For the past 2 and a half years, I've really advocated for the conservation of grey wolves / wolves on our planet, as they face endless perils that are plunging them towards worldwide extinction. Why the past 2 and a half years? It has been approximately that amount of time, since one of the Trump administration's final acts in office, was to lift all endangered species act protections from wolves. When I began my research, I realized that we have, as humans, manipulated every facet of wolves' existence and now, we have collectively decided that they are better off extinct. The more I dove in to the topic, the more I realized, that every peril wolves face to their survival, every one of them, are directly traced back to humans. Humans are the ONLY reason that the dialogue surrounding wolves has shifted to one of negativity, to one of being ok that wolves are eradicated. How could we possibly want to wipe an entire species off of this planet with no regard? Let's chat about the main culprit! Why Kill Wolves?Not my photo. Photo taken respectively from National Wildlife Foundation nwf.org The Main Culprit? LivestockThe conflict between livestock farmers and wolves is nothing new. In fact, a large percentage of wolves that are slaughtered are usually done so after they interact / kill livestock. A story recently emerged from Switzerland regarding the permittance of wolf pack slaughter to protect livestock, after several instances of wolves attacking / killing livestock. Livestock are easy targets for wolves as they are often rather defenseless against attacks. Chickens, goats, sheep, etc., these animals make for an easy meal for hungry wolves who are opportunistic hunters. After wolves kill livestock, it's almost a guarantee that they will be euthanized, disrupting wolf pack hierarchy. My question here is, why put food on a silver platter for hungry predators and then blame them for helping themselves? My problem here is if this livestock is such a precious commodity, and farmers are so very concerned about protecting them, why are the perimeter fences that house these animals so easily penetrable? Why is it that wild predators can so easily access livestock? Livestock are literally served up to wolves in order to justify their euthanasia, but why not address the reasoning behind this? Why not improve the perimeter barriers so that wolves can not feasibly access livestock? Why? Because killing the wolves is the easier and cheaper option and frankly, the narrative surrounding wolves right now is one that sees them as unimportant and nuisances to the animal ag industry. This narrative allows us to overlook the importance of wolves in their habitat, the importance of wolves in their hierarchy / social structure, and the importance of their survival on this planet. What's The Connection Between Wolf Survival & My Push For Meatless Mondays?
Will it stop at wolves? Not a chance. As we continue to steal land away from wild animals, other predatory species will undoubtedly have interactions with livestock, leading to their euthanasia. How long can wild animals sustain our continued growth, continued animal ag development and the toxic pollution that comes with these industries, and onslaught as a result of livestock conflicts? If we continue to develop at this rate, stealing land and killing predators, we must be willing to accept that we will push wolves, bobcats, bears, and other predatory species towards inevitable extinction. Are we really so unable to extend empathy towards the survival of an entire species because we love bacon? My advocacy for Meatless Mondays ties directly in to the survival of wild animals like wolves. Sure, I could get on here and repeatedly push the vegetarian / vegan narrative, hoping to inspire a large amount of meat-eating people to drop meat and adopt a meatless lifestyle. The reality is, it's so much easier to advocate for a small change, like ditching meat one day a week, versus pushing a meatless lifestyle. A small change like giving up meat one or two days a week would have a significant impact on the necessity of livestock. Imagine if all 34 + million people in Canada collectively dropped meat one day per week. The environmental impact would be astronomical. The amount of livestock required / killed would drop, and the need for more land to produce more animals would also drop. It is all tied together. I think one of the most frustrating things I've seen at the grocery store is when packages of meat are marked down 50% to sell them before they expire. This indicates that the necessity is not even there in some cases, and yet we continue to slaughter at the rate that we are. To think that we slaughtered a frightened animal to produce meat, only to throw it in the garbage when it expired is beyond frustrating to me given everything that comes along with that package of meat. So not only are we rapidly growing, rapidly taking land, and slaughtering animals in mass quantities, we are also doing so to such an extent that the necessity is not even there. An entire cycle of destruction that leads to products being thrown in the garbage after they expired. At the end of the day, we are all free to make our own choices regarding what we eat. This story is simply a reminder that our choices do not only affect us. If we continue to over-produce meat, steal land from wild animals to produce MORE meat, and continue to kill wild predators to protect meat, we will undoubtedly destroy every other species on our planet to put steak or bacon on our plates. Is it too astronomically outrageous to hope that there are enough of us who recognize that our choices are directly linked to the survival of other species on our planet? Are there enough of us who care? Enough of us who want to see wild animals survive for generations to come? Enough of us that recognize that we are on track to lose wolves, bears, and other predatory species which will disrupt the natural balance of ecosystems that rely on a healthy population of both prey and predatory species? Or, is it simply too late to change course and reverse the damage that we are on track to do with our continued growth? My hope is that even one person who reads this will make the connection between meat production and the eradication of our planet's predatory species. After making that connection, giving up meat one day a week doesn't seem so hard when the survival of an entire species hinges on our decisions. Wolves will go extinct to protect livestock, that is a guarantee, and it will not stop there. It's up to us to stave off the inevitable extinction of species we are pushing towards extinction for a piece of bacon. We cannot be this stubborn and lacking in empathy, I refuse to believe it. HAPPY VEG
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I recently read a story about North Atlantic Right whales being on the verge of extinction. The story suggested that boats were not adhering to slow zones where the whale population is, causing continued collisions with whales that are ending their lives. Reading this horrifies me, but it also reminds me that we have such a sense of entitlement when it comes to the planet and the other species that inhabit it. Whales, Giraffes, Birds, Plants, Rhinos...what isn't facing extinction anymore I wonder? I also wonder at what point we, as humanity, collectively care about anything other than ourselves?
