A monthly Magazine edited and
published by
Maria Lopes
- January 2005
Dear Friends,
We wish you all a happy 2005. In front of us we have a long year to fight for
the non human animals because unfortunately the abusers are increasing , the
atrocites never stop.
For the Animals
Maria Lopes
Coordinator of the International Movement
Against Bullfights
"Nothing will benefit human health and increase
chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian
diet. It is my view that the vegetarian manner of living, by its purely physical
effect on the human temperament, would most beneficially influence the lot of
mankind." Albert Einstein (Nobel Prize)
GREENLAND
Greenland planning tourist polar bear
hunts
Source: Herma Caelen, letter Mark
Richards
COPENHAGEN (AFP) - Greenland is planning to
organize polar bear hunts for rich tourists, who would be permitted to bring
back the bear skins as trophies.
The local government in the icy Danish territory
hopes polar bear hunts will help bolster the faltering economy in the
northwestern part of the island by creating jobs for hunting guides, Danish news
agency Ritzau reported Saturday. ... http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1540&ncid=1540&e=4&u=/afp/
20050115/sc_afp/greenlanddenmarkhuntingbearstourism Please write to the Danish and Greenlandic
authorities and Danish Royal family:
Office of the Lord Chamberlain Tel.: + 45
33 40 10 10 Fax: + 45 33 40 11 11 Email: Hofmarskallatet@kongehuset.dk Postal
address: Office of the Lord Chamberlain Amaliegade 18 Postboks
2143 1015 København K DENMARK
The Office of the Private
Secretary Tel.: + 45 33 40 10 10 Fax: + 45 33 40 11 17 Email: Kabinetssekretariatet@kongehuset.dk Postal
address: Office of the Lord Chamberlain Amaliegade 18 Postboks
2143 1015 København K DENMARK
Danish environmental protection
agency. EPA, 29 Strandgade, DK-1401 København K, DENMARK. Tel: +45 32 66
01 00, Fax +45 32 66 04 79 Email: mst@mst.dk
Government of
Denmark National IT and Telecom Agency Holsteinsgade 63 2100
Copenhagen Denmark Phone:+45 3545 0000 Fax:+45 3337 9299 Email:
denmark@denmark.dk
Greenland Home
Rule Postboks 1015 3900 Nuuk Greenland Phone +299 345000 Fax +299
325002 Email: info@gh.gl http://www.nanoq.gl
All
emails:
info@gh.gl,denmark@denmark.dk,mst@mst.dk, Kabinetssekretariatet@kongehuset.dk,
Hofmarskallatet@kongehuset.dk
Dear
Greenland and Danish authorities and Danish Royal Family,
I am deeply
concerned about Greenland's plans to actively promote polar bear hunting
holidays for tourists.
The ice shelf is already stained with the blood of
thousands of seals in Canada and Norway. Like the seals, the survival of polar
bears is already threatened by global warming.
Furthermore, those who
take sick pleasure in abusing animals for bear skin trophies can also enjoy
abusing humans. For example, anti-animal abuse campaigners are often attacked by
animal abusers. This proves that the violence of animal torturers is
indiscriminate. Studies conducted by by child and animal protection
organisations show that violence against animals is a precursor to violence
against humans.
Therefore, preventing animal abuse will, in the long-run,
help prevent violence against fellow people.
Thank you for taking the
time for considering this letter and I look forward to hearing from you
shortly.
Yours sincerely,
Name/country
Please leave your
views about Greenland's decision to actively promote polar bear hunting tourist
holidays with your Greenlandic embassy.
To find contact details of your
their embassy in your country, please visit: http://www.goabroad.com/embassy/embassy.cfm?embassy=abroad&countryID=216
Some embassy email addresses: UK: lonamb@um.dk, Germany: beramb@um.dk, USA: wasamb@um.dk, France: paramb@um.dk
Dear Greenland Embassy,
I am deeply concerned about
Greenland's plans to actively promote polar bear hunting holidays for
tourists.
