​vegnews.com/2021/6/turkey-will-no-longer-classify-animals-as-commodities

A string of incidents involving stray animals being abused / tortured has sparked outcries from the Turkish people who want animal welfare to be taken more seriously in the country. Currently, dogs / cats are listed as "commodities" and atrocities committed against them are not addressed appropriately in the courts. There have been incidents involving poisoning and the torture & consumption of stray kittens, indicating a serious need for welfare improvement laws within the country.

As I stated earlier in this post, without the fear of serious repercussions, there is very little apprehension about committing crimes against innocent animals. There must be a strong system in place that attaches jail time and exponential fines to cases of animal abuse, essentially working as a deterrent AND a system of accountability. People who abuse animals are not well and if they are left untouched by the law, will continue to commit acts of violence against animals. These issues must be addressed head on with a strong support system that tackles animal abuse appropriately.

We're seeing what a lack of animal welfare laws can do which is why it's more important than ever for Turkey to stand up for animals and make animal abuse as serious of a crime as it is. The time is now to take a stand for animals and I hope Turkey's proposed new laws will come in to full effect.

​Read the original story from VEG NEWS through the link at the top of this post <3

​worldanimalnews.com/huge-victory-canada-goose-to-go-100-fur-free-by-the-end-of-2022/

After years of mounting pressure from activists and the slow and steady demise of the fur industry, Canada Goose has announced that they will be going fur free by the end of 2022. The notorious fur-trimmed jackets have long been the root of controversy for the company and have been the target of countless ads and demonstrations urging the company to ditch fur. This is major news, particularly in terms of the survival of the fur industry which is looking more bleak with every major announcement like this one.

Sadly, Canada Goose has made no mention of the down they fill their jackets with which means ducks / geese will continue to suffer for fashion. Down is forcibly removed feathers from the underside of ducks / geese. In most cases, the birds are alive as their feathers are ripped from their bodies to fill jackets, pillows, and other household items. Down is disgusting and exploitative, unnecessary, and cruel, and Canada Goose must take the next step and ban the use of down in their future lines as well. If not, this is not a victory, simply a step towards victory because they are not cruelty free, simply fur free. 

Fingers crossed we hear an announcement from the company soon regarding their use of down but for now, let's celebrate the fact that they're ditching fur and we're one company closer to the demise of the fur industry.

​www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jun/23/poo-overload-northern-ireland-could-be-forced-to-export-a-third-of-its-animal-waste

A booming pig / chicken industry is generating big bucks for Northern Ireland but creating an environmental disaster for politicians. While the industry continues to boom, phosphate and nitrate levels are rising astronomically, threatening Northern Ireland's waterways and pushing the UK's ammonia levels over the acceptable threshold. Naturally, the solution to this problem is to export their feces to another country to deal with, certainly not to address the fact that perhaps they are producing meat at an unsustainable level.

I recently posted about human entitlement and how we are often motivated by personal gain at any cost and this is a perfect example of that. Northern Ireland is raking in the profits from their recently booming chicken / pig industry, doubling their export income between 2011 - 2018. With that, it is evident that their waterways are poisoned and their levels of destructive gases are exceeding acceptable targets. So, we know that it is not sustainable to produce this level of animal ag and long term, this will continue to plunge Northern Ireland into a state of toxicity. Instead of addressing the fact that the country cannot continue to produce at this level without further destruction to their environment, they choose to export the feces to other parts of the world to manage. This does nothing to address the root problem here which is the unsustainability of Norther Ireland's animal ag industry.

Look, it's naïve to believe that profits and revenue are not an important factor to consider in these situations, but the facts presented are alarming and indicative of a serious problem. Northern Ireland cannot sustainably maintain their animal agriculture industry and this won't address itself over time as production continues to increase. How will we ever achieve net zero emissions if country's aren't willing to address the fact that animal agriculture is single-handedly destroying our environment. As our waterways reach levels of toxicity never recorded, wildfires ravage our forests, and hurricanes continue to become stronger and more destructive, we refuse to address the very serious issue surrounding animal agriculture and the problems it causes for our planet.

If we do not accept that we need to shift our production to more environmentally friendly crops / production, we will continue to see issues like the ones Northern Ireland currently face. If we're all looking for places to send poo because we've reached critical levels of toxic emissions, where will we go from there? Why isn't anyone willing to address the very clear fact that animal agriculture is an environmental disaster? Quite simply, it's all about the money. 

I leave y'all with one simple question. What good is that money going to be when we have no water, no land, and no animals except for the ones we produce for slaughter?

Human's have a serious issue with self entitlement. As a species, we are always on the hunt for more. More resources, more land, and essentially, more luxuries. We are easily inconvenienced and will usually go to any length to make ourselves comfortable, usually at the expense of other living creatures. Our warped sense of entitlement is pushing so many species to the bring of extinction and it might be too late for us to change our ways.

