Veterinary Care and Animal Advocacy
Dr. Hynes Recommends The Following DVDs
Throughout the year, tourists from around the world travel to Central Park to ride in one of New York’s legendary horse-drawn carriages. Yet the future of this industry is the subject of a highly charged debate being aired on the streets, in the press and at City Hall. Carriage operators say that horse-drawn carriages should stay because they are a cherished symbol of New York City that bring in tourist dollars. Advocates for animals say the industry should be banned because it’s inhumane and unsafe. They believe Hollywood has romanticized horse-drawn carriages and claim that life on congested city streets is anything but romantic for these nervous animals that are easily spooked.
As a result of three dramatic and fatal accidents since 2006 that received international media attention, the plight of the NYC carriage horses is now in the public eye more than ever before. But the public doesn’t know much more than what they see on the streets and in the news.
Through original footage taken with hidden cameras and interviews with carriage drivers, veterinarians, accident witnesses, animal rights activists, politicians, tourists, residents who live near the horses and people who have rescued NYC carriage horses from slaughter, BLINDERS takes viewers behind the scenes to expose the truth behind the tradition.
Thousands of our closest living relatives have lived among us for well over a century, mostly in solitary confinement. We dressed and trained them to be like humans, sent them into space and infected them with diseases. And then, an entire population of these captive chimpanzees was left behind by science, their care neglected, their stories forgotten, their records lost. But today, a few dedicated individuals are working hard to give these long-suffering creatures the freedom and sanctuary they so richly deserve.
Behind the scenes, elephant trainer Tim Frisco instructs would-be trainers how to dominate elephants and make them perform circus tricks. “Sink that hook into ’em. When you hear that screaming, then you know you got their attention.” An elephant trumpets in agony as Frisco’s bull hook, with its sharp metal hook and spiked end, tears through her sensitive skin. Frisco, a Carson & Barnes elephant trainer, learned the trade from his father, a former trainer for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. You can help stop the suffering of elephants, tigers, and other animals abused in the name of "entertainment" by viewing and sharing this DVD with others.
Each year, 42,000 dogs are sold to veterinary schools and research labs by Class B dealers, who are required by federal law to buy the animals from pounds, shelters and small breeders and to treat them humanely. However, many Class B dealers violate the law. Dealing Dogs exposes the abuses that took place at one of America's most notorious Class B dealers - Martin Creek Kennel in Arkansas.
There's a struggle being waged in the U.S. today – over how we treat the animals that end up on our dinner plates. More than ten billion animals are raised for consumption in the U.S. every year, most on industrialized "factory farms." Virtually no federal laws mandate the humane treatment of farm animals. Because most state laws are weak and/or rarely enforced, animal-rights groups have turned to undercover investigators to help expose abuse on factory farms. This is the story of one such investigator's disturbing descent into a factory farm. Following the success of the 2006 documentary Dealing Dogs, directors Tom Simon and Sarah Teale return to HBO to tell the story of an animal-rights investigator, "Pete," who goes undercover on a factory hog farm to explore a whistle blower's allegations.
EARTHLINGS is an award-winning documentary film about the suffering of animals for food, fashion, pets, entertainment and medical research. Considered the most persuasive documentary ever made, EARTHLINGS is nicknamed “the Vegan maker” for its sensitive footage shot at animal shelters, pet stores, puppy mills, factory farms, slaughterhouses, the leather and fur trades, sporting events, circuses and research labs. The film is narrated by Academy Award® nominee Joaquin Phoenix and features music by platinum-selling recording artist Moby. Initially ignored by distributors, today EARTHLINGS is considered the definitive animal rights film by organizations around the world. “Of all the films I have ever made, this is the one that gets people talking the most,” said Phoenix. “For every one person who sees EARTHLINGS, they will tell three.”
She's tough. She's fearless. She's driven. She's a brilliant strategist. She's perhaps the most famous animal rights activist in the world. Get a glimpse inside the daily life of PETA President Ingrid Newkirk—from the moment she wakes up, well before dawn, until the end of a long day spent fighting for the rights of animals.
Meet the woman who founded PETA. See what makes her tick, see how far she is willing to go to help animals, hear what her detractors say—some who fear any threat to their bottom line and others who are envious of her success—and meet some of the animals who have benefited from her tireless work.
I Am An Animal will give you a taste of why PETA is the most successful animal rights organization in the world and offer an inside look at one woman's lifelong quest to make the world a better place for all animals.
The Cove tells the amazing true story of how an elite team of activists, film makers and free divers embarked on a covert mission to penetrate a hidden cove in Japan, shining light on a dark and deadly secret. The shocking discoveries they uncovered were only the tip of the iceberg. (This movie is still in theaters. Visit the link below for show times and locations in your area.)
They have a history of captivity that stretches over 200 years. They participate with humans in a surprising array of professions, including tourism, construction, and performance. Their gigantic footsteps could disappear from the face of the earth. The enigmatic subjects of NATURE: THE URBAN ELEPHANT, Asian elephants are losing territory to the inevitable process of deforestation.
Industrialization all over Asia has hurt the mahouts, or elephant drivers, so that the trained elephants and their riders are being driven into major cities such as Bangkok to earn a meager living receiving donations and food from curious tourists. Elephants forced into a captive life suffer emotionally, physically, and as a species. In "Safe Haven" one woman explains why she created a sanctuary for retired performing elephants after giving up her own circus career.
Dr. Hynes Suggests:
Essential DVDs
Earthlings
EARTHLINGS is an award-winning documentary film about the suffering of animals for food, fashio (read more...)
Essential Books
Committed
Committed is a bold, offbeat, globe-trotting memoir that shows how the most ridiculed (read more...)