The ice shelf is already stained with the blood of thousands of
seals in Canada and Norway. Like the seals, the survival of polar bears is
already threatened by global warming.
Furthermore, those who take sick
pleasure in abusing animals for bear skin trophies can also enjoy abusing
humans. For example, anti-hunt campaigners are often attacked by hunters. This
proves that the violence of animal torturers is indiscriminate. Studies
conducted by by child and animal protection organisations show that violence
against animals is a precursor to violence against humans.
Therefore,
preventing animal abuse will, in the long-run, help prevent violence against
fellow people.
Thank you for taking the time for considering this letter
and I look forward to hearing from you shortly.
Yours
sincerely,
Name/Country
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
PRIEST INVOLVED IN HUNTING
Source: ICABS
Yet another priest has been exposed
as being involved in blood sports. According to the Irish Field newspaper
dated 25th December 2004, a priest in Co Wexford mounts a horse and goes hunting
with the Killinick Harriers twice every week. Harrier hunting involves chasing
and killing foxes and hares; when the unfortunate animals are caught, the hunt's
pack of hounds tear them apart.
The report had the following to say about
the hunting priest. "Fr David Murphy of Cahoreigh Parish deliberated before
take-off, casting his eyes up to the sky, presumably looking for divine
inspiration. He only started hunting seven years ago. Consequently there are no
ceremonies on Mondays or Thursdays, the days the Killinicks
hunt."
Outlining the day's hunting (which was also attended by Wexford
footballer, Redmond Barry), particular reference is made to the chasing of a fox
which was sent running for its life from a covert: "hounds found a fox that ran
on by Dermot Days, running on to Jim Powers of Thornville, [then] ran on to
Mattie O'Briens and through Pat Esmonds, where he turned again at Ringaheen, as
if to retrace his steps back to Silversprings. Whips were spread out as hounds
split and were hunting hard."
This is the latest in a long line of
members of the clergy who defend or are involved in blood sport cruelty. In
recent years, ICABS has highlighted:
- A Catholic bishop in Co Galway who
allowed the Galway Blazers foxhunt access to his 70-acre farm.
- An
Anglican bishop in Limerick who claimed that "not much suffering is involved" in
bullfighting.
- A priest in Meath who plugged the controversial Ward
Union carted deerhunt on national television.
- Priests in Limerick,
Waterford, Kilkenny, etc blessing packs of foxhounds before the start of hunts.
This involves reading prayers from a bible and shaking holy water over the
dogs.
- Priests around the country participating in hunting and
coursing
- A priest in County Clare acting as chaplain to the County
Clare Foxhounds.
- A Cork-based priest whose greyhound won in the
national coursing finals in Clonmel and who described his involvement in
coursing as being "well intentioned".
Although acknowledging that most
members of the clergy are compassionate and would condemn cruelty, ICABS will be
expressing its disgust once again to the Catholic Communications Office that any
priest would find it appropriate to take pleasure in terrorising and killing
wildlife. Please join us by following the action items below.
ACTION
ITEM 1
Please contact the Catholic Communications Office and request a
clarification of the Catholic Church's policy regarding members of the clergy
partaking in blood sport activities in Ireland. Ask why priests are being
permitted to act contrary to the Catholic Catechism by involving themselves with
coursing and hunt clubs. The Director, Catholic Communications Office, St
Patrick's College, Maynooth, Co Kildare. Tel: +353 (0)1 505 3000 Fax: +353 (0)1
601 6413 Email: info@catholiccommunications.ie
Sample
Letter (If possible, please write your own original letter. Be assertive, but
polite, in all correspondence).
Dear Sir,
According to paragraph
2418 of the new Catholic Catechism: "It is contrary to human dignity to cause
animals to suffer or die needlessly."
With this in mind, I wish to
express my disappointment that members of the Catholic clergy in Ireland are
continuing to partake in blood sport activities like foxhunting and hare
coursing. Reports in recent months have confirmed that priests are still hunting
with foxhunts and attending hare coursing meetings.
