Rhode Island has become the first state to require that owners spay or neuter their cats

Rhode Island has become the first state in the nation to require cat owners to spay or neuter their pets.

Governor Carcieri signed the bill into law Friday.

It requires cat owners to spay or neuter pets older than six months unless they pay $100 for a breeder's license or permit for an intact animal.

Violators will be fined $75 per month.

Under the law, low-income pet owners would be able to receive subsidies for low-cost spay and neuter surgery.

Farmers are exempt.

Supporters of the law say it will save thousands of cats from being killed each year. The governor says it will also save money because it will cut down on housing and feeding costs at city animal shelters.

Ralph Lauren Goes Fur-Free!

Ralph Lauren, long recognized as a leader in fashion, is now also a leader in compassion after announcing a precedent-setting decision to no longer use fur in any of his apparel or home collections, based purely on ethical grounds.

The Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation had been considering eliminating fur from its lines for some time and finally issued a statement making its decision to go fur-free official after a series of meetings with PETA during which executives viewed grisly undercover video footage of fur farms in China, where more than half the finished fur garments imported for sale in the United States are sourced. Shortly after meetings with PETA in February and March 2006, the company committed to pulling all fur from its shelves. “Fur has never been an integral part of our design strategy …,” said a Polo Ralph Lauren spokesperson. “We are publicly announcing this decision because the use of fur has been under review internally and we feel that the time is right to take this action.”

On fur farms in China, animals are confined to tiny wire cages through all weather extremes. Before they are skinned, workers bludgeon them with metal rods and slam them against the ground, breaking their bones but not always killing them. Many animals are skinned while they are still alive.

The Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation sent PETA a signed statement of assurance acknowledging its intent to pull all advertising for fur, cancel all pending orders for fur products, and beginning with its holiday 2006 collections, no longer sell any fur products. Twelve hundred of its brand-new fall 2006 fur-trimmed coats will be donated to charities in developing nations.

Ralph Lauren’s compassionate, progressive decision sends a powerful message to the clothing industry that torturing and killing rabbits, raccoons, foxes, and other animals for fashion won’t be tolerated.

Supermarket Stops Selling Live Lobsters

Organic supermarket chain Whole Foods announced Friday it will stop selling live lobsters effectively immediately, citing the inhumane treatment of the animals, CNNMoney.com reports.
"We are not yet sufficiently satisfied that the process of selling live lobsters is in line with our commitment to humane treatment and quality of life for animals," Margaret Wittenberg, vice president of quality standards for Whole Foods Market, said in a prepared statement.

The company reached the decision to stop the sale of the crustacean after conducting a seven-month review into its lobster procurement process, learning that in many instances the animals were held in storage facilities for several months at a time.

More of the CNNMoney story:

Whole Foods also announced that it would also halt the sale of live soft-shelled crab.

The company, however, will continue to sell both raw and cooked frozen lobster products from companies that meet handling and processing standards developed by Whole Foods.

Whole Foods CEO John Mackey said the company would consider resuming the sale of lobsters if improvements are made in the treatment of the animals.

US Government Bill Jeopardizes Artic Wildlife

Big Oil is raking in record profits, and a new bill on the Senate calendar will give them even more while also destroying the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

With awareness of global warming reaching new heights as polar bears drown and tropical diseases like malaria move further north, Big Oil should be last in line when it comes to government handouts. Yet, if the House's so-called "American-Made Energy and Good Jobs Act" passes in the Senate, we'll be helping ExxonMobil while leaving the Arctic Refuge in a pool of oil, and the rest of America in a cloud of exhaust.

Tell your Senator to oppose any attempt to drill in the Arctic Refuge, and to start supporting technologies that protect our air, water, and wildlife and decrease our reliance on oil:
Help stop this bill that will give Big Oil even more handouts.

When I think about a poor polar bear swimming out to sea and eventually drowning because the ice is no longer where it's supposed to be, I feel sick. I feel sicker still knowing that our elected officials could actually vote to make the problem worse by allowing Refuge drilling.