SPRING 2020
ACTION LINE
AN SOS FOR THE ESA THERE'S NO DEBATE: SPAY-NEUTER SAVES LIVES THE LOWDOWN ON LOBBYING FOR ANIMALS
10 COVER STORY FoA supports efforts to challenge the Trump administration's attack on the ESA
4 VICTORY LAP Latest news about FoA's advocacy and achievements 7 PET CORNER There's no debate: Spay-neuter combats the largest killer of cats and dogs 14 IN YOUR BACKYARD From slactivist to activist: The lowdown on lobbying 18 GIVING US HOPE Sandy Hook family's sanctuary helps seniors with their pets 22 PEOPLE WHO INSPIRE Susan Wagner is creating the next generation of horse guardians 26 SANCTUARY LIFE Primarily Primates rescues unprecedented number of animals 30 LETTERS 31 CHEERS & JEERS
WHO WE ARE Friends of Animals is an international non-profit animal-advocacy organization, incorporated in the state of New York in 1957. FoA works to cultivate a respectful view of nonhuman animals, free-living and domestic. Our goal is to free animals from cruelty and institutionalized exploitation around the world. Friends of Animals is proud to be a woman-founded and -led organization for more than 60 years. CONTACT US NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS 777 Post Road Darien, Connecticut 06820 (203) 656-1522 contact@friendsofanimals.org WESTERN OFFICE 7500 E. Arapahoe Rd., Ste 385 Centennial, CO 80112 (720) 949-7791
PRESIDENT Priscilla Feral [CT] www.twitter.com/pferal www.twitter.com/primate_refuge feral@friendsofanimals.org DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Robert Orabona [CT] admin@friendsofanimals.org VICE PRESIDENT OF DEVELOPMENT Dustin Rhodes [NC] dustin@friendsofanimals.org COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR Fran Silverman [CT] fsilverman@friendsofanimals.org CORRESPONDENT/EDITOR Nicole Rivard [CT] nrivard@friendsofanimals.org SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Meghan McIntire [NC] www.twitter.com/FoAorg mmcintire@friendsofanimals.org ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT Donna Thigpen [CT]
PRIMARILY PRIMATES SANCTUARY P.O. Box 207 San Antonio, TX 7891-02907 (830) 755-4616 office@primarilyprimates.org
SECRETARY TO THE PRESIDENT Shelly Scott [CT]
VISIT US www.friendsofanimals.org www.primarilyprimates.org
DIRECTOR, WILDLIFE LAW PROGRAM Michael Harris [CO] michaelharris@friendsofanimals.org
FOLLOW US facebook.com /friendsofanimals.org /primarilyprimates.org
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Jennifer Best [CO] jennifer@friendsofanimals.org
Twitter @FoAorg Instagram/foaorg
32 TRIBUTE TO RACHEL NUSSBAUM
OUR TEAM
MEMBERSHIP Annual membership includes a year’s subscription to Action Line. Students/Senior membership, $15; Annual membership, $25; International member, $35; Sustaining membership, $50; Sponsor, $100; Patron, $1,000. All contributions, bequests and gifts are fully tax-deductible in accordance with current laws. REPRODUCTION No prior permission for the reproduction of materials from Action Line is required provided the content is not altered and due credit is given as follows: “Reprinted from Action Line, the Friends of Animals’ magazine, 777 Post Road, Darien, CT 06820.”
SPAY/NEUTER PROJECT Paula Jensen [CT] spayprogram@friendsofanimals.org
ATTORNEYS Andreia Marcuccio [CO] andreia@friendsofanimals.org Courtney McVean [CO] courtney.mcvean@friendsofanimals.org Stephen Hernick [CO] shernick@friendsofanimals.org Adam Kreger [CO - Animal Law Fellow] adam.kreger@friendsofanimals.org OFFICE MANAGER Liz Holland [CO] wlp_admin@friendsofanimals.org SR. POLICY ADVISOR Bill Clark [VA] bclark@friendsofanimals.org PRIMARILY PRIMATES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Brooke Chavez [TX] brooke@primarilyprimates.org CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jane Seymour [CT] jane@friendsofanimals.org
Action Line is a quarterly publication. Issue CLXXXIII Spring 2020 ISSN 1072-2068 Printed on Recycled Paper
BY PRISCILLA FERAL, PRESIDENT
IN MY VIEW FORGET THE DOG BREEDERS. NOT ONE IS GOOD.
S
ixty-three years ago, Alice Herrington, the self-described dairy farmer’s daughter from Wisconsin, founded Friends of Animals in New York City as an anti-cruelty organization and out of frustration that for every cat or dog she adopted out, another came in. That’s the early impetus behind our nationwide low-cost spay-neuter breeding control program. Seventeen years later in 1974, Alice hired me to work as FoA’s public information director, and to my astonishment, when she retired at the close of 1986, the board of directors elected me to continue as FoA’s president. That’s when we expanded our mission and began to focus on freeing animals from cruelty and institutionalized exploitation around the globe. FoA’s early spay-neuter work started off with a group of volunteers dedicated to creating a network of veterinarians to offer low-cost surgeries to prevent births of cats and dogs, sparing animals from abandonment and premature deaths. We were the first group to address the problem of homeless cats and dogs in the U.S. and our breeding control became a national program—the first of its kind. Our work has grown to include 700 veterinarians and sterilization surgeries have passed the 2.8 million mark. We continue to lead in this field thanks to members such as you. Still, in 2020, we hear too many stories about owner/ breeders surrendering dogs to a shelter or rescue groups. While people who shop (rather than adopt) for dogs say they’re looking for a “good breeder,” that’s a misnomer if more than 1.5 million cats and dogs don’t have decent, capable homes and end up killed each year. Recently, one such 5-year-old brown, black and white bulldog was surrendered to a shelter because she could no longer produce litters. Luckily, she was scooped up by my favorite rescue group, Long Island Bull Dog Rescue, and she’ll be spayed before she’s officially adopted. Each year, FoA offers either spay/neuter certificate subsidies or finances to an assortment of reputable rescue groups to make these vital surgeries possible.
We adopted Papa from Long Island Bulldog Rescue. He enjoys coming to the office everyday but sometimes he sleeps on the job.
In late 2019, I learned another bulldog had been dumped after producing litter after litter. As soon as her “Christmas puppies” were ready for market, she was discarded and found living in the woods in Connecticut with winter approaching. Fortunately, Long Island Bulldog Rescue took her in before she died from the cold weather and helped her recover, reach a foster home and eventually be adopted into a loving home after being spayed. This issue of Action Line features information about spaying and neutering (see page 7), which has helped dramatically reduce the number of cats and dogs killed in animal shelters each year from 2.6 million in 2011 to 1.5 million animals currently. It’s ongoing work, and your support for our continuing efforts are enormously valued.
Spring 2020 | 3
VICTORY LAP BY NICOLE RIVARD AND FRAN SILVERMAN. PHOTOGRAPH BY MENDAR BOUCHALI
FOA FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST BLM FOR ITS ASSAULT ON CALIFORNIA’S WILD HORSES Friends of Animals (FoA) filed a lawsuit last November against the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for its decision to reduce the size and slow the growth of California’s Twin Peaks wild horse herd. The 10-year plan calls for several detestable approaches, including rounding up by helicopter-drive trapping and bait-and-water trapping, as well as fertility control and castration to reduce the herd to the low end of its so-called appropriate management level of 448 wild horses on approximately 800,000 acres. “The scope of this 10-year decision is unprecedented in this area and authorizes rounding up and removing more than 80 percent of the wild horses from the Twin Peaks Herd Management Area as well as castrating an undisclosed number of stallions,” explained Jennifer Best, assistant legal director for FoA. “With these long-range plans, BLM is trying to avoid further scrutiny of its overall plan to zero out wild horse populations on public lands and Friends of Animals will not stand by and do nothing.” Adding insult to injury, 1,060 cattle and 13,000 sheep can graze in the Twin Peaks grazing allotment. “BLM keeps trying to paint wild horses as an abundant population that is damaging to our public lands, when the culprits are doomed cattle and
4 | Friends of Animals
sheep,” Best said. “This decision shows how BLM is once again putting the interest of ranchers ahead of a balanced ecosystem that includes wild horses and other wild animals.” The 10-year decision was issued pursuant to a new rule that eliminates the opportunity for the public to review or comment on BLM’s decisions. The changes not only drastically alter the way BLM is managing horses in the Twin Peaks area, they violate the law in several respects, the lawsuit states. First, the decision violates the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act requirement that BLM make a determination that such animals are in excess before removing wild horses and burros; that removal is necessary and that such determination be based on current information; violates BLM’s obligations to conduct management activities at the minimal feasible level; and violates its obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act to: (1) prepare an environmental impact statement, (2) consider reasonable alternatives, and (3) fully evaluate the impacts and alternatives to the proposed decisions. Furthermore, the BLM issued the new rule in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) because it didn’t provide the public notice of the new rule before implementing it, solicit comments on the new rule as required by the APA or offer a reasonable explanation for the rule change. “BLM’s decision thwarts public participation and puts BLM on a path to continually harass wild horses and bur-
ros behind closed doors for the next 10 years,” Best said. “Friends of Animals hopes the lawsuit puts an end to this criminal practice.”