We grow and develop, taking more and more land away from the native species, who should by all accounts have equal access to this land. SO once we take their land, they become a "nuisance" to us. We take their land to produce livestock destined for slaughter. These farm animals become easy prey for local wolves because they are not enclosed in a manner that would prevent wolves from accessing them. Instead, we basically serve up tasty meals on a silver platter for wolves and then weaponize their access to promote the idea that wolves are bad and that we must euthanize them to protect our food sources. The story is spun to place all of the blame on wolves instead of looking at the real problem, humanity. 

Wolves are not the only ones susceptible to our sickening entitlement. Deer, swans, geese, skunks, all of these species have been targeted by humans who believe that they are a "nuisance" to our existence and should be eliminated to make our lives better. For example, every year in my hometown there is a deer cull at one of our parks. The story is spun to incriminate deer and suggest that if we do not kill them, they will cause irreversible damage to the ecosystem. No mention of the fact that there are absolutely no predatory animals that would naturally address the overpopulation of deer. No mention of the fact that maybe if we didn't utilize the park to such an extent, perhaps the deer would actually be fine to inhabit the park. You see? It's not about the environment at all, it's about how the deer will inevitably inconvenience us as humans.

Trophy hunting, fur farming, animal testing, these are all examples of our sickening sense of entitlement. To think that we can somehow justify the slaughter of an endangered animal like a giraffe or elephant, and spin the narrative to create this idea that trophy hunting helps aid in conservation efforts is entitlement to the highest degree. I deserve to kill a wild animal for fun, therefore I will sell it as anything I can so that I can do so. Fur farming is another example. We don't need fur, only those of us with absolutely no brains or compassion want fur. But, because humanity wants it, we will produce it at any cost. We know the horrors of the fur industry, we exploit these innocent animals and we do so because we want fur trims, or furry boots, with absolutely no regard for the animals that suffer beginning to end to produce said garments. Once again, a sickening display of entitlement.

Our relationship with other species has to change. Some say that humans are the most advanced and intelligent species but I refute that whole heartedly. We're not intelligent if we're taking every square inch of land around us for growing livestock. We're not intelligent if we cannot see the issues surrounding trophy hunting. We're not intelligent if we cannot see that we are destroying our planet, poisoning our waters, and decimating every other species on this planet. It has never been our intelligence that has motivated us in these situations, it's been our entitlement that fuels us. Our continued yearning for more, at any cost.

We're seeing a shift however. Animal rights are picking up steam across the globe. Fashion brands are banning fur and fur farming is on the decline. We are seeing animals in captivity released, recognizing the damage we've caused them through captivity. There is a shift, but will it be enough or is it too little too late? Are we fighting a losing battle against ourselves or is there truly hope that our relationship with our planet is changing for the better? I have faith that we can keep the momentum going, but I'm fearful that so many species on our planet will suffer extinction before we are steadily on the right track.

We have to relearn how to share this planet with other species, and that's a life lesson that isn't learned overnight. I simply hope we have our necessary awakening before it's too late.

​worldanimalnews.com/breaking-maine-becomes-the-sixth-state-in-the-u-s-to-ban-the-sale-of-cosmetics-tested-on-animals/

Maine has joined 5 other states throughout the United States in banning the sale of cosmetics newly tested on animals. The new law will take effect on November 1st of this year, effectively ending their participation in an industry that has exploited animals for decades. 

​Many who have utilized animals in the past have since spoken out about the lack of effectiveness or correlation in animal testing results translating to humans. Animal testing results don't necessarily indicate how these products will affect humans which means that we are essentially torturing animals for absolutely no reason. Cosmetics are not necessities in our lives. A lipstick or a new body lotion is not going to help us cure cancer or Alzheimer's, we're literally taking advantage of animals for novelty items. It's sickening.

The more states / countries across the globe that take a stand and ban the sale of cosmetics tested on animals, the closer we will come to all of these companies abandoning animal testing. While the demand is still there, these products / tests will continue at the expense of innocent animals. Once we start seeing more and more states / countries abandoning animal tested products, companies will have no choice but to ditch animal testing or face the possibility of losing their businesses because they can't sell their products anywhere. This is the eventual outcome so these companies should start looking into alternatives ASAP or face the possibility of being shut out of the market.

Animal testing is gross. Thank you Maine for taking a stand for animals <3

​worldanimalnews.com/the-fight-to-restore-federal-protection-for-gray-wolves-intensifies-after-idaho-montana-pass-devastating-killing-laws/

The fight to get Grey Wolves back on the Endangered Species List is heating up as two U.S. States have authorized the mass slaughter of grey wolves within their borders. Keep in mind, grey wolves were only removed from the Endangered Species Act in January and are already facing insurmountable perils to their survival. If they are not put back on the ESA, they will undoubtedly plunge towards extinction once again after 45 years of resources to bring them back from near extinction.

