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2007
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For
Immediate Release: July 11, 2008
The Ugly Side of the Miss Florida USA
Pageant
(Davie)
– The
Animal Rights Foundation of Florida (ARFF) will be a voice for
the millions of animals sacrificed to the fur industry outside
of the 2009 Miss Florida USA Pageant.
WHEN:
Friday,
July 12th at 6:00pm
WHERE: Broward Community College's Bailey Hall (main entrance),
3501 South West Davie Road, Davie
On
July 12th contestants from across the state will be competing
in the 2009 Miss Florida USA pageant. Prizes range from cash to
television appearances, yet at an event dedicated to beauty and
grace, one prize stands out for its ugly and barbaric qualities.
The
Fur Information Council of America (FICA) is a long-time sponsor
of the annual pageant. The Miss Florida USA website features contestants
modeling fur coats designed by FICA, who claim fur is "the
fabric of choice." Those
who wear fur trim and fur coats are certainly making a choice–
to have the blood of mink, foxes and other animals on their hands.
Animals on
fur farms spend their lives in tiny cages only to be killed by
one of several inhumane methods, or even worse– to be skinned
alive. Animals trapped in the wild may languish for days in traps
before they die or are killed.
Currently,
federal law does not protect any of these animals. By allowing
FICA to continue sponsoring the pageant, Miss Florida USA is unavoidably
supporting the inhumane practices of the industry. With many wonderful,
modern and cruelty-free prize options available, there is no place
for the skins of dead, tortured animals.
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For
Immediate Release: May 21, 2008
“Death” Makes
an Appearance at Dog Track Grand Opening
(Daytona Beach) – Members
of the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida (ARFF) will gather
outside the entrance to the new Daytona Beach Kennel Club to shed
light on a cruel industry: greyhound racing. The protest will
feature an activist dressed as “Death,” to remind
bettors of the thousands of racing greyhounds killed each year
in the United States.
The abuse and neglect of racing
greyhounds is common at kennels and tracks in Florida. There have
been numerous reports of dogs subjected to cruel treatment, suffering
injuries while racing, and of ex-racing dogs being abandoned.
For example, in August 2007 three greyhounds died of heat exhaustion
at the Daytona Beach Kennel Club. The dog’s trainer had
his license suspended after three other dogs under his care tested
positive for traces of cocaine (the drug is believed to enhance
performance).
“Poker games are the focus
of the Kennel Club’s new facility,” said Carla Wilson,
ARFF Coordinator. “It is undeniable that Floridians have
lost interest in dog racing. We’re looking forward to the
day when the last greyhound races in Daytona Beach.”
DATE: Friday, May 23
TIME: 6:30pm
PLACE: Daytona Beach Kennel
Club, 960 South Williamson Blvd., Daytona Beach
When greyhounds do not run profitably,
due to injury or age, they are of little use to the racing industry.
Thousands of greyhounds are killed each year in the United States.
The “fortunate” ones are killed humanely. It is common
for losing dogs to be shot or abandoned.
To ensure a constant supply of
new racers, more than 25,000 dogs are bred each year in the United
States. Some unwanted greyhounds are rescued by adoption organizations,
but there are simply not enough homes for them all. At least 5,000
former racing greyhounds are killed each year.
Even for winning dogs, the realities
of kennel life are shameful. Racing greyhounds spend most of their
lives— 18 to 20 hours a day— confined in cramped crates
with little human contact
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For
Immediate Release: March 25, 2008
Shriners
Annual Convention Draws Ire
(Orlando)
– Activists
from the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida (ARFF) will highlight
the painful truth behind Shrine circus fundraisers with a protest
during the Florida Shrine Association’s 2008 Convention.
WHEN: Thursday, May 1st at 10:30am
WHERE: Bahia Shrine Center - 2300 Pembrook Drive, Orlando
Shrine circuses have deplorable
records of animal abuse and human safety violations. Because the
Shriners do not hold their own exhibitors license, they have deflected
an extensive history of animal abuse by outside circuses used
for their fundraising shows. Those leased by Shriners include
the Royal Hanneford Circus, Circus Hollywood and the Tarzan Zerbini
Circus—each one with a hefty record of USDA violations.
