❀ The Good News ❀

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Stop watching the News on T.V. filled with lies, propaganda, and made to make you feel helpless and afraid.

With all the negative news in the world, it's time to give you hope and inspiration. It's time to the weekly Good News! 

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Lots of amazing news for animals this week!!

25 Cows Find Happiness at their new Sanctuary Home!

Twenty five cows destined for the slaughter house were freed, after having spent their lives in the dairy industry. The only life they knew was a life in which they could not move and never saw daylight, until they arrived at the shelter. Watch the video and their reaction to their new found freedom. Don't miss the reaction of these animals when they see freedom, thanks to this group of owners who have created another very different kind of luck. The video made me all teary to see how happy these cows are getting to be free and prance and play! 

Baby Chimp Rescued

For a baby chimpanzee in the African rainforest, the world is only as big as a mother’s arms. So when that mother is suddenly taken, there’s a massive rush to fill the void.

The Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature, United Nations Great Apes Survival Partnership and MONUSCO peacekeeping forces all had a hand in one such rescue of a two-year-old female chimpanzee Beni, named after the town in which she had been kept in captivity. It is believed that Beni’s mother was killed by bushmeat hunters and she was being kept illegally as a pet by a local family.

(Read the full story and learn about what it's like for an orphaned chimp) 

Over 200 Animals Rescued From Shocking Conditions In Texas

More than 200 animals were rescued from deplorable conditions in a residence in Texas on July 25. This person was hoarding animals for unknown reasons in filthy conditions. Thankfully, after receiving a complaint of suspected animal cruelty, the SPCA of Texas was able to step in. The SPCA took custody of a total of 221 animals from a property in Kaufman County, near Dallas: 166 rabbits, 36 guinea pigs, 12 goats, five cats, one dog and one bull.

At least in this case, the SPCA has hopefully ensured a happy ending for these animals.

(Read more)

Success! Deadly Dog Camp Raided, Animals Rescued

Last week, Care2 brought you the tragic story of a deadly dog camp in Sky Valley, near Palm Springs, California. The camp had been there for years, with local residents desperately concerned, but unable to get it shut down.

Well, on July 25, four Animal Control trucks, six SUVs and one white van stormed the remote desert property, and rescued the ten Queensland Heeler dogs that they found there. The dogs are now in protective custody in a non-public area at one of the county’s shelters.

The owner of this camp, Mary Bernadette Schwenn, was arrested at the Indio branch of the Riverside County Law Library last week and charged with 10 counts of felony animal cruelty and 20 other misdemeanor charges relating to the improper care of animals. She was taken to the Larson Justice Center jail in Indio, CA, and her bail was set at $50,000. She could face a sentence ranging from probation to nine years in custody if convicted.

This is thanks to the almost 40,000 Care2 members who signed the petition asking Riverside County Supervisor John J. Benoit to close the deadly dog camp. Your actions, along with pressure from many local residents, finally persuaded Benoit that he needed to take action.

Since Schwenn has not plead guilty, the fight isn't quite over, so please sign the petition asking that Schwenn never be allowed near animals again, and that the animals that were saved are treated humanely. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/967/344/241/help-stop-desert-dog-death-camp/

(Read more) 

Animal Place Rescues 3,000 Hens from Egg Farm

On July 29th and 30th, Animal Place rescued 3,000 hens from a caged "egg-laying" hen farm. 2,000 hens went to our Grass Valley sanctuary and 1,000 to our Vacaville adoption center.

They need volunteers and donations to help care for the rescued hens though, so please if you can help, please do. Visit their website to see how: http://animalplace.org/helping-hens-rescue

And if you cannot donate or volunteer, you can do something else - go egg-free, go vegan. :)

Victory! Etsy Bans Endangered Animal Products

Etsy, the popular online marketplace for handmade and vintage goods, has updated its policies to crack down on sales of items made from endangered animals.

Earlier this spring, the Snow Leopard Trust raised concerns about illegal listings for products made with endangered animal parts, which were spurred by an item that was listed as “genuine real snow leopard fur.” After attempting to have their concerns heard by Etsy, they created a Care2 petition that has since gathered more than 33,000 signatures.

