❀ 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! 

. . . . . . . . . .

Success! NBC Cancels Elephant-Killing Show “Under Wild Skies”

NBC Sports has responded to Care2's Petition, PETA, and other compassionate individuals like yourself, and has canceled the NRA-sponsored big game hunting show Under Wild Skies. 

The show depicted NRA lobbyist Tony Makris as he hunted elephants, hippopotamuses, antelope, buffalo, crocodiles, and numerous other exotic animals—including one episode in particular that featured Makris laughing as he shot an African bull elephant in the face. 

A very big thank you to all of you who responded to the action alerts and urged NBC to cancel Under Wild Skies!

(Read more) 

Shockingly Neglected Dog Carly is Now Living the Dream

Several months after she wandered into a woman’s Los Angeles area backyard showing all the signs of years of abuse, a dog named Carly is leading a good and happy life in her forever home.

Carly is one resilient pup. On May 21, Annie Hart, the founder of the Los Angeles-based Bill Foundation, received a call from the woman into whose yard Carly had chanced to stop in. Her hair was terribly matted and soiled and her eyes and face bore the signs of burns and infection.

As wrenching as it is to know that too many animals are mistreated as Carly was, it is something  to see how, with attention and love, she has been able to recover and that she has a family whose members know how lucky they are that Carly is with them.

(Read more and watch the heart-warming video) 

Now Even Rural LGBTs in India Can Get Help without Coming Out

A new helpline has been set up in India to help provide counseling and advice services for the LGBT community.

The new and first of its kind for the region initiative, called the Saahay Project, gives LGBTs in the Indian states of Chhattisgarh, Delhi and Maharashtr a toll-free number (1800-2000-113) to call to discuss a variety of issues including sexual health and fears surrounding forced marriage.

The project is backed by an international NGO, FHI360, as part of an operational research study that is designed to assess outreach effectiveness among men who have sex with men (MSM) and also trans women who may engage in sex work. There will be particular focus on promoting HIV/AIDS awareness and educating about safe practice.

The new helpline, it is hoped, will give LGBTs in these areas access to the support and guidance they need.

(Read more) 

10 Inspiring Girls Who Will Put a Smile on Your Face

When there are so many things wrong in the world (like this, this, or this), it’s nice when you come across some good news. Take for example the following 10 girls who are shattering gender stereotypes and doing some amazing things, like discovering dinosaur remains, bench pressing 240 pounds or starting their own businesses.

(Read their stories here!) 

Calf Left on Road Gets Rescued by Pair Feeding Stray Dogs

This is a heart-warming story from Joellen Anderson of Integrated Animal Care Center in India; he and his good friend are animal advocates living in Delhi, India. They spend every evening feeding the stray dogs in their neighborhood. One night at around 10:30, as they were making their rounds, they were searching for a particular dog and instead encountered a baby calf. The calf was abandoned and injured so they took it to the nearby shelter Sanjay Ghandi. 

Big actions and small actions, all going a long way! 

(Read the full story and more of Joellen's Rescue work here) 

Success! Iran Releases Canadian Prisoner Hamid Ghassemi-Shall

After five years of unfair imprisonment, Iran has released Canadian citizen Hamid Ghassemi-Shall. He was freed on September 23rd as part of an amnesty for 80 political prisoners in Iran.

Thanks to a number of human rights efforts, and to the 12,000 Care2 members who signed the petition, Ghassemi-Shall can soon return to Canada and resume his life that was abruptly interrupted five years.

In May 2008, Ghassemi-Shall traveled to his native Iran to visit his mother. Ghassemi-Shall immigrated to Canada in 1979 following a revolution in his home country, and had made a number of trips to Iran without issue in the past. However, during this visit, officials confiscated Ghassemi-Shall’s personal belongings, including his Canadian passport, under the suspicion that he and his brother Alborz, an Iranian national, were plotting to send an incriminating email to one another against Iran. No such email existed.

Ghassemi-Shall’s release is an incredible success for human rights around the world, and this would not have been possible with the tremendous support of people like you!

