"For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other.

Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love. - Pythagoras

FUN(?) FACTS:

Since 1990 captive elephants have killed 43 people. Elephants are peaceful animals, and this suggests that their treatment and cruel training techniques cause the animal to suffer and act in defense. Bullfights and cockfights still exist in today's world. Bullfights in particular being incredibly gruesome and cruel, with animals being tortured and having spears thrown into their backs until they finally succumb to a slow death. Greyhounds after finishing their racing life are often killed or sent for experimentation.

FUN(?) FACTS:

It is said that over 70 million animals are tortured and killed in US laboratories each year. Rabbits are routinely blinded in a process named the 'Draize' test. The Draize test protects companies from potential lawsuits, and does not necessarily protect or guarantee human safety. Purchasing cosmetics from companies who specify no animal testing is one small step that can be taken to prevent animal cruelty. The medical research field also take part in animal experimentation.

FUN(?) FACTS:
Over 10 billion animals are slaughtered for human consumption each year. From cattle to chickens. Laying hens are kept in tiny cages, and many of the hens die from stress or disease. Dairy farmers are known to keep cows pregnant via artificial insemination to improve the cows productivity. Animals are 'harvested' for their fur on 'fur farms', millions of animals each year are killed. Animal cruelty is also prevalent in the trapping of animals, which is one known method many trappers use.

FUN(?) FACTS:
Hunting is one unnecessary method of animal cruelty. Whilst some hunting takes place for food consumption, many other animals die a slow and painful death for no other reason than to pleasure the hunter. Exotic animals such as rhinos, elephants, tigers and etcetera are hunted and sold on the black market. This practice still exists in today's world. Over harvesting of fish in our waters has led to threatened populations.

What is ANIMAL CRUELTY?

The infliction of physical pain, suffering or death upon an animal, when not necessary for purposes of training or discipline or (in the case of death) to procure food or to release the animal from incurable suffering, but done wantonly, for mere sport, for the indulgence of a cruel and vindictive temper, or with reckless indifference to its pain.

TYPES OF CRUELTY Active Cruelty (Acts of Comission)

Active cruelty implies malicious intent, where a person has deliberately and intentionally caused harm to an animal, and is sometimes referred to as NAI (Non-Accidental Injury). Acts of intentional cruelty are often some of the most disturbing and should be considered signs of serious psychological problems. This type of behavior is often associated with sociopathic behavior and should be taken very seriously. Animal abuse in violent homes can take many forms and can occur for many reasons. Many times a parent or domestic partner who is abusive may kill, or threaten to kill, the household pets to intimidate family members into sexual abuse, to remain silent about previous or current abuse, or simply to psychologically torture the victims, flexing their "power".

TYPES OF CRUELTY Passive Cruelty (Acts of Omission)

Passive cruelty is typified by cases of neglect, where the crime is a lack of action rather than the action itself - however do not let the terminology fool you. Severe animal neglect can cause incredible pain and suffering to an animal. Examples of neglect are starvation, dehydration, parasite infestations, allowing a collar to grow into an animal's skin, inadequate shelter in extreme weather conditions, and failure to seek veterinary care when an animal needs medical attention. In many cases of neglect where an investigator feels that the cruelty occurred as a result of ignorance, they may attempt to educate the pet owner and then revisit the situation to check for improvements. In more severe cases however, exigent circumstances may require that the animal is removed from the site immediately and taken in for urgent medical care.

