IDA’s Hope Animal Sanctuary (HAS, formerly Project Hope) and the Charleston, Mississippi Police Department worked together in July to rescue six starving, chained dogs from Sanders’ property on West Main Street in Charleston. Videotape of the dogs’ conditions and the rescues may be seen at IDA’s website, www.idausa.org. Doll Stanley, the Director of IDA-HAS, filed the affidavits in support of criminal neglect charges. Two of the dogs have since died.

“The entire town of Charleston, especially Animal Control Officer Kevin Hodges, deserves praise for their handling of this case,” said Stanley. “When ACO Hodges sees abuse, he acts. When he needs assistance he calls me. The chief has a zero tolerance policy for animal abuse, the PD act, and Kevin is spotter and town crier. The crowning testimony to the compassion of the community is Judge Steve Ross.”

Sanders was found guilty on six counts for failure to provide sufficient and wholesome food and water, the only statute available for charging these crimes. “While we are thrilled with the conviction,” added Stanley, “this points out the need for stronger animal cruelty statutes in Mississippi, and we urge all those who care about animals to contact Mississippi House Speaker Billy McCoy to ask his support for stronger statutes.”

The Mississippi State Supreme Court has ruled MSSS: 97-41-1 (Mississippi’s animal cruelty statute) vague and therefore unconstitutional. Since that ruling, there has been no revision of this statute, or the Chapter 41 statutes addressing the neglect of animals. IDA’s Hope Animal Sanctuary is working with veterinarians, humane representatives, concerned citizens and other leaders to strengthen Mississippi’s cruelty to animals statutes.

Judge Ross imposed a $75 fine for the conviction for each dog (6), a $95 court cost for trying each count, and $25 per count for the enforcement of the arrest warrants.  Sanders may not possess an animal for three (3) years and was handed a six-month suspended jail term provided she complies with sentencing provisions.

“The responsibility of achieving justice for the animals who suffer at the hands of abusers weighs on all of us,” added Stanley. “But this trial couldn’t have gone more perfectly – and we are cheered by the thrilling recovery of the four dogs who survived Annie Ruth Sanders back yard.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Doll Stanley, Hope Animal Sanctuary Director, 662-237-0233, Doll@idausa.org

San Rafael, Calif. – In Defense of Animals (IDA) today launched a new campaign, “Carnival Cruise Lines Dishes Up Cruelty,” urging the world’s largest cruise line to stop serving foie gras, one of the world’s cruelest dishes. Carnival serves foie gras on their ships to exotic destinations, but there is nothing exotic about foie gras. French for “fatty liver,” it has long been known by animal advocates as “the delicacy of despair.”

To produce foie gras, ducks and geese are force fed through long metal pipes shoved down their throats, and up to four pounds of grain are pumped into their stomachs two or three times a day. Pipes can puncture the birds’ throats, causing them to bleed to death. The barbaric practice of foie gras production causes the liver to swell to over 10 times its normal size, leaving the birds on the verge of organ failure and death. Many are too ill to even stand.

The violent force-feeding process used on foie gras farms results in a death rate 20 times higher than that on other factory farms. The increased deaths for birds are directly attributed to organ rupture and heart failure. Additionally, ducks raised for foie gras must withstand cramped, filthy conditions for the duration of their short lives.

The ducks and geese on foie gras farms are housed without access to swimming water. To remain healthy, they need to be able to immerse themselves in water. Contact with water on these farms is so limited that the ducks cannot adequately clean their nostrils and eyes, which can lead to blindness.

“These animals are tortured to death for a delicacy appetizer. There is simply no room for this practice in a civilized society,” said Dr. Elliot Katz, president and founder of IDA. “Sick, suffering birds don’t conform to the ‘fun times’ depicted in Carnival Cruise ads.”

Public outrage at the cruelty of the foie gras industry has resulted in bans of the product in Denmark, Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, Israel, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the Czech Republic. In the U.S., California’s law banning the production and sale of foie gras takes effect in 2012.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 1, 2010

Contacts:  Hope Bohanec, 415-448-0058, hope@idausa.org
Elliot M. Katz, DVM, 415-448-0075, emk@idausa.org

Photos available upon request.