FOA TO NOAA: REJECT MYSTIC AQUARIUM’S REQUEST FOR FIVE CAPTIVE BELUGAS Mystic Aquarium’s efforts to acquire five captive beluga whales from Marineland, Canada, will inflict unnecessary trauma on the marine animals and will only enhance a captive entertainment and breeding industry that should not be supported, Friends of Animals (FoA) told the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in comments submitted in December regarding the Connecticut-based aquarium’s permit request. The move to Mystic, which ran a deficit of $2.4 million in 2017 according to its latest publicly available tax filing, would require tearing them from their social relationships at the Ontario-based Marineland and transporting them thousands of miles, inflicting emotional and psychological trauma, FoA noted in its comments. Marineland has captured 36 belugas from the wild between 1999-2008 and currently has more than 50, making it the largest known captive beluga facility. Selling the belugas for an undisclosed price will enable it to make room for yet more babies that it hopes will draw big crowds, said FoA Wildlife Law Program Attorney Stephen Hernick, who filed the comments.
THE LATEST NEWS ABOUT FOA’S ADVOCACY AND ACHIEVEMENTS
“It’s doubtful that these captive were later dropped by authorities who beluga whales can teach researchers said it wasn’t in the public interest to much about belugas in the wild. As pursue. Since then, Canada approved an initial matter, most of what can be a “Free Willy” law, which makes it illearned from captive belugas has al- legal to hold whales and other marine ready been learned,” FoA told NOAA. mammals captive, except for rescues, “As Jacques Costeau once said, ‘There is rehab, research or when deemed in the about as much educational benefit to be animal’s “best interest.” FoA’s comments are not the first gained in studying dolphins in captivity as there would be studying mankind time it has stepped in to protect beluby only observing prisoners held in sol- gas, a subspecies of which are endanitary confinement.’ The same is true of gered. Last October, FoA pushed back belugas. Moreover, improvements in against the Trump administration’s technology mean that studying belugas unrelenting efforts to vigorously proand other marine mammals in the wild mote energy exploration projects in is not nearly as difficult as it once was.” Alaska that endanger beluga whales, Mystic has not ruled out display- whose populations in Cook Inlet have ing the whales, who are all offspring of declined so precipitously that approval belugas taken from the Sea of Okhotsk of a new gas project could push them in Russia, where the population is now to extinction. The project seeks to comconsidered a depleted stock. Addition- mercialize natural gas resources in ally, while claiming the primary pur- Alaska’s North Slope by converting the pose of the import is scientific research, natural gas supplied to liquified natural Mystic in its application did not rule gas for users within Alaska. In comments filed with the Fedout breeding them and has requested it be allowed to transfer some of the be- eral Energy Regulatory Commission lugas to the Georgia Aquarium. Four of (FERC) on its draft Environmental the five belugas are young females. “It is an unlikely coincidence that Mystic is seeking to partner with an institution that as recently as four years ago was litigating to import wild-caught belugas for public display and to assist captive breeding of belugas across the country,” the FoA comments noted. The Canadian aquarium had faced 11 counts of animal cruelty brought by the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which was prompted by a complaint by a U.S.based animal rights group. The charges
Impact Statement for the Alaska LNG Project, FoA noted that a FERC’s own biological assessment concluded that the project would increase the risk of vessel strikes on Cook Inlet beluga whales, result in underwater noise that would harass the whales and would cause the whales to lose critical habitat. “Belugas are under assault,’’ said Priscilla Feral, president of FoA. “It’s imperative we speak out to protect them instead of enabling energy and entertainment interests looking for profits. They deserve to live hassle free in the wild.” FoA also filed comments last summer with the National Marine Fishers Service Office of Protected Resources objecting to its proposal to allow 20 belugas to be moved or killed per year for the first five years of the project, for a total of 100. “That amount of takes will still likely cause the Cook Inlet beluga whales to become extinct because the population is so fragile," FoA said in comments submitted last July.
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KEEP PETS OFF THE STREET. SPAY OR NEUTER.
It is estimated that shelters euthanize more than 1.5 million pets each year. Countless more suffer exposure, starvation and death on the streets. Affordable spaying or neutering is the most effective way to prevent these tragedies. To locate participating veterinarians in your area, go to FriendsOfAnimals.org today. 6 | Friends of Animals
PET CORNER
THERE'S NO
DEBATE BY NICOLE RIVARD
SPAY-NEUTER COMBATS THE LARGEST KILLER OF CATS AND DOGS
L
ast fall Friends of Animals (FoA) was alarmed by The Washington Post story headlined: “The growing debate over spaying and neutering dogs.” That’s because there is no debate about the fact that spay-neuter helps combat the single largest killer of dogs and cats—overpopulation and euthanasia of unwanted, homeless pets. The Association of Shelter Veterinarians (ASV) has identified being sexually intact as the leading risk factor for owner relinquishment of cats and dogs; therefore, neutering prior to adoption is likely to improve the odds that adopted animals will be retained in their homes. In the 70s, overflowing animal shelters euthanized millions of animals. Now, it is estimated that the number of cats and dogs euthanized in U.S. shelters annually has declined from approximately 2.6 million in 2011 to 1.5 million (670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats). Estimates are based in
part on Shelter Animals Count data. The truth is accurate data from shelters is difficult to obtain because there has never been a central data reporting system. The goal of Shelter Animals Count, a nonprofit established in 2012, is to steward a national database of sheltered animals to enable even more insights to save lives. Currently all the data is self-reported since there is still no national requirement for reporting. The 2,873 shelters that reported to the organization in 2018 revealed that 235,822 dogs died in shelters. The causes were: died in care, shelter euthanasia and owner-intended euthanasia. Similarly, in 2017 3,019 shelters reported 237,968 were killed; and in 2016 3,587 shelters reported that 229,845 dogs were killed. It is obvious to us that those numbers show the population of homeless animals is still so large that no one should be risking an unwanted litter.
