There is a long, drawn out debate over horse-carriages and whether they belong on our streets any longer. Horse-carriage operators have long argued that the horses they "employ" are treated with kindness and love, and are well taken care of, but refuse to touch on the obvious perils that these horses face in today's society. Horse-carriages were once the main mode of transportation in our history, but today, they are nothing more than novelty rides for tourists. These carriages have to finagle busy streets full of vehicular pollution, often times in very hot / very cold or wet weather. Outside of weather, they face the possibility of vehicular collisions, pollution ingestion, and stress from all of the noise and commotion around them. Not to mention the many videos we've all unfortunately seen of horses collapsing on busy streets. The fact is, horse-drawn carriages belong in our history, not on today's streets. The only responsible thing to do is retire the horses to sanctuaries after their many years of service and move to electric. If this becomes law in Philadelphia, my hope is that other states that continue to offer these novelty rides to tourists will also follow suit. Even one horse collapsing is one too many, and a clear indication that they just don't belong on our busy streets any longer. Retiring the horses in favour of electric is the responsible, humane, and compassionate thing to do and Philadelphia is setting the bar high for the remainder of the United States. It's time to end horse-drawn novelty rides and shift to electric models. Retire the horses! Learn more by clicking the link at the top of this post for the original story from World Animal News! HAPPY VEG
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Canada is eyeing a ban on cosmetics testing on animals. The federal budget of 2023 included an amendment to the Food & Drugs Act to prohibit testing on animals for cosmetics. Currently, there are no requirements that cosmetics be tested on animals, but there are also no rules that prevent either, allowing companies to continue their testing on animals despite it not being a requirement. Currently, Canada trails over 40 countries on our planet who have already enacted bans on cosmetics testing, another example of Canada's lackluster animal welfare track record. Cosmetics testing on animals is nothing short of animal cruelty and exploitation. We're not talking about medicine that could save humanity here, we're talking about lipsticks, mascaras, lotions, and body washes. These products are NOT necessities to our survival, they are novelty products, and we are subjecting innocent animals to endless tests, when it's been proven numerous times that results in animal tests do not always translate to humans. We torture animals for products we don't even need, a blatant display of exploitation and cruelty to animals who live their short lives in fear.
Animals subjected to cosmetics testing have products rubbed on their skin, dripped in their eyes, and ingested in order to determine whether they cause a reaction. These animals who have reactions are then left to suffer with painful lesions, rashes, and risk blindness while confined to tiny cages. Once their usefulness runs dry, they are discarded like trash, no longer serving a purpose. They spend what little time they have on this planet in pain, emotionally & mentally scarred from their experience, only to have their lives abruptly ended. What we do to these animals in the name of cosmetics is sickening, outdated, and cruel. There is no place on our planet for this type of cruelty to animals when other testing methods are available and even more accurate. Canada has an opportunity to do the right thing by animals. Our country has a shameful animal welfare track record with our seal hunts, continued production of fur, and live horse exports. We need to do more, and it starts with banning products tested on animals from being sold in our country. This MUST be passed. Learn more through the link at the top of this post. HAPPY VEGThe United States Fish & Wildlife Services, announced last week that the common hippo may warrant endangered species act protections. The announcement comes after a collection of animal advocacy groups sent intentions to sue the USFWS on World Hippo Day for their inaction in meeting deadlines to assess the hippo and its need for protections. The USFWS now has four days to assess and determine whether the hippo requires ESA protections. While they will likely miss that deadline, the hippo is still on track to receive necessary protections.
