Animal Rights Action Network
RIGHTS FOR ANIMALS
(The e-news for Animal Rights Action Network (ARAN) - Ireland’s National Animal Rights Organization) April 2007

In This Online Issue
 
ARAN Launches ‘Stop Circus Suffering In Ireland’ Campaign In Dublin
ARAN Hooks Up With SHARK USA To Stop Cingular Wireless Sponsoring Cruel Rodeos
Miss UK 2006 Jumps Into Bed With ARAN’s Sexy ‘Fur Out Love In’ Demo
‘Dead’ Anti-Fur Protesters Show Brown Thomas Fur Is Dead
Body Screen TV Brings New Life To Animal Rights In Ireland
ARAN Helps Daily Mail Expose Dog & Cat Fur Cruelty In China
Ward Union Causes Chaos On School Grounds – Help Stop Them
5 Years In A Row: ARAN Continues To Help Canadian Seals
‘Street Wise Against Animal Suffering’ A Huge Success
ARAN Members Making A Huge Difference For Animals – Check Them Out
Regular Anti-Fur Leafleting Continues To Make Progress
Regular Limerick Campaign Meetings Continue – You’re Welcome
Linda Martin Helps Speak Out Against TV3 Promoting Real Fur
ARAN Campaigners Disrupt Enda Kenny’s Limerick Campaign Visit With A Message Ban Bloodsports
 
EDITORIAL!!
I find it hard to believe that this year ARAN must be 10 years old, doesn’t time really fly? Looking back on the huge amount of work we have done and continue to do, I can safely say that ARAN’s involvement with the Irish Animal Rights movement is certainly well placed. One thing I love about being involved with ARAN is that everyday I get to speak with caring people from around Ireland and beyond who are deeply compassionate about animals and who want to do even more, we are very luck to have such kind people backing our work. They are people just like you- kind, caring and compassionate! It is also extremely heartening to hear so many touching stories and see so many people bombard us with offers of help weekly-and to hear them share their stories about what they are doing to help animals in their own towns and cities. That’s why here at ARAN we are devoted to helping people make a difference for animals, so whatever it is you do or whatever time you have on your hands, please make some time for the animals. They certainly do need all the help they can get.
As I write these few short lines, we are preparing for some major ARAN events this year including our ‘Speak Out For Animals Rights’ road show, our ‘Stop Circus Suffering in Ireland’ tour, running of the nudes and yes ‘Rally Against The Cruelty’ which is now by far our largest campaign event – please find time to fit anything ARAN does for animals into your schedule. If possible why not introduce a friend to ARAN-if everyone done this it would mean that we could well in truly double our Irish database to over 6,000 people. I hope you like what you read in the April e-news letter for Animal Rights Action Network (ARAN) because I want each and everyone of you who read this to know that ARAN is working flat out to try and do everything we can to help stop animal abuse and mark my words, we are making changes for animals and we will never stop until the cruelty ends, so please stay with us as we fight another year for animal rights and as always ARAN remains Ireland’s most peaceful and professional animal rights group.. I want to leave you with a very kind email a dedicated supporter of ARAN recently sent us - “Do you ever rest?  Or give any of your baddies/targets a minute’s peace of mind... from activists in their (own) pelts, to activists in their (premature) coffins, you certainly are here, there and everywhere. And the headaches you must cause...but in such a splendid cause (double pun). Great work. Keep at it”. None of ARAN’s work would be possible without the help of wonderful, loyal members like you. We are most thankful for the generosity of such important players on the ARAN’s team. John Carmody, Founder of ARAN.
 
