It was recently discovered that one in four UK slaughterhouses failed to meet required hygiene standards. Of 323 slaughterhouses in the UK, 86 of them allowed meat with E.Coli, salmonella, and other bacteria to be sold to the public. It was also discovered that information was falsified in order to pass food safety standards. Basically, another nail in the coffin of the meat industry.

Basic hygiene is not something that should be overlooked and further proves that animals in these situations are regarded very poorly. How can you operate a business with absolutely no regard for the basic needs of the "product" you are selling? As if it isn't bad enough that the animals live in filth and abhorrent conditions prior to being slaughtered but let's add insult to injury with the lack of hygiene when processing the meat. Knowingly selling meat contaminated with virus' and bacteria is disgusting business practice and also demonstrates how money fuels everything. These businesses don't care about the animal's health or the health of the consumers.

If it isn't a slaughterhouse, it's a factory farm committing some sort of indecency to animals. All of these stories emerging about the quality of lives of the animals housed in these facilities are not shocking in the least. Animals in the meat industry are nothing more than products, no different than produce at the supermarket as far as these companies are concerned and things need to change.

There needs to be much heavier monitoring of these facilities and regular visits and facility tours to ensure the animals are being kept in acceptable conditions. Strict penalties must accompany any discovery of animal neglect, food contamination, unsanitary living conditions / processing equipment, or any significant issue involving animal welfare or quality assurance. 1 in 4 slaughterhouses were deemed unacceptable to standard, that's far too high a number and indicates that they are not being monitored heavily enough.

I wanted to touch base with all of you on the World Wildlife Foundation and all of the wonderful work that they do. I would assume a lot of you are familiar with the organization but there's so many wonderful things that they are doing. I frequently visit their website to find out the current state of many of the world's animals. As an animal lover, this organization is definitely one I support wholeheartedly and here's why you should as well!

• Their organization has recently brought Giant Pandas back from the Endangered Species list which is amazing news. Giant Pandas have been on the Endangered list since the late 80's early 90's thanks in part to habitat loss but also the difficult breeding practices of the panda. Pandas ovulate only once a year and there is a very small window of opportunity for a male to impregnate a female. This means if the timing is not exactly right, it rarely happens.
• Their conservation efforts are also notable. They work tirelessly to protect the world's fresh water, rainforests, and oceans along with all the wildlife that comes with these territories. Protecting our planet is something we should all be doing considering the facts surrounding our environments current state. Global warming is not a rumour, it's being proven every day. Our planet is exhibiting warning signs and the WWF is working to address them every day!
• Pandas aren't the only animals they are trying to help. At this very moment, they are also working to protect species such as black rhinos, tigers, and monarch butterflies. ​

Poaching continues to be the leading cause of animal endangerment and unfortunately, it doesn't appear to be slowing down. At this very moment, there are 10 species that are being poached to near extinction and if something is not done to stop this, we will be witness to the extinction of some pretty important animals.

1. ELEPHANTS - Almost 1 elephant is poached every 15 minutes and poaching has seen the population of elephants drop 30% in seven measly years. The illegal ivory trade is still very prominent and although countries are starting to ban the import of ivory products, it's too little too late. Without some serious crackdown on poaching, we could see the extinction of elephants in our lifetime. 
2. Devil Rays / Sharks - There is a very strong demand for the fins of sharks and gills of rays in Asia. Although stronger protections for these sea creatures have recently been put into place, the world has seen a serious decrease in their populations. In fact, devil rays have vanished by half in some areas while sharks have seen a quarter of their species land on the endangered list. 
3. Lions - It is estimated that if poaching and hunting continue, wild lions will be extinct by 2050. Can you imagine a world without lions? Pushing such a beautiful creature to the brink of extinction is deplorable. 
4. Tigers - 97% of wild tigers have vanished in the last century leaving approximately 3200 of these beautiful cats left. In fact, 3 subspecies of tigers have become extinct and the remaining 6 are listed as critically endangered. We are on track to witness the extinction of tigers in the wild.

Can you believe we could actually witness the extinction of tigers and lions so soon? Something drastic has to be done to protect these animals. There are so many conservation efforts being put into place as well as anti poaching forces, but it appears that it is not working to its full extent. More money and time MUST be funneled into these programs otherwise we could witness the end of some seriously important animals. 

