Petition Tag - pet

PROTECT THE ACCESS TO RECREATIONAL K-9 SPACES

On May 30th, 1997, we purchased a kennel with acquired rights to offer boarding and grooming services to domestic animals. Back then, we had no neighbours.

At the time, the City of Vaudreuil-Dorion had provided in their by-law a protection barrier of 528 feet (160 metres) between kennels and neighbouring houses. In 2003, a building permit was issued for a house which is now within that barrier at 428 feet (129 metres).

On August 29th, 2012, the City of Vaudreuil-Dorion has registered a request before the Superior Court to ask a judge to order us to dismantle all of our outdoor dog enclosures because by using them as part of our daily activities to let the dogs out, we are contravening to the article 1.6.5.1 of their by-law 1275 which stipulates: "all animals must be kept inside a building that was meant to house them"

By asking us to keep the dogs inside 24 hours a day, the City is forcing us to commit an animal cruelty infraction punishable under the P-42 Act witch was put in place in June 2012 by the M.A.P.A.Q, a higher government entity.

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To introduce a Pet Theft Law.

We want stronger and tougher pet theft legislation to increase the punishment to those involved in the theft of a dog, cat, rabbit, reptile, ferret, bird or horse.
We want pets and horses to be legally regarded as living members of the family and not as objects or property.

We want to see pet theft punishment set somewhere between kidnapping and the theft of property or an object. The personal value of a pet is much higher than its saleable value and the law needs to reflect this.

We want a mandatory prison sentence punishment for anyone who steals pets with the purpose of extracting a ransom, or seeking reward for the safe return of those animals, or with the intention of harming it or with the intention of not returning it to its rightful owner.

We want police and courts to have tougher and stronger powers and to prioritise the theft of pets over the theft of objects.

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Currently, over 4 million pets are euthanized annually due to pet overpopulation.

With a spay/neuter law in place, not only would the number of homeless pets decrease, but there would also be a decreased number of pets suffering from cancer of the reproductive system, as well as a decrease in pet aggression.

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We are against animals being sold in pet stores, such as Pets at Homes or Pet Paradise, because:

- Most animals come from rodent farms, where they live in tiny, dirty accommodation and disease is spread quickly. This is in no way a moral way to breed. See: http://www.brecklagh.com/petshops.html

- Store staff are often untrained and give incorrect, appalling and dangerous advice. This leads to animals being treated badly, which goes against the Animal Welfare Act, the owner's duty: http://animalrights.about.com/od/animallaw/a/AnimalWelfareAct.htm

- People are able to buy animals on the spot without much thought, leaving animals to end up neglected, as the ownerr don't realise the effort they need to put in looking after them, or the animal is not how they expected to be like.

- No home checks are required. The animals can be sold to anyone. It wouldn't be right to let a child be adopted by a random stranger and animals are no different to humans.

- Animals are simply breed for money. There's no research behind genetic problems, which can be fatal for the animal or cause them to have a miserable life.

- Why not RECUSE these animals? Because you are just providing more funds for them to breed and collect more animals in these conditions. It stop it, we need to decrease the demand for them.

- Animals SHOULD come from responsible, trained breeders or rescue centres, who are willing to give home checks to make sure the new owners are fully prepared and loving for their new arrival(s).

- If we don't stop stores from being able to sell live animals, more and more animals will end up neglected, in bad accommodation (due to there being no home check), with genetic problems and not at all content! It's no fair for them to be treated this way as we all aim for equality and peace in this world. We believe this extends to animals, not just humans. We were all created for a purpose and we must love and respect each other, no matter who we are.

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Hasbro closed LPSO a while ago, at December 1st. And we all want LPSO reopened!

Please help me get enough signatures!

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With the demise of BMX racing at Monroe Crossings park, the fenced area that contained the track is available for use. The city has spent $12,500 for the fencing and is now removing the dirt hills to flatten the 2 acre space.

Several people, including Public Works, have approached us, a local non-profit animal welfare organization, to gauge interest in reusing this for a dog park, MonRover Park, & form a committee.

Some residents of the adjacent subdivision are currently using this fenced area as an unofficial off leash park for their pets. The nearest dog park is Wiggly Field, 12 miles south at VOA in West Chester.

