We'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
0 Comments
While a lot of Canadians may not be aware, Canada is responsible for exporting approximately 4, 000 or more horses per year. Typically these horses are shipped from Winnipeg to Japan, where they are fattened up before being slaughtered for meat. Canada is also home to 4 equine slaughterhouses that are responsible for the slaughter of up to 25, 000 horses annually or more. Despite promises made by Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in regards to the live export of horses, they are still being shipped to Japan and in some cases, enduring irresponsible amounts of time without access to food or water.
Canada's animal welfare reputation is hardly a shining example of things gone right. Our country continues to allow the horrific slaughter of seals annually, production and import / export of fur products, and hasn't done enough to tackle live exports. When it comes to live exports, there are so many risk factors involved and the voiceless animals are the ones who suffer. These journeys cause intense stress on innocent animals and there's something so disgusting about watching beautiful horses loaded in to crates knowing that they are being sent to their death. It's such an abuse of a relationship that goes back in to our history for centuries. Horses have been with us throughout our history and yet here we are in 2023, sending them away to their deaths. It's abhorrent. New Zealand most recently initiated a ban on live exports after a boat carrying 6, 000 cows capsized, killing crew and plunging 6, 000 innocent cows in to the ocean to drown agonizingly. The fact is, there's no guarantees when it comes to live exports and the insignificant amount of money tied to horse exports is not worth the hell we put them through to get them to their destination. Canada has an opportunity to step up and do the right thing for animals. There's no other option. It's time for Canada to ban live exports of animals intended for slaughter. Learn more about the incident that sparked outrage for horses and the horse export industry by visiting the link at the top of this post. Let's spread this and share to remind our government that most Canadians want a ban on horse exports! HAPPY VEGUndercover footage of Finland's fur farms has turned up horrifying examples of animal cruelty. The footage displays several instances of blatant cruelty, neglect, and frankly, abuse, as calls for the EU to ban fur farming continue to grow and pick up steam. The cruelty and neglect displayed were in direct contrast to Finland's SAGA furs assurance scheme which promises the highest level of animal welfare commitments. Should we be surprised that an industry that exploits animals also lies about the conditions in which they are kept?
WHAT WAS DOCUMENTED?
While this information is shocking and saddening, the fact is, this isn't limited to Finland's fur farms. During my time writing for this blog over the years, there have been several stories regarding fur farms and all of them share similarities in that the animals on their farms are neglected, left without adequate food, water, or shelter, and are often in peril from a lack of veterinary care. These places don't give a rat's ass about the welfare of these animals as long as their pelts remain usable and in good condition. This blatant exploitation for furs that are outdated and no longer widely accepted in our society needs to come to an end. We've seen countries, state's, and major fashion labels turning their backs on the fur industry in recent years as the anti-fur movement continues. There is no place for fur in our society any longer and there is certainly no excuse for abusing innocent animals that are skinned and dumped like trash after a life of misery, sickness, and filth. It's time to finally end the fur trade and be done with this unnecessary cruelty. Learn more by visiting the original story through the link at the top of this post. HAPPY VEGFor the first time in 45 years, there were no Indian Rhinos poached in 2022 in the state of Assam. This monumental success is being celebrated by conservation organizations as the Indian Rhino continues to make a comeback thanks to the efforts of the Assam government in partnership with organizations aimed at conserving endangered species. As we know, poaching is one of the biggest perils species like rhinos face so to see an entire year with absolutely no rhinos poached, that's a reason to celebrate.
Poaching is a grave peril for species like rhinos as money-hungry humans aim to sever their horns for profits. Rhinos are left for dead after their horns are severed from their heads all so someone can sell the horns for large sums of money. The black market for animal parts continues to thrive despite continued international efforts. As long as these parts maintain some kind of illegal value, poaching will never stop. Elephants, rhinos, giraffes, etc., they're all in danger of being poached for body parts / horns but the success of the India rhino last year is proof that anti-poaching initiatives are effective. This story proves that there is hope for endangered species if we continue to fight poaching and stop habitat decimation. Congratulations to the Assam government for a successful year with the Indian rhino. My hope is that 2023 sees another 365 days without a single Indian rhino poached. HAPPY VEGThe 2nd annual Betty White Challenge for Animals is today y'all, which means that we need to step up and make a donation to our favourite animal organization on Betty's behalf. Betty's legendary love for animals was well known and she spent her time with animals right up until her passing. Throughout her lengthy career, she advocated for animals and their treatment, reminding us of how special animals were. Her lifelong love and advocacy for animals has created the #BettyWhiteChallenge, a way to honour the star's love for animals and continue to support our local animal organizations. On Betty's birthday, the challenge asks us to make a small donation to a local animal organization in her honour. This means you can send your donation to any organization that is out there helping animals. Organizations like your local Humane Society for example, taking care of rescues, rehabilitating, and rehoming innocent animals. There are also sanctuaries that rescue and care for animals that have been part of the animal ag system. Wildlife rescues, rehabilitation centers, animal conservation organizations, etc., the idea is that we make a donation to support an organization that helps animals in any way. Let's make 2023 the best year yet for the #BettyWhiteChallenge <3 HAPPY VEGOrganizations in Windsor, ON
HUMANE SOCIETY CHARLOTTE'S FREEDOM FARM ERIE WILDLIFE RESCUE CARA Windsor WINGS Back in July of 2022, Angel the Husky went missing from her Windsor, Ontario home. Later that day, she was found under a bush, covered in life-threatening burns all over her body. Despite the best veterinary care, Angel inevitably succumbed to the injuries she sustained. To date, there has been no justice for Angel. The person who did this is still out there, walking among us on the streets. Now, the Humane Society of Windsor is offering a $2, 500 cash reward for information that leads to arrest.
