www.dolfin.tv dolphins

I only have these simple things to say: 1) My continued discussion of
>this thread threatens my job; I speak only for myself and nobody else, 2) >The vets and scientists you mention, I respect them and their efforts, but >repsectively disagree. They heard what I heard at the 'secret' conference >where things discussed in 'confidence' were exposed, and we can disagree on >this issue. However, organizations that have mission statements advocating >euthanasia in cases where permanent captivity would be the only option is >morally wrong, in my opinion, and I will go up against any Ph.D, DVM, or >Fed on the subject. The stranding network is a public program and would >not exist without voluntary participation by the public and private >institutions, yet these things I speak of were brought to light in the >first national meeting in ten years. With policies like that its no wonder >NMFS does not have more frequent conferences, rather they keep information >close to the vest and on a need to know basis. 3) Steno's are >successfully maintained in captivity, so are pilot whales and false killer >whales (the species most likely to mass strand), political agendas have no >place in deciding who should live or die. I have said from the start, for >me this is a life versus death issue. I am putting my career, my >reputation, and future on the line by my ethical position that NO healthy >baby whale or dolphin nor any healthy adult dolphin or small whale should >be euthenized on the stranding scene before all reasonable efforts to place >the animal have occurred. In my opinion, having experienced the network >over ten years, this does not happen, unless excruciating hoops are jumped >through. Facilities exist now, but communication does not. If we were >talking about a massive pile up of cars with critically injured victims, by >the philosophy we are using for dolphins, well you get the idea. > Believe me, don't believe me, I don't care. I am on a crusade. Killing > is wrong. Some will tell you dolphins are only animals. I happen to > believe they are worthy of more consideration. After all, is that not why > there is a Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. What is really cheap are > the cry babies who whine when they should look at their own souls. > Government agents, scientists, and vets running scared of the truth. I > have no apologies to them or you. > I want more cooperation between the stranding network and the captivity > industry, so what. It is my opinion to have and (not the views or > opinion of my employer) as you suggested, and as I have stated, I am > towing the line with my career to expose what I know in my heart is wrong. > I find it hard to believe that with such an emotionally charged aimal, > such as dolphins, that excuses like not enough people, time, or recourses > applies in most cases, maybe in some, but certainly not in the majority of > cases, whichs seems to me, to be the norm. > >> Jeff, >> >> There is no pleasant way to respond to you in this matter, >> so I will not even attempt it. >> >> >> >>>O.k., it seems that Mike, dolphin, and I, are the only >>>people actually having good (serious) discussions, >> > >> agreement as to the Truth might be obtained. >> >> With you, there is only a one direction of communication: >> you post propaganda smeer attacks upon anyone and everyone >> who inconveniently gets in the way of yourself and your >> company's business operations; and, you expect everyone to >> listen to you and believe you as if your pronouncements came >> from Almighty God himself. >> >> Any and all demonstrations of the lack of validity of any of >> your so-called facts, reasoning and/or conclusions, >> regardless of the amount of documentation provided, are >> either ignored or meet with ad hominem attacks. >> >>>so I want to bring up a thread I dropped. >> >> No, you wish to continue your propaganda attack on the NMFS >> and other stranding organizations that don't go along with >> your company's obvious desire to acquire new dolphins that >> you can rent out. >> >>>I ran across this article on my desk (while cleaning >>>desk). >> >> You have been asked for the exact source of this article and >> so far failed to provide it. However, that's ok, as I >> have provided the full text of the original Associated Press >> article in Attachment A. Seems that you omitted over half >> the facts. >> >>>Lets discuss how you feel about this (as I have stated, >>>some of these animals should have been rescued had other >>>oceanariums and aquariums been notified): >> >> > activists happy). >> >> How