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The city of Shenzhen in China has introduced a legislation that would effectively ban the consumption of cats and dogs. The potential new law comes on the heels of the coronavirus outbreak that has infected tens of thousands of people and killed hundreds. It is speculated that the virus started because of the consumption of live bats in China which has moved the country in the direction of banning the consumption of wild animals / domestic animals as well.
Through the coronavirus outbreak, Chinese officials have had to closely examine the habits of their people and try to minimize the potential for another outbreak in the future. One of the main things identified as a contributing factor to this and future outbreaks was the consumption of wild animals, cats & dogs, and eating animals alive. Knowing this, the natural step to take is to tackle these factors and eliminate them which is why the city of Shenzhen has introduced this bill to officially ban the consumption of cats and dogs.
The city is giving the people one week to express their feelings about this upcoming ban before it becomes active. I truly hope that this moves ahead full steam with the support of the people because coronavirus aside, consumption of cats and dogs is despicable. Consumption of live animals is repulsive, things need to change otherwise not only will animals continue to suffer tremendously but there will always be potential for another virus outbreak if certain standards are not improved. I will update on this as more information becomes available. HAPPY VEG
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It's a horrific scene in Maryland after the Humane Society of the United States posted the results of the most recent wildlife killing contests. Rows upon rows of the carcasses of coyotes, red foxes, and racoons lay before the humans who happily shot them dead for a chance to be the winner. It's an absolute disgrace to witness something quite so malicious in that it is a game centered around slaughtering as many animals as you can to take home the top cash prize.
It's abhorrent to think that there is such a sport that takes place. One that tricks and exploits animals only to let them be shot dead for a few points towards a scoreboard. What have we become that luring animals into the open by tricking them into believing there are sick babies around is acceptable behaviour? I think what fries me even more is some of the pictures from this event show children happily dragging around the carcasses of these animals towards weighing stations. These children are being taught that this is not only acceptable, but is an appropriate form of fun. Children should NOT be subjected to these sorts of activities let alone have it promoted to them as something that is fun for all ages.
Other states in the United States of America have enacted bans on these wildlife killing contests recognizing that they are despicable so it's time for Maryland to do the same. We cannot continue to promote the slaughter of wildlife while we are in the midst of the largest mass extinction in our existence. Coyotes and foxes are not the type of animal to overpopulate because they naturally populate enough for the environment to sustain them. These animals help to maintain a healthy ecosystem by keeping smaller animals like rabbits, mice, and rats in check. BY removing these natural predators, we are then giving these prey animals an opportunity to over populate which in turn will spur more slaughter. It's a vicious cycle entirely caused by human interference in the wild and it needs to stop. Wildlife killing contests are sick and it's time to call them out for what they are, an excuse for humans to kill. There is no place in our society for a sport that focuses on killing as many animals as possible. It's shameful and needs to be banned. HAPPY VEG Los Angeles has approved an ordinance to make the use of exotic animals for private functions and parties illegal. This comes as no surprise as Los Angeles banned the use of exotic animals in circus' just last year. This ordinance came about 4 years ago after witnesses watched a baby giraffe and baby elephant marching through the hollywood hills towards a private function where they would likely perform and be pet / taken photos of by party goers. While it should go without saying, wild animals do not belong at private functions where they are subjected to continuous emotional and mental distress. These poor animals are surrounded by human beings who are flashing photography at them, petting them, and surrounding them to watch them interact with party goers. All of this undoubtedly causes these animals distress as none of what they are witnessing comes naturally to them.
Considering both elephants and giraffes are facing various perils in the wild that are dwindling their population down, there should be no question as to whether having exotic animals performing at parties is a good or bad thing. I'll say this again, there is no place for wild, exotic animals at parties, functions, circus', or any other form of entertainment. The only place these babies belong is in the wild with their parents.
Congratulations to Los Angeles for taking this step in protecting wild animals from exploitation for entertainment. HAPPY VEG California is poised to enact a bill that will require all new adoptions to come with mandatory microchipping. The bill, aimed at protecting pets from being euthanized in shelters, hopes to reduce the amount of family pet euthanizations and reduce the financial burden on taxpayers. Over 500, 000 animals end up in California shelters every year and unfortunately, over half of them are euthanized. Sadly, only 15% of dogs and 2% of cats are reunited with their owners versus being euthanized. These statistics are saddening but also a call for action which California is addressing. California regularly demonstrates advanced animal welfare standards in comparison to the rest of the United States so this bill is no surprise to me.
