The Cincinnati Zoo Is Breeding Domestic Cats and Shipping Them Off to a Filthy Lab
Imagine what it would be like to be bred at a zoo to undergo a litany of reproductive experiments and then be shipped off to live in a cramped cage at a notorious laboratory testing facility that has been repeatedly cited by federal authorities for significant violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA).

This is exactly what’s happening at the Cincinnati Zoo’s Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW) program, in which domestic cats are bred as a “research model [to] provide basic reproductive information about felids in general.” Experimenters attempt to extrapolate these findings to reproductively different, endangered, nondomestic cat species for the zoo’s small-cat conservation initiative—a process that is inherently riddled with scientific absurdities.

Leading conservationists from Yale University, the National Zoo, and the San Diego Wild Animal Park have published a landmark study titled “Limitations of Captive Breeding in Endangered Species Recovery,” in which they warn, “Captive breeding is no panacea for saving endangered species.”

They argue: “Captive breeding should be viewed as a last resort in species recovery and not a prophylactic or long-term solution because of the inexorable genetic and phenotypic changes that occur in captive environments. … [I]t should not displace habitat and ecosystem protection nor should it be invoked in the absence of comprehensive efforts to maintain or restore populations in wild habitats.”

While the Cincinnati Zoo focuses its efforts on in vitro fertilization techniques in endangered small cats, the long-term survival of these species hinges on their success in the wild. The authors state that animals can become domesticated in just two generations in captivity—making it impossible for them to survive in the wild. In fact, only 11 percent of the 145 programs that have reintroduced captive-bred species into the wild have been successful, according to a recent study.

The researchers also note other grave limitations of captive breeding, including low fertility rates, which make it difficult to sustain population levels, and a lack of administrative continuity and stable funding to maintain long-term programs. In addition, diseases can spread through close contact with species encountered in the wild. Inbreeding can also make captive-bred species more susceptible to disease.

In addition to breeding and experimenting on domestic cats, Barbara Rish, the zoo’s corporate communications manager, confirmed that there are approximately 80 domestic cats at CREW and that they are typically forced to stay there for about five to eight years. The older cats are then “donated” to Summit Ridge Farms, where they are locked away in cages and used for geriatric dietary experiments.

During random inspections, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has cited Summit Ridge Farms for the following AWA violations:

Section 2.31(d)(1)(ii): Failure to include in the experimental protocol a search for alternatives to painful procedures that were performed on animals. This was a repeat violation two years in a row for the same protocol.
Section 2.31(e)(4): Failure to include in the experimental protocol the name, dose, or route of various drugs that were to be administered to animals to minimize pain and distress. This was a repeat violation two years in a row for the same protocol.
Section 2.33(b): Failure to provide adequate dental care to dogs, all of whom had the facility’s “worst dental score” several years earlier and whose “premolars and molars [were] covered with tartar.”
Section 3.1(c)(2): Failure to properly maintain sanitary surfaces; the floor’s coating peeled up from the concrete, thereby preventing the floor from being adequately cleaned “when urine, excreta and dirty water [are] between the peeling floor coating and the concrete.”
What You Can Do
Please send polite letters to the Cincinnati Zoo and ask that it act responsibly by ending its breeding program for small domestic cats—animals who are part of the overpopulation crisis—and work with PETA to place these animals in good, loving homes. Also, please ask the zoo to stop shipping these cats to Summit Ridge Farms—where animals are forced to live in filthy cages for years on end and receive substandard care and where experimenters repeatedly shirk their minimal legal obligations to ensure animals’ welfare:

Gregg Hudson, President
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
3400 Vine St.
Cincinnati, OH 45220-1333
gregg.hudson@cincinnatizoo.org
513-487-3336 (fax)

Please also send polite letters to the zoo’s primary donors asking that they suspend their financial support until the zoo stops breeding domestic cats and shipping them to testing laboratories at Summit Ridge Farms:

Carl H. Lindner, Chair
American Financial Group, Inc.
1 E. Fourth St.
Cincinnati, OH 45202
513-579-2113 (fax)

Thomas E. Hoaglin, Chair, President, and CEO
The Huntington National Bank
Huntington Center
41 S. High St.
Columbus, OH 43287
952-828-8998 (fax)

Joseph C. (Joe) Guyaux, President
The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
1 PNC Plz.
249 Fifth Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2707
412-762-7829 (fax)

Allen Boerger, CEO
Recker & Boerger, Inc.
10115 Transportation Way
Cincinnati, OH 45246-1317

