Texas has a feral hog problem. There are over two million wild pigs in the state and they can cause big problems for landowners–the state Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller even says they eat newborn calves and lambs. ICYMI, Miller was the guy who introduced the practice of hunting boar from helicopters, something he takes so much pride in that he keeps a toy helicopter and a boar head on the wall by his office. But now he has come up with an even more efficient way of reducing the number of hogs.

This new method is a poison, by the name of “Kaput Feral Hog Lure.” “This solution is long overdue. Wild hogs have caused extensive damage to Texas lands and loss of income for many, many years,” Commissioner Miller said. “With the introduction of this first hog lure, the ‘Hog Apocalypse’ may finally be on the horizon.”

The main ingredient, warfarin, is an anticoagulant that has been used for many years to fight the hog problem in Australia. Considering that the boars uproot city parks, landscaping installations, and crops; can pose a physical danger to humans when crossing highways; carry viruses and parasites; and can feed on local endangered species, the Texas Department of Agriculture was happy to find a new method. But what the press release from the department doesn’t mention is that warfarin kills the animals slowly and painfully–it would take one to two weeks for a boar to die. It also doesn’t mention that Australia has been phasing it out for the past few years because of those inhumane issues.

This is not how you manipulate wildlife.
Makes a lot of us sick to think of. https://t.co/HtGsuYpgXD
Quoted @texashoghunters

— Kayla Jean (@Kayla_Jean10) February 23, 2017

The Environmental Protection Agency approved the pesticide in January, but the Texas Hog Hunters Association does not approve. The organization has partnered with other groups of conservationists and trappers and started an online petition protesting the toxin–so far it has about 7,200 signatures. The group argues that it’s pretty likely that the toxin could accidentally sicken humans who unknowingly eat a poisoned pig. But Miller’s counter argument is that the poison contains a blue dye that will turn the boars’ insides blue so that it will be obvious if the pig is poisoned or not.

There’s also the argument against animal cruelty. Stephanie Bell from PETA, said that it is not right that wild animals should suffer just because they’re trying to survive. Besides, she points out, humans brought boars to America in the first place, for hunting. Former researcher with the U.S. Agriculture Department, Tyler Campbell, compared the effects of warfarin to those of rat poison. “They bleed. Internally and externally, usually for a week or more before they die,” he said. And he also pointed out that there is no way to ensure that other animals don’t eat the poison, and end up spreading the warfarin even deeper into the eco system. “The wildlife community at large has reasons to have concerns,” Campbell said.

This is awful. The proposal is to poison the hogs with warfarin which *is not selective* for hogs and can permeate the ecosystem. https://t.co/u4yXzNWteq

— Bryan William Jones (@BWJones) February 22, 2017

Louisiana politicians are considering using the poison as well. But state wildlife veterinarian Jim LaCour is hesitant. He said that even with precautions meant to make the food accessible to hogs only, such as heavy lids, it is impossible to guarantee that other clever animals, like raccoons, don’t learn how to lift the lids. Hogs are also likely to make a mess when they eat, dropping crumbs on the ground where birds and small rodents can pick them up.

Pigs are highly intelligent animals and their genome is rather similar to ours. It seems like an unnecessarily inhumane option to knowingly expose them to drawn-out and painful suffering when humans were the ones that introduced them to this country in the first place.

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post The Texas War on Wild Pigs: The “Hog Apocalypse” is Here appeared first on Law Street.

Tyson Foods has found itself in a public relations nightmare after an animal rights group posted an undercover video Thursday showing live chicken handlers at three of the company’s Virginia facilities shamelessly abusing chickens.

In the video below, undercover activists with Compassion Over Killing captured workers choking, punching, and kicking chickens, among other startling abuses.

Warning: This Video Contains Graphic Content

At one point in the video, a worker warns another standing on a chicken’s head that they could be filmed by animal rights activists. “You can’t let nobody see you do that,” he says. “They’ll take you to court for that.”

In another part of the video, workers are seen throwing chickens to the ground after carelessly jamming them with needles. “Makes you don’t want to eat them,” one says. “I’m just saying with all this sh*t going in them.”

Christine Daugherty, Vice President of Sustainable Food Production for Tyson Foods, called the workers actions “disgusting.”

“The people shown in the video by Compassion Over Killing were all trained in proper animal handling, yet chose to ignore it and failed to alert management about the despicable treatment on these farms, said Daugherty. “Animals in our care deserve to be treated humanely.”

The company says it has fired ten of its employees and is making a pledge to retrain all of its workers who handle live birds.

