Angels for Animals

Rather than buying a tree for Christmas I decided to buy a dog house for an outside dog this year through PETA's "Angels for Animals Program."
To learn more about this program go to:


https://secure.peta.org/site/Donation2?df_id=6700&6700.donation=form1&set.custom.Campaign_Code=H11LECXXXXG&autologin=true

Why I support PETA

This was copied from an email I received from PETA listing some of their accomplishments in 2010.

NASA halted its plans to use dozens of monkeys in painful and deadly radiation experiments. The decision followed more than a year of intense campaigning by tens of thousands of PETA supporters, including Sir Paul McCartney, Bob Barker, and Alicia Silverstone.

Two large chicken suppliers agreed to switch to a less cruel chicken slaughter method called "controlled-atmosphere killing." The move will potentially spare millions of individual birds the pain of being scalded and having their throats cut while they're still conscious. Thanks to years of pressure from PETA, more restaurants and grocery stores than ever have started to demand that their suppliers use this method.

In the largest seizure of exotic animals in history, authorities confiscated more than 26,000 animals from international animal dealer U.S. Global Exotics, Inc., after a seven-month PETA investigation produced evidence of horrific conditions.

As a result of public outrage generated by a PETA investigation at the University of Utah, legislators in that state voted overwhelmingly to overturn an archaic law that required animal shelters to sell animals to laboratories for use in painful and invasive experiments. Utah was one of only three states that still required "pound seizure."

The world's largest shoe manufacturer, Nike, and its upscale brand Cole Haan announced that they will no longer use exotic-animal skins in their lines. The move came after PETA presented video footage to Nike executives documenting the suffering inflicted on animals used in the exotic-skins trade.

High-end women's fashion retailer Cache agreed to pull all real fur clothing from its stores after PETA showed company representatives footage of abominable conditions on fur farms.

Animal-testing facility Professional Laboratory and Research Services surrendered more than 250 dogs and cats and shut its doors after a nine-month PETA investigation revealed that animals were routinely denied veterinary care and subjected to painful procedures without being given proper anesthesia.

And who could forget 2010's massive oil gusher in the Gulf of Mexico? Many shelters in the area were flooded with animals during this tragedy. Pamela Anderson and PETA were able to help by paying for veterinary care for 50 dogs and 30 cats and transporting them to PETA headquarters, where they were all adopted.

Eight Belles

I hope that the death of the 2nd place winner in the Kentucky Derby, Eight Belles, will bring attention to the cruelty in the racing industry. Many of these horses are raced when they are so young that their bones haven't had time to form and are raced on hard surfaces. They are whipped by the trainers and jockeys and when they are no longer of any use slaughtered. I'm really sick of hearing people say that these horses love to run or how much they love horses.

PETA has launched a campaign calling for the suspension of the jockey and trainer of Eight Belles and that the owner be banned from racing at the track. They are also asking that the tracks be switched to a softer surface and for a ban on the use of whips.

If you would like to send a letter to the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority you can click on this link: http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/eight_belles/wk7ssd8r27xnitbe?

Angels for Animals doghouse program

This year, as in years past, PETA has a campaign to raise money for doghouses for dogs who do not have any other shelter. For $265.00 a neglected backyard dog, often chained, will receive a sturdy straw filled doghouse. It's hard for me to imagine people treating "man's best friend" this way but many dogs are left outside in all kinds of freezing weather. This is a way we can help. I'm planning to sponsor one doghouse rather than give gifts this year. If you can't do this consider a smaller donation to PETA or to a local animal shelter.

Don't eat the mascot!

Consider a Tofu Turkey or some other vegetarian option for your Thanksgiving meal. Visit http://www.vegcooking.com/holiday-entree.asp for some meatless recipes for the holidays. Whole Food Market also has come complete vegan or vegetarian meals and will be open Thanksgiving Day, limited hours. Enjoy your Thanksgiving and let the TURKEYS enjoy theirs. Thanks to PETA for the title and image in this post.

Michael Vick takes PETA's empathy course

I received this letter in my Yahoo mailbox this morning from Ingrid Newkirk, president of PETA, my favorite organization.

"Following news of his guilty plea, I contacted Michael Vick suggesting that he hear—for the first time in his life, he confirmed—about animal protection issues, learn how animals feel joy and pain and deserve respect, and receive specific instruction on what to say to young people whom he has influenced in the worst possible ways. In mid-September, Michael Vick visited PETA's headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, to meet with me privately. I told him that PETA advocates an end to all exploitation and needless violence based on prejudice, including the prejudice against other species, and that we believe that he should equip himself with information and materials in order to be able to live up to his responsibility to counsel children not to engage in cruelty to animals. He expressed his willingness to learn and his belief that everything in life happens for a reason, and he offered an apology to PETA and to "everyone" for "what I have done to dogs." I also explained that even if he took our basic empathy course, our position that he should serve jail time and have a lifetime ban on contact with animals would nevertheless remain unchanged, and he accepted that. Two weeks ago, Michael Vick returned to PETA to take the "Developing Empathy for Animals" course, an all-day seminar on "who animals are," alternatives to cruelty, animal protection philosophy, and humane education, which PETA has now excerpted online. We believe that this course should be adopted by the NFL for all players to take in order to give them a chance to learn empathy, compassion, and nonviolence. Two days after the seminar, Vick came back to PETA's office to take the course exam.PETA's course teaches the Golden Rule—treat others as you wish to be treated. Only time will tell whether Michael Vick has benefited from what he has learned, but he has pledged to use this knowledge to urge kids not to follow in his footsteps and to be kind to animals. Meanwhile, we are urging the NFL to take the important step of requiring that every player do what Michael Vick has done and take the course in order to help prevent future acts of violence against animals and to equip players with information about respecting animals that they can share with their young fans.Although the Vick story served as the first glimpse for many people into the gory details of dogfighting, the abuses detailed in Vick's indictment are as widespread as they are horrific. In the last year alone, PETA has responded to more than 14,000 calls and e-mail messages regarding other dogfighting and individual cruelty-to-animals cases. The crucial step now is to urge policymakers and law enforcement officers to treat all cases of dogfighting and cruelty to animals the same way that they handled Vick's high-profile case. To that end, please join PETA and ask the NFL to require that all its players, some of whom have been involved in a series of cruelty-to-animals cases, attend PETA's "Developing Empathy for Animals" course."