Alliance for Animals and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals File Complaint Over Crimes Against Animals

AFA and PETA filed a complaint with the Dane County District Attorney’s office on June 9, 2011, documenting over a decade of violations of Wisconsin’s Crimes Against Animals stemming from research involving staged animal fights in the Stephen C. Gammie  and the Catherine A. Marler labs.
The Wisconsin statute is easy to understand:

951.08 Instigating fights between animals.

(1) No person may intentionally instigate, promote, aid or abet as a principal, agent or employee, or participate in the earnings from, or intentionally maintain or allow any place to be used for a cockfight, dog fight, bullfight or other fight between the same or different kinds of animals or between an animal and a person. This section does not prohibit events or exhibitions commonly featured at rodeos or bloodless bullfights.

951.08 (2) No person may own, possess, keep or train any animal with the intent that the animal be engaged in an exhibition of fighting.

951.08 (3) No person may intentionally be a spectator at a cockfight, dog fight, bullfight or other fight between the same or different kinds of animals or between an animal and a person.

951.18 Penalties.

951.18 (2) Any person who violates s. 951.08 (2m) or (3) is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. Any person who violates s. 951.08 (1) or (2) is guilty of a Class I felony for the first violation and is guilty of a Class H felony for the 2nd or subsequent violation.

Fights between mice have been instigated at the UW-Madison for over a decade. Mice have been kept for this purpose. Mice have been trained through multiple fights with other mice known to be winners or losers. Researchers have earned money from instigating the fights and have paid others in their labs from those earnings. Other university staff and probably students have been spectators at the fights.

Fights between mice are not genteel affairs. Wounding and even death are common results. A BBC video of a fight between mice is available here.


Coming on the heels of the university’s legal problems surrounding the illegal sheep decompression deaths, this new complaint makes clear that the university has a long history of disdain for or ignorance of Wisconsin State laws against cruelty to animals.

The university has now slipped a measure into the state budget bill by way of the University System Omnibus Motion. Item 27:

Liability Protections for Scientific Researchers: Specify that current law provisions prohibiting crimes against animals would not apply to persons engaged in bona fide scientific research at an educational or research institution or persons who are authorized or otherwise regulated under federal law to utilize animals for these purposes.

In short, the University does not want to follow Wisconsin's Crimes Against Animals laws.

What you can (MUST) do:

Contact your state legislators today. Ask them to request a formal Report on Item 27 of the University System Omnibus Motion passed in the Joint Finance Committee as part of the state budget bill.
Don't know your legislators? Click here. It's easy.

Telll them that the language of item 27 is confusing. Are all persons engaged in research at the university exempt from all the state’s anti-cruelty laws all the time wherever they are? Will the university be able to stage dog fights if item 27 becomes law? Tell them that the state has an obligation to regulate the use of animals and protect them from cruelty, especially at the state university.

You can read the complaint here.

http://www.allanimals.org/fighting_mice.html

Township mob burns 'talking' monkey as witch

Children traumatised as animal welfare group blames 'dreadful superstition' fuelled by ignorance

David Smith in Johannesburg
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 31 May 2011 14.07 BST

A monkey was pelted with stones, shot at and burned to death in a South African township because residents believed it was linked to witchcraft, an animal welfare agency has said.

A mob chanted "Kill that witch!" as the vervet monkey was put in a bucket, doused with petrol and set on fire, according to witnesses. Children who witnessed the killing last week were said to be traumatised.

One resident, Tebogo Moswetsi, admitted he had captured the monkey as it sought refuge up a tree in Kagiso, west of Johannesburg.

"I was curious to see this monkey that people claimed could talk, and when I saw a group of people chasing after it, I joined them," he told South Africa's Star newspaper. "When it went up the tree, I climbed after it and brought it down because I was curious as I found it unbelievable that a monkey could talk.

"I feel guilty. I shouldn't have taken it down from that tree. I dropped it down after someone poured petrol on it. I had no choice."

Moswetsi added: "Someone struck a match. [The monkey] got out of the bucket and dropped down dead. They continued throwing stones at it."

Cora Bailey, manager of Community Led Animal Welfare (Claw) in South Africa, was alerted by a local resident and arrived at a scene of "sheer criminality".

She said: "We just got there too late. What was incredibly sad is that there were so many little children in the crowd – some of them very traumatised.

"There were youngsters literally laughing in my face. But there were older people who were devastated by it. Everyone was saying sorry. While I was talking, the monkey was burning behind me."

Bailey said there is a "dreadful superstition" about monkeys and witchcraft in some communities, fuelled by ignorance that the animals can become separated from their troops or displaced from their natural habitats.

"We deal with this kind of situation on a very regular basis. We usually manage to do crowd control so the monkey doesn't come to any harm."

