News Roundup

• More than 1,200 horses killed at racetracks in 2008 (Animal Crazy).
• Humane-slaughtering spearheads China's drive to promote animal welfare (Chinaview/Xinhua).
  
• Arrest made in case of puppy locked in closet (WESH).
• NRA lobbyist shoots down rival birds (Bizarre Florida).
  
• Suit wants ribbon seals placed on the endangered species list (Animal Crazy).
• Senator Constantine: Only 10% of exotic pet owners obey the law (Sun Sentinel).
• Two Fort Pierce brothers charged with animal cruelty (WPTV).
  
• Miramar man arrested in horse cruelty case (Sun Sentinel).
  
• Moths as good as mice for many drug studies (Reuters).
• RSPCA collects 68,000 signatures to end animal testing (Critter News).

ALDF Blog: The Correlation Between Climate Change and the Meat Industry

A post at the Animal Legal Defense Fund's Blog features the video of Jeremy Rikin's keynote speech from at the 2007 Future of Animal Law Conference.  If you haven't seen it yet, he focuses on the connections between climate change and the meat industry and it is well-worth watching. 

Starving and dead cows reported in Manatee County

The Herald Tribune reports that officials found six dead cows and more than 70 malnourished cows at a ranch in Myakka City.  Officials are considering charges of animal neglect and cruelty.  The cows were discovered by Kim Reichard and his wife who saw the dead and emaciated cattle and could not ignore them:

 "My wife was crying, and I was about to," Reichard said. "It was just so sad to see. We had to do something."

432 animals discovered at home in Citra, Florida

Authorities removed 432 animals from a Citra home last week, including more than hundreds of birds,  37 dogs, 2 cats, 23 goats and sheep, snakes and gopher tortoises.  The animals were kept inside a house and outside on a half-acre lot.  The video clip at the Ocala.com website implies that a hazardous materials team came in because of air quality conditions inside the house.

H/T to www.petabuse.com.

Update:  The Sun-Sentinel describes some of the conditions of the animals as being "kept in crates and pens, surrounded by feces. They were covered in fleas, their fur matted with animal waste."  Read the article here.

Training Law Enforcement to Spot Dogfighting

The Animal Legal Defense Fund is sending attorney Dana Campbell to provide training to the Daytona Beach Police Department on how to spot dogfighting operations.  The training is being held September 14th and is  offered through ALDF's Criminal Justice Program.   The News-Journal reports that the training also follows several high-profile dogfighting cases, including one initiated by a Volusia County Sheriff's Office drug bust where officer's discovered 32 pit bulls.