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When will they learn that blocking me is me winning and them looking like losers.

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What 'A Whale Of A Week'!

Paddleboarder Captures Incredible Footage of 20-Foot Gray Whale Swimming in the Ocean.

Everyone should go whale watching at least once in their lives. Not only is it a beautiful experience, but it is also a wonderful way to discover that the planet is full of beings that are larger and more complex than we are.

For those of us who might not be able to set out on a whale watching expedition, this video certainly comes close to being as good as the real thing. The lucky paddleboarder in this video was able to get extremely close to a 20 foot gray whale and capture footage of the event. Despite their enormous size, the whale appears to be incredibly docile and peaceful. A true gentle giant of the deep.

While some people think that capturing whales and putting them on display in marine parks like SeaWorld is the only way to experience whales, this video proves that nothing can compare to a wild interaction. All animals deserve to live wild and free. Beautiful drone footage shows two curious whales saying hello to a paddle-boarder in Australia.

A drone enthusiast has captured the beautiful moment two curious whales approach a paddleboarder off the coast of Esperance, Australia.

Jaimen Hudson says the idyllic footage was the result of perfect timing.

“I set up my equipment on the footpath and flew the drone out,” Jaimen told Australia’s ABC.

“Dave Price who lives close by, was just making his way over to the whales on his stand-up paddle board and they were really inquisitive and came over to meet him.”

The lone paddleboarder, the crystal clear water, and the whales — who appear to be swimming as a couple — create a stunningly peaceful scene (made even more serene by Jack Johnson’s “Imagine,” used as the soundtrack).

Most people would probably freak out if two huge whales approached them in the ocean, but Hudson maintains that the majestic whales were simply curious and meant no harm.

“I don’t think it was dangerous, the whales moved to where he was and the whole time they were very slow moving and peaceful,” he explained.

The footage has been viewed over 1.6 million times in less than two weeks.

Check it out:

Retire Lolita the Orca from the Miami Seaquarium.

In 1970, a pod of orcas in Puget Sound were brutally attacked in an attempt to capture them for the aquarium trade. Seven young whales were taken alive. Five of the orcas didn't survive the raid -- they were then sliced open, stuffed with rocks, and sunk with anchors so that the public could not witness what had occurred. This occurred 2 years before the Marine Mammal Protection Act passed, stopping such barbaric practices.

Today, Lolita is the only survivor of those taken from their home that day. Lolita has spent the last 45 years in an undersized tank at the Miami Seaquarium. There is now a strong movement to get Lolita moved to a more humane environment, but the owners of the Miami Seaquarium, Palace Entertainment, refuse to let her go.

My name is Bella, and even though I am only 13 years old, I want to do everything I can to help Lolita be transferred from her cell at the Miami Seaquarium to a sea pen in Puget Sound.

Plans have been made for her to be re-introduced to her native habitat by placing her into a sea pen in Puget Sound, where she can once again enjoy her native habitat. The plans include training to teach her how to hunt her own food. It may even be plausible that she reunites with her pod, which is known to frequent the waters.

But this requires the owners of the Miami Seaquarium to do the right thing.

I understand that Lolita can’t just be released into the wild and survive on her own at this point. The sea pen plan is a way to get her as close to the wild as possible. It’s far better than her life in captivity in the Miami Seaquarium. Orcas are highly social animals, and Lolita is maintained alone in her tank where she exhibits behaviors similar to humans who suffer for extended periods in isolation. Every life is worthy of dignity and we owe it to her to bring her home.

Please sign and pass this petition on to your networks, and let's see if we can make this happen together. We can make a difference, and I will do my part - but I need your help.

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Time Is Running Out: Don't Let SeaWorld Expand!

Your voice is needed now: Don't allow SeaWorld to expand!

Take Action

SeaWorld has submitted an application to the California Coastal Commission to build new artificial tanks, and the company is now campaigning for public support for its Blue World Project, which would involve construction that would be lengthy and stressful for the marine animals and have virtually no impact on the poor health and well-being of orcas.

