DEAR READERS: By fomenting fear, spreading false information and fostering prejudice and hatred, politicians and other leaders throughout history have facilitated the displacement, extinction or near-extinction of indigenous peoples and species alike.

Modern “wolves of Wall Street” continue these injustices, and not just in the United States. According to Associated Press reporter Sylvie Corbet, the U.S., Brazil, India and Russia have not yet joined the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People. This is a collaborative effort initiated in 2019 by Costa Rica, France and the U.K. that aims to protect at least 30% of the planet by 2030 and halt the extinction of species. Fifty countries have since joined -- but not the major players listed above. Let us hope that the Biden administration will bring the U.S. into this long-overdue international initiative, and encourage other countries to follow suit.

On a related note, University of Connecticut entomologist David Wagner acted as lead author on a compilation of 12 studies, done by dozens of scientists, recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The report documents the ongoing apocalypse of the insects, which Wagner calls “absolutely the fabric by which Mother Nature and the tree of life are built.” Climate change, habitat loss, insecticides, herbicides and light pollution are just some of the causes of global insect declines.

DEAR DR. FOX: I love birds. When I watch a flock fly by, I wonder if they all know where they are headed. How do they navigate? -- A.C., Brick, New Jersey

DEAR A.C.: Sometimes birds do get blown off-course by inclement weather, or fly blindly into trees when alarmed by fireworks. As a rule, they rely on imprinted, instinctual navigation systems in their brains that involve various sensitivities, including the Earth’s electromagnetic field and the position of the stars when navigating at night.

Microparticles of iron in their brains act like an internal compass; humans, bees and other creatures possess the same. In 1992, researchers identified the presence of magnetite -- a permanently magnetic form of iron oxide -- in human brain tissue. Various studies have shown that brain cells respond to external magnetic fields. EMFs (electromagnetic fields and non-ionizing radiation) generated by telecommunication systems may interfere with bird navigation and migration.

Birds are sensitive to seasonal changes in the hours of sunlight, which can trigger hormonal changes associated with the onset of the breeding season or preparation to migrate. Birds may also have a conceptual map of distinctive landmarks. It is notable how Canada geese, for example, will often circle a lake a few times before landing just to make sure it is safe.

DEAR DR. FOX: A friend has a son who is highly allergic to cats. The son lives in another state and visits once a year, at most. He complains about his father letting a neighbor’s cat come into his home, even though the cats are not allowed on the furniture or beds.

Can cat dander remain in a home and cause problems many months later, or is the son being overly cautious? -- J.C., Trenton, New Jersey

DEAR J.C.: Allergens can linger, but there are steps your friend can take. Cats’ dried saliva collects in their fur when they groom themselves, and it is a protein in this substance that causes problems for those with allergies. Wiping down cats with a moist sponge morning and evening can help those with mild respiratory and skin-contact allergic reactions. Spreading cotton sheets on furniture where cats like to lie and laundering them every few days can also help reduce the amount of dander in the home, along with a good air-filtration system.

All in all, having a cat or dog in the home helps reduce the incidence of allergies and infections (and therefore antibiotic use) in children. Dogs are of particular benefit because they get outdoors and bring home a variety of bacteria in their paw-pads. With exposure earlier in life, many children become desensitized.

MIDWESTERN PET FOOD EXPANDS DEADLY AFLATOXIN RECALL

From truthaboutpetfood.com:

“On Jan. 11, Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc. expanded its recent recall to include all dry kibble pet food products containing corn that were made in the firm’s Oklahoma plant that expire on or before July 9, 2022. More than 1,000 lot codes are affected.”

Aflatoxin is a toxic, liver-damaging mold, and in this instance, at least 70 dogs have died and over 80 became ill.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)

DEAR READERS: The Better Business Bureau issued a warning late last year about online pet-sale scams that use COVID-19 as an excuse to avoid in-person transactions. The BBB received 337 complaints about puppy scams in November, compared with only 77 in November of 2019. The organization says scammers frequently ask for payment through apps instead of wire transfers.

I have urged readers in past columns not to get caught in these scams. One close friend told me she had been promised a Yorkie puppy that would be brought to her at her local airport by a courier if she paid in advance. “Never buy a puppy in a poke,” I reminded her -- go see the pup’s parents and check out the breeder’s facilities. Many pups sold online are from puppy mills, an issue I will cover in a future column in more detail. Best to adopt from a local shelter, and consider your age: If you are elderly, a less-active, already house-trained adult dog may be ideal.

My friend ended up buying a Yorkie from a breeder, but soon faced predictable health and behavioral problems (house-soiling and chewing things due to boredom and teething). And her own age-related health issues meant she could not walk the poor pup, and had to hire a dog-walker. When her dog remained restless and seemed depressed, I advised her to join a puppy playgroup. She did, and now has a much happier and healthier dog. I hope the (sensible and necessary) shutdown of puppy playgroups due to the COVID-19 crisis will soon pass, and we can all get back to a more sociable existence!

DEAR DR. FOX: We just took our 3-week-old goldendoodle to the vet. He itches himself at times, so the veterinarian said to start him on Bravecto. Is this safe? -- S.M., Medford, Oregon

DEAR S.M.: Please have your veterinarian read my article about Bravecto and related anti-flea and tick drugs, which are poisoning cats and dogs around the world, entitled “Companion Animal Risks of Flea and Tick Insecticides” (posted on my website, drfoxonehealth.com).

