Posts in category: Animal Abuse

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A new state law preventing previous convicts of animal abuse from owning pets went into effect this month.

The Animal Prevention Ban applies to people convicted of being involved in dogfighting operations, hurt assistance animals or being cruel to a non-livestock animal for five years after their conviction.

Luis Quintanilla, Executive Director of the RGV Humane Society, says he is glad the animal possession ban is now a state law.

“The more that we can protect animals and the more that we can voice that as a priority, I think that is a really beneficial thing,” Quintanilla said.

He mentions he is happy with the bill and what Texas Lawmakers are doing for the people and their pets.

“We’re very proud that this is taking place and that hopefully will provide and afford a little bit more protection for those animals that have no voice,” Quintanilla said.

State Representative Matt Shaheen from Plano is the author of the new bill.

“We need to make sure that our animals are taken care of. We’re not going to tolerate any type of animal abuse,” Shaheen said.

Quintanilla says this law will not only help animals but prevent convicted criminals reoffend.

“If somebody has a callous indifference and complete lack of empathy for any living creature, that’s a danger for people as well,” Quintanilla said.

Help PETA Germany and Partner Organizations Save Animals in Ukraine

The invasion of Ukraine isn’t a catastrophe just for humans—the life of every animal in the country is at risk. Learn how PETA Germany and its partners are saving lives in the war zone.

For an archive of updates about daring rescues, heartwarming adoptions, and the teams’ brave, lifesaving missions, please click here!

“There’s no time to lose when animals need us” is the unofficial motto of PETA Germany’s Ukraine rescue team, whose brave members comb through the bombed-out shells of once-bustling cities, risking their lives to help all animals in need.

PETA Germany and its partners’ determination and grit have helped thousands of animals in Ukraine survive famine, injuries, and other traumatic experiences. PETA Germany’s volunteers put their own safety on the line every day as they deliver food and veterinary care and transport animals out of the war zone. Read on for stories of just a few of the thousands of animals who have been helped by this invaluable work.

PETA Germany’s rescue team risked their lives to drive to Lviv just days after the invasion of Ukraine began, a dangerous journey into a battle-torn country made even more hazardous by heavy snowfall and icy conditions. They met with brave volunteers who had traveled more than 300 miles within Ukraine from a shelter in Kyiv with nearly 90 homeless cats and dogs. Then PETA Germany drove the animals to Poland, a safe haven where they could be placed for a chance at adoption. Since this first rescue mission, PETA Germany has helped save the lives of more than 2,000 animals.

After hearing about the plight of Evgenia—along with her 3-year-old twins and their cat and dog companions—who thought escape from Bucha with her whole family was impossible, PETA Germany prepared to help them.

After Russian soldiers had left Kyiv and the streets had been cleared of mines and the dead bodies of civilians, the rescue team made the harrowing journey through the war-scarred country to reach Evgenia and her family. The perilous trip was long and frightening, but after almost 30 hours on the road, Evgenia, the twins, and the animals arrived safely in Germany.

When PETA Germany and its partner Animal Rescue Kharkiv (ARK) met Atya the dog, she was suffering on the street, cowering in fear in a puddle of her own blood. Her shoulder had been blown to bits by a barrage of bullets.

The team helped rush her to a clinic, where a veterinarian was able to remove the shrapnel from her wounds and save her shoulder. Although she has healed physically, she needs emotional support to help overcome the strain of her ordeal. Today she’s at a partner center in Budapest that helps animals recover from trauma. Thanks to PETA Germany and its partners, Atya is able to live in a pack of dogs who have helped her regain her confidence.

In Hungary, the team saw Lilly. She was sitting with two border guards who were sharing their bread with her. The soldiers told the team that Lilly was traveling alone—with no one to care for her. Her tail wagged, and she ran toward the team, allowing them to take her into their arms. After a friendly meet and greet, she jumped into the rescue van, where a warm place was waiting for her.

