nrals'CALI

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r0o1.2, No.2 I"ebruarg 1988

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From Quarterh to Monthly arld ...fil he Animals'Voice begins the

I New Year with a belatedI Christmas gift for itself : a

monthly format. And four-color. Buteven more exciting for us has been ou rgrowing list of supporters, sustainers,and subscribers. With a glance at thestaff box, it appears as if we pull thismagazine out of a hat with the help ofa handful of people. ln reality, how-ever, the contributors this issue are toonumerous for a box 31/c" by 2%". Theyinclude our new sustainers, morephotographers, writers, and suppliersof illustrations - even advertisers! aswell as tipsters on news stories.

And some contributors give us ideas.Without those, we narrow it down totwo people-myself and Daniel-tofigure out what you might enjoyreading about, what issues in Californiayou find interesting, and what youwould like to see Ihe Animals'Voicecontribute to our collective communi-ties.

So thank you all for your spiritedenthusiasm, continued support andgood wishes.

When we first began publishing, wehad 700 copies of our premiere issueprinted. We're proud to say we'veprinted 2,000 copies this issue- morethan double lastyear! and we've got apotential 2500 California readers whowill be receiving an introduction to IheAnimals' Voice. On top of that, we'veplanned our advertising campaign andwill be executing it in February. Mostly,however, we're doubly excited aboutthe ability to spend more hoursworking on the magazine, thanks,again, to a generous grant from theCompassion for Animals Foundation,which will enable us to bring IheAnimals' Voice to you every month.

Please keep in mind that we will befocusing our attention and directiontoward the general population. Iheyare the people we want to reachbecause they'rethe ones buyi ng the fu rcoats and cruelty cosmetics, they'retheones attending the rodeos and familybarbecues, and they're the ones whohave the power- if anyone does-tochange the minds of ou r congressionalleaders who make the laws for animal

protection (or exploitation).They're also the media makers, the

priests and rabbis, the mayors andpolice chiefs - people with influencein our communities. But they're alsothe consumerl We're publishing anattractive magazine which will be in thelibraries and on the desks of yourrespective California legislators, as wellas in the schools and in the hands ofevery major newspaper in the country.Let's give them a productworth pickingup, one worth paying for and oneworth reading.

The Animals' Voice, from here onout, will be directed toward someonewho's never before, perhaps, readabout anything we in the animal rightsmovement have been fighting for. Butfor all of you die-hard radical activists

-we've got a publication for you. lt's

called Activist /nk, of course, of course,and it's something along the lines ofBritain's Liberato r.. lf you're interested,drop us a line. ltwon't look as good asThe Animals' Voice, but then ... whosaid looks were everything?

Keep in touch. - LAM

conrrrrerrtarf .....pags 3seal!0alch'88... .page 4

pounclseizure ....pag,e 8

califonria ns$slines ..... page l0state of tlre nrooenrerrl . . . page 14.

poetr! b.f nrar.! cle la .Oalette . . . . . page 16califonria's salt nrars}r lrar"0est ntoltse . . . page l8clingirrgloeisistence .....page20a fable of foreroer . page 22arrirrral clreanring . . page 23a book rerie\i ....page2-/status Quo blues . , page 24

Srrstai ners

Cil Michaels, Compassion for Animals FoundationLeo Crillo, Dedicated and Everlasting Love Toward Animals

Ken Moore O.J. & Diane Ramsey

staff & sttrff

l'ublisherThe Animals' Voice, lnc.

I'lxecutfiJe IiditorLauraA. Moretti

Associate IiditorDaniel Donnelly

Design i Yecharrical l'roductionArtists for Animals

Contribulors This IssueSylvia Altman, Mary de la Vallette, Ed Duvin,

Cole McFarland, Michele Merola, Henry Mitchell.lim Nollman, Cres Vellucci

The Animals'Voice, the california connection (ISSN 0889-6712) ispublished monthly byThe Animals'Voice, lnc., a non-prof it, tax-exemplCalifornia corporation, in Chico, CA. All correspondence should bemailed to P.O. Box 4305, Chico, CA95927 / (916) 342-5091. The viewsexpressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TheAnimals'Voice, lnc. or its staff. @ The Animals'Voice, lnc.

l'ase 2

conlnrentarrf

The Case for CreaturesBright and Beautiful

ll great causes make strangebedfellows, and as a g,eneralrule you should not kick too

hard merely because you are gettingsqueezed out.

So when I hear that the chief pointof the conservation movement is topreserve flea beetles, lichens andhippopotamuses for the sake ofscientific study, I never call those whosay it hal{-witted jobbernowls. We'reon the same team.

But there is room for amplificationand clarification, and I shall nowexplain what conservation is all about.

First, it really is true that scienceand study are monumental under-takings of urgent importance. Wehave ail heard, ad boredom, lhattremendous numbers of species willdie out before they have beencatalogued and their unique statusidentified, lt is right to insist that thiskind of study is needed more than itever was before.

Second. the gee-whiz factor ofbeauty is worth reckoning. I know a

fellow of Carolina whose life waschanged the day he saw wild junglefowl scratching about, and it struckhim that without committees, withoutbudgetary allocations, withoutresearch and without thought he wasseeing a natural gorgeousness thatsurpassed Solomon's.

\4& are not all so moved by thesight of wild chickens as theCarolinian, r:r that superb Frenchmanwho said after long reflection that henever expected to see anything sobeautiful as a blue tree toad. Butsome people are changed andchanged for the better, which is whyhope is practical.

But when all these good thingshave been said there remains anotherthing and the most important thing.Wild things should live because lifeitself is an overwhelming value. I amnot arguing vegetarianism here,though arguments exist for it. And I

am not so young as to be unaware

lions eat gazelles. I even know thatwith the best will in the world a dogwill die and some of the grandest -hounds, say - die even sooner thanmany lesser breeds. There are days I

think even we shall die, outrageousas the possibility may be.

But if one dog dies it is a comfortthat other mutts are coming along,lest future men should miss the roadof love. And it is the same with fleabeetles, termites, hornets, crocodilesand the rest of the glorious host thathas waddled, buzzed, swum andotherwise burst forth from thebeginning of the world.

Peop[e say our early forebearersbegan to worship gods to ward offbad luck and avoid disasters of manykinds. But it is possible, surety, thatawe came before {ear and that thefirst source of awe was the panoplyof life.

Most people would say it is sad ifa criminal dies through touching a livewire; sad because the ending of lifeis sad, and this is true even i{ the lifewere inconvenient or threatening,You could wish the life had beendi{ferent, but that it has ended issomething else.

lf there is a divine order, as mostAmericans are said to believe (thoughI have always doubted any suchgeneral belief exists among us), thento exterminate it willy-nilly must be awrong interference in a divine setup.

lf there is no divinity, on the otherhand, it is still the case that therichness of animal and plant life is

complex beyond comprehension. Atthe least, this life exists in accordancewith natural forces more awesomethan any,thing in human life, and toblunder about ignorant of what weare doing, like a young setter rompinBthrough the garden, or like a madmanhacking works of high art, is stupidor worse.

I am not all-wise. No, really, pfease.But I have come to the conclusionthat when a hornet gets in the house

(and I yield to nobody in my terror ofhornets) it is as easy to open thescreen and let him out as it is to dasharound for the hornet spray. And I

feel better about it (in this age oftrying to feel good) afterward, I donot get stung any more or any lessthan when I thought slaughter wasthe first order of business, hornetwise.

ls it conceivable that the better wethink of lichens and flea beetles, thebetter we behave toward humans?Maybe, maybe not.

But visualize an animal that has nousefulness at all (such a creature doesnot exist, but the mind can invent onefor purposes of the argument) and nobeauty at alI and no value to scienceat all. Even so, it was born, it was"meant" to live, and if it has enoughneurons in the brain to live it hasenough to suffer. lf it is killed/ thereshould be a "good reason" for thekilling, and the extermination of thatwhole species at human hands is

something to give thought to.Those electrical wire lures that zap

bugs on the terrace at night are anabomination, and while the gung-hotypes consider them a dandy fruit oftechnology, such devices are nothingmore (and nothing less) than anexpression of a mini-brain and anill-developed conscience. Fly swattershave one advantage - the ordinaryman of sense soon notices they arenot worth the effort.

The purpose of conseruation, then,is not the perpetuation of gorgeousform and color, nor the preservationof useful creatures, nor the advance-ment of our knowledge of the world,however good all those things may be.

The purpose of conservation is tocelebrate life, which in itself is good.Cood may fight against good, ofcourse. If a dog races toward you withopen fangs it may be right to kill thedog, but that hardly means youexterminate dogs in general.

Life, for Cod's sake, is supposed tobe on the side o[ life. I

HENRY MITCHELT

TIre Animals'loice l'age 3

frorrr terrorisnr to totrrisnr

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Seal SoundhgALL PHOTOS COURTESY IFAW

His uoulcl be a cause to span more tban hao decades;a lifetime of politicctl battles and upbeauals, pbysicalassaults and insults, as uell as tiresome fntstrationand unencling disappointment. But in hlenty years,witb tbe belp of a cooperatiue utorld population, BrianDauies uould turn tbe barp seal nursing grounds fromblood-splatterecl snou into a ubite u,onderlandteeming ruitb neutbom ltfe.

when it is born on the icepans in the Culf of St. Law-rence or on the "Front" otIthe Labrador Coast. The babyweighs about 15 pounds andis a beautiful silvery-whitefurrv bundle. Hence its name,"whitecoat." On the mother'srich milk, this baby gainsabout three pounds a day.

ln late March, after thepups are weaned, their coatschange to a lovely velvetygray-blue, and they are nolonger whitecoats, but beaters(so-called because they "beat"

ife begins for the babyharp seal in late Feb-

2 ruary or early March,

BRIAN DAVIES

their way north). Now, the adults mate once again. FromApril through June, they gather on the ice to molt, andthen they head north to spend the summer in the watersbetween Canada and Creenland. The adults seem to goas far north as the Arctic; the "immatures" - sealsperhaps less than six-years-old - stay in the sub-arcticDavis Strait. The returning cold of winter brings the sealssouth again, either into the Culf, or out to the Front. Bylate February or early March, the mother seal's gestationperiod is ended, a pup is born and the cycle of life willstart again.

During the summer and the early part of the winter,the seal seems to live mainly on capelin (a fish as yet oflittle commercial value to Canada), and on variousshellfish. During the breeding, mating and moltingperiods, in the late winter and the spring, it apparentlyeats much less than it eats at other times.

Scientists know that a mother harp seal usually bearsonly one pup at a time. But there are many things they

don't know about the seal. They cannot explain scientifi-cally how it can dive to 600 feet, or how it can remainunder water for thirty minutes at a time. They do notknow how it can find its way back to its own blow-holein the ice or how the herd chooses its breeding spot. Andthey don't even know why one seal enters the Culf whileanother heads for the Front.

(L! "uling

on Canada's Atlantic coast began centuries

r)if 3-,ii";tl1::,'::111:?lf:"',Ti';:i&:i:T,:1"'continued on next page

The Animals' Page 5

Labrador lndians subsisted on seal meat for food, clothedthemselves in seal furs, used seal oil for fuel and builtcanoes out of the strong seal hides.

