Beer is good for you and your bones

Again, nothing to do with animal law...

But this story made me smile so I wanted to pass it along. Another shout-out to Doug Powell at Kansas State and his infamous Barf Blog!

Haight v. Catholic Healthcare West

A very disappointing ruling by the Ninth Circuit late last week in a qui tam action under the False Claims Act against a researcher who received federal funding for some rather dubious brain cancer research on beagles.

Not only was the outcome disappointing, what was (at least to me) the most disappointing was the fact that the opinion's author flatly called the decision "inequitable" yet - despite sitting on a court that is supposed to have discretion and do things like address injustice in our society - felt obliged to rule inequitably rather than at least concur, never mind dissent or actually do the right thing and persuade at least one other fellow panel member to find grounds to rule likewise. Everyone knows that judges, just like juries, decide how to rule and will construct a way to get there.

Here's a link to the opinion and a short article appearing in the Metropolitan News-Enterprise.

Temple Grandin

Anyone else bothered by the new HBO special on Temple Grandin?

On the one hand, I feel like I should watch it just to know what it is everyone is talking about (I have a sinking feeling that a lot of lawyer colleagues will be asking me about it over the coming weeks just as a matter of making pre-court conversation...)

On the other, I can't much think about Grandin's work in the livestock industry without just getting really annoyed. Not that I'm against humane treatment of animals as a general matter, mind you. Nor have I ever much subscribed to the Francione camp of enacting-humane-laws-can-be-more-counterproductive-than-good.

But (at least to me), Grandin is different. Her "work" resonated at such a voluminous scale that I can't help but truly feel that her - in my view - completed warped ideas about animals and slaughter really helped anyone... that is, other than the large-scale operators save face in the public arena or (more likely) assuage their nagging cognitive dissonance the public never sees.

I think her "vision" about how to keep animals calm(er) before killing them is no better or different than giving a condemned prisoner a cigaretter before a firing squad blows his brains out. I understand why the livestock industry lauds her. It is, I suppose, equally understandable - but nonetheless very disappointing - that HBO has also chosen to try to wring profit from her unusual perspective on suffering.

Oregon Cleans Up Its Act

A number of new animal laws took effect on January 1, 2010 in Oregon. Oregon's state legislature changed, added, and enhanced existing animal laws to become a top 5 rated state by the Animal Legal Defense Fund.

The first push of legislation came for puppy mills. Although not banned, Oregon has created restrictions on breeders to combat the problems of unsocialized and sick dogs. Among other restrictions, the statute requires that a breeder be limited to 50 breeding dogs over the age of 2. It also requires that the cages not be stacked and that the dog have enough room to stand, sit, turn, and lay down without hitting the walls of the cage or other dogs.

Oregon also banned private ownership of primates, large exotic cats, canines that aren't domestic dogs, bears and crocodilians. Anyone previously owning these animals must have the requisite permit from the Oregon Department of Agriculture.

Oregon's legislature also stepped up the punishment for animal fights. This legislation "makes it a felony to participate in events that feature 'combat between animals' in any way, shape or form. Previously, doing so was a misdemeanor."

Although Oregon's laws had already made it illegal to leave a domestic animal without minimal care, the newly enacted legislation will add equine to the list of animals that are not to be abandoned.

Two new laws will also make it tougher for an animal abuser to again become an animal owner. One law requires that a person adopting an abused animal sign a special form to prove that they are not living with the abuser or that they will return the animal to the abuser. The second law lengthens the amount of time that a convicted abuser must refrain from owning another animal.

For the full story, please read at OregonLive.

Scottish Ministers Won't Ban Animal Snares

The Scottish Parliament took up the issue of animal snares due to several animal advocacy groups calling for their ban. Scottish ministers said "the control of predators through snares, helped to maintain Scotland's world-famous shooting industry, boost conservation and help farmers [to] protect their animals."

Read the complete article at BBC News.

Nebraska Rancher Convicted of 145 Counts of Cruelty

Jason Meduna, owner of 3 Strikes Ranch outside of Alliance, Nebraska, was convicted of 145 counts of animal cruelty. More than 200 horses and burros were confiscated from the ranch by Morrill County Sheriff's Office. At trial, the jury found that Meduna was starving the horses to death.

Read the complete article at 9News.com

Greetings!

My apologies that I haven't posted anything in the past few weeks. I hope to pick back up next week. In the meantime... the International Animal Law blog just uploaded a number of new articles in case that may be of interest. More soon!

Our Hen House

Congrats and good luck to longtime animal advocate and colleague Mariann Sullivan, and co-founder Jasmin Singer, on their new blog/podcast "Our Hen House". Looks like it is going to be a terrific resource for all things related to positive change for animals! (Mariann, this is a really in-depth site, how do you have time for this?!?)

Here's a little bit of the mission statement:

Our Hen House is a central clearinghouse for all kinds of ideas on how individuals can make change for animals. With both a blog and a podcast, we will identify opportunities, report on successful activists and enterprises, and brainstorm ideas ranging from the brilliant (if we do say so ourselves) to the farfetched.

You can read more here....

... I'm also adding a link to the sidebar on the right. Cheers, ladies!

Judge Rejects Lawsuit Over Circus Elephants

Sorry for the delay in posting this... unfortunately a federal judge ruled that an animal advocacy group and a former trainer don't have standing to sue Ringling Brothers over its use of bull hooks and chains in handling its Asian elephants.

Read more in the New York Times or Los Angeles Times.

After Katrina, pet custody is a legal issue; documentary highlights problem

When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and the levees broke, many who were forced to leave without their pets endured long searches to find animals that had been ferried to safety without them. You'd think that finding that their pets were alive and well after the storm would be pure joy, but for some, it was more complicated.

The documentary "Mine," released Friday, tells the stories of people who found their pets in new homes, with rescuers or adopters who didn't want to give them back.

Read the rest of Linda Lombardi's article in The Canadian Press...

East Boston cat called to jury duty

This little gem courtesy of blog reader Bruce (and Channel 7 news in Boston):

http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO133130/

Update on Sioux City dog ordinance mess

This from the Sioux City Journal:

SIOUX CITY -- There was a lot of tail-wagging Saturday at Sioux City Animal Control as six dogs were reunited with overjoyed owners after city officials reversed course and agreed to release the dogs.

Read the rest of the article here...