Tag: Dolphin Outlook

A dolphin demonstrates a performance with a trainer at a dolphin pool in Taiji, southwestern Japan, where visitors can play with the animals Monday, March 8, 2010. The Japanese fishing village featured in "The Cove," which won an Oscar for best documentary, defended Monday its practice of hunting dolphins as a part of its tradition. Residents of this remote village nestled on the rocky coast expressed disgust at the covertly filmed movie, which they said distorted the truth, though few acknowledged seeing it in its entirety. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

The Miami Seaquarium Debacle Continues with more Sanctions, The Taiji Hunting & Capturing Season is What Sells Them to the Hotels, SeaWorld’s, Zoo’s & Seaquarium.

November 4, 2023

by Don Lichterman Dolphin Outlook Sustainable Action News

The infamous Miami Seaquarium is unfortunately embroiled in yet another scandal as they face accusations of mistreatment towards their animal residents. According to a recent federal inspection report, the amusement park has been cited for a number of offenses including a patron’s hand being bitten by a dolphin. Additionally, it has been reported that the park endangered one of their dolphins by allowing it to ingest plastic and a chunk of concrete in an outdated tank. The park also came under fire for their treatment of other animals, such as a manatee being held alone in an enclosure with no shade and a dolphin that sustained injuries due to being trapped with incompatible tankmates. Many are now calling on Miami-Dade County, who is the owner and lessor of the land the park is on, to take responsibility for the surviving animals’ welfare by shutting down the problematic facility.

When Miami-Dade County officials provided assurance to the public about bringing a significant change at the Miami Seaquarium, they had reasons to believe that they could deliver on their promise. The facility was riddled with violations of animal welfare regulations. Some of them, such as staff-induced starvation of dolphins, caused emaciation of the animals to the point of performing for food. Others were much more severe, like holding dolphins that are incompatible with each other, leading to significant trauma that resulted in death. The officials pledged to enforce regulations and keep a keen eye on the facility, ensuring that everything goes according to plan. Even the lease transfer to the current owner, The Dolphin Company, was seen as hope for salvaging the park. However, the reality on the ground is much different – animals are undergoing suffering that seems to have no end in sight.

Dolphins are incredibly intelligent and social creatures. In their natural habitat, they exhibit a vast range of dynamic behavior, such as swimming long distances of up to 60 miles in a single day, diving deep into the ocean as far as 3,000 feet, and maintaining complex relationships with their pod members. It is disheartening to see such majestic animals being held captive in tiny tanks and being forced to perform for human entertainment. This is a clear example of speciesism, a belief that promotes human superiority over other forms of life.

Though the recent plan to move the orca Lolita to a seaside sanctuary has come too late, there is still hope for the other dolphins that continue to suffer captivity at the park. It is high time we recognize and understand the importance of treating each living being, regardless of species, with compassion and respect. It is our responsibility to end this practice of keeping marine animals captive and realize that their true home is in the vast open waters where they belong.

There is a growing movement calling upon Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava to use her voice and her powerful position to advocate for the closure of the Miami Seaquarium. This important step would not only have far-reaching positive effects on the wellbeing of dolphins currently in captivity there, but also send a strong message to society about the proper treatment of animals in our care. As many concerned individuals and organizations have pointed out, captive dolphins at the Seaquarium are not only subjected to a life of confinement, but also traumatic living conditions that cause them great distress. A shut-down would demonstrate a clear commitment to animal welfare and be a true reflection of the values that underlie our society. Our hope is that Mayor Levine Cava will listen to this important call for reform and take concrete steps forward towards a better future for these intelligent creatures who share our planet.

23,966+ supporters have taken action.

The feds cited the Miami Seaquarium for creating a stressful environment for humans and other animals.

