ARTICLE: The Slaughter and Massacre of Dolphins: the Brutality of Dolphin Drives

(Originally published at Yahoo.voices formerly Associated Content~January 8, 2008)

ABSTRACT: Most people don't realized that on an annual basis, tens of thousands of dolphins are killed in such countries as Japan and Norway due to dolphin drive fishing practices.

(UPDATE FROM ORIGINAL: I realize this isn't a pleasant subject to read, it wasn't a pleasant subject for me to write. This article was written in 2008, sadly, things haven't changed over these years and it still continues. July 5, 2014)

CONTENT: For many years, consumers were at an uproar over the fact that they became aware that many dolphins were needlessly killed as they would become entangled in the nets used to trap tuna for the tuna marketing trade. For many years now almost all major tuna producing companies, such as Bumble Bee and Chicken of the Sea have placed as part of their label, "Dolphin Safe" supposedly meaning that no dolphins were trapped or needlessly killed by the tuna fishing trade. We thought we could rest easy, our minds and conscious clear. This is far from the truth.

Yes, it's true that maybe dolphins aren't killed in the process of tuna fishing procedures, but tens of thousands of dolphins are killed, no, let me clarify that, outrightly massacred yearly and mainly by Japanese and Norwegian fishermen however, other countries are just as guilty.

Not long ago, I wrote about the unscrupulous practices of the puppy/kitten mill industry, as I wanted to inform people about the truth about what exactly goes "behind closed doors" of this so-called business, and yes, as horrendous as the business is of the puppy/kitten mill industry, nothing compares to the needless slaughter of thousands upon thousands of dolphins every year.

I like to think of myself as being well informed and know what cruelties are going on in the world when it comes to animals in general. For many years people have rallied against the killing of whales in and as far as I know, this has stopped to a certain extent. But like many people, I was not even aware that such a massacre of such intelligent creatures such as the dolphin was taking place on a yearly basis, that is not until I happen to come across a very graphic video that is posted on the http://nifie.multiply.com/video/item/70/Dolphins_Massacre_c website. I couldn't even bring myself to watch the whole video as it was too disturbing for me to view.

Before I get into more about this atrocity, I think one needs to know a bit about dolphins in general.
Here are the specifics of dolphins. First, they are of the same order as Cetacea, that is the same group or class as whales, and can indeed be thought as miniature whales. Here are more scientific specifics of the dolphins in general. They belong and are classified as:

Kingdom Anamalia
Phylum Cordata (vertebrates)
Class Mammalia
Order Cetacea
Sub-order Odontoceti
Family Delphinidae
Genus Delphinus
Species delphis (1)

We too as humans belong to the Animal Kingdom, are vertebrates, and belong to the Mammal class as well. What is most remarkable about the dolphin is that the brain of a dolphin is almost the same size as that of a human, perhaps just slightly larger. Numerous studies with dolphins have indicated that these, out of almost all aquatic species, the dolphin shows the highest intelligence factor. They have several forms of communicating with one another, and also seem to have the capability of understanding us when we communicate with them in captured environments, thus the popularity of dolphins in aquatic type shows, like Seaworld, and of course have been featured in numerous television shows or movies. Even many of the world's military units have incorporated dolphins from everything to finding mines to searching and rescuing lost or trapped humans underwater, much in the same way dogs might be also used for search and rescue missions on land. Another area that is being studied and considered, especially by neurophysiologist John Lilly that because dolphins represent a non-human form of intelligence, by trying to understand the dolphins form of communication, could possibly lead to an understanding of the communication capabilities of other non-human forms of intelligence, particularly that of, if and when, we ever do meet up with an extraterrestrial race of beings.

Now as to the specifics about the killing and slaughter of these highly intelligent forms of marine life and how these "drive fishing" practices are conducted. First, no doubt the fisherman "trade" of such countries as Japan and Norway will cite that they kill the dolphins for food, but the plain truth is that they are killed as dolphins are considered a "nuisance" and drive away other fish that the fishermen wish to catch. These dolphin drives, particularly in Japan, are conducted during the months of October until March of each and every year and tens of thousands of dolphins are killed annually.

The most common way these fishermen conduct these dolphin drives is for as many fishermen to go out into the ocean to where a school of dolphins are spotted, in as many motorized boats as possible, surrounding them and forcing the dolphins toward the direction of the shore, in effect inhibiting the dolphins from escaping back into the open water. The dolphins are continually lead to the shore, and thus shallow water where they are the most vulnerable. Once the dolphins have reached the shore, fishermen will go out to the trapped dolphins, and either begin clubbing or stabbing the dolphins and/or drag them further inland to continue the process of clubbing them death. As shown in the one video of the Norwegian massacre of dolphins, this is a gruesome, graphic and horrendous sight to watch. One can't fail to notice that for miles around, the ocean is no longer blue, but red from the blood of the dolphins.

