Animal

Publié le 07 octobre 2010 à 07h19 | Mis à jour le 07 octobre 2010 à 07h19 Ferme porcine dévastée: 1000 bêtes périssent Un violent incendie a complètement détruit une ferme porcine de Saint-Maurice, hier soir. Environ 1000 porcs ont péri. Photo: François Gervais Marie-Eve Lafontaine Le Nouvelliste (Saint-Maurice) Une ferme porcine a été complètement ravagée par les flammes, hier soir, vers 21h40, sur le rang St-Jean, à Saint-Maurice. Pas moins de 1000 porcs ont péri dans cet incendie qui a donné des sueurs froides aux pompiers en raison de la présence de réservoirs de propane.D'ailleurs, de sept à huit résidences ont été évacuées en raison du danger d'explosion. Selon la Sûreté du Québec, l'incendie a pris naissance dans un premier bâtiment avant de se propager à deux autres. Plus de détails dans Le Nouvelliste

Difficile à dire: Comme ils n'avaient plus d'essence et donc ne pouvaient pas avancer, tout l'équipage de l'Ady Guill se trouvait sur la partie arrière du bateau lorsque le collision a eu lieu... Le bateau de Watson a été littéralement coupé en deux (on l'a vu sur vidéo) S'il ne pouvait pas bouger, comment aurait-il pu entrer en collision avec le bateau japonais? Le bateau japonais avait été attaqué (bombes puantes) par l'Ady Guill quelque peu avant cette collision. C'était peut-être l'occasion pour les Japonais de se venger (?) Il y a peut-êre aussi des choses que nous ne savons pas encore et que nous découvrirons plus tard, comme par exemple, une vengeance quelconque contre Watson par le capitaine du bateau, (ce dernier a passé plusieurs mois en taule)... Reste que l'agaçant Lagacé n'en perd jamais une lorsqu'il s'agit de descendre des "animalistes"

Minister unsure how many Canadian inspectors watching animals bound for slaughter By Sarah Schmidt, Postmedia News September 22, 2010 Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture in a file photo.Photograph by: Mike Carroccetto, The Ottawa CitizenOTTAWA — The Canadian Food Inspection Agency cannot say how many inspectors are stationed across the country to make sure animal health rules are followed during the transport of animals destined for dinner plates, according to newly released information. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, responsible for the agency, makes the admission in documentation introduced in the House of Commons in response to a query from Ontario MP Malcolm Allen, food safety critic for the NDP. Explaining that "CFIA has not specifically tracked the number of inspectors" to ensure animal transport regulations are followed, Ritz explains that "many CFIA inspectors are cross-utilized in other programs. This includes inspectors that work in animal health and for this reason it is not possible to identify the exact numbers of inspectors dedicated to ensuring compliance to the Health of Animals Regulations." BEGIN OPTIONAL CUT And those who carry out animal transportation inspections can hold different titles, depending on where they are posted in the country, said Ritz. This includes animal health inspector, veterinarian and meat hygiene inspector. END OPTIONAL CUT The government provided a similar explanation last year about the number of meat inspectors stationed at meat plants during parliamentary hearings into food safety and the 2008 listeriosis outbreak. Allen says the recycled explanation about oversight of the animal transportation inspection system is "just not good enough." "We get the blather on about, 'Well, different folks with different titles do different things, but I don't know how many. You're supposed to know what you do across this country, and they can't even tell us this," said Allen. "From the safety perspective, if we don't have folks checking animals, the result can be that we could get diseased animals going through the system. We could remove the dead stock through the system as we move animals, but what about the ones that aren't? Have they been affected by dead stock that they've been travelling with because no one has been paying attention for perhaps hours or days?" said Allen. In his response to Allen's questions, Ritz confirmed there is widespread support within the farming community and animal welfare organizations to enhance the animal health regulations "to reflect modern industry transportation standards and practices, as well as current scientific knowledge about animal transportation," but he declined to provide any timeline. Pressure to update the rules increased earlier this year when the World Society for the Protection of Animals released a report in June about the conditions in which animals are transported in Canada. The group analyzed internal CFIA inspection reports for a three-month period, and said severely injured, crippled and sick animals are transported in contravention of the animal health regulation. The group concluded the agency is "weak and inconsistent in how they report the problems and enforce the rules." Current regulations under Canada's Health of Animals Act allow horses, pigs and poultry to be transported for up to 36 hours without food, water and being unloaded to the ground for a rest. For cattle, sheep and goats, the limit is 52 hours, the society says.

Toronto-Un camion transportant 250 cochons en direction d'un abattoir, s'est renversé sur l'autoroute 427. Plusieurs cochons sont morts, d'autres ont dû être abattus ... Les survivants ont été embarqués dans un autre camion-direction abattoir http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2010/10/04/15571426.html

Incendie d'origine suspecte Une ferme flambe à Marieville Mise à jour : 08/10/2010 05h28 Une ferme flambe à Marieville : les explications d'Élizabeth Rancourt. Un incendie qui serait d’origine suspecte a lourdement endommagé jeudi soir un bâtiment de ferme situé au 1195 de la route 227 à Marieville, en Montérégie. Les flammes auraient pris naissance peu avant 22h dans la grange qui abritait des chèvres. Près de 500 des 600 bêtes qui se trouvaient à l’intérieur de la structure ont pu être évacuées avant que le feu ne se propage. Des enquêteurs de la Sûreté du Québec doivent se rendre sur place vendredi pour tenter de déterminer les causes du sinistre. Les dommages seraient évalués de 300 000 à 500 000 $. On ne rapporte aucun blessé. (Agence QMI) http://lcn.canoe.ca/lcn/infos/faitsdivers/archives/2010/10/20101008-052839.html

http://blogues.cyberpresse.ca/lortie/2010/10/05/rencontre-avec-mme-foie-gras-le-texte/?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_bloguesaccueilcp_BO3_accueil_ECRAN1POS8

