Exotic Newcastle Disease* Situation Update (as of 5:00 p.m. PST, February 19, 2003)
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By Elizabeth Fitzsimons
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
February 21, 2003
Tests
yesterday confirmed that yet another North County poultry ranch is infected with
exotic Newcastle disease, and the Humane Society of the United States is urging
a crackdown on cockfighting, which some believe is at the root of the outbreak.
Larry Cooper, spokesman for the state Department of
Food and Agriculture, said about 95,000 chickens will be destroyed as a result
of the newest infection, the fourth commercial flock in the county to be hit.
He would not identify the ranch, but said it was near
two others that recently tested positive for the virus.
Those two ranches, both in Valley Center, are owned
by Armstrong Farms.
State and federal workers with the Exotic Newcastle
Disease Task Force spent days euthanizing a flock of 150,000 birds at one ranch.
At the other, Armstrong Farms was raising about
69,000 pullets, or young birds, for a local egg producer, ranch owner Alan
Armstrong said. They also were ordered destroyed.
"It's so sad to see this happen," Armstrong said.
"We're doing everything we can to keep it from spreading."
Exotic Newcastle, harmless to humans but deadly to
all types of birds, has now infected 15 commercial poultry ranches in Southern
California.
In Washington yesterday, the Humane Society of the
United States sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman, asking that
her department aggressively enforce a ban, scheduled to take effect in May, on
importing, exporting or transporting fighting birds across state lines.
Aggressive enforcement, including the arrests of
people engaged in cockfighting, might prevent future outbreaks of exotic
Newcastle, wrote Wayne Pacelle, a senior vice president with the society.
The outbreak was first confirmed in October among
backyard birds in Los Angeles County that were suspected of being fighting
cocks.
About 35 percent of the nearly 102,000 backyard birds
destroyed so far by the task force have been classified as fighting birds.
It is not illegal to own fighting cocks, but it is
illegal to fight them.
There has been concern among task force officials
about such birds being moved in and out of the quarantined areas.
"More and more of the evidence is pointing to
cockfighting as the origin of the outbreak," Pacelle said in an interview
yesterday.
"When you look at the costs of the containment and
compensations, we're talking tens of millions and it may go to hundreds of
millions. Should we be treating the symptom or getting at the root cause?"
The USDA is reimbursing owners for birds that are
destroyed.
Pacelle said that in some cases, the agency was
compensating the owners of fighting birds, which are specially bred and
expensive, at the rate of $1,000 to $1,500 per bird.
He said the payments were a waste of money, and that
the USDA should not compensate people for fighting cocks when it is illegal in
California to sell a bird for fighting purposes.
Cooper, of the state agriculture department, said, "I
do know that we are paying fair market value, and that is determined by an
appraiser."
It has been the policy of the state and federal
Exotic Newcastle Disease Task Force not to release the names or addresses of
infected ranches. But the policy, which has drawn complaints from the media, is
being discussed by officials, Cooper said.
The task force also corrected its tabulation of
backyard cases of exotic Newcastle in San Diego County. There has been only one
case in pet birds, not three. The higher number was an error in documentation,
Cooper said.
Source: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/northcounty/20030221-9999_1mi21fourth.html
By David
Steves Calling it a cruel blood sport and a barbaric
activity, advocates of House Bill 2086 told the House Judiciary Committee that
although Oregon already bans cockfighting, the law needs to be tightened. A
loophole allows people to raise birds for such activities by claiming the
gamecocks are being reared for fighting elsewhere.
But poultry breeders and an out-of-state expert said
the bill was poorly drafted and would treat as criminals people who are raising
game fowl for legitimate purposes, such as meat or feather production.
Advocates for the bill said that despite the defeat
of a similar measure in the 2001 session, an upcoming change in federal law
makes a stronger case this time around. The amendment to the U.S. Animal Welfare
Act, which was signed by President Bush and takes effect in May, bans the
interstate transport of birds used for cockfighting.
Kelly Peterson, a lobbyist for the Humane Society of
the United States, said that undermines the game fowl industry's main argument
in the past: that they have a legal right to raise fighting birds, so long as
they don't actually fight in Oregon, where the practice is illegal.
"So there's no reason for any Oregonian to possess or
breed fighting birds in Oregon, unless they're being used for illicit purposes,"
she said.
Cockfighting remains legal in two states, Louisiana
and New Mexico, and other countries such as Mexico and the Philippines.
The bill was decried by game fowl breeders and the
Oregon Farm Bureau as an attack on the entire poultry industry.
Many of the bill's opponents cited the inherent
tendency of all poultry to fight.
Barry Bushue, president of the bureau, said his son
raises Rhode Island red chickens. He questioned whether police would come to
arrest his boy if his roosters or hens were caught fighting.
Mike Baker, a Dorena resident who raises game fowl,
said he doesn't use them in illegal fights. He told lawmakers the game-fowl
industry is developing special boxing gloves with electronic sensors to be
placed on the fighting birds' feet. The sensors could determine which of two
birds hits harder, and ultimately which should be declared the winner. The
format, he said, eliminates the razor-sharp gaffes and spurs worn by the birds -
and thereby addresses concerns of animal cruelty.
