Dear Animal Lovers, Advocates, Rescuers & Activists:
What a week. Up down and all around. Solid gains, intense losses.
I saw a post somewhere this week, asking C4P why it circulated a petition asking Newmarket Police to be accountable for their killing of the young bear cub. I was told the reader was "disappointed" to see that post in C4P. Now I'm a big enough girl that I don't have to "defend" the choices I make in terms of content curation for this newsletter and its' related Facebook page--however, I am responsible to my readers so here's my take on the whole thing: I and others (naively) were actually hopeful when we heard the news about the young bear -- that this would be a ground breaking community event where we all came together to save him/her. So much for that idealistic view. Turns out MNR's public servants dropped the ball completely in terms of response time, as well as community (police included) preparedness for such an event. It is, after all, their "bailiwick". Newmarket police, for their part, and in my OPINION, did not have a single CLUE how to handle the situation, and for this, they should be accountable and should at the very least, determine best practices for the next event -- because there will be one. Their strategy to throw chairs and yell incessantly at the bear was a pretty poor plan, whatever their rationale (panic, seemingly) at the time. The inability to even get an MNR response over a weekend should have long-since been addressed from a strategic perspective. We should ALL educate ourselves on wildlife in urban areas, as we are the ones who have taken the animals' habitat away. So yes, I'm "all for" Newmarket police being responsible to the public for their disastrous response, along with MNR for their lack of (timely) response. And by the way television news crews, you seriously did not help. Flying a helicopter overhead only served to de-stabilize the young bear even more. No wonder he tried to make a run for it, he was probably scared shitless. So yes, I certainly felt there was room for greater discussion at the end of the day, and happy to support the petition that calls for Newmarket Police accountability. I also tried to promote MNR accountability as much as possible too.
Poor little bear. Four bullets. He was just a youngster. Hadn't even seen his first birthday. If humans are so superior, let's prove it for gods sakes and make a better showing next time. Cause there WILL be a next time. |
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Quebec Bill calls animals sentient beings and includes jail time for cruelty:
12 million Canadians eating less meat
-- oh, isn't that GREAT!?!?! People this is the BEST contribution you can make to our planet...get onboard w/Meatless Mondays. Any reduction is good, fabulous for the planet, and you get to save lives:
Monika Schnarre pulls support from OSPCA:
After this week's insanity with the dear little bear cub, here's some actual coping skills that doesn't include four bullets:
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BEST PRACTICES & EMAIL SIGNATURES
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Why dog and cat shelters are taking meat off the table at fundraisers (can I get an amen?):
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ANIMALS & RESCUERS IN NEED
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Doug is at this shelter too, and has been, for 7 months:
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Is everyone aware of Dawnwatch? Karen Dawn publishes regularly in the U.S. to an email list (somewhat like C4P) alerting subcribers to animal rights and welfare coverage
in the media. Please consider "donating your Twitter account" -- an exceptional way to help animals.... read on...
Do you sometimes wish you were posting more animal friendly updates on Twitter but find you don't always have the time? If so, perhaps you would like to donate your Twitter account, part-time, to Karen Dawn's "Animal Advocacy" campaign. You will keep full control and use of your account, and will choose whether you'd like to retweet posts daily, weekly or monthly. Karen is a pioneer in the animal advocacy movement, the founder of
DawnWatch,
and the author of "
Thanking the Monkey: Rethinking the Way we Treat Animals
." She will choose animal friendly media stories that deserve wide distribution. If for any reason you don't like a selected story you can easily undo the individual retweet, and of course you can cancel your donation at anytime. But while your donation is in effect you'll be helping the animals when you aren't even at your computer, tweeting for those who cannot tweet themselves. Learn more
here.
