The United Kingdom has taken a step in the right direction in banning the sale of puppies and kittens from a third party in a crackdown on puppy mills. This ban will prevent anyone from selling puppies or kittens that they themselves did not breed in a bid to make the sale of animals more transparent and also to help put an end to puppy mills where dogs often live miserable lives in deplorable conditions. This will also help to promote getting pets from rescue and rehoming centers which will save so many more animals that desperately need homes. Puppy mills are despicable industries where breeders keep mother dogs in the tiniest of crates and repeatedly breed them to sell the puppies to third parties where they will then be sold again. During transportation, these baby animals risk illness and infections and upon arrival, the purchaser has no real way to know information about the mother or interaction history between mother and puppies. It's a money driven industry that has absolutely no regard for the animals whatsoever and also takes away from shelter animals' chances of finding a loving home. The allure of buying a brand spanking new puppy of any specific breed is what lures generally kind hearted people away from shelters which further hurts their chances of finding a good home and also keeps shelters full and unable to continue rescuing animals in need.
I know I say this often but always always always remember to adopt your pet and never shop for them. A shelter animal is one that likely had a loving family and was abandoned. A shelter animal is one that knew love and had it ripped away from them. A shelter animal sits in their space alone, hoping for a second chance. Every time you purchase a puppy or kitten from a breeder, you're literally adding a nail to the coffin of a shelter animal who desperately needs your love and padding the pockets of someone who is taking advantage of their dogs to make money.
For more information regarding this ban and the fight to end puppy mills, head to the link at the top of the page! HAPPY VEG
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Growing up, we're taught cows are farm animals that provide us with things like beef, leather, and milk products, but as a Vegetarian adult I realise tat they are sentient beings with some pretty interesting traits. Today's post will be spotlighting cows and some of the most interesting and fabulous things about these gigantic, peaceful animals.
Knowing what amazing mother's these beautiful animals are and how they are much like us in their desire to form friendships and bonds, I'm super content in not eating meat. I've reduced my dairy intake since being in Ireland and I truly intend to go fully vegan in the next couple of years. These gentle giants are manipulated and taken advantage of in the meat / dairy industries and I really don't want any part of it. The more we choose to learn about these animals often thought of as products versus living beings, the easier it is to turn away from industries that take advantage of them. HAPPY VEG Some info taken from
http://www.dairymoos.com/interesting-facts-about-cows/ https://www.thatsfarming.com/news/18-fun-facts-about-cows http://mentalfloss.com/article/550594/facts-about-cows 9 people were arrested and charged in Florida with several different charges including felonies for luring, trapping, and eventually killing black bears. The sick people used tactics including leaving dog food and sweets out to lure the black bears out only to unleash a pack of trained hunting dogs on the bear. Obviously, the dogs would chase down and maul the bear, killing it to the bemusement of those involved.
Luckily, as mentioned, they were arrested and charged after a year long investigation that led to them. What they did was sickening and definitely indicates that they have absolutely no compassion or empathy and frankly, their moral compasses are malfunctioning. Anyone who finds amusement in luring animals only to watch and enjoy them be chased, attacked, and / or killed is sick and needs to be locked up. The word "conservation" was tossed around by "ethical hunters" who condemned what these people did but it begs the question, what makes it ethical versus what these people did? Essentially, you stalk, creep around unnoticed, and take pleasure in ending the life of an animal, so how can one argue that there is much of a difference? I mean, their mindset might be different in that they feel somewhat justified under the guise of conservation or hunting for food but at the end of the day, it's kind of along the same lines isn't it? I believe the malicious intent is not there, but the activity and end result end up being quite similar. It's time to stop preaching about hunting as a means of conservation. The two words are compete opposites and it is completely hypocritical to state that you kill any animal for conservation. You hear this idea thrown around from trophy hunters who pay astronomical amounts of money to hunt lions, leopards, tigers etc., these people hunt this animals and believe that they've made their contributions to conservation financially which somehow justifies their actions when in fact, it works against conservation as a whole. Almost all of the animals that these ethical hunters pay to hunt are bordering on endangered so one cannot argue that the financial aspect makes up for the needless killing because you're removing animals from the planet that desperately need protection. Good riddance to these scumbags and I hope they serve significant jail time but only time will tell. What do you guys think, do trophy hunting and conservation belong in the same sentence or am I right when I say that it's complete hogwash? HAPPY VEG
There are many things wrong with chicken and egg farming. Hens crammed into crates with no room to move, living amongst their own filth with no medical treatment for injuries. However, as I mentioned, the grinding up of the baby boy chicks has been one of the most controversial and disturbing aspects of the industry. Witnessing these babies slide along a conveyor on their way to a grinder completely and innocently unaware of the fate they have been decided is a sight that leaves you with a sour taste for the industry.