The notorious facility was cited for apparently doing the following:

Having vacancies in vital staff positions, including veterinarian and vet tech roles, which left a single veterinarian responsible for the care of almost 50 marine mammals and hundreds of birds, fish, and other animals
Failing to prevent a dolphin from biting a patron’s hand during an interactive session
Allowing a dolphin to ingest plastic, sand, glass filtration materials, and a chunk of cement from a deteriorating tank
Failing to provide a manatee kept in isolation with adequate shade from the sun
Housing a dolphin with incompatible tankmates, leading to the animal sustaining multiple bilateral rib fractures

PETA is urging Miami-Dade County officials to shut down this abusement park and compel it to send the animals to seaside sanctuaries, where they would finally be able to start recovering from their lifetime of trauma.

Conscientious people should stay far away from the Miami Seaquarium and every other marine park that exploits animals for entertainment.

Not really “aquarium” related but I saw this and something really put it into perspective for me how terrible sad this situation is. (Lolita, Miami Seaquarium) : r/Aquariums If we set aside all other aspects and focus solely on one matter, we will find that the size of the pool wherein these majestic creatures, whales and dolphins, reside, is simply astonishing. It is indeed quite concerning how small the space is when compared to pools that many individuals may have in their personal homes.

One cannot even begin to fathom how these intelligent and social animals manage to survive and thrive in such an enclosed environment.

It is a matter that requires immediate attention and action.

As inhabitants of this planet, it is our responsibility to ensure the well-being of all creatures that coexist with us. We must show empathy and take every necessary measure to ensure that these beings are provided with the appropriate space that nature intended them to have. It is only then that they can truly flourish, and we can work towards a brighter and more sustainable future for all.

And, on the week of and days that are the ‘Day of the Dead,’ Let’s Help Honor Animals Who Died in Marine Park Tanks

Celebrated on November 1 and 2, “The Day of the Dead”—or Día de los Muertos—is an opportunity to remember and honor loved ones who have passed away.

Join us in celebrating by honoring Tilikum, Lolita, and others who died while they were still trapped in tiny tanks at marine parks and you can view the whereabouts of every Dolphin in Captivity.

peta-rapid-action-help-animals-fairs-festivals-2

Lolita, Held v. State of Montana, Utah Supreme Court, Juliana v. U.S., Navahine F. v. Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation, Survival at Stake: How Our Treatment of Animals Is Key to Human Existence, PETA town hall, Rodside Zoo’s, Kevin Cooper

October 27, 2023

by Don Lichterman A Whale of a Week Animal Abuse Death Penalty Focus Sustainable Action News Wildlife

Sustainable Action Now This Week

Lolita’s Necropsy Report Will Make You Livid—Take Action for Corky Now

The necropsy report on Lolita the orca—who was held captive for over five decades and forced to perform at the Miami Seaquarium—is now public, and as you’ve probably guessed, it’s not pretty. Don’t let Corky suffer the same fate at SeaWorld. WHAT LED TO LOLITA’S DEATH?

Click here for more Information About Whale & Orca Captivity

Our Future

The 16 young people we represent in Held v. State of Montana made history with their colossal win in August. Then recently, as expected, the State of Montana filed their notice of appeal.

We are now preparing to present our arguments to the Montana Supreme Court on behalf of our young clients and we are confident that Judge Seeley’s ruling will be upheld! Once the Montana Supreme Court rules, that will be the final word because state constitutional cases like this don’t go to the U.S. Supreme Court.

In an exciting update, we have made progress in our youth-led case in Utah, where we have submitted our opening brief to the Utah Supreme Court. Alongside our brief, several other groups have submitted amicus curiae, or “friend of the court,” briefs. These groups include the ACLU and ACLU of Utah, the American Academy of Pediatrics – Utah Chapter, Voices for Utah Children, Utah Moms for Clean Air, Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, and a group of 37 law professors from 25 law schools. Their involvement in the case shows broad support for our cause. We look forward to the court’s decision on the matter, and will continue to fight for the rights and future of our youth and the planet.

We’ve advanced our youth-led case in Utah, submitting our opening brief to the Utah Supreme Court, alongside amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) briefs by the ACLU and ACLU of Utah, the American Academy of Pediatrics – Utah Chapter, Voices for Utah Children, Utah Moms for Clean Air, Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, and a group of 37 law professors from 25 law schools.

