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A list of 12 venues across the globe that still promote and engage in demeaning wild animal performances has been made available listing Sea World in San Antonio, Zoo Marine in Portugal, and two locations in Canada among others. They found themselves on this list if they were found to continue to be using animals for performances that were unnatural to them, cruel, and exploitative for the sake of profits. Sea World was found to be one of the most exploitative with several instances of cruelty including dolphins being used as surfboards or jumping on to land beaching themselves for photographs, belugas acting out scenes from motion pictures and waving at audiences, and seals holding light sabres and performing for the audience. In all of these cases, these marine animals would have been trained submissively to perform these tricks which is why Sea World lands on this list.
In 2019, it's deplorable that we are still witnessing zoos, aquariums, and circus' using animals in such an exploitative manner. It's wholly unnatural to have animals performing in this manner especially when it's simply for the profit of these organizations. Sickeningly, many of these organizations are tied to the word "conservation" which we all know is a way to hide behind something good but in all actuality, there is nothing that demonstrates conservation. One cannot argue riding elephants or forcing tigers or dolphins to perform tricks while living in tanks or small cages in between shows is anything short of cruelty. The term conservation is thrown around by these organizations but it couldn't be further from the truth. It's time for us to turn our backs entirely on animals in entertainment. With all of the options we have at our disposal in this day and age for entertainment, there is simply no place for cruel animal performances any longer. Here are the 12 organizations that were found to be engaging in demeaning animal shows.
Want to help? Contact World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) and let them know that they should be more strongly enforcing their rules of no animals in entertainment and monitoring these establishments more closely. They pride themselves on being good for animals but allow these operations to continue to promote and utilize animals in this demeaning and cruel manner. [email protected] HAPPY VEG
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Shark week is upon us featuring a variety of different shows available to us showing us everything there is to know about sharks in all of their glory. With shark week comes an unfortunate reality, shark fin products seem to pop up on menus across the U.S despite various statewide bans in place preventing the import or sale of the fins. Most recognizable, the seemingly posh shark fin soup, a delicacy to those who enjoy it but there's a very disturbing and sad reality attached to this repulsive soup.
Most recently, Canada put a nationwide ban on the importing of shark fin products which was monumental as they were the largest importer of shark fin products outside of Asia. There are initiatives in place to strengthen these bans across the globe including the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act of 2019 which would make it illegal to buy, sell, posses shark fin products. It is imperative that this bill make it to the legislature because on average, over 70 million sharks are killed each year in this horrendous industry.
As with any ecosystem, natural predators like sharks are crucial to maintaining a natural balance. Shark fin removal is a cruel procedure that sees the fins removed from the sharks before their limp bodies are tossed back in to the ocean. Without their fins, they cannot swim essentially leaving them to drown, bleed out slowly, or lay in wait for another predator to mutilate them as they lay helpless on the base of the ocean. It's absolutely despicable that anyone would continue to serve shark fin products when the whole thing is so blatantly cruel to sharks. They die a slow, painful death all so that we can enjoy some despicable soup perceived as some delicacy. I know I've mentioned this in other posts before but this is simply another example of a species that is at the mercy of the stupid human race. No animal on this planet is safe from our salacious desire to take whatever we want without regard for where it's coming from or the price those we take from pay for our desires. Shark finning is wholly cruel and completely unnecessary and it's crucial that we work towards a complete ban across the globe. At this very moment, a quarter of all shark species are endangered entirely due to shark finning and over fishing. When will we stop taking without thinking about the effects our stupidity are having on our planet? HAPPY VEG Oragutan numbers are stable within the last 15 years despite their numbers falling in the same period where palm oil is farmed. Palm oil is a massive industry that employs hundreds of thousands of people, generates billions of dollars, and has helped along the endangerment of orangutans. Palm oil is found in almost everything from lipstick to chocolate sauces and is found all over the world. This massive industry is ravaging forests that orangutans call home and has helped nearly 100, 000 orangutans be killed in the last 16 years.
The palm oil industry has ravaged the forests and the orangutans have suffered tremendously. Whether it be from the environmental damage, pollution, or being around the trees that are chopped down or burned to manufacture the oil, these orangutans face grave danger outside of the protected areas.
