Animal rights advocates mourn passing of Lolita, decry orca’s ‘miserable’ living conditions at Miami Seaquarium
VIRGINIA KEY, FLA. (WSVN) – A devastated community came together to hold a moving memorial for Lolita, the beloved killer whale who called Miami Seaquarium home for over half a century.
After more than half a century of living in captivity, the orca, also known as Toki, died on Friday, Miami Seaquarium officials said.
Animal rights advocates who spoke with 7News did not hold back when reacting to the marine mammal’s passing.
“She was stolen as a baby from her family when she was meant to be living in the wild,” said one advocate.
For those of you who are non UK residents, the United Kingdon comprises of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Each has its own Parliament.
Great news – on June 27th, members of the Senedd in Wales voted through a total ban on snares as part of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill.
The next step is to make sure that this historic achievement is replicated by English, Scottish and Northern Ireland governments.
Snares are often used in areas to ‘protect’ the millions of purpose bred gamebirds (until the start of the shooting season) which are then shot and killed for fun by hunters each year – the sick ‘sport’ as they call it. In the UK, lots of wildlife conservation organisations do not allow the use of snares on their land; which proves that despite the arguments put forward by the hunting fraternity, the use of snares is not necessary in modern conservation.
Snares are not selective as they often catch non targeted animals such as dogs, cats, and even our loved and protected badgers.
The ban on snares in Wales has been a difficult and long campaign; especially with pressure from pro-shooting lobbyists who wanted to allow the continued use of snares under a new name of ‘humane cable restraints’. There is nothing humane about snares, they are simple killers, and yes, animals are restrained until their deaths which can be long and cause great suffering.
The Minister for Rural Affairs in Wales, Lesley Griffiths, stood firm and rejected the allowance of ‘humane cable restraints’ by the hunters; citing animal welfare concerns and the indiscriminate nature of snares, which can cause long term suffering to many species.
The victory in Wales is a wonderful result for the movement and one which will save countless animals from appalling suffering. We thank the Welsh government (Senedd) for their decisive action to protect all animals from suffering. The next step is to make sure that this historic achievement in Wales is replicated in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The Scottish government already has the issue under review, and there is an opportunity ton ban snares under the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill which is currently in its early stages.
It is now vital that pressure on snares is kept on MP’s and the government; and that they know that action to ban nars throughout the UK is taken. As a General Election is not far away now, there is never a better time to let the government know that in your opinion, THEY are failing animal in every sense.
Despite weeks of forewarning, saying farewell to animal protector Seema Mohanchandran was bitter-sweet.
After several years gracing Udaipur with her care for animals, Seema’s husband (and partner in kindness) Mohan was recently transferred to Calcutta.
The generous staff lunch she hosted–one of several over the years–ended in a tearful goodbye
Seema has fed 80 dogs in her neighborhood every day, and arranged for us to sterilize more than 200 dogs. And by “arranged” we don’t mean simply placed a request. She befriended, caught, contained, and often personally transported many of them.
Ever resourceful, Seema has arranged for neighbors andfriends to continue feeding and getting sterilized the four-legged friends she has protected for many years. They made an epic journey across India with their eight rescues, including Vayu, pictured here, who is paralysed in his hind legs.
We will miss Seema so much, but we take great joy knowing the dogs of Calcutta are in for a beautiful surprise
The beauty of a Blessing
Old, emaciated and dehydrated, this beautiful girl was admitted with a seriously infected wound on her face. When she arrived, we found that she had a twitching condition caused by the canine distemper virus. The virus was no longer infectious, but it left her with permanent neurological twitch. Her twitching was focalized to her mouth, and had caused one of her teeth to puncture through the roof of her mouth, leading to infection in her nasal passage.
The wound made it almost impossible for her to search for food or to eat. We started her on antibiotics and gave her IV fluids right away. With coaxing, she ate her first nutritious meal in a long time.
Day by day, she continued to gain weight and get stronger. But she was elderly and needed extra time, both to get strong on her feet and to beat the infection. She’ll never have complete control of her tongue, but in our eyes, she’s all the more beautiful for it. Meet Blessing today.
When Petey’s multiple problems were solved, what he wanted most was to be a good boy.
This elderly street dog seemed to know we were there to help. He sat right down and let us carefully carry him to our ambulance. Covered in scabs and wounds from mange, as well as a deep wound on his leg and a seriously infected eye, this poor gentle boy had almost reached the end of his life. With a deep maggot-filled wound on his leg, he could hardly walk.
