Living Without Meat

Compassion Over Killing (COK) is calling on the public to pledge to avoid eating eggs for the month of May, the month that the egg industry has dubbed as National Egg Month in efforts to keep sales up after the busy Easter season. Take the COK egg-free pledge today - regardless of how many other animal products you do or don’t eat - to show your support for the hardworking, mistreated hens (and the baby boy chicks that are chopped up alive or smothered in the trash).

When you take the pledge, COK will be sure to provide you with everything that you need to continue cooking, baking, and eating without eggs. You’re “Cracking the Habit” package will come in the mail just a few days after you sign up, and will include coupons for great vegan condiments, a vegetarian how-to guide, stickers, and if you are one of the first 200 to sign up, a copy of VegNews magazine.

Two outstanding men in the animal activist world - Matt Ball, co-founder and director of Vegan Outreach and Bruce Friedrich, a vice president of PETA - have poured all of their tips, suggestions, and knowledge into one easy-to-understand new book: The Animal Activist’s Handbook: Maximizing Our Positive Impact in Today’s World.

This guide goes beyond the basic “how-tos” for animal activism and delves into all aspects of speaking out for your cause. From picking a worthy and meaningful topic and action to effectively playing out all the steps, this book has it all. There are also lots of extras to be found within the pages, including a foreword by PETA President Ingrid Newkirk, an index of recommended resources, a look at the controversial concept of “humane” meat, and theoretical discussions on ethics and animal liberation.

The Handbook was released in the beginning of April by Lantern Books, a publishing company worth checking out if you like books about animals, veganism, health, spirituality, and other socially conscious topics.

Anyone watch The View this morning, May 7? Lois, a member of the Humane League, emailed us this note today about today’s episode:

“Barbara Walters held up a copy of the newspaper, the New York Daily News. On the front cover is a photo of a baby cow that escaped a slaughterhouse. She announced that she is upset by the photo and is on her way to being a vegetarian.

“Any way that light can be shed on the plight of farm animals is much needed. I thought Ms. Walters was phenomenal at bringing attention to this. She spoke briefly, but added she is bringing a veggie burger to her Washington, D.C. trip this weekend. Kudos to Barbara!”

Thanks for letting us all know, Lois - and thanks for the veg promotion, Barbara!

The picture shown here, where a young calf is being treated like an escaped criminal, is the one that Barbara shared with View watchers this morning; read the accompanying article, “No bull, cow escapes slaughterhouse and hoofs it through Queens.”

It seems that the 22-year-old PETA employee FishingHurts, formerly known as Rachel Feather, has some company. Ms. FishingHurts, of Arizona, legally changed her name last year in February 2008 to show support for animals’ rights by creating a personal conversation starter.

Later in the year, in October, a teenager followed suit and legally changed her name as well. The 19-year-old PETA intern from North Carolina, formerly known as Jennifer Thornburg, now goes by CutoutDissection.com.

“I normally do have to repeat my name several times when I am introducing myself to someone new,” Cutout told The Asheville Citizen-Times. “Once they find out what my name is, they want to know more about what the Web site is about.”

Cutout’s family, however, understandably still calls her Jennifer. “It will take me a while,” said her dad, Duane Thornburg. “She’s still Jennifer to me. I understand why she’s done it. Believe it or not, I totally respect it.”

FishingHurts and CutoutDissection.com were not the first and surely won’t be the last animal activists - all of whom so far seem to be PETA employees and interns - to legally change their name for the cause. In 2003, the then 23-year-old Karin Robertson, of Indiana, also a PETA employee, changed her name to GoVeg.com. In 2005, PETA worker Christopher Garnett, whose driver’s license is shown here, changed his name to KentuckyFriedCruelty.com. He changed it back to Chris a year later.

I’m sure that there are more name changes that I am missing. So if you have dreams of one day working for PETA, particularly as an intern or youth outreach coordinator, be prepared to change your name! I think I will wait to become Ms. LivingWithoutMeat until I own the domain name.

