Help Ensure that Veterinarians Can Provide Complete Care to Their Animal Patients

Veterinarians treat multiple species of animals in a variety of settings. Unfortunately, the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) makes it illegal for veterinarians to take and use controlled substances outside of the locations where they are registered, often their clinics or homes.

This means that it is illegal for veterinarians to carry and use vital medications for pain management, anesthesia and euthanasia on farms, in house calls, in veterinary mobile clinics, or ambulatory response situations.

Veterinarians must be able to legally carry and use controlled substances for the health and welfare of the nation’s animals, to safeguard public safety and to protect the nation’s food supply.

Read more on the AVMA web site.

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Cape Teen Rescues Beloved Horse From Slaughterhouse

A Harwich teenager and the horse she grew up with have become a leading face of the latest national effort to ban slaughtering horses and exporting them for meat.

In a one-in-a-million happenstance, Brittany Wallace found her childhood companion, Scribbles, hours before the mare was to be shipped to Mexico or Canada to be killed and eaten.

Read more on the Cape Cod Times.

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Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month

April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month, and each year, the ASPCA urges supporters across the country to support its efforts and Go Orange for Animals in honor of the signing of the ASPCA’s charter in 1866. Throughout the month, the ASPCA will be encouraging its members to show their support by donning its signature color and going orange for animals.

Please join the ASPCA for this month-long celebration of its victories in the fight against animal cruelty.

Ways to go orange.

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Gov. Hickenlooper signs bill improving lives of abused animals

With the power of his pen, Gov. John Hickenlooper signed into law a bill that makes Colorado much safer for abused and neglected animals.

House Bill 1125—supported by the Dumb Friends League and the Colorado Federation of Animal Welfare Agencies—is a historic milestone for Colorado’s abused animals. It will minimize stress on seized animals by getting them into adoptive homes faster and streamline the impound process while reducing expenses for cities, counties and humane societies.

“This bill will have a huge and positive impact on the welfare of animals in Colorado, meaning they will no longer wait for lengthy periods of time in legal limbo at the expense of animal care and control agencies,” said Bob Rohde, president and CEO of the Dumb Friends League. “HB-1125 is a win-win for everyone.”

The bill was sponsored by two dedicated legislators—Rep. Robert Ramirez (R-Westminster) and Sen. Pat Steadman (D-Denver)—who recognized its importance. On March 20, the Colorado Senate passed HB-1125 by a unanimous and bipartisan vote of 34-0. The House of Representatives concurred with the bill and sent HB-1125 to Gov. Hickenlooper’s desk for his signature with a vote of 60-3.

“This bill is unique because of the amount of bipartisan support in both chambers and from both sides of the aisle,” said Emily Stone, public affairs manager at the Dumb Friends League. “It proves that when it comes to animals, the people of Colorado care about protecting them.”

The bill will become law Sept. 1, 2012. For more information and to read the bill in its entirety, visit ddfl.org/advocate.

About the Dumb Friends League

Founded in 1910, the Dumb Friends League is the largest community-based animal welfare organization in the Rocky Mountain region, helping pets and people in the Denver metro area and beyond. In 2012, the League expanded the scope of its services to include providing shelter, care and hope for abused and neglected equines in Colorado. The Dumb Friends League has shelters at 2080 S. Quebec St. in Denver and the Buddy Center at 4556 Castleton Court in Castle Rock, as well as the Dumb Friends League Harmony Equine Center near Franktown. For more information, visit the Dumb Friends League web site or call (303) 751-5772.

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Dumb Friends League to open equine center to help Colorado’s abused and neglected horses

Some of Colorado’s formerly suffering, neglected and abused horses are getting a second chance. The Dumb Friends League (Denver, Colorado 80231) recently announced it will open a new equine center—a unique private rehabilitation and adoption facility set to be fully operational in June 2012.

The Dumb Friends League Harmony Equine Center is not a sanctuary or a rescue facility. The Center will not accept owner-relinquished horses. It is for horses, as well as ponies, donkeys and mules, that have been removed from owners’ care by law enforcement authorities. Located near Franktown, Colo., the Center can house up to 100 horses at a time in well-equipped barns and on 140 acres of pasture.

“Our commitment to animals extends beyond the household pets that share our lives,” said President and CEO Bob Rohde. “This has been true since the League was formed in 1910, but it hasn’t been feasible for us to shoulder this added responsibility until now.”

A knowledgeable, professional staff is on the premises seven days a week, and veterinarians are available on an on-call basis. Some of the horses brought to the Center must be impounded while court cases are pending. These animals are secured and well maintained until the cases are resolved.

“Our primary goal is to alleviate suffering,” said Rohde. “It is our hope and desire that many of these horses will be made whole, rehabilitated and placed with new, responsible owners.”
The Harmony Equine Center will be open to visitors on pre-scheduled adoption days and for special events beginning in June.

As a local, independent, nonprofit organization, the Dumb Friends League relies on donations, not government support or funds from national animal welfare organizations.

“This long-standing dream was made possible by a very generous gift from Leslie and John Malone, longtime, loyal friends of the Dumb Friends League,” Rohde said. “Because the number of unwanted horses continues to rise along with skyrocketing hay prices, the need for an equine center of this caliber has never been greater, and we’ll continue to need help from all of our donors.”

For more information about the Dumb Friends League Harmony Equine Center and how you can help, visit the Harmony Equine Center web page or call (303) 751-5772.