Such priests ought to
be setting a good example to their parishioners and not giving their approval to
acts of animal abuse. I call on the Catholic Church to address this issue
immediately and to compel all members of the clergy in Ireland to disassociate
themselves from hunting and coursing.
Thank you. I would be grateful if
you would acknowledge my correspondence and I look forward to your prompt
response.
Yours faithfully,
Name/Country
ACTION ITEM
2
Please contact the following and ask why a member of the local clergy
is being allowed to take part in an activity which involves the terrorisation
and killing of wildlife. Appeal to them to ensure that a respect for all living
creatures is promoted.
Most Rev Éamonn Walsh DD Apostolic
Administrator Bishop's House Summerhill Wexford Tel:
053-22177 Fax 053-23436
Fr John Carroll Diocesan Secretary Tel:
+353 (0)53-24368 Fax: +353 (0)53-23436 Email: jc@ferns.ie
SOUTH KOREA
Proposed Changes to Korean Animal
Protection Law
The following information was supplied by our
colleagues at IAKA/KAPS on 19th January 2005.
"As you all know, we have
been recently campaigning against the Korean government's attempt to legalize
dog and cat meat trade through the definition of pet animals. Although we were
rather disappointed that the Korean government did not accept our proposed
definition of companion animals which would have established a solid legal basis
for protecting all dogs and cats as companion animals in the Animal Protection
Law Amendment,we were much relieved when KAPS was told that the Ministry of
Agriculture decided to drop the dangerous definition of pet animals.
Unfortunately it came to our notice that the Ministry of Agriculture is under
pressure to change its mind and may need to introduce a new definition of
companion animals as below.
" 'Companion animals are animals mainly
raised for companionship and emotional development, as designated by the
Ministry of Agriculture.'
"This means that the Ministry of Agriculture
will have the power to decide what counts as companion animals. If the Ministry
of Agriculture decide that companion animals are registered dogs and cats and
exclude dogs and cats raised for human consumption from the object of the pet
animal registration scheme they are going to introduce, this will effectively
justify the distinction between pet dogs/cats and food dogs/cats in the eyes of
law. We are very concerned about this development and are talking to the
Ministry of Agriculture to adopt our proposed definition of companion animals if
they intend to introduce a definition of companion animals in the
Amendment.
"That the Korean government did not give up their intention of
legalizing dog and cat meat trade has been confirmed by the fact that the
Ministry of office for Government Policy Coordination held a meeting to discuss
hygienic control of the dog meat. Without tacit approval of dog meat, such a
meeting cannot take place. We cannot but suspect that the government officials
were trying to discuss a possibility of legalizing dog meat trade after making a
legal distinction between pet dogs and food dogs. The participants in the
meeting included the infamous Dr. Dogmeat (a well-known fanatical advocate of
dog meat) and a representative from dog meat trade, a clear sign that the
discussion was never intended for genuine hygiene or environmental concern but
was held to please dog meat traders.
The Ministry of Agriculture assured
Sunnan that the legalization of dog meat cannot happen at least for a while
because there is no consensus for legalizing dog meat among the general public
in Korea and no government department wants to take on such an unpopular and
troublesome task. We cannot however take comfort from their assurance if they
keep trying to legitimize the distinction between food dogs/cats and pet
dogs/cats through a definition of companion animals. We are waiting for a reply
from the Ministry of Agriculture over our concerns. We will start another major
protest campaign and inform all of you if we suspect that the Korean government
will legalize or take serious steps to legalize dog meat anytime
soon."
At ITD we take no comfort from the soothing words of the Ministry
of Agriculture either, largely because we do not believe their claim that such
legalisation would not be readily accepted by the Korean people. The 1991 Animal
Protection Law was legislation designed solely to give Korea a facade of
respectability at a time when the world's eyes were focussed upon it. This
law has been an embarrassment to them since then, as is proven by the fact that
they have never paid more than the most cursory lip-service to it. Although
dog and cat eaters are still in the minority, we have certainly seen no evidence
that the Korean government has any intention of halting the spread of this
industry - quite the opposite.
