Neighborhood Roundup

(Southwick’s Zoo urged to publicly release Dondi the elephant’s veterinary records)

editor’s note: For years Southwick’s has been nothing but an exotic animal death camp PRETENDING to care for animals. 15 or 20 years ago, they made the news (they have made the news several times) for their shitty wild animal housing. I went down there and saw: a chimp in a fake circus train car sitting on a bale of hay! That was it! That was its home! Their lion? In a fenced in bit of concrete sitting in the middle of the dump - all ribs, all hip joints. No shade - no “habitat.”

A crime! A crime they had to pay for: they were ordered to build more suitable habitats for the poor animals that “live” tragic lives at the Southwick “zoo.” Do not kid yourself! There are no real vets/experts there. There is no one who is a true biologist/scientest caring for the animals. This place is strictly a money maker - no better than Barnum and Bailey’s.

Let’s work to free Dondi’s “vet” records. I bet they did little for that poor creature!

Boycott Southwick’s in Mendon, Massachusetts!

- Rosalie Tirella

now the article:

San Rafael, Calif. – In Defense of Animals (IDA) today filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), urging an investigation into the death of Dondi, an Asian elephant held at the Southwick’s Zoo in Mendon, Massachusetts. Dondi died on Wednesday, after suffering an unidentified illness.

“Dondi’s unexpected death raises a red flag because at age 36 she should have been in the prime of life,” said Catherine Doyle, IDA Elephant Campaign director. “We are asking the USDA to investigate the circumstances surrounding Dondi’s death as a matter of public interest and public safety.”

In a separate letter sent to Southwick’s Zoo president Justine Brewer, IDA urged the zoo to publicly release Dondi’s veterinary records and necropsy reports, saying, “The public has a right to know the cause of Dondi’s death.”

Dondi was in direct contact with the public at the Southwick’s Zoo, where she gave rides during the summer months; she performed circus tricks and gave rides during the winter at various locations in Florida. Elephants can harbor diseases transmissible to humans, including tuberculosis, which can be difficult to detect. Release of the records would hopefully allay any public health concerns. Click to continue »

The Worcester Public Library’s board members speak out!

Our Library performs an essential city service welcoming thousands of visitors and promoting lifelong learning. It is a microcosm of our community, the very young and the elderly; readers and researchers; internet users and genealogy searchers; new Americans; citizens attending public meetings; and filmgoers. Given the economy, the library is the place to come, lending books, helping people find information they need, hosting community meetings, supporting literacy, assisting the blind and disabled, in essence, having a major impact on the community’s social, cultural, and economic fabric. The library is a significant marketing tool that shows the city’s strength, while also playing an essential role in our democracy.
I assume that you are going to include the facts about the library used for the legislative breakfast. Click to continue »

Doctors and medical staff at Plumley Village Health Services in Worcester are sending their youngest patients home with free books and important advice for their parents - “Read to your children every day.” Today, State Representative Vincent Pedone (D-Worcester) visited the practice and read to a group of young children, emphasizing the importance of reading aloud.

Plumley Village Health Services, which is part of the UMass Memorial Health Care System, participates in Reach Out and Read (ROR), a national children’s literacy program that focuses on young children at risk of entering school unprepared to learn. At every checkup, clinicians in ROR guide and encourage parents to read aloud to their young children every day, and give each child a carefully selected new, developmentally and culturally appropriate book. By the time that child enters school, he or she will have a home library of up to 10 books. Click to continue »