Just when you thought you have seen everything… Jazz for Cows

I wonder how these guy came up with this idea?

This is a great performance.

Take note of how the audience gathers around and not one of them left during the performance.

Video:  Jazz for Cows

Support the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act

Seventy percent of antibiotics in the United States go to healthy animals at factory farms. This indiscriminate use creates virulent “super bugs” — bacteria that are resistant to commonly used drugs and dangerous to human and animal health. Congress is considering a bill that would stop the worst drug abuse on farms. Tell Congress to support the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act » Super bugs travel from the animals to farm workers and consumers. University of Iowa found that three-fourths of hogs in Iowa and western Illinois and two-thirds of the workers who handled them contracted antibiotic-resistant MRSA, a potentially fatal infection. The agricultural industry maintains they need antibiotics to help livestock grow to market weight. But this antibiotic abuse leads to the deaths of 70,000 Americans every year from drug-resistant infections. It’s time to put health first. Demand Congress protect humans and animals by passing this life-saving legislation » Thanks for taking action! Emily V. Care2 and ThePetitionSite Team

Stop Antibiotic Abuse on Factory Farms

Take action link: http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/AFUcq/zkmi/bhPGC

Posted:  Just One More Pet – Cross-Posted:  True Health Is True Wealth

USA: Stop Excessive Feeding of Drugs to Food Animals

Dear Animal Advocates,Championed for over 10 years by the late Senator Edward Kennedy, the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA) is a federal bill that would phase out the common practice of constantly feeding antibiotics to food animals when they aren’t sick. Large-scale livestock and poultry producers have become overly reliant on antibiotics. By keeping animals on these drugs all the time, factory farms can become ever more overcrowded and unsanitary while circumventing the disease outbreaks that these poor conditions ordinarily would produce. Therefore, curbing the use of antibiotics may prove to be an incentive to raise animals using more humane and sustainable methods. This is not only an animal welfare issue, however: it is also an issue of human health. Scientists agree that the overuse of antibiotics in animal agriculture is contributing to the increase in antibiotic-resistant human diseases. These illnesses are especially costly and difficult to treat. What You Can Do Visit the ASPCA Advocacy Center online to email your U.S. senators and representative urging them to support and cosponsor the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act. You may use the same link to read about this legislation in greater depth. Thank you so much for supporting the ASPCA and our nation’s animals. Posted:  Just One More Pet

77 Rescued Arabian Horses Aided by ASPCA – 400+ Animals Total Rescued in Texas

On August 14, the Humane Society of North Texas (HSNT) assisted the Denton County Sheriff’s Office in the seizure of 77 emaciated Egyptian Arabian horses, all living on the Renazans Arabians ranch in Pilot Point, TX. The ASPCA, upon learning about the case, awarded a $10,000 grant to HSNT to help care for the rescued equines.

A few days prior to the seizure, a visitor to the 40-plus acre ranch discovered 17 starved horses standing in several inches of their own waste and immediately called the Denton County Sheriff’s Department. Upon arrival, officers found 60 more neglected horses scattered around the property, in back pastures and locked in barns. In addition to being starved, the horses suffered from soft, overgrown and split hooves and sores from lying in their own waste.

“The Humane Society of North Texas has shown an extraordinary commitment and dedication to animals in its community, and this instance is no exception,” says Julie Morris, ASPCA Senior Vice President of Community Outreach. “We are glad to be able to provide them with support in their time of need.”

The funds will also be used to aid the group’s ongoing equine and livestock investigations and rescues—over the past 18 months, HSNT has taken in more than 500 abused and neglected horses. HSNT’s successful adoption program has placed nearly all of these rescued horses into permanent, caring homes.

“The rescued horses have been healing and gaining weight,” reports Samantha Laos, a supervisor with HSNT. “They are calm and happy and not scared anymore.”

The owner of Renazans Arabians, Gordon Dennis Key, 66, has been arrested and charged with one count of animal cruelty. He could eventually face 77 counts—one for each horse—with each charge carrying a jail sentence of up to one year and a fine of up to $4,000. Key was also ordered to turn over all documentation for the horses and pay $5,000 in court costs, as well as all expenses for caring for the animals during their impound. He is currently free on $10,000 bail.