(Read more) 

5 Creative Ways People Are Fighting the Keystone XL Pipeline

1. Building a Solar-Powered Barn: In a move that’s both literally and symbolically brilliant, volunteers from BoldNebraska.org are building a barn, which will act as a solar and wind-powered community center, on land directly in the path of the Keystone XL pipeline. Supporters say that if all else fails to stop the pipeline, they’ll protect the barn with their own bodies.

2. Human Oil Spill: Tar sand oil spills, like the one that devastated Mayflower, Ark., earlier this year, have caused many Americans to change their minds about building the Keystone XL. Such spills are not a low-percentage possibility, but thanks to TransCanada’s documented disregard for safe-welding practices, they are a certainty. Some creative protesters in Denver decided to pre-enact such a spill for their elected officials. Dressed all in black, they “spilled” themselves on the lawn of the Denver Civic Center.

3. Funeral for Our Future Many scientists and climate experts have gone on record to say that building the Keystone XL pipeline would be like signing Mother Nature’s death sentence, taking the human race along with her. So, earlier this year, over 100 youth and their allies showed up at TransCanada’s MA office to mourn their lost future (watch the video). http://youtu.be/RwmKJKtNE0c

4. Fore! Oil company executives make lots of money, and if there’s one thing rich people like to do, it’s play golf. Upon learning that the the Valero corporation would be sponsoring a golf tournament in his home town, one Keystone XL protester decided to get creative.

5. A Line in the (Tar) Sand: Just days ago, thousands of people in hundreds of places across the U.S. joined together in a nationwide action called “Draw the Line.” Organized by 350.0rg, the protests encouraged local pipeline opponents to literally form a line against sections of the pipeline–sending a clear message that America has no interest in allowing the world’s dirtiest form of fuel to flow through its heartland.

(Read more) 

This Critically Endangered Species is Getting a Second Chance

Distinctive looking creatures for sure, the saiga antelope may yet recover from the brink of extinction and prove to be a conservation success story.

Saiga, who live in the steppe grasslands and semi-arid deserts throughout Russia and Central Asia, are believed to have outlived ancient animals including the woolly mammoth and sabertooth tiger with populations that once numbered in the millions as recently as the last century. Unfortunately, poaching and other threats have continued to cause losses that have driven their numbers down by 95 percent in just the last 15 years.

In 2002, saiga were listed as critically endangered on the Red List of Threatened Species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which is the last stop before a species is listed as extinct in the wild. However, it appears these goat-sized animals are making a comeback in Kazakhstan thanks to efforts to protect them, according to National Geographic.

(Read more) 

10 Incredible Farm Animal Rescue Stories That Will Make Your Heart Sing

I love hearing rescue stories of animal in their new homes after living unfair, cruel lives. The joy of their new lives is just so profound and inspiring. Soooo, check out these 10 incredible farm animal rescue stories that are guaranteed to warm your heart!

(Read the Stories here!) 

. . . . . . . . . .

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! 

. . . . . . . . . .

Horses Get Lifesaving Reprieve from Slaughter in the United States

Plans to start slaughtering horses have been put on hold thanks to a federal judge who stopped companies in New Mexico and Iowa from opening up shop this week.

U.S. District Judge Christina Armijo issued a restraining order in a lawsuit brought by several organizations (The Humane Society of the United States, Front Range Equine Rescue, Marin Humane Society, Horses for Life Foundation, Return to Freedom) and five individuals, alleging that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) failed to complete the proper environmental studies before issuing permits that would allow slaughterhouses to operate.

Investigations and proper assessment must still happen before the slaughterhouses can be moved forwards. 

Sign the Petition: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/238/915/876/congress-ban-horse-slaugher-in-the-us-for-good/

(Read more)

Success! Philippine Airlines Stops Trafficking Primates

After a vigorous PETA campaign, the airline has agreed to stop shipping monkeys to laboratories to be tortured in cruel and deadly animal tests.

(Read the full story) 

Victory! Cruel Chicken Factory Farm Scrapped

Thousands of you wrote to Worcestershire Council opposing plans for an intensive broiler chicken farm. Your voices were heard! The application has been withdrawn, saving 80,000 birds from misery.

