What is Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, Donatello and Salmonella?

not ninjas

Four fictional ninja turtles and one real disease.

I love the ninja turtle movies but I also love turtles. Real turtles are not ninjas, not appropriate pets for youngsters, and not legal to sell if their shells are less than 4 inches in diameter.

not a turtle

Real turtles also carry salmonella which transmits to children and adults when hands are put in mouths, eyes etc without serious washing in between. Salmonella can be fatal to the young, elderly and vulnerable. Turtles also don't provide the type of sustained interaction that children like which often results in their being flushed, illegally dumped in a pond, or accidentally killed. Who needs that?

It is also illegal in California and other places to sell animals on the street. Therefore if you see a vendor selling turtles, large or small, on the street, report it rather than buy one.

Unfortunately, history tells us that whether the featured movie animal is a dalmatian, chihuahua, cat or turtle the ending is always the same. Parents are exploited, pets are harmed, children are left unsatisfied with the wrong lessons learned, while the breeders/vendors laugh all the way to the bank.

Let us not be doomed to relive history. Stick with the toy turtles and enjoy the film!

Live Animal Key Chains-New Trend in China

There is a new trend in China. Live fish and turtles are being sealed into airtight containers which are then sold, very cheaply, as key rings and trinkets. Vendors are appearing in markets, subway stations, elementary schools and the like to peddle these novelties. The Global Times has reported that these live-animal key chains are growing in popularity as they are being purchased as good luck charms and for decorative purposes.

The vendors assert that the colored water is filled with nutrients that would sustain the animals for months. This is far from comforting as both fish, and particularly turtles, can live for years, if not decades. Mary Peng, co-founder of the International Center for Veterinary Services, fears they won't survive very long as "they would run out of oxygen".

In addition to the absence of air, they would be living in and eating their own waste, and, turtles need to get out of the water, bask and let their shells dry to avoid rot. One also wonders what concussive experiences these animals would feel in someone’s backpack, briefcase or pocket.

As horrific as this may sound to some - it is legal in China - as there is no general law preventing cruelty to animals. Qin Xiaona, director of the NGO Capital Animal Welfare Association laments that "China only has a Wild Animal Protection Law. If the animals are not wild animals they fall outside the law's scope". Animal activists in China are voicing strong opposition, and, in the absence of a law, are encouraging people not to buy these trinkets so that the vendors will have no financial incentive to sell them. This controversy so soon after the magic fish spectacle is fueling a movement to enact needed anti cruelty legislation.

Torturing and killing these animals is bad, but made worse by the message sent to those child shoppers that this is okay. They are also being taught to feel no empathy for these pets. Sadly, this is a far greater price to pay than the cost of the key chain.

Article first published as Live Animal Key Chains-New Trend in China on Technorati.

Race Saving, not Racism - Does Removing Cruelty Destroy Culture?

It is beyond disappointing that the race card is used to avoid facing conflict, making difficult policy decisions and to applying critical thinking skills.

The preparation of shark fin soup requires a shark fin which is obtained through the practice of shark finning. Shark finning involves catching the sharks, cutting off their fins, and releasing them alive back into the water to suffer a slow painful drowning death. This year President Obama signed The Shark Conservation Act of 2010 which bans the practices and closes a loophole that allowed it in the Pacific Ocean. It further requires that boats in United States waters keep the entire shark carcass intact. Besides the cruelty issue there is an environmental need for this legislation. First, shark populations are dangerously dwindling and in danger of extinction. Second, as scavenger fish, sharks are responsible for and essential to maintaining a thriving and clean ocean. As goes the shark, so goes other marine life.

A state bill, AB 376, introduced by Assembly-persons Fong and Huffman, would prohibit the sale, distribution and possession of shark fins in California. The immediate response was to again characterize this as an attack on the Asian culture. (Los Angeles Times http://lat.ms/fxFkNW) At each hearing on the issue of imports of non-native frogs and turtles, accusations of racism were raised by the live animal market supporters. Enough already. I would hope that a dialogue on the subject could occur without the very divisive use of race and personal persecution as a strategy for victory. Unfortunately, it often works, as in the case of the turtles and frogs, and is then repeated as a winning strategy.  Of course, winning with the race card rather than on the merits feels like a loss to me.

Being mindful and respectful of our planet and its inhabitants is not a racist position but a race saving one.

Score: Political Hackdom 1- Animal Kingdom 0; A Sad Day for Frogs and Turtles

Millions if not billions of turtles and frogs are imported into California to be sold in the live animal markets for human consumption. Those unfit to eat manage to find their way, through the distributors, into the pet trade where they can be purchased at swap meets, in alleys and at flea markets. It is unlawful to sell the turtles if their shell diameters are less than four inches, so legitimate retail dealers often don't carry them. Many of these non-native frogs and turtles find their way into our ponds and adversely impact our native species (marine life, migratory birds and mammals that drink the water) in our ecosystems. Most carry salmonella which can be transferred to people and life threatening to children who touch them. All suffer cruelly on this journey.  From capture, to transport, to sordid shop conditions to being flayed while still alive these animals are in constant misery. We prosecuted one of the largest animal cruelty cases in the world, which involved 2000 turtles and an importer with a forged Department of Fish and Game permit. (The Department of Fish and Game actually renewed his permit while he sat in prison!)

For the past decade we have campaigned for a total ban on frog and turtle imports. The Fish & Game Commission finally issued a partial ban affecting only those used for food but not those involved in the pet trade. Immediately, the politicians jumped in to rescue the live animal market business constituents by exerting their influence on the Commission members. (See exactly who in this link:  http://spcalapresident.blogspot.com/2010/05/stop-rescission-of-import-ban-on-frogs.html ) 

Unfortunately, the Commission just voted to restore the importations. The motion to reverse the ban passed 3-1 with one abstention and only Commissioner Richards supporting the animals.

Please express your concern to those legislators (emails in link above) and the Commission President,  Jim Kellogg,   fgc@fgc.ca.gov who seem fine with the fact that the Department of Fish & Game is abdicating its responsibility and legal mandate to protect our native species from exogenous threats.

Political hackdom 1 - Animal kingdom 0

We all lose on this one.