It appears to have gotten the company’s attention. According to the Snow Leopard Trust, following the petition’s creation Etsy’s CEO Chad Dickerson reached out to the organization to let them know they were working on the issue. Last week the company announced a formal policy change banning the sale of items made from endangered species which will apply to sellers around the globe, with the exception of Native Alaskans.

(Read more) 

Victory – North Carolina Ag Gag Bill Fails this Session! 

IDA teamed up with animal advocates like you and other animal protection organizations to convince North Carolina’s legislature to oppose Senate Bill 648, the state’s proposed “ag gag” bill. Ag gag bills seek to criminalize individuals who document animal abuse in slaughterhouses and on factory farms. Without the evidence that undercover video provides, the worst abuses committed by the factory farming industry would go unseen and unpunished.

Thanks to you the North Carolina legislature ended this session without passing its version of the ag gag bill.

Organizations Worldwide Join Empty the Tanks Protests

On Saturday In Defense of Animals (IDA), Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Save Japan Dolphins, Direct Action Everywhere, and many other animal protection organizations came together for worldwide simultaneous protests as part of the Empty the Tanks Day of Action (to protest marine animals in captivity). There were a total of twenty-four events in twelve countries. 

These events coincided with the U.S. opening of the new documentary film, Blackfish, which focuses on the 2010 death of SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau who was killed by an orca imprisoned at SeaWorld in Orlando.

14-Year-Old Girl Defends Women’s Rights

The Texas legislature waged a new front in the war on women the past couple of months by introducing an extreme anti-abortion bill under the pretenses of protecting women’s health. Of course, it does the exact opposite, but it didn’t stop them from passing it into law earlier this month.

There was tremendous opposition, so much that the first attempt to pass it was shut down by an amazing display of democracy in action, which included filibusters by a senator and citizens.

Billy Joe Cain and his wife showed up to protest this latest assault on women’s reproductive health. They also brought their 14-year-old daughter, Tuesday, seeing it as part of their parental duty to continually educate her on how the world works. The Cain family joined more than 10,000 people in Austin for several days to express their outrage. Tuesday decided to make a sign to add her voice to all the others.

As a result of the sign Tuesday made she and her family were met by the rudest and most shameful backlash, with adults screaming and calling the 14-year-old a whore. As a response to all the negativity, Tuesday's father was right there defending her and Tuesday, as well, wrote a well worded response. 

I think it's great that parents are teaching their child about women's right and that she has been brave enough and strong enough to be a positive wonderful force. Let's hear it for more women (and people in general) speaking up and being smart. 

(Read the full story here; see Tuesday's sign, and read their responses) 

Lawmakers Propose Bill To Prevent Rapists From Claiming Child Custody

(I can't believe this isn't already law!)

On Thursday, a bipartisan group of lawmakers led by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) held a press conference to explain their recently-introduced legislation designed to help rape survivors maintain full custody rights over their children. The lawmakers were joined by Shauna Prewitt, a rape survivor and victims’ rights advocate who was forced to endure the type of custody battle with her rapist that the bill seeks to prevent.

The Rape Survivor Child Custody Act would provide funding incentives to states that have laws allowing mothers of children conceived through rape to “seek court-ordered termination of the parental rights of her rapist.” These states would receive federal grant funding for programs authorized under the federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

(Read the full story) 

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Thanks for reading this week's "Good News!" Join us every week and feel inspired! 

Be sure to sign up for Care2's newsletter for some real news around the globe, to make a change, and to open up your mind to the Real World!

See that your actions count and get out there and do good! Be the Change!  

If you found this article to be helpful, please consider a small donation or visit the shop. Thank you for your love and support.

❀ The Good News ❀

. . . . . . . . . . 

Stop watching the News on T.V. filled with lies, propaganda, and made to make you feel helpless and afraid.

With all the negative news in the world, it's time to give you hope and inspiration. It's time to the weekly Good News! 

. . . . . . . . . .

