Oh Dog! It’s time for another edition of Hisses and Purrs! Each week we share the good, and the not-so-good, news in animal welfare around the world.
Back and feeling thoroughly refreshed is Hissy Fit Jones. Are you ready to dole out some hisses?
Hisses to unknown hotel guests in Ontario. A week after two boys were killed by an African rock python in New Brunswick, forty distressed pythons were found in plastic tubs in a hotel room. The snakes were confiscated and housed by the Brant County SPCA.
Hisses to Princess Irina Walker, former Romanian royalty, and her husband, former deputy John Wesley Walker, who were arrested for allegedly running a cockfighting ring in Oregon. The two organized ten derbies since April, 2012. Blades were attached to the roosters’ feet and food was sold at the events. Both have pled not guilty and are out on bond while awaiting trial.
Hisses to the Australian Defense Force, as well as other military training operations, for still using live pigs to train medical staff. The military counters that live animals must be used to prepare medics to be battle-ready.
Hisses to the zoo in the Henan province of China who replaced their lion, who had been sent away for breeding, with a Mastiff dog. There was also a white fox being passed off as a leopard and a dog was identified as a wolf.
That last one is just too ridiculous! Makes me fear for the well-being of all the animals in that zoo.
OK, June Buggie, we need some purrs to lower our blood pressure. Are you ready after your week off?
Purrs to Veracruz, Mexico, for outlawing bullfighting, dog fighting and cockfighting. A first offense will result only in a warning, but subsequent offenses will result in a fine of over $500.
Purrs to the public outcry that convinced a court in Beja, Portugal, that Zico, a pit bull cross found responsible for killing a toddler, should not be killed but instead handed over to the animal welfare organization ANIMAL. Zico, who is 8 years old, had never shown signs of aggression before. The dog will work with professional trainers.
Last week Malachi mentioned that the US Fish and Wildlife refused to allow an Atlanta aquarium to import 18 Beluga Whales that had been captured by Russia. We are purring for the advocacy group Fins and Fluke, who has a change.org petition asking the Russian department of fisheries and Utrishskiy delphinarium to allow the whales to be rehabbed and eventually released back into the wild. Will you sign the petition?
Purrs to the Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad (Spana) for providing veterinary care for the working donkeys of Zimbabwe. In addition to providing health care for some 175,000 donkeys, the staff will provide education for the humans on how to properly care for their animals.
Thanks June Buggie! I really like to hear about positive things happening all around the world to help us animals!
So, do you have any hisses or purrs to add this week? And which layout do you like better? This week’s, or last week’s?
Dogpaddling Through Life 
Hisses to David Cameron, who is only not doing his cruel hobby of deer stalking because of a bad back. “Mr Cameron, who was once credited with killing two stags with one shot, denied that he had given up deer-stalking to placate animal rights groups, calling it ‘probably one of the most defendable’ field sports.” (Daily Mail)
Hisses to the teenager, Luca and others involved in this story yesterday – http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2397051/Bradford-dog-attack-Terror-boy-13-left-fighting-life-neck-injuries.html#ixzz2cVVt6QVu
“Asked what had happened, one of the men claimed the teenager, named as Luca, was antagonising the dog. He said: ‘We only got the dog on Friday, we didn’t know what it was like.It was an American Bulldog called Patch. Luca had come round on Sunday and was teasing the dog, provoking it. I told him to stop it, but he didn’t.’”
I hope the boy makes a full recovery but he was incredibly stupid and his family and friends should have sent him out, or moved the dog away from him if he couldn’t behave sensibly round it. Now it has lost its life because of his behaviour.
Hisses to the people feeding these mice live to the snake and purrs to the little mouse trying to save his friend. A sweet but sad little story – http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2397070/Tragic-moment-white-mouse-tries-rescue-mouse-jaws-giant-snake-jumping-head–fails.html
Sometimes Mother Nature and the world in general seem very cruel
Glad I had your purrs to cheer me up
~ Amy
Whoa! That’s a lot of hisses!!!
Yep! I’ve been surfing the web and going off bang every five seconds!
~ Amy
The South Newton Township municipal authorities meet tonight on their proposal to capture and kill all the cats in the township. Change.org petition got nearly 14,000 signatures, and lots of negative national publicity is putting the township in a bad spot on this decision. Fingers and paws crossed that they reverse it tonight, and accept the help of Alley Cats and other groups who are willing to help them with a TNR program.
Man’s inhumanity to his fellow sentient beings always astonishes me. Why should we have to ban cruel behavior? What do people see in torturing animals that laws need to be passed so they don’t do it? Why don’t their hearts tell them this behavior is wrong?
Agree. It’s incredibly sad that people need to be told that being horrible to another living creature is bad. You’d think it’d fall under the realm of common decency.
Love the purrs; the hisses disgust me, especially that second one. I had no idea those sickies could take an already disgusting thing and make it even worse. I’m starting to think that some people are born without compassion, love, or a natural sense of morals/ethics.
Forty pythons??!!! OMD! How scary and dangerous the situation was!!! I’m relieved to read about what happened to Zico, I feel very sorry for the toddler though…I still remeber the case of Lennox…..which was very sad….
I hope that Zico will be doing better with those professional trainers. Well….as for the layout, I love both of them, so why don’t you use both in turn?
I hate that the former royals are out on bond. It’s ridiculous! When I’m an attorney, I want to fight for stronger disciplinary actions against animal abusers and offenders. UGH!
You can fight for that now. Lobby your legislators.
yaaAAAAy!!!
Thank you making us always aware of what gos on around the world re: animal welfare. And we signed the petition for the Buluga whales. Marine mammals don’t belong in tanks
The last hiss-candidate is really weird – sometimes I have some doubts if the bipeds should really rule this world.
A good round up as usual, guys!! Always good to end on some purrs, so blood pressure has a chance to come down!!
austin’s right. one could dwell exclusively on the hisses, i know i have the tendency and one would be very aggravated, all the time. (almost everyone who visits this blog), each of us HERE (vizziding this blog) is part of the family/community of world-wide life and being so enmeshed is a buoyant affirming experience
Hiss: Stop killing coyotes for sport! Mark Chavez, the owner of Gunhawk Firearms is sponsoring an animal (targeting coyotes ) slaughter contest. Please sign and pass along petition. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/823/630/657/stop-december-coyote-hunt-in-new-mexico/
Thank you, did not make it in my reply. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMPASSION!
I hiss and purr in solidarity! I’m glad I started reading your blog
I signed the petition for the whales. Thanks for making it so easy, June Buggie!
That first shot is a keeper!