Tyson Foods also tweeted out a formal response to the Virginia farm video echoing Daugherty’s sentiments.

We’re disgusted by a video showing improper treatment of birds.
Here’s what we’re doing about it: https://t.co/1vqQKMyUMV

— Tyson Foods (@TysonFoods) August 11, 2016

Tyson, which is the world’s largest chicken processor, made $10 billion last year selling poultry.

According to USA Today,

The latest video marks at least the fifth time in roughly 13 months that advocates for various animal rights groups have been able to infiltrate Tyson-connected facilities and secretly record footage of workers abusing chickens and cramped living conditions for chickens before they are slaughtered. The activists typically apply for work at the facilities and are able to surreptitiously record the footage.

After watching the video, some users on Twitter have publicly sworn off the brand.

After seeing this, I will never buy Tyson. Those fired employees are sick, and should be prosecuted. #TysonChicken https://t.co/BVQ55WnoY3

— Amanda Bolliger (@BollzyMouse) August 12, 2016

That video of the Tyson workers is literally why I don’t eat chicken or turkey or eggs, I’m so sad for the poor babies

— ️ (@luvgrim) August 12, 2016

@TysonFoods I WILL NEVER BUY FROM YOU! https://t.co/KQnGtCdM5K

— Monie (@shamone_moore) August 12, 2016

It’s good to see the company immediately taking action to address the clear violations in the video, however, there is still a possibility it could face further repercussions following an investigation into the footage.

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

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Canadian “Baywatch” babe and PETA activist Pamela Anderson appeared before the French Parliament Tuesday to endorse a new bill that, if passed, would ban controversial production methods used in making one of France’s most beloved delicacies–foie gras.

Pamela Anderson wants the French to ban foie gras https://t.co/jasXRl29jm pic.twitter.com/S4Gvp4f3Br

— Fortune (@FortuneMagazine) January 20, 2016

Foie Gras is made by force-feeding ducks in a practice known as “gavage.” The controversial method involves breeders using a tube to pump excess amounts of food into the ducks 2-4 times a day. The ducks, like other migratory birds, are then able to store the excess fat in their livers until they grow to be diseased and 10 times their normal size, which as it turns out, makes for a rich, buttery delicacy beloved by millions for centuries.

Grotesque Duck Feeding Below: Viewer Discretion Advised

In her speech, Anderson compared the practice to the clubbing of baby seals, and pleaded with the French people to stop eating the luxurious eatable. Anderson said,

I would like to respectfully call for the abolition of an industry that profits from horrific misery and abuse to produce a product that is toxic to not just the bodies of those that consume it but is also toxic to the hearts and souls of all of humanity.

Anderson’s attendance was, in effect, a  well coordinated publicity stunt on behalf of France’s Green Party. It’s clear that animal rights activists thought the actress’ star power would have some impact on persuading lawmakers, and to some extent it very well may have. According to Forbes, the former playboy model drew a record attendance in France’s male-dominated Assembly. However, according to Fortune, the vast majority of parliament does not support the ban. So, I guess this means we won’t be saying au revoir to foie gras anytime soon.

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Can Pamela Anderson Convince the French to Give Up Foie Gras? appeared first on Law Street.

How would you feel if the veterinarian treating your pet was recently accused of hunting and killing a cat? Wouldn’t you want the person taking care of your furry companion to show them complete care and respect? Well, you might not want Kristen Lindsey to be your pet’s veterinarian, then. Many are furious since the Austin County, Texas grand jury decided not to indict Kristen on animal abuse charges. While she was an employee at Washington Animal Clinic in Brenham, Texas. Kristen–whose full name was not disclosed–posted the following picture on Facebook, which shows her holding up a stray cat that she supposedly killed by shooting a bow and arrow straight through its skull.

The Texas veterinarian who bragged about killing a stray cat with an arrow won’t face charges. http://t.co/YomiNCX8NG pic.twitter.com/Pj6HPYAjDm

— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) June 25, 2015

The 31-year-old vet, whose full name was never released since she was not formally charged for this vicious act, originally made headlines back in April when the picture was first posted. Now she is infamously known throughout the world as an animal abuser. She quickly deleted the disturbing photo from her profile, although not before many saw it and screen-shotted the post–those screenshots ended up going viral. It was then brought to the attention of her place of employment. Kristen’s position was immediately terminated, although it does not seem that she will lose her license. The clinic also stated how sickened and shocked they were by their former employee’s actions, and begged customers not to let this one incident define their center.

