Pets Abandoned by Owners After Foreclosure

Animals Are the Newest Mortgage Victims as Owners Leave Pets Behind
By EVELYN NIEVES
Associated Press Writer
Jan. 30, 2008—


STOCKTON, Calif. (AP) -- The house was ravaged -- its floors ripped, walls busted and lights smashed by owners who trashed their home before a bank foreclosed on it. Hidden in the wreckage was an abandoned member of the family: a starving pit bull.

The dog found by workers was too far gone to save -- another example of how pets are becoming the newest victims of the nation's mortgage crisis as homeowners leave animals behind when they can no longer afford their property.

Pets "are getting dumped all over," said Traci Jennings, president of the Humane Society of Stanislaus County in northern California. "Farmers are finding dogs dumped on their grazing grounds, while house cats are showing up in wild cat colonies."

In one such colony in Modesto, two obviously tame cats watched alone from a distance as a group of feral cats devoured a pile of dry food Jennings offered.

"These are obviously abandoned cats," Jennings said. "They're not afraid of people, and they stay away from the feral cats because they're ostracized by them."

The abandoned pets are overwhelming animal shelters and drawing fury from bloggers, especially as photos of emaciated animals circulate on the Internet.

The first people to enter an abandoned house, such as property inspectors and real estate brokers, have discovered dogs tied to trees in backyards, cats in garages, and turtles, rabbits and lizards in children's bedrooms.

No one keeps track of the numbers of abandoned pets, but anecdotal evidence suggests that forsaken animals are becoming a problem wherever foreclosures are climbing. Stockton and Modesto have some of the nation's highest foreclosure rates.

Despite months of warning before a foreclosure, many desperate homeowners run out the clock hoping to forestall an eviction. Then they panic, particularly if they are moving to a home where pets are not permitted.

The situation has become so widespread that the Humane Society urged home owners faced with foreclosure to take their animals to a shelter.

Shelters are trying to keep up, but the spike in abandoned pets comes at a time when fewer people are adopting animals. Home sales are plunging to their lowest level in decades, and new homeowners are often the most likely to seek a pet.

Even people who are buying homes are not adopting pets.

"People are not bringing home puppies because times are tough, and animals cost money," said Sharon Silbert, president of Animal Rescue of Tracy, a community near Stockton.

The mortgage crisis showed few signs of easing Tuesday after a real estate tracking company announced that many homeowners started to fall behind on mortgage payments in the last three months, setting the stage for more foreclosures this year.

The San Joaquin Animal Shelter in Stockton is fielding more desperate calls from animal owners about to be evicted. Many call as a last resort after being turned down by various rescue groups with no room for more animals.

"They're usually breaking down on the phone," said Kathy Potter, a shelter dispatcher. "I'm quite direct with them that there's a 50-50 chance the animals might be put down."

Still, shelter operators say, half a chance is better than none.

"They may be euthanized at a shelter," said Stephanie Shain of the Humane Society of the United States. "But they'll be fed and have water and have a humane euthanization, as opposed to spending the last days of their lives eating carpet or wallboard."

Bloggers are furious with the "foreclosure pet" phenomenon, especially after seeing photos of emaciated animals on the Internet. Some critics say the pet owners have already proved they are irresponsible by buying houses they could not afford or mortgages they did not bother to understand.

"They see a pet as property, no different than a worn sofa tossed into the alley when the springs pop," says a posting about foreclosure pets on About.com.

The problem is exacerbated because most people grappling with foreclosure are returning to rental housing or moving in with relatives -- two situations where it can be difficult or impossible to bring pets.

"What we've always known is that when times are hard for people, they're hard for their pets," said Stephen Zawistowski, a vice president at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Abandoning animals is illegal in most states under anti-cruelty laws, but the laws are not rigidly enforced.

In Stockton, shelter workers recently reunited a family with two rottweilers they had left behind in their foreclosed house. The family was staying in a homeless shelter, the dogs being cared for by neighbors at the family's behest. Shelter workers were able to find housing for the family and their dogs.

But happy endings elude a majority of foreclosure animals.

"Their best shot is for the owners to plan ahead some," Jennings said. "But they didn't plan when they bought their house. I don't see that happening anytime soon."


Copyright © 2008 ABC News Internet Ventures

Urge your senators to ratify the Law of the Sea Treaty

Urge your senators to ratify the Law of the Sea Treaty

The Senate could soon consider whether the United States should
sign on to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,
also known simply as the Law of the Sea Treaty. The Law of the
Sea will help expand protections for our planet's oceans, and
becoming a party to the treaty would permit the United States to
more effectively influence major upcoming international debates
concerning ocean activities.

The treaty's environmental provisions cover all aspects of the
marine environment, including fishing, pollution, offshore
mining and oil and gas exploration; such activities are having
major impacts that require urgent action. For example, with
rapidly accelerating summer melting of Arctic sea ice, new
proposals for shipping, oil and gas exploration and other
harmful activities are multiplying. Ratifying the Law of the Sea
treaty would give the United States a seat at the table in
discussions surrounding the future of the Arctic and protection
of its marine and coastal wildlife.

One hundred fifty-five nations have already ratified the Law of
the Sea, including every major industrialized nation other than
the United States. These countries are making decisions that
affect ocean health and key economic and national security
interests, but the United States will not gain access to these
discussions unless it signs on to the treaty as well.