(Read the full story) 

Chipotle's New Vegan Sofritas Takes Off!

Never underestimate the power of good vegan food. After introducing "Sofritas"--a tofu option braised with chipotle chilies, roasted poblanos, and a blend of aromatic spices--to its menu at just seven northern California locations a few months ago, restaurant chain Chipotle plans to expand it statewide due to its wild popularity. According to Steve Ells, Chipotle's founder and co-CEO, additional markets are also being considered. The chain currently has over 1,400 locations in the United States.

While I don't generally support fast-food in general, any step towards increasing vegan options is a good one! :) 

Thousands of Minks Freed from Idaho Fur Farm

2,400 minks who had spent their lives in dark cages felt grass and went swimming for the first time on July 28th. Then they bounded off into their new lives of freedom, according to the people who broke into the farm and opened their cages.

The animals were breeding stock at an Idaho mink farm, living solely to create more minks who would suffer and die for human vanity. They were released by an anonymous group, according to a communique published by Earth First! Newswire.

(Read more) 

Facebook Helps Domestic Violence Survivors Protect Their Privacy

Sounds like Facebook finally has done something right…

Facebook has teamed up with the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) to help survivors of domestic violence better navigate the social media site’s privacy and safety features. The company has released a guide to these account settings intended to teach Facebook users how to manage their online profiles without encountering someone who has abused them in the past, as well as how to easily report someone who is using the site to threaten or stalk them.

(Read more) 

The End of Environment-Destroying Fertilizers Could Be Near

Research breakthroughs have been pretty great for Mother Earth lately: We’re on the cusp of treating polluted water with little more than apple and tomato peels, and now Professor Edward Cocking from the University of Nottingham has created a new technology which may soon bring the end of environment destroying fertilizers.

The new technology, known as N-Fix, puts nitrogen-fixing bacteria into the cells of plant roots. With this bacteria, plants are then able to fix and hold nitrogen from the atmosphere, rather than just from the soil (where we must use harmful synthetic nitrogen fertilizers).

This method of nitrogen absorption can provide a plant with almost all of its nitrogen requirements, making nitrogen-rich fertilizer redundant. The possible implications for agriculture – and the entire food system – are huge.

(Read more) 

Success! Animal Dissection No Longer Required for Connecticut Students

Dissection in schools (and everywhere else) should have gone the way of the dodo long ago. Yet many pigs, frogs, rabbits, cats and other animals are still sacrificed each year in the name of science at those institutions that hold on to this arcane and inhumane practice, even though advanced modeling techniques are making humane alternatives to dissection easy, cost-effective and highly educational. However, all that is changing in Connecticut, thanks to the successful passage of a law mandating schools to allow students to opt out of dissection and related curricular activities.

Fewer than half of US states currently have such legislation, leaving many students without legal protection or recourse if they want to refuse dissection. With biology a required part of the curriculum, such students may be effectively forced to participate in something they find unethical, distasteful and upsetting. Youth in the United States often have limited civil rights in school environments, and this is a powerful example of such limits. No student should be faced with the choice between failing a course and engaging in a morally repugnant lesson plan, yet many students across the country do just that when they take biology courses.

For Connecticut students, this represents a major victory, but it represents more than that for the country at large. As more and more states take on such laws and signal that they want dissection-free options for their students, it puts pressure on those that don’t have such protections to consider adopting them. Animal activists can use such legislation to create models for use in other states and to pressure officials who are resistant to the idea of offering dissection alternatives.

(Read more) 

3 Adorable Animal Rescues Caught on Tape

Click through to check them all and smile :) 

http://www.care2.com/causes/3-adorable-animal-rescues-caught-on-tape.html

. . . . . . . . . .

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!!

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) 

. . . . . . . . . .

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! 

. . . . . . . . . .

Lots of amazing news for animals this week!!

Success! EU Closes Shark Finning Ban Loopholes

In a big win for sharks, the European Union finally adopted a strict ban on shark finning. Officially shark finning, a process whereby fins are harvested from living sharks, has been illegal in the EU since 2003. However, loopholes and exemptions in the law allowed the process to continue. Now, at long last, the process has been outlawed once and for all.

