Talkin Pets

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures present a film based on a true story, PG-13, approximately 120 minute, sport, biography, drama, directed and written by Brian Helgeland with a theater release date of April 12, 2013.

Fox Searchlight Pictures, Cloud Eight Films, Decibel Films and Pathe present an R rated, 101 minute, crime, drama, thriller, directed by Danny Boyle, written by Joe Ahearne and John Hodge with a theater release date of March 27, 2013.

Inception Media Group Proudly Presents
Stripped

Inception Media Group Proudly Presents
Battle Earth

A Haunting at Silver Falls

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – It’s official: our 8-week-old Sumatran tiger cub will go on exhibit outside on Friday, April 12! At 14 pounds, the cub is now strong enough to venture into the outdoor enclosure. On Wednesday morning, animal staff supervised a trial run for the very excited mother, Leanne, and cub. A very attentive mother, Leanne immediately carried her to the safest spot, the lower grass moat area. There they were free to play and run back and forth until the cub was ready to explore a bit; Leanne was so happy to be outside with her baby, she frolicked just like a cub too! The cub was naturally drawn to the security of the hay bales below the rock area but she eventually allowed Leanne to lead her up the stairs several times for practice, proving once again that Leanne is a seasoned mother who knows what’s best for her cub.

“Providing the cub the opportunity to explore the outside world is a significant step in her development,” says Curator of Carnivores and Primates Corinne MacDonald. “The cub will build up her strength and confidence watching her mother, Leanne, and she’ll learn from her while navigating her new environment. We are thrilled to finally be able to show our tiger cub off outside to all of her fans!”

Access to the outside enclosure will allow them freedom to enjoy the fresh air of the yard or snuggle in their indoor nest box for some quiet time. To provide visitors with full access to the adorable duo, The Lion House will be open from 2-4pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday this weekend. More information about the cub.

Viewing etiquette:

Out of respect for the animals and to support their emotional wellness, the Zoo asks the public to adhere to the following guidelines when viewing the Leanne and the cub:

• Keep voices low; walk and stand quietly.
• Do not bang on the glass of the outdoor enclosure.
• Follow the instructions of Zoo animal staff and security.
• Remain behind the provided barriers.
• If the cub and Leanne are in their nest box, feel free to watch their activity (mostly sleeping and nursing) on the live video feed that has been provided in the Lion House; do not make noises to attempt to wake them or disturb them.
• The Zoo provides no guarantee that Leanne and the cub will be on view during these hours.
• The Zoo reserves the right to close the Lion House at any time in order to provide a safe and peaceful environment for Leanne and the cub.

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About Sumatran Tigers

The Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris) is classified as Critically Endangered by IUCN and is on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The greatest threat to survival is destruction of habitat, followed by poaching. Currently the wild Sumatran tiger population is estimated at less than 400. As of September 2012, there were 74 Sumatran tigers in captivity at 27 accredited institutions of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) in North America.

From the island of Sumatra, off the Malaysian Peninsula, these terrestrial and nocturnal cats inhabit evergreen, swamp and tropical rain forests as well as grasslands. As the smallest of the remaining subspecies of Panthera tigris, the Sumatran tiger is particularly well suited for life in the deep jungle. The fur on the upper parts of its body ranges from orange to reddish-brown, making it darker in color than other tigers. This helps it to hide within its heavily wooded forest habitat. Also unique to this subspecies are distinctly long whiskers, which serve as sensors in the dark, dense underbrush. Males weigh between 200-350 lbs., and females between 180-300 lbs., with a head to body length of 7.2 - 8.9 feet, and a tail length of 2-3 feet. In the wild, the carnivorous Sumatran tigers eat mainly wild pigs and sambar deer. While at the Zoo, the tigers receive fortified horsemeat, chicken and rabbit. Sumatran tigers are usually solitary and prefer to live alone, except for courting pairs and females with young. Females are sexually mature between 4-5 years and give birth every 2-2.5 years. After a 102-112 day gestation, a typical litter of 3 or 4 is born.

Until recently, there were nine subspecies of Panthera tigris. Three subspecies, the Caspian, Bali and Javan tigers, were deemed extinct between the 1940s and 1970s. Estimates to the six remaining subspecies in the wild are as follows (according to IUCN Redlist): Bengal 1,706, Indochinese less than 2,500, Sumatran less than 400, Amur (Siberian) 360, Malayan less than 750, and the South China tiger is thought to be already extinct in the wild. These remaining subspecies are either listed as endangered or critically endangered.

