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Tag: animal abuse

  • Michael Vick Faces Protesters At Comedy Event; Can He Ever Redeem Himself?

    New York Jets quarterback Michael Vick went back to his hometown on Saturday in Newport News, Virginia for a football camp. A crowd of people gathered to welcome the 34-year-old athlete.

    James Johnson, a club director who has known Vick since he was a kid said, “I used to tell Mike even when things are going bad, the people down home, they still in your corner. There might be some days where you get booed, but you won’t get booed by nobody down here.”

    Vick was incarcerated for more than 500 days for running a dogfighting ring and lying about it. He was released in 2009. Since then, he has been trying to redeem himself. He helped build a football field in a Philadelphia neighborhood, and launched Christmas and Thanksgiving food drives. He also participates in anti-dog fighting campaigns.

    Michael Vick tries to explain his fascination with dogs

    Though dog fighting is in the football player’s past, some are still protesting. One of the protesters, Rhonda Spataro said, “Michael Vick didn’t just fight dogs. He tortured, drowned, electrocuted, and beat them to death.”

    On Saturday, there were two groups outside The Strand Theatre where the Michael Vick Comedy Explosion took place. On one side were the protesters, and on the other were Vick’s supporters who organized a “Forgiveness Rally”.

    Michael Vick’s protesters and supporters

    Bo Spataro, a protester, said that he’s not yet ready to forgive Vick. “I’ve seen nothing from him that shows a deal of remorse. I know he might’ve went to jail and paid some fines, but it doesn’t look like he’s sorry for anything other than getting caught,” he said.

    Comedian Robert Powell defended the football star and said that his dog fighting days are over and all the bad things that happened are in the past. “It’s time to let it go,” he said.

    Amidst all the controversy, Vick has accepted that his career will never be only about football. Many people still hate him for his past, and there is even a petition seeking to ban him from the Jets training camp.

    “How can I try to win over everybody in this world? Even if I didn’t go through what I went through, some people probably still wouldn’t like me for whatever reason,” said Vick.

    Despite Vick’s past, he’s still seen as a hero by many. Little boys were chanting his name over and over on Saturday, and his fans approached him to sign their jerseys and shirts.

    Image via YouTube

  • More Humane Slaughter Of Chickens?

    More Humane Slaughter Of Chickens?

    The words slaughter and humane do not coincide. Perhaps because there isn’t such a thing as humane slaughter – it is just another word for killing.

    Were the Jews that were slaughtered by the millions during the holocaust killed humanely?

    Many spiritual leaders in our history and today believe that killing, in any sense, is wrong.

    But, for the billions of people who still eat these wonderful creatures, animal welfare groups feel that the methods in which chickens are slaughtered could be kinder and less barbaric.

    Today in the U.S. there are approximately 22.9 million vegetarians, and some two-million vegans, (strict vegetarians) primarily because they strongly disagree with the methods used to kill animals for food.

    Chickens are the most abused of all animals on our planet, mostly because they are the slaughtered in the largest numbers. In the U.S. alone, seven billion (7,000,000,000) chickens are killed for their flesh each year. In the world, 23-27 million chickens are killed every single day.

    More chickens are raised and killed for food than all other land animals combined, and sadly, there is not a single federal law that protects chickens from abuse—even though two-thirds of Americans say that they would support such a law.

    For this reason, and other cruel acts that take place in factory farms and slaughterhouses, the Animals Welfare Institute and Farm Sanctuary are joining foces to urge the Obama administration to improve the treatment of poultry at slaughterhouses. They are citing statistics that show hundreds of thousands of chickens being accidentally dropped into scalding tanks every year – alive.

    These are animals that have the same desire to live as human animals. They fight with every fiber of their being to avoid pain and death, just as a human being would. Because they are sensitive, warm blooded animals who feel fear, pain and suffering, they should be acknowledged as living beings – not as the industry treats them – as mere commodities.

    They start their lives in a dark, filthy, ammonia filled room, and never have the chance to do anything that is natural or important to them. A baby chick on a factory farm will never be allowed contact with his or her parents, let alone be raised by them. These chickens are deprived of the chance to take dust baths, feel the sun on their backs, breathe fresh air, roost in trees, or build nests.