A few vocal groups who are fundamentally opposed to U.S.
involvement in international collaborations have used false
arguments to pressure senators to reject the Law of the Sea, and
have turned what should be an easy decision into a contentious
one. Senate Majority Leader Reid will not bring the treaty to a
vote until he is certain it has the two-thirds support (67
votes) needed to pass, and right now that margin is very close.
To counter the opposition, senators need to hear that this
treaty is crucial to maintaining healthy oceans and protecting
economic and security interests.

== What to do ==
Send a message urging your senators to ratify the Law of the Sea
Treaty.

== Contact information ==
You can send a message to your senators directly from NRDC's
Action Center at
http://www.nrdconline.org/campaign/nrdcaction_013008

If you prefer to call your senators, the Capitol switchboard
number is 202-224-3121.

Police come under heavy criticism over 'child criminals' raids

From Monsters and Critics.com

UK News
Police come under heavy criticism over 'child criminals' raids
By Rich Bowden, M&C Staff Writer
Jan 29, 2008, 9:21 GMT

(M&C) - Nine of ten children who police claimed had been captured and taught to lead a life of crime, have been returned after the children were found to be living with their families.

Police raided 17 homes in Slough, Berkshire last week however all but one of the children have been returned after police found them not to be in danger.

The homes belonged to gypsy families and members of the community say the children were targeted because parents often do not marry and children are sometimes looked after by extended families.

One man, who spoke to the Telegraph, criticised the police officers' heavy handed approach.

"They entered the house wearing balaclavas. They immobilised us and didn't even let us get dressed. From 5am to 11am they didn't let us make a move," he said.

"They turned our house upside down and searched everywhere. They didn't find anything and in the end after they'd finished everything they took the children."

Police have denied mishandling the situation saying they had acted on specific intelligence. Steve Allen, a Metropolitan Police commander, said he had acted correctly.

"The story would have been very different had I not acted - and had subsequently one of the children turned up dead. You would quite rightly be putting me on the spot and asking me questions about why I hadn't taken action," he said.



© Copyright 2007 by monstersandcritics.com.
This notice cannot be removed without permission.

Help me save polar bears

What does George Bush have against polar bears?

The Bush/Cheney Administration's own scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey say that global warming and habitat loss could eliminate polar bears from Alaska by 2050. Yet, the president had little to say in his State of the Union about what -- if anything -- his administration would be doing to prevent their extinction.

Take action now. Urge George Bush to protect polar bears by sending a message online at:

http://action.defenders.org/stateofpolarbears

Year after year, President Bush has called for harmful drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, one of the most important onshore denning habitats for U.S. polar bears. Earlier this month, his Secretary of the Interior approved the sale of drilling rights in the Chukchi Sea, potentially threatening even more bears with pollution, spills and disruptive activities.

The Bush/Cheney Administration will come to an end next year, but we can't allow their decisions and lack of action to spell extinction for U.S. polar bears.

Take action now at:

http://action.defenders.org/stateofpolarbears

Thanks for taking the time to help!
Allie:)

Run This Ad, Save Wolves from Slaughter

The Bush Administration has just handed down its long-awaited "License to Kill" rule. It's the equivalent of a death sentence for hundreds of endangered gray wolves in Greater Yellowstone and across the Northern Rockies.

We can still force the White House to call off the guns -- before any shots are fired -- but we must move quickly.

All we need is your help.

We've produced a powerful ad that is ready to run and spark nationwide opposition. But we must raise $150,000 to place it in the national edition of The New York Times, where it will alert both the public and Congress in time to stop the slaughter.

You can make it happen. If just 6,000 supporters like you donate $25 each, we can make sure this ad sounds the alarm within the next few critical days.

Click here to read the full text of the ad -- and help us run it.

Millions of Americans have no idea that the Bush Administration is planning to spend our tax dollars to slaughter hundreds of wolves -- while they are still protected under the Endangered Species Act!

But with your help, millions of Americans will know within a matter of days.

And thousands of them will go online and urge their members of Congress to unite in opposition to this outrageous attack on an endangered species.

At the very same time, our partner organization -- the Natural Resources Defense Council – will be challenging the Bush Administration's cold-blooded plan in federal court.

Together, we can block the slaughter -- before it starts -- but only if we act swiftly.

Planes and helicopters, capable of killing entire packs of wolves in seconds, are waiting for the Open Fire order that could come at any time.

So please, read the full ad right now and make an emergency online contribution.

Help us give America's wolves a fighting chance.

Thank you.

Polar Bear Protection Delayed. Oil Drilling Okayed.

This letter urges concerned Americans to come to the rescue of the Alaskan polar bear, which is facing extinction due to global warming and is now threatened by the more immediate danger of oil development being rushed through by the Bush Administration.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dear Friend,

By speaking out today, you can help save Alaska's polar bears from the threat of toxic oil spills.

The Bush Administration is trying to rush through the sale of oil and gas leases in prime polar bear habitat -- the Chukchi Sea off of Alaska -- before the polar bear can win protection under the Endangered Species Act.

Please join us in supporting legislation -- the Markey bill -- that would reverse the go-ahead for this dangerous sale. Otherwise, the Alaskan polar bear, which is already facing extinction as global warming melts its sea ice habitat, would face the more immediate threat of a toxic oil spill.

There is no proven method of cleaning up oil spills in the Arctic's icy waters -- and there is virtually no way for oil-covered polar bears to survive.

Please speak out now to put polar bear protection ahead of oil and gas development.

Go to http://www.PolarBearSOS.org/takeaction_polar_bears

Thank you for speaking out at this critical time.