We know that people like you won't be fooled by this desperate drop-in-the-bucket move. If SeaWorld truly had the orca's best interests in mind, it would focus instead on creating coastal sanctuaries where marine mammals can feel and experience the ocean, hear their families, and perhaps one day be reunited with them. It should not build new orca prisons.

Please tell the California Coastal Commission to vote AGAINST SeaWorld's Blue World Project.

Thanks for everything that you do to help animals!

Interview with Paul and Helena of OrcaLab

Whale and Dolphin Conservation

Friends of WDC Dr Paul Spong and Helena Symonds of OrcaLab talk about the highs and lows of their 2015 season.

Steve-O's Response to His 30-Day Jail Sentence for SeaWorld Stunt

Never let it be said that Steve-O is no longer a Jackass.

On Wednesday in L.A., the 41-year-old star of the former MTV stunt show was sentenced to 30 days in jail after he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of trespassing, creating a false emergency, and an illegal use of fireworks for an Aug. 9 incident. Steve-O, whose real name is Stephen Glover, climbed a construction tower to protest SeaWorld by hanging an inflatable killer whale off a crane 100 feet in the air while setting off the fireworks and slamming the theme park for holding orcas in captivity. Naturally, it was all livestreamed.

Steve-O responded to the legal action with a cartoon posted to Instagram alongside a lengthy caption. “I just got sentenced to 30 days in LA County jail, and this is what I have to say about it,” he wrote. “Considering I’ve become a clean and sober, dog-rescuing vegan, I must say I’m ready to go to jail– not just because it will bring so much attention to the plight of orcas in captivity, but because it’s nice to let people know I haven’t lost my edge. What can I say, I’m a jackass."

View photos

He continued, "My whole crane-climbing, fireworks debacle really turned out to be pretty meaningful in the end, too. I mean, if your goal is to make a statement about captivity, you may as well get yourself locked up! To help give back to the City of Los Angeles, I launched a campaign today to raise money for at-risk, inner city youth, by raffling off chances to win an all-expenses-paid trip to be my red carpet, VIP guest at the taping of my Showtime comedy special next month, which is called "Steve-O: Guilty As Charged”. There is a link to a new crazy stunt video I just made to let people enter to win in my bio. Los Angeles, I love you, thank you for everything!“

Related: Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Bam Margera Remember Ryan Dunn on What Would Have Been His 38th Birthday

Steve-O was also given three years of probation and a bill of nearly $14,000 from the city to cover the cost of the police and fire departments that came to rescue him, thinking the situation was an emergency.

The stuntman, who’s railed against SeaWorld since the 2013 documentary Black Fish called out the park for its treatment of orcas, changed a nearby highway sign to "SeaWorld Sucks” in 2014.

Think he’ll strike again?

Demand Vancouver Aquarium Cut Ties With SeaWorld! 55,138 SUPPORTERS TARGET: Vancouver Aquarium PETITION: Sign Here to Help! we've got 55,138 supporters, help us get to 60,000 Vancouver Aquarium has a nefarious partnership with SeaWorld in which they breed In July, a three-week-old beluga passed away -- a beluga that was fathered by a whale from the Vancouver Aquarium. This is SeaWorld's seventh death in nine years, which gives them a mortality rate of 50%. All of them came from Vancouver Aquarium. These whales are all a part of an extensive breeding program (outlined extensively in this Vancouver Observer piece) between the for-profit SeaWorld parks and the non-profit Vancouver Aquarium, which states its mission as being "dedicated to effecting the conservation of aquatic life through display and interpretation, education, research and direct action." Vancouver could effectively end SeaWorld's breeding program by just withdrawing one of their whales or, even better, cutting ties altogether. Please sign this petition asking Vancouver Aquarium to immediately cut ties with SeaWorld.

