NEWS OF THE WEEK:

Pacelle Out At HSUS, Dog Meat At The Olympics, Feb. 7, 2018 – Feb. 12, 2018

By Leslie Goldberg

WAYNE PACELLE GONE AND KITTY BLOCK IN AT HSUS 

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has replaced its former longtime CEO Wayne Pacelle with a woman, Kitty Block. Pacelle was recently forced out due to accusations of sexual harassment. Block, currently named chief executive officer at HSUS, is a 25-year veteran of the animal rights movement and was the president of the Humane Society—International. She has headed up numerous campaigns for the organization including one against the dog meat trade in Asia. (Veg News, Feb. 7, 2018) 

END RUN AROUND THE FEDS 

Since the federal government isn't doing enough to end trophy hunting, animal rights activists in New York are turning to the state. Currently the state legislature there is a considering a ban on the importation, sale, possession and transport of “trophies” of African elephants, lions, leopards and white and black rhinos. New York is the biggest point of entry in the United States; activists hope this bill, called Save Africa's Big Five, will make a serious dent in trophy hunting. (Their Turn, Feb. 7, 2018) 

EATING DOG MEAT AT THE OLYMPICS 

Although South Korean officials tried to persuade restaurant owners to forgo selling dog meat during the 2018 Winter Olympics, the practice is apparently in full swing. Ten of the 12 dog meat restaurants in Pyeongchang are continuing to sell dishes containing the flesh of dogs. Despite pressure from authorities, the restaurant owners argue that they shouldn't have to change their menus just because of foreign visitors. Fox News quoted a statement from the Olympic Committee: “We are aware of the international concern around the consumption of dog meat in Korea. This is a matter which the government should address. We hope that this issue will not impact on the delivery or reputation of the games….” (Fox News, Feb. 8, 2018) 

THE EXPANDING CHICKEN INDUSTRY 

With chicken being the most consumed meat in the United States, the industry is expecting the market to grow 3 percent from 2019 to 2021. Tyson Foods is building numerous new chicken processing plants from Tennessee to Texas and Costco is building its first ever chicken plant in Nebraska. Ugh. (Post Gazette, Feb. 8, 2018)

ANOTHER NEW VEGAN ATHLETES MOVIE COMING 

This year, 2018, seems to be the year for vegan athlete documentaries. Now available at Amazon and iTunes is “From the Ground Up,” which profiles top performers from MMA, dance and the ultramarathon world. "From the Ground Up" gets the jump on James Cameron's soon-to-be-released “Game Changers,” which is also about the stunning health and fitness benefits of a vegan diet. A one-two punch to bust the Protein Myth. (Plant Based News, Feb. 9, 2018.)

VEGANS GET HEALTH INSURANCE BREAK IN ISRAEL 

An insurance company in Israel, Clal, is offering vegans discounts for health insurance. The program, Vegans Pay Less (VPL), is about recognizing the health benefits of a vegan diet. The company released a statement: “VLP's ultimate goal is to promote the declaration that vegan is healthier and the establishment of this declaration will result in the greatest wave of veganism seen in Israel until now…” (Jerusalem Post, Feb. 4, 2018)

SABA LIVE POULTRY FACING ACTIVISTS…AGAIN 

Saba, which includes nine small halah slaughterhouses around the country, is trying to open another in San Francisco. Although the plan to establish a 2100 square foot facility to slaughter 140,000 animals a year inside an old automotive storage center was approved by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the Animal Legal Defense Fund is appealing the decision. The activist group points to the fact that the San Francisco Planning Department approved the slaughterhouse while waiving an environmental review. Direct Action Everywhere, complaining of animal cruelty, conducted an open rescue and a sit-in at the Oakland location of Saba Live Poultry last year. Twenty-two activists were arrested for refusing to leave the facility. (San Francisco Examiner, Feb. 10, 2018)