Lots of amazing news for animals this week!!

Victory! Belgium Bans Wild Animals in Circuses

This week Belgium passed a bill introduced by the Minister for Animal Welfare that will ban the use of wild animals in circuses.

Last year, Belgium adopted laws that would require circuses to adhere to the same standards as zoos, but according to the Belgian animal advocacy organization Global Action in the Interest of Animals (GAIA), those standards wouldn’t, or couldn’t, be met, reports FarmingUK. While many cities in the country had banned circuses with wild animals, the organization and animal advocates continued to fight for a full ban.

A full ban was the only logical step since they were unable to meet the standards of the previous laws. Belgium now joins other progressive countries that have taken steps to stop cruelty by enacting bans on animals in circuses including Cyprus, Greece, Croatia, Columbia and Austria, which will be joined by the UK in 2015.

(Read more) 

Two Indus River Dolphin Calves Rescued

The Indus River dolphin is one of the world’s rarest mammals and most endangered cetaceans; a 2011 survey estimated the population to be only 1,297 individuals. Most dolphins are confined to a 750-mile stretch of the river, divided into isolated populations by six dams. So when two stray Indus River dolphin calves were found trapped in an irrigation canal in eastern Pakistan, rescuers leapt into action.

Indus River dolphins frequently travel into irrigation canals when canal gates are open. But when the canals close, water levels drop and the dolphins become trapped in small pools with depleting fish supply. The stranding of Indus River dolphins—along with intensive fishing in canals that increases the risk of dolphins becoming entangled in nets—threatens the existing population.

In response, WWF and the Sindh Wildlife Department regularly perform such rescue operations. Since January 2013, rescuers saved five dolphins in four rescue operations.

(Full Story) 

Equal Marriage in the UK! 

The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act has completed its passage through the Houses of Parliament and received Royal Assent on Wednesday 17 July!

Public Stands Against Bobcat Trapping Near Joshua Tree

Last winter the discovery that bobcats were being targeted by trappers around Joshua Tree National Park ignited a call to ban the practice in the state. Residents who live next to the park are banning together and pushing to protect these cats from the fur trade.

Unfortunately, trapping bobcats in California is perfectly legal from November through January, and while the bobcat population isn’t in danger (yet), the disappearances of some of them from the landscape have saddened and angered those living in the area. However, they have also brought them together in a fight for the passage of a bill that would protect bobcats from trappers.

This is still an ongoing fight but it is wonderful to see a community of people coming together to protect their four-legged neighbours. 

Please sign the petition and help their fight! 

(Read more) 

Challenging Utah’s Ag Gag Law

PETA, the Animal Legal Defense Fund, investigative journalists, a political journalist, a university history professor and animal rights advocate Amy Meyer, who was recently arrested for filming a downed cow at a Utah slaughterhouse—have filed a groundbreaking lawsuit challenging that state's "ag-gag" law, which prohibits documenting animal abuse at agricultural operations. The plaintiffs contend that this agri-business law amounts to an unconstitutional attack on investigators' First Amendment rights.

The U.S. Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to speak out against abuse, even when committed by those in positions of power and privilege—and animals need us to exercise that right. Please, when animals are in danger, never be silent! http://features.peta.org/never-be-silent/

Dog Finds A Tiny Kitten, Risks Everything To Save Her

This is just too sweet! 

Animal control officers in Anderson, South Carolina, thought that a barking Shih-Tzu was stuck in a ravine. Turns out, she was there nursing and protecting a tiny abandoned kitten she had found. The dog and kitten were taken to the Anderson County P.A.W.S. shelter, where they remained inseparable and the dog continued to care for the kitten as one of her own. Eventually, the pair were taken to a foster home – together, of course.

(Full Story + photos)

. . . . . . . . . .

Thanks for reading this week's "Good News!" Join us every week and feel inspired! 

Be sure to sign up for Care2's newsletter for some real news around the globe, to make a change, and to open up your mind to the Real World!

See that your actions count and get out there and do good! Be the Change! 

If you found this article to be helpful, please consider a small donation or visit the shop. Thank you for your love and support.

