Sustainable Action Network (SAN) Successes from This Week!

Conservation Successes of 2015
Thanks to you, we've made great progress in conserving the world's wildlife and beautiful places. These exciting successes show what happens when we come together.

Check out 12 successes  ► 
Success: Woman Who Threw Dog Out of Car Convicted.
puppy-by-JessicaGale
Target: William E. Garnett, Supreme Court Justice
Goal: Praise Supreme Court Justice Garnett for sending an animal abuser to prison.
Thanks to the influential voices of the ForceChange community, an abused dog is finally getting justice. Alsu Ivanchenko, a 35-year-old New York resident, will serve one year in prison for throwing her dog out of a moving vehicle. Praise Supreme Court Justice William E. Garnett for imposing this sentence and standing up for an innocent dog.
Snowflake, a one-pound Maltese/Shih Tzu puppy, was thrown from a moving car and left for dead. She sustained serious damage to her head and leg and nearly lost her life. Though Ivanchenko did bring the dog to the vet, she refused treatment due to the cost. Ivanchenko then left Snowflake by the railroad tracks to die. Thanks to good Samaritans, the dog’s life was spared. Snowflake was taken to the vet where she was diagnosed with two skull fractures, head trauma, bruising, and a broken leg. The recovery process was long and there were times when it didn’t look like she would pull through.
Ivanchenko was charged with a felony count of aggravated cruelty to animals and two misdemeanor counts: animal abandonment, and overdriving, torturing and injuring animals. She has still not apologized for her actions. Sign below to support Supreme Court Justice Garnett in his decision to convict and punish this animal abuser.
Dear Supreme Court Justice Garnett,
We would like to extend our gratitude for your decision to find Alsu Ivanchenko guilty of aggravated animal cruelty. Her abusive actions towards her dog are inexcusable and cannot go unpunished. Your sentence of one year in prison will go a long way in deterring future animal abusers and granting justice to an innocent dog.
Ivanchenko has been convicted of throwing Snowflake, a one-pound Maltese/Shih Tzu puppy, from a moving car and then abandoning her by the railroad tracks. She sought out veterinary care but then refused treatment due to the cost. Instead of pursuing other options, Ivanchenko stuffed Snowflake into a bag and left her to die.
Thanks to good Samaritans and the help of the ASPCA, Snowflake was found. Her injuries were treated and she is alive today. She has been adopted and is, finally, in a happy home. Thanks to your decision, Ivanchenko will suffer the consequences of her actions and will not be able to harm another innocent animal.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: JessicaGale
Success: Bill Introduced to Protect Arctic From Drilling.
polarbear-garykramer
Target: Democratic Senators Michael Bennet and Edward J. Markey
Goal: Praise senators for introducing legislation that would ban oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s coastal plain.
In response to public demand for stricter protections for some of America’s most wild places, including aForceChange petition on the subject, a bill has been introduced in the Senate that would finally designate the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s coastal plain as an official wilderness area. If passed, the bill would provide long-term protection from oil drilling and other forms of development for this sensitive Alaskan ecosystem.
The coastal plain is considered by many to be the most vital and ecologically diverse part of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This area alone supports nearly 200 different wildlife species, including polar bears, shorebirds, and muskoxen. Protecting the coastal plain means a brighter future for these species. It also means the preservation of breathtaking natural beauty for all Americans.
Senators Michael Bennet and Edward J. Markey co-authored the Alaska wilderness bill to put a stop to the constant threats of oil drilling that plague the coastal plain. The bill gives a clear message that American’s wildlife, natural beauty, and recreation are more important than scrounging for oil profits. Sign the petition below to thank these senators and show support for the bill’s passage.
Dear Senators Bennet and Markey,
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your commitment to America’s wilderness. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s coastal plain is one of the country’s most precious habitats. It supports nearly 200 wildlife species including those facing serious threats, such as polar bears and muskoxen. Your bill is an important step toward ensuring a brighter future for these species.
President Obama called for the protection of the coastal plain last January; I am happy to see you moving forward to make this a reality. If passed, the bill would finally put a stop to numerous attempts to drill for oil in the area. Congress must continue to designate wilderness areas across the U.S. if we are to save our country’s most wild places from development.
In addition to your many cosponsors, I hope others in the Senate will show support for the Alaska wilderness bill. Its passage would pave the way for the protection of other important parts of the refuge, as well as more wild places in America. Thank you for taking a stand for conservation.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Gary Kramer
Success: Military Dogs Will be Sent Home.
Nellis AFB officials host joint training exercise for local canine units
Target: United States President, Barack Obama
Goal: Thank President Obama for ensuring military dogs are no longer left overseas after their service.
Thanks to a lengthy campaign by the American Humane Association and the ForceChange community among others, it will now be mandatory for military dogs to be retired to the United States. President Barack Obama has signed a bill into law guaranteeing the return of all military dogs to U.S. soil. First rights of adoption will be going to these dogs’ former handlers and their families, to whom they mean so much.
Previously, military dogs who ended their service abroad were no longer considered Army personnel and were therefore ineligible to be transported home on military aircraft. These dogs were often put up for adoption overseas, sometimes waiting in kennels for indeterminate lengths of time, or, in some cases, victims of abuse. Some dogs were returned to the U.S., but this involved a lengthy and costly process funded by charities or former handlers themselves. In one particular case, a Marine veteran had to wait three and a half years and foot the bill himself to be reunited with Thor, the yellow Labrador he served with in Afghanistan.
Now, thanks to the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, retired military dogs will get to go home after years of service, instead of being abandoned overseas. Considering that one service dog saves the lives of 150 to 200 servicemen and women, it was time for these animals to get the treatment they deserved. Even after retirement, these dogs bring a lot to veterans living with post-traumatic stress syndrome, making it all the more beneficial for their former handlers to be able to adopt them easily and rapidly.
Sign this petition thanking President Obama for taking this positive step for military dogs.
Dear President Obama,
Thank you for taking steps to ensure all military dogs will now be retired to the United States and easily adoptable by their former handlers. Previously these dogs were left overseas, put up for adoption there and sometimes forced to wait in kennels for indeterminate lengths of time, or, in some cases, become victims of abuse.
The 2016 National Defense Authorization Act you just signed into law will finally allow these animals to be sent home to be adopted by familiar people, rather than abandoned abroad. With it being estimated that one service dog saves the lives of 150 to 200 servicemen and women, it was high time for these animals to get the recognition they deserved. Even after retirement, these dogs can bring a lot to veterans living with post-traumatic stress syndrome, making it all the more beneficial for their former handlers to be able to adopt them easily and rapidly.
Thank you for taking action and helping to greatly improve the lives of our nation’s military dogs.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Brett Clashman
Watch this inspiring video of victories you helped NRDC win in 2015. Then, please make a special year-end gift to help us fight to save our environment in 2016.
Success: Baby Monkeys No Longer Tortured In Lab.
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Target: Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard
Goal: Applaud the end of cruel experiments on baby monkeys that included intentional traumatization.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) have put an end to the distressing psychological experiments they had been inflicting on baby monkeys for 30 years after a yearlong PETA campaign and a petition by theForceChange community. The researcher who led these appalling tests, Stephen Suomi, will no longer experiment on animals and his laboratory will be closed down.
The experiments involved infant Rhesus monkeys being taken from their mothers at birth and purposefully traumatized to study anxiety and depression. These young monkeys were terrorized with loud sounds, robotic snakes and human experimenters, confined to tiny wire cages and rendered alcoholic through ethanol injections in order to worsen their mental distress. These horrible experiments have crippled many of these innocent animals for life.
The end of these horrific tests comes after a loud response by celebrities such as James Cromwell and Bob Barker, as well as Dr. Jane Goodall who stated that these inhumane experiments were easily replaceable with better research involving human volunteers. Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard led the review into the facility undertaking these awful experiments.
In response to the news, she said, “I am proud to have helped get the NIH to stop these experiments, and I am please that the laboratory where the experiments are conducted will be closed after more than thirty years. However, there is still more work to do. We must send these monkeys to sanctuaries, and get closer review of all primate tests so that we can identify and end unnecessary experiments.”
Sign this petition thanking Congresswoman Roybal-Allard for her hard work in ending these experiments and for her continuing dedication to identify and end many more across the country.
Dear Representative Roybal-Allard,
I would like to praise you for helping put an end to the cruel experiments on infant monkeys in NIH laboratories. This has been a crucial success, considering these inhumane and wasteful experiments were allowed to carry on for 30 years. I was also glad to hear that Stephen Suomi will no longer be allowed to experiment on animals and that his laboratory will be shut down.
I would also like to applaud your continuing dedication to reviewing all primate tests and ending unnecessary experiments. Animals are sentient beings who exist in their own right. They aren’t ours to use for our own purposes and should therefore never be experimented on. Nonetheless, thousands of tests on monkeys and other animals are still carried out in labs across the country. Please continue working toward ending all animal testing. Thank you again for your help with this vital victory and for your ongoing commitment to end these experiments.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: PETA
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Golden Eagle
Golden Eagle. (Photo: Daniel O'Donnell/Audubon Photography Awards)

