News for Florida animal advocates

Yesterday, an Animal Control Officer in Port St. Lucie rescued a raccoon who had been caught in an illegal leghold trap. The poor animal’s front paw had to be amputated (a report by Fox 29 News features a photo of the raccoon’s horrific injuries).

In 1972, Florida banned the use of steel-jaw leghold traps, but they […]

The headlines of stories this week about the Cracker Day rodeo at the Volusia County Fairgrounds in DeLand were about a woman who was trampled and gored by a bull, but what we found more interesting was a statement by a spectator.
John Weideman-Beal told WESH Ch. 2 that before the bull was released from the […]

Today is World Day for Animals in Laboratories, a day to remember the millions of animals who suffer and die in labs in Florida and around the world.
One way to evaluate the impact of campaigns against animal experiments is to look at the reaction of campaign targets. Earlier this month, the following message was posted […]

Last week, a man in Lee County was arrested on animal cruelty charges after it was discovered he had branded his dog and docked the dog’s tail without anesthesia. Lee County Domestic Animal Services veterinarian Suzanne Vazzana explained that branding can cause “considerable pain and suffering.”
We hope that if this individual is found guilty that […]

We were shocked this week to see the news that an elephant traveling with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus had been shot during a stop in Tupelo, Mississippi. Thankfully, the injury was not life-threatening and Carol the elephant is expected to recover. We hope those responsible for this horrible crime will be […]

This week there will be speeches, unveilings of statues and a commemorative stamp, historical re-enactments and other events to mark Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon’s arrival in Florida on April 2, 1513. The Florida Department of Agriculture is celebrating the introduction by the Spanish of horses, cattle and oranges to Florida. Ponce de Leon […]

This week it was announced that circus owner Hugo Liebel had agreed to pay $7,500 to settle charges that he repeatedly violated the Animal Welfare Act in his treatment and handling of animals, including an elephant named Nosey. It was a case that ARFF had been closely following. It’s hard not to be discouraged by […]

Last October, the monkey known as the “Mystery Monkey of Tampa Bay” was captured after at least three years living free in the suburbs of Tampa/St. Petersburg. At ARFF we had mixed feelings about his capture, and we weren’t thrilled when the state wildlife agency turned him over to Dade City’s Wild Things, a private […]

In 2008, ARFF objected when the City of Orlando announced plans to import a group of swans to Lake Eola Park to be added to the already large number of swans on the lake. ARFF criticized the plan as irresponsible, primarily because Lake Eola is a busy, urban park that is a poor environment for […]

Last week the “Python Challenge” wrapped-up without making much of a dent in the population of snakes in the Everglades. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) hasn’t said if they’ll hold the event again next year. But unless the agency changes its hands-off approach to the exotic pet trade, there may be a […]