Maral Kalinian‏@MaralKalinian

NO MORE BREEDING ORCAS IN CALIFORNIA! @blackfished #blackfish http://timesofsandiego.com/business/2015/10/08/seaworld-wins-bid-to-expand-killer-whale-tanks-but-breeding-is-barred/ …

Yesterday, thanks to your support, ALDF scored a landmark victory against SeaWorld and for ending the use of orcas in entertainment. In an 11-0 unanimous vote, the California Coastal Commission voted to approve SeaWorld’s permit to expand the tanks at its San Diego facility, but only with a strict requirement -- proposed by ALDF -- that the marine park cannot add additional orcas to the existing inventory.

Thanks to supporters like you, yesterday’s victory again showed why ALDF is the nation’s leading legal advocacy organization for animals. ALDF scored a win for the orcas by crafting a sophisticated and creative winning strategy; calling on leading marine mammal scientists and the former chair of the Commission for their expertise; and marshaling the support of at least a dozen environmental and marine mammal protection organizations. The Commission’s decision confirms that SeaWorld’s days of breeding and warehousing orcas for entertainment are numbered. The science is on our side, public opinion is on our side and our momentum is growing. We are one step closer to our ultimate goals: to end all captive breeding and the use of orcas for entertainment, and to place captive orcas who are unsuitable for release into the wild in sea pen sanctuaries, where they can live as naturally as possible. I’d like to say a special thank-you to all our Southern California supporters who attended the hearing. It was a long but thrilling day. Together we will make this only the first of many victories to come. California Tells SeaWorld to Stop Breeding Killer Whales. The state’s coastal commission will only allow the company to expand its San Diego park if it ends its orca program.

SeaWorld has won the battle but lost the war in its bid to enlarge its killer whale enclosure in San Diego. On Thursday evening, the California Coastal Commission voted unanimously to approve the company’s $100 million “Blue World Project” but with devastating conditions for SeaWorld: It can proceed with the expansion but only if it stops breeding 11 killer whales in San Diego. The company also would not be allowed to transfer captive whales into or out of San Diego, though it could add up to four orcas if the animals are stranded and rescued from the wild. Orcas “don’t belong in captivity,” said Commissioner Dayna Bochco. Anti-captivity activists, who crammed the commission meeting at the Long Beach Convention Center, hailed the decision as the beginning of the end of orca captivity in San Diego. “I actually didn’t even think of this as a potential outcome, and I’m happier with it than if they had said no,” Kimberly Ventre, an activist and marketing consultant from San Francisco who testified against the expansion, said in an email. About 650 people—including activists, company officials, actor Pamela Lee, and concerned citizens on both sides of the controversial project—attended the hearing, with an overflow crowd waiting outside. “This is a major victory,” said Naomi Rose, a marine mammal scientist at the Animal Welfare Institute. Rose was one of two orca scientists to testify against the project. The other was Ingrid Visser, founder of New Zealand’s Orca Research Trust. “As a scientist, I believe it’s important that we separate the business rhetoric from the facts,” Visser told the commissioners. “This new tank does not meet even [the most] basic requirements,” she said. “No tank ever will.” SeaWorld now finds itself in a marine-mammal pickle. Company executives testified during the nearly nine-hour hearing that they would never abandon their captive breeding program because it is essential for the whales’ well-being to reproduce. SeaWorld has been hit with declining revenues and attendance since the release of Blackfish, a 2013 documentary about mistreatment of marine mammals at its entertainment parks. “They are thriving because they are reproducing,” testified Hendrik Nollens, senior staff veterinarian at SeaWorld San Diego. “It’s a sign that the animal is living in a socially compatible group and in good health.” What happens next is not clear. SeaWorld could still build Blue World and abandon its San Diego breeding program, or it could continue breeding and abandon the facility. “Depriving these social animals of the natural and fundamental right to reproduce is inhumane, and we do not support this condition,” SeaWorld chief executive Joel Manby said in a statement. The company added that “it will review its options.” Last month, coastal commission staff recommended approval of the project but attached nine conditions, including requirements not to house any orcas taken from the wild after February 2014 and not to significantly increase the park’s captive population. Blue World would nearly double the park’s orca habitat, with a 9.6-million-gallon pool and a 450,000-gallon tank featuring giant underwater viewing windows, a “treadmill” of moving water against which the orcas can swim, and “rubbing beaches” where they can frolic in shallow water. SeaWorld officials said the new facility would improve the lives of its orcas, greatly enhance the scientific study of killer whales, and attract tourists from around the world. Will SeaWorld’s Financial Woes Force It to Free the Whales? “We could not be more excited about this project,” SeaWorld San Diego President John Reilly told the commissioners. “Blue World is going to be a great enhancement to our habitat for whales but also for researchers and guests.” The proposed tank, Reilly said, “is naturalistic and sweeping, with new areas to explore. It’s unlike any other, giving more access than ever before for world-class health care and research that will help killer whales at SeaWorld and in the wild.” Opponents, however, are adamant that Blue World was designed to enhance profits rather than research or animal well-being. “SeaWorld’s motives are clear and can be seen from the fact that the project was announced two days after its stock dropped more than 30 percent and long before an application was submitted,” Jared Goodman, animal law director for PETA Foundation, said in an interview. “The new tank is 350 feet long and 50 feet at its deepest point,” Goodman said. “Orcas in the wild swim over 100 miles per day—that would be 1,500 laps in the new tank. And they dive up to 1,000 feet below the ocean’s surface. The new tank is only 15 feet deeper than the current tank. That’s not even a body length.” Goodman predicted that SeaWorld will abandon Blue Ocean but said that “we will have to see.” “These could be the last 11 orcas in San Diego,” he added.