About San Francisco Zoo

The mission of the San Francisco Zoo is to connect visitors with wildlife, inspire caring for nature and advance conservation action. Nestled against the Pacific Ocean, the San Francisco Zoo is an urban oasis. It is home to over 1,000 exotic, endangered and rescued animals representing more than 250 species and lovely peaceful gardens full of native and foreign plants.

The majestic African Savanna offers a multi-species landscape with giraffes, zebras, kudu, ostriches and more. At Grizzly Gulch visitors can get nose-to-nose with rescued grizzly sisters Kachina and Kiona. Lemurs leap through Lemur Forest, the largest outdoor lemur habitat in the country. Penguin Island is home to the largest colony of Magellanic penguins outside of the wild. The Zoo’s troop of gorillas lives in the lush Gorilla Preserve. Farm animals for feeding and petting can be found in the popular Fisher Family Children’s Zoo. The historic 1921 Dentzel Carousel and 1904 miniature Little Puffer steam train are treasured by generations of visitors. The San Francisco Zoo offers a rich history for its guests, including fun rides, educational programs and exciting events for children of all ages. The San Francisco Zoo is proud to be accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

Two new members of the Executive Board take posts on July 23, 2013

(SCHAUMBURG, Illinois) April 9, 2013—Michael E. Newman, DVM, MS of Decatur, Ala. and Gary S. Brown, DVM of Princeton, W.Va. have both been elected to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Executive Board to replace retiring members of the board. Their terms of service begin July 23, 2013.

Dr. Michael E. Newman, DVM, MS

District III AVMA Executive Board Representative-elect

Dr. Newman competed in a contested race for the District III post, representing the states of Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. His term will run from July 2013 – July 2019, and he succeeds Dr. Joe Kinnarney.

“I’m proud to become a part of the Executive Board, and I hope to serve the veterinary profession by giving voice to our accomplishments and potential,” Dr. Newman says. “The success of the veterinary profession, the quality of the people comprising the profession, and the benefits our country derives from this relatively small profession remains one of the United States’ best kept secrets. We should daily remind our political leaders and the U.S. public they have the best veterinary medical profession in the world.”

Dr. Newman received his DVM from Auburn University in 1980 and his master’s and residency in surgery five years later, also from Auburn. Dr. Newman established Alabama Veterinary Surgery in Birmingham, Ala. in January, 1986 as the first private surgical referral practice in Alabama and one of five in the southeastern United States at that time. He built that practice in Birmingham for eight years and assisted in establishing a new veterinary emergency service in 1992. In 1994, his practice was moved to Decatur, Ala., and it expanded to a larger facility there in 2006. Dr. Newman has served in all positions of the Alabama Veterinary Medical Association concluding with the presidency in 2008 – 2009. He was elected to the AVMA Council on Research in 2003 and was re-elected to that post in 2006 for a six-year term.

Dr. Gary S. Brown, DVM

District V AVMA Executive Board Representative-elect

Dr. Brown ran unopposed to become the Executive Board member for District V, representing the states of Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. His term will run from July 2013 – July 2019, and he succeeds Dr. Jan Krehbiel.

“Serving in the AVMA House of Delegates and two terms as AVMA Vice President has only partially quenched my thirst to do more for our profession. It allowed me to understand our current needs with a sound respect and appreciation of our history,” says Dr. Brown. “I want to help create a profession that is unified and progressive so that we all can be proud to call it ours.”

Dr. Brown received his undergraduate bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University and his DVM from the University of Georgia in 1984. Throughout his career, he has been active in enhancing the educational experience. He has served on multiple high school and college boards as well as mentoring veterinary students. Since 1998, Dr. Brown has been in a variety of leadership roles. He has been West Virginia Veterinary Medical Association’s Delegate to AVMA House of Delegates for seven years. He was elected to two terms as AVMA Vice President, serving in this capacity from 2008 – 2010.

For more information about the AVMA, please visit www.avma.org.

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Animal welfare organizations support move to block spending

WASHINGTON—Congress could once again ban the use of federal funds to inspect horse slaughter plants in the United States if it follows the lead of the White House—a move that is strongly supported by The Humane Society of the United States, the ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI). President Obama’s FY 2014 budget proposal includes a request for Congress to block spending by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to inspect U.S. horse slaughter plants. A similar spending prohibition was put in place in 2005, which effectively shut the door to the grisly horse slaughter industry on U.S. soil. However, it was not renewed in 2011, leading to the potential for horse slaughter plants to reopen in the U.S at the expense of American taxpayers.