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Stop the revival of “high diving horse” acts in Atlantic City

From Animal lover Jennifer Mishler

Atlantic City wants to bring back “high-diving horse” acts to its Steel Pier. These acts haven’t been around since the 1970s — and for good reason, as they involve horses and riders leaping or falling from a 40-foot tower into a swimming pool.

But in a strange nod to nostalgia (the popular TV series “Boardwalk Empire” takes place on Atlantic City’s Steel Pier in the 1920s, when high-diving horses first became popular), Atlantic City wants to bring this antiquated act back into the present day. And the cruel show could be back as soon as Memorial Day weekend.

Animal lover Jennifer Mishler doesn’t think these diving horse acts are “retro” or “nostalgic” — she thinks they’re simply animal cruelty.

So Jennifer started a petition on Change.org to get Atlantic City to cancel its plans to bring back the high-diving horses. Click here to sign Jennifer’s petition calling on local officials to keep animal cruelty out of plans to revive tourism in Atlantic City.

Atlantic City also tried to bring back high-diving horses in 1993 — but a huge backlash caused those plans to be abandoned. Public outcry can do the same now, especially since construction on a horse-diving tower hasn’t begun yet. With so many other attractions proposed (beer gardens, games and rides), public pressure will swiftly divert these funds into a tourist attraction that will be more fun, lucrative and animal cruelty-free.

Click here to sign Jennifer’s petition calling on Atlantic City to abandon plans to bring out-dated and dangerous high-diving horse acts back to the pier in Atlantic City.

Thanks for being a change-maker,

- Stephanie and the Change.org team

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Highlights From Farm Sanctuary’s 25th Anniversary Year-End Slideshow

From Farm Sanctuary (Watkins Glen, New York 14891)

We are delighted to share the highlights from our 25th Anniversary year.

We rescued so many amazing animals, shared their stories, spread the message of compassion, and celebrated the progress and protections for farm animals that came about this year.

Watch now.

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Please Sign Farm Sanctuary’s Petition to President Obama to End Factory Farming

From Farm Sanctuary (Watkins Glen, New York 14891)

Factory farming is destroying our environment, our communities, animal welfare, and even our health – at an alarming rate. It is critical that we bring an end to factory farming, to restore a more viable food system and preserve our world.

Factory farms have driven small farms out of business and represent the majority of our food system today. The industry has cleared vast areas of forest and rainforest, producing 18% of all greenhouse gas emissions from animal agriculture alone, wasting food and water resources, and polluting our air and water. On factory farms, animals are also induced to grow bigger, to grow faster, and to produce more than their systems can support, while they are subjected to confinement and painful mutilations. Factory farming practices spread diseases, such as mad cow, swine flu, and various food poisonings, including e-coli and salmonella. Extensive antibiotic use by factory farms creates drug resistant bacteria, which puts human health at risk.

For these reasons, the first National Conference to End Factory Farming brought together individuals and organizations representing the animal protection, health and environmental movements to confront factory farming’s common threats. We seek reform, through consumer education, the Farm Bill and local, state and federal policy change. Together, we urge:

• Food policy and nutrition education that reduces consumption of animal products and increases consumption of fresh fruits, vegetables and whole plant foods – minimizing factory farming’s impact and promoting health.
• Sustainable agriculture practices that lessen resource use, pollution and land degradation.
• Elimination of non-therapeutic antibiotics in animal agriculture.
• Eradication of intensive animal confinement, de-toeing, de-beaking, and tail docking.
• Improved regulation of waste disposal affecting rural communities.

Sign the petition to reform our food system!

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Looking Back at the Just Eats Tour: Vegan America in Review

From Farm Sanctuary (Watkins Glen, New York 14891)

Twenty-five years ago, Farm Sanctuary President and Co-Founder Gene Baur was selling veggie hot dogs out of a Volkswagen van and dreaming of an America where compassionate, vegan meals were widely available and in demand. This summer, Gene took the iconic van to the streets of America to find out just how far that dream had come in the past quarter century. Starting at Farm Sanctuary’s 25th Anniversary Gala in New York City on May 14, 2011, and arriving in Orland, Calif., just in time for the June 4 Country Hoe Down, Gene went out in search of the movers and shakers at the heart of the food movement for the Just Eats Tour: Exploring Vegan America!

Along the way, Gene recorded exclusive interviews with nutrition experts, chefs, entrepreneurs, and celebrities who choose a plant-based diet. He also sampled some of the best vegan fare America has to offer, from chic vegan eateries in some of the country’s metropolitan centers to diners slinging tofu scramble in the heart of Middle America. Through it all, Gene found that the movement is not only alive and well but also growing at an astounding pace!

As we take a look back on our 25th anniversary year, join us in remembering the people and places – and the meals! – Gene encountered on the Just Eats Tour through photo and video that were captured on the road. View the Just Eats Tour slideshow on our web site and watch some videos from along the way!

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Special opportunity to view rescued turkeys on Thanksgiving Day!

From Farm Sanctuary

As you make your last minute preparations to celebrate Thanksgiving with your loved ones, be sure to include helping one of our adorable rescued turkeys in your holiday activities! Then, on Thanksgiving Day, view the live video stream of rescued turkeys enjoying a beautiful holiday — thanks to you! Go to our home page on Thanksgiving Day between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. EST for this real-time opportunity.

Choose one of the seven sweet turkeys below, or choose to make a general donation to our Adopt-A-Turkey Project in honor of the 25 rescued baby turkeys to receive a special e-certificate featuring some of their cute little faces.

Thank you for your generosity to our rescued turkeys and all farm animals, and we wish you a joyful holiday!

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