On Loving Animals...

I reckon men who are vegans can have a field day with this poster, but it will be one of those unsubstantiated claims reminiscent of PETA's ad about vegetarians having better sex. But, in reality, this poster reminds us that they are chicks behind those boiled or fried eggs. And for those who can't make this equation, remember that a diet heavy with eggs could translate into arteries with plaque. As a vegetarian, I consider myself a lumpen vegan, short two yards of the required ten. I still wear leather shoes and a leather belt although they are holdouts from the past, just like my leather jacket which I refuse to wear anymore. And my expensive leather portfolio? That one is in the closet, replaced by a nylon shoulder bag. Look closer and we will find an abundance of animal products in our daily lives.

Mom celebrated her 76th birthday yesterday with a Sydney Harbor cruise so graciously provided for by my sister. I heard they had a grand time, and this photo was taken during the cruise. Mom spent most of her life in the Philippines including four years of WW2, and her retirement years in and around Sydney, Australia. She's a proud and grateful Aussie alright, just like my Dad when he was still alive. She's very independent and strong-minded and even at 76 Mom is still full of spunk. Last year, she ran for President of her local senior citizens organization and lost by 12 votes. I heard that it was a tough campaign, but Mom slugged it out with all who meant to besmirch her reputation. She hasn't said so, but she will run again. From my Mom and Dad, I learned never to hurt an animal. As a young boy, I manage to convince my Dad to get me a Co2 powered BB rifle. Nothing wrong with shooting tin cans. Naturally, birds became my targets. When I showed my Mom a little bird I just...

It's going to be the day to give thanks very soon, but not for some beings. Their slaughter, unfortunately, is a requisite for many families in America, turning the hapless turkey into the centerpiece of their thanks-giving. I remember as late as the 1970s when some of my friends and acquaintances frowned at my idea of doing a Thanksgiving dinner without the turkey. I wasn't into animal welfare yet at that time. True to my iconoclastic nature, I just thought that the tradition was to give thanks, and not the turkey on the table. So, my family had many Thanksgiving dinners/lunches without the turkey while my so-called friends accused me on trashing a cherished tradition and setting a bad example and a terrible precedent for my then young son. Well, if one is comfortable with a tradition and it fits well into his/her personal philosophy, then so be it and be happy with it. However, there are no limits on tradition and new traditions are born all the time. As for those Thanksgivi...

It's Friday again! Well, not today, really, but next week, it's Fur-Free Friday. The annual demo takes place at Lord & Taylor on 38th and Fifth and then marching over to Macy's on 34th is the big event. Fur-Free Friday is observed not only in New York City. Check your local listings, my fellow animal lovers, at Fur Free Friday The specifics for Manhattan: 11/27/09 – FUR FREE FRIDAY – Meet at Lord & Taylor 424 5th Ave by 38th Street 1:00 – 1:15 March to Macy's 151 West 34th Street between 7th & Broadway Protest starts at 1:30 and goes to 3:00pm This year is the 1st Annual FFF Costume Contest Come Dressed As Your FAVORITE Fur Covered Animal We know, it's hard to choose! And then, there is a gathering of animal rights proponents in Red Bank, New Jersey on Saturday, Nov. 28th, to protest at Winter Furs at 43 Monmouth Street. That's going to be between 1 and 4 pm. Activists are invited to gather from 12pm in the Municipal Lots near and around Wallace S...

No rest for the cruel, and bad news travels fast. Ringling Bros Barnum and Bailey Circus has taken their act to a place where they have never been before---Europe. It might look like their expanding their horizons, but I've got this feeling that they are actually looking for new markets to peddle their scandal-ridden show. With more and more Americans getting educated about the cruelty behind circuses that use captive, performing animals, Ringling Bros. , must have decided to do an exploratory tour of Europe and gauge its potential. Well, the circus is there now and we've learned that Ringling has recently canceled their plans in Germany. They might veil this cancellation in so many different terms, but it is a cancellation nevertheless. No interest, no market potential, and the Germans are simply not going to be entertained by captive animals performing unnatural acts. What did Ringling think? That Europeans are as gullible as we are? But wait. There's more. With Spain in...