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FoA was founded in 1957 to end pet homelessness by helping to make spaying and neutering more affordable through our low-cost certificates. Our certificates have helped more than 2.8 million dogs and cats. A COMPLEX ISSUE The Washington Post article discusses a recent report on approximately 2,800 golden retrievers enrolled in a lifetime study, published by the Morris Animals Foundation, a charity that funds animal health research. It found that those spayed or neutered were more likely to be overweight or obese and that if they were fixed before they were 6 months old, they had much higher rates of orthopedic injuries. Of course, the study has sparked controversy in the veterinary and shelter worlds. But it’s not the first time. Two other papers published in 2013 and 2014 suggested that spaying and neutering and the age at which a dog is altered may lead to increased long-term risk of certain kinds of cancers and joint diseases in golden retrievers and cancer and behavior
disorders in vizslas. In a blog for Scientific American published after those studies, Jessica Perry Hekman, a veterinary researcher in canine behavioral genetics at Harvard University, cautioned that studying the causes of multi-factorial diseases is incredibly challenging. She pointed out that “the studies both have their limitations, which makes their findings difficult to trust or generalize to other populations of dogs.” In 2014, the ASV issued a statement supporting early-age (6 to 18 weeks of age) sterilization of dogs and cats as part of a comprehensive non-lethal population control strategy. In some cases, the organization said, pets may best be served by scheduling surgery after 18 weeks of age to allow time for the development of immunity through vaccination. It referenced numerous scientific studies performed to evaluate the effects of early age spay-neuter, suggesting that the procedure is not associated with serious health problems and is medically sound. Furthermore, early age spay-neuter offers
TAKE ACTION Friends of Animals is seeking volunteers to assist its affordable spayneuter certificate program for dogs and cats. Volunteer tasks include: Recruiting local veterinarians to work in FoA’s network Selling FoA’s spay-neuter certificates in your community or shelter Publicizing FoA’s spay-neuter program through tabling and other events If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please call FoA’s Paula Jensen at 203-656-1522. 8 | Friends of Animals
many advantages including safe anesthetic and surgical techniques, shorter surgical and recovery times and avoidance of the stresses and costs associated with spaying while in heat, pregnant or with uterine disease, according to the ASV. There are also numerous long-term physical and behavioral health benefits including reduced risk of pyometra and mammary tumors, elimination of testicular and ovarian tumors and a reduction in undesirable reproductive behaviors. The American Veterinary Medical Association also endorses early-age spay-neuter. Until there are no overcrowded shelters and no dogs and cats being abandoned and killed, spaying and neutering remains crucial. FoA will continue to educate our members and the public about why it’s a sensible option. Of course, when you adopt a pet it is necessary to discuss his or her health with a veterinarian, as each individual animal is different.
MythFACT vs.
If you are considering adopting your first pet or expanding your furry family, here’s what you need to know about spaying and neutering: Myth: It is unnatural to interfere with an animal's reproductive cycle. FACT: Humans interfered with nature when we domesticated dogs and cats. In doing so, we helped create the homeless animal crisis that now results in approximately 1.5 million dogs and cats being killed in pounds and shelters each year. We must now take responsibility for solving this crisis. Myth: There are no behavioral health benefits from neutering male cats. FACT: Neutering male cats will prevent the emergence of unpleasant mating behaviors such as marking and aggression. Male kittens aged 5 months and up may begin territorial spraying (the smell is impossible to live with) to give off scent in order to attract nearby "in heat" females for mating, and to show the competition who's boss. And unneutered male kittens also have the tendency to wander off more. Myth: Female dogs and cats can't be spayed while in heat. FACT: Dogs and cats can safely be spayed while in heat or pregnant. Trust in the judgment of your veterinarian.
Myth: Males don't need to be neutered since females have the litters. FACT: Unaltered males are half of the overpopulation equation. In fact, all it takes is one intact male to impregnate several females. On average, a fertile female dog bears one litter of four-to-six puppies per year; a fertile female cat, two litters of four-to-six kittens. The numbers balloon exponentially: Just one litter of kittens can then produce 54 offspring in a single year. Myth: A female dog or cat only comes into heat once a year. FACT: Dogs go into heat, which lasts about three weeks, once or twice a year, and as early as six months of age. Cats experience heat every 34 weeks from early spring through fall, starting as young as four months. Pregnancy for both cats and dogs lasts 63 days, and female cats can become pregnant as soon as 10 days after giving birth, while still nursing. Myth: An animal becomes overweight and/or lazy when neutered. FACT: Animals' appetites may increase, but they become overweight from being provided too much food and not enough exercise.
Myth: It's healthier for a female to have one litter before she is spayed. FACT: A female should ideally be spayed before her first estrus cycle. Early-age spaying (as young as eight weeks) greatly reduces the likelihood of mammary tumors, uterine infections, and of course, unplanned pregnancy. Myth: Spaying/neutering is expensive. FACT: Spaying or neutering saves you money. The cost is less than for the major surgeries and treatments that may be needed if your animal is left unaltered, such as those addressing preventable cancers. You'll pay far more in money and time taking care of and finding homes for puppies or kittens. Also, spaying and neutering benefits the community by curbing the number of animals who end up as strays or in pounds, where taxpayers pay to have them cared for and sometimes killed. Many areas have low-cost spay/neuter clinics or programs; FoA offers affordable spay/ neuter procedures through our network of participating veterinarians. Visit friendsofanimals.org or call 1-800-321-PETS for more information.
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COVER STORY
S ES
AN
FOR THE
10 | Friends of Animals
S SA
FoA supports efforts to challenge the Trump administration’s attack on the ESA because our work depends on it
Spring 2020 | 11
BY NICOLE RIVARD
“How do you put a price on a bald eagle? Or a striped bass. Or clean air or clean water?” asked Connecticut’s Attorney General William Tong last fall in announcing the state had joined with 16 others, the District of Colombia and the City of New York to challenge the Trump Administration's rollback of regulations implementing the Endangered Species Act (ESA). “But they are trying to. They are trying to prioritize their view of economic value over the quality and value of our environment.” Tong explained that the administration’s new rules will allow officials to decrease the amount of habitat threatened and endangered animals require to survive and remove tools used by scientists to predict future harm to species as a result of climate change. The administration will also be allowed to reveal the financial burden of protecting wildlife for the first time since the ESA was signed into law by Richard Nixon in 1973. Friends of Animals (FoA), which is headquartered in Connecticut, joined Tong on the porch of the Riverfront Boathouse in Hartford for his announcement about the litigation. We had spearheaded a letter with several other Connecticut environmental and animal advocacy groups urging Tong to join the multi-state lawsuit challenging the attack on the ESA. Why? Because our work depends on it. “The ESA is the only hope we currently have of preventing what
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some believe may be a complete collapse of global biodiversity by the end of this century,” said Michael Harris, director of FoA’s Wildlife Law Program. “And now, that law has been put under the knife by the Trump administration. We not only support the lawsuit, but we are moving full steam ahead to use the ESA to expand protection for imperiled species wherever they reside.” FoA is currently fighting to get the queen conch, Pryor Mountain wild horses, devil ray, long-tailed chinchilla and three tortoise species listed under the ESA. Threatened and endangered animals listed under the ESA are entitled to these vital benefits: protection from being jeopardized by federal activities; protection of critical habitat; restrictions on killing and trade; a requirement that U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service develop and implement recovery plans for listed species under U.S. jurisdiction; authorization to seek land purchases or exchanges for important habitat; and federal aid to state conservation departments with cooperative endangered species agreements. This is not the first time FoA has witnessed attempts by officials to blow a massive hole through the ESA. In 2017, FoA intervened and reversed a court decision that sought to strip the Utah prairie dog of federal protection under the ESA. People for the Ethical Treatment of Property Owners had challenged FWS’ decision to list
the animals as a threatened species because it restricted what the landowners could do regarding managing the species on private land. “On display in that case is the fundamental dispute over the value of America’s natural heritage,” Harris said. “A minority of private property owners and some state governments appear to view wildlife as being unworthy of protection unless animals can be reduced to mere ‘commodities.’ In their view, if an animal cannot be sold or traded, then it is no more than a mere pest to be eradicated to make way for human development. On the other side, FoA, numerous scientists and millions of Americans recognize that protection of all members of the North American biota—from the smallest fungi to the greatest of mammals—is essential to biodiversity.” WORTH THE WAIT Harris pointed out that the process of protecting species under the ESA can be long and frustrating, but worth the wait. “When protective status is finally achieved for a particular species, there is nothing more satisfying than knowing that our hard work can actually lead to these animals being saved from further human exploitation,” he said. FoA’s hard work for the scalloped hammerhead shark made history when it became the first species of shark ever to be protected by the ESA. The final rule to list four of the existing six distinct population segments of scalloped hammerhead sharks as threatened or endangered occurred in 2014 and came in response to our 2011 petition submitted with WildEarth Guardians. Scalloped hammerheads were dwindling because they were killed for their
meat and fins, which were used in highly controversial shark-fin soup. They were also accidentally caught and killed during fishing targeting other species. Likewise, the demand for sturgeon meat and caviar was the single largest cause of sturgeon population collapses. However, five sturgeon species were listed as endangered under the ESA in 2014 in response to a 2012 petition filed by FoA and WildEarth Guardians. Listing makes the importation, selling or possession of caviar or meat from any of these sturgeon species illegal in the U.S., with a few exceptions for products from animals in captivity. These fish have survived more than 200 million years in rivers and seas in Europe and Asia, and it was gratifying to see that National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) recognized they are worth more than the sum of their parts. FIGHTING FOR OUR FEATHERED FRIENDS In another ESA battle, FoA persevered for more than a decade to secure protections for two populations of the scarlet macaw. The ruling—which happened after a petition was filed in 2008 followed by two lawsuits—took effect March 28, 2019 and lists the northern population as endangered and the southern subspecies as threatened. Brilliantly colored, scarlet macaws live in tropical humid rainforests ranging from northern Colombia through Central America and have faced ongoing threats from human development and deforestation, climate change and poachers who target them for the exotic pet trade. (Unfortunately, some subspecies of scarlet macaws can still be traded commercially without an ESA permit.)
