
Please write to David Segal, President of Westgate Vacation Villas,
and let him know how you feel about his business dealings with Tiger’s
Eye Production
David Segal President
Westgate Vacation Villas
2770 Old Lake Wilson Rd.
Kissimmee, FL 34747
Upcoming Demonstrations:
Fur Free Friday
Demos:
ORLANDO
Date: November 23, 2001
(Fur Free Friday)
Time:
11:30 am to 1:30 pm
Place: Fashion Square
Mall, 3201 East Colonial Drive, Orlando
Why: Many of the department
stores at the Fashion Square Mall carry fur and fur trimmed items. We
will be at the main entrance on East Colonial Drive.
Directions:
From east Orange County, take East Colonial Drive (SR 50) west to Fashion
Square Mall. From west Orange County, take West Colonial Drive (SR 50)
east to Fashion Square Mall. From outside the Orlando area, take I-4
to the East Colonial(SR 50) exit (from I-4 East use exit 38, from I-4
West exit 37) east to Fashion Square Mall. Parking is available at the
the shopping center across East Colonial.
MIAMI
Date: November 23, 2001
(Fur Free Friday)
Time:
11:30 am to 1:30 pm
Place: Neiman Marcus
at the Shops of Bal Harbour, 9700 Collins Ave., Bal Harbour
Why: By continuing to
sell fur products Neiman Marcus contributes to the suffering and death
of millions of animals every year.
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).
You can help: Please
contact Neiman Marcus at the Shops of Bal Harbour and ask that he immediately
adopt a no fur policy:
Neiman Marcus
9700 Collins Ave., Ste. A
Bal Harbour, FL 33154-2281
Phone: 888-884-6136
Tigers Eye Productions Demo
Date: Tuesday, November 20, 2001
Time: 6:00 PM
Place: Westgate Resorts,
10000 Turkey
Lake Road, Kissimmee
Why: In an undercover
investigation,
animal “trainer” David McMillian of Tiger Eye Productions
was videotaped hitting tigers in the face with PVC pipes, jabbing a
lion with wooden sticks, and dragging animals by the neck with chains
to make them "behave"
and "perform”. Tigers Eye Production is presently a weekly
act at Westgate Resorts.
Directions: From downtown
Orlando, take I-4 West to exit 25 A (Sand Lake Road). Go right onto
Sand Lake Road. Make first left at the light (Turkey Lake Road). Take
Turkey Lake Road down about half mile down, Westgate Villas is on the
right.
ARFF Holiday Dinner for the
Animals
When: Saturday, December 8,
2001
Where: Garden Cafe, Orlando
What: Vegan Dinner, Guest Lecture
by PCRM’s Neal
Barnard, Live Music and Raffle.
Cost: $25.00 includes dinner
and lecture.
Contact: Bryan and Carla Wilson
for details (407) 699-7771
arffcentral@animalrightsflorida.org
COMPASSION FOR ANIMALS ACTION
SYMPOSIUM
Presented By: Vegetatian
Events
When: February 22-24,
2002
Where: Sheraton Gainesville
Hotel, Gainesville
What: Join us in this beautiful Gainesville setting to gain a
greater understanding of a compassionate lifestyle and the plight of
all sentient beings. Raise your awareness and take it back to your communities!
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
*Hear experts in Vegan Nutrition, Animal Ethics and Environmental Issues
*Participate in Panel Discussions *Enjoy Great Vegan Meals, Morning
Exercise Classes, Exhibit Hall *Network with Like-Minded Individuals
& Form friendships that will last a Lifetime!
Speakers (scheduled thus far):
Don Barnes, Animal Protection Institute Lorri Bauston, Farm Sanctuary
George Eisman,Vegan Nutritionist, Author,"The Most Noble Diet"
Bruce Friedrich, PETA Jim Mason, Author, "An Unnatural Order"
and co-author of "Animal Factories", Ric O'Barry, World Society
for the Protection of Animals Wayne Pacelle, HSUSMyriam Parham, Florida
Voices for Animals Heidi Prescott, Fund for Animals Carey Theil, Grey2K
USA, and representatives from ARFF and Vegetarian Events.
Contact Event Coordinator for
Registration information:
Chas Chiodo @ 904-454-4341
chasmo@netcommander.com
www.vegetarianevents.com
For best rates register before
December 8, 2001.