What I want to know is, what are these poaching bastards going to do after they've extinct all of their profits? What do they do then? They will not only be responsible for the extinction of some beautiful, majestic creatures but they will also be setting themselves up for a massive profit loss after all is said and done. Where do you go after you've slaughtered everything you make money off of? Have they even considered ANY of the repercussions of their actions?

All of the countries that accept these kinds of products NEED to step up and tackle the black market. Without the need for these products, there would be no more need for slaughter. Attacking the black market and cracking down on the import of ANY product related to an endangered species is a crucial step to protecting what animals we have left.

We are on track to witnessing the 6th mass extinction and this story certainly stands to prove that theory correct. Want the full list? Head to the link at the top of the page for the full story.


HAPPY VEG

I can't be the only one making this obvious connection to animal cruelty and factory farmed animals. I've previously shared articles and commentaries about big named animal suppliers being busted for unimaginable animal cruelty. Animals like chickens, turkeys, cows, and fur farmed animals including foxes and minks are some of the cruelty busts that I've shared in the past.

Here we are now in California where animal advocacy group Compassion Over Killing has recorded the first ever footage of a lamb slaughterhouse. As you can imagine, several instances of neglect and abuse were documented on camera in violation of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act.

Is this surprising? 

Not at all, here's why!

Factory farmed animals will never be treated with respect or dignity. They are kept in the worst conditions, fearful every minute until they die. Their slaughter means absolutely nothing to the people tasked with ending their lives. No matter what animal it is, if it's being mass produced I can pretty much guarantee to you that it has suffered some kind of cruelty at the hands of workers.

Here's where family owned farms come into play. I don't agree with eating meat and would never eat it again, with that being said I am an avid supporter of family owned farms. My obvious reasoning is that it's wonderful to support locally run businesses but you can bet that the animals on these farms live the highest quality of life. They are fed proper diets, have clean and cared for areas to sleep / eat, and room to roam around. Do they inevitably meet slaughter? Yes, but if you're going to eat meat and support the industry, do so in a manner that also supports your community and promotes the better care of farm animals.

It's blatantly obvious that factory farming is destroying the environment. It's blatantly obvious that the animals are treated like worthless crap the minute they're conceived until the minute they die. It's blatantly obvious that a lot of the people working for factory farms clearly don't care for animals whatsoever. Where's the confusion here?

Factory farming NEEDS to be ceased. Go undercover to any of them and I'm sure you'll find at least one instance of blatant neglect or cruelty. Unless they are heavily monitored and regularly checked up on or simply put to an end, then animals will continue to be massed produced, mistreated, and exposed to horrible conditions. End of story.


Thoughts?


HAPPY VEG

The annual seal hunt is one of the most disturbing and barbaric activities on this earth. Every year, almost 400, 000 seals are clubbed and prodded to death for their fur. They are not stunned prior to being beaten making this one of the most barbaric methods for killing animals imaginable. 

Norway is the first country to end government funding for the seal hunt and it is the first time in decades that this kind of action has been taken. What this means is that despite the tradition, there is a shift away from this activity. With the government pulling funding, this could potentially save thousands of seals from unnecessary slaughter every year.

The Nordic countries are so far ahead of us in regards to animal rights and environmental preservation efforts. They are world leaders in these areas setting the bar high for the rest of us and we are sorely lagging behind.

With Norway ending its funding of this yearly slaughter, there is an opportunity for the other participating countries to take note. Canada, Greenland, and Namibia participate in the yearly hunt that contributes to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of seals every year. I'd like to think that the remaining countries would recognize that this hunt is incredibly unnecessary but there has been protest of the seal hunt in Canada for years. 

It's sad to admit considering our values as a country that we support an activity this heinous. I have said time and time again that our country, despite being incredibly progressive and empathetic to the needs of people, is very behind in the animal rights department. As you all know, I am currently fighting for our bestiality laws to be upgraded and have been met with a cold reception at every turn. Quite surprisingly, despite the shift in our people's attitudes towards animals, our government hasn't gotten the message yet. It is my hope that Canada wakes up and realizes it needs to step up for animals especially as Norway demonstrates compassion in the face of animal abuse.

Click the link at the top of the page for the full story!


HAPPY VEG

**This story was published in 2015 but after searching online I discovered that the lack of demand for seal products has virtually abolished the seal hunt in Norway. 2017 saw not a single boat head out for the annual hunt! 
http://www.newsinenglish.no/2017/01/20/game-over-for-norways-seal-hunt/