By microchipping animals, shelters can easily locate owners of pets who have escaped and ended up in shelters reducing the amount of euthanizations and also increasing the amount of reunited animals with their families. Taxpayers fund euthanizations and this bill aims to reduce that financial burden on taxpayers while simultaneously saving animals' lives. As the above quote mentioned, the cost of a 5$ microchip pales in comparison to the taxpayer funded euthanizations. It's common sense to go ahead with this bill when you not only consider the financials, but also the animals and the families they are a part of.
As I mentioned, California has been at the forefront of animal welfare in the United States for a long time. California was the first state to ban fur and just last year, waived adoption fees for veterans in hopes of promoting companion animals and increasing adoptions. California also doled out a one time 50 million dollar payout to UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program to develop a grant for shelters in hopes of California working towards a no-kill policy for any treatable / adoptable animal. They continue to demonstrate a strong support for animal welfare and a continued commitment to helping animals in any way that they can. I strongly support this bill and hope that I can report to you guys soon that it has passed and become law. This simple step of microchipping all new adoptions will ensure pets and families are reunited, will spare unnecessary euthanizations of pets who are lost to their families, and will hopefully help California work towards a no-kill policy. HAPPY VEG Animal advocacy groups have sued the Secretary of Agriculture and the USDA over their failure to offer protections to sick and injured pigs in the factory farming industry. The lawsuit claims that sick and injured pigs in the slaughter industry are often subject to repeated abuse because of their inability to move. It also claims that these pigs are susceptible to human transferrable pathogens meaning their meat is likely more dangerous to eat and yet it is served up without regard for the well being of the pigs or the human's who will then consume the meat.
You know, when it comes to the meat industry as a whole, if it isn't one thing going wrong it is undoubtedly another. This industry continues to operate despite repeated undercover investigations turning up gruesome facts about the industry. Whether we're talking cows who are beaten, chickens who are strangled or thrown, or pigs who are being electroshocked while injured or sick, these atrocities are happening every day all around us. These investigations are turning up problem after problem with this industry and yet it continues to flourish and operate with little prosecution or accountability. That's why these lawsuits are so very important when it comes to the welfare of these poor animals.
These animals are already unwillingly giving their lives to us and they are repaid by being abused and mistreated. I can almost guarantee that one in every two slaughterhouse facilities is negligent towards their animals just based on the scope of investigations that have already brought this to light. Nearly every single day we are reading about exposed abuse in various animal agriculture industries, these are facts. When you buy meat, you are contributing to the abuse of animals, plain and simple. It's time for these industries to be held accountable for their actions. It's time that these industries adhere to animal welfare standards and work towards better treatment of animals used for meat. There is no excuse for allowing animals to live in squalor. There is no excuse for allowing animals to be beaten, choked, thrown, or electroshocked while already sick or injured. I hope this lawsuit brings about new laws to protect sick and injured pigs from being slaughtered. It has been time for change in the meat industry for a long time now and these lawsuits are going to force the industry to take a long, hard look at how they operate and what they can do better to ensure fair treatment of these poor animals. Meat is murder, plain and simple. HAPPY VEG It's time for some positive news in the animal kingdom today as South Africa announced a decline in the amount of rhinos and elephants poached in 2019. Statistics show that 769 rhinos were killed in 2018 but this decreased to 594 in 2019 and elephants dropped from 71 to 31 in 2019 as well. This is in part thanks to the cooperation of rhino horn consumer countries like Malaysia & Vietnam and the tireless efforts of anti-poaching rangers and activism.
As I say with trophy hunting, there is no necessity in ivory derived products. They are nothing more than novelty products that are putting entire species at risk of going extinct. Why are these countries continuing to allow imports of ivory when they are aware of the damage it is doing to the rhino and elephant populations? It's absolutely mind-boggling that there is still a legal market for this! This is no different than trophy hunting to me. We continue to allow wealthy people to participate in hunts of endangered animals and in the same breath cry out that these animals are dropping off the face of the earth. It's hypocrisy at its finest.