We must not forget that under current
legislation dog and cat eating is illegal, yet the Korean govt has invited
proponents of these practices onto its working party! Their intentions could not
be made more clear!
In the past we have asked you to write emails to the
Korean government and Assembly. Their email addresses are however notoriously
unreliable largely due to their dislike of criticism. We therefore ask you
instead to contact the Korean embassy in your own country, asking the Ambassador
to forward on your email. The contact details for Korean embassies world-wide
can beobtained from Google or you may find it easier to use our engine
at http://itstheirdestiny.2kat.net/mainProposedLaw.htmlThe following is an EXAMPLE email. Please write an original if possible,
but PLEASE send it in your own language. This has far more impact than form
letters.
Dear Mr Ambassador
Please ensure that this mail is
forwarded to President Roh Moo-Hyun and the Korean Ministry of
Agriculture.
In 1991 your country took a step forward toward acceptance
in the western world by its passing of the Animal Protection Law. Regrettably
however, you have never implemented that law.
Refusal to enforce its own
laws brings shame to any nation.
The discussions that the Ministry of
Agriculture are planning with confessed dog eaters to introduce a clause
defining some dogs/cats as exempt from the protection of current legislation are
highly questionable - these discussions are to be held with self-confessed
criminals.
I know that the majority of the Korean people do not eat dogs
or cats and I am amazed that your government is considering the retrograde step
of legalising the consumption of these trusting companion animals.
There
can never be a distinction made that some dogs or cats are "bred for slaughter"
while other are bred to be Man's valued and trusted companions.
If Korea
is to be seen as credible by both the many millions of people world-wide and its
own people who are concerned about removing companion animals from the
food-chain, it must state now, once and for all, that the consumption of dogs
and cats is illegal and can not be tolerated in a modern civilised
society.
Yours sincerely
Name/Country
U.S.A.
Campbell Soup – Stop Sponsoring Animal Abuse and
Animal Abusers!
Source: SHARK
If you read Campbell's Code of Business Conduct
and Ethics on the company website (www.CampbellSoup.com), you might think that this
is a first class company always striving to do the right thing. Note for
instance the following statement from Campbell President and CEO Douglas R.
Conant:
At Campbell Soup Company, we are committed to
conducting every aspect of our business in compliance with the law and the
highest ethical standards. This commitment is a source of pride and strength for
our company and for every Campbell employee.
Sounds good, doesn't it?
Campbell Soup Brands and Products by
Area/Country
North America United States Campbell
Condensed Soup Campbell Chunky Soup Campbell Select Soup Campbell Soup
at Hand Campbell's Supper Bakes Pace Picante Sauce Pace Chunky
Salsa Pace Chipolte Chunky Salsa Prego Pasta Sauces Franco-American
SpaghettiOs Pepperidge Farm Cakes and Cookies Swanson Broth V-8
Juices Godiva Chocolates
Canada Habitant Dietcare Puree (line of
frozen foods for health care institutions)
Mexico Chile Poblano Flor de Calabaza
Europe United
Kingdom Batchelors(UK) Fray Bentos Canned Meats Homepride Cooking
Sauces Oxo stock cubes and gravy granules
Netherlands Campbell's Aardappel
Anders Campbell's Rijke Sauzen Super Noodles
Scandinavia Bla Band Dry Sauces and
Soups IsoMitta Touch of Taste
Germany Erasco Soups Lacroix Raguletto
Pasta Sauce
France Lesieur Liebig/Liebox Royco Dry
Soups
Ireland McDonnell's
Belgium Campbell Foods Belgium
Australia Arnott's Biscuits Campbell
Australasia Asia Campbell Brands Swanson Broth
Unfortunately, the reality is very different
from the rhetoric. Campbell, through its subsidiary Pace Foods, sponsors cruel
rodeos that abuse, injure and kill animals. The list of victims includes horses
and even very young calves.
