- Signatures: 1,816
- Goal: 1,000
- Deadline: 10-17-2007
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We were recently alerted to hundreds of bat specimens being sold in jars by companies such as necromance.com and post mortemstudiorental.com, and traced the source of these bats to a popular science company used by teachers known as Ward’s Natural Science. We purchased one of these bats and discovered the label was shared by both Wards and Science Kit & Boreal Laboratories. Ward’s Natural Science company and its affiliates, Edmund Scientific, Science Kit and Boreal Laboratories, provide science education materials for elementary through college classrooms. Wards is a division of VWR International.
On gross necropsy we discovered this bat, a female Mexican free-tail, to be plump and healthy. She had a full stomach and intestines and was also a nursing mother. By all appearances (and by Ward's later admission) this bat was collected live and killed, leaving behind a starving pup. This bat had a potential life span of 25 to 40 years in the wild and was capable of eating hundreds of millions of insects during her lifetime. She was sold for $6.25.
For the complete story please visit: http://www.batworld.org/wall_of_shame/wardsnaturalsciencekills.html
On gross necropsy we discovered this bat, a female Mexican free-tail, to be plump and healthy. She had a full stomach and intestines and was also a nursing mother. By all appearances (and by Ward's later admission) this bat was collected live and killed, leaving behind a starving pup. This bat had a potential life span of 25 to 40 years in the wild and was capable of eating hundreds of millions of insects during her lifetime. She was sold for $6.25.
For the complete story please visit: http://www.batworld.org/wall_of_shame/wardsnaturalsciencekills.html
| Number | Date | Prefix | Name | State | Country | Statement to Wards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,819 | 6:17 pm PST, Nov 1 | Ms. | Anjanette Jones | Texas | United States | I was shocked to find out that Ward's does not disclose their euthenasia methods on bats. Bats have a very high tolerance to Co2, and judging by the purchase of inhumanely treated dogs by Ward's who were gased (and some not completely dead) before being brought to Ward's for embalming, we can make an easy leap that Ward's doesn't respect the lives of bats either. I am working to abolish business with Ward's in Austin. Please redeem yourselves before you become completely money driven and hard hearted, so you can look your family in the eye without shame in the future. |
| 1,818 | 5:30 pm PDT, Oct 30 | Jennifer Gisler | Minnesota | United States | ||
| 1,817 | 4:05 pm PDT, Oct 26 | Mr. | Anonymous | Nevada | United States | you are indeed cruel to the living bats you should be ashamed of yourselves what happens if that was you. you are sick ward's natural "shame". |
| 1,816 | 11:29 am PDT, Oct 13 | Anonymous | Missouri | United States | I'll never buy your products again!... | |
| 1,815 | 7:58 pm PDT, Oct 8 | Anonymous | Texas | United States | I find your bat collecting to be inhumane. | |
| 1,814 | 6:03 pm PDT, Sep 18 | Mary Corporan Dunn | Massachusetts | United States | Please do not support the collection of wild bats for classroom specimen sales. | |
| 1,813 | 12:08 am PDT, Sep 8 | Ms. | Elizabeth Belflower | Alabama | United States | |
| 1,812 | 10:01 am PDT, Sep 7 | Anonymous | Virginia | United States | As a science teacher & long time Ward's customer, I am disturbed by your immoral and inhumane practices of collecting specimens. I have used bat rehabilitators to come in & talk to my students & show them live bats - there are no excuses for purposely killing animals for scientific study; specimens can be obtained animals who died from a natural death. I am boycotting Wards and passing the word to my colleagues. | |
| 1,811 | 11:30 pm PDT, Aug 23 | Ms. | Kristina Eileen kane | Iowa | United States | As a lover of both natural science and animals, hearing about the sale of healthy bats broke my heart. Science is a gift meant to learn about how life works and preserve it. Is the loss of respect from fellow science lovers worth the a loss of 6.25 per bat? The corpses serve no scientific use except for the morbid curiosity of tourists and seems an unnecassary cruelty. |
| 1,810 | 5:28 am PDT, Aug 11 | Ms. | Brittney Back | Kentucky | United States | your behavior toward these kind and wonderful animals is inhumane and needs to be put to a stop. you should feel horrible for doing this to these helpless animals. they need to be free to live in the wild, not kept in jars and sold. |
| 1,809 | 10:08 pm PDT, Aug 1 | Ms. | Anonymous | New York | United States | I would never mistreat any animal,insect no matter what it was/is. I help save a lot of animals that land or end up in my swimming pool or elsewhere. I would be glad to help out anywhere I can. Thanks for making me understand a lot of things I did not know about bats and other animals/insects/creatures. Thanks for the clairfication. I appreciate it. It helps me understand a lot. Alexandra Torres. |
