News About Animals - May 12, 2011

Click here to view this message on-line in your web browser.

IDA Home  |   Action Center Home  |   Donate  |   Sign Up!  |   Tell a Friend

May 12, 2011   Elephant Featured In "Water For Elephants" Abused During Training Recently released video shows shocking scenes of elephant abuse by the owner and a trainer at Have Trunk Will Travel, a company that hires out elephants for films, TV, print and rides. In the video, elephants are “trained” with electric shock devices and struck with steel bullhooks, and a baby elephant is cruelly hooked in the mouth. One of the abuse victims shown in the video is Tai, who screams after being shocked with a powerful hand-held electric device. She appears in the recently released film Water for Elephants, in which she undergoes a vicious staged “beating.” The public was repeatedly and falsely assured that Tai was never mistreated. Click here to read more, see the video, and send an e-mail to those involved in the production of Water for Elephants, urging them to never again participate in productions that use wild animals. Foie Gras - Recent Victories And Updates IDA and the Animal Protection and Rescue League (APRL) have a long-standing partnership in the fight against force-feeding of ducks and geese to make foie gras. Foie gras is the diseased liver of ducks and geese created by forcing a wide tube down the birds throats and gouging their livers to up to ten times their normal size. Here are some victories and updates from across the country where activists are working hard to save ducks and geese from this terrifying and painful experience. What Are You Doing For Responsible Animal Guardian Month? Is there anything you are doing to help animals during May - Responsible Animal Guardian Month - that you would like to share? We would love to hear your stories! Please submit a short paragraph or two describing your experience fostering animals, volunteering at your local shelter, or anything else special you have done to help any animal in need (including your own companions) during May. We would love to use your stories in an upcoming eNews or for our Guardian Campaign web site. Please include a photo of yourself and the animals who you've helped. If you have written a letter to the editor about the importance of using “guardian” instead of “owner” and it was published, please let us know. If you convinced your local shelter or friends to stop saying “owner” or “it” in reference to an animal, please share your story. Send submissions and photos to anita@idausa.org. Florida Victory On "Ag-Gag" Bill A Florida bill that would have made it illegal to film and/or photograph animals on farms without the owner’s permission failed in the Florida House. This so-called “ag-gag” bill was a violation of free speech rights and an attack on brave activists who risk their personal safety to expose the horrible cruelty of factory farms. IDA thanks Florida lawmakers for making the compassionate choice to kill this bill. Hopefully now the focus can be put back on the true criminals - the animal abusers. If you live in Florida, please take a moment to thank your representatives for not supporting this controversial and unfair bill. Unfortunately, animals are still under attack in Iowa and Minnesota, where legislators are still considering bills that would subject whistleblowers to criminal prosecution. This appalling attack on caring, courageous people was addressed in this New York Times editorial.      Help animals with every check you write - order IDA Message Checks.     Need a tax deduction? Donate your car, truck, boat, or motorcycle to IDA. Click for more info.   "Go Vegan and no body gets hurt" shirt, men's and women's sizes.     Support IDA with custom greeting cards from CardsDirect!  This message was sent to sweetygirl2002@uol.com.br In Defense of Animals, located in San Rafael, Calif., is an international animal protection organization with more than 100,000 members and supporters dedicated to ending the abuse and exploitation of animals by protecting their rights and welfare. IDA's efforts include educational events, cruelty investigations, boycotts, grassroots activism, and hands-on rescue through our sanctuaries in Mississippi, Mumbai, India, and Cameroon, Africa. In Defense of Animals is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization. We welcome your feedback and appreciate your donations. Please join today! All donations to IDA are tax-deductible. In Defense of Animals 3010 Kerner, San Rafael, CA 94901 Tel. (415) 448-0048 Fax (415) 454-1031 idainfo@idausa.org To unsubscribe, please click here.

nonprofit software