In youth-led advocacy news, last month Juliana v. U.S. youth plaintiff Isaac testified at a virtual public meeting with the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council. Isaac urged members to:

Recognize that children have fundamental, constitutionally-protected rights to a safe climate that should be protected by courts.
Advise the White House Council of Environmental Quality and White House Environmental Justice Interagency Council to align their policies to allow youth, especially children within environmental justice (EJ) communities, access to courts.
Tell the U.S. Department of Justice to cease its efforts to preclude the Juliana plaintiffs access to their courts to seek judicial protection of their rights.
Urge Congress to pass the Children’s Fundamental Rights and Climate Recovery resolution that recognizes children’s rights and demands a climate recovery plan!

You can join Isaac in his plea to the U.S. Department of Justice to end their opposition to his case proceeding to trial. Contact the DOJ today and tell Attorney General Merrick Garland: Let the Youth Be Heard!

We are actively preparing the next wave of climate litigation building upon the win in Montana, including preparations for trial in Navahine F. v. Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation.

We also anticipate decisions soon from the courts hearing Juliana v. United States and La Rose v. His Majesty the King, as well as dates to be scheduled to appear before the Montana Supreme Court and Virginia Court of Appeals.

TIME named Rikki Held to the Time100 NEXT list for her leadership and determination to create a better future.
The Climate Change Leadership Institute presented Our Children’s Trust with their 2023 Climate Courage Award “for most commendably representing young people and honoring their right to a healthy and livable climate”
The International Center for the Study, Prevention and Treatment of MultiGenerational Legacies of Trauma honored Julia Olson with the Repairer Excellence Award “for founding Our Children’s Trust, trailblazing an inspiring path to victory and hope in the first U.S. children’s constitutional climate trial.”

Click Here for More information about Our Future

Testing On Animals & Wildlife

Tuesday, October 31
8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT

PETA is stopping deadly experiments on animals, and we want to tell you how!

PETA has been stopping horrifying experiments on animals since our very first undercover investigation into a dungeon-like Maryland laboratory more than four decades ago.

Today, PETA’s team of campaigners, scientists, and investigators is leading a global movement that’s preventing countless dogs, rabbits, monkeys, mice, and other animals from ever experiencing the nightmare of a laboratory cage.

This Halloween, we want to show you how—together—we’re stopping deadly tests, shutting down experimenters’ torture chambers, and promoting effective, modern research methods that don’t harm a single animal.

Please join us for our special PETA town hall meeting on Tuesday, October 31, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. You’ll get an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at our vital work for animals in laboratories—with three committed PETA scientists and me as your guides.

To participate, simply log on to PETA.org/OctoberTownHall at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Tuesday, October 31. We’ll send you a reminder e-mail shortly before the meeting begins.

Click Here for More information about Animals & Wildlife

Rodside Zoo's

Now that the “Worst Roadside Zoo in America” has been stripped of its filthy crown and shut down, which decrepit, broken-down hellhole for animals has taken the number one spot? The notorious Barry R. Kirshner Wildlife Foundation.

Since 1995, Kirshner has acquired over 100 baby wild animals from breeders and other roadside zoo operators. More than 80 of these animals were under 3 months old when they were shipped to the facility. From January 2021 through June 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture cited Kirshner 13 times—an average of one citation every six weeks.

Compassionate people everywhere are turning away from shady roadside zoos, and Kirshner is at the top of the garbage pile. Please e-mail its operator, Roberta Kirshner, and urge her to close this cruel facility and send the animals there to reputable sanctuaries. E-Mail Roberta Kirshner.