was it that you reached this absurd conclusion without >> any investigation beyond reading the news article you quoted >> from ( won't say "cited", because you did not state the >> exact source of it). You clearly state that you did no >> further investigation in Attachment C. >> >> Well, allow me to inform you from the investigation I did - >> the one *you* should have conducted before making such vile >> accusations against good people - just how far from the >> truth your assinine article is: >> >> Dr. Gregory Bossart, one of the top marine mammal vets in >> the world, with 20 years experience - and who was actually >> present at the above incident as he himself had to conduct >> the euthanizations - reported that many of those animals on >> the beach were "in the process of dying already" (see >> Attachment D). >> >> Some of those dolphins died on their own, before any >> decision to humanely euthanize was even made (see Attachment >> E). >> >> No other facility in the region was going to take those >> animals, due to very real danger that these sick animals >> were infected with a morbillus virus or other fatal disease. >> That is why those these Stenos were kept at Mote Marine Lab >> during a hurricane with personnel in attendance, when all >> the other animals were evacuated (Attachments F and can be >> confirmed by contacting Mote Marine Lab Dolphin and Whale >> Hospital). >> >> Let us supposed they called your facility, Jeff. You are >> 625 miles away. It would have maybe 12 hours to get your >> people on site and all that time, those animals would have >> been on the beach suffering and dying. And where would you >> have put 15 or 20 sick dolphins which possibly had deadly >> infectuous disease, and how would you transport them back to >> Gulfport. How many more would have died on the way? >> >> Those infants were deemed amongst the least likely to >> survive by one of the top marine mammal vets in the world, >> who was right there to examine them, whilst you were 625 >> miles away. Of the 7 deemed strongest and best likely to >> live, 4 of them died, too. >> >> Are you truly so arrogant as to believe your judgement in >> this matter is superior to Dr. Bossart's ? >> >> *Here* is where credentials come into play, because you >> present yourself as an "expert" and you seem to think you >> are more expert than the good doctor, despite his having >> vastly superior experience and credentials than yourself. >> >> Well, I don't buy it and I doubt anyone else reading this >> will either. >> >> So this is an example of your skills an "investigative >> reporter", bent upon exposing the crimes of the NMFS and >> some stranding agencies? >> >> Well, possibly the Weekly World News would take you or >> maybe even the National Enquirer, but nobody in their right >> mind who sees *this* article is going to take anything you say >> at face value after this, Jeff. >> >> Regards, >> >> Michael A. Hobson >> email: mike (at) crusader (dash) services (dot) com >> icq: #2186709 >> yahoo: warrior_mike2001 >> >> ===========================================================>> Note: all the copyrighted material below is reproduced for >> the purpose of public education, criticism and/or commentary >> and does not constitute infringement under the Fair Use >> provision of the U.S. Copyright Act (17 USC 107) >> ===========================================================>> Attachment A - (from Associated Press via USA Today) >> Posted 8/8/2004 1:15 AM >> >>
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>> euthanized_x.htm >> ------------------------------------------------------------ >> Dolphins stranded on Florida Atlantic coast euthanized >> >> HUTCHINSON ISLAND, Fla. (AP) - Thirty dolphins stranded on a >> southeastern Florida beach were euthanized early Saturday >> after experts and volunteers spent hours trying to get them >> to swim back to the ocean. >> >> The roughtooth dolphins were part of a group of 36 dolphins >> that beached themselves Friday on Hutchinson Island. >> >> With limited space at the area's lone care facility, experts >> decided they could try to nurse only six dolphins back to >> health. >> >> The remaining 30, including four calves, were given a lethal >> injection that slows breathing and eventually stops the >> heart, said Steve McCulloch, executive director of the >> Division of Marine Mammal Research and Conservation at >> Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution in Fort Pierce. >> >> "It was a very painful, very emotional and very difficult >> decision to make," McCulloch said. "You feel helpless in >> this