News About Animals - September 15, 2011

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Click here to view this online. September 15, 2011   Demand Public Hearings On "National Elephant Center" IDA again needs your help to protect elephants at a proposed Florida holding/breeding facility to be constructed by a consortium of Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) zoos. The National Elephant Center received a permit in 2010 to build the facility in St. Lucie County, Florida, but reasonable conditions addressing animal protection were attached to the construction permit. They included a prohibition on use of the bullhook, a steel-tipped metal rod used to control elephants through painful physical punishment and the threat of it. Rather than comply with this important protection, the AZA backers looked for a new site. To ensure that animal protectors did not interfere with their plans this time, they applied for permits for the new Fellsmere, Florida, site using a fictitious name. The word "elephant" never appears in their application and related materials. The center has received permits from the city of Fellsmere and from the St. John's Water Management District, both of which rushed through the center's requests. Neither held a public hearing in which elephants were discussed, thus avoiding any attempts to force the center to guarantee humane treatment. The center's management plans do not differ much from that of zoos, and include breeding and a "revolving door" approach in which most elephants will be transferred into and out of the facility, preventing the establishment of healthy social groups and potentially separating bonded elephants or even mothers from their calves. IDA is concerned for the welfare of elephants who may be placed at the center, especially as the facility would not be subject to the state open records law, so no information could be obtained about their health and welfare. And we are troubled by the close ties between at least two of the zoos on the center's board of directors and the Ringling Bros. circus. Click here to send a letter to the Fellsmere mayor and city council, and the St.John's River Water Management District, urging them to reopen the permit process and hold public hearings. IDA Helps Mustangs Return Home A family of nine rescued wild mustangs arrived safely at the DreamCatcher Wild Horse and Burro Sanctuary in northeast California (Ravendale) on September 11, 2011. The mission was funded in part by IDA. The horses were greeted by IDA's founder, Dr. Elliot M. Katz, who said: "These magnificent mustangs were brutally captured, torn from their families, starved, abused ... finally they can recover in protected care." Dr. Katz expressed great joy seeing the eight adult mustangs and one foal being returned to their native high desert lands. Please click here to read more, and to contact your U.S. Senators and Representatives, demanding reform of the BLM's broken Wild Horse and Burro Program! Meet IDA's Nicole Otoupalik And Hear Jane Goodall Speak At The AARP Convention In Los Angeles IDA will again be exhibiting at AARP's National Event & Expo "Life@50+," September 22-24, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. This is an extraordinary event attended by thousands of animal lovers, and we really enjoyed meeting so many of you in Orlando last year. If you are attending, please stop by Booth #1947 and say hello! We will have the latest information on IDA events and campaigns, and Nicole Otoupalik, our Director of Planned Giving, will answer all your questions. This year's exciting event includes Dr. Jane Goodall, renowned primatologist, conservationist, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and U.N. Messenger of Peace, legendary singers Tony Bennett and Lionel Richie, and acclaimed jazz performer Patti Austin. There will be exciting seminars, movies, exercise classes, dynamic speakers, headlining entertainment, and interactive exhibits. Come join us for this fun-filled event and learn more about how you can get involved with IDA. Conference attendees, click the AARP "x-tag" at right to go straight to IDA's exhibitor page in AARP's online event directory. Vegan School Lunch Box Ideas Equal Happy Kids! It's back-to-school time and parents are looking over hot lunch menus and shaking their heads in disbelief. Today's school lunches are notoriously unhealthy and if you're raising your children in a vegan home ... well, all those hamburgers and "nuggets" will make you shudder. That means sending your little loved ones to school with lunches that they will actually want to eat and won't trade away. Kids raised on a vegetarian diet have an amazing advantage: lower risk of obesity, cancer, heart disease, and other health problems that will plague their meat and dairy-eating peers as they grow older. These days it is easier than ever to raise kids who are healthy and care about animals. Click here for some simple and great ideas! It's on our blog, so you can post your own ideas too! Our Dedicated Animal Advocates Help Us Help Animals In Tough Times You think you got it rough in this economy? Most of our lives are still pretty comfortable compared to an elephant in a circus, a pig in a gestation crate, a duck on a foie gras farm, or a homeless cat scrounging around dumpsters for food. IDA's Animal Advocates provide the predictable, reliable support that is so vital to ensuring we can respond to emergencies and come to the immediate assistance of animals in need. Click here to learn more.   IDA women's fitted t-shirt, ultra-fine organic cotton, more colors available!   Our popular "Eat/Love/Save" shirt, says "Go Vegan" on back. Men's and women's sizes.     "Animal Liberation" t-shirt, long and short sleeve.     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.

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