Sincerely,

Frances Beinecke
President
Natural Resources Defense Council

10 Global Warming Facts to Inspire Real Action

Global Warming by the Numbers
Economic opportunity and a clean energy future
Posted: 22-Jan-2008; Updated: 24-Jan-2008

Global warming is the most serious environmental threat of our time.

As these facts show, affordable options are available. And America cannot afford to fall behind any more in the race to invent clean, renewable energy sources.

45%
Increase in world’s solar generating capacity in 2005.

2
Rank of China as global producer of solar cells, behind Japan (U.S. ranks 4th).

$1.5 billion
Amount US government spends a year on renewable energy research.

$1 billion
Amount ExxonMobil earns in a day.

$2 billion
Amount GE Energy Financial Services invested in wind, solar, biomass and geothermal energy in 2007.

$200 billion
Amount China has committed to invest in renewable energy sources over the next 15 years.

0.74%
Projected cost of smart cap-and-trade climate policy on US economic output in 2030.

100%
Projected growth of the US economy by 2030.

53
Number of senators supporting cap and trade legislation.

0
Number of bills passed by Congress to cap and reduce America's global warming pollution.

Sources: World Watch Institute, Earth Policy Institute, Department of Energy, CNN, GE Energy Financial Services, Reuters, Upcoming Report: Climate Policy and the U.S. Economy. Environmental Defense, 2008

WILDALERT: Drilling Project Threatens the Wyoming Range

The Wyoming Range is a hidden gem, but an oil and gas company has discovered it and is seeking permission to drill 136 gas wells in one of the largest roadless areas of Wyoming's namesake mountain range.

An industrial gas field in the Wyoming Range would displace crucial habitat for sensitive species, degrade migration corridors for big game travelling within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and disrupt an increasingly important recreation-based economy in Wyoming. Citizens have spoken up before and now we need you to do it again: The Wyoming Range is just too special to drill.

Click here to help protect the Wyoming Range from drilling.

A large natural gas field in the Bridger-Teton National Forest, home of the Wyoming Range, is simply a bad idea and would turn the area over to a single industrial use.

Public comments on this drilling proposal are being accepted until February 7. Please urge the Forest Service to protect the Wyoming Range. Click here to take quick, effective action.

Sincerely,
Kathy Kilmer
The Wilderness Society

What Are They Waiting For?

Major political reporters have been actively ignoring the issue of global warming when interviewing presidential candidates. They have only mentioned the words GLOBAL WARMING in 3 questions ALL YEAR! Hosts like Tim Russert, George Stephanopoulos and Wolf Blitzer have instead asked ridiculous questions about UFOs, baseball and even Chuck Norris!

Check out www.whataretheywaitingfor.com to learn more and urge these hosts to stop covering the horse race and get back to the human race.

Global warming needs to be a priority issue in the election. Act today.

Save Healthy Animals From a Needless Death

Animal care and control centers across the country are doing everything they can, but the number of healthy and treatable dogs and cats that are euthanized is still devastatingly high.

Support comprehensive programs for ending euthanasia of healthy and treatable animals!

What we need is a financial solution to this problem that has the full support of the community. The American Humane Association has a program that does just that. It's called Getting to Zero®.

This program is based on a series of community-based interventions that have proven to reduce pet euthanasia, and includes areas such as adoption, foster care, spay/neuter, training and transfer.

Every year, an estimated four to six million dogs and cats are euthanized in animal care and control facilities in the United States. This problem remains a source of shame for our country.

Sign the petition today supporting programs to bring the number of healthy and treatable animals that are euthanized down to zero in the next 25 years.

Thank you for helping these animals.

The Play—gypsy Jaatak

Sunday, 20 January 2008

New Delhi,The stories of 5 to 7 girls are recounted in Panch Kanya and Prapancha Kanya, Shruti, Smriti, Shewta, Stuti and Shikha learn from their masters about Indian Culture and philosophy. Later Sarasvati and Shiafa joins the proliferation. Prapancha Kanya tells the stories of many great….great grandmothers of gypsy girls backwards,

Who is who? Connections? Reincarnation?
A Jagtak is born. A Gypsy Jataka. Tale of 6 great…..grand mothers. Their trials and tribulations in journey from India to Europe via Central Asia, Iran etc. How do they land in Eastern Europe and later to Western Europe on persecutionsin the last centuries?

The Indianness of Gypsies has been documented by Clinicians and Molecular Biologists through commonness of founder mutations. The proof is scientific. 40-45 generations before Indian left the land to roam, wander and settle in Europe in quite a non-settled fashion.

Listen to the echos of skills in dance, music, metal smith craft. Soothsaying in the drama, reminiscent of the bigger drama played by Destiny itself in this Big Diaspora running across the whole millennium. Sufferings are immense. The dance of oppression continues.

Pratishruti can evoke Vismritis of past.
Nazi persecution of lakhs of persons of Indian lineage requires repetitions to be reverberated. Earlier ghettos were condemned. Even now European Union has yet to give proper voice to this largest minority community in Europe. Tears must be wiped so that the anthem could be heard everywhere.

Listen the stories of 6 females from the chapters of Panch Prapancha.