Horse-lovers demonstrate across Canada with bulletholes on their head Published On Mon Oct 4 2010 Owner of the Beerbistro and chef Brian Morin, right, is confronted by a protester as he hands out beef burgers in Toronto on Monday, Oct. 04, 2010. The Beerbistro recently took the sale of horse meat off their menu because some people were upset. Nathan Denette/THE CANADIAN PRESS Andy Blatchford The Canadian Press MASSUEVILLE, QUE.— Animal-rights protesters with fake bulletholes glued to their heads urged Ottawa on Monday to stop permitting the slaughter of horses. Horse lovers held several demonstrations across Canada, with about 20 of them surrounding a slaughterhouse outside Montreal. Protesters with painted faces shouted into megaphones from the Quebec abattoir’s parking lot, condemning the workers inside as “cowards.” They called for support of a private member’s bill that would ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption. Bill C-544, tabled in Ottawa by the NDP’s Alex Atamanenko, is stalled in Parliament and can’t move forward unless another MP reintroduces it. Atamanenko gave another of his own bills priority over C-544; the legislation is unlikely to make it to the Commons floor for a second-reading vote. The NDP MP fears that most horses sent to abattoirs are not bred for their meat. The animals are often given medication, he says, that could be harmful to humans. “As it currently stands, horses are not raised for human consumption, they’re given many drugs that are prohibited for use in the food chain,” Atamanenko said in an interview. “The system of inspecting this meat hasn’t really been that thorough.” The protesters agreed. Demonstrators waved placards and repeatedly shouted “murderers!” at the windowless Richelieu Meat Inc. plant on the outskirts of Massueville, about 100 kilometres northeast of Montreal. “The animals who come here are sick — they’re usually ill from old age, they’re usually ill from injuries, but they’re also sick from things like cancer,” said Cherie Collins, a former horse breeder who drove a few hours from Cardinal, Ont., for the demonstration. “I gotta tell you, there’s been a lot of drugs going into a normal horse before we give up, so those drugs are in this meat.” The protesters also argue that the horses aren’t always slaughtered humanely. They allege that many are left injured by bullets that are meant to kill — and the animals suffer as they are left to die. Many of the protesters had painted their faces white and stuck rubber Halloween-type bullet wounds on their foreheads. Blood-coloured paint spilled out of the bulletholes. They pointed to videos released earlier this year by the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition, which they allege show horrific conditions inside the Richelieu plant, as well as the Bouvry Exports slaughterhouse in Fort MacLeod, Alta. “From the bit that I saw, (the horse) got one in the eye, it didn’t kill it immediately,” protester Mary Parker said while describing how a marksman had to shoot a horse three times in the head to kill the animal. Parker said between shots the man appeared to take his time reloading the rifle as the horse thrashed from the pain around the pen. “We would like to see them shut down permanently,” she said. A senior manager with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency indicated that sometimes, even with the best intentions, steps to kill an animal don’t go according to standards. “Things happen,” said Martin Appelt, the agency’s national manager of meat programs. Appelt said government staff visit abattoirs to ensure workers are trained and that they comply with the regulations. A 2007 federal court ruling closed the last horse-processing plant in the U.S., which means the animals are now being sent to Mexico and Canada for slaughter. Since the change, the number of horses that Canada imports from the U.S. for slaughter each year has more than doubled from about 25,000 to 60,000, according to Appelt. Overall, Canadian abattoirs process about 90,000 horses per year and most of the meat is exported. Appelt said a government inspector is present for all livestock slaughters and the meat is always tested for the presence of unwanted substances. Since July, horse owners selling their animals to an abattoir have been required to fill out a form listing the medications it received, Appelt said. If the horse has been given anything deemed unsafe, it is ruled ineligible for slaughter and is quarantined for six months. “I’m absolutely convinced that any meat coming out of Canadian, federally inspected . . . plants is fit for human consumption,” Appelt said. But some demonstrators aimed to persuade Canadians on Monday to stop putting meat — of any kind — on their dinner plates. “We’re here to shut down a plant that fires bullets into the brains of beautiful, intelligent animals,” said Len Goldberg, an Ottawa resident who was holding a framed photo of a horse. “We’re all earthlings and I don’t see how any sane person can say it’s humane to kill another earthling so that we can eat their flesh.” The event wasn’t officially organized by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals — but members of the group renowned for its sometimes shocking publicity stunts did indeed help with planning. The boisterous protesters didn’t appear to cause much of a disturbance of the Quebec slaughterhouse’s operations. They taunted a security guard outside, but after an hour-and-a-half of chanting no trucks had tried to get past them to enter the facility’s grounds. Demonstrators also protested outside a Vancouver butcher shop and in front of a Toronto restaurant that serves horse meat. Two dozen Toronto protesters carried signs calling for an “end to the slaughter,” standing peacefully along a downtown sidewalk outside the restaurant Beer Bistro. One placard displayed gruesome photos of horse body parts, including heads. Horse steak tartare is among the items on Beer Bistro’s menu. In Halifax, only a handful of protesters came out. Caroline MacPherson of Halifax said that while no horse slaughterhouses exist in Atlantic Canada that she knows of, she fears horses from the region are being sent to other Canadian slaughterhouses. “It’s very, very wrong. There’s video on YouTube, there’s video on CBC that show the horrific cruelty to these animals,” she said, while walking outside the Halifax public library with a few other protesters. “I’m here to educate people to stop this, nationwide.” When asked about the issue, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz’s office responded with a partisan shot. “Unlike the NDP who think they have the right to tell producers what they are allowed to sell, our government will continue to work to maintain the highest of food safety standards and the humane treatment of animals,” Ritz said in an emailed statement. http://www.thestar.com/news/article/870628--horse-lovers-demonstrate-across-canada-with-bulletholes-on-their-head