Bailey said she was horrified by racist comments that have appeared online in reaction to the incident. "Every time this happens, it's people in the community who call us. Cruelty to animals is not a racial thing. I've worked in townships for 20 years and there are good and bad people in all communities."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/31/mob-burns-monkey-as-witch

New Protests in Egypt: Activists to Picket Cairo Zoo for Animal Rights

11 April 2011
By: Erin Skarda

The Egyptian uprising was enough to wrestle a dictator from his long-held post and bring shadows of democracy to a Middle Eastern nation. But can people power also be utilized to elicit support for an animal-rights movement?

A coalition of organizations and activists in Egypt have banded together to demand an overhaul of animal treatment within the country, and just as weeks of protests forced the resignation of former president Hosni Mubarak in February, they hope that a citizen demonstration will bring a renewed focus to the issues that have long plagued the country and seem to only get worse over time.

The Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals (ESMA), along with the Egyptian Society of Animal Friends (ESAF) and Animal Welfare Awareness Research (AWAR), announced over the weekend that a protest will take place outside the Giza Zoo on April 16 to bring to light matters ranging from the state of the zoo itself to illegal wildlife trades, unregulated pet breeding and the government's propensity for shooting or poisoning homeless animals in order to control their population.

(More on TIME.com: See the fate of Cairo's many cats)

Mona Khalil, ESMA co-founder, said in a press release announcing the protest that now is the time to seek rights for Egypt's animals, as the nation is currently focused on building a more humane society overall.

"The way Egypt treats animals is a shame. The Giza Zoo is a national disgrace, Egypt has become known as a hub of the international illegal trade in wildlife, and the municipal policy of controlling street animal populations by shooting and poisoning is deplorable," Khalil said in the release. "At the root of all this is a not only systemic corruption but also policy failure, as Egypt is lacking even the basic animal welfare legislation that would enable the prosecution of violators."

As a new, democratic government is being constructed within Egypt, these organizations and their supporters have outlined specific (and likely controversial) demands, including launching investigations into corruptions at the Ministry of Agriculture and enacting legislation that will provide legal standards on how animals should be treated within the country. But while Egypt has a history of respecting — and even revering – animals like cats and camels, the current environment is a far cry from ancient times.

Whether or not the demands of these demonstrators will be met remains in question, but NewsFeed agrees with the group's effort to piggyback on the country's newly-united spirit. After all, if you're going to reform a nation, why stop at its human citizens?


http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/04/11/new-protests-in-egypt-activists-to-picket-cairo-zoo-for-animal-rights/

Mo. lawmakers overhaul law aimed at puppy mills

Thursday, Apr. 14, 2011

By CHRIS BLANK - Associated Press

Missouri voters thought they scored a big win against some of the nation's most notorious puppy mills when they approved strict new dog breeding regulations last year. Now state lawmakers are changing the rules.

A state law aimed at cracking down on disreputable breeders and improving animal care has been overhauled by lawmakers who say the voter-approved version is too costly, and punished legitimate dog-breeders who generate an estimated $1 billion annually in the state. Animal advocates complain elected officials are overruling the will of the people and some are prepared to put the issue on the ballot again next year.

Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States, said public confidence is undercut when about 100 lawmakers change a law backed by about 1 million voters.

"The effort in Jefferson City is a piece-by-piece dismantling of every core provision," Pacelle said. "It suggests to me that this is an industry that wants deregulation. They want to do things that they want and to heck with the people who care about dogs or consumers as long as there are enough dogs purchased."

Missouri Rep. Jerry Nolte, who represents part of a county that passed the ballot measure, said he voted for the bill because it will help protect dogs by increasing funding for enforcement.

"What I was trying to do was interpret what the voter intent was, and what they wanted to do was to lessen the suffering of these animals," said Nolte, a Republican. "And I believe that this, on balance, will reduce the suffering of these animals."

A spokesman for Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon said Thursday the bill would get a careful review and declined comment on whether he planned to sign it.

Missouri's law passed last November on the strength of residents from heavily populated Kansas City and St. Louis but failed in rural areas where many dog breeders operate. But swayed by breeders who argued the law would close them down and concerned about possible future regulation for other agricultural industries, a bipartisan group of mostly rural lawmakers voted to change most of the law's provisions. For example, a 50-dog cap is scrapped but breeders would pay more to boost state oversight of the industry.

The Humane Society of Missouri and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals were among the animal advocates who pushed for ballot measure, pointing to emaciated and flea-infested dogs that lived in filthy conditions. Even breeders who followed the rules, proponents said, have been allowed to keep dogs in wire cages not much larger than their bodies and exposed to excess heat and cold.

Advocates say more than a dozen states have approved stiffer dog-breeding laws in recent years, and like Missouri, Oklahoma lawmakers are considering changes to that new law.

Many of Missouri's roughly 1,300 licensed breeders pushed back, warning lawmakers the voter-approved law could shutter the industry by limiting the number of the breeding dogs they can own and forcing costly housing upgrades. They said some requirements also could worsen care, including mandating solid floors in indoor enclosures that could slow the draining of fluids and lead to cold and sick dogs.