Then help other animals suffering in the entertainment industry: Take Action Now

Urge Greedy Dealers and Roadside Zoos to Dump Horrific Mt. Hope Auction

Animals at this auction have been emaciated, suffering from obvious injuries or illnesses, or even left for dead. One fox—who was given a number instead of a name—was trapped in a small plastic carrier with a broken leg and, instead of being treated, was forced into the auction ring by someone trying to pocket some cash. We already asked you to message the auction owners—now we’re urging everyone to take the next step by e-mailing the dealers selling animals at the auction. E-MAIL DEALERS AND OTHERS NOW

Click Here for More information about Animals & Wildlife

Death Penalty

Death Penalty Focus

Kevin Cooper

Kevin Cooper lawyers urge CA Gov. Gavin Newsom to reject
biased and inaccurate innocence investigation of his case

We wanted to update you on the Kevin Cooper case, which we have written extensively about over the years.

Cooper, who has been on California’s death row for 35 years, is asking California Gov. Gavin Newsom to reject the findings of an investigation into his case by the law firm Morrison Foerster that was released in January.

He included his request in a detailed rebuttal to the Morrison Foerster report. Orrick’s 77-page response (and an additional 364 pages of exhibits) methodically debunks the report point-by-point, and asks Newsom to appoint a new special counsel consistent with his May 2021 Executive Order.

Morrison Foerster failed to conduct an independent innocence investigation and has produced a report “riddled with a steadfast commitment to ‘stick to the script’ the prosecution has been peddling for the last 40 years,” Orrick states.

Newsom’s order called for an investigation into Cooper’s 1985 death penalty conviction for a quadruple murder in San Bernardino County in 1983. The instructions were to “conduct a full review of the trial and appellate records in this case, and of the facts underlying the conviction, including facts and evidence that do not appear in the trial and appellate records. The firm’s review shall include an evaluation of all available evidence, including the recently conducted DNA tests.”

But Morrison Foerster didn’t do what was asked. Instead, its report was shockingly and openly biased toward the San Bernardino County District Attorney and Sheriff’s office. The law firm relied on “expert” witnesses who weren’t experts, dismissed legitimate questions about evidence that had been destroyed, gone missing, and showed signs of tampering. It ignored documented Brady violations, and the pervasive racism surrounding the case, and failed to interview relevant witnesses.

Orrick’s report states that “Special Counsel’s Report is filled with confirmation bias, incompetent analyses, and conclusory statements that are unsupported by any reasoned analysis. Incompetently, Special Counsel did not seek to uncover significant issues bearing on Mr. Cooper’s innocence, including an improper police investigation, prosecutorial misconduct, and ineffective assistance of counsel.”

The rebuttal refers to a similar recent investigation of the Richard Glossip case in Oklahoma, another man sentenced to death despite similar credible evidence of innocence. That pro bono investigation, conducted by the law firm Reed Smith, involved 30 lawyers, three investigators, and two paralegals devoting more than 3,000 hours to interviewing jurors, experts, and witnesses, including civilians and members of law enforcement. The result was five reports that concluded that Glossip’s trial could not “provide the basis for the government” to take his life.

“This serious and comprehensive review. . . stands in conspicuous contrast” to Morrison Foerster’s report “that is devoid of even identifying what process Special Counsel followed. . . and perhaps most importantly, what witnesses he interviewed and what documents he reviewed,” Orrick stated.

“When Mr. Cooper was tried almost 40 years ago, law enforcement failed to pursue the multiple, concrete leads on all possible suspects in their investigation of the Ryen/Hughes crimes and instead utilized all their resources to pin the guilt on a man who is innocent. Special Counsel tragically repeated this senseless and grave error,” Orrick said.

As a result, Cooper is now asking Newsom to “select new unbiased and fully vetted special counsel to conduct such an investigation and ensure that such counsel has the requisite experience to conduct that investigation with professional, experienced, and qualified investigators.”

You can read Orrick’s full report here.

Click Here for More information about the Death Penalty

Animals & Wildlife

Survival at Stake: How Our Treatment of Animals Is Key to Human Existence by PETA U.K. Senior Vice President of International Affairs Poorva Joshipura is available to order—and the reviews are in:

“Survival at Stake may be the most fascinating and troubling book you will ever read. Tracing the path that brought us HIV, COVID-19, and other killers, it shows exactly how to protect against future threats. More than a wake-up call, it is an alarm bell for environmental and health risks, along with a well-mapped escape route. The real gift of this book is its optimism. It shows how the steps that protect our health and those that protect our planet and the animals with whom we share it are one and the same.”
—Dr. Neal D. Barnard, president, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Washington, D.C.

