January 4, 2017
DEAR FRIENDS,
This past summer, Canadian animal protection organizations asked SHARK to document a controversial rodeo in Montreal in August, and the St. Tite Rodeo in Quebec in September. This was a massive undertaking wherein SHARK investigators teamed up with a Canadian veterinarian to film 20 rodeo performances in 12 days, with as many as three rodeo performances in a day. One rodeo started at midnight, and didn't end until 2 o'clock in the morning!
We cannot go into details of this effort just yet, but some of what was filmed is deeply disturbing. For now we will share part of a letter sent to us by Canadian law professor Alain Roy, who is leading the effort to hold rodeos accountable under Quebec's new humane laws:
"Words cannot express my profound gratitude to you for what you have done.
I did not have even a clue of what a super-human task this would turn out to be. But even if I had known the extent of the task, it would have been completely impossible to meet it without the unique skill, experience, dedication and (though well-concealed) the passion that you and your SHARK team undeniably – and uniquely -- have. No others on the planet, literally none, could have done this.”
As our supporters know, SHARK has worked to expose rodeos and its corporate sponsors for more than two decades. No individual or organization has done more to hold rodeos accountable than SHARK, so we want to do everything we can to help the Canadians, and to see what kind of ripple effect may be felt at rodeos in the US and beyond.
SHARK has a rich history of collaborating with other groups in our fight for animals. 2017 provided two opportunities for us to help Canadians fight for animals. This shows why SHARK is an animal protection organization unlike any other. We have the equipment and skills to do what has to be done, and we are ready to be there to help others. Thank you for the support you've given to make our efforts possible!
This past May, SHARK was on Lake Erie with our boat, the Bob & Nancy, to document the slaughter of cormorants by the Canadian government.
The first day we were on the lake, we rescued a cormorant that had been shot in the face and had his lower beak destroyed (above). If we had not been there, he would have slowly starved and died a horrendously cruel death. The second day we were out we encountered the government killers - and they refused to shoot while we were present. The next and last day the killers had three police boats come out with them so they could feel safe while killing the innocent cormorants sitting on their nests.
Our partners in Zoocheck, Cormorant Defenders International and Animal Alliance of Canada, told us that because we were there, there were “far fewer” birds killed than in previous years. We take that as a great compliment, for everything we do is about saving lives.
• SHARK went to Cumberland, VA, to document Covance Research Products, which has an enormous compound where beagles are bred, warehoused and sold for experimentation. The video, in which you can see dogs in their cages, endlessly crying out, has been seen more than 75,000 times and has brought attention back to the issue of dogs being bred and killed for experimentation.
• In May, SHARK returned to the US Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC), in Clay County, Nebraska, where we brought attention to an incredibly cruel program that leaves newborn lambs to die from exposure, hunger and predators.
• In June, SHARK went undercover to film a brutal shark killing contest held in New Jersey. Sharks are amazing animals that play a vital role in our oceans, yet they are tragically slaughtered often just for fun around the world. Our video captured the plight of sharks, how their bodies were butchered and their jaws cut out for trophies and their heads discarded.
• It is a tragedy when those who claim to be pro-animal instead are either scamming donors to get their money or they sell out animals by helping to pass legislation that hurts more animals. We created CharityCops.com to expose those who betray the animals we fight for.
• SHARK has filmed rodeos across our country, including the notorious Cheyenne Frontier Rodeo Days in Wyoming. Thanks to the efforts of a rodeo attendee with a conscience, we were able to expose a mortally injured horse. We also showed how corporations, such as Coca-Cola, enable such cruelty by continuing to sponsor rodeos.
January 2, 2017
DEAR FRIENDS,
• You can watch the video of this cruelty HERE, along with videos taken using the same drone at Wing Pointe in November HERE and HERE.
SHARK received a tip regarding a pigeon shoot that was going to be held in April at Schrader’s Bridgeton Manor, located in Maryland. The SHARK Team made the 1,600 mile round trip from Illinois. We were there waiting to document the shoot, but it didn't happen. Word got out about the shoot and Schrader's owner apparently believed (correctly) that we would show up. This was a major victory for the animals!
December 29, 2017
DEAR FRIENDS,