For the first time in four years, a litter of critically endangered red wolf pups was born in North Carolina giving hope to conservationists that the species just might come back from the bring of extinction. Red wolves are the most endangered canid species on the planet with only approximately 20 individuals remaining in the wild, so any pups born are considered a miracle for the species at this point.
The US Fish & Wildlife Service's renewed red wolf initiative includes some of the following efforts;
Rehabilitating a species that is this close to extinction will require tireless efforts and community support. In 2021, 7 captive bred red wolves were released in to recovery areas and there were a reported 7 red wolf deaths between being shot and killed & vehicular collisions. This proves just how difficult it is to rehabilitate a species so very close to extinction. In a case this severe, every pup / red wolf is vital to their survival so the US Fish & Wildlife Services has their work cut out for them. I do believe though that this renewed interest may have come just in time. I will continue to update on red wolves as more information becomes available. Head to the link at the top of this post for the original story from World Animal News. HAPPY VEG
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The United States Congress has introduced legislature that would ban wildlife killing contests on over 500 million acres of land. The ban would be applicable to wildlife killing contests that serve no legitimate purpose according to authorities and would protect wildlife from being needlessly shot for sport. The ban would protect animals like bobcats, coyotes, foxes, mountain lions, and wolves who often inadvertently get killed during these contests.
Anyone who's seen photos of the aftermath of these contests knows that wild animals are killed by the hundreds / thousands. Corpses everywhere, some of which are stuffed in to the back of pickup trucks with blood splatter all over the place. It's a horrifying sight, one that even children are privy to which is especially disturbing. There's no excuse for exposing a child to not only guns, but to sporting events that exploit animals for human gratification. These contests glorify killing and make light of the needless slaughter of hundreds of wild animals. There's nothing redeemable about these contests whatsoever. The Prohibit Wildlife Killing Contests Act of 2022 would see organizations like the US Fish & Wildlife Services & US Forest Service to enact regulations surrounding a wildlife killing ban within the year. Several states have already enacted wildlife killing contest bans like California, Arizona, New Mexico, Vermont, & Washington suggesting that the general populous is not supportive of these events. It's long overdue that we ban any kind of contest that revolves around the senseless mass slaughter of wild animals. We know better than this and we need to stop pandering to hunters and recognize the damage these contests truly do. Once we slaughter all of the predatory animals, what comes next? Deer culls, rabbit hunts, squirrel slaughter etc., the killing never stops. Head to the link at the top of this post for the original story from World Animal News. HAPPY VEGCurrently, there is a fight between 5 tenants and a landlord in Montreal, Quebec regarding pets and not being allowed in the building. Reading the story, it's evident through emails / contracts that the previous landlord had allowed the pets but it also looks like the law might be on the side of the new landlord. The story states that the landlord has given the tenants only 25 days to find a new rental and there are currently appeals in progress fighting the no-animal policy. If they lose, they will be expected to leave their rentals and search for new accommodations in a city that is suffering a shortage of pet-friendly rentals.
Allowing pets is really quite simple if there are provisions put in place to protect your property. Simple solutions exist like security deposits that are returned in the event of no damages to rentals or tenants acknowledging through contracts that damage caused by pets is the responsibility of the renter. These very simple inclusions in a contract give landlords that seemingly necessary peace of mind that their precious property would be protected. It's alarming how many landlords are against pets when most of today's tenants are households that have pets. Pets are increasingly being seen as family members which should reflect in the availability of rentals. The lack of availability of rentals that allow pets is also hindering the ability of shelters to rehome precious animals. When faced with the decision of having a pet or having a roof over your head, the decision is unfortunately made for you. Shelter animals looking for homes are struggling to be adopted in cities that are heavily against pets in rentals which is ridiculous and unfair. How can we be advocating for adopting animals in places where the scarcity of rentals for pet owners is alarming? It's completely contradictory and pushes pet owners away from their home towns in search of more laxe, pet-friendly destinations. The damage landlords are doing with their no pet clauses when simple, protective clauses could be put in place is absolutely shameful. When we consider that today's generation will likely struggle to ever purchase their own homes, rentals should not only be affordable, but they should be accommodating. There's no excuse for banning pets outside of sheer laziness. I truly hope this case goes in favour of the tenants of this particular building. Throwing people on to the streets without trying to accommodate them is disgusting and it's time for landlords to accept that pets are family. HAPPY VEGA British Columbia judge denied a request by mink fur farmers to allow breeding to commence while their legal petition with the province proceeds. According to the farmers, mink breed in March and if they are not able to breed, the fur industry will be unable to bounce back in 2023 should the ruling be in their favour. The judge denied their request stating that despite there being serious questions that need answering, it was in the public's best interest to phase them out.
