Tag Archives: Massachusetts

Activists Complain about Mitt Romney\’s Canned Hunt

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Animal rights activists are up in arms after Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney bagged some quail on a hunting trip while on a trip to Georgia.

According to the Boston Herald,

. . . the political outing backfired when it was revealed the birds had been fenced in.

Humane Society of the United States\’ Michael Markarian complained about Romney hunting at the Cabin Bluff animal preserve, telling the Boston Herald,

Many of these private hunting preserves are basically providing drive-through killing animal opportunities. These animals are often tamed and bred on the property, fed by people and accustomed to people. They have no chance of escape. It\’s like shooting fish in a barrel.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals spokeswoman Jennifer McClure told the Boston Herald,

Stalking and shooting animals is a cowardly, violent form of recreation, and if Romney wants to keep his political career alive, then he should stop supporting this dying blood sport.

Right, because hunting really killed the careers of politicians such as George W. Bush and John F. Kerry.

Anyway, opponents of such animal preserves like to call them canned hunts or refer, as the Boston Herald does, to the fact that the animals are fenced in. But this sort of criticism is silly in the case of preserves like Cabin Bluffs which sits on no less than 45,000 acres.

That\’s one incredibly large can.

Source:

Mitt under fire for hunt: Romney catches flak after quail kill. Dave Wedge, Boston Herald, January 5, 2006.

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Massachusetts Activists Protest Geese Hunt at Golf Course

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The Boston Globe reported that about 15 members of Massachusetts Animal Rights Coalition showed up at the Braintree, Mass., municipal golf course to protest a decision by that city\’s Board of Selectman allowing the shooting of Canadian geese to reduce the number that try to make the golf course home.

According to the Globe, the activists carried signs reading, \”Stop the Slaughter\” and \”No Blood for Golf.\” MARC member Jordan Gallagher told the Globe (emphasis added),

I love the geese. I know they go to the bathroom here and there, but there are other ways of removing them. When man has a problem today, whether it\’s wolves, bears, or birds, the first thing they do is kill.

Maybe Gallagher\’s got a point — perhaps instead of killing first, \”man\” should dispatch Gallagher to open diplomatic negotiations with the wolves and bears.

But lets consider his point about the geese going to the bathroom here and there. According to the Globe, as many as 100 to 400 geese show up on the golf course. Each of these geese, again according to the Globe, can produce anywhere from 1 to 3 pounds of feces each day.

Studies have shown that feces from Canadian geese pose a serious risk to human health. A 2002 study (PDF) of samples of Canadian geese fecal matter found that overall 25 percent of such samples contained pathogenic e. coli.

In the case of the Braintree golf course, the issue of diseases carried by the hundreds of pounds of geese feces is amplified because the golf course is part of a larger athletic field which regularly hosts sports programs for children.

As Charles Kokoros, chairman of the Braintree Board of Selectman, told the Globe,

It\’s just way too many feces. It\’s impossible to clean up and they spread disease. There are kids out there rolling in it, tackling in it. It isn\’t healthy.

Which is why the Board has annually allowed the shooting of the geese annually since 1995.

But, in the typical animal rights formulation, to the activists this is an example of how human beings should put aside disease concerns in favor of the animals. MARC member Steve Rayshick told the Globe,

I think we need to recognize that these are wildlife and this is their habitat.

No, the golf course and athletic field are part of the human habitat; the animal rights activist just need to recognize that and accept the need to minimize the risk of disease in that habitat.

Sources:

Prevalence of Escherichia coli serogroups and human virulence factors in faeces of urban Canada geese (Branta canadenses). (PDF) Kullas, H., et al, International Journal of Environmental Health Research, 12, 153-162 (2002).

Avian Diseases: Carriage of Bacterial Pathogens by Canada Geese and Blackbirds. USDA Animal & Plant Health Inspection Services, Accessed: December 11, 2005.

In Braintree, activists protest goose hunt on golf course. Tracy Jan, Boston Globe, December 11, 2005.

