​windsor.ctvnews.ca/should-a-windsor-man-convicted-of-animal-abuse-get-jail-time-or-house-arrest-1.6007491

On November 2, 2019, Tyler Vassell of Windsor Ontario, made a life changing decision. Security cameras caught the young man striking his puppy repeatedly in the head & slamming it against the elevator aggressively in a demonstration of violence that shocked the courts. Now, convicted of one count of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal, Tyler's fate could go one of two ways; a conditional house arrest or a recommended jail sentence of 9 - 12 months & a 10 year ban on owning animals. What does Tyler's violent attack on his innocent animal truly warrant him? 

When you watch the video, you see the violence and aggression in Tyler as he strikes his innocent, trusting baby, over and over again. At one point, he kicked the dog against the elevator in the ribs, showing no remorse as he continued to attack the animal unprovoked. When you consider the level of violence and aggression displayed, house arrest doesn't even remotely offer justice. We can't give a slap on the wrist to someone who could have easily taken his dog's life through repeated violent beatings.

When you look at the tiered system for convicted murder charges, there are levels of violence, premeditation, etc., that come in to play when deciding the degree of murder to chare one with. When it comes to animal abuse, there should also be a tiered system that identifies the level of violence against an animal. For example, someone with a mental disorder who neglects their pets and let's say some of them are discovered dead, this is considered third degree. Not intentional, circumstances surrounding the case would indicate no malice. This is an example of a case of animal suffering where I would not want to see someone incarcerated.

In Tyler's case, the violence displayed was intentional and relentless. If that sort of abuse had been hurled at a child or a woman, would we be more apt to push for jail time? Regardless of whether we're discussing humans or animals, we need to recognize the level of aggression displayed. An animal relies on you the same way a child does; for nurturing, love, and care. Tyler disregarded his duty as a parent to an animal when he chose to violently attack his pet. He disregarded the trust that animal has in him when he struck the dog over and over again. This is a first degree in my opinion. That dog could have died and based on reports, will be healing for a very long time as a result of the beating he endured.

Tyler Vassell deserves to be in prison. He needs anger management rehabilitation and he needs to be kept away from animals for as long as possible. This man did something unfathomable to his pet and the only justice is jail.

​worldanimalnews.com/elephant-tusks-rhino-horn-pangolin-scales-tiger-fangs-among-smuggled-wildlife-parts-seized-in-malaysia/

Malaysian customs seized an illegal import of wild animal body parts that was worth an estimated 18 million U.S. dollars. Included were endangered pangolin scales, giant elephant tusks, endangered tiger fangs, and rhino horns, all destined for Malaysia, proving that Malaysia continues to be a heavy contributor to the illegal wildlife trade. The shipment originated in Africa and customs recognized the use of sawn timber as a means of covering up the illegal parts. 

I find myself wondering often if people who are involved in these illegal poaching / importing & exporting have considered what they'll do once these animals are officially extinct in the wild. You know, nothing lasts forever and these people are so heavily blinded by the possibility of getting rich that they've failed to consider what they would do if these animals no longer existed. Secondly, I know that Africa works pretty tirelessly in terms of anti-poaching units but a discovery of this size indicates that illegal poaching is continuing to ravage wild populations. Africa relies heavily on tourism surrounding wild animals so to discover a shipment of this magnitude, I can't help but wonder if what is being done is even close to what is needed to truly tackle the illegal wildlife trade.

We have to get aggressive and funnel more resources globally into combating the illegal wildlife trade. This seizure is evidence that what we're doing is falling short of what is needed. Pangolins are near extinction. Several sub-species of rhinos are already extinct. In some areas, elephants and tigers are both endangered & face possible extinction. We are plunging dangerously close to witnessing the extinction of some of our planet's most recognized species. Time is of the essence when we're considering extinction. 

The future is bleak for wild animals. While I'm grateful to Malaysian customs for their amazing work, I also can't help but feel immense sadness over the discovery. So many innocent, wild animals executed for the benefit of humans, it's sickening and gross. I hope this seizure puts a wrench in the trafficking industry but unless we step up and do more, it won't stop the inevitable extinction of these species.

​winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/animal-food-bank-winnipeg-could-potentially-close-its-door-due-to-rising-costs-1.5996013

Minimal donations, high cost of operating, and inflation, are pushing the Animal Food Bank of Winnipeg, Manitoba closer and closer to having to shut their doors permanently. The organization announced it was suspending its services indefinitely this week;

"We heavily rely on the generosity of the community in order to provide for pets that need food," 
Nicole Frey, Animal Food Bank Founder.