About the Director

Born in 1963 in Kerala. He has been also crated with theatre from late Seventrics. He took his diploma in Theatre Direction from National School of Drama, New Delhi in 1991. he also worked with Theater des cergy – Pentose, France

He directed many plays in various languages including French. The play junction, written by him has won three awards from Sangeet Natak Academy of Kerala in 2000 and was also published in Hindi.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/the-playgypsy-jaatak-305848.html

About the Author:

Dipayan Mazumdar and Associates
J-1824 (LGF) Chittranjan Park
New Delhi- 110019
91-11-26270629
91-11-26273155
Email: dmanews@gmail.com
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website: www.dmanewsdesk.com

Extremist group holds anti-crime rally in Hugnary, critics call it an attack on Gypsies

2008-01-18 21:22:05 -

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) - A small extremist group rallied Friday in the Hungarian capital to protest what it said was a rising crime rate, but which critics said was a veiled attack on the country's Gypsies.

Some 50 members of the Hungarian Guard and around 200 supporters attended the short, torch-lit march to a high school near where an 18-year-old student was attacked last week by a 17-year-old classmate described in Hungarian media as a Gypsy. The victim reportedly suffered a skull fracture and died shortly after returning home.

The Guard was formed last year and has about 700 members. Its uniform has elements which resemble those used by the Arrow Cross, a pro-Nazi, World War II militia.
Budapest prosecutors have asked a local court to disband the Guard because of legal irregularities.

President Laszlo Solyom last month refused to meet with the group, describing an earlier rally as «immensely damaging,» saying they created an atmosphere which made it more difficult for Gypsies _ or Roma _ to integrate into Hungarian society.

On Friday, a Guard's official said the anti-crime rally wanted to call attention to «real problems in society ... for which the current political elite is responsible.

«We don't aim to solve these problems by violent means and we don't want to be police, that is a duty of the state,» Istvan Dosa said. «But there is an ethnic bomb ticking in the country which can explode at any time.

After Dosa's speech, a woman read out a list of crimes committed in Hungary in the past months _ at least some of which are known to have involved Roma. Some Guard supporters shouted «Gypsy criminals» and «Gypsy crimes» after every description _ even though the reader never used those words herself.

There are an estimated 600,000-800,000 Roma among Hungary's population of 10 million. They are among the poorest and least educated citizens. While there are no official statistics, U.N. Habitat, a humanitarian agency, estimated that up to 60 percent of male inmates in Hungarian prisons are Roma.

Budapest Mayor Gabor Demszky said the Guard's protest was actually aimed at «intimidating the Roma living in Budapest «(Friday's) act is aimed against democratic values, human rights, tolerance and the religious and ethnic minorities until now living peacefully in Budapest,» Demszky said in a statement ahead of the march.

Gypsies shun violence, expert witness testifies in Lake Elsinore case

By TAMMY McCOY
The Press-Enterprise

Video: Expert testimony on the gypsy culture

A Gypsy being convicted of murder is uncommon because of the American Gypsy culture's distain for violence, an expert testified Friday in the penalty phase of a murder trial.

Anne Sutherland, a professor of anthropology at UC Riverside, testified that in her extensive study of American Gypsies she had not come across a murder case involving a Gypsy defendant before this one.

Sutherland testified Friday during the penalty phase of Tony Ricky Yonko's murder trial. Yonko, 45, a Gypsy, was convicted last month of murder for the October 2002 beating death of Paul Ngo, 41, inside his Lake Elsinore home during a burglary.

The jury must now decide if Yonko should receive life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.

Sutherland was hired by Yonko's defense team and testified about the Gypsy culture and the role it played in Yonko's life.

"They don't commit acts of violence. They consider that really prohibited," Sutherland said of her experience studying American Gypsies.

Defense attorney Elaine Johnson asked Sutherland how the Yonko family's criminal activities compared with other Gypsy families she has studied.

"It's higher," Sutherland replied. "They have more of their members in prison . . . than other families I've seen."

Gypsies avoid getting involved in mainstream American society, including the legal and educational systems, she said.

"Its one of the ways they have kept their culture together," Sutherland testified.

Gypsies trace their origins to northern India, Sutherland testified. From there they traveled into Eastern Europe. Their culture has developed around the idea of moving, she said, though it is unclear why.

Gypsies have been persecuted during their history. This, she said, plays a role in their desire to keep their culture a secret from outsiders.

Many came to the United States in the 19th century to avoid persecution in Europe.

In this case, since a man's death is involved, Yonko's younger brother expressed fears linked to another Gypsy belief. Caesar Yonko is worried that Ngo's spirit will come back and haunt the Yonko family, Sutherland said.

Prosecutor Stephen Gallon questioned her about Yonko's parents teaching him when he was about 6 to scam, steal and burglarize the homes of non-Gypsies.

"Yes, it's a kind of moral boundary," she said. "(You can) scam people who are non-Gypsies, but when it comes to violence that's not the case."

Gallon contends that on the day of the murder, Yonko planned to steal from the Ngo home and likely talked his way inside by posing as a prospective tenant. A 'for rent' sign stood outside the Ngo home.

Gallon has said that Ngo was probably beaten to death inside his home while Yonko was trying to steal form him.

In Friday's testimony, one of Yonko's younger brothers testified that he and his siblings were taught to talk their way into the home's of non-Gypsies and steal things for the benefit of the entire Yonko family.

"Is it viewed in the Gypsy culture as OK to steal from non-Gypsies," Gallon asked.

"Yes, it is," Teddy Yonko, 40, replied.

"Isn't it true that your family is very good at stealing from other people?" Gallon asked.

"Yes. . . . Its part of our life . . . that's like a tradition," Teddy Yonko testified.