I can't help thinking if more people were made aware of this brutal form of killing such intelligent marine creatures such as the dolphin, just because it's an "inconvenience" to the fishermen of such countries, that perhaps once and for all this type of massacre would be made illegal. There are several places one can contact to find out more about voicing their objection to such a practice, such as:

Oceana:

http://www.oceana.org/north-america/who-we-are/

Jacques Cousteau Society

http://www.cousteau.org/

Greenpeace

http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/

The Humane Society Of the United States

http://www.hsus.org

Videos about Dolphin Massacre

Norway

http://nifie.multiply.com/video/item/70/Dolphins_Massacre_c

Japan

http://www.flicklife.com/ff5ba48402883d9b7270/Dolphins_Massacre_in_Japan.html

Information about Dolphin Massacre:

http://www.hsus.org/marine_mammals/what_are_the_issues/drive_fisheries.html

Information about Dolphins in General:

(1)
http://www.earthtrust.org/wlcurric/dolphins.html

http://littletownmart.com/dolphins/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin

http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/D/dolphins.html

Image source~©Melanie Neer~Photo of Dolphins at Seaworld, Orlando Florida~ And yes am aware of the "cruelty" involved with these marine shows now as well

ARTICLE: The Realities of Animal Testing: a Practice that is Not Necessary

(Originally Published at Yahoo.voices formerly Associated Content~Oct. 29, 2007)

ABSTRACT: Animal testing and experimentation has been going on since around the third and fourth centuries BC in Ancient Greece. But now that there are alternatives to testing on animals why are we still doing it? CONTENT: I think many of us have been aware and heard of animal testing and/or experimentation which is supposedly to be beneficial to mankind, but is it really necessary in light ofthe fact that there are alternatives to this rather cruel and barbaric practice?

While all along, I have been aware of the horrors that exists with the whole concept of animal testing, it wasn't until I recently got my own computer a few months ago, and started exposing myself to the realities of what goes on in animal experimentation, by reading up on articles presented by a variety of animal rights groups, such as The American Anti-Vivisection Society, S.A.E.N. (Stop Animal Exploitation Now) and of course, the well-known animal activist group, PETA (People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals). Not only was I exposed to articles about animal testing, but I came across countless photos, and even undercover videos that were taken by such activist groups...many were extremely graphic, and cannot by any means be viewed by the squeamish.

What I didn't know, however, was just how far back in history the practice of experimenting on animals went and it may no doubt surprise most people as well. For all I know, animal experimentation may have gone further back than the third or fourth centuries BC, but the first known written records about it are from none other than the Greek philosophers, Aristotle and Erasistratus, who both wrote about their own experiences in experimenting on animals. It wasn't, however, until the second-century BC, that the Roman physician, Galen was to be labeled as the father of vivisection.

For what purpose there may have been in such early animal experimentation or testing we may never know. It may have perhaps been to try and discover how the functions of the body worked, and rather use human subjects, early scientists and physicians used animals instead. It wasn't until the centuries moved up, particularly beginning during the seventeenth century, that more and more experiments on animals took place. Now physicians were carefully documenting any discovery pertaining to the functioning of the body via the use of animal experiments. For instance, it was in the early 1600s that William Harvey made extensive discoveries of how the blood circulated and moved in animals. In the 1700s it was Antoine Lavoisier who discovered how respiration worked by using guinea pigs, and the scientist Stephen Hales was able to determine how blood pressure worked by using horses.

Now we tend to think that any opposition of animal testing and experimentation is a relatively new thing in our own time. Not so. Even amongst the scientific community of the seventeenth century, such people as physiologist, Edmund O'Meara in 1655, voiced his opinions and questioned the validity of such experimentation. Noted philosopher, Voltaire in 1764, also expressed and wrote his viewpoints of the cruelty to animals by conducting such experiments, under the guise of the good of mankind.

It therefore appears, throughout our history, the whole issue of animal experimentation and testing has had its controversy and opposition. Now, however, the whole issue of animal experimentation and testing has really come under attack within the past few decades, and not just by animal rights activists either, but by an ever-growing group of people in the medical and scientific community at large. Each and every year, millions of animals are subjected to tests, supposedly for the benefit of mankind. Yet, now more than ever before, many people are questioning the validity of such testing, especially in light of the fact, that such testing on animals may no longer even be necessary.