More on Campbell Ethics
Campbell subsidiary Pace Foods not only sponsors
regular rodeos, but also rodeos that include steer roping – an event so brutal
it is allowed in only a handful of western states in the US. Perhaps most
outrageous of all, Pace even extends an individual sponsorship to a steer roper!
Just how bad is steer roping? At the December 2004 steer roping finals in
Amarillo, Texas, nine injured or dead animals were dragged out of the arena, and
one staggered out while bleeding from the nose and mouth.
Many rodeos across the US have few paying
spectators. This should hardly come as a surprise. People who care about animals
don't attend rodeos. With sponsorship money from big companies like Pace Foods
and its parent company Campbell, however, rodeos can continue to abuse animals
even without spectators in the stands, and that's just the
beginning.
Campbell/Pace sponsorship money also allows
rodeos to buy television time to air censored versions of rodeos that don't show
calves being snapped backwards as they are roped, or steers injured and dragged
in steer roping. Televised rodeos have injuries and deaths edited out too, all
thanks to sponsorship money from corporate sponsors like Campbell/Pace
Foods.
Our repeated attempts to communicate with
Campbell have so far been rebuffed. Campbell apparently doesn't care about the
humane treatment of animals, or the fact that virtually every credible humane
society around the country is opposed to rodeo animal abuse. We hope that you
will join other people who care about and respect animals in contacting Campbell
and telling this company to stop sponsoring animal abuse and animal
abusers.
Campbell should consider the opinion of the
animal protection movement, and the billions of people (Campbell's customers)
who care about animals.
Until Campbell agrees to drop its rodeo
sponsorship, we hope you will consider dropping Campbell products from your
grocery shopping list. Dropping Campbell products is the surest way to get this
heartless company's attention.
Communicating Concerns to the Campbell Board of
Directors On its website (www.CampbellSoup.com), Campbell invites people
who have concerns about its corporate conduct and business ethics to communicate
their concerns with the Board of Directors. We encourage anyone who cares about
rodeo animal abuse to do just that. Please ask Campbell decision makers to meet
with SHARK to jointly view graphic evidence of rodeo cruelty and to drop its
sponsorship of rodeo animal abuse.
Your concerns may be submitted by email to Mr.
Harvey Golub, Chairman of the Board, at directors@campbellsoup.com, or you may send a
letter to the following:
Mr. Harvey Golub Chairman of the
Board Campbell Soup Company Consumer Response and Information Center 1
Campbell Place Camden, NJ 08103-1701
You may also call Campbell Soup Corporate
Headquarters in Camden, NJ at (856) 342-4800 between the hours of 8:00 AM and
4:30 PM Eastern Standard Time. You will get a menu, but if you stay on the line
without choosing an option, you’ll get the operator, and you can then ask for
Mr. Conant. If you use the company directory, you can key in C-O-N-A-N-T, and
it connects you with somebody at Mr. Conant's office.
You can also communicate with the Campbell Board
of Directors by calling (800) 210-2173, the toll-free hotline telephone number
for the U.S. and Canada. This line is operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
An operator will ask you a number of questions, and you will be given a report
number, meaning that you should get some kind of follow-up.
The following letter is just an example letter
that was sent by Gary Loewenthal,please send your own letters since different
letters have more impact.
Dear Mr. Golub,
Your assertion that the Professional Rodeo
Cowboys Association (PRCA) treats its animals humanely is ludicrous,
provocative, and insulting. I'm usually not so blunt but occasionally it's
called for. Abundant video documentation shows captive rodeo animals subjected
repeatedly to 5000 volts of electricity, causing them to flail in pain when
finally let out of the chute. In some cases, PRCA veterinarians passively watch
the torture. "Torture" is a strong word, but you try seeing what it feels like
and then tell me if you disagree. So far no "brave" rodeo cowboy has used the
prod that produces the shock on himself; only on helpless animals.
