It goes without saying, but bears repeating, there are too many cats and dogs without homes. While there are countless shelters and rescue centers that exist, some potential pet owners look to pet shops to find their furry friends. All too often, however, these animals come from puppy and kitten mills (繁殖场) that treat the creatures in cruel ways. San Francisco, however, is doing their part to stop this abuse with pet store adoption. Officials recently voted to ban the sale of non-rescue dogs and cats in local shops.

The effect is two-fold. One, it will stop the popularity of the large-scale mills, which are famous for the miserable conditions cats and does are kept in. Two, it will help facilitate the adoption of thousands of animals that are waiting for their forever homes in San Francisco shelters. District 4 Supervisor Katy Tang, who serves on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, supported law-making on the ban. “Dogs and cats sold in pet stores often come from inhumane puppy and kitten mills that treat animals with no regard for their health or well-being”, she wrote on Facebook. In her message, she also called on the U. S. Agriculture Department to reinstate information on its website that documents these types of animal cruelty cases—it was removed earlier this month.

San Francisco’s law-making is a victory for those concerned about animal rights, and they aren’t the first city to pass this type of measure. Los Angeles, San Diego, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, and Austin also have similar laws in place, with hopefully more places to follow suit.

The “swim-with-dolphins” tourist industry is becoming more popular every year with the increase of people’s income. After all, it can cost a large amount of money to have this kind of holiday experience. So tour operators try to place eager swimmers as near as possible to the dolphins by trying to predict where the dolphins will be.

Research has shown that while dolphins can move away if they do not want to interact (交流） with human swimmers, they do not like it at all if the swimmers slip into the water directly on top of them or if humans are in their path of travel. However, if swimmers enter the water to one side of them, the dolphins do not avoid the swimmers to the same extent.

In all cases, the dolphins seem to have become more sensitive to the presence of the swimmers. For dolphins, swimming among or with humans is not necessarily a high priority. This research has shown that only 19% of any group of dolphins will participate in interaction. Young dolphins are the most likely to interact; they do seem curious about being with humans. It is believed that they see humans as “entertainment” and that the interaction is a new and unusual experience for them.

It is frequently asked whether “swim-with-dolphins” tourism should be discontinued. The advice is that dolphins should be given enough periods of time throughout the day when they are not exposed to tourism. Permitted interactions should not be too disturbing to the dolphins since there could be mothers and calves (幼崽） present in dolphin groups. There should also be educational campaigns about the creatures and what is likely to cause danger to them.

It is not easy to explain to someone that they cannot fulfill their lifelong dreams because the dolphins are resting, or that a mother dolphin and calf are in the area. But if we are to enjoy these remarkable animals and not just use them for our entertainment, then we must carefully monitor the “swim-with-dolphins” industry worldwide.

Some unwelcome visitors from North America have been turning up in the waters off the coast of Great Britain.

North American lobsters (龙虾) have been found in the North Sea (between Great Britain and Northwest Europe), far from their own habitat. The lobsters usually live along the eastern coast of Canada and the United States.

It is impossible that the lobsters could have made the 5,600-kilometre journey on their own. They were probably brought to Britain and then got away from containers. Some of the lobsters that were caught had elastic bands (松紧带) holding their legs shut, like lobsters that are kept in containers in stores or restaurants.

Many may have been “set free” from some ships passing through the area. Sometimes passengers order a live lobster from a tank in the dining room and then ask the waiter to throw it overboard instead of cooking it.

According to official records, 26 North American lobsters have been caught in waters off Great Britain since 1988. However, it is believed many more have been found but not reported.

It is against the law to let North American lobsters come into British waters. If they settle down in European waters, it would be bad for the local lobsters. The two live in the same place and eat the same food. But North American lobsters are larger, stronger and more aggressive (好斗的) than European lobsters, and they produce young more quickly.

As a result, they could take food and space away from the local lobsters, and from other types of shellfish that live in the same area. These lobsters may also carry diseases that could harm the local lobsters.