There are however ways to make sure that you are not contributing to the deforestation. When purchasing products that contain palm oil, look for the seal of approval, the Round table of Sustainable Palm Oil or RSPO certification which means that the palm oil was not harvested from areas suffering from deforestation. As stated, palm oil is very hard to avoid because it can be found in almost everything but we can do our part to try and avoid it or at the very least, purchase products with the RSPO label so that we are not contributing to the decline of the orangutan population. These stories continue to indicate that humans are solely responsible for the destruction of the planet and the species that live on it. No animal is safe from our need for products and it appears that this is true regardless of the species or the purported necessity of the products we are taking. Whether it's rhino or elephant ivory which is completely unnecessary for us to be taking or palm oil which is now being used in virtually everything, we are responsible for the endangerment of thousands of species and if we continue down this path, we will see the extinction of so many recognizable species because of our actions. HAPPY VEG For the first time, a global examination of the big cat industry in China will shine a light on the horrors of the supply chain of big cats for use in products in Chinese medicine. World Animal Protection has completed an examination of the industry and what was uncovered is absolutely horrific. Big cats bred for Chinese medicines have a horrendous life from the minute they are born in this industry. From birth, lion cubs particularly suffer the highest forms of exploitation. Breeding facilities in South Africa were exposed for having some of the cruelest and most despicable conditions for the lion cubs to endure. There were tiny, dark cages with cubs crying and in some cases, cubs missing limbs and suffering from deformities from inbreeding. This is only the beginning of their awful lives destined for slaughter.
Once slaughtered, they are skinned and used for trophies with the bones being exported to China where they are used for medicine. Shockingly, a high percentage of Chinese people truly believe that these medicines really work despite having absolutely no scientific proof that they are effective at all. An alarmingly high percentage of people believe that wild cat bones yield stronger medicines than those bred for medicine which leads to cubs being stolen from the wild and an increase in illegal poaching of big cats like jaguars, tigers, and lions. This false belief that these medicines are beneficial is fueling an industry that is inhumane and exploitative but also pushing these wild cats closer and closer to endangerment and inevitably, extinction. There is hope however as a good percentage of people surveyed said they would be willing to try herbal and synthetic alternatives to big cat medicines if the price was right. It is imperative that global condemnation continues in an effort to deter more people from utilizing big cat medicines. Without these herbal alternatives picking up steam and becoming more mainstream, more big cats will be born into a life of absolute misery.
We are witnessing one of the largest mass extinctions in our history and it is entirely human caused. Whether through the effects of climate change, illegal poaching and habitat loss, overfishing etc., we are pushing millions of species to extinction and we're showing no signs of stopping. What will we do when we have nothing left? Will we turn to cannibalism? Will we turn to forced slavery? Inbreeding to produce humans used for experiments, entertainment, and medicines?
It's a frightening thought to think that people really don't see what's happening to the world. Luckily, the rise of veganism, vegetarianism, and animal activism continues to grow. All we can hope is that the world catches on before it is too late. HAPPY VEG A new documentary that aired titled, "Greyhounds, Running for their lives" recently shed light on the horrors of the greyhound racing industry in Ireland. One of the biggest take aways was the industry's over production of puppies versus what they require and what happens to the surplus of greyhounds that aren't required. Prior to racing, greyhounds are tested for their abilities and if they are unable to compete, they are considered of no use to the industry. Naturally, one can assume this does not bode well for the greyhounds. A dog that cannot race is of no use to breeders or the racing industry which means the dogs are euthanized. In fact, in 2017, Ireland euthanized 6, 000 greyhounds that didn't make the cut. Although it is technically only legal for veterinarians to euthanize dogs, one company that was charged for their illegal killing of greyhounds shockingly admitted to shooting the dogs dead.
The government is also not doing the right thing when it comes to the industry. As opposed to condemning the industry for their mistreatment of dogs, they are funding it with millions of dollars to keep this disgusting industry alive. It's shameful that the government continues to fund such a disgusting sport knowing that so many thousands of dogs will die at the expense of the sport.
As with any industry that uses animals for profits, there's no justification in continuing to support it. With the plethora of entertainment options at our fingertips, supporting industries that use animals is completely unacceptable. Dog racing, dog fighting, cock fighting, circus' using wild animals, performing cetaceans etc., these industries need to go down in flames. We have access to a multitude of entertainment options that do not use animals so it's time to stop funding these atrocious industries and put them to rest. Hundreds of thousands of animals suffer in these industries every day and are exploited for human profit, it's despicable. Hopefully this documentary raises enough awareness of the horrors these dogs face and the outrage translates into action being taken. If you follow the link at the top of the page, you can actually lend your signature to a petition calling for action in the dog racing industry. Every signature counts! HAPPY VEG Nearly 2 million people have expressed opposition to the President of the United State's decision to overturn gray wolf protection. Among those nearly 2 million people are citizens, 100 scientists, 230 businesses, 367 veterinary professionals, senators, and animal rights organizations, all of which sent letters to the United States Fish and Wildlife Services expressing their opposition to this decision.
