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THE "TOP 10" VICTORIES FOR ANIMALS IN 1999

Each January, The Ark Trust surveys animal-protection organizations
worldwide to find the most significant accomplishments for animals achieved
during the year. This year, for the first time, we extended that "call for
victories" to the internet, soliciting input from the tens of thousands for
whom the world wide web provides a new battleground for animal liberation.
It confirmed our belief that, though we still have a long way to go, we are
making significant progress, year after year, on almost every front.

Each of these Victories for the Animals would have been unimaginable five
years ago.

#1 MARY KAY PLEDGES TO END ANIMAL TESTING

1) Mary Kay, one of the world's largest cosmetics companies, signed an
agreement pledging not to use animals to test its products or to buy
ingredients from companies that do. In signing the pledge, Mary Kay stated
that the company was convinced that animal testing is no longer necessary to
ensure that its products are safe. Mary Kay sales totaled about $1 billion
wholesale in 1999.

Next step: Are we still fighting this battle? The world has known for
years
that animal testing is not required for cosmetic product testing, and
several
entire nations have banned it altogether! The U.S. may lead the world in
other areas, but our refusal to catch up with the planet on this issue is
appalling! Let's work to ban all cosmetic testing on animals in 2000!

#2 U.S. PRESIDENT CLINTON BANS INTERSTATE SALE OF
"CRUSH" VIDEOS

2) As a result of national outrage, President Clinton quickly signed into
law legislation banning the interstate sale of so-called "crush videos,"
that
typically depict women--often in spike heels--crushing small animals to
death. Triggered by a Ventura County, California case, the legislation
establishes a penalty of up to five years in prison for anyone profiting
from
the interstate sale of depictions of animal cruelty. The real victory in
this case is the elevation of animal cruelty issues to the level of
presidential consideration.

Next step: We think the language of this new law makes it applicable to the
sale of hunting and rodeo videos. Any thoughts on that, Mr. President?

#3 OREGON AND PENNSYLVANIA BEGIN TO BAN CANNED HUNTS

3) Significant progress was made in the battle to stop "canned hunts" in
the
U.S., as Oregon passed the strongest anti-canned hunt law in the country,
and
the notorious Hegins Pigeon Shoot was cancelled! Oregon's new law bans the
shooting of any exotic mammal in any enclosed area, regardless of size. And
the Hegins Pigeon Shoot was cancelled after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court
reinforced the power of the Pennsylvania SPCA, with the Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court calling the pigeon shoot "cruel and moronic."

Next step: Would you believe that hundreds of other "pigeon shoots" and
"canned hunts" still exist throughout the country? While the state-by-state
approach provides some major gains, we'd like to see our federal Congress
stand up and pass the Captive Exotic Animal Protection Act, banning canned
hunts nationwide. It's sitting on their desks- has been for five years now.

#4 NEW ZEALAND LEADS WAY TOWARD PROTECTION FOR GREAT APES

4) New Zealand's Parliament created a world first by legislating specific
protection for non-human hominids, also known as great apes. New Zealand
prohibited the use of all great apes in research, testing, or teaching
"unless such use is in the best interests of the non-human hominid" or
his/her species. The five great ape species are chimpanzees, bonobos,
gorillas, orangutans, and humans, all members of the same genetic family.

Non-human great apes share not only our genes but also basic human mental
traits, such as self-awareness, intelligence and other forms of mental
insight, complex communications and social systems, and even the ability to
master some human language skills.

Next step: The numbers of nonhuman great apes have plummeted this century,
as free-living populations have increasingly fallen victim to the commercial
bushmeat trade and deforestation. More than 3,000 individuals are held in
captivity around the world. Now that our "scientists" have validated the
kinship many of us thought self-evident, let's treat them as kin and start
by
banning worldwide their use as involuntary research subjects.

#5 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION CANCELS FOIE GRAS PROMOTION

5) The venerable Smithsonian Institution, after thoughtlessly scheduling an
event promoting foie gras, cancelled the sold-out evening following a
massive
nationwide letter-writing campaign. Sir John Gielgud and Beatrice Arthur
were among those who wrote to the Smithsonian saying the duck and goose
liver
dish should be condemned for cruelty to animals, not celebrated. Foie Gras
is made by force-feeding ducks and geese to swell their livers.

Next step: How about a Smithsonian evening dedicated to the wonders of
vegetarian cooking?

#6 NIH SPARES LIVES OF ONE MILLION MICE IN MOVE TO NON-ANIMAL TESTS

6) The National Institutes of Health was forced into an historical policy
change, sparing the lives of up to one million mice used each year in the
production of monoclonal antibodies. This campaign brings the use of
non-animal alternatives to the forefront, affecting not only government
laboratories but commercial business and university research as well. Many
companies who produce "MAbs," which are essential to virtually all areas of
biomedical research, have already made the switch to in vitro methods.

Next step: Is it too much to ask that the NIH require all research projects
to exhaust non-animal alternatives before even considering the use of
animals?

#7 ISRAEL BANS ALL ANIMAL EXPERIMENTS IN SCHOOLS

7) Israel banned all animal experiments, including dissection, in all
Israeli schools. The Minister of Education, Mr. Yossi Sarid, stated that
"Today one does not need to search the heart and entrails of living
creatures. It is more important to teach the students of Israel compassion
towards animals. Such humane compassion will also lead to more compassion
towards humans."