Those who are opposed to any kind of animal testing for any purpose whatsoever, particularly among animal rights activists, will point out the downright cruelty that exists toward these millions of innocent animals that are tested on each and every year. Yet, while we may tend to think that the rather vocal and sometimes considered a very radical organization, such as PETA, which was founded in 1980 in America, as the first to openly state its opposition about the cruel practice of vivisection it is by no means the first. The oldest American organization against the whole vivisection issue, was the the American Anti-Vivisection Society, founded by Caroline Earle White in 1883. Her Society was then followed by the founding of the ASPCA by Henry Bergh in 1866. Since then, more and more organizations have been founded, such as The Humane Society of The United States, S.A.E.N. (Stop Animal Exploitation Now), The Animal Liberation Front, and so forth...the list is virtually endless.

In my own personal search about the issue of vivisection, needless to say, I became exposed to the countless number of websites, and as previously mentioned, many of these websites include very graphic photos, and sometimes even videos that show the horrific treatment of animals for testing all in the supposed name of science. Anyone who views such photos and videos, if they have any compassion for animals at all, must question, how can we, as human beings do such horrific tests and experiments on animals..for what real purpose?

What is the purpose, for instance, as in one of the photos I came across, is there for a beagle to be purposely set on fire to document the effects of burns? Don't we kind of know that already? What is the purpose of hooking up a cat to an IV drip with alcohol to supposedly test the affects of wine or hard liquor? The more graphic photos I came across the more I had to question the validity of any animal testing.

Now of course, some might say, that we need to test on animals especially for the pharmaceutical industry to find out the effects of any one of the miracle drugs that are being discovered. But how can the safety factor and side effects of any medication be validated by testing on animals, when the physiological and biological make-up is so radically different from we human beings? Could this explain why so many medications are now being recalled, especially those who have such detrimental side effects, even death itself?

As mentioned before, an ever growing community of scientists and physicians are also questioning how valid testing on animals is for any medical knowledge connected with humans especially considering that there are numerous alternative means of testing besides the use of animals. In 1981, the Johns Hopkins University established the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT). Therefore, for twenty-six years, there have been known alternatives besides the use of laboratory animals for the testing of medicines, and/or for product safety for human use. So, I guess, the question remains in everyone's mind, why do we still use animals for testing? For what purpose are we still subjecting animals to experimentation, often under unbelievably cruel conditions and treatment? For what purpose are so many of the multi-billion dollar companies still testing on animals for cosmetic purposes and use for humans? And more important, what can we do, to stop this practice of animal testing?

One thing we can do,is to start being conscious consumers when it comes to any product for cosmetic use. Read the labels of any product you buy...If it doesn't say "Not Tested on Animals" then you can bet, that hair color, make-up, shampoo or fragrance may have been tested on an animal first. One great organization to get involved with is The Coalition For Consumer Information On Cosmetics (http://www.leapingbunny.org/about_us.htm) which even has a sampl letter that you can use to write to companies that are still noted for testing on animals. To find out which companies do and don't test on animals, one can refer to the CaringConsumer.com website, which has downloadable lists.

The information I've provided here is only the tip of the iceberg, so to say, about the whole issue of animal testing in general and the resources one can personally take to become actively involved in voicing one's opinions about animal experimentations.

For further information, I even invite you to view my own website, of which I'm still in the process of developing that I hope, will be an all in one website with everything related to animal issues in general.

Sources:

Animal Testing:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_animal_testing

Alternatives To Animal Testing:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_for_Alternatives_to_Animal_Testing

Animal Organizations:

http://www.aavs.org/

http://www.all-creatures.org/saen/

http://www.hsus.org/about_us/

http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_home

Graphic Photo Sources Of Animal Testing:

http://www.atourhands.com/primates.html

http://vivisection-absurd.org.uk/warning.html

Listing of Companies That Do and Don't Test on Animals

http://www.caringconsumer.com/resources_companies.asp

My Own Website On Animal Issues:

http://www.freewebs.com/ifeveryonecared-animals/

ARTICLE: The Puppy Mill Industry: the Truth Behind This Cruel Business

(Originally published at Yahoo.Voices formerly Associated Content~Oct.22, 2007)

You just went to a pet store and saw some adorable puppies for sale, not realizing that if you were to buy one, you were contributing to the cruel practices that still occur in the puppy mill industry. Whether it's a puppy or kitten mill, the methods of breeding puppies or kittens are the same.