Each year animals are killed and injured in
rodeos because the events are inherently dangerous to them. For example, in
rodeo calf roping the calf running at full speed (can you guess why?) is
violently yanked and slammed to the ground, instead of gradually slowed down, as
would be the case on a real ranch.
The PCRA animal welfare rules are a joke; a
mountain of indisputable evidence shows that they are flagrantly and routinely
violated.
Our family has regularly bought Campbell, Pace,
Prego, and other Campbell Soup brands in the past. We are compelled to boycott
them.
_____________________________________________________________
Who's sponsoring Iditarod dog
torture in 2005?
Barbaric dog-torture continues at the hands of
cold-hearted Iditarod mushers. Please help the dogs who are forced to run in the
Iditarod dog sled race by sending protest emails to race sponsors and promoters.
Here's a short list of what happens to the dogs
during the race: death, paralysis, penile frostbite, bleeding ulcers, broken
bones, pneumonia, ruptured discs, hypothermia, broken teeth, viral diseases,
torn footpads and lung damage.
Stories about the dogs receiving top-notch
health care don't square with the facts. Dogs are often sick before the Iditarod
starts but are made to race anyway. While some sick dogs are dropped during the
race, others are given massive doses of antibiotics to keep them going.
Below is a list of organizations that are 2005
Iditarod race sponsors, musher sponsors or Iditarod promoters. Emails are first
given in block form of 10 to easy the work of sending and then individually
under the sample letter. Email addresses with semi-colons in block form can be
found on http://www.helpsleddogs.org/sponsors.htm on the
bottom of the page.
BLOCK EMAILS:
martink@wyeth.com, jhallin@standard.com, info@standard.com, info@investcorp.com, john.leaver@hellyhansen.no, investorrelations@rccl.com, deknutson@landolakes.com, PATAGONIACS@patagonia.com, Shareholders.IM@pg.com, jhong@safeway.com,
investor.relations@blockbuster.com,
contact.privacy@mcd.com, alfred.j.modugno@marsh.com, gmorgenstern@att.com, wford@ford.com, john.devine@gm.com, Amy.Sherwood@Yum.com, Chris.B.Ahearn@lowes.com, Jgilbert@udelhoven.com, myer@phcp.com,
brad.bodenman@americanseafoods.com,
ir.dcx@daimlerchrysler.com, heyer@na.ko.com, NewsOutback@OUTBACK.com, info@workman.com, investorrelations@wellsfargo.com, marketing@mill-cop.com, kroger.investors@kroger.com, gisx@mindspring.com, phylbert@lanoga.com,
media@carnival.com, pubaffmr@chevrontexaco.com,
enterprise.comments@exxonmobil.com, leo.kiely@coors.com, chendricks@mcclatchy.com, employment@providence.org,
investor_relations@scholastic.com,
Customer.Service@cabelas.com, info@comtec.com, sales@gitsat.com,
info@annamaet.com, jdc@eaglepack.com, info@breg.com,
info@dogbooties.com, international@grabberwarmers.com,
info@blackwoodpetfood.com, redpaw@cheqnet.net, gene@motosolutions.com, steve.yager@nacs.k12.in.us, sales@edmundoptics.com,
info@adfinc.com, feedback@amnutrition.com, webmaster@arcticcat.com,
investorrelations@gandermountain.com,
sdougherty@cirrusdesign.com, rstewart@borton.com, info@whs-tools.com, MarkS@IcicleSeafoods.com,
wilderinfo@wilderconstruction.com,
publicaffairs@anadarko.com,
dawn.mccall@discovery.com, viewer@pbs.org, jmoses@elderhostel.org, gunter.thielen@bertelsmann.de, polson@randomhouse.com, mspring@wiley.com, ecousens@wiley.com, atpfeedback@avalonpub.com, jsisk@rowmanlittlefield.com,
IRglobal@goldprospectors.org,
pknauff@mail.valpo.k12.in.us, mgoad@ctsd.k12.nj.us, info@dhblattner.com, info@adventureunlimited.org, STEVESI@d11.org, rick@unitedrailroad.net, pat@seniorsojourns.com, sales@ophirgold.com, franchising@batteriesplus.com, rputney@grossmanchev.com,
info@multi-pak.com, info@royalcanin.us, contact@propacpetfood.com, beaversports@beaversports.com, info@mttravel.com, bill@billhansonattorney.com, ragnar.evensen@afgruppen.no, wear@wolfsongadventures.com, HCC19@aol.com,
scottz@PETPLACE.COM,
ir@alaskaair.com, wosport@aol.com, info@toofar.com, editor_1@achievement.org, presse@langenscheidt.de, chad.haight@sasquatchbooks.com, jobs@roughguides.co.uk,
marilyn.ducksworth@us.penguingroup.com,
mstewart@marthastewart.com, emailbag@timeforkids.com,
PLEASE PERSONALIZE SAMPLE LETTER:
Dear
Please stop supporting the barbaric Iditarod
with all the evils associated with it.