———-

Almost 400 Animals Rescued From Texas Property

A business that has been operating in Sunnyvale for more than 100 years was raided on Tuesday, with hundreds of livestock seized.

Kearney’s Feed Store, a long-standing family business, was run by Earnest Kearney, 76, who was arrested in the raid and now faces charges of animal cruelty. 105 chickens, 79 pigeons, 41 rabbits, 35 horses, 33 goats, 27 doves, 22 sheep, 16 turkeys, 9 ducks, 6 cattle, 4 potbellied pigs, 4 guineas, 2 geese, 2 mules and 1 donkey were seized from what was described as rescuers on the scene as “deplorable” and “cruel” conditions. The allegations of cruelty include confinement with inadequate freedom of movement and contamination of drinking water with feces.

The Texas Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) has warned Kearney several times over the last few years, and they have now moved all of his livestock to their facility in McKinney after multiple anonymous complaints. A custody hearing on October 15th in Dallas will decide if the animals are to stay in the SPCA’s custody, in which case the animals will be nursed back to health and offered for adoption.

“Those businesses or individuals that profit through the sale of animals need to understand that the cruelty laws apply to them as well,” said SPCA of Texas President James Bias. “If these animals are found to be in an abusive situation, they can face not only having those animals removed, but also criminal charges.”

Posted:  Just One More Pet

CA: Anti-Tail Docking Bill Faces Vote–Act Now!

Having trouble viewing this email? Read it online in your browser.

Dear California Advocates,

California Senate Bill 135 would prohibit the docking of cows’ tails. The American Veterinary Medical Association and the California Veterinary Medical Association are on record as opposing cow tail docking, and the California Farm Bureau supports this bill.

The tails of dairy cows typically are severed without anesthetic, either by tying them off and letting the flesh atrophy or by simply amputating them. This mutilation causes serious problems for the cows, including distress, pain and increased fly attacks.

Moreover, the alleged benefits of tail docking—increased safety for workers and cleanliness of the cows’ udders—have been scientifically disproven. There is simply no reason to allow this cruel practice to continue.

What You Can Do
This bill has already passed the California Senate and made it through the committee process in the Assembly. It will soon be called to the Assembly Floor to be voted on by the entire Assembly—before SB 135 is sent to the governor for final approval.

This is a crucial vote and your voice is needed! Take a few minutes today to contact your assemblymember to ask him or her to vote YES on SB 135.

Visit the ASPCA Advocacy Center to email your letter.

Thank you for your continued support of the ASPCA and California’s animals!

Posted:  Just One More Pet

CA: Act Now to Ban Cruel Tail Docking!

Having trouble viewing this email? Read it online in your browser.
Dear California Advocates, California Senate Bill 135 would prohibit the docking of cows’ tails. This bill is supported by the ASPCA and the California Farm Bureau.

The tails of dairy cows typically are severed without anesthetic, either by tying them off and letting the flesh atrophy or by simply amputating them. This mutilation causes serious problems for the cows, including distress, pain and increased fly attacks.

The American Veterinary Medical Association and the California Veterinary Medical Association are on record as opposing cow tail docking. Moreover, its alleged benefits—increased safety for workers and cleanliness of the cows’ udders—have been scientifically disproven. There is simply no reason to allow this cruel practice to continue.

What You Can Do

This email is being sent to you because you have a state legislator who sits on California Assembly Appropriations Committee, which will hold a hearing on SB 135 this Wednesday, August 19.

This is your opportunity to be the animals’ voice—take a few minutes today to contact your assemblymember to ask him or her to vote YES on SB 135.

Visit the ASPCA Advocacy Center to email your letter.

Thank you for your continued support of the ASPCA and California’s animals!

All animals deserve to be treated humanely, including farm animals!!!

Posted:  Just One More Pet

Cow gives birth to calf with two heads

Jean-Baptiste Collard, a Belgian farmer, got the shock of a lifetime when one of his cows gave birth to a calf with two heads.