With the new regulation in place, conservationists finally have a law that can make a difference for these vital members of the marine ecosystem.

This win is thanks to millions of concerned citizens around the world, and thousands of Care2 members that signed petitions, asking the EU to reevaluate its stance on shark finning, and outlaw the practice permanently. Thanks to dedicated community members like you, the sharks will now have a fighting chance in European waters. 

(Read more) http://www.care2.com/causes/success-eu-closes-shark-finning-ban-loopholes.html#ixzz2YwcL8ZI1

Pennsylvania Law Makes Animal Abusers Pay

Agencies charged with caring for abused animals often struggle to care for them. Whether they’re flailing for shelter after a big bust or trying to cover the medical expenses of a seriously injured animal, law enforcement and animal welfare groups do their best for abused animals, but it can get expensive. That’s why numerous states require accused animal abusers to pay for the daily upkeep of seized animals.

Pennsylvania just joined that group when Governor Tom Corbett decisively signed H.B. 82 into law. This law requires defendants to pay up to $15 a day for upkeep, including shelter, food and other basic needs. If animals require extraordinary care, the accused may be required to pay more in order to support treatment. Veterinarians can evaluate individual cases to determine what kind of treatment is needed and how much it may add to overall costs.

(Read more) http://www.care2.com/causes/pennsylvania-law-makes-animal-abusers-pay-literally.html#ixzz2Ywe60SlD

Victory! The Sale of Dogs, Cats, and Rabbits Banned in San Diego!

The San Diego City Council passed an ordinance to ban the sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits in city “pet” stores. Last September, the San Diego Animal Defense Team (ADT) gave the city council a petition with forty pages of signatures requesting this ordinance. ADT joined with In Defense of Animals, San Diego Humane Society, Animal Protection and Rescue League, and other organizations to garner attention and support for the ordinance. More than 75 animal-related businesses and animal advocacy groups signed on to support the ban.

Pet stores get animals from commercial breeding facilities, including puppy mills, where animals are imprisoned for life in cramped, filthy conditions and used as breeding machines until they can no longer reproduce. Three to four million animals are killed in American shelters every year because of the difficulty of securing enough good homes for them. Please adopt rather than buy animal companions to break this cycle of suffering, misery, and death.

Victory! Bear Pit Closed

Eleven bears had been imprisoned in concrete pits at Chief Saunooke Bear Park in Cherokee, North Carolina, which PETA has been working to shut down for years. Following a PETA investigation, the roadside zoo paid a fine and surrendered its exhibitor's license to settle more than a dozen charges for violations of the Animal Welfare Act.

The bears now reside at the International Exotic Animal Sanctuary (IEAS) in Dallas, after a private benefactor generously offered to purchase the bears from the zoo's owner. 

(Read more) http://www.peta.org/b/thepetafiles/archive/2013/07/09/victory-bear-pit-closed-animals-get-real-retirement.aspx

Woman Helps Little Gopher in Trouble: Stunning “Thank You”

This story from Care2 is totally heart-warming, so happy to share it. The story is of a mother who has an instinct and knack for helping animals in need--placing their needs ahead of her own and going out of her way to help the poor critters. This story is about a gopher who's leg is caught in a leg-hold trap; the woman comes to free him, carries him home (despite him biting her arm the walk back), and feeds and cares for him (respectfully giving him space). 

"The day came when we felt he was well enough to be set free. I took his cage out to an open field across the road. I opened the door and he bounded out and started to run away.  But, then he stopped and turned around towards me.  He then ran back and stopped right in front of me, sat up on his haunches, paused and gazed at me for a moment – as if to say ‘Thank you.”  Then he scurried off never to be seen again. I will never forget that thank you."

