A Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare (UDAW) would be a powerful catalyst for change - inspiring the creation of national animal-protection laws in countries where they do not exist and encouraging all countries to improve their animal welfare legislation.
Here are just a few things that this multi-national declaration would do:
Improve practices for sustainable agriculture
Lessen the risk of transmissible diseases such as BSE, rabies and bird flu
Promote biodiversity and acknowledge the risks to animals caused by climate change, habitat loss and pollution
Provide a benchmark for those countries with little or no animal welfare standards to aim for
More than 60,000 Canadians are campaigning for a Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare at the United Nations. And government representatives from Kenya, India, Costa Rica, United Kingdom, Australia and others have already indicated support for a UDAW.
1. Did you know that sport hunting of grizzly bears is allowed in BC’s Great Bear Rainforest? Now First Nations people, conservationists and animal protection organizations are joining forces to speak out against this travesty.
It is appalling to think that even grizzly bears—who are protected from hunting in the U.S.—are routinely killed in the Great Bear Rainforest. Notably, of the 430 grizzly bears killed in BC in 2007, 87 percent were killed by trophy hunters. Black bears are also at risk. The BC Coast has one of greatest diversity of black bears subspecies in North America, ranging from the spirit bear…to the Haida black bear, the largest on the BC Coast.
Join up and speak out against the bear hunt:Send a message to the BC government to show your opposition to the hunt!
2. Vegan at heart but not quite in practice? Check out the great new site, Vegan at Heart:
[Vegan at Heart] is for idealists and animal-lovers and treehuggers and health nuts and everybody in-between who wants to incorporate more compassionate, healthy, sustainable habits into their daily lives but who need a little more info, a little moral support, or just a little friendly kick in the pants…Non-vegans have a positive impact on the world every single time they make a healthy vegan choice. Learn more here.
3. Watch this report from ABC on a nine-month undercover investigation by the HSUS into the horrible abuse of chimpanzees in a research laboratory. Learn more about the study at the HSUS page here... and send it to your friends.
Remember, it’s easy to get almost everything without relying on products derived from animal testing! Local stores like Capers and Whole Foods only sell cruelty-free cosmetics and cleaning supplies, and even the Safeway name-brand doesn’t utilize animal testing! Check out a partial list of cruelty-free products here: http://search.caringconsumer.com/
4. Master of Shark’s Fin? If you’re anything like us, you know that the only one who should have shark fins are the sharks themselves. And yet, the Jade Seafood Restaurant touts their head chef as the “Master of Shark’s Fin” and has a massive section of their menu devoted to it! Contact the Jade Seafood Restaurant today and let them know that you and your friends will not be customers as long as they continue to support the cruel shark-finning industry!
Wanna do something good for Easter ? Here are some fun events for which you can volunteer:
EVENT 1:
An educational and fund raising event, “Hop for Rabbits” aims to discourage the purchase of rabbits as Easter gifts, draw attention to rabbit dumping, and encourage bylaws that prevent the sale of unneutered/unspayed rabbits in pet stores. We also hope to raise funds for all the rabbits under our care - sheltering and daily care, vet care, fostering, and long-term care for our unadoptable buns.
When: April 4th, noon to 4 PM Where: Picnic site in Ceperley Meadow, Stanley Park (off Beach Ave - very close to 2nd beach in Stanley Park). Parking lot adjacent.
Event 2:
In honour of the Easter Bunny, help spread the word about animal testing. Everyone is encouraged to wear Easter-themed outfits (pink or white shirts, bunny costumes, etc). We’ll supply the bunny ears!
From People For The Ethical treatment of Animals: After learning that Urban Outfitters was selling a fur-trimmed item, we wrote to the company privately and, when it didn’t respond, asked you to step in and encourage it to pull the item from its stores. We are happy to announce that after receiving nearly 4,000 e-mails from caring people like you, Urban Outfitters just announced that it has become fur-free!