I was wrong about veganism. Let them eat meat – but farm it properlyThe ethical case against eating animal produce once seemed clear. But a new book is an abattoir for dodgy arguments George Monbiot guardian.co.uk, Monday 6 September 2010 19.59 BST This will not be an easy column to write. I am about to put down 1,200 words in support of a book that starts by attacking me and often returns to this sport. But it has persuaded me that I was wrong. More to the point, it has opened my eyes to some fascinating complexities in what seemed to be a black and white case. In the Guardian in 2002 I discussed the sharp rise in the number of the world's livestock, and the connection between their consumption of grain and human malnutrition. After reviewing the figures, I concluded that veganism "is the only ethical response to what is arguably the world's most urgent social justice issue". I still believe that the diversion of ever wider tracts of arable land from feeding people to feeding livestock is iniquitous and grotesque. So does the book I'm about to discuss. I no longer believe that the only ethical response is to stop eating meat. In Meat: A Benign Extravagance, Simon Fairlie pays handsome tribute to vegans for opening up the debate. He then subjects their case to the first treatment I've read that is both objective and forensic. His book is an abattoir for misleading claims and dodgy figures, on both sides of the argument. There's no doubt that the livestock system has gone horribly wrong. Fairlie describes the feedlot beef industry (in which animals are kept in pens) in the US as "one of the biggest ecological cock-ups in modern history". It pumps grain and forage from irrigated pastures into the farm animal species least able to process them efficiently, to produce beef fatty enough for hamburger production. Cattle are excellent converters of grass but terrible converters of concentrated feed. The feed would have been much better used to make pork. Pigs, in the meantime, have been forbidden in many parts of the rich world from doing what they do best: converting waste into meat. Until the early 1990s, only 33% of compound pig feed in the UK consisted of grains fit for human consumption: the rest was made up of crop residues and food waste. Since then the proportion of sound grain in pig feed has doubled. There are several reasons: the rules set by supermarkets; the domination of the feed industry by large corporations, which can't handle waste from many different sources; but most important the panicked over-reaction to the BSE and foot-and-mouth crises. Feeding meat and bone meal to cows was insane. Feeding it to pigs, whose natural diet incorporates a fair bit of meat, makes sense, as long as it is rendered properly. The same goes for swill. Giving sterilised scraps to pigs solves two problems at once: waste disposal and the diversion of grain. Instead we now dump or incinerate millions of tonnes of possible pig food and replace it with soya whose production trashes the Amazon. Waste food in the UK, Fairlie calculates, could make 800,000 tonnes of pork, or one sixth of our total meat consumption. But these idiocies, Fairlie shows, are not arguments against all meat eating, but arguments against the current farming model. He demonstrates that we've been using the wrong comparison to judge the efficiency of meat production. Instead of citing a simple conversion rate of feed into meat, we should be comparing the amount of land required to grow meat with the land needed to grow plant products of the same nutritional value to humans. The results are radically different. If pigs are fed on residues and waste, and cattle on straw, stovers and grass from fallows and rangelands – food for which humans don't compete – meat becomes a very efficient means of food production. Even though it is tilted by the profligate use of grain in rich countries, the global average conversion ratio of useful plant food to useful meat is not the 5:1 or 10:1 cited by almost everyone, but less than 2:1. If we stopped feeding edible grain to animals, we could still produce around half the current global meat supply with no loss to human nutrition: in fact it's a significant net gain. It's the second half – the stuffing of animals with grain to boost meat and milk consumption, mostly in the rich world – which reduces the total food supply. Cut this portion out and you would create an increase in available food which could support 1.3 billion people. Fairlie argues we could afford to use a small amount of grain for feeding livestock, allowing animals to mop up grain surpluses in good years and slaughtering them in lean ones. This would allow us to consume a bit more than half the world's current volume of animal products, which means a good deal less than in the average western diet. He goes on to butcher a herd of sacred cows. Like many greens I have thoughtlessly repeated the claim that it requires 100,000 litres of water to produce every kilogram of beef. Fairlie shows that this figure is wrong by around three orders of magnitude. It arose from the absurd assumption that every drop of water that falls on a pasture disappears into the animals that graze it, never to re-emerge. A ridiculous amount of fossil water is used to feed cattle on irrigated crops in California, but this is a stark exception. Similarly daft assumptions underlie the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation's famous claim that livestock are responsible for 18% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, a higher proportion than transport. Fairlie shows that it made a number of basic mistakes. It attributes all deforestation that culminates in cattle ranching in the Amazon to cattle: in reality it is mostly driven by land speculation and logging. It muddles up one-off emissions from deforestation with ongoing pollution. It makes similar boobs in its nitrous oxide and methane accounts, confusing gross and net production. (Conversely, the organisation greatly underestimates fossil fuel consumption by intensive farming: its report seems to have been informed by a powerful bias against extensive livestock keeping.) Overall, Fairlie estimates that farmed animals produce about 10% of the world's emissions: still too much, but a good deal less than transport. He also shows that many vegetable oils have a bigger footprint than animal fats, and reminds us that even vegan farming necessitates the large-scale killing or ecological exclusion of animals: in this case pests. On the other hand, he slaughters the claims made by some livestock farmers about the soil carbon they can lock away. The meat-producing system Fairlie advocates differs sharply from the one now practised in the rich world: low energy, low waste, just, diverse, small-scale. But if we were to adopt it, we could eat meat, milk and eggs (albeit much less) with a clean conscience. By keeping out of the debate over how livestock should be kept, those of us who have advocated veganism have allowed the champions of cruel, destructive, famine-inducing meat farming to prevail. It's time we got stuck in. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/sep/06/meat-production-veganism-deforestation

Des militants animalistes bloquent l'accès à un abattoir à Massueville Publié par La Presse Canadienne pour La Presse Canadienne le lundi 4 octobre 2010 à 14 h 34. MASSUEVILLE, Qc - Une vingtaine de militants pour la défense des animaux ont bloqué lundi l'accès à un abattoir de Massueville, en Montérégie, dans l'espoir de mettre fin à l'abattage des chevaux. Un mouvement pancanadien réclamait lundi la fin de l'abattage des chevaux, dans le cadre d'événements aussi planifiés à Vancouver, Toronto, Halifax, Winnipeg, Edmonton et Charlottetown. Les manifestants exigent l'adoption aux Communes d'un projet de loi d'initiative parlementaire qui interdirait l'abattage des chevaux à des fins de consommation humaine. Le texte, déposé par le député néo-démocrate Alex Atamanenko, semble paralysé au Parlement. M. Atamanenko se méfie du fait que la plupart des chevaux envoyés dans des abattoirs n'ont pas été élevés pour consommation humaine. Selon lui, les médicaments administrés aux bêtes durant leur vie pourraient s'avérer nocifs pour les humains. Les manifestants ajoutent que certaines bêtes ne seraient pas tuées de façon humaine. Ils prétendent en effet que certains chevaux sont laissés à l'agonie après avoir été blessés par la balle censée mettre fin à leur vie rapidement. ... http://www.985fm.ca/national/nouvelles/des-militants-animalistes-bloquent-l-acces-a-un-ab-36795.html