No Breeding Allowed! The California Coastal Commission voted to approve SeaWorld’s plan for a new orca prison, but only after a commissioner proposed a key amendment: no more breeding, which will ultimately end captivity for long-suffering orcas in California. SeaWorld has admitted that it intended to breed even more orcas to fill the new tanks, but the commission’s action today ensures that no more orcas will be condemned to a nonlife of loneliness, deprivation, and misery if SeaWorld proceeds with their Blue World project. SeaWorld is a sea circus, and the orcas are its abused elephants. PETA wants SeaWorld to stop building tanks and start emptying the ones they’ve got by sending the orcas to coastal sanctuaries, where they’d finally have some semblance of a natural life.

In nature, orcas choose their own mates. But at SeaWorld, orcas are forced to breed on a regular basis. Male orcas are trained to float on their backs, and their trainers masturbate them to collect their sperm. Females are artificially inseminated and forced to breed at a much younger age than they would in nature.

The commission received more than 120,000 e-mails and letters from concerned PETA supporters, and hundreds of protesters, including actor Pamela Anderson, turned out at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center. During the hearing, PETA representatives recounted incidences of calves being torn from their mothers, forced pregnancies, and premature deaths. One orca was force-fed Valium to curb his aggression—which was triggered by his confinement.

There is no denying the abusement park’s sorry track record—SeaWorld has been cited for violating the Animal Welfare Act and fined for inadequately protecting its employees—or its bleak bottom line: Attendance and revenue are nosediving, and its shares are losing value. In the wake of the Commission’s decision, early trading the very next day showed that the value of SeaWorld stock took another hit, dropping nearly 6 percent.

People are disgusted, and new facilities won’t stem the decline.

What You Can Do Share this blog, and tell SeaWorld to retire the orcas to ocean sanctuaries.

ASK FLORIDA'S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO END CRUEL SEAWORLD PROMOTIONS!

#Sustainable Action Network (SAN)#Stephen Wells #Raechal Leone Shewfelt #Miami Seaquarium #Maral Kalinian #Lolita (orca)#Don Lichterman #David Kirby #Cetacean News Network #Bella Garfield #A Whale Of A Week

What A Whale Of A Week!