    “I was almost knocked to the ground by the overpowering smell of feces and ammonia. My eyes burned and so did my lungs, and I could neither see nor breathe….There must have been thirty thousand chickens sitting silently on the floor in front of me. They didn’t move, didn’t cluck. They were almost like statues of chickens, living in nearly total darkness, and they would spend every minute of their six-week lives that way,” said Michael Specter of the New Yorker.

    Their lives are a living hell from the time they hatch, until they reach those shackles that take them to their death.

    The world would be a much better place if there were no slaughterhouses or factory farms and everyone was vegetarian. Animal suffering would be eliminated, people would be healthier, and ideally our planet would be a much cleaner, less polluted and happier place to live.

    One of the greatest minds to have lived, Albert Einstein, said “Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Paul McCartney: Elephant Not Rescued After All

    An elephant that was believed to be rescued by ex-Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney, has been found abused in a shack.

    In 2012 McCartney made a trip to India. While on that trip he met Sunder, an elephant that had been abused by his handlers at Jyotiba Temple south of Mumbai. McCartney was so moved by the 14-year-old Sunder that he organized a campaign to rescue the elephant.

    By the time McCartney met Sunder, the elephant had an eye injury, a hole in his ear, and multiple scars all over his body. Sunder had spent six years in the city of Kolhapur at the temple after being donated by a local politician.

    After working and making agreements with the Maharashtra State’s forest department and an Indian government organization called Project Elephant, McCartney believed Sunder would be moved to a sanctuary, but a recent investigation found Sunder living in a shack.

    Not only did an animal rights group investigation find Sunder living in a chicken shack being shackled in chains that were so heavy he couldn’t lay down to sleep, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) captured video of the elephant being beaten by his handlers and looking malnourished. You can see for yourself in the video below.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BOWXPyQiMw

    PETA director of veterinary affairs, Dr. Manilal Valliyate said Sunder had been seen “writhing in pain and struggling to stand as the mahout (handler) strikes him repeatedly. Sunder visibly recoils in fear from the weapon-wielding mahout, who continues to threaten him with violence after he has stood.”

    The investigation performed by PETA found that the shack Sunder has been confined to is open on three sides, allowing the harsh heat of the sun during the day and the cold wind and weather at night to abuse the elephant. They also found that there is no bedding for Sunder in the shack.

    Image via YouTube.

  • Elephants Escape Circus And Damage Parked Vehicles In Missouri

    Three female elephants escaped from the Moolah Shrine Circus in St. Charles’ Family Arena on Saturday and damaged several vehicles as they traipsed along the parking lot. The elephants escaped from the children’s ride section of the circus; fortunately, there were no children on the elephants at the time.

    Loud noises from the circus audience may have spooked the animals, according to eyewitnesses. Sally Schmiz, one of the eyewitnesses, said that she felt the ground shake, and when she looked up, she saw the three elephants. The huge animals went through trucks, breaking the mirrors and panels off, and damaging windows.

    Karyn Tunnicliff, another witness who was in a car just outside the Family Arena, said that she and her daughter saw people running after the elephants, screaming for the animals to stop. They also saw circus staff trying to run alongside the elephants. Her daughter Allie was able to capture a video of an elephant between cars. Allie also said she saw one of the trainers shout for some treats to lure the elephants with: “We need pretzels!”

    After about 45 minutes, the handlers were able to recapture the elephants and bring them back to their enclosures. In a statement, the Shrine Circus said that the elephants “are now resting comfortably in their compound.” No one was hurt during the incident, and the escapees were given the night off.

    Dennis Burkholder, the spokesperson for the Shriners, said that the parking lot is the private property of the circus and therefore is not accessible to the public. The vehicles parked belong to circus performers and staff. The show was ongoing when the elephants escaped, so the lot was almost empty.

    The Moolah Shrine Circus is a regular event in St. Louis, and had eight performances this year. The proceeds of the annual circus benefit the Moolah Shrine Center and its advocacies for children.