Student discounts and a limited number of discounts for volunteers are
available.
Updates:
Free Lolita!
As long as Miami Seaquarium owner Arthur Hertz continues to imprison
the orca known as “Lolita”, ARFF and the Orca Conservancy
will continue to apply pressure to release her. The coalition was kicked
off at a demo on the 31st anniversary of Lolita’s capture, where
over 70 activists gathered with State Representative Gus Barreiro to
demand Lolita be returned to her native waters.
The campaign will continue with banner drops over major Miami highways,
a planned aerial banner over South Beach, Key Biscayne and the Seaquarium
(contingent on the opening of no fly zones), and demonstrations scheduled
bimonthly. Call ARFF or check www.animalrightsflorida.org for dates
and times of demos.
COMPUTER SUPPORT VOLUNTEER WANTED
"The system consists of a server running Windows 2000, and
4 workstations running Windows 98 & ME. The Simple Mail Transport
Protocol on the server has been disabled, and file sharing enabled.
The network server dynamically assigns IP addresses using DHCP."
If you really understood the
previous 3 sentences, and have time to give a couple hours a week to
ARFF for computer maintenance and trouble shooting, WE NEED YOU! Be
a part of the ARFF core volunteer team and help the animals with your
computer skills. For further information, call Heather at 954-917-2733."
Victories:
Animal Activists Stop Abuser From Obtaining USF Position
Thank you activists who responded to the ARFFalert asking for letters
to the University of South Florida (USF). P. Michael Conn of the Oregon
Regional Primate Research Center (ORPRC) was denied the position of Vice
President of Research at USF. Conn’s track record includes regularly
subjecting animals to unnecessary torture while at ORPRC. Conn told reporters
he believed the University buckled under pressure from animal rights activists!
Children’s Foundation Agrees to No Fur Policy!
At ARFF’s persistent request, the Unicorn Children’s Foundation
issued a letter of apology for using fur to promote fundraising events.
The letter acknowledged the cruel nature of the fur industry, and stated
the commitment of the organization not to use fur for any promotions
in the future
Please thank:
Anna Tolan, Vice President
The Unicorn Children’s Foundation
3350 NW Boca Raton Blvd., Ste. A-28
Boca Raton, Florida 33432
Fax (561) 620-9376
Kittens Saved from Abuse by Children
Responding to a call from Tamisha Atkins of Pompano, ARFF alerted the
Broward Sheriff’s Office that several young children were abusing
kittens near Atkins’ home. Lt. Sherry Schlueter responded to the
call, saving the kittens from further harm. All kittens are doing well,
thanks to Tamisha’s bravery and Lt. Schlueter’s committment
to the animals!
Community Unites in Memory of Gator
Lead by ARFF Treasurer, Laura Guttridge, this Vero Beach neighborhood
erected a shrine for a gator who was shot by FWCC officers. The elderly
gator lived in the community for years without incident, and became
a welcome member of the neighborhood. When FWCC officers killed the
gator, ARFF united the community in protest bringing media and other
attention to the plight of Florida gators. Thank you Laura for taking
the lead to bring something positive out of the sad and unnecessary
death of this gator.
Animal Politics
FEDERAL LEGISLATION VICTORIES!
On 10/04/01, the U.S. House of Representatives passed four animal protection
amendments to The Farm Security Act of 2001 (aka the “Farm Bill”).
The passage of four animal protection bills in one day is unprecedented
and is a direct result of your calls and letters to your Congress people!
Please stay tuned, as some bills still need to go to the Senate, and
others must still be signed by the President.
The Downed Animal Protection
amendment will prohibit stockyards and other intermediate markets from
transferring or selling farm animals who cannot walk because of illness
or injury. The passage of this amendment comes after over a decade of
work toward its passage by animal protectionists.
The Anti-Cockfighting
amendment closes the loophole that allows interstate shipment of fighting
birds from states where the activity is illegal to one of the three
states (OK, LA and NM) where the practice is still legal. The loophole
created an excuse for the raising of gamecocks in states where cockfighting
is illegal as breeders claimed the birds were being shipped to one of
the states where the practice is still legal. The smokescreen allowed
the cruel and barbaric practice to thrive as an underground industry
for years.