Murray Sinclaire, President
Ross, Sinclaire & Associates, Inc.
700 Walnut St., Ste. 600
Cincinnati, OH 45202-2027

Christopher J. (CJ) Fraleigh, CEO
Sara Lee Food & Beverage
3500 Lacey Rd.
Downers Grove, IL 60515
630-598-8220 (fax)

Kelly Summers, Principal
Squire, Sanders & Dempsey LLP
4900 Key Tower
Cleveland, OH 44107

Michael Brown, Owner and President
Cincinnati Bengals, Inc.
1 Paul Brown Stadium Dr.
Cincinnati, OH 45202
513-621-3570 (fax)

anastasia: He is gonna be a big bruiser but a cuddle bear at the same time lol

Damien had his second session yesterday,again did very well.He was taught to sit and lay down all on que.To watch me from the down postistion,to sit when we come to a stop on our walk,and how to greet people.The last 2 are pretty tough and will take alot of dedication on my part to follow through,which I will,but I am quiclky learning myself that there is SO much more to training then simply setting or shaking hands!! He is actually learning manners,which he will really need as he gets older.We also took him to a creek behind my sister in laws house and he went swimming for the first time..he LOVED it.The small current kind of wierded him out at first,but we kept him on a lead so he did great...btw,he was weighed yesterday....50 pounds now!!!

SwirlyShirley: wow thats scary! How awful for the family to have to watch that happen, unable to do anything!

SwirlyShirley: awwwwwwwwww

my friend tamy finally got her 6 month old pitbull back..her dog was missing for 2 wks..her neighbor was responcible for stealing her..my friend is so happy now.

here's a story from Oklahoma, near Tulsa. it's scary to think that this can happen...

From NewsChannel 8:
Fatal Attack On Great Dane Not From Africanized Bees
Location: Sand Springs, OK
Posted: May 25, 2006 8:00 AM EST
URL: http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0506/330856.html


Sand Springs (AP) - Preliminary tests show a swarm of bees that attacked and killed a great Dane dog this week weren't Africanized "killer" bees.

Thousands of bees stung and killed the 140-pound great Dane in front of the dog's family on Monday.

State Agriculture, Food and Forestry Department spokesman Jack Carson says the tests normally take two weeks, but the agency placed a priority on the tests because a large mammal had been killed.

Carson says D-N-A tests show the bees were European, although the tested bees will be sent to a lab in Arizona to rule out any possibility of African lineage.

The Agriculture Department says the closest case of Africanized bees to Sand Springs came last year in McIntosh County in east-central Oklahoma.

Carson says a swarm of European bees can act aggressive if they've been exposed to Africanized bees.

xladymelx: either post a game in the waiting games area or post ask on the general chat,please.

ScarletRose: Honestly..when he was little he NAILED me BAD and yes,it was just a natural reaction that I popped him,soflty THANK GOODNESS because I did it without thinking.I did it as a natural refelx to the sudden pain.She stood there while he was biting her ankles so the hit wouldn't have been a "refelx action" it would have been a dileberate hit to him.I suggested that since my husband came out,he should have taken the dog and put him in his crate for a few minutes so the dog could settle down.A dog does not understand being hit as a form of punishment.

anastasia: just curious..
What is then.. the normal reaction to getting a dog to stop biting one's ankles?? LOL

Sorry.. but, if a dog is trying to use any part of me as a chew toy.. that dogs nose is getting smacked.. and a big NO! with a GENTLE.. NO BITE!! command will be stated.. if my skin is breaking through his bite.. I may even whack him where I can reach at him.. That would be my reaction.. (I am not suggesting beating a dog mind you)

Who wants to play chess with me? Nobody likes playing with me =(

Gemina: He REALLY tested my mother in law yesterday.I need to talk to the trainer about it...to the point that he had her ankles in his mouth and she could not walk.She said she almost hit him....WELL,you know THAT will NOT happen as long as I'm alive so hubby and I got into it a bit over THAT one.I'm sorry,I don't care if she is his mother...she is NOT going to hit my dog!

CANDY22: please turn your caps lock off

anastasia: I know what you mean I think the fun stage is when they are between babies and a year lol

HAVE A NICE DAY

anastasia: YES HE HAD A BAD TRAINER /HES DOING FINE NOW//HIS BUDDY IS A COCKAPOO AGE 14

Gemina: It's fuuny cuz one part of me wants Damien to stay little (well as little as he is,lol) forever,but the other wants him to come of age faster so that we can get him bred and get pick of the litter for our next pup!! Hubby still says we will take a son but I think I may be swaying him towards a female instead.I think having the 2 of them will be a blast!!!!

anastasia: I thought you and Patch made an awesome pair. He will always be missed :) My german shepard is 9 and she stays young because of my pug who keeps her on her toes lol

Gemina: we were awesome,huh? HE was awesome.I miss him still!!!

xladymelx: sorry hun,we have jobs and families,but we get in here often so just be patient with us if takes a day or two to respond to one of your posts....welcome though,please make yourself to home here!!