Commercial sealers began arriving in the area in the latel8th Century. Schr:oners enabled these men to get on thenursery grounds on the ice and hunt seals in great numbers.It was the influx of these men and vessels that heraldedthe rise of sealing as a major winter occupation of theNewioundlanders.

The highly mechanized sealing fleet that began oper-ating in the late {orties is largely responsible forthe massive exploitation of infant harpseals. Each March, hunters were hiredfrom the eastern Canadian provinces bythe Norwegians. lt was this commercialsealing industry that brought the species tothe threshnld of extinction. The reasons areclear cut - there was a profit to be made onthe white pelts of the baby harp seals - for boottrim, glove lining, fur coats, and - ironically -toy harp seals. This industry helped rush the harpseal headlong into a fashion parade of extinction.

Protesters o{ the hunt had beconre as much a part of thespring ritual as the slaughter itself. Year after year, peoplestood by and watched in helpless horror as the massacreof infant harp seals took place. The sight of men with clubsbashing the skulls of three-week-old pups was disturb-ing and repulsive. The issue, however, was more than oneof cruelty and emotionalism - the life and death of anentire species was at stake.

Since 1900 more than 17.5 million seals have beenslaughtered. At that time the harp seal population was anestimated 10 million; today barely a million are left. ln1972,the Committee on Seals and Sealing (COSS) was establishedto rnake recommendations on the hunt. COSS scientistsadvised that the hunt be phased out with a reduction inquotas over a three year period, followed by a six-year mora-

torium. The quotas were still raised despite COSS's recom-mendations.

ln March 19V, conclusive scientific evidence reemergedindicating extinction of the harp seal if the present methodof management continued. An aerial census of the sealsconducted by the University of Cuelph revealed approxi-mately 231,000 pups. That year's kill quota was 75% oI thepups born -

75% of a generation of a species that wasalready suffering an accelerated

rate o{ decline. The 1978 killquota had been in-

creased from 170,000in1977 to 180,000.

But the follow-ing year, the

quota wasnot evenI met, indi-

r ffi''"'- a serious

." ,i reductioniii:, in popula-

tion, particu-larly of new-

born pups.

Y-! nter Brian Davies. lt was 1965, long before the seals

l! ^ would reach their decimated nuirbers, and longI a before the world even knew such a disgusting

--

slaughter was taking place anywhere in the world. Davies,then an investigator for the New Brunswick Society for thePrevention of Cruelty to Animals, observed first-hand theannual slaughter of harp seal pups. What he witnessed

A CAPSULE HISTORY OF IEAW'S SEAL HUNT INVOLVEMENT1970 1975

Brian Davies, IFAW's foundel documented the horrors o{ Helicopter purchased for campaign against Canadian andthe seal hunt in his book, Savage Luxury. Articles appeared Norwegian seal hunt. . 1,000.000 signatures calling for anin Time, Life and Paris Match magazines. Public anger end to the seal hunt presented to Norwegian Embassy inmounted. the United States.

1971 1982U.S. Congress passed Marine Mammal Protection Act Some J,500,000 people wrote to the European Economicbanning, among other things, the importation of baby seal Community (EEC) asking for a ban on the importation ofproducts into America. baby seal products.

1972 19831,000,000 signatures calling for an end to the seal hunt EEC seal import ban approved for two years ... main marketpresented to the Canadian government. for Canadian and Norwegian seal hunt destroyed. Highly

1973 successful boycott of Canadian fish products launched.

Sealsong, a film about the seals and their slaughter, 1985produced by IFAW for worldwide distribution. EEC seal import ban extended for four years ... the mass

1974 slaughter is over.

Davies learned to fly helicopters in order to take journalists 1986to witness the seal hunt. Royal Commission recommends an end to Canadian baby

seal hunt. Covernment takes no formal action. Fightcontinues...

Pagc 6 Thc Animals'lJoice

was so shocking, Davies would be committed to the seals'salvation ... no matter how long it would take. After his1965 experiences with the seals and those who killedthem, the New Brunswick SPCA created the "Save theSeals" Fund to work on ending the hunt. lts firstassignment was to helicopter newsmen to the killing site,sometimes 50 to 100 miles out to sea in the North Atlantic.

Though in its early years it was logistically difficult andindeed dangerous, the helicopter shuttle achieved itspurpose. The killing of the baby seals became a stenchin the nostrils of the civilized world; the demand for harpseal products began to fall, and the Canadian governmentstarted to receive a barrage of letters from outragedcitizens every'where.

A few years later, Davies founded The lnternational Fundfor Animal Welfare (IFAW) and devoted all of his time tosaving harp seals. More than a decade would pass beforeany real evidence of the slaughter's end would becomereality. Although painting seals with a permanent dye torender their coats worth-less, and boycotling Cana-dian fish products in pro-test of the killing didreceive international mediaattention, the doors onthe hunt began to closeonly when the market fortheir pelts had been at-tacked directly. In 1982, 3.5million signatures arrivedat the European EconomicCommunity's annual con-vention urging it to banlhe importation of babyharp sealskins (its coun-tries the largest buyer ofpelts). The following year,the ban was approved fortwo years; extended foranother four following thetwo-year moratorium, andas of today, has rendered Y_.', .the commercial whitecoatseal hunt obsolete.

ln all fairness, the end ofCanada's baby harp sealhunt was not just theefforts of IFAW but ofmany organizations andindividuals the world over. lt did begin with IFAW andDavies' commitment ... Today, the seals face a brighter{uture. Tourists, not hunters, will visit the harp seals thisspring.

(! eal Watch 'BB takes place f rom March 1-17 ,1988. lt\ consists of f ive {our'-day wildlife excursions to Char-(l) lott"town, the waterf ront capital of Prince EdwardIsland, Canada's most picturesque coastline, unspoiledscenery, and genuine hospitality. A small group of touristswill stay on the nearby Magdalen lslands.

These islands attract tourists in droves in summer, butduring the first two weeks of March when the harp sealpups are born, the only goal of the tourist is to see, pet

... ancl seal r,0atclrirrg'88

and photograph those lovable baby seals. Last year, nearly300 people viewed the seals, and for Seal Watch 'BB, thenumber is expected to at least double.

Before heading out to the ice fields, tour groups receivespecial instructions on ice and helicopter safety, as wellas how to behave with the seals. WearinB warm clothingand accompanied by experienced guides, groups of fourboard each helicopter for the one-hour flight out to theseals. Once the helicopter has landed, visitors have twof ull hours to observe and photograph the f luffy white pups.

Seal Watch'BB is part of the continuing effort by IFAWto replace any lost income in the region due to publicpressure to halt the seal killing.

ln addition to the helicopter trip to the ice, each SealWatch 'BB tour includes air fare from Boston or Montreal,trans{ers, four nights at the spacious and ultra-modernPrince Edward Hotel, full breakfast daily, a sightseeing tourof the lsland, an icebreaker cruise, a cocktail party, a

group banquet, and two wildli{e-related presentations.

With clubs and chains, a mob of fishermen and seal hunters attacked"Blue Bird," IFAW's helicopter shuttle for newsmen to the killinggrounds. For weeks, the helicopter laid on its side in rain and snowstorms before riot police and repair crews could retrieve the batteredremains.

Tourdates are March 1-5,4-8,7-11,10-14, and 13-17. Pricefrom the Boston or Montreal departure point is $875.00per person, double occupancy. A land-only package(excludes airfare) is available at $675.00 per person, doubleoccupancy. For more information, contact PromotionalTours Travel Marketing, lnc., 651 Washington Street,Brookline, MA 01246 or calll-800-343-4070 or 617-734-3100in Massachusetts.

Take a vacation. Enjoy a success. r

Tlre Ardnuls' 10oice Page -/

POUND SEIZLJREAND THE PET PROTECTION ACT

COLE McFARLAND

lr ! acn vear an esumareo!r 3oo,ooo cats and dogs,L I mosr or wnom are rosr,stolen or abandoned pets, aresold by animal shelters to re-search laboratories in which theyare subjected to a variety offrequently excruciating experi-mental procedures. This sale ofanimals from shelters to researchfacilities is called pound seizure.

The Pet Protection Act, current-Iy before Congress, would pro-hibit any researcher who receivesfunding from the National lnsti-tutes of Health from conductingexperimentation on lost, stolenor shelter pets. The Pet ProtectionAct would not influence the prac-tice of scientific, biomedical researchin any way other than requiring thatthe subjects of these experimentalprocedures not be people's pets.

The issue of pound seizure and thePet Protection Act has gained signi-ficant media attention since it was f irstintroduced in May 1986 by Congress-man Robert .1. Mrazek (D-NY).According to the Congressman, "...the reason for this interest is two-fold.First, people across the country areopposed to the idea that their lostpets may end up in a researchlaboratory. Second, even those peoplewho do not own animals can see theabsurdity of performing scientificresearch on subjects of unknownmedical, genetic, or environmentalbackgrounds. "

The reasons to abolish the practiceof pound seizure and to support thepassage of the Pet Protection Act arenumerous/ diverse and overwhelming.The arguments against pound seizureare historical, fiscal, ethical, statisticaland scientific.

called for animals with specificallydefined environmental, genetic,and medical backgrounds toreduce the influence of un-suspected variables which couldlead to false conclusions.

Meanwhile, the public had lostall confidence in their localanimal shelters and animal controlefforts were being frustrated.States and local jurisdictionsbegan enacting ordinances pro-hibiting local shelters from sellingunclaimed pets to researchfacilities.

Then, in May 1986, Congress-man Mrazek proposed nationallegislation in the 99th Congresswhich would stop the flow of

federal funds to research facilities thatpersisted in using animals purchasedfrom pounds or stolen from theirrightful owners. Senator Wendell H.Ford (KY), joined CongressmanMrazek in the 100th Congress andintroduced the proposed legislationinto the Congressional Senate. ThePet Protection Act now resides in boththe Senate and the House ofRepresentatives of the U.S. Congress.

Thanks to decades of efforts bycountless animal welfare/protectionorganizations, and particularly theefforts of ProPets, a national coalitionof animal organizations formed in1985 with the exclusive purpose ofabolishing the practice of poundseizure in the United States, greatprogress has been made.

Now it is up to us. ln order for thisbill to become law, we need to spreadthe word to other responsible andcompassionate people throughoutthe land encouraging them to urgetheir United States Representative andSenators to support this Act.

2i1 ne w,nolesare practice orI pound seizure began just aftert the end of World War ll when

the United States government beganpouring vast sums of money into therapidly expanding field of biomedicalresearch. lt was a time when thelaboratory animal breeding industrywas still in its infancy and could notbegin to supply the genetically preciseanimal "models" required by thenewly-funded research projects.Animals were in demand, and animalshelters became the obvious place toseek subjects for experimentation.Laws were passed requiring animalshelters to relinquish their lost pets toresearch laboratories even thoughnothing was known about the geneticbackgrounds and medical histories ofthese shelter animals. Pound seizureis a practice born of convenience, notof science.

