SAN QUENTIN, Calif. (AP) — Hugs, tears, barking and tail wagging at San Quentin’s prison when two black Labradors reunited with the incarcerated men who helped raise them to be service dogs.

 

The emotional reunion brought together Chase Benoit, Jared Hansen and the 2-year-old dogs they helped train: Wendel and Artemis. It was the men’s first time seeing their former canine companions again and their first time meeting the dogs’ disabled handlers in person.

The encounter Friday in San Quentin’s main courtyard brought Benoit and Hansen full circle after helping launch the prison’s puppy training program in April 2023.

“Being in this program, it’s given me something that I think I’ve searched for my whole life,” said Benoit, who is serving 15 years-to-life for second-degree murder. “And that was meaningful purpose, doing something that’s good, better, bigger than myself and feeling like I’m part of something great.”

Robert Quigley, who is deaf, teared up after seeing his spirited dog Wendel bark and get excited when he saw Benoit, his old trainer.

“He remembers me, for sure, I could tell when he came in. I’m so happy that you love him, and that you have a bond,” Benoit told Quigley through an American Sign Language interpreter.

“He’s with me 24/7. He’s very gentle and good with people,” answered Quigley, a recent college graduate who took Wendel home in November after the black Labrador and golden retriever mix completed another six months of professional training outside prison.

Teaching pups the fundamentals in prison

Benoit and Jensen were part of an initial group of four incarcerated trainers who shared their 4 foot-by-10 foot cells with the 4-month-old puppies. The men divided the responsibility of caring for and teaching the dogs foundational commands for a year.

Canine Companions, a nonprofit based in Santa Rosa, runs the program and provides free service dogs to people with disabilities. It has built the San Quentin program to 16 trainers and two dog sitters who, as of this week, are training eight puppies.

Artemis, a black Labrador, was matched with Benjamin Carter, a veterinarian from Portland, Oregon, who uses a wheelchair, and traveled to California for the reunion.

Like proud parents, Carter and Hansen shared notes on Artemis’ calm and loving personality and penchant for cuddles.

“Seeing him in action and actually serving somebody in the community, it’s just … I’m at a loss for words right now. It’s amazing!” said Hansen, who has been in prison for 15 years for bank robbery.

Artemis, or Artie, pushes door plates, pulls doors open, fetches things around the house and does many other tasks that would be hard for Carter alone.

First work, then cuddles

“He is responsive when he’s working. He is cuddly when he is off the clock. He’s an amazing companion. And all that structure and love and trust was built from these guys here, so I’m just super grateful to them,” Carter said.

The value of time

.Dern said dogs trained in their prison programs have a 10% greater success rate at becoming service dogs than other candidates because of the amount of time and care that incarcerated puppy raisers put into their dogs.

Our weekly update Safe Haven for Donkeys: encouraging news from Egypt where a young foal is healing from a serious accident ( 5 photos )

 