Charges range from not providing nutritious food and clean water,
to handling animals in a way that fails to prevent harm and ensure
public safety.
By employing animal circuses,
the Shriners put audiences in danger of disease and injury. In
2005 a Tarzan Zerbini Circus trainer was trampled to death after
a Mizpah Shrine Circus. In the same year an elephant used by the
Shriners died from a strain of tuberculosis transferable between
humans and animals—several more tested positive for the
disease. In 2003 Hawthorn Corporation—known to supply elephants
and tigers to the Shriners—was charged with 47 violations
of the Animal Welfare Act, including the use of physical abuse
to train and handle elephants, failure to provide veterinary care
to elephants with potentially deadly foot problems and unsafe
public contact. A chaperone to schoolchildren at a 2001 Medinah
Shrine Circus in Chicago reported that the children were traumatized
when they witnessed a trainer beating an elephant. She wrote to
the local newspaper:
"When
the elephants were brought behind the curtain, the trainer began
verbally abusing and hitting the elephant. We watched in horror
as he swung a stick with all his force and struck the elephant
in the back of the leg. This must have hurt because the elephant
let out a scream that could be heard throughout the UIC Pavilion."
Although many support Shrine circuses
with the impression that their donation will be used to help a
child in need, in reality Shriners’ Hospitals for Children,
a separate entity from the Shrine temples, receive less than two
percent of their budgets from Shrine temples. A 2007 New York
Times investigation confirmed a trail of money leading not
to children but to trips, parties and alcohol for the Shriners.
From
deceptive fundraisers to animal abuse, their practices are far
from family friendly. “The Shriners are never held accountable
for the accidents, injuries and deaths that are an inevitable
outcome of abused and restricted animals forced in constant contact
with the public,” according to ARFF Managing Director Heather
Veleanu. “Continued support of a cruel and dangerous form
of entertainment is not only needless and unacceptable, it is
reflective of the true character of the organization. As long
as circuses are synonymous with the Shriners, so is cruelty.”
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For
Immediate Release: February 7, 2008
Florida retirement for
zoo elephants? Or just another breeding facility.
(St. Lucie County)
– At a press
conference this morning at the Houston Zoo, plans will be announced
to create The National Elephant Center on 300 acres in St.
Lucie County.
The National Elephant Center has
the potential to provide a large, natural setting over which elephants
could roam, forage and bond with other elephants. The Center could
become a sanctuary where zoo elephants would be allowed to spend
their remaining years in relative comfort. Unfortunately, the
Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is instead planning
to create a breeding facility to replenish the declining population
of captive elephants in zoos in North America.
"Florida would be a great
place for America's aging zoo elephants to retire, but encouraging
breeding is irresponsible," said ARFF Campaigns Coordinator
Nick Atwood. "Zoos breed elephants for one reason: to boost
attendance. True conservation of elephants must take place in
their native lands."
Zoos across the country are realizing
that they cannot provide the necessary environment or proper care
for elephants. In recent years, over one dozen U.S. zoos have
closed or plan to close their elephant exhibits. Several of these
zoos, including the Detroit Zoo, Henry Vilas Zoo (Wisconsin),
Mesker Park Zoo (Indiana), Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo,
and the Chehaw Wild Animal Park (Georgia) made the compassionate
decision to send their elephants to a non-breeding sanctuary.
In many U.S. zoos, elephants suffer
due to inadequate space, unnatural conditions, and lack of exercise.
"'Conservation' will be the
buzzword at today's press conference," noted Nick Atwood.
"It is true that elephants are threatened in Africa and Asia,
but captive breeding is not a solution."
The millions of dollars that will
be spent to create The National Elephant Center would be better
spent supporting research on free-living elephants, or in improving
the lives of elephants in America's many substandard zoo exhibits.
