Critter World News

Episode for Week Ending 02/20/10

In this week's podcast ending February 20, 2010:  animal rights activists call on the US Secretary of Agriculture to investigate the high number of research animal deaths resulting from negligence; the new director of the Toronto Humane Society is accused of animal welfare violations; five sea lions were shot near Seattle, WA; and 2 PETA members stage a protest at th Westminster Dog Show.

Episode Ending Week of 02/13/10

In this week's podcast ending February 13, 2010:  Britain's Ministry of Defense defends its use of pigs as subjects in explosives testing; an elephant expert argues for the closing of the elephant exhibit at the Toronto Zoo; the State of Hawaii seeks to toughen penalties for dog fighting; and animal rights groups protest the Canadian seal hunt in the shadow of the 2010 Olympics.

Episode Ending Week of 02/06/10

In this week's podcast ending February 6, 2010: Willet Dairy the subject of a Mercy for Animals undercover investigation suspends a worker shown abusing cows; the Humane Society applauds the Allergan Corporation for progress on the replacement of animal subjects in Botox testing; PETA files a lawsuit to free Lucy the elephant from the Edmonton Zoo; Mexican activists protest bullfights; and Canada steps up its support of seal hunting while hosting a G7 meeting.

Episode Ending Week of 01/30/10

In this week's podcast ending January 30, 2010:  a Mercy for Animals video spurs calls for a ban on tail docking in the State of New York; animal rights activists try to stop construction of a bullfighting ring in Beijing; a PETA protestor gets a pie in the face for protesting against the Canadian seal hunt; and legislation is proposed in China to ban the eating of cats and dogs.

Episode Ending January 26, 2010

In this week's podcast ending January 26, 2010:  animal rescue efforts are underway in disaster-stricken Haiti; a research study involving the burial of live pigs is halted; the blood sport of dogfighting enjoys a revival in Afghanistan; and a report by animal welfare organizations criticize pig farming in the European Union.

Episode For Week Ending 01/09/10

A US Federal Judge rejects claims that Ringling's Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus mishandles endangered Asian elephants; a primate at a Charles River laboratory facility dies from being run through a commercial washer; Miss Newfoundland defends the Canadian seal hunt; Cambodian prosecutions of illegal logging and wildlife smuggling have increased; and Sea Shepherd files piracy charges against a  Japanese research vessel.

Episode Ending 01/02/10

The USDA and National Institutes of Health find animal welfare violations at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; the Catalan Parliament in Spain finally votes to ban bullfighting in the region; the Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro, CA has a record year for marine life suffering from illness and human violence; 2010 marks the Year of the Tiger with less than 3,500 individuals left in the wild; and Carrie Feldman remains in prison under AETA charges while her lawyers file an appeal for her release.

Podcast for the Week Ending 12/26

PETA demands that the National Institutes of Health take back grant money awarded to the University of Kansas; the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums prepares to investigate the Calgary Zoo next year; convicted dog fighter Michael Vick receives an award in courage from the Philadelphia Eagles; Canada tries to find a public relations firm to counter anti-seal coverage; and a Washington State man is convicted of selling bear gall bladders.

Critter World News, 12/19/09

An agreement in principle on new rules for animal testing has been reached by the European Union; ten laboratory chimpanzees retire to a Florida sanctuary; a Spanish province begins a discussion on banning bullfights; a record number of manatee deaths are recorded in the State of Florida; and the last known dancing bear is rescued in India.

Episode For Week Ending 12/12/09

The Calgary Zoo is under scrutiny for yet another animal death; convicted dog fighter Michael Vick is welcomed back to Atlanta; New Zealand is being bombarded with international protests for what many consider to be a transition to “factory farming” in Mackenzie Country; Russia bemoans that fact that it hasn't matched the US in transforming sea lions into military weapons; and a German tourist is caught smuggling 44 lizards out of New Zealand in his underwear.