I am assuming that by now you have heard more about the swine flu outbreak than you ever wanted to. Every news station is reporting on it. Every newspaper is stretching it out into multiple stories each day. And every blogger - especially the veg ones - is blogging their opinions about it (sometimes eloquently, other times just ranting and raving).

I, however, don’t have much to say because I haven’t taken the time to read up much about it. So rather than waxing philosophical on a topic that is foreign to me, I would like to share with you the opinion of the animal advocacy group that I agree with most often (though not always): Farm Sanctuary.

This morning, Tuesday, April 28, Farm Sanctuary released this public statement from president and co-founder Gene Baur about the outbreak of swine flu and its connections to factory farming:

For more than 23 years, Farm Sanctuary has warned that cramming thousands of animals into factory farms is not only bad for the animals. These stressful, filthy, disease-ridden confines are also bad for humans. Animals packed by the thousands in unnatural conditions suffer immensely and these unhealthy, overcrowded operations are a breeding ground for disease. For too long, agribusiness and the USDA have failed to adequately address animal and human health risks - swine flu, avian flu, MRSA, e-coli, salmonella, mad cow disease - the list goes on. Factory farms are nothing less than a prescription for disaster.

Virtual experiences are the new black in the world of animal rights. Two leaders in the virtual animal world are Animal Visuals, a site that has made two videos so far and promises more to come, and Farm Sanctuary, which has just released a brand new virtual tour of the Farm as well as inside factory farms.

Animal Visuals’ first tour takes you inside a battery cage. You see through the eyes of a hen and can look around - but not move or flap your wings, as would be the case for these hens in real life. You can see a dead bird beneath your feet, injured ones next to you, and other instances of cruelty. Their newest experience gives you a real-time look at the rate of slaughter.

Experience the virtual farm world, and investigate inside factory farms for all animal species and explore the refuge these animals find at Farm Sanctuary.

I have never watched, or even had the desire to watch, Cesar Millan’s TV show Dog Whisperer … until now!

On the May 8 episode at 9 p.m. on the National Geographic Channel, Millan and the Nat Geo crew will go into a puppy mill!

Dog Whisperer: Puppy Mills Exposed is going to be huge! I just watched a preview of the episode on The Insider (click here to watch it) and it is not going to be a puff piece. They are showing dogs getting beat in the head, living in disgusting conditions, sick and dying, with visible diseases and ailments, going blind, suffering in pain … and they are going to attempt to rescue them!

This is surely a do not miss show! If you can’t wait until May 8 to see the great things Millan is doing, check out the episode’s pictures, videos, and recaps at Nat Geo online.

Today the FBI made a move heard ’round the vegan world: an animal rights activist has been added their most wanted terrorists list. The governmental crime-fighting organization has certainly investigated, secretly watched, and even infiltrated vegan and animal rights people and events, but this is the first time a “strict vegan” has been listed.

So is it time for us to start worrying? Are they after us all now?

Yes and no.

Yes, it certainly hurts our cause that “terrorist” and “vegan” are labels on the same FBI case file. But no, you should not worry about your own actions getting FBI attention.

The listed man, Daniel Andreas San Diego, 31, is an expert bomb builder and has blown up multiple buildings. He is not wanted for trespassing, making threats, or other charges often brought against animal activists.

According to the FBI, San Diego made sophisticated bombs with ammonium nitrate brand explosives that were set off by “kitchen timer style mechanical timer devices.”

CNN adds that “authorities allege San Diego bombed facilities in Emeryville and Pleasanton, California, because he believed the Chiron and Shaklee Corporations had ties to animal-testing labs.” CNN also reports that the FBI has stated that San Diego has prominent tattoos: One in the center of his chest depicting a burning hillside with the inscription “It only takes a spark.” Another, on his abdomen, is of burning, collapsing buildings. His back is covered in a leafless tree rising from a road above buildings that are burning. (Read CNN’s full report.)