ANIMALS ARE MISTREATED FOR:

FOOD CLOTHING EXPERIMENTATION EXPLOITATION ENTERTAINMENT

97% of the 10 billion animals tortured and killed each year are FARM ANIMALS

Factory farming is an industrial process in which animals and the products they generate are mass produced. The animals are seen not as individual, sentient beings with unique physical and psychological needs but as a means to an end- eggs, milk, meat, leather, and so on. Because factory farming is a business, its goal is to maximize production and, consequently, profit. And since the animals are seen as mere commodities in this quest, they are bred, fed, confined, and drugged to lay more eggs, birth more offspring, and die with more meat on their bones. Farmers cut costs by feeding animals the remains of other animals, keeping them in extremely small and soiled enclosures, and refusing to provide bedding. Because animals live in such a manner and are denied normal social interactions, they experience boredom and stress so great that it leads to unnatural aggression. To curb this aggression, conceal the disease that results from such horrendous living conditions, and stimulate aberrant growth, farmers routinely administer drugs to animals, which in turn reach meat-eating consumers. The consequences of this agribusiness are institutionalized animal cruelty, environmental destruction and resource depletion, and health dangers.

BROILER CHICKENS

Farmers get more money for chickens with enlarged thighs and breasts. As a result, they breed the animals to be so heavy that their bones cannot support their weight. Consequently, the chickens have difficulty standing, and their legs often break. Like other factory farmed animals, broiler chickens are raised in such overcrowded enclosures that they become aggressive. To stop them from fighting with one another, their beaks and toes are cut off without anesthetic. Some cannot eat after being "debeaked" and starve. They never breathe fresh air but instead inhale ammonia day after day.

COWS
Cattle are then burned with a hot iron brand without anesthetic so that is clear who "owns" them. Beef cattle are also subjected to "waddling," during which ranchers cut chunks out of the hide (which hangs under their neck) for identification purposes. Finally, they are castrated and de-horned without anesthetic. Dairy cows live in crowded pens or barns with concrete floors. Milking machines often cut them and cause other injuries. Some give them electrical shocks which cause extreme pain and even death. Dairy cows are forced to produce 10 times more milk than they would produce in nature. Cows normally live 20 to 25 years or more. Dairy cows are slaughtered when they are three or five years old, mostly for use in fast food hamburgers. After dairy cows give birth, their calves are separated from them, a practice which causes cows great sadness: they can be heard bellowing for their young. They are then milked repeatedly for the fluid meant for their calf. Female dairy calves replace older dairy cows who can no longer give as much milk as farmers demand. Male calves are raised and killed for their meat, both beef and veal.

LEATHER

Some argue that there is no harm in wearing leather since the cows (or other animals) used to produce it are already dead, i.e. slaughtered for their meat. However, the animals are dead because there is a demand for their flesh and skin. If the demand for meat and leather decreases, fewer animals will be killed. Thus turning away from leather and toward more humane alternatives will save animal lives. Cows killed to make leather are crammed on to trucks and driven to slaughter. They are frequently deprived of adequate food and water during the trip. The cows are exposed to harsh weather conditions and given little, if any, protection. Frightened and often times injured, they receive no veterinary care. As a result, many die before reaching the slaughterhouse.

VIVISECTION

Every second of every day, an animal dies in a U.S. laboratory. From Latin vivus ("alive") + sectio ("cutting") Vivisection is the cutting into or dissecting of a live animal. Billions of non-human animals have been burnt, crushed, sliced, electrocuted, poisoned with toxic chemicals, and psychologically tormented in the name of scientific curiosity. What have we learned from all of this suffering? That animal research is inherently unethical, inevitably wasteful, and wholly unreliable. The image the vivisectors present to the general public is that of an anesthetized rat in a comfortable cage. The reality, however, is that researchers often do not use anesthesia in product testing, for instance, to reduce variable factors. Rats and other animals, then, are left to suffer in silence. Their vocal cords are frequently cut to spare the vivisectors the sounds of their screams.

Humans and Animals: The Similarity The central nervous system of many animals is quite similar to our own, meaning that they feel pain in much the same way that we do. Humans and Animals: The Differences Sheep can swallow enormous quantities of arsenic and remain healthy. Morphine calms and anesthetizes man but causes maniacal excitement in cats and mice. Fialuridine does not harm dogs and monkeys but often proves fatal to humans. Almonds can kill foxes. Parsley is poisonous to parrots. Penicillin is fatal to guinea pigs. Chocolate can kill dogs.