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New York Times publishes lovely piece "
Barnyard Buddies" (thanks Kathy Robinson for sending) -- the last mention of the horse and his bird, nails it:
Shooting the Messenger by Robert Grillo: http://freefromharm.org/common-justifications-for-eating-animals/animal-advocates/ "The undeniable truth is that these critics who claim that we are forcing our views on them are already paying someone to literally force feed, impregnate females by force, separate babies from mothers by force, force them to live in confinement and/or one's own filth, mutilate their beaks, hooves, genitalia, tails, toes, ears and teeth by force, transport them to slaughter by force, and violently take their lives by force. People who buy animal products inadvertently pay for abuse of power and influence on many levels they don't see, each and every time they buy an animal product. But no one can force you to accept an idea." |
We are thrilled to announce the Canadian Premiere screening of Nathan Winograd's mind expanding documentary film Redemption. Visionary, pioneer and director of the No Kill Advocacy Center, Nathan has made Toronto the first stop in Canada of his 2015 D.I.Y. tour. He will follow the film with a presentation on how we can find loving homes for every homeless and abandoned pet living on the streets in our communities. He will even provide an easy, practical and affordable step-by-step plan that you can work together with constituents in your Ward to implement right away. Saturday, June 13, 2015 (9am-10am meet & greet Nathan, 10am-11am screening, 11am - 12noon presentation, 12 - 2pm mingling with Nathan) University of TorontoOntario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) Auditorium, 252 Bloor Street West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1V6 http://bit.ly/1dlTwX4 
Speaking of Dogs Presents: Getting Into Shape: Solving Behaviour Issues through Operant Conditioning and Shaping Techniques featuring Nicole Larocco-Skeehan, CPDT-KA June 14, 2015 from 9am to 5pm Toronto Don Valley Hotel 175 Wynford Drive, Toronto (near DVP and Eglinton Ave East) Discounts for groups of 4 or more. A one-day seminar about the use of shaping techniques in behaviour modification practices. This seminar will include case studies from Nicole's experiences with shelter dogs, prison training, and private clients. Info & registration: http://speakingofdogs.com/events-seminars/seminars/ Wienerfest 2015! On Saturday, June 20, 2015 you are invited to join 1000+ Dachshunds in Embro, Ontario for Wienerfest. Every year a committed group of volunteers, with Helping Homeless Pets (http://www.helpinghomelesspets.com) and Tiny Paws Dog Rescue (http://www.tpdr.ca) host this wonderful event. There are a variety of events that take place for all Dachshunds and Dachshund lovers. 80+ vendors attend the event and provide a variety of services. For further information please visit www.wienerfest.ca or contact us at: info@wienerfest.com Pet First Aid Course, June 13th PawsWay, Toronto:
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RESCUE UPDATES
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| Readers, this is not a "rescue update" but it is the note I wanted to end on today, so that you don't have anything else to distract you from this final, hopefully actionable piece on your part. Pigs are the MOST mistreated of all animals. Please write the entire group below in one email, and make them a) respond b) acknowledge the compassionate side of the story, c) give us their rationale for the decision they made and d) find out WHO made the decision. Let's help bring some accountability here, in Mercy's name:
Mercy was a breeding sow in Manitoba Canada who leaped from a slaughterhouse transport truck on Friday May 29th. Police and Manitoba Pork representative Mark Flynn showed up on the scene, caught her with catch-poles and loaded her into another truck where she would be taken to a farm to "be taken care of," according to Flynn. Her body was battered and bruised and she was in a disoriented and frightened state.
Manitoba Pig Save and Winnipeg businesswoman Charlotte Sigurdson launched a campaign to purchase her from Manitoba
Pork Council and the farmer who supposedly had her in his care. (Ed note: Charlotte was there to comfort Mercy for two hours before she was taken away.) They raised over $2,400 in just a few days. Little did they know, she had already been shipped to the U.S on Monday June 1st for "processing" AKA slaughter.
This was not conveyed to anyone until Tuesday June 2nd.
There were several sanctuaries that had offered to take her in, Ruby Ranch, included, and there was ample money in her Go Fund Me campaign to purchase her for above market value and transport her to any one of the sanctuaries.
An online petition gathered over 5,000 signatures asking for Mercy's life to be spared, but the officials who held her life in their hands chose to send her to slaughter instead of granting her sanctuary.
Animal advocates have been calling and emailing, demanding an answer as to why they were misled about Mercy's whereabouts, and why this one pig could not be spared.
Please add your voice to the outcry.
Manitoba Pork Council MPC - 204-237-7447
Toll Free in Manitoba - 1-888-893-7447
George Matheson, Chair, MPC: gmatheson@manitobapork.com
Andrew Dickson, General Manager, MPC: adickson@manitobapork.com
Mark Flynn- Animal Care Specialist, MPC: 204-235-2002
(he is the one who said Mercy would be taken to a farm to recover)
Animal Care Line- 204-945-8000
Toll Free- 1-888-945-8001
Manitoba Pork Council's Facebook page was taken down due to all the demands for answers.
Mercy will NOT be forgotten.
Sherry Burnett,
Ruby Ranch,
Kenilworth Ontario
Sherry@RubyRanch.ca
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RIP dearest Mercy: You were so brave and smart girlie. You were done the ultimate injustice after a lifetime of insults. We are all intensely sad and angry; we are all grieving you. We will do what we can to bring you justice. We will NOT forget you girl and we'll forever keep the image of you rooting naturally that morning in our heads and hearts.
RIP little Bear-Child. We totally failed you too, little one. m.
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