NEWS OF THE WEEK:

Call For Meat Ban in Sri Lanka, Berkeley Bans Fish Prizes & More, October 24 – 31, 2017

 By Leslie Goldberg

ANTI ANIMAL TESTING ADS BANNED IN VIRGINIA

The White Coat Waste Project, a cost-cutting and animal rights group fighting against using animals in research, is suing a public bus system in Virginia for refusing to display advertisements against animal testing. A photo in the proposed ad shows dogs looking out from behind bars and demands that the “McGuire VA Medical Center: Stop Taxpayer-Funded Dog Experiments.” The medical center has conducted research into cardiac health in humans. Some of the tests are considered extremely painful to the dogs. The transit company says they don’t allow political ads on buses. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

BAN MEAT IN SRI LANKA!

The heads of four Buddhist and animal rights groups in Sri Lanka are taking the first step towards converting Sri Lanka into a non-meat-eating society. They are asking for all people of Sri Lanka to refrain from eating meat on Mondays and all Buddhists to become vegetarian for the month of May. (Daily Mirror)

PROTECTING THE SMALLEST

The Berkeley City Council banned giving live fish as prizes at festivals, etc. this month.  Four other states have similar bans on fish. California already bans giving away rabbits and birds as prizes. An intern, Simone Stevens, who works for Councilman Kriss Worthington inspired the ban because she told the Daily Cal, “inexperienced vendors keep the fish in extremely unhealthy conditions.” (Daily Californian)

PROFESSIONAL DOGSLEDDING LOSING POPULARITY

The governing body of the Iditarod, the most famous dogsledding competition in the world, announced that four huskies had tested positive for a banned opioid painkiller. Since they were unable to determine who specifically dosed the dogs, the owner was not fined and he was allowed to keep his second place prize money of $59,000. According to the AP, dogsledding is losing popularity due to numerous dog deaths and pressure from animal rights groups. (ABC News)

PUSHING FOR LESS PROTECTION FOR ANIMALS USED IN LABS

The Association of American Medical Colleges and allied groups are pushing to “streamline” animal research. They issued a report this month which calls for “moving all oversight to a single, unnamed agency, conducting less frequent lab inspections and giving researchers greater say in creating new rules.”  Speaking out against such a move, HSUS spokesperson Kathleen Conlee said, “It’s clear this would negatively impact animal welfare.” (Science)