Critics of the law contend the industry's worst has tainted public perception and blame many problems on unlicensed breeders.

The voter-approved measure "is just going to put the law-abiding, licensed, legitimate, conscientious, caring breeders out of business, and the only ones remaining will be the illegal people already flying under the radar," said Mindy Patterson with the Missouri Federation of Animal Owners.

Over the past decade, several state audits have criticized Missouri's dog regulation efforts. But the state is working to do better, now employing 12 inspectors, who each on average cover a region with 225 licensees. The governor also has proposed adding $1.1 million to the budget to hire more personnel.

Supporters of the voter-approved law said insufficient regulations remained a problem. Last year, the Better Business Bureau in Missouri reported receiving 352 complaints and reports against dog breeders and sellers over three years - including many about ill dogs.

"It is interesting to hear some of the statements that are made now that somehow this industry has been wronged," said Barbara Schmitz, campaign manager for the measure. "This industry has had a very long time to voluntarily correct the problems that exist. They have not done so. Lawmakers have failed to act, and the voters stepped in."

Numerous Missouri breeders raise dogs on their farms, selling puppies through Internet ads and word-of-mouth, while others sell to pet stores and to brokers that buy dogs nationwide.

One of those breeders, Hubert Lavy, said people who wrote the law don't fully understand the business and shouldn't develop rules to regulate it. Lavy, 68, whose family raises Labrador retrievers, Maltese, Yorkshire terriers and French bulldogs, said dogs - like employees - are most productive when treated well.

Outdoor pens are cleaned daily and connected to a building with heaters at Lavy's Tenderheart Kennels in Silex about 70 miles northwest of St. Louis. Indoor cages connect through a doggy door to an elevated outdoor cage and have a coated mesh pattern that allows waste to drain.

The kennel donates some dogs and sells roughly 200 puppies per year to earn about $20,000, Lavy said. He estimates it would cost $50,000 to comply with the voter-approved law, which would include expanding indoor space and building solid floors. However, he said he's more likely to just go out of business if the voter-backed law stands.

"There is a place for what I do. There (are) people who want what I do, and I just don't think they should be able to take it away," Lavy said.

http://www.bradenton.com/2011/04/14/3115459_p2/mo-lawmakers-overhaul-law-aimed.html

Man stomped on sandwich-stalking ibis

March 17, 2011 12:00AM

A STUDENT who was being stalked for his sandwich wrestled an ibis to the ground and stomped on it until the bird was so badly injured it had to be put down, a court has been told.

Andrew Quay Wee Meng, 25, pleaded guilty in the Brisbane Magistrates Court yesterday to one count of animal cruelty on March 1.

The court was told Quay Wee Meng had been eating a sandwich in Brisbane's South Bank Parklands when the bird "snuck up from behind" and jumped onto his table.

Quay Wee Meng threw his food down, wrestled the bird to the ground and stomped on it five times.

The court was told the bird's wing was shattered and a blow to its neck caused it such difficulty in breathing that it had to be put down.

Quay Wee Meng's lawyer, Sue Ganasan, told the court the Singapore-born law student lashed out at the ibis because he was once attacked by a large crow and had been frightened of Australian birds ever since.

However, she said, he accepted his response was excessive and he was remorseful.

Magistrate John Costello said onlookers would have been "appalled" by the attack, but said Quay Wee Meng's youth, guilty plea and lack of criminal history meant he would not receive a jail sentence.

He also agreed not to record a conviction after being told it would adversely affect Quay Wee Meng's chances of employment.

Mr Costello ordered Quay Wee Meng to perform of 120 hours community service, and that he do so with the RSPCA wherever possible.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/man-stomped-on-sandwich-stalking-ibis/story-e6frf7l6-1226022782536

Bizarre Bird Maimings in Huntington Beach: A Vast 'Right Wing' Conspiracy?

Mar 9, 2011 – 7:15 AM
Chris Epting
Contributor

It's a weird, gruesome mystery that has all the local wildlife experts in "Surf City, USA" scratching their heads. In the past three weeks, almost 30 birds have been found in Huntington Beach, Calif., all with an almost identical signature injury: a devastatingly shattered right wing.

Debbie McGuire, wildlife director at the well-respected and well-known Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach, where the birds have been brought when found by the public, says she's never seen anything quite like it.

"It almost seems ritualistic, even cultish," she told AOL News. "In just about every case the right wing has been brutally broken and all but one of the birds has had to be euthanized. We have no idea what's going on.

"If it's occurring at sea, there could be many more that die before they get to shore. Still, we've seen many sea gulls, a pelican, a cormorant, a crow -- it's bizarre. All being left for dead after having their right wing broken. This is the work of a monster."



Greg Hickman, the center's director, agrees that it's one of the strangest, most disturbing things he's ever seen.