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Effort Underway to Put Greyhound Racing Ban on Massachusetts Ballot in 2006 or 2008

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Anti-greyhound racing group Grey2K USA recently filed proposed language for a ballot question to ban greyhound racing Massachusetts.

The proposed ballot initiative was filed with the state\’s attorney general. If the language of the proposal passes muster with the attorney general\’s office, proponents of the ban will have to gather 66,000 signatures to place the initiative in either the 2006 or 2008.

In 2000, Massachusetts voters rejected a similar ballot initiative in a very close vote.

Source:

Petition to ban greyhound racing is off and running. Emelie Rutherford, Daily News Staff, August 4, 2005.

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Mary Max: Stop Making Fun of the Sharks

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Every year for the past two decades, the Boston Big Game Fishing Club has run its Monster Shark Tournament. Fifty to sixty boats compete to capture the largest shark.

This year\’s contest made national news when one competitor captured an almost-1,200 pound tiger shark, although the shark was brought back into the harbor six minutes too late to qualify for the tournament. Still, such a big catch brought national stories and an appearance for the crew on the Today Show.

That offended animal rights activist Mary Max who posted an e-mail complaining that, \”NBC makes fun of shark suffering.\” It said, in part (emphasis added),

Please send an e-mail to the Today Show at today@nbc.com to let them know how
appalled you are by the story they aired on the 8:00am half hour segment,
Thursday, July 21, about the brutal killing of a shark at an annual shark killing
contest off the coast of MarthaÂ’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.

In the segment, the four men who caught the almost 1200lb. shark gushed over
their kill. By the men\’s own description, the shark suffered horribly,
struggling for hours, being gaffed again and again, until he was finally dragged on
board, thrashing for air. (Especially chilling was the laughter and
congratulations from the people standing around watching this magnificent creature being
tortured.)

Please let the Today show know that it is bad enough that certain individuals
like to bash sharks for behavior that is completely natural, but it is even
more disconcerting to see a highly regarded show join in on “the fun” by
making light of the shark\’s suffering.

The Humane Society of the United States chimed in as well, complaining in a press release that,

\”Contest killing of sharks or any animal is an affront to a civilized society,\” said Dr. John Grandy, senior vice president for HSUS wildlife programs. \”In this case it contributes to further declines in shark populations while adding to the stigma that surrounds these magnificent predators.\”

\”Shark killing contests should go the way of the bison killing contests of old. They perpetuate cruel and unnecessary treatment of some of the most ancient and fascinating of the ocean\’s creatures,\” Grandy said. \”Many shark species, including blue and thresher sharks, have suffered dramatic population declines and can ill-afford to be the target of this sort of dubious enterprise.\”

Of course, the Humane Society of the United States forgot to mention that the annual contest is carried out with the approval of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and actually benefits that public agency.

Gregory Skomal, a shark expert with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, told the Associated Press that many of the sharks end up with his agency after the tournament,

You have to kill them to do the samples that produce the best scientific data. We do the same for other fisheries as well. If the shark tournament goes away, we lose an avenue into this type of science.

The meat from the huge tiger shark that was six minutes late was donated to the Long Island Council of Churches.

Sources:

The HSUS Issues Statement on Shark Killing Contest. Press release, Humane Society of the United States, July 22, 2005.

Animal rights group calls for end of shark hunt. Associated Press, July 29, 2005.

NBC Makes Fun of Shark Suffering. Mary Max, July 25, 2005.

Tiger shark too tardy to get teeth in tourney. Joe Dwinell, MetroWest Daily News, July 20, 2005.

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Boston Herald Outlines Feld\’s Donations to Anti-Circus Ban Legislators

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The Boston Herald reported in October that Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus\’ Kenneth Feld paid Massachusetts lobbyist Robert Rodophele almost $150,000 since 2001 to lobby against bills that might impact or ban circus performances in that state.

The Herald notes that State Sen. Robert Hedlund introduced a bill this year that would have banned circus animals in the state, but that the bill was killed by the state House\’s Criminal Justice Committee. Rodophele made contributions of at least $100 to seven Democrats who sit on the committee, including the maximum $200 donation to committee chair Sen. Thomas McGee and committee member Sen. Michael Morrissey. Feld himself donated an additional $250 to McGee.

