Tickets For Tourist Attractions Keeping Captive Whales And Dolphins Will Be Banned From Travel Site TripAdvisor

Tickets for tourist attractions keeping captive whales and dolphins will be banned from travel site TripAdvisor, the latest animal rights reform from the booking giant.

This week, the website announced it would "no longer sell tickets to, or generate revenue from, any attraction that continues to contribute to the captivity of future generations of cetaceans," including whales, dolphins and porpoises.

"As a result, any commercial facility that either breeds or imports cetaceans for public display will be banned from sale on TripAdvisor and Viator," the website said.

The company made its decision following "extensive consultation" with animal marine biologists, zoologists and conservationists.

It follows a similar move made several years ago where TripAdvisor decided to stop supporting businesses offering elephant rides, swimming with dolphins, or tiger encounters.

"Whales and dolphins do not thrive in limited captive environments, and we hope to see a future where they live as they should -- free and in the wild," commented Dermot Halpin, President, TripAdvisor Experiences and Rentals.

"We believe the current generation of whales and dolphins in captivity should be the last, and we look forward to seeing this position adopted more widely throughout the travel industry."

Such products will be removed from the website by the end of 2019.

Conservation groups and animal welfare experts welcomed the move as an important step forward.

The company quoted Dr. Naomi Rose, of the Animal Welfare Institute, as saying "whales and dolphins cannot thrive in captivity and enlightened tourists no longer tolerate exploiting these intelligent and socially complex marine predators for human entertainment."

The reform will not apply to "seaside sanctuaries" which care for those animals already in captivity. It is believed few Australian facilities will be caught in the changes, but 10 daily understands Sea World -- on Queensland's Gold Coast -- is seeking clarification on whether it will be amongst the businesses to be banned from TripAdvisor's website.

"Sea World is proud of our global leadership in animal rescue, education, research and conservation, and our world-class facilities," a theme park spokesperson told 10 daily.

"Sea World encourages any travel agency considering its position to research the science and conservation-based evidence which supports zoos and aquariums and to reach out if they have any questions."

It is understood Sea World has no plans to abandon its current dolphin breeding program, which may see it fall under TripAdvisor's plan to ban facilities breeding or importing cetaceans for display.

"Sea World is an accredited zoological institution under the Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA) and is also regulated by multiple State and Federal Government agencies. We have a long history of working with marine animals, with over 40 years of experience in animal care, research and rescue," the park spokesperson said.

"The health and wellbeing of our animals is of the utmost priority at Sea World and we have a strong reputation for caring for marine animals. The animals at Sea World live in world-class exhibits, with the dolphins living in some of the largest filtered natural sand bottom lagoon systems in the world."

TripAdvisor's policy change was welcomed by PETA Australia.

"TripAdvisor has officially rejected tourism to marine mammal prisons like Sea World, where sensitive, complex, far-ranging aquatic animals are kept in tiny tanks," said PETA’s Emily Rice.

"TripAdvisor is rightly rejecting animal-exploiting operations, and PETA is calling on tourists and all other travel companies to do the same."

TripAdvisor also quoted Nick Stewart, global head of wildlife at the World Animal Protection group.

"This sends a clear message to other travel companies that we must end this cruel industry once and for all," he said.

"Together we can ensure this is the last generation of dolphins held captive for entertainment."

                    Actress Tara Reid swims with dolphins at Sea World in 2007. Image: Getty

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Ozzy Osbourne Appears in New Ad to Discourage Cat Declawing

“Never Declaw a Cat. It’s an Amputation, Not a Manicure.”

(TMU) — Classic rock icon Ozzy Osbourne is featured in a new PETA advertisement urging people to not declaw their cats and suggesting that the procedure is like a partial amputation.

In the advertisement, Ozzy is depicted with his fingers cut off along with a tagline that reads, “Never Declaw a Cat. It’s an Amputation, Not a Manicure.”

To read more on this story, click here: Ozzy Osbourne Appears in New Ad to Discourage Cat Declawing


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Pet Ads On Craigslist

PETA and AALAS have been kind enough to provide the following perspectives on this controversial subject:

1. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) [www.peta.org]

We are writing in regards to the "free to good home" advertisements that appear on the Craigslist website.

