March 14 , 2008

Approximately one year ago, RMAD jumped into action to halt the illegal leghold trapping of coyotes along the Highline Canal in Greenwood Village. As you may recall, voters banned leghold traps in 1996, so we weren’t going to sit back and let bad science and unwarranted fear override the wishes of Colorado’s citizens.

RMAD staff, pro bono attorney Karen Breslin and the DU Law Center worked to ensure that this trapping wouldn’t take place again. After many months of back-and-forth e-mails, phone calls and the occasional meeting, the Tri-County Health Department finally sent word that they would no longer be issuing permits based on the exemption of risk to human health and safety.

The coyotes are howling and yipping with relief.



And while this is big victory for our native wildlife, we still need you to be our eyes and ears. Because of your vigilance, we were also recently able to help shut down plans to box-trap and shoot coyotes in Parker. We need you to help us help animals!

A huge thank you to Karen Breslin, The DU Law Center, and each and every one of you who called, wrote and helped out in some way. If you’d like to make a donation to offset the cost of this campaign, please do so today!

 We’ve got a couple of action alerts for you too, so please scroll down for info on how you can help. And be sure to get your tickets for the first-ever Denver Veg Fest (info below), which is less than a month away.


Rocky Mountain Animal Defense works to help eliminate the human-imposed suffering of animals in the Rocky Mountain region.

Rocky Mountain
Animal Defense
PO Box 18903
Denver, CO 80218

303-449-4422
info@rmad.org
www.RMAD.org
www.VegColorado.com

 

 

RMAD Calendar Feature:

 Denver Veg Fest
Saturday, April 12, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
The Ritz-Carlton, Denver
Admission: $10

Veg Fest is only weeks away! It’s going to be THE event of the year, with great speakers, amazing food, vendors, non-profits and much more. All the info you need is here.

Also coming up in the RMAD Calendar:
Fur Protest, Denver

 

Please see our full calendar of events here.

 

Action Alerts

Alert #1:

TO: Members of Colorado Humane Voters League's Legislative Alert Network

WHAT: Colorado Senate Bill 201, to phase out the use of "veal" crates for calves and "gestation crates" for pigs in Colorado.

DETAILS: SB-201 states that calves raised for veal and pregnant sows must be allowed enough space to stand up, lie down, and turn around without touching the sides of their enclosure.  The bill would effectively end the use of "veal" crates for calves and "gestation crates" for pregnant sows.  Veal and pork producers would have until the year 2012 and 2018, respectively, to meet the new requirements.

Currently, calves who are raised for veal typically spend their short lives chained by the neck in a crate so small that they cannot even lie down comfortably.  Breeding sows are confined in metal pens barely larger than their bodies for the entire four months of each pregnancy. (After giving birth, sows are confined in a similar way while their piglets are nursing but the bill does not address this).

Arizona voters passed a ballot initiative which banned veal crates and gestation crates in 2006, and the Oregon legislature banned gestation crates by statute in 2007. It is an exciting development for the Colorado legislature to begin to address the suffering of farm animals, who are specifically excluded from the state's cruelty laws.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: The Colorado Senate is likely to vote on this bill early next week. Please contact your STATE senator and ask him or her to SUPPORT Senate Bill 201! To find out who your senator is, visit this site and click on “Senate” under “Legislative Directory,” then search by name or district.

 Alert #2:

The Mercantile stores in Brighton and Loveland are selling colored chicks and ducks for a $1.99. Please call and e-mail and tell them to STOP! These animals will almost definitely be discarded within days after finding out that these animals require care, grow to be adult animals, and are not house “pets”!

Brighton:
2350 E Bridge Street
Brighton, CO 80601
303.637.9583

Loveland :
3720 Draft Horse Drive
Loveland , CO 80538
970.593.6283

You can use the email form too: http://themercantile.net/global_pages/contact_us.htm

Thanks!

 

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