It's a difficult time for us all, that much is true. However, if every single person who visited my blog in a week donated 5 dollars, what a difference we could make for such an important organization that helps families and pets in need. I'm providing the link to their website below. Please take a moment to visit their page and learn about what they're doing to help animals and how we can send a small donation to help them continue their important work.

​www.iucn.org/press-release/202207/migratory-monarch-butterfly-now-endangered-iucn-red-list

Monarch butterflies have officially found themselves on the endangered species list after both the eastern & western populations have seen significant declines in numbers. The western population has seen the biggest decline with a whopping 99% population decline between 1980 and 2021 while the larger eastern population has seen an 84% reduction in numbers between 1996 and 2014. This indicates a loss of almost a million butterflies and also sounds the alarm on the damage we're continuing to do to our planet.

What solutions are there to protect the Monarch from extinction? It starts with agriculture and continued yearning for more at the expense of our planet. We're destroying necessary forests that are ecosystems for so many native species so that we can accommodate more animal ag / farm lands. The more we take from the environment, the more destruction we're leaving behind. The continued destruction of our forests is contributing to the decimation of so many species on our planet. We must designate more land as protected in both Canada & the United States if we're truly going to protect so many endangered and at risk species. If we continue to take land away from the other species on our planet, extinction is inevitable for thousands of species.

As far as climate change, one of the best things we can do on a personal level is to look at what we're contributing to climate change and find things we can change in our every day lives. For example, going vegetarian / vegan is a great way to help reduce emissions, protect animals, and stop the continued growth of the animal ag industry that is single-handedly destroying our planet. Recycling fashion, ditching single use plastics in favour of recycled / reusable options, taking public transit / walking instead of driving etc. Every little bit we do is better than nothing and if everyone collectively decided to make changes, we could stave off the worst of climate-change before we see the mass extinction take 100's of thousands of our planet's species before our eyes.

Are there enough butterflies left on our planet that conservation efforts will have time to save them? Only time will tell, but we should be worries because I don't remember where I read this, but I remember reading a quote that stated something along the lines of when our planet sees insects dying off, that's when we know we have truly gone to a place that will be hard to recover from. Insects indicate whether an ecosystem is doing well and when they start dying off, it's indicative of a serious problem. 

​Protect monarchs! Here's to hoping we've not pushed them too far.

​www.rochesterfirst.com/news/ny-seeks-to-end-sale-of-new-animal-tested-cosmetics-2/

The Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act awaits New York Governor Kathy Hochul's final decision. The bill would ban the sale of any cosmetics newly tested on animals and would fine companies who used animals in their product testing. The bill would prevent the needless suffering of animals who endure repeated tests that leave them with rashes, welts, and painful lesions. 

While the bill wouldn't affect products that are already available on shelves, it will prevent new products from being put out, sparing innocent animals. As mentioned, the bill will also fine companies if they're found to have conducted animal testing, nipping it in the bud all the way around. Our planet's reliance on animals for our own advancement is embarrassing and blatantly self-serving. We use animals as if they are products designed to maximize our own livelihoods when in fact, they too have a desire to live and thrive. Our manipulation of the planet has pushed hundreds of thousands of species to extinction, destroyed habitats, and shifted the climate so much so that animals are feeling the pressure.

With everything we're already doing to work against animals and our planet, allowing cosmetics testing is shameful. It's time to ban cosmetics tested on animals globally and stop the needless suffering. I will update this story after a decision is made regarding the Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act.

Last week, I wrote a story about how shelters across Canada are seeing record numbers of pet surrenders and in some cases, shelters are full to capacity. Not only does this mean that animals in need will be turned away, it also means that there is an incredible strain on shelters to care for this amount of animals. It's more than just the financial aspect, it's the workers who will be working themselves to the bone to care for such a large amount of animals. With that being said, there's a lot we can do to help ease some of the burden that shelters are facing.

Fundraisers are a great way to help your local shelter. Maybe it's a bake sale at your college / university that benefits a local shelter. Maybe it's a box at your work place that collects pet care items in exchange for a discount. It can also be just a go fund me sort of situation where all proceeds go to a shelter in need. Fundraisers are an excellent way to help but also to draw attention to the severity of the situation in your local shelter.

Fostering animals is an excellent way to help your local shelter. It frees up necessary space to take in more animals and provides a fostered animals with love, security, and stability while they await being adopted. Fostering is a rewarding opportunity if you're in a position to do so. Contact your local shelter to inquire about fostering opportunities.

Volunteering for a few hours a week at your local shelter is another great way to alleviate some of the pressure shelter workers are under when full to capacity. Maybe it's walking shelter dogs, playing with cats / kittens, cleaning out cages, or helping bath dogs. Whatever it is, it helps shelter workers who are burning out from all of the animals under their care. Contact your local shelter and inquire about volunteering opportunities. 