"It's as much a sickening mystery to us as it is to everyone else," he told AOL News. "Nearly identical compound fractures of the right wing. So severely injured, there's almost nothing we can do for them. None of this makes sense. They're not net injuries that you might see from a fishing boat. This is a blunt and twisting force that seems very deliberate. Horrible, strange crimes like we've never seen before."

And true crimes they are. Seagulls are protected by both state and federal laws. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, people who injure them can face a maximum of six months in jail or a $15,000 fine.

Hickman added that the local Fish and Game Department and all other relevant agencies were notified but have not been able to figure out how the deadly damages are being inflicted or by whom. The luckiest break would be for a witness to capture one of the attacks as it happens, photographically.

Kelly Beavers, a wildlife technician at the center, was the first to recognize a pattern. After noticing a recurrence in similar right wing injuries, she notified Hickman, her boss.

She told AOL News, "I said to him, 'This is not normal. Something very strange is happening here. This pattern seems to represent a sort of craziness.' "

Describing the severity of the injuries, Beavers added, "The radial, ulna and humerus bones are cleanly and completely torn apart in almost all cases. Ripped wide open, an open wound with shattered, fragmented bone. The birds, when they get brought here, are completely healthy except for these horrific wounds. We have to put them down and it hurts so much more because the birds are otherwise fine, but they just can't be repaired."

She displayed an X-ray of one sea gull that might survive. "The break was not as bad, so we think we can repair it," she said.

All of the euthanized birds, rather than being cremated, which is the usual process, are being kept as evidence. Authorities are considering this a crime spree and if and when the culprit is caught, their bodies will play an important part in the prosecution's case.

With tears in her eyes, Beavers carefully put the bird corpses back in a freezer after allowing them to be photographed. "Whoever is doing this needs to be caught," she said. "This is sinister, cruel and brutal."

Anyone with knowledge of these crimes is encouraged to contact California Department of Fish and Game or e-mail wwccinfo@gmail.com.

http://www.aolnews.com/2011/03/09/bizarre-bird-maimings-in-huntington-beach-a-vast-right-wing-c/

Vermont Mulls Animal Hoarding Bill

Posted: March 10, 2011, 7:25 p.m., EDT

Vermont has introduced a bill that seeks to impose criminal penalties for animal hoarding.

As written, House Bill 371 defines an “animal hoarder” as any person who:

• Possesses five or more animals;
• Fails to provide adequate food, water, shelter, rest, sanitation, or necessary medical attention or transports an animal in overcrowded vehicles;
• Keeps the animals in a severely overcrowded environment; and
• Displays an inability to recognize or understand the nature of or has a reckless disregard for the conditions under which the animals are living and the deleterious impact they have on the animals’ health and well-being.

The state’s animal cruelty laws define animals as “all living sentient creatures, not human beings.” This could mean a wide array of animals, including cats, dogs, small animals, birds and reptiles.

Violators would be guilty of animal cruelty and could face up to one year’s jail time, a fine of up to $2,000 or both. Second and subsequent violators could face up to two years in jail, a fine of up to $5,000 or both.

Under state law, a “humane officer” may seize an animal without a search warrant if he or she witnesses a situation in which the animal’s life is in jeopardy and immediate action is required to protect its health or safety. A “humane officer” includes law enforcement officers, auxiliary state police officers, deputy game wardens, humane society officers, employees or agents; animal control officers; or any officer authorized to serve criminal process.

In an industry alert released today, the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) cautioned against warrantless searches, claiming such searches invite potential for harassment and abuse of police power.

H 371 has been assigned to the House Committee on Agriculture where it awaits action.

To view H 371 in its entirety, click here.

http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/vet-breaking-news/2011/03/10/vermont-mulls-animal-hoarding-bill.aspx

Man arrested for making 'cat bombs'

Published: March. 3, 2011 at 12:58 PM

 

HEDGESVILLE, Md., March 3 (UPI) -- Authorities in West Virginia said a man arrested on an explosives charge was making "cat bombs" to scare felines away from his yard.

West Virginia State Police said Brian Michael Bailey, 42, of Hedgesville, was arrested Monday after several complaints were lodged about him setting off some manner of explosive devices at his home, The (Hagerstown, Md.) Herald-Mail, reported Thursday.

Bailey told troopers he had been making "cat bombs" from combining aluminum foil and toilet bowl cleaner in empty plastic soda bottles and throwing them into his yard, frightening away roaming cats with the resulting explosion. Troopers said they found three exploded bottles at Bailey's home and two bottles of The Works toilet bowl cleaner.

Bailey was charged with a felony count of illegal possession of destructive devices, explosive material or incendiary devices.

 

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2011/03/03/Man-arrested-for-making-cat-bombs/UPI-51721299175135

Bird in bakery draws fire

RIVER FALLS, Wis. - Police in Wisconsin said a manager at a cookie factory is facing charges after a shot he took at birds in the rafters missed and hit an employee. River Falls police said the 29-year-old manager at the Best Maid factory was firing birdshot at the birds in the rafters of the factory Dec. 14 and a poorly aimed shot struck a 28-year-old employee in the back of the head, the River Falls Journal reported Thursday. Investigators said the victim felt a sensation like a bee sting and removed a small piece of lead from above his ear. The manager is believed not to have realized the shot struck the employee. The manager, whose name was not released, is now facing a charge of injury by negligent handling of a dangerous weapon, police said.

