PAWS
Actionline

A weekly opportunity
to make a difference
for animals

PAWS Exotic Animal Campaign

PAWS Farm Animal Campaign

PAWS Campaign Against Circuses That Use Performing Animals

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Important Links

PAWS Home Page

PAWS Animal Cruelty Resources and Links

Volunteer with PAWS Advocacy

Animal Welfare Links

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Legislative Links

Washington State
- House of Representatives
- Senate

Federal
- House of Representatives
- Senator Maria Cantwell
- Senator Patty Murray

Vote Smart is an excellent resource for all sorts of legislation.

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PAWS Mailing Address:
PO Box 1037
Lynnwood WA, 98046

PAWS Physical Address:
15305 44th Ave W
Lynnwood, WA 98037

Good News for Canada Geese in Seattle Parks!
As you likely know, for the past few years Canada geese have been rounded up and killed each summer in Seattle's public parks (and at other locations, such as the University of Washington campus) as part of regional efforts to control their numbers.

PAWS and our partner The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), along with Seattle Parks and Recreation, have developed a pilot program to explore humane methods of dealing with the conflict between geese and humans in parks. As part of the pilot program, the Parks Department has agreed not to employ "lethal removal" of geese in Seattle public parks through the end of 2005. (Note: Parks can cancel the 2005 moratorium if this community-based program is unable to generate enough volunteers to make an impact in the pilot parks and demonstrate that humane methods work.)

Humane alternatives to the annual killing of geese will only succeed if the Puget Sound's dedicated animal lovers rally to the aid of these majestic birds. Here's what volunteers will be doing in selected parks this year:

• Locating goose nesting sites and communicating their location so eggs can be addled (treated with corn oil in order to keep them from hatching).
• Using light-emitting "laser" devices and trained dog teams to encourage geese to leave the most problematic areas.
• Monitoring goose numbers and the amount of goose-inflicted damage at each of the pilot parks.
• Cleaning up goose poop from the beaches and recreation areas used most by people; this will help reduce complaints about geese making parks and beaches unusable by the public.

Over a Quarter Million Seals Killed in Canada
Despite public outrage, the Canadian government continues to slaughter seals in order to reach its quota of 350,000 seals this year- 100,000 more than in recent years. So far, over 280,000 harp seals have been bludgeoned, ice-picked or shot to death; many seal pups have been skinned alive. Not only is this hunt incredibly inhumane, it is also the “largest mass killing of marine mammals anywhere,” as pointed out by the Christian Science Monitor. Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Ocean says that the hunt will be allowed until May 15.

Rebecca Aldworth of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, was quoted as saying, "I've observed the Canadian seal hunt each year for the past five years. This year we saw terrible cruelty, and almost no government monitoring of the hunt. Just meters away from us, conscious seal pups were sliced open. They were dragged across the ice with boathooks. Injured seals were left to die in stockpiles of carcasses."

What you can do:

1) Contact your two U.S. Senators, and ask them to sign on to Senate Resolution 269, authored by Senator Carl Levin (D-MI), condemning the Canadian seal massacre. Washington State’s U.S. Senators:

Senator Patty Murray
173 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-4704
Phone: (202) 224-2621
Fax: (202) 224-0238
senator_murray@murray.senate.gov

Senator Maria Cantwell
717 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-4705
Phone: (202) 224-3441
Fax: (202) 228-0514
Send e-mail comments via her website at: http://cantwell.senate.gov/contact/index.html

2) Post Your Comments on the Canadian government site feedback form at: http://canadainternational.gc.ca/feedback-en.asp Urge the Canadian government to halt the seal hunt. Tell them you will not visit Canada as a tourist again until they stop slaughtering seals.

3) Let the Canadian Tourism Commission know that you’ll vacation elsewhere. You can e-mail them at http://www.travelcanada.ca/tc_redesign/app/en/ca/contact.do

4) Contact Ambassador Kergin with the same message:

Mr. Michael Kergin, Ambassador
Canadian Embassy
501 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20001
BY FAX: 202-682-7701

5) Read these articles for more information:

MSNBC (vote “no” on the online poll asking, “Is Canada right in allowing seal hunts?”): http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4738584

Christian Science Monitor:
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0407/p09s03-coop.html

BBC:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3609169.stm

Newsweek:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4687356/

New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/05/international/americas/05SEAL.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5070&en=b2b93531d914961f&ex=1082001600

Tukwila Hosts the 4th Annual Backyard Wildlife Fair
The Backyard Wildlife Fair features gardening and landscape design for wildlife. Learn how to certify your yard as an official Backyard Wildlife Habitat* site. Enjoy nature shows, presentations and hands on workshops by the National Wildlife Federation, the King Conservation District, Fish & Wildlife Dept., native plant experts and much, much more. Browse arts & crafts booths, enjoy food and family fun on the beautiful banks of the Duwamish River.

Saturday, May 1, 2004
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Tukwila Community Center
12424 42nd Avenue South
Tukwila, Washington
A tour of certified wildlife gardens will follow.

For additional information and directions, please check the fair website:
www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat/news.cfm

Earth Day 2004
It’s not too late to participate in Earth Day activities (Earth Day 2004 was officially observed on Thursday, April 22)! Visit the People for Puget Sound website for information on local volunteer activities taking place this Saturday, April 24th, in honor of Earth Day www.pugetsound.org/