As you may be aware, animals given away for free can, and unfortunately often do, meet gruesome fates. They can end up in the hands of animal abusers like Barry Herbeck, a Wisconsin man who was convicted last year of torturing and killing animals he obtained through "free to good home" ads. He confessed to taking his kids with him when responding to the ads so people would be comfortable turning animals over to him. People known as "bunchers," who obtain animals illegally from random sources to sell to research facilities for profit, often acquire animals by answering "free to good home" ads. Small animals advertised as "free to good home" are sometimes acquired by individuals who intend to use them as bait in training other animals to fight. Gerbils, hamsters, and young kittens are often acquired to be used as snake food.

Animal protection organizations all over the United States work diligently to educate people about the proper procedure for placing animals and frequently assist people in finding good homes for their animals. We routinely contact individuals who place "free to good home" advertisements to alert them to the potential perils for their animals and continuously receive appreciative calls from people who say they never knew these dangers existed.

To read more on this story, click here: Pet Ads On Craigslist

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PETA Plasters Anti-Crab-Eating Billboards in Baltimore

BALTIMORE —Crabs are friends, not food. That's what billboards near the Baltimore Inner Harbor are saying in an attempt to get people to go vegan.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has plastered billboards near seafood restaurants in Baltimore as part of a nationwide campaign to get seafood off people's plates.

The billboard displays a colorful blue crab and says, "I'm ME, Not MEAT. See the Individual. Go Vegan."

The posters are located near seafood restaurants such as Phillips Seafood, Mo's Fisherman's Wharf, McCormick & Schmick's Seafood & Steaks, The Oceanaire Seafood Room and Bubba Gump Shrimp Company.

One billboard sits atop Silver Moon II in downtown Baltimore.

"Whatever they say, 'Go vegan,' whatever, nothing is going to work," said Nick Lentis, owner of Silver Moon II.

"Vegan is for vegan. Do what you have to do. Eat what you have to eat. Don't press the people to go do that, so leave the people alone., Lentis said.

To read more on this story, click here: PETA Plasters Anti-Crab-Eating Billboards in Baltimore

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Nabisco Animal Crackers Boxes Got A Makeover And Now The Animals Are Roaming Free

Nabisco's parent company redesigned Barnum's Animal Crackers boxes to show the animals roaming free — and not in cages — after pressure from PETA.

These cookie critters are tasting freedom.

After spending 116 years behind bars, the majestic beasts on boxes of Nabisco Barnum’s Animals Crackers are no longer being depicted in lock-up.

Nabisco’s parent company, Mondelez International, redesigned the snack's packaging in response to pressure by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

PETA, which has denounced using animals in circuses, wrote a letter to Mondelez in the spring of 2016 calling for a redesign, according to AP.

“Given the egregious cruelty inherent in circuses that use animals and the public’s swelling opposition to the exploitation of animals used for entertainment,” PETA wrote to the food giant, “we urge Nabisco to update its packaging in order to show animals who are free to roam in their natural habitats.”

Mondelez agreed and started working on a makeover.

Rebooted cookie boxes, which declare “new look, same great taste,” are on U.S. store shelves now.

The new boxes have the same lettering and color scheme, but a zebra, elephant, lion, giraffe and gorilla wander side-by-side outside, instead of being confined in circus boxcars.

To read more on this story, click here: Nabisco Animal Crackers Boxes Got A Makeover And Now The Animals Are Roaming Free

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Matthew Morrison Says His ‘Heart Is Broken’ Over Alleged Dog Abuse On Film Set

Actor Matthew Morrison expressed outrage on Friday over reports that a dog was abused during the filming of “Crazy Alien,” the upcoming science fiction movie he stars in.

A whistleblower reportedly sent animal rights group PETA disturbing footage of what the group says is a caged German shepherd being dropped into a river on the film’s set in Changsha, China.

“I’ve just been made aware and seen a video from the set of a film I worked on in China,” the “Glee” star tweeted. “My heart is broken to see any animal treated this way. Had I been on set or known about this, I would have made all efforts to stop this. I’ve called the producers to express my outrage.”  