SeaWorld wants to expand its orca (also known as killer whale) tanks so that it can breed more of these magnificent animals who will then be condemned to a life of miserable confinement like the ones featured in the movie Blackfish. We need your help to stop them! SeaWorld recently applied to the California Coastal Commission (“Commission”) for a permit to expand the tanks at its San Diego facility. ALDF and a coalition of environmental and animal protection organizations have urged the Commission to approve the application but only to give more space to the current orcas and only with a strict requirement that SeaWorld end its captive orca breeding program.

Unfortunately, we found out today that the Commission is caving to SeaWorld’s demands, allowing SeaWorld to breed as many orcas as they wish and to build a breeding tank which can hold up to 94 orcas. These incredibly intelligent and social mammals deserve better! The Commission is voting on SeaWorld’s permit application on October 8th, 2015, and we need your help today to tell the Commission to do the right thing for orcas rather than caving to corporate influence! Take Action! Please make a brief, polite phone call to the California Coastal Commission at 619-767-2370 and simply say, “As someone who cares about orcas and conservation of marine resources, I urge the Commissioners to condition approval of SeaWorld’s Blue World project on a strict requirement that it end its captive breeding program in San Diego.” Please also call the San Diego Tourism Authority at 619-232-3101 and politely tell them, “I am dismayed that the San Diego Tourism Authority has a partnership with SeaWorld and cannot in good conscience support any of your partners while SeaWorld is still breeding orcas and condemning them to lives of misery in tiny tanks.” After you call, please be sure to send a follow-up e-mail to the Commission. Feel free to write your own or use our form letter as a guide. If you are a resident of California or a frequent visitor to San Diego, be sure to note that in your e-mail. Please pass this information on to your compassionate family and friends who care about animals who are exploited for entertainment!

Thank you for speaking up for captive orcas! Demand an End to the Japanese Whale Hunt Immediately!

Any day now, Japan could resume its annual whale hunt, with the plan to kill 333 minke whales every year between now and 2027.

Please sign the petition to voice your opposition to the Japanese whale hunt!

The International Whaling Commission (IWC) banned whaling in 1986, but Japan has been allowed to continue its hunt based on an exemption for "scientific research." Then last year, the IWC said that Tokyo had not provided sufficient evidence that the whale hunt was indeed a necessary scientific effort. Even so, their analysis continues, and Japan is not required to stop their hunt.

At this point in time, the only way we can get Japan to stop this horrible hunt is to put incredible amounts of international pressure on them. When the whale hunt affects their reputation and tourism, they will be forced to put it to a stop. Please add your voice to the petition demanding an end to the Japanese whale hunt!

Endangered Whales Keep Getting SnaredLegal fishing nets are injuring and killing endangered whales off the coast of California. Drift gillnets, which are often over a mile long and used by fishermen to target swordfish and other valuable seafood, are placing iconic marine wildlife at risk of entanglement, injury and death -- all for the sake of profit. We can't let California's fishing industry continue to use such dangerous methods. Demand that these drift gillnets be removed from the Pacific immediately, and that stronger protections be placed onto whales and other endangered marine mammals! Take Action

Water Pollution and SeaWorld San Diego: How This Marine Park Harms More Than Just Captive Whales.

SeaWorld hasn’t exactly been on everyone’s “nice list” the last few years. Their Public Relations department has been reeling since the release of Blackfish, a 2013 documentary that called into question the company’s ability to safely, humanely, and ethically house orcas in captivity. And prior to the “Blackfish effect,” the entertainment company wasn’t necessarily benefiting from public awareness around dolphin captivity with the release of The Cove, a film centered on the Taiji dolphin drives, in 2009.

Still, SeaWorld has attempted to carry on with an image that values cutting edge animal husbandry and conservation at the heart of its legacy. While the first half of that equation has already been called into question, the second half, conservation, is a curious one considering some ongoing problems with pollution the company has had lately.

SeaWorld San Diego, one of the three SeaWorld parks in the United States, has repeatedly been cited for violations of the Clean Water Act. While this may be a daily occurrence for companies around the U.S., the tendency of a company that proclaims to care about the state of marine habitats is ironically one of the many contributors to a growing problem of industrial pollution off the southern California coast.