(No link supplied)

PETA honors Guayama mayor for saving monkeys

Bioculture can’t take primates away from home now

March 1, 2011
by Peggy Ann Bliss

When Glorimari Jaime Rodríguez, mayor of Guayama, approved two historic ordinances prohibiting the exportation, breeding and use of monkeys for experiments in her city she put an effective end to the plans of Bioculture Puerto Rico, Inc., to capture more than 4,000 monkeys from the island of Mauritius, confine them cruelly in cages, force them to reproduce in Guayama and sell their progeny to foreign laboratoris to use in painful and lethal experiments. For this effort Mayor Jaime will be honored with the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Compassion Award.

"Mayor Jaime knows that Bioculture's plans would have been disastrous for her community and for the animals," said Kathy Guillermo, vice president of PETA's lab research division.

"Thanks to her, there apparently will be no legal road for Bioculture to take the monkeys away from their home in the jungle, raise them in Guayama and sell their offspring to laboratories for cruel experiments."

In addition to the Guayama legislation, last year the Puerto Rico Senate approved a resolution sponsored by Sen. Melinda Romero Donnelly,urging government agencies of the United States to "deny [to Bioculture] any request for a license to import monkeys to Puerto Rico."

The island legislature had simultaneously submitted bills to make it impossible for any other municipality to open its doors to doing business with Bioculture. However, the question could be moot if their importation could be blocked completely.

Animal advocates had complained that in Mauritius, babies were forcefully taken from their mothers before the natural weaning process, causing extreme anxiety and stress. They also point out that while the tests on the animals are not always painful or fatal, monkeys are social animals who cannot survive caging for years. It was also noted that when the testing is completed, the animals usually have nowhere to go and must be euthanized. For more information or to see the prize awarded to Guayama's mayor, visit the Web at PETA.org or the PETA blog.

http://www.prdailysun.com/news/PETA-honors-Guayama-mayor-for-saving-monkeys

Disco 'wallaby'

Dancefloor marsupial cruelty investigated



Police in the Irish Republic are investigating reports that a wallaby or baby kangaroo was released onto the dancefloor of a Dublin hotel at the weekend.

The incident took place during a birthday party held at the Clarion Hotel in Liffey Valley on Saturday.

The animal was released when a DJ played the theme tune to the television programme Skippy the Bush Kangaroo.

There are reports it later died, although these have not been confirmed.

Footage of the incident was posted on Facebook but has since been removed.

The Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) said it had received five complaints including one from a person who claimed to be at the party.

"We know that the animal was videoed, and you can imagine the fear and stress it must have felt. It is completely unacceptable that an animal would be used in this way," the society's Orla Aungier said.

"This bizarre and depraved series of events demonstrates that there are people in our society who need to be policed."

She said she believed the animal was a wallaby, rather than a kangaroo.

"We have also been told that after the party, the animal had died. That is only alleged, but the most important thing for us is to find out where the animal is and if it is ok," she added.

The Clarion's general manager, Garret Marrinan, said the hotel had passed on CCTV footage to the Garda (Irish police).

"We had a 30th birthday here in the hotel with between 150 and 200 guests and at about 11pm at night the duty manager noticed a group of people hovering on the dance floor," he told the Irish Times.

"He went to investigate and noticed some kind of a strange animal coming out of a box and shortly after going back into it.

"He wasn't sure what it was exactly but, because we have a no pets policy in the hotel, [he] called security who forced the people who brought the box in to take it out of the hotel," he added.

Mr Marrinan said the hotel did not know the animal was a wallaby or kangaroo until they were contacted by police on Tuesday. He said they were "offering every assistance possible" to officers.

"We're horrified by this," he said.

"Absolutely nothing like this has happened before, either here or at other Clarion hotels, and this is something we don't want to be associated with."

A Garda spokesman would only say the incident was under investigation.

However, a Garda source quoted by the Press Association said: "We believe that it was hired and brought to the party for around 10 minutes.

"We are investigating an allegation that it was given alcohol but there is no evidence of that either at this stage.

"After the CCTV footage, no one knows what happened, good, bad or indifferent."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11573737

Disco 'wallaby'

Dancefloor marsupial cruelty investigated



Police in the Irish Republic are investigating reports that a wallaby or baby kangaroo was released onto the dancefloor of a Dublin hotel at the weekend.

The incident took place during a birthday party held at the Clarion Hotel in Liffey Valley on Saturday.

The animal was released when a DJ played the theme tune to the television programme Skippy the Bush Kangaroo.

There are reports it later died, although these have not been confirmed.

