Wal-mart Takes Steps To Protect Animals And Food Supply

Wal-Mart has been reflecting on animal welfare and has developed “five freedoms” that are designed to assure customers that products sold by Wal-Mart embody the humane treatment of animals, according to Forbes Magazine.

This is a major step for a the company.

The five freedoms define standards of acceptable animal welfare that will have profound benefits for both animals and consumers, writes Forbes.

The five freedoms are:

Freedom from Hunger and Thirst.
Freedom from Discomfort.
Freedom from Pain, Injury or Disease.
Freedom to Express Normal Behavior.
Freedom from Fear and Distress.

Wal-Mart has put the livestock industry on notice that animals should have access to fresh water and a healthy diet.

They should also have proper shelters and resting areas; in other words, the deserve conditions which avoid mental suffering or cruel confinement. Animals should also have adequate veterinary care, including timely diagnosis and treatment of illnesses.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2015/05/22/walmart-animal-welfare-policy/27772285/

MRI Machine Explodes At New Jersey Animal Hospital, Several Workers Injured

Several construction workers were injured when an MRI machine they were disassembling in a New Jersey animal hospital exploded on Friday morning, authorities say.

None of the 60 or so animals in the Oradell Animal Hospital in Paramus, New Jersey, were hurt during the explosion, claims NBC New York.

Charlotte, a five-month old cat, was being spayed on an operating table when the explosion occurred, said her owner Cheryl Dearborn of Northvale, NJ.  To wrap Charlotte’s surgery up quickly, the veterinarians told Dearborn that they had to use staples instead of stitches.  The cat was fine, Dearborn said, according to NorthJersey.com

One of the workers was taken to the hospital in critical condition with lacerations and crushing-related injuries to his body; the two others had respiratory complaints and other, mostly minor injuries, police said.

After the explosion there was a small leak of helium, which is used as a cooling agent inside of the MRI machine.

MRI explosions are rare but can be deadly, said Wlad Sobol, Ph.D., a medical physicist and professor of radiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, according to NorthJersey.com.

Sobol, who has studied MRI explosions, said that there are two potential causes.

An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machine is a superconductive device, meaning it contains wire that can conduct electrical current without generating resistance, or heat, according to NorthJersey.com.

Superconductivity happens at extremely cold temperatures, made possible by bathing the wire in liquid helium.

If one of the magnets in the device is dropped or the helium runs out, superconductivity is lost, and the large amount of energy stored inside the magnet quickly encounters resistance and releases heat.  This can cause an explosion.

The other possible scenario is that the ventilation system for the liquid helium becomes clogged. “The pressure will build up and the magnet will explode,” Sobol said.

“The amount of energy stored in a magnet like that is not trivial,” Sobol said, adding that it is equivalent to several kilograms of TNT — “It’s like a bomb in its ability to destroy stuff.”

More here

Mutilated Animals Found Around Sacramento, CA

Police and animal control officials in Sacramento, California, are trying to figure out who is responsible for a recent spree of animal mutilation cases throughout the city, according to ABC affiliate news10.net.

There have been at least nine cases since the beginning of the year, and authorities are trying to determine if the instances are connected.

It started in south Sacramento in January, where a dead goat and a bag of headless chickens were found.  After that, several other instances followed.

Monday, more dead chickens were found in an area called South Land Park.  Tuesday, mutilated chickens and a rabbit were found in Midtown.  Early Wednesday morning, more headless chickens were discovered along the railroad tracks near 19th and W streets.  The latest discovery happened right across from the YMCA building and YMCA child development center.

Gina Knepp, head of Sacramento’s Front Street Animal Shelter, said authorities are investigating whether at least some of the killings may have to do with religious rites that sacrifice animals, according to The Huffington Post.

“I’m hoping it’s not a dangerous situation,” said Beverly Churchill, who works out regularly at the YMCA. “Because there are children who come here frequently.”

The Humane Society of the United States announced Thursday it is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of the person or people responsible for the mutilations, according to local NBC affiliate KCRA.

More here

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