News Briefs for the Week of July 21, 2002
By Marcella Durand for Cat Facts
- Britain Plans to Lift Quarantine for U.S. Pets
Feline tourists have long told sorry tales about Merry Old England-after all, the most they usually saw of the country were the four sterile walls of their quarantine cages. However, kitty visitors may soon be able to see a more welcoming side of the country. On July 1, the British government announced that it intends to lift the six-month quarantine requirement for pets entering Britain from North America. "It's something that the U.S. government has wanted to see happen for a long time," says U.S. Embassy spokesperson Karen Morrissey.
British Animal Welfare Minister Elliot Morley says he hopes to announce the change this fall, and that the British government is inclined "to go ahead and extend the scheme to the U.S.A. and Canada." He adds that "The [British] government recognizes that extending the scheme could remove a significant barrier for people in the U.S.A. and Canada wanting to come to the U.K. with their pets on holiday, business, or even permanently."
The current law, which has been in place for a century, requires animals from most countries to be quarantined for six months-even if they have proof of recent vaccination-for fear of introducing rabies to Britain. However, two years ago, the British government introduced a "pet passport" plan, which allows cats and dogs from Western Europe, Australia, Japan, Hawaii, and certain other territories (but not North America) to enter the country directly if they are tagged with an identification microchip, vaccinated, and blood-tested for rabies.
- Garfield Fraud Exposed
Like cartoon cat Garfield sneaking into the refrigerator to snack on forbidden lasagna, Raul Galaz of California was caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar. Galaz pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud on June 19, 2002, after posing as the owner of the television show Garfield and Friends, and collecting more than $328,000 in royalties from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). It was a scheme almost worthy of the great Garfield himself.
According to the MPAA, it's the first time someone has been prosecuted for such a crime. Galaz set up nine fake companies and filed claims for nine television shows. In addition to Garfield and Friends, these included Unsolved Mysteries, The People's Court, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Walker, Texas Ranger. Because no one else had filed claims for Garfield and Friends, four checks were cut to Galaz before he was caught. "This is, quite simply, a case of theft," says MPAA president and CEO Jack Valenti. "Mr. Galaz's schemes to falsify royalty claims have robbed legitimate copyright owners of their rightful compensation."
Galaz faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, plus possible restitution. We wonder if that restitution includes large amounts of prison-baked tuna lasagna.
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