Smith College: New animal-rights group on campus focuses on youth activism A new Animal Rights Society on campus aims to expand animal rights awareness in and around the Smith community. The organization focuses on exposing the exploitative methods employed by the U.S. animal agriculture industry. Club founder Lisa Dunker '14 wants to change a common perception outside of the animal rights community that protesting is a “manifestation of confused anger.” “We don't want to make people feel like we are attacking them, because that will only make them feel defensive and coil up even further into their set ideas. Similarly, we don't want to come off as irrational or radical by seeming overly zealous,” said Dunker. Missouri “puppy mill” restrictions face repeal effort Animal rights activists in Missouri said on Thursday that the nation's leading dog breeding state must go ahead with the first ever restrictions on “puppy mills” and ignore efforts to overturn them. The restrictions, which state voters approved in the election last month by a 52 percent to 48 percent margin, limit each breeder to 50 breeding dogs, require dogs to be fed daily, and limits the breeding of animals to no more than twice in 18 months. UK: Hamleys cancels penguin appearance Animal welfare activists have persuaded Hamleys' that it is probably not such a good idea to have live penguins in its flagship Regent Street store. The toy shop initially planned to have the birds on show in the run up to Christmas, and advertised the appearance as being educational. However, activists accused the store of not taking into consideration the welfare of the birds and using them as a public relations stunt to attract more paying customers. The backlash against the toy retailer was particularly noticeable across social networking sites on the internet. An internet blog slammed Hamleys' for forgetting that live penguins were not stuffed toys and for thinking that a hot, noisy, crowded store was an acceptable environment in which to keep the birds. Pro Skater Jason Ellis Strips Down for New peta2 Anti-Fur Ad Pro skater Jason Ellis shows that he's comfortable in his own skin in a new ad for peta2, the world's largest youth animal rights organization. In the ad, shown below, the shirtless Ellis shows off his many tattoos next to the words “Ink, Not Mink.” Ellis also recently sat down for an exclusive peta2 interview in which he used his explosive wit to defend animals—especially elephants in circuses who are forced to perform unnatural and uncomfortable tricks and routinely beaten with sharp, steel-tipped bullhooks in order to remind them who's “boss.” Palisadian Saves Elephant in Thailand Each November, the city of Surin plays host to Thailand's annual Elephant Roundup with 300 captive elephants performing for thousands of spectators. Elephants and their mahouts (handlers) travel hundreds of miles to perform a host of historical reenactments, tricks and circus routines for eager spectators. It is the largest elephant event in Southeast Asia and possibly the world. In 2009, Pacific Palisades resident Juliette West joined Lek Chailert of Thailand, who has rescued elephants for the past 30 years, to save an elephant from the Elephant Roundup, while I captured it all on video for a documentary project called “How I Became an Elephant.” The film premieres at the Artivist Film Festival at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood tonight at 9:30 p.m. Activists Push for End to Fur Farming The animal rights group Animalia has called for the establishment of an official working group to map out an end to fur farming in Finland. Animalia would like to see all fur farms in the country closed down no later than by 2025. The organization has invited key decision-makers to meet for a briefing next week on the current state of fur farming and on the welfare of fur animals. Animalia representatives will be presenting their key arguments for a ban on fur farming and their proposal on setting up an official working group to create a phase-out plan. BM