Footage of the incident was posted on Facebook but has since been removed.

The Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) said it had received five complaints including one from a person who claimed to be at the party.

"We know that the animal was videoed, and you can imagine the fear and stress it must have felt. It is completely unacceptable that an animal would be used in this way," the society's Orla Aungier said.

"This bizarre and depraved series of events demonstrates that there are people in our society who need to be policed."

She said she believed the animal was a wallaby, rather than a kangaroo.

"We have also been told that after the party, the animal had died. That is only alleged, but the most important thing for us is to find out where the animal is and if it is ok," she added.

The Clarion's general manager, Garret Marrinan, said the hotel had passed on CCTV footage to the Garda (Irish police).

"We had a 30th birthday here in the hotel with between 150 and 200 guests and at about 11pm at night the duty manager noticed a group of people hovering on the dance floor," he told the Irish Times.

"He went to investigate and noticed some kind of a strange animal coming out of a box and shortly after going back into it.

"He wasn't sure what it was exactly but, because we have a no pets policy in the hotel, [he] called security who forced the people who brought the box in to take it out of the hotel," he added.

Mr Marrinan said the hotel did not know the animal was a wallaby or kangaroo until they were contacted by police on Tuesday. He said they were "offering every assistance possible" to officers.

"We're horrified by this," he said.

"Absolutely nothing like this has happened before, either here or at other Clarion hotels, and this is something we don't want to be associated with."

A Garda spokesman would only say the incident was under investigation.

However, a Garda source quoted by the Press Association said: "We believe that it was hired and brought to the party for around 10 minutes.

"We are investigating an allegation that it was given alcohol but there is no evidence of that either at this stage.

"After the CCTV footage, no one knows what happened, good, bad or indifferent."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11573737

Horse Cachet stabbed, scalped in fatal attack at Epping

By Wayne Flower
From: Herald Sun
October 08, 2010

THE sickening stabbing and mutilation of a former champion show horse in Melbourne is one of the worst cases of animal cruelty, an RSPCA inspector says.

RSPCA senior inspector Daniel Bode today said the knife attack on 15-year-old dressage champion Cachet in an agistment paddock was "absolutely shocking".

"It's one of the worst cases I've seen," Mr Bode said today.

Mr Bode said the maximum penalty for aggravated animal cruelty in Victoria was two years imprisonment or a $24,000 fine.

"We'll be doing everything in our power to make sure that whoever has done this sort of cruelty is not allowed to do it again," he said.

Cachet's owner Michelle Azzopardi collapsed when she saw her beloved mare lying dead, covered with flies last Sunday in Epping.

"I was numb, in disbelief," she said, trying to hold back tears.

"My heart is broken. I haven't slept, I haven't eaten and not moved outside the house."

She said the image of Cachet dead and covered in blood keeps haunting her.

The senseless killing has been devastating for her and her family.

Willy, another family horse sharing the paddock with Cachet, is fretting for her friend and hasn't eaten all week.

Ms Azzopardi said Cachet must have been targeted.

Her paddock is off the road, away from other horses, and whoever did it would have had to walk up a long laneway to reach her, she said.

But the other mystery is Cachet is wary of strangers.

Ms Azzopardi said the mare would have run away or reared at an approaching stranger.

She said it must have been two or more attackers because the horse would have been too strong for one person to subdue.

"She had been stabbed three times at least and her neck had been scalped," Ms Azzopardi said.

"They cut her mane and cut at least two inches into her flesh down her neck.

"They have to be mentally sick for someone to do this to an innocent horse.

"She was beautiful, cheeky, she would run around the paddock and try to bite me, playing.

"If I took too long to feed her she would stamp her feet at me."

Ms Azzopardi last saw Cachet alive last Friday.

Police are appealing for anyone with any information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

http://www.news.com.au/national/horse-cachet-stabbed-scalped-in-fatal-attack-at-epping/story-e6frfkvr-1225935756449#ixzz11yQ6szHT

Horse Cachet stabbed, scalped in fatal attack at Epping

By Wayne Flower
From: Herald Sun
October 08, 2010

THE sickening stabbing and mutilation of a former champion show horse in Melbourne is one of the worst cases of animal cruelty, an RSPCA inspector says.

RSPCA senior inspector Daniel Bode today said the knife attack on 15-year-old dressage champion Cachet in an agistment paddock was "absolutely shocking".

"It's one of the worst cases I've seen," Mr Bode said today.

Mr Bode said the maximum penalty for aggravated animal cruelty in Victoria was two years imprisonment or a $24,000 fine.

"We'll be doing everything in our power to make sure that whoever has done this sort of cruelty is not allowed to do it again," he said.

Cachet's owner Michelle Azzopardi collapsed when she saw her beloved mare lying dead, covered with flies last Sunday in Epping.

"I was numb, in disbelief," she said, trying to hold back tears.

"My heart is broken. I haven't slept, I haven't eaten and not moved outside the house."

