OTHER NATIONS SMILES ‘n’ SCAT PILES
“Thumbs up, thumbs down.” “Tip of the hat, wag of the finger.” We’re offering up our own Other Nations yays and neighs! SMILES to those humans/institutions who show compassion and/or honor the innate rights of others–of any species. Woe to those who abuse, exploit, and make us sorry to share the sapiens species, for they shall receive a SCAT PILE.
OTHER NATIONS SMILE!
A warm ‘n’ dry OTHER NATIONS SMILE to the West Boylston (MA) firefighters for saving a dog who’d fallen through the ice. Story and video here. Compare this to the Holley Fire Dept. and their cruel “squirrel slam”–in fact, now that we’re thinking about it, let’s award them a Scat Pile! Scroll down for the piles.
A King of the Jungle SMILE to Zambia for banning “the hunting of lions and other endangered wild cats such as leopards because it sees more value in tourism than blood sport, the country’s tourism minister said.” Source: The Guardian, where you’ll find the full story.
Monkeys don’t fly–at least not on United Airlines! An OTHER NATIONS SMILE to the airline: “A spokeswoman for United Airlines confirmed the news in an email to The Huffington Post, explaining that the airline does not “book, accept or transport non-human primates” to or from medical research facilities either in the U.S. or the rest of the world.” Hats (and lab coats) off to PETA for this victory!
A huge, cruelty-free OTHER NATIONS SMILE to Israel who, at midnight on January 1st, banned product testing on animals. “The law bans the import, marketing and sale of cosmetics, toiletries or detergents that were tested on animals during the manufacturing process” (source).
“This law is a genuine revolution in the field of animal rights in Israel,” said MK Eitan Cabel (Labor ), who heads the Knesset caucus for animal rights. “We came a long way in the last Knesset regarding attitude changes in this matter” (Haaretz). Wait–they have a caucus for animal rights in their government!?! The U.S., to its immense shame, still allows animal product testing. Visit PETA for lists of companies that do test and don’t test.
A not-so-bitter-tasting SMILE The Humane Society Legislative Fund and Consumer Specialty Products Association, who jointly announced an agreement to voluntarily add a bitter flavoring agent to antifreeze and engine coolant manufactured for sale for the consumer market in all 50 states and the District of Columbia to prevent animals and children from being poisoned by the sweet-tasting liquid. Poisoning occurs because animals are attracted to the sweetness of antifreeze and engine coolant, which inadvertently spills in our driveways or is left in open containers in garages. Click here.
OTHER NATIONS SCAT PILE
An Other NATIONS SCAT PILE to an 18-year-old Oklahoma “hunter” for posting to his Facebook page a picture of a pit bull who’d been shot with an arrow, sparking world-wide outrage. Story and news video here. To view the Facebook photo (blurred in newscast link), click here.
A SCAT PILE to just about everyone involved in this sorry mess…father and son, responsible for killing beagle puppies in Connecticut; and dog breeder, for irresponsibly bringing more dogs into the world, allowing them to catch wildlife, then selling the “bounty.” Ugh.
We slam the Holley F.D. with an OTHER NATIONS SCAT PILE for their 7th annual “Squirrel Slam” killing contest, slated for Feb. 16. It’s sponsored by the Holley Fire Dept., located in the Village of Holley, eastern Orleans County, NY. Watch a local newscast covering the controversy here; click here to visit the Holley Fire Dept. website and view the contest flyer. Click here to contact the F.D. Visit “Stop the Squirrel Hunt” on Facebook.
A SCAT PILE to Beyonce and husband for their disgusting display of ostentation and callousness at the President’s inauguration. Fur coats? Really? Read what advocacy groups have to say. We say, Beautiful on the outside; ugly on the inside.
A PILE (elephant scat) to REDBOX for selling Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus tickets (read: circus animal abuse) through select kiosks. Find more details in our January 2013 Other Nations newsletter.
A SCAT PILE to Ben Siegel Reptiles, Inc. , north of Miami, for hosting a LIVE bug and worm eating contest in which one contestant died. The prize was a living python. There’s just so much wrong with this. Check out our blog post on eating contests, “Humanity lost: 357 wings and a prayer.”
A SCAT PILE to Japan for the ongoing slaughter of sea mammals. From Cove Guardian reports: “A pod of 200 Bottlenose dolphins were driven into the Cove and 101 juveniles were taken for captivity. If marine parks ever showed images of these dolphins being wrestled into submission and taken from their families, the stands would fall silent and these facilities would close down–and they know it.” Needless to say, this comes along with a whale-sized Other Nations smile to Cove Guardians!
An ON SCAT PILE to the British Ministry of Defence and army for shooting live pigs to replicate battlefield wounds which are then operated upon by surgeons in training. “(The pigs) had circles drawn on their underbellies before a three-man sniper team fired shots intended to damage organs but not kill, the paper said.” Article here. You may recall that our own U.S. Coast Guard has defended similar outrageous practices on animals; see our blog entry, “The Men Who Prune Goats.”