Thanks to everyone who helped win this important victory for animals; we could not have done this without you! By making this commitment, Urban Outfitters is joining Zappos, Juicy Couture, Polo Ralph Lauren, Gap, Forever 21, and dozens of other companies and designers that have made the compassionate decision to go fur-free.
Sadly, Canada’s annual massacre of baby seals started yesterday. Right now, baby seals are dying horrific deaths on the ice floes. Their heads are bashed in, or they are shot in front of their helpless mothers simply for their skins. Please take just a few seconds to call Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee (VANOC) CEO John Furlong at 1-877-408-2010 and urge VANOC to use its influence to help put an end to this barbaric slaughter.
Thanks again for standing up for animals killed for their fur by helping to win our campaign against Urban Outfitters. Please also call Urban Outfitters at 1-800-959-8794 and thank the company for going fur-free.
WSPA funded research suggests approximately 150 bears in India are currently living out their days dragged from village to village ‘dancing’ for audiences.
This number has dropped from 400 in recent years, but the remaining bears are enduring a lifetime of physical and mental distress. Illegally poached as cubs, even their most basic needs, such as adequate nutrition, are not met.
Each young bear will suffer the piercing of their nose or palate. A rope is passed through the raw wound. Tugging on it remains an effective means of control throughout the bear’s life.
Years of conditioning allows owners to make adult bears ‘dance’ on command > MORE …
By LISA CORNWELL, Associated Press Writer Lisa Cornwell, Associated Press Writer – Tue Mar 17, 6:33 pm ET
CINCINNATI – An animal protection group has accused the Petland Inc. pet store chain of scheming to sell sick puppies bred in filthy conditions to thousands of unsuspecting people.
Petland intentionally misled thousands of customers into believing the puppies came from the finest breeders and were healthy, the Humane Society of the United States said in a lawsuit against the company, which is based in Chillicothe, Ohio….. Investigators for the Humane Society saw “puppies living in filthy, barren cages reeking of urine, with inadequate care and socialization,” the complaint said. > MORE > Humane Society of the United States .
Following message from Humane Society Canada : This is our chance to pass a law to help seals!
Ask your Senators to support the “Harb Seal Bill.”
Dear Friends,
I’m writing to urgently ask for your help.
On March 3rd, Senator Mac Harb introduced a historic bill to end the commercial seal hunt in Canada. For the first time, Canadians can support a legislative initiative in our own country that would save hundreds of thousands of defenseless seal pups each year from a horrible fate.
Sadly, no other Senator has yet stepped forward to support the Bill, and many are organizing to work against it. We risk the “Harb Seal Bill” being lost if we don’t act quickly.
TAKE ACTION
As a Canadian, speaking up for the seals has never been more crucial. We are asking that you send a message to your Senators — copying your Member of Parliament — to urge them to support Bill S-229 (the “Harb Seal Bill”) to end the seal slaughter. Then, let your friends and family know how they can help, too.
On our recent visit to see this year’s baby harp seals, we were overwhelmed by the beauty of their icy nursery. The pups nursed from their protective mothers as the water lapped against the ice edge. To know that this peaceful scene will soon be turned into an open-air slaughterhouse is too much to bear, and many of us were in tears as we looked at the trusting babies, so oblivious now to their likely fate.
But there is hope on the horizon. With the European Union poised to ban its trade in seal products as early as next month, there may be little demand this year for seal fur. Canada’s fishing industry is feeling the impacts of a US boycott of Canadian seafood, and may soon remove its powerful lobby on behalf of the sealing industry.
As the ProtectSeals team returns to the ice floes, I know I can count on each and every one of you at home to help us save the seals.
Thank you for helping us keep up the fight for seals, and for all that you do for animals.
Sincerely,
Rebecca Aldworth
Director
Humane Society International/Canada
I received this message and am sharing this with you (please help!):
PETA has received horrific torture videos that show live dogs which scream in pain while they are stabbed and killed during combat-training exercises conducted by soldiers in the Bolivian military. The soldiers state that their instructors received training from the U.S. military in how to conduct these exercises, and the training partnership is corroborated by a written agreement signed by the two countries.