Teddy Yonko is in prison serving the remainder of a 13-year prison term for a residential burglary conviction in 1996. He and Tony Yonko posed as exterminators to get inside the home of a 90-year-old woman, Teddy Yonko testified.

They stole $500 from her, Teddy Yonko said.

"So you invade the homes of innocent people for money?" Gallon asked.

"Yes, I'm sorry," Teddy Yonko replied.

They never harmed or threatened the elderly woman, Teddy Yonko said.

The trial resumes Tuesday at the Southwest Justice Center in French Valley.

Macedonian gypsies in Malta

FRINGE! PRODUCTIONS in association with the Malta Tourism Authority and Cisk Export, proudly presents, Gypsy Mambo, the Macedonian gypsy brass band who will be performing in a one-off, first ever event on Friday 1 February at the Liquid Club in San Gwann.

This exotic band, hailing from Kocani, are a traditional consists nine members with the unmistakeable sound of Balkan brass bands, typical of the area and first presented to western audiences through the films and music of Emir Kusturica and Goran Bregovic, the likes of, Time of the Gypsies, Underground, and Black Cat White Cat.

The popularity of these brass bands is evident in the programming of top world Music Festivals around the globe, and is due to their crowd appeal and high-energy music.

This so called ‘Roma Oriental music’ is a fierce mix of powerful brass bands, incredible Balkan rhythms and oriental solos where raw virtuosity and boundless energy are the fuel that keep the crowds off their seats. Most bands would play at weddings and traditional feasts for days on end, sometimes playing 15-hour sets!

Balkan brass bands have a significant gypsy character, and from western Serbia to Macedonia they are amazingly creative in changing the original rigid style of traditional brass bands.

Gypsy Mambo was created some nine years ago, in the legendary Macedonian town of Kocani, east of Skopje. All members come from well-known gypsy musical families with a long-standing tradition and play foremost traditional Roma and Balkan music. The orchestra has participated in prominent European festivals including Khamoro in Prague and perform regularly in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Serbia and Montenegro and their native Macedonia.

Gypsy Mambo have released 2 CDs and are considered masters in their style. Their repertoire consists of traditional songs as well as the Bregovic classics and original tunes. Their trance inducing arrangements are unique, due to the mix of brass instruments and percussion.

Keep an eye out for this unique, one-off opportunity to party Balkan style in the coolest of underground venues. Dance the night away to the unza-unza beat and many more tunes of Balkan pickle. For more information contact Sarah A. Suda on mob. 9986-7344 or email cultureshockmalta @gmail.com

Humane Society asking for help in Akron as dog population skyrockets

PENINSULA -- The Humane Society of Greater Akron (HSGA) says it has been overwhelmed with the number of dogs it has up for adoption. This month alone the shelter has taken in 51 dogs.

Finding a home for each animal can be difficult this time of year as adoption rates tend to go down when the cold weather hits while cruelty to animal cases go up, according to the HSGA.

Now the humane society is reaching out to the community for help.

"We're a no time limit shelter, so every animal that's healthy and adoptable stays here until they find a home," HSGA spokeswoman Chalan Geul said. "The [dogs] are just sitting here waiting for a wonderful home, and we want to make that happen for them as soon as we can."

There are currently about 200 dogs waiting to find a family. If you're interested in helping out, contact the HSGA at (330) 657-2010.

Top Ten Cold Weather Tips For Our Furry Friends!

From the ASPCA.

Brrrr…it’s cold outside! The following guidelines will help you protect your companion animals when the mercury dips.

1. Keep your cat inside. Outdoors, felines can freeze, become lost or be stolen, injured or killed. Cats who are allowed to stray are exposed to infectious diseases, including rabies, from other cats, dogs and wildlife.

2. During the winter, outdoor cats sometimes sleep under the hoods of cars. When the motor is started, the cat can be injured or killed by the fan belt. If there are outdoor cats in your area, bang loudly on the car hood before starting the engine to give the cat a chance to escape.

3. Never let your dog off the leash on snow or ice, especially during a snowstorm—dogs can lose their scent and easily become lost. More dogs are lost during the winter than during any other season, so make sure yours always wears ID tags.

4. Thoroughly wipe off your dog's legs and stomach when he comes in out of the sleet, snow or ice. He can ingest salt, antifreeze or other potentially dangerous chemicals while licking his paws, and his paw pads may also bleed from snow or encrusted ice.

5. Never shave your dog down to the skin in winter, as a longer coat will provide more warmth. When you bathe your dog in the colder months, be sure to completely dry him before taking him out for a walk. Own a short-haired breed? Consider getting him a coat or sweater with a high collar or turtleneck with coverage from the base of the tail to the belly. For many dogs, this is regulation winter wear.

6. Never leave your dog or cat alone in a car during cold weather. A car can act as a refrigerator in the winter, holding in the cold and causing the animal to freeze to death.

7. Puppies do not tolerate the cold as well as adult dogs, and may be difficult to housebreak during the winter. If your puppy appears to be sensitive to the weather, you may opt to paper-train him inside. If your dog is sensitive to the cold due to age, illness or breed type, take him outdoors only to relieve himself.

8. Does your dog spend a lot of time engaged in outdoor activities? Increase his supply of food, particularly protein, to keep him—and his fur—in tip-top shape.

9. Like coolant, antifreeze is a lethal poison for dogs and cats. Be sure to thoroughly clean up any spills from your vehicle, and consider using products that contain propylene glycol rather than ethylene glycol. Visit the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center more information.