Published: 12:15PM BST 12 Aug 2009

The mutant moo-er has two separate heads but only one brain, meaning both heads react simultaneously and in unison Photo: BARCROFT

Mr Collard oversaw what he expected to be a normal birth with the help of a local vet at his farm in Flamisoul, Belgium, last week.

But he got more than he bargained for. The mutant has two separate heads but only one brain, meaning both heads react simultaneously.

It also has four eyes and two mouths but only one pair of ears.

Surprised Mr Collard said: “I called the vet because when my cow was in labor, I noticed the birth might get complicated. The calf seemed too big.

“The legs came out first, so we put a rope around them and pulled the calf out, as usual.

“But then the vet cried out: ‘It has two heads!'”

“I immediately thought: ‘what an exit present for me, I’m thinking about retiring and now this happens’.”

“After an hour, I could slowly give it a bottle of milk. That’s when I noticed both tongues react at the same time. The vet later explained this is due to the fact that the calf only has one brain.

“I hope it goes well with my new calf, I’m already attached to it, it’s like a baby to me. And I see the mother is also crazy about her.”

The mother and calf are presently both well but the future of the calf is uncertain.  But for now… the calf is loved.

Source:  Telegraph.co.uk

Posted:  Just One More Pet

ASPCA Experts Help Secure Puppy Mill Conviction

 

This past March, Dr. Melinda Merck, ASPCA Senior Director of Veterinary Forensics, helped secure an animal cruelty conviction by testifying in the trial of Kathy Bauck, operator of Pick of the Litter Kennels. The New York Mills, MN, breeder sells animals to pet stores and online—and has at times housed more than 1,300 dogs of at least 32 different breeds. Bauck was arrested in August 2008 and charged with several counts of felony animal cruelty, torture and practicing veterinary medicine without a license. On March 24, after a 4½-day trial and six hours of deliberation, a jury cleared Bauck of felony charges but found her guilty of four misdemeanors (one count of animal cruelty and three counts of torture).

In early 2008, a freelance animal cruelty investigator, Jason Smith, began working at Pick of the Litter to gather evidence against Bauck. Smith submitted testimony and videos of alleged abuse to Otter Tail County sheriff’s detectives last May. The videos included footage of injured, ill and emaciated dogs, as well as of Bauck dunking dogs in vats of insecticide. “The veterinarian working with the prosecution contacted me about one month before the trial started,” recalls Dr. Merck. “I was asked by the prosecutor to review all the video and case files and provide expert opinion.”

With a history of complaints and citations against her—including a 2006 cease-and-desist order from the Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine for performing surgery on animals without a veterinary license—Bauck is well known to ASPCA investigators. “Kathy Bauck has been a chronic problem,” states Bob Baker, ASPCA Anti-Cruelty Initiatives Investigator. “I visited her facility in 1998 and reported her to the USDA for violations of the Animal Welfare Act—but as far as I know, there was no follow-up on the part of USDA.”

At her sentencing hearing last Friday, May 1, Bauck was sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 20 days to be served right away. The other 70 days were “stayed,” meaning they will be served only if she violates her probation. The judge also sentenced Bauck to 80 hours of community service and ruled that if she plans to continue participating in operating the kennel, she must allow unscheduled inspections—and that inspectors must be allowed entry into ALL areas.

As the ASPCA says… “We Are Their Voice!”  Please report all suspected abuse or neglect of any kind… and to anyone!!

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• Victory in Pennsylvania – Landmark Puppy Mill Reform Bill Passes
• Doomed Dogs Get On The Rescue Wagon to Other Shelters
• Chattanooga: Chihuahua Movie Raises Puppy Mill Concerns
• Shelters Full of Chihuahuas
• Humane Society of the U.S. finally changes its policy on fighting dogs
• Manhattan Man Arrested for Beating Dog and Girlfriend

Molly the Cow – May Get New Home After Slaughterhouse Escape

Hiroko Masuike for The New York TimesMolly, who escaped from a slaughterhouse in Queens, got a reprieve and is staying at a Long Island organic farm.

Update:  Molly the calf seems to have escaped the slaughterhouse permanently.