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For
Immediate Release: November 12, 2007 Trial
begins for rancher accused of abandoning over 100 cows to die
Case is one of the largest of its kind in Florida history
Trial
begins this week for Immokalee rancher Michael Swails, charged
with 120 counts of cruelty to animals for starving a herd of cattle.
Trial begins Tuesday, November 13 at 9:00am at the
Collier Government Complex (Naples);
Collier County Circuit Judge Elizabeth V. Krier presiding
The
case began in March 2004 when Collier County Domestic Animal Services
received a complaint from a concerned citizen about a herd of
cattle in the Immokalee area. Collier County sheriff's deputies
and animal control officers found over 100 cows who were severely
malnourished, as well as several dead cows, in the barren pasture.
Witnesses described a horrible scene of cows who were so weak
that they couldn't stand, and others who were still alive but
were being tormented by turkey vultures. Domestic Animal Services
confiscated the herd; unfortunately, at least two cows had to
be euthanized due to poor health.
A
year later (March 17, 2005), Michael Lee Swails was arrested and
charged with five felony counts of Intentional Cruelty to Animals,
and an additional 115 counts of Cruelty to Animals (misdemeanors).
Swails explained that he could not afford to buy food for the
cows.
It
is one of the largest cases of animal abuse in Florida.
In
court in November 2006, a Collier Circuit Court Judge denied a
motion by Swail's attorney, Landon Miller, to dismiss the five
felony counts. Judge Fred Hardt disagreed with Miller's argument
that failure to feed an animal is not an overt act, and ruled
that a jury could indeed find Swails' actions to have been cruel
AND intentional.
Each
of the felony charges against Swails can carry a fine of $10,000
and five years imprisonment. The misdemeanor charges carry a possible
fine of $5,000, one year imprisonment, or both.
"Deliberately
allowing cows to slowly starve to death is torture," said
ARFF Campaign Coordinator Nick Atwood. "The fact that Mr.
Swails is a fourth-generation cattleman makes his actions all
the more reprehensible. It is very important that this shocking
case of abuse be punished appropriately."
ARFF
works to ensure that individuals who torture or neglect animals
are arrested and prosecuted, regardless of whether the victims
are dogs, cats, chickens or cows.
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For
Immediate Release: September 14, 2007
Sumter County Shuts Down
Exotic Animal Auction
(Bushnell) – The Animal
Rights Foundation of Florida (ARFF) is celebrating a decision
by the Sumter Fair Association to end the auction of exotic animals
at the Sumter County Fairgrounds in Bushnell. In a letter to ARFF
dated September 11, Jacky Jackson, President of the Sumter Fair
Association wrote that the association “met and reviewed
your request to end the auction of exotic animals on the Sumter
County Fairgrounds. The Board voted on the issue and the vote
was unanimous to end the auction.” Ms. Jackson added, “We
have always made it a priority for the public safety of our visitors
and the welfare of any animals brought on these grounds.”
The move follows two serious incidents
involving the exotic animal auction. In April, a woman was trampled
to death by a camel purchased at the auction. In July, a man at
the auction was cited by officers with the Florida Fish &
Wildlife Conservation Commission for selling a potentially-dangerous
Macaque monkey without proper permits, and for transporting the
animal in a cage that did not meet minimum regulations. Fortunately,
the monkey was seized and is now at an animal rehabilitation center.
An exotic animal auction is scheduled
to take place at the fairgrounds on Saturday, September 15. Animals
to be offered for sale include buffalo, zebra, flying squirrels,
sloths and many other exotic animals. ARFF believes that this
will be the final auction at the Sumter County Fairgrounds.
“At exotic animal auctions,
you never know what kind of animal you’ll see. What you
can be sure of is that you’ll leave feeling utterly depressed,”
said ARFF Managing Director
Heather Veleanu. “The sad collections of animals
being offered to the highest bidder have likely seen this scene
before, and will again. They are zoo cast-offs, personal pets
gone awry, or have intentionally been bred for sale. The potential
homes for these animals range from backyard menageries, to small
indoor cages, to roadside zoos, to canned hunt ranches.”
