Living Without Meat

Another major print and online news source has worked up a great article on veganism.

The New York Post published “Intriguin’ Vegan: (Don’t) Say ‘Cheese’ at These Spots” on Wednesday, June 25. The article hits on celebrities in the vegan spotlight and New York City vegan restaurant reviews (simultaneously by a vegan and carnivore). It also includes a spread from a photo shoot - “V” for Vegan.

In case you don’t have an awesome coworker that periodically sends you vegetarian and animal rights articles: Last Sunday’s Washington Post featured an equally cute and educational article entitled “I Love Moo: Tales From A N.Y. Animal Sanctuary.”

With that, the Sanctuary’s tour season is now in full bloom - head to the Finger Lakes to get your fill of animal love. The Bed and Breakfast on the farm fills up quickly, but don’t be bummed if you can’t get a room - Corning, NY is just down the road and is an fun, crafty town. Be sure to meet Sally the pig if you go: not only does she have the best name ever, but she has an awesome personality, too!

The onset of summer seems to invoke in people a need to think about their pets’ needs more so than other times. Whether it’s the heat or vacations, I don’t know. But here are some odd and interesting pet-related stories, news, and products.

* Veterinarians have agreed: a pet’s biggest health threat is human error. With the launch of a new site - Remind My Pet - owners can now receive e-mail updates reminding them how and when to give their loved creature medicine. Register for free and ensure that you are providing healthy and safe care.

* Animal Keepsake Memorials has a new product to help you remember your four-legged family member forever: the Fur-Ever-Friends pet urn. For $65 you can get a triangular box. For an additional $125, you can order a personalized, engraved plaque with a photo on it. For about $20, you can buy a picture frame and make your own photo memorial.

* When Leona Hemsley passed away in March, she left $12 million to her dog Trouble. And almost nothing to her grandchildren. Now, a judge reversed Hemsley’s will on the grounds that she was not in sound mind when she created it. The ruling gave each of two grandkids $3 million, $4 million to charity, and the remaining $2 million to Trouble (and his caretaker who gets $60,000 a year).

* PetMD.org published a list of ten ways to keep your pets healthy during hot summer days. In short: provide lots of water; don’t leave them in a car; know that age and weight effect heat tolerance; don’t leave food out - it can grow bacteria; learn what’s toxic; put an ID tag on them; check for bugs; groom them; provide shade, especially for fish tanks; take walks in early morning or late evening.

* The Humane Society created a top ten list for best things to do outside with your dog. But it seems they forgot the best one … having your dog help you score a date.

* Pet Sitters International has declared Friday, June 20, to be Take Your Dog to Work Day. Supposedly it’s to celebrate canine companions and encourage others to adopt a dog, but I say it’s to give pet sitters the day off.

* The ASPCA is hosting the Adopt-a-Bull contest where humans can show off their recent pit bull adoptees. In celebration of Adopt-a-Shelter Cat Month, there is also a cat photo contest.

Every time a vegan child passes away, or is found to be quite sick, the diet “forced” on them by their parents is blamed in the newspapers and by the law.

With previous headlines like “Death by Veganism,” and current quotes like, “the dangers of forcing children to follow a strict vegan diet needed to be highlighted,” the media’s point of view on this subject is fairly clear.

The most recent case takes place in Scotland, with a 12-year-old girl and her vegan parents.

The girl was taken to the hospital recently, and found to have severe bone issues - rickets, degenerative spine, and several that had been broken over her life. Her health problems were decided to connect to a lack of Vitamin D, which you can get your daily dose of just spending time in the sun.

But her “strict meat and dairy-free diet” is getting the blame.

If she had not been vegan, the conclusion would have been different, not blamed on diet at all. Lack of sun and broken bones? Sounds more like a physical abuse case to me. Or, perhaps the girl has a illness that effects her bones.

Regardless of what’s to blame, there is a 12-year-old girl in bad health and the doctors can’t look past her diet, which may or may not have anything to do with it all.

Have you held or attended a vegan potluck lately? If so, you may have encountered an FBI mole.