Dog parks are a popular amenity that offer diversity, year round use, low maintenance, and attract profitable animal related events to the city. Portions can be leased to dog training clubs, host agility events & offer room to exercise working animals such as canine officers & therapy dogs.

The most expensive requirement for a dog park is the land & fence - the former BMX track offers both, along with a picnic table & fenced bleacher area. There is also a large paved parking lot, restroom/concession area & state of the art playground equipment & multi acre soccer fields. Basic items that are needed is additional fencing to separate small dogs from the large dogs, a double gated entry, signage, some bench’s & landscape items such as trees.

Funding would be attained via a combination of major sponsorship, corporate & private donations, fundraising & assorted grants. Just last year, Nutro Foods gave away $500,000 for the development of a dog park.

We have held our first committee meeting & have interest from the community.

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The issue of urban foxes needs to be addressed sensibly, not sentimentally. Urban foxes have no control predator, so their numbers and the nuisance associated with them has increased steadily over the last decade or two.

A 27-pound, 4-foot-long fox was recently killed in one town after killing a cat. Some 34,000 urban foxes live in Britain, foxes often carry fleas and can easily pass on diseases such as distemper, mange and scabies.

12:01AM GMT 06 Feb 2005
Urban foxes are attacking and killing pet cats because they are struggling to find enough food to eat in British towns and cities. Cat owners have reported an increasing number of attacks and pest control specialists say that the use of wheelie bins, rather than bin bags, for rubbish disposal is partly to blame because it has deprived many foxes of an easy source of food.

Gordon Manson, a pest controller from Balerno, near Edinburgh, says that the number of fox-related calls he receives has doubled. "The population has got out of hand and because of wheelie bins they are no longer able to find their regular supply of food," he said.

"Now they are moving on to pets. I have done jobs where I have turned up to find a cat's head in the garden. I've had about 40 to 60 calls from people bothered by foxes over the past year and usually it is more like 20 to 30."

Janet MacPhail, a 57-year-old nurse from Edinburgh, was recently woken in the night by screams coming from her garden. "We found a pack of six foxes attacking our cat, Clover. We managed to chase the foxes away, but she was badly mauled and had one eye missing, so we were forced to put her down.

"We feel that foxes are a pest and steps should be taken to keep them under control, but we spoke with the our local council who told us they had no policy on controlling urban foxes," she said.

Mike Hall, a veterinary surgeon at the Braid Veterinary Hospital where Clover was put down, said that he was dealing with a growing number of cats with fox-related injuries. "We have been seeing more examples of cats with fox bites recently, whereas 10 years ago it was unheard of," he said.

"I had one client who woke early one morning to find a fox chasing her cat around the dining room, having got in through the catflap. Foxes are becoming braver in what they will look for as prey."

Bob Drinkwater, a community centre manager from Stamford Hill, north London, recently saved Mica, his tabby cat, from a vicious fox attack. "Luckily I managed to frighten the fox off, but it had taken a large bite out of Mica's back legs, for which she needed stitches and anti-biotics. I had always heard that foxes don't attack cats, but clearly they do and need to be kept under control."Kevin Stanley, a chef from Bexleyheath in Kent, who saw his cat being killed by two foxes, called for a cull. "Urban foxes should be exterminated and I would support any humane way of getting rid of them.

It won't be long before a tragedy involving a child occurs because foxes are so daring now," he said. The Countryside Alliance also called for stricter controls on the fox population. A spokesman said: "Now the fox is also an urban force, more must be done to ensure the population does not spiral out of control, because the impact on pets would be severe."

A spokesman for the Cats Protection League said its members were increasingly concerned about fox attacks on their pets. "While we still consider cars to be a greater threat, we are taking more calls from members who are worried about fox attacks," she said. "Our advice is to make sure cats are kept indoors at night."Out of a total fox population of 240,000, approximately 35,000 animals are urban foxes.

Attacks on humans:
• On 26 June 2002, a fox attacked a 14-week-old boy in Dartford, Kent, UK, grabbing the child's head and attempting to drag him outside before being chased off by the boy's parents.
• In June 2010, an urban fox entered a family home in London, UK, and attacked twin baby girls, who were sleeping in their cots.
• In October 2010, it was alleged in the press that a fox bit off the nose and 2½ fingers of a comatose 37-year-old man in Inveresk, East Lothian, UK.

