Spring 2013

Volume
62
Number
2
Spring 2013 AWI Quarterly - Photo by Cecilia van Prooijen
About the Cover

“Storm,” the dog who graces our front cover, enjoys the security of a loving home. Not all companion animals are so fortunate. Some live in homes where domestic violence is present, too often suffering alongside the human victims of abuse. David LaBahn, president and CEO of the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (APA) sums it up: “As prosecutors, we know that abusers take out their rage on the family pets as a way to exert more power and control over children, spouses, even their elderly parents.”

For the past several years, AWI has worked closely with the APA and other organizations to bring greater focus to the connection between family violence and animal abuse, and to provide resources to help law enforcement officials and other professionals aid victims and prosecute abusers. One such effort—our Safe Havens for Pets database—is discussed on the back cover. In producing and maintaining this database of facilities where domestic violence victims can quickly find reliable refuge for their beloved pets as they seek shelter themselves, it is our hope that more people and animals will be able, once and for all, to break free from abuse.

Photo by Cecilia van Prooijen

Table of Contents

Animals in Laboratories

Floyd and Susan Martin were random source Class B dealers who, over the years, kept thousands of animals in appalling conditions at their Chestnut Grove Kennels in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania.
An article by Gina Kolata in the February 11 New York Times titled “Mice Fall Short as Test Subjects for Some of Humans’ Deadly Ills,” unleashed a maelstrom—from both those advocating alternatives to animals in...
The free web tutorials at the Procedures with Care website offer a detailed learning tool for those in research looking to learn or brush up on best practices for performing subcutaneous injection, gavage, intravenous injection...
In response to a string of recent natural disasters, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service published a rule in December making it mandatory that all dealers, exhibitors, intermediate handlers, carriers, research facilities, and other...

Companion Animals

Within the past 10 years, professionals working in the violence prevention field have become more conscious of the fact that many victims of domestic violence delay leaving a dangerous environment because of a strong attachment...
Imagine finding your beloved horse on Facebook, in a kill pen bleeding to death with a severed artery, when you thought she was safe and happy in a loving home. That’s what happened to me...

Farmed Animals

Following a year-long application process, AWI’s Animal Welfare Approved (AWA) program was audited for compliance with the International Organization for Standardization’s “ISO 65” standards earlier this year by the International Organic Accreditation Service—the leading independent...
Despite strong public opposition, and no documented demand, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) appears to be drawing closer to approving the first food product from a genetically engineered (GE) animal.
Researchers are only just starting to understand the critical role of native U.S. predator species in the functioning of ecosystems. A recent study by Oregon State University, for example, found that large predators such as...

Marine Life

Almost two years ago, Iceland’s Hvalur Inc., headed by Kristjan Loftsson, suspended its fin whale hunt. It continued however to export thousands of tons of mainly fin whale products, principally to Japan. In fact, Icelandic...
A recent issue of the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science contains the findings of a clinical veterinary and behavioral analysis of the killing methods being used in the notorious Taiji dolphin drive hunts based...
The U.S. Navy has requested authorization from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to allow it to take (harass, harm or kill) many tens of millions of marine mammals incidental to thousands of training and...
AWI continues to work with NGOs and individuals in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) to bring an end to its cruel and wasteful humpback whale hunt. We are particularly supportive of local efforts to...

Terrestrial Wildlife

An early highlight of the 16th meeting of the CITES Conference of the Parties was the presentation of AWI’s Clark R. Bavin Wildlife Law Enforcement Awards, honoring those who have demonstrated remarkable effort to protect...
“Operation Something Bruin,” a four-year, multi-agency sting operation involving state officials from Georgia and North Carolina, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, and National Park Service, has resulted in the arrest of...
The 16th meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was poised to be historic. Not only was 2013 the 40th anniversary of CITES, but never before...
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced on February 1 a proposal to list the North American wolverine as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). USFWS stated in a news release...
Few Americans know that almost every day of every year, somewhere in the United States coyotes are being slaughtered as part of a contest or bounty—where money or prizes are awarded for killing the largest...
The monarch butterfly population is crashing. Over a 50-acre swatch of central Mexico each winter, monarch butterflies once formed a living blanket over the trees. They now occupy less than three of those acres. Last...
Painted dogs (Lycaon pictus), also called African wild dogs, once numbered around 500,000 across 39 countries on the continent. Today, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, a little over 1 percent of...
Circuses, animal acts, carnivals, petting zoos, and other animal exhibitors are now required to file itineraries with USDA at least 48 hours in advance if they will be keeping any of their animals off-site for...

Government Affairs

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack told reporters in March that “Congress should come up with a better solution for handling unwanted horses than slaughtering the animals for meat for human consumption.” Vilsack, a former governor...
U.S. Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) has reintroduced the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (“PAMTA,” or H.R. 1150) into the House of Representatives. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) intends to introduce a companion bill in...
Even as some state legislatures seek to cover up abuse via ag-gag bills, a few are in pursuit of higher ground: last year, Rhode Island joined a growing list of states that prohibit intensive confinement...
The Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act of 2013 was introduced on March 12 in both houses of Congress. Sponsored by Sens. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) in the Senate and by Reps...
The Illinois legislature has taken steps to protect animal welfare and public safety by advancing HB 83, a bill that would restrict the tethering of dogs throughout Illinois. Tethered dogs spend their lives tied up...
Industrial agriculture is continuing the tactic of introducing anti-whistleblower legislation to prevent the investigation and exposure of cruel conditions endured by farm animals on factory farms. These bills, referred to as “ag-gag” bills, had already...

In Remembrance

AWI was deeply saddened to learn that Dr. Earnest Johnson, a dedicated veterinary inspector with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), passed away earlier this year. Dr. Johnson embraced his obligation to ensure enforcement of...

Reviews

In Animal Wise: The Thoughts and Emotions of Our Fellow Creatures, well-known science writer Virginia Morell argues that animals often do not get the proper credit for their emotional and mental ranges.
The One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate, a poignant book with a strong animal welfare theme, has won the 2013 Newbery Medal—a prestigious award given annually to the most distinguished contribution to American literature...
In this discussion, it would be easy to lose sight of pikas, wildebeest, Arctic shorebirds, green sea turtles, and a vast number of other wildlife species. Wild animals just take care of themselves, right? Always...