​gothamist.com/news/de-blasio-is-making-another-push-to-ban-horse-carriages-in-nyc-heres-what-you-need-know

New York Mayor Bill De Blasio is making one final effort to ban horse-drawn carriages within new York City as his time as mayor comes to an end. Horse-drawn carriages have been an issue with the mayor since he was on the campaign trail and he has unsuccessfully tried to get horse-drawn carriages banned throughout his tenure to no avail. This would be his last attempt as mayor of New York City but without sufficient council support, the legislation will never pass.

Horses who pull carriages are in constant danger from their surroundings. First of all, it is wholly unnatural for horses to be surrounded by vehicles on busy streets. They are subjected to non-stop toxicity from all the fumes being pumped out of the vehicles surrounding them. Is this acceptable or natural? There have been reports of horses slamming in to vehicles, putting both the horse and those who are riding in the carriage at serious risk of injury. These animals endure the elements when pulling carriages; this includes rain & snow, extreme heat, and even snow. Navigating busy streets while also under the pressure of being overheated or at risk of slipping and falling is not natural. There simply is no argument that truly defends horse-drawn carriages appropriately.

It's time to retire the horses. They can be "well cared for" but still be at risk of exhaustion, facing the elements, traffic issues, and constant inhalation of toxic vehicle emissions; none of which is natural to them. Horse-drawn carriages are archaic and don't belong on the busy streets of a bustling city. These novelty rides are putting horses at continued risk so that humans can be carted around the city in "style". We're not arguing about the necessity of horse-drawn carriages here, rather the lack of necessity and whether horses deserve to be put in this continued position. The answer is simple, they do not.

We need the New York council to step up for horses. The loss of jobs can be made up elsewhere if it means that these horses can retire in sanctuaries where they can live their life free of the chains of employment we've imposed on them for centuries. I truly hope New York takes this opportunity to really evaluate whether horse-drawn carriages belong on the streets any longer. 

​I will update this story as it unfolds. Fingers crossed we'll see the end of horse-drawn carriages in new York! <3

​worldanimalnews.com/victory-france-passes-historic-animal-protection-legislation-that-includes-banning-fur-farming-wild-animals-in-circuses/

France is set to make some serious upgrades to its current animal welfare system after passing a historic  welfare legislation. The massive welfare upgrade will include a variety of welfare issues including wild animals in performing circus', dolphin captivity, fur production, and where you can find "pets". Let's take a look at the what's going to be included in this new legislation!

Once signed into law, dolphin captivity will be banned within 5 years. Dolphins are highly intelligent, social, beings that should not be in captivity for any purpose. It's especially tragic what we've done to dolphins for so many years when there are so many stories documenting dolphins coming to our rescue or the rescue of our pets. We repay them by forcing them to live in bathtubs for the remainder of their miserable lives. Banning dolphin captivity is a necessary welfare inclusion.

The new law will increase penalties for convictions involving animal cruelty, abuse, abandonment, and neglect. Penalties must be high for convictions in order to be a preventative for further animal abuse. Paltry fines and embarrassing bans on owning animals do not tackle abuse appropriately and leave animals susceptible to further abuse. Strict punishments are the only way to address animal cruelty.

It is hoped that with these massive changes to welfare standards, other country's will jump on the animal welfare bandwagon and address their welfare shortcomings. My hope is that Canada takes a few notes, particularly when it comes to fur-farming. Everywhere around is is banning the horrendous industry and we've yet to even speak out about it. We have a long way to go.

​Congratualtions France! Head to the attached link for the story from World Animal News.

The province of British Columbia, Canada, announced plans to end mink farming within the province after a slew of covid related incidents on farms throughout the province. The plans include a permanent ban on breeding mink, a permanent ban on live mink on farms by April 2023, and a complete phase out of the industry by 2025. There are initiatives for farmers and financial support to help them transition to other farming opportunities as the industry is phased out. This is monumental for minks!