Foxes are canids and one of their behaviours is to catch, kill and store food In recent years the Urban Fox population has spiralled out of control. Their numbers have increased because of the amount of food readily available to them: fast food thrown on the street, people feeding them, rubbish left out, etc. They breed rapidly because of the amount of food available and many more cubs survive to grow up and breed. More and more reports from vets say that cats and small dogs are also being attacked by foxes.

Foxes have become increasingly vicious, fearless and aggressive and are no longer scared of dogs. They are now a common sight in broad daylight. In almost any city or town all over the country you see foxes running up and down the pavements all day and night long.

In many towns and cities, especially London,  it has been estimated that there are between 20 and 30 foxes per square mile. In the country, a single fox might have a territory of at least 2 square miles.

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At present, there is compulsory quarantine for all pets entering Australia, from 1 month to 6 months depending on where the animal is coming from. There are also some countries from which animals must complete 6 months quarantine in another country before being allowed to do some quarantine in Australia.

Apart from the fact that quarantine is exorbitantly expensive it is also considered inhumane in many countries, particularly when pets are coming from countries that do not have rabies or vaccination rules that are equally stringent to Australia.

Europe introduced the PETS program which allows pets from most countries in Europe and a large number or non European countries (including Australia) to move freely around Continental Europe and the UK without any quarantine.

Animals face an extremely long and stressful flight from other countries to Australia and are then expected to stay in a concrete floored barred cell for at least one month rather than experiencing the comfort of being with their families. It is true that families are allowed to visit their pets, but quarantine places are usually in distant locations with their permitted visiting hours usually only during working hours, when presumably pet owners will be at work.

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The proposed ordinance is to promote the health, safety and welfare of the public and local pet population by reducing the number of unwanted dogs and cats entering the Dane County Humane Society and local dog rescues, and surrounding community shelters and rescues.

The citizens request that Dane County adopt more aggressive pet overpopulation control measures and protect the well being and welfare of all animals, and be a model, progressive county in which other counties in Wisconsin and across the country can emulate.

The citizens of Dane County recognize that the overpopulation of dogs and cats is exacerbated by the reckless breeding of dogs and cats for the sole purpose of profit over animal welfare. Implementing regulations relating to the retail sale of these animals will decrease the number of animals entering the Dane County Humane Society as well as other shelters and rescues in adjoining communities.

The Proposed Ordinance is as follows:

Sale of Dogs and Cats at Retail Stores
Sale of Non-Shelter-Obtained Animals Prohibited

Definitions.

a. “Companion Animal” means any nonhuman animal owned, possessed by, cared for, or controlled by a person, who is treated by that person or another as a pet companion, or member of the family.

b. “Companion Animal Store” means any retail establishment open to the public that sells or transfers, or offers for sale or transfer, companion animals. A person who sells or transfers only companion animals that were bred and raised directly by that person, shall be considered a companion animal breeder and not a companion animal store.

c. “Animal shelter" means a municipal animal shelter or duly incorporated nonprofit organization devoted to the rescue, care and adoption of stray, abandoned or surrendered animals and which does not breed animals.

d. “Certificate of source" means a document declaring the source of the companion animal sold or transferred, or offered for sale or transfer by the companion animal store. The certificate shall include the name and address of the source of the companion animal and shall be signed by both the companion animal store certifying the accuracy of the certificate, and by the purchaser or transferee of the companion animal acknowledging receipt of the certificate.

II. Sale or transfer of dogs and cats.
No companion animal store shall sell or transfer, or offer for sale or transfer, any dog or cat, unless the animal has been obtained by the companion animal store from an animal shelter or animal rescue organization.

III. Certificate of source.
A companion animal store shall post and maintain in a conspicuous place, on or within three feet of each animal's kennel, cage or enclosure, a certificate of source for each dog or cat offered for sale or transfer, and shall provide a copy of such certificate to the purchaser or transferee of any dog or cat sold or transferred.