Baker said tightening the laws would prevent him and
other enthusiasts from developing such an alternative version of cockfighting -
something he said was protected by his constitutional right to the pursuit of
happiness.
"I feel my human rights are being sacrificed for
animal rights," he said. "Come on people, this is only a chicken."
While Lane County authorities say there have been few
arrests associated with cockfighting in the area, cockfighting does go on.
Last week, a husband and wife were sentenced to short
jail terms and probation on weapons charges stemming from a police raid last
summer at their home west of Junction City. The raid turned up several roosters
apparently used in cockfighting, a collection of cockfighting equipment, as well
as 48 marijuana plants. But prosecutors dropped animal cruelty and cockfighting
charges as part of the plea agreement.
In 2001, police arrested a man and discovered what is
believed to be an illegal cockfighting operation outside Junction City that
included roosters, breeding hens and an indoor arena.
"It's definitely prevalent in Lane County," said Mike
Wellington, program manager for the Lane County Animal Regulation Authority. "It
does happen, but due to our lack of resources, it's hard to be able to
investigate it."
Woodburn police detective Jason Alexander described
finding about 100 roosters tied down on 2- to 3-foot leashes behind a house when
investigating a report last July of fighting birds, drugs and stolen property at
a rural Marion County residence. Alexander said several of the birds carried the
tell-tale signs of fighting: Many were scarred and had patches of feathers
shaved off so wounds could be treated. In addition, the birds' crests, wattles
and earlobes had been removed. This was to deny other birds something to grab
onto in order to shove into them a spur or gaffe.
Francine Bradley, a professor with the University of
California, Davis, poultry sciences department, later testified that the
detective's reference to removal of a rooster's body parts as an indication it
has been used for cockfighting points to one of the bill's weakness: It is so
broadly worded that a chicken owner could be wrongly accused of raising birds
for cockfighting. She said poultry farmers commonly trim waddles, crests and ear
lobes for reasons other than preparing them for fights.
Bradley said the bill's heightened penalties for
cockfighting - up to five years in prison and fines of up to $100,000 - would
drive hobby farmers underground. And that, she said, would make it more
difficult for disease control officials to detect and treat infections that
could spread through Oregon's poultry populations.
Rep. Lane Shetterly, R-Dallas, questioned opponents'
assertions that the bill would make law-abiding poultry growers targets for
police. He said the proposed changes would be similar to Oregon's 1987 law
outlawing dog fighting. And he said the types of unintended consequences
described by opponents have never beset Oregon's law-abiding dog breeders.
Rebecca Nolan contributed to this report.
Source: http://www.registerguard.com/news/2003/02/21/c1.cr.cockfighting.0221.html
The groups are pushing for a law, HB2086, that would make
cockfighting a felony instead of a misdemeanor. It would also make it a crime to
raise the birds for fighting purposes or transport them to places where
cockfighting is legal, such as Mexico and the Philippines. Source: http://www.tdn.com/articles/2003/02/21/oregon/news02.txt
Lawmakers plan to amend the bill, which originally made both
cockfighting and dog fighting a felony offense, to keep cockfighting a
misdemeanor.
Although there may not be much vocal support for a practice that
currently is illegal, the bill's sponsor was worried cockfighting provisions
might kill the whole bill.
"I don't want to put the dog fighting portion in jeopardy,"
Delegate John Overington said. "There is opposition to including cockfighting
out there."
If the dog fighting bill passes, people convicted of the crime
would face a fine of $1,000 to $5,000, one to five years in prison or both
prison time and a fine. The current misdemeanor penalty is a fine of $100 to
$1,000, a year in jail or both.
Anyone who organizes a dog fight, owns a dog used for fighting
or trains or sells a dog used for fighting would face felony charges.
Even attending a dog fight would become illegal under the new
bill, punishable by the misdemeanor fines.
West Virginia is one of only four states that makes dog fighting
a misdemeanor instead of a felony, and it's the only one east of the Mississippi
River that does so. More than 20 states, on the other hand, list cockfighting as
only a misdemeanor offense.
"I don't want us to be a haven on the East Coast for dog
fighting," Overington, R-Berkeley, said. "We're working hard to improve West
Virginia's image. I think this is a step in the right direction."
The Humane Society of the United States agrees and is urging
West Virginia lawmakers to pass stricter measures for both dog and cockfighting.
Humane Society officials say the state's lax laws draw in more than just animal
fighters.
"It's a magnet for other forms of criminal activity," said Karen
Allanach, manager of media relations for the group. "This bill would really work
to help police deal with other forms of crime."
Allanach says gambling, drugs and illegal weapons often go
hand-in-hand with animal fighting. Several local law enforcement agencies and
humane shelters support the bill.