10. Make sure your companion animal has a warm place to sleep, off the floor and away from all drafts. A cozy dog or cat bed with a warm blanket or pillow is perfect.

County Shelter Locked Up and Animals Left for Dead

Camden, Tennessee police and the Benton County sheriff have shut down the Benton County Animal Shelter. On Friday, January 11, 2008 several rescues and volunteers along with authorities entered the facility. The police and sheriff's deputies were forced to break a lock to get inside.

And, once inside, they say at least 12 animals were found dead. The remaining 60 animals were suffering from illness and starvation, some barely breathing. One dog was found near death with her litter of dead, decaying puppies lying next to her in a cage that also contained other dogs. The dog was described by Shannon Dykstra of West Tennessee Animal Rescue, Inc., as "severely emaciated, lethargic and severely anemic". The dog, named Miracle Myrtle, was rushed to a hospital.

The animals were found without food and water. The cats were being held in cages that were too small.

Law enforcement authorities declared the facility a crime scene. About 25 puppies were euthanized because of parvo. Click here to watch a video filmed by a local TV station of the conditions found in the shelter. Click here for another video of this ghastly scene.

The rescue groups and volunteers spent hours cleaning the shelter and began efforts to provide care and placement for the remaining animals. Several animals have been placed in boarding kennels for now. West Tennessee Animal Rescue is caring for several of the dogs.

Apparently, the shelter's one full time employee, Jackie Boyett, had simply locked the shelter and left. Boyett is already facing trial on January 23 on drug charges. Boyett was also found this week to have one of the shelter's pit bulls at home where the dog was being used in a stud service. As of Friday, though, it was not clear Boyett had even been fired.

Camden police plan to meet with the Benton County District Attorney General, Hansel McCadams, to request a full investigation. They expect charges to be filed.

What You Can Do

If you can help with the animals, please contact Shannon Dykstra at wtar@bellsouth.net or info@WestTnAnimalCoalition.org or call at (901) 541-5090

Also, write or call District Attorney General McCadams and urge prosecution in this case.

District Attorney General Hansel McCadams

P.O. Box 686
100 Court Square
Huntingdon, TN 38344
Phone: (731) 986-5031
Fax: (731) 986-5208


Miracle Myrtle

Oh, and Miracle Myrtle was found to have a severe infection and underwent surgery. So far, she is holding on....

The dogs pictured here are available for adoption from West Tennessee Animal Rescue, www.petfinder.com/shelters/VT31.html

http://www.animallawcoalition.com/public-shelters/article-342

Save the Chukchi Polar Bears!

America’s polar bears could disappear forever within a few short decades. But that’s not stopping the Bush/Cheney Administration from opening tens of thousands of square miles of vital polar bear habitat to exploitation by Big Oil.

The Chukchi Sea on Alaska’s northwest coast is essential to the survival of one of the two remaining populations of polar bears in America. Drilling in the area could be disastrous, creating noise, pollution and other disturbances that could harm the fragile polar bear population that depends on ice in the Chukchi Sea to find food and to raise their young -- sea ice that's rapidly melting.

In the face of dwindling sea ice and a warming climate, these polar bears are already struggling to survive -- swiming greater distances and often drowning in their search for suitable pack ice for hunting. In fact, the government’s top scientists warn that America’s polar bears could disappear as early as 2050.

But just days before the Department of Interior once again delayed the announcement of new federal protections for the nation’s polar bears, federal officials announced a potentially disastrous plan: to sell offshore drilling rights on nearly 46,000 square miles of the Chukchi Sea.

Tell Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to delay the sale of drilling rights that could disrupt polar bear habitat and would extend America’s dependence on fossil fuels that cause global warming.

Our polar bears are already struggling to survive. Please take action now to help save them.

Girl vanishes 120 miles from Madeleine’s holiday resort

WILLIAM TINNING

The parents of Madeleine McCann were yesterday said to be "extremely concerned" to learn that another child had gone missing 120 miles from where their daughter disappeared.

Five-year-old Mari Luz Cortes was last seen at a sweet stall at about 5pm on Sunday in the Spanish town of Huelva. Her parents believe she was abducted.

The port is 25 miles from the Portuguese border, only a two-hour drive from Praia da Luz in the Algarve where Madeleine was snatched on May 3 last year.

(MORE)

WILDALERT: Stop ORV Damage to Utah's Wild Lands

Located in central Utah, the Richfield BLM Resource Area encompasses spectacular redrock canyons, rugged and unique badlands, peaks over 10,000 feet, and portions of western Utah's Basin and Range region. Much of the region's public lands are wilderness quality - among many others, areas such as Rocky Ford, Kingston Ridge, Limestone Cliffs, Wild Horse Mesa, Flat Tops, and Bull Mountain should all be afforded the highest level of protection to ensure their enduring beauty.

While oil and gas development presents an increasing threat to these wild landscapes, off-road vehicle (ORV) use remains the biggest concern. Encouragingly, the BLM took a big step toward reducing this problem in 2006 when it implemented emergency motorized travel restrictions on the delicate Mancos shale badlands surrounding Utah's famous Factory Butte. However, BLM is now considering a management plan that would afford minimum protections to the majority of this fragile landscape.

The BLM is now taking comments from the public on its proposed management plan. Please tell the BLM it must revise its proposed plans in order to reduce the destructive and redundant web of ORV routes and the resulting noise, fumes, and scars to the land. There's a limited time to act. Click here to take quick, effective action.

Please take action today and tell the BLM to include wilderness preservation in the Richfield resource management plan.