IV. Violations; enforcement damages.

a. Any person who commits an act in violation of this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor and may be prosecuted for such violation pursuant to Section *** of this code. Alternatively, a violation of this chapter may be charged as an infraction pursuant to Section *** of this code in which case, upon conviction, the person shall be punishable as provided in Section *** of this code.

b. The city may initiate a civil action in any court of competent jurisdiction to enjoin any violation of this chapter.

c. A companion animal store found to have falsified a certificate of source shall pay $2,500 in damages to each recipient of such falsified certificate.

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Do do a very stupid rule Animal Tracks are to be evicted from their shop on North Seaton Industrial Estate, Ashington, Northumberland, United Kinkgdom.

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/home.php?sk=group_116973955031835&ap=1

Animal Tracks is a wonderful business with very friendly and helpful staff and parking is free, plentiful and close to the shop. It is perfect for customers particularly the elderly, infirm and disabled. I myself am still recovering from cancer treatment and have to buy bulky items for my pets. Particularly sand and filter equipment for the turtles (see the picture section of the group), I like to buy in bulk because of cost savings but would not be able to if the parking was not so convenient.

There is also a nice bakery on the estate which means going to the pet shop is a little outing followed by a picnic lunch.

The variety of animals on view at Animal Tracks is amazing and make it a pleasure to visit. If it was stuck on a high street with limited or no parking this would no longer be the case.

I believe from talking to the owners that they received money in grants from Wansbeck Council and Go Wansbeck. What a waste of public money if they are force to move (or close) especially in this economic climate.

Surely all planning consents etc were passed BEFORE any grants were awarded, and if they were given in error then the council should just bit the bullet and learn from experience rather than damage a successful small business.


The rates etc are much higher in the area the council want to move them so to survive Animal Tracks would have to lose staff and even then the move could put them out of business.

This is a very important shop, many a pet store has fallen under economic strain over the years - DO NO LET US LOSE THIS ONE. PLEASE JOIN and SUPPORT US.

Membership lists will be used as a protest to the council.

Many Thanks.

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Σκοπός είναι να πείσουμε τους ιδιοκτήτες των pet shop που εμπορεύονται ζώα, να σταματήσουν το εμπόριο ζώων γιατί τα ζώα μας τα αγοράζουμε αποκλειστικά από εκτροφείς ή υιοθετούμε αδέσποτα.

Στόχος: 1.000.000 υπογραφές μέχρι τον Σεπτέμβριο 2010.

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我們是一班愛護動物， 為了爭取公屋名正言順養狗的群組。

由於房署已開始對飼養寵物之主户進行扣分,
各位愛護動物人士,不論是住公屋/居屋/私人樓宇，
請求團結一致, 要求房署因應時代改變作出合理安排，放寬
有關飼養寵物條文!

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Most puppies and kittens are sold in pet shops are bred in 'mills' where dogs and cats are kept in sub-standard conditions and continually bred until they die. However there are also bred at home in the suburbs where there are no controls.

Cute puppies and kittens are sold or given to friends without the necessary vet inspection or the necessary de-sexing for control. The animals are then dumped when people realise the time, cost and responsibility of caring for a pet.

RSPCA statistics show that in 93-94 - 43,762 dogs were received and 50% were euthanased, 42,126 cats were received and 74% were euthanased. In 96-97 - 69,956 dogs were received and 48% were euthanased, 62,163 cats were received and 75% were euthanased. And this figure is at least doubled when the many overcrowded animal shelters all over Australia are factored in to the equation.

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Ricerca sul Cancro: Cure e Tecnologie, basate su solide basi scientifiche, attendono da anni di essere prese in considerazione e finanziate. Non vogliamo più che avvengano sprechi di denaro a danno dei pazienti com’è accaduto al CERN a febbr 2010.

Negli ultimi 50 anni non si sono registrati risultati significativi nella riduzione della mortalita’ prematura da cancro, nonostante gli ingenti costi sostenuti: 741 miliardi di dollari all’anno nei 38 paesi piu’ industrializzati del mondo di cui l’ Italia fa parte, equivalenti ad un costo che incide nelle tasche di ognuno di noi per 500 euro all’anno.