This week, I’m delighted to share some encouraging news from Egypt. A young foal is healing after a serious accident, while our community team has been bringing much-needed treatment to working donkeys and horses. Thank you for helping provide the veterinary care, medicines and kindness these animals need. I hope you enjoy seeing the difference you’re making. With warmest wishes, Wendy Safe Haven UK Office An update from Egypt When our team first saw this lovely young foal in mid-August, he was struggling to walk. A cart accident had left him badly injured, and X-rays revealed a fracture in his lower leg. Dr Shaaban carefully fitted a cast under general anaesthetic to hold the injured bone in place while it healed. Thanks to your kindness, he has had the chance to receive the care he needed and begin his recovery. When Dr Shaaban first treated the foal, he applied a cast under general anaesthetic to help the fracture heal. Since then, the foal has been making steady progress. He is walking more comfortably, and his latest X-rays show that the fracture is healing well. Dr Shaaban now hopes to remove his cast very soon. There is still some healing ahead, but we're delighted with his progress. It’s lovely to see him getting closer to a full recovery. Following treatment, the team were hopeful that the foal would make a full recovery.   Further south in Egypt, in El Manshia, Kom Ombo, a donkey with painful abscesses in both front hooves was among 51 working horses and donkeys helped during our community team’s latest visit. Infection trapped inside his hooves was causing pressure and making walking difficult. Our team carefully trimmed and cleaned his hooves, then drained the abscesses to relieve the pressure. They bathed and bandaged the affected hooves and gave him medicine to ease pain and inflammation. We will continue to monitor his recovery. Your generosity helps put provide skilled vet care within reach - vital to help donkeys like this. Hoof abscesses can be debilitating - this donkey had abscesses in both front hooves, meaning it was difficult to walk. During the same visit, Dr Ahmed and Ali treated animals with wounds, hoof problems and uncomfortable skin growths, and examined others in poor body condition. But their work also extends to helping prevent future suffering. The team spent time with owners, explaining how to spot problems early, prevent injuries and recognise when an animal needs veterinary help. A local vet also gained practical experience examining working animals alongside our team. Thank you for helping provide treatment today, while giving owners and local vets knowledge they can use long after the visit ends. Thank You   With your help, our teams in Egypt can treat painful injuries, support recovery and help owners keep their animals healthy. Your kindness also provides care for rescued donkeys at our sanctuaries and helps our other veterinary teams reach working animals across Gaza and the West Bank. Thank you for helping donkeys and giving them the chance of living healthier, more comfortable lives. Donate to help donkeys in need During this week's follow-up visit, our team were delighted to see the progress the foal had made. It's thanks to your support we can be there - for as long as it takes - for animals in need. If you'd like to read previous updates of our work, please click here to visit out blog. You can also view today's update online by clicking here. Registered charity number 1083468

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Bullfighting 'not with my money' An estimated 200 million euro is spent annually on the breeding of bulls for bullfighting and cruel bull festivals.

 

Organisations call on European Parliament to end EU subsidies for bullfighting

Bulls of fire is an extremely cruel Spanish bloodsport. In it, torches are tied to bulls’ horns and then set on fire, all for the entertainment of the crowd. This atrocious physical and mental torture, considered a tradition, takes the name of ‘Toro Jubilo’ or ‘Bou Embolat’ and is still practiced in two Spanish regions, namely Catalonia and Valencia.

Organisations from Spain, Portugal, France and the Netherlands called on Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) on Wednesday, 17 October, at the European Parliament in Brussels to end EU agricultural subsidies for breeding bulls for bullfights and cruel bull festivals.

Organisations call on European Parliament to end EU subsidies for bullfighting | Picture: CAS International

Meeting at European Parliament

During a meeting with MEPs, representatives of the organisations discussed why EU agricultural subsidies for the bullfighting sector must end and explored ways to exclude this funding from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for 2028–2034.

The meeting was organised by MEP Niels Fuglsang and the Dutch organisation CAS International.

A new CAP after 2027

The meeting took place as the European Commission, EU Member States and the European Parliament work on the new Common Agricultural Policy for the period after 2027. CAS International called for a clear commitment to be included in the new agricultural policy: no EU subsidies should be used to breed bulls for bullfights or cruel bull festivals.

Maite van Gerwen, Director of CAS International, said:

“By providing agricultural subsidies to breeders of these bulls, taxpayers’ money from people across the EU is being used to facilitate and perpetuate severe animal suffering. We consider this unjustifiable, and it must stop.”

Maite van Gerwen, director of CAS International | Picture: CAS International

An estimated €200 million in public funds is spent annually on breeding bulls used for these purposes. The exact amount cannot be established due to a lack of transparency regarding how EU agricultural subsidies are allocated.

Marta Esteban Miñano, President of the Spanish organisation Fundación Animal Guardians, said:

“The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was created to provide quality food for Europeans. However, millions of euros a year from the CAP (around 200 million according to the bullfighting industry) end up on fighting bull farms, whose main purpose is bullfighting events.”

Marta Esteban Miñano, president of Fundación Animal Guardians | Jannet, Vice-President of the French organisation CRAC Europe, added:

“According to the Occitanie Regional Chamber of Accounts, bullfighting is structurally unprofitable and survives only because of public subsidies. CAP payments to breeders whose bulls are destined for the arena should be abolished, as they constitute indirect public support for this activity”

Didier Bonnet and Carolina Andrade, CRAC Europe |opposes bullfighting

The widespread support for ending these subsidies is reflected in a public opinion survey commissioned by CAS International in 2024 and conducted by Ipsos I&O Publiek on attitudes towards bullfighting in Spain, France and Portugal.