Mushers treat their dogs abominably. In the
Iditarod, dogs are forced to run 1,150 miles, which is the approximate distance
between Dallas and Cleveland over a grueling terrain in 8 to 15 days. USA Today
sports columnist Jon Saraceno called the Iditarod "a travesty of grueling
proportions" and "Ihurtadog." Fox sportscaster Jim Rome called it
"I-killed-a-dog." Orlando Sentinel sports columnist George Diaz said the race is
"an illegal sweatshop for dogs." USA Today business columnist Bruce Horovitz
said the race is a "public-relations minefield."
At least 122 dogs have died in the Iditarod.
There is no official count of dog deaths available for the race's early
years. Here's a short list of what happens to the dogs during the race: death,
paralysis, penile frostbite, bleeding ulcers, broken bones, pneumonia, ruptured
discs, hypothermia, broken teeth, viral diseases, torn footpads and lung
damage.
On average, 53 percent of the dogs who start the
race do not even make it across the finish line. Of those that finish, 81
percent have lung damage. No one knows how many dogs die in training or after
the race. A report published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine said
that 48.5 percent of the dogs who participate in the Iditarod have ulceration,
tissue erosion, gastric hemorrhage, or a combination of these
conditions.
Tom Classen, retired Air Force colonel and
Alaskan resident for over 40 years, tells us that the dogs are beaten into
submission:
"They've had the hell beaten out of them." "You
don't just whisper into their ears, 'OK, stand there until I tell you to run
like the devil.' They understand one thing: a beating. These dogs are beaten
into submission the same way elephants are trained for a circus. The mushers
will deny it. And you know what? They are all lying." -USA Today, March 3, 2000
in Jon Saraceno's column
Mushers believe in "culling" or killing unwanted
dogs, including puppies. Many dogs who are permanently disabled in the Iditarod,
or who are unwanted for any reason, including those who have outlived their
usefulness are killed with a shot to the head, dragged or clubbed to death.
"Dogs are clubbed with baseball bats and if they don't pull are dragged to death
in harnesses....." wrote Alaskan Mike Cranford in an article for Alaska's Bush
Blade Newspaper (March, 2000).
Jon Saraceno wrote in his March 3, 2000 column
in USA Today, "He [Colonel Tom Classen] confirmed dog beatings and far worse.
Like starving dogs to maintain their most advantageous racing weight. Skinning
them to make mittens. Or dragging them to their death."
Please end your organization's association with
this horrific race.
Sincerely, Name/Country _________________________
IDITAROD SPONSORS:
Wells Fargo & Company
Email:investorrelations@wellsfargo.com
Comtec Business Systems
Email:info@comtec.com
IDITAROD PROMOTERS
MUSHER SPONSORS:
The Ungar Foundation P.O. Box 752 Copake,
NY 12516
Harry L. McGinnis Middle School 17 Atther
Road Buena Vista, CO 80345 Phone: 719-395-7060
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