She said the image of Cachet dead and covered in blood keeps haunting her.

The senseless killing has been devastating for her and her family.

Willy, another family horse sharing the paddock with Cachet, is fretting for her friend and hasn't eaten all week.

Ms Azzopardi said Cachet must have been targeted.

Her paddock is off the road, away from other horses, and whoever did it would have had to walk up a long laneway to reach her, she said.

But the other mystery is Cachet is wary of strangers.

Ms Azzopardi said the mare would have run away or reared at an approaching stranger.

She said it must have been two or more attackers because the horse would have been too strong for one person to subdue.

"She had been stabbed three times at least and her neck had been scalped," Ms Azzopardi said.

"They cut her mane and cut at least two inches into her flesh down her neck.

"They have to be mentally sick for someone to do this to an innocent horse.

"She was beautiful, cheeky, she would run around the paddock and try to bite me, playing.

"If I took too long to feed her she would stamp her feet at me."

Ms Azzopardi last saw Cachet alive last Friday.

Police are appealing for anyone with any information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

http://www.news.com.au/national/horse-cachet-stabbed-scalped-in-fatal-attack-at-epping/story-e6frfkvr-1225935756449#ixzz11yQ6szHT

Couple Hunts Serial Cow Killer

Posted: 3:19 pm EDT September 30, 2010Updated: 10:43 am EDT October 1, 2010
HALL COUNTY -- A Hall County family has spent nearly a year searching for answers in the mutilation deaths of their cattle.

Kathy and John Cooper said they discovered their latest dead cow on their pasture on Monday. It was the 20th cow they’ve lost, and once again someone had removed its genitals and udders.

PHOTOS: 20 Cows Mutilated

"It's just frustration like somebody robbed you," John told Channel 2’s Kerry Kavanaugh.

The Coopers said they believe someone is poisoning their cattle then mutilating them in the middle of the night.

"It's almost like a surgically removed cut," Kathy said.

The couple has called the Hall County Sheriff's Office after each incident, but authorities are just as confused. Investigators said they’re stumped because the culprits don't even leave behind any footprints.

"They are like us, they scratch their heads and can't make sense out of it," said John.

The Coopers said they try to ride the pasture more frequently and look for tracks or clues, but so far, they haven't found anything.

"It's a waste. They're 700-800 pound cows laying on the ground that nobody benefits from," said Kathy.

The Coopers are offering a reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information is asked to call the Hall County Sheriff's office at 770-531-6879.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/25228737/detail.html

Couple Hunts Serial Cow Killer

Posted: 3:19 pm EDT September 30, 2010Updated: 10:43 am EDT October 1, 2010
HALL COUNTY -- A Hall County family has spent nearly a year searching for answers in the mutilation deaths of their cattle.

Kathy and John Cooper said they discovered their latest dead cow on their pasture on Monday. It was the 20th cow they’ve lost, and once again someone had removed its genitals and udders.

PHOTOS: 20 Cows Mutilated

"It's just frustration like somebody robbed you," John told Channel 2’s Kerry Kavanaugh.

The Coopers said they believe someone is poisoning their cattle then mutilating them in the middle of the night.

"It's almost like a surgically removed cut," Kathy said.

The couple has called the Hall County Sheriff's Office after each incident, but authorities are just as confused. Investigators said they’re stumped because the culprits don't even leave behind any footprints.

"They are like us, they scratch their heads and can't make sense out of it," said John.

The Coopers said they try to ride the pasture more frequently and look for tracks or clues, but so far, they haven't found anything.

"It's a waste. They're 700-800 pound cows laying on the ground that nobody benefits from," said Kathy.

The Coopers are offering a reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information is asked to call the Hall County Sheriff's office at 770-531-6879.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/25228737/detail.html

Yob arrested after he bought £1.99 goldfish and then swallowed it in pet shop

A yob has been arrested after buying a goldfish in a pet shop and swallowing it in front of horrified shop staff. Chris Caswell, 30, was arrested yesterday over the prank that was videoed by his friends and posted on Facebook.

He paid £1.99 for the fish and then asked staff to put it in a glass he had bought with him, claiming he just lived across the road. A shopworker agreed and then watched in horror as he downed the fish in one gulp. After Caswell ate the creature, his friend, videoing the encounter, said: ‘Goldfish down the hatch!’ They then walked out of the shop laughing and joking.

Police were alerted after the footage was posted on the social networking website.
Caswell, a roofer, was arrested in a dawn raid at his home in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, yesterday, on suspicion of cruelty to animals. He was quizzed at a police station for an hour then released.

Last night he insisted he was an animal lover and said he had been drinking at the time.
He told the Sun: ‘It was over a year ago. We had been out drinking at a friend’s party. I can’t remember much about it. I have just got a puppy. I like animals.’