❀ The Good News ❀

. . . . . . . . . . 

Stop watching the News on T.V. filled with lies, propaganda, and made to make you feel helpless and afraid.

With all the negative news in the world, it's time to give you hope and inspiration. It's time to the weekly Good News! 

. . . . . . . . . .

Local Ohio Man rescues kidnapped girls

Charles Ramsey came to the call when he heard a woman crying for help in a home nearby. He did what, sadly, most don't, and sprang to action. The woman who came out turned out to be Amanda Berry, who had been kidnapped as a teen a decade ago. Two other women, Gina DeJesus and Michele Knight, were also being held prisoner in that home, along with a young girl.

Canada's Top Grocery Chains Ditch Gestation Crates

The Retail Council of Canada announced that all eight of the country's leading grocery chains, including Loblaws, Metro, Sobeys, and Walmart Canada, are requiring their pork suppliers to phase out cruel gestation crates. These restrictive crates, which prevent pregnant pigs from turning around or lying down comfortably for nearly their entire lives, have been widely condemned as one of the cruelest factory farming practices in the world. 

The announcement comes after Mercy For Animals Canada released hidden-camera video from an undercover investigation at Puratone, a major Canadian pork supplier, and pressured Loblaws, Metro, Sobeys, and Walmart Canada to do away with gestation crates in their pork supply chains. The shocking expose received national media attention and prompted tens of thousands of Canadians to demand Canadian grocery retailers cut ties with particularly cruel pork producers. 

(Read the full story here)

Two Bunnies Saved from Research Lab

Two bunnies in a laboratory in the San Francisco Bay Area were lucky when the company that manufactured the product to be tested, asked for the test and that paid for the test, had a request: don’t kill the rabbits when you’re done. Get them adopted instead. The House Rabbit Society (HRS) paired up with the Beagle Freedom Project, picking up the pair of bunnies up from the lab and brought them back to their office. Then the buns, now named Lillian and Heather, headed to the Beagle Freedom Project (BFP), where they will be spayed and, in a few weeks, will be ready for adoption!

This is a rare occurrence, as most experiments end with the animal subjects’ execution. So be sure to not support the ineffective animal-experimentation. 

Lolita the Orca One Step Closer to Freedom

Animal advocates have been fighting for Lolita’s freedom for decades, even since she was taken from her home and family in 1970, and have finally had some success with an announcement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) that it has accepted a petition filed by the Animal Legal Defense Fund, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Foundation, the Orca Network and individuals to extend Endangered Species Act protection to Lolita.

The Southern Resident orcas, which include three distinct pods (J, K and L) that live in Puget Sound, the Strait of Georgia and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, were listed as endangered in 2005. As of now, there are only 84 of these orcas in the wild.

It’s a step in the right direction, but it’s only one of many hurdles in the battle for Lolita’s freedom. 

Please sign the petition for her freedom here.

(Read more here)

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam vetoing ‘ag gag’ bill

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam vetoed a controversial “ag gag” bill that would require intentional documentation of animal abuse be handed over to law enforcement within 48 hours and which would criminalize undercover investigations at agribusiness operations and stables. Haslam, who has wrestled with the issue for days, cited last week’s legal opinion from Tennessee Attorney General Bob Cooper, who said the bill’s provisions are “constitutional suspect” as regards the First Amendment.

The Humane Society of the United States, played a central role in the battle against the Tennessee bill, as well as over 51,000 signatures on Care2's Petition, animal protection groups, First Amendment advocates and newspaper editorial boards across Tennessee who opposed the bill. 

Minnesota Becomes the 12th State to Legalize Marriage Equality

A jubilant crowd of supporters erupted into applause as the Minnesota State Senate passed legislation Monday extending marriage rights to same-sex couples. The bill passed the Senate by a 37-30 vote; all but two Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party senators supported the measure, while all Republicans but one opposed it.

(Read more) 

. . . . . . . . . .

Thanks for reading this week's "Good News!" Join us every week and feel inspired! 

Be sure to sign up for Care2's newsletter for some real news around the globe, to make a change, and to open up your mind to the Real World! 