ARAN LAUNCHES ‘STOP CIRCUS SUFFERING IN IRELAND’ EDUCATION CAMPAIGN IN DUBLIN
Many of you will know by now that Animal Rights Action Network and our campaign partners Animal Defenders International have a major campaign called ‘Stop Circus Suffering in Ireland’ possibly being one of our most successful campaigns to date and many of you will either be following the campaign or more importantly taking part in it. Just recently we launched our new phase of our educational campaign in Dublin with support from the Terenue College in Dublin. Thanks to ARAN’s Eimear and Kelley who coordinated the event. At the launch ARAN campaigners spoke about our campaign in Ireland to the students, behind a huge banner reading “Stop Circus Suffering” which had an eye catching ‘scared’ elephants eye as background. Students across the college signed up to support ARAN’s campaign. The campaign continues to make progress across the country. In Galway ARAN volunteers showed footage of ADI’s investigation into Irish circuses on a brand new body screen TV showing everyone inside the circus. ARAN volunteers have also just leafleted circuses in Ennis, Limerick, Cork, Galway, Tipperary, Wicklow, and Wexford. Our campaign also continues to gain much needed media coverage in order to expose current terrible suffering in Irish circuses. Just recently we held two major debates about the use of animals in Irish circuses on Dublin’s Country FM with the Duffy’s Circus, and Matt Cooper’s last word with the Courtney circus family’s- where two of their elephants ended up stuck in muck in Cork city.. Over the coming months ARAN has planned a serious of high profile campaign events in several Irish cities, we are also working on a bill with members of Dail to ‘Ban Animals In Irish Circuses’. Remember we need your help in order to make this campaign a huge success-please get in on this campaign and help us make a difference.
 
ARAN HOOKS UP WITH SHARK USA TO STOP CINGULAR WIRELESS SPONSORING CRUEL RODEOS
Just recently our friends at SHARK (Showing Animals Respect and Kindness), the world’s leading anti-rode cruelty group exposed the hideous suffering in rodeos. Rodeo proponents claim this "sport" should be preserved as an American tradition that harkens back to the frontier days of the Old West, when cowboys tamed wild beasts with brute strength and cunning. What they fail to acknowledge is that rodeos harm animals that are forced to "perform" in a competition that is essentially a display of human domination over other species.

The modern "sport" of rodeo has strayed far from its origins in another exploitive part of American heritage, the cattle drive, when cows were rounded up and led long distances as a herd to their eventual slaughter. At least cowboys living and working on the range developed practical skills like roping and wrestling cattle in order to manage the herd, which would provide food for settlers who, in those days, would not even know what a vegetarian was. Today's "cowboys" are far removed from any purpose but deliberately hurting animals for prize money and to prove that they are "tough" enough to "break" supposedly wild animals. ARAN helped generate huge amounts of support for Sharks’ campaign in Europe helping to generate hundreds of letters, phone calls and emails into Cingular asking them to end their sponsorship of rodeos. For more information on the campaign to stop Cingular sponsoring rodeos please visit www.sharkonline.org
 
MISS UK 2006 JUMPS INTO BED WITH ARAN’S SEXY ‘FUR OUT LOVE IN’ BED DOWN DEMO
Wearing little more than a smile and heart shaped signs reading “Fur Out Love In’ top models from France, UK, USA and Belfast recently took to the sheets in an open display of public passion for animals. With a giant bed covered with sexy red sheets and roses, the models left the limousine that driven them to the scene in Dublin’s O’Connell Street. Awaiting them were over a dozen photographers, reporters and hundreds of people wanting to get in on the action. Including Miss UK 2006 who chanted ‘Fur Out Love In’ – photographers went into nearby buildings for a high up shoot of the models with the heart shaped signs. Our event worked, our aim was to get as much attention for the anti-fur campaign in Ireland. During the day radio stations covered campaigners John Carmody and Anita Singh with live on air interviews about fur and the cruelty involved. The following day Irish broadsheet and tabloid newspapers gave generous coverage to our demo and campaign including the Irish Mirror and Irish Daily Mail giving almost a double page spread! Shortly after our campaign demonstration, we were inundated with people wanting to know how they can avoid buying real fur. Help ban fur farming in Ireland, please contact our friends at CIWF Ireland who are running the campaign to close down Ireland’s cruel fur farms at www.CIWF.ie
 