“There is absolutely no doubt that a vast array of diverse nonhuman animals (animals) are sentient and have rich and deep emotional lives. The important question is not if animals are emotional beings, but why emotions have evolved and why it is essential to pay careful attention to these well-established scientific facts in all of our interactions with them. We also know that caring for nonhumans spills over into caring for humans, and Poorva Joshipura’s wise words show that when we treat other animals with respect, dignity and compassion, it’s a win-win for all. Survival at Stake is a must-read for a global audience, and animals around the world will thank us for doing so.”
—Marc Bekoff, Ph.D., professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology, University of Colorado–Boulder, and author of The Animals’ Agenda

So don’t wait another moment—order your copy today! Order Here

Just How Deadly Are These Racehorse Auctions? See What PETA Caught on Video

PETA’s latest investigation goes “behind the screens” of the killing of juvenile horses at auctions, where the animals are whipped and driven to run as fast as they can possibly go—sometimes to their deaths. URGE AUCTION COMPANIES TO SPARE HORSES

Blind Cat Dies and Four Kittens Escape From EGYPTAIR Crates

PETA is alerting federal officials and calling for an investigation after an airline shipped more than three dozen cats and kittens overseas, several in broken crates held together with duct tape. HELP ANIMALS BEING SHIPPED LIKE CARGO

Bobo and Burt have apparently been defanged (i.e., mutilated) to sell photo op tickets by the greedy Banana Derby. In addition to being treated like props, these two middle-aged capuchin monkeys are tied by their necks to the backs of running dogs. Shockingly—and despite the inherent cruelty—the Columbia County Fall Fair in Georgia is still planning to host this heinous event.

In addition, the North Georgia Fair is hosting a callous show in which tigers are exploited by Felicia Frisco, who last year greedily forced tigers to endure the distress of traveling thousands of miles for six straight months. Urge These Georgia Fairs to Stop Hosting the Suffering of Wild Animals!

Click Here for More information about Animals & Wildlife

Rescue TV

Visit the SAN Rescue Network!

SAN TV

MORE CAUSES:

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Louisiana State Penitentiary, Arkansas Cummins Unit, the East Arkansas Regional Unit, Mississippi State Penitentiary also known as Parchman Farm

November 25, 2023

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Army / Navy

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Top Selling Products that Help Animals and Wildlife!

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Will Spear, Harvard University, Oregon Health & Science University, University of Massachusetts–Amherst, LSU, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Deaths in Prisons, Mother’s Cookies, a Fox Caught in Tire on Rescue TV at Sustainable Action Now & on SAN TV!

October 20, 2023

by Don Lichterman Animal Abuse Death Penalty Focus Private Prisons Sustainable Action News

Sustainable Action Now This Week

Testing on Animals & Wildlife

Without a doubt, there are no good laboratories for the animals imprisoned in them. Learn which university facilities are mutilating owls, sewing baby monkeys’ eyes shut, cutting into pigs, and more—then take action to help shut down this senseless cruelty.

For Information about Testing on Animals and Wildlife, Click here!

1. Harvard University

Newborn baby monkeys at Harvard University are torn from their loving mothers’ arms. Some of these infants have their eyes sewn shut, while others are raised by experimenters wearing welding masks. In both cases, the terrified animals don’t see any human or monkey faces for an entire year, damaging their development. This is the work of Harvard experimenter Margaret Livingstone, who conducts these depraved sensory-deprivation experiments to tell us what we already know: Being confined to total darkness is damaging.

A person bottle feeds a baby monkey. Their face is hidden by a black mask

In cruel experiments that have no relevance to human health, baby monkeys in Livingstone’s laboratory are torn away from their mothers and raised in emotionally impoverished conditions, without the possibility of seeing any faces—human or monkey—for a full year.

