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ARFF Newsletter: July - August 1995
VICTORY!
In the May/June ARFF News, letters were requested to Stroh Brewery regarding their business affiliation with Bert Wahl (who was convicted of two counts of animal cruelty and neglect). The letters were a success! Stroh has written to ARFF that their company has no plans to work with Wahl in the future. An ARFF THANK YOU to all the members who wrote to Stroh.
VICTORY! FUR SUBSIDIES SLASHED!
U.S. Congressman Peter Deutsch, who is a member of ARFF's Advisory Board, sponsored and had passed in the U.S. House of Representatives the Deutsch Amendment to the Agriculture-Appropriations bill. The bill eliminated two million dollars to the annual export subsidies, which helped pay for the promotion of mink pelts sales. Two companies have been receiving a whopping 91% of the funds, and one of these companies was foreign owned. The bill also helped stop the misuse of U.S. tax dollars!
Of the 23 members of the Florida Delegation who voted, three (3) members voted against the bill, and one was not present during the voting. The "no" votes came from Carrie Meek, Pete Peterson, and Karen Thurman. Harry Johnston was the representative not present during the voting. WHAT YOU CAN DO! The bill has gone to the Senate for a vote. Please write to Senators Graham and Mack asking that they support an amendment with the same wording as the Deutsch Amendment, HA.625 (A030) to the Agriculture-Appropriations bill.
Please write to:
The Honorable Bob Graham
524 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Connie Mack
517 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
Also, let Representatives Meek, Peterson, and Thurman know of your disappointment that they voted "no" to the Deutsch Amendment, and to absentee Johnson for not attending such a vital vote. Please write to:
The Honorable _________________
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington D.C. 20515
THANK YOU, CONGRESSMAN DEUTSCH!
Please write a thank you note to Congressman Deutsch for his efforts in the passage of the Deutsch Amendment to the Agriculture-Appropriations Bill (referenced in above article) which eliminated the export subsidies for mink pelt promotions. Please send those thank you notes to: The Honorable Peter Deutsch, U. S. House of Representatives, Washington D.C. 20515.
VICTORY! PELICAN KILLER SENTENCED!
On July 20, 1995, Michael Yule was sentenced for the brutal killing of a pelican. Yule was charged with animal cruelty for placing a lit firecracker into the mouth of a bluefish, and tossing it up for a brown pelican to catch and eat. The firecracker exploded inside the pelican, and the bird died ten days later from a massive chest wound.
Yule was sentenced to three (3) years probation with special provisions, which included reading the three hundred (300) letters written by outraged citizens urging the maximum sentence for Yule, attending adult education classes and obtaining a GED, taking birth and pregnant classes (Yule has a pregnant fiancee'), no alcohol or drugs for three (3) years, submit to random alcohol/drug urine tests, and to perform 300 hours of community service at the Ocean Impact Foundation, where the injured pelican was taken for medical treatment. Yule also received a stern lecture from the judge, who assured Yule if he even runs a stop sign, she will revoke his probation and order him to jail for the maximum of six months.
An ARFF THANK YOU to the ARFF Members who attended the trial, and to the many ARFF Letter Writers who took the time to write to the judge. Also, a grateful ARFF THANK YOU to ARFF Member Charlene Inglis who worked diligently on this case, and to ARFF Administrative Assistant Michelle Rivera whose interview regarding this case was aired nationally.
"CONTRACT TO DESTROY"
An unfortunate repercussion of the Republican "Contract to America" has been its use by some politicians to weaken the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The ESA is America's strongest environmental and animal protection law, and is the last safety measure for animals and plants near extinction. With the current and alarming rate that animals and plant species are dying off, a strong ESA is needed to protect our world.
WHAT YOU CAN DO!
Please write to Senators Graham and Mack to strongly urge them to oppose the Gorton Bill S.768 (which weakens the ESA). Also, urge the Senators to support a strong and effective ESA! Please write to:
The Honorable Bob Graham
524 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Connie Mack
517 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
CHANGES TO PROTECT ANIMALS AND PEOPLE!