‘DEAD’ ANTI-FUR PROTESTERS SHOW BROWN THOMAS FUR IS DEAD
ARAN activists have been touring the country highlighting Brown Thomas continued use of fur. From Cork to Galway we have had activists peacefully disrupt their fashion shows, take over their stores and most recently we had two activists pose ‘dead’ in coffins with signs reading “Brown Thomas – Fur Is Dead” whilst others held signs showing images of a skinned fox’s face with a tag line reading “Here’s The Rest Of Your Fur Coat” . The demonstration was hugely effective with huge amounts of people stopping by to check the coffins and people out, and to find out more about the campaign. ARAN continues to discuss the cruelty of fur to top Brown Thomas officials. Just recently 17 activists from ARAN blockaded the main shopping floor of Brown Thomas’s flagship store in Dublin before bringing the peaceful protest outside where the activists chanted “Fur Is Murder” – people on Grafton Street loved every minute of it. It was a hugely successful day. We’re hoping that Brown Thomas may drop fur in their next collection so keep contacting them politely and let them know what you think of animal cruelty. ARAN Also reminded Brown Thomas that Canada’s seal hunt is because people and stores continue to buy fur – buy or weal real fur and share the blame.
 
BODY SCREEN TV TO BRING NEW LIFE TO ANIMAL RIGHTS IN IRELAND
It goes without saying that ARAN continues to have a huge impact on the Irish animal protection movement. From high profile demonstrations, catchy media campaigns, huge billboards and much more the latest step in ARAN’s work to end animal abuse is with a new Body Screen TV. Strapped to the activist wearing it, the TV can clearly show investigations into animal circuses, laboratories, fur farms, slaughtering and much more. Already we have being showing footage of animal abuse inside the circus, outside circuses and have for the first time ever showed footage of Canada’s 2006 seal hunt. ARAN will be putting the body screen to full use over the coming months and reaching huge numbers of people at shopping malls, concerts, universities and other places where crowds gather. ARAN is also making the TV available to other caring groups with whom we work with in Ireland to help them with their valuable work in exposing the cruelty. Thank you to everyone who helps to make ARAN’s ideas a true reality and thanks to PETA for all their kind support. Already these TV screens are being used in other countries around the world including Canada, USA, South America, Croatia UK and of course here in Ireland. Please contact ARAN directly if you want to use our screen at your next event for animals, we’re here to help you help even more animals.
 
ARAN HELPS DAILY MAIL EXPOSE DOG AND CAT FUR TRADE
ARAN must thank the Irish Daily Mail for all their wonderful coverage of animal cruelty campaigns. Just recently the newspaper worked with us on a fantastic double page spread into the dog & cat fur trade in China where no animal welfare laws exist. Shortly after the expose, many readers contact us with concerns about coats and jackets they would of bought that came from China, many of them with fur on them but being labeled fake fur, many of these jackets came from Marks & Spencer’s, although having a no fur policy we are working with the customers to check to see the real origin of the ‘fur’. If this turns out to be real fur as it has in the USA we’ll be making this news public. Just recently the Irish Dail Mail also ran an amazing double page spread into the Canadian seal hunt and was quick to point out that their top fashion editor was 100% against fur – if you can please write to the Irish Daily Mail’s editor to say thank you for writing great articles that are helping to expose animal suffering. ARAN also wishes to thank Joanne Kelly a long time ARAN friend who continues to work with us on our Canadian seal campaign and much more. Joanne is a journalist and dedicated animal activist.
 