En effet, c'est une bonne idée d'avoir pensé à installer un kiosque de nourriture vegan Ça n'était pas une première à Montréal Dominic, puisqu'Aequo Animo en a fait une à Montréal et à Québec en 2009

Billy Joe Gregg Jr., 25, was originally charged with 12 counts of cruelty to animals and one charge of improper handling of firearm. Each of the 12 abuse counts that were counted as second-degree misdemeanors is punishable by 90 days in jail and a $750 fine. Crime: Heinous animal abuse, including severe beatings with bare hands, fists, and pitchforks; breaking bones by twisting tails; immobilizing animals and then subsequently subjecting them to torture; picking up and throwing baby animals, etc. Punishment: 120 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. Billy Joe Gregg Jr., 25, was originally charged with 12 counts of cruelty to animals and one charge of improper handling of firearm. Each of the 12 abuse counts that were counted as second-degree misdemeanors is punishable by 90 days in jail and a $750 fine. Gregg first entered not-guilty pleas on the 12 counts of cruelty to animals. In a letter to Judge Michael J. Grigsby, Gregg wrote that the hatred directed at him since a video of his abuses went public in May has taken its toll. "How much more punishment do I deserve?" he asked. "I let stress and others lead me into a bad situation. I promise you will never see me in court again. This truly is a wake-up." Marysville City Law Director Tim Aslaner asked the judge to sentence Gregg to 18 months in jail, the maximum allowed by law. Grigsby did that, but then suspended more than half of the time. As part of a plea deal, Gregg pleaded guilty to six counts of cruelty to animals and the six additional charges were dropped. Judge Grigsby sentenced Gregg to eight months in jail to be served at the Tri-County Regional Jail in Mechanicsburg, and a $1,000 fine. As he has already spent 120 days in jail following his arrest in may, for which he has been credited, his remaining sentence is 120 days. He is placed on probation for three years and is to have no contact with animals for the duration of the time. He will also receive counseling for the same period with the Animals and Society Institute or a similar organization. In court, Gregg apologized: "I am sorry, your honor. I am sorry I shamed my family and my friends and my branch of service. I hope people can forgive me for what I've done." It's safe to say that the only thing he regrets is getting caught. Concerning the firearms charge, Gregg has not been sentenced and a court date has not been set. If convicted on the firearms charge, Gregg faces as many as 18 months in prison. A grand jury decided in July that the owner of Conklin Dairy Farm, Gary Conklin, as well as other employees would not be charged. Gary Conklin went off scott free. WHAT YOU CAN DO: 1. PROTEST AGAINST THE SENTENCE Please write or call Judge Grisby and let him know that this punishment is a slap on the wrist: The Honorable Michael Grigsby Judge, Union County Municipal Court 125 East Sixth Street P.O. Box 322 Marysville, Ohio 43040 (937) 644-9102 fax: (937) 644-1228 Let the prosecutor know that the plea deal was not sufficient and does in no way make up for the suffering these animals were put through : Hon. David W. Phillips Union County Prosecuting Attorney Union County Justice Center 221 West Fifth Street Marysville, Ohio 43040 Telephone: (937) 645-4190 Fax: (937) 645-4191 General e-mail: prosecutor@co.union.oh.us Talking points: Billy Joe Gregg, Jr., while working at the Conklin Dairy Farms in Plain City, Ohio, has committed malicious cases of animal cruelty. I am appalled to learn that his (remaining) punishment is a meager 4 months in jail. He committed deliberate and methodical abuse and torture on animals. His actions were premeditated, they were not one time occurences but stretched over the entire 30-day length of the undercover investigation conducted by Mercy for Animals. It is clear that he does not regret his actions as he has been seen boasting about his torture. Mr. Gregg's alarming criminal behaviour will not stop at animal abuse, as his actions demonstrate a lack of compassion towards living beings and a disrespect for the law. PETITIONS: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/corporate-dairy-factory-farms/ http://www.change.org/petitions/view/make_farm_animal_cruelty_a_felony_in_all_50_states 2. SHUT DOWN CONKLIN DAIRY FARMS Write to the Ohio DOA: Ohio Department of Agriculture Dairy Division 8995 E. Main St Reynoldsburg,OH 43068 Phone: (614) 466-5550 EMAIL: dairy@agri.ohio.gov Complain to the Ohio Cattlemen's Association: http://www.ohiocattle.org/Contact PETITION: http://www.change.org/petitions/view/shut_down_conklin_dairy_farms_and_arrest_and_charge_gary_conklin_and_his_crew_with_animal_cruelty 3. PUNISH GARY CONKLIN Demand Conklin be incarcerated SHERIFFS PHONE NUMBER: 614 873 4321 PETITIONS: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/arrest-gary-conklin-for-animal-abuse/ http://animals.change.org/petitions/view/conklin_walks_after_good_old_boys_club_talks http://www.change.org/petitions/view/gary_conklin_walks_because_of_prosecutor_david_phillips_resignation_demanded Additional: OWNER, GARY CONKLIN Conklin Dairy Farms Incorporated 12939 US Highway 42 N Plain City, Oh 43064 GARY’S OFFICE PHONE NUMBER 614-873-8024 GARY CONKLIN’S CELL PHONE NUMBER 614-395-2936 GARY’S FAX NUMBER 614- 873-3383 EMAIL ADDRESS: aol.comdairyfarm@aol.com GARY CONKLIN EMAIL: grconklin@aol.com

