Animal testing does no good in search for AIDS cure

The failure of Merck’s V520 HIV vaccine highlights a serious problem in HIV/AIDS scientists’ heavy reliance on animal testing. According to the National Institutes of Health, all of the more than 80 vaccines for HIV/AIDS developed using animals and brought to human trials have failed. V520 is only the most recent in this string of failures. It showed promise in preclinical trials on mice, rabbits and monkeys, but in clinical trials, it actually increased human susceptibility to HIV.

A 2005 article by an animal experimenter at the Washington National Primate Research Center provides insight as to why these vaccines continue to fall short. It stated that “SIV [the form of the virus that affects nonhuman primates] models do not allow direct testing of HIV vaccines” and that “because of the complexity and limitations of the nonhuman primate models, it remains difficult to extrapolate data from these models to inform the development of HIV vaccines.”

By Justin Goodman, for South Florida Sun Sentinel
Read the whole story here.

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Desert Forests Are Being Graded And Walled Away

The ecosystem of the desert is even more fragile than that of those other forests. Developed in an environment of extreme temperature, low rainfall that often comes in torrential downpours which lead to flash flooding, and rooted in decomposed granite, the Joshua trees, along with other flora typical to this region, have an important position in the desert landscape. Retaining water and run-off from desert rainstorms is the most obvious function of these extraordinary trees.

Another is deferring soil erosion from high winds which occur frequently in the desert. I think you will all agree that blowing sand is a menace in our town. It can destroy our vehicles’ windshields and paint. More seriously, it destroys visibility and can lead to serious accidents on the road. It also is not pleasant to walk through a windstorm and be pelted with stinging sand. The entire ecosystem of the area is affected aversely when large areas are mass graded.

Endangered species such as the desert tortoise are deprived of habitat necessary to their survival. Other unique species such as bobcat, coyote, snakes, quail, owls and roadrunners are forced out, perhaps surviving now, but they surely won’t as more land is degraded and denuded. In any event, it will be difficult for these species to survive when a 6-foot-high wall blocks their migratory paths. The high density of homes that is being allowed on hillsides on the south side of Yucca Valley, close to Joshua Tree National Park, are instigating a 6-foot-high wall which will stretch for a distance of one-half mile, blocking the view-shed of hundreds of residents and passersby.

Two similar walls are already in place on Acoma above Onaga. While I drive by I can no longer see the mountains in the distance; the expansive desert views are blocked and stolen from me forever. I feel like I am in a prison. And what about the people who live across the street from these eyesores? Their property is de-valued and their right to enjoy the view out their windows is gone forever.

Go see for yourself.

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Bird Exhibition

The world’s only wingless bird is the kiwi of New Zealand.

The most yolks ever found in a single chicken’s egg is nine.

The American turkey vulture helps human engineers detect cracked or broken underground fuel pipes. The leaking fuel smells like vulture food (they eat carrion), and the clustered birds show repair people where the lines need fixing.

The oldest bird was known as an Archaeopteryx and lived about 150 million years ago. It was the size of a raven, was covered with feathers, and had wings.

Migrating ducks and geese often fly in V-shape formations. Each bird flies in the upwash of its neighbor’s beating wings and this extra bit of supporting wind increases lift, thereby saving energy.

The now-extinct elephant bird of Madagascar laid an egg that weighed 27 pounds.

Hummingbirds eat about every ten minutes, slurping down twice their body weight in nectar every day.

The homing pigeon, Cher Ami, lost an eye and a leg while carrying a message in World War I. Cher Ami won the Distinguished Service Cross. Its leg was replaced with a wooden leg.

The only known poisonous bird in the world is the hooded pitohui of Papua, New Guinea. The poison is found in its skin and feathers.

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A Dog’s Purpose

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish wolfhound named Belker. The dog’s owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn’t do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker’s family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker’s death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.

Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, “I know why.”

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me.
I’d never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, “People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life – like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?”

The six-year-old continued, “Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.”

Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you’re not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

- Author unknown.

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Punished for Selling Poached Meat

A Nebraska sausage-maker has been put out of business after federal agents discovered Jack McClanahan was processing some 10,000 pounds per year of black-market deer meat in a “filthy garage,” the Omaha World Herald reported.

McClanahan apparently poached most of the animals used to create summer sausage, salami, jerky and snack sticks.

