Tag: Cows

Newkirk: "I openly hope" foot and mouth epidemic hits the United States

Quite a few people e-mailed me with links to an interview with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals‘ Ingrid Newkirk in which Newkirk was asked about the foot and mouth epidemic that has struck Europe. Newkirk told a reporter from Reuters,

If that hideousness came here, it wouldn’t be any more hideous for the animals — they are all bound for a ghastly death anyway. But it would wake up consumers…I openly hope that it comes here. It will bring economic harm only for those who profit from giving people heart attacks and giving animals a concentration camp-like existence. It would be good for animals, good for human health and good for the environment.

Such comments will, of course, help fuel speculation that animal rights extremists in Europe started the whole epidemic in the first place (speculation for which there is, at the moment, no evidence).

The other interesting part of the Reuters report was its description of PETA’s offices,

The PETA building looks and feels much like any corporate headquarters except for the dozens of dogs wandering around and sitting on special mattresses. Employees are encouraged to bring their pets to work. Many also take part in civil disobedience campaigns and boast long arrest records.

Odd from a group that maintains pets are a manmade abomination.

Source:

Animal rights leader hopes disease comes to U.S.. Alan Eisner, Reuters, April 2, 2001.

India Leather Exports Surge; PETA Threatens Renewed Protests

According to the The Times of India, exports of leather goods from India to the West continues to surge, approaching the $2 billion level in the most recent fiscal year. Mohd Hasham of India’s Council for Leather Exports told The Times,

The growth rate in the sector of leather and leather goods has gone up to 25 percent and could further rise to 31 percent. Though there has been a shortage of raw materials, the export figures are expected to go up to $2 billion from $1.59 billion from 1999-2000.

The announcement of the increase in exports coincided with an announcement by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals that it would renew its campaign against Indian leather goods if the Council for Leather Exports doesn’t keep its promise to “improve transport and slaughter methods by May 2001.”

PETA claims that the leather exporters have made no effort to improve the conditions of animals and promises a vigorous campaign if they don’t follow through. In it statement PETA said a new campaign against Indian leather would be “fueled by 12 months of bottled-up feelings and all the frustrations born of patience and hope that came to naught, that will make previous attempts to decry the Indian leather industry look like child’s play.”

Sources:

Leather exports to touch $2 billion. The Times of India, March 4, 2001.

US animal rights group to re-launch campaign against Indian leather. Agence-Frances Presse. March 6, 2001.

Dolly Researchers Turn Skin Cells into Stem Cells

Researchers who helped clone Dolly the Sheep have turned what they learned there into an incredible breakthrough. Researchers at the U.S. subsidiary of PPL Therapeutics last week announced they had managed to turn cells from the skin of cows into stem cells. They were then able to turn the stem cells into functioning heart cells.

This has a number of important implications for human research. Stem cells of the sort announced by the researchers are typically found only in fetuses. Those stem cells can become literally any other type of cell if given the correct signals.

As organisms grow and age, however, the stem cells become differentiated and able to transform into fewer and fewer different types of tissue. This is necessary to control development of the organism.

For this reason, research involving stem cells in human beings has to date required the controversial use of fetal tissue. Experimental treatment for |Parkinson|’s disease, for example, uses fetal tissue in an attempt to spur growth of neurons in the brain.

Because of the ongoing controversy over abortion, use of fetal tissue has proven to be a political minefield (Great Britain is the only government in the world that currently allows government funding for such projects), and there are other limitations. Taking adult cells, such as from the skin, and turning back the clock, so to speak, to transform them into undifferentiated stem cells has been one of the ultimate goals of genetic research.

Dr. Ron James, managing director of PPL Therapeutics, told the BBC, “The results of this experiment give us confidence that the method we are developing as a source of stem cells is working and I believe it will be equally applicable to humans.”

If that proves to be true, which is an enormous if, it could revolutionize medical treatments leading to such science fiction-like scenarios as growing replacement for defective hearts and other organs.

Source:

Tissue transplant advance. The BBC, February 23, 2001.

Using Cow Veins to Improve Human Health

Although Xenotransplantation may seem like an exotic new turn in medical research, but in fact researchers have been doing it for years. When infants are born with defective heart valves, for example, transplants from cows are routinely used to reinforce the heart.

Now researchers at the Toledo Hospital’s Jobst Vascular Center successfully transplanted the jugular van of a cow to replace the weakened femoral vein of a man.

The femoral vein is a major vein in the upper leg that regulates blood flow to the heart. When it is weakened, it results in a condition called chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). The weakened valve makes it difficult for blood to continue up to the heart, causing it to pool in the lower leg leading to extremely painful ulcers.

Why the jugular vein of a cow? “The neck vein of a cow is very similar in size to the femoral vein,” Dr. Hugh Beebe, director of the Vascular Center, told CNN. The bovine vein is treated with drugs before the transplant operation to prevent the body from rejecting it.

Several other hospitals are also experimenting with such transplants to assess the efficacy and safety of the procedure. Assuming the initial positive results hold up, it will still be several years before this sort of operation is widespread, but it does point to a very near future where xenotransplanation will be common.

Source:

Cow vein used in transplant. Jonathan Aiken, CNN, February 23, 2001.

PETA Sues Rosie O'Donnell

Last week People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sued talk show host and actress Rosie O’Donnell for defamation after O’Donnell claimed PETA endorses the use of some leather products.

PETA and O’Donnell became entangled after O’Donnell decided to proclaim a “wear leather day” on her show. Many animal rights activists and groups, including PETA, decided to go after O’Donnell, declaring “wear leather day” as promoting cruelty to animals.

On a recent episode O’Donnell told her talks how audience that The Gap used leather approved by PETA. According to PETA spokeswoman Lisa Lange, “There’s no such thing as PETA-approved leather,” and PETA announced a lawsuit seeking an on-air retraction of O’Donnell’s statement as well as $350,000 in damages.

The only problem is that O’Donnell is absolutely right — The Gap does use PETA-approved leather and the lawsuit is completely frivolous.

Earlier in the year PETA launched a campaign to convince The Gap to stop using leather obtained from China and India. PETA argued quite vociferously that animals killed for leather in China and India are treated cruelly, and that it would be better for The Gap to buy leather from countries with higher animal welfare standards.

When The Gap caved in to PETA’s demands, the organization trumpeted its great victory. Now, however, PETA wants to run away from this victory when O’Donnell correct points out that The Gap uses PETA-approved leather.

The bottom line is that this lawsuit is simply just another publicity stunt from a group that excels at such stunts.

Source:

Animal rights group sues O’Donnell. The Associated Press, December 6, 2000.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' Commercial Gets Shot Down By CBS

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals recently got some bad news — CBS rejected an advertisement it wanted to run during the Superbowl. CBS said it doesn’t accept issue ads for the Superbowl. The commercial, which consists of cows singing an anti-leather song (I’m not making this up), is available in several different formats on PETA’s web site.

The weird thing is, what in the world is PETA doing trying to buy a $2.5 million, 30 second TV spot? As Americans for Medical Progress wrote in its recent newsletter,

PETA’s willingness to spend $2.5 million for a one-time
30 second television spot may come as a shock to some of
its donors. Most of PETA’s reported $17 million a year
budget is financed through individuals giving small
contributions in the $5 – $50 range. It is not likely
that many of these donors thought their money would
go to finance a commercial with singing cows.

Indeed.