Gray wolves have seen their numbers drop from the hundreds of thousands to a paltry 5, 500 across the United States so the decision to remove their protections is merely for profit involved with protecting the livestock industry and continuing to promote the interests of the abhorrent trophy hunting industry. It is evident this decision is not based on any kind of scientific evidence as mentioned, rather another example of how the Trump administration is continuing to turn its back on animals in desperate need. His administration has shown a complete lack of care and empathy for the plight of animals by denying climate change, allowing endangered animal trophies into the country, and delisting protected animals.
I know I've discussed this before but when we start to wipe out the natural predators, we open the door for a slew of other problems that almost always lead to more killing. Without these predators, animals like rabbits, deer, and other herbivorous animals will grow in numbers which means the ecosystem will struggle to maintain the balance. More plants and fauna will be destroyed by the increase in herbivorous One of the breeds of giraffe that have always had a healthy population have officially been declared endangered meaning their numbers are extremely low. The Masai Giraffe has been listed as endangered which now sheds a light on the severity of the situation and the urgency in which we must do more to protect the giraffes. This specific breed of giraffe in Kenya & Tanzania has always had a healthy population despite other breeds of giraffe struggling in the wild thanks to perils such as poaching, illegal wildlife trade and trophy hunting. It is an immediate call to start to regulate the giraffe trade as well in my opinion a seriously good reason to immediately ban the hunting of giraffes for trophies. No wall mount or decorative item should ever be worth pushing a species closer to extinction. Frighteningly, of the 9 species of giraffe, 2 of them have been listed as endangered and 2 as critically endangered meaning things are looking incredibly grim.
As mentioned earlier in the post, this paints a very grim picture of the future of the giraffe especially if urgency is not executed in protecting them. Africa is on track to lose some of the most recognizable animals on the planet because as a global community, we are simply not doing enough.
It's so sad the lengths humans will go to for their twisted desires. Can you imagine being the kind of person who gets thrills out of shooting an endangered animal dead for fun? There is something so very wrong with the human species and we continue to demonstrate our complete lack of respect for mother nature's creations and we are winding down a slippery slope that soon we will be unable to get out of. HAPPY VEG After extensive undercover work which included wiretapping and collecting photos and videos, a gang of illegal poachers was arrested in Brazil after nearly 1000 jaguars were documented to be slaughtered by the group. Among the members of the group is a prominent dentist who participated in hundreds to thousands of illegal hunting stings. It was discovered that the group used several methods to lure the jaguars to them only to slaughter them which is blatantly cruel and malicious in intent. Using methods such as laying out rotting flesh, dogs to lure them closer, and a large pitch drum that attracts the jaguar's attention, they successfully killed so many of these beautiful cats. They were not the groups only victims however, in the three months of monitoring, eight jaguars, 13 capybaras, 10 hounds and two dead deer were documented being killed by the group.
I've been a vegetarian for over 17 years now and I've heard it all through my long career as a non meat eater. People can be so defensive about eating meat and anytime you try to express why you think it's unacceptable they have a million (often ridiculous) reasons for why human beings eat meat. If you go on the internet and type in "Reasons humans should eat meat", you'll likely find millions of supposedly credible sources explaining why we should consume but one could also find millions more why you should not. Frankly, there's no justification for it and if this movement of vegetarianism and veganism is any indication, more and more people are realizing that eating meat is not only ethically wrong, but not even necessarily good for us. Let's look at some of the craziest things I've heard when discussing why people should stop eating meat and why I think it's utter tripe! GOD PUT ANIMALS ON THE EARTH FOR US TO EAT
As mentioned, I grew up in Catholic school and I really don't recall ever being taught the role animals for food were to play in my religious beliefs, so this argument is completely without merit and is used as a way to justify someone's actions without having to further explain themselves because this is their belief. In that same token were lions and tigers put on the planet for us to hunt to extinction? Were dolphins and killer whales put on the planet so we could house them in bathtubs and force them to perform tricks for their entire miserable lives? I don't think so which is why this argument is complete hogwash. HUMANS ARE OMNIVORES
When you look at true carnivorous mammals in the wild, they consume meat raw and usually after hunting and ripping this meat from the bones of an herbivore. For example, almost all big cats are truly carnivorous animals and they all hunt their prey and devour them in their purest, rawest forms. That is absolutely nothing like human's who eat meat. In fact, human's who eat excess amounts of raw meat will probably die, simple as that. We must cook our meat to safe temperatures before it is safe for us to consume otherwise we are asking for a plethora of food borne illnesses that can lead to premature death. If we were truly omnivorous mammals, we would be able to consume this meat the same way any other omnivorous mammal in the wild consumes it but that is not the case. Argument debunked! WITHOUT MEAT, YOU DON'T GET ENOUGH PROTEIN
