Its a brand new day

From the CBC news website this morning:
SPCA cites animal cruelty at circus, but show will go on
Last Updated: Monday, June 8, 2009 4:46 PM AT Comments12Recommend9
CBC News
The Nova Scotia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals wants the provincial Department of Natural Resources to shut down a circus touring Nova Scotia.
SPCA inspectors said they discovered 11 animal cruelty violations on the weekend at the Cirque Estival show in New Glasgow.
SPCA president Sean Kelly said Monday the infractions include improper shelter for several camels and big cats. Also, he said, an electric fence was not turned on between an elephant and the audience.
"The SPCA is currently drafting a letter to point out these regulation violations and to further our issues with this circus and to recommend the suspension of the permit, as well as to ensure the Department of Natural Resources does not issue any further permits," Kelly said.
Julie Towers, the director of wildlife for the Department of Natural Resources, said her staff agrees with about half of the violations the SPCA is claiming.
Circus management corrected many of them soon after they were pointed out, Towers said, and none warrant pulling the permit for the circus. The department will continue to monitor the show.
There are six more stops scheduled in Nova Scotia.
Yet on the Chronicle Herald website this morning
SPCA finds 12 circus violations Natural Resources admits not finding as many problems By HEATHER AMOS Tue. Jun 9 - 4:45 AM
Cirque Estival puts people and animals in harm’s way, says the provincial SPCA.
The circus, which made news last week for its treatment of a 45 year-old elephant, was investigated by the SPCA, which found it had violated 12 of Nova Scotia’s circus standards.
The provincial Natural Resources Department, who issued the circus its permit, performed its own investigation and did not find the same number of violations.
"We’ve been discussing and trying to convince the Department of Natural Resources to reconsider their position of allowing this circus," said Sean Kelly, the SPCA’s president.
Circus Estival is touring the province this week.
On the weekend, it stopped in New Glasgow and Cape Breton, and it will be in Whycocomagh tonight.
Mr. Kelly said he thinks it’s likely the circus will finish its Nova Scotia tour, but he hopes it will not be issued a permit to return in the future.
"There’s nothing to suggest that this permit should be revoked," said Julie Towers, the department’s wildlife director.
Ms. Towers issued Cirque Estival its permit and said a routine investigation is part of the department’s responsibilities when it issues such permits. Department officials will do a followup investigation while the circus is in Nova Scotia.
On Saturday, the SPCA investigators found eleven violations.
Last week, they identified another violation: keeping only one elephant, a social animal.
Ms. Towers said department investigators did not see everything the SPCA did. But the department presented its own concerns to circus officials.
"The circus was asked to address some of those points, such as providing shade for the animals, . . . and that was done," Ms. Towers said. "In some cases, it’s a bit of interpretation of the standards."
Mr. Kelly said circus workers fixed some things right away but didn’t address others.
"In some cases, it was lack of knowledge, and in other cases, they thought the regulation was not needed, so they chose not to do it. In those cases, that concerns me greatly."
An SPCA news release said the most serious violation was that the elephant, Limba, was enclosed by an electric fence that wasn’t turned on. Later, the fence was moved so that Limba could interact directly with the public.
"Public safety is fairly important and the fact that the zoo allowed Limba to interact with the public and didn’t have that (electric) fence turned on is a public safety concern that the (Natural Resources Department) should be taking very seriously," said Mr. Kelly.
Angela Miller, president of Taking Action to Protect Animals, went to the circus Saturday to speak out for animal rights. She noticed that one man left because he was concerned about his family’s safety.
"When he realized what that barrier was, or lack there of, he was gone. He took his kids and went home. He seemed liked he was thoroughly concerned."
Mr. Kelly was also concerned that the jaguar was in an enclosure where it did not have any privacy from the public and could not sit on a perch.
"That was fairly distressing for me and I imagine it was fairly distressing for the cat as well."
Mr. Kelly said other violations were not as serious. Limba did not have any toys to play with and the camel was not given any shade.
Elephants get bored if they don’t have toys for long periods of time and they may try to find other things to amuse themselves, he said.
Mr. Kelly said SPCA officials debated about whether the shade for the camel was a violation or not.
On Saturday, it was not an issue because of the temperature and cloud cover. When it’s sunny, it is important for there to be shade so that the camel doesn’t burn its hoofs on hot asphalt.
Mr. Kelly said Nova Scotia has some of the strictest circus regulations in the country. The Natural Resources Department developed them after public outcry about animal rights.
"The department . . . was very proactive."
( hamos@herald.ca)
Its a shame to see the Department of Natural Resources taking a defensive posture by trying to belittle the society's concerns about this issue. That's the same kind of thing that men used to do in the sixties ..... undermine the women's movement by suggesting that feminists were overreacting to issues.
What time is it? Its time for the DNR to adjust to the new reality of a society that is finally fulfilling its legislated mandate ... and recognize that, as with anything else in life, the bus can just get so much further if nobody is trying to let the air out of the tires.
PS DON'T FORGET TO GET OUT AND VOTE TODAY