Bobcats are the only remaining (not so) big cats to be removed from the park.
After the backlash from Tiger King has finally started to slow down and ebb away, Jeff and Lauren Lowe continue to be in the sights of the law. The zoo they were trying to open in Thackerville, Oklahoma with the rest of Joe Exotic's animals never opened. Then they lost their USDA license to house their big cats, so they were removed and taken to Turpentine Creek Animal Refuge in Arkansas. Now, a year and a half later, they are having the remainder of their animals confiscated by the US government. The US Department of Justice has until this Friday to remove the remaining 60+ animals.
Even if it is only in the realm of the abstract and theoretical, nearly everybody knows that raising farm animals requires a lot of work and commitment. As the animals depend on the people who take care of them, it is one of the few literal 365-day a-year jobs. One thing that is less often acknowledged, however, is the bond that people form with animals they raise - even animals destined for slaughter - and how hard it can be, particularly for younger farmers, when it is time to say goodbye.
This article quotes several youngsters, poignantly illustrating how raising animals is a more emotionally complex experience for farmers than one might imagine.
Just holding a silly pose? Rest assured, it is abuse in someone's mind.
Toss this one into the Silly Outrage pile and light it on fire. From the headlines and some of the reactions, we expected to find that the woman in this article got her dog an actual "I love mom" tattoo on its bum. To our surprise, no - the "tattoo" was painlessly shaved into her dog's fur. And yes, people are giving her grief over this as abuse. Goodness. Better hope you have your fainting couches ready if you ever post about the world of creative grooming.
So just remember the important lesson hammered home by this article: whatever you post online about your pet, no matter how sweet and cute and wholesome you may think it is, someone is going to judge, insult, maybe even threaten you for it. So expect it... and don't let other people stop you from having harmless fun with your pets.
A sanctuary in Deland, FL, not affiliated with the county animal services, is now under investigation for animal neglect. Last year it was found in violation of several animal welfare standards and a dozen animals were seized to receive proper medical attention.
Interestingly enough, the sanctuary was founded by a married couple that performed animal cruelty investigations for the county sheriff's department. The facility cares for a variety of domestic animals that are all free range; their only restraint is a perimeter fence around the property. Their mission statement emphasizes their stance of keeping and caring for animals that cannot be adopted out that come with disabilities or temperament issues.
After the seizure, an agreement was made in the courts for Journey's End to decrease the number of animals it took in. Following that, 15 more inspections were conducted with each one having discovered violations. It is extremely important that facilities that house animals fall under the law and be licensed in order to keep their animals. Even well-intentioned places face challenges and must be held accountable.
Say what you will about AR activists, but they do know how to put on a show.
COVID-19 has forced this year's animal rights conferences to go virtual, but that obstacle hasn't reduced their zeal in the slightest.
If you follow NAIA, the commentary recorded from this year's conferences will sound exactly as you'd expect: humans have no right to use animals for food, clothing, in research, entertainment, for work, etc., and animal agriculture needs to be abolished yesterday. You know the drill. Worth noting in this recap is the increased sophisticated focus on corporate/shareholder pressure, and how they are ramping up the time-honored tactic of framing animal rights goals in ways that piggyback onto environmentalism and social justice issues.
