| 1) Live Bird Market Plan Defeated by Community Residents
Residents in Suffolk County Long Island (New York) fought successfully to stop a poultry slaughterhouse from being established in their community. Following a vigorous public hearing on May 17, the Town of Islip Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously DENIED the slaughterhouse permit in June. In May, United Poultry Concerns was contacted by a Suffolk County resident who’d found our Live Markets and Auctions section on our website. We put the resident in touch with Emmy award winning producer Peter Thorne of Channel 11 News at Ten in New York City. Thorne attended the May 17 Public Hearing on the poultry slaughterhouse application and later put scenes from the hearing in his Fact Finders broadcast on June 5. This in-depth investigative report, which looks at the role of live bird markets in promoting the avian flu virus, features an interview with UPC President Karen Davis and footage from UPC’s DVD Inside a Live Poultry Market. More Information: http://www.upc-online.org/livemarkets/
2) Felix the Baby “Broiler” Rooster Rescued from Maryland Highway
On June 9 while driving North on Route 13 on the Delmarva Peninsula in Maryland, UPC president Karen Davis saw a baby chicken on his back in the middle of the highway. As trucks and cars whizzed by, Karen screeched on the brakes, ran into the road, and turned the chicken gently over. He was badly bruised and wounded, but alive! With stitches, antibiotics and TLC, FELIX is doing great. UPC staffer Mary Finelli and her partner Howard Edelstein contributed enormously to Felix’s miraculous recovery. On July 10, Felix crowed his first crow at UPC’s sanctuary, where he’s happy to be alive, safe, loved and enjoying his summer days with other happy rescued chickens, four ducks, and three peafowl.
3) UPC Adopts 25 “Katrina” Hens from Farm Sanctuary
On June 17, UPC member John Huber of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania drove 25 “broiler” hens from Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, New York to UPC’s sanctuary in Machipongo, Virginia. The hens were rescued in August 2005 along with hundreds of other chickens of whom many were found buried alive – and saved by activists – during the hurricane. Today these large friendly white hens roam peacefully at UPC’s sanctuary, enjoying cool breezes under the trees and the companionship of their friends. |
United Poultry Concerns, Inc.