So as long as you are not concocting explosive devices in your garage and detonating them in public buildings, your animal rights actions should not cause you to end up on the FBI’s most wanted terrorists list.

The Grey’s Anatomy episode about animal testing, “Life During Wartime,” is re-airing on Lifetime right now!

Find a brief review and recap with quotes and pictures at TV.com. BuddyTV.com has an elaborate, four-page recap.

Still haven’t seen the highly talked about episode? Check it out in its entirety at Cucirca.com.

As you watch the kids hunt for eggs. While you bite the head off of your chocolate rabbit. After you attend church during one of the busiest Sunday services of the year. During your family dinner … please, think of the bunnies.

“I should be the poster child for animal rights. I am slaughtered for my fur. I am slaughtered for my meat. I am factory farmed in rabbit mills. I am tortured by vivisectors in their ‘labs.’ I am the third most commonly ‘euthanized’ companion animal. I am hunted and snared. I am the object of blood sports. I am often cruelly abused. I am given as a live animal prize. I languish in pet stores. Why aren’t I?”
— Poster from RabbitWise, Inc., a rabbit advocacy organization.

As this quote from RabbitWise details, the rabbit is one of the most sought after animals. We kill him for his fur, his meat, his ability to take tests. We experiment on him, catch him in traps, skin him alive. We give him as a cute, cuddly gift, then get rid of him a few months later when we realize how much care he needs.

We take our kids to the mall to take their photo with a man dressed like him in a giant furry suit. But we never allow ourselves to think of the truth, to think of what life is like on a day-to-day basis for a rabbit.

As you enjoy your Easter holiday, I sincerely hope that you will also take a moment to look at the picture below and see what a rabbit’s life is like … Exploited, abused, farmed. Treated as an disposable thing. Killed for our beauty, our vanity, our selfishness.

Learn more about rabbits at the Encyclopedia Britannica’s Advocacy for Animals blog post “The Rabbit: ‘Poster Child’ for Animal Rights.” The post was originally from August, 2008. Thanks to Eccentric Vegan for finding and re-posting it today on Vegan Soapbox.

Make sure you are not contributing! If your clothing label includes “angora,” you are wearing rabbit fur. Many sweaters include percentages of this cruel wool - check the tag!

Whether people are finally getting it or the economic downturn is claiming another victim, the fur industry is losing money. Annual global fur sales were down about $2 billion from the 2006/2007 retail year to the 2007/2008. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is unsure whether increased public education, availability of more faux options, the economy, or a combination of all three is the cause but they know the effect: an estimated 10 million animals will be spared each year if this trend continues.

“The fur industry thrives on limited public knowledge of the fur trade’s practices and high levels of disposable income—both of which have been eroding recently,” said Pierre Grzybowski, manager of the HSUS Fur-Free Campaign. “Recent high-profile investigations of animal cruelty and consumer deception in the fur trade, coupled with the economic downturn, has replaced animal fur with faux fur and other alternatives for many shoppers.”

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently released a new Strategic Plan for Evaluating the Toxicity of Chemicals, which reevaluates the way that we test products in America. The report, which was put together by the Science Policy Council in the EPA’s Office of the Science Advisor, starts to shine a little hope for the future cessation of animal testing as the government looks for new approaches to ensuring the public’s safety and a clean environment.

The plan concludes by stating that “the new paradigm should facilitate evaluating the susceptibility of different life-stages and genetic variations in the population, understanding the mechanisms by which toxicity occurs, and considering the risks of concurrent, cumulative exposure to multiple and diverse chemicals, while at the same time significantly reducing reliance on animal testing for assessing human risk.”

Read up on more about the potential future of animal testing in two very well written articles that include a lot of stats and scientific facts: “Are the lab rat’s days numbered?” in the Boston Globe and “New EPA Report Recommends Moving Away from Animal Testing” at the PETA Files. And be sure to read the EPA report in its entirety, too!