It seems as if everyone was shocked by Kristen’s actions, given that her former workplace, the Texas Veterinary Medical Association, and other institutions she was affiliated with all expressed how upset they were with her. The deans of Colorado State University, where Kristen earned her veterinary degree, also announced how disgusted and disappointed they were with their former student’s actions. There were also multiple petitions created proposing that the vet’s license should be revoked, each with thousands of signatures.

This incident definitely appeared to be an act of animal cruelty and was being investigated as one, although it could not be proven that a crime even occurred. Animal rights advocates were outraged when this picture surfaced, and many urged authorities to arrest Kristen. Since investigators couldn’t tell when or where the supposed crime took place, they did not have enough evidence for probable cause. If sufficient evidence had been found, then a search warrant would have likely been issued, which then might have led to an arrest.

After an exhaustive court battle, the grand jury decided to rule the case as “no bill,” which means that there was insufficient evidence to charge Kristen with an actual crime. Much to many people’s chagrin, Kristen will get off with merely a slap on the wrist and a damaged reputation. After the ruling, many people gathered in front of the courthouse to protest this decision, although it can’t be turned around.

Reports state that Kristen later claimed that she only killed the suspected wild cat to protect her own pet from it, which would have made this incident legal,  although the post makes it seem as if she was hunting for fun and sport. Kristen appears to be quite proud of her kill, as she brags about her precise marksmanship and jokes about how she deserves a “vet of the year award” for her actions.

In what appears to be a blog created by Kristen when she was a student in veterinary school, she disturbingly describes herself as someone who likes to kill animals as a hobby. What’s also shocking is despite how grotesque and sad many people find this killing, the American Veterinary Society actually sees a bolt to the head as a humane way to kill a cat.

A resident of the town has come forward, claiming that the murdered cat is actually Tiger, a domestic cat who went missing from a local farm around the same time the image was posted and who distinctly resembles the slain cat. Despite there being many claims of the cat’s true identity, there is no confirmation of this since the feline’s corpse was never found.

However, this incident and Kristen’s pride in her actions don’t seem just in the slightest. Animal cruelty is a heinous crime, and people who commit this act should not go unpunished, particularly those who are trusted to take care of our pets.

Toni Keddell

Toni Keddell is a member of the University of Maryland Class of 2017 and a Law Street Media Fellow for the Summer of 2015. Contact Toni at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Texas Veterinarian Accused of Animal Cruelty After “Hunting” Cat appeared first on Law Street.

It’s a relatively accepted “no no” for an adult to leave a child locked in a parked car in the scorching heat while they grab a latte, chat with a friend, take a yoga class, or basically do anything that doesn’t involve supervising their child. This type of abandonment is so taboo that states have even implemented laws allowing good samaritans to go full on Jazmine Sullivan and “bust the windows out ya car” to rescue trapped overheating kids. Unfortunately one Georgia man learned that these laws don’t extend to pets after he decided to save a panting pooch and was rewarded with handcuffs.

According to a story from USA Today, Michael Hammons, a Desert Storm veteran, used his wife’s wheelchair leg to smash the window of a parked car after hearing from bystanders that there was a dog inside in distress. Hammons told USA Today,

I’ve got PTSD, and I’ve seen enough death and destruction, and I didn’t want anything else to happen if I could prevent it.

One woman who witnessed the rescue claimed to reporters that “if it is 80 degrees outside, within 30 minutes, it will be 114 degrees inside a vehicle, even with the windows cracked.” Bystanders had reportedly already phoned 911 before and were waiting for police to arrive, but for Hammons there was no time to lose. Understandably so, as who wouldn’t want to save this face?

Man saves dog in hot car, but gets arrested http://t.co/us6hgullNh pic.twitter.com/SSwImry7js

— WBIR Channel 10 (@wbir) May 12, 2015

Police were forced to take action after the owner of both the dog and car came out of the store pissed and demanded police arrest him. Oconee County Chief Deputy Lee Weems told USA Today,

We would not have made those charges on our own. The deputies on scene say the owner of the car and of the dog was very insistent that he be charged with criminal trespassing.

The dog’s owner claimed that she had only been gone five minutes, even though witnesses said it was actually much longer. Regardless of how long her errand actually was, the decision to leave her dog susceptible to heat stroke in 80 degree weather wasn’t a bright decision on her part. Since there was no surveillance video proof of her alleged lengthy abandonment, deputies were only able to issue her a citation. Interestingly enough, USA Today reports that Georgia state law does allow for an individual to break a window to save a child in a hot or cold car, just not a pet.