No veterinarian should prescribe Bravecto to a dog who is simply itching/scratching, for which there could be many reasons. Nor should they jump to prescribing a drug like Apoquel, which is the latest common, and often inappropriate, treatment. Bravecto has killed some dogs and can cause seizures. I consider it malpractice to give it to such a young dog.

Do a little detective work in my column archives for ideas about why your dog might be scratching: uexpress.com/animal-doctor.

DEAR DR. FOX: It amazes me how many people buy pets without doing their homework.

I have a 10-year-old red-footed tortoise named George. The family I got him from bought him at a pet shop when he was a cute little guy, about 8 inches long. They only kept him a short time. He is now about a foot long and weighs over 10 pounds.

The reason they got rid of him is that the size of his poops freaked them out. The couple both worked in a hospital and were very concerned about germs.

Reptiles are hard to raise. They need the right temperature, sunlight, diet, calcium and other vitamins, etc. George needs to be soaked on a regular basis. Fortunately I live in Florida, so George spends his time out in my screened lanai, and we have access to fresh fruit and vegetables year-round. His favorite is cactus pears.

He is also very social, and loves attention. He follows me around, and likes to sit on my husband’s Crocs.

There is also the issue of his long lifespan. I have already made arrangements for him should he outlive me. We love him, and I am sure he is happy and healthy, but he would have been happier left in the wild.

Our wildlife has a tough enough time dealing with loss of environment, and poaching is just added stress. There is now a big market for tortoises overseas. Something should be done, but as usual, animal welfare is at the bottom of our society’s priorities.

Keep putting out the word in your columns; hopefully some people are listening. -- L.D.R., Naples, Florida

DEAR L.D.R.: Thanks for sharing your experience rescuing an “exotic” species that has no place in captivity. International wildlife trafficking, which is linked with drug and human trafficking, will hopefully be on the agenda of the new Biden administration. That group will include -- at last -- a Native American heading up one of the government agencies that can get the ball rolling on these issues! Biden’s choice of Rep. Deb Haaland of New Mexico to serve as the first Native American Cabinet secretary, heading the Department of the Interior, is historic. It hopefully marks a turning point for the U.S. government’s relationship with the nation’s indigenous peoples, as well as its indigenous species and their habitats.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)

DEAR READERS: The borders dissecting private and public (federal) lands should be dismantled, beginning with segments that are ecologically disruptive. Erecting walls, fences and other barriers means that indigenous species are being deprived of access to their full-range habitats -- cut off at least partially from food and water sources. These areas include the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge (and the private National Butterfly Center: a 100-acre sanctuary dedicated to the conservation and study of monarchs and 200 other butterfly species) and the San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge.

Imperiled species living in these regions include the mountain lion, bobcat, javelina, jaguar, ocelot, coati mundi, Sonoran pronghorn, Mexican gray wolf, Peninsular bighorn sheep, and several varieties of pygmy owl found nowhere else in the United States. This is a national disgrace and a crime against nature and indigenous species, as many scientific studies have now clearly documented.

As 17th-century English poet John Donne wrote, “No man is an island.” This is an ecological and socioeconomic fact in our internationally connected and interdependent world.

DEAR DR. FOX: My wife and I no longer have animals, but when our children were young, we had a dog, hamsters and even a tarantula. We are still in tune with the environment, and feel quite strongly that all of us are integral parts of the whole planetary system.

Unfortunately, some individuals do not realize how critical an issue global warming is -- for so many species on our planet, including us humans. This should NOT be a political issue, but a living planet concern.

Unfortunately, when you have ignorant and blind leadership, and those who don’t recognize reality, this becomes political. It’s too bad there are so many who fit the description of the adage, “There are none so blind as those who will not see.”

About those who call you an anti-Trumpist, it fits what my mother said to me many, many years ago: “Those who matter don’t mind, and those who mind don’t matter.”

Keep up the good work. Even without pets currently, we still read your articles. -- T.N., South Bend, Indiana

DEAR DR. FOX: I agree we are in a culture war -- one I never saw coming! At stake is the truth. I commend you for your support of a more enlightened, science-based viewpoint! -- J.B., Tulsa, Oklahoma

DEAR T.N. AND J.B.: Thanks for your words of support. What I feared years ago (articulated in my book “Bringing Life to Ethics: Global Bioethics for a Humane Society”) seems to be coming to fruition. Namely, we are seeing the rise of a third political party in the U.S. and in other countries. These increasingly dysfunctional democracies are learning that they cannot serve two masters -- unbridled capitalism and the public good. Trying to do so ignores the good of the commons: the natural world and all its indigenous species and peoples.

I call this morally bankrupt, materialistically corrupted, technocratic third party “biofascist.” Combining prejudice, racism and speciesism, this group treats nature purely as a material resource and animals as objects/commodities while being seduced by self-serving ideologies and propaganda. It is anti-science and anti-democratic, and is both denying and exacerbating the climate, extinction and public health crises we face today.

People of good conscience must unite under the “green” politics of environmental protection, conservation and sustainable commerce and trade, respecting the fact that all lives matter: human and nonhuman. We have a long way to go, especially since environmental and animal protectionists are demonized by biofascists as being advocates of “eco-fascism.” The internet is rife with anarchistic diatribes against environmental protections, while the corporate ecoterrorism of the petrochemical and other harmful industries continues unabated.

This has been especially exacerbated under the Trump regime, which essentially dismantled the government agencies responsible for public and environmental health, animal welfare and protection of endangered species. His third party has no place in any democracy, or in a world as fragile -- but still as beautiful -- as ours, which we must respect, protect and cherish.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)