There are no horse slaughter facilities operating in the U.S., but the USDA confirms it has received at least six applications and is processing those requests. Humane organizations oppose the slaughter of American horses for human consumption because the practice is inherently cruel to horses. Additionally, horse meat poses a potential human health risk, as horses are not raised for food in the U.S. and are consequently treated with a wide range of drugs that are not approved for use in animals intended for human consumption.

Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS, said: “It’s a fool’s errand to inspect tainted horse meat, and this Administration is wise to reject that path and to embrace the idea, even indirectly, that horses belong in the stable and not on the table.”

Nancy Perry, senior vice president of the ASPCA, said: “It is wonderful to see our government taking steps to ensure American horses are not slaughtered on our own soil for foreign demand, especially in light of the daily news from Europe about the horrors of discovering horse meat in their food supply from co-mingling with beef in tainted food products. Wasting tax dollars on cruel and dangerous practices makes no sense, and we urge Congress to adopt this budget cut.”

Chris Heyde, deputy director of government and legal affairs for the AWI, said: “Now that the administration has taken this important step toward ending horse abuse, reducing the size of the federal government, and saving taxpayer dollars, we urge Congress to swiftly ensure this widely supported language is maintained when sent back to the president for his signature later this year. Given the serious fiscal choices facing our elected officials in Washington, restoring an unpopular foreign driven horse slaughter industry that only serves to drain taxpayers’ money every year, this should be the easiest spending cut they can approve.”

The Safeguard American Food Exports Act, H.R. 1094 / S. 541, introduced this year by U.S. Sens. Mary Landrieu, D-La., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Reps. Patrick Meehan, R-Pa., and Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., is a bipartisan measure that would prevent the introduction of horse slaughter operations in the U.S., end the current export of American horses for slaughter abroad, and protect the public from consuming toxic horsemeat.

Background:

• American horses are raised to be companions, athletes and work horses. They are often treated with drugs, both legal and illegal, that can endanger the food supply. There is currently no system in the U.S. to track medications and veterinary treatments given to horses throughout their lives to ensure that their meat is safe for human consumption.
• “Kill buyers” gather up horses from random sources and profit by selling horsemeat from healthy horses that bring the best price per pound for their meat. USDA reports show that approximately 92 percent of American horses going to slaughter are healthy and would otherwise be able to go on to lead productive lives.
• The methods used to kill horses rarely result in quick, painless deaths, as horses often endure repeated blows to render them unconscious, and sometimes remain conscious during the slaughtering process. When horse slaughter plants previously operated in the U.S., the USDA documented severe injuries to horses incurred during their long-distance transport to slaughter plants in unsafe, overcrowded trailers, including broken bones and eyeballs hanging from their sockets by a thread of skin.

About HSUS
Subscribe to Wayne Pacelle’s blog, A Humane Nation. Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your Apple or Android device by searching for our “Humane TV” app.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We're there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty – on the Web at humanesociety.org.

About the ASPCA^®
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is the first animal welfare organization in North America and serves as the nation’s leading voice for animals. More than two million supporters strong, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. For more information, please visit www.ASPCA.org, and be sure to follow the ASPCA on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

About AWI
The Animal Welfare Institute (www.awionline.org) is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1951 and dedicated to reducing animal suffering caused by people. AWI engages policymakers, scientists, industry, and the public to achieve better treatment of animals everywhere—in the laboratory, on the farm, in commerce, at home, and in the wild. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates and other important animal protection news.

(San Andreas, CA) The Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) condemns the brutal act against a traveling circus elephant this morning in Tupelo, Mississippi.



Carol, an eight thousand pound Asian elephant, was being housed at an outdoor arena while Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey workers set up for a four-day circus run when she was shot.



Early reports indicate that the bullet or bullets struck her in the neck. According to a veterinarian, the bullet(s) did not damage any major blood vessels or nerves.



"This inhumane act of violence against Carol is reprehensible. Circus elephants are normally restricted to small spaces or chained by their legs. This was a cowardly act with complete disregard for life," stated PAWS President Ed Stewart.



Stewart adds, "We understand from reports that Carol has been a circus elephant her entire life. We certainly hope that Carol recovers fully from her wounds and is now offered a permanent retirement from performing and travel."