In the years that followed, privateand governmental ly-f u nded laboratoryanimal breeding facilities began to fillthe need of research protocols which

Thi. Animalsl

..r of lofalt l ancl betra.fal

n a study conducted by theHumane Society of the UnitedStates in 1982 of 2,200 animal

they had ever done to deserve such a

fate f rom humanity, a species they had

Brown to trust and love.control departments and animal Remember, there are absolutely no

federal or state laws which prohibit theinfliction of any amount of unrelievedpain during the course of an experi-ment, if, in the opinion of theresearcher, the administration of

shelters, an overwhelming ma.jority ofsuch shelters and departments said thatthe practice of pound seizure had a

demoralizing effect on shelter em-ployees and undermined the effec-tiveness of animal control programs.

More animals are abandoned to thestreets and fewer are relinquished toshelters in jurisdictions in which poundseizure is practiced. This is due to thepublic's loss of confidence in theshelter system and the public's recog-nition that the protocol of manyexperiments involve the infliction o{tremendous amounts of unalleviatedpain.

According to the research andlegislation department of the MichiganH umane Society, "The biggest obstacleto the cost-effective and efficientfunctioning of any animal controldepartment is pound release to lab-o rato ri es. "

Our animal shelters were intendedto be havens in which our lost andwandering pets could find protectionfrom an unfamiliar and hostile world.Shelters were sanctuaries of last resortwherein we could go to find ourf rightened and confused companions.The preservation o{ the integrity of thehumane sheltering system is their onlyhope.

Tragically, the research industry'sselection criteria almost assure .€i

that gentle pets are the animalsmost likely to be chosen [orthe most gruesome pro- .,'ir ;ii,r.cedures. Think "r!:rr'r:'..'.i:r'

anesthetics would affect theresulls of the experiment.

f n rv7:. rne r\auonarI lnqtitules of HealthI published a study

* advocating the use ofpurpose-bred animals

over random source(shelter) animals

The study foundthat purpose-

bred animalsare prefer-able for re-search be-cause they

are ofknown

a8e,geneticLrack-

ground,medicalhistory

and temp-erament-

The biomed-ical research

community claimsthat the use of ran-dom-source shelter

animals is necess-ary if essential

)' life-saving re-about it. lf you 1,1,

were a research- \er who had to \control a number Iof frightened dogs 1

and cats in ex-

search is to con-tinue. However,

according to theresearch industry's

own statistics, shelter ani-tremely hardsituations,wouldyou select

lost or stolen pets, some ofi-& uswill neverseeourbeloved

companions again. Thequestions we should ask

lillffi ourselves are: Do we wantffi our companions who have

nrals constitute less than one percentof all the animals used in biomedicalresearch. The National lnstitutes ofu"utin nur not used shelteranimals inits own intramural research {or morethan a decade. The World HealthOrganization recommends against theuse of random source animals. Despitethe fact that pound seizu re is prohibitedin fou r countries and banned in elevenstates, research in these iurisdictionscontinues otherwise unaffected,Clearly, the Pet Protection Act would

continued on page 30

to control,or would youselect tameand gentle ones"''*llwho had grown tolove and trust humanity?

Despite our best efforts to find our

given us their love and devo-tion to depart life through agentle and humane euthanasia?Or do we want their last con-

tact with humanity to be one ofexcruciating agony which so betraystheir trust that they die a confused andtormented death, wondering what

Tlre Animals'l0oic,z l'ag,a

iir }slirtras

Mountain Lions Win Big VictoryMOUNTAIN IION PRESERVATION FOUNDATION

oN MONDAY NOVEMBER 23,1987,San Francisco Superior Court JudgeLucy McCabe canceled what was tobe the first mountain lion huntingseason in 16 years, ruling that stateFish & Game officials had failed tofully consider the consequences ofthe proposed kill.

McCabe said the Fish & CameCommission did not address a widerange of issues, from the impact ofrecent forest fires in California onthe mountain lion population to howthe predators' deaths would affecttheir prey, deer and wild horses.

"lt's not there," McCabe said ofthe Commission's attempt to analyzethe effects of the proposed hunt.The ruling, resulting from a lawsuitfiled by the Mountain Lion Preser-vation Foundation and other organi-zations, ended the Commission'shope to salvage the final six weeksof a proposedT9-day season endingDecember 31 and threatens plans fora season next year.

"l don't see how they can have aseason this year," said DeputyAttorney Ceneral Denis D. Smaage,who represented the Commission.Smaage intends to urge the Com-mission to appeal the decision, inthe hope that a higher court rulingwould solidify rules under whichhunting seasons would be con-ducted. But he said a state appellatecourt probably would not agree tohear the case until next year - andmight not decide until well into a1988 season [thems are the breaks].

In a tentative ruling in October,McCabe ordered the Commission toperform a cumulative environmentalimpact report. The Commissionresponded by holding a new hearingto address broader issues. ButMcCabe said the state fell short oncemore by issuing new findings thatwere an "absolute pro formarechurning" of the previous effort.

McCabe said the Commissionapparently did not address anissue raised in an April Ietterby the National Park Servicewarning of adverse effectson cougars that live in na-tional parks such as Sequoiaand Lassen but range intounprotected areas wherehunting would not beallowed.

Covernor Ceorge Deuk-mejian opened the way formountain lion hunting lastyear by vetoing legislationthat would have extended aban on the sport that datedback to 1972. The renewedhunt drew backing fromsportsmen [of course] whosaid that deer herds werebeing depleted and rancherswho said livestock werebeing killed. Cougar attackson two children in OrangeCounty fueled the support,though no hunting was tohave been allowed there.

ln April, the Fish & CameCommission, concluding

that the cougar population hadgrown to 5,100 from a low of 2,400in 1972, approved a 79-day hunt.More than 3,000 people entered thelottery to be among the 190 to winthe "right" to kill a mountain lion.Smaage said the state most likely willrefund the fee of $80 to the hunters.

"lt's a great day for all wildlife,"said Sharon Negri of the MountainLion Preservation Foundation. r

ROBERT P CARR

I For Further InforrnationTHE MOUNTAiN LION PRESERVATION FOUNDATION

'POST OFFICE BOX 1896SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNTA 95809

TELEPHONE: (916) 442.2666

HUMANE FARMINC ASSOCIATION

Veal CrateBan UpdateLEGISLATION TO BAN THE CMTEemployed by factory farmers to raisecalves used for veal is currentlybefore the California legislature. Theproposed bill, introduced byAssemblyman Tom Bates (D-Oak-land), would provide that "anyperson" in the state of California,"who raises a calf for the productionof veal who keeps that animal in aprimary enclosure of which is lessthan the length of the calf measured

from the tip o{ itsnose to the base ofits tail, plus sixinches ... is guiltyof a misdemeanor."

This is the firsttime any minimalspacial require-ments have beenproposed for ani-mals raised forfood, establishingan important pre-cedent. The bill,having gained eightadditional co-authors, may beheard before thePublic Safety Com-mittee .lanuary 11.

Shortly thereafter,assuming it ispassed by the Com-mittee, it will bevoted on theAssembly floor.

The HumaneFarming Associa-tion (HFA), is urgingCalifornians towrite their Assem-blyperson to sup-port passage of thebill. For furtherinforma- tion aboutthe veal crate ban,contact HFA, 1550California Street,Suite 6, San Fran-cisco, CA 94109.

Calves raised for veal are confined in crates or stalls so small they cannot turn around.

"We mLtst resist tbe temptation of making decisionsbased upon emotion."

- Charles W Stenbolm, Member of Congress andCbairperson on House Subcommittee on Liuestock, Dairy, and

Poultry, ulticb concerns itself witlt tbe ueal crate ban legislation.

Protesters Rally in Los AngelesAgainst Counry's Pound SeizureTHE NEWLY-FOUNDED NATIONALStop Pound Seizure Coalition inCalifornia, consisting of nearly 30organizations statewide and chairedby Mrs. Richard Basehart, held alarge protest December 1, NationalStop Pound Seizure Day.

ln Los Angeles, 200 demonstratorsheld a protest outside the LosAngeles County Board of Super-visors, during which time actressCloris Leachman, inside, read astatement to board memberscondemning pound seizure (seebox).

Although the Los Angeles CityAnimal Shelters have banned the

practice, the Los Angeles CountySupervisors have refused to agree toprohibit pound seizure in countyanimal shelters.

For further information about theNational Stop Pound Seizure Coali-tion, write 5629 Carlton Way, LosAngeles, CA 90028. (213) 465-9726.

"One day the people of LosAngeles County will have faith intheir animal shelters again. Poundseizure WILL end. And when thatchange comes, you will either bepart of it, or a casualty of it."

- Cloris Leachman

State Ag S_ays Counties IncludingNevada - Muy Ban Animal TruppingSACMMENTO _ IN A DECISIONthat has already sparked concernby state and federal officials, theAttorney Ceneral's office hasconcluded that steel-jawedleghold traps may be banned bycounties despite state laws tothe contrary.

The opinion, issued by Attor-ney Ceneral .lohn Van de Kamp'soffice, came on the heels of adecision by Santa Cruz Countyto ban the steel-jawed trap, andplans by other environmentaland animal rights groups to dothe same in their counties. Thefirst county to try it was Nevada,where - after more than twohours of debate and questioningand despite about 200 trappingproponents in attendance -the Nevada County Board ofSupervisors decided November'10 not to ban the controversialtrap.

However, in a compromise ofsorts, the board did vote to urgethe U.S. Department of Agricul-ture - which administers the

fact, the legal wranglings were thefocus of the meeting, with suggestionsmade that the county may be sued ifit banned the trap. The state Fish &Game Department is consideringanother such suit against Santa Cruz,which banned the trap tl;i ;;"-' I Protesters Arrested

"We implore the Board to consider(the ban) ... and align irself on the I snN FRANC|SCO (CIN) - TEN

trapping program -to use and Animals caught in traps die agonizing deaths either fr,,,,

study alternatives to the steel exhaustion, ixposure,'or are killed cluelly by trappers.trap twice over the next year. ln

ban on the steel-jawed trap,Keogh said that many alter-natives were effective. She alsosuggested better livestockmanagement, including the useof guard dogs - very effectivein Europe - and electric fences.

"Why should we subsidizepoor livestock husbandry," sheasked the board.

Animal rights organizations -who have for years fought tohave the trap banned in Cali-fornia as it is in about 65 foreigncountries and a dozen states -may not be happy with theruling because it doesn't dealwith the issue on "ethical"grounds. But, nonetheless, it isa ruling they welcome. r

IN DEFENSE OF ANIMALS

leaving, police rounded up 10 peopleand took them to waiting paddywaSons.

On the way, a member of the newsmedia was arrested and an activistpassing out literature on the sidewalkin front of the store was also takenaway. Several activists said they willappeal the arrests. r

:,a: qt mo.rality and justice," said I peopte were arrested here during theTanja Keogh of the Cood Shepherd I annual Trans-species UnlimitedFoun- dation in Crass Valley. Keogh I sponsored ,,Fur Free Friday,,, Nov. 28said she had evidence that "hundreds | - uut in san Francisco, those arrestedof animals fall victim to the trap... I included a member oi the newseven a 14-year-old boy, who lost four I media and Santa Claus.toes." And she accused officials of I Rfter protesters had gone from"blatantly lying when they say traps I store to store disruptin"g fur sales,like this are not dangerous." I police gave them ,,one lalt chance,i to

While noting that the U.S. is one of I leave i Union Square fur salon.only a few countries that don't have a I Activists agreed, but as they were

IiltII

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Ii

The Animols'

P.r.posefully, Set Fires Muy beHarbinger of Things to ComelSANTA CLAM (CIN) - THE FIRESthat caused a hal{ million dollars indamage to Santa Clara County meatfacilities could only be the beginningof things to come from militant animalrights activists, a spokesperson for theCalifornia Farm Bureau has admitted.