On Thursday, the heifer — who evidently escaped from a Queens slaughterhouse on Wednesday before being corralled by police officers — was loaded on a trailer at a Brooklyn animal shelter and transported to her new home: a 60-acre organic farm in Calverton, in Suffolk County, where she can romp with a steer named Wexler and munch on organic hay.

“She is here with her new boyfriend,” said Rex Farr, who owns the Farrm (that’s the spelling) with his wife, Connie. He fed and watered Molly after she arrived at the farm — about 15 miles west of the Hamptons — on Thursday afternoon, and said he planned to leave her and Wexler alone to get acquainted in their small, grassy pasture.

“She can eat some good organic hay and hang around with a lot of her friends,” Mr. Farr said. “She can eat and sleep for the rest of her life. She is not going anywhere. The bottom line is she will have a very good home.”

In addition to organic vegetable farming, the Farrm takes in rescue animals, such as the six crates stuffed with young chickens that fell from a truck on the Tappan Zee Bridge last year; the pony from a 4-H club that lost financing and Wexler himself, who is about 5 years old, has no horns and was given to the farm after a private school closed its animal education program. There are goats, burros and other animals.

Molly escaped her fate on Wednesday afternoon when she was being unloaded at the Musa Halal slaughterhouse on Beaver Road in Jamaica, Queens. She broke through a fence that is put up as a passageway between the truck and the cow pens. She then dashed to freedom, with some of the slaughterhouse’s employees in pursuit, and went about a mile through urban streets until she was captured by police officers in a fenced area between two houses. She spent the night at an Animal Care and Control shelter in Brooklyn.

Richard P. Gentles, a spokesman for the animal control agency, said Molly had been seen by a veterinarian who estimated her to be less than a year old and between 300 and 400 pounds. She escaped when she was being unloaded at the slaughterhouse.

She was signed over to the agency by the owner, he said. “Maybe he is being altruistic,” Mr. Gentles said.

 

Molly the Cow May Get New Home After Slaughterhouse Escape

 

NEW YORK (AP) — A cow nicknamed Molly who escaped from a New York City slaughterhouse may have a new lease on life. New York police said the all-black cow got out from Musa Hala, Inc. about 1 p.m. Wednesday, a slaughterhouse where animals are butchered according to religious restrictions.

She wandered nearly a mile before she was corralled and captured by Emergency Services Unit officers. She was darted and delivered to the city’s Animal Care and Control, where she was nicknamed Molly.

Officials there are looking into whether Molly the cow can be placed at a farm sanctuary to live out her life or if she must be returned for slaughter. It depends on whether anyone comes forward to claim her. Animal care officials said a handful of cows in the past decade have escaped to the city streets.

Source:  Associated Press

Why We Foster…

Soleil – Recently, my wife and I drove out of state for a brief gathering of extended family. Our plan was to leave home Friday morning and to be back by Saturday afternoon. Our latest shelter rescue ‘foster dog’, Soleil, stayed at our house and two of our neighbors, who love Soleil and have helped us before, were looking after her.

We took our own dog, Abby, who was a shelter rescue a little over one year ago, to a nearby kennel where she has stayed before, both overnight and a couple of times for daycare while we were having the roof of our home replaced. Abby has come a long way in the past year, but she is still, and may always be, a very fearful dog. Obedience and desensitization training have done wonders, but the best thing that we have been able to do for Abby, and probably for ourselves also, is to welcome foster dogs into our home. In a short time, the fosters have really helped Abby to come out of her shell and we think that she enjoys being a “big sis.” We love being able to watch Abby playing with other dogs and just having the opportunity to be carefree. While in the company of dogs, we know that Abby is no longer thinking about everything else in the world that frightens her. While she is highly intelligent, because of her fear issues we do consider Abby to be a “special needs” dog and it has been too much to ask of a dog-sitter to manage with her at home, especially with periodic fosters to care for as well. We were resistant of taking Abby to a kennel for the first several months after we brought her home from the shelter. We did not want Abby to think that she was back in a shelter. At first if we had to go out of town, we either limited ourselves to day trips in good weather when Abby could stay in our backyard; or we took Abby with us if we could find dog-friendly accommodations; or we just did not go at all. But once we began taking Abby to the kennel (which was at first done by making short visits, then staying for a few hours, eventually for a whole day, and then overnight), Abby seemed fine with the concept. We are fortunate to have a kennel in our neighborhood, which is normally very convenient. The kennel owner is familiar with Abby’s history and makes sure that she gets careful attention and also does not encounter any “bully” dogs.