Without even touching on the wave of plant based meats hitting the market every day, there has always been more than enough options when it comes to proteins. Quinoa for example is one of the best examples of a complete protein food but there are so many options out there which is why a varied diet is extremely important. Along with quinoa, one can find excellent sources of protein in beans, legumes, pulses, nuts, and seeds, and they're also typically going to provide you a bunch of other nutrients and antioxidants that meat is sorely lacking. There's absolutely no merit behind this one, these people simply refuse to go online and search up, "Plant based proteins" at which point they would STFU. THEY'RE JUST FARM ANIMALS
I always dare these people to go online and watch a video of a mother cow chasing after a baby that's being taken away from her or watch a video of pigs solving puzzles or playing, these are not animals that have no intelligence or emotion. They are no different than the pets we hold dear aside from our perception of them. AND FINALLY, THE "BUT THEY TASTE GOOD" This person is just an asshole, plain and simple. I mean, what other word is there to describe someone who listens to your stories of compassion and proposals of a more empathetic life and responds with some neanderthalesque comment like this? This person is complete nimrod who has absolutely no intention to ever change their ways regardless of what evidence is presented to them. Greenhouse emissions and climate change? But they taste good. Animals are mistreated and cruelly beaten and tortured..but they taste good. Although it may feel like a waste of breath trying to speak with these people, it's completely the opposite. These are the people we need to be vocal with the most because compassion is contagious regardless of how resistant someone appears to be. These people also will never step foot in a vegetarian restaurant because they refuse to support an industry that doesn't capitalize on the suffering of animals but even further than that, they won't throw their support behind the idea that food could ever be good without meat involved in some way or another. It saddens me immensely that people cannot have a debate or discussion without throwing out one of these comments because it's this childlike mentality that will hurt them in the long run, guaranteed. The moral of this post is to kind of motivate you to continue the good fight. You will hear everything and anything to justify why eating animals is o.k but in almost every case, it's simply something to hide behind because the truth hurts. Keep spreading the word, keep fighting the fight, keep exposing the injustices because even one person who gives up meat even once a week is a success! Have you guys ever heard some crazy excuses for why eating meat is ok? I want to hear them HAPPY VEG A letter containing five hundred thousand signatures was sent to Washington Governor Jay Inslee requesting that he manage wolves according to science and not to benefit the livestock industry. Gray wolves are a severely endangered species that are federally protected throughout 2/3 of Washington State under the Endangered Species Act and yet despite there being a reported 126 confirmed gray wolves at the end of 2018, 22 of them were slaughtered for livestock conflicts. Gray wolves continue to suffer in the wild and their numbers are dropping drastically. Livestock conflicts are not their only peril, accidental hunting of gray wolves mistaken for coyotes and traps that are set out for other animals also catch and kill the gray wolves. There is absolutely no excuse for allowing the gray wolf population to dip to such alarmingly low numbers and these signatures indicate that the general consensus is that we need to do more to protect the gray wolves before they are completely eradicated.
I've said this a million times but humans continue to destroy the balance in the environment through hunting, global warming, and particularly, livestock production. As the population continues to grow, more "meat" is required to feed the people which means more land taken away from these wild animals for livestock production. This also means there's more opportunity for wildlife - livestock conflicts as these wild predators will have more opportunity to wander onto farmlands in search of food with their now dwindled habitat. All of this on top of the fact that livestock production is one of the top 3 emitters of greenhouse gases that are already proving to be disastrous to our environment. Livestock production is destroying our planet and putting millions of species at risk.
In the case of the gray wolves, the Trump administration is already trying to strip them of their protections despite there being so few of these beautiful canines left in the wild. We must recognize that we are pushing animals to the brink of extinction with our actions and we must do more to protect them. I hope this letter lets the Governor of Washington know loud and clear that gray wolves MUST be protected and we must stop favouring the livestock industry as it is the root cause of so many problems. I will update you guys with any new information. HAPPY VEG |
Stay educated and remain involved in animal welfare. Together, we can all make a difference!
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