NEWS OF THE WEEK:

Fur Ban In San Francisco, Chris Christie Hurts Animals, Jan. 16, 2018 – Jan. 23, 2018

By Leslie Goldberg

San Francisco may soon become the first major city in the United States and indeed the world to ban the sale of fur. A bill introduced by Supervisor Katy Tang aims to outlaw purchases of fur starting Jan. 1, 2018. Animals trapped by legally approved traps will be exempted from the measure, which will let off Canada Goose, a company that specializes in coyote-trimmed parkas. (“Coyotes are trapped, unlike mink and foxes which are typically raised in small wire cages.”) "I love animals and unfortunately animals can’t speak for themselves,” Tang said. “I just think it’s completely inhumane knowing that there are people who farm animals particularly to use their fur or skin for fashion apparel.” (San Francisco Chronicle, Jan. 23, 2018)  

CHRIS CHRISTIE DEFIES STATE ASSEMBLY AND HURTS ANIMALS

New Jersey will not be the first state to ban elephants and other exotic animals from traveling circuses and fairs, after Chris Christie declined to sign “Nosey’s Law,” a bill backed by animal rights activists and named after a 35-year-old elephant who was subjected to abuse on the circus circuit. The bill passed the Senate unanimously and the Assembly with only two votes against it. (Press of Atlantic City, Jan. 15, 2018)  

UPDATE ON NOSEY  

A judge in Tennessee has ruled that Nosey the Elephant, who was chained and neglected by the owners of a traveling circus, will remain in a Tennessee sanctuary. She will not be returned to her former owners. The owner of the circus, Hugo Liebel, is facing animal cruelty charges. (WHNT News, Jan. 22, 2018) 

FAKE LEATHER GETS REAL 

“Clean Meat,” Paul Shapiro’s new book about lab-grown meat just got a lab-grown leather cover, making it the first leather-bound book produced without the use of an animal (sort of). The book is being auctioned off on E-Bay and the proceeds will go to the Good Food Institute, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of plant-based and animal-free alternatives to animal products. The book was provided by a Northern California company, Geltor. They grew the book cover using microbial fermentation which does involve the use of some animal cells. They are currently working on a gelatin substitute. (Live Kindly, Jan. 1, 2018) 

PRESSURE DROP ON LARA TRUMP 

Lara Trump, wife of elephant-killing Eric Trump and daughter-in-law of HIM, is being asked by a New York animal rights group to please support an event, The Worldwide Rally Against Trophy Hunting. The group apparently has hope for Lara since she is a dog lover and supports the Beagle Project, which finds homes for dogs surrendered by research organizations. In a statement the AR group asked her to “start small by imploring your family to disentangle their passion for marksmanship and their interest in majestic wildlife. And then we urge you to use your considerable standing to influence national policy.” (Newsweek, Jan. 17, 2018)

A WIN FOR WHALES

For years, activists hounded the Vancouver Aquarium for keeping whales and dolphins in captivity and using them for entertainment. Now that gig is up and the aquarium announced they will no longer house and/or exploit cetaceans. The aquarium’s president told the Guardian, “It had become a local hot topic, to the point where it was hijacking everything else. As much as we understand the tremendous value that an animal like a beluga whale brought to our mission … public controversy had gotten to the point where it was just preventing us from moving forward on so many other parts of our mission.”  (The Guardian, Jan. 20, 2018)