The Herald reports that Feld\’s wealth is estimated at upwards of $775 million.

Source:

Circus chief gave $$ to lawmakers for letting show go on. Dave Wedge, Boston Herald, October 8, 2004.

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Massachusetts Judge Dismisses Indecency Charge, But Fines PETA Activist for Disturbing the Peace

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The Harvard Crimson reported in September that a district judge dismissed indecency charges against six activists with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, but upheld a charge of disturbing the peace against PETA\’s Dan Mathews.

The case stems from a March 1 protest in which the six activists stripped to their underwear in Harvard Square to protest fur. At the protest, Mathews shouted,

We’re here because we care. We’re bare in Harvard square. Wearing fur’s not fair. WeÂ’re in our underwear.

In addition to Matthews, those arrested were Aryenish Tiraz Birdie, Amy Thomson, Brandi Valladolid, Kristin Waller and Karla Waples.

Except for Mathews, the disturbing the peace charges were \”continued without a finding\” meaning that as long as the activists aren\’t arrested in Massachusetts again over the next six months, the charge will be dismissed. Mathews chose to plead guilty to the charge, according to his attorney, because he doesn\’t want the restraint of being arrest free for the next six months. In addition, Mathews said that he has had to travel to Cambridge repeatedly for time consuming court hearings and it was easier to just pay the $300 fine.

The Crimson reported that Matthews said he has been arrested more than 20 times since he joined PETA.

Source:

Court dismisses PETA charges. Joseph Tartakoff, Harvard Crimson, September 17, 2004.

PETA Protest Ends in 6 Arrests. Faryl Ury, Harvard Crimson, March 2, 2004.

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Activist Believes Vandalism Due to Her Animal Rights Activities

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The Sun Chronicle in Massachusetts reported in September that an animal rights activist had her minivan vandalized and that the activist believes the vandalism is related to her animal rights activities.

Tami Myers, president of The Angry Parrot, reported that the rear and left rear windows of her minivan were smashed around 10 a.m. on the morning of September 8. According to Myers, a similar incident occurred in November of 2003.

Myers, who is a veterinary technician, told the Sun Chronicle that she believes both acts of vandalism are tied to her animal rights activities. Regardless of the motivation, such violence is uncalled for and hopefully the perpetrators will be caught and punished to the fullest extent of the law.

The Angry Parrot is a Massachusetts-based animal rights group. According to its website,

The Angry Parrot is an organization dedicated to ending live animal retail sales. Pet stores nationwide continue to thrive despite the public awareness of breeding mills. Puppy mills, once a well known term, seems to be a forgotten topic. We intend to see that the public once again is well aware of these breeding mills, not only of puppies, but of all the animals sold in retail. Puppies, Kittens, Parrots, Ferrets, Rabbits, Small Mammals, Reptiles and Fish all arrive at retail stores by breeding mills.

What is a breeding mill? We consider a breeding mill to be a company who sells animals to retail stores. By our definition this could be a huge warehouse breeding facility or a small breeder having a litter or a clutch sold to retail stores a few times a year.

Myers and her group protest at local pet stores in the North Attelboro area. The Enterprise reported on one such protest in late December 2003,

Two TAP demonstrators picketed the store on Saturday, Dec. 20, following an undercover sting operation in which they claimed to have discovered overcrowded conditions, inadequate cage sizes, filthy drinking water, lack of food and poorly bred \”puppy mill\” puppies.

\”Park Avenue Pets, you\’ve been TAPPED,\” read one of the signs. More pickets have been planned, organizers said.

\”It was disgusting,\” said TAP activist Mary Margison of Providence. \”It just breaks your heart.\”

Not so, counter employees, customers and a veterinarian who all said Park Avenue Pets has nothing to hide.

\”These are bold-faced lies,\” said Michelle Anderson, Park Avenue Pets store owner. \”There is nothing wrong with this store.

