IDA's Bay Area Events

Table of Contents:

1. IDA's May 2005 Auction for the Animals
2. Conduct Outreach Against Dog Meat at Korean Trade Expo
3. Gopher Gardening at Ocean Beach
4. Dr. Gabriel Cousens Lecture on Nutrition and Spirituality
5. Peaceable Kingdom Screening in Marin
6. Rabbit Abuser Convicted of Animal Cruelty
7. California Ear Cropping Bill is Stalled - Your Help Urgently Needed
8. EBAA Dairy Farm Investigation Website



1. IDA's May 2005 Auction for the Animals

IDA's Auction for the Animals on eBay gives you the opportunity to support IDA's work on behalf of animals while bidding on over 250 elegant, exciting and unique items valued at more than $45,000 that have been donated to IDA for this very special online fundraising event. Auction items include fantastic travel and accommodation packages, celebrity memorabilia, and tickets for great entertainment and sporting events.

Beginning on May 1, you can view the auction items on http://www.ebay.com/ida . Once you find an item that you like, click on the link to view its description, the current bid price, and how much time is left until the bidding ends. Place your bid and keep an eye on it to make sure that, by the time the bidding ends, it's YOURS. The auction will run in three waves, one wave per week, with new items being added May 1st, 8th and 15th.
Visit http://auction.idausa.org for more details.

We are still accepting donated items to sell during the auction, so if you have an item that you would like to contribute, please contact Nicole Otoupalik at (800) 338-4451. All donations are tax deductible. If you already sell on eBay, now is a great time to designate 10-100% of your own auction proceeds to IDA by registering at http://www.missionfish.org/ , the partner of eBay Giving Works.



2. Conduct Outreach Against Dog Meat at Korean Trade Expo

As we have reported before, South Korea's Ministry for the Office of Government Policy Coordination has proposed a scheme to hygienically control - and effectively legalize - the dog meat trade in their country. IDA strongly opposes this plan, which is supported only by the relatively small number of Koreans who buy and sell dog meat. The vast majority of Korean citizens have never eaten dog meat and wish to see the horrific practice banned for good.

Please help IDA educate attendees at the Korean Trade Expo about the Korean Government's cruel plans. IDA will be at the Expo to gather signatures on postcards and hand out leaflets urging people to urge the Government to enforce laws and call off the plans to hygienically control dog meat. Please join other IDA volunteers for this important outreach opportunity.

What: Outreach Against Dog Meat
When: Friday, May 6th from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Where: The Radisson Miyako Hotel, 1625 Post Street (at Laguna), San Francisco

E-mail alicia [at] idausa.org or call (415) 388-9641 ext. 228 if you have any questions. To learn more about the Korean dog meat trade and what you can do to stop it, visit http://www.idausa.org/korean_frame.html .



3. Gopher Gardening at Ocean Beach

Join the San Francisco Wildlife Protection Project, a joint effort by IDA and the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, to create a wildlife "sanctuary" along the Great Highway. By landscaping the area according to the Parks Department's specifications, volunteers create a habitat for native gophers and prevent them from being trapped and killed.
This is an on-going monthly effort, and happens on the first Saturday of each month. Please give us a hand so we can help the gophers.

What: Gopher Gardening
When: Saturday, May 7 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Where: Corner of the Great Highway and Wawona Street, San Francisco, at the small brick Recreation and Park maintenance building. Click here (http://tinyurl.com/4hnh2) for directions to this event.

For more information, please contact Kevin Connelly at (415) 388-9641, ext. 226 or kevin [at] idausa.org.



4. Dr. Gabriel Cousens Lecture on Nutrition and Spirituality

Internationally celebrated holistic physician and author Gabriel Cousens has studied and promoted the physical and spiritual benefits of veganism for over three decades. Founder/director of the Tree of Life Foundation in Patagonia, Arizona, Dr. Cousens uses live-food nutrition, naturopathy, Ayurveda, homeopathy and acupuncture, blended with spiritual awareness, to heal body, mind and spirit.

Dr. Cousens' latest book, "Spiritual Nutrition: Six Foundations for Spiritual Life and the Awakening of Kundalini," explores the relationship between a meatless live-food diet and spiritual awakening. Don't miss his upcoming talk on nutrition and spirituality.

What: Dr. Gabriel Cousens lecture
When: Saturday, May 7 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.
Where: Global Yoga-Sea Cliff Location, 6300 California Street (at 25th Ave.), San Francisco

To order tickets or get more information on this event, call
(415) 751-6908 or (415) 816-6174. To learn more about Dr.
Cousens, visit the Tree of Life Foundation website at http://www.treeoflife.nu/tolhp1.html .



