Mainly, while hoovering up all the print and online info
about coronavirus that we can, we’re hoping it doesn’t hit us or our loved
ones.
So the first thing to do here is share this free source
of info from the New York Times: nytimes.com/coronavirus. A trusted source is a relief to have.
And then, back to “regular life.” For this blog, that means news and views about
animals.
The covert actions of those people – trainers,
veterinarians and drug distributors -- all jeopardized the horses themselves
and cheated the betting public.
According to the US Attorney in Manhattan, “horses
were injected and force-fed all manner of illegal and experimental drugs. . .
that allowed [them] to run unnaturally fast and to mask pain,” which can lead
to injuries and death.
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| Maximum Security (L); Servis (R) Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO |
Jason Servis, the trainer of Maximum Security, briefly the winner of this year’s Kentucky Derby, oversaw the drugging of him and all horses under his control. Servis and the others “killed and broke down” horses and made those who died “disappear.”
A Washington Post editorial said, “No
other accepted sport exploits defenseless animals as gambling chips. No other
accepted sport tolerates the cruelties that routinely result in the injury and
death of these magnificent animals. The
rot in horse racing goes deep. It is a sport that has outlived its time.
“. . . Increased attention to the deaths of
racehorses, on average nearly 10 horses a week, has shined a
spotlight on horse racing’s dark side that is changing public attitudes. Activities involving animals that used to be
tolerated — even revered — like circus elephants or killer whale shows ended as
people learned of their terrible toll. Horse
racing awaits a similar reckoning.”
We can only hope.
Please nudge legislators!
The Animal Protection League of NJ (aplnj.org) urges all
who care about cats to urge members of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee
to act on S920, the bill sponsored by Sen. Troy Singleton that would ban
declawing of cats.
Phone or write to remind committee members the bill is
“in their court,” tell them you support it and would like them to vote YES to
support it too.
Some talking points you might use include the
following:
Declawing is a hideous process that often
leaves a cat (1) unable to defend her/himself, lacking claws; (2) in lifelong
pain, both physical and psychological, from the procedure, which is much more
than a nail trim, as its name might (erroneously) suggest. Declawing is amputation of part of a cat's
foot.
The claim by the bill's opponents -- that
banning declawing results in skyrocketing of cat surrenders -- has been
debunked in the US cities with declaw bans. There are numerous viable
alternatives to declawing, which typically serves the convenience of cat
owners, and never the welfare of the cats involved.
Members of the Budget &
Appropriations Committee are
And Senator
Troy Singleton, committee member and the bill’s sponsor, who
deserves our thanks and that of present and future innocent cats.
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Want to comment on this post? Just go to 1moreonce.blogspot.com
Thanks Pat. This declaw will better not get hung up in Budget and Appropriations committee!
ReplyDeleteGood to hear from you again, Spoof! You're right: that declaw-banning bill better not be held up because the next bill to nudge legislators about will be Sen. Greenstein's animal shelter bill! (S1834 and A3632)
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