Animal shelters across Canada are bursting at the seams with surrendered animals. Shelters are reporting record amounts of surrenders and in some cases, are now full to capacity and unable to take on any more animals. There are a variety of potential reasons why surrenders are happening more frequently now but one of the biggest reasons is the fallout from the pandemic. Short-staffed veterinarians, lack of accessible veterinary care, and the re-opening of society that saw a lot of people eager to get back out in to the world, forgetting that they adopted an animal during the lockdowns.

When the lockdowns were in full effect, many families took it upon themselves to adopt animals. Unfortunately, based on the number of surrenders shelters are facing, it's obvious that a lot of these animals were purchased as entertainment versus being included in a family. Once everything reopened and life was getting back on track, these same families were suddenly too busy to care about their animals. This sort of situation is not unusual but it's incredibly unfortunate because it pushes shelters to the brink of their capabilities in terms of caring for animals. The resources needed to care for a shelter that is completely full are astronomical, and in most cases, shelters rely heavily on donations that aren't coinciding with the influx of surrendered animals.

At such a difficult time for shelters, we can help in a variety of ways. If you're in a position to do so, consider donating to your local shelter. You can also reach out and find out whether they're accepting donations of food or other pet-care items that you could consider donating. Consider adopting! As mentioned, animals provide us with so much in our lives. Endless love, endless memories, laughs, and so much stress relief in our everyday lives. Saving an animal in most cases, also saves us without us even realizing it. There's so much value in adding a furry friend to your family.

Shelters need our help right now as they try to care for such a vast amount of animals and anything we can do to help is appreciated. Peep the links at the top of this post for more information about shelters across Canada and the perils they're facing as a result of the pandemic related surrenders.

​www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-spca-moving-day-2022-1.6509097

In the past 3 months, Montreal's SPCA took in over 600 animals, surrendered as a result of Quebec's Moving Day and a lack of rentals that allow pets. The SPCA stated that this was the highest amount of pets taken in since before the pandemic, signaling a worrying lack of availability that's forcing pet-owners to choose between their loving pets or a roof over their heads. This lack of availability is putting pet owners in a difficult position and causing an influx of surrenders that puts pressure on the SPCA to care for such a large amount of animals.

No pet clauses are so abhorrent and unfairly target pet-owners who are often responsible and ready to put down a deposit to cover any potential issues that could arise. What I think is most frustrating about these clauses is that a lot of what they're worried about from animals could also be applied to young children. Children can be destructive, scratching hardwood floors, colouring on walls, breaking cabinet / cupboard doors / handles, and yet there's no security deposit to cover their possible destruction. It's ridiculous not to recognize the potential for damage that a child can cause versus a pet and not to accept that banning pets while allowing children puts landlords in the exact same position without the safety net of a security deposit.

Banning pets is lazy when all it takes is a clause in the lease that protects landlords and property. I'm certain that in almost every case, tenants would happily pay a deposit to keep their beloved pets versus surrendering them to a shelter in order to keep a roof over their heads. It's despicable that landlords would rather see families ripped apart as opposed to taking the necessary steps to properly protect their rentals. It's lazy and it's aiding in overcrowded shelters that will struggle to adopt out animals in a rental market that doesn't accept fur babies. There must be more done to prevent over crowded shelters & innocent animals being torn away from their families.

​worldanimalnews.com/breaking-louisiana-becomes-the-9th-u-s-state-to-ban-the-sale-of-cosmetics-tested-on-animals/

Louisiana has become the 9th U.S. state to ban the sale of cosmetics that were tested on animals. The law will come in to effect in August of this year forcing companies that test on animals to abruptly pull out of the market. Louisiana joins other states like Hawaii, California, Nevada, and Illinois, in taking a stand for animals by banning companies that needlessly test on animals from entering the market.

We are seeing a continued shift away from cosmetics testing with over 40 countries having restricted it to some degree. The fact is, there is no excuse for subjecting animals to numerous tests in the name of a new mascara or night cream. It's ridiculous to think that if a rabbit has a reaction to a beauty cream that it indicates we too will have a similar reaction. Animal testing is not accurate, we do not react the same way to products that rabbits or rats do. All animal testing does is manipulate and exploit animals, subjects them to painful, torturous testing, and treats them like trash that can be discarded without compassion. 

The world must continue this shift away from cosmetics testing on animals. We're too advanced to continue to make excuses. Cosmetics animal testing is needless and it's time for our planet to stand up and put an end to the needless suffering of innocent animals.