Cure e Tecnologie basate su solide argomentazioni scientifiche che hanno grande potenziale di ridurre la mortalità prematura da cancro, attendono, da molti anni, di essere prese in considerazione e finanziate.
Vorremmo poter essere certi che chi gestisce la ricerca adotti procedure scientifiche per scegliere i progetti che offrono maggiori potenzialita’ per la riduzione della mortalità prematura da cancro, invece risulta che il CERN, che dovrebbe garantire la massima serietà e rigore scientifico a tutela della nostra salute, recentemente, in occasione del Workshop sulla “Fisica per la Salute” per la ricerca sul cancro, il 3 febbraio 2010, abbia premiato il progetto Axial-PET che non e’ un progetto sul cancro, come ha dichiarato il giorno prima dell’assegnazione del premio lo stesso responsabile del progetto vincitore. (Vedi il video a: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1AUpfN7cFU).

Da un semplice calcolo geometrico comprensibile a tutti risulta che l’efficienza del progetto Axial-PET e’ notevolmente inferiore rispetto alla gia’ scarsa efficienza delle apparecchiature PET attualmente in uso essendo ridotta fino all’8,7%, a fronte di un notevole aumento dei costi, nonche’ della necessita’ di somministrare maggiori dosi radioattive al paziente. Il peggioramento in efficienza dell’Axial-PET rispetto alla PET attuale lo rende ancor meno adatto alla diagnosi precoce. Ha ragione quindi il responsabile del progetto vincitore ad affermare che il suo non e’ un progetto per la ricerca sul cancro.

Avendo pero’ ricevuto il primo premio presso il CERN, da tutti riconosciuto come l’istituto piu’ prestigioso nella fisica delle particelle, l’associazione Madame Curie ed altri donatori l’hanno considerato come il progetto migliore per la ricerca sul cancro e gli hanno assegnato i fondi, sottraendoli ad altri progetti che invece hanno molte piu’ potenzialita’ di ridurre la mortalità prematura da cancro, per esempio il progetto 3D-CBS, che ha un’efficienza del 40.000% rispetto alla PET attuale ed e’ percio’ in grado di permettere la diagnosi precoce riducendo la dose radioattiva somministrata al paziente. (Il 3D-CBS, oltre che alla diagnosi precoce su pazienti asintomatici, e’ di estrema utilita’ per il malato di cancro che ha la necessità di essere monitorato, con grande precisione, per rilevare tempestivamente il minimo risveglio del metabolismo anomalo e per ottimizzare la cura, con la minor dose possibile di radiazione).

La ragione per cui il costo del cancro continua ad aumentare senza risultati significativi nella riduzione della mortalita’ e’ dovuta soprattutto al fatto che i centri di ricerca piu’ prestigiosi, come il CERN, non adottano procedure scientifiche nell’identificare e premiare i progetti che offrono maggiori potenzialità di fornire risultati in termini di riduzione della mortalita’ da cancro.

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Do you know someone who has died or is dying from cancer? Many, too many… one every 5 seconds, dies prematurely from cancer in the world (six million per year), more than any war or disease.

Did you know that cancer costs have now reached $741 billion per year in the 38 most industrialized countries in the world, or about $750 per year per person? And yet, even with the 100 times cost increase over the past 50 years, there has been no significant reduction in the cancer death rate (a mere 5% for cancer, while for heart disease the reduction is 64%).

Worst of all researchers and decision makers are not being held accountable by providing the public with at least an estimate of the projected reduction of the cancer death rate from their project before they are assigned money from tax payers or charitable contributions.

The need for change in the direction of cancer research is evident from the fact that countries that do not make such huge investments have similar death rates. This demonstrates that most of your money is being thrown out the window.

Let’s do our part to let them know that we are very concerned about this lack of progress.

If you would like cancer research to lead to a quicker solution, sign this petition asking that researchers simply estimate results and compare them to those of other proposed solutions in an open, peer-reviewed process.

Thank you.

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ELMBRIDGE COUNCIL ARE PROPOSING A DOG CONTROL ORDER, TO ENSURE ALL DOGS ARE WALKED ON LEADS IN ALL OPEN SPACES AND NO MORE THAN 3 DOGS PER PERSON. THIS INCLUDES PARKS AND WOODS AND COMMON LAND.

This was apparently first discussed at a Cabinet meeting on the 1st April 2009 and we now only have until 30th November 2009 in which to register our complaints.

