CANADA: Humane society to look into fresh complaint about Edmonton elephant The Edmonton Humane Society says it will investigate a complaint by animal welfare groups about the treatment of the lone elephant at the city's Valley Zoo. The groups — Zoocheck, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and Voice for Animals — made a formal report to the society Tuesday after losing a court bid earlier this year to have Lucy moved to a U.S. sanctuary. It's the second time animal rights groups have made a complaint to the humane society about Lucy's health and the latest salvo in their long-running battle to have her moved out of the Edmonton zoo. Humane society spokeswoman Shawna Randolph said a previous investigation in 2007 determined everything was OK. Bosnian girl who threw litter of puppies into fast-flowing river will not face animal cruelty charges A young girl who was filmed throwing puppies into a river to drown will not face animal cruelty charges, furious animal rights campaigners have announced. Police in Bugojna, Bosnia, have dropped plans to prosecute the youngster because they say she is not old enough to face court. The decision was revealed by angry animal rights campaigners PETA. US Animal groups call for lab probe An animal rights watchdog group says it wants a new U.S. Department of Agriculture probe into monkey deaths at a nationally known research lab. In a release, the group, Stop Animal Exploitation Now, also calls for an Inspector General's investigation of the conduct of the Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service regarding the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research in San Antonio. SAEN says previous USDA reports revealed primates have died at the Texas lab from dehydration and hypothermia, while others have simply been “found dead” — possibly without veterinary care — after suffering from serious disease conditions that include temperatures up to 105 degrees. Canada protesters want horse slaughtering stopped Waving placards adorned with grisly photos of skinned equines, around 20 animal rights activists protested at the southwest headquarters of Bouvry Exports Calgary Ltd. on Monday, calling for an end to the slaughter of horses in Canada. Around 90,000 horses are slaughtered in Canada each year, said Lisa Shaw, spokeswoman for Calgary Animal Rights Effort (CARE), with most of the meat exported to Europe and Asia. “About 50% of them are coming up from the United States,” she said. “They're riding ponies, race horses and rodeo horses. “At least half to 90% of horses sold at auction, people think are going to good homes, but they're getting bought by kill-buyers then they go off to the slaughter.” Thousands March for Animal Rights in Colombia About 5,000 people marched through the streets of downtown Bogota to commemorate World Animal Day, the date when Colombian activists concentrate their criticism of the government for its lack of interest in these living creatures. Carrying coffins, crippled pets and signs protesting animal abuse, the activists demonstrated Sunday against such practices as bullfighting and abandoning pets. “The government sponsors killing and mistreatment,” the Colombian Pro-animals Foundation representative Fabiola Blanco told Efe. The animal rights activist said that societies as violent as Colombia's should not tolerate cruel events like bullfighting. BM