50 billion pleas for mercy are ignored every year 50 billion animals suffer for meat, milk and eggs. They are cruelly confined, mutilated, burned, condemned to a life of degradation, loneliness, pain, and terror of slaughter. Most spend their lives unable to turn around or spread their wings. Most never see the sun. Most never leave their cages except to die. GoVeganNow.com

That's Dusty hanging by his neck in the photo. Who hanged him? His owner, Wesley Barrett of 478 Peeled Oak Road, telephone 606-674-3193, claimed that Dusty was shot by a neighbor and he hung Dusty's body as a message to his neighbor. What? Already, this story doesn't make any sense. Why treat your beloved pet's body in such a manner just to send a message to a neighbor who shot it? Something isn't right here. But when the authorities met with Mr. Barrett, he couldn't name the neighbor and therefore he couldn't press charges. To compound the situation, the authorities decided not to press charges against Mr. Barrett, and let the case go cold. Not just yet, said Slyvia's Animal Sanctuary, Inc. Someone is responsible for this animal cruelty, and they are asking for signatures to send to the Governor of Kentucky and other elected officials to take action. Please go to the website below and sign the petition. It only takes for good people to do nothing for ...

The gassing of stray and shelter animals is so repulsive that we assume that there must be a law against it. After all, we're a civilized nation. Wrong. Actually, in New York State, no law existed that prohibited the gassing of homeless or unwanted pets. More often than not, such issues come under the purview of the state government and not the federal government. It would be wonderful to have a federal law against gassing, but no such luck yet. " There ought to be a law against it! " How many times have you heard that in your lifetime? Well, in the Empire State, there now is a law against this most cruel form of extermination. The Humane Euthanasia Bill (NY A. 999B) became law last October 9th when Governor Paterson signed it after laying dormant for nearly a year. The prime movers of this bill were the ASPCA, Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, Senator Suzi Oppenheimer and their respective staff. God bless them. They just made this world a better place. The law, however, takes ...

Behold four of our latest arrivals at the shelter... Troy is a Beagle mix who came to us as a stray. He's a bit overweight, and so he must not have been a stray for a long time. He's my favorite at the moment. He is most willing to roll over and have his tummy rubbed. Troy is syrupy sweet, wagging his tail and cocking his head sideways at you, keeping low in some kind of submissive position. What a sweety! I could hug this dog all day. His left eye is kinda cloudy, but the doctor said to leave it alone. Uh oh, looks like Troy isn't the only super nice dog at the shelter! This is Polly , and she's a Rat Terrier. Polly gets up from her bed and greets volunteers at her gate, a bit shy at first but warms up to people very quickly. She's got no issues, and on the quiet side. Polly is bigger than a Chihuahua, but she could become a lapdog if you allow her. What a nice dog! Maggie is a Hound mix who also came to us as a stray. You can see that she is on the skinny side...

A fresh influx of dogs brought our kennel population to eighteen, and that's about full. Beyond that, dogs need to double up in a kennel. Our dogs come to us in a myriad of ways : divorces, foreclosures, confiscations, strays, rescued from cruel conditions, and even rescues from pounds down South where they would have been put to death via injection or gas chamber. Dottie , a cattle dog mix, went home last Sunday with a couple looking for their first dog together. She stayed with us for approximately a month and a half. Mostly White, Dottie had a few black spots on her body and head. Thus, the name. About medium to large in size, Dottie was strong and a puller. She's the type who will give you nylon burns on your hands from the leash. Dottie didn't fully realize what was going on until our president heaved her unto the back of the SUV and shut the tailgate on her. And off she went to a place easily superior to the best kennel we can provide at the shelter. And then, there w...