Since Lilly was on the Hungarian side of the border, she’ll have only a three-week quarantine at a partner shelter after being vaccinated for rabies. Then the team will move her to Germany, where they’re confident the sweet dog will find a loving family.

Fri, 08 Sep 2023 20:02:13 GMT (1694203333591)

f21546d3a7b92848c6890935ca4e2b625f015352

4a6d0bb8f30f1b6a167248fbd029e9fd6e7edbb4

by KATU Staff

Fri, September 8th 2023, 12:10 AM UTC

Picture of a horse’s eye from 2020 (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group via AP)

Loading …

At Cinecittà Studios in Rome, a giraffe and an elephant were recently caught on camera fleeing, seemingly terrified, from a studio building. An Instagram video shows the chaos as they run away.

The animals—who reportedly had been supplied by a circus—apparently bolted after being startled by music used for a scene. Thankfully, they weren’t injured—but why in the world were they there to begin with?

What Were a Giraffe and an Elephant Doing at Cinecittà Studios?

Soundstages, with their glaring lights and booming speakers, are a far cry from animals’ natural environments. No amount of preparation can help them understand what’s going on.

In nature, giraffes and elephants instinctively avoid interactions with humans, yet the entertainment industry thrusts them into direct contact with film crews, separates animals from their families, and forces them to perform difficult and confusing tricks.

Wild animals can be unpredictable because they’re exactly that—wild. No amount of training can ever completely override their instincts, and a film set is not a natural place for these sensitive individuals. The best way to keep our fellow animals and the public safe is to stop using live animals in productions altogether.

Following this incident at Cinecittà Studios, the production reportedly cut the use of live animals from the project—but they shouldn’t have been there in the first place.

Live Animals Always Suffer on Sets

For animals exploited for film and television, the suffering often begins in infancy, when they’re torn away from their mothers as babies. Trainers often abuse them so that under the threat of violence, they’ll perform on cue. As they grow older and become less valuable to trainers, they’re often abandoned at seedy roadside zoos and other crummy facilities. These nightmarish places typically neglect animals, deprive them of food and veterinary care, and confine them to tiny cages so that humans can gawk at them.

The Cinecittà Studios incident is just the latest example of why speciesism has no place in the entertainment industry. Our fellow animals have their own needs and interests—they don’t belong in film or television productions. Today’s advances in special effects make it easier than ever to create lifelike animals on screen without exploiting real ones.

Report the Use of Animals for Entertainment

If you see something on TV, in a movie, on a set, or at a training facility, please report it to PETA right away—animals need your help. You can also contact our confidential whistleblower hotline at 323-210-2233 or send a message to [email protected]. Requests for anonymity will be respected.

Our efforts to protect animals used in the entertainment industry would not succeed without the help of compassionate witnesses.

PIKE COUNTY, Ind. (WEVV) — A woman is facing charges in connection to an animal abuse case out of Pike County.

As we reported Wednesday, humane society officials rescued dozens of neglected animals from filthy conditions at a home in Pike County.

44News has now learned that 35-year-old Alisha Alka has been arrested on charges of animal neglect and obstruction of justice in connection to the case.

An affidavit says that Alka was reportedly hoarding dogs in kennels at the home on East SR 56 in Otwell, stacking the cages on top of one another and keeping the animals in their own feces and urine.

Deputies went to check out the home, and say they found several malnourished dogs, horses, a cow, and a goat in the yard.

When deputies made contact with Alka and went inside the home to check on the animals, they say they found more dogs in the living room, and stacked kennels filled with feces and urine. One dog was “covered all over with more flees than it had healthy hair,” according to police. They say all of the dogs were shaking and barking, and that their ribs and spines were visible.

In total, officials say there were 22 dogs on the property.

Authorities say they had Alka go outside to talk to them because of the overwhelming stench inside the home.