WARD UNION CAUSES CAOS ON SCHOOL GROUNDS – HELP US ENSURE THEY DON’T GET A PERMIT THIS YEAR
ARAN is supporting our friends at Irish Council Against Bloodsports campaign to stop Environment minister Dick Roche from allowing the Ward Union Hunt to hunt deer again this year. Earlier this year they made nationwide headlines when their hunt manage to get onto school grounds prompting huge concern from members of the public nationwide. ARAN written to Dick Roach and Mary Coughlan calling for an end to this disgusting and notoriously cruel sport. You can help. Please write to Minister Dick Roche and demand that he stop licensing the Ward Union Hunt.
Minister Dick Roche
Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government
Custom House
Dublin 1.
Email: minister@environ.ie
Tel: +353 (0)1-8882403
LoCall: 1890-202021
Fax: +353 (0)1-8788640.
Please appeal to Minister Mary Coughlan (she is responsible for animal welfare and the Protection of Animals Act) to intervene to end carted deer hunting.
Minister Mary Coughlan
Department of Agriculture
Agriculture House,
Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
Tel: 01-607 2000 or LoCall 1890-200510.
Fax: 01-661 1013.
Email: mary.coughlan@oireachtas.irlgov.ie

5 YEARS IN A ROW – ARAN CONTINUES HELPING CANADA’S SEALS
Now in its 5th year, almost 50 members of Animal Rights Action Network (ARAN) recently gathered at the Canadian Embassy in Dublin to peaceful protest the killing of baby seals which takes place at the end of March every year. During a lunchtime protest which was also attended by ARAN members from Navan, Kilkenny, Limerick and Sligo who chanted “Shame Shame Shame On Canada” another ARAN member screened footage of the hunt in 2006 with our new Body Screen TV which showed huge crowds of passersby what Canada is desperate to hide.
 
Shortly after the protest, up to 17 members of ARAN then went onto protest Brown Thomas’s use of fur. Activists brought their peaceful protest inside the store to educate their customers about how animals are cruelly killed on fur farms, they unfurled a huge banner whilst chanting “Fur Is Murder” before taking their protest outside the main doors of BT which was watched by huge crowds all trying to get in on the action by taking pictures on their camera phones.
 
All in all a very successful day in terms and anti-fur campaign. ARAN continues to be a proud, peaceful, legal and professional voice for animals – we feel it’s the best way to go in order to get the public on our side.
 
Shortly after the protest we handed in a three page letter on behalf of our members and supporters across the country calling on Canada to stop killing seals. Quietly behind the scenes ARAN continues to work to support the international campaign to save the seals and earlier this year we worked with HSUS to lobby Irish MEP’s to support an EU ban on seal products coming into Europe, thankfully their support was hugely overwhelming.

Canada’s annual seal hunt is the largest slaughter of marine mammals on Earth. Last year, the world looked on in horror as the Canadian government permitted the slaughter of more than 330,000 harp seals. During the hunt, baby seals are shot or repeatedly clubbed. Sealers bludgeon the animals with clubs and “hakapiks” (clubs with metal hooks on their ends) and drag the seals—who are still conscious—across the ice floes with boat hooks. An estimated 42 percent of the animals are skinned alive. Hunters toss dead and dying seals into heaps and leave their carcasses to rot on the ice floes because there is no market for seal meat. Veterinarians who have investigated the hunt have found that hunters routinely fail to comply with Canada’s animal welfare standards.

It is legal in Canada to kill seal pups when they are about 12 days old. During last year’s hunt, almost all the seals killed were 3 months old or younger. Many had not yet learned how to swim or eaten their first solid meals. Baby seals are helpless and have no way to escape from the sealers’ clubs.
The sealing industry claims that it is killing more seals because of an increased demand for fur. Although the U.S. banned the sale of seal fur in 1972, anyone wearing the fur of minks, rabbits, foxes, or any other kind of animal is responsible for creating a demand for fur, which pushes Canadian hunters to club more seals each year.

STREET WISE AGAINST ANIMAL SUFFERING A HUGE SUCCESS
Thanks to Linda, Carry and Terry who helped come up with the project. ARAN recently introduced “Street Wise Against Animal Suffering”, It was a huge success. When we launched the program we wanted to get our message out on the street about helping animals by having posters showcasing ARAN and our work. When we launched the appeal over 287 ARAN supporters from around Ireland decided to come out onto the streets and get our poster up on as much walls, shows, libraries, malls, streets and practically everywhere people could think of. The result: people from across the country began to contact us wanting to know what they can do to help animals and the idea paid off. There is still plenty of time for you to help out too. If you can help promote ARAN’s work wherever it is you live then please get in touch with us and ask for our poster, because everywhere you stick it up, more eyes will see and you will be helping ARAN do more for animals.

