India Bans Captive Dolphin Shows as 'Morally Unacceptable'

India has become the fourth country (along with Costa Rica, Hungary and Chile) to ban captive dolphin and orca shows, like those featured at “parks” such as Sea World.

India has declared that cetaceans’ high level of intelligence grants them the status of “non-human persons,” which elevates the animals’ rights. The new law partly stems from the fact that cetaceans do not historically fare well in captivity.

Lone Star State Attempts To Ban Shark Fin Sales

• The practice of shark finning is detrimental to the Gulf ecosystem and is inhumane.
• Tens of millions of sharks are killed each year simply to supply the wasteful demand for shark fin soup. Shark populations cannot sustain current slaughter rates.
• Sharks are apex predators whose survival affects all other marine species and our oceans’ ecosystems.
• Unlike other fish species, sharks produce few pups, and thus, many species are endangered and/or threatened due to the fin trade.

PETA Calls For Probe Into Alleged Animal Abuse On Film Sets

Six months after HBO canceled its racetrack drama “Luck” in the wake of three horse deaths, questions continue be raised about whether there is adequate oversight of horses and animals used on movies and TV shows.

The latest dispute has pitted the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which is opposed to use of any live animals on film sets, against the American Humane Assn., a nonprofit group responsible for the “no animals were harmed” credits on films and TV shows. The group monitors more than 2,000 productions that use animal performers and is partly funded by the Screen Actors Guild.

Lady Gaga Fox Head Scarf Slammed By PETA

“The outfit really speaks for itself. PETA is considering passing the hat so that someone can buy her a heart,” PETA spokesperson Wendy Wegner told RadarOnline.com, who said the fur appears to be from an Arctic White Fox, which is often electrocuted for its fur.

Urge Officials To Stop Cruel Bull Festival In Spain

Despite worldwide condemnation of the killing of bulls for “entertainment,” the Toro de la Vega continues to take place every September in Tordesillas, Spain. During this “festival,” a lone bull is harassed and chased through the streets and into a field, where men on foot and horseback wield lances. The terrified and confused animal is tortured and repeatedly stabbed until he falls to the ground, crippled and dying. His testicles are often cut off while he is still alive. The person who ultimately kills the bull is awarded a ceremonial spear and a medal by the Tordesillas City Council.

Tradition is no excuse for cruelty. Please take a minute and email the regional Ministry of Culture and Tourism and urge officials to bring a permanent end to this cruel and sadistic “celebration.” 

Ian Somerhalder Secures Land for Animal Sanctuary

This sanctuary will bring together bullied animals and bullied kids to help heal one another. The Ian Somerhalder Foundation writes on their site, “ISF intends on creating a safe haven for all the outcasted [sic] animals that have been neglected, mistreated and ultimately misunderstood. Some may see the potential in an abused animal as ending at the animal’s personal rehabilitation. In our eyes, this is just the beginning. What if ISF provided opportunities for these misfit creatures to continue their emotional journey alongside others who were hurting from a life filled with dejection?

Hong Kong Airline Bans The Transport Of Shark Fins

As word has spread of the moral and environmental horrors associated with the shark fin trade, governments throughout the world have begun enacting bans on the sale and possession of that cruel commodity - and now the world’s largest cargo airline is getting in on the act.

In a statement released today, Chinese air freight company Cathay Pacific announced that it would no longer permit the transport of shark products - despite being based in Hong Kong, where the demand for traditional shark fin soup continues to thrive.

Drunk Kills 70,000 Chickens In One Night, Police Say

Police say a Maryland man managed to kill 70,000 chickens in one drunken night, and now he’s facing charges for it. Joshua D. Shelton, 21, is accused of drinking so heavily at a Delmar farm that he couldn’t tell the difference between a light switch and the circuit breakers connected to three chicken houses.

Shelton allegedly cut the breakers on Friday night, and deprived the chickens of food, water and cooling fans. ”Without power, the chickens will begin to die within 15 minutes,” the report stated.

PETA To Recruit Whistleblowers At Ringling Bros. Clown Tryouts

PETA will hand the prospective Ringling applicants whistleblower-recruitment leaflets, in the hope that they will report instances of elephant beatings and other acts of animal abuse for which the circus is notorious. In return, PETA will pay whistleblowers $5,000 for evidence that leads to the conviction of a guilty party. Ringling trains, disciplines, and punishes elephants and other animals using electric prods, whips, chains, and bullhooks, weapons that resemble a fireplace poker with a sharp metal hook.

California Slaughterhouse Allowed To Reopen After Cow Cruelty Video

A slaughterhouse in California’s central agricultural heartland was allowed to reopen on Monday after agreeing to improve its handling of animals following a graphic video that showed cows being mistreated there, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.

“The company has committed to a number of corrective actions including additional humane handling training for employees and safeguards to ensure that only ambulatory animals are processed,” an agency spokesman said in an email.

838,000 Acres To Be Protected For American Jaguars

Fantastic news for jaguars! The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last Friday formally proposed to protect 838,232 acres - an area larger than the state of Rhode Island - as “critical habitat” for endangered jaguars in southern Arizona and New Mexico.

Over 14,500 Care2 members signed a petition asking the Department of Interior to implement their pledge to protect jaguars and their habitat. The petition sought protected habitat in the U.S. for jaguars, and to develop a recovery plan to save these incredible cats.

Although jaguars are often thought of as tropical creatures, these amazing cats used to roam the Southwestern United States.  Like the gray wolf, jaguars were driven from the United States by federal and state predator-killing programs. But just recently, two jaguar sightings were confirmed in southern Arizona!

Further evidence that online petitions work and can make a big difference!

Tiger Escapes, Kills Keeper In German Zoo

A tiger escaped its enclosure at Cologne Zoo in western Germany on Saturday and killed a female keeper before being shot dead by the zoo’s director, police said.

The tiger slipped through a passage between the enclosure and an adjacent storage building, where it fatally attacked the 43-year-old keeper.

One more reason Vegan Daily News advocates protecting habitats, not creating animal prisons. Instead of patronizing zoos, you can help animals by supporting organizations that work to protect captive animals from exploitation and preserve habitats.