Allegedly, the FBI has been approaching people about working their way into organizations that might hold protests at the Republican National Convention (RNC).

One Minnesota college student who was approached, and asked specifically to “show up at “vegan potlucks” throughout the Twin Cities and rub shoulders with RNC protesters, schmoozing his way into their inner circles, then reporting back to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.”

Apparently there is also video reports of undercover cops previously acting as protesters, instigating rage, and performing staged arrests which led to riots.

Read the Minnesota student’s (he is remaining nameless) report of being confronted by the FBI and details of past, known cases of police infiltration into groups including vegans, churches, and theater troupes at the Minneapolis and St. Paul City Pages.

Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is often deemed one of the worst cases of animal cruelty by animal rights groups, especially PETA who has a Kentucky Fried Cruelty campaign.

While most of the claims of inhumane treatment fall on deaf ears within KFC, the Canadians have listened and are ready to change!

After seven months of closed-door negotiations between Canada KFC and PETA - and don’t forget a letter from Ryan Gosling to Canada KFC - a new animal welfare plan has been set into motion.

Some of the details set forth include:

* Phase in purchases of its chickens from suppliers that use controlled-atmosphere killing (CAK) until 100 percent come from this method, considered the most humane.

* Have a vegan, faux-chicken item available.

* Improve its animal welfare criteria.

* Urge suppliers to adopt better practices.

* Form an animal welfare advisory panel to monitor the changes and recommend further advancements.

Even if I did live in Canada, I still wouldn’t eat the chicken. But being able to (occasionally) grab a vegan fast-food meal would be nice. Although … how much would you bet that they will fry the fake meat in the same oil as the real meat?

Downers - cows and other animals that are too weak, sick, or injured to stand on their own - made headlines not long ago when the Humane Society released video footage of an undercover investigation into the treatment of these animals. Workers seem to think that a few, constant swift kicks will help a downer get motivated to walk. If an animal still won’t (can’t!) get up, perhaps a tow truck, front-end loader (a “digger” in 3-year-old boy speak), chains, ropes, or other will help. It’s also consider acceptable to use the meat of these sick and dying creatures for human consumption.

The public was shocked to learn about this standard practice when the HSUS video gained coverage even in public media outlets including television news.

The HSUS never gave up; their power has only been strengthened by the public outcry. Yesterday, they announced a breakthrough: “…the USDA announced that it will implement a complete ban on slaughter for human consumption of cattle unable to stand and walk unassisted.”

A Clueless quote is what comes to mind regarding this change: “Not a total Betty, but a vast improvement.” In other words, there is still plenty of work to be done, but this is still a great step towards preventing the abuse and misuse of downed animals. I can guarantee that the HSUS will not stop here.

The picture here is a screen shot from one of the HSUS’s downed cow videos. Click on it, and you can view this and all of their undercover footage.

I’m all for people on both sides of an issue speaking their mind … but in a mature, respectable manner. This means to paint throwing, no name calling, and no childish language.

Animal rights, and PETA specifically, tend to get a lot of grief for their alleged immaturity. So today’s lesson is that neither side is innocent … or fully matured.

A press release from the Center for Consumer Freedom, a non-profit supposedly “devoted to promoting personal responsibility,” was just sent down the wire with this title:

“Foie Gras Prohibition Repealed! Consumers Win!”

Offenses made:

1. Media fails to be unbiased.

2. Improperly and incorrectly speaks on behalf “the masses.”

3. Lacks basic journalistic skill; does not follow writing guidelines.

Next, the opening sentence:

“Today in a stunning yet welcome reversal of an ordinance that had made the Windy City a national laughingstock … “

4. Name calling begins.

5. Immaturity enters the picture.

6. Continued proof of lack of professionalism.

Now they bring in an “expert”:

” … experiment with Prohibition was always bound to end like this … “

7. Comparing your situation to a historical hard time is always a dumb move.

8. Arrogance much?

9. It’s just a wordier version of the grade school kickball rave: “I’m gonna kick your butt!”

“… a Nanny State looking over the
shoulders … “

10. So laws and regulations are bad? Is this what you are telling me?

I could go on and on, but I’ll just allow you to take it from here. For a good laugh (and groan), visit their Web site - you’ll find smear releases about PETA, jeers at organizations trying to help with America’s obesity epidemic, and, of course, plenty of childish, unprofessional language.