Overington said making dog fighting a felony charge will make it
worth police agencies' time to go after violators. It is currently too expensive
for officers, often undercover, to spend lots of time and money going after
animal fighters who get away with nothing but small fines, he said.
"The person gets off with a slap on the wrist," Overington said.
The bill will be debated today or next week in the House
Judiciary Committee.
Writer Deanna Wrenn can be reached at 348-1796.
Reporter: Andy Cordan News 2 was there as animal cruelty investigators seized close to
three dozen roosters that may be involved in the cockfighting industry. Since
our exclusive report Tuesday, phones have been ringing at Metro Animal Services
with everything from calls from people claiming to be the birds owners to calls
from those willing to pay $1,000 for a single bird. Tuesday morning, animal cruelty investigators crawled through
filthy muddy cages in a remote location behind the Hickory Hollow Mall.
At the scene, investigators found syringes and stimulants like
rooster booster. They also seized more than 36 roosters that may be involved in
cock fighting - an activity that takes place around the globe, sometimes in
large arenas where spectators cheer and wager as two birds fight to the death.
"Injuries are consistent with fighting." After News 2 aired the exclusive story, calls began to flood
Metro Animal Services. One caller was reportedly willing to pay $1,000 for just
one of the roosters. "They wanted the chicken because they could sell them in
Mexico, and many chickens raised locally are sold in Mexico," said Judy
Ladebauche. According to Metro investigators, a father and son from
Rutherford County also called after our report, reportedly claiming ownership of
the animals. "I asked him whose property the animals were sitting on. He
didn't know his name. How did you put your animals there? He said they've been
there for 40 years." When investigators asked the men if the birds are raised to
fight, the men said they were just pets. "There's no way these are pets." "These animals can't be put together." Investigators told News 2 this is now being treated as a
criminal investigation. Until it concludes, the birds will stay at animal
control headquarters, where they are being cared for and treated for injuries
consistent with cockfighting. "In our society there is no place for animals to be fought."
Metro Animal Services said the birds are not available for
adoption pending the outcome of the investigation. We're also told that
Nashville Electric Service is very interested in talking to that Rutherford
County father and son, because whoever has been caring for those birds is
suspected of also stealing electricity from a nearby power pole. That's another
felony. News 2 at 4 Source: http://www.wkrn.com/Global/story.asp?S=1140412&nav=1ugFE6Yo Courtesy: Marc R.
(760) 752-6743; elizabeth.fitzsimons@uniontrib.com
The
Register-Guard
SALEM - Police and animal-rights groups teamed up Thursday to urge
lawmakers to crack down on cockfighting, reviving an effort that fell short two
years ago.
Cockfighting has been illegal in the state since the 1970s. But
animal rights activists say it's still widespread, and often mixed with other
illegal activities, such as gambling and drugs.
The same bill
passed the House and then died in the Senate during the 2001
session.
"With the passage of the federal law barring interstate
transport, there is no logical reason to possess fighting birds," said Wayne
Pacelle, senior vice president of the Humane Society. "The only thing they can
do with these birds is engage in criminal conduct."
The federal law was
passed last year and will take effect this May. Though New Mexico and Louisiana
still permit cockfighting, it will be illegal for the birds to be transported to
those states.
Breeders said they'll appeal the transport ban because it
violates the North American Free Trade Agreement. They also described the
proposal as overkill, and an infringement on their rights.
"This is
people in condos who are making decisions for people in rural areas," said Larry
Mathews, who represents the Oregon Gamefowl Breeders Association.
Mathews
said many of the 450 breeders in Oregon raised the birds for non-fighting
purposes, such as bird shows and food for Asian countries, where many people
prefer rooster meat to chicken.
Though the law won't prohibit breeding,
Mathews said the end result will be the same. That's because breeders won't want
to risk a felony charge if the buyer ends up using the birds for cockfighting,
he said.
Rep. Max Williams, a Tigard Republican who is chair of the
Judiciary Committee, said the worries are unnecessary. He said a similar ban on
raising dogs to fight hasn't stunted the breeding of pit bulls.
Williams'
committee began hearings on the bill Thursday.
Sen. Roger Beyer, who
headed efforts to defeat the bill last session, said he's ready to fight it
again.
"You can't tell the difference between a bird raised for
cockfighting and (one raised) for a show," said the Molalla Republican. "This is
a terribly gray area. You will force people out of the business of raising
birds."
Copyright 1999 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
from
bill
Measure still would make dog fighting a
felony charge
Deanna Wrenn
Daily Mail Capitol
reporter
Friday February 21, 2003; 11:00 AM
Nobody wants dogs to fight, but enough people support cockfighting that
lawmakers are taking out what would have been stricter penalties for those who
engage in the practice or even attend fights.
Source: http://www.dailymail.com/news/News/2003022125/
02.19.03
"My goal is the abolition of all animal agriculture" John Paul
"JP" Goodwin
"If you take the attitude that one form of animal use is
acceptable, then you can't criticize anything else" Wayne Pacelle
HSUS
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