1. RETIRING FARMER AND HER COWS
Jill Smith, a farmer from Cork, Ireland, decided it was time to retire and the fate of her cows was grim. Most cows in this situation would likely be sent to be slaughtered but she couldn't let that happen. She stated that the cows had provided for her for years and that she had to get them to a sanctuary to live out the rest of their lives. With the help of animal lovers and a funding page, she managed to raise 9,000 euros, and the cows are now destined to spend the rest of their lives living amongst friends in peace.

Such a great thing for her to do, she definitely has the right mentality about it! They most definitely deserve this after years of providing for her. Such an amazing thing for her and and animal lovers everywhere to do for these cows!
​Check out the whole story below!
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/farmer-saves-cows-slaughter-hillside-animal-sanctuary-norwich-ireland-cork-a7962661.html

 2. ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER PLACE BANNING FUR
​London's historic Old Spitalfield has announced that all stall holders will no longer be allowed to sell fur beginning January 2018. Fur is most definitely on the way out and this is just another place banning the sale. The U.K banned fur farming since 2000 although they import a tremendous amount of furs.

What's great is that these places rooted in tens of hundreds of years of tradition, are coming around to the fact that fur farming is awful. Not only does it have environmental impacts, the animals are often times treated like absolute garbage prior to being killed. Fur is WHOLLY UNNECESSARY and rooted in cruelty! Here's to hoping we see the end of fur farming in the near future!
​See the full story below!
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/fur-sale-banned-old-spitalfields-market-london-january-2018-animal-rights-a8102071.html

 3. OREO AND THE NURSING HOME
Oreo, a local stray cat in a Cleveland, Ohio neighbourhood, has found a new job after wandering into a nursing home. Much like her canine friend, she provides affection to the residents but also gives the residents and children who visit something to look forward to. 

Animals are so special and I've always said, companionship is such a treasure. There's no denying the appeal of a loving pet, so it's no surprise she is putting a smile on the residents face. I especially loved this story because the cat I shared 19 years with was also named Oreo. Struck a nerve for sure!
See the full story below!
​www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/cat-nursing-home-st-augustine_us_58cbff3ee4b0ec9d29db9941

Debuting last night, Trophy describes itself as a "shockumentary" that dives in to the world of trophy hunting and conservation. One would assume that every aspect of trophy hunting would be analyzed in the film but it ended up being a one sided look at trophy hunting and its perceived benefits to conservation. 

During the documentary, viewers were treated to apparent hunting propaganda like a rhino being blindfolded and having its horn removed, an elephant shot and moaning in agonizing pain while people gather around excitedly, and other endangered animals being shot and killed. The show ultimately centered around the hunt itself and the perceived notion that animals were put on this earth for us to do with as we please. The documentary neglects to give factual details regarding conservation or screen time to activists who are opposed to this activity.

I've spoken about this in the past but the argument that trophy hunting aides conservation is lost on me. We're not talking about animals that are overpopulating the earth here, we're talking about animals that are endangered. Animals whose numbers have dropped significantly in the past 20 years because of our "conservation through hunting" efforts. Elephants, rhinos, lions, etc., these animals are dropping off the face of the earth because of human's salacious greed. Human's sick desire to shoot and kill these beautiful creatures to fulfill some twisted fantasy. That's what this show is all about.

Without providing any factual evidence supporting conservation, the show literally becomes a joke. A show centered around hunting, killing, and profiting off of the slaughter of animals. It's alarming that CNN would allow a show with such one sided and distorted views of conservation to air knowing that there would be an outcry from activists. This show ultimately glorifies slaughtering endangered animals which is the opposite of what is needed at this time. At a time when animal activism is becoming more prevalent and conservation is a topic that is becoming much more heavily discussed, I find myself wondering why this documentary was even allowed to come onto television.

The reality is, we will see the extinction of elephants. We will see the extinction of rhinos, lions, tigers, and other endangered animals. We will see the demise of several species in our lifetime and yet shows like this are popping up to remind us exactly why there will be no more of these beautiful creatures left. The documentary is an absolute disgrace and CNN should be ashamed of itself for promoting such tripe.

Stuff your hunting aides conservation theories up your ass and start doing something that actually helps animals. 

Did you guys catch the documentary? I want to hear from you!


HAPPY VEG

​www.dw.com/en/switzerland-bans-boiling-live-lobsters-in-animal-welfare-reform/a-42104175

Switzerland has reformed their animal cruelty laws and some of the things included are quite interesting and progressive. 

They have enacted a law that would require lobsters be stunned prior to being boiled. After calls from activists that see the live boiling as cruel, this is definitely an interesting step in the right direction. Why is this interesting? Well, I am here, in Canada, fighting to make it illegal to sexually exploit an animal, and we've got Switzerland making it illegal to boil lobsters alive. Canada has such a long road ahead of itself when it comes to animal rights and this is definitely evidence to suggest that fact.

Back to Switzerland. Not only have they made it illegal to boil lobsters alive, the means in which they are transported has also changed. It is no longer acceptable to transfer them in cold water / on ice, they must be transported in their natural habitat. This will essentially reduce their stress and any uncomfort they would experience on ice. This is a big step in the right direction for animals as far as recognizing their awareness and the conditions they deserve to be held in.

What this also does is shine a very dim light on Canada and our outdated animal protection laws. Animals are still regarded so poorly in our government's eyes that our animal cruelty laws have been left untouched for decades. As I mentioned earlier, it is still legal to engage in oral sex with an animal in our fine country. When you consider how progressive our country is, it's extremely shameful to admit that sexual exploitation with animals is still legal here. That's especially true when you consider how advanced other countries are with their animal rights. 

I will continue to fight for animals in Canada and hopefully more stories like this will emerge adding fuel to my fire. Once again, congratulations Switzerland!


HAPPY VEG