His vision too was blurredby a wound near his eye that was probably caused by scratching. He was starving and evenhis toes were swollen and tender. When we reached our hospital we removed maggots from the deep wound on his leg, and began the series of creams, medicated baths and nutritious food that would change–and save!–his life. He’s not rambunctious or bouncy.Gentle Petey is one of those shining souls who just wants to be a good boy.
16 years later…welcome back to Animal Aid, brave lady.
When we rescued this elderly lady for a wound on her shoulder and trouble walking, she seemed hazily at ease. Her old crooked tail wagged peaceably and her eyes shone with sweetness behind blue cataracts.
While conducting her admission exam,we saw something curious in her ear:A tattoo, faded and illegible, but definitely made by our team from a much earlier era of Animal Aid, when we used to tattoo the dogs we sterilized.
We know how old this lady is because we only tattooed the ears for a couple of years between 2005 and 2007, making this lady at least 16 years old–truly ancient for a street dog.
Hugs all around to gorgeous Lady, who may have sailed the seven seas for all we know. Her longevity is a testament to her neighbors who cared for her all these years, up until the point of calling us when she needed our help for the last time. We don’t think she will ever be mobile enough to be released, so Animal Aid will be her old-age home.
Achievements in July that you made possible
Looking good, Doing good.
Your purchase helps save a beauty.
100% of the proceeds go to our street animal rescues
I am pleased to share our Summer 2023 edition of Coyote Chronicles, our quarterly newsletter.
In this update, we share progress toward ending wildlife killing contests in New York and Illinois, growth of our #CaptureCoexistence campaign, headway in wildlife governance reform in Wisconsin, and a collaborative victory in Pasadena, CA whose city council chose coyote coexistence instead of killing.
We hope you’ll enjoy reading these updates and accomplishments, learning a seasonal coexistence tip, and joining us in welcoming new staff and advisory board members to our pack.
Whether you take action through our action alerts, engage with us on social media, or financially invest in Project Coyote’s mission, YOU make a difference and your steadfast support is directly reflected in the accomplishments shared in our seasonal Coyote Chronicles newsletter.
Thank you for supporting compassionate carnivore coexistence and we hope you enjoy reading about our latest work! As always, please share this e-newsletter with other wildlife lovers. We are grassroots and need your help in growing our community of support!
The city is pushing hard to rebrand its image as a high-culture destination, and this includes caring for animal rights
Starting today, the tourism authorities in Prague are starting to place posters on the city streets, which will warn residents and tourists to abstain from taking photos with show animals in the city centre or face the possibility of fines.
Almost 500 cats and dogs were treated at a pop-up shelter in Athens in the course of one week as the wildfires raged (Photo: Dogs Voice)
How animal charities are racing to save dogs, deer, hedgehogs and tortoises from Greece wildfires
Volunteers have been working round the clock to rescue pets and wildlife – from cats to deer -caught up in the fierce blazes
Teams of volunteers from charity Anima have been going out to the areas where the wildfires have burnt to rescue and treat wildlife (Photo: Anima)
Among the vulnerable wildlife are chicks abandoned in nests as the fires take hold (Photo: Anima)
Greece’s wildfires have ravaged the landscape and taken their toll on the human population, but they have also been a disaster for animals – and animal charities are on the frontline of the scorched habitats.
Girlfriend Turns Serial Kitten Killer Into Police, Says He Wouldn’t Stop Buying Cats to Torture: Report
He’s been arrested and charged with animal torture
Published 07/12/23
A 22-year-old Chicago man has been arrested and charged with aggravated animal cruelty after his girlfriend found videos and images on his phone of kittens being violently killed.
Thomas Martel is accused of killing at least six kittens in the past three months and buying lookalikes on Craigslist so his mother wouldn’t become suspicious, CWBCChicago reports.
Even more horrific details were revealed in a bail hearing this week reported by The Daily Beast, with prosecutors alleging he drowned and microwaved the kittens.
Judge Kelly McCarthy called it “a pattern” of “going back again and again.”
“Killing an animal, going out and get a replacement. Kill that one, get a replacement. Kill that one, get a replacement,” she said. “And, unfortunately, this was allowed to continue for a sustained period of time and numerous animals lost their lives.”
Martel’s girlfriend, who remains unnamed, says he told her “he enjoyed killing cats and he had been like that since he was eight years old.”