I’ve always had a thing for actor Ryan Reynolds, ever since he starred as Berg on Two Guys and a Girl. But now he’s speaking up for animals and being sarcastic while doing so? Swoon!

As a native Canadian, Reynolds wrote a commentary on the Canadian seal hunt for the Huffington Post.

The seal hunt is an annual event, supported by the local government, where thousands of baby harp seals are beat to death by clubs with a sharp hook on the end. This year’s goal, as set by the Canadian government, was 280,000 seals. The hunters are protected by regulations that make it illegal to watch, photograph, or interfere with the clubbing.

Seals are sought after for their pelts for hats, coats, and trim, as well as their oils for beauty products.

Here’s an excerpt from Ryan’s commentary. Click here to read the whole article:

“… Yes, the blood thirsty, baby seal.

Confronting these menacing assassins of the ice is no small feat. In the “kill or be killed” world of Seal Clubbing, there are but only a few ways to overpower such wicked beasts. …

The second best way to club a baby seal is to, well, use a club or “baton.” This technique is seemingly simple to the dis-educated, but there are in fact subtleties involved. A kind of inexplicable nuance handed down from generation to generation. Not everybody can do it. Here’s how it works: approach the creature from the front, maintaining plenty of eye contact. Raise the baton about shoulder height and strike the mammal hard across the face or head (or as hard as you and your son or daughter are able). Now watch closely, to ensure all the innocence has exited the carcass. (And watch your children grow up before your very eyes!) Although it’s not recommended for beginners, you may also lure the creature to your baton by whistling, smiling or juggling fresh fish. An alternative - and markedly slower method - includes snuggling with the offending seal until it dies of old age.”

Yesterday, April 1, Mercy For Animals (MFA) released brand new undercover investigation footage and testimony that reveals unacceptable abuse at New England’s largest egg factory farm, Quality Egg of New England (QENE) in Turner, Maine.

What MFA Found
The farm in question, which was selected at random for this investigation, has despicable living conditions that are worsened by lack of vet care, insufficient killing methods that leave injured birds to slowly die in trash cans and manure pits, workers blowing cigarette smoke into the hens’ faces, rotting corpses in cages with hens still producing eggs for human consumption, lack of proper training for handling the birds, and much more. What’s worse: the owner, Jack DeCoster, has a long history as a notorious polluter and animal abusers, having been fined multiple times for his gross negligence for the environment and animals.

What MFA is Asking of You
Eggland’s Best, a company that boasts high standards, uses QENE as a supplier. MFA is asking all of us to use our money to help their efforts. MFA needs you to refrain from buying any Eggland’s Best products until they agree to stop using QENE. You can also contact Eggland’s Best and let them know that you will not stand for such inhumane production of your food. Furthermore, these conditions are, unfortunately, a industry-wide problem and going completely egg free will help immensely.

What is Being Done
MFA will continue discussions with Eggland’s Best and other QENE distributors. Additionally, the state of Maine is stepping up! Yesterday, the state received a warrant to raid QENE, based on the conditions being a violation of Maine’s anti-cruelty laws.

Learn More
* Get egg-free recipes at ChooseVeg.com
* Watch the undercover footage at MFA’s site
* Get facts about battery cages at Wikipedia
* View an animated Animal Visual to get an inside look at life in a battery cage

I am constantly surprised when I meet someone who genuinely believes that today’s meat comes from mom and pop farms like the one in Charlotte’s Web. I’m saddened that so many people are misinformed or unaware, but also invigorated to keep going. It gives me the energy I need to hand out more leaflets. It motivates me to reach out to more teens on MySpace. It keeps me optimistic while I battle ignorant arguments. And most of all, it fuels my writing. (All of which are tasks that I perform for my new job with The Humane League.)

If you don’t believe me that there are people out there who have never heard of factory farms, just check out this real newspaper notice, as seen on the Fail Blog:

If you can’t read the words in the image, it reads: “To all you hunters who kill animals for food, shame on you; you ought to go to the store and buy the meat that was made there, where no animals were harmed.”