On October 2, 1995, the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission (FGFFC) will be mailing to concerned individuals the suggested rule changes for the 1996-97 hunting and fishing season. Comments need to be returned to the Commission office by November 1, 1995. If you want a copy of the suggested changes, contact the Commission at 620 South Meridian Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600 #(904) 487-3796.
ARFF has requested that changes be made regarding the General Regulations Governing the Possession of Captive Wildlife R#39-6.0023. For the safety of the animals and the public, there should be no physical contact permitted between humans and Class I or II animals, such as elephants. This would prohibit elephant rides and photos taken with baby animals (i.e. lion cubs, etc.). Additionally, chaining of captive elephants should be prohibited except for veterinary procedures or for a maximum of two hours per day for training. Being chained for long periods of time causes aggression in animals, and also causes joint disease and foot problems for the elephants.
The Florida Wildlife Code, Section 29-6.0023 (1) states that no person shall maintain captive wildlife in an unsafe or unsanitary condition, or maltreat the wildlife, or maintain wildlife which is a threat to public safety. This provision should apply to elephant rides and photo takes. Since 1992, ARFF has repeatedly requested that this rule be changed to compel compliance with this section, and the commission has proposed -- then withdrawn -- such changes. In 1992, the Commission informed ARFF that the changes would be considered the following year, and they were not.
THE BRUTAL SLAUGHTER OF THE SEALS
In 1983, the European Parliament voted to ban the import of seal pelts, joining the U.S. which had enacted a ban several years earlier. This effectively ended the commercial hunt of the seals in Canada. Now, for economic reasons, Canada has decided to resume the commercial slaughter of adult and baby seals. The decision came because of pressure from Canadian fishermen, who have overfished their waters and now need other jobs, and because of a growing Asian market for seal penises which are considered an aphrodisiac.
The brutal slaughter of the adult and baby seals caused an overwhelming public outcry which caused the initial bans by different countries. Seals are sometimes skinned alive, and baby seals are clubbed to death in front of their mothers. Photos show one sealer beating back a distraught mother seal using her own baby, then the mother seal watching helplessly as the sealer bashes the baby seal's head on the ice. Other methods of killing are asphyxiation by standing on the neck of the baby seals, hanging the baby seals with rope or twine, and club-bashing.
WHAT YOU CAN DO!
Letters are needed to the following names and addresses letting them know that Canada's decision to resume the commercial slaughter of the seals is barbaric. Mention that you will boycott Canada as long as they allow this brutal and inhumane slaughter of the seals. NOTE: Postage to Canada is $.40. Please write to:
Mr. Brian Tobin, Minister of Fisheries & Oceans
200 Kent Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0E6 Canada
Federal Tourism Office
Ottawa National Capitol
Suite 202 40 Elgin
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 1C7 Canada
ATTN: Marc Corriveau
Newfoundland Visitor Services
P.O. Box 8700
St. Johns, Newfoundland A1B 4J6 Canada
ATTN: Mike Joy
Quebec Tourism
Correspondence Office
CP 20000
Quebec City, Quebec G1K 7X2 Canada
CONVICTED BERT WAHL APPEALS LICENSE REVOCATION
Earlier this year, the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission (FGFFC) revoked the license of Bert Wahl. Wahl, owner of "Wildlife Rescue," has appealed the decision.
Wahl was convicted of mistreating and abandoning animals, and sentenced to twelve months probation. The charges stemmed from him abandoning a gopher tortoise, which resulted in the animal's death, and a violation of pen specifications for otters incarcerated on his property. Additionally, Wahl has been repeatedly cited by U.S. officials for violations of the Animal Welfare Act. Wahl has confined bobcats, panthers, deer, otters, boars, and leopards in tiny, filthy cages on his property, which he misleadingly calls "Wildlife Rescue, Inc."
WHAT YOU CAN DO!
