Billy Towers Over Los Angeles

Los Angeles woke up Tuesday morning to this forceful sight - IDA's "Free Billy" billboard, continuing our argument for this beleagured elephant's freedom. Want to help a poor elephant and a struggling city's economy at the same time? Click here to read Billy's story, then call Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa at 213-978-0600 to request Billy's release to a sanctuary. One simple decision can save the city $42 million.

Two Years Of Solitude For Lucky At San Antonio Zoo

November 2 marked the second anniversary of the death of Alport, a 49-year old elephant at the San Antonio Zoo in Texas. Alport’s passing left Lucky, a 42-year old Asian elephant, alone, an extremely cruel situation for this highly social species. For two years, San Antonio Zoo Director Steve McCusker has resisted calls to send Lucky to a sanctuary, sentencing her to solitary confinement in a tiny and decrepit exhibit.

San Antonio refuses to send Lucky to better conditions even though she has no place in the zoo’s long-term plans. The zoo intends to build a new exhibit to house African elephants, and will send Lucky (and an Asian elephant companion it is trying to acquire) to destinations unknown when the new exhibit opens.

IDA filed a complaint with the USDA charging that the San Antonio Zoo’s elephant plans and program violate the Animal Welfare Act. IDA is asking the USDA to compel the San Antonio Zoo to send Lucky to a sanctuary and to bar the zoo from acquiring any new Asian elephants. Today we are holding a news conference in San Antonio - click here to read more, including what you can do to help.

Pet Store Victory - Aquarium & Pet Center Agrees To Promote Adoptions

Our congratulations go out to LOTS of Los Angeles activists and organizations who worked together to convince another pet store to abandon support for puppy mills. Animals in the Los Angeles shelter system will now have an additional place to be seen and adopted in Santa Monica. The dogs who are currently in the store will be put up for adoption.

This was a group effort including Animal Advocates Alliance, the Companion Animal Protection Society, HSUS, Stray Cat Alliance, The Kris Kelly Foundation, Strangest Angels Rescue, In Defense of Animals, Southern California Golden Retriever Rescue, Much Love Animal Rescue, Social Compassion in Legislation, and Animal Acres.

Time To Plan For Fur Free Friday

Fur Free Friday is the most widely-attended annual demonstration in the history of the animal protection movement. Fur Free Friday always occurs simultaneously outside fur-selling retailers in high-visibility locations worldwide, on the day after Thanksgiving, one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Don't miss this opportunity to join with thousands of other activists in this international day of action. Read more and get involved.

Speak Up Now For Moratorium On Cruel BLM Roundups

300 wild horses in Wyoming - nearly 1,000 horses on five ranges in Oregon - 2,806 horses on the Calico Mountain horse range in Nevada - unless we act quickly, in the next two months these wild horses will become the latest victims of cruel Bureau of Land Management (BLM) wild horse roundups. For Fiscal Year 2010, the BLM intends to remove an astounding 12,000 horses from their natural habitats in the west and put them into government holding facilities, where they will join 32,000 other wild horses currently being stockpiled by the BLM at taxpayer expense.

These roundups are fiscally irresponsible and will destroy some of the last of our wild herds in ten western states.

As momentum grows to protect the horses, your calls to Congress are needed more than ever to secure a moratorium on the cruel BLM roundups, which separate horse families, injure young foals and other horses, and inflict lifelong trauma. Please ask your friends to join in the call for a moratorium on roundups until independent analysis, further investigations and independent censuses can be done.

You can reach any Senator and U.S. Representative through the Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121. Please call your reps, insist they put a moratorium on BLM roundups, then click here to send an e-mail.