Violent animal abuse / cruelty is a precursor to other violence. Someone who is capable of inflicting this kind of intentional harm on an animal has the potential escalate. This means this sort of targeted, intentional abuse could be next inflicted on young children, minorities, women, the elderly, etc., if this person is not taken off the streets. A lot of studies have directly linked animal cruelty to psychiatric disorders which as we know, fester and get worse as time goes on if left untreated. The fact is, it's been 3/4 of a year since Angel was discovered and no one has been caught. You know, it's unsettling AF to think that someone capable of doing this is like, in front of me at the grocery store, or perhaps is ringing me up for my purchases at the local convenience shop. As long as this person remains on the streets, the streets are not safe. My hope is that the cash reward prompts someone to do the right thing and provide information. However Angel was burned, it wouldn't have been a quiet or unnoticeable event. Someone knows something. Head to the link at the top of this post for the whole story. Consider making a donation to the Windsor Humane Society by visiting the link below. Also, consider adopting an animal while you're at it, there's always a little baby waiting for the right person to come along. HAPPY VEGIn a major victory for animals, President Biden signed the Big Cat Public Safety Act into law after it moved through the Senate successfully about a month ago. This monumental law will protect big cats from exploitation and innocent cubs from being handled and exploited at roadside establishments. Now, it is illegal to own a big cat as a pet. This includes lions, tigers, jaguars, cheetahs, and any hybrid big cats. Big cats historically roam for miles, eat a varied, hunted diet, and some of them have large social structures they would normally be a part of. When kept as a pet, they are confined to an enclosure that will never match what they would have in the wild. They are unable to hunt for prey, a trait that is inherently natural to them. In fact, they are essentially denied every single instinctual trait they have, forcibly domesticated although never fully. The danger also lies in the fact that these animals are never FULLY domesticated. They can attack at any time and if let loose accidentally, one can only imagine the danger that would ensue. When it comes to cubs, roadside establishments exploit them for profits at the expense of their safety. Opportunities to hold cubs for selfies or bottle feed them cause s them great distress as this is wholly unnatural to them. These industries continue to breed cubs because once they're too old to be cute or coddled anymore, they're shipped off to game reserves, zoos, or other places where they're denied their natural instincts. This cycle of exploitation has big cats passed around for profits until they're no longer profitable anymore. A disgusting, manipulative cycle that sees humans profit off of some of the most beautiful animals on our planet. Their needs are disregarded in favour of profiting off of their sorrow. Head to the link at the top of this post for the story from World Animal News. Take a second to learn about the horrors big cats faced in these situations and why the Big Cat Public Safety Act is so important to animal rights. HAPPY VEGNew York Governor Kathy Hochul, signed the New York Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act in to law this past week. Effective January 1st, 2023, companies will no longer be legally allowed to sell cosmetics that have been tested on animals and could face fines of up to $4, 000 if convicted. The law will also force manufacturers to find non-animal testing methods or face fines. New York joins 9 other U.S. states in banning cosmetics tested on animals. Cosmetics testing on animals is beyond exploitative and unnecessary. There is no argument in defense of cosmetics testing when you consider that in most cases, cosmetics are not necessities, rather, novelty items. Animals are subjected to repeated tests which include having products rubbed on their skin, dripped in their eyes, or consumed in order to determine whether there are any possible reactions to said products or ingredients found within them. These animals are left to suffer with lesions, rashes, and irritations, until their usefulness is up and they are euthanized / discarded. Literally, born in a cage to have lotions, lipsticks, and creams, rubbed all over them for their short lives. Worst of all, these tests do not 100% of the time translate to human results. Essentially, we are abusing animals and don't even know for sure if the results of these tests will be applicable to humans because at the end of the day, rabbits and humans are different. Go figure. Look, I don't agree with animal testing whatsoever. I do not believe that rats or rabbits experience the same irritations that humans do and I don't see any necessity in subjecting them to numerous tests when the results aren't even guaranteed. We aren't talking about life-saving medicine here, we're talking about lipstick or face creams, products that frankly, humans should be the ones having tests done to in order to determine these things. Like, these products