And nine years ago, FoA marked a milestone in its efforts to combat the global bird trade as all members of three parrot species gained protection under the ESA after a petition was filed by FoA and WildEarth Guardians. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the Philippine cockatoo and the yellow-crested cockatoo (including all four subspecies) as “endangered” and the white cockatoo as “threatened” due to a variety of threats, including the illegal collection of these attractive birds from the wild for the pet trade. “It is fitting that those who have profited from caging these beautiful birds will now face some ‘cage time’ themselves,” Harris said. However, FWS included a special rule that allows continued import, export or interstate commerce of white cockatoos held in captivity prior to the listing date and of captive-bred birds. For many species exploited for commercial purposes, legal trade creates cover for illegal trade and makes enforcement more difficult. KEEP THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT INTACT For more than 45 years, the ESA has protected thousands of threatened species, including the bald eagle, California condor, grizzly bear and humpback whale. More than 99% of plants and animals listed under the act survive today. The law is important as a
bulwark against the current extinction crisis; plants and animals are disappearing at a rate much higher than the natural rate of extinction due to human activities. Scientists estimate that 227 species would have gone extinct if not for ESA listings. Listing species with a global distribution can protect the species domestically and help the U.S. focus its resources toward enforcement of international regulation and recovery of the species. The states involved in the recent lawsuit against the Trump Administration are also concerned by FWS’ and the NMFS’ departure from the longstanding, conservation-based agency policy of providing the same level of protection to threatened species afforded to endangered species, which is necessary to prevent a species from becoming endangered. “I don’t relish having to do this work,” Tong said at the press conference. “We shouldn’t be standing here today. I think a lot of us thought we settled this question a long time ago— that we have a duty to be good stewards and good partners to our environment. And to our world and to our wildlife who we share this world with. “It’s deeply disturbing to me that the President of the United States has used the power of the regulatory process to attack endangered species, to make protection of endangered species contingent on their economic value.”
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IN YOUR BACKYARD
14 | Friends of Animals
FROM SLACTIVIST TO ACTIVIST:
THE LOWDOWN ON LOBBYING BY FRAN SILVERMAN
I
n this day and age of 24-7 news, there is an abundance of stories about animal issues, some of which makes us cheer and some of which is infuriating and makes us want to scream. Lots of us vent by taking to social media to post our concerns, disappointments or support. We sign online petitions, donate to animal rights groups (we’re not discouraging that!) and yell at our televisions. And all that can feel very invigorating. But advocating for animals can also require some additional steps—some of which can seem daunting at the least and overwhelming at most. But they are necessary because petitions don’t mean that much to politicians and social media posts can get lost among the millions each day. The additional action involves contacting lawmakers and lobbying them to support specific pieces of legislation. This means phone calls, visits to lawmakers’ offices and participation at town halls. At Friends of Animals (FoA), we do this on a daily basis—from fighting proposed bear hunts to pushing for bans on fur sales. And often even we face barriers in getting through to lawmakers. But it’s effective when we do and worth the effort. And since we do often rely on members for help because legislators want to hear from constituents in their districts, we wanted to share some steps and techniques that work when pushing for passage or defeat of a particular bill.
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STEP 1
FIND YOUR REPRESENTATIVE FoA, headquartered in Darien, Connecticut, advocates for animals on multiple levels, from pushing for pesticide restrictions locally and statewide bans on leghold traps to federal legislation banning trophy imports, and each level of government has different officials to contact and different procedures for approving legislation. But it’s easy to find your elected representative on all levels. For one-stop-shopping, visit this site: usa.gov/elected-officials/. More specifically, you can find your federal Congressional representatives here: govtrack.us/congress/ members; your state government representatives at openstates.org/find_your_legislator/ and your local elected officials here: usa.gov/local-governments. It’s important to not only contact your representatives when an issue comes up but to also develop a relationship with their staff so that when you do have something to discuss, they’ll be open to your perspective.
STEP 2
RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH Before contacting a lawmaker, it’s best to familiarize yourself with key components of a particular issue that you need your lawmakers to address. It’s important to research both sides of the issue so you know not only what the pros are of a particular bill, but what the opposition is saying so you can address any counterpoints. FoA keeps its members updated and informed about issues with Action Alerts that provide talking points, news stories posted on its website (friendsofanimals.org) and social media pages as well as in its biweekly newsletter. You can sign up here to keep abreast of legislation and issues we are working on at FoA: friendsofanimals.org/news-letter-signup/.
16 | Friends of Animals
ANIMALS CAN’T WRITE OR CALL LEGISLATORS. YOU ARE THEIR VOICE. ELECTED OFFICIALS WORK FOR YOU. STEP 3
CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE There are several ways to contact your representatives and often it’s a good idea to use a variety of methods. Representatives offer ways to contact them on their websites. They usually offer an online form or their direct emails. In your message, make sure to discuss a personal reason about why this animal rights issue is important to you so your message stands out from others. It’s vital to request a response. It’s also important to be specific about the name of the legislation and bill number. You can also mail the representative a letter to their main offices or satellite locations in the regions they represent. It’s often best to send the letter to both their main offices (such as their D.C. offices if they are federal representatives) and their local offices. All those addresses can be found on their websites. If it’s a timely matter—in other words, the legislation is coming up for a vote that week or day—then call their office. When calling, it’s key to ask to specifically speak to the policy aide in charge of the issue. For example, if it’s about the Endangered Species Act or wild horses, ask which aide is in charge of overseeing that issue and ask to speak to that aide and get their email. Always be polite, and respectful but be firm that you want to speak to the policy adviser and staff and not just leave a message.
STEP 4
SET UP A MEETING You can also request a meeting with lawmakers and their staff, especially if you feel you aren’t making any progress with letters and phone calls. To do this, get the name of their scheduler and contact that person to request a meeting. Indivisible, a citizen activist group, advises activists in its guide to ask the person who answers the phone at a legislator’s office to confirm the name of the staffer who handles animal rights/environmental policy issues. You can also stop into your lawmaker’s local office, and politely request a meeting, noting that you haven’t received a response from your phone or email messages. Often, lawmakers hold office hours during breaks in their legislative sessions. If they are local officials, their staff in town will be at their offices to take requests. If possible, have a group of people with you to request a meeting, especially if the lawmaker is refusing to set up a time. But it’s also fine if it’s just you. When you do get a date for a meeting, bring a folder with background information for the lawmaker and their staff, including a letter to them signed by you or your group requesting their support in favor of or vote against a measure. Include your contact information. Policy aides and lawmakers tend to be appreciative of the information because they may not be entirely familiar with an issue. During the meeting, take the names of the staff members in attendance, and detailed notes of what is said. Keep your talking points brief, let the lawmaker or staff ask questions and if you don’t have the answer, tell them you will research it and get back to them and then do exactly that. Sometimes representatives will keep talking in a meeting so as not to give you a chance to get your points across. If that happens, politely interrupt, tell them you know they have busy schedules and then discuss the reasons why you want them to vote in favor or against a proposal.