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For
Immediate Release: August 28, 2007
West Palm Beach Stands
Up For Chickens!
(West Palm Beach) – The
Animal Rights Foundation of Florida is applauding the City of
West Palm Beach for making a strong statement against one of factory
farming’s worst forms of intensive confinement. On Monday
night, the West Palm Beach City Commission unanimously passed
a resolution opposing “battery cage egg production, based
on the inherent cruelty of confining egg-laying hens in battery
cages.” The resolution also encourages consumers, “not
to purchase eggs produced by caged hens.”
The
resolution noted:
“About 95% of the roughly 300 million hens in the United
States are confined in barren, wire battery cages so restrictive
the birds don't even have enough space to spread their wings.
With no opportunity to engage in many of their natural behaviors—including
nesting, dust bathing, perching, and foraging—these birds
endure lives wrought with suffering.”
West Palm Beach is the third,
and the largest, city in Florida to pass a resolution condemning
the intensive confinement of chickens in cages. The cities of
Winter Springs and New Port Richey have also passed resolutions
opposing battery cage confinement.
“At the very least, chickens
deserve to be able to spread their wings and walk more than one
step forward and one step backward,” said ARFF Managing
Director Heather Veleanu. “The movement away from the use
of battery cages has improved the lives of millions of animals.”
More than 150 colleges and universities
across the country have committed to using only cage-free eggs.
Other institutions, such as the natural foods retailer Whole Foods
Market, have also pledged not to sell or use eggs from caged birds.
Earlier this year, renowned chef Wolfgang Puck announced that
his restaurants would exclusively use cage-free eggs. Even the
fast food giant Burger King has implemented a purchasing preference
for cage-free eggs.
While most eggs in this country
come from caged birds, there are a growing number of cage-free
egg farmers, including several here in Florida, fulfilling the
expanding consumer demand.
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For
Immediate Release: June 14, 2007
St. Augustine’s
Scorching Summer Streets: No Place for Horses
Recent accident highlights inherent danger of horse-drawn
carriages
(St. Augustine) – Members
of the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida (ARFF) will gather
in St. Augustine to speak up for horses trapped in the cruel carriage-horse
industry. The protest is timed to mark the first weekend of summer.
Florida’s extreme heat and humidity can be treacherous for
carriage horses.
“Horses pulling heavy carriages
are a sad but unfortunately common sight on St. Augustine’s
busy streets,” said Carla Wilson, ARFF Coordinator. “Not
only are horses at risk of dehydration and heat stress, but as
a recent accident illustrated, horse-drawn carriages present serious
threats to the safety of people as well.”
PROTEST DATE: Sunday, June 24
TIME: 12:00 noon
PLACE: Protestors will gather along the water where the horses
line up between the fort and the Bridge of Lions.
Mixing horse-drawn vehicles with
motor vehicle traffic is inherently dangerous. On June 9, a horse
became “spooked” and pulled an occupied carriage several
blocks before the passengers could jump out. Two of the five people
on the carriage were injured, one seriously enough to be taken
to a local hospital. There have been numerous accidents involving
horse-drawn carriages in the City of St. Augustine. In November
2000 two tourists and a carriage driver were ejected from a carriage
when a van struck the carriage on Avenida Menendez. One of the
passengers broke her left collar bone and the other had six stitches
in his head. The horse also suffered injuries.
The
City of St. Augustine has consistently refused to take steps to
protect horses forced to pull carriages during the hottest months
of the year. ARFF has repeatedly urged the city to adopt basic
protections for carriage horses, including (1) allowing horses
to work only after 5 pm in the summer, (2) regulating the length
of time horses are forced to work, and (3) ensuring horses are
provided with an adequate amount of clean, fresh water.
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