Founded in 1984, the Performing Animal Welfare Society is an internationally recognized leader in captive elephant protection and leads campaigns to put an end to the inherent elephant cruelty associated with traveling circus shows.



"If PAWS can be of any immediate assistance we are extending our offer to help Carol. In addition, we are offering a $2,500 reward for the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator of this callous, senseless act," Stewart pledges.



PAWS provides permanent sanctuary for eight elephants who are retired from the rigors of traveling circus life or inadequate zoo exhibits. For more information, visit our website at www.pawsweb.org.

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Dogs are America’s favorite pet, not just in pet ownership, but in the health care they receive; the gap between dogs and other pets is growing

(SCHAUMBURG, Illinois) April 10, 2013—It’s good to be a dog. Not only are dogs America’s favorite pet, but dogs receive better veterinary care than their four-legged peers, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) 2012 U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook.
The Sourcebook, a survey of Americans about their pets conducted every five years, indicates that between 2006 and 2011, veterinary visits for dogs increased by 9.2 percent, while the number of veterinary visits for cats decreased by 4.4 percent. Birds and horses also saw declines in veterinary care; the number of bird and horse owners who made at least one visit to the veterinarian in 2011 declined 10.8 percent and 12 percent, respectively.
“While it’s great that we’re seeing increases in veterinary care for dogs, it’s very concerning that veterinary care for virtually every other type of pet is seeing substantial declines,” says Dr. Douglas Aspros, president of the AVMA. “This trend is worrisome, not only in terms of the pet’s health but in terms of public health, because some diseases, such as intestinal parasites, can be transmitted from pets to family members. Our pets—no matter if they have fur, feathers, shells or scales—earn our love, respect
and appropriate veterinary care to keep them healthy and as comfortable as possible. A good guideline for all pet owners is to allow their pets to enjoy the very best life by taking them in for a veterinary visit at least once a year to help maintain optimal health.”

Cats second best?
There are more cats in America than dogs—74.1 million cats compared to 70 million dogs—but more people own dogs (43.3 million households) than own cats (36.1 million). The reason for this disparity is that cat owners are more likely to own more than one cat than dog owners are to own more than one dog.
Unfortunately, cats are suffering from an increasing lack of veterinary care. The number of cat-owning households that made no trips at all to the veterinarian in 2011 increased by a staggering 24 percent from 2006. Only 55.1 percent of cat owners made at least one visit to the veterinarian in 2011, which is down 13.5 percent from 2006.
“We see in the latest Sourcebook that there are 1.4 million fewer cat-owning households in America in 2011 compared to 2006, but even more concerning is the declining numbers for veterinary care that our cats receive,” explains Dr. Jane Brunt, executive director of the CATalyst Council, a national initiative comprised of animal health and welfare organizations working to improve the health and welfare of cats. “The AVMA survey shows us that, while we love our cats, we’re much less likely to take them into the veterinarian for regular care. Cats are wonderful, loving pets, but they are also masters at disguising any symptoms of illness. You need your veterinarian’s knowledge and skill to make sure your kitty is healthy.”

Furry Family Matters
The downturn in veterinary care for cats flies in the face of the fact that more cat owners (and pet owners in general) consider their pets to be family members. In 2006, 49.2 percent of cat owners said that they consider their pet to be a family member, which rose to 56.1 percent in 2011. The Sourcebook shows that the strength of the bond between pets and their owners impacts how much veterinary care the pet will receive. Cat owners who consider their cats members of the family went to the veterinarian 1.9 times on average in 2011, 1.2 times if they considered the cat a pet/companion, and just 0.5 times if they consider the animal to be property.
Dog owners were more likely to take their pets into the veterinarian than cat owners. Dog owners who said they consider the animal to be a family member went to the veterinarian, on average, 2.9 times in 2011, compared to 2 times for those who consider their dog a pet/companion and 1.2 times for those who consider their dog property.
AVMA’s U.S. Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook offers a wealth of information on pet ownership, pet owner profiles, trends, veterinary medical use and expenditures and is for sale on the AVMA website. For more information about the AVMA or to obtain a copy of the U.S. Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook, visit www.avma.org.
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The AVMA, founded in 1863, is one of the oldest and largest veterinary medical organizations in the world, with more than 84,000 member veterinarians worldwide engaged in a wide variety of professional activities.