| 1,808 | 3:51 pm PDT, Jul 10 | Ms. | Bobbie Fisher | New Mexico | United States | Please stop killing these valuable mammals. Just because the law does not protect bats in NM, your own conscience should sting with the murder of such animals for profit. Stop this and instead teach children about live bats and the benefits they do for we big mammals. |
| 1,807 | 7:07 pm PDT, Jun 30 | Mr. | Anonymous | Florida | United States | |
| 1,806 | 3:00 pm PDT, Jun 19 | Ms. | Ambre Linsinbigler | Pennsylvania | United States | |
| 1,805 | 7:07 am PDT, Jun 12 | Dr. | bob watkins | Oklahoma | United States | Why not use hi-resolution photos rather than decimating innocent life? |
| 1,804 | 9:13 am PDT, Jun 10 | Ms. | Anonymous | Portugal | ||
| 1,803 | 3:20 pm PDT, Jun 8 | Mr. | Taoist Fruitbat | California | United States | |
| 1,802 | 6:23 pm PDT, May 27 | Ms. | elizabeth bernardo | Massachusetts | United States | I have been a customer in the past but will no longer purchase materials from your site due to your gross negligence and lack of concern for the well being of animals. |
| 1,801 | 11:54 am PDT, May 20 | Karen Behenna | Missouri | United States | ||
| 1,800 | 8:21 pm PDT, May 10 | cristina visco | Virginia | United States | ||
| 1,799 | 10:59 am PDT, May 4 | Mr. | Heater Effulge | Texas | United States | Bats are warm blood just as humans are http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/for-mother-earth |
| 1,798 | 7:07 pm PDT, Apr 28 | Ms. | Sarah Benikowsky | New Zealand | ||
| 1,797 | 1:37 pm PDT, Apr 28 | Colleen Harrison | Indiana | United States | ||
| 1,796 | 7:49 pm PDT, Apr 10 | Anna Ulrich | Ohio | United States | It is ridiculous that companies continue to harvest animals for "science". Where have you been the last 20 years? It is not necessary to capture and kill animals for study. | |
| 1,795 | 2:06 pm PDT, Apr 10 | Ms. | Barbara Collins | Texas | United States | |
| 1,794 | 6:23 pm PDT, Apr 4 | Eric Box | Alabama | United States | ||
| 1,793 | 3:44 pm PDT, Mar 23 | Jennifer Dugas | California | United States | Save our bat population! | |
| 1,792 | 11:02 am PDT, Mar 21 | Mr. | Patrick Kiproff | Canada | Its simply the most inhumane thing I've ever heard; killing bats, healthy, alive, and beautiful bats, for profit. I don't see "science"; I see disregard for creatures that in many ways are no different then us. Ethically and morally disgusting. | |
| 1,791 | 10:16 am PDT, Mar 14 | Mrs. | Carmen Champagne | Georgia | United States | |
| 1,790 | 6:57 am PDT, Mar 9 | Ms. | Mary Brooks | Kentucky | United States | |
| 1,789 | 9:23 am PST, Mar 2 | Ms. | Sherrill Durbin | Oklahoma | United States | Until you stop selling bats, I am recommending that our college buy from companies other than Ward's. |
| 1,788 | 10:53 pm PST, Feb 20 | Ms. | Jessica Bear | Pennsylvania | United States | Your company is sick and demented. Why not collect bats that have died of natural causes than to kill live healthy bats and, at times, leave bat pups orphaned? How would you like if a medical school came into your house, took away your family and said, "We need them for science research."? In my opinion, what you are doing is no difference. Nature put the bats (and any other living creature) here on earth and only nature can take them away. |
| 1,787 | 2:44 pm PST, Feb 18 | Ms. | Anonymous | Texas | United States | |
| 1,786 | 4:40 pm PST, Feb 4 | Anonymous | Colorado | United States | ||
| 1,785 | 4:36 pm PST, Jan 25 | Ms. | Fiona Zahm | Maryland | United States | I am a fifth grade student studying bats and I would ask that you NOT sell bats. Even one bat can make a difference and with each bat you take, it's one more gone. |
| 1,784 | 8:42 pm PST, Jan 13 | Ms. | Sharon Farmer | Tennessee | United States | I find this act sickening. |
| 1,783 | 6:56 pm PST, Jan 5 | Ms. | CF Tseng | Taiwan | ||
| 1,782 | 12:44 am PST, Jan 3 | Lauren Jackson, RN | Tennessee | United States | Just another way to make a buck, hua? Your company is disgusting. | |
| 1,781 | 7:56 am PST, Dec 8 | Ms. | Deborah Watkins | Texas | United States | What do you say to get through to someone that simply cannot understand the value of others and who cares only about making money? How bad are your nightmares? How do you sleep? |
