US: Shelters' new rules on strays have towns scrambling When the Delaware County SPCA recently served notice that starting in July, it will no longer accept stray cats and dogs from the county's 49 municipalities, it joined a growing list of shelters across the state – and country – that have made the same choice. Six other animal shelters in Pennsylvania, including those in Berks and Lancaster Counties and one in Harrisburg, have made similar decisions as they try to cut back on euthanizing animals and focus on education, addressing overpopulation, animal abuse, and animal rights. The change has created a dilemma for hundreds of townships that must find a new way to deal with stray animals, said Sue West, director of the state Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement. PETA opposes Move to send elephants to Turkmenistan Animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA – India) has objected to the Center's plan to send two elephants from the country's zoos to Turkmenistan as a part of an animal exchange program. Minister of environment and forests Jairam Ramesh announced the animal exchange proposal recently. A press release issued by PETA stated that the proposal was a clear violation of a Central Zoo Authority (CZA) November 2009 directive, which provides that all elephants presently confined to zoos would be shifted to camps, tiger reserves or forest department facilities at national parks. The CZA had issued the directive taking into account the danger that elephants pose to the public and their miserable living conditions in zoos. Heather Mills to head up ‘Don't Eat Animals' debate Animal rights campaigner, and ex-wife of Paul McCartney, Heather Mills will be arguing for the ending of the use of animals as human food in a debate on 9 December. Held by events organizer Intelligence Squared, the discussion will also include contributions from philosopher Peter Singer, whose book ‘Animal Liberation' is seen as the founding statement of the animal rights movement. Robin Dunbar, anthropologist and evolutionary biologist, will argue against the motion proposing that society ‘don't eat animals', along with food writer Paul Levy. Inuit to appeal EU seals ruling Canadian Inuit and sealers will appeal a European court's refusal to suspend a ban on the import of seal products in Europe, they said Friday. The European Parliament endorsed the ban last year after a public outcry over Canada's annual commercial seal hunt, which animal rights activists denounce as cruel. The decision angered Canada and prompted a legal challenge by Inuit groups from Canada and Greenland. On Friday, Canada's national Inuit organization — Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) — and the Fur Institute of Canada said they “plan to appeal the EU court decision.” Animal Rights Activists Lose Lynx Lawsuit in Maine Animal rights activists have lost their latest battle to stop hunting and trapping in Maine. On October 20 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston affirmed a 2009 decision by Judge John Woodcock, Jr., dismissing the animal rights groups' Canada lynx lawsuit. This decision provides a very important national precedent. It's been a long trail getting to this point, but here's a quick summary: On November 10, 2009, Judge Woodcock of the Federal District Court in Bangor denied a request from the Animal Welfare Institute of Idaho and the Wildlife Institute of Maine for a permanent injunction against the state of Maine to stop hunting and trapping in order to protect Canada lynx. Estonia: Animal Rights Laws Sufficient, Says Legal Chairman It is not fair for activists to say that Estonia's legal framework for animal rights protection is inferior, according to Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee Chairman Ken-Marti Vaher. Speaking to ETV, Vaher admitted that laws aren't enforced often enough because many animal rights abuses are not reported. “[Nevertheless,] animal murderers are still put behind bars in Estonia and that is proven in court statistics,” he said. BM
