Brazil: Teen films herself microwaving her pet guinea pig then uploads the video online, thinking everyone would think she was clever

BRAZIL -- A teenage girl has caused outrage after she allegedly posted a video online showing how she “cooked” her guinea pig by putting it in a microwave.

The 16-year-old girl, identified as Vitoria Muller, from Brazil, is accused of microwaving her pet after being encouraged by friends to do it, according to local reports.

The accused girl was slammed on social media for her cruelty against this poor animal.

Authorities said they seized the animal and transferred it to a vet to be seen to.

Despite the distressing ordeal, the vet said the guinea pig was not injured. It was not returned to the girl or her family.

Her dad said he took her to the authorities, where she was made to explain the reasons behind her cruel act and was forced to apologize for her “shameful behavior”.

He said: “My daughter was already punished for her bad behavior. The animal is fine and in the name of all my family we apologize.

The dad added: “We all take care of animals in this house and we would never let something like this happen. We apologize again for all that happened.”

WHAT KIND OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS TORTURE AND KILL ANIMALS FOR AMUSEMENT?

Some have started an online campaign calling for her to be punished using the hashtag #PunicaoParaVitoria – which translates to “Punishment For Vitoria”.

One user wrote: “I cannot believe she was cooking the poor animal”.

Another added: “What a b***h. Abusing a small animal like this… only to get more followers.”

The girl has since deleted her social media accounts following the backlash.

(The Sun UK - May 11, 2017)

Brazil: Beautiful jaguar dragged out to be used for press event; shot and killed afterwards

BRAZIL -- A jaguar featured at an Olympic torch ceremony was shot dead by a soldier shortly after the event in the Brazilian Amazon city of Manaus as the animal escaped from its handlers, an army statement said.

The jaguar was killed on Monday at a zoo attached to a military training center when a soldier fired a single pistol shot after the animal, despite being tranquilized, approached the soldier, the army said.

“We made a mistake in permitting the Olympic torch, a symbol of peace and unity, to be exhibited alongside a chained wild animal. This image goes against our beliefs and our values,” the local organizing committee Rio 2016 said in a statement, adding: "We guarantee that there will be no more such incidents at Rio 2016.”

A smiling yellow jaguar known as Ginga is the mascot of the Brazilian Olympic team.

The shooting caused uproar among animal rights groups, which questioned why the animal was involved in the Olympic event.

"When will people (and institutions) stop with this sick need to show power and control by confining, taming and showcasing wild animals?" the Rio de Janeiro-based animal rights group Animal Freedom Union said on its Facebook page.

The jaguar is a nearly threatened species that has already been wiped out in Uruguay and El Salvador, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The use of Juma, as the jaguar was known, at the event was illegal, according to Ipaam, the Amazonas state government environmental authority that oversees the use of wild animals.

"No request was made to authorize the participation of the jaguar "Juma" in the event of the Olympic torch," Ipaam said in a statement.

Ipaam said it is investigating the incident.

(Reuters News - June 21, 2016)

Activists release dogs from lab in Brazil

BRAZIL -- Animal rights activist Saturday clashed with police in front of a laboratory in southeastern Brazil that [tortures] dogs for drug tests.

The clash came one day after activists broke into the Instituto Royal laboratory in Sao Roque and released 178 beagles being used to test for adverse effects of drugs manufactured by the pharmaceutical industry.

Officer Edivaldo Nunes of the Sao Roque police department said by telephone that about 500 activists tried to break through barriers set up in front of the laboratory following Friday's break-in.

He said several members of the so-called Black Block anarchist group were among the protesters.

"They hurled rocks and set fire to a police car and to two cars of a local television station," Nunes said, adding that police responded with tear gas and pepper spray to disperse the crowd. He did not know if anyone was hurt or arrested.

These photos are representative of Beagles used in labs around the world.

Beagle dogs are often experimented on in laboratories
because they are docile and easy to handle.

Nunes said that "a large group of activists shouting 'save the dogs' stormed the lab early Friday morning and drove away with the animals.

He said none of the dogs have been recovered.

(KHON2 - Oct 22, 2013)

Around the world

It is not just English-speaking countries that grapple with horrific dog attacks. This article, from a Brazilian newspaper, talks of this poodle being attacked by a Pit Bull and a Rottweiler:  "Poodle Manchinha, de Maringá, já anda e brinca; família nega que vá sacrificá-lo"

This article, from Algeria, shows the injuries suffered by this four year-old boy when he was attacked by a Pit Bull: "Un enfant de 4 ans sauvagement attaqué"

Brazil: Boy, 2, mauled to death by his grandparents' pit bull

BRAZIL -- A pit bull killed a 2-year-old boy, attacking the child as he was playing in the backyard of his grandmother’s house in southern Brazil, local media reported Saturday.

Guilherme Vieira was with his 6-year-old brother when the grandmother’s dog suddenly attacked them Thursday night in Ponta Grossa, 400 kilometers (250 miles) south of Sao Paulo, the Folha Online news service reported.

The boy suffered severe wounds to his neck and head, and died shortly after being admitted to a hospital, firefighters said. His brother escaped unharmed after the grandmother called authorities.

The family said the dog, which was unleashed at the time of the incident, had always been around the children without problems, but neighbors told Folha that it had attacked other people before.

Police was investigating the case, and could charge the grandparents with involuntary manslaughter.

(Latin American Herald Tribune - Oct 2, 2005)