Kategorie: Animals

PETA has been alerted to the Cabarrus County, North Carolina, school system’s apparent plans to demolish Beverly Hills Elementary School and Coltrane-Webb Elementary School in the coming weeks, even though active chimney swift nests are known to be in the buildings’ chimneys. Reportedly, these birds have made temporary homes at the Beverly Hills Elementary School location for decades. They typically migrate to South America by the end of September, so the school system only needs to push its plans back by a few months. If it doesn’t, demolishing the buildings would likely result in a horrific and painful death for them, as they would have little or no chance of being able to escape before being crushed to death by debris. Furthermore, these federally protected birds, who play an important role in the local ecosystem and who are merely trying to eke out an existence, would have no way of relocating their eggs or young even if any adults managed to escape.

We understand that residents of Cabarrus County made officials aware of these concerns and have filed a class action lawsuit attempting to halt the school system’s plans. We contacted officials ourselves, attempting to appeal to their sense of compassion, but have been met with silence.

These birds need you to speak up! Please contact the following Cabarrus County school system officials asking them to immediately reschedule plans to demolish the buildings until any chimney swifts living there have migrated south for the season:

Dr. John Kopicki
Superintendent
john.kopicki@cabarrus.k12.nc.us; superintendent@cabarrus.k12.nc.us
704-260-5600

Kristy Spade
Superintendent’s Senior Executive Assistant
kristy.spade@cabarrus.k12.nc.us

Dr. Kelly Propst
Superintendent’s Chief of Staff
katherine.propst@cabarrus.k12.nc.us

Mr. Brian Cone
Director of Architecture, Planning, and Construction
brian.cone@cabarrus.k12.nc.us
704-260-5654

Mr. George Lowder
Executive Director of Operations
george.lowder@cabarrus.k12.nc.us
704-260-5671

The post Urge North Carolina School District to Pause Building Demo for Wildlife! appeared first on PETA.

Update (June 12, 2024): Cabarrus County Schools has posted a statement indicating that all demolition efforts will be delayed until after the chimney swifts have migrated in October. Compassionate locals will continue to monitor the situation. Thank you to all who spoke up for these amazing birds!

Update (June 11, 2024): On June 10, 2024, concerned people reportedly noticed a “pest”-control company truck at the school and watched as a worker accessed the building’s chimney via bucket truck. At a meeting that night, school officials stated, “There is nothing in place that would prohibit the entry of any chimney swifts into that chimney.” (Watch from 08:07 through 13:58.) However, a witness tells PETA that approximately 150 chimney swifts were seen circling the chimney that evening for more than an hour, with many seemingly unable to enter it. On June 11, we received the photographs below depicting what appears to be some type of barrier blocking half the chimney opening. Given these birds’ method of entry—they drop into chimneys feet-first and in groups—this barrier would certainly impede their entrance. An eyewitness claims that on the morning of June 11, only approximately 50 swifts were seen exiting the chimney.

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Original post:

PETA has been alerted to the Cabarrus County, North Carolina, school system’s apparent plans to demolish Beverly Hills Elementary School and Coltrane-Webb Elementary School in the coming weeks, even though active chimney swift nests are known to be in the buildings’ chimneys. Reportedly, these birds have made temporary homes at the Beverly Hills Elementary School location for decades. They typically migrate to South America by the end of September, so the school system only needs to push its plans back by a few months. If it doesn’t, demolishing the buildings would likely result in a horrific and painful death for them, as they would have little or no chance of being able to escape before being crushed to death by debris. Furthermore, these federally protected birds, who play an important role in the local ecosystem and who are merely trying to eke out an existence, would have no way of relocating their eggs or young even if any adults managed to escape.

We understand that residents of Cabarrus County made officials aware of these concerns and have filed a class action lawsuit attempting to halt the school system’s plans. We contacted officials ourselves, attempting to appeal to their sense of compassion, but have been met with silence.

These birds need you to speak up! Please contact the following Cabarrus County school system officials asking them to immediately reschedule plans to demolish the buildings until any chimney swifts living there have migrated south for the season.

Please note: It appears that they may have blocked incoming e-mails. Please be sure to call each of the numbers listed below and keep trying the e-mails. We will update this page if new e-mail addresses are found.

Dr. John Kopicki
Superintendent
john.kopicki@cabarrus.k12.nc.us; superintendent@cabarrus.k12.nc.us
704-260-5600

Kristy Spade
Superintendent’s Senior Executive Assistant
kristy.spade@cabarrus.k12.nc.us

Dr. Kelly Propst
Superintendent’s Chief of Staff
katherine.propst@cabarrus.k12.nc.us

Mr. Brian Cone
Director of Architecture, Planning, and Construction
brian.cone@cabarrus.k12.nc.us
704-260-5654

Mr. George Lowder
Executive Director of Operations
george.lowder@cabarrus.k12.nc.us
704-260-5671

The post Update: Urge North Carolina School District to Pause Building Demo for Wildlife! appeared first on PETA.

The post Urge Prosecutor to Uphold Indiana’s Cruelty Statute and Charge Hoarder Who Left Animals to Die appeared first on PETA.

On May 24, PETA received a report of an alarmingly emaciated horse who is reportedly located on Mesquite Street in Sullivan City, Texas. Our equine specialist believes that this animal, who has virtually no body fat, will die without intervention. A local rescue group tells us that it has spoken to the horse’s owner—offering food, water, and to take the animal into its care—but that the owner declined assistance, apparently saying that the horse is old and no longer wants to eat. Of course, merely being elderly is not a reason for any animal to be extremely underweight.

PETA reported the situation to the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office immediately after being advised of the horse’s condition, and we were told that the case had been assigned to an investigator on May 22. We spoke with the investigator, who told us, “The animal is fine,” and cited old age as a reason for the horse’s body condition. Given how horrifically underweight the horse is, he or she appears to require immediate veterinary attention. PETA offered to subsidize this, but the investigator only said that he would pass on our message to the owner. We understand that when agencies have open investigations, they are often unable to disclose details until the case has closed, but considering this horse’s condition and the investigator’s assertion that the horse is “fine,” we are not confident that this animal is currently receiving the care he or she desperately needs.

We need your voice! Please contact the Hildalgo County Sheriff’s Office, urging swift intervention for this animal, including immediate veterinary care as deemed necessary, with seizure and charges considered if appropriate.

Please note: We can’t disclose the animal’s exact address, but the sheriff’s office is familiar with the case and will know which horse you’re calling about if you mention the street and city.

• Contact the sheriff’s office:
  E-mail hcsofeedback@hidalgoso.org.
  Call 956-383-8114.
  Comment on its Facebook page.

• E-mail Sheriff Eddie Guerra: sheriff.guerra@hidalgoso.org; eddie.guerra@hidalgoso.org

The post Urge Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office to Help Skeletal Horse appeared first on PETA.

The post Urge the Owners of Gator’s Grill & Spirits to End Their Distasteful Live-Caiman Exhibit appeared first on PETA.