The eggs are being sold now under the label of "Respeggt" in Berlin with intentions of all independent hatcheries using the technology by 2020. There are hopes that this technology will spread all across Europe alleviating the need for chick culling and abolishing one of the cruelest and most saddening aspects of egg farming. This is fabulous news and also demonstrates an acknowledgment that chick culling is recognized as cruel and disturbing. Here's to hoping this technology spreads like wildfire and eventually the world is utilizing this amazing technology. What do you guys think? HAPPY VEG Another day, another story of how President Trump and his shit administration are destroying the animal kingdom. I recently reported on how his administration was being sued by conservation groups over their lack of action regarding protecting giraffes but as it turns out, his administration is failing several species with 10 specific species at risk of extinction without his administration's action immediately. Among these 10 species are the red wolves. Red wolves are specifically crucial to protect because by 1980, they were declared extinct in the wild and reintroduced in an effort to repopulate and bring their numbers back up to where they should be. Unfortunately, red wolves face a multitude of problems in the wild, all of which are caused by human interference. Red wolves are commonly mistaken for coyotes because of their appearance and are hunted repeatedly by stupid hunters who roam the protected recovery areas looking for thrill kills. These pigs are roaming around shooting whatever they want without even realizing that what they are shooting are endangered species who require our protection. His administration is attempting to reduce protected recovery areas by 90% leaving many animals vulnerable of being hunted. This would ensure that along with red wolves, several other species would be at risk of being hunted and could also face endangerment / extinction. Red wolves specifically are down to just 3 breeding groups which is why it is so important for his administration to step up and protect them before it's too late. His administration is repeatedly failing animals and will undoubtedly be the reason red wolves, giraffes, and several other endangered species face extinction.
Below, I've listed their website as well as their contact us page. Take the time to send them a message urging them to better protect the red wolf before it's too late. In fact, why not just let them know how terrible they're doing altogether because that's what I'll be doing!
CONTACT www.fws.gov/duspit/contactus.htm WEBSITE www.fws.gov/ HAPPY VEG As if hunting or trophy hunting aren't bad enough, why not make a game out of it? Several states in the United States are taking part in a predator contest looking for the number one hunter across the regions. The contest suggests killing as many coyotes as possible all in the name of fun and suggests that winning this contest will be "big" news.
There's something so disturbing about an activity that promotes going out and slaughtering as many animals as possible especially when it is being described as fun. Picturing these people stalking the forests looking for animals to shoot and kill is such a disturbing visual but the fact is, there's plenty of people who are engaging in these sorts of sickening activities. One specific photo shared by a member of this particular group shows him proudly smiling in front of several coyote corpses he had strung up behind him. He stated that nothing gives him a rush quite like disturbing a pack and waiting for the right moment to shoot them dead. I've said this before but I will say it again, there's something seriously wrong with you if you get your thrills out of stalking and killing animals for fun. There's a complete lack of compassion and empathy involved in a sport like this and when you factor in that it is being described as a fun sport, it's even more disturbing and offensive. How in the hell can anyone find anything fun about this? There has to be something mentally wrong in your head because even as a meat eater, going out and slaughtering animals was never something I would have considered as fun so it's an indicator to me that there has to be something unusual about the way these people's brains work. Hunting is a deplorable sport that repeatedly encourages murder. In the case of hunting for "food", there is at least some kind of arguable value to it but in this case, what is there to argue? These people literally take pleasure in disrupting, scaring, and killing animals for fun. What kind of people are these? As I said, there's definitely something wrong with you if you consider these sorts of activities fun in any way. If you live in the United States and want to help put a stop to these horrific events, follow the link to the World Animal News page and follow their instructions to contact your state legislators and city councils. Please take the time to do this if you live in one of the states that participate because the next round of hunting games are taking place in early January! HAPPY VEG In a tragic and saddening turn of events, a bear named Cinder who was rescued and rehabilitated after devastating wildfires was shot dead by a hunter. The sad news comes after the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife reported to the Idaho Black Bear Rehab, the charity organization that rehabilitated and released Cinder, lost their signal on a tracking collar.
Cinder's paws were badly burnt during wildfires and the IBBR rescued and rehabilitated the beautiful bear before releasing her back into the wild. This is another reason why trophy hunting and really hunting period need to be reevaluated as something that is acceptable. All of the time and effort this organization put into helping this poor bear regain its life only to ave the animal shot dead by a hunter not soon after being released? What a tragic situation but also one that angers me tremendously. These people who get their thrills out of killing animals like this are allowed to do so without any justification aside from the fact that it's some kind of fun activity. They walk around shooting and killing whatever the hell they want like they own the forests, environment, and animals within the areas they hunt. It sickens me the sense of entitlement these people have and sickens me ever more so that governments allow this sort of activity. When will the world wake up to this atrocity of a sport and finally put an end to it? How many more animals have to be stalked, frightened, and shot dead in the name of fun? Trophy hunting is currently the reason that animals like lions, giraffes, elephants, and leopards are endangered and at risk of going extinct in the wild. Why is it that when these animals are reportedly at risk the government then decides to protect them? It's their allowances of these sorts of activities that have put these animals at risk to begin with? It's so hypocritical to allow hunting but then work to protect the same animals that they allowed to be hunted to the point of endangerment. Wolves, bears, and other varieties of big cats are also at risk because of hunting but I assume we'll just wait until they are nearly extinct to give a fuck about them. Cinder's story shines a light on the abhorrent actions of hunters and definitely makes you wonder, when will the unnecessary killing stop? HAPPY VEG As a former meat eater, all I knew about pigs was what they provided me as far food / products including pork and leather. The fact of the matter is, pigs are pretty incredible animals that are some of the most intelligent in the animal kingdom. The more you learn about animals, the less likely you are to view them as products and the more likely you are to appreciate their sentience. Let's take a look at some of the many things that make pigs pretty amazing!