The blazes destroyed a cattle feedbarn at Ferrara Meat Co. Nov. 25 inNorth San Jose and a V. Malani, lnc.poultry warehouse Nov. 28 in SantaClara. A September-1 fire caused$35,000 in damages to the San .loseValley Veal Co. in Santa Clara.

Authorities in the State Fire Mar-shall's Office in Sacramento have notsaid for sure, but sources suggest thefires may be linked to a $3.5 millionfire last April at the University ofCalifornia, Davis farm animal researchcenter. That fire destroyed the lab,and put its opening date off nearly ayear.

All the fires were focused on farmanimals, and animal rights groupsclaimed responsibility for all of them.The Davis and poultry warehouse fireswere allegedly set by the AnimalLiberation Front (ALF) and the othersby a group known as Animal RightsMilitia (ARM). The Farm Bureau,which admits it has been concernedfor years about the growing militancyof the animal welfare/rights move-ment, is discussing the possibility ofsome sort of counter action againstsuch activities.

But, according to legislative stafferMary-An ne Warmerdam-Falconer,there's not much the bureau - oranyone - can do.

"lt's scary," she said. "We're tellingour members to look at their oper-ations to make sure they fit animalcare guidelines and to set up securityat their facilities."

But, in Santa Clara County alone,there are hundreds of operationssimilar to those torched by the ALFand ARM.

'Any kind of destruction of property

is serious," she said, notingthat the fires financiallyhurt businesses. "You can'tvery well do business whenthere's been a fire ... andeven if you have insurancethere is a cost."

The Farm Bureau has metwith some animal welfaregroups, Warmerdam-Falconer said, but it doesn'tknow how to deal with theincreased militancy. "Theproblem is philosophy. Thepremise of the ALF is thatusing animals for any pur-pose is inappropriate. Webelieve in using animals formeat, milk and hides," shesaid.

Steve Kopperud, a vicepresident for AmericanFeed lndustry Association,said recently that the animal

houses resulted in deliberatecruelty to animals.The ALF and other suchgroups using similar names

have initiated dozens ofliberation actions in the

U.S. in the 1980s. Since 1984in California, they have been

W% especially active, takingW hundreds o[ animals fromW research labs aclivists say were"ffi cruel to animals.

W The ALF also has damagedM equipment used to tortureffi animals and wrecked majorW portions o[ laboratories in

:iiffiil raids in Los Angeles,

rights movement - par- &ticularly ALF-type actions ffi- poses "a threat as W-"big as the health issue.";

The ALF raided a fturkev farm near . dSacramento in 1986, W#lreeing.l20 turkeys W'and doing about$12,000 in damage.Similar actions on the East Coastresulted in hundreds of turkeys andchickens being liberated.

ln a statement read to news media,ARM said its fires were set "in re-taliation for the hundreds of thou-sands of cattle slaughtered each yearin America." And, an ALF statementabout the poultry fire, an under-ground spokesperson said, "we justburned down a chicken murderer."

Although the Farm Bureau insists itsmembers take care of animals, a storyin Meat & Poultry Magazine inSeptember referred to a survey thatshowed, as of 1981, that 50 percent ofthe animal handling in slaughter-

Sacramento, Oregon andseveral areas on the East

i; Coast.''lffit Some of the activities,however, resulted in theclosure of laboratories foranimal abuse. One such lab,a head injury facility atUniversity of Pennsylvania,was closed a{ter the ALF tooka videotape showing re-

searchers abusing animals.But, while the fires shocked

Santa Clara meat andpoultry producers,

they're nothing com-pared to what has

happened in Europe, saidWarmerdam-Falconer.

lnformation made available toCalifornia lndependent News,suggests similar fires in England haveapparently been effective in closingdown businesses that use animals.

Several stores - after being hit byfirebombs

- stopped selling animalfurs, and butcher shops

- a big targetfor English activists

- have haddifficulty getting insurance afterrepeated attacks.

Activists have said the animal rightsmovement has turned increas-ingly to militant activities because

continued on page 26

T'hc Animals'\]oiee

clonrrelQ's h{o cents

MOVEMENTmouement.sees itself as a"Tbe animal rigbts

Cloy can crow bur

+?iffiffi?;nr,?LT;-",rr"-,JiffiTtr:,ffi[o *"*

"' ..ffi*sacred col,u. We belieue the x{COLU

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is sacred

and even down-righthostility from people in our own ranks.For some of us, this is simply a lesson in passivity, turningthe other cheek, if you will. For others, after so muchregression and abuse, it means dropping out of our noblecause and seeking other paths of least resistance to follow.Cod knows, it's tough enough to live with the daily businessof vivisection, factory farming, trapping, and other forms ofanimal exploitation, ad infinitum.

But for others still, this tragedy of back-biting and fist-fighting is as great a threat to the animals for whom wepledge ou r allegiance, as are those who directly exploit anddestroy them. If we can't come peacefully to the mendingtable, how can we expect ou r true adversaries to do likewise?

This is the question posed by the editors of a California-based publication, Stafe of the Movemenf, which focusesits attention on the international interplay and image of theanimal rights movement. lt does so with witty creativity andpainful sarcasm.

tbe moue-ment is not."

(.! h" *rr stumbl ing across the road, back out i nto the\ tto* of oncomirig traffic. No one even seemed to1J slow for her; after all, she was lust a bird ... and,anyway/ they always fly away in the nick of time.

Rosawas a wounded adult crowwe found on a highwayjust outside Rohnert Park. Both of her wings had beenbusted, the bone on one protruding and splintered, whilethe otherwas connected by several dried blood veins, whichwe later had tocut apart.Wecarried her in the back of ourhatchback some two hours to Chico before turning her overto a doctor and wildlife specialist. He told us, of course,that she would never f ly again, that both of herwings wouldneed to be amputated, and if she should live-which wasdoubtful given her risk of infection - she would makean excellent "pet."

The Bidwell Nature Center wouldn't take her; she was awaste of their time. Local bird enthusiasts offered to carefor her until they realized she was a scavenger and wouldeat their other birds. We thought about euthan izing her, butcouldn't agree whether it was ethically correct.

ln the August-lst issue of the Animals'Voice's late (butgreat) bi-weekly, we posed the question of euthanasia byasking readers what their views were on Rosa's condition.We did it,,in part, to spark a dialogue among activists aboutthe rights of dying as opposed to those of living. We alsodid it, in part, to aid our own internal struggle with Rosa'slife. The replies were unanimous: The crow should live.

A few months later, Rosa died in captivity.We told you that story to tell you thls one.

V anyof us involved in theanimal rights movementl\Zl often feel frustrated and disapp6inted, not justI J b".urr" we battle {or seemingly unconqueiable

ideals, but because we are often {aced with the animosity

i ".flW .,.:#, H*,"T*"3T#,i,1'$f

:.,,,"tarrstroaels, exp.ess your \rieT^rs , f:'u':::,

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STATE OF THE MOVEMENT19528 Ventura Boulevard

Post Office Box 279Tarzana, CA 91356

(B1B) 772-1332

\ fabulous!

I simply can't,/.,d!' condone r"!f

anytblng S'A- ilIeAa'll i

EXTINCf,ION: a state of non_existence which is off_limits togeneticists, et al.

HELP LABOR,AT'OF,YANIMAIS: a phrase reflectiveof the conservative trendtaken by the animal_rightsmovement in recent years(supersedes LIBEEATELABOR,ATON,YAN]MAIS,popular in the early lggOs).

POUND SEIZIIRE: thelegal procurement ofpound animals forresearch purposes _ asopposed to MIDNIGIITor Otr'F-THE_TRUCKSEIZIIRE which is theillegal procurement ofpound animaJs for saidpltlposes.

COURTESY SIATEOF THE MOVEMENI

After removing themselves from the prestigiousranks of the animal rights movement, and becoming"editors-at-large," Regina Eshelman, .lohn Eshelman andMaxine Lake decided to produce their version of theanimal rights movement - as they see it. But their satireand insults are not just limited to individuals and organi-zations involved with animals and animal welfare/rights;they take jabs and poke fun at vivisectors and hunters,for example; of course, usually, with a pot shot at activists(you know, kind of like shooting two hunters with thesame bullet).

State of the Movement began as a frustrated attempt atrighting the wrongs of the animal rights movement. lt mayvery well end up remaining just that; perhaps such achallenge is as desperate as the one those in the animalrights movement face. Who knows? But one can't help tonotice - if one reads State of the Movemenf with anopen mind and takes to heart the message it delivers -how much of what it expresses rings true.

A lengthy piece on 5fi(c) (3) - non-profit, tax-exemptorganization status required by the IRS - for example,explains how non-profit animal rights organizations couldbetter utilize the law and obtain the same clout - perhaps

- as the National Rifle Association, America's mostpowerful lobbying force. Not a bad thing to know. Andthen there's "State of the Movement's CollegiateDictionary" in which the editors have defined commonwords used in the animal rights movement. 'An anti-

vivisectionist," itsays, "is: 1) someone with * ----

-^-;an uncontrollable urge to debate a E{ggiiivivisector; 2) someone who promotes thenotion that vivisection is a debatable issue."

All in all, however, the 28-page booklet is not so kindto animal rights activists and their respective movement.Says Regina Eshelman, "We don't have any delusionsabout what we're doing and that it will change the anirnalrights movement. We just want to get its attention." Forthose of us who have read State of the Movement, ithasgotten our attention. The circulation of the pamphlet isevidence enough: lt began with 78 copies mailed in theLos Angeles area alone and has now expanded to 400 sub-scribers after just two issues of publication.

State of the Movement may have a lot to offer; -it makesus aware of our failings and weaknesses. Perhaps weshouldn't have been playing God with Rosa's liIe, whoreally knows? But isn't it possible to get the attention ofthe animal rights movement without so much ridicule, todemand a mending of ways without dabbling in all thatmockery? One question yet remains:

While Movement gives us all a choice;As people ponder Movement's voice;

Should it abide by its own adviceBefore the movement's crippled twice? !

Doetrl

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Heauy HeartI remember utbere the rabbits ranWhere muskrats cbattered bjt the streamWbere a last red fox utandered slottlly tbrough tbe treesIt u;a-s last summer

IYout tbe bulldozers baueCleared tbe trees, moued tbe bouldersSo many little liues carelessly snuffed outNot a sound nout; tbeir joy and innocence lost foreuerBuried under a ton of concreteMy little, last piece of taoodlandLaid taaste for a sbopping mall.

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Fa,rewell, Fa,rewell . . .

GoodbyeTbe salt marsb baruest rnoLtse is California's mostendangered mammal. Able to consume salt uaterytbis barmless little nxouse liues in tbe salt marsbesof San Francisco Bay ubere it is found noubereelse in tbe taorld.