To read more on this story, click here: Matthew Morrison Says His ‘Heart Is Broken’ Over Alleged Dog Abuse On Film Set



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Albany, New York: No More Elephants in Circuses, Parades and Other Entertainment

Legislation that Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed Thursday forbids their use in those and other entertainment events. The prohibition does not kick in for two years.

“Once again, New York State is proving to be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves,’’ said state Sen. Terrence Murphy, a Westchester County Republican and the Senate’s bill’s sponsor. He credited advocacy from students with Pace University’s Environmental Policy Clinic.

Animal rights advocates for years have protested the use of elephants in circuses, citing what they said were cruel treatment of the animals and conditions that can dramatically shorten their lifespans compared with elephants in the wild.

Ringling Bros.’ circuses were among the key targets of advocates pushing for the elephant ban. The company closed last spring after 146 years in business with company officials saying the final nail was a sharp drop in ticket sales after it stopped putting elephants in its performances.

“Elephants have been exploited and abused in entertainment acts for too long,’’ said Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, a Westchester County Democrat who sponsored the bill in the Assembly.

The Elephant Protection Act that Cuomo signed carries a financial penalty of up to $1,000 for violations. It bans the use of elephants in entertainment acts at circuses, trade shows, carnivals, parades or other such events.

Tracy Reiman, executive vice president of PETA, an animal rights group, said the new law brings New York "one step closer to a day when the only performers in circuses are willing human ones who can go home to their families at night."

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April the Giraffe Cleared for Pregnancy, But Some People Aren't Happy

Binghampton, N.Y. — April the giraffe, whose calf's recent birth attracted worldwide fame, has been cleared for another pregnancy — but not everyone's happy about it.

Last week, Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, N.Y., announced the news to its fans on Facebook, along with a photo of April and Oliver, parents to the park's calf, Tajiri.

Since it was posted Thursday, it has generated more than 53,000 reactions on Facebook and has been shared more than 9,000 times, as of Monday morning. However, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, better known as PETA and a vocal critic of animal mistreatment, responded negatively to the news.

In a statement, Brittany Peett, PETA Foundation director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement, accused the park of having "wrung every dollar and video hit that it could out of this giraffe's pregnancy," and called on the park to "prioritize animal welfare over fleeting online fame and end its shameful giraffe-breeding program."

When reached, park owner Jordan Patch was quick to dispute the accusations and emphasized the "tangible change" that the live stream, with its accompanying educational platform, has made in the world of giraffe conservation.

To read more on this story, click here: April the Giraffe Cleared for Pregnancy, But Some People Aren't Happy

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Seaworld: Three Other Things the Park Will Stop Doing Now That it’s Ending its Marine-Cruelty Program

Have you heard the glorious news? SeaWorld has finally decided to end its orca breeding program.

Right before St. Patrick’s Day, the marine theme park announced that its current generation of orcas will be its last. In a recent LA Times OpEd, Joel Manby, SeaWorld’s CEO, said the change was made because the park wants to help contribute “to the evolving understanding of one of the world’s largest marine mammals [the orca].”

In addition to ending its orca breeding program, SeaWorld will also cease to produce and put on its “theatrical orca whale shows.”

This announcement is great–and long overdue. So overdue that we feel comfortable poking a little fun at the park’s announcement by listing 3 other things–albeit fictional things–that the park will also stop doing now that it’s ending its marine-cruelty program.

Lower Ticket Prices

There is not a single theme park in the United States that doesn’t expect a ridiculous amount of money to ride attractions that are over in three minutes, or to look at animals that you typically don’t see every day. Well, now that SeaWorld has decided to stop breeding orcas and training them to put on ridiculous stunts for the masses, the park’s entry price will inevitably drop. After all, everyone knows that orca imprisonment is really expensive.