(Read the whole heart-warming story here) http://www.care2.com/causes/woman-helps-little-gopher-in-trouble-stunning-thank-you.html#ixzz2ZK0VVwln

Two Former Circus Elephants Spared Euthanasia in France

Two elephants, Baby and Nepal — two former circus elephants that a French zoo was planning to euthanize after they tested positive for tuberculosis — will instead be spending the rest of their days on an estate on the Cote d’Azur owned by the royal family of Monaco. The fear was that the disease could spread so were therefor called to be euthanized. 

A campaign, led by French actress Brigitte Bardot, was created to save the two elephants. About 200 people formed a human chain around the elephants’ enclosure “to save Baby and Nepal” and Monaco’s Princess Stephanie condemned the decision to kill them as “radical and irreversible.”

In February, France’s Supreme Administrative Court put a stop to the euthanasia of the elephants, on the grounds that there was “substantial doubt” about the legality of doing so, says German newspaper Der Spiegel.

Princess Stephanie then offered to take in Baby and Nepal where they now live on the Roc Agel ranch, an estate owned by the Monaco royal family in southeastern France. The elephants’ new home is a nearly one-acre enclosure with a pool and wooden shed. A veterinarian who accompanied them on their journey said that, upon arrival, they showed signs of “well-being,” showering themselves with dust and humming softly.

(Read more) http://www.care2.com/causes/two-former-circus-elephants-spared-euthanasia-in-france.html#ixzz2ZK2oxChI

. . . . . . . . . .

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 good news for animals this week!!! :)

Victory! NIH to Retire Most Research Chimps

In a huge victory for chimpanzees being used in research, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has formally announced that it will be retiring most of the chimps it owns or funds. And will be sending about 310 federally-owned chimpanzees currently imprisoned in laboratories to sanctuaries!

The announcement means that hundreds of chimpanzees will now be allowed to live free from harm, after what has been decades in labs for some, and follows years of campaigning by animal advocacy organizations and caring members of the public who have spoken out on their behalf. More than 12,500 public comments were submitted to the NIH, while a Care2 petition asking the NIH’s Director Francis Collins to retire chimps gathered more than 21,000 signatures.

(Read more) 

India to Ban Animals to Test Cosmetics! 

In another huge victory for animals in laboratories, India has announced that it will implement a ban on using animals to test cosmetics! After an extensive campaign by PETA—which included appeals from high-profile politicians and multinational retailers such as LUSH and The Body Shop as well as lengthy discussions with PETA India's scientists—the drug controller general of India announced that testing cosmetics and their ingredients on animals will not be permitted in India.

This announcement comes on the heels of recently enacted bans on cosmetics testing on animals in the European Union and in Israel. 

Djala The Silver-Back Gorilla Is Going Home

Djala, a gorilla rescued from Gabon after his parents were killed for bushmeat, is on his way home.

The 440lb silverback left the Wild Animal Park in Kent, UK, last Sunday and is traveling more than 5,000 miles back to Batéké Plateau National Park in his native Gabon, West Africa. He was accompanied by four female mates and their four infants, between eight months and six years old. (He also has another 11 children.)

Djala was saved over 30 years ago by a French helicopter pilot who spotted a group of children playing with the orphan. He was taken to Libreville, the capital of Gabon, where he was raised by a Frenchwoman who looked after him in her garden. Eventually he got too big for the garden, and so she turned to the Aspinall Foundation for help.

Conservationist Damian Aspinall has had Djala under the care of the Foundation ever since. This journey is part of the Aspinall Foundation’s Back To The Wild campaign.

How inspiring to read about a program at a wild animal park that has the goal of returning animals to the wild! Remember that zoos are not real, or even close, conservation work, so do not go to them! 

(Read more) 

New York Creates First-Ever Animal Abuser Registry

In a first, the New York Senate has passed a bill that would require that convicted animal abusers — just like convicted sex offenders — register as such with the division of criminal justice services. Even more, those who have been convicted of abusing and torturing animals would also have to undergo a required psychiatric evaluation and would be banned from ever owning pets again.

Under the bill, the names and addresses of convicted animal abuses in New York would be made readily accessible to the public. Those involved in the sale and adoption of animals would be able to check the registry before allowing someone to own an animal. This new bill will protect animals from repeat animal abusers. 