STEP 5
TOWN HALLS/ LOCAL EVENTS If you are having trouble setting up a face-to-face meeting with a legislator, find out when they’ll be hosting a town hall or will be attending a forum or event in town hosted by a local organization like the League of Women Voters. Federal and state legislators often hold town halls during their breaks from the legislative sessions. At election time especially, they also appear at public events such as debates and forums. They will also visit local fairs and events in their district any time of year. These are good opportunities to question them about their views on legislation and make your voice heard. If possible, gather a group together to attend a town hall so you have a better chance of getting a question answered by all raising your hands or lining up for the microphone and you can loudly clap or express disappointment if you don’t like the lawmakers' view on the animal rights issue.
IN THE WORDS OF ELIE WIESEL: “SILENCE ENCOURAGES THE TORMENTOR, NEVER THE TORMENTED."
Send a thank you note after your meeting and include any additional information they requested. After the vote on the bill is taken, check to see how your legislator voted and then thank them or let them know if you are disappointed in their vote. The legislators need to know they are accountable at election time for their positions and they appreciate acknowledgement when they voted the way you requested.
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GIVING US HOPE
Catherine’s legacy of love Sandy Hook family's sanctuary helps seniors with their pets BY FRAN SILVERMAN PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JANE SEYMOUR
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hen Cynthia Clarke, an engineer from Newtown, Connecticut, was struggling to recover from life-threatening aneurysms, her cat Jasper was by her side. Jasper had been through his own trials, having been found on a road when he was a three-week old kitten with two broken front legs before a shelter took him in and he was adopted by Clarke. As Clarke lay in her bed with 24-hour nursing care, the attending staff snuggled Jasper next to her so he could hear her heart beat. During recovery when she was still having difficulties with the left side of her body, Clarke said Jasper would tap her mouth or face to wake her up.
“She’s my whole world,’’ said Clarke, a self-described workaholic who never thought of herself as a cat lover. “I’d end up on the street to save her.” Jasper, who is 9, recovered from his earlier injuries and Clarke has as well, but they both have some health issues they still face. Clarke grapples with migraines and Jasper has a sensitive stomach and needs special food that is expensive. She worried she wouldn’t be able to take proper care of him because of her medical situation.
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Clarke is not alone in her need for help in caring for her pet. As pets grow older along with their owners, it can be a struggle to stay together as a family. Seniors who have to go into the hospital or rehab or who struggle financially suffer the anxiety of trying to make sure their pets are cared for properly. And often senior pets in shelters can linger there instead of being adopted out to their forever homes and the elderly who adopt pets of any age face challenges in continuing their care. But Clarke and others are getting help from Newtown’s Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary, which started a program specifically geared toward helping seniors and their pets stay together. The sanctuary was established in honor of Jennifer and Matthew Hubbard’s daughter, Catherine, who at the age of 6 was killed in a mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012. Catherine loved animals and always talked about taking care of them when she grew up. She even had her own business cards made up for “Catherine’s Animal Shelter” where she was listed as “Care Taker.” Her dog Sammy, a yellow lab, was her constant companion and she would bring rice to a feral cat colony near her home, her mother, Jennifer Hubbard says. After she died, the family asked that donations go to a nearby animal control center. But by accident, or “divine intervention,” recalls Jennifer, the contributions went to a small cat rescue, which contacted her and asked her what she wanted to do with the $150,000 that they had received in Catherine’s honor. She met with them and the idea for the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary was born.
AFTER SHE DIED, THE FAMILY ASKED THAT DONATIONS GO TO A NEARBY ANIMAL CONTROL CENTER. BUT BY ACCIDENT, OR “DIVINE INTERVENTION,” THE CONTRIBUTIONS WENT TO A SMALL CAT RESCUE, WHICH CONTACTED HER AND ASKED HER WHAT SHE WANTED TO DO WITH THE $150,000 THAT THEY HAD RECEIVED IN CATHERINE’S HONOR. In 2014, the state of Connecticut gave the Hubbard’s sanctuary 34 acres in the heart of Newtown. The sanctuary’s goal is to provide care, housing and adoption services for companion animals, establish wildlife rescue and release projects for orphaned and injured animals, and care for a limited number of farm animals in need of sanctuary. The Senior Paw Project grew out of the sanctuary’s focus on honoring the human-animal bond. With the help of the nearby Valley Veterinary Hospital, the sanctuary project provides emergency foster placement when home care is jeopardized because of a senior’s illness or injury; medical and veterinary care for the pet when a senior is financially stressed or can’t get them to appointments on their own; and pet food. The Senior Paw Project also recruits other seniors to provide foster care for animals in need.
Rose West, 90, was the sanctuary’s very first senior citizen to get involved in the project. West had adopted a cat, Midnight, from a shelter. When Midnight got pneumonia, the vet discovered a tumor on her lung. West was not going to turn her back on Midnight but was having difficulty getting her to the vet every two weeks for treatment of her illness. Midnight dreads the car and the carrier. “I promised her a forever home,’’ said West, who volunteers at the local senior center when not caring for Midnight. West’s concerns were alleviated when the Senior Paw Project stepped in. Midnight receives treatment at West’s home from Kelly Coladarci, the sanctuary’s director of animal care and Senior Paw Project coordinator, who
on one recent visit, coaxed the black cat out from under the bed for her Prednisone shot. “So often, seniors who have to go to the hospital or rehab who don’t have family nearby have to surrender their pets,’’ says Coladarci. “Seniors want to go back home where their pets will be waiting.” Jennifer says the sanctuary would like to see the program replicated on a national scale. “We are all responsible for the wildlife around us and pets we choose to take into our homes,’’ says Jennifer, as she walked through the sanctuary’s open space, which includes a butterfly meadow. The Senior Paws Project fulfills one major mission of the foundation—fostering compassion and kindness through caring for the envi-
ronment and all its creatures. “If Catherine had graced the earth for more than six years, I do know for certain her work as an adult would have been focused on caring for animals,’’ Jennifer says. “She is kindred spirits of people who love animals. Those are her people.” Opposite page: Catherine Violet Hubbard, 5, described herself as an animal “care taker.” Clockwise from below: Jennifer Hubbard, Catherine’s mom, at the sanctuary in Newtown, where she works daily to bring her daughter's vision of appreciation for all animals to fruition. Building plans for the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary call for a library, event space and vegetarian café as well as a wildlife rehab and sanctuary space. Rose West comforts her cat, Midnight, after he receives a shot. (Jennifer and Rose's portraits taken by Fran Silverman.)
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PEOPLE WHO INSPIRE
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EQUINE ADVOCATES RESCUE AND SANCTUARY IS CREATING THE NEXT GENERATION OF HORSE GUARDIANS STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICOLE RIVARD
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t was mid-October when Susan Wagner, president and founder of Chatham, New York-based Equine Advocates Rescue and Sanctuary, was alerted to the case of a former thoroughbred racehorse who was at the brink of death on a farm in Steuben County, N.Y. How Joey, who was bred in New York and raced under the name Laila’s Jazz, ended up nearly dying after being adopted out through one of the racing industry’s so-called aftercare programs was still under investigation at press time. Joey raced until he was seven with lifetime earnings of more than $253,000. Yet no one who knew and profited from him bothered to ensure he was protected from harm and given a safe, kind forever home. “He was transported to Cornell Hospital for Animals where he was described by his examining veterinarian as ‘a rack of bones’ with a body condition score of ‘1’ on the Henneke Scale. It’s the worst number a horse can have,” Wagner explained. After nearly a week in the hospital, he arrived at Equine Advocates on Oct. 27. When Friends of Animals (FoA) visited the sanctuary on Nov. 10—a public open house day—Joey already had a couple of sponsors and was sporting a new blanket, which he
seemed pleased to show off to visitors. He was sweet-tempered, despite having had to suffer needlessly. It was if he knew he was in good hands with Wagner and the care staff at Equine Advocates. As I drove around the 140-acre property with Wagner while she tossed out apples and carrots into the pastures, I could see as their ears pricked forward and they locked their gaze on her that all 80 horses, donkeys and mules recognized her as a guardian they trust. Wagner’s mission, besides rescuing and providing lifetime care for equines who have no one to speak for them, is teaching others how to become responsible horse guardians and how to recognize cruelty and report it. She started rescuing horses in 1996, established the sanctuary in 2004 and opened the doors to a Humane Education Center on the property two years later. Visitors of all ages come from many different parts of the country to learn about wild and domestic equine issues, responsible horse ownership and natural horsemanship. HUMANE EDUCATION Last spring the Humane Education Program served 700 students. The curriculum includes interactive
lessons for pre-K through middle school. Students also meet some of the sanctuary’s equine residents and hear their stories. “Children are the future guardians of animal welfare and the environment,” Wagner said. “Empathy and ethical responsibility are qualities we can teach and nurture in children. We can get them to behave differently than adults who have failed equines. “That’s always what I envisioned I would do after I rescued the horses— advocate for them by exposing the situations that they come from and were exploited by before entering the slaughter pipeline.” Visitors can read each horse’s story about why they needed to be rescued from abuse cases or from auctions on their way to slaughter on plaques outside their stalls and pastures. Wagner points out that horse slaughter is the way by which irresponsible individuals and industries get rid of their unwanted horses quickly and for a profit. Among the worst offenders: people who run seasonal riding camps; Amish farmers; the Pregnant Mare Urine (PMU) industry that continually impregnates mares and turns them into four-legged drug machines to produce Premarin, PremPro and Premphase for human menopause symptoms; the carriage
Left: Equine Advocates Rescue and Sanctuary's President Susan Wagner with one of her co-founder's, miniature horse Rainman.