    When Elephants Attack! (graphic)


    Image via YouTube

  • Puppy Doe: Reward Offered in Abuse Case [GRAPHIC]

    Two Facebook groups are working to find the owner of a pit bull puppy that was tortured to death after being given away through Craigslist. The dog was found in a park in Quincy, Massachusetts at the end of August and had so many injuries that it had to be euthanized. The veterinarian who examined the pup said that the torture was the work of a “psychopath.”

    The list of injuries Puppy Doe sustained is horrifying. “They’re a freak, a total freak,” said Dr. Martha Smith-Blackmore, the veterinarian who performed the autopsy. “Splitting her tongue, burning her nose, stabbing her eye, it’s the totality of the types of injuries. Not only was she beaten, she was stabbed [and] she was burned. It’s all kinds of injures. It’s a sick mind that can do this to an animal.”

    The original owner of Puppy Doe said that she is heartbroken over what happened. “The guilt and responsibility I felt–my heart broke. It was my responsibility to find her a good home,” Laura Hankins told The Boston Herald. “The list of things done to her are just so inhuman and so disgusting. She was the sweetest dog.” Hankins purchased the puppy for $200 in December, but after being told she couldn’t have the dog at her rental, she posted the pup on Craigslist.

    The Norfolk County District Attorney wants to pursue charges against the person who abused Puppy Doe. “It is highly unlikely that this level of sadistic cruelty could be shown to one animal and not be part of a pattern involving other animals or perhaps vulnerable people. We need to find the person who did this and see what else they are doing,” said District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey.

    Two groups on Facebook are seeking justice for the pup, and the groups have about 40,000 followers combined. A reward of $18,000 is reportedly being offered to whoever helps in the arrest and prosecution of person who tortured the pup. People who want to join in spreading word about Puppy Doe and finding her abuser can join Justice for Puppy Doe (1) or Justice for Puppy Doe (2).

    A petition has been started to change state laws to ban giving away animals on Craigslist. The petition, called “Justice for Puppy Doe: BAN the rehoming of pets on Craigslist,” wants to make sure no more pets are harmed because they were “dumped on Craigslist.” The petition currently has 30,000 signatures and will be sent to Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster after it receives 50,000 signatures of support.

    People who have any information on the case should contact the Animal Rescue League of Boston at 617-226-5610.

    Main image via Facebook; Article image via The Huffington Post

  • Vine Cat-Kicker Arrested, Charged with Cruelty to Animals

    A viral animal abuse video has led to an arrest, and the perpetrator faces a maximum of 60 days in jail on a charge of cruelty to animals.

    17-year-old Walter Easley will be back in court on September 12th to face charges after a Vine video that shows Easley kicking a cat went viral with the help of 4chan, reddit, and plenty of news outlets.

    “Look at this goddamn cat on my porch. Get the f*ck off my porch,” said Walter Easley before kicking a kitten off his porch and into his yard.

    According to officials, the small cat shown in the video was found unharmed, and authorities took other animals from the residence into custody.

    After the video went viral, a petition was created on the Care2 petition site, demanding Easley be brought to justice. It has garnered over 3,200 signatures.

    “Please bring this scum to justice,” said the petitioner. “Part of me is glad he posted that original Vine, it makes finding creatures like him a lot easier. I’m even gladder he’s dumb enough to publicly post what state he’s in!”

    Easley quickly deleted the Vine and protected his Twitter account as soon as things started to take a turn, but there were plenty of GIFs and YouTube videos of the Vine around for angry animal lovers to scour. You know, you can’t really ever delete anything from the internet.

    Apparently, Easley has provided a pretty weak defense for his cat-kicking.

    From the Times and Democrat:

    According to an Orangeburg County incident report, the youth said the video had been edited. He said in reality, “he did not actually kick the cat as hard as it appears on the video.” He claimed he only tossed the cat into the air with his foot rather than kicking it.

    When the officers asked how the cat “ended up airborne and flipping through the air,” the youth said he “did throw the cat off the porch to make it look like he kicked it for the video.”

    I’m not sure throwing a cat off a porch is going to endear Mr. Easley to many animals lovers either. Rule #1 of the internet: don’t mess with cats, dude.

  • Guy Kicks Cat on Vine, Infuriates the Internet

    Guy Kicks Cat on Vine, Infuriates the Internet

    “Look at this goddamn cat on my porch. Get the f*ck off my porch,” said Walter Easley moments before kicking a kitten off his porch and into his yard.