During its utaking periods, a baruest mousespends most of its time climbing about tbe stalksof cereals and otber stout plants. Althougb oncetltougbt to be mainly actiue by day, it is nouknoutn to baue a tbree-bourly rbytbm ofalternately feeding and sleeping tbroughout euetytuenty-four bowrs. Its sleeping nest is a mass ofgrass blades sbredded lengtbtuise, on tbe groundor in a sballocu burrotu.

Tbe salt marsb baruest lr-touse does not bibernate but utinters in burrouts in tbeground; it tuill also tunnel into bayricks or cornricks. Feeding naostly on a uariety ofseeds, especialljt of grasses and grain, it is knoutn to eat a certain arnount of insectsduring tbe summer:

Tbe breeding season for salt water marsb mice is from April to September Tbe femalemakes a round nest tbree incbes in diametery utouen of grass or tubeat blades splitlengtltutise and slung betueen material being pusbed aside for entrance and exit. The

male is not alloued into tbe nest. After a gestation period of 21 days, a litter of 3-Zis born. A female may baue seueral litters in a season Tbe babies open tbeir qtes atfiue days and leaue tbeir motber at ten da.ys. Until tbe end of tbe yeary tbe juaenilesresemble tbe bouse rnouse in color They tben take on a reddisb tint wbicb begins ontbe bindquarters and gradually extends fonlard. Tbe natural expectation of life is about11/z years, but some baue been knotun to liue fiue years in captiuity.

Little is knoutn about tbe enemies of salt marsb baraest micq but it is safe to assumetbat tbey are often killed by small canvr.iuores as utell as birds of prey. Houeue4 tbebiggest tbreat to California's end.a.ngered salt marsb baruest ntouse is human interference.Tbe rare mice are battlingfor existence ubile Pacific Gas & Electric threatens to builda coal-fired power pla.nt on tbe marsb sites, amd otber deuelopers plan residentialconstruction.

o.. forra0er

TIle AnirnaN"$oice Page 19

O 1987 5U5AN MIDDLETON

Clinging toExistence

Tbe capture of tbe last uild Californiacondor in April of tbis year made for

a rather unsettling enW in tbe bistoryof this state, a disturbing sign of tbe

times in tbe deuel,opment-orientedsociety in utbicb ute liue.

Page 20 The Animals'lioige

he alteration of our native landscapehas progressed at a tremendous ratesince the Cold Rush brought settlerspouring into the state in 1949, and thevast majority of this modification hasbeen done with little or no regard forthe welfare of those creatures that

share our environment. The negative effects ofour blind pursuit of development are beginningto come to light, and, unfortunately for thoseanimals that call California home, the demise ofthe condor is only the tip of the iceberg.

California is facing a biological crisis. Ourwildlife is heading toward extinction at analarming rate, a grim indicator of the criticaldecline in the state's environmental health.Historically, California has supported the largestconcentration of unique species and habitats inthe continental U.S., a distinction that may be inperil according to a recent report commissionedby the California Nature Conservancy. The mostthorough assessment of California's biologicalinventory undertaken to date, the reportgenerated some startling statistics: 220 species ofanimals and 600 plant species are on the vergeof extinction in this state.

Degradation and loss of natural habitat are theprimary culprits leading to the loss of species,according to the study. lf current trends indevelopment were to continue unchecked, it isestimated that fully a third of California'smammals, a quarter of its birds, a third of itsreptiles and amphibians and 40% ol the freshwaterfish species would soon become endangered.

"The condor is not an isolated event," saysWilliam Crenfell, chief of the non-game programof the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. "ln50 years we're going to have hundreds of condor-Iike situations unless we do something now."

Thirty-three native California animals are alreadyextinct or have been extirpated from the state.Some, such as the long-eared kit fox and SantaBarbara song sparrory are gone forever. Othershave retreated to more remote surroundingswhich still offer their required habitat. The graywolf and the grizzly bear, for example, oncepopulated the wilds of California, but have longsince been drive from our borders.

Not surprisingly, the malority of habitatdestruction has taken place on the fertile plainsand along the rich waterways of the state, thoseareas, most easily exploited for both agriculturaland residential development. The vast riversystems of the Sacramento and San Joaquinvalleys once constituted nearly a million acres ofinterior wetlands. Today less than 10% of thoseriparian woodlands remain, barely supporting thepopulation of yellow-billed cuckoos whosenumbers have been reduced to nine nesting pairs.

A quarter of this state was once covered withnative grasslands - 32 million acres of plains.Less than one percent of these grasslands havesurvived in their natural state. Small wonder,

tlre lrit listthen, that the pronghornantelope is fast disappearingfrom the state and the San.loaquin kit fox is barely clingingto existence.

The loss of biological diversityis not to be taken lightly. Theloss of species, especially atsuch an unnaturally high rate,disrupts the ecological balanceof the environment and destroysthe complex network ofpredator-prey relationships, aswell as severely limiting thegene pool upon which themaintenance of healthypopulations depend. On a moreselfish Ievel, considering thepossible impact on the human population, the naturalcontrol of pests will be disrupted and the pollination ofcrops may suffer, thereby seriously affecting California'sagricultural welfare.

A major roadblock in the protection of threatenedspecies thus far has been the redtape surrounding thelisting of a species as endangered. The current systemsuffers from inadequate funding and an excess of

The current system suffers f rom inadequatefunding and an excess of paperwork; theextensive requirements and procedures forlisting an endangered species end upcosting approximately $62,000 per species.

paperwork; the extensive requirements and proceduresfor listing end up costing approximately $62,000 perspecies. Slightly more than $3 million is allocated annuallyfor species review and Iisting, providing for the additionof 50 species a year to the endangered list. At this rate,it would take nearly a quarter of a century to list the 3,800species currently awaiting review.

To avert the extinction crisis, the report makes severalrecommendations. The accel-eration and simplification of thelisting process is high on the list,as is the increased acquisitionand protection of critical habitat.The environmenlal reviewcapabilities of agencies over-seeing the legal protection ofendangered species needs to bestrengthened through increasedstaffing. The laws currentlyprotecting threatened speciesrequire expansion and intensivemonitoring to assure theireffectiveness.

The development of incentiveprograms, such as tax benefits,for individuals protecting rare

species on private lands is suggested. To date protectionon private property has been marginal at best, and privatelandholdings constitute 55% ol the state. Species occuringon public lands have fared somewhat better under variouiprotective statutes thus far.

Finally, in addition to a major overhaul of currentlegislation, it is recommended that a regular, systematicreview of the state's wildlife and habitat areas be included

Thirty-three native California animals arealready extinct or have been extirpatedfrom the state. The gray wolf, grizzly bearand California condor have long since beendriven from our borders.

in the governor's annual State of the State address,thereby directing the attention of both legislators and thegeneral public to the critical importance of the conditiono{ our natural heritage. The findings of the report areominous indeed, yet conservationists remain optimisticthat if extensive efforts to preserve critical habitats areundertaken immediately, we can prevent the balance ofCalifornia's animals from going the way of the condor. r

CALIFORNIA CONDOR

SANTA BARBAM SONC SPARROW

Thra Animals'

lrappil.f reier after ...

AFable of Horevernce upon a time ..," we tellthe children, and if they aresitting close enough to see

the illustrations in the book of fairytales we're holding, they nest on theirhands and feet to keep them safefrom dragon fire or tiger claws, lf theyhave been tucked into bed for thenight, they burrow deeper into theirprotective cave of bedclothes, forwho knows what {orm evil will takeas the story unfolds.

".., in a land far away ..," wecontinue, and the children hugthemselves in relief; the impendingdanger does not threaten theirimmediate world.

"... there lived a king." Surely hemust be wise and good, think thechildren, for he has grey hair and issmiling in the picture. And therebeside him is his daughter, thebeautiful princess. She is sweet andinnocent and must be protected fromwhatever evil lurks in the followingpages. That task falls to the palaceguards who serve the king and obeyhis every command.

The qhildren begin to fidget; theyare anxious to meet the villain of thestory. We turn the page and there isa full-color illustration of a wolfskulking at the forest's edge, hisclichd teeth dripping withlhetraditional blood. We can guess howthe story ends as well as th&hitdrencan: the people will live happily everafter; the wolf will not be allowed toexperience anything remotelyapproaching an ever after, happy orotherwise. But anyone who thinkslhat the time-honored slaying of thefictional wolf is the only ies?ructiveimpression left in the minds of thechildren has failed to recognize theinsidious nature of fairy tai-es.

The real harm caused by the fairytales we tell our children is far moresubtle than the heroic killing of themythical animals; the lasting" damageresults from the attitudes we absorbsubliminally as we sit still and listento these stories. While the age-oldstruggle for truth and justice ragesaround us, we trust the king to make

the right decisions 0n our behalf.Surely he musl be good and wise,

we think, or he wouldn't have beenmade king. We allow the palaceguards t0 carry out their orderswithout any interference from us, forwe are only peasants in this kingdomand are too busy earning our dailybread to meddle in the affairs ofgoverRment. We learn that innocenceis desirable and that it will bedefended and rewarded. There is noneed for us to become involved;somebody else will right whateverwrongs exist while we remain aloo{and unsullied. We learn that everv-thing will turn out all right i{ only wehave the patience and good mannersto wait until the end of the storv. Andwhat are the consequences oi thisfairy tale mentality? We are runningout of happily ever afters. We are

-

running out of wolves.Because our attitudes toward other'

life forms were instilled in us whenwe were young, it is tempting to thinkthat we can save what remai{s of theearth's wildlife by beginning withtoday's children, but I believe thatuntil we emerge from our ownprotective cave of bedclothes, untilwe stop sitting on our hands, untilwerealize that our innocence andaloofness are hastening doomsday formany creatures and that theirextinction does, indeed, threaten ourimmediate world, until we place ahigher value on preservation than wedo on patience, care more aboutconservation than good manners anduntil we, ourselves, become soconcerned with the growing list ofendangered species that we arewilling to become involved in theeffort to halt the destruction, we havenothing to teach our children. Thechanges must begin with us.

Once we have explored our beliefsand re-examined our own attitudes inlight of the ecological crises ourplanet is facing we can begin to shareour new awareness with our children.When we bring home the yearned-forkitten or puppy and say to ouryoungsters, "The care nf this animal

is now your responsibility; do notforget or neglect him because he isdepending on yo$," we can extendthat lesson to include wild animals aswell. When we teach that the takingof human life is unacceptable, we canexpand that concept to embrace livesof species other than our own. Whenwe teach our young to respect therights and property of others, we caninclude the rights of animals and thehabitat o{ wildlife along with theearth's environmental systems. Wecan dare to empathize with otherspecies and encourage our childrento feel and care.

To illustrate our niche on earth, wecan compare the human species to asingle piece in a jigsaw puzzle; if welose or destroy some of the otherpieces, the puzzle will be unworkable,We can monitor our children'stelevision viewing habits, making surethey see at least a few of the excellentnature programs now available. At thesame time, we can contradict thecontemporary fairy tale that wildlifeand wilderness must be managed byman in order to survive. We canmoderate our consumer-orientedlifestyles, and when we help ourchildren compose their annual letterto Santa Claus, we can help them towrite another letter in defense ofthose who have no hands to write norvoices to speak for themselves, bethey wolves, whales or eagles.