ARAN MEMBERS MAKING A HUGE DIFFERENCE FOR ANIMALS – CHECK THEM OUT!!!
ARAN comprises of a triangle of support. We are comprised of about 15 devoted coordinators across the country and supported by hundreds of Irish supporters and members. Each and everyday ARAN supporters are doing everything they can to help and they are out on the streets helping animals, take a look.

Alison Killiea who continues to promote our ‘Stop Circus Suffering’ Campaign in Cork, she and her friends keep leafleting circuses every time they visit Cork.

Jennifer O Brien who also continues to promote our anti-fur campaign and circus campaign on the streets in Limerick City.

Ross, Theresa, Venus, Joanne, Anne and Margaret in Galway who continue to promote our ‘Stop Circus Suffering’ campaign and general activist support.

Well done to Esther Ring for promoting ARAN and animal rights in Cork city.

Well done to Tom Hardiman in Galway who is out on the streets every week showing people the cruelty of bloodsports, we works tirelessly hard to ban the bloodsport.

Thanks to Vivienne and her team in Northern Ireland for all the amazing work she is doing to help animals and most recently for Felix the monkey.

Thanks to Joanne Kelly in Dublin for pushing animal rights stories with one of the country’s top selling broadsheets.

Well done to Anne McNamara and Francis who help promote ARAN’s ‘Stop Circus Suffering’ campaign in Shannon and Co. Clare.

Thumbs up for Regina, Derek and sons for all their hard work with our ‘Stop Circus Suffering’ events in Tipperary.

Well done to local Dublin activists Ed, Gloria, Will, Elin, John and many more for all their help and support of ongoing ARAN’s programs including their own dedicated work to stop animal abuse in Dublin.

Well done to Steven and Diane in Sligo who are working so hard on promoting ARAN and animal rights in general.

Well done to Sharon in Monoghan for all her hard work on the ‘Stop Circus Suffering’ campaign.
Well done to Heather in Tyrone for her amazing work on our ‘Stop Circus Suffering’ campaign and working with the mayor to ban animals in circuses.

Mairead, Dean, Trisha and Denise for their educational efforts in Dublin for our ‘Stop Circus Suffering’ campaign.

Well done to Susan Lawlor for her work to support ARAN’s ‘Stop Circus Suffering’ campaign with local Waterford council members.

Thanks to Michelle and Rodney for all their hard work promoting ARAN in Derry.

Great work to Shane for all his devoted work with ARAN’s College Action Campaign, based out of Limerick City.

Thank you to long time ARAN members Thomas Keane, Patricia Dardia, Anthony Longergan, Francis Cummins and many more on our work to promote ARAN’s ‘Street Wise Against Animal Suffering’ in Dublin.

Thank you to Niall Kieran’s, Gerard Collier and Amanda Kelly for their ongoing work to promote College Action Campaign in Dublin.

Thanks to Jo Malherbe for recent work on the ‘Stop Circus Suffering’ campaign in Wicklow.

Anna and Thomas Friedrich for all their valuable help and support in the Dublin area.

Thanks to Joe and Breda Malone for all their dedicated and ongoing support for ARAN’s programs nationwide.

Great work to Paul Hartnoll in Kilkenny for his ongoing campaign work to stop the fur trade.
Thanks to Bahroz for his continuing support of ARAN’s campaigns in Kilkenny.

Thanks to Emma, Paul, Jesse, Steven and Jack in Wexford on helping ARAN’s ongoing fur, circus and vivisection campaigns.