situation, but you can't let them suffer and there's >> not enough facilities to care for them." >> >> The surviving six dolphins, two males and four females, were >> taken to Harbor Branch's critical care pool and were being >> monitored around the clock. >> >> Experts were planning to transport the six to Mote Marine >> Laboratory in Sarasota on Sunday. >> >> Ten of the dead dolphins were taken to a necropsy lab at Sea >> World. The other 20 were taken to a pathobiology lab at the >> Florida Marine Research Institute in St. Petersburg, where >> experts hope to determine why the dolphins stranded >> themselves. >> >> Veterinarians chose the surviving dolphins based mostly on >> condition, behavior and age; calves don't make good >> candidates because they lack the social or survival skills >> to eventually be released back into the wild, McCulloch >> said. >> >> The six dolphins were moderately emaciated and dehydrated >> and were still in the "critical care stage," McCulloch said. >> >> "But they're responding well to our treatment," he added. >> >> Another dolphin was sighted trying to beach itself near the >> Fort Pierce inlet. If the dolphin does become stranded, it >> will be added to the critical care pool. >> >> "It's very unlikely that he could survive on his own for any >> length of time," McCulloch said. >> >> Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. >> >> ===========================================================>> Attachment B - Your updated article on Dolfin.TV >> ------------------------------------------------------------ >> Would you kill this dolphin just because it was >> a stranded baby? By: DolfinTV_Editor >> >> Posted: Wed, July 20,2005 >> >> U.S. Government policy allows euthanasia of baby whales and >> dolphins. Many marine mammal rehabilitators would rather >> kill a healthy baby whale or dolphin, if that animal is >> deemed un-releasable by the National Marine Fisheries >> Service (NMFS), than send it to a rehabilitation facility, >> oceanarium, or aquarium. Many facilities are searching for >> just such animals so they do not have to resort to wild >> capture. The NMFS representatives seem to agree with the >> policy of killing healthy whales and dolphins rather than >> seeing them go to an aquarium. These are healthy animals, >> that due to age at stranding or other circumstances, NMFS >> agents prefer euthanasia than actually sending these animals >> into rehabilitation, no matter prognosis. >> >> Hutchinson Island, Fla. 8 August 2004 - Thirty dolphins >> stranded on a Florida beach were euthanized Saturday after >> experts and volunteers spent hours trying to get them to >> swim back to the ocean. The roughtooth dolphins were among a >> group of 36 dolphins that beached themselves Friday on >> Hutchinson Island, north of Palm Beach. With limited space >> at the area's lone dolphin-care facility, experts decided >> they cuold nurse only six of the animals back to health. The >> remaining 30 dolphins, including four calves, were given >> lethal injections. "It was a very painful, very emotional >> and very difficult decision to make," said Steve McCulloch, >> executive dirctor of marine mammal research and conservation >> at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution in Fort Pierce. >> >> [ written by Jeffrey Siegel, Stranding Coordinator, >> Institute for Marine Mammal Science >> Gulfport, Mississipi, USA >> Phone: (228) 575-8444 >> Fax: (228) 575-8899 ] >> >> ===========================================================>> Attachment C - Your (Jeff Siegel's) post dated 16/Jul/2005 >> to A.A.D. newsgroup. >> ------------------------------------------------------------ >> From: "Happy Feelmore" >> Newsgroups: alt.animals.dolphins >> Subject: Re: Back to controversey >> Date: Sat, 16 Jul 2005 04:53:27 -0500 >> Message-ID: >> >> Whereas I do not know the specifics in this case, it is >> known that in this species, when the leader is sick, >> confused, and exhausted he/she seeks shallow water. The >> other animals simply follow the leader, sick or not. I don't >> know the exact disposition of the other six, however, I >> think a couple are still in facilities, a couple were >> rehabbed and released, and a couple died (best guess). >> The article was in the news paper of the city cited, >> perhaps they know more. >> >>> Mr Siegel, >>> Is there any news on what caused those 36 rough >>>toothed dolphins to beach themselves? >>> >>> I'd also be interested in how those 6 rescued dolphins are >>> going. >>> >>> The Dolphin Mermaid >>> >> >> ===========================================================