SYTVIA ALTMAN

nless we stop sacrificing theworld's wildlife on the altar ofour anthropocentric philo.

sophy, their future is extinction, theirforever only a myth. And our children?We will have nothing to leave thembut a horror story that begins, "Onceupon a time there used to be ..." r

Sylvia Altman is founder of Youthfor Endangered Species and lives inSeattle, Washington. For furtherinformatian and membership, writeYouth for Endangered Species, doSylvia Altrnan, 11671 26th Avenue\outh, Seattle, WA 98168.

I

t

a book eiscerpt

IIM NOLLMAN

ANIMALMEAMING

Tbe Art and Science ofInterspecies C omml,t nicationFrom the Dolphins of lki lsland to the Cray Whalesof California, One Man's Remarkable Odyssey toDiscover a Common With the AnimalsLanguage

lA V sixteen, I had begun that curious and sometimesl-rpainful human process of learning to think foru myself . I found myself agreeing wiih the prevailingsentiments of the natural sciences only up to a point.What I disagreed with was the pedestal from which thezoologists and behavioralists looked down upon theanimals. And even then, it seemed important to me. Afterall, the sentiments that they felt, the methods that theyemployed, were the same sentiments and methods that I

and every other 16-year-old was being taught in school.Certainly, deer to not converse in English, but then, dogsdo sometimes express laughter by wagging their tails, andit may be true that a dolphin smile is a result of the setof the musculature of the mouth, yet still Iwanted toknow why the dolphins have so much to smile about.And if laboratory experiments could verify that animalswould become neurotic (it all seemed so obvious) thenwhy could not the same scientists accept the fact thatanimals were happy when roaming free. But the worsething of all, was the laboratory experiments themselves.How could any semblance of new "knowledge" lustify thecruelty that was being perpetrated on animals in the name

of medicine or science or any other human endeavor forthat matter.

I experienced animals from a place of deep respect,sornething not easily verbalized at sixteen, but believedin nonetheless. Furthermore, I could have easily imaginedspending the rest of my life dedicated to working withthem. But the animals that my culture taught me aboutwere not the same animals that I had come to know, andlikewise, the people who worked with animals were notdoing the kinds of studies that made me want to followin their footsteps. lnstead, I was always left with thebewildering impression that humans thought that animalswere some kind of biological machine, devoid of emo-tions, intellect and independence. And to my impression-able 16-year-old mind, a zoologist was a person whocaptured animals or kept animals at a zoo, or torturedthem in laboratories. And all these jobs were created tohelp humans accumulate more information about animals.This information was somehow meant to "help" us humansto'grow. lt helped only us humans. To me, animals hadto be more than resources and specimens. I did not

continued on page 28

I

Tlre Animals'\)oice Pag:e 23

trct{arcl alliarrce

StatusQuo

BluesEDWARD DUVIN

ll erceptions regarding the current state of ourlJ .ou"rent vary widely and allow for a myriad oft interpretations, but there is a transcendent reality

that supersedes individual vlewpoints - the objectivereality of broken bodies and tortured lives. This agonizingreality is too often obscured by lofty and self-promotingrhetoric that does more to serve ourselves than otherbeings. Many well-intentioned individuals and organi-zations look around and see a committed movement thatis effectively addressing abuse and exploitation. ln contrast,Animalines sees a largely complacent movement that is

manifestly lacking in creativity, tenacity and vision. This isnot merely a matter of perceiving the glass as half emptyor half full, but a fundamental question of what constitutesacceptable performance standards for an altruisticmovement.

Perhaps no area better illustrates the status quo mentalitythat permeates much of our movement than the traro billiondollar shelter and animal control "industry." Organizationsthroughout the country, most of them referring tothemselves as SPCAs or humane societies, have trans-formed complacency into an art form. They recycle thesame unimaginative programs year after year, and thenself-righteously chastise the public for not being moreresponsive. Blaming the populace for our woes is com-parable to holding the messenger responsible for deliveringbad news, as companion animal overpopulation is largelya reflection of our own lack of innovation and boldness.Yes, many shelters have instituted operational improve-ments and are killing dogs and cats more humanely, butthe assembly line of slaughter continues unabated withwell over a million lives being lost every month.

It goes without saying that there are many extraordinarypeople in the shelter field who are struggling valiantlyagainst this institutional inertia, but all too frequently theirpleas fall on deaf ears. Many of the traditional shelterprograms for community outreach defy comprehension,as in the main they are neither coherent nor compelling."Pet of the Week" and a variety of other inane promotionalefforts do virtually nothing to educate the public oraddress the fundamental causes that create and perpetuateoverpopulation. Overpopulation is in part caused byignorance and in larger part by indifference, andAnimalines has long recommended an aggressive approachto confront both these problems. This format does not

PHOTO COURTESY ANIMAL PROTECTION INSTITUTT

24. Tlre Anirnals'{oicc

rsitlr anilrralirresallow for detailed elaboration, but essentially we mustlr_r5forT. dreary shelters iro, OL"tn .rr'i, in,o vibrantcommunity resource centers _ *t"r"-if,Jpublic canobserve that shelters ulg..n9t slagnant buildings whoseprimary funcrion is ro kill, Urr Jlnu.i. i"r}"i"g cenlerswhere individual suffe;thi ; ; ;,:s;; i.;i;ff ':P J:":?fl?:' ?f,nate

ry

"ad

d res sed

A n i m a t i n e s n ",, ijl",?"?,!,0, ii:::ll o" Lffi l;."T i.Jichanges in shetter una oifunir;i;;;i manag"."ntth ro u gh adopti n g i n n ovative ." ;fi-r"i_.""t"rld' rpproacher,and.invariably we hear frorn ,rpp"riiu""r"uaer, *noapplaud our objeclive, but expresr-i.rni, regarding its

reaping the profits from. each n"* liiilr. We have donenothing to pressure the dog and car f;;;';;;pr"ies rhatarrogantly and avariciousry"spend .irii.ri.i doilars oncommercials glorifying the blrth of eal n"* prppy unOt<rtlerr. And on and on, ad infinilum, e,reiy Ory'in countlessways, our movement egregiously violates

. movement, and as a reuslt MHS has set thestandard for shelter^d:::_g.i ,"J rn.nug";r"nt, cruettyinvestigations, legar prosecutions, medicar care, and a ristof innovations too nrrn"rori-to mention.

, 9f "qr1l importance to. MHS,s r.".rr[rOf " "jievementsrs an understanding.of how they o;;r;;";:;.ven years

. It's not a lack of money tnut f,is pieu"irte-is.helter.s from evolving, as the chansesAntmalines is discussing can be imple"mentedwirh minimal resource!, urt ruir,'Jil"-"''"lamentable lack of commitment anJ vision. Itis characteristic of our movement to followthe course oI least resislance, *f,i.n i] ,,if,,for over a cenlury we,ve failJ t" Jirii""ri.r.r

,oursetves as an ef{ective force for lifel Wehave passively stood by and watched ih;veterinary communily obstruct orr roru,:^i1:-r_:|t.rrs at. every rurn, obscenely'

.practicality. To such doubters, *E-.;k 3;i;. rnar rney go to Detroit and visit the Michisa;n-rru.l" Society {MHS), anO there i;;; fl;i;see rne antmal_centered model Animalines

has.pleaded for in full bl";;! MFi;';;;masterfully.integrated the tradition"f f,.rOr_on shelter funclion wirh enliehtenedadvocacy, aggressively r"roon%i nn'lI

i nd ivid ua I su ff eri n!"w;th i" iil" ;;;;; ;;;i"l;or unrversal reverence for life. The"v combineercellence oI pursuir with crearive lrrt_,.ii"_tn a manner unprecedented in thii

ago, before a new team ,rriu"J on't'f,";;;;:,, Ml-lS was on rhe brink of financiai ;";;;;ribankruptcy. Whar produced this

"*truorOinf i,

m.etamorphosis in such a brief perio.tiWhereas many shelterc uno uju".Ilu

organtzattons espouse a noble philosoohiregardrng the inherent value of ait t;te. ,fafr(

has sel itself apart by cons;stenif"'."j.courageously trans[orming cnerished iAeatirnro aclron _ not only when safe, or popular,or in the budger, bur as elhical .onriO!riiln,

otcate. lhis commitment is dramaticallv, illusrrated by MHS,s medical;r;";;;J

wnere the animal is regarded as the clieni,

its commitment to take every nonviolentmeasure at its disposal to save lives.

Whal can members and staff of sheltersand animal protection organizations do toT,.I", meaningful difference? Everythinsl toal tnose caring people who wrile Animainesand share your feelings with us, *" ,ru .orn.out ot the closet and vigorously make yourviews known within your organization whenyou feel life-affirming princi[les rr"-boinn'"suoordrnated to expediency. Organization"ssnoutd tnvite constructive criticiim, aswisdom. results through the dialectic*ofinteraction between rioposing ideas. A'nimalines Iullyreatizes thar dissenr ir' iir.o,irug";";"';;;;',"tlings, burthe ultimale responsibiliry in unyiirf y if irr'.ii. endeavor

^tr",,",1,: jl":rganizarion, but rather i" nirii. ir," ,rr.t;,yur rre ano tarth. (Jur movement is replete with self_,

Pl3l":.,ly".rld myopic executive Oirectol. unO boards that

not the "owner" _ and rhe highesr qrlf i,V _r"-f ;';;;;;if;in MHS's full-service hospitais ,"f "(:""'i#basis of needlnot abilitv to pavl M;ny are rf,rerte,lJ by iniouutors *f,oboldly challenge'the status quo, and tr,,i, ii' is inevirdbrethat MHS haiits detractors. Einstein believed imaginationhave Iittle tolerance for divergent

"i;;;. ;;;ris k i n g o.n e's job th ro u gh ur,p?"rri ne .nlr I"],oI consctence is itself an affirmation'of Iifel. All of us mus[ begin to recognize *" ur"'rnvolved in a long and ardudus strupsle. asrruggte that requires an understandlip oitne htstorical dynamics which have brou"phrus lo this. point.in time. ll,s imperative'weoeyelop demanding performance standardsand tar-reaching obfectives to guide ourway rnto the next century _ oljeclivesdesigned not for our convenierce, Origenuinely animal-centered. No fone", .unwe assess programs by how many iheck,we receive, as the blood our non_human

to be the,most potent of af f att"riOuies,

_^--- but those without vi'sion remain irp"rrom

w. r " | ":J:: illifJ^:1,:;F:;j,1,,",ij::1lii

W.Mi'", d J['ff:;':Hil"",:""-,:"[; j :i.1,Wffi ,imaginative programs _ and then acttr&&'w,iwm resotutely in pursuit of defined oblectivei.mm .1,,enJs "rt"l-i"rr ei't;;it;;, that we arem tolerant to a fault, but we have no tolerancey".m , lor complacency in the midst of such

3W norrendous suffering. So we respeclfully

W',."Tfr , I Sj;: f[fu ,* i J:"*:Jil*, ti:common decency to step out of the w;tand let the sun shine throug;. -' '- J'LLv vu

rfriends are sheddins i,

199, n"t gr"un.*W" must begintaking crearive risks"for riie'tnai :;;';.;;:,"d more bvconscience than return on investment, .iit;r-i., U,;;;;;,;,fight the worthwhite battte and fr;i;'i;;;'i.;ask in theAll correspondence should^be mailed to Bl4 Castro Street,San Francisco, CA 94114

", ,itt fiisl oza_zasa.The Aniorald

nlore rrer{slines

continued from page 13

of the frustration of failing to achievesuccess in the courts and legislatively.