According to the affidavit, Alka said the animals weren’t vaccinated and that she did not have to vaccinate them. Authorities at the scene say they educated Alka on Indiana’s animal vaccination laws.

After authorities told Alka they had to take the animals, they say she called a local shelter and said she was going to be taking the dogs.

When humane society officials and deputies got back to the home, they said that Alka wasn’t there and that 13 of the dogs were missing.

Humane society officials were still able to take numerous dogs and farm animals away from the home. Authorities say that some of the animals being kept outside were found dead.

Jail records show Alka was booked on Wednesday. She faces eight counts of animal cruelty and one count of obstruction of justice.

By Emily Brown

Click here for updates on this story

    GENESEE CO., Michigan (WNEM) — Two dogs were rescued from what Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson said was a life of neglect and torture. The dogs eventually had to be euthanized.

Anthony Jackson bought two Bullmastiffs, a brother and sister named Papa Black and Momma Blue, in June of 2021.

The dogs developed pododermatitis, a disorder that is akin to a human having an infected nail, Swanson said, adding it feels like pins going inside the pads of the dogs’ paws every time they walk.

Jackson was told he needed to take the dogs to the vet to get them treated, Swanson said. He went to the vet, who told Jackson if he doesn’t treat the paws, and get them treated quickly, the dogs will be so incapacitated they wouldn’t be able to walk and they would need to be put down.

According to Swanson, Jackson didn’t listen and said he would find his own remedy.

In 2022, the house they lived in, which Swanson said was off of Fenton in the 12th Street area, burned down. Swanson said the insurance company put Jackson in a hotel room, but the dogs were forced to stay at the home in the backyard to fend for themselves for over a year.

“Three-year-old bull mastiffs. [Animal control] couldn’t even see them through the tall grass. And for over a year, these animals that had already been infected, whose paws had already been swollen and painful, lived in that backyard fending for themselves until they were rescued,” Swanson said.

Jackson’s neighbor called Genesee County Animal Control about the dogs. The dogs were rescued on May 30, 2023, according to Swanson.

Dr. McCormick, the veterinarian who works with the sheriff’s department, animal control, and volunteers loved Papa Black and Momma Blue so much. They knew the dogs were in so much pain that the only ending that would make sense was what Swanson called a graceful euthanasia.

“Imagine having your own hands and feet so swollen and so broken and bleeding and scaling off, that you have to live your normal life for over two years before anybody treated you,” Swanson said.

Swanson said there was no fix other than amputating the four infected paws. He added Jackson neglected the dogs and made them live a life of torture every day.

“It’s a disaster story that could have been prevented,” Swanson said.

Sgt. Jason White found Jackson. However, throughout the journey of trying to locate him, Swanson said Jackson refused to surrender the dogs.

White got two felony warrants for Jackson and he finally surrendered the dogs.

Jackson has three previous convictions for domestic violence, Swanson said. He is now facing two counts of cruelty to animals, killing, and torture, which are four year felony charges. He is out on bond.

White was emotional when he said Papa Black and Momma Blue were “two of the nicest, sweetest dogs you’d ever want to meet.”

“Even in the end, right before we had had to humanely euthanize them, they were playful,” he said. “They were in pain, they were in agony, but they were still playing and they were still loving. And they ate their dinner and they had a smile on their face.”

Swanson said the team who rescued the dogs pooled money together to not only humanely euthanize them, but to privately cremate them.

“And before they [put the dogs down] they got a big old steak dinner,” Swanson said. “They got their meals together and they watched and they celebrated, loved on these dogs.”

Swanson recalled getting a text from one of the individuals who said they wanted the dogs to have full bellies and know that they’re loved.

“Our hearts just don’t go out to those who walk on two feet, but those who walk on four,” Swanson said.

