ASPCA Online Community

This is a great social network by ASPCA online community. I just joined it and it’s fabulous. You can make friends who also love animals as you do. You are even able to create a blog hosted on this site, which I would have done if I had known before. If you have issues regarding animal welfare you’d like to discuss with the community, this is a good place to start. Check out the site and join now!

Filed under: humane organizations , Animal Organizations, animal social network, ASPCA, blogs, community, discussion

Eating Meat vs. Opposing Fur

It’s a bit of an oxymoron being a carnivore and an animal advocate. I eat only beef, chicken, fish and a little bit of bacon but that’s it. I won’t add another animal to my list. It is a conundrum and I’m not proud of it.

I oppose the fur industry as well as anything that breeds and kills an animal for fashion. Some people will say to me “isn’t it hypocrisy to eat an animal but preach that wearing one is wrong – it’s the same thing.” But I don’t think it is that black and white, and it’s a lazy and lame excuse to justify that wearing fur to look fabulous is okay.

In ancient times, humans killed animals for survival- flesh for food, skin and fur for warmth, and other parts used for tools and gear. This is not necessary any longer in modern society. Take a cow for instance, when you slaughter it, you use its flesh for food, its skin for leather— you use ALL of the animal for some purpose. When you strip a fox, bear, tiger, even dog or cat, racoon of its fur, the rest of the animal is mostly discarded. The same goes for breeding sheep and shaving its precious coat for fine wool. They are often castrated without anesthesia and cut so deep while being shaved they bleed and die. This is why fur is wrong. This is why this matter is not that black and white.

Not that I think eating meat is a good thing—it is not really healthy for humans, but when I eat an animal, I choose eating the ones that did not die in vain or in the name of fashion. I choose eating the ones that I know all its parts went to use in some way. So there, it’s about setting some boundaries and have to live with yourself. And I will do my best to stop eating animals altogether as that’s what I choose.

Filed under: animal cruelty, farm animals, friends , animals for consumption, carnivores, fur, meat

Stop Puppy Mills in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is notorious for their awful treatment of dogs at puppy mills in the U.S. The abysmal conditions at the mills have been widely documented. Please help by signing the petition here (at Care2 Petition site) to urge Congress to pass a bill that will require them to provide better medical care for and improve the wellbeing of the dogs. Take action now – it only takes a minute to sign the petition (we still need 38,000 signatures!) Do it now! Thank you kind people!
Photo from Care2’s site.

Filed under: Take Action, animal cruelty, dogs and cats, friends, local issues, puppy mills , better care for dogs, care2petition, pennsylvania, petition, puppy mills, Take Action

Victory on Factory Farming

Recently there has been a lot of news on factory farming cruelty exposed by the HSUS in one of the largest recall on cattle meat in recently history. The USDA today announced a complete ban on the slaughter of downed cattle for human consumption. In the past, there had been no real inspection practices in slaughter trails and auctions. Sick and crippled cows, too frail to walk to the slaughter line were electrocuted, kicked, forklifted, and forcefully dragged to be slaughtered—just plain needless torment for the cows. This is not only extremely inhumane but also poses major health risks for people as sick animals subject us to diseases such as ecoli, mad cow diseases.

This is a major victory – now that the loophole is closed we will only hope that this will be carried out. The HSUS and other animal welfare organizations will push for stronger federal legislation to ensure humane euthanasia of downers and protect farm animals from abuse. Read the full article here.

Just because we eat them, doesn’t mean they should suffer and die in such an awful way. We are what we eat. The better we treat the animals, the less chance we will subject ourselves to health risks. Better yet, go organic or become vegetarian.

(photo: a downed cow left to suffer at auction – from HSUS)

Filed under: animal cruelty, farm animals, humane farming, humane organizations, local issues , animal abuse, animal suffering, cows, diseases, downed animals, factory farming, humane slaughter, USDA

On Oprah: Angel’s Gate Animal Hospice

My friend Evan sent me this link. Oprah did a special segment on a saint, Susan Marino, and her facility called Angel’s Gate Animal Hospice. The place is the first-ever care center and permanent home for hundreds of handicapped, sick, and dying animals, giving them much-needed love, medical care and a last chance to live happily ever after.

90% of the dogs and cats here came from puppy mills, where the animals suffered from living in unspeakable conditions and abuse. Nancy would bring in the worst case scenarios in effort to give them a home for life. It’s really a touching story—click on this link here and scroll down to watch the short movie. Make a donation at Angel’s Gate site or share this wonderful stories with your friends!

Filed under: Take Action, dogs and cats, humane organizations, local issues, puppy mills, shelters , angel's gate, animal care, animal hospice, nancy marino, permanent homes, puppy mills, rescue

Big Oil Wants More of the Arctic – 40,000 Signatures Needed NOW

On Tuesday, May 13th, the Senate is going to “vote on an amendment to the national Flood Insurance Bill offered by Senator Mitch McConnell (KY) and co-sponsored by Senator Pete Domenici (NM) that threatens polar bears and other wildlife,” says the International Fund For Animals. Instead of searching or leaning towards better alternatives, this bill is trying to open up more of the dangerously threatened Arctic for drilling to make more oil profits from consumers.