Letters are needed to the FGFFC urging them to uphold its original decision to revoke Wahl's license. Also request that your letter be placed permanently into Wahl's case file. Please write or FAX:
Mr. William Quattlebaum, Hearing Officer
Division of Administrative Hearings
1230 Apalachee Parkway, DeSoto Bldg
Tallahassee, FL 32399
Dr. Allan Egbert, Executive Director
Florida Game & Fresh Water Fish Commission
620 South Meridian Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600
FAX #(904) 921-5786
Please send a copy of your correspondence to ARFF.
TOM TO THE RESCUE!
The little kitten was thrown away like trash, tossed into a garbage can to face a death by dehydration and starvation. Then the little kitten's luck changed. Meter reader Tom Kavanaugh found her, saving her from a terrible death. But Tom didn't just rescue the kitten, he took responsible care of her. He took the kitten to a veterinarian for shots and to be sterilized (ARFF loves to hear those words!), then he found her a loving home. The kitten's new family named her "Lucky," and the animal was lucky to have Tom as her guardian angel. Please write to Tom's boss to let him know his employee is a true humanitarian. The address: Mr. Jim Broadhead, CEO, Florida Power and Light, 700 Universe Blvd., Juno Beach, FL 33408.
SANTERIA PRIEST ARRESTED
Two years ago, while ARFF and PETA members demonstrated outside a Santeria ceremony, an investigator with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) documented the ceremony. The Afro-Caribbean religion uses live animals as sacrifices, and the animals are usually tortured for hours before they are killed by painful methods (such as head-bashing).
After careful review of the evidence obtained by HSUS, and consultation with experts of animal medicine, the State Attorney's Office decided to file criminal charges against Rigoberto Zamora, the priest who performed the Santeria ceremony, for violating Florida's animal cruelty statute.
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down two Hialeah, Florida, ordinances which banned ritual sacrifices on the basis that the Constitution prohibits enactment of laws designed to suppress religious practices. Within two weeks of the Supreme Court's decision, Zamora sacrificed over a dozen animals in his Miami Beach apartment. The first animal sacrificed was a goat, which Zamora stabbed twice in the throat with a dull-edged knife. The vicious stabs did not kill the goat. Zamora retrieved a sharper knife from his kitchen, slit the animal's throat, then twisted the goat's head off.
According to Gary Francione, a professor of law and director of the Rutgers University Animal Rights Law Clinic, the court did not hold that animal sacrifices were "protected," but rather that these activities could not be "prohibited" by specific legislation intended to target only religious practices. A municipality should still enforce state animal anti-cruelty laws.
WHAT YOU CAN DO!
Letters are needed to the Dade County State Attorney's Office thanking them for filing charges and asking that they vigorously prosecute this case, seeking the maximum sentence possible.
Please write to:
Katherine Fernandez-Rundle, Esquire
Dade County State Attorney's Office
RE: Case #
1350 N.W. 12 Avenue
Miami, FL 33136
Also, please write to the judge presiding over the case, asking that, if found guilty, Zamora receive the maximum sentence under the sentencing guidelines. You may mention that the animals Zamora sacrificed were painfully tortured, and died brutal deaths at Zamora's hands.
Please write to:
The Honorable Catherine Pooler
Richard Gerstein Justice Building
1351 N.W. 12 Street #505
Miami, FL 33125
THANK YOU, DON!
For the First Annual Healthy Kids Day at the West Broward YMCA, ARFF Coordinator Don Agony set up an information table promoting vegetarianism. Vegetarianism is healthy for people, good for the environment, and more kind to the animals. The young people at the YMCA were so impressed with Don that they sent a written "thank you" note. Of course, ARFF has known for a long time that Don is wonderful.
ARFF'S NEW SLIDE PRESENTATION ON VEGETARIANISM
On July 28, 1995, ARFF Director Nan Vollbracht showed ARFF's new slide presentation on vegetarianism to the nutrition coordinator at the Dade County Public School Nutrition Center. In addition to the cruelty of factory farming, the presentation features the positive effects of vegetarianism on our health and our environment. The slide presentation will be listed in the Dade County Nutrition Resource Guide which is available to all Dade County teachers. An ARFF THANK YOU to Nan for all her hard work.