There are anywhere from 115, 000 - 148, 000 common hippos remaining in the wild, a number that has dropped significantly in the past 20 years. Hippos in the wild face many perils to their survival including habitat loss, human conflict / retaliatory conflict, drought, poaching, and legal hunting for sport. The United States is one of the leading contributors to the decline of hippos, having imported parts from over 9, 000 hippos between 2009 - 2018. Hippo parts imported including leather for clothes, boots, & purses, teeth, ivory, carvings, and trophies including heads on mounts. Considering the many natural perils hippos face, humans should NOT be contributing further to their demise through legal hunting for sport. That's where the Endangered Species Act would play a crucial role. Issuing Endangered Species Act protections to hippos would be life-saving for the species. These protections would nearly ban all imports of hippo parts, increase awareness of the perils hippos face, and increase necessary funding to aid in conservation. These protections are absolutely crucial in protecting a species. In fact, Endangered Species Act protections have helped a whopping 99% of the species listed, a near perfect track record. Without these protections, hippos will continue to be hunted for sport, have their heads mounted walls across the world, and plunge further towards inevitable extinction. I'll update as more information becomes available. Let's get hippos protected under the Endangered Species Act! HAPPY VEGA historic bill aimed at protecting wildlife has passed the house of commons in the United Kingdom and will now move to the House of Lords for a vote. The bill would make it illegal to import hunting trophies from species internationally recognized as being endangered or in danger of extinction. This monumental bill would be the first of its kind, sending a strong message to the International community that the United Kingdom stands up for imperiled wildlife and doesn't support the pay for slaughter of innocent, endangered species. This would include lions, polar bears, giraffes, elephants, and rhinos; all of which face the possibility of extinction.
When you look at vulnerable species like giraffes, lions, pangolins, or rhinos, they share a lot of the same perils imposed on them by humanity. They suffer as a result of continued human growth and expansion, losing their habitat and being forced in to human conflict with local communities. These conflicts can lead to injury or death from innocent species who are simply trying to source food or water. As human populations continue to grow, more land is needed for agriculture / crops, effectively taking away these imperiled species' habitat and leaving them fragmented. Humans have caused nearly 100% of the perils that our planet's most recognized & imperiled species face, and yet there are those who continue to advocate selfishly for trophy hunting. When you really look at the struggles these species face; habitat loss, fragmentation, human conflict, poaching, trophy hunting, the illegal wildlife trade, the link to humanity couldn't be more clear. We are directly responsible for the extinction and endangerment of every species on the list. Whether it's overfishing that is putting the Vaquita in peril or the illegal wildlife trade that has decimated wild pangolins, it can all be traced back to us and our selfish, greedy nature and entitlement. Honestly, can you imagine having a debate with some loser who is actually trying to convince you that shooting and killing lions or elephants for fun is actually helping them when their population continues on a steady decline? This selfishness is the reason our planet is suffering because humanity is so self-serving and we believe that everything on this planet is for us to use as we see fit, even when all of the signs are telling us to stop. If the UK passes this ball, they will make history and hopefully inspire other countries across the planet to enact similar laws to protect our planet's wildlife. There is no logic in hunting animals for fun in order to protect them. These people should donate their tens of thousands of extra dollars to REAL conservation organizations that are tirelessly working to prevent the extinction of imperiled species. Trophy hunting is disgusting and we have to stop contributing to the demise of our planet's most recognized species to satisfy a sick urge to slaughter a wild animal and pose next to its corpse. HAPPY VEGNew York has introduced legislation that would ban the captivity of the state's elephants and relocate them to sanctuaries, a move applauded by activists and conservationists who recognize the suffering behind elephant captivity. Specifically, Happy the Elephant, who currently resides at the Bronx zoo, alone after her companions passed away. Happy would be released to a sanctuary, living out the remainder of her life under conditions that are more acceptable for an elephant, including more space, other elephants to socialize with, and all around better quality of life.
