US: Rights groups speak out on abandoned poodles It's a story that had many of you outraged, poodles rescued from floodwaters in Green Valley farms. Over a dozen defenseless poodles were trapped with nowhere to go. The helpless pets were left behind to fend for themselves earlier this month after heavy rains flooded a low lying area. Now animal rights groups are demanding answers from the Cameron County Sheriff's Department. “Are you going to prosecute or not?”, says Edgar Trevino with Brownsville Animal Control. Trevino along with representatives from several other animal organizations met with Cameron County Sheriff officials Tuesday afternoon to find out if authorities will go after the dogs owner. Northern Ireland: Animal rights activists blamed after 5,000 minks released Animal rights activists are being blamed for the release of thousands of farmed mink into the wild in the Republic of Ireland. Desperate efforts were under way yesterday to recapture up to 5,000 mink, which dispersed into the surrounding countryside following a weekend break-in at a farm near Ardara in south-west Donegal. NEVADA: Horse group tries to stop wildlife refuge roundup A federal judge has denied a request by animal rights advocates to halt roundups of wild horses after the federal government quietly gathered nearly 400 mustangs at a national wildlife refuge on the Nevada-Oregon line. Grass Roots Horse, a mustang advocacy group, had sought a restraining order against ongoing roundups. U.S. District Judge Larry Hicks on Monday denied its request for a temporary restraining order, but has not yet set a date to hear arguments in the case. The group had amended their complaint Friday to include details of the latest roundup at the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge last week. It alleged that their observer was harassed by the helicopter contractor and federal employees, and that the observer discovered a grave site strewn with the bones of horses killed during previous roundups. AUSTRALIA: Calls for ban on calf roping at rodeos An animals rights charity is calling on the Minister responsible for animal welfare to come down hard on Hunter Valley rodeo organizers who are breaching the Cruelty Act. Animal Liberation says it has footage of rodeos in Cessnock and Stroud where terrified calves are being strangled and dragged for metres. The charity's Executive Director, Mark Pearson says the D-V-D has been passed onto police for investigation. “We've documented very serious breaches of the regulation,” he said. Greece: Animal rights group claims mass Greek mink release An international animal rights activist group has claimed responsibility for releasing more than 50,000 minks from two fur farms in northern Greece. In an online statement, the Animal Liberation Front says it carried out the attacks last week near the towns of Kastoria and Siatista, in the heart of Greece's fur industry. Thursday's statement said the break-ins were meant to hit the industry “and especially the disgusting ‘fur towns' of Siatista and Kastoria, plagued with hundreds of fur stores.” BM