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horse industry; the racing industry; and the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA). “The AQHA is the world’s largest breed registry and membership organization and they are as guilty as anybody. They breed ridiculous numbers of horses knowing they will go to slaughter and they are unapologetic about it. They need to be taken to task,” Wagner said.
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GROWING PAINS Ironically, as a teenager, Wagner, a Bronx native, worked for one of the industries she now rescues horses from—she was a hot walker and groom for various players in the racing industry, which meant being involved in all aspects of the horses’ daily care. It was a role she relished because she had loved horses since she was three. But the way the horses were treated overall troubled her, so she left.
Wagner said that at the time she had no idea racehorses went to slaughter after outliving their “usefulness” because it was a dirty secret hidden well by the racing industry. Today, the exploitive industry is under constant scrutiny, and rightly so. For instance, on Oct. 31, USA Today’s front-page story read: “Horses go from racetracks to slaughterhouses: It’s just a job to me.” That exposé came on the heels of several articles about the number of deaths at Santa Anita Park racetrack in California in 2019, which sickened Wagner. “If the racing industry ended tomorrow, I would be happy,” she said. The good news is public scrutiny and backlash matters. Wagner recently hosted students enrolled in the State University of New York Cobleskill's Equine Studies program, and for the first time, no students were interested in pursuing careers in the racing industry. “The public will ultimately determine whether the industry survives or doesn’t. I believe that if the breakdowns and deaths of racehorses in this country continue and there is no real change to end the doping and the slaughter of horses bred for racing, people will eventually stop going to races,” Wagner said.
ON THE RIGHT TRACK Wagner credits her 18 months working at Friends of Animals (FoA) for putting her on a more fulfilling career path. “At FoA, I had an immediate realization that humane work was where my heart was. The time I spent there set me on a path that I could use my equine experience to make a difference in the lives of horses that was truly meaningful.” The first horse she ever rescued in 1996 was named Gandalf. He was living at a children’s zoo when Wagner learned his “stubbornness” would no longer be tolerated and he was going to be slaughtered. At the same time, she learned of a miniature horse, Rainman, on Staten Island slated to suffer a similar fate. She was able to keep them on an ex-boyfriend’s farm in Maryland. Rainman is still alive. While we visited Rainman, visitors meandered along the property petting and whispering to the horses. Some were first-timers, stopping Wagner to tell her what she is doing at Equine Advocates is “impressive and magical.” Others were there to visit horses they sponsor. Sponsors can come visit whenever they want, said Wagner. “They feel a real connection to the horse because not everyone can keep their own horse,” Wagner said.
Being herd animals, the residents enjoyed bonding with their human guests, especially Bobby II Freedom and Dallas, whose paddock is located front and center at the entrance of the property. Dallas was one of 27 camp horses and ponies rescued by Equine Advocates from a bankrupt New York tourist attraction back in 1997. Bobby II Freedom is a former New York City carriage horse rescued from slaughter in 2010. FoA and the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages bought him from a broker who had just purchased him at the New Holland, Pennsylvania, auction and then the two organizations worked together to transport him to Equine Advocates. Wagner remembers that after Bobby was turned out on the grass, he started to roll in it. Since NYC carriage horses are deprived of daily turnout, she believes he’d never gotten a chance to roll in the grass before. Remarkably, Wagner gets five to 10 calls a day about horses in need. Ultimately, she would like to obtain more land so she can expand. “There is adjacent property that I really, really want,’’ she said. “There’s more that I want to do.”
From left: Dallas was one of 27 camp horses rescued from a bankrupt New York attraction in 1997. The feed room at Equine Advocates. Former racehorse Joey arrived at Equine Advocates in October. Equine Advocates' President Susan Wagner introduces Action Line Editor Nicole Rivard to Bobby II Freedom, a former NYC carriage horse that FoA helped bring to the sanctuary.
IF YOU WITNESS A CASE OF EQUINE CRUELTY: • Contact your local or state police immediately. • Document as much as you know and how you know it before making a report. • Be sure to get the name of the officer with whom you spoke. If you get no satisfaction, ask to speak to a supervisor and report the case again.
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SANCTUARY LIFE
PRIMARILY PRIMATES RESCUES UNPRECEDENTED NUMBER OF ANIMALS BY DUSTIN RHODES AND NICOLE RIVARD
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hen we heard that a struggling California sanctuary was closing, we immediately started assessing the groupings of our animals at Primarily Primates—the 78-acre Texas-based sanctuary that Friends of Animals has managed since 2007—to determine if we could take in any of the primates. Primarily Primates (PPI) is home to more than 300 animals, most of whom are primates, including chimpanzees, gibbons, macaques, capuchins, spider monkeys, lemurs and more. We determined last fall that we could rescue 10 primates immediately. However, PPI did not receive any
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placement fees for our newest residents. Rather, we’re depending on our generous community of supporters to sponsor them. You can get to know the animals here:
JACK & JANET Jack and Janet, both 14, are a half brother-sister baboon duo, who were privately owned as pets and used in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles before being relinquished to the sanctuary because of the cost to keep them (California required an expensive insurance policy, so their owner eventually turned them over). Janet is a
Clockwise from opposite page: Chimpanzee Selina; hamadryas and olive baboon Jack and capuchin Rowdy.
SAX Sax is a spunky and affectionate 11-year-old black-andwhite-ruffed lemur, who is very vocal. Her roaring calls can be heard across the sanctuary. Sax is quite the acrobat, too. She loves to climb across the ceiling of her enclosure and even hang upside down like a bat. She and Aludra, the ruffed lemur companion she was introduced to, seem to be two peas in a pod despite a 20-year age difference. They enjoy grooming and basking in the sun. Sax loves grapes, puzzle feeders and stuffed animals.
BENNY Benny, 30, lives with Rowdy, but unlike him he is a very shy and timid capuchin. Benny loves to patrol his habitat and enjoys anything with wheels, especially toy trucks. One of the sweetest capuchins at the sanctuary, according to his caretakers and the staff at PPI, he overcomes his shyness once he gets to know you.
hamadryas baboon, while Jack is a hamadryas and olive hybrid. They are being slowly introduced (there is a temporary barrier between the two habitats while everyone gets acclimated to one another) to our resident baboons Olive and Saffron, both of whom are olive baboons. Janet and Saffron hit it off immediately; Jack adores Saffron, too. Olive is a little more cautious but warming up to them each day. By the time you receive this magazine their full introduction will have taken place, and everyone is expecting that they’ll all be fast friends.
SQUIRT Squirt, an 8-year-old capuchin, already has a new BFF. It was friends-at-first-sight for Squirt and Coco, a longtime resident of the PPI. They instantly started grooming one another and sitting side by side observing the local excitement from neighboring habitats. Squirt also enjoys “anointing” himself with fresh garlic (rubbing an aromatic substance all over is a natural behavior for capuchins in the wild to keep pests away).
