Unoffensive Animal

17th April, Yuba County, USA.

via: animalliberationpressoffice

According to press, someone broke into a falconry, smashed the gift shop, released 11 birds, then arranged a cow skull and bones and left a slashed falconry glove alongside it:

‘Walter, a four-year-old great horned owl, is one of three birds still missing after a break-in at West Coast Falconry on April 17. Owner Kate Marden has had Walter since he was two days old and says he has no survival skills in the wild.

The three cow skulls had been arranged in a row on a bench. A jawbone sat to one side, hip bones to the other. On the ground directly in front of them, someone had placed an eagle-handling glove, its heavy leather cut and sliced. Someone had worn it to remove a large eagle from its enclosure, then slashed the leather and left it behind.

That was only part of what Kate Marden’s housemate found around 6 a.m. on Friday, April 17, at West Coast Falconry in Browns Valley. In the weight room and the small gift shop, equipment had been damaged. Gloves had been slashed. And in the enclosures where 11 raptors had gone to sleep the night before, the birds were gone. The tracking devices each bird wore had been cut off. The enclosure doors had been closed behind them, so the birds could not return to roost.

“It felt a little symbolic,” said Marden, who has operated the falconry business for 20 years. She paused, then let the thought go. “I don’t know. It was just — ”

While Marden has her suspicions about who was responsible, no one has claimed credit for the break-in and the Yuba County Sheriff’s Office has not publicly identified a motive. What Marden is certain of is that the 11 birds had no business being released. All of them, she said, are non-releasable. Some were imprinted on humans as hatchlings and never developed survival skills. Others are injured and some are non-native species from a breeding project.

“It felt like an animal rights kind of thing,” Marden said. “Except that the sad part is that this is sentiment, not science.” ‘

12th May, Cotswolds UK.

received anonymously via email:

“While out for a walk in the Cotswolds, I came across a Larsen trap with a crow locked inside, being used as a lure.

I had to work quickly and quietly as the trap was right outside the gamekeeper’s house, and it was clear someone was home. I untied the piece of string holding the trap shut, opened the hatch, and reached in for the bird.

Luckily, she knew I was helping, and allowed me to check her wings hadn’t been cut (which often happens to prevent the bird from flying away if they escape. Her wings were intact, and my soul filled with love as I watched her fly high and free.

As swiftly as I could, I dragged the trap behind a hedge and stamped on it, ensuring no other birds will suffer inside it. Traps like these are all over the countryside: seek and destroy.”

26th April, Castilla Spain.

ENGLISH:

“We rescued a 9-month-old dog, whose ears had been recently cut off and who was found with other dogs used for hunting in deplorable conditions. Among all the dogs in this kennel in Castilla (Spain), we decided to rescue her because of the breed she belongs to, the Argentine Dogo, which is used to bite wild boars and immobilize them so that the hunter can stab and kill the boar. This poses a very high risk, and the life expectancy of these dogs is very short. A trusted veterinarian removed the chip, treated the wounds on her ears, and now she is in a home where she lives with other dogs. From the moment she arrived, she started playing with her new sisters. She is a very affectionate dog, and despite her appearance, she is not aggressive at all. She will never be exploited as a resource nor will she fall victim to speciesism.

Soon, it will be one year since the death of a militant who dedicated more than 40 years of his life to the fight for animal liberation, Karl Garside. Until his last day, he remained committed to animals. Unfortunately, he suffered a sudden death while exercising. Karl never sought the spotlight; he was aware that this struggle is collective, and in order to carry out his activism, he always tried to remain unnoticed.

We want to dedicate this action to Karl. Because, although he did not seek recognition, we believe our movement should know his story. Activists like him are role models, and even after they are gone, they can continue to contribute to the fight because they remain an example to follow.

We take this opportunity to send a big hug to his partner in life and the mother of his daughter, to his daughter, to his granddaughters, to the rest of his family, and to all his companions and friends. We know his loss cannot be repaired, but nothing takes away the fortune of having known him.

An activist does not die if the struggle continues.”

SPANISH (original):

“Hemos rescatado un perro de unos 9 meses, al que le habían cortado las orejas recientemente y que se encontraba con otros perros destinados a la caza en lamentables condiciones. Entre todos los perros que había en esta perrera de Castilla (España) decidimos rescatarla a ella porque la raza a la que pertenece, dogo argentino, es utilizada para morder jabalíes e inmovilizarlos para que el cazador pueda clavar el cuchillo y matar al jabalí. Esto supone un riesgo muy alto y la esperanza de vida de estos perros es muy corta.