Sincerely,
Kathy Kilmer
The Wilderness Society

Gypsy wins a day in Greek court

The European Union's top court has condemned Greece for violating the European Convention on Human Rights in a case filed by a woman who suffered a miscarriage after abuse by Greek police in 2001.

By Kathy Tzilivakis, Thursday, January 10, 2008

The European Court of Human Rights has dealt a severe blow to Greek law enforcement and the country's justice system, ordering Greece to pay 21,000 euros to a Roma (Gypsy) woman who said she was kicked in the back and stomach while pregnant by a police officer during a raid on a makeshift settlement in the western Athens industrial suburb of Aspropyrgos six years ago.

Human rights campaigners have hailed the ruling as a landmark victory in the fight against police brutality against Gypsies and other visible minorities in Greece. The police tactics in the raid in Aspropyrgos in 2002 sparked heated criticism from local and international human rights organisations. But it was not an isolated incident. It was one of many reported cases of police targeting Gypsies in Greece.

"This is the fourth conviction in 2007 related to police violence [against Gypsies]," said Panayotis Dimitras of the Greek Helsinki Monitor, a local rights watchdog. "This indicates that there is a serious problem of police violence and impunity. It also shows there is institutional racism in the Greek police. The Greek Helsinki Monitor has repeatedly called on the state to deal with such cases before they reach the European court."

In the case reviewed by the Strasbourg-based human rights court, Fani-Yannula Petropoulou-Tsakiri, 28, testified that police ignored her pleas for urgent medical assistance and allegedly herded her onto a police van with other Gypsies who had been arbitrarily arrested. Tsakiri, who was 10 weeks pregnant, suffered a miscarriage. Today she lives in Amfissa with her four children.

According to a report published by the Swiss-based World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) about the 2002 raid, "Officers ordered Roma [Gypsy] individuals to lie face down on the ground while they aimed their guns at them. Other officers entered into almost every home - in some circumstances by force - in search of both drugs and hiding [Gypsy] persons. Once all the individuals were gathered outside their homes, officers began to threaten and harass the group while they waited for transport vehicles. During this time, reports indicate that bullets were fired in the air, while several incidents of police brutality were also registered."

The ruling

The court held unanimously that there had been a violation of article 3 (prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment) of the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights concerning the lack of an effective investigation into Tsakiri's allegation and that there had been a violation of article 14 (prohibition of discrimination) taken in conjunction with article 3.

"The court finds that the failure of the authorities to investigate possible racial motives for the applicant's ill-treatment, combined with their [discriminatory] attitude during the investigation, constitutes discrimination with regard to the applicant's rights which is contrary to article 14 taken in conjunction with article 3 in its procedural limb," said the ruling.

However, the court ruled, by six votes to one, that there had been no violation of article 3 concerning her allegation that she had been the victim of police brutality.

As explained in the ruling, the decision of the six judges (including one from Greece, Christos Rozakis) was based on the fact that the circumstances in which Tsakiri's bleeding had occurred on 28 January 2002 "were not entirely clear". The medical report only stated that she had bled and suffered a miscarriage. No reference was made to bruises, injuries or any other cause of the bleeding.

The one dissenting opinion was voiced by Loukis Loucaides (Cypriot), the president of the court. Loucaides says he does not share the opinion that there was no violation of article 3 as regards the alleged ill-treatment inflicted by police.

"The applicant stated her complaint in a coherent and convincing manner," said Loucaides in his dissenting opinion. "She explained that she had been kicked on her back and, as a result, had felt an intense pain in the abdominal area and started bleeding. There followed a miscarriage... What I cannot understand is why the majority did not believe her story, without even finding a concrete, well-founded reason why she must have lied. In fact, the evidence does not disclose any such reason. The fact that the medical report produced by the applicant made no reference to bruises and to any possible causes of the bleeding does not detract from the truthfulness of the applicant's complaint."

Loucaides also stressed that the majority decision could be "very dangerous in the sense that it may cause injustice to individuals like the applicant, whose evidence may not by itself be taken seriously because of police prejudice as regards their status".

He also said it may "encourage the police to use unacceptable methods of investigation, amounting to ill-treatment in respect of persons like the applicant or other persons who do not have any eyewitnesses to corroborate their complaints of ill-treatment."

Kathy Tzilivakis writes for the Athens News and appears here with permission.

Dare to Ask: Gypsies are victims of stereotype

By PHILLIP MILANO, The Times-Union

Question

I'm a real gypsy (Roma). People label us as petty thieves and criminals and claim we are filthy and dumb. Why?
cOnFuSed-ChiK, 20, Florida

Replies

I'm an English Romany gypsy. I studied business at college. Good gypsies are not shown for being the clean, decent people we are. The scummy gypsies get seen for thieving, etc. The media picks up on the bad stuff.
Shirley, 24, England

In Spain, gypsies are treated badly, but in a way, I can see why. We lived on the U.S. Air Force base. Things would always get stolen by the gypsies who lived on the vacant lot down the road - even our BBQ.
Jade, 16, Sydney, Australia

Where I live, "gypsies" are usually engaged in scams and thieving, frequently against vulnerable elderly people. Not all people who identify as gypsies or Roma engage in this kind of conduct, but those are not the ones you hear about.
Sue, Chicago

When I traveled to Romania several years ago, I was amazed at the horrific way the Roma people were treated. For the Romas' part, I witnessed many involved in harassment of foreigners and stealing. I also met several college-educated, wealthy Roma. The "true Romanians" (forgive the term) summarily dismissed the Roma as awful, terrible beasts beneath consideration or hope.
Tinuviel, 37, female, Albuquerque, N.M.