The Animal Fighting amendment
will ban exporting fighting birds or dogs and increase penalties for
any violation of the anti-animal fighting section of the Animal Welfare
Act to two years in prison and a $15,000 finefrom one year and a $5,000
fine.
The Humane Slaughter
amendment addresses the gross cruelties inflicted upon animals in slaughterhouses
nationwide, as they are often skinned and dismembered while still alive
and conscious. The amendment calls upon the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) to strongly enforce the Humane Slaughter Act of 1958, which requires
that animals be rendered insensible to pain before they are slaughtered.
A similar measure has already passed the Senate.
UPCOMING STATE LEGISLATION:
Animal Fighting
If the federal Anti-Cockfighting legislation (see Federal Legislation
Victories) passes, state legislation to close loopholes in animal fighting
laws will be more timely than ever. Florida gamecock breeders came out
in force last legislative session and were the main opposition to the
passage of the Animal Fighting bill. This year, claims of shipping the
birds to states where cockfighting is legal will no longer be valid,
thanks to the new federal legislation. This year the Animal Fighting
Bill will be sponsored again by Senator Ron Klein, who successfully
championed the bill in the Senate last year, and by new sponsor and
friend of the animals, Representative Gustavo Barreiro.
Please contact your state legislators and urge them to cosponsor the
Animal Fighting Bill and please thank Rep. Barreiro for agreeing to
sponsor the bill.
Please thank:
Representative Gustavo
Barreiro
300 House Office Building
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1300
Canned Hunts
Canned Hunting is the cowardly practice of killing captive animals
on enclosed property. Hunters pay a fee and are guaranteed to go home
with a “trophy”. Many of these animals, exotics and/or native
wildlife, are purchased from zoos, circuses or game farms. They are
familiar with people and therefore have no instinct to run from hunters.
While most other states are restricting the expansion of this especially
cruel form of hunting, Florida has recently approved plans for the creation
of yet another of these facilities. ARFF is working hard to find legislators
in both the House and Senate to sponsor legislation to ban any additional
enclosures from opening in Florida.
Ballot Initiative for the Pigs
ARFF is working with Floridians for Humane Farms to pass a ballot initiative
to ban the cruel practice of confining pregnant pigs in gestation crates.
We need your help. To place the ban on the November 2002 ballot—we
must gather 650,000 signatures. If you are not already involved in the
campaign, please contact:
Floridians for Humane Farms - www.bancruelfarms.org
1859 South Dixie Highway
Pompano Beach, FL 33060
Phone: 954-946-1691
- or -
8059 North Himes Ave., Ste. 502
Tampa, FL 33614
Phone: 813-933-1531
ARFF In The Media:
- 7/6/01 Florida Review shows photos of ARFF demonstration at Brazilian
bullriders world cup in Hollywood, FL.
- 7/21/01 ARFF Managing Director, Heather Lischin, and Coordinator
Bryan Wilson were interviewed by ABC channel 9 and Fox 35 news at
ARFF’s demo at Discovery Cove in Orlando.
- 8/4/01 Bryan Wilson was interviewed for an article in the Sumter
County Times at an ARFF demo at Savage Kingdom after a trainer was
mauled to death by a tiger. Article was printed on 8/09/01 featuring
a photo of coordinators Bryan and Carla Wilson.
- 8/2/01 Heather Lischin was interviewed by CBS 4 and NBC 6 at a
press conference held by the Seaquarium in response to ARFF’s
demo planned for the following week.
- 8/9/01 Miami Herald photo of ARFF member Leor Veleanu at Free Lolita
demonstration at the Miami Seaquarium
- 8/8/01 Free Lolita demo covered on Channel 4 in Miami
- 8/9/01 Sun-Sentinel coverage of Free Lolita demo
- 8/15/01 Miami Herald Jewish Star Times article on ARFF’s humane
education program. ARFF Managing Director, Heather Lischin, quoted
several times throughout the article.
- 9/1/01 ARFF member Judy Fish appeared as a guest columnist in Today’s
Parent with hot weather safety tips for animals.
- 9/1/01 Heather Lischin and Coordinator Bryan Wilson were interviewed
by National Geographic Explorer for story on Florida alligators. The
interview took place at ARFF’s protest against the start of alligator
hunting season.
- 9/1/01 ARFF alligator hunt protest is covered live by WPTV Channel
5.