Shamu’s Sewage

The Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1972 was written to protect navigable waters from point-source pollution. Violations can range from dumping motor oil into a storm drain or discharging waste from a factory into a river, wetland or the ocean. Some exceptions can be made to avoid a violation, however a permit needs to be obtained from the EPA first.

Situated on the edge of Mission Bay, California, SeaWorld San Diego Park takes front seat to what’s going on with water quality in the body of water. Mission Bay has historically had troubles with pollution varying from urban runoff to sewage spills.

Instead of assisting with pollution cleanup and habitat restoration, or, at the very least, remaining neutral in the situation, SeaWorld has actually contributed to the problem several times! And while coverage of this maddening fact has been limited mainly to local news sources, SeaWorld San Diego has not been able to fly completely under the radar with their little flub ups.

San Diego news sources reported CWA violations for SeaWorld in 2000 and 2002. The year 2004 saw yet another set of violations where the company was required by the California Regional Water Quality Control Board (CRWQCB) to pay a fine of $6,000. Again CRWQCB reported violations of the CWA from SeaWorld in 2007 and 2008, issuing another $6,000 penalty to the company. And in 2012, the CRWQCD offered SeaWorld a settlement for two violations of the CWA dating back to 2011. Violations over these years included ammonia, enterococcus and total coliform amounts that exceeded CWA limits when discharged into Mission Bay. And this mess is all due to the sewage that SeaWorld flushes into the Bay to rid itself of the waste that naturally results from holding dozens of large mammals captive in a small area.

And Then There Are The Fireworks…

Fireworks aren’t exactly known to be very environmentally friendly. But what can work in the environment’s favor is the fact that fireworks are not generally shot off year-round. Rather, they are restricted, more or less, to a few major holidays or events throughout the calendar year.

SeaWorld San Diego, however, maintains a firework show for the entirety of the summer months, threatening the nearby Mission Bay and wildlife with a barrage of nightly installments of water and sediment pollution as well as the light and noise disturbances. SeaWorld San Diego, under their current CWA permit allowing for their frequent fireworks displays, is required to monitor pollution levels on a regular basis over the course of the year. And while these are permitted activities, one does have to wonder how valuable such activities are to the local environment as well as the company’s own animal collection.

Why This Matters

SeaWorld San Diego isn’t the first nor the last major company to pollute Mission Bay. They also may not be the largest contributor of pollutants to southern California marine waters. However, as a company that proclaims such a strong support for environmental education and conservation, they are very poor at leading by example.

As our environment and wildlife face major challenges in the arena of habitat loss, pollution, climate change, and overfishing, we can benefit greatly from both individual and corporate action. But with major companies, like SeaWorld, electing to not practice what they preach, the environment loses out and the public is at risk of being led astray.

Now, you may not be a fan of SeaWorld’s choice to maintain a population of captive marine mammals, but surely the least you could expect of such a company that proclaims to love whales and dolphins is to not actively pollute the places that wild whales and dolphins live. And for a company that claims to value education, you should expect them to actually be educating their fans on the right way to treat our environment and not how to pollute.

While SeaWorld San Diego hasn’t been cited for a violation of the Clean Water Act in three years (yay?), it is important for environmentalists to remain vigilant in regards to the activities of this company. Their track record has shown they’re capable of painting a pretty picture of environmental awareness on the outside, while acting like any other polluter backstage.

The company may make the claim that SeaWorld Cares, but do they really? Lead Image Source: Tammy Lo/ Flickr

SeaWorld Seeks Public Support For Killer Whale Expansion

Peter Woolcott appointed to IWC as Japan set to resume Antarctic whaling

thelonelywhale: WOO AT LAST!! Been working on this one for a...

In just 4 words, Harry Styles undid SeaWorld's expensive, dishonest PR campaign.