It's my opinion that zoos who profit off of animals are no different than the circus or other entertainment that forces animals in to perform for human gain. Wild animals kept in captivity suffer for their entire lives. They are denied a lot of what comes naturally to them, specifically, the space to roam. Elephants in the wild have miles of habitat in every direction to roam, socialize, forage for food and water etc., but in confinement, they are so confined even in the best of enclosures. This is so unnecessary to impose on any wild animal, especially if it's being done so that humans can profit off of their situations. If zoos are not breeding animals specifically to help with repopulation / rehabilitation of a species, they should not be allowed to do so at all. Captivity is not a life a wild animal deserves, especially if it's to line the pockets of humans. When so many species are going extinct or face the possibility of extinction, the last thing we should be doing is keeping them captive for entertainment. Our goal should be to do everything in our power to conserve and replenish these animals in the wild. Zoos have the capability to aid in conservation and rehabilitation of a species but when you look at Happy the elephant, we're failing them. This incredible social species is alone in a hard, small enclosure without another elephant to connect with. There is no other acceptable solution but to retire Happy and other captive elephants to sanctuaries where they will have access to more space, other elephants to form bonds with and socialize, and a diet that is more natural to them. New York must pass this legislature. It's time to set an example to the rest of the United States & the world that elephants do NOT belong in cages. Free Happy, and ban elephant captivity. HAPPY VEGKiska the Orca, Canada's only captive orca, has passed away after over a decade of swimming alone in her tank and over 40 years in captivity. Kiska has long been the focus of activists who had been trying to free her from the bathtub sized pool she'd been kept in alone for the past 10 years, some even dubbed her the world's loneliest orca. News of her death sent shockwaves throughout the animal welfare community who had mixed feelings about her passing ranging from sadness to a feeling of relief that she was finally free from her solitary captivity.
Kiska's story is a painful reminder of Canada's lackluster, feet-dragging approach to animal welfare. Kiska was plucked from her habitat and taken from her pod at a young age, likely causing lifelong emotional distress. She then went on to spend over 40 years in captivity, performing for human patrons as she continued to suffer. Wild animals are just that; wild, and they most definitely suffer when kept in captivity. Her suffering, and her story, remind us that animals are not intended for entertainment, and unless they are being kept captive for rehabilitation or species conservation, should never have to endure a life of captivity. Kiska is finally free of her life of captivity, and Canada's law banning cetacean captivity means she'll be the last one to endure a life like that. A life spent in a bathtub, confused, sad, and for the latter part of her life, alone. May she rest in peace. HAPPY VEGA court in North Carolina ruled that undercover investigations & whistleblowers were protected under the First Amendment, striking down North Carolina's ag-gag laws. The Anti-Sunshine law extended past animal agriculture, including undercover videos / investigations in daycares and nursing homes. Under the law, journalists and undercover investigators were susceptible to being sued if they publicized information that came from undercover investigations that included videos, conversations with employees, and documented abuse / neglect on animal ag farms and in nursing homes. Ag-Gag laws are designed to conceal the truth. The only reason an ag-gag law exists is to protect the animal agriculture industry from being exposed. These laws are laughable in their intent because despite what they claim the laws are aimed to do, they are only designed to keep the abuse and atrocities committed from being made public. Why? If the public finds out about these instances of abuse, neglect, or cruelty, then their opinions of said industry would be affected. These laws are designed to protect these industries from being exposed to the public. My question is, if you're operating a business to the highest standard, then why exactly would you be concerned about someone filming or gathering information? If you've nothing to hide, then let them in. Let them film. Let them show the world that you operate as per welfare standards or within the spectrum of human decency. The fact is, they likely are NOT operating within set standards. Why would there be a law that punishes someone for exposing abuse rather than a law that tackles these abuses before they're exposed? If you're knowingly protecting people who are engaging in practices that are outside of the acceptable standards, that paints a pretty bleak picture about what North Carolina's real ambitions are. It's easier for them to blame and persecute those who expose the abuse, rather than those who are