Rose: that is old for that breed!! Damien's Grandfather lived to be I think 12,which I thought was wonderful!

CANDY22: if it didn't work then you had a bad trainer.ALL dogs are capibale of being trained...German shepards are EXTREMELY inteligent aniamls..so like I said,bad trainer.

CANDY22: WOW 15? Ive not ever heard of that breed living that long. Kool

i tried to get my german shepard trained when he was 12 weeks old ..that did not work..he is 15 now

Am i the only person here?

you can mail me if you want to or challenge me!

Hi i am new and i luv animals and hate bloodsprts and cosmetic testing on animals

anastasia: and let me tell you between Anastasia and Patch it was a war of wills lol But they made an awesome pair :)

Niki: I wanted to,but hubby said no,he wasn't throwing money away on something stupid like that when he could sit,lay,come and stay.Well,that is really only a very small part of the training that they need.After he saw for 11 years how I stuggled with the dog (because we were always fighting for who was the dominant one) he said ok to us getting this one training.This one will get to over 100 pounds,the other only about 75.I told him I wasn't going to fight with this dog,I needed to be the one in control.He says he kicks himself too for not getting the other real training.

anastasia: You really gave your other dog no basic training ?? I just can't imagine living with a dog without any !!

CANDY22: Hi Candy and welcome!! I ahd a dalmatian that was 11 1/2 years old.We just had to put him down on March 10th because he had bad hips and had trouble getting up and walking.That's why we have the pup now,I was lost without a dog.

Tuesday: I STRONGLY recomend training to even the most laid back dog...just 1 session and the difference is marked.I feel we did a moajor injustice to our other dog by not getting him even the most basic of training.Money WELL SPENT as far as I am concerned.

have a great week!

hi i am new..i have 2 dogs and 4 cats..one of dogs has arthritis.the other has heart disease..one of my cats had to have a tumer removed it was cancerouse..shes doing fine now..i lost one cat in 2004 she was very ill..

LOL!!! he had his first day of training today.I don't know who needs it more,him or us!!! We have to be trained as well! It was awesome though.We learned how to get him to "watch us" and how to get him to walk on a relaxed lead.He loves his trainer so hubby and I have decided that we will just stick with her for his next 3 courses of training.This first course is 8 weeks.She said that we are already well ahead of the norm because the obcessive person I am read all the books on german shepards that I could get my hands on when we got him!! She said that was good because we are more familiar with the breed because of it.She gave us some tips to keep his mind active and everything (almost!!) that we have been doing so far is good. I will let you know how he does next Monday!!

anastasia: Yes animals are her passion and you just gotta love her for it. :)

anastasia: I worry to much lol

WatfordFC:

Mitsy-Moo, now home

Mitsy-Moo my little one year old tortoise shell has gone missing, she is always in for breakfast and always waits by the door for me when i get in from work, but nothing.

anastasia: AWwwww.. that melts my heart! :)

Hello all,jeez,bet you thought I forgot about this board...NEVER!! Animals are my passion,huh Gemina!!??!! I have been very busy with personal things as of late but wanted to give a little update on the pup! He is up to a bulking 40 pounds and was 15 weeks old this past Monday.Both ears are again standing up..they were up,one fell,now back up.Thought that was a sign (a welcome one!) that he would start to lose the little razor baby teeth but no such luck!! His training got delayed so he starts that this coming Monday.He walked his entire 50 minute walk on my left side for he first time since I started to walk him!! He sleeps the entire night through,till about 7 am without needing to go out at all.Unfortanatly,he still waked me up by slapping my face with his paw! at 6 weeks,that was cute,at 15 weeks and 40 pounds,it's painful! LMAO!!! He is the best,smart,funny,pleasant,cuddly..I just cannot say enough about him..I LOVE HIM SO MUCH! He really helped me feel better after Patch died..I wish all of you could meet him in person!!!!

Andre Faria: That was hilarious!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/uk/2003/hunting_debate_/

As from February 2005.....As well as fox hunting, deer-hunting and hare-coursing with dogs is now outlawed in England and Wales.