The dogs were euthanized on Tuesday, Sept. 5 since all treatment options were exhausted.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

For Immediate Release:
September 7, 2023

Contact:
Brittney Williams 202-483-7382

Iowa County, Iowa – A damning U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report just obtained by PETA reveals that an Iowa County breeding facility operated by John Beiler has been cited again—this time related to dogs with matted fur—for violating the federal Animal Welfare Act, marking at least the 18^th violation at the operation since 2014. Despite this pattern of repeated violations, the USDA has yet to rescue a single animal or seek any penalties against Beiler, so PETA rushed a letter to District Attorney Zachary P. Leigh urging him to have a veterinarian visit the facility with investigators and file appropriate charges against those responsible for the neglect.

According to the report, on August 1 a USDA veterinarian discovered three dogs with matted fur—a painful condition that pulls the skin tightly and can lead to skin infections and other health problems. Similarly, in October 2016 six guinea pigs were found with red and crusty skin and another animal had so much “crusted material” on her feet that most of her toes weren’t visible. Additionally, between March 2014 and April 2017, Beiler was cited on five different occasions for keeping animals in filthy conditions, including on “excessively soiled bedding,” among an “excessive amount of black flies,” and amid an odor of ammonia so strong that it burned the USDA veterinarian’s throat and eyes.

“Miserable mills like this one deny animals proper care and treat them as nothing but commodities,” says PETA Vice President of Evidence Analysis Daniel Paden. “PETA is urging Iowa County authorities to prosecute those responsible for this persistent neglect and calls on everyone to avoid buying animals from breeders or pet stores, which keep operations like this one in business, and to adopt from shelters instead.”

PETA is pursuing charges under state law because the USDA doesn’t render relief or aid to animals during its inspections and—as Beiler’s nine-year history of violations show—these infractions carry no federal criminal or civil penalties.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram.

PETA’s letter to Leigh follows.

September 7, 2023

The Honorable Zachary P. Leigh

Iowa County District Attorney

Dear Mr. Leigh:

I hope this letter finds you well. I’m writing to request that your office (and the proper law-enforcement agency, as you deem appropriate) investigate and, as suitable, file criminal charges against those responsible for neglecting dogs at a breeding facility operated by John Beiler at 726 Turnbull Rd. near Rewey. PETA hopes investigators will visit the facility with a veterinarian who has expertise in canine health and welfare so that they can identify any animals in need of care and opine on the conditions of and for approximately 70 dogs there.

Over at least nine years, a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) veterinarian has documented neglect at the facility in the attached reports, the latest of which was just made public. On August 1, the veterinarian found three dogs with matted hair. Beiler apparently attempted to explain the mats by stating that his operation’s clippers had “stopped working.” (In October 2016—when Beiler possessed more than 1,700 guinea pigs—six animals were found in need of veterinary evaluation for red and crusty skin and so much “crusted material” on one animal’s feet that most of her toes “could not be visualized.”)

In June 2021, the veterinarian found animals exposed to “rusted out and rough” feeders in approximately 37 cages, which “could injure” them. (Beiler had been cited for similar dangerous conditions in October 2016 and March 2014.) The findings in August and in 2021 may violate Wisconsin Statute §§ 951.02 and 951.14. The latter requires that enclosures for animals be “structurally sound and maintained in good repair to protect the animals from injury.”

You may also be interested to know that in August, Beiler was cited for the use of expired medications and—for at least the fourth time—lacking proper identification and/or records of his animals. Furthermore, between March 2014 and April 2017, Beiler was cited on five different occasions for keeping animals in filthy conditions, including on “excessively soiled bedding,” among an “excessive amount of black flies” and an odor of ammonia so strong that it burned the veterinarian’s throat and eyes during an inspection.

The USDA renders no aid or relief whatsoever to animals on site, and these reports carry no criminal or civil penalties and don’t preempt criminal liability under state law for neglecting animals. If you’d like to learn more about the agency’s findings, please see the contact information for its office in Riverdale, Maryland, here. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Daniel Paden

Vice President of Evidence Analysis

PETA