(We also urge you to log onto www.elmbridge.gov.uk and go to the Dog Control Orders and complete the online questionnaire. You can also write to Elmbridge Council at Civic Centre, High Street, Esher, KT10 9SD or ring the council and ask for a questionnaire to be sent.)

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Everyone knows there is no such thing as a bad dog ... only a bad owner.

Blame the deed not the Breed!

Pit bulls are not any more dangerous than any other dog.

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Dog Beaxhes are fun for you and your dog! It gives them a new experience and tires them out quickly. They will also get in interact with other dogs and learn new skills!

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This petition, supported by the undersigned, is directed to the Mayor, City Council and Park Officials of Erie, Pennsylvania. Its goal is to support the construction of an enclosed, off-leash dog park in a centralized, convenient location within the city limits. A full proposal is currently being developed that will be presented to the city along with this petition.

This park would be a designated area where well-behaved canine citizens can exercise and have fun in a clean, safe environment. We want to create a beautiful, well-maintained space open to all dog lovers and friends who will be willing to uphold the park’s rules and restrictions. This park will be designed to satisfy the needs of dog-owners and non-dog owners alike. We aim for this park to be a community project, supported in part by volunteer dog-owners and maintained in partnership with the City of Erie.

In many cities, dog parks are very common. You can view the list of dog parks in each city and state by visiting this website: www.dogparkusa.com. However, there are no public dog parks anywhere near Erie! The large number and success of dog parks all over the country demonstrate that when a group of concerned and responsible dog owners work together for a leash-free dog park, not only can this concept work but it can thrive and enrich the community.

Therefore, we are asking the City of Erie to allow the construction of a dog park for the following reasons:

- There isn’t a single public dog park in our entire county to accommodate safe, off-leash dog activities.

- Such a park would allow families with dogs to spend more quality time with their pets.

- Such a park would reduce angst between dog owners, non-owners, police and park authorities regarding dog access to other city parks.

- This park would increase opportunities for residents to interact with their neighbors and help create a sense of community.

- Many dogs need exercise above and beyond human limitations; furthermore, many dog owners do not have a yard where their dogs can spend time outside, and leashes greatly limit the dog’s space and pace.

- Socializing dogs is very beneficial to the community, since it makes them less skittish and can mitigate aggressive behavior when meeting other dogs and people.

- Regular exercise is great for any dog's longevity and weight control, and the overall effect of regular exercise makes most dogs calmer and better behaved.

Please help us create a dedicated space that allows our dogs to have a place to run and enjoy their beautiful city!

If you would like to be involved in our efforts, you can email hc_k{at}yahoo.com. We can update you on our next steps and see how you may be able to help out.

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Petition to stop eradication of American Pit Bull Terriers and other breeds of dog due to Breed Specific Legislation (B.S.L.), A law unfairly targetting all responsible owners.

An owners understanding of dogs, supervision of dogs and children, sterilization and chaining as primary means of confinement all can play roles in attacks.

Aggressive dogs are found among any breed and cross breed.

B.S.L. is prejudicial in nature. It punishes dogs and owners who have done nothing wrong. It is discriminatory against people who choose to own a specific breed.

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I've recently watched Earthlings and came up with the idea to do a petition to make meat illegal as we think that would solve the world's problems including global exploitation and abuse of animals for pet, food, hunting, clothing industries, animal experimentation, species extinction, world hunger and war.

Would you be interested in working on this with us?

Peace,
x

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Petition for a Dog Park in Burleson Texas

"To establish a fenced in, off-leash dog park where well-behaved canine citizens can exercise in a clean, safe environment without endangering or annoying people, property or wildlife. To develop a beautiful, well-maintained space open to all dog lovers and friends who are willing to uphold the park's rules and restrictions. To view this park as a community project, in partnership with the City of Burleson, Texas, designed to satisfy the needs of dog-owners and non-dog owners alike."

To: the Burleson City Mayor and City Council and the Burleson Park Officials

This petition, supported by the undersigned, is directed to the Burleson City Mayor and City Council and the Burleson Park Officials , and other interested City Officials. Its goal is to support the construction of an enclosed 5 to 6 acre dog park in a centralized, convenient location within the city limits of Burleson, Texas.

