AltWeeklies Wire
Ducking the Debatenew

California chefs turned lobbyists take to Sacramento to challenge the state's foie gras ban.
Sacramento News & Review |
Nick Miller |
05-10-2012 |
Animal Issues
The Giant Palouse Earthworm Can't be Found -- Yet it's Dividing the Palousenew
Jodi Johnson-Maynard will firmly tell you is that the giant Palouse earthworm -- a pale white worm that can grow three feet long -- exists. She'll also tell you that its numbers are plummeting and that it has only been found four times in the last 100 years. She just can't tell you how to find it.
The Inlander |
Leah Sottile |
11-24-2009 |
Environment
Fixers, Feeders, and the Strange, Hidden World of Feral Catsnew
Thirty thousand cats are euthanized every year in Colorado, double the rate of dogs. Some volunteers are trying to reduce the kill rate by trapping ferals, spaying or neutering them, then returning them. But trap-neuter-return is a controversial solution, often unpopular with communities afflicted by the colonies.
Westword |
Alan Prendergast |
11-23-2009 |
Animal Issues
Is Your Best Furry Friend a Major Culprit in Global Warming?new

Pet lovers shouldn't look down on SUV owners. Feeding your four-legged companion requires as much land and energy as running a car.
NOW Magazine |
Wayne Roberts |
11-23-2009 |
Environment
Boston's Rat Population Explodes Amongst Economic Collapsenew

With more and more foreclosed and abandoned properties making it harder for planners and exterminators to combat pestilence, anecdotal and empirical evidence suggests that Boston's rodent problem is only getting worse.
Boston Phoenix |
Chris Faraone |
11-16-2009 |
Animal Issues
In South Florida, Dogfighting Rages on Despite Tough Lawsnew

What seemed like a straightforward case in Boynton Beach would ultimately evolve into an expensive and drawn-out legal quagmire that would serve as a test case for Florida's new laws targeting the clandestine world of dogfighting.
Miami New Times |
Michael J. Mooney and Tim Elfrink |
10-26-2009 |
Animal Issues
A Peek Inside Boston's So-Called Monkey Collegenew
At Helping Hands, a one-of-a-kind nonprofit school celebrating its 30th anniversary, monkeys train for two to four years before being matched with people nationwide who've experienced spinal-cord injuries or suffer from muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease.
Boston Phoenix |
Mike Miliard |
10-22-2009 |
Culture
Are Sea Lions Too Cute to Shoot?new
As the number of sea lions in San Francisco explodes, the creatures have bitten and bumped swimmers, poached fishermen's catches, sunk boats, and damaged docks. Many would like to see the nuisance creatures banished, but the potential for a public relations disaster is high.
SF Weekly |
Ashley Harrell |
10-07-2009 |
Animal Issues
Cartoon: Culling the Herdnew

A judge has ruled that the hunting of wolves may proceed since their population could easily "bounce back" from the "culling" of 30 percent of their population.
Feminists vs. PETA: 'Sexist' Ads Draw Portland Protestnew
The loosely knit Portland Feminist Action League organized the "flash protest" via the internet, criticizing PETA for its "sexist and offensive" animal rights campaigns. PETA's protests have featured nude women in cages, and most recently, the organization produced a billboard that pictured a fat woman in a bikini that read, "Save the whales! Lose the blubber. Go vegetarian."
The Portland Mercury |
Sarah Mirk |
08-28-2009 |
The War on Women
Advocates Hope That With Incentives, Someone Will Save the Prairie Dogsnew
Though prairie dogs are in contention for federal listing as a threatened or endangered species, Crawford worries this group could soon die under heavy equipment when the Milton E. Proby Parkway is built.
Colorado Springs Independent |
Anthony Lane |
08-27-2009 |
Environment
A Mexican Shark Fisherman Tells the Tale of an Illegal Industry Gone Overboardnew

In the last decade, the Coast Guard has devoted a growing effort to deterring illegal shark fishing. But that hasn't stopped men from making the dangerous trip north in search of sharks.
The Texas Observer |
Kevin Sieff |
08-26-2009 |
Business & Labor
Dear PETA: What Do You Want from Michael Vick?new
In our society, dog-fighting is illegal. Rightfully so. Also in our society, once a person passes through the justice system and is deemed fit to re-enter, he has the right to earn a living at whatever profession suits his skill. Michael Vick's profession is football.
Philadelphia City Paper |
E. James Beale |
08-25-2009 |
Sports
Those Who Practice Bestiality Say They're Part of the Next Sexual Rights Movementnew

Most researchers believe 2 to 8 percent of the population harbors forbidden desires toward animals. Cody Beck believes he and other members of this minority sexual orientation, who often call themselves "zoos," can follow the same path as the gay rights movement.
Miami New Times |
Thomas Francis |
08-24-2009 |
Sex
Shark Attack -- Oops, Shark Accident -- Victim Defends the Beasts on Capitol Hillnew
Michael Beach recently joined eight other survivors on Capitol Hill to lobby legislators to pass the Shark Conservation Act of 2009, introduced by Sen. John Kerry. It would close loopholes related to "finning," the brutal practice of slicing off live sharks' fins for soup.
Miami New Times |
Gus Garcia-Roberts |
08-17-2009 |
Animal Issues