She alleges Martel bought at least five different, but similar-looking, kittens named Shelly over a few week period — each time the previous Shelly disappeared or died.
According to The Daily Beast, when she tried to tell him to stop buying cats he immediately called asking for money to buy another kitten.
She also told authorities he admitted to killing three cats in the microwave, which led them to discover a black, foul-smelling bag in the pantry with parts of “multiple” kittens.
Martel faces four counts of animal torture and two counts of aggravated animal cruelty.
He turned himself in to the police on Monday and is undergoing a week-long mental health evaluation, CWBCChicago reports.
The FBI’s Law Enforcement Bulletin in a post from 2021 discusses animal cruelty and its link to violence against humans. Studies suggest violence against animals is a predictor of future offenses, including domestic violence, arson and weapons charges.
A Chicago man has been accused of killing at least six kittens since May and buying lookalike replacements of the animals so that his mother wouldn’t become suspicious.
Prosecutors have charged Thomas Martel, 22, with four counts of animal torture as well as two counts of aggravated animal cruelty, according to CWBChicago.
At a bail hearing Tuesday, Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney Sarah Dale-Schmidt detailed horrific allegations of brutality in which she claimed Martel drowned and possibly microwaved the kittens.
Police reportedly became aware of the alleged cruelty last month when Martel’s girlfriend gave authorities disturbing images and videos she found on his phone, including one picture of a living kitten captioned “just before I murdered her.”
Prosecutors claim he also recently told his partner that “he enjoyed killing cats and he had been like that since he was eight years old.”
At one point during his alleged spree, Martel’s girlfriend said he kicked her out after she told him he had to stop buying cats—only to immediately call asking for more money to buy another kitten.
Martel’s girlfriend also said he later told her he had microwaved three cats and put them in the pantry of his apartment, where police subsequently found a bag containing what looked like parts of “‘multiple’ kittens,” according to Dale-Schmidt.
Activists stood outside the court in Rome calling for the cull to be halted
A top court in Rome has ruled that a culling order for two bears in northern Italy should be suspended, backing an appeal by animal rights activists.
One of the bears, a 17-year-old female called JJ4, was captured after it killed jogger Andrea Papi in the Alps.
The other, known as MJ5, had attacked a hiker in the same area weeks earlier.
Italy’s Council of State said the slaughter ruling “appears disproportionate and inconsistent with supranational and national rules”.
The case will now be referred back to a local court for a final appeal by the end of the year.
When JJ4 was captured in April the governor of Trentino province, Maurizio Fugatti, said “we would have liked to kill the bear on the spot”.
Mr Papi, 26, was the first Italian known to have been killed by a bear for years. He had been jogging on the slopes of Mt Peller above the town of Caldes when he was attacked.
JJ4 was taken to an animal care centre near the city of Trento but to this day MJ5, a male bear who attacked a 39-year-old hiker in March, continues to roam free in the Brenta Dolomites mountain range.
However, both bears faced a slaughter order and their case was taken up by animal welfare groups who said the animals were a protected species in Italy.
The local administrative court put a hold on the order until December, to allow further evidence to be submitted and for animal rights groups to find an alternative to slaughter.
Italy’s environment minister said he too was against the cull and last week the government said that authorities in Romania were ready to admit JJ4 to a sanctuary for rescued brown bears, described as the biggest of its kind in the world with a population of more than 100 animals.
Another alternative proposed by animal rights groups is for a reserve to be set up in the Trentino area.
Judges at the Council of State in Rome found on Friday that the slaughter ruling seemed disproportionate. Brown bears were protected by a 1979 Bern Convention on wildlife, they said, and international norms required that “the measure of culling represents a last resort”.
Exceptions to a ban on killing a protected species could only be allowed “on condition there exists no other valid solution”, they added.
Brown bears were reintroduced to northern Italy in 1999 under a European conservation project called “Life Ursus”, but their numbers have gradually climbed beyond 100.
The Trentino governor has said the province now has some 70 “excess bears” and has accused activists preoccupied with JJ4’s fate of being ideological.
The recent attacks triggered alarm locally and local mayors threatened to resign if action was not taken to bring the numbers down.
The animal welfare groups who brought the appeal to Rome said that Friday’s ruling “gives confidence and hope to those fighting for a reprieve for the animals condemned to die by the autonomous province of Trento”.
World Animals Voice 