Crime & Punishment for Sadistic Dairy Farm Abuse 3 octobre 2010 Billy Joe Gregg Jr., 25, was originally charged with 12 counts of cruelty to animals and one charge of improper handling of firearm. Each of the 12 abuse counts that were counted as second-degree misdemeanors is punishable by 90 days in jail and a $750 fine. Crime: Heinous animal abuse, including severe beatings with bare hands, fists, and pitchforks; breaking bones by twisting tails; immobilizing animals and then subsequently subjecting them to torture; picking up and throwing baby animals, etc. Punishment: 120 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. Billy Joe Gregg Jr., 25, was originally charged with 12 counts of cruelty to animals and one charge of improper handling of firearm. Each of the 12 abuse counts that were counted as second-degree misdemeanors is punishable by 90 days in jail and a $750 fine. Gregg first entered not-guilty pleas on the 12 counts of cruelty to animals. In a letter to Judge Michael J. Grigsby, Gregg wrote that the hatred directed at him since a video of his abuses went public in May has taken its toll. "How much more punishment do I deserve?" he asked. "I let stress and others lead me into a bad situation. I promise you will never see me in court again. This truly is a wake-up." Marysville City Law Director Tim Aslaner asked the judge to sentence Gregg to 18 months in jail, the maximum allowed by law. Grigsby did that, but then suspended more than half of the time. As part of a plea deal, Gregg pleaded guilty to six counts of cruelty to animals and the six additional charges were dropped. Judge Grigsby sentenced Gregg to eight months in jail to be served at the Tri-County Regional Jail in Mechanicsburg, and a $1,000 fine. As he has already spent 120 days in jail following his arrest in may, for which he has been credited, his remaining sentence is 120 days. He is placed on probation for three years and is to have no contact with animals for the duration of the time. He will also receive counseling for the same period with the Animals and Society Institute or a similar organization. In court, Gregg apologized: "I am sorry, your honor. I am sorry I shamed my family and my friends and my branch of service. I hope people can forgive me for what I've done." It's safe to say that the only thing he regrets is getting caught. Concerning the firearms charge, Gregg has not been sentenced and a court date has not been set. If convicted on the firearms charge, Gregg faces as many as 18 months in prison. A grand jury decided in July that the owner of Conklin Dairy Farm, Gary Conklin, as well as other employees would not be charged. Gary Conklin went off scott free. WHAT YOU CAN DO: 1. PROTEST AGAINST THE SENTENCE Please write or call Judge Grisby and let him know that this punishment is a slap on the wrist: The Honorable Michael Grigsby Judge, Union County Municipal Court 125 East Sixth Street P.O. Box 322 Marysville, Ohio 43040 (937) 644-9102 fax: (937) 644-1228 Let the prosecutor know that the plea deal was not sufficient and does in no way make up for the suffering these animals were put through : Hon. David W. Phillips Union County Prosecuting Attorney Union County Justice Center 221 West Fifth Street Marysville, Ohio 43040 Telephone: (937) 645-4190 Fax: (937) 645-4191 General e-mail: prosecutor@co.union.oh.us

Que. multi-species meat plant gets loan for renos Staff 9/26/2010 11:15:00 PM A multi-species slaughter plant in western Quebec's Outaouais region will get a federal loan worth up to $2 million for renovations expected to help boost its throughput. Les Viandes de la Petite Nation, based at St-Andre-Avellin, about 60 km northeast of Gatineau, will get its funds through the federal Slaughter Improvement Program, which loans funds to cover up to 50 per cent of eligible costs for upgrades at Canadian red meat packing and processing plants. The plant, built over four years and opened in 2007, is designed and licensed for slaughter and processing of "up to 10" species of meat animals including beef cattle, sheep, hogs, bison, horses and deer. According to the company, the federally-inspected plant is designed to handle up to 40,000 carcasses per year, as well as both halal and kosher services. "This expansion will allow us to better service the many farmers and local markets in our region as well as increase our export capabilities," company president Douglas Harpur said in a federal government release Friday. The program's interest-free, repayable contribution is to go toward increasing the plant's capacity and a "variety of projects to improve operations," such as upgrades to its water treatment system, expansion of freezer capacity, a new ventilation system and other plant modifications. Quebec MP Jean-Pierre Blackburn, the federal minister of state for agriculture, said the funds will allow the company, as the region's only federally-inspected multi-species processor, to "continue to provide much-needed slaughter service in the Outaouais region." "Total respect" Spawned from Cerf de Boileau, a deer farm in the region, Petite Nation first took over another local plant in 2002, after which its operators agreed to build new, given the costs of the upgrades needed at its first facility. The company notes its three-year-old plant includes the "most modern" animal handling system in Canada, designed by the U.S. livestock handling expert Temple Grandin. "Total respect and consideration are given to the animals in order to minimize stress," the company said on its website. Ottawa's slaughter improvement program, set in motion in 2009, saw its $50 million budget boosted this spring by $10 million from the federal Agricultural Flexibility Fund for the 2010-11 program year. The program's funding criteria favour projects designed to improve plant efficiency, allow for new product development, processing practices or technologies, and/or boost slaughter capacity in regions of Canada where a "demonstrated regional gap... is constraining sector growth." Eligible activities must be completed by March 31, 2012; eligible costs must have been incurred no earlier than April 2009. http://country-guide.ca/East/issues/ISArticle.asp?aid=1000386850&PC=FBC&issue=09262010 ========== Manif le 4 octobre à Massueville devant un autre abattoir de chevaux (Québec)

Merci hop ! Super article!

Publié le 25 septembre 2010 à 05h00 | Mis à jour le 25 septembre 2010 à 05h00 De moins en moins de petits abattoirs Annie Morin Le Soleil (Québec) Plus du quart des petits abattoirs régionaux n'ont pas survécu aux nouvelles normes d'aménagement et d'inspection mises en place par le gouvernement du Québec. À l'été 2009, le ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation du Québec (MAPAQ) adoptait la Loi visant la régularisation et le développement d'abattoirs de proximité. Sans statut légal depuis plus de 30 ans, les petits abattoirs régionaux se voyaient offrir la chance d'obtenir un vrai permis d'exploitation à condition d'avoir des locaux et des équipements adaptés et de se soumettre à des inspections plus fréquentes et plus serrées. ... Steeve Cliche, propriétaire d'un abattoir de proximité flambant neuf à East Broughton, près de Thetford Mines, confirme que la demande est là. Son équipe abat et découpe plus d'une trentaine de bêtes par semaine, soit plus que prévu dans le plan d'affaires initial. Ses clients viennent d'aussi loin que Montréal et le Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. «Les gens aiment bien savoir d'où provient l'animal qu'ils mangent. Ça les rassure et ça crée un sentiment d'appartenance», dit-il. http://www.cyberpresse.ca/le-soleil/affaires/agro-alimentaire/201009/24/01-4326527-de-moins-en-moins-de-petits-abattoirs.php