| 1,780 | 9:46 am PST, Dec 2 | Mr. | Dayton Cooper | New Jersey | United States | Your name has been listed on the Wall of Shame at www.batworld.org because you are selling bats that have been collected healthy and alive, then killed just so your company can make a profit. The fact you also condone the harvesting of healthy mother bats causing the intentional orphaning of helpless babies is morally repugnant. This action is as ethically questionable as the importation of living animals to be killed in canned hunts for a profit. Despite your excuses, this level of cruelty cannot be justified scientifically. Bats are in rapid decline across the US. As primary predators of vast quantities of night-flying insects, including serious crop pests, free-tailed bats are important to the agricultural interests of our country. As a purportedly ethical society, it is time we moved beyond the practice of sacrificing free-living animals for ‘study.’ There are numerous specimens available at fine museums everywhere and deceased wildlife, which has died of natural causes, can be easily obtained from wildlife rehabilitators. I am absolutely sure that every school student in this great country would be outraged if they knew these animals were being killed just so they could look at them in a jar. I ask that Ward’s Scientific and all its affiliates stop the sacrifice of bats and other healthy wildlife on the grounds it is unjustified, unsustainable, and morally wrong. Until then, I will tell all my friends about Ward's Natural Science and its affiliates and actively encourage the boycott of Wards Natural Science products to teachers, students and the general public across the US. |
| 1,779 | 11:03 am PST, Nov 26 | Anonymous | Canada | I will not be purchasing any supplies from this company and will encourage others to boycott as well. | ||
| 1,778 | 2:42 pm PST, Nov 23 | Nina Parrilla | New Jersey | United States | Stop killing bats! They are gentle creatures that deserve respect. | |
| 1,777 | 1:50 pm PST, Nov 9 | Ms. | Elena Gageanu | Romania | ||
| 1,776 | 3:36 am PST, Nov 7 | Henk Ahrue van Grootveld | Netherlands | |||
| 1,775 | 7:48 am PST, Nov 2 | samantha gain | Florida | United States | you guys are discusting how do you live your life knowing that you not only murderd a being but you took a life away. i hope you suffer for what you did. | |
| 1,774 | 7:28 pm PDT, Oct 27 | Ms. | Michele Gagnon | Florida | United States | Your behavior is beyond disturbing. As a person of science myself, I find it reprehinsible to make claims of humane treatment where guidelines do not even exist!! You are liars and I will be putting out notices to boycott you. Do not make claims that you cannot guarantee such as the number of collections made. You want to be humane? Get an order first, then obtain a specimen. Dissections are not needed as learned details are abundant already, further dissection is not necessary. Why not engage in providing educational needs with live bats, where information, especially for those in the sciences is much needed?! I am truly disgusted. |
| 1,773 | 10:59 am PDT, Oct 17 | Anonymous | Pennsylvania | United States | ||
| 1,772 | 10:50 pm PDT, Oct 15 | Mrs. | Becca Martinez | California | United States | People can learn just the same on duplicate or model animals. I'm sure this would cost more, but would increase the bats population and the heath of our earth (as bats contribute so much!). I would admire a company that cared for our wildlife while still supplying us with products for schools and students. |
| 1,771 | 11:00 am PDT, Sep 23 | Anonymous | New York | United States | ||
| 1,770 | 6:47 pm PDT, Sep 22 | Ms. | Anonymous | Illinois | United States | |
| 1,769 | 1:46 pm PDT, Sep 18 | Anonymous | Texas | United States | Your transparent attempts to hide behind non-existent "guidelines" in your collection and killing of bats is disturbing. Why does our society need a bat in a jar? With books, television, films, and the Internet, no reason that I can think of. | |
| 1,768 | 8:05 am PDT, Sep 15 | Ms. | Anonymous | Utah | United States | Dear Ward's Natural Science, I was shocked to observe your name listed on the Wall of Shame at www.batworld.org because you are selling bats that have been collected healthy and alive, then killed just so your company can make a profit. The fact you also condone the harvesting of healthy mother bats causing the intentional orphaning of helpless babies is morally repugnant. This action is as ethically questionable as the importation of living animals to be killed in canned hunts for a profit. Despite your excuses, this level of cruelty cannot be justified scientifically. Bats are in rapid decline across the US. As primary predators of vast quantities of night-flying insects, including serious crop pests, free-tailed bats are important to the agricultural interests of our country. As a purportedly ethical society, it is time we moved beyond the practice of sacrificing free-living animals for ‘study.’ There are numerous specimens available at fine museums everywhere and deceased wildlife, which has died of natural causes, can be easily obtained from wildlife rehabilitators. I am absolutely sure that every school student in this great country would be outraged if they knew these animals were being killed just so they could look at them in a jar. I ask that Ward’s Scientific and all its affiliates stop the sacrifice of bats and other healthy wildlife on the grounds it is unjustified, unsustainable, and morally wrong. Until then, I will tell all my friends and inform school administrators in our regional schools about Ward's Natural Science and its affiliates and actively encourage the boycott of Wards Natural Science products to teachers, students and the general public across the US. Signed, Jenny Dawn Stucki |
