AltWeeklies Wire
Unleashed: A Brutal Attack has Revived a Battle Over Canine Controlnew

In November, two police officers found 74-year-old Marion Cope sitting on the ground in Huntington Park, clutching her bleeding right leg. The officers had responded to a call about a dog attack at the small patch of public land, which sits in the shadows of three luxury hotels atop exclusive Nob Hill.
SF Weekly |
Peter Jamison |
01-20-2010 |
Animal Issues
Fixers, Feeders, and the Strange, Hidden World of Feral Catsnew
Thirty thousand cats are euthanized every year in Colorado, double the rate of dogs. Some volunteers are trying to reduce the kill rate by trapping ferals, spaying or neutering them, then returning them. But trap-neuter-return is a controversial solution, often unpopular with communities afflicted by the colonies.
Westword |
Alan Prendergast |
11-23-2009 |
Animal Issues
Boston's Rat Population Explodes Amongst Economic Collapsenew

With more and more foreclosed and abandoned properties making it harder for planners and exterminators to combat pestilence, anecdotal and empirical evidence suggests that Boston's rodent problem is only getting worse.
Boston Phoenix |
Chris Faraone |
11-16-2009 |
Animal Issues
In South Florida, Dogfighting Rages on Despite Tough Lawsnew

What seemed like a straightforward case in Boynton Beach would ultimately evolve into an expensive and drawn-out legal quagmire that would serve as a test case for Florida's new laws targeting the clandestine world of dogfighting.
Miami New Times |
Michael J. Mooney and Tim Elfrink |
10-26-2009 |
Animal Issues
Are Sea Lions Too Cute to Shoot?new
As the number of sea lions in San Francisco explodes, the creatures have bitten and bumped swimmers, poached fishermen's catches, sunk boats, and damaged docks. Many would like to see the nuisance creatures banished, but the potential for a public relations disaster is high.
SF Weekly |
Ashley Harrell |
10-07-2009 |
Animal Issues
Will Wolves Be Saved Under New Mexico's Recovery Program?new
Under a questionable partnership, the Fish and Wildlife Service has managed to give away its statutory responsibility to recover endangered species to a consortium of agencies, allege critics of the way wolf introduction is being managed in the southwest. Wolves are being removed -- or killed -- by the very people charged with reintroducing the animals to the wild.
Santa Fe Reporter |
Laura Paskus |
07-16-2009 |
Animal Issues
Service Animals Are a Big Bone of Contention in Grocery Storesnew
Grocery stores are on a short leash when it comes to excluding pets deemed by their human companions to be service animals, because animals are considered service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act regardless of whether they have been licensed or certified for that function by a state or local government.
Willamette Week |
Megan Brescini |
07-08-2009 |
Animal Issues
Have San Francisco's Service Animal Laws Gone to the Dogs?new

In San Francisco, snakes, lizards, pit bulls, chickens, pigeons, and rodents have all been declared service animals, hauled onto public transportation, housed legally in city apartments, and, essentially, given the full run of the city.
SF Weekly |
Joe Eskenazi |
06-17-2009 |
Animal Issues
Scenes From the Life of a Racing Greyhoundnew

Although a well-organized anti-racing lobby now has its sights set on the Sunshine State, it's hard to tell if legislative efforts are hastening or hindering the end of this moribund industry.
New Times Broward-Palm Beach |
Michael J. Mooney |
05-26-2009 |
Animal Issues
A Moth that Devastates Prickly Pear Cactus May Be Headed to Tucsonnew

If Cactoblastis cactorum -- a wee but voracious South American moth whose larvae devastate the prickly pear cactus -- reaches Arizona, the consequences for the ecosystem would be dire.
Tucson Weekly |
Tim Vanderpool |
05-20-2009 |
Animal Issues
Texas Whooping Cranes Are a Symbol of Hope and Possibility and an Economic Boonnew
The Aransas whooping cranes, the only wild, migrating flock in the world, numbered 266 this spring. That's not a lot, but considering how close the birds came to extinction—there were only 21 left in 1941—the number amounts to a small miracle.
The Texas Observer |
Jesse Sublett |
05-13-2009 |
Animal Issues
Tags: Aransas whooping cranes, Texas
When Polar Bears Attack ... You!new

Here's how you can try to live through the polar bear invasion -- even though, to be perfectly honest, you probably won't survive, so nice knowing you, I guess.
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
05-07-2009 |
Animal Issues
Tags: humor, polar bears
Choosing a Furry Family Membernew
Adopting a pet can be great for your health. Just make sure you account for your new furry friends' health and happiness, too.
Jackson Free Press |
Andi Agnew |
04-24-2009 |
Animal Issues
Tags: pet adoption
Dale Bozzio's Notorious New Hampshire Cat Housenew
Can an '80s pop icon find peace in rural New England in a house full of feral felines? Apparently not.
Boston Phoenix |
Ashley Rigazio |
04-23-2009 |
Animal Issues
Tags: Dale Bozzio, animal issues
An Ex-Lab Assistant at an Oregon University Charges Its Researchers with Cruelty to Rodentsnew
Tony Carr abruptly walked away from a lab assistant job at Oregon Health Science University after three months, saying OHSU's animal research can't be justified ethically or scientifically. Now Carr is going public, hoping his story will prevent unnecessary suffering and lead to better science that doesn’t rely as much on animals.
Willamette Week |
James Pitkin |
04-22-2009 |
Animal Issues