Some of the more conservativeanimal welfarists, including BradMiller of the Humane FarmingAssociation, have condemned thefires. "lt's completely counter-productive and highly suspicious.It's so unlike the methods we use,"said Miller after the fires. His

organization fights for humanefarming, but doesn't oppose thekilling of animals for food.

California Congressman CeorgeBrown is probably the most pro-phetic of those familiar with thegrowing animal rights controversy. In1983 he told researchers at a con-vention: "Don't wait until your labsburn down before looking intoalternatives. " a

BICHORN SHEEP/STOUFFER PRODUCTIONS, LTD

Britain's Hunt Sabs Move intoCalifornia to Save Bighorn SheepFROM CIN AS WE GO TO PRESS:

Members of Earth Firstl and the HuntSaboteurs Association (a group out ofBritain) attempted to stop the trophykillings of nine bighorn sheep in Baker,25 miles into the Mojave Desert.Although the direct actions failed tostop the hunt - albeit delaying thedeath of the sheep for more than a

week - it signaled the beginning ofthe first real anti-hunting direct actioncampaign in the state, and maybe thenation.

The Bureau of Land (or is thatLivestock) Management (BLM) andDepartment of Fish & Came (DFC)were accused of "conspiring" withhunters, one of whom paid $70,000 tobe the first to shoot a sheep as a trophy.

The sheep, removed from the pro-tected list early in1987 , have not beenhunted for nearly 115 years. JimDeForge of the nonprofit BighornSheep lnstitute, claimed that "no one'scome up with a better approach to helpthe animals."

Fourteen arrests were made afterhunters convinced law enforcementofficials to arrest anti-hunt squads forinterfering with the hunt after theyburst out of hiding places blowinghorns and whistles to spoil shots forhu nters.

"You're damned right they spoiled[the hunt]," said one hunter, addingthat several sheep-aboutto be shotby hunters-were warned away bytheantics of protesters. r

NEWS IN BRIEFFIVE SITVER SPRING MONKEYSREACH SAN DIEGO ZOO: Fivemonkeys involved in the famousSilver Spring monkey case have leftDelta Primate Center for the SanDiego Zoo. All are adult crab-eatingmacaques and all served as "con-trols" in Dr. Edward Taub's grue-some experiments. The five mon-keys have lived in solitary cagingfor many years and zoo animalbehaviorists will try to rehabilitatethem socially. Negotiations for thetransfer of the monkeys wereinitiated by Representative RobertDornan of Carden Crove, CA. rCOCKFICHTING RAID IN EASTPALO ALTO: Peninsula HumaneSociety's (PHS) State HumaneOfficers were called to the sceneof a cockfight in East Palo Alto,Saturday, November 18. Accordingto East Palo Alto police there wereapproximately 30 or 40 observers atthe fight. All fled but two; bothwere cited for the possession offighting implements and for beingpresent at the fight. PHS StateHumane Officers Noel Dunne andMartin Runneals confiscated 39fighting cocks (7 dead and 32 alive).Currently, California law states thatcockfighting is a misdemeanor andprovides f ines up to $1,000 and jailterms up to six months for partici-pants. No one is sure of the scaleof cockfighting in California. Eachyear there are approximately 500arrests; the last of which was in1980 (Colma in San Mateo County).r LECTSLATION OVERVTEW PASTAND PRESENT: The Animals' Lobbyin Sacramento informs us that theCalifornia legislature adjourned inSeptember and will reconvene in.lanuary for the second half of a

two-year session. Overall, the firsthalf of the session turned out quitewell for animals. Lobbyists workedon 60 bills dealing with animals,although about half won't be actedon until next year. Of the 30 billsacted on this session, -11 of the 14

bills they supported were passedby the legislature and signed by thegovernor; two others died incommittee and one was droppedafter administrative changes weremade instead. Of the three billsopposed this year, two were killedand one was signed by the gov. r

laage 26 The Ariinrals

books

"for we ARE the best people,those of us who fight for the weakagainst the strong. And though itmay be true that nice guys finish last,the best emerge victorious."

- Tom Regan

urs is a "victimless" cause;in an indirect way, humanssuffer the blows of animal

exploitation, either by sacrificing ouressential connectedness to nature,or by demoralizing ourselves, dis-regarding our own definition of whatit means to be an ethical species onits way to the promised land. Ani-mals, on the other hand, are thedirect recipients of our wrecklessand unyielding arrogance; itis theirbodies and their minds we aremutilating, torturing and exterminat-ing. But they are not the voicesbehind our noble cause. They aremerely, if you will, the incentive bywhich we, as animal rights andanimal protection activists, challengethe system which renders otheranimals harmless and helpless andhapless. We are their voices.

Whether we have chosen to workon their behalf because we believewe have a duty to protect animals'rights, or whether we simply ac-knowledge that our own deliver-ance lies in their salvation, westill - all too often - forget thatwe are speaking out lor them.lmagine, if you can, how muchprogress would have been madeby now if animals themselvescould stand up in their owndefense, create and join theirown organizations, launch theirown boycotts and demonstra-tions; at the very least, if theycould log our memory everynow and again, remind us of ourduty and responsibility - forwho we are fighting for, not justagainst - and we stopped allour nonsensical back-biting anduseless gossiping. lf only theyhad that voice ...

Perhaps Tom Regan's 1987book, Ihe Struggle for AnimalRights, is their way of remindingus. With eloquent and compel-ling prose, Regan - a studentof Candhi's teachings - im-plores those of us in and out ofthe animal rights movement toremember our "humanity andhumility."

Regan's latest book begins with anautobiography, a sometimes painful,yet oft times entertaining, narrativeof one man's admitted indifferenceand eventual enlightenment into thesphere of animal rights, one whichmany of us share. Uncompromis-ingly, and in the spirit of his previousbook, Ihe Case for Animal Rights,Regan's most recent work capsulizesthe former. But unlike The Case, andin an essay format, The Struggle iswritten in easy-to-read yet coerciveprose, demanding our attention andconviction with its interwoven factsthat tell a sober reality.

The Struggle for Animal Rights'essays cover the range of animalexploitation, from the stockyardsand slaughterhouses that cripple andconsume animals at a rate of 4,000sentient lives a second, to the aboli-tion of pound seizure, a practice thatdooms 300,000 unclaimed "pets" tothe research floor every year. But itdoesn't end there. The book exploresthe role of culture and religion inthe struggle for animal rights, as wellas students' rights in the lab andanimal rights throughout the legalsystem. Before concluding, Regandiscusses civil disobedience andanimal liberation tactics, and tells

us emphatically that the former"is a morally defensible strategyfor encouraging social change."

The most impressive aspectof The Struggle for AnimalRights, however, is Regan'sfirm conviction, a convictionwhich permeates the pages ofhis book, a conviction notunlike yours and mine. Whatmakes Regan's conviction soinspiring to others can besummed up in his own words,."Those of us in the struggle foranimal rights are part of whatis best in the world, not athrowback to what is worst. [4/eknow that. We have alwaysknown that."

Coupled with a reminder ofwhere we stand and what westand for, Regan's The Strugglefor Animal Righfs strengthensour own long-held and lifelongcommitment to the voicelessvictims for whom we so dili-gently struggle. r

Available from ISAR, 42'lSouth State Street, ClarksSummit, PA 1U11. $5.95, paper.

' "-iilllj un,*.,,r,]se$foyernilJ,,.: " *i:t:

":.. "{,r:.*['tJy;*?::1 I

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,FGFITA*RIriUFT *

The Animalc

continued from page 23necessarily want to learn about them, so much as I wantedto learn from them.

But all these formalized experiments and interspeciescommunity share one serious flaw; everyone of them startsby asking the question: "Can an animal be taught tocommunicate with a human being?" The animal is a subjectheld in a captive situation, and then carefully programmedto give and receive information "the way that humans doit." As such, they fail to take into account that animals mayalready do it on their own. Thus, we may certainly discoverthe process by which a chimpanzee learns a humanly-derivedprocess leading to the statement, "Me want drink." Yet,once a chimpanzee has learned that obvious request, all wehave accomplished is to learn that a chimpanzee or adolphin or whatever animal can act just a little more like ahuman being than we had previously believed possible. Butif it is truly considered communi-cation, then it should also bebased upon mutual respect. Itmust develop as an open-endeddialogue where both participantshave the equal power to directthe course and subject matter ofthe learning experience. lt is aprocess that will demand a re-thinking of our own relationshipto the animals. lt must includeanimals as beings of their ownenvironment. ln a way it is moreaccurately a primitive point ofview and also holistic in its ethics.And in just that spirit we maythen begin to comprehend just abit more of the animal's ownwisdom.

This interrelationship, thisnatural wisdom, is certainly themajor current drifting throughthe pages of this book. But I amalso, upon occasion/ far moreradical than just a promoter ofecology. I also express veryserious doubts about the way thatwe/ as a culture, exclusivelylicense science with its systematic and logically-structuredapproach to define nature for the rest of us. The naturalworld is too important and oft times too unsystematic asubject to remain in the exclusive hands of our scientists.We must also honor and assimilate some of the so-calledprimitive earth religions. Similarly, we must offer support tonew visions of interspecies community - where humansand animals live in close and equal partnership. We mustallow our musicians and artists the same access to naturethat we now allow our scientists.

il totem is a kind of non-human ancestor to a tribe/-l of people; often an animal. lt must further be

L D stressed, that a totem is not exactly a god as wehave come to use the word. I prefer the word "cousinprotector." I have heard it stated that there is a modernAmerican "tribe" and that the bald eagle is our totem. But

unfortunately, for the eagle, and probably the Americancitizenry as well: State is not tribe, logo is not a totem, asymbol does not a cousin make. Cranted, we may too oftendisplay the ferocity of the eagle as we believe it to be, butour own ferocity too often exploits nature rather thanexpressing a balance, a give and take, and a unity withnatural process. And, of course, our exploitive ferocity haspushed the eagle itself right up to the brink of extinction.To love our own creation of an eagle symbology, yet wenever listen to the beat of the eagle's own heart.

nterspecies music expresses the clear and simpleexample of human communciation with other speciesof animals through the universal language of music. Like

any music, interspecies music communicates the energyexchange of harmony. Like any successful harmony, it is

sustained as long as the participants cocreate in the hereand now. What this implies in actual practice is that thehuman must first acknowledge the other being as his orher equal. ln many cases, the human must actually sit withthe animal as a student sits with a teacher, and it is at thispoint a recognilion when we truly meet the animal halfwaythat the relationship finally emerges. Such a sensitivity tothe native wisdom of an animal demonstrates its practicalworth the very first time that a valid communi- cationmanifests itself. You instinctively recognize in your heart thatthe animal has a mind. This realization unsettles you. Allthe formally-secure boundaries that sheltered, yet separated,you from the natural order proceed to disintegrate beforeyour eyes. You are sucked into the very center of anoperative and very complex world communication network.