On the day of our planned trip, we dropped Abby off at the kennel around 9:00 AM and hit the road. We arrived at our destination around 1:30 PM. At 3:00 PM, the owner of the kennel called my cell phone (our emergency contact number). We instantly knew that something was wrong. I pictured in my mind an attack by another dog at the kennel. We did not expect that what had actually happened could have been even worse. Without much detail, the kennel owner told us that Abby had gotten away from them. At that time, we assumed that Abby had slipped her collar (which we had checked before dropping her off). The kennel owner went on to tell us that he did find Abby, and at our house! My wife and I were both surprised and proud of our girl. But the kennel owner could not get close enough to Abby and she ran from him. The kennel owner asked if we could think of any tricks or lures that would help him to calm Abby so that he could get a leash on her. At that moment, Abby had disappeared and was running scared through the neighborhood–through speeding traffic is what we were picturing in our minds. We were totally helpless and 250 miles away! As calmly as I could, I told him that I had just one idea. I called our neighbors and asked them take our foster, Soleil, out on a leash and walk her near our house. I also asked them leave the doors to our house and gate to our backyard open, hoping that Abby might just come in on her own and possibly even get into her crate, which is her “safe place.” We called on other neighbors to join in the search. We were doing our best to coordinate remotely by cell phone (with less than ideal service on rural highways). We started getting reports of Abby sightings further and further from our house. By this time, my wife and I were already heading for home, but we were still four hours away! We called some of our co-workers and friends who know Abby and asked for their help (of course our co-workers would not have left work early on a Friday afternoon, definitely not). Our hope was that the assembled “posse” could move Abby back towards the house, without driving her further away. We tried to direct some of the searchers to the routes that we typically walk with Abby. Within a few hours, things were looking grim. No one had seen Abby in quite a while. My wife and I were still helpless and hours from home. The search party began to tire and dissolve. Many had plans for the evening and some had to return to work (not that anyone had left work of course). A few friends were already making plans to rearrange their schedules for Saturday to help search and hang posters. One friend even filed a report for us with our city’s animal services. This person, who happens to be an expert in canine behavior, also told us that she really felt that Abby would find her way home again. We were grateful and knew that everyone had done all that they could. Soleil probably had the longest walk of her young life. Our neighbors told us that she was very energetic and helped to keep them energized. They eventually brought Soleil home for water and food and to let her rest in her crate. We told them to leave our front door and gate open. Another neighbor stood in her yard and watched for Abby until my wife and I finally made it home at 7:00 PM.

The owner of the kennel met us at our house and told us more about what had happened. He was clearly distraught and felt that we needed to hear everything from him personally. Abby was in an outside run at the kennel. She scaled a 6-foot block wall and chain link fence, walked across the roof of the building to a part fairly low to the ground, and jumped down into a service alley. She then started running full-out. One of the kennel workers, who did not know Abby, said “that dog is headed home.” Sure enough, the kennel owner found Abby on our front porch minutes later. When he approached Abby, she ran up our street, around the corner and the kennel owner found her at the house directly behind ours. He tried to corner her again and she ran back following the same path to our house. This time when he approached Abby, she ran up our street and back in the direction of the kennel. This is the point when others had reported seeing her. The kennel owner confirmed for us that Abby was in fact wearing her collar and tags, which was reaffirmed by a neighbor who had spotted Abby earlier in the day. This was somewhat of a relief, as well as the fact that Abby does have a microchip. The kennel owner told us that he had already placed an ad in the local weekend newspaper and was having reward posters printed to post in the neighborhood.