Stop Giving Out Free Marine Pets to Park Guests

It seems only natural that a park that keeps large, magnificent creatures hostage would also be thoughtless enough to give away smaller, but equally wonderful creatures to anyone who enters the park. So, in a groundbreaking move, SeaWorld also will stop giving away precious crabs, fish, and other small types of sea life to the park’s guests. So compassionate…

SeaWorld, as a Whole, is Going to Stop Functioning as a Park and Will Become a Marine Sanctuary

Yes, sea sanctuaries can exist and help marine life in need. SeaWorld has finally seen the light, listened to its most adamant critics, and decided to stop profiting off the backs of sea creatures. One of the park’s biggest critics is John Hargrove, author of “Beneath the Surface: Killer Whales, SeaWorld, and the Truth Beyond Blackfish” and former senior trainer. A year or so ago, he said the following about the brilliance of sea pens and ocean sanctuaries:

“I’ve spoken with some brilliant-minded people, and I believe sea sanctuaries are a viable solution. They [SeaWorld] should follow the example of the Ringling Brothers, who recently acknowledged that their customers had shifted in their thinking about having elephants in captivity. So by 2018, all of Ringling Brothers’ elephants are going to be retired to elephant sanctuaries. SeaWorld wants to make it sound like it’s impossible. But we’ve been doing sea pens or sea sanctuaries since the seventies. The U.S. Navy had an open-ocean killer whale in a sea pen years ago…”

While we’re obviously trying to have a little fun with this list, we do think it would be great if SeaWorld did begin to use sea pens. Because if the park really did care about marine life, it would do all it could to make all marine creatures’ lives better.

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Op-Ed: PETA’s Shelter Euthanized 72% Of Its Animals Last Year - That’s A Problem And It Needs To Change

PETA runs a shelter at its headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, where most animals who come in don’t make it out alive.

The figures have been released for how many animals died there in 2015. They prove — once again — that it’s past time for that shelter’s practices to change, or for the shelter to shut down altogether.

Well, at least the killing’s gone down a little in the last year.

According to a statement the nonprofit put out on Friday, PETA euthanized 1,502 dogs, cats and other animals in 2015 at the nonprofit’s only animal shelter.

PETA’s shelter took in 2,063 animals in total in 2015, according to another statement. That means 72.8 percent of the animals who came into the shelter were euthanized.

(We don’t have the breakdown yet for how many of these are cats, dogs, or others.)

That’s less than in 2014. According to self-reported figures filed with Virginia’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 3,017 came into the shelter, of which 2,455 animals were killed — a kill rate of 81.3 percent.

This all may come as a surprise to you if you are someone who isn’t already familiar with PETA’s controversial shelter. It certainly came as a surprise to me when I first began reporting on — and trying to make sense of — the nonprofit’s strikingly high kill rate a couple of years ago.

What I’ve come to understand, after all this time, is that PETA’s approach to companion animals, to pets, doesn’t actually make sense — unless you hold the perverse belief, which I do not, that many animals should die to be saved.

Take that PETA — People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals!– is part of a terrible anti-Pit Bull coalition. PETA also encourages the killing of feral cats.

To read more on this story, click here: Op-Ed: PETA’s Shelter Euthanized 72% Of Its Animals Last Year. That’s A Problem And It NeedsTo Change.

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Florida's Everglades: 106 Invasive Burmese Snakes Were Killed, with the Longest Measuring 15 Feet

After a month-long state-sanctioned hunt for invasive Burmese Pythons in Florida, 106 snakes were killed, with the longest measuring 15 feet.

This year's annual Python Challenge enlisted more than 1,000 people from 29 states to cull the python population between January  16, - February 14.

A team of four killed a nearly a third of the overall tally with 33 pythons, taking home the $5,000 cash prize. They won an additional $3,000 for capturing the longest snake, clocking in at 15 feet.

The competition was started in 2013 by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in order to keep the creatures from 'posing a threat to native wildlife'.

FWC Commissioner Ron Bergeron said,  “Each python that is removed makes a difference for our native wildlife, and the increased public awareness will help us keep people involved as we continue managing invasive species in Florida.”

The python, which was once allowed to be kept as a pet, is believed to have been introduced into Florida's ecosystem in 1992 when they escaped from a breeding facility during Hurricane Andrew.

Researchers have predicted that there are at least 30,000 pythons in Florida's everglades, with some suggesting as many as 300,000 occupy southern Florida.

All the snakes captured in the Python Challenge were turned over to researchers who are trying to find clues to help control the population.

Some animal rights groups have blasted the event for the unethical way the snakes are killed.

While they are not opposed to the hunt itself, PETA President Ingrid Newkirk, said, “Pythons who have had their heads hacked off remain alive and will writhe in agony for hours if their brains are not immediately destroyed.”