TELL HARVARD TO CLOSE THIS CRUEL LAB

2. Oregon Health & Science University

Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) is hooked on animal abuse, and it’s time for a serious intervention. University experimenters have given prairie voles the equivalent of 15 bottles of wine a day, and they’ve subjected monkeys to a plethora of abuse within the school’s primate research center. If that weren’t enough, PETA recently discovered that university doctors-in-training mutilate live pigs by using them as human stand-ins during obstetrics and gynecology residency training. They cut into live female pigs, dissect their organs, perform invasive surgeries on them, and then kill any survivors. OHSU apparently isn’t aware that humans and pigs have very different anatomies.

URGE OHSU TO BAN LIVE-ANIMAL USE

3. University of Massachusetts–Amherst

Tiny marmoset monkeys don’t experience menopause, yet experimenter Agnès Lacreuse at the University of Massachusetts–Amherst still zip-ties them into restraining devices, shoves them into plastic cylinders, and implants electrodes in their skulls in attempts to study age-related changes in human cognition. She removes the monkeys’ ovaries and uses hand warmers—yes, hard warmers—on these animals to mimic hot flashes. It’s no wonder that these experiments haven’t amounted to anything useful. The laboratory is only accomplished in doing two things without fail: killing delicate monkeys and racking up animal welfare violations.

HELP MARMOSETS NOW

4. Louisiana State University

Birds “born” on the bayou may end up dead in a laboratory, thanks to Louisiana State University experimenter Christine Lattin. Fond of kidnapping and terrorizing wild birds, she conducts experiments that have included feeding crude oil to birds and starving sparrows. In her latest tests, she injects chemicals into sparrows’ heads to damage their brains. She then exposes them to various objects, such as cocktail umbrellas and pipe cleaners, to frighten them and record their reactions. After this torment, she kills them and chops up their brains.

TELL THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION TO YANK ITS FUNDING

5. University of Wisconsin–Madison

Newborn baby monkeys were torn from the arms of their panic-stricken mothers. Frustrated monkeys mutilated themselves compulsively and plucked themselves bald. Stressed animals were forced to live together in small cages, resulting in fights and injuries. Babies were starved, and their limbs were broken. Animals were killed due to staff negligence. This is a snapshot of life before experimentation for the thousands of monkeys trapped within the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Wisconsin National Primate Research Center. If they survive these grisly conditions, they will then endure an array of painful procedures. As just one example, experimenters restrain monkeys and electroshock their penises until they ejaculate.

URGE UW-MADISON TO SHUT DOWN ITS PRIMATE LAB

6. University of Washington

Cut from the same soiled cloth, the Washington National Primate Research Center at the University of Washington (UW) is yet another ghastly monkey prison with a long history of animal welfare violations. Monkeys have been strangled to death, died of thirst, been mauled by other stressed monkeys, and choked to death on their vomit. To add insult to injury, the center also has a facility dedicated to experimenting on baby monkeys. UW’s other laboratories are also rife with issues, having let animals starve, suffocate, and slowly bake to death under a heat lamp.

TELL UW TO SEND THE MONKEYS TO A SANCTUARY

7. Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins University experimenter Shreesh Mysore cuts into the skulls of barn owls, screws metal devices onto their heads, inserts electrodes into their brains, forces them to look at screens for hours a day, and bombards them with noises and lights. In some experiments, he restrains fully conscious owls for up to 12 hours in cramped plastic tubes that prevent them from moving. In the end, he kills them. Since owls are nothing like humans, these abominable experiments do nothing to further the understanding of human disorders.

This owl is one of many imprisoned in Shreesh Mysore’s laboratory, where he cuts into their skulls and screws metal devices onto their heads in curiosity-driven experiments that have no relevance for human health.

HELP OWLS NOW

8. Utah State University

In a cruel Utah State University psychology course, rats are imprisoned inside barren metal boxes and blasted with random bursts of bright light while being trained to push a lever to receive food pellets. Although the course had previously used an effective and humane “online rat simulator,” the university made the backward decision to torment animals instead.