Click on this link to sign the petition (you don’t have to give your real name if you wish to do so privately) and submit the form. IFAW needs 40,000 submissions to get our message through to the Senate. Please help today so that Polar Bears, arctic foxes, seals and other creatures in this region can survive. Thank you!

Filed under: Global Warming, Take Action, friends, international issues, local issues , arctic drilling, endangered species, polar bears, Take Action

Don’t Eat Veal

While other countries employ barbaric treatment of animals for human consumption, the United States does its fair share of it—veal. All for their deliciously tenderized pale white meat, veal is wildly popular in Europe and the U.S. but most people are not aware of the extreme cruelty in the production of it. And for others that do know a little, they perhaps don’t know the whole story. So here it is.

For many years Europe produced veal, but not in the way the U.S. do today. Back then, cow calves were fed mother’s milk then sent to slaughter about 2 weeks after birth. The U.S. and its notorious farming corporations do it differently. You can read about this in detail in this great article by Dave Kopel, the director of the Independence Institute. But in short, we use larger calves in greater size and weight (yielding more meat and profit), and basically cram the animals in crates so small so that calves can yield no physical movement, hence producing no muscle tone in their bodies resulting in tender flesh. They gestate in these crates for weeks, being fed atrocious meals that combined milk substitutes, antibiotics, water, and mold inhibitors. The cannot turn around, can barely move side by side, and many end up losing muscles in their legs and ending up hunched over them, never able to stand back up again. They live in atrophy and eventually end up in slaughter, often picked up by cranes or dragged across the pavement as they could not walk, all so that the food industry can charge hefty prices in fancy restaurants.

I’ve had veal once, and it was delicious. But knowing it ended on my plate this way, and that there are so many other food options out there, I can leave it off my diet. I eat meat I admit, but with a guilty conscience, however I would simply not add another cruelty-meat to my list. I’m trying very hard too to swear off cows in general.

Two summers ago on Mother’s Day, I worked myself up to stand in Union Square Park in NYC and handed out homemade flyers on Veal Facts, urging the public to learn about this and spreading the word. It’s not a heroic thing to do, but it’s not something I do usually. It felt great to do something about it. I got a lot of positive responses, and a few negative ones too. However it comes down to having good sense to choose between what’s right and wrong. I have a lot of issues with cruel farming practices in general, but veal? That’s the worst. Learn how you can help here.

Filed under: Take Action, animal cruelty, humane farming, local issues , cruel meat, farm animal cruelty, U.S. farming, veal

Sharks Awareness Cartoon by Jim Toomey

Artist Jim Toomey illustrates cartoon strip highlighting sharks’ vulnerability in our oceans. A great series is being showcased on Humane Society of the United States‘ website.

Sharks of all kinds all over the world are at great risk of extinction. Overfishing, poaching by Asian countries have reduced their numbers in the thousands. Caught in fishing nets, sharks drown since they are unable to move through water over their gills. Captured and killed for ONLY their fins, which is believed by some to have healing effects, most sharks are often thrown back into the oceans after their fins are cut off, then they drown and bleed to death in the water, leaving corpses everywhere. They are magnificent predators that keep the balance of ocean life in check and they are “vital part of nature”. Write to the National Marine Fisheries Service at 1315 East-West Hwy, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
Check out the wonderful cartoon strips here.. You can’t also print out the cartoon image above and mail it easily!

Filed under: Take Action, animal cruelty, hunting, international issues , animal cruelty, Take Action, shark finning, HSUS, cartoons, jim toomey, sherman's lagoon

Indy 500 Insider Event For Animal Causes

For $5000 it’s a pretty steep purchase, but if you are an Indianapolis 500 fan and an animal lover, IFAW (International Fund For Animals) are offering two packages, generously donated by a patron. The package includes tickets to the full event, accommodations, VIP passes for 3 days. More info here – it’s a great cause and if money is no object for you, why not spend it on something fun AND worthy?

Filed under: friends , IFAW, Indy 500 Insider

Kentucky Derby Horse Injured and Enthuasized

In my previous post about Carriage-drawn horses, I’ve also noted that horse-racing is another cruelty issue. Yes we’ve all seen the movie Seabiscuit and its triumphantly touching story, and there’s no doubt that most of these horses are treated okay for their value. However no good can come of horse-racing. It destroys people’s lives as they gamble their life-savings away on the tracks, and the animals themselves go through rigorous training since a young age, then whipped mercilessly to race in warp speed to get to the finish line. Again, my opinion of animals being used for any form of entertainment is that it is inhumane.

At the Kentucky Derby this Saturday, a horse named Eight Belles sped to its final stretch, then collapsed. Both its ankles were snapped, rendering the horse immobilized and therefore put down as she laid on the dirt. Like Barbaro’s death before hers, many other race horses suffer similar fate that we do not see. Over-extended training, battered bodies (by whips and pure exhaustion), and broken legs are shield from the public eye.

By the way, my late grandfather at one point spent everyday after he retirement at the OTB. He gambled most of his and my grandmother’s money away, leaving little money for their next generations. That money could have been put to much better use.

Filed under: animal cruelty, local issues , Belle Eight, gambling, horse racing, Kentucky Derby