are far from necessities and yet we basically torture animals to find out if we'll get a little rashy rash from your new cream. It's ridiculous. Hopefully, as U.S. state's individually step up and ban animal testing for cosmetics, we'll see some action on a federal level. There is no necessity in cosmetics testing and animals do not deserve to be subjected to those tests for beauty products. We cannot be that vain when animals are literally suffering. Congratulations New York State and as mentioned, here's to hoping more states and eventually, the entire country / world have abandoned animal testing for comsetics. You want a new lipstick? How about YOU worry about whether it'll hurt ya or not ;) HAPPY VEGAfter much deliberation, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, signed legislation that will ban the sale of dogs, cats, and bunnies, from pet stores in an attempt to shut down puppy mill traffic throughout the state. The legislation will affect New York's approximately 80 pet stores who argue this ban will put them out of business and make it harder for pet owners to obtain pets legally. Despite this, the legislation was passed and pet stores will no longer be legally permitted to sell these animals. Puppy or kitten mills relentlessly breed animals for profit. Often times, these pure-bred animals have underlying health issues that are rarely addressed before adoption leaving pet owners with staggering veterinarian bills. These puppies or kittens are part of a system and are nothing more than products to these breeders. One can argue that there are "responsible breeders" but the fact of the matter is, they're making money off of pure bred animals while shelters burst at the seams with adoptable animals. We all know how alluring a pure bred puppy can be, that's exactly why they're doing it. That allure prompts us to spend thousands of dollars when a shelter dog would cost a fraction of that amount and would be given a second chance at a happy family life. Responsible or not, these facilities are the reason that shelters are struggling to care for the animals they have. They are the reason that shelters in some cases, euthanize to allow for more animals to come in. These breeders / breeding facilities, supply pet stores with adorable puppies / kittens that draw our attention away from shelters. The pet stores then profit off of the mills that are breeding them, continuing the cycle of exploitation all while shelter animals struggle to find loving homes. I don't care about the pet store owners in all honesty. They can shift their business to a pet store supply or something else for that matter, they have to understand that they are in part, responsible for shelters struggling to find homes for animals. I'll never argue that maybe, some of these pet store owners had good intentions. Maybe they truly care for the animals that they bring in. All of this aside, they're contributing to a system that sees dogs bred relentlessly for profit while shelters fight to have animals adopted or fostered. They are actively working against rescue opportunities whether they intend it or not. Perhaps they can work with shelters to adopt out shelter animals in a partnership of sorts. There are ways they can remain open and help the shelter population without being supplied cute little puppies that could have come from horrid situations. Congratulations to New York for their commitment to ending puppy mills and supporting the many shelters that continue to work tirelessly to get their animals in to loving homes. HAPPY VEGThe Big Cat Safety Act has passed through the United States Senate and will now head to President Joe Biden's desk for a final approval. The Act prohibits private ownership of big cats and puts protections in place for cubs at roadside establishments, zoos, and circus'. This monumental animal welfare motion will crack down on big cat ownership & prevent future big cats from being exploited as cubs or caged as pets. As stated, the final decision falls on the President which I'm confident he will sign in to law in support.
When it comes to cubs, the Big Cat Public Safety Act will ban direct contact with cubs at circus', roadsides, and other establishments. In some cases, cub handling has been promoted by these establishments as a form of entertainment. Bottle feeding cubs, selfies with cubs, hugging or holding cubs, etc., these sorts of seemingly innocent activates are actually exploitation and harmful to cubs. These establishments continue to breed big cats in order to continue to have adorable cubs to interact with. The cycle continues and once these cubs are no longer cute and cuddly, they're shipped off to other entertainment venues to continue their life of forced performance and confinement. This cycle of exploitation sees big cats taken advantage of and denied their natural instincts from the moment they're born. The Big Cat Safety Act is a necessary step towards protecting wildlife and curbing the exploitation of wild animals for human entertainment. Learn more through the link at the top of this post to the original story from World Animal News. HAPPY VEG |
Stay educated and remain involved in animal welfare. Together, we can all make a difference!
Archives
May 2024
Categories |