TAKE ACTION FOR RATS

9. Simpson College

Simpson College in Iowa also imprisons rats inside tiny boxes. In a psychology course, students attempt to train them to push a lever to receive a drop of flavored water. After the course ends, the rats who don’t get adopted are killed.

“None of us really like talking about that too much,” Don Evans, Simpson’s chair of psychology, said publicly.

Illustration featuring the Skinner box scheme

By Original: AndreasJS Vector: Pixelsquid – This file was derived from: Skinner box scheme 01.png: by AndreasJS, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=99322433

Yeah, don’t worry, we’ll do that for you. We’ll keep talking about this until the university ditches this cruel curriculum and switches to effective, non-animal methods.

URGE SIMPSON TO LEAVE ANIMALS ALONE

10. Lackeys bankrolled by the U.S. Navy: Duke University, University of California–San Diego, University of Maryland–Baltimore, and University of South Florida

The U.S. Navy pays these four universities to do its dirty work and conduct sickening decompression experiments on animals. In tests at the University of California–San Diego and Duke University, experimenters force rats and mice to run on a treadmill and electroshock them if they can’t keep up. Experimenters also lock them inside pressure chambers and induce seizures in baby mice. At the University of Maryland–Baltimore, experimenters lock mice in decompression chambers, probe their rectums, drill into their skulls, and inject chemicals into their brains and eyes. At the University of South Florida, experimenters cut open rats and run wires through their bodies, induce seizures in them, and drill into their skulls. In the end, experimenters at all four universities kill the animals—sometimes by bleeding or gassing them to death.

This doomed animal in a hyperbaric chamber is one of the countless rats who University of South Florida experimenter Jay Dean has used to supposedly study oxygen toxicity in humans, even though human-relevant, animal-free methods are widely available.

TELL THE NAVY TO SINK THESE TESTS

Looking to Do Even More?

PETA’s Research Modernization Deal is a comprehensive plan to phase out all animal experimentation in favor of modern, human-relevant methods. Please voice your support today.

For Information about Testing on Animals and Wildlife, Click here!

Private Prisons

Over the course of the past two years, the City of St. Louis has exhibited an alarming trend within its correctional facilities. Shockingly, at least 10 individuals, who were fathers, brothers, uncles, and sons to their loved ones, have passed away while being held in the jurisdiction’s jails. To make matters even worse, three of these men lost their lives in the last 90 days alone. This disheartening revelation serves as a stark reminder that jail facilities should never be facilities of punishment to the extent that individuals are losing their lives. Of the ten deceased individuals in question, it is important to note that they were not even convicted of the alleged crimes that landed them in incarceration in the first place. This grievous situation demands immediate attention and action to ensure that preventable deaths are not permitted to continue.

EJUSA, with other partners on the ground in St. Louis, is demanding accountability and transparency about what is happening inside St. Louis’ so-called “Justice Center.” Please join us!

The harsh reality is that incarceration is not the solution to our problems. We cannot forget that when we lock someone away in jail, we are effectively isolating them from the rest of society, and subjecting them to unbearable shame and trauma. This experience often makes it difficult for them to reintegrate back into the community, and often fuels the cycle of violence that leads them right back to where they started.

It’s important to recognize that instead of incarcerating individuals, we should be investing in programs that are dedicated to tackling the root causes of violence. By focusing on programs that empower communities and foster healing from past traumatic experiences, we can truly build safer societies.

As a society, we must come together to transform the current criminal legal system and put an end to mass incarceration. This begins by recognizing that we need to do what’s best for all members of our communities, and work towards providing them with the support they need to heal and thrive.

Demanding individuals don’t die while awaiting trial is the absolute bare minimum.

Please join us and others on the ground in St. Louis to demand that conditions inside city jail be improved, those in positions of authority are held accountable for these deaths, and that no more innocent people die awaiting trial.

We demand the following:

1. Jail warden Jennifer Clemons-Abdullah must resign or be fired.
2. The Detention Facilities Oversight Board must be given immediate and unfettered access to do its work.
3. There must be a full transformation of the city’s jail policies and practices including ceasing the use of chemical spray, 23 hour lockdown, adequate and sanitary conditions in the jail.
4. All information regarding jail conditions, practices, and policy changes must be shared transparently with the public. Anything less than these changes is unacceptable.