Burleson city ordinance mandates dogs be kept on a leash in public areas for the protection of fellow residents, as well as the dogs themselves. As you are aware, several dog parks, such as Fort Woof Dog Park in Fort Worth, Tails 'N Trails Dog Park in Arlington, Village at Bear Creek Dog Park in Euless, Boo Boo's Buddies Dog Park in Southlake, Central Bark in Grand Prairie have been constructed over the years to provide safe places for dogs to gather and play legally "off-leash".

Unfortunately, there is not one of these dog parks in Burleson, where numerous people walk their dogs.

Therefore, we are asking the City of Burleson to construct a 5 to 6 acre dog park for the following reasons:
+ There is not a facility in our area (similar to those mentioned above) to accommodate safe, “off-leash” activity
+ Such a facility would resolve the ongoing angst between dog owners, non-owners, police and park authorities regarding dog access to other city parks
+ Many dogs need exercise over and above human limitations; leashes limit the dog’s space and pace
+ Socializing dogs is very beneficial to the community, since it makes them less skittish and mitigates aggressive behavior when meeting other dogs and people
+ The cardiovascular effect is great for the dog's longevity and weight control, and the overall effect makes most dogs calmer and better behaved
+ This facility would increase opportunities for residents to interact with their neighbors and help create a sense of community.

An ideal location for the dog park should include trees, shaded areas, park benches and shaded tables for human interaction. It should be a grassy area that also includes doggy drinking water fountains and misters for cooling off. Several dog waste station cans should be conveniently located to encourage owners to clean up after their dogs. There should be 1 acre designated for dogs under 35lbs, 3 to 4 acres designated for dogs 35lbs to 100lbs and 1 acre should be designated for dogs over 100lbs.

The Burleson Parks Department will be responsible for the regular maintenence as with any other park. There will be an emergency entrance for Emergency vehicles.

Dog owners understand and will obey the following Rules & Regulations outlined by the City of Burleson:
* Owners are legally responsible for their dogs and any injuries caused by their dogs
* Owners must remain within the fenced area at all times
* Dogs must be leashed prior to entering and upon leaving the area. Gates to the area must remain closed
* Owners must clean up after their dogs. Failure to do so can result in a fine up to $500
* No food, treats or favorite toys to avoid possible fights.
* Dogs with a known history of, or who exhibit, dangerous behavior are prohibited
* Dogs must be healthy, fully immunized, de-wormed, and wearing ID tags and Rabies tags
* An adult must accompany children under 13; young children must be closely supervised
* Puppies under four months old, and female dogs in heat are prohibited
* Dogs must be watched at all times.
* Cooperation between dog owners is essential
* (additional rules may be added as needed)

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Each year more than 33,000 rabbits are handed over to shelters because their owners can’t or won’t look after them. Caroline Collings runs the Rabbit Residence rescue centre by herself, with only a hand full of volunteers who come and go.

The rescue is based on a 1/3rd of an acre which was bought with £5,000 kindly donated by a benefactor. The rescue is not a profit making business and relies solely on donations made by people adopting rabbits.

The rescue is now under threat of closing unless planning permission is obtained. With almost 100 rabbits that are housed in runs and hutches awaiting new homes, the closure of this rescue centre would be devastating.

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I and my partner have recently spent 6 months in Amsterdam, Holland .

Whilst over there we had the fortune to find the most perfect Jack Russell. Knowing that we had to come back to the UK in 6months time we fully researched how bring him back would work.

The pet’s scheme run by DEFRA explained what he would need.

We then complied with the rules - micro chipped, de flea and wormed. He was also vaccinated against rabies whilst over in Amsterdam which, has one of the lowest cases of Rabies in Europe, in the world! It was in fact one of the first countries to be added to the DEFRA pet passport scheme.

Upon calling the quarantine facility to arrange the stay of our dog we where informed that it didn't matter that he had already spent two months prior to touch down in the United Kingdom with the rabies vaccination in his system. The vaccination he had is the same as he would have in the United Kingdom . But he still had to have a vaccination once he got to the quarantine facilities in the UK .