\”She runs an exemplary business. It certainly is disheartening to see her go through this,\” said Bernard Centofanti, a Hanson Animal Hospital veterinarian who provides care for the animals at Park Avenue Pets.

Anderson considered suing for defamation of character when TAP protesters mailed images of dead dogs with her business name as a masthead to area veterinarians and animal hospitals in November.

\”I give up with these people,\” she said.

Source:

Animal rights activists target pet store in West Bridgewater. Mike Melanson, The Enterprise, December 27, 2004.

Activist: I\’m target of vandals. David Linton, The Sun Chronicle, September 8, 2004.

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Massachusetts Governor Vetoes Anti-Dissection Bill

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The New England Anti-Vivisection Society reports that Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney vetoed a dissection choice bill over the weekend.

The bill would have required all Massachusetts public schools that include dissection as part of a class activity to offer non-animal alternatives for those who object to dissection.

NEAVS quotes Romney as saying in his veto message,

. . . biomedical research is an important component of the CommonwealthÂ’s economy and job creation. This bill would send the unintended message that animal research is frowned upon

NEAVS\’ Theodora Capaldo replied in a press release that,

Governor Romney didn\’t even attempt to hide his fiscal
priorities using the typical rhetoric that his decision was for the health and well being
of the people. Rather, he told it like it is: itÂ’s all about money, period.

. . .

In allaying the irrational fears of the biotech
industry, the governor may have shot himself in the foot with a large contingent of voters
who care more about studentsÂ’ rights to be compassionate than a wealthy companyÂ’s
profit margin.

The full text of the proposed law can be read here.

Source:

Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney — Busy Signing Books While Refusing to Sign Laws. Press Release, New England Anti-Vivisection Society, August 3, 2004.

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Tufts vs. NEAVS and Boston Herald on Dog Experiments

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Earlier this year, I noted the controversy created by animal rights activists and groups over canine bone research at Tufts University that involved killing five dogs in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the surgical procedure being tested.

Tuft\’s Dr. Robert Bridges was unhappy at a story on the controversy that appeared on January 3rd in the Boston Herald and fired off the following letter that the Herald published on January 22,

The Herald\’s portrait of Tufts Veterinary School\’s canine research project was unbalanced and unjustified, causing undeserved harm to an institution with a history of caring animals (\”Dogs now gone: Tufts destroys five research canines,\” Jan. 3).

The four non-veterinary students who first went to the press did so with the urging of a local anti-vivisection chapter and did not represent the veterinary students. Inspections following the lodged complaint of cruelty were determined to be without merit by multiple regulatory agencies, including the US Department of Agriculture, the Animal Rescue League of Boston, and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Moreover, the experimental protocol had received critical and careful review by Tuft\’s internal animal care committee prior to being approved.

The Herald did not engage in responsible journalism. The result: damage to a compassionate institution.

Frankly, it\’s difficult to know what Bridges was so upset about, as the article appeared fairly balanced to this reader. It didn\’t mention all of the above, but it quoted Tufts officials on the need for such research as well as outlined some of the layers of oversight that oversee animal research in at institutions such as Tufts.

New England Anti Vivisection Society president Theodora Capaldo wrote a letter in response saying, in part,

We must be precise: it is what Tufts allowed to be done to those dogs that did \”damage to a compassionate institution\” not the students, not NEAVS and not the Herald. Once Tufts accepts responsibility with policy that prevents this kind of experiment from ever happening again, its esteem will be restored.

Well, to keep with Capaldo\’s desire to be precise, she and NEAVS claimed that the research at Tufts was unreasonable and unjustifiable and that Tufts\’ Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee was derelict in approving the experimental protocol. But as Bridges noted in his letter, that was nonsense and several external organizations that examined the protocol agreed with the IACUC that the experimental protocol was appropriate.

Sources:

Letter to the editor. Theodora Capaldo, New England Anti Vivisection Society, February 2004.

Rap on Tufts Unfair. Robert Bridges, Boston Herald, January 22, 2004.

Dogs gone now; Tufts destroy five research canines. Elisabeth J. Beardsley, The Boston Herald, January 3, 2004.

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