Justice For Animals

Illegal to Document Cruelty?

Jon — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 18:33:21 +0000

Illegal to document cruelty? How about making cruelty illegal?

Senator Jim Miller (FL) recently introduced S.B. 1246, which would make it a first-degree felony to take a picture of a farm animal without the owner’s permission in Florida. Representative Brian Quirk (IA) seeks to criminalize undercover investigations at factory farms, claiming that a truth-seeker who works undercover at a factory farm and documents egregious cruelty is, in fact, a terrorist.

Really? Instead of changing the laws to prevent cruel treatment of farm animals, lawmakers are seeking to heavily penalize those attempting to show the public the truth. Does anyone else see a problem here? Farm animals are specifically exempt from protection in the Animal Welfare Act, and the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act excludes poultry (which account for 95% of the land animals slaughtered annually). As laws governing the treatment of farm animals vary from weak to non-existent, undercover investigations are needed to mediate farm animal welfare.

A recent study by the Biotechnology and Biological Research Council shows that chickens can feel empathy – yes, they found that mother hens empathize with the condition of their chicks. Empathy was long thought to be exclusive to primates, but like other intellectual abilities, we are continually discovering new capabilities in animals. Chickens also display object-permanence, solve problems as a group, and have a diverse set of over two dozen calls. We now know that birds have a central nervous system similar to mammals; even fish feel pain in the same way as mammals. This means that all of those farm animals intensively confined in factory operations (which account for almost every meat, dairy, and egg product in major supermarkets) are suffering every single day of their life. Please consider compassionate choices at your next meal – vegetarian and vegan eating has never been easier. Visit www.vegweb.com for recipes, or www.justiceforanimals.net for more information.

Thanksgiving

admin — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 10:19:51 +0000

As you sit down to your Thanksgiving meal this year, take a moment to consider the origin of the turkey on the table. This noble, friendly, inquisitive bird lived a life devoid of even the most basic of stimulation. Soon after hatching, sections of each turkey’s beaks and toes are cut off to prevent injuries from fighting that will occur amidst the overcrowded living conditions they will soon enter. As a result of massive genetic manipulation, their breasts outgrow the rest of their body to an unnatural size. This causes many physical deformities which will go untreated, further contributing to the life of misery they are forced to endure. They can no longer breed on their own due to their enlarged breasts, and must be artificially inseminated for reproduction.

Their constant pain continues during slaughter. Birds, which account for 95% of the land animals slaughtered for food, are specifically listed as exempt from the Humane Slaughter Act. No laws govern their killing. As a result, turkeys are slaughtered using the cheapest methods possible. Birds have a central nervous system similar to mammals, and can experience pain just as you or I. Pain serves a purpose; it acts as a warning to avoid a stimulus. Turkeys can suffer, and they spend their lives in misery just so that we can have meat for less than a dollar/pound.

Free-range turkeys share similar fates. These animals can be subjected to the same treatment mentioned above. Their “free-range” area may be nothing more than a concrete slab outside a small door on one end of a warehouse.
Anyone who has spent time with a turkey knows what interesting creatures they are. They deserve our respect. Please keep this in mind as you sit down to your holiday meal. May you have a nice Thanksgiving.

All or Nothing

admin — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 10:18:59 +0000

I recently came across Treehugger founder, Graham Hill’s “Why Am I A Weekday Vegetarian” (http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/graham_hill_weekday_vegetarian.html). Once I realized that I NEEDED to be a vegetarian, I was pretty much able to give up meat (with an occasional taste of meat off of my boyfriend’s plate). But for those that don’t have that kind of will-power, and kicking meat can be tough, is it really an “all or nothing” situation.

Well, it doesn’t have to be. Meatless Mondays is a campaign to try to get as many people to be meat-free for at least one day a week. Just think of the amazing difference people are making collectively. So, if you think that every meal in which you choose to be meat-free isn’t making a difference, think again.

Making the transition to a veggie diet

admin — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 10:17:56 +0000

When I first became vegetarian at 19 years old, I had no idea what a vegetarian eats. So…I lived off of cheese pizza for awhile. Of course, this was not healthy nor did it help convince my boyfriend that the veggie lifestyle was doable. Now….almost 20 years later, I have learned a few things (and that boyfriend of mine is now my husband AND a vegetarian).

The most important thing is to eat a variety of foods. Try to include veggies, fruits, and grains in your daily meals. We are working on adding recipes to this website for people of all cooking level. Also, you MUST become a label reader. Here is a list of Animal Ingredients A-Z for you to add to your favorites: http://www.happycow.net/health-animal-ingredients.html You would not believe how much garbage is in processed foods. So….eat them sparingly and go for whole foods (which are recognizable in their natural form).

If you don’t know how to cook, this is a great time to learn. Your palate will start to change and you will begin craving GOOD, HEALTHY foods. It won’t make eating out all that easy, but your body will THANK YOU!