News About Animals - December 1, 2011

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Click here to view this online. December 1, 2011 Support New Animal Protection Law For India The animal protection law in India - the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act - was first passed in 1960, and few amendments have been made since. According to our colleagues in India, it is woefully outdated, with tiny fines, and not at all a deterrent to anyone who is cruel to animals. A new bill has been drafted by the Animal Welfare Board of India to replace the original Act, but the government is dragging its feet on this issue. And now, unfortunately, a competing, unacceptable version is circulating, drafted without the participation of the Animal Welfare Board. Please click here to send an e-mail to the Prime Minister and other officials. Tell them to support and enact the bill drafted by the Animal Welfare Board of India. This Holiday Season, Give The Gift That Helps Animals  Make a donation to IDA as your gift to a friend, co-worker, or family member this holiday season, and we will mail a festive card to the person or family you designate. Just click here, tell us who to send the holiday card to, and cross one name (or more) off your gift list! No waiting in lines! Tell USDA: No Permit For Pseudo-sanctuary For Solitary Elephant  Despite pleas from Maine citizens, experts from around the world, and actor Lily Tomlin, a veterinarian is moving forward with his plan to bring a lone elephant named Rosie to live in a backyard "sanctuary" that is anything but a refuge for this elephant. But some hurdles remain that can stop this misguided plan. Jim Laurita, a long-time friend to circuses, still has to secure a permit from the USDA in order to exhibit Rosie. While he claims to want to help her – she suffers severe arthritis – veterinarians experienced in working with elephants state that the therapies he would provide cannot overcome the ill effects of keeping Rosie confined indoors to a tiny pen for much of the year due to cold weather and snow. Click here to read more, then send a fax to the USDA. Fur Free Friday A Huge Success Hundreds of activists turned out on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, to raise our collective voice for fur-bearing animals. IDA played a major role in organizing actions both large and small, and advocates for animals in more than 100 cities marked this iconic holiday shopping day with a strong message of compassion. This year's international day of action made news from Beverly Hills to New York City and around the globe, covered by mainstream media, independent news sources and diverse voices throughout the blogosphere. We'll have a full report in next week's eNews, but for now here are a few media stories to view from NBC in San Francisco, Oregon Live in Portland, KSBY in San Luis Obispo, NBC in New York, and some excellent HD raw demo footage from an independent film producer. Elephant News - IDA Finds Dumbo, And USDA Fines Ringling Bros. You may remember Dumbo, the African elephant pictured here who killed a handler at a Pennsylvania Shrine Circus in April 2010 and then disappeared from view. IDA was persistent in our search for Dumbo, filing complaints and repeatedly demanding the USDA investigate her welfare, and sparking an investigation into the Shrine incident. We can finally report that Dumbo was relocated to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado, where she is now known as Jambo. While IDA would have preferred she spend her life in a natural habitat sanctuary, we are pleased that she will no longer be forced to give rides, endure the intense confinement of travel, or perform tricks at the point of a bullhook. And she now lives with three African elephants, ending years of solitude. In other news, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus owner Feld Entertainment, Inc., will pay the biggest circus fine in history, $270,000, to settle citations stemming from numerous violations of the Animal Welfare Act over the past three years. Citations included forcing a sick elephant to perform, failure to safely handle an elephant who escaped, and using the same container to carry the tigers' food and their waste. IDA continues to monitor circuses, file complaints on welfare violations, and educate the public about the suffering of animals in circuses. In July we co-organized the largest circus protest ever against Ringling, drawing 500 people in Los Angeles. For more information please visit www.helpelephants.com. Carry your lunch or laptop in style with our spacious messenger bag! More new merchandise. Aprons, clocks, mugs, all with IDA's logo.   Organic cotton Guardian Tote Bag from EcoJoia on sale! Click here to see our new women's fitted, organic cotton shirts. Help elephants in Africa. Click here to see how. 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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