As we know, fur-farming is an industry rooted in exploitation and cruelty. Animals bred solely for their fur are discarded like trash after they are skinned for their pelts. They are bred in less than ideal conditions and suffer tremendously throughout their short lives. They often lack appropriate food / water access, live in squalor, and have to witness other mink being killed resulting in emotional and mental turmoil. All of this cruelty for novelty products; products like fur jackets, fur-trimmed hoods, or useless trinkets. There is no necessity in fur, further proving how needless and unnecessary the fur industry is. All of this cruelty on top of the fact that these animals have had to endure covid and be euthanized in mass quantities is enough of a reason to determine that fur-farming needs to be done away with permanently.

Fur-farming is on the way out! There are an endless amount of fashion brands, towns, cities, states, and countries that enacted bans on some part of the fur industry. A lot of this happened prior to the pandemic, signaling an end to the industry. The pandemic is simply moving this process along as we recognize how easy it is to completely derail the industry due to virus' and disease. 

​British Columbia will be officially fur-farm free by 2025. While this is a victory for minks, there is still much work to do before we see fur-farming phased out globally. Learn more about BC's decision through the link attached at the top of this post.

​worldanimalnews.com/hsus-sues-worlds-largest-pork-producer-smithfield-foods-for-not-eliminating-gestational-crates-as-promised/

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has officially filed a lawsuit against Smithfield Foods, the largest producer of pork on our planet, for intentionally misleading consumers on the use of gestation crates. The company claimed in 2007 that they would eliminate the use of gestation crates for mother pigs within ten years and over the years, claimed to be in the process of doing so. AN investigation revealed that Smithfield Foods had only rotated the mother pigs out of the crates but that they were very much still in use, despite messaging that would suggest otherwise.

Ten US states have passed laws to ban or restrict the use of crates while other states have banned the sale of pork products from companies that continue to use the crates. The fact is, gestation crates are animal cruelty and mother pigs suffer tremendously because of these crates. Smithfield Foods has made claims regarding their discontinued use of gestation crates over the years to appease concerned consumers and activists when they in fact, have made almost no changes to their current operations. They are perpetuating a constant cycle of abuse and selling it as new and improved animal welfare. They have spent years capitalizing on concerned consumers while allowing the continued suffering of pigs on their facilities. 

While I would argue that it's a touch hypocritical for a pork consumer to care about how the pigs live prior to their being brutally slaughtered, the fact is that the concerns are there and have been for years regarding gestation crates. Smithfield Foods blatantly advertised that they were phasing them out with absolutely no intention of doing so. I hope this lawsuit brings to light the absurdity of their claims and exposes their lies to their consumers. The fact is, animal agriculture will do anything to continue to profit, even if it means misleading consumers. We should never be surprised when we hear that there were lies from an industry that profits off of the mass suffering of animals.

​I will update this story as more information becomes available.

​worldanimalnews.com/victory-new-jersey-becomes-the-eighth-state-to-ban-the-sale-of-cosmetics-tested-on-animals/

New Jersey is set to become the eighth state in the US to ban the sale of cosmetics tested on animals. After a unanimous, bipartisan vote in both the Senate & Assembly, animal testing for cosmetics was agreed to be inherently cruel and unnecessary with State Senator Joseph Lagana stating;

"Cosmetics testing on animals is not only unnecessary and oftentimes ineffective, but it contributes to the serious suffering of animals."

What's worse about this industry is that it's all for beauty products. We aren't talking about life-saving medications, we're not even talking about necessities for crying out loud. We have tortured animals for decades, subjecting them to numerous painful and frightening tests and discarded them like trash all in the name of beauty products. I think it's not only disgusting and exploitative, but it couldn't be a bigger example of humanity's entitlement and our continued yearning for more at the expense of everything else around us. There are ethical products on the market, so why are we continuing to support companies that torture animals when there are very clearly alternatives to those products / tests?