In the U.S., the Department of Defense currently stabs, shoots, poisons, burns, and cuts the limbs off thousands of living animals each year in medical-training exercises. The U.S. exercises differ from those used by the Bolivian military, but the victims are the same—vulnerable animals.
Please click here to take action by sending an urgent note asking Bolivia to ban these cruel, outdated, and bloody training exercises on animals.
Thank you for all that you are doing to help those with no voice except that of caring individuals!
Sincerely,
Shalin Gala, Laboratory Methods Specialist
Laboratory Investigations Department
PETA .
Please email or write a letter to restaurants and caterers that use cruel meats such as veal and foie gras. Feel free to use the following as a draft to customise your letter. (For those living in British Columbia BC, of Canada, you can find a list of restaurants that serve such cruel cuisine here . URL : http://www.liberationbc.com/campaigns/foie_gras )
——-draft letter as follows—-
TO: [Name of Restaurant]
AGAINST CRUEL CUISINE : VEAL & FOIE GRAS
I am writing on behalf of my friends, relatives and fellow volunteers to state our stand against the use of veal and foie gras in restaurants and caterers.We are also requesting that your restaurant stop serving these meats which are seen by many as cruel cuisine. Until then, we, our friends and their friends will not be visiting your restaurant for dining, or to celebrate special occasions.
The following are the reasons why we advocate against serving veal and foie gras :
VEAL
Male calves are taken from their mothers shortly after birth. Some are slaughtered soon after birth for “bob veal.” Others are raised in “open pens,” a kind of minimum security prison, and even then they are sometimes chained. Most are destined for the veal crate.
Solitary Confinement
The veal crate is a wooden restraining device that is the veal calf’s permanent home. It is so small (22″ x 54″) that the calves cannot turn around or even lie down and stretch and is the ultimate in high-profit, confinement animal agriculture.(1) Designed to prevent movement (exercise), the crate does its job of atrophying the calves’ muscles, thus producing tender “gourmet” veal.
“Feeding” Time
The calves are generally fed a milk substitute intentionally lacking in iron and other essential nutrients. This diet keeps the animals anemic and creates the pale pink or white color desired in the finished product. Craving iron, the calves lick urine-saturated slats and any metallic parts of their stalls. Farmers also withhold water from the animals, who, always thirsty, are driven to drink a large quantity of the high-fat liquid feed.
A Fate Worse Than Death
During their brief lives, these claves never see the sun or touch the Earth. They never see or taste the grass. Their anemic bodies crave proper sustenance. Their muscles ache for freedom and exercise. They long for maternal care. They are kept in darkness except to be fed two to three times a day for 20 minutes. The calves have committed no crime, yet have been sentenced to a fate comparable to any Nazi concentration camp.
For videos to see how veal is produced, go to www.youtube.com, type “veal cruel” in the search box to watch any of the videos.
FOIE GRAS
is produced by cruel and inhumane farming practices. At just a few months old, ducks are confined inside dark sheds and force-fed enormous amounts of food several times a day. A farm worker grabs each duck and, one by one, thrusts a metal pipe down their throats so that a mixture of corn can be forced directly into their gullets. In just a matter of weeks, the ducks become grossly overweight and their livers expand up to 10 times their normal size.
For videos to see how veal is produced, go to www.youtube.com, type “foie gras force feeding” in the search box to watch any of the videos.
CONCLUSION
We applaud and celebrate the few Vancouver restaurants that have removed foie gras from their menus:
Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill, Pearl Drops Tea House.
Even Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, has banned foie gras from his restaurants after learning the immense suffering that ducks, geese, cows and calves go through.We ask for you to have some compassion and kindness.Put yourself in the shoes of these defenceless animals. If you are them, you wouldn’t want your entire life to be such a misery.
