FW: [violenciaanimales] Urgent Appeal from Russian activists - demo Monday in D.C.

[Guest guest]

 

 

 

 

 

Núria

Querol-GEVHA [gevha]

Tuesday, August 17, 2004

4:24 PM

ethicalvet; Lexo

Khubulava; Violenciaanimales (AT) (DOT) Com

[violenciaanimales] Urgent

Appeal from Russian activists - demo Monday in D.C.

 

 

 

 

 

 

URGENT APPEAL FROM RUSSIAN ANIMAL

RIGHTS GROUP VITA –

 

VETERINARIANS DENIED ANAESTHESIA, TRANQUILIZERS, AND OTHER

DRUGS TO HELP ANIMALS, ANIMALS KILLED IN HORRIBLE WAYS

 

VETS TRYING TO HELP ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL - PROTEST SCHEDULED AT

RUSSIAN EMBASSY THIS COMING MONDAY, the 23rd, THE DAY BEFORE THE

TRIAL, 12 NOON TO ONE P.M. (2650

Wisconsin Avenue, Washington, D.C.) – PLEASE ATTEND TO SHOW YOUR

SUPPORT

 

Call (703) 658-9650 for further information. See letter

below from Russian vet begging for help:

 

Please also send letters of protest (see addresses below).

 

In the last months, there have been

violations of the prevention of cruelty to animals’ law and of human

rights. There have been reports in the Russian and international media about a

prohibition of the use of drugs by veterinarians. The Department of Drug

Control began persecuting veterinarians, preventing them from using any kind of

anesthesia, tranquilizers, pain killers, and euthanasia drugs. Most of the

veterinarians were arrested and interrogated while giving anesthesia or pain

killers, and even during spaying operations,

and as a result, animals died. Other veterinarians fell into a trap - they

received a false appeal about a sick animal, but when they got there with drugs

to help, they were arrested and interrogated as well.

 

The Department of Drug Control claims that

these actions were taken in order to prevent pet clinics from selling drugs,

and these alleged accusations are damaging the entire veterinarian community.

This seems absurd, because all of the veterinarians that are under

investigation were arrested while treating animals and not while selling drugs.

In addition, a disruption of the legal process is taking place –

distortion of facts, forgery of evidence and violations of human rights.

 

As a result, the prohibition given by the

Department of Drug Control was extended by government organizations and now

also includes substances that have no connection to drugs, and now

veterinarians can’t treat sick animals or conduct operations at all.

When pet owners ask for euthanasia, you can only imagine how it is done, when

there is no possibility to use narcotic substances. (Animals have been

bludgeoned to death, for example)

 

The terrible situation of veterinarians

and animals is hardly mentioned in the media, and when it is, the matter is

described in a false way. When there are protest actions, the police come armed

with truncheons and pistols and stop it. The common people don’t stand up

for veterinarians and animals because they are afraid of police reaction.

Celebrities that were asked to help refused because they also fear to

intervene.

 

The veterinarians turned to the Minister

of Agriculture and to the Presidents’ bureau and asked for a solution to

this situation, but they got no response. Because of VITA’s protests, the

government says veterinarians can get permission to have one drug, ketamine,

but when they apply for permission, their request is bounced back and forth

from government agency to government agency and the permission is never

granted. While this is going on, animals are suffering terribly and needlessly.

 

I hope for your support, because both

people and animals’ lives are at stake.

 

Yours with thanks.

Dr.Tatiana Kastner

 

P.S. Donations to the legal bills are very much appreciated.

Volunteer defense

lawyer quit as a result of government pressure, replacement vet charging $2,000

and VITA only collected $500 so far to pay the bill.

 

Please come to voice your protest! For more information,

call (703) 658-9650.

 

E-mails and letters can also be sent to:

 

President Vladimir Putin

The Kremlin

Moscow

 

Yuri V. Ushakov

Russian Ambassador to the U.S.

russianembassy

or via fax: (202) 298-5735

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

" La

conmiseración con los animales está íntimamente ligada con la bondad de

carácter, de tal suerte que se puede afirmar

seguro que quien es cruel con

los animales, no puede ser buena persona. Una

compasión por todos los seres

vivos es la prueba más firme y segura de la

conducta moral "

 

Arthur Schopenhauer (filósofo alemán)