ROWDY Rowdy, 19, is PPI’s latest Mr. Congeniality, as his zest for life, friendliness and constant singing make it impossible not to fall instantly in love with him. He is fascinated by and practically obsessed with beards and has a range of hobbies, including playing a capuchin-sized drum set and admiring his looks in the mirror. He hates loud noises, though, so staff try to be extra careful when cleaning not to arouse his delicate sensibilities (there are a few animals at the sanctuary that despise loud noises—like cleaning and maintenance equipment). Rowdy is personable, sweet, fun loving and endlessly curious.
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SELINA, NORMA & MIGHTY FINE
JOSEPHINE
Chimpanzee Selina is 27 and was subjected to research along with Norma and Mighty Fine by the now defunct Laboratory for Experimental Medicine & Surgery in Primates at New York University. She is tall in stature and has a beautiful face with some white hair around her chin. She loves to play chase but she also loves to be still and observe everything that’s going on around her. She grooms Mighty Fine daily and loves mangos, strawberries, grapes and bread. Norma is 28 years old. She’s not shy about getting as much rest and relaxation as possible—she spends 90% of her time laying down. She loves all the same food her companion Selina does but she also loves onions and will carry them around to eat later. She has brown coloring all throughout her face. Mighty Fine is also 28 years old. His short stature gives him the appearance of a much younger chimp. A small pink spot in the middle of his head and above his lip make him easily identifiable. It seems he likes his markings as he enjoys looking at himself in mirrors. He also enjoys using burlap sacks and foraging with his female companions.
At 35 years old, you’d think Josephine the capuchin would be slowing down. But that’s not the case. She is full of attitude and runs around the yard with some of PPI’s other old-timers, Tootsie and Corky. Josephine is an explorer and always on the move searching for food and other interesting items. Her habitat is filled with bamboo and lots of hiding places. She enjoys interacting with the staff and Corky and Tootsie too. Mostly she just seems happy to be enjoying her golden years in the company of new friends.
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HERE FOR OUR FEATHERED FRIENDS Around the same time that PPI stepped up to help the struggling California sanctuary, PPI also came to the rescue in a Texas cruelty case. In addition to rescuing primates and providing them with a forever home, PPI’s mission is to raise awareness about why primates shouldn’t be—and aren’t—good pets. But we also have a flock of about 70 other friends here at PPI who many people also unsuccessfully tried to keep as companion animals—exotic birds.
From left: Chimpanzee Norma, a pineappple green-cheeked conure; chimpanzee Mighty Fine, pygmy goat Vincent, capuchin Josephine, pygmy goat Billie Jean and our resident Sarus crane.
Our spacious aviary and parrot house, both featuring branches and trees for perching and exposure to warm sunlight and protection from the elements, allow these birds space to fly and express their wild behaviors, unlike what they experienced living in tiny enclosures in pet homes. And our care staff is armed with research, the right husbandry training, lots of patience and knowledge of a proper diet to provide birds with the best care possible. That’s why in the fall PPI stepped up and rescued several parrots who were seized in a hoarding case. Deputies were dispatched to a West Bexar County, Texas, property because of reports of animal cruelty. They discovered several malnourished dogs and other animals living in unhealthy conditions. Investigators seized 17 dogs, several parrots and goats. PPI also rescued two pygmy goats from the home. When Vincent and Billie Jean arrived, they were apprehensive. The goats were not used to receiving human touch because they were basically used as lawn mowers inside of dilapidated parrot enclosures on the Bexar County property and did not interact with humans. Now they follow staff around everywhere. They like belly and head scratches.
They will be joining the small goat herd on the farm side of the sanctuary. The new parrots, who were malnourished and had to be treated for parasites, include two sun conures, one pineapple conure, two Quakers and four blue and gold macaws. Sun conures are bold in appearance and in personality. They are known for their vocalizing as well as their playfulness and adventurous nature. Likewise, Quaker parrots are known for being social and building strong community bonds. Interestingly, wild Quakers are the only parrot to build nests. Our longtime aviary residents, including a five-and-a half foot tall Sarus crane, Nicabar pigeon, ibis, cockatiels and love birds are making our new residents feel right at home. Will you become a monthly sponsor of one of our new residents? You can set up sponsorship for as little as $10 a month by visiting Primarily Primates’ website (primarilyprimates.org) or by calling Joseph, Primarily Primates’ office manager, at (830) 755-4616.
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LETTERS THE DEBATE OVER DECLAWING The New York law that prohibits declawing cats that you cheered in Winter Action Line is not necessarily good news for cats. Too often, when a cat scratches the furniture or the baby, it may wind up being euthanized, brought to a shelter or abandoned on the street. Declawing should be discouraged but sometimes it is the preferred alternative. Cats that have been declawed are unaware that they have no claws and often continue a clawing motion. No doubt, declawing may be painful. It is surgery and should not be taken lightly. Is it more or less painful then spaying or neutering? Who can say with certainty but it can, in the long run, result in a happy pet allowed to live a long happy life. GILBERT SCHWARTZ • AVENTURA, FL President’s note: Thanks for weighing in on a thorny issue. More than the temporary pain from surgery, it’s the psychological and physical effects of declawing that should be noted. Years ago, when I adopted a declawed cat, I learned that declawing gradually weakens the muscles of the cat’s legs, shoulders and back, so the cat’s balance is lessened. Emotionally, my gray cat “John Thomas” lived in an almost constant state of stress, as though he was defenseless. My friend’s adopted declawed cat occasionally went berserk and bit her in the middle of the night. It’s best to protect your furniture by giving your cat a manicure with the clippers especially made for cats. Typically, one does this every 2-3 weeks while giving cats scratching posts because scratching is a normal characteristic.
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HUMANS ARE THE MOST OVERPOPULATED ANIMALS ON THE PLANET I’m tired of the “only humans matter” mentality. I thank the Action Line editor for having the gumption and bravery to print that article several issues ago about the runaway human population growth and how it damages wildlife and the environment and the need for birth control and family planning. Most environmentalists are too afraid of the religious community to touch these things. There are areas in the world where people are overpopulated, poverty stricken, facing starvation, disease and crime, but access to crucial family planning programs and affordable birth control is limited or not available at all. Being from Iowa, I’m also discouraged by how laws have been eased for hunters, so now they can carry loaded and un-cased guns in vehicles and use silencers. HERMAN LENZ • SUMNER, IA
LET’S HEAR FROM YOU! MAIL US: Editor, Action Line Friends of Animals 777 Post Road Darien, CT 06820 E-MAIL US: contact@friendsofanimals.org
CHEERS
JEERS
SUPPORT THE ProTECT ACT
TRUMP JR. STRIKES AGAIN; KILLS ENDANGERED SHEEP
Cheers to U.S. Reps Ted Lieu (D-Texas) and Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), for re-introducing the Prohibiting Threatened and Endangered Creature Trophies (ProTECT) Act at the end of last year. This federal legislation would amend the Endangered Species Act to prohibit the taking of any endangered or threatened species in the U.S. as a trophy and the importation of any such trophy into the U.S. We’ve signed on as supporters of H.R. 4804, and are urging the Senate to introduce a companion bill. Friends of Animals has proposed similar legislation in New York, which is the biggest port for trophies in the nation, and Connecticut. “Saving wildlife from extinction is not a partisan issue and Friends of Animals has long been pushing against the trumped-up notion that killing is conservation. Most of the money spent by U.S. trophy hunters who travel to Africa to kill for sport never gets to local communities, studies show. If the world’s threatened and endangered species are going to survive, including elephants and giraffes whose populations keep plummeting, lawmakers must support the ProTECT Act. The bill is elegantly simple and right on point,” said Friends of Animals President Priscilla Feral.
MACY’S FLIPS OF FUR
Kudos to retail giant Macy’s for flipping off fur. Last fall, Macy’s announced that it will stop selling fur by the end of the 2020 fiscal year in a move that came less than two weeks after California became the first state to ban the sale of new fur products and on the heels of legislation before the NYC council to ban fur sales. Friends of Animals staged a bold protest inside the Fur Vault in Macy’s NYC location when we launched our Flip of Fur campaign, including a billboard in Times Square, in December of 2014. We asked shoppers to make the connection between the fur coats and the animals who were skinned to make them. Security ushered customers out of the Fur Vault and shut the doors, temporarily halting business on one of the busiest shopping days of the year. We couldn’t be more gratified knowing Macy’s is shuttering its fur business for good. NYC is considering fur ban legislation after FoA called on the city to do so. FoA’s anti-fur campaigns have always slammed the relevance of fur in today’s fashion because luxurious and warm alternatives to fur—providing glamorous looks that don’t kill—are readily available.