“PETA is calling on Florida officials to stop authorizing snake decapitation and make it clear that this egregiously inhumane killing method is unacceptable.”

It has suggested the hunters use bolt guns and fire arms to 'instantly kill the animals'. It has also condemned the 'bounty like' system to reward the killing of snakes.

The Burmese python, a native of south east Asia, is “wreaking havoc on one of America's most beautiful, treasured and naturally bountiful ecosystems,” U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Director Marcia McNutt said in a 2012 report.

“Right now, the only hope to halt further python invasion into new areas is swift, decisive and deliberate human action.”

But the reptiles are notoriously difficult to find in the Everglades. In the first Python Challenge three years ago, around 1,600 hunters caught just 68, CNN reported.

The state's wildlife commission trained more than 500 people before the competition, teaching them how to identify, and locate, and capture Burmese pythons in a safe and humane way. 

Participants were also required to complete an online training module. 

In addition to the training, favorable weather conditions and a larger geographic area for the competition led to this year's success.

“We are excited to see so many people contribute to this important effort to conserve Florida's natural treasure, the Everglades ecosystem,” said Bergeron. “We need to keep this momentum going now that the competition is over.”

Team captain, Bill Booth, along with Duane Clark, Dusty Crum and Craig Nicks took home the $5,000 prize for first place for the team category after they killed 33.

The team of four also captured the longest python, which measured 15 feet and was awarded an additional $3,000.

Daniel Moniz captured 13 pythons, the most by any individual, and received $3,500.

Brian Wood, who owns All American Gator Products in Hollywood, Florida, pays up to $150 apiece for the snakes, about the same price he pays for python skins imported from Asia.

Florida holds an annual, month-long hunt for Burmese Pythons in an attempt to keep the snake's populations in control. This year's competition saw 106 killed, and a third of those will be turned into accessories.

FWC Commissioner Ron Bergeron, said, “Each python that is removed makes a difference for our native wildlife.” Pictured, Jake Wood removing a purchased python from a cooler.

The python, which was once allowed to be kept as a pet, is believed to have been introduced into Florida's ecosystem in 1992 when they escaped from a breeding facility during Hurricane Andrew.

Researchers have predicted that there are at least 30,000 pythons in Florida's everglades, with some suggesting as many as 300,000 occupy southern Florida. 

The 'invasive' animals have been blamed for the near 'complete disappearance of raccoons, rabbits and opossums' since their introduction.

Some animal rights groups have blasted the event for the unethical way the snakes are killed. PETA suggested hunters use bolt guns and fire arms to 'instantly kill the animals' rather than have their heads cut off.

The reptiles are notoriously difficult to find in the Everglades. In the first Python Challenge three years ago, around 1,600 hunters caught just 68, CNN reported.

The state's wildlife commission trained more than 500 people before the competition this year, teaching them how to identify, and locate, and capture Burmese pythons in a safe and humane way.

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Joel Manby, SeaWorld’s CEO, Has Admitted That His Employees Were Ordered to Infiltrate Animal Rights Protests

The chief executive of SeaWorld has admitted his employees were ordered to infiltrate animal rights protests against the company’s alleged mistreatment of killer whales and dolphins in its controversial aquatic theme parks.

Joel Manby, SeaWorld’s CEO, acknowledged on Thursday that the company was wrong to ask human resources employee Paul McComb to pose as an animal rights activist and join Peta protests against the company since at least July 2014.

“This activity was undertaken in connection with efforts to maintain the safety and security of employees, customers and animals in the face of credible threats,” Manby said of the tactics used by McComb, who was exposed as an undercover SeaWorld employee by Peta protesters last summer.

Manby said on Thursday that SeaWorld directors had ordered “management to end the practice in which certain employees posed as animal rights activists”.

Manby’s statement came during a conference call with investors following the release of another year of disappointing earnings. More than $160m (£115m) was wiped off SeaWorld’s market value on Thursday as the company’s shares – which were worth as much as $39 in 2013 – fell 11% to $17.60.