committing it. It's easier to penalize the person who films workers kicking, punching, spitting on, or tackling farm animals, as opposed to addressing those welfare issues at the forefront. Obviously, this extends to daycares and nursing homes. Why would the government want to hide what's happening to our children or our elderly unless the were concerned that there were things happening that were not acceptable and would not be well received by the general public? These laws are designed to inhibit transparency. Kind of like, if you don't know about it, you can't care about it. When we've gotten to a point where we'd rather hide abuse than expose and address it, we're in serious trouble. People in North Carolina SHOULD be concerned that their government is hiding information from them. Would your opinion of an animal agriculture industry change if you knew they abused the animals prior to slaughtering them for food? Would you be outraged if you found out that nursing home or daycare employees were abusing or neglecting your loved ones? Of course you would be, and that's why ag-gag laws exist. Not to address problems, but to hide them/ I'm pleased that North Carolina's Anti-Sunshine law was struck down. Address the short-comings in these industries and you won't have to worry about a whistle blower. If workers are following welfare standards set out for their industry, then there shouldn't be a darned thing to worry about. My hope is that this law being struck down sparks a conversation among the people of North Carolina. Your government is trying to hide things from you and it's information regarding your loved ones and the food that makes it to your plate. You SHOULD care about why they're trying to hide things from you. HAPPY VEGAdvocacy group Animal Justice, filed a legal complaint against Meadow Valley Meats, after an undercover video exposed several potential instances of blatant animal abuse / cruelty. The video, filmed last summer and submitted to Animal Justice this past month, depicts cows, sheep, and goats, being kicked and hit with various instruments; not in line with the standards set out for slaughterhouses. Unsurprisingly, this is not the first time that BC's largest producer of beef, veal, lamb, and goat meat, has been in hot water. Under its previous name, Pitt Meadow Meats, the slaughterhouse was charged with knowingly selling meat tainted with e-coli, and two of its current directors were charged with animal cruelty on a dairy farm they were tied to in the past. It seems that Meadow Valley Meats has a history of animal abuse. There were several instances recorded that suggested cruelty to animals and practices that were outside of Canada's slaughter / welfare rules. These include;
"HUMANE" Meat is a MythAny time I hear "humane" when it comes to meat, it's almost laughable because these same farms / slaughterhouses are often filmed doing things that are hardly humane. All the terminology does is sugarcoat what's actually happening in these places. Let me be frank; there is no humane way to slaughter an animal that fears for its life. There is no humane way to slaughter an animal after you're documented kicking, punching, and hitting it in the face with random objects. Humane meat is a myth. These animals can be seen fearfully trying to avoid slaughter. They've been documented screaming, trying to run, being pushed & prodded towards slaughter. Producers of meat simply hide behind this terminology, but the fact is, you can't humanely kill something that doesn't want to die. Look, if you're convinced that this is an isolated incident, think again. I can almost guarantee that if an undercover video was taken of ANY slaughterhouse, there would be documented abuse and cruelty outside of Canada's slaughter / welfare standards. People working in these places are completely desensitized to the suffering of these animals. They see these animals as nothing more than products, which is why abuse is not uncommon. If they can desensitize to animals in fear for their life, what makes you think that they'd have any trouble kicking, pushing, punching, or prodding those same animals? They wouldn't, that's the problem. I hope Meadow Valley Meats gets charged and convicted of animal cruelty / abuse. I hope that every single slaughter house on this planet that is abusing animals behind closed doors is exposed for the corruption they contribute to. I hope that one day we recognize that mass produced meat IS animal cruelty. There's simply no way to humanely slaughter hundreds of thousands of animals on any given day, week, month, or year. Learn more about the investigation through the link at the top of this post. HAPPY VEGFragmentation, habitat loss, ceremonial use of pelts, poaching, and trophy hunting; African Leopards are facing never-ending, human caused perils that are putting them in danger of possible extinction. Despite having some Endangered Species Act Protections, the rules surrounding trophy hunting imports have left leopards susceptible to continued poaching. Now, the USWFS has agreed to a June 2027 deadline to analyze whether the African Leopard requires further protections that would specifically target trophy hunting and trophy imports.