We would like to know why this is as we have tried and failed to get any answer other than the rhetoric of ‘it’s the law’ as to why our dog has to now have the rabies vaccination in his system for eight months, not six (which has already been proven to be far longer than it takes for the rabies to show itself once vaccination has occurred). Please refer to the DEFRA website for the studies regarding this.

The simple fact that once he’s in quarantine he does not receive a blood test that it is just down to the kennel operatives to notice any difference in his behavioral pattern means that this prolonged stay in quarantine cannot be justified. As clever as he is, he’s still only a canine and he is completely unable to hide any of the signs of rabies, if he would of contracted it before going into quarantine he would still be showing signs of it now.

None of it makes any sense. Indeed the large numbers of civil servants we have spoken to regarding this have agreed that it makes no sense.

Why should we have to continue the heart ache of being separated from him?

If Britain is country of animal lovers, how can its government elected by us the people continue to enforce quarantine laws which have no scientific, national security or health benefit to any of us, yourself included?

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"A number of states classified ferrets as wild animals and banned them as pets before they become popular as companion animals in the United States. As ferrets grew in popularity, these bans were overturned in quick succession. At this point, California and Hawaii remain the only two states to prohibit ferrets. There has been no effort to legalize them in Hawaii, whereas the struggle in California has been ongoing for fifteen years.

The stated objection given by ferret opponents in California is that ferrets could start breeding in the wild and pose a threat to agriculture and native species. Since ferrets in the U.S. are exclusively indoor pets, are almost always spayed and neutered, do not survive on their own for more than a few days, and have absolutely no history of breeding on their own anywhere in the country, we are not sure where these fears are coming from. Although the true motivation for opposing ferrets remains a mystery to us, we hope that the injustice will soon be rectified, either by the legislature or through a state-wide ballot initiative."

The above text is directly quoted from:
http://www.legalizeferrets.org/ferrets-intro.htm

Ferrets are commonly believed to be wild, vicious animals that will hunt and kill prey if let loose. This is false...misinformation pure and simple. Ferrets have been domesticated for thousands of years; possibly even longer then the common house cat! Domestic ferrets are significantly different from their wild counterparts having poor vision, skeletal differences, size differences, and reproductive difficulties! They are not hunters! There are only 65 reports of ferrets causing real harm per year (bites, scratches, etc.) out of the 8-10 MILLION ferrets in the U.S. alone! Even attacks per capita leave ferret attacks at a ratio of 1:250 at the MOST conservative and unrealistically low standards. In a more realistic light you are almost 5,000 times more likely to be bitten by a dog than a ferret! For more information about ferrets and the rumors surrounding them click on one of the following links:

http://www.cypresskeep.com/Ferretfiles/Legal1-FM.htm

http://www.2ndchance.info/ferret.htm

Ferrets are officially domestic animals and are statistically much less dangerous then dogs or cats. If you're still not convinced then send me a message and let me know why ferrets SHOULD be illegal!!

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We are asking people around the world to sign an online petition asking the World Bank to immediately halt plans for the expansion of industrial logging in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Read on to find out more, and don't forget to forward this to friends and colleagues, as we need as many signatures as possible.

Logging the Congo rainforests will cut down more than just trees!

The rainforests of the Congo - which are the second largest on Earth after those of the Amazon - are imminently threatened. New laws being introduced under the guidance of the World Bank, as well as a 'zoning' of the country's forests, will potentially see an area the size of France handed out to logging companies.

35 million people (75% of Congo's national population) live in and around the forests, and depend on it for food, shelter, and natural medicines. The forests are also home to thousands of plant and animal species, including the lowland Gorilla, chimpanzees, forest elephants, and the rare okapi. So far, the rainforests have largely been spared widespread destruction.

However, the new laws, which are due to come into effect this year, will encourage a massive expansion of the timber industry, including a 60-fold increase in industrial logging.

This could be the start of the first major environmental and humanitarian catastrophe of the 21st century.

The Rainforest Foundation, along with dozens of environmental and human rights groups from the Democratic Republic of Congo is calling on the World Bank to immediately halt plans for the expansion of industrial logging of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and to ensure that the rights of people living in the forest are respected.

Please spare two minutes to sign the online World Bank petition and forward this email on to your friends and colleagues?

Yours sincerely

The Rainforest Foundation

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