In this week's edition:
- VFA's Next Meeting
- 'Always a Bridesmaid' No Longer! VFA Pigeon Rescue
- Pennsylvania's Shame: Contact Your State Senator!
- VFA Summer 2011 Park Cleanup
- Assist with VFA's “FowlFeeding is Foul!” Signage Project!
- Amazing Animals! Elephants Know the Value of Teamwork
- Calendar Events
Upcoming Meeting
Thanks to those who came to VFA's March 3rd meeting! To accommodate everyone interested in helping VFA, we will hold meetings on weekdays and weekends in tandem.
Our next meeting will be Saturday March 19th from 2 - 4 pm at Beehive on Southside.
(1327 East Carson Street, Pittsburgh PA).
You can RSVP to this event on Voices for Animals' facebook page at:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=139106916156820&ref=mf
We have a table reserved for us. If you're unfamiliar with Beehive or have concerns about locating VFA once inside (we can be sneaky!), just send us an email or comment - a volunteer will provide you with their number and be on hand to help!
'Always a Bridesmaid' No Longer - VFA Pigeon Rescue
Meet Lady Galadriel, a one year old white pigeon whom a VFA volunteer came across at the end of February. Cold and hunkered down near hosing equipment at a local car wash, it quickly became apparent that Lady was unfortunately quite imprinted by humans and unable to fend for herself in the wild. This white pigeon, often mistakenly referred to as a dove, was a banded pigeon who was likely being exploited in "pigeon racing" or released in a wedding where many tame birds become unnecessarily injured for petty human entertainment. Instead of returning to her likely former imprisonment, Lady was examined by a veterinarian who declared her thin but otherwise healthy and a private and safe, cage-free environment was located for this beautiful bird.
  
Unfortunately, many pigeons of the entertainment and show industries do not survive for a tale of rescue to be told. One of our most dedicated local wild bird rehabilitators is currently seeking placement for many imprinted rescue birds. To send a donation or inquire about providing a home for imprinted rescue birds, contact Wildbird Recovery –www.WildBirdRecovery.org.
PA Pigeon Shoot Bill Reintroduced-Contact Your State Senator!
“Pennsylvania's Shame;” a well-deserved title, Pennsylvania is the only state in the country where the barbaric practice of captive pigeon shooting remains legal. The pigeon shoot bill, SB 626, has been reintroduced in the Pennsylvania Senate. Calls and emails to your state senators are needed! You can help pigeons just like Lady Galadriel by calling your state senator and demanding they support SB 626 to ban live pigeon shoots in Pennsylvania once and for all!
You can find your state senator and their contact information at the link below:
http://www.house.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/findyourlegislator/#address
You can also click on this link and send a personally edited automatic email to your senator to support the bill. However calls receive the most credibility, so do call as well!
For more information on live pigeon shoots, including video footage and further action you can take, please visit www.PAShame.com
TBA Weather-Permitting VFA Park Cleanup, Summer 2011
Has Frick gotten foul? Is there slime at Schenley? Has Riverfront gone
Garbage Front? Email Voices for Animals and tell us where you know a park cleanup is in certain order for the upcoming summer months.
Come to VFA's next meeting (Saturday March 19th) to discuss the planning stages of a VFA Park Cleanup Crew for Summer 2011!
Join the event's Facebook and current discussion spot here:
www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=167973306585730
Fowlfeeding is Foul! VFA Signage Project
 Please consider donating towards or otherwise assisting with our future plans to create and install anti fowlfeeding signage throughout local consenting parks. As a service to our fowl friends and human communities, VFA would like to create Geese Peace-inspired signage to discourage feeding waterfowl as well as creatively explain the reasoning and potential hazards of doing so. You can take part in this worthwhile project by sponsoring a sign via donation to Voices for Animals! Contact
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
to help our local waterfow!
Amazing Animals: Elephants Know the Value of Teamwork
“Cooperation makes it happen,” and it looks like no one knows this better than elephants. Recently, elephants at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center in Lampang, Thailand were put to an intelligence test that measured their problem-solving ability and level of cooperative behavior. Researchers set up a task where a rope was tied around a sliding table with two bowls of food on it on the other side of a volleyball net. The elephants had to pull on the dangling rope ends together to move the table towards them and get the food. The trick was that if just one elephant alone pulled on the rope, the rope would unravel, so the food could only be obtained if two elephants pulled on the ropes together.
The elephants quickly figured out that the task couldn’t be achieved solo, and would wait up to 45 seconds for a second elephant to arrive. If another elephant didn’t show up, the one elephant wouldn’t even bother to do the task, knowing it can’t be done. Two elephants, Neua Un and JoJo, outsmarted the researchers and figured out ways to solve the task that the researchers didn’t even consider. The youngest elephant, Neua Un, pulled a pretty crafty move: she used her foot to hold the rope so that her partner had to all the work. JoJo, on the other hand, didn’t even go up to the volleyball net to do the task until his second partner elephant was released, figuring out he couldn’t do it without her.
You can read the full article on this study at this link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41954679/ns/technology_and_science-science/
Mark Your Calendars - Upcoming Events!
VFA Meeting – Saturday March 19th, 2011 – 2-4pm
Beehive - 1327 East Carson Street, Pittsburgh PA
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=139106916156820&ref=mf
Shrine Circus Protest - Saturday April 9th, 2011 – 5:30-7pm
Consol Energy Center – 1001 5th Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15219
Meeting Location TBA.
Please contact VFA if you would like to leaflet at any other showtimes.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=188315584537051&ref=mf
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