One of the things I would like to remind people who argue against these protections is that at one point in our history, every single species on the Endangered Species List was abundant on our planet. Every species that has since gone extinct, was at one point abundant on our planet. The fact is, as the human population continues to grow, the animal kingdom will inevitably decline, unless we change the things we are doing. When we're using terminology like "endangered", "threatened", "vulnerable", or "extinct", this should be an immediate response from our Governments to tackle ANY human-caused peril that is putting a species in danger. However, it seems like it takes several lawsuits and many years before the responsible parts of our governments decide it's time to act. Our inaction is negligence. While we drag our heels, leopards are being killed for trophies. There cannot be conservation when we are simultaneously permitting shooting leopards for the right price. Leopards must receive the highest form of protections through the ESA in order to properly help the species rehabilitate. It's time to stop pandering to wealthy hunters and start pandering to our planet's imperiled species. Once they're gone, they're gone, no more trophies, no more leopards. There's only one responsible solution here; give leopards the protections they deserve. Learn more through the link at the top of this post. HAPPY VEGWe've all seen the photos on social media of these creeps posing behind the corpses of Africa's most majestic animals. Every time I see one of those pictures, I can't believe how much pride these people have over putting a bullet in an animal already facing perils to its survival. The U.K. has introduced a bill to ban the import of hunting trophies and it continues to make its way through Parliament after a second reading back in November. If passed, the United Kingdom would send an incredibly strong message to the rest of the world about the importance of banning trophy imports to protect vulnerable species.
The argument that trophy hunting helps with conservation would suggest that these species' have benefited from being hunted for sport. Let's take a look at the numbers to get a really good idea of how well things are going for some of Africa's most hunted species. LIONS: 2023 Population - Approximately 20, 000 1923 Population: Approximately 200, 000 Decline - 90% In 100 years GIRAFFES: 2023 Population - Approximately 100, 000 1993 Population - Approximately 140, 000 Decline - 40% in 30 Years ELEPHANTS: 2023 Population - Approximately 400, 000 2013 Population - Approximately 648, 000 Decline - 62% In 10 Years CHEETAHS 2023 - Approximately 8, 000 1983 - Approximately 16, 000 Decline - 50% in 40 Years While exact numbers are hard to determine, in every case, these species have declined exponentially over decades. We're losing these animals at an alarming rate and coupled with habitat loss, fragmentation, continued human conflicts, and illegal poaching, they are all on a dangerous path towards extinction. Knowing this, why are we allowing these animals to be shot and killed for sport? The numbers don't lie, they're all headed towards further endangerment and inevitable extinction. We've gotten to a point where hunters are shooting and killing captive-bred lions to protect the wild population. You heard that correctly y'all; instead of breeding lions to rehabilitate the species, we're literally breeding them so that wealthy people can kill them for fun. That's the state of humanity's concerns when it comes to the extinction of wild animals. Banning hunting trophies is a necessary step if a country is truly going to commit to ending trophy hunting. By banning the import of trophies, it sends a message that as a country, trophy hunting is widely frowned upon and recognized as a peril that is putting Africa's most recognized species at further risk of extinction. The UK banning these trophies would hopefully push other countries where trophies are permitted in to reconsidering their position. When these animals are already on a path to extinction, why are we helping them along for sport? Learn more by visiting the link at the top of this post. It's long passed time to end trophy hunting! Find the CAMPAIGN TO BAN TROPHY HUNTING on Facebook and show them your support! HAPPY VEGStatistics regarding animal populations reported from;
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/cheetahs-brink-extinction-again https://www.bornfree.org.uk/news/giraffe-critically-endangered#:~:text=Giraffe%20numbers%20plummeted%20by%20a,the%20reasons%20for%20the%20decline. https://elephantguide.com/en/how-many-elephants-are-left-in-the-world/ https://africafreak.com/lion-population |
Stay educated and remain involved in animal welfare. Together, we can all make a difference!
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