As we approach summer and hotter temps, there will undoubtedly be more cases of naive people leaving young kids and pets being locked in hot cars, so if you’re considering your own rescue attempt consider what happened to Michael Hammons first, and maybe consider waiting for the police.

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

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Sarah Palin has a unique place in my heart–after all, there are very few people who I can count on to continually surprise me with the weird scandals they manage to get themselves involved in. But she may have just outdone herself.

The most recent Palin scandal started with a photo she posted to Facebook on New Years Day.

Sarah Palin sparks online controversy with photos of her son standing on a dog http://t.co/UbPZKShNDIpic.twitter.com/MTQzRQIVbV

— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) January 3, 2015

It shows her son, Trig, standing on his service dog, Jill, in order to reach a high counter. To me, this read as a relatively innocent photo. I’m not arguing that anyone should stand on dogs–that’s not nice–but little kids climb all over animals all the time. Palin definitely should have grabbed her son rather than post a picture, but in my eyes, it’s not really that big of a deal.

But that’s where this goes from “OK, probably not the world’s best pic to post on social media” to batshit crazy in a way that only a story involving Sarah Palin and PETA can.

So, after that picture was put on Facebook, PETA released this statement:

It’s odd that anyone—let alone a mother—would find it appropriate to post such a thing, with no apparent sympathy for the dog in the photo. Then again, PETA, along with everyone else, is used to the hard-hearted, seeming obliviousness of this bizarrely callous woman, who actually thought it appropriate to be filmed while turkeys were being slaughtered right behind her in full view of the camera.

Full disclosure here–I’m not a huge fan of PETA either. I think what it stands for–an end to animal cruelty–is excellent, but I think that its reactionary policies have the potential to do more harm than good. Anyway, the group got all upset about the picture of Trig stepping on the dog, and then Palin responded with a very long letter on her Facebook page responding to the PETA statement.

Have you come down with a case of the common but exhausting “Wow-These-People-Like-To-Hear-Themselves-Talkitis” yet? Because I certainly have.

Palin’s statement started as follows:

Dear PETA,

Chill. At least Trig didn’t eat the dog.

[…]

Did you go as crazy when your heroic Man-of-Your-Lifetime, Barack Obama, revealed he actually enjoyed eating dead dog meat?

Palin is referring to Obama eating dog meat as a child when he lived in Indonesia. Palin’s ethnocentrism here is important to recognize; the difference is that Obama was eating food that was a cultural norm in the place he was living. He describes it in the same paragraph as eating snake. Furthermore, he was a nine year old. He didn’t have much autonomy in that matter–Palin as a full-grown adult had the responsibility to take her kid off the dog that he was standing on.

Moving right along through Palin’s letter, there’s a super weird part where she accuses PETA of being a hypocrite in a very strange manner, saying:

Aren’t you the same anti-beef screamers blogging hate from your comfy leather office chairs, wrapped in your fashionable leather belts above your kickin’ new leather pumps you bought because your celebrity idols (who sport fur and crocodile purses) grinned in a tabloid wearing the exact same Louboutins exiting sleek cowhide covered limo seats on their way to some liberal fundraiser shindig at some sushi bar that features poor dead smelly roe (that I used to strip from our Bristol Bay-caught fish, and in a Dillingham cannery I packed those castoff fish eggs for you while laughing with co-workers about the suckers paying absurdly high prices to party with the throw away parts of our wild seafood)? I believe you call those discarded funky eggs “caviar”.

What? I am very certain that PETA is anti-fur and anti-leather, almost rabidly so. What she’s accusing PETA of here isn’t hypocrisy but elitism. Which to be fair, I doubt that the people at PETA are struggling to put food on their tables, but the entire thing seems like a weird attack on wealthy people (and let’s remember, Palin is doing pretty well herself). So in a post about being hypocritical, Palin is hypocritical, and wow, this headache is getting pretty bad.

Honestly this entire thing is so silly and features some of the most dramatic overreactions I’ve seen in a while. So, I have some advice for both of you embroiled in this lovely little smorgasbord of misplaced outrage.

Sarah Palin: don’t let your kid stand on a dog. Or if you do, don’t post pictures of it. It’s not worth it. I know he’s probably not hurting the dog, but if you really want to be the role model that you claim to be, just be careful with the social media. Also, learn how to say “yeah, probably not my shining moment. I’m sorry,” without making it about partisan politics.

PETA: There are animals actually suffering. Pay attention to them. You just wasted manpower, outrage, and attention over a dog that is probably fed better than I am. Yet thousands of animals languish in shelters. Use your powers for good

.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

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