Greece: Fur Farms Raided, 50,000 Mink Set Free

Associated Press:

Police say break-ins at two fur farms have set more than 50,000 minks on the loose in northern Greece.

A statement from local police says the break-ins occurred Friday and Saturday near the city of Kastoria, which is the center of Greece’s fur industry.

Regional TV channels showed farm employees chasing the animals with fishing nets on Monday…

Dead Dog Sparks Yorkshire Racoon Hunt

Guardian:

Vets have been asked to help in a raccoon hunt in South Yorkshire after a local practice put down a dog with symptoms of paralysis similar to those reported to be caused by bites or saliva from the native American mammal…

Baby Otter Finds Way Into Kitchen

BBC News:

A baby otter has been found in the kitchen of a house in a Norfolk village.

The animal was discovered by a family when they heard a noise at their home on Monday night in Taverham Chase, Taverham, near Norwich.

Sheila Manisier fed and looked after the animal, which is believed to be between two and four months old, until the RSPCA arrived on Tuesday…

Shetland Trawlermen Illegally Caught £15m Worth Of Herring And Mackerel

Guardian:

Six trawlermen from Shetland face unlimited fines and multi-million pound confiscation orders for illegally landing £15m worth of herring and mackerel to cheat strict quotas designed to conserve fish stocks…

Tiger Cub Hidden In Suitcase With Stuffed Toy

Sky News:

A Thai woman has been detained by airport authorities in Bangkok after they found a drugged tiger cub stashed alongside a stuffed toy in her luggage.

The 31-year-old, who was booked to fly to Iran, had checked in with an overweight suitcase, so it was sent away to be X-rayed by officials

Mccartney Upset Over Nasa’s Animal Testing

Contact Music:

Animal-loving Sir Paul McCartney is furious with experts at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for allegedly funding science experiments on monkeys.

The Beatles legend is begging the U.S. space agency’s bosses to withdraw financial support for radiation testing conducted on spider monkeys…

Nick Clegg’s Shock At Woman Dumping Cat In Bin

BBC News:

The deputy prime minister has expressed his shock at the actions of a woman who dumped a cat in a bin.

Nick Clegg was speaking about 45-year-old Mary Bale who was caught on CCTV cameras putting a cat into a wheelie bin in Coventry.

Lola was found 15 hours later by her owner Darryl Mann, who then posted the video of the incident on the internet.

Mr Clegg, speaking at a public meeting, said he understood the “passion people have for animal welfare”…

Alabama Dog Torturer Denied Parole

Associated Press:

A scarred but friendly pit bull named “Louis Vuitton” was the star witness Tuesday as an Alabama state board denied parole for the man convicted of spraying him with lighter fluid, setting him on fire and beating him with a shovel.

After the 8-year-old dog was led into the packed hearing room, the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles voted 3-0 to deny early release to 23-year-old Juan Daniels of Montgomery, who was sentenced in 2009 to nine years and six months in prison, a record in Alabama in an animal cruelty case.

Daniels, whose supporters said he had been sentenced far more harshly than criminals who harm human beings, will be eligible for parole again in July 2012…

Last Of Scotland’s Gannet Hunters Set Sail

Guardian:

Every August, a small group of men from the northern Hebrides sets sail in secret on an ancient expedition – to hunt and kill thousands of young seabirds on a remote island in the Atlantic.

The annual hunt for “guga”, or young gannets, by the men of Ness, a group of a dozen or so small villages on the northernmost tip of the Isle of Lewis, is centuries-old, but now Scotland’s foremost animal welfare charity wants ministers to ban the practice on grounds of cruelty…

Rodrigo Y Gabriela Promote A Vegan Lifestyle

PETA:

Musical duo Rodrigo y Gabriela take time out from strumming their addictive, acoustic guitar sets to star in a PETA ad promoting a vegan lifestyle. These compassionate rockers draw the comparison between human rights and animal rights and denounce cruelty to any species…