    He then posted a video of the incident on Vine. After the video drew the attention of 4chan and reddit, Easley found himself at the center of an internet justice mob.

    The original Vine post has been deleted, but of course it hasn’t been purged from the internet. Remember, once you upload something to any social network, there really aren’t any take backsies.

    But before it was deleted, it spread like wildfire on Vine. The Vine, actually posted over a week ago, didn’t really receive any attention until it was picked up by 4chan and eventually reddit’s r/rage subreddit.

    “Looks like he’s getting a lot of negative feedback on the app in case anyone was wondering. Nearly 1,000 comments and 3,000 revines, everyone is pissed,” said one redditor.

    “I don’t understand people who do this and post it online. Doesn’t he know people online are obsessed with pets, and cats in particular? That people who abuse animals are mercilessly hunted down and doxed?” says another redditor.

    And it’s probably that – the whole doxing thing – that led to the original post being removed from both reddit and 4chan’s boards. It’s likely that redditors began the chants for internet justice and things got a bit out of control. Rule #1 (literally, it’s rule #1) on r/rage (and most reddit subreddits) is that you can’t post personal information. When a comment thread has been decimated to the level that this one has, you know that’s likely what happened.

    You can see another post and subsequent comments here.

    Don’t abuse animals. Don’t kick cats. Don’t kick cats and then post the video of it to Vine. You know what, forget Vine. Just don’t kick cats, prick.

  • Woman Burns Dog Alive, Brags About It on Facebook

    [WARNING: Graphic images of animal abuse below]

    In what the St. Louis, Missouri Animal Cruelty Task Force is calling one of the most notorious animal cruelty cases in its history, a woman has been charged with felony animal abuse and “knowingly burning” after she allegedly chained a dog up, set it on fire, and bragged about it on Facebook.

    The incident occurred a couple of weeks ago when terrible human being Adrienne Martin tied her sister’s dog Brownie to a “short, heavy chain” and proceeded to light its face and body on fire. The Stray Rescue organization in St. Louis rescued to dog on July 10th, but the injuries were too severe and Brownie eventually succumbed to them.

    “This is one of the most disturbing abuse cases I have ever dealt with,” said Founder of Stray Rescue Randy Grim. “It has stricken our community to the core of our hearts, but I am inspired by how swiftly we have been able to respond to these awful cases. Brownie deserves justice.”

    Here are the Facebook posts that help lead police in Martin’s direction. They were posted publicly and are still visible today:

    (image)

    She later posted:

    MF’s is killing me about this stupid dog ….keep it real…you didn’t take care nor like or love the MF…on the TV str8 lies …?#?laughingeveryday?….stop bitch..

    After initially denying her involvement in the dog’s death, terrible human being Adrienne Martin eventually confessed, according to a probable cause statement just filed by the Circuit Attorney’s Office.

    “We see a ton of abuse cases, far too many, but the way in which Brownie suffered really struck a nerve with everyone,” said Grim. “Our community is sick and tired of these horrific crimes, and animal abusers everywhere need to know their crimes won’t be tolerated and you will be arrested.”

    (image)

    (image)

    Martin claimed that the dog had bit her son the day before, a bite that forced him to seek medical attention.

    A few days ago, terrible human being Adrienne Martin posted on Facebook that she was “feeling sensitive today” and had the “jailhouseblues.com.” I’m sure there are plenty of people out there who wouldn’t be too upset to see her rot in jail and gain a little more sensitivity. Or maybe a goddamned heart.

  • Animal Rights Group Posts New Butterball Turkey Abuse Investigation Video To YouTube

    Animals rights group Mercy For Animals has uploaded a new investigation video to YouTube claiming to show recent turkey abuse at Butterball factory farms.

    Last year, YouTube banned a video from the group, which featured hidden camera footage of workers for the E6 Cattle company mistreating calves. It was definitely hard to watch, but the group told us YouTube had deemed the video a “gross out” video, intended to be shocking, sensational or disrespectful, when in fact it was presented as an investigative report.