The puppy mill business is not new as it's been around for decades and I certainly was aware of them for years, yet I didn't realize the true horror that goes behind this industry. Just recently, as I'm a member of The Humane Society of the United States, I got an action alert email from them to sign a petition to bring about the end of the puppy mill industry, and I hope that in the near future, actions are taken against kitten mills as well. On their website there are several informative and graphic videos of exactly what goes on in the puppy mill business, and it's not a pretty sight.

The average puppy that is for sale, not only in pet stores but on-line as well, most likely came from one of these puppy mills. One will be able to verify this fact, if the pet store or the person selling a puppy on-line has no documented papers from a certified breeder authenticating not only the breed of dog, but it's health. All puppies that come from reliable breeders will be able to supply this information to the pet store, if not then you are dealing with a puppy from one of these mills.

Puppies that come from these mills have been breed by the thousands. The people who run such a business, usually get their young dogs at auctions who have reached their breeding age, most likely when they have demonstrated their very first heat when they are only a year or so old. The Humane Society caught such auctions at various locations in the United States with an undercover camera. One sees hundreds of dogs each one caged in small, cramped steel cages. They are kept without food or water provisions all day, while one by one, they are auctioned off like slaves. And yes, to my mind, these dogs do become slaves for their owner, for the breeder the only one who benefits and profits from the continual breeding of their dogs.

The conditions of puppy mills themselves are no better than how the dogs were kept during these auctions, in fact they're usually worse. Once again, the dog will be confined to a small, crowded cages with its mating partner. Some of these caged conditions are so crammed that often the dogs and their offspring develop psychological and behavioral problems. They may be more nervous, and agitated than the normal dog, and often acquire the condition of cage madness, where the dogs spend most of their days, spinning around in circles uncontrollably. Sadly, once these puppies are shipped out to pet shops and are bought by the unsuspecting person, the new owner will then wonder why their cute cuddly puppy has behavior problems and can't properly train them, so either the puppy is returned to the pet store, dumped off at a shelter, or just simply dumped in the streets.

Neither the parents dogs nor their offspring receive proper veterinary care or attention. They usually have inadequate food supplies given to them, and in one part of the video, it showed how the food supply at one puppy mill was filled with crawling maggots. Worse yet, none of these dogs ever receive any sense of love or kindness from their human owners. They exist solely and only for the owner to simply to breed out of control and make a profit to the breeder. Since none of these dogs receive proper care, many quickly become sickly, producing puppies that are just as sickly. It's not unusual that when someone does buy that cute puppy at the pet store or on-line, they wonder why the puppy develops further complications of health problems and despite any veterinary care it may receive by its owner often my die only a few weeks or months after it was bought.

All adult dogs are forced to breed litter upon litter of puppies until the dog can no longer produce anymore litters, usually when they are only five years old. This is not old by any means for a dog but because these dogs are forced to breed continually, their breeding capabilities are shortened. Once that happens, the dog is no longer considered useful or profitable and is usually disposed of. The Humane Society in yet another video, says that ideally the dog is euthanized...but that is the ideal situation. Sadly however, most often the dog is either allowed to starve to death, or even beaten to death.

According to The Humane Society they, as well as other animal rights organizations, are now taking aggressive actions to stop this puppy mill industry once and for all. On their website, The Humane Society has a petition one can sign to help stop this cruel practice of the puppy mill, hopefully, in the future they may take action against the kitten mill industry as well.

Besides signing such a petition, what further actions can the average person take? One is to write to their governments officials to pass bills to outlaw and make illegal any and all puppy mill industries. Here in New York, for instance, Assemblyman Gregory R. Ball has proposed two such bills to make the puppy mill industry a thing of the past in this state; sadly these proposed bills are just for New York. However, by writing to one's political leaders in their own state, one can put pressure to have similar bills proposed that would make this "industry" made illegal, and one day we may see the end of this cruel business nationwide.

Also, the potential pet owner looking for a puppy should pass up buying it at a pet store or on-line. To do so only encourages another puppy to take its place in the store, therefore, creating the demand for puppies to be breed at these mills. Instead, one should go to their local shelter, where hundreds of unwanted puppies and dogs are adoptable and eagerly waiting to have a new home. To do so will save a life of an animal who may otherwise be euthanized due to lack of space in the shelter.

Sources of information :

http://www.stoppuppymills.org/

http://www.stoppuppymills.org/inside_a_puppy_mill.html