(Read more) 

Wildlife Trafficking Takes a Hit After Unprecedented U.S. Action

President Obama has made another unprecedented move this week by signing an executive order to combat wildlife trafficking that is threatening endangered species and perpetuating organized crime.

The president launched the crackdown during his visit to Tanzania earlier this week, which brings hope for species whose populations are suffering from the effects of the recent surge in poaching that is estimated to be a billion dollar industry and is now being considered both a global crisis and a security threat.

The order allocates $10 million in State Department funds to fight the illegal trade and promises to assist foreign governments with anti-trafficking activities, in addition to making an effort to reduce the demand domestically and abroad.

It also pledges to establish a Presidential Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking composed of the State, Interior and Justice departments to develop strategies to combat wildlife trafficking and an Advisory Council on Wildlife Trafficking that will make recommendations and assist the task force. The Transnational Organized Crime Strategy will also now be considering whether to add wildlife trafficking to the list of crimes it covers, putting it on the same level as arms and human trafficking.

(Read more) 

Tasmania Gives the Thumbs Up to Gay Adoption

Last week was a big one for gay and lesbian couples. The Supreme Court in the United States invalidated part of DOMA and cleared the way for California to recognize marriages of same sex couples. And now the Australian state of Tasmania has given the thumbs up to same-sex couples who want to adopt.

The new law, just passed by the Upper House, allows any couple registered under the Relationship Act – basically their domestic partnership law – to adopt children. It was supported by all but three MPs.

This is a pretty big deal, especially when you realize that Tasmania was the last Australian state to decriminalize homosexuality in the 1990s.

(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!

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! 

. . . . . . . . . .

Victory! Washington University Ends Cruel Cat Lab

Washington University has announced that it will no longer be using cats to teach students in its Pediatrics Advanced Life Support (PALS) course how to perform tracheal intubation.

The change was pushed through thanks to some heavy campaigning and a recent surge in pressure from different fronts including an undercover investigation by PETA, a letter from Bob Barker criticizing the practice and offering $75,000 to buy state-of-the-art infant simulators, local activists holding weekly protests at the school and almost 18,000 signatures on a petition asking the school to stop using cats may have finally pushed the school make the decision.

(Read more) 

59 Supermarkets Say No to Frankenfish

Target, along with many other big supermarket chains, has pledged not to stock genetically engineered (GE) salmon in its stores.

A total of 59 retailers have announced that they will not stock GE fish. Along with Target come H-E-B chain (315 stores in Texas), Giant Eagle (387 stores in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland) and Meijer (200 stores in the Rust Belt).

Earlier this year several other major retailers,  including Whole Foods, Trader Joes and Aldi, as well as some smaller grocery sellers, promised that no GE salmon would be sold in their stores.  That makes a whopping total of 4,662 stores around the U.S.

Victory! San Onofre Nuclear Plant Shut Down!

Southern California Edison, the utility that operates the damaged San Onofre nuclear plant, has given up, saying it's not economically feasible to continue trying to repair the crippled reactors.

The reactors were shut down over 18 months ago after the failure of newly installed steam generators caused a radiation leak. 

This is tremendous news for the people of Southern California -- and also for the country as a whole. It's another example of the failed promise of dirty and dangerous nuclear power, and it clears the way for a transition to a clean and safe energy economy based on the sun and wind.

Big Win over Northern Gateway Tar Sands Pipeline! 

In a big win for the spectacular Spirit Bear Coast and its wildlife, the British Columbia government has just announced its formal opposition to the proposed Northern Gateway tar sands pipeline.

This is a key breakthrough in the fight against tar sands development -- and one that would not have been possible without all the online activism. NRDC experts also testified alongside local partners at critical government hearings and uncovered the damning facts about this project and the havoc it would wreak on the spectacular Spirit Bear Coast. 

The battle is far from over as the ultimate fate of the Northern Gateway now rests in the hands of federal decision-makers. Let's keep the pressure and momentum of this latest victory and ensure that the Canadian government rejects this destructive pipeline once and for all. 

(Full Story) 

. . . . . . . . . .

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.