As I've said before, we need to put an end to things that we know are directly contributing to the extinction of animals. It's time to ban trophy hunting and ban ivory imports across the board. If we tackle these legal elephant and rhino slaughters, we can then focus wholly on illegal poaching. Although these numbers indicate a job well done by anti-poaching rangers in South Africa, it's also a reminder that there are still hundreds of rhinos being slaughtered. Time is of the essence when we discuss extinction, there is no going back. A big thank you to everyone out there putting their lives in danger to protect these species. Your hard work is paying off. HAPPY VEG Another day, another potential win for animals after another United States state announced an ordinance to end the production and sale of any new furs. Minneapolis City Council announced a potential ban on fur, joining Connecticut in recent weeks in hoping to put an end to one of the cruelest and most unnecessary industries on our planet.
Animals bred solely for their fur are kept in abhorrent conditions their entire existences. Cramped cages, feces covered feet, lack of proper veterinary care, and a perpetual fear of being killed. These poor animals watch in horror as others are electrocuted. In some cases they are bludgeoned or shot but in every case, they are undoubtedly terrified for their lives. All of this horror, all of this abuse, all of this exploitation of animals and for what? A trim on some stupid name brand jacket or some gaudy, tacky looking fur jacket. Whatever the reason, it's despicable and wholly unnecessary when you consider the plethora of synthetic products available to manufacturers.
This is also kind of a big deal though because this is two U.S. States in less than a month floating around the idea of banning fur. The momentum is building and it's all thanks to the people who are out there exposing these things. Thanks to their hard work and dedication, big names are turning away from the fur industry. We've seen some pretty big brands making the leap to fur free fashion and some big names speaking out against the fur industry. Imagine at this rate where we could be in 5 or 10 years! The potential for a fur free civilization is wholly within reach and this is proof of that. More of us are making conscious efforts to shop more ethically and fur HAS to be one of the first things to go. If you live in Minneapolis and want to see fur banned for good, contact your local state representative and let them know that you support the ban. Ask your friends and family to get involved as well, it only takes a moment! Three cheers for the demise of the fur industry! HAPPY VEG Advocacy groups came together on the steps of the Number 10 building in the UK to present a million signatures urging the UK to end their participation in trophy hunting. The groups stood proudly on the Headquarters of the United Kingdom Government to urge the United Kingdom government to ban the import and export of trophy hunting trophies once and for all. According to studies, approximately 80% of those surveyed in the UK supported a total ban on trophy hunting altogether, not just trophy hunting of endangered animals. The UK recently announced they're looking into banning imports and exports of endangered animal trophies but advocacy groups are calling on them to ban trophy hunting in its entirety. Here are some quotes from various advocacy representatives that speak out against trophy hunting; “We welcome the government’s announcement that it is looking at a ban on imports of hunting trophies from endangered animals, but we’re clear that this law needs to go further than that. This isn’t just about stopping species from going extinct, it’s about taking a stand against a completely immoral practice. A complete ban would reflect the strong public disgust for trophy hunting, and would ensure that it’s effective and not riddled with loopholes.” --Claire Bass, UK Executive Director of Humane Society International / UK
-- Dr. Mark Jones Born Free's Head of Policy As I've said before, trophy hunting acts under the guise of conservation claiming that money spent to take part in these horrific hunts is funnelled into local African communities and also goes towards true conservation efforts. This has been debunked countless times and yet they continue to use this as their justification for their participation. There is absolutely no justification for participating in the killing of endangered animals, can we just accept that once and for all. The argument that you are somehow helping with conservation by shooting endangered animals dead and bringing their body parts back as trophies is absolutely sickening and without merit. KILLING ENDANGERED ANIMALS DOES NOT HELP WITH CONSERVATION! PLAIN AND SIMPLE! We are literally in the midst of a mass extinction with 100's of species going extinct every day. Australia just endured some of the worst bushfires in its history with nearly a billion animals perishing putting koalas in danger of going extinct. These are facts and yet here we are, continuing to allow wealthy people to shoot and kill endangered animals like lions, rhinos, giraffes, and leopards. There is no excuse for allowing this to continue especially when you consider the state of our planet and the animals that are suffering all around the world. It's time for a global ban on trophy hunting ending this barbaric sport once and for all. We cannot continue to allow such a horrendous activity to take place when the planet's animals are already facing an uncertain future. How hypocritical of us as a global community to preach about saving animals while simultaneously allowing people to pay big money to kill animals.
I truly hope the UK moves to end trophy hunting once and for all. Taking this gigantic leap would send a clear message to the global community that it's time to end trophy hunting once and for all and work towards ACTUAL conservation before we see the untimely end of some of the most recognizable animals on our planet. HAPPY VEG |
Stay educated and remain involved in animal welfare. Together, we can all make a difference!
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