You Won't Believe This Interaction Between Wild Orca Whales and a Group of Boaters (VIDEO)

Kiwi mum to live in bathtub for a month to protest an orca's captivity

False killer whales, Hawaii, close up video

Killer whales chase fishing boat and nearly capsize it [VIDEO]

#Stephen Wells #People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals #Malorie Macklin #International Whaling Commission #International Fund for Animal Welfare #Don Lichterman #A Whale Of A Week

Be their hero!

With the support of animal heroes like you, the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) has protected the lives of countless animals across the nation.

The most recent is the release of Ricky The Bear and they have also made huge attempts at legally getting Tony The Tiger out of that captivity.

WE DID IT!

Succcess! The ALDF is reporting that as of yesterday, Ricki has been freed and is on her way to the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado, a 15-acre refuge where she can live out the rest of her days in the company of 98 black bears and 32 grizzlies. Thank you for signing and sharing the petition!

And, after ALDF stepped in with a rulemaking petition, the North Carolina Board of Agriculture finally agreed in December to stop using gas chambers to kill dogs and cats in animal shelters. Experts disapprove of gas chambers for routine euthanasia at animal shelters—as it causes great panic, suffering, and a slow, painful death. Yet the state ag board had not stepped up to ban this controversial method until ALDF’s petition.

ALDF also helped South Dakota become the last of the 50 states to make animal cruelty a felony offense. Felony penalties represent a state’s commitment to taking cruelty to animals seriously. When I joined ALDF 15 years ago, only 30 states had felony provisions, so we created the annual State Rankings Report—the longest-running and most authoritative report of its kind—to draw attention to strengths and weaknesses of state animal protection laws, and urge each state to work harder for animals. Now, finally, all states have felony penalties for animal cruelty.

Ultimately, Don, animals are safer because of your support of the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) and more animal abusers are appropriately punished for their crimes.

Yet for every success, there are many more innocent animals who still need our help. With your ongoing support, ALDF will continue to put abusers behind bars, and give animals the JUSTICE they deserve, using the full force of the law. Please make a tax-deductible donation today!

#Sustainable Action Network (SAN)#Stephen Wells #Don Lichterman #Cruelty to animals #Animal Legal Defense Fund

Ricky the Bear

A female black bear named Ricky is being held in inhumane and dangerous conditions outside Jim Mack’s, an ice cream store and miniature golf course in Pennsylvania -- and she’s suffered in this nightmare for 18 years, held captive in a small chain-link and concrete cage, without any form of enrichment, and shockingly poor overall care. Ricky’s confinement also poses a threat to public safety, endangering both Ricky and the people who visit her. In response, ALDF filed a lawsuit on behalf of concerned Pennsylvania residents against Jim Mack’s Ice Cream for displaying Ricky in inhumane and dangerous conditions.

Local residents, along with ALDF, are concerned about Ricky. Please pledge to boycott Jim Mack’s and join us in urging owner James McDaniel, Jr. to send Ricky to an accredited and reputable sanctuary, where she can live out her life in a wooded habitat hundreds of times larger than her current cage. Ricky needs our help today! Veterinarians have confirmed that Ricky suffers from stress, anxiety, and inadequate diet and housing. Dr. Ursula Bechert, DVM, observed Ricky in person and noted that a “hard [concrete] substrate is what the bear lives on 100% of the time, and in the winter, it gets very cold.” Bears require large, complex spaces in which to engage in normal movements that are typical of their species, such as bathing, exploring, climbing, and denning. Ricky has none of that. Ricky’s owner is violating state regulations that require the humane care and treatment of wild animals such as Ricky. That’s why ALDF has filed a lawsuit on behalf of concerned Pennsylvania residents against Jim Mack’s Ice Cream for holding Ricky in these conditions. Ricky’s inhumane treatment violates Pennsylvania laws intended to protect wild animals from harm. Sign ALDF’s pledge to boycott Jim Mack’s until Ricky is released to a reputable, accredited sanctuary

Free Ricky the Bear from Brutal Imprisonment Petition - A black bear named Ricky has been confined to a small concrete cage for the last 18 years. Ricky's captors have used her as an attraction to drive business to an ice cream shop. Ricky must be freed from this brutal captivity and transferred to an animal sanctuary.