My wife and I were anxious to start our own search and we were quickly losing daylight. We knew that my wife would have a good chance of approaching Abby if we could find her, but Soleil was going to be my best lure. We left one of the doors of my car open in the driveway, having heard that might encourage a loose dog to jump in thinking that she could “go for a ride.” Our neighbor continued to stand watch from her yard. Finally on foot ourselves, and armed with leashes and dog treats, my wife went in one direction and Soleil and I headed off in another. We asked every person that we encountered if they had seen a dog of Abby’s description. Several people told us that they had not seen her, but that someone else had asked them earlier in the day. We were very proud of and thankful for the initial search party. They did a wonderful job, and on only a moment’s notice. My wife, Soleil and I canvassed a grid of several streets and alleyways. Soleil and I also worked our way into a nearby, large wooded park in our neighborhood where we have taken the dogs before. As all daylight was lost, so were our hopes. Then, my wife found some people who thought that they had seen Abby deeper in the wooded park than Soleil and I had gone earlier. Soleil and I joined my wife back at the park and began searching the trails with flashlights and calling for Abby. An expedition which would definitely have been terrifying to Abby if she were to have seen or heard it. Soleil’s part-beagle nose was working overtime. I wish that we could know if she ever actually hit on Abby’s scent. After a few more hours, we were losing hope of finding Abby in the night. If she was in the park, we prayed for her to stay there, where it would be relatively safe from traffic. Of course we could not be certain that Abby was ever even in the park at all.

We returned home and carefully searched the house and the yard to see if Abby had made her way back. Unfortunately, she had not. We began making reward posters, sending emails and pictures of Abby to everyone that we could think of and posting notices on local rescue and shelter websites, as well as submitting a lost pet classified at Petfinder.com. We also placed our own ad in the local newspaper, but not in time for the next day’s printing. Finally, we contacted Abby’s microchip registry. It is amazing how many resources are available 24/7 over the Internet. Of course, realistically we knew that we would be extremely lucky if any of this brought us even one lead, and if so it would probably not be for days. We put one of Abby’s beds outside, on the front porch and dimmed the porch light. Emotionally and physically exhausted, my wife went to bed. We fully expected to get up before dawn and start all over again. Soleil and I stayed up on the couch in case we heard anything in the night. Eventually we both put our heads down, but neither one of us could sleep.

Then, at 1:06 AM, Soleil sat straight up, looking at the front door. Four or five seconds later, Abby came up our front steps onto the porch, sniffed her bed and pressed her nose against the outside glass of our front door (a first from that side of the door). Even before Abby appeared, Soleil had sensed that Abby was coming home. I slowly got up and opened the door. Abby, rather casually for her, walked into the house. Thankfully, she was perfectly fine! Soleil, who is only about one-third of Abby’s size, immediately jumped on Abby as if to say “Where in the hell have you been…Do you have any idea of what you have just put me through!?!”

We are extremely proud of Abby for finding her way home, no less than three times, and at least twice while being pursued by strangers. Soleil was a trooper and searched tirelessly for Abby. We would like to think that Abby came home to my wife and I, but we both know that there is a very strong possibility that Abby was looking for Soleil the entire time and that may have even be why Abby broke out of the kennel in the first place. Because to Abby, Soleil was the one who was “lost.”

Soleil is a devoted friend to all of us and we will always be grateful to her for bringing Abby home.

If the circumstances were any different, there is no way that we could ever give up this little dog. She means too much to us, especially to Abby. But we know that it would be selfish for us to keep her. Soleil has more joy to bring to others. We also know that we can do more to honor Soleil by helping other dogs, hopefully many other dogs. But let it be known to all that Soleil is, and will forever be, our hero.

Humbly,

Jennifer and James Huskins, Little Rock, Arkansas

Abby was adopted from The City of Sherwood Humane Animal Services Department, Sherwood, Arkansas

Soleil was adopted from Little Rock Animal Services, Little Rock, Arkansas by Last Chance Arkansas, Little Rock, Arkansas in partnership with Mosaic Rescue, Saturna Island, British Columbia (with “forever home” adoption pending)

Source:  Petfinder.com

Abby

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