If you would like to understand more about why people are against foie gras, read Farm Sanctuary’s opinion on Chicago specifically. Also find great information through the No Foie Gras campaign.

It’s not just rare, it’s probably the first time ever that the two media networks that I keep up with - animal issues and fashion - are in agreement.

The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 is currently up for discussion - commonly referred to as the Farm Bill, or the $300 billion Farm Bill. It was passed in the House yesterday and received more than two-thirds pro votes, which is what they will need to maintain the bill if President Bush were to veto it.

Now, I’m not up on legal or farm speak, but both fashionistas and animal/vegan advocates are showng support for this act that sets to defend farmers and the environment.

For the fashion side: Women’s Wear Daily says that this “could potentially help retailers and apparel brands save millions of dollars.”

For the veggie side: There are food safety and labeling issues addressed, with country of origin becoming a mandatory label. Nutritional programs would get more funding and support. There would be tax deductions for farmers using renewable energy sources. There are positive implications for organic food, rural preservation, and general conservation of resources, too.

To read more, the House Committee on Agriculture has put together a one-page factsheet about the bill as a whole. Plus, there is a page dedicated to the bill where you can read a factsheet on each section, follow the legislative proceedings, and read statements from involved people.

“The affected product may contain small pieces of hard plastic.”

That’s the reason Fairbank Farms is issuing a voluntary recall on their ground beef products.

Price Chopper, Shaw’s, BJ’s, Wilson Farms retail outlets, and C&S Wholesale distributor all received potentially contaminated meat.

So many thoughts… I’ll make a list:

1. Why does hunks of plastic in a food product not return a full recall, but only voluntary?

2. I suppose plastic falling into the grinder is better than entire sick horses. Yup - the imagined “glue factory” for sick horses is often actually “the beef industry.”

3. You’d think an apology or explanation would be issued as well. Leaving consumers to speculate on their own might lead to searching for answers on the Internet, which might in turn lead to meat eaters finding sites like this one, clicking on the picture to order their free vegan recipe book, and ultimately becoming vegetarian. Oh, I can dream.

Hopefully, you know you’re safe because you don’t purchase ground beef. But if you did, and would like more information on the Fairbank Farms beef recall including which “sell by” dates were effected, read the press release.

This is a photograph of the last moments of the life of Kentucy Derby second-place winner Eight Belles.

The young filly finished the race, despite being repeatedly, mercilessly whipped by her 20-year-old jockey Gabriel Saez. At the end, she appeared fine. Then, Saez galloped her out (a sort of cool down and celebration) for a quarter of mile.

She collapsed, having broken both front ankles.

Fighting, no doubt, to calm concern in the crowd, vets and officials rushed to Eight Belles’ side. And immediately euthanized her.

Saez won $400,000; Eight Belles was murdered in front of all the Kentucky Derby attendees - but, I guess if you are one to attend and bet on any animal sport, you are not one to be bothered by a needless killing of the animal. I mean, if you bet on her to win, she still finished and got you a decent return, right?

Of course every animal rights group is quickly throwing punches at the event, but PETA’s voice is strongest, making CNN headlines today for lobbying the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority for further investigation (i.e. Did Saez know the horse was injured?).

Death by electrocution … it’s how many animals in the fur industry end their short, pitiful lives. And not just your average electrocution means, but disgusting, up-the-rear prodding and shocking.

In New York, however, fur traders and farmers will no longer be allowed to use anal electrocution as a means for offing animals, whilst preserving as much fur as possible. If they do so, they will face up to one year in prison.

That’s right: the home state of a great fashion capital has placed a legal ban on killing chinchillas, rabbits, mink, foxes, by anal (and genital) electrocution.

New York was the first state in the U.S. to make such legislation, and although no others have such a law in any state of the process, it is hopeful and likely that more will soon follow.

Something notable about a senator behind this animal rights law? He’s republican!