Organizations like the Center for Biological Diversity, Humane Society United States, Humane Society Legislative Fund, and Sierra Club are petitioning the US Fish & Wildlife Services to relist grey wolves in order to prevent their inevitable extinction. 

"The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service cannot stand by while Idaho and Montana order the extermination of wolves to appease the livestock industry and trophy hunters,” stated Nicholas Arrivo, managing attorney for wildlife at the Humane Society of the United States. “The agency must follow its obligation to reinstate federal protections, or risk wolves disappearing from the West again.”

In addition to petitioning for grey wolves to be relisted, the Center for Biological Diversity is also requesting that Idaho be disqualified from receiving federal wildlife-management funds and suggested Montana refrain from implementing their wolf-eradication plans or be subjected to losing their funding as well. 

All of this boils down to the livestock industry and just how heavily protected that industry is. To think that these states would happily eradicate wolves after 45 years of efforts to rehabilitate them only to protect the livestock industry is despicable and shameful. At this rate, the only animals left on our planet will be the ones in shackles waiting to be slaughtered for consumption. Our relationship with the animal kingdom is so dysfunctional and it seems we are always working against ourselves when it comes to protecting wildlife. We shouldn't have to constantly sue and threaten to redact funds in order to protect animals. It's so disheartening.

The only solution is to relist grey wolves. Without these protections, they will be nearly eradicated in these two states, effectively undoing tireless efforts. Learn more through the original story through the link at the top of this post.

​worldanimalnews.com/victory-israel-becomes-the-first-country-in-the-world-to-ban-the-sale-of-fur/

Israel is making history as they becomes the first country in the world to ban the sale of fur products. Unlike countries that have hypocritically banned the production of fur while still allowing the import / sale, this is a definitive step towards improved animal welfare and a commitment to ending the suffering of animals who are bred for fur products.

It is estimated that 100 million animals are killed for their fur every year. These animals are bred solely for fur which means that their bodies are discarded like trash after being skinned. These animals have been documented with untreated illnesses, lack of available food / water access, and cages covered in urine / feces. All of this suffering for fashion is simply another example of human entitlement and our complete lack of compassion towards living creatures. 

The future is fur-free y'all and this announcement from Israel will hopefully be the first in a string of country's who step up and ban the production of fur. There's no justification or necessity in fur products, it's time to stop the exploitation and cruelty.

Congratulations Israel for making history and hopefully inspiring other country's to do the same <3

​vegnews.com/2021/6/estonia-bans-fur-farming

Estonia is set to become the 1st Baltic nation to ban fur farming with the new ban coming into full effect beginning January 2026. The announcement comes after a recent study showed that 75% of Estonians did not support raising mink / fox for fur products. This number increased from 69% in 2016, demonstrating a continued increase in the support for better welfare for animals. The coronavirus pandemic also propelled animal welfare to the forefront across the globe as it was likely a wet-market where the first animal to human transmission occurred.

Animals on fur farms suffer from the minute they are brought into the world in captivity. They live in cramped cages with little ability to move freely. They are often documented living amongst extreme filth which includes their own bile. These animals are electrocuted, drowned, or bludgeoned in order to protect their skins for sale. This cycle of exploitation and cruelty to produce novelty products is shameful and with this announcement, it is clear that our planet is waking up to the reality of the horrors animals raised for fur endure.

The future is fur free y'all! Head to the link at the top of this post for the original story <3

​worldanimalnews.com/breaking-171-dogs-rescued-from-south-koreas-dog-meat-trade-arrive-to-the-u-s-to-find-forever-homes/

171 dogs that were rescued from the South Korean dog meat industry have arrived in the United States. The dogs will be assessed and rehabilitated before being adopted out both in the United States and Canada. 

The dog meat industry is fizzling out throughout Asia. Participation in the consumption of dog meat has dropped drastically and dog meat farmers are converting to other farming methods with the help of International welfare organizations. Dog meat farms are shutting down rapidly with hundreds of innocent dogs being rescued and adopted out. Generally speaking, dog meat is on the way out thanks to International pressures and the welfare of dogs / cats being seen as more important across the globe. I predict a complete end to the dog meat industry within 10 years but I've always been someone who dreamt big.

Learn more through the link at the top of this post. It's especially important to remind you guys to always adopt and never shop for a pet. Dogs like these who have been rescued from some of the worst conditions deserve our love and the opportunity to be a cherished family member, far away from the squalor and cruelty they once endured.