- 9/3/01 Heather Lischin interviewed by WSKY Radio in North Florida
regarding ARFF’s gator hunt protest.
- 9/4/01 Heather Lischin interviewed by WDBO Talk Radio in Orlando
following ARFF’s demonstration outside Wendy’s in downtown
Orlando.
- 9/25/01 ARFF Coordinator Bryan Wilson was interviewed on WUCF 89.9
FM regarding ARFF’s demo at the Royal Palace circus.
- 10/1/01 ARFF Coordinator Bryan Wilson was interviewed on 580 WDBO
Talk Radio and Rollins college radio WPRK 91.5 FM regarding World
Farm Animals Day. The WDBO interview was played in its entirety on
10/6.
ARFF In The Community:
- 7/4/01: ARFF coordinators, Bryan and Carla Wilson tabled at “Picnic
in the Park”, Lake Eola in downtown Orlando
- 7/21/01: ARFF demonstration at Discovery Cove in Orlando to protest
the imprisonment of dolphins.
- 7/24/01: ARFF demonstrated at the funeral of Ringling Bros.’
trainer Gunther Gebel Williams after Ringling attempted to paint him
as a hero to the animals.
- 8/4/01: ARFF demonstrated at Savage Kingdom after a lion was killed
when he attacked and killed a trainer.
- 8/8/01: ARFF protested at the Miami Seaquarium on the 31st anniversary
of the capture of Lolita.
- 8/13/01: ARFF provided a vegan lunch and humane education program
to Camp Gan Israel in Hallandale.
- 8/20/01: ARFF managing director, Heather Lischin, and coordinator,
Jim Dunn, tabled at a Broward Teacher’s Union new teacher conference,
attended by 800 new teachers, in order to raise awareness of ARFF’s
humane education program.
- 9/1/01: ARFF protested the start of alligator hunting season at
the Belle Glades public boat launch. The protest was filmed by National
Geographic Explorer and local media.
- 9/4/01: ARFF held a demonstration at Wendy’s in Orlando.
- 9/22/01 and 9/23/01: ARFF held demos and handed out literature at
the Royal Palace Circus at the Central Florida Fairgrounds in Orlando.
- 10/2/01: In honor of World Farm Animals Day, ARFF held banner drops
during rush hours over major highways in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and
Orlando, encouraging passers-by to go vegetarian! ARFF coordinators
Bryan and Carla Wilson showed the video, “Diet For a New America”
at the downtown Orlando library.
Letters to the Editor:
Congratulations to the following for having letters published:
Barbara Banker, Mimi Barnes, Sandy Burns, Heather Carpenter, Kathy Doerr,
Kip and Emily Bellairs, Judy Fish, Don Higler, Charlene Inglis, Neil Kaplan,
Vera Kramer, Diana Moreton, Bella Mazzetti, Gilbert Schwartz, Leor Veleanu,
Carla and Bryan Wilson, Cynthia Ward, Marie Long Zwicker
Publications:
Letters to the editor appeared in: Florida Bar Journal, Gainesville
Sun, Miami Herald, Orlando Sentinel, Palm Beach Post, St. Augustine
Record, Sun-Sentinel, Tampa Tribune, and Time Magazine.
Gifts and Memorials:
- Congratulations to Jody and David Schultz on the birth of their
son, Joshua Alexander. From Jerry & Diane Hoffman.
- In honor of the birth of Joshua Alexander Schultz from everyone
at ARFF.
- In honor of the birth of Joshua Alexander Schultz, from Heather
Lischin and Leor Veleanu.
- In honor of Nanci & Leslie Alexander for receiving the 2001
Activist Award from PeTA, from Jerry & Diane Hoffman.
- In memory of Howard Fuerst, father of Scott J. Fuerst, from Lois
Stewart.
- In memory of Howard Fuerst, father of Scott J. Fuerst, from Moryn
K. Zietz.
- In memory of Howard Fuerst, father of Scott J. Fuerst, from Kevin
J. O’Grady and Diane A. Guida.
- In memory of Howard Fuerst, father of Scott J. Fuerst, from everyone
at ARFF.
Animal
Rights Foundation of Florida
P.O. Box 841154
Pembroke Pines, Florida 33084
tel: 954-917-ARFF · fax: 954-979-6415 · email: arff@animalrightsflorida.org
Web Design Donated by Protohype
|
|
