NEW BEDFORD, Mass. - A New Bedford zoo is again denying claims it abuses its elephants. The Buttonwood Park Zoo is, for the fifth year, on an annual list put out by the animal-rights group In Defense of Animals, or IDA. The group says the zoo is the fourth-worst in North America in its treatment of elephants. It has two females, 56 and 51-years old. The IDA's Toni Frohoff, Ph.D., Elephant & Cetacean Scientist, explains.

"Both Ruth and Emily, the two elephants, suffer from chronic foot disease and arthritis, leading causes of death for elephants living in small, inadequate spaces in zoos," says Dr. Frohoff.

Zoo officials acknowledge one of the elephants suffered frostbite last year when they got out accidentally in wintertime. They say it would be inhumane to move them elsewhere at their advanced ages and they plan to care for Ruth and Emily until they expire and will not house any more elephants.

Buttonwood Park Zoo Director Keith Lovett defends the facility's care.

"These elephants have had a fairly tough life, but I stand by the care we provide at Buttonwood Park Zoo," says Lovett. "We have a very passionate staff, we have a very passionate community, and they would not stand for the type of treatment that is being accused."

Dr. Frohoff says the zoo shouldn't wait to phase out its elephant program.

"Buttonwood Park Zoo has the opportunity to be heroes or villains in this," she says. "They can be heroes if they finally do what's best and end this frigid fiasco of an elephant program that they have in New Bedford."

Dr. Frohoff says zoos keeping elephants, especially in colder North American climates, are guilty of "captivity in the guise of conservation."

"There is nobody who wants to see these elephants moved if they don't have to," she says. "But theses elephants in our top 10 list really deserve a much better life, should they be able to survive the horrible conditions in which they're in."


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In Arizona, telemedicine is now not only available for humans but also for people's beloved animals. Last month Governor Katie Hobbs signed Senate Bill 1053 into law. It lets Arizona pet owners access virtual care instead of having to head into the veterinary clinic.

Rep. T.J. Shope, R-Coolidge, sponsored the bill and said the state has a lack of veterinarians. According to a Mars Veterinary Health study, a shortage of nearly 15,000 veterinarians will likely still exist by 2030, and Shope hopes this bill can help mitigate some of the challenges Arizonans face when looking for animal care.

"Much of the state of Arizona consists of what is, I think, called a 'veterinary desert,' " he said.

The bill received bipartisan support. Just last year, Arizona lawmakers passed Senate Bill 1271 that created the Arizona Veterinary Loan Assistance Program. It allows veterinarians to receive up to one hundred thousand dollars in loan assistance for those who work in the state for at least four years.

Arizona is now one of a few states in the country taking action to better address the needs of rural pet owners by offering virtual consultations. Shope said he hopes the measure will let vets in the state assess animals remotely and also help owners determine the level of urgency on a case-by-case basis, and added in his jurisdiction of Coolidge, veterinarians are hard to come by.

"There is not a couple-day stretch that go by without -- we have a community chat on Facebook -- without somebody posting about, 'Oh, my dog this,' or 'My cat this.' Nobody is open," he explained. "Nobody can take anybody in right now. It's an hour to the closest 24/7 clinic."

In addition to providing virtual care to companion animals in the state, the law also allows veterinarians to provide short-term, non-controlled substance prescriptions.


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May is National Pet Month, and South Dakota residents considering adoption are urged to do careful planning - while also making sure dogs can handle public settings if they tag along.

The messaging comes amid a recent trend where more pet owners feel comfortable in bringing their dogs to places such as restaurants.

That's brought attention to laws around the country dealing with such activity, and the Food and Drug Administration recently stated that pet dogs are fine in outdoor dining spaces.

Madison Godschalk, public relations and special event coordinator of the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society, said it's a good thing some businesses are now welcoming canines - but she added that pet owners have to take on responsibility.

"If you do get a younger animal, you're going to have to put in so many hours to train it," said Godschalk, "not to go on the bathroom inside, not to be aggressive towards food, not to be aggressive towards people."

Meanwhile, Godschalk said it's important to plan out which type of animal is best suited for your lifestyle and home setting. That includes whether they're allowed by a landlord if you're renting.

She said the Humane Society also offers guidance on how to introduce a new dog to another one that's already part of the household.

Godschalk said budgeting for a pet is another part of the process. It goes beyond making sure they have enough food.

"We make sure all of our animals, before they go off the door," said Godschalk, "are up to date on their vaccines, flea treatments, things like that. Those are all things that if you didn't adopt from us you would have to spend your own personal money on."

Godschalk said her location currently has a lot of pets available for adoption, especially dogs. She said there's enough variety to match a potential pet with an owner based on lifestyle, whether you like to go on adventures, or prefer to hang out around the house.




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A Wisconsin court case involving charges against animal rights activists remains in play.

Ahead of trial proceedings, various groups are calling attention to their claims of the mistreatment of dogs at a Dane County research facility. Three individuals face trial this fall over felony burglary and theft charges stemming from activity in 2017.

The animal rights group Direct Action Everywhere said the defendants rescued three beagles from Ridglan Farms near Madison. It asserted the trio was able to document filthy conditions and psychological trauma felt by the dogs, noting they were confined to small cages.

Wayne Hsiung, co-founder of the group, said the animals are bred for inhumane testing.

"After sometimes months or years of confinement that drives many of them to insanity, they're subjected to experiments that are so nightmarish that they're hard for people to believe are true," Hsiung contended. "I wouldn't believe they were true if I hadn't seen documentary evidence that these things were happening."

For example, the group claimed dogs are force-fed toxic compounds, including laundry detergents.

The facility did not reply to a request for comment. On its website, Ridglan Farms said it is committed to the highest standards of health while touting credentials from the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care. The Dane County district attorney declined to comment.

The Wisconsin-based organization Alliance for Animals is among those raising awareness about the issue.

Mary Telfer, the group's board president, said allies are not trying to diminish any need to advance scientific solutions, but argued such research is unnecessary.

"There are modern approaches that can test faster and more precisely than the outdated animal models," Telfer emphasized. "There are organs on chips and computer simulations and things that are so much better than this horrific suffering."

Jeffrey Brown, another Alliance for Animals board member, said while the public may not have direct interactions with species typically used for testing -- such as primates -- many people do have deep connections with dogs. He hopes it convinces them to pay closer attention.

"They're gonna think, 'There's no difference between the beagles that are in this lab and the dog that's right here. And I would never in my life would ever think about harming my own animal; why do I allow this to take place with just a different dog?'" Brown explained.