According to federal authorities, McClanahan sometimes shot deer at night with a rifle from a bathroom window and waited until morning to retrieve the carcasses. The deer were baited with corn scattered under trees close to McClanahan’s home in Omaha.

What’s more, McClanahan would process product for other hunters who illegally shot animals, the World Herald reported. “Everyone knew that if they shot a deer [illegally], to take it to Jack,” said Mark Webb, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agent. “He’d process it no questions asked.”

The equipment used for processing, located in the three-car garage that had no running water, was reportedly plagued with mouse droppings, maggots, deer carcasses, dried blood and deer. “It’s a wonder people weren’t dying from eating the stuff,” Webb said, though he did add that

McClanahan had huge demand for summer sausage, which Webb described as “tasty.”

McClanahan was fined $10,000 and sentenced to three-years probation.

By Alicia Karapetian on 3/24/2008 for Meatingplace.com

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Marks & Spencer Goes Cruelty Free

Marks & Spencer has announced it is the first high street retailer to exclusively offer BUAV (British Union for the Abolition of
Vivisection) “Cruelty Free” approved household cleaning products and beauty collections. M&S customers can shop with a clean conscience from the largest range of “cruelty free” household and beauty products available on the high street which covers over 1,200 products and their individual ingredients – from lavender laundry liquid through to tea tree face wipes.

BUAV chief executive Michelle Thew says, “We applaud Marks & Spencer for taking this step to prove its cruelty-free retailestatus. The BUAV’s Bunny Logo approval is the global gold standard in cruelty-free cosmetics and household products, so I’m delighted M&S has taken this step to reassure its customers. It sends out a clear message that today’s ethically aware consumers will only trust official approval, and that it is possible to respond to that demand on a national scale. I’m now calling on other unapproved high street retailers and supermarkets to follow suit and clear all animal tested products from the shelves once and for all.”

Marks & Spencer found from consumer research that over 80% of consumers are concerned about animal testing and almost 30% of consumers are unaware that household products are tested on animals. The certification demonstrates M&S’s commitment to its ‘Plan A’ eco initiative to tackle consumer issues like animal welfare and the use of raw materials.

Mike Barry, M&S Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, “We care about animal welfare as passionately as our customers do. With over 80% of consumers concerned about animal testing and specifically household products, being able to clearly label all our beauty and household ranges with the BUAV’s Leaping Bunny logo will give our customers added peace of mind and be their guide to ‘Cruelty Free Shopping’. ”

The BUAV’s Leaping Bunny logo will now appear on all M&S household products and has been phased in on beauty products since April 2007. The logo signifies that each of the 1,200 products have not been tested on animals and that none of the individual ingredients within each product have been tested on animals, either by M&S or its suppliers. This is in line with the BUAV Humane Household Products Standard and the BUAV Humane Cosmetics Standard.

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Animals Have Rights, Too, You Know?

If any good comes from the carnage of dead horses on a northern Alberta ranch, it’s that it sparks debate over animal rights versus those of property owners. Twenty-seven horses died of starvation near the town of Andrew, another was euthanized and 100 more are under a vet’s care, expected to recover despite suffering varying degrees of extreme neglect. Even though neighbours suspected such suffering was occurring, and the operation was on the radar of the SPCA for more than three years over similar allegations, property and privacy rights trumped the welfare of these neglected horses.

The tragedy, reported this week, is compounded by the sad fact the owner was allegedly investigated in 2004 and convicted for not feeding his horses adequately, confirmed Morris Airey, SPCA director of animal protection services. Airey wouldn’t release the name, but neighbours and media reports say it’s Axel Hinz-Schleuter, of Hinz-Schleuter Arabians.
…
That attitude must change. Judges should recognize when the situation is so severe and there’s reasonable and probable grounds to believe livestock or pets are in distress that the suffering of animals should supersede the sensitivities of owners. Without the proper tools, the SPCA is limited in its ability to fulfil its mandate — to enforce the provincial Animal Protection Act. It has unfairly taken the heat for failing to act sooner.

The system meant to protect animals failed miserably, leading to 28 dead horses that could have been saved had the judge taken a tougher position in 2005. The only way to prevent a similar tragedy from occurring again is by allowing animal protection officers the right to follow up with those who have proven — even just once — that they have troubles properly providing for animals in their care.

full story in Calgary Herald

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