McComb, who posed as an animal rights activist named Thomas Jones, is still employed by SeaWorld. “Mr. McComb remains an employee of SeaWorld, has returned to work at SeaWorld in a different department and is no longer on administrative leave,” the company said in a statement. A spokeswoman for SeaWorld refused to answer any questions about McComb.

Whilst undercover, McComb had urged other protesters to “burn it [SeaWorld] to the ground” and used Facebook and Twitter to incite other activists to “get a little aggressive” and “drain the new tanks at #SeaWorld”.

In the run-up to a July 2014 protest, Jones urged other activists: “Grab your pitchforks and torches. Time to take down SeaWorld.”

Tracy Reiman, Peta’s executive vice-president, said: “SeaWorld’s latest report confirms not only that the company has employed more than one spy to infiltrate and agitate at Peta but also that it values its spies more highly than the executives ... as at least one of the spies is still working at the company.

“SeaWorld’s finances continue to flop as animals continue to be found dead in its tiny tanks, with one death every single month since November. If SeaWorld had business savvy or common sense, it would modernize its business with coastal sanctuaries and virtual reality displays instead of building more roller coasters and dolphin prisons. The tawdry orca sideshows and despicable spying tactics are sinking SeaWorld’s ship.”

SeaWorld on Thursday said its 2015 earnings fell 2% to $361m as sales dropped by $6.8m to $1.37bn.

The company, which has been under intense public pressure since the 2013 release of Blackfish, a documentary cataloguing the alleged mistreatment of whales, dolphins and their trainers, said attendance increased by 0.3% to 72,000 but this was only possible due to “increased promotional offerings”.

Facing consumer backlash fanned by celebrities including Harry Styles, Cher and Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee, SeaWorld has said it will put an end to “theatrical killer whale experience” – but only at its park in San Diego, California, where the drop in attendance has been most acute.

Manby said the company will replace its Californian Shamu show – in which whales dive, jump and splash guests to the demands of their trainers – with “an all new orca experience focused on the natural environment [of the whales]” by 2017.

“We are listening to our guests, evolving as a company, we are always changing,” Manby said as he unveiled a new corporate strategy in November. “ 2016 will be the last year of our theatrical killer whale experience in San Diego.”

He said the decision to end the orca shows in California was in direct response to customers, who he said had made it clear that they want less of a theatrical experience and would rather see the whales in a more natural setting. Attendance at the San Diego park is falling fast. Visitor numbers dropped 17% in 2013 to 3.8 million, according to city authorities.

As part of its strategy to move away from circus-style performances, SeaWorld last week replaced two top executives in charge of animal safety and theme park operations. “The leadership changes we announced last week are another important step on our roadmap to stabilization and growth,” Manby said on Thursday.

Paul McComb posed as ‘Thomas Jones’ and infiltrated Peta at least as early as July 2014. Photograph: Facebook/Peta.

Tweets by activist Thomas Jones, who is allegedly Paul McComb, a SeaWorld employee. Photograph: Twitter

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The Problem With Pit Bulls

It's horrible that KFC kicked out that 3-year-old girl, but let's focus on the real problem: pit bulls were bred to be violent

The social media universe became furious at KFC this week after an employee reportedly asked a 3-year-old victim of a dog attack to leave one of their restaurants because “her face is disrupting our customers.”

But it wasn’t KFC employees who broke down the door to Victoria Wilcher’s grandfather’s house and mauled the toddler until half her face was paralyzed and she lost the use of one of her eyes. Three pit bulls did that.

Pit bulls make up only 6% of the dog population, but they’re responsible for 68% of dog attacks and 52% of dog-related deaths since 1982, according to research compiled by Merritt Clifton, editor of Animals 24-7, an animal-news organization that focuses on humane work and animal-cruelty prevention.

Clifton himself has been twice attacked by dogs (one pit bull), and part of his work involves logging fatal and disfiguring attacks. Clifton says that for the 32 years he’s been recording, there has never been a year when pit bulls have accounted for less than half of all attacks. A CDC report on dog-bite fatalities from 1978 to 1998 confirms that pit bulls are responsible for more deaths than any other breed, but the CDC no longer collects breed-specific information.

