(ANIMAL WELFARE) ROMANIA — Despite outcries and petitions the Romanian government passed a bill legalizing the slaughter of stray dogs. While Romania has a large population of homeless dogs, murder isn’t an adequate fix. There are many humane solutions available, such as increasing funding for animal shelters, enforcing spaying and neutering, and promoting adoption from shelters and not stores. Find out more about this unfathomable law and what it entails below.— Global Animal
(ANIMAL WELFARE) TEXAS — We recently applauded a new law that cracks down on cockfighting in Texas. Last week, officers exercised the powers granted by this new law to arrest Jimmy Lee Bradshaw, the manager of the Oleander Game Farm, and cited thirteen others on site. For decades Texas has allowed cockfighting, but hopefully this raid is a sign of change in the Lone Star state. Read on to learn more about the descent of law enforcement on the Oleander Game Farm. — Global Animal
(DOG BREEDS) In recent years celebrities have instigated the fashion craze of dogs in handbags, the ultimate adorable accessory. The The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) conducted research on how much information people actually know about the health and welfare issues affecting their mini pedigree dogs. Read on for the conclusions of the poll and why these pint-sized pooches may be suffering for their looks. — Global Animal
(ANIMAL SCIENCE) — A depressing change we may see in the new year is an acceleration in the extinction of animals across the globe. From amphibians to hoofed mammals, many species are on the verge of collapse. The reason? Mankind’s detrimental activities, such as overtaking natural habitats and creating pollution, have sealed the fate of the world’s wild creatures. Statistics from Conservation International are frightening, showing that thousands of animal, plant, and lichen are at risk. Read on for the full story on 2012′s possible mass extinction. — Global Animal
(ANIMAL CONSERVATION) BORNEO — The endangered orangutan is starting to gather a significant following. Recently the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry in association with private sector groups PT SMART Tbk (SMART) and Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), announced a partnership with Orangutan Foundation International (OFI) to create a two-year conservation program for the protection of orangutans. The new two-year program, called Friends of Orangutan, will release 40 ex-captive orangutans back into their natural habitat. It will also help support 330 displaced orangutans at the OFI Care Center, a non-profit founded in 1986 by Dr. Birute Mary Galdikas, that is dedicated to the conservation of wild orangutans and their habitat. — Global Animal
(ANIMAL NEWS) CHICAGO — The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) voted to restrict most chimpanzee medical research across the country. Only research with no other testing options other than chimpanzees (although we find this one hard to believe) or for life-threatening conditions will be continued. The new guidelines are a step down the path of the European Union, which banned all testing on apes throughout Europe in 2010. Although the new rules are not complete banishment of mistreatment through research, any momentum toward ending chimp cruelty is a win for animal rights. — Global Animal
(GAY PENGUINS) TORONTO — And so ends the tumultuous, celebrity tabloid-esque relationship of Buddy and Pedro, the Toronto Zoo’s wish-upon-a-PR-stars. It appears that after being separated in order to mate with female partners, the gay penguins no longer shared the spark they once had. Read on for more details on how this love, marred in international controversy, took a sharp turn for Splitsville, USA. — Global Animal
(ANIMAL RESCUE) TEXAS — After receiving approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court on Monday, 112 macaques and one baboon will be transferred from a wildlife animal orphanage to a nearby sanctuary. Due to overpopulation and underfunding, the orphanage has exhibited a steady decline since August 2010 and can no longer care for the large number of animals. Read on to learn more about the challenges involved in this difficult yet remarkable transfer. — Global Animal
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