Banning cosmetics tested on animals cuts companies out of the market and allows for natural, clean beauty to thrive. It also puts pressure on companies that test on animals to start looking for alternatives if they intend to remain relevant and profitable. What is also hoped is that with every state, city, or country that enacts a similar ban, it continues a trickle down affect that results in more communities enacting similar bans. The more of us who come out and take this necessary step for animals, the closer we are to forcing companies to ban cosmetics testing on animals altogether. That's ultimately the goal, forcing these companies to stop the testing and look for cruelty free alternatives. 

Congratulations New Jersey, thanks for taking a stand for the tortured, for the voiceless, and for the innocent. Head to WORLD ANIMAL NEWS through the link at the top of this post for the original story!

​worldanimalnews.com/more-than-500-dogs-rescued-from-a-breeder-that-were-living-in-horrific-conditions-in-iowa/

Over 500 dogs were rescued from abhorrent conditions on a breeding facility in Iowa after a complaint was filed with the Department of Justice. Upon investigation, there were over 190 violations of the Animal Welfare Act including keeping dead dogs in cages, inadequate space to move freely, dogs with untreated illnesses & injuries, and dogs with painful fur matting. What's especially troubling about this story is that this particular breeder was licensed under the United States Department of Agriculture, leading buyers to believe that the dogs were kept in pristine conditions which we now know couldn't be further from the truth.

I can't say this enough but if you're looking to add a furry friend to your family, the reason should always be to bring joy and happiness into the lives of your family. If you're more concerned with getting the cutest puppy or kittens, or shelling out thousands of dollars for pure-bred animals, I don't believe you're in it for the right reasons. It's kind of disgusting to see the lengths that people will go to in order to get their pure-bred breeds and the money they're willing to spend to do so. At the end of the day, you're looking for a trophy...not a pet.

Breeding dogs / cats to sell for profits is exploitative and rooted in greed. These people have their momma dogs pumping out babies constantly and profit heavily off of the animals they are breeding. There is a lack of love and compassion involved in a breeding facility because at the end of the day, these animals are nothing more than dollar signs. When you purchase from a breeder, you are lining the pockets of someone who is exploiting animals while innocent, loving animals remain locked up in shelters. You are perpetuating animal cruelty in order to get your pure-bred animal, it's as simple as that.

I'll say it again; if you're going to utilize the services of a breeder, do your research. You could be buying dogs from a facility much like the one in this story; dogs that have been neglected and are suffering. Is this really worth your pure-bred?

​worldanimalnews.com/u-s-fish-wildlife-service-fails-to-protect-species-facing-extinction-for-the-fifth-year-in-a-row/

The USFWS is failing endangered species because their process to list and protect them is so slow and backlogged that species are going extinct before they even have a chance at being rehabilitated. In 2021, 66 imperiled species sat waiting for a decision on being protected and a plan to rehabilitate but the USFWS is still working on cases as far back as 1973. It's abundantly clear that the process in which the USFWS is using to issue these protections is highly flawed, ineffective, and leaves endangered species at further risk of extinction.

It's quite regular that I post about the USFWS and their lackluster and ineffective approach to wildlife management. We've seen several instances of decisions being made that are not for the benefit of endangered species and in some cases, work against them. For example, the rushed removal of the grey wolf at the request of the Trump administration is the perfect example of poor wildlife management. Within mere months of being delisted, several states within the US were actively participating in sport hunting against grey wolves, the same wolves that spent 40 years being protected and rehabilitated. Explain to me how removing their protections and watching them almost immediately begin being slaughtered to extinction is proper wildlife management? Are the interests of wild animals truly at the forefront of the USFWS?

The Biden administration needs to look at the USFWS and actively work towards improving the functionality of the organization. If there are not crucial improvements made to the budget and the process in which species are listed, we will continue to see needless extinction at the expense of our inactivity. Change must occur!