Another report published in the April 2011 issue of Annals of Surgery found that one person is killed by a pit bull every 14 days, two people are injured by a pit bull every day, and young children are especially at risk. The report concludes that “these breeds should be regulated in the same way in which other dangerous species, such as leopards, are regulated.” That report was shared with TIME by PETA, the world’s largest animal-rights organization.

To read more on this story, click here: The Problem With Pit Bulls

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The Ugly Truth About Horse Racing

There are essentially three types of people in horse racing. There are the crooks who dangerously drug or otherwise abuse their horses, or who countenance such conduct from their agents, and who then dare the industry to come catch them. Then there are the dupes who labor under the fantasy that the sport is broadly fair and honest. And there are those masses in the middle—neither naive nor cheaters but rather honorable souls—who know the industry is more crooked than it ought to be but who still don't do all they can to fix the problem.

The first category, the cheaters, are a small, feral minority still large enough to stain the integrity of the sport for everyone else. The second category, the innocents, also a small group, are more or less hopeless—if they haven't figured out by now they are being wronged they likely never will. So it is from the third category of horsemen and horsewomen, the far-too-silent majority, the good people who see wrong but won't give their all to right it, where serious reform must come if the sport is to survive and thrive.

And that's why exposés about the abuse of racehorses, like the one posted last week by Joe Drape in The New York Times, are so important. They don't aim to offer salvation to the unholy or to rouse the ignorant from their slumber. They speak directly instead to the many good and honest people in horse racing whose consciences are still in play. And they say to those respectable people, in essence, "You are fooling only yourself if you think the whole world isn't aware of and repulsed by what nasty business you allow to go on inside your sport."

To read more on this story, click here: The Ugly TruthAbout Horse Racing

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Australian Officials Are Pushing to Put Domesticated Cats Under 24-Hour Lockdown

The Australian government doesn’t want outdoor cats in the outback. Government officials announced a push for cities across the land down under to ban pet cats from running wild outside. But the kittens’ well-being isn’t what Australia is concerned about: it's their prey

Australia is home to many different species of tiny mammals that also happen to be the perfect cat snacks. Feral felines have already wiped out several native species, and some conservationists think they're responsible for almost all of Australia’s small mammal extinctions since they were first brought to the continent by English settlers 200 years ago, writes Cara Giaimo for Atlas Obscura. Now, Australian officials are pushing to put domesticated cats under 24-hour lockdown in order to protect at least 28 endangered species they threaten.

"They are tsunamis of violence and death for Australia's native species," Environment Minister Greg Hunt recently told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The curfew comes on the heels of the Department of the Environment’s new feral cat plan, which also aims to exterminate 2 million feral cats in the next five years. Because the federal government doesn’t have the authority to impose a country-wide ban, officials are calling on cities and states to take action themselves. "The plan over the long term is to make this part of our culture,” Gregory Andrews, the country’s first Threatened Species Commissioner tells Nicole Hasham for the Sydney Morning Herald. “It's a journey that Australia has to go on."

Some cities and municipalities near conservation areas have already enacted bans, including several suburbs of Sydney and Canberra. But some cat lovers, including PETA and the French actress Brigitte Bardot, have taken issue with both the ban and the culling despite the government’s ecological intentions saying that extermination in the name of conservation doesn’t work.

Australia’s pet cats may soon be confined to their owners’ homes, but don't worry: the flow of cat pictures and GIFs to the internet should remain unaffected.

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Family Sues ‘People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ (PETA) for Euthanizing Pet Chihuahua

A family is suing People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals after workers for the nonprofit snatched a pet Chihuahua off their porch and killed it.

Wilber Zarate and his daughter, Cynthia, seek more than $9 million. They each sued the Norfolk-based animal rights group Tuesday in Norfolk Circuit Court for $2 million and are asking for $5 million in punitive damages. Zarate and his daughter also are suing PETA workers Victoria Carey and Jennifer Woods for $350,000 each.

A PETA official declined to comment on the suit Tuesday, saying the group hadn’t read it yet.

Carey and Woods went to the Zarates’ trailer park home in Accomack County in October 2014 and took the young girl’s 3-year-old Chihuahua, Maya, off the family’s porch, according to court documents.

Carey was a contract worker for PETA and had been the nonprofit’s human resources director. Woods is PETA’s senior communications administrator and had volunteered to go with Carey on her own time.