| 1,767 | 5:20 pm PDT, Sep 10 | Mary Lou Gicker | New Jersey | United States | ||
| 1,766 | 3:53 pm PDT, Sep 4 | Mrs. | Westley S. Delk | Oregon | United States | Bats are amazing creatures. It is disturbing that there is such a lack of attention and concern for them within the general public. I believe in research for science, but only in accordance with reasonable and ETHICAL conditions. |
| 1,765 | 4:06 pm PDT, Sep 1 | Ms. | Amy P Hilscher | New Jersey | United States | |
| 1,764 | 7:11 am PDT, Aug 26 | Stephanie Crookall | Canada | Please stop this cruelty. | ||
| 1,763 | 12:26 pm PDT, Aug 25 | Patricia Mangum | Texas | United States | Very unnecessary, cruel and wontant behavior. I will also make the teachers at our local schools aware of this practice and ask if they will refrain from associating with WARD'S & company. | |
| 1,762 | 8:05 am PDT, Aug 24 | Mr. | Kelly Dease | Virginia | United States | Using scientific research or display as an excuse to exploit and destroy these animals is criminal and vulgar. |
| 1,761 | 11:00 am PDT, Aug 20 | Maria Leasure | Maryland | United States | Disgusting.....I don't my children to learn anything from such an unethical source. | |
| 1,760 | 5:43 pm PDT, Aug 15 | Mr. | Zachary severin | Canada | You shouldn't treat bats in that sort of manner, bats deserve to be free not disected like frogs! | |
| 1,759 | 8:49 pm PDT, Aug 11 | Mr. | Philip Boccia | New York | United States | |
| 1,758 | 7:17 pm PDT, Aug 9 | Ms. | Hannah Graham | Maine | United States | EVIL muchh? :( |
| 1,757 | 9:26 pm PDT, Aug 8 | Ms. | Samantha Miller | Nevada | United States | |
| 1,756 | 11:21 pm PDT, Aug 7 | Mr. | guy bowen | Texas | United States | i guess we should capture and euthenize puppies & kittens for schools and scientists also !!just putem in a jar to study... humanely of course |
| 1,755 | 2:30 pm PDT, Aug 6 | Erin M | Virginia | United States | ||
| 1,754 | 8:02 am PDT, Aug 6 | Marisa Ippolito | United Kingdom | Shocked, Please bring in laws to protect creatures in your area. How behind the times is this lack of law and protection. | ||
| 1,753 | 7:03 pm PDT, Jul 29 | Stephen Ward (no relation) | Ohio | United States | This is heartless. | |
| 1,752 | 11:50 am PDT, Jul 27 | Kim Vansina | Belgium | |||
| 1,751 | 1:31 pm PDT, Jul 20 | greta malkotzoglou | Greece |
WARD'S NATURAL SCIENCE KILLS
Dear Ward's Natural Science,
You are selling bats that have been collected healthy and alive, then killed just so your company can make a profit. You are also condoning the harvesting of healthy mother bats and causing the intentional orphaning of helpless babies, which is morally repugnant and cannot be justified scientifically.
Bats are in rapid decline across the US. As primary predators of vast quantities of night-flying insects, including serious crop pests, free-tailed bats are important to the agricultural interests of our country. As a purportedly ethical society, it is time we moved beyond the practice of sacrificing free-living animals for ‘study.’ There are numerous specimens available at fine museums everywhere and deceased wildlife, which has died of natural causes, can be easily obtained from wildlife rehabilitators. I am absolutely sure that every school student in this great country would be outraged if they knew these animals were being killed just so they could look at them in a jar.
I ask that Ward’s Scientific and all its affiliates stop the sacrifice of bats and other healthy wildlife on the grounds it is unjustified, unsustainable, and morally wrong. Until then, I will tell all my friends about Ward's Natural Science and its affiliates and actively encourage the boycott of Wards Natural Science products to teachers, students and the general public across the US.
Note: This WARD'S NATURAL SCIENCE KILLS petition was submitted by Leslie Sturges. ThePetitionSite.com is a free service provided to help concerned citizens rally support for issues they believe in. The opinions expressed by this petition do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of ThePetitionSite.com or Care2.com. There is no express or implied endorsement of this petition nor any newsletter offers (except those from Care2.com) by Care2.com, Inc, ThePetitionSite.com, or our sponsors. If you believe this system is being abused, please contact customer support.
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