THEY'RE VERY MILD MANNERED Pigs are very mild tempered animals rarely showing aggression. The only time a pig will become aggressive is in the case of a mother who believes her babies are in danger. Much like humans, mother pigs are extremely protective of their babies which makes factory farming especially difficult to hear about because they are shackled in sowing stations and unable to help leaving them emotionally and mentally stressed beyond comprehension.
Pigs are so special and that's why I think it's important to learn about them and stop associating them with dumb, lackluster animals. They are so intelligent, clean, social, and beautiful which as I said is why factory farming is so disturbing. These poor animals are bred repeatedly, watch in horror as their babies are docked, have their teeth ground, and are abused in some cases. They are forced to endure repeated breeding which assuredly leaves them emotionally scarred and after they are of no use, they are killed. It's time to to appreciate the pig for all of it's splendor and stop looking at it as a product. That's it for today's spotlight on pigs. Make sure to share this with your meat eating friends because you never know, maybe they'll learn something and reconsider that bacon on their plate! HAPPY VEG Some information taken from:
onekindplanet.org/animal/pig/ www.thepigsite.com/articles/5068/10-surprising-facts-about-pigs/ Today I had the pleasure of orientating with the DSPCA as a volunteer and learned a lot about their organization, their mission, successes, and about the work they do tirelessly for animals everyday. I was blown away by the facilities and the beautiful land surrounding DSPCA which I was immediately taken by. I want to take this opportunity to tell you a little about the DSPCA, what they, and what I'm looking forward to doing with them! The Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a not for profit charity organization that works to help abandoned, injured, neglected, and in need animals of all varieties. They focus on rehabilitation and re-homing of animals including dogs and puppies, cats and kittens, smaller animals like rabbits, farm animals, and even wild animals that need rehabilitation before being returned to the wild. They also work tirelessly to better protect animals through the law working to get prosecutions involving animal cruelty of all types. They take the time to host / visits schools to educate children on the importance of treating animals well and ingraining in them from a young age that animals are special and require us to properly care for them. Through my orientation, I learned that it takes approximately 3 million euros a year to properly run the organization and they receive only 10% of that in grants. Volunteers, fundraising, fun activities, and educational events, fund the remaining moneys required. They employ a very small staff of passionate, empathetic people who care not for money but more for the welfare of animals and rely heavily on volunteers to keep their organization afloat. They have thousands of "active" volunteers but approximately 200 who make regular visits to the facility to offer their time. Volunteers have a slew of available opportunities to offer their time including spending time with cats and dogs and showering them with affection, cleaning and maintenance of the grounds, fundraising, and joining in on educational talks with schools. Volunteers play a very special role within the organization and after my orientation presentation, I felt the appreciation of the volunteers from our presenter. It was abundant that not only did he care tremendously for animals, but appreciated the efforts of anyone who would lend their time to their cause.
I can't wait to share my journey with the DSPCA with you guys and I implore you to visit the DSPCA website to learn more about their mission and history and to see how you can help. Also, expect to see lots of posts on social media involving adoptable animals that I'll be featuring <3 www.dspca.ie/ www.dspca.ie/how-to-help/ HAPPY VEG
An undercover video surfaced of awful animal cruelty exposed in the pig industry in Gelderland and Noord-Brabant. In the video, piglets are seen suffering in agony as they have their tails clipped, teeth grinded, and are vaccinated and pumped with antibiotics as their mothers lay between sowing stations screaming to help their piglets. Unfortunately, all of these practices are perfectly legal according to the Netherlands Food and product Safety Authority while the Minister of Agriculture said that the video although saddening, was not evidence of abuse. There was however kicking and punching of pigs as they were moved from different areas which most definitely indicates abuse but the remainder of the horrible things seen on the video are totally commonplace within the pig industry. The undercover "employee" remarked that it was absolutely heart wrenching watching the mother pigs scream in terror trying to help their babies but being unable to move.
Giving up meat 17 years ago was one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life. I didn't know as much as I know now and I couldn't be more empowered by my decision. Animal agriculture is destroying our environment and torturing animals every single day. If you're a vegetarian or vegan, congratulations for your contributions! If you're someone who eats meat and you're reading this, please consider giving up meat or cutting back on the amount you currently eat. Adopt a meat free Monday ritual or if you're feeling ambitious, cut out meat every other day. Every day without meat is a good day for the environment, the animals, and your health.
HAPPY VEG |
Stay educated and remain involved in animal welfare. Together, we can all make a difference!
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