I do find myself wondering if these farmers are aware of what's happening to the fur industry across the globe. On an almost weekly basis, another country or giant fashion brand is committing to a fur-free future, further putting the nail in the coffin of an industry that has needlessly exploited & tortured animals for decades. If these farmers were even remotely aware of how the industry is currently looked at and how it is being banned in various formats on our planet, then the coronavirus was an opportunity to shift their focus to and operations to sustainable farming options. Instead, they've spent all of their energy fighting the ban on fur production and fighting for their right to continue to operate despite overwhelming support for the end of the fur industry on our planet. The fur industry is fizzling out and farmer's must adapt. There are so many sustainable farming options available and opportunities to shift away from fur production, but fur-farmers are stubbornly trying to keep the industry alive. It's a losing battle, one that Canada needs to recognize on a federal level and do away with fur production altogether. Our country has repeatedly failed on welfare issues and taking the necessary steps to end the fur industry would a step in the right direction. This industry is outdated, cruel, and needless in its operation. No one needs fur, we never have, and it's time to recognize that we're moving forward without fur. The future is fur-free. Learn more through the link at the top of this post. HAPPY VEGDespite Canada trying to portray itself as at the forefront of welfare issues, our annual seal hunt will commence this week which will see up to 400, 000 harp seal pups permitted to be slaughtered. We've all seen the images; blood soaked ice, fearful seals fleeing humans with rifles and hakapiks, and death everywhere. It's one of the biggest shameful events in our history and once again, the time has come to witness this grotesque abuse of animals once again.
THE SEAL HUNT
If Canada truly wants to talk the talk, it's time to start walking the walk. Read the room, people across our planet are disgusted and horrified by the seal hunt. Our own people are horrified by the hunt. It's time to stop the killing. HAPPY VEGIreland is set to become the next country to ban the production of fur after the bill passed its final stages of the legislative process this week. With this, the remaining 3 mink fur farms within the country would effectively close as a result of the bill being passed. This will put Ireland in line with many other European nations that have already taken a stand and banned fur farming.
The fur industry exploits and tortures animals for needless products. This is an industry that breeds animals specifically for their pelts, discarding their corpses like trash as they have absolutely no use. An industry that lets animals sit in cramped cages, usually amongst their own bile and waste, suffering with untreated ailments / wounds & watching as others like them are bludgeoned and skinned. It's torture from start to finish and all for products that frankly, no one ACTUALLY needs, more or less to show off or flaunt wealth in most cases. However, we're in the year 2022 and nobody thinks fur looks good anymore unless you're oblivious to the suffering around you. The fur industry is slowly but surely fizzling out. After the outbreak of covid-19 on multiple fur farms around the world saw millions of mink euthanized, thousands of workers infected, and millions of dollars in profits lost; I believe this was when the biggest shift away from fur began to take place. This industry is incredibly feeble and susceptible to easily being brought down, as made evident by the pandemic. The future is fur free y'all and Ireland is getting us one stop closer to an eventual world-wide ban on fur production. We know better by now, it's time to do the right thing and end this barbaric industry once and for all! Congratulations to Ireland for taking this necessary step to improve your country's welfare. HAPPY VEGMexican gray wolf populations grew by only 10 individuals in the past year despite efforts to rehabilitate the species. There are only approximately 200 or fewer Mexican Gray Wolves remaining in the wild and perils such as genetic mismanagement, illegal hunting, and disease, are hampering their rehabilitation. If we do not learn quickly why our efforts to rehabilitate the species are at such a stand still, Mexican Gray Wolves will undoubtedly go extinct in the wild.
We need to address the accessibility of livestock because that seems to be a constant theme when it comes to predatory animals being slaughtered to near extinction. Livestock are easy targets for hungry predators and if their enclosures do not do enough to prevent these killings, it's the predatory animals that suffer. How can we continue to justify slaughtering predators and do absolutely nothing to address the lackluster enclosures that make livestock so accessible? It's quite obvious that this is a persistent issue so there's obviously room for improvements and I believe that's one of the first things the US Fish & Wildlife Services should do. Address the accessibility of livestock in preventing continued conflicts with predators. When it comes to conservation, it's tireless and takes years upon years to rehabilitate a species, even minutely. Considering the amount of resources and time that go into conservation, I just don't see enough action in areas where it's blaring obvious what needs to be done. Livestock conflicts are a persistent issue; if it's not wolves, it's bobcats or mountain lions. The fact is, we're offering up easy access to food for desperate predators and then shooting them dead for doing what is inherent to them. Livestock farmers should be tasked with improving their enclosures and making them predator proof, even being inspected afterwards to determine whether enough was done. That should be step number one. Look, wolves all over our planet are in serious peril. There are fewer than 200 Mexican Gray Wolves and fewer than 20 Red Wolves. Our efforts will be in vain if we do not speed up this process and tackle the obvious problems that are contributing to their decline. Learn more through the link at the top of this post. HAPPY VEG |
Stay educated and remain involved in animal welfare. Together, we can all make a difference!
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