EFSA reviews most recent research on animal cloning News Story 17 September 2010 EFSA has published today a scientific statement on animal cloning following the endorsement of its Scientific Committee. The Scientific Committee concurred that no new scientific information has recently become available that would require reconsideration of the conclusions and recommendations from the Authority’s previous work in this area.[1] The EFSA statement is based on a review of the most recent scientific research on animal clones and their offspring found in: peer-reviewed scientific literature published since its previous statement in 2009; information gathered during the recent call for data from European research centres and elsewhere; and further discussions with scientific experts on animal cloning. Following a thorough review of the relevant scientific information, EFSA confirms its previous conclusions and recommendations that: •mortality rates and the number of animals born with developmental abnormalities are higher in animal clones than in conventionally bred animals. •in relation to food safety, there is no indication that differences exist for meat and milk of clones and their progeny compared with those from conventionally bred animals. •there is still limited information available on cloning of species other than cattle and pigs, therefore at the moment risk assessment can be carried out only for these two species. The current statement provides an update on the scientific developments on the cloning of farmed animals for food production with respect to food safety aspects as well as those relating to the health and welfare of animal clones and their offspring. EFSA’s statement also provides information on the efficiency of cloning in comparison with natural breeding and assisted reproductive technologies. Notes to editors In animal cloning a genetic copy of an animal is produced by replacing the nucleus of an unfertilised egg cell with the nucleus of a body (somatic) cell from an animal to form an embryo. This technique is called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). The embryo is then transferred to a surrogate mother where it develops until birth. Reprogramming of the donor nucleus from the somatic cell -- the process that regulates the resetting of the somatic cell nucleus to an embryonic nucleus -- is considered the main source of adverse effects that may result in developmental abnormalities of animal clones. • Update on the state of play of animal cloning For media enquiries, please contact: Ewa Moncure, Media Assistant or Steve Pagani, Head of Press Office Tel: +39 0521 036149 Email: Press@efsa.europa.eu http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/press/news/sc100917.htm?WT.mc_id=EFSAHL01&emt=1

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION Get serious about farm animal cruelty By: Lynn Kavanagh Posted: 17/09/2010 1:00 AM | Comments: 3 Print E–mail 15Share94Share101Report Error On June 18, 500 pigs were found starved to death at a farm near Notre Dame de Lourdes, Manitoba. Bones and decomposed bodies were scattered around the rural property. Euthanasia was the only recourse for some of the 2,000 pigs still alive. The grisly discovery continues to be investigated by the RCMP and, three months later, charges still have not been laid. The case calls to mind Canada's inadequate animal protection laws and is another in a growing pattern of disregard towards farm animal cruelty. Both provincial and federal laws address animal protection, though farm animals are excluded in many cases. On-farm animal care falls mainly under provincial jurisdiction, but many provincial acts, such as the Manitoba Animal Care Act, exempt "accepted practices of animal agriculture," such as severe confinement or invasive procedures like dehorning or castration without pain relief. Since these practices are inhumane, it is not always clear what is meant by "cruelty" in our laws. Flagrant abuse, as well as failing to provide basic necessities of food, water and veterinary care, typically falls outside "accepted agricultural practices," thereby making them an offence under the cruelty to animals section of the Criminal Code of Canada and provincial animal protection acts. Animal cruelty, however, is contained in the property section of the Criminal Code. As property, only animals "owned" by someone are protected. The corollary is that if an animal does not belong to someone but is stray, wild or used "for lawful purposes" (e.g., animals raised for food) then anti-cruelty laws rarely apply. To make matters worse, wording pertaining to the commission of an act, namely, "wilfully" causing or permitting "unnecessary" suffering implies some suffering is acceptable. It also translates into few convictions because proving wilful cruelty is difficult in a court of law. Depriving pigs of food and water should constitute severe neglect under anti-cruelty laws. Will the perpetrators be charged and prosecutions pursued in the pig starvation case? As other recent cases demonstrate, Canada's track record for prosecuting farm animal cruelty suggest otherwise: -- Investigations earlier this year by the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition and CBC's The National found abuses at horse slaughter plants in Alberta and Quebec, such as extreme electric prodding of horses in the face, hitting horses while they thrashed about in the kill box, and shackling and hanging horses while still conscious. This abuse was captured on videotape, yet the RCMP chose not to prosecute due to lack of evidence showing wilful abuse. -- Undercover investigation of two Quebec foie gras farms in 2006-2007, where abuse and mistreatment were rampant, failed to result in criminal charges, even with the compelling evidence and brutality of the crimes. Slaughterhouse workers were shown to pull heads off live ducks, smash ducks into floors and walls, cut the throats of fully conscious ducks and repeatedly punch, kick and throw live ducks. The provincial prosecutor, however, decided it was too difficult to prove intent to be cruel. The problem is both a philosophical and legal one. Philosophically, animals are too often viewed as dispensable and unworthy of strong protection. By categorizing animals as property, they are afforded no rights and few protections. There is little recognition of them as sentient beings other than a limited acknowledgment that they can suffer. Legally, Canada's anti-cruelty laws date back to 1892 and have barely been revised since. Federal politicians cite the legislation's 2008 revision as their lofty contribution to animal welfare. This is disingenuous. The Conservative government increased penalties for crimes but "cruelty to animals" remains under the property section of the Criminal Code and the wording pertaining to "wilful" commission of an act was not revised. Many crimes, therefore, continue to go unpunished or are penalized with a slap on the wrist -- to the chagrin of many Canadians. Nonetheless, both provincial and federal statutes provide enough ammunition to press charges and seek prosecution in these cases. Rather than cite the legal challenges of proving "wilful intent" as an excuse to shirk the pursuit of justice, law officials and prosecutors have a responsibility to take these crimes more seriously. Members of Parliament interested in re-election should familiarize themselves with the current views of Canadians and take substantive steps to finally bring the laws governing the treatment of animals into line with these views. It is in their -- and the animals' -- best interest to do so. Lynn Kavanagh has an MSc in animal behaviour and welfare and is a director with the Canadian Coalition for Farm Animals. Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 17, 2010 A14 http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/westview/get-serious-about-farm-animal-cruelty-103119589.html