Expert says

And you should've seen the comments we didn't print.

Gypsies - a preferred term is Roma - have traveled a tough road these past thousand years.

Fast-forward through lots of history to the 14th century. By then they'd migrated to the Balkans and were wrongly thought to be from Egypt (hence the name "Gypsy"), when in fact their origins were India, said Zoltan Barany, a University of Texas professor who specializes in ethnopolitics.

They were darker-skinned, fiercely protected their cultural identity . . . and were quickly persecuted. Meanwhile, all the land was already spoken for, so they developed skills they could practice on the go, such as mending, entertaining or working at fairs, said Barany, author of The East European Gypsies: Regime Change, Marginality, and Ethnopolitics.

"No one wanted them, and they chased them away. . . . With no means of survival, of course they were going to steal, but it's not that it's in their genes."

Unfortunately, they're still shunned across the globe.

"They've gone through incredible amounts of discrimination and marginalization for centuries, partially because of hostility of the host country and partly because of their own inability or unwillingness to integrate."

It doesn't help that too many gypsy families don't value education, with many Roma youth telling Barany and other researchers they don't see college as their most viable option.

"If you look at the socioeconomic conditions of Roma, you see every major cause [for their plight]: poverty, overpopulation and lack of education."

Continue cross-cultural dialogue at www.yforum.com, or mail questions and replies to Phillip Milano, The Times-Union, P.O. Box 1949, Jacksonville, FL 32231.

Hungary: Gypsy school segregation persists

Posted : Fri, 04 Jan 2008 16:21:11 GMT
Author : World News Editor

BUDAPEST, Hungary, Jan. 4 Despite government efforts to eradicate it, separation of Gypsies in school classrooms in Hungary appears as a deep-rooted problem difficult to resolve.

The Hungarian government has invested heavily in education but some sociologists argue that extra money for schools in disadvantaged regions could be blamed for the enduring problem of the Romany, or Gypsy, segregation, the Hungarian news agency MTI reported Friday.

State-run schools receiving extra funding through the government's integration program are not popular with middle-class parents, who often withdraw their children to send them to better schools, the Hungarian national daily Nepszabadsag said.

The parents' choice leaves those schools with a majority of Gypsies and the program, aimed at integrating disadvantaged children with their "mainstream peers" actually collapses, the newspaper said.

Attila Z. Papp, a researcher of the Educational Survey Council, said a local town mayor told him that segregation perhaps was the only solution.

Gabor Daroczi, a former government commissioner for Romany integration, said integration would stand a chance if people supported the program. But, it is the sad truth that a majority of the society supports segregation, Nepszabadsag reported.

Copyright 2008 by UPI

The Story Of Stuff

This is a must see video... (takes a few minutes to load... but worth the wait)

http://www.storyofstuff.com/

Gypsies to be the focus of diaspora festival

India World News

New Delhi, Jan 4 - When an Indian scholar went to study the Romas or gypsies in Kosovo in Serbia in summer 2007, his hosts had a special term for him - Purano Manush or ancient person.

The term referred not to the age of the scholar, but the Roma's recognition of their ancestral links to India. It is therefore fitting that when India gets ready for its annual jamboree to celebrate the achievements of the Indian diaspora next week, the journey of perhaps, the oldest group of them all, will be the focus of a cultural festival on the sidelines of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Jan 8-9.

For the second consecutive year, Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts is organizing a diaspora festival with Romas as the thematic focus. Nearly 60 artists and scholars from all over and outside the country to discuss are expected to attend the festival from 10 to 12 February.

Among the highlights will be performances by three Roma dancers, including Czech Simona Jovic, who has performed her repetoire of gypsy dances from Turkey, Iran, Romania and even the Kalbeliya dance of Rajasthan in cities around the world.

Besides, there will also be a lecture demonstration on Indian roots of Spanish-gypsy dance of Flamenco. There will be a photo-exhibition on the journey of the gypsies from India to Europe and beyond, as well as screening of three films.

With over 15 million people, Romas constitute the largest ethnic minority, albeit largely invisible in Europe. Their links to India were first recognised in 18th century and are now thoroughly documented through linguistic and genetic studies.

Their long journey started from northwestern India in the 10th century and there is historical evidence of their presence in Byzantine Empire. Their first footprint in Europe was recorded at Kosovo in the early 14th century.

Through the centuries, they were always treated as outsiders dabbling in the black arts, with contemporary literature documenting their presence on the outskirts of human habitation, literally and metaphorically. 'They were treated as dirt, discriminated on the basis of their traditions and the colour of their skin,' said IGNCA diaspora project, consultant Suresh Pillai.

Over the centuries, European countries have enacted laws that specifically targeted gypsies, restricting their right to residence and livelihood. By the time of World War II, their marginalisation from society was so extreme, that the targeted killing of about two million gypsies by the German nazis during the holocausts was not acknowledged by historians, till several decades later.

Modern India reconnected with 1971 at the First World Romani Congress in London, which adopted a flag, anthem, motto and decided that 'Roma' would be the correct term of their people. Interestingly, the Roma flag has the ashok chakra imposed on a background of blue and green. At the first international Roma festival, held in Chandigarh on 1976, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had supported their demand for Roma to be recognized as national minority of Indian origin.

'The Romas do not want want PIO cards, but they would like their c