Have a story you want to share? Email me at alter_eco@hotmail.com to submit your story (no matter how big or small).  

If you found this article to be helpful, please consider a small donation or visit the shop. Thank you for your love and support.

❀ The Good News ❀

. . . . . . . . . . 

Stop watching the News on T.V. filled with lies, propaganda, and made to make you feel helpless and afraid.

With all the negative news in the world, it's time to give you hope and inspiration. It's time to the weekly Good News! 

. . . . . . . . . .

Victory for Bees! Pesticide banned in Europe!

Europe has voted to ban three of the world's most widely used chemicals for two years after EU scientists said there were links to the decline in bee populations, crucial to the pollination of crops. Mega-corporations like Bayer threw everything they had to stop this, but people-power, science and good governance came out on top. It was a close vote but thanks to Avaaz members (with a giant petition with 2.6 million signers!!), 17,000 Care2 members, bee keepers, and other groups this result was made possible.

In Washington 130,000 petition signatures, a swarm of activists, led by the OCA, Occupy Monsanto and GMO Free DC, also swarmed the Washington D.C. headquarters of the EPA on Earth Day to demand a ban on Bayer, Dow and Syngenta's bee-killing neonicotinoid insecticides. Hopefully the U.S. is next to follow! 

New York Senate passes the New York Solar Bill

On April 23, the New York State Senate unanimously passed the New York Solar Bill. The bill extends the popular NY-Sun program for 10 years, provides enough solar energy to power 400,000 New York homes, creates thousands of local jobs, saves New Yorkers billions by reducing the need to fire up our dirtiest and most expensive fossil power plants, and will spur millions of dollars of investment in the state's growing clean energy economy.

Protection for Sea Turtles in Mexico

In February, a new Mexican law (known as Official Norm-162) took effect, offering new protections for sea turtle nesting grounds in Mexico. Previously, only the most important sea turtle nesting sites have been designated as sanctuaries and natural reserves, which allowed them some level of protection but left the majority of nesting habitat vulnerable. But now, the new regulation extends habitat protections to all turtle nesting sites.

More protection is still needed however as this law protects turtles on land but not in the ocean. Take Action and sign the petition here. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/410/105/666/

20 Elephant Poachers Arrested

Elephants face a lot of threats due to poachers for the ivory and meat, and they are endangered and need of more protection. It is, however, cheering to hear that in southeastern Cameroon, 20 elephant poachers have been arrested. Local authorities found them armed with 45 weapons including chainsaws, machetes and Kalashnikov rifles; a store of ivory tusks were seized as well as meat from elephants, gorillas and chimpanzees. 

The fight for their protection goes on. 

New York School Goes All-Vegetarian

The Active Learning Elementary School just made the move to all-vegetarian meals five days a week. The school of nearly 400 students, from pre-kindergarten to third grade, was founded five years ago on the principle that a healthy lifestyle leads to strong academic achievement. Their focus on healthy meals for kids began 3 years ago and made the switch to all-vegetarian in January, and students are enthusiastic about it. 

Charges dropped in first Ag-Gag Law Charge

Amy Meyer, a 25-year-old animal rights activist, was set to be the first person prosecuted under an ag-gag law for filming animal cruelty. She stood on the sidewalk and used her smart phone to record what was happening across the street in broad daylight. Police arrived and charged her with a violation that carries a possible penalty of six months in jail. Even though she remained on public property, never once crossing the barbed wire fence that exists to demarcate private and public property. 

The charges however have been dropped--the good news! But these new ag-gag laws should be a sign for people to pay attention and realize that if they had to create these laws then what are they trying to hide? 

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Thanks for reading this week's "Good News!" Join us every week and feel inspired! 

Be sure to sign up for Care2's newsletter for some real news around the globe, to make a change, and to open up your mind to the Real World! 

Have a story you want to share? Email me at alter_eco@hotmail.com to submit your story (no matter how big or small).  

If you found this article to be helpful, please consider a small donation or visit the shop. Thank you for your love and support.