Un veterinario de confianza le ha quitado el chip, le ha curado las heridas de las orejas y ahora se encuentra en un hogar donde convive con otros perros. Desde el momento en el que llegó se puso a jugar con sus nuevas hermanas. Es una perra muy cariñosa y a pesar de su aspecto, nada agresiva. Nunca será explotada como un recurso ni será víctima del especismo.

Dentro de poco tiempo se cumplirá un año de la muerte de un militante que dedicó más de 40 años de su vida a la lucha por la liberación animal, Karl Garside. Hasta el último día mantuvo su compromiso con los animales. Por desgracia sufrió una muerte repentina cuando hacía deporte. Karl nunca buscó el protagonismo, era consciente de que esta lucha es colectiva y para poder llevar a cabo su militancia siempre trató de pasar desapercibido.

Queremos dedicarle a Karl esta acción. Porque, aunque él no buscaba reconocimiento, creemos que nuestro movimiento debe conocer su historia. Activistas como él son un ejemplo a seguir que, una vez que nos han dejado, pueden seguir aportando a la lucha porque son un ejemplo a seguir.

Aprovechamos para mandar un fuerte abrazo a su compañera y madre de su hija, a su hija, a sus nietas, al resto de su familia y a todos sus compañeros y amigos. Sabemos que su pérdida no se puede reparar pero nada os quita la suerte de haberle conocido.

Un militante no muere si la lucha sigue.”

21st April, Chile.

received anonymously via email:

ENGLISH (translation):

“We found fish traps in a harbour in the territory occupied by the Chilean state,l and we decided to join the call to action to sabotage fishing. We made holes in the traps, and whilst the action is not massive, we think what really maters is that when we come across those tools of kidnapping we do not stay still and we do whatever we think we can do.

Down with all cages, including the sea ones!

Fishing saboteurs.”

SPANISH (original):

“en una zona portuaria del territorio ocupado por el estado chileno, nos cruzamos con trampas para atrapar pecesitos, y es asi que nos adherimos a la convocatoria de saboteadorxs de la pesca, hicimos agujeros en esas trampas, si bien no hicimos una gran accion, pensamos que lo importante esta en que cuando nos cruzamos con esos elementos de secuestro, no quedarse quietitxs y hacer lo que pensamos que podamos.

que caigan todas la jaulas, incluso la de los mares!

saboteadorxs de la pesca”

21st April, Argentina.

received anonymously via email:

ENGLISH (translation):

“Let me tell you. now I am good, very good!Before, some horrible beings had me enslaved, alongside other comrades/. They exploited us for being female, for not being their species, and for not having the privileges they have. They enjoy exploiting us so much, reducing us to objects to then murder us… sometimes that is what upholds their entire species and structure.

But one day a silent shadow came and in between pets they took me and liberated me from there, from a prison of misery.

Since then everything is different, it is beautiful, they treat me and I am alongisde others like me that managed to escape from cages of those horrible beings and all that human structure of oppression.

I know there are many more comrades emprisoned but there are not enough shadows to help them all out, I wish those shadows multiply everywhere, for my comrades and for many other exploited due to not being humans, I hope!”

SPANISH (original):

“Te cuento, ahora estoy bien!, muy bien!, pero antes, unos seres horrendos me tenían de esclava, junto a otras compañeras. Nos explotaban por ser hembras, por no ser de su especie, por no tener las posibilidades que ellxs tienen, les da tanto placer explotarnos, encerrarnos reducirnos a un objeto, para despues asesinarnos… someter es lo que sostiene a su especie y toda su estructura.

Pero un día llego una sombra silenciosa y entre caricias me saco y libero de ahí, de la cárcel, del destino mísero decretado por unxs.

Desde entonces todo es distinto, es lindo, me consienten y estoy con otras como yo, que pudieron escapar de las jaulas de esos horrendos seres y toda la estructura humana de sometimiento.

Sé que todavía hay muchas compañeras encerradas pero no hay la suficientes sombras para sacarlas, ojala esas sombras se multipliquen por todos lados, por mis compañeras, y por tantxs otrxs explotadxs por su condición de no humanx, ojala!”