Sia, BARK, Donkey Slaughter, Mark Thomas Dickinson, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Appeal, England Animal Abuse Laws, Lawsuit against Downtown Aquarium and Landry’s Inc., & You're Invited: Wild Animals and the Fight for Animal Legal Rights!

USDA Update
We’re appealing a court decision to dismiss our lawsuit against the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) over its removal of tens of thousands of animal welfare records from its online database. We’re committed to restoring the database, which enabled advocates to build cases against violators of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and challenge the USDA for failure to adequately regulate facilities. Read more about our ongoing fight.
The Animal Legal Defense Fund has filed suit against Downtown Aquarium and Landry’s Inc., an aquarium and restaurant in downtown Houston, Texas, for violations of the Endangered Species Act concerning its treatment of four tigers. For over 13 years, four white tigers – Nero, Marina, Coral, and Reef – have lived without sunlight, fresh air, or natural surfaces like dirt and grass. Their cement and stone cages don’t come close to the natural environment that tigers belong in. Read more about how and why we’re taking on Landry’s Inc.
USDA Update
In mid-September, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld California’s groundbreaking law banning the sale of foie gras. The ruling reversed the lower court’s decision and reaffirmed the statute’s constitutionality. In addition to years of campaigning against the cruel product, the Animal Legal Defense Fund filed an amicus brief in support of the California law. Foie gras is produced by force-feeding birds and inducing liver disease, a painful condition. Learn more about the ruling
Sia Partnered With BARK to Create a Dog Toy Lookalike That Benefits Shelter Animals! We absolutely love when celebrities use their fame and voice to do good for animals. The chart-topping singer Sia partnered with BARK to create an adorable plush dog toy, whose profits will benefit shelter animals at New York’s Animal Haven who are in need of medical treatment before being adopted.

Called Sia’s Lickalike, the dog toy is designed with Sia’s signature black-and-white wig, which is shreddable, and it has squeakers, soft plush, and an awesome special feature: pull-through limbs that make for an exciting game of tug-of-war.

The adorable dog toy is designed to look like the pop singer and is sure to become a favorite toy of pups.
Sia is a long-time supporter of Animal Haven, and said this about her project: “I’m excited to have collaborated with BARK to help raise money for Animal Haven and bring further awareness to Adopt a Shelter Dog Month.” October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, so hopefully, fans of Sia will be inspired by her new project and head over to their local animal shelter to find a new best friend and family member.

If you think your pup would love this fantastic toy, you can purchase it here on the BARK website. If you do not have a dog but would like to contribute to the cause, you can donate directly to Animal Haven here.

Millions of animals are killed in shelters every year, so adoption is incredibly important and truly saves lives. Even if you cannot adopt, consider fostering or volunteering at animal shelters to help out the greater cause.

And please share this with your dog-loving friends! Lead Image Source: Sia/Bark 

Slaughtered for their skins and body parts. Stop the Donkey Slaughter! 
The animals are crowded together in appalling conditions, where they are frightened, neglected and mistreated — and that's all before they are slaughtered for their skins and other body parts. It's cruelty on an almost unimaginable scale, and it has to stop.

This constant massacre is fueled by the international demand for donkey parts, which are used extensively in traditional Chinese medicine. Roughly 10 million animals are murdered each year in this donkey trade, and as a result, donkey populations are dwindling in China.

Now, the marketplace is increasingly turning to African countries in order to satisfy the ongoing demand for donkey skins and other parts. An astounding 100,000 donkeys were slaughtered in Kenya alone over the last year.

Fortunately, there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Public pressure is successfully convincing many governments to take a stand against this gruesome treatment of these animals. Botswana, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Ethiopia and Tanzania have all banned the slaughter and export of donkeys. But we still need to convince both Kenya and South Africa to do the right thing. Both countries rely heavily on income from animal-loving international tourists, so our voices are powerful.


Take a stand for compassion. Sign our petition urging the prime minister of Kenya and president of South Africa to ban the export of donkey parts now.

England Increases Animal Cruelty Punishment to 5 Years of Jail Time!
Animal abuse is a serious crime that is linked to other violent crimes. In fact, those found guilty of animal abuse are five times more likely to commit violent crimes against humans. Despite this, animal abusers regularly escape serious punishments that match their crimes. However, there is excellent news in this realm – England has announced they will be increasing animal abuse penalties from six months in jail to up to five years in jail!

England’s environment secretary, Michael Gove, had this to say about the new legislation: “We are a nation of animal lovers and so we must ensure that those who commit the most shocking cruelty towards animals face suitably tough punishments…These plans will give courts the tools they have requested to deal with the most abhorrent acts. This is one part of our plan to deliver world-leading standards of animal welfare in the years ahead.”

Not only will serious animal abusers face significant jail time, but they will also receive unlimited fines and will be banned from owning animals in the future. This new law is also hoped to help crack down on animal fighting rings.

Although this is amazing news for animals, sadly, cases of animal cruelty are more far more common than many realize, and a lot of animal abusers are never brought to justice. If you ever suspect incidents of animal abuse or neglect, please do not hesitate to contact authorities and read this for advice on what to do.

And please share this good news with your friends and family! Image Source: Pixabay/pexels.com

Justice for the Murdered Tiburon Deer. These Deer Ate His Plants, So He Killed Them.

Mark Thomas Dickinson said he was sick of the deer eating his expensive landscaping, but what he did to stop them was truly stomach churning. 

Instead of constructing a fence to keep the deer out or implementing some other way to make sure his precious yard plants didn't become deer food, he decided he would teach them a lesson in the most inhumane way imaginable. He shot a mother and her fawn in cold blood. They died some time later. 

Now the 54-year-old Tiburon resident is out on bail while authorities decide what to do. Let's make sure officials do the right thing and prosecute Mr. Dickinson for this act of horrible cruelty. 

While Mr. Dickinson only had to suffer a short time in jail before he was released on bail, the deer endured horrible pain before they succumbed to their injuries. 

In California, anyone who "maliciously and intentionally maims, mutilates, tortures, or wounds a living animal, or maliciously and intentionally kills an animal" can be charged with a felony. 

Mark’s lawyer says his client "had no intent to be cruel or to harm the deer. Rather he was simply trying to scare them away from consuming new landscaping." His claim is as unbelievable as the measures his client took to rid himself of the deer. A high powered pellet gun can do serious damage to a deer and it certainly can maim. 

Let's make sure the Marin County District Attorney's Office does the right thing and prosecutes Mr. Dickinson for his terrible actions. Sign the petition and ask for Marin County to deliver justice to the murdered Tiburon deer.

Mark your calendar for October 4, 2017. Animal Legal Defense Fund Staff Attorney Kelsey Eberly will speak about the unique issues facing captive wild animals and the law. Join us and the University of Virginia School of Law Student Animal Legal Defense Fund for “Captive Wild Animals and the Fight for Animal Legal Rights.” 

This event is open to all and light refreshments will be served. For more details, visit our website

Date: Wednesday, October 4
Time: 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Location: University of Virginia School of Law
Purcell Reading Room
580 Massie Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903
Get Directions