The RSPCA last night said it was still investigating the stunt at the Petals and Pets shop in Newton Aycliffe. If Caswell is found guilty of animal cruelty he could face a £20,000 fine or six months in jail.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1315075/Yob-arrested-bought-1-99-goldfish-swallowed-pet-shop.html?ITO=socialnet-twitter-dmailnews#ixzz10cyf882M

Yob arrested after he bought £1.99 goldfish and then swallowed it in pet shop

A yob has been arrested after buying a goldfish in a pet shop and swallowing it in front of horrified shop staff. Chris Caswell, 30, was arrested yesterday over the prank that was videoed by his friends and posted on Facebook.

He paid £1.99 for the fish and then asked staff to put it in a glass he had bought with him, claiming he just lived across the road. A shopworker agreed and then watched in horror as he downed the fish in one gulp. After Caswell ate the creature, his friend, videoing the encounter, said: ‘Goldfish down the hatch!’ They then walked out of the shop laughing and joking.

Police were alerted after the footage was posted on the social networking website.
Caswell, a roofer, was arrested in a dawn raid at his home in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, yesterday, on suspicion of cruelty to animals. He was quizzed at a police station for an hour then released.

Last night he insisted he was an animal lover and said he had been drinking at the time.
He told the Sun: ‘It was over a year ago. We had been out drinking at a friend’s party. I can’t remember much about it. I have just got a puppy. I like animals.’

The RSPCA last night said it was still investigating the stunt at the Petals and Pets shop in Newton Aycliffe. If Caswell is found guilty of animal cruelty he could face a £20,000 fine or six months in jail.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1315075/Yob-arrested-bought-1-99-goldfish-swallowed-pet-shop.html?ITO=socialnet-twitter-dmailnews#ixzz10cyf882M

UK cat dumper Mary Bale to appear in court on animal cruelty charges

MARY Bale, the British woman caught on CCTV throwing Lola the cat into a garbage can, is to appear in court next month to face two criminal charges of animal cruelty, prosecutors have confirmed.

Bank clerk Bale sparked outrage in August after security footage posted on the internet showed her calmly dropping Lola by the scruff of the neck into a large green bin outside an address in Coventry, central England.

Four-year-old Lola remained trapped there for around 15 hours but was eventually recovered unharmed.

The 45-year-old will appear before Coventry Magistrates Court on October 19 on charges of causing unnecessary suffering to a cat and of not providing the animal with a suitable environment, under the UK's Animal Welfare Act 2006.

The case was taken to court by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), who quizzed Bale over the footage.



Read more: http://www.news.com.au/world/uk-cat-dumper-mary-bale-to-appear-in-court-on-animal-cruelty-charges/story-e6frfkyi-1225927073385#ixzz109e0fg7mLola's owners, Stephanie and Darryl Mann, originally posted tape of the incident on Facebook after they watched the footage to see how Lola had ended up in the bin.

Newspapers from China to Sweden covered the case of the mysterious cat trasher. Bale was put under police protection after being identified as the woman in the video due to numerous death threats.

She later apologised to Lola's owners and said her actions were "completely out of character."

"I certainly did not intend to cause any distress to Lola or her owners. It was a split second misjudgment that has got completely out of control," she said in a statement last month.



Read more: http://www.news.com.au/world/uk-cat-dumper-mary-bale-to-appear-in-court-on-animal-cruelty-charges/story-e6frfkyi-1225927073385#ixzz109dxoWjK

UK cat dumper Mary Bale to appear in court on animal cruelty charges

MARY Bale, the British woman caught on CCTV throwing Lola the cat into a garbage can, is to appear in court next month to face two criminal charges of animal cruelty, prosecutors have confirmed.

Bank clerk Bale sparked outrage in August after security footage posted on the internet showed her calmly dropping Lola by the scruff of the neck into a large green bin outside an address in Coventry, central England.

Four-year-old Lola remained trapped there for around 15 hours but was eventually recovered unharmed.

The 45-year-old will appear before Coventry Magistrates Court on October 19 on charges of causing unnecessary suffering to a cat and of not providing the animal with a suitable environment, under the UK's Animal Welfare Act 2006.

The case was taken to court by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), who quizzed Bale over the footage.



Read more: http://www.news.com.au/world/uk-cat-dumper-mary-bale-to-appear-in-court-on-animal-cruelty-charges/story-e6frfkyi-1225927073385#ixzz109e0fg7mLola's owners, Stephanie and Darryl Mann, originally posted tape of the incident on Facebook after they watched the footage to see how Lola had ended up in the bin.

Newspapers from China to Sweden covered the case of the mysterious cat trasher. Bale was put under police protection after being identified as the woman in the video due to numerous death threats.

She later apologised to Lola's owners and said her actions were "completely out of character."

"I certainly did not intend to cause any distress to Lola or her owners. It was a split second misjudgment that has got completely out of control," she said in a statement last month.



Read more: http://www.news.com.au/world/uk-cat-dumper-mary-bale-to-appear-in-court-on-animal-cruelty-charges/story-e6frfkyi-1225927073385#ixzz109dxoWjK