Learn more about private prisons, the Innocence Project, and the criminal justice system.

Animals & Wildlife Promoted in Circuses

It has recently come to light that the Ferrero North America brand Mother’s Cookies has displayed insensitivity towards the harm that animals face when they are exploited and subjected to cruel treatment in circuses. The packaging of these cookies depicts images of elephants, camels, and lions as “circus animals”, which unfortunately contributes to the harmful ideology of speciesism. This derogatory language conveys the message that using animals for human enjoyment is acceptable and perpetuates a cycle of cruelty. The depiction of animals in such a manner is offensive and can further desensitize people to the fact that animals have feelings and deserve to be treated with respect and kindness. This messaging runs counter to the belief of many people who recognize the importance of animal rights and strive to promote ethical practices.

The treatment of animals in circuses is not something that should be taken lightly. It is a deeply concerning issue, which sadly involves the horrendous and inhumane practices of separating babies from their mothers, confining them in cages or chaining them up. These animals are forced to endure a constant state of fear and anxiety, knowing that any moment they may be subjected to brutality and torture wielded by the cruel and often heartless hands of the circus trainers. Forced to perform acts that are unnatural to their species, such as balancing on balls, spinning on pedestals, walking on two legs, and even riding bicycles, these animals are robbed of their fundamental freedom to live their lives according to their own natural instincts. It is a travesty that Mother’s Cookies would turn a blind eye to this suffering, and it is high time that we as a society stand up for animal rights and give these creatures the respect, dignity, and care they deserve.

Just last year, Dukal Corporation stopped making bandages featuring images of animals in circuses, joining Nabisco, which redesigned its animal crackers box, and Trader Joe’s, which redesigned several packages to no longer feature images of elephants in circus settings or performing circus-style tricks. Hundreds of venues and dozens of communities nationwide have banned or restricted circuses with animals. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus returned without using living, feeling beings, and UniverSoul Circus has ditched its cruel animal acts.

Please use the form to urge Ferrero North America to stop promoting animal circuses on its Mother’s Cookies packaging and to be truly animal-friendly by ditching the dairy and confectioner’s glaze—which comes from insects—in its products.

Death Penalty

Will Spear

Just three and a half months ago, Texas named Will Speer as the first Inmate Coordinator for the Death Row Faith Based Program. Now, the State plans to execute him on October 26, 2023.

Will Speer is one of the original members of a voluntary, immersive evangelical Christian program for people incarcerated on Texas death row.

Through the program, Will has deeply studied the way of Christ and recommitted his life to Him. He has developed deep faith in God and grown to feel sincere remorse for the violent acts of his past. His newfound relationship with God and the tools he learned in the program have enabled him to heal from the trauma, neglect, and abuse he experienced as a child.

Will now ministers to others who are incarcerated, carrying a message of healing, redemption, and love to people in Texas’s prisons.

Despite all that Will overcame and the positive impact he is making in his historic new role as the first Coordinator for the Faith Based Program, the State plans to execute him in a little over a month. If allowed to live, Will wants to devote the rest of his days to serving as a prison minister.

Our Future

“If you want more young people in office, why do you support Joe Biden?”

The answer is that we aren’t against older people in government. We just want to make sure younger people are represented at a level that more closely reflects our population, too. Given the unique issues facing young people today, it’s pretty important that we have leaders who understand where we’re coming from!

Make sure to read more, and then please be a part of electing young leaders all over the country.

Since we launched Leaders We Deserve, there is one question that I keep getting asked. It’s a question I’ve been getting asked regularly since I started my activism with March For Our Lives, where we were an organization run by young people.

“If you want more young people in office — Why do you support Joe Biden?”

Leaders We Deserve is not about young people vs. old people — it’s always been about making sure Gen Z and Millennials have representation that reflects that we make up a third of the country’s population.

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