FEEDING FIDO RIGHT
Whether you are guardian to a meat-eating dog or a dog on vegetarian cuisine, you should be supplementing the animal's diet with the amino acids L-carnitine and taurine. A deficiency of these two amino acids may cause dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Though only approximately two percent of the canine population will develop DCM, it comes on quickly and is most often fatal. The optimal dosages are 250 mg of taurine and 250-500 mg of L-carnitine for a 45 pound dog, adjusting dosages for the weight of your animal, and the amino acids are available at most health food stores.
LETTERS, LETTERS
If you don't have time to write a letter, but you really want to speak out on an animal issue, Jill Schechter will write a letter for you. Jill writes on a variety of animal issues, and only requests a business-size, self-addressed stamped envelope (S.A.S.E.) be sent to her for every four letters you want to receive. Please include an extra stamp. Mail your request, S.A.S.E., and extra stamp to: Jill Schechter, P.O. Box 340022, Boca Raton, Florida 33434.
CRUELTY-FREE CUISINE
The Friends of the Boys and Girls Club of Citrus County has put together a cookbook titled, "The Culinary Classics Cookbook." The cookbook features recipes by President and Mrs. Clinton, Burt Reynolds, Oprah Winfrey, and many other well-known people. The cookbook also includes vegan recipes by ARFF Coordinator Isabelle Spindler and the late Dr. Arthur Spindler, and ARFF Members Eileen Rippey and Gertrude Schaeffer. If you would like a copy of any of their vegan recipes, please send a self-addressed stamped envelope to ARFF, P.O. Box 641054, Beverly Hills, FL 34464.
ARFF IN THE COMMUNITY
4/27-5/1/95 - ARFF Spokesperson Laura Guttridge, along with seventy-five (75) other activists from across the nation, attended the Endangered Species Act (ESA) Conference in Washington D.C. The goal was to support a strong ESA, and to protect wildlife and wildlands from destruction.
7/19/95 - ARFF Director Nan Vollbracht lectured at Broward Community College about animal rights.
ARFF IN THE MEDIA
7/20/95 - ARFF Administrative Assistant Michelle Rivera was interviewed by WPTV Channel 5 News regarding the animal cruelty case of Michael Yule, who killed a pelican by feeding a firecracker to the animal.
THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE
Norma Alicea, Norma Caraballo, Suzanne Carlson, Patricia Depperman, Scott Fuerst, Esq., Sandy Gapin, Dan Hightower, Jason Jackowski, Joan Jenrick, Harriet Kahn, Tara Nelson, Faith Pruchnicki, Vincent Pruchnicki, Carmen Ramirez, Gloria Ramirez, Grace Riboloff, Marcy Rudolph, Casandra Sibilin, Diane Wilson, Julie Wyman, and Shelley Yeckes.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE FOR PUBLISHING A "LETTER TO THE EDITOR"
Nanci Alexander, Heather Bartek, Arlene Cox, Noel DeLuca, April Diffie, Jim Dunn, Diane Hoffman, Judy Lindley, Kathleen Mahoney, Gloria Ramirez, Michelle Rivera, Laura Strickland, Nan Vollbracht, and Rona Zelinka.
"LETTER TO THE EDITOR" PUBLICATIONS
Clay Today, Florida Times-Union, Folio Weekly, Gainesville Sun, Miami Herald, New Times, The News (Boca), Palm Beach Post, Sun-Sentinel, Tampa Tribune
REMEMBER ARFF IN YOUR WILL
Please remember ARFF is a 501(c)(3) organization under the Internal Revenue Code. Bequests in your will qualify for an estate tax deduction.
GIFTS & MEMORIALS
In Memory of Arthur Spindler from Mr. Mrs. D Wintjen.
In loving memory of "Cocoa-Bean." My best friend for over half my life. 'Til we meet again. Diane Watchinski.
In honor of Helene Starr's Retirement from the staff of Sylvania Heights Elementary School.
In honor of the great work ARFF does. Mr. & Mrs. Charles Jaffee.
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
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