Irland By SHAWN POGATCHNIK, Associated Press Writer Shawn Pogatchnik, Associated Press Writer – Wed Sep 29, 10:58 am ET DUBLIN – The roads and rivers of northwest Ireland are suddenly lined with mink. Managers at Anderson's Mink Farm said Wednesday that many of their cages and fences were cut and opened over the weekend, freeing an estimated 5,000 animals into the wilds of County Donegal. About 28,000 others declined the invitation to bolt for freedom. More than 100 already have been recaptured by hunters using cage traps, while several hundred others have been run over and killed. Drivers have reported seeing groups of the farm-reared animals standing, dazzled by headlights, in the middle of busy roads. One of the farm's directors, Connie Anderson, blamed animal rights activists for invading the farm in the early hours of Sunday. He declined to explain why it took the farm so long to raise the public alarm. "These people are animal liberation terrorists and had no thought for the mink or for the damage that will be done to other wildlife in the area," Anderson said. Agricultural authorities warned that the surviving minks could decimate local populations of salmon, rabbits and fowl. Animal rights activists in Ireland have denied responsibility — but are praising whoever did it. "We have nothing to do with it. However, I commend whoever risked their freedom to do this as these animals have a horrendous life," said Bernie Wright, spokeswoman for Ireland's Alliance for Animal Rights. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100929/ap_on_re_eu/eu_ireland_mink_breakout -------------------- Three people killed, 37 injured as spectators storm bullfight in Colombia By staff writers From: September 29, 2010 3:52PM THREE people were killed and more than 30 injured when onlookers stormed a bullfight in Colombia, Sky News reported today. The event in the Andean community of Sabanalarga, known as the "corraleja," is known for its party-like atmosphere. However, this year's celebration turned deadly when a number of people decided to jump into the bull ring - only to be severely gored. A 20-year-old man was killed instantly while two other men, both aged in their 40s, died later in a hospital. At least 37 other people were seriously hurt. The town's mayor blamed public drunkenness for the tragedy. ========================= By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr. Published: September 27, 2010 Rabies deaths are on the rise in Vietnam, according to the country’s National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, whose director blamed slack management by provincial health authorities and public ignorance of the threat. ProMED, a disease-outbreak Web site, have pointed out another contributing factor: in the mountainous rural northern provinces where the problem is worst, many people are fond of eating dogs. Most rabies is transmitted by bites from stray dogs. The disease kills about 55,000 people a year around the world, mostly children under 15, according to the World Health Organization. In parts of Vietnam, according to the national government, only one dog out of 25 is vaccinated, and there is a regular cross-country trade in dogs for the table. (Raising dogs for meat is popular in many countries, especially in southeast Asia and West Africa.) A study in the journal PLoS Medicine last year described the deaths of two rabies patients in Vietnamese hospitals. Neither had been bitten, but one had cut up and cooked a dog killed in a traffic accident, while the other had eaten a sick cat. Many Vietnamese refuse to eat vaccinated dogs, said Merritt Clifton, editor of Animal People, an animal protection magazine, because the only vaccines locally available are grown in sheep brains using an outdated method invented by Louis Pasteur. If improperly stored, those vaccines can give rabies to the dog, and in turn to the diner. A version of this article appeared in print on September 28, 2010, on page D6 of the New York edition. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/28/health/28glob.html?_r=2&ref=health ---------------------------------

Cas de cruauté envers des animaux à Shawinigan SPCA Publié le 20 Septembre 2010 Un homme dans la vingtaine a été arrêté le 12 septembre dernier pour cruauté envers des animaux. L’homme aurait fait subir des sévices corporels à ses chiens et les privait d’eau et de nourriture. Les policiers de la SQ de Shawinigan ont été assistés de spécialistes pour procéder à la saisie des animaux sur la rue de la Station à Shawinigan. http://www.lhebdodustmaurice.com/Actualites/Faits-divers/2010-09-20/article-1780564/-Cas-de-cruaute-envers-des-animaux-a-Shawinigan/1

Le cheval d'Alexia est décédé hier soir Royal (Photo : Ghyslain Bergeron) Publié le 29 Septembre 2010 Lise Tremblay Hier après-midi, le www.journalexpress.ca publiait un article intitulé «Un cheval violenté trouve un ange de 17 ans». Considérant le nombre de réactions qu'il a suscité, l'auteure de ce papier a décidé de joindre Alexia, ce matin, pour l'inviter à lire les commentaires bien sentis des gens, en espérant qu'elle en retire une quelconque source de motivation. Sujets : , Sainte-Brigitte-des-Saults Contre toute attente, c'est une Alexia en larmes qui a répondu à l'appel. «Le vétérinaire est passé hier soir et il a euthanasié Royal. Je pleurais trop et je n'ai pas posé beaucoup de questions. Je pense qu'il souffrait trop», a laissé tomber la jeune femme, la voix éteinte par l'émotion. Rappelons que Royal, un cheval percheron âgé d'environ 12 ans, a été violenté par un citoyen de Sainte-Brigitte-des-Saults. Il y a quelques mois, cet animal était chargé de transporter les touristes au Village québécois d'antan. Il avait été légué à un vieil homme en raison d'une maladie musculaire. C'est après le décès de celui-ci que les problèmes de Royal ont débuté. ... http://www.journalexpress.ca/Societe/Famille/2010-09-29/article-1805778/Le-cheval-dAlexia-est-decede-hier-soir/1 ------------------------- Royal tente de récupérer de ses blessures sur une terre située à Saint-Cyrille-de-Wendover. Publié le 28 Septembre 2010 Lise Tremblay Trônant fièrement au milieu d'un champ verdoyant, debout, Royal, un cheval percheron âgé d'environ 12 ans, se remet autant que faire ce peut de ses blessures. Il y a quelques mois, son précédent propriétaire, un citoyen vivant dans une petite municipalité, n'hésitait pas à utiliser la force pour arriver à ses fins. En plus de l'avoir fouetté à plusieurs reprises et de l'avoir privé de nourriture, celui-ci n'hésitait pas à le heurter avec son camion… pour l'inciter à se lever. ... http://www.journalexpress.ca/Societe/Famille/2010-09-28/article-1803214/Un-cheval-violente-trouve-un-ange-de-17-ans/1 -------------

Tout-à-fait !