Next step: We applaud Israel's recognition that teaching kids to "slice and
dice" critters in the classroom is directly connected to the level of
compassion that child exhibits when interacting with other people. We urge
the application of this ethic worldwide, especially in the United States
where some educators continue to resist and oppose their student's efforts
to
obtain a cruelty-free education.

#8 SEARS DROPS SPONSORSHIP OF RINGLING BROS. CIRCUS

8) Sears pulled its sponsorship of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey
Circus. Following a disastrous year of animal-related incidents for
Ringling
Bros., including the heartbreaking death of the young elephant Kenny, and a
nationwide e-mail, phone, and letter campaign, this huge sponsor of
"entertaining" cruelty finally pulled up its tent and high-tailed it out of
town, just like the animal-abusers they've been sponsoring for so many
years.

Next step: In the last year, Ringling Bros. Saw two animal trainers suffer
serious injuries, denied a dying three-year-old elephant veterinary care,
shot a caged Bengal tiger, and allowed a sea lion to die by "unspecified
causes." We should be far past the point of debating which corporation will
sponsor them; rather, we should be witnessing prosecutors jockeying to be
the
first to prosecute them for felony animal cruelty and shut them down!

#9 SACRAMENTO STRIKES AT COCKFIGHTING AND DOGFIGHTING

9) Our nation's cultural justification of "blood sports" was dealt a
serious
blow by the multicultural city of Sacramento last year. A Sacramento jury
convicted two cockfighters of felony animal cruelty, the first time the
California cruelty to animals statute was used to prosecute cockfighting;
and
a convicted dogfighter was sentenced to seven years in prison, the longest
animal cruelty sentence ever in the nation.

Next step: Let's abandon this fiction of "cultural relativity" when it
comes
to animal cruelty, ok? If cockfighting is cruel, and we think it is, then
it
is cruel whether done in Sacramento, Tijuana, or Oklahoma. C'mon, Okies, get
with the rest of the civilized world on this one!

#10 EUROPE's TREATY OF AMSTERDAM CODIFIES ANIMAL PROTECTION

10) And finally, the nation of France ratified the Treaty of Amsterdam,
becoming the final member of the European Union to sign the agreement, which
came into effect in May, and which recognizes animals as sentient beings
capable of feeling fear and pain. When formulating and implementing
community policies on agriculture, transport, research and internal trade,
the EU must now "pay full regard to the welfare requirements of animals."

Next step: We're counting on our friends across Europe to monitor the
implementation of the Treaty of Amsterdam, to ensure it lives up to its
potential.

So there you have The Ark Trust's "Top 10" Victories for Animals in
1999! But there were lots more, so read on for continued inspiration!

"OTHER VICTORIES FOR ANIMALS IN 1999"

Here are a few more inspirational success stories for animals:

* The nation's largest maker of leghold traps, Woodstream Corp., stopped
making them due to plummeting profits.
* New York Governor George Pataki signed "Buster's Law," a bill elevating
to
a felony intentional and extreme cruelty toward companion animals, including
for the first time stray dogs and cats.
* Nationwide protests dramatically altered the EPA's HPV program, promoted
by Al Gore, which called for new animal tests on 2,800 widely produced
industrial chemicals. The agreement greatly reduces the number of animals
used, from 1.3 million to 500,000, a reduction of 800,000.
* The brutality of elephant training techniques was brought to worldwide
attention through the plight of the 30 Tuli elephants, a group of baby
African elephants stolen from their mothers for the zoo and circus trade.
As
a result of a global custody fight in the courts, fourteen of the elephants
were released back to the wild, though a few were sent to zoos and others
await an uncertain fate.
* The nation of Slovakia banned all tests of cosmetics, tobacco, and
washing
products on animals, after a 3-year campaign by the national Animal
Protection Society of Slovakia.
* Pepsi withdrew its sponsorship of bullfighting. Though it did not
declare
a moratorium or comment upon the appropriateness of bullfighting, the
company
claims it has ordered all Pepsi signs removed from hundreds of bullrings.
* In Redmond, Washington, the City Council unanimously banned exotic
animal acts.
* In the most successful united action by animal activists,
environmentalists, and labor unions ever, street protests temporarily
stopped
the World Trade Organization (WTO) from meeting and brought to worldwide
attention the anti-animal trade policies forced upon countries by the WTO.
* After 45 years of living in solitary confinement, Bunny the elephant was
transferred from a zoo in Evansville, Indiana to the Elephant Sanctuary in
Tennessee. And another captive elephant rescue: Following the nationally
televised beating of Sissy, an elephant at the El Paso Zoo, the El Paso City
Council voted unanimously to allow her to go the Elephant Sanctuary.
* Southwest Airlines removed "Outdoor Life" magazine from its airplanes
after complaints from passengers about hunting articles.
* A mass mobilization of activists resulted in the rescue of more than a
thousand animals from flooding following Hurricane Floyd in North Carolina.
* New Jersey activists convinced the Township of Montgomery to pass an
ordinance prohibiting electric prods at their annual rodeo, and persuaded
Johnson and Johnson, the top supporter of the rodeo, to drop its
sponsorship.
* Colorado groups passed an initiative banning the caging of animals for
exhibition, defeating the proposed construction of a new roadside zoo that
would have imprisoned numerous species of native Colorado animals in Estes
Park, near Denver.
* Outspoken vegetarian advocate Albert Einstein was named Time Magazine's
"Man of the Century."

So fight on, dear friends, as we are winning so many important battles for
the animals!