‘Dancing with the Stars' and ‘The Big Bang Theory' stars support animal rights Do you want to raise money to help out animals currently in shelters around the country? If so, then you should follow the lead of people such as Kaley Cuoco of “The Big Bang Theory” and former “Dancing with the Stars” contestant Shannon Elizabeth. Elizabeth first posted a message on her Twitter account (which Cuoco later retweeted) suggesting that people visit this link in order to support shelter animals — effectively, for every view that is attached to the YouTube page $1 will be raised for animals until it makes it all the way to $300,000. This shows the power of the internet to make a difference — in this case, it will enable countless animals to have longer and healthier lives. (Not only that, but it increases their opportunities to find a good home.) Animal rights advocate has legislative wish list for Alabama Rhonda Parker has a message for state lawmakers and county animal control officials: “I'm watching you.” As the founder of Alabama Voters for Responsible Animal Legislation — AVRAL — this university professor who lives in Alabaster speaks with passion about issues relating to animal cruelty. Not only does she speak, but she also acts. AVRAL endorsed several animal-friendly candidates who won seats in the state Legislature. Sri Lanka: Charge of animal cruelty against kovil high priest Two trustees of the Sri Bhadra Kali Amman Kovil, in Munneswaran, have been ordered to appear before the Chilaw Magistrate's Court on January 25, 2011 to answer questions in connection with the slaughter of animals at the kovil's annual feast. A private plaint has been filed against the high priest of the kovil under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance and the Butchers' Ordinance. The complainant is Lalani Perera and the Animal Welfare Trust (AWT) and the Sri Lanka Association for the Protection of Animals (SLAPA). UF program teaches investigators how to solve crimes against dogs, cats and other creatures When federal investigators working the Michael Vick dogfighting case needed someone to dig up and analyze the remains of eight pit bulls buried on the football star's Virginia property, they summoned Melinda Merck. The nation's top forensic veterinarian, Merck was one of the few specialists trained in processing crime scenes involving animals. Her job at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals involves helping prosecutors build court cases, and she saw that there weren't nearly enough vets and other professionals with those skills. Read more Berlin couple who left dogs in hot SUV face jail time A Berlin couple face jail time for locking their dogs in a hot SUV parked at a Salisbury mall over the summer. Thirty-six-year-old Shannon Mecall Hussain and her fiance, 45-year-old Kirt Barren Greenberg, were convicted on 18 counts of animal cruelty last week. Greenberg was sentenced to nine months in jail. Hussain was ordered to serve 90 days. Ochocinco gets naked for PETA It appears that the Bengals' Chad OchoCinco has no problem stripping off his clothes when it comes to supporting animal rights. The star receiver is quite a thing to watch on the field, but does have a softer side as he has stripped nearly naked for PETA's “Ink not Mink” campaign. “To tell you the truth, when I was younger growing up, I thought it was all fake—they didn't really kill animals,” says Ochocinco. “So once I found out what really happens, I had the opportunity to do this, so I really wanted to become a part of it … I'm an avid animal lover.” BM