Target: Honorable Stephen P. Linebaugh, President Judge York County Court of Common Pleas

Goal: Demand the release of mistreated bear

At a small ice cream shop in Pennsylvania, a bear has been kept in a cage as a public attraction for over 18 years. The bear, named Ricky, was captured as a cub and placed in a cage to gain publicity and notoriety by James McDaniel, the owner of the ice cream shop. This is absolutely unacceptable. Animals are not play things, they are not spectacles, and they are not meant to live in cages. They are living beings and everything possible must be done to obtain this poor creature’s freedom.

Ricky has lived her entire life inside of a cage that only allows her to take two or three steps in either direction. She spends most of her time pacing back and forth. Many people mistake this for a sign of boredom, but in many caged animals, pacing shows anxiety and fear. This poor bear has suffered unknowable cruelty for nearly 20 years just so that one business could pull in a few extra customers.

Multiple complaints have been made to the Humane Society about McDaniels’ treatment of Ricky over the years, but action is finally being taken. The Animal Legal Defense Fund has just filed a lawsuit that is attempting to free Ricky and transfer her to a certified animal welfare refuge. Please sign below to show your support of this action to the judges of the York Country Court of Common Pleas. It is long past time to show people that animals cannot be used for monetary benefit.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Honorable Stephen P. Linebaugh,

I am writing to you today on behalf of one without the faculties to do so: a bear named Ricky. Ricky has been held in the same cage for over 18 years and is not allowed to roam freely. She spends most of her day pacing back and forth in a concrete cage that only allows her to take two or three steps in either direction. For what purpose you ask? Money. Ricky is being tortured so that one ice cream shop can make a few extra dollars. This is absolutely unacceptable, and I urge you to rule in favor of the Animal Legal Defense Fund in an upcoming hearing for Ricky’s release.

Animals are living creatures. They are not toys, they are not attractions, and they are not meant to live their lives in cages. This bear’s rights as a sentient creature must be respected. The ALDF will grant Ricky that respect by sending her to a wildlife refuge where she can be properly taken care of. For all of these reasons, I beg you to free this bear from any more torment.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

http://animalpetitions.org/43349/demand-release-of-caged-and-tormented-bear/?utm_source=Animal+Petitions&utm_campaign=7d59b212f7-APNL1531_6_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5c8ef52732-7d59b212f7-77807085

Free Bear Caged at Ice Cream Parlor for 18 Years!

Suit targets plight of bear at Pa. ice cream shop

Suit targets bear kept at ice cream shop

Remove Captive Black Bear from Cruel Entertainment Park

Suit targets plight of bear at Pa. ice cream shop

Group sues to free bear caged 18 years at Pennsylvania sweets shop

Ricky the bear: The case for a new home for a popular black bear

Drone footage reveals plight of killer whale Lolita in Seaquarium

Roadside zoo sued over bear

Taste Test: Yuengling's Ice Cream

#Sustainable Action Network (SAN)#Stephen Wells #Public nuisance #Pennsylvania #Lawsuit #James McDaniel #Ice cream #Don Lichterman #County Court #Associated Press #Animal Legal Defense Fund #American black bear

Ricky the Bear

Target: Honorable Stephen P. Linebaugh, President Judge York County Court of Common Pleas

Goal: Demand the release of mistreated bear

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Honorable Stephen P. Linebaugh,

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Free Bear Caged at Ice Cream Parlor for 18 Years!

Suit targets plight of bear at Pa. ice cream shop

Suit targets bear kept at ice cream shop

Remove Captive Black Bear from Cruel Entertainment Park

Suit targets plight of bear at Pa. ice cream shop

Group sues to free bear caged 18 years at Pennsylvania sweets shop

Ricky the bear: The case for a new home for a popular black bear

Drone footage reveals plight of killer whale Lolita in Seaquarium

Roadside zoo sued over bear

Taste Test: Yuengling's Ice Cream