A majority of the population in all three countries opposes bullfighting and believes that public money should not be spent on facilitating it. The notion that bullfighting is inseparable from the culture of these countries is therefore misleading: a majority of their citizens want it to end.

Cristina Ibáñez, Head of Political Affairs at AnimaNaturalis Spain, said:

“For years, European citizens have made it increasingly clear that they do not want their money to be used to subsidise bullfighting and the suffering it entails. Yet political institutions continue to lag behind this social demand. We are tired of seeing public funds used to sustain an industry that is increasingly rejected by society. It is time for the EU to listen to its citizens, stop financing bullfighting and take a clear step towards its abolition.”

Cristina Ibáñez, AnimaNaturalis Spain | Picture: CAS International

Rita Silva, President of the Portuguese organisation ANIMAL, said:

“It is absolutely unacceptable that European taxpayers’ money continues to fund an activity rooted in violence and animal suffering. The European Union cannot claim to uphold animal welfare while allowing public funds to support the very opposite. The next Common Agricultural Policy must put an end to this contradiction.”

Rita Silva, president of ANIMAL | Picture: CAS International

MEPs acknowledged the need to address EU subsidies going to breeders of fighting bulls.

Among those present at the meeting were MEPs Niels Fuglsang and Anja Hazekamp | Picture: CAS International

The European Parliament has also previously voted against these subsidies. Marta Esteban Miñano of Fundación Animal Guardians said:

“The European Parliament has already voted twice against subsidies for bullfighting, and we demand that the new CAP include the necessary conditionalities so that not a single euro from European citizens goes towards maintaining this cruel activity.”

51,771 signatures

The event follows the presentation of an international petition calling for an end to these subsidies.

On 29 September, CAS International and World Animal Protection Denmark presented 51,771 signatures to MEP Niels Fuglsang at the European Parliament. The petition was supported by more than 50 other animal welfare organisations. The signatures came from 93 countries, including all 27 EU Member States.

During the meeting on 14 October, organisations from Spain, Portugal, France and the Netherlands shared their perspectives and discussed with MEPs how the new CAP could prevent EU taxpayers’ money from contributing to the breeding of bulls for bullfighting and cruel bull festivals.

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Free the Bears operates the largest moon and sun bear sanctuary network in Southeast Asia and has supported the rescue of more than 1,000 bears from bile farms, illegal wildlife trade and other forms of exploitation

www.freethebears.org

Free the Bears is a leader in the rescue and rehabilitation of orphaned bear cubs.

Some cubs arrive at our sanctuaries just weeks old, requiring around-the-clock support from dedicated bear carers. The youngest cubs need bottle feeding throughout the day and night, careful monitoring and specialist veterinary support to give them the best possible chance of survival during their most vulnerable days.

As cubs grow, our focus shifts to helping them develop the skills and behaviours they need to live as bears. Through carefully managed social groups, enrichment and access to natural environments, cubs learn to climb, forage, explore, swim and play with other bears.

Wherever possible, we also assess whether rescued cubs may one day be suitable for a return to the wild. This requires careful behavioural monitoring, minimal human contact, protected forest habitat and long-term research. Sadly most bears will need sanctuary care for life, due to the trauma they experienced. But whether a cub can return to the wild or needs sanctuary care for life, every one of them deserves safety.

How it all began: 

In 1993, Perth grandmother Mary Hutton saw a television report that changed the course of her life. The footage showed the horrifying extraction of bile from traumatised moon bears held in coffin-sized cages, a cruel practice used in traditional medicine across parts of Asia.

With no previous background in wildlife conservation, Mary began collecting signatures for a petition at her local shopping centre in Perth, Australia. What started as a small community effort quickly grew into a movement.

By 1995, Mary had founded Free the Bears.

Over the next three decades, her determination, and the support of thousands of people around the world, helped transform that grassroots effort into a leading conservation organisation protecting bears across Asia.

Today, Free the Bears operates the largest moon and sun bear sanctuary network in Southeast Asia and has supported the rescue of more than 1,000 bears from bile farms, illegal wildlife trade and other forms of exploitation.

10 ACROSS ASIA