Thanks to Andy and Ciaran in Wicklow for their help and support with ‘Stop Circus Suffering’ campaign
Thanks to ARAN friends Sinead, Gemma, Karolina, Joanne, Rachel, Rita, Marie, Diane, Allison, Derek, Paul, Michael, John, Pat, Karen, Cynthia and many other devoted ARAN members in Dublin for all their ongoing help and support.

Great work with Joe and Helen for their leafleting at KFC in Tipperary and Limerick city.

Thanks to ARAN friend Heather Mcgarrigle for all her ongoing support to ARAN’s programs.

Helen, Joanne, Michael Daly, Gerard Bishop and Dominika Syyclostiz for all their ongoing support with research, mailings, communications and special projects.

Great work to Limerick ARAN member Jodie Palmer for collecting signatures on a petition to ban animals in Irish circuses.

Thank you to everyone who helps ARAN make a difference you certainly are in good company
 
REGULAR ANTI-FUR LEAFLETTING CONTINUES TO MAKE PROGRESS
On any given weekend you can be sure that local ARAN members in Limerick city are out on the street given talks to members of the public, leafleting stores known to sell fur, including Brown Thomas. Since ARAN’s launch in Limerick city many stores including Irish charities have sent us statements telling us they will never again sell fur because of the terrible cruelty involved. ARAN continues to push Gretta Gibbs, Catherine O Donnell and Noemie in Limerick City to stop selling fur. If you know of stores selling fur then please contact ARAN right away and always is sure to find out if it’s real and then complain, remember the animals do need your voice.
 
REGULAR LIMERICK CAMPAIGN MEETINGS CONTINUE – YOU’RE WELCOME
Got some free time on your hands? Then why not come along to one of ARAN’s monthly campaign meetings that are held in Limerick City. On an average night you will meet some of our small team of committed campaigners who work quietly behind the scenes making sure that ARAN stays on top in relation to Irish animal rights. You will meet others who work on our local city campaigns, help keep in touch with national activists, people who organize the local college campaigns and get to know more about ARAN’s behind the scenes work. You will find out what campaigns we have planned, what events are working on, what exciting events and demonstrations we are planning and much more – please get in touch with ARAN if you want to come along to one our monthly campaign meetings, we know you’ll want to come back again.

LINDA MARTIN HELPS SPEAK OUT FOR ANIMALS – SHE SAYS TO TV3 ‘NO FUR’
Recently Irish Celebrity Linda Martin called ARAN for help in contacting TV 3. On their Ireland AM program when a TV 3 presenter said that if animals were killed humanely there would be no problem in wearing real fur. Linda joined up with ARAN in contact TV3 and showing how animals are trapped, drowned and beaten to death in the wild and gassed, strangled and electrocuted on fur farms. Animals on fur farms suffer terribly so much so that Fur farms have being banned. Please join kind Linda and ARAN by speaking out against fur wherever it appears.

ARAN DISRUPTS FINE GAEL’S ENDA KENNY LIMERICK VISIT AND URGE’S A BAN ON BLOODSPORTS
Enda Kenny of Fine Gail recently visited Limerick City as part of his general election campaign. Awaiting him were campaigners from ARAN where we approached him with questions about why he would not ban bloodsports if he got into power, he went on to say he had no plans on doing so. Shortly after several members of ARAN peacefully chanted No Ban No Vote, watched by photographers and other reporters, our campaign stunt got highlighted on various media outlets again showing so much more potential FG voters that if you vote FG you won’t be getting a ban on bloodsports. ARAN wants to thank the Green Party who having a very encouraging animal protection policy which also states that if they get into power that they will in no uncertain terms ban bloodsports and animals in Irish circuses.

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTION NETWORK (ARAN) IRELAND’S NATIONAL ANIMAL RIGHTS GROUP – WORKING PEACEFULLY ACROSS IRELAND HELPING TO END ALL FORMS OF ANIMAL ABUSE. IF YOU CAN DO MORE FOR ARAN, THEN PLEASE GET IN TOUCH AND BE SURE TO SEND THIS E-NEWS TO A FRIEND.