67dead cats removed from a squalorous home in upstate New York
99live cats also removed from the grisly scene by local authorities
The details of this deeply sad tale are pretty unpleasant, be warned — Sheriff’s deputies responded to a neighbor’s complaint about a foul odor of cat urine and feces wafting from the home, only to find a bevy of living cats stacked in crates all the way to the ceiling, and the dead cats wrapped in plastic bags packed into the freezer. This is a horrible story, and one that particularly tugs on our hearts as animal lovers — charges are reportedly being weighed against the owner, who a worker at the animal shelter that has taken in the 99 survivors said had “a hoarder mentality.” source
The decision by Burger King, which uses hundreds of millions of eggs and tens of millions of pounds of pork annually, could represent a game-change in the egg and pork supply business as a huge new market has opened up for humanely raised food animals. Already 9 percent of the company’s eggs and 20 percent of its pork are cage-free.
The Miami-based company steadily has been increasing its use of cage-free eggs and pork as the industry has become better able to meet demand, said Jonathan Fitzpatrick, chief brand and operations officer. He said the decision is part of the company’s social responsibility policy.
“We believe this decision will allow us to leverage our purchasing power to ensure the appropriate and proper treatment of animals by our vendors and suppliers,” he said.
Other chains, including McDonald’s and Wendy’s, have made overtures in this general direction, but haven’t put out a firm timetable like our friends at Burger King have. Big deal for the animal rights crowd.
A colorful photo, with at least two misgivings: ”Dyed chicks are displayed for sale for Easter in the Bab Touma district in Damascus, Syria, Sunday, April 8, 2012. Pope Benedict XVI implored the Syrian regime Sunday to heed international demands to end the bloodshed and said he hopes the joy of Easter will comfort Christians who are suffering because of their faith.” In a related note, Florida Gov. Rick Scott recently unbanned the controversial practice, which was banned in the state for 45 years, over the objections of animal-rights activists. (Photo by Bassem Tellawi/AP)
For fans of math: They got fined $270,000 for numerous instances between 2007 and 2011. The maximum the USDA can fine a group for violations of the Animal Welfare Act is $10,000 per instance. So … in other words, a lot of violations.
This is a warning that there is a systemic problem, not just at one barn or one location.Former FDA food safety chief David Acheson • Discussing the situation at Sparboe Farms, the main producer of McDonald’s eggs — well, until now. See, thanks in large part to an undercover video shot by animal rights organization Mercy for Animals (which will air on ABC News’ “20/20” and “World News Tonight” Friday night), the company dropped the egg supplier. According to the company, “the behavior on tape is disturbing and completely unacceptable.” If you have the stomach for it, you can see the video over here, but it’s not for the faint of heart. It’s as bad as you’d expect, considering the buildup. source (via • follow)
A case of local government overreach? In San Francisco, officials are pushing a bill that bans the sale of pets. Say whaaaaaaaaaaa? See, The Humane Pet Acquisition Proposal merely started out as a bill banning the sale of dogs and cats produced in puppy mills or kitten factories — as part of a push to improve adoption numbers. (Which is actually a pretty good idea, if you think about it.) But suddenly, the bill’s scope broadened dramatically, and now includes pretty much any type of pet you can buy in a store — from goldfish to gerbils, bunnies to birds. However, the bill has a pretty big loophole: If you plan to buy a live animal for the purposes of eating, a law already on the books allows that. So, just claim that it’s rabbit season and that you plan to eat Bugs Bunny, and you should be fine. (photo via flickr user blmurch) source
[San Francisco] deserves a neighborhood named after a delicious cruelty-free food instead of the flesh of an abused animal.PETA’s Tracy Reiman • Regarding the city’s notorious Tenderloin district. The TL, as some call it, is a notoriously rough area near San Francisco’s financial district; according to local lore, it’s named after the preferred cut of meat for neighborhood cops overflowing with bribe money. PETA is offended at this carnivore-centric nomenclature, and wants to rename the neighborhood “The Tempeh,” after the soy product. Once again, PETA really ought to consider picking their battles more carefully. Besides, renaming it “The Tempeh” might imply that the corrupt cops preferred cruelty-free food. And we don’t want to glorify corrupt cops, do we? source (via • follow)
Tattooed pigs have animal rights campaigners sizzling in anger
“One super-trendy porker even features a Louis Vuitton logo… Others sport tattoos inspired by patterns found on Russian prison inmates.”Not kosher.
Good God. It’s an artist doing this? This isn’t art. It’s borderline torture.
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