Jeers to Donald Trump Jr., who reportedly shot and killed an endangered sheep during a hunting expedition to Mongolia last summer. Trump Jr. obviously thinks he’s above the law because according to ProPublica he didn’t receive a permit until after he murdered the majestic long-horned argali sheep, whose numbers have plummeted in recent years amid hunting and destruction of its habitat in the rocky central Asian steppes. Trophy hunters are just poachers with permits. With the high degree of corruption in African countries, for example, well-managed conservation is not a priority. A failure of the strict monitoring of the age, and sex of animals and a lack of penalties given to hunters is a serious threat to these species. Cecil, the lion killed by a U.S. dentist on a trophy hunt in 2015, is a perfect example. While he filed the proper paperwork to sport hunt a lion in Zimbabwe and import the trophy, Cecil was technically hunted illegally. A minimum age limit for hunting lions is set at six years old by the wildlife authorities in Zimbabwe. Of the five lions legally hunted in 2014, four were under six, so as a penalty was there were no lions on license for 2015.
BOYCOTT BOTSWANA
At a time when tourism rates are rising in Botswana from visitors who appreciate its wildlife, the country with the largest elephant population in the world made the shameful decision last fall to rescind a ban on trophy hunting the pachyderms. African elephants have been in steep decline, facing challenges from climate change, habitat loss and poaching. The population of pachyderms has declined by 90 percent in the past century, with only 350,000 elephants remaining in Africa. Their range has been drastically reduced by drought conditions. In 2014, then Botswana President Ian Khama banned trophy hunting, citing wildlife declines. But current Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi announced the country will allow up to 400 licenses for elephant hunts. (In fact, a committee he formed to look at lifting the ban actually suggested using elephant meat for dog food.) While Botswana claims more than 100,000 elephants, and southern African nations have stable populations, it’s difficult to pinpoint populations because more than 200,000 migrate freely between Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Angola, the Smithsonian noted in an article on the issue.
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FRIENDS OF ANIMALS REMEMBERS RACHEL NUSSBAUM
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t is with great sadness that we inform Friends of Animals’ supporters of the passing of Rachel Nussbaum Wichert on Dec. 3, 2019. Rachel has worked at Friends of Animals since 2015, most recently as a government affairs attorney in the Wildlife Law Program. She received her Ph.D. from Cornell University and a law degree from the University of Washington. Rachel will be remembered by everyone at Friends of Animals for her deep compassion for all souls—human and animal alike. She worked tirelessly to bring to light the complexity of animals’ lives and to advance the case for considering whales and dolphins as non-human persons. She advanced these ideas through her work at Friends of Animals as well as in three papers that she co-au-
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thored with her mother, Martha C. Nussbaum. One paper was published in the Journal of Human Development, one in a volume on animals, race and multiculturalism edited by Luis Cordeiro Rodrigues and Les Mitchell and one in a recent volume on development ethics edited by Lori Keleher and Stacy Kosko. We offer our warmest condolences to Rachel’s mother (depicted at left), her father Alan Nussbaum and her husband Gerd Wichert (depicted at left). A memorial fund has been established in Rachel’s name by her family. Those who wish to donate can send a check made out to ‘Friends of Animals—Nussbaum Memorial Fund’ to the following address: Michael Harris, Friends of Animals, 7500 E. Arapahoe Rd. Suite 385, Centennial, CO 80112, USA.
IN MEMORIAM Friends of Animals has received kind donations in memory of the following individuals: THOMAS GIULIANO
CAROL PILIGIAN
CANDY, SHEBA & TARA BLUE
PRINCE EDWARD
ANN HASSETT
ALL RACING GREYHOUNDS THE DUTTA-MATSUBARA FAMILY FUND’S PETS
MARJORIE HOPE SAMS BARBARA BUDNICKI
SASSY
DOROTHY G. KINGSLEY
JETER
GREG EDWARD CULLEN
LILY
PATRICK J. LAVELLE, FIREFIGHTER
SPIFFY
FELICITY BROWN
JAMIE & MEGS
RIKI KIRBY TYSON GUCCI
PLANNED GIFTS: Including Animal Advocacy You fuel Friends of Animals’ animal advocacy work – now and in the future. FoA will be here as long as animals of the world need us, and your planned gifts will help ensure our life-saving programs are available to protect them. FoA is a nonprofit with a solid record of fiscal responsibility and achievements for domestic and wild animals all over the world for more than 60 years. For a brochure to assist with estate decisions, please email Dustin Rhodes, vice president of development, at dustin@friendsofanimals.org, or call (203) 424-2140.
Gifts to a 501c(3) charity typically have tax-deductible benefits. You or your attorney will need the following details: Friends of Animals, Inc. 777 Post Road, Suite 205. Darien, CT 06820 Tax ID# 13-6018549 Friends of Animals has non-profit status under IRS code section 501c(3)
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SPARE AN ANIMAL T-SHIRT High-quality 100% combed cotton shirt in black. Available in women’s sizes S, M, L, XL. Men’s sizes S, M, L, XL, XXL. $14 including shipping
WOLF T-SHIRT Show your support for wolves in this 100% certified organic t-shirt in white. Women’s runs extremely small and fitted so order a larger size. Men’s and women’s sizes S, M, L, XL $22 including shipping
CROSS OUT T-SHIRT “There’s no right way to do the wrong thing” Navy 100% combed and ring-spun cotton T-shirt. Women’s sizes M, L, XL and Men’s sizes S, M, L, XL, XXL as available. Females should consider ordering up a size for great fit. $24 including shipping
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VEGAN T-SHIRT
FLIP OFF FUR T-SHIRT
100% certified organic cotton available in black and white. Men’s and women’s sizes S, M, L, XL. Artwork by Nash Hogan
"Don't be comfortable in their skin." Polyester-Cotton-Rayon blend. Unisex sizes XS, S, M, L, XL.
$22 including shipping
$24 including shipping
CATALOG ORDER FORM
SEND TO: Friends Of Animals, P.O. Box 150451 Hartford, Connecticut 06115-0451 PLEASE ALLOW 3-4 WEEKS FOR DELIVERY and make sure to include a phone number and email so if there is a problem with an order we can get in touch with you. Twenty-five percent of the total sale price of your purchase will help fund Friends of Animals’ programs. Please note we do not ship outside the US. NAME
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SIGNATURE For your convenience, you may fax your credit card order to: 203–656–0267 or shop online at www.friendsofanimals.org.
THANK YOU!
Non-profit Org. US Postage P A I D Friends of Animals
777 Post Road • Darien, CT 06820
FOA INSULATED REUSABLE WATER BOTTLE Matte Black or Blue Shows your commitment to spay-neuter and animal adoption BPA- free, lead-free, chip resistant, leak proof and easy to clean 18/8 Stainless Steel construction, custom-made by Klean Kanteen ® Electropolished interior, a safe and non-toxic process Holds 20 oz. Double-wall vacuum insulation keeps drinks hot for 20 hours and iced for 50 hours Hand washing is recommended for all insulated products $34 including shipping
We know our members care about animals and the environment—so we created our new reusable “Don’t Litter” water bottle with that it mind. You can show your support for FoA’s spay-neuter program, which has reached more than 2.7 million cats and dogs, while breaking the single-use plastic habit—a win-win for human and non-human animals.
$34 INCLUDING SHIPPING MATTE BLACK OR BLUE • Shows your commitment to spay-neuter and animal adoption • BPA- free, lead-free, chip resistant, leak proof and easy to clean • 18/8 Stainless Steel construction, custom-made by Klean Kanteen ® • Electropolished interior, a safe and non-toxic process • Holds 20 oz. Double-wall vacuum insulation keeps drinks hot for 20 hours and iced for 50 hours • Hand washing is recommended for all insulated products