    The group wrote a letter to YouTube about it, and and was able to get the video reinstated. A YouTube spokesperson told us at the time, “With the massive volume of videos on our site, sometimes we make the wrong call. When it’s brought to our attention that a video has been removed mistakenly, we act quickly to reinstate it.”

    The video, which comes with a warning from Mercy For Animals itself, is still on YouTube to this day, and actually led to criminal charges.

    Now, Mercy For Animals says it has uncovered another animal abuse story, having to do with turkeys, and once again has taken to YouTube to spread the word in time for the Thanksgiving holiday:

    “In its second investigation into Butterball in less than a year, Mercy For Animals has again uncovered abuse and neglect of turkeys at the world’s largest producer of turkey meat, as the nation plans Thanksgiving dinner,” a spokesperson for the group tells WebProNews.

    “The undercover investigator once again documented workers kicking and stomping on birds, the slow suffering of birds denied veterinary attention, among other abuses,” he adds. “It is obvious from the footage that Butterball has not cleaned up its act despite paying lip service to the public (and media) about its ‘zero tolerance policy’ toward animal mistreatment.

    We’ve reached out to Butterball for comment, and will update if we receive a response.

    Update: We have received the following statement from a Butterball spokesperson:

    Butterball is aware of the video released today by Mercy for Animals, and we take any allegations of animal mistreatment very seriously. As has been our long-standing policy, we have a zero tolerance policy for animal abuse. Any employee found to have violated our animal care and well-being guidelines, as well as any employee who witnessed abuse and failed to report it, will be terminated. Butterball’s guidelines are based on guidelines developed by the National Turkey Federation that have been approved by animal well-being experts including Dr. Joy Mench at University of California at Davis, Dr. Janice Swanson from Michigan State University and Dr. Gail Golab at the American Veterinary Medical Association, among others.

    When we learn of any instances of animal mistreatment, we take immediate corrective action to suspend workers involved, conduct a swift investigation and terminate their employment with the company. Upon learning of these new concerns, we immediately initiated an internal investigation and suspended the associates in question. Pending the completion of that investigation, Butterball will then make a determination on additional actions including immediate termination for those involved.

    Animal care and well-being is central to the operations of our company, and we remain committed to the ethical and responsible care of our turkey flocks.

  • Man Smacks Girlfriend Around with Her Dead Dog’s Carcass

    When it comes to tales of domestic violence, I’ve heard all sorts. In the heat of the moment, people will grab just about anything to use as a weapon, including objects that seem a little ridiculous. People have smacked one another with beer bottles, pizzas boxes, and various household appliances, though nothing comes remotely close to matching the pure insanity of what transpired in Sandy Springs, Georgia on Monday. Those with weak stomachs and a low tolerance for articles about animal cruelty should probably jump ship now.

    According to police reports, 27 year-old Emmanuel Alfredo Tadeo and his 40 year-old girlfriend Andrea Armintrout were having a disagreement about one thing or another, which is per usual when you’re in a relationship with someone who’s clearly unstable. Arguments are going to happen. However, once things escalated out of control, Emmanuel decided to take things one step over the proverbial line. Instead of hashing things out in a civilized manner, Tadeo took Armintrout’s Pomeranian outside and proceeded to kick the dog repeatedly.

    Horrified, Andrea snatched her battered canine and took it back inside. Emmanuel, clearly unfulfilled, followed his girlfriend back inside, snatched it from her arms, and continued to kick the poor little thing profusely. Unfortunately, his disgusting, degenerate behavior didn’t end there. For whatever reason — one can only imagine the sort of things that go on inside the mind of someone like this — Tadeo picked up the dog’s still-warm corpse and proceeded to beat his girlfriend with it. So not only did Andrea have to watch as her pet was destroyed by a psychopath, she also had to endure being assaulted with its carcass. Unbelievable.

    Oddly, Armintrout was booked on obstruction charges since she was unwilling to cooperate with investigators. Additionally, she claimed she was never really fond of the dog in the first place, which adds yet another of deep-fried sleaze to this foul little tale of domestic abuse. Both individuals were locked away in the Fulton County Jail as of Monday night, though I’m sure they’ll be able to roam about freely within a short amount of time. Lucky us.

    [h/t: Dreamin Demon]