Audubon Members Stand Strong for Migratory Birds

When Duke Energy launched a Capitol Hill sneak attack on the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), Audubon members rose as one to turn back the assault. Nearly 60,000 of you unleashed a barrage of demands to uphold the MBTA, leading to a quick retreat by Duke and its allies.
Get the full story →

Murres in the Chukchi Sea
Murres in the Chukchi Sea. (Photo: Florian Schulz/visionsofthewild.com)

A Critical Reprieve for Arctic Wildlife

Under relentless pressure from conservationists, Shell officially abandoned efforts to drill for oil in the seabed along Alaska’s Arctic coast. Arctic ocean drilling would have led to near-certain ecological catastrophe in a region already experiencing significant climate change disruptions. More →

Audubon's Matt Jeffery at Joulter Cays National Park. (Photo: Walker Golder/Audubon)

Piping Plovers’ Winter Home Protected Forever

Five years ago, no one knew where most Atlantic Piping Plovers went for the winter. Today, having discovered the plovers’ Bahamas hideaway, their winter habitat has been protected by the Bahamian government for all time as Joulter Cays National Park. It’s a critical step for endangered plovers and other shorebirds and your Audubon has played a key role every step of the way. More →

Greater Sage-Grouse
Greater Sage-Grouse. (Photo: Michael Forsberg)
Pascagoula River Audubon Center. (Photo: William Colgin)
Greater Sage-Grouse

Win-Win Plan Means New Hope

Audubon helped to broker a landmark agreement among landowners, ranchers and others in the western U.S. to protect the Greater Sage-Grouse. Famous for its spectacular mating dance, the sage-grouse has suffered severe habitat loss in recent years, and its numbers were in free-fall. More →
Pascagoula Center

Audubon’s Newest Nature Center

Audubon opened its newest nature center this year. At the Pascagoula River Audubon Center in Moss Point, Mississippi, visitors can experience wetland and riparian habitat supporting more than 200 bird species and loads of other wildlife. The Pascagoula is the largest undammed river in the contiguous United States. More →