And we’re back with another edition of Hisses and Purrs. Each week Hissy Fit Jones and June Buggie give you a round-up of the good, and not-so-good, news about the plight of animals around the world.
Why do we do this? Because you need to know what’s REALLY going on out there, and not just what is being shared on Facebook.
Hissy? Are you ready to get some blood boiling?
Hisses to the state of Texas for allowing black rhino horns to be legally sold in the state. Last week Michael Slattery, alleged to have ties to organized crime, pled guilty to smuggling rhino horns across state lines. In 2010, Slattery flew from London to buy a black rhino horn at an auction in Austin. Texas is now a major player in the illegal trafficking of rhino horns, because while it is illegal to transport the horns across state lines, it’s easy to buy the horns at auction in Texas, transport to California or New York, then ship the horns to Asia where people pay big bucks for them.
Hisses to Italian Trade Union Feder Fauna, a union for people working commercially with animals such as breeders and farmers, for offering the ‘Hitler Prize’ to people who have, “suffered violence from animal rights activists.” The prize was meant to be a slap in the face to those who work for the welfare of animals. Not surprisingly, Jewish groups are outraged.
Hisses to local government officials in Beijing, China for setting 1000 kittens loose in a wooded area to fend for themselves. The cats had been rescued when animal welfare advocates and local police intercepted a truck carrying the cats to be slaughtered and sold in Guangzhou province. Advocates are trying to capture the cats and place them up for adoption.
Hisses to GE Free New Zealand for demanding that genetically modified soybeans first be tested on animals before being allowed into the country. In May, Food Safety Minister Nikki Kaye approved the import of herbicide-resistant soy for consumption, but not for cultivation or production. Look, I don’t like GMOs either, but to call for them to be tested on animals is just wrong.
Oh Dog! Hissy, thanks for keeping us informed each week. Now June Buggie will share some of the good stuff going on around the world.
Purrs to China’s Food and Drug Administration, which recently announced that as of June, 2014, China will no longer require animal testing for domestically manufactured beauty products. Companies will not be allowed to cite safety data for raw ingredients. This means that companies like Mary Kay and Avon, who have manufacturing plants in China, can once again choose to not test their products on animals. I can’t wait to hear what they decide to do, because, to be honest, there are many humans missing their Avon and Mary Kay products.
Purrs to New Zealand’s Animal Welfare Amendment Bill currently being considered, which would require institutions breeding animals for research purposes to report how many animals were bred but not used for testing. It was reported that in one year, one university alone euthanized 40,000 animals that were bred but not used. If passed, the law would also ban painful surgical procedures on animals. I pray this bill is passed into law.
Purrs to Animals Australia for continuing to stand up against the live export of animals to other countries for slaughter. Recently released video shot by one of their undercover operatives shows bulls being dragged and pushed off trucks and violently restrained and slaughtered on the island of Mauritius. The video was taken between October 14th and 16th. Hopefully their actions will eventually defeat the powerful animal agriculture lobby and live export will be a thing of the past.
And Purrs to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, who this Thursday will destroy 6 tons of ivory that has been seized from smugglers and criminals over the past 25 years. The action is to send a message of zero-tolerance to elephant poachers.
Thanks June Buggie. Another great job, you guys.
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Today we offer our deepest condolences to the family of Renee Radziwon-Chapman, head keeper at Wildcat Haven Sanctuary in Sherwood, Oregon. Radziwon-Chapman died Saturday after she was attacked by one of the big cats kept at the sanctuary. While an investigation continues, it appears that Radziwon-Chapman did not follow protocol and was attempting to lockout a cat alone, against sanctuary procedures.
We also offer our condolences to the family of Sandy Lertzman, founder of the Animal Rights Foundation, who committed suicide in Moreland Hills, Ohio. Lertzman was found dead on November 4th in a running car in her garage along with 31 small rescue dogs, who also died. A suicide note was found, but the contents of that note have not been released to the public.
Dogpaddling Through Life 
I hope from the bottom of my heart that china really will do this. Imagine hair removal stuff tested on animals… that’s just horrible.
Absolutely! I am hopeful as well. But just because it’s not mandatory doesn’t mean some companies won’t continue to do the testing, so we must be vigilant.
yes! it’s anyway a shame that we get only made in china thingies.
Yes, well, that’s business for you. Do it the cheapest and least regulated way possible.
The very thought of it makes shiver.
I know what’s to get hair removal burns, it’s hurts like a ….
Glad to read that they are moving forward, sadly the said cannot be said about the good old Lone Star State.
I agree!
Thank you so much for this information.
I feel very mad at GE Free New Zealand for the genetically modified soybeans test because it’s obvious that they see us as just a tool for humanbeing….Grrrrr…. 😦
I haven’t been on the internet much this week, that’s massive humongous news! China not forcing companies to test on animals anymore gives so many companies breathing space. Although I still resent a lot of them for going from cruelty free to testing in China, not sure if i’d ever trust them again you know?
I’d like to think those companies helped make the change possible.
I guess you get the good with the bad in every country. Thanks so much for this weekly column!
I want to know what’s happening all over. I hope I’m not the only one!
My mind is blown that an animal rights activist would destroy all those poor animals along with her. Bad enough that she did it to herself, but to take the lives of the innocents she worked to protect is incomprehensible. The Italian poster is horrible. And (you really got me going today!) it’s hard to believe that China did any kind of testing at all, since even their toiletry items contain toxic ingredients (like toothpaste). I’m glad they’re not going to do animal testing anymore. This will show the public whether Avon and Mary Kay have a heart.
Perhaps it doesn’t make sense to us, but to a person suffering from mental illness, it might make perfect sense. It’s similar to those who commit suicide and take family members with them.
Thank God that Australia are standing up for animal rights. Animals have feelings as do we also.
Well done, gang!
A very informative post. Thank you.
June Buggie, thanks for offsetting the hisses from Hissy Fit.
It’s very upsetting to hear of Sandy Lertzman’s suicide. I have no problem with a person taking her own life. If a person wants to commit suicide, I have no right to interfere. But why kill 31 dogs? For someone who is was founder of the Animal Rights Foundation, how could she kill 31 rescue dogs?
Oh how sad about these 2 women dying…sad that the 1st woman did not follow protocol and died needlessly & very very sad that the 2nd lady felt there was no way out but to take her life & the lives of the dogs with her….
I am sorry the world has lost these women!!
As for Italy & that poster I am VERY unhappy…this kind ot poster should not be allowed…I am Jewish & am the child of a Holocaust survivor therefore I am insulted by such a poster….this was not necessary….but then neither are all the horrid things done to animals in this world!!! Hissy Fit thank you for keeping us in touch with the negative & June Buggie thank you for finding the good in this world….seems we can’t have one without the other 😦
Sherri-Ellen & Nylablue too.
Great post- thank you. Very informative 🙂
Until the US takes a stance on no animal testing, the big companies like Coty will keep on and I do miss my OPI but just cant buy it now. Hopefully Revlon will go back to it’s no testing ways. Revlon has been the one I have morned.
oh noes, I did not know about the lady who committed suicide. So sad, so sad. China gets a point for the cosmetic testing, but they still have so many points against them…and I really hope the NZ law passes too. I think i am going to ask Dash Kitten’s new staff what they think. Thanks guys for always keeping me updated on world wide animal welfare news
Horror stories, these are. 1000 cats set loose to fend for themselves? Cruelty.
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