5. Peaceable Kingdom Screening in Marin

Please attend a special screening of Tribe of Heart's documentary Peaceable Kingdom in Marin next month. Peaceable Kingdom is one of the most powerful films ever made about the plight of animals in our society and people's potential for transforming their relationships with animals. The film tells the inspiring story of "farmed" animals and the people who have been moved to fight their exploitation. Visit http://www.tribeofheart.org for more information about Peaceable Kingdom.

What: Peaceable Kingdom screening
When: Thursday, May 12 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: The Lark Theater, 549 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur

The screening will be followed by a reception featuring filmmaker James LaVeck.



6. Rabbit Abuser Convicted of Animal Cruelty

On May 11, 2004, volunteers from the House Rabbit Society (HRS), a national nonprofit organization headquartered in Richmond, and East Bay Animal Advocates (EBAA) uncovered a serious animal abuse situation after responding to an online posting for free rabbits. Upon visiting the home, they found 34 rabbits languishing in an outdoor enclosure, their fur matted with dirt and feces, and signs of severe abuse everywhere. The volunteers returned the following day with Hayward Animal Services officers.

Further investigation yielded far worse cruelties. "It was a truly horrifying situation," explains HRS spokesperson Erin Williams. "There were an enormous number of rotting corpses and body parts as well as the survivors, who were suffering terribly. Most of the rabbits had significant medical problems, including tumors, parasites, open sores, shredded or half-eaten ears, eyes that were completely closed from infection, as well as serious illnesses. Some rabbits could barely stand. It was the worst case of abuse I have seen."

The Hayward Animal Control officers ordered the animals immediately removed from the residence and placed under the care of HRS. A team of dedicated HRS volunteers nursed the rabbits back to health, providing costly and specialized treatment, and the organization adopted all the surviving rabbits into loving, permanent homes or sanctuaries.

Hayward Police arrested the person responsible and charged her with animal cruelty (CA Penal Code 597f). She later pled "no contest" to the charges and was recently convicted. With her sentencing date set for May 20, HRS hopes that the judge will pursue the maximum penalty for this heinous act of cruelty, and require psychiatric counseling for the defendant. Additionally, HRS seeks restitution for veterinary costs.

For photos and more information regarding this case, please visit http://www.haywardrabbits.org . HRS chapters throughout the Bay Area also have hundreds of loving, gentle rabbits who desperately need homes. To learn more, please visit http://www.rabbit.org .



7. California Ear Cropping Bill is Stalled - Your Help Urgently Needed

A.B. 418, the bill to ban ear-cropping of dogs in California, has stalled in the Assembly Appropriations Committee, which focuses on fiscal issues. The American Kennel Club (AKC) alleges that if the bill is passed, breeders will boycott shows because of the ban, leading to a 10% drop in dog show participation and a $1 million drop in tax revenue for the state.

It is vital to convince legislators, particularly Assembly Appropriations Chair Judy Chu, that an ear-cropping ban won't drain tax revenue from the state. The AKC's statements are pure speculation, and evidence indicates that an ear-cropping ban could actually increase dog show participation. For example, breeders of dogs with natural ears have stated that they would feel more welcome at dog shows in the state. In addition, the dog show circuit remains strong in the more than 20 other countries where ear cropping has already been banned. In fact, Germany had record attendance at dog shows 2003, just after they enacted an ear-cropping ban in 2002.

What You Can Do

- Contact Assemblymember Judy Chu, Assembly Appropriations Committee, State Capitol, Sacramento, CA 95814, or email Assemblymember.Chu [at] asm.ca.gov. Urge her to move forward with AB 418. Please write by May 1st. (Note: If you use email, it is important to include your full name and address in order for your letter to be considered as support.)

- Ask your own Assemblymember to support AB 418. You can get contact information for your Assemblymember by clicking here
(http://ga0.org/indefenseofanimals/home.html) and entering your zip code. You can also get contact information for elected officials by calling the Government Information Hotline at (916) 322-9900 and giving the operator your address.

- Urge any dog breeders/showers you know who want to show dogs with natural ears to contact their elected officials.

If you have any questions about the bill or need more information, call (530) 759-8106 or email pam [at] avar.org.



8. EBAA Dairy Farm Investigation Website

To increase public awareness of California dairy farm conditions and practices, East Bay Animal Advocates (EBAA) has launched http://www.insidedairyproduction.com . This website is based on EBAA's investigations of conditions at farm operations in five of California's top dairy-producing counties (Merced, San Joaquin, Sonoma, Stanislaus and Tulare) and includes:

- A virtual California Dairy Farm Tour
- California Industry Report
- Simple Ways to Help Farmed Animals
- Online Request for a Free Vegetarian Beginner's Guide

Please share http://www.insidedairyproduction.com with your friends, family and colleagues.

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Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this.

http://ga0.org/join-forward.html?domain=indefenseofanimals

You can sign up for In Defense of Animals Action Center at:

http://ga0.org/indefenseofanimals/join.html


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