PET OVERPOPULATION

Thousands of puppies and kittens are born each day in the U.S. In six years, one female dog can be the source of 67,000 puppies, while in seven years one female cat and her young can produce 420,000 kittens. Even if you find good homes for all of your pets offspring, you are taking away homes from other companion animals desperately in need of someone to care for them. Thousands of unwanted animals are killed everyday, most of them healthy, the majority less than one year old. The Results of Pet Overpopulation

Starvation Disease Freezing Roadkill Cheap sources of animals for use in scientific experimentation Cats and dogs treated as nuisances, leading to a general acceptance of animal cruelty in society More slaughtered wildlife as hungry strays kill birds and other animals An increased number of dog bites

WHALE AND DOLPHIN SHOWS

Dolphin and whale shows promote the capturing of these animals from the wild. The captive dolphin industry destroys close-knit dolphin families. Many of these animals died eventually from stress-related illness caused by their being torn apart from their pods (families). Note: Two (2) false killer whales from the Ocean Adventure in Subic Bay already died. Dolphins appear to smile because of how their mouths are shaped; it isn't a reflection of their emotional state. Captive dolphins and whales are trained to perform desire behaviors in order to obtain a food reward. In the wild, they eat only live fish, while in captivity, they are fed dead fish. Their natural free-loving spirit is gradually destroyed, leaving them at the mercy of their trainers.

Oceanariums or marine parks can ever recreate the natural habitat of these animals. Dolphins swim up to 40 miles a day. To simulate this, a dolphin will have to circle its pen or tank more than 3500 times every day. They can dive to a depth of 1640 feet or 500 meters, and stay submerged for 20 minutes. Some facilities use artificial seawater or chlorinated water, which damages their eyes. Each one of these animals excretes 4 to 5 times more waste than an average human. In their confinements, they are practically swimming in their own toilets. Captivity also prevents the dolphins from effectively using their sonar abilities. Because of the all-around fences or walls, their sonar signals bounce back at them. It's like sitting in a steel barrel while people pound on the outside with a hammer.

BEASTIALITY a.k.a. ZOOPHILIA

Bestiality (or zoophilia) is a paraphilia defined as an affinity, attraction or sexual attraction by a human to non-human animals. Because this topic deals openly about about the nature of bestiality, it is intended for mature audiences only. While moral and clinical descriptions of bestiality differ, Pet-Abuse.Com takes the position that bestiality is sexual assault of an animal and is always a crime.

TAMBUCHO KILLING

Seven to ten dogs are crammed into a metal box which is then sealed. The fully-conscious dogs break into a frenzy of wails and panicky scratching as the hose is connected from the running vehicles exhaust pipe to the metal box. As soon as the fumes enter the box, the dogs whimper and howls of pain rise to a crescendo. Their struggles to get out of the box is clearly heard by anyone standing outside. All noises emanating from the metal box indicate that for the duration of a full ten minutes, the dogs feel every pain possible before they stop struggling and finally expire. This method is currently being done on a weekly basis in some provinces with the use of improvised gas chambers-using exhaust fumes from whatever type of government vehicle is available. Animal welfare groups want this inhumane method outlawed.

TAMBUCHO KILLING
THE PROBLEM

The Committee on Animal Welfare (CAW) has passed the Administrative Order (AO) on Euthanasia of Animals. The said AO has recently been approved by the Department of Agriculture last June 2010 and states that gassing by way of vehicle exhaust fumes (tambucho-gassing) is an accepted and legal method of euthanasia. This, despite the fact that animal welfare organizations like Animal Kingdom Foundation(AKF), Compassion and Responsibility for Animals (CARA) and The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), among others have been vocal in their objection to the inclusion of a gassing throughout the deliberations of the CAW up to the Public Hearing in May 2009.