But let us take care not to overromanticize the interspeciesrevelation. After all, who can ever know if an orca /eels thesame unbridled excitement, or thinks the same insin-

oz

oEt-fN

zo-Fl

P-age 2-t TIre Animals'loice

uated causality when a human guitar player succeeds ineliciting a slowed-down repetition of a certain stereotypicalmusical phrase. To the contrary: the key to a continuingcommunication relationship with orca or with any animalfor that matter is, in fact, notto feel, not to think. .lust be!Become a creative and patient conversationalist andpersevere. That way the relationship may go in any one ofseveral directions all at once, unencumbered by therestrictions of the analytical human sensibility. Now it is freeto enter into the realms that none of us has ever evenconsidered. Neither you, nor I, nor orcas.

tr

Z1 he dolphins may prove valuable guides along theI path of this conscious journey to realign ourselvest with natural wisdom (which I now use inter-

changeably with both morphic resonance and unifyingconsciousness). Hopefully, Edward Hallwas wrong after all;hopefully humans can still learn something from anotherspecies. And because of their own unabashed friendlinesstoward humans, dolphins often seem like ambassadors fromthe otherwise secret wisdom world of nature. Of all thewild creatures, the large-brained dolphins seem the mostwilling to meet us halfway.

And although they usually appear totally inscrutable whenviewed through human perception, in fact dolphins utilizenatural wisdom from the very center of their conscious-nesses. This may seem a brash statement, but I have feltits transmitted manifestation too often to believe differently.Their transmitters and receptors are apotent force indeed, most capable ofpiercing through even the skepticalhuman being's vast armory of accul-turated defenses. lt is indeed disarming(the perfect turn of a phrase) to suddenlyturn silly and awestruck, vitalized and yetsecure, in the presence of dolphins.Most people don't have a clue as to whatis going on inside themselves. Veryoften, I have heard it described as anexhilarating sense of unity with thedolphins. What we are feeling is theimmediate. lt is the immediacy of beingsin resonance.

But I must stress that natural wisdomis by no means the exclusive province ofthe dolphins. lt is the wisdom of theturkey and the buffalo, of the gray whaleand the mitochondria. lt is the pull ofCaia, a force that interpenetrates all ofnature. l, for one, have felt it at itsstronSest in the presence of 70-foot-longfin whales. The larger the creature, thelarger its bioradio transmitter. Unfor-tunately, we humans have alreadydecimated most o{ the larger whales.They are no longer readily accessible toa long-term exploration of the interface.

But dolphins are still common animals.Moreso, humans and dolphins oftenseem like opposite faces of the samelarge-brained coin. We tend to reflecteach other. More of us humans sense

natural wisdom more clearly and succinctly from thedolphins, than from any other order of animals. ln such alight, it seems our own crucial responsibility to thoroughlycommit time and energy to an exploration of the human/dolphin interface. Not to teach them English, not to testtheir intelligence, bur rather to harmonize and resonate withthem. And if we make that commitment during thisgeneration, our descendants and the dolphins' descendantswill find it that much easier to plot the right course throughthe maze in future generations.

z

z

=Zo=tsf)_

Tbe dolpbins bad longknawn af tbe impendingdestructian qf the Planet

Eartb and bad made manyattempts to alert ?nankhxd oftbe danger; but tnost of tbeir

carnnlatilcdtt ions uerem isi nlerpreted as a musing

&ttempts to puncb _footbctllsor tabistle for tid,bitg so tbEleaentua.lly gaue up a.ncl left

tbe Eartb by tbeir ounweans shortly be.fore tbe

Vogons arriaed. Tbe last euerdolpbin Tnessage wc$misinterpreted as dt

sarprisi?tg ly so phisticatedattempt to do a double-

backutard somersaulltbrougb a boop while

wltistling the "Star SpangledBanneq," but, in Jact. tbe

message taas tbis: "So tangand tbanks for all tbe fislt."

Douglas Ad.ams

!

e transcend the power of dolphins as flesh andblood animals, and so, engage them as metaphor:a bridge capable of returning us to the ways and

means of Caia. And if they do possessany great or special power, then it is bestexplained as their own unerring quality todemonstrate for us our own naturalwisdom.

I am reminded of what is so oftenwritten about the great teachers of Asia.This teacher can teach you how to levitate.That one over there can show you howto tell the future. A third has lived for tenthousand years. But the greatest teacherdemonstrates for you your own truenature. Animals do not tell us to behappy, never demand that we dwell innature. Rather, often in their presence,we are happy, we do dwell in nature. Onone level, their great gift falls away asnothing more than our permitting themto act as benefactors. But there is nothingmatter-of-fact about this gitt. The giftgiven by animals is precious: a guide backto balance. On that level the gift is thebasis of a profound mystery. This juxta-position of natural wisdom, animalteachers, and mystery is where we begin.It is the relationship known as totem. ltis animal dreaming.

This is a most beautiful and must-readbook. Bantam Books; 1987; 219 pages;softbound; $8.95. Bantam Books, |nc.,666Sth Avenue, New York, NY 1Afi3. lllus-trated with original line drawings by theauthor. Highly recommended !

The Aninrals'loice -----F-age 2-g

pound seir*tre (corrtirrtrecl)

continued from page 9not interfere with the performance ofvital research.

The biomedical research communityclaims that because purpose-bredanimals are more expensive, the PetProtection Act would price vitalresearch projects out of existence. Thiscontention is, however, demonstrablyuntrue because it is based on selectiveperceptions and false economies.

Dr. Michael Ciannelli, Director ofThe National Coalition to Protect OurPets (ProPets), after surveying re-searchers and medical doctors in theUnited States and throughout the freeworld, reached the followingconclusion:

'Although pound animals arecheaper than purpose-bredanimals in initial purchase price,this is false economybecause: a)

pound animals must undergoexpensive conditioning; b)pound animals are more likelytobecome sick or die prematu rely;c) greater numbers of poundanimals are required inresearch. "

2i1 he Pet Protection Act has beenI introduced inlo both chambersf of the United States Congress.

Although there are minor differencesbetween the Senate and the Houseversion of the Pet Protection Act, bothversions would establish a restrictionthat funding provided by the Nationallnstitutes of Health shall not be madeavailable to persons who obtain or useshelter animals for any researchpurpose. The effect of this legislationwould be to protect our pets frombeing seized by research facilities forpurposes of experimentation. !

CONSIDER THE FOLLOWINC TACTSLawful inf liction of extreme pain: Absolutely no federal or state laws prohibitthe infliction of any amount of unrelieved pain during the course of anexperiment, if, in the opinion oI the researcher, the administration ofanesthetics would affect the results of the experiment.

Records f rom the National lnstitutes of Health (N lH ) : (a) Never, in the entirehistory of biomedical research, has the N I H made public one single protocolwhich required the use of shelter animalsl (b) the NtH has not used shelteranimals in its own in-house research for over a decade.

Sloppy science/unreliable results: Shelter animals have unknown medical,genetic and environmental backgrounds. As such, results f rom their use inexperimentation are inconclusive and unreliable.

Miniscule research impact: Accordingto the research industry's own statistics,over 99"/o of research animals are bred specifically for research; less than1o/s d(@ seized from shelters and pounds.

World Health Organization opposition: The World Health Organizationopposes the use of shelter animals for research purposes.

Pound seizure prohibitioni research continuation: Research in the four nationsand states that ban pound seizure has not been compromised.

Animal control efforts sabotaged/shelter system undermined: Pound seizuredefeats the humane purpose and function of the animal shelter. lt is a majorobstacle to community an imal control departments and underm ines publicconfidence in the humane shelter system.

Pet theft: Pound seizure creates a market for pet theft. Research protocolsrequire animals with specified breed, size or iemperament. Neighborhoodpets easily fill experimental specifications.

Trusting pets selected for gruesome procedures: Think about it. Selectioncriteria follow paths of least resistance. Centle, trusting pets cause lesstrouble in the laboratory than wild, feral animals.

PLEASE WRITEln the House of Representatives

the Pet Protection Act, introducedby Robert J. Mrazek (D-NY), is as-signed House bill number HR778.

In the Senate the Pet ProtectionAct, introduced byWendell H. Ford(D-KY), is assigned the Senate billnumber S 1457.

The Pet Protection Actwill pass if ,and only if, each and every personwho believes that communitiesmust have effective animal control,who believes that unknownvariables in scientific researchproduce dangerously misleadingresults, or who believes that thelove and devotion of a companionanimal in life is too fine anexpression to be betrayed in death,urges their three Congresspeople toprotect these beliefs through theenactment of federal legislation.

Contact your two U.S. Senatorsand ask them to "co-sponsor" S.1457. Contact your one Representa-tive and ask him/her to "co-sponsor" H.R.778. Call, write ortelegraph today.

WHAT ARE WEDOING TO ELIMINATE

THE HORRORS OFVIVISECTIONI

PLENTYMany states require shelters andpounds to relinquish animals -former pets - for laboratory

experimentation. We sponsor pro-grams to win repeal of such laws.To learn what you can do, write:

N ,/ NATIONAL/- Y ANTI-vtvtsECTtoN

SOCIEryll2 North Carolina Ayenue, SFI

Vashington, DC 20003

l'age 30 Tlre Animals'\)oice

Warning Device Saves Lives" .";,".'.-.";",.- ",: t: '"-

;;Every year in the United States, 1.10

people are killed in animal-related caraccidents; 11,000 people are injuredand $190 million in property damagesis levied.

Whistling cars are now heard onmany of our highways since theinvention of an ultra-sound device.Drivers and passengers cannot hearthe noise but an unsuspecting animalthat appears in the roadway can.

Cigar-shaped, mounted on thefront of the vehicle, this animal alertdevice emits a supersonic frequencywhen air is passed through it. Speeds

in excess of 35mph are needed tocreate the sound. The signal istransmitted approximately 400 yardsin front of the vehicle, according toman ufactu rer's statements.

This device, tested on all types ofanimals on highways in the UnitedStates and Europe, has been proveneffective on B0% of the animalstested. The only animal it doesn'tseem to have an effect on is thedomestic cow.

Many corporations have installedthis animal warning device on theirfleet vehicles because of their low-cost

and easy installation.lf this warning device prevents just

one animal-car collision, it will havepaid for itself.

Compassion for Animals, an animalrights organization based in LosAngeles, is the only retail distributorof the vehicle safety animal warningdevice. Prices are as follows (pleasesee our ad below):

Retail price:Our price:Two for:Chrome plated:Two chrome-plated:

$19.9s$14.9s$zq.gs$17.95$29.9s

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aclr}ertisernent

PRICE INFORMAT]ON ABOVEORDER FROM:

COMPASSION FOR ANIMALSPost Office Box 5312

Beverly Hills, Californi a 90210(213) 204-2323

T}te Arimals'foice Itage 3l

foin theCrowdooo

Subscribe to:

The Arrirrrals'loiceY E S ! il4$;l*#,*"H[xr]J;',.keep me abreast of current events, demos, news andlegislation affecting animals and animal issues in the stateof California.

Address:

Name:

State:The Animals' Voice welcomes comments, suggestions,news clippings and articles about animals and animalissues. Contents of TheAnirnals'Voiceare not limited tothe state of California, but a California-orientation ispreferred. Contributors will be credited.

zip:

$15-yearly I $ZA-Z years ! $40-3 years fMake checks or money orders payable to: The Animals'Voice

Do not send cash. Donations are tax-deductible.

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