Maya was euthanized that day, but state law required her to be held for five days.

Cynthia was distraught after Maya was killed, Zarate said of his daughter in the lawsuit.

“She cried for weeks, became lethargic, lost sleep, refrained from eating and lost weight,” he said. “Maya was irreplaceable.”

Carey and Woods had come to the park before Maya was taken. The trailer park’s manager had contacted PETA after a group of residents moved out, leaving behind their large dogs, Zarate said in his lawsuit. The PETA workers developed relationships with residents and promised to find good homes for their dogs once they caught them.

A security camera shows two children trying to lure Maya off the porch, according to the lawsuit. When they fail, Woods plays lookout while Carey snatches the dog. Carey and Woods paid the kids to coax the Chihuahua, Zarate said in the suit.

Four months after euthanizing the dog, PETA admitted it euthanized Maya and apologized.

In February, Daphna Nachminovitch, a PETA senior vice president who oversees the team that was responsible for the euthanization, said Carey mistook Maya for another Chihuahua.

Zarate said Carey met Maya during one of her visits and promised to get her vaccinated, Zarate said in the suit, adding that she never did.

The state conducted an investigation and determined that PETA violated state law by failing to ensure that the animal was properly identified and failing to keep the dog alive for five days before killing it, according to the notice from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Because of this “critical finding” and the “severity of this lapse in judgment,” the agency issued PETA the organization’s first-ever violation and imposed the largest fine allowed, $500.

“We were pretty devastated that this happened for obvious reasons,” Nachminovitch said after the investigation’s results were made public. “It shouldn’t have happened. It was a terrible mistake.”

PETA has made several changes to prevent such an incident from happening again, Nachminovitch said in February. Field workers who pick up animals now must complete a form to verify that all proper steps have been taken. Supervisors also must approve unscheduled “animal surrenders” in the field.

Carey’s contract was terminated, and Woods kept her job.

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The Army Veteran Who Says He Broke a Car Window to Save a Dog Inside Has Had the Charges Against Him Dropped

Oconee County, Ga. - Michael Hammons said when he heard a dog was in distress, he jumped into action. The tiny, Pomeranian-mix was left inside a hot car, with no water, in an Athens shopping center.

Hammons said he grabbed the foot rest of his wife's wheelchair and smashed the windows of the car to get the dog out.

When the dog's owner came out of the store, Hammons said she was irate. "She said you broke my window, and I said I did. She says why would you do that? I said to save your dog." said Hammons.

Oconee County authorities said the owner of the car insisted on pressing charges against Hammons. Chief Deputy Lee Weems, said he understands why Hammons did what he did.

"We didn't want to charge him, but he told us he broke the windows and when you have a victim there saying she wants him charged, we had no other choice," said Chief Weems.

 Monday, District Attorney Kenneth W. Mauldin filed a motion dismissing the charges stating that "persecution of this case is not warranted."

Hammons served in Desert Storm. His wife, Saundra, said he battles PTSD and is always the one to come to the rescue in the face of danger.

"He has seen so much, and been through so much, his thing is he's got to save him. 

Michael says I have to save lives because I couldn't save everyone else over there," said Saundra Hammons.

Hammons said despite the arrest and the likelihood he will have to pay for the windows he smashed, he said there's no doubt he'd do it again.

Hammons said "I knew there'd be consequences, but it didn't matter. Glass, they make new glass every day, but they could never replace that dog."The dog's owner was issued a citation from animal control. The citation was for proper care.

PETA announced Wednesday Hammons will be honored with a Compassionate Action Award.

"Every summer, PETA receives dozens of calls about dogs left in hot cars for whom help came too late to save their lives," says PETA Senior Director Colleen O'Brien. "Rather than be arrested, this man should be applauded for deciding not to stand idly by, but for acting in the best interests of the victim."

There is now a fundraising website for Hammons. Some supporters are calling for the charges to be dropped.

But the Oconee County Sheriff's Office said Hammons not only broke one window on the car, but two. And, while they understand the emotional aspect of what happened, Hammons broke the law.

You can read the initial story here: Veteran Breaks CarWindow To Save Dog, Owner Has Him Arrested: What Are Your Thoughts?

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