TAMBUCHO KILLING
THE HUMANE METHOD Sodium pentobarbital (brand name: EUTHAL), injected by well-trained and caring personnel, is the preferred method for providing the most humane death for dogs and cats. Injection of barbiturates is also included in the said Administrative Order on Euthanasia. However, animal advocates state that the inclusion of tambucho-gassing in the AO is objectionable in itself as the method does not provide a humane or painless death to animals.

TAMBUCHO KILLING

CRUELTY Use of carbon monoxide (CO) gas is controversial although conditionally-acceptable use of CO as mentioned in the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) on which portions of the Philippine Administrative Order was based- refer only to commerciallyproduced carbon monoxide (CO) in cylinders. Carbon monoxide in cylinders is not available in the Philippines. Thus, the decision to include tambucho-gassing (gassing through vehicle exhaust fumes) among the methods allowed was made. CO in its pure form is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas the reason why people are often accidentally poisoned in parked air-conditioned vehicles where carbon monoxide was found to have leaked into. Carbon monoxide that comes out of vehicle exhaust fumes is not pure. Many dogs have been found to vocalize in apparent pain while in CO chambers. This is the reason why it is so controversial - the humaneness (non-causal of pain) of use in animals is yet to be proven, says Luis Buenaflor, Animal Kingdom Foundation (AKF) External Affairs Officer.

THE GOOD NEWS

VICTORY FOR THE ANIMALS: Tambucho (Vehicle Exhaust) Fume-Gassing is out of AO 13!

Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Alcala heeded public outcry over the inclusion of tambucho(vehicle exhaust) fume-killing in the Administrative Order (AO) Number 13 or the Revised Rules and Regulations on the Euthanasia on Animals. Alcala referred the controversial AO back to the Committee on Animal Welfare (CAW) for reconsideration. At a special CAW meeting held yesterday -August 24, 2010 where there was a quorum, majority of the members voted YES to the deletion of tambucho-gassing (i.e. removal of Section of 6.2a on "Carbon Monoxide" and fourth item in the second column of the third row of the Table on AGENT AND METHODS OF EUTHANASIA BY SPECIES - referring to "carbon monoxide from a car exhaust using gasoline engine").

ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANIZATIONS

The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) is a volunteer-based non-government organization whose goal is to prevent animal cruelty through education, animal sheltering and advocacy. PAWS believes that the creation of a more peaceful society starts with the widening of mankind's circle of compassion which includes animals, thereby envisions a nation that respects animals, practices responsible pet ownership and protects wildlife.

ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANIZATIONS

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is an American animal rights organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president and animal rights activist, Alex Pacheco. A non-profit corporation with 300 employees and two million members and supporters, it says it is the largest animal rights group in the world. Its slogan is "animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, or use for entertainment."

Republic Act No. 8485 THE ANIMAL WELFARE ACT OF 1998

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled: SECTION 1: It is the purpose of this Act to protect and promote the welfare of all animals in the Philippines by supervising and regulating the establishment and operations of all facilities utilized for breeding, maintaining, keeping, treating or training of all animals either as object of trade or as household pets. For purposes of this Act, pet animal shall include birds. SECTION 2: No person, association, partnership, corporation, cooperative or any government agency or instrumentality including slaughter houses shall establish maintain and operate any pet shop, kennel, veterinary clinic, veterinary hospital, stockyard, corral, stud farm or stock farm or zoo for the breeding, treatment sale or trading, or training of animals without first securing from the Bureau of Animal Industry a certificate of registration therefore.

"Life is life's greatest gift. Guard the life of another creature as you would your own because it is your own. On life's scale of values, the smallest is no less precious to the creature who owns it than the largest..." - Lloyd Biggle Jr.

References:
http://www.mspca.org/programs/crueltyprevention/animal-cruelty-information/ http://www.buzzle.com/articles/animal-abusequotes.html http://www.australianfauna.com/animalcruelty.p hp http://www.lcanimal.org/index.html http://www.pet-abuse.com/ http://www.paws.org.ph/site/1/default.aspx http://www.internationalwildlifelaw.org/phil_ani mal_act.html