Et il y en a très très souvent ! Les assurances paient bien !

Yukon's wild horses coralled Last Updated: Wednesday, September 29, 2010 CBC News A total of 11 wild horses, coralled recently in the Takhini River valley, are being kept in a Whitehorse stable while the Yukon government tries to auction them off. (CBC) The Yukon government has captured one of the territory's last herds of wild horses and is putting them up for public auction, in the hopes that someone will want to rehabilitate the herd. Eleven skittish horses are currently being kept at a Whitehorse horse-boarding stable, after wranglers recently corralled them in the Takhini River valley west of the city. Yukon government officials say the free-ranging horses have, over the years, posed traffic hazards for motorists on the Alaska Highway west of Whitehorse. Animal control officer Paul Heynen said he has spent years trying to capture the Takhini Valley herd of wild horses, but the animals have proven to be elusive. "I can have a report that they're out there and I can be there in an hour and they're gone. You know, they're just like ghosts … poof, and they're gone," Heynen told CBC News. 'Full-class rodeo going on' Heynen and other government officials stepped up their capturing efforts after two horses were killed in vehicle collisions last month. Eventually, Heynen and some wranglers succeeded in baiting the horses into trip-gated corrals several weeks ago. "Of course, they didn't like it. They were trying to get over the top, but it took a lot of work to get them in the trailers," he recalled. Heynen said corralling the horses was akin to "a full-class rodeo going on there, especially with the stallion attacking you and everything, because that's his brood of mares." "So he attacked us quite a few times while we were trying to get him in the trailers," he said. "It was fun." A total of 19 horses were captured, eight of which were later claimed by their owners. Of the remaining 11 horses, four have not been claimed by their owners and seven have no known owners. Roaming free for years Territorial government officials said at least two or three herds of wild horses have been roaming around southwest Yukon for at least 20 years. "I've heard all sorts of rumours — everything from they could be Elijah Smith's horses to old outfitter horses that were let loose and never rounded up," said Tony Hill, director of the government's agriculture branch. "We think there's probably 10 to 12 horses still out there and we're trying to capture them. We have corrals set up, but they're pretty adapted to living on their own and they don't always come to baited corrals." Sealed auction bids for the 11 captured horses can be submitted to the Yukon government until 6 p.m. PT Saturday. Hill said he would like to see the horses go to a good home in Yukon. "You know people can put them to work and train these horses," he said. "They're obviously pretty smart Yukon horses, so it would be nice to see them stay here." Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2010/09/29/yukon-wild-horses.html#ixzz1116Zp79R

Reinforces the importance and effectiveness of media attention to farm animal welfare issues. http://www.thepoultrysite.com/poultrynews/20917/study-impact-of-media-attention-\ to-animal-welfare Study: Impact of Media Attention to Animal Welfare US - As a whole, media attention to animal welfare has significant, negative effects on US meat demand, according to a new analysis by Kansas State University. The study's results are based on an extensive search of top US newspapers and magazines used to develop indices reflecting public information on animal welfare that US consumers received from 1982 to 2008. These media indices were then incorporated into a meat demand system to estimate the effect of animal welfare information published by US media sources on exercised beef, pork, poultry and non-meat food demand of the typical US consumer for the period 1982 - 2008. Although the most direct effects of media attention were primarily associated with pork and poultry demand, researchers stressed that the beef industry is not immune. "This study found increased media attention caused a reallocation of expenditures to nonmeat food rather than reallocating expenditure across competing meat products. Accordingly, all three evaluated livestock and meat industries stand to lose if total meat expenditure is reduced as consumers obtain increasing amounts of media information regarding animal well-being and handling issues," the report states. The researchers noted that, although this study provides the first assessment of how media attention on animal welfare information influences consumer meat purchases, much additional research is needed. "This study supports this and related evaluations to improve the understanding of how increasing pressure to adjust on-farm practices to reflect societal pressures regarding animal well-being is economically impacting market participants throughout the livestock and meat-supply chain," the report concludes. ---------------------------------------------- Debra Probert Executive Director Vancouver Humane Society 303 - 8623 Granville Street Vancouver, B.C. V6P 5A2 604-266-9744 www.vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca

20 Victoria rabbits that survived cull are shot after escaping sanctuary Thursday, Sept. 30, 2010 Rabbits shipped to a sanctuary on Vancouver Island to escape a cull at the University of Victoria escaped the compound, only to be shot dead by a neighbour, the owner says. Dozens of rabbits escaped the World Parrot Refuge compound in Coombs, B.C., on Tuesday and went on to a nearby property where horses are kept, Wendy Huntbatch said. "The woman phoned me ... in a very sour manner and said that the pests had to be removed immediately because they were eating the grass," she said. Ms. Huntbatch said she told the neighbour she would arrange for live-traps to be taken over to catch the escapees. But later that day, volunteers who feed the rabbits at the refuge heard gunshots. "They ran to the fence where the sound came from and screamed at the people to stop," she said. "They had killed about 20 of the bunnies." Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/Victoria+rabbits+that+survived+cull+shot+after+escaping+sanctuary/3600825/story.html#ixzz1113QOVOE ------------------- Former UVic rabbits escape Island refuge; shot by neighbour By JUDITH LAVOIE and Brad Bird, Oceanside Star, timescolonist.com Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Former+UVic+rabbits+escape+Island+refuge+shot+neighbour/3599209/story.html#ixzz1113o0dQf --------------------------- Updated: UVic begins trapping rabbits after court victory By Judith Lavoie, timescolonist.com August 30, 2010 Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/technology/Updated+UVic+begins+trapping+rabbits+after+court+victory/3460611/story.html#ixzz11144kalp ================= First exodus of UVic rabbits nears end; break will allow females to wean young More than 400 feral animals are on their way to B.C. and U.S. sanctuaries. By Sandra McCulloch, timescolonist.com September 23, 2010 Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/life/First+exodus+UVic+rabbits+nears+break+will+allow+females+wean+young/3570304/story.html#ixzz1114rFlzI