Said Republican Sen. Frank Padavan in the Associated Press article about this new legislation: “I draw a very strong correlation between how we treat domestic animals and all animals and how we treat each other.”

Well, there you go. Republicans can be bleeding hearts too.

Whoops! According to the AP, the law was actually signed into act back in March, but was headed by Gov. Eliot Spitzer, the man who has since retired after being implicated in a prostitution ring. He’s a Democrat. Conversely, the Humane Society featured a press release on the law being enacted back in August, 2007.

So the facts and dates are somewhat iffy, but there is no denying the fact that it is now illegal and prosecutable by law to ram a rod up a furry creature’s bum and shock him to death in the state of New York.

While listening to Farm Sanctuary President Gene Baur speak on his book tour, I learned something new about soy milk: Silk brand is the brain child of the dairy industry.

One day, Mr. Dairy Farmer said to himself … “hmm … people seem to be paying money for this soy milk stuff. I like to make money, so maybe I should make soy milk! I am so smart.”

Gene uses this story to prove that companies and farmers would not be hurt or offended if the entire world went vegan. They are not passionate about their products, per se, as much as they are about making money. Business folk will go where the money is - be it what they’ve always made or a new veganized version.

I love this theory and example, but I have never been a fan of Silk in particular. It was never my fave tasting soy milk, and it was by no means the most affordable brand.

Now I have new reasons to be anti-Silk: 1. Their products may contain milk and whey ingredients, and 2. These items are not always listed on the label.

The Stop & Shop convenient store chain in New Jersey just announced a voluntary recall of Silk’s single serving chocolate milk bottles because the company became aware that these drinks contained milk ingredients that were not provided on the label. (Read the recall press release).

What!? Labels are a vegan’s number one reading material … and now you are telling me that they might be wrong?!

I went to Silk’s Web site, and although each product has an adjacent link boasting “see nutritional information and ingredients,” none of them actually contain an ingredient list. None. Not one Silk product’s ingredients are provided online.

I contacted the company regarding this … let’s see what happens.

SIDE NOTE: The painting shown here is by Utah artist Natasha Lloyd. She is a molecular and cell biologist that paints, creates jewelry, works with glass, and follows many more creative ventures. Check her out - and her gorgeous animal and such paintings - on her homepage.

Look out: in Austrian petri dishes, straight from the frog’s you-know-what …SUPER SPERM is here to save the dying species!

This is an actual headline from Plenty Magazine today: “Project aims to preserve endangered frogs — by freezing their sperm”
.

The research company that has been working on this concept had this headline: “Sperm ‘On the Rocks’ - Using Semen Cryopreservation to Protect Amphibian Species”.

It is definitely a different way of aproaching an ever-growing and changing problem in the animal world. But how do they get these “samples”?

I did not purchase any Girl Scout cookies this year because there are only three kinds that are vegan - Thanks-A-Lot, Cinna-Spins, and Lemonades. None of these appealed to me. Turns out, I am not the only one who avoided Girl Scout cookies this year, and my reasoning is not the only reasoning for people not to buy them.

12-year-old Michigan Girl Scouts Madison Vorva and Rhiannon Tomtishen chose not to sell cookies this year.

The middle school girls have been working on earning their Bronze Award (third highest Girl Scout honor), including researching endangered orangutans in Indonesia. Madison and Rhiannon soon learned that the production of an ingredient used in Girl Scout cookies - palm oil - was threatening the orangutans’ natural habitat. They were neither okay with thus, nor willing to just accept the situation quietly.

These are certainly to be some powerful advocates for animals and the environment when they grow up! They are already making such a huge impact having: chosen not to sell cookies this year, created education presentations and material, selected to continue with the topic for their Silver Award (second highest honor), and even started a petition that includes the signature of Jane Goodall.

You can read more about Madison and Rhiannon’s fight for the orangutans in their local paper - the Ann Arbor News, at the Web site of Orangutan Outreach, or by visiting the Web site dedicated to their project - Save the Orangutans.

Photo taken by LEISA THOMPSON, for THE ANN ARBOR NEWS.