During the Trump Presidency, one of the last things decided, was that grey wolves would lose their Endangered Species Act protections after 45 years. This news was devastating considering the monumental effort involved in saving a species from extinction. Almost immediately after they lost their protections, gun-loving, trophy-hunting, and sport-hunting fanatics lobbied to have wolves opened up once again, for hunting opportunities. Not long after, Republican led states opened wolves up, once again, for sport-hunting, effectively undermining and undoing, 45 years of work to rehabilitate the species. Wolves are under attack and there are still too many people on this planet who see them as nothing more than gun fodder despite being integral to their ecosystem. Sport-hunting has once again put wolves at serious risk of plunging towards inevitable extinction. What did we learn? When you look at the plight of wolves, or the carelessness of boaters who are endangering the last remaining North Atlantic Right Whales; what have we learned? Can we not offer compassion to a species that is going to be wiped off of the face of the earth because of our carelessness and disregard for their deserving of life? When we can't even slow our boats down in an area where a species faces extinction, is there any hope left for the remainder of species on our planet outside of humans? We're setting fire to our forests, polluting our oceans, lakes, and canals, and fueling drought and habitat loss. We will at some point, come to a screeching halt due to our inability to look to the future and recognize that our actions today, determine our future. Our relationship with our planet needs to change. Without even touching on climate change, because that's one of those topics that there are simply, too many people who disagree with; I wonder at what point do we accept that our actions are causing the decimation of every other species on this planet? At what point do we recognize that our reliance on factory farming will continue to pollute and steal habitat from already imperiled animals & plants? At what point do we accept that allowing trophy hunting of species that are facing extinction is in no way, shape, or form, helping to conserve them? When will we put our selfishness aside and learn to live in unison with ALL other species on our planet? Unfortunately, I believe that the answer to these questions is when it's far too late. We may already be headed towards an inevitable mass extinction as we shop relentlessly, toss our trash on the ground in public parks and reserves, or travel in our luxury yachts / planes. Humanity is such an enigma, because we cry when things happen to us, but can't be bothered to shed a tear at the perils we've imposed on every other species on this planet. So tell me, do you think we'll ever learn, or is it simply too late for our planet's most vulnerable species? HAPPY VEGA draft to reintroduce grizzly bears to the North Cascades ecosystem in the United States, has been released and the public has until November 13th, 2023 to submit their comments / concerns. Historically, grizzly bears roamed the North Cascades for thousands of years before human encroachment pushed them to near extinction. This is the second attempt at restoring grizzly bears to the North Cascades ecosystem, after the Trump administration halted the restoration back in 2015, despite over 159, 000 statements of support from local residents.
WILL THERE BE PROTECTIONS?Reintroducing grizzly bears is something I support wholeheartedly. Considering it was humans who eradicated them, it certainly falls on us to restore them to their habitat. My concern here is much the same as it was with grey wolves. Grey wolves were listed under federal protections for over 45 years. In that time, endless resources were funneled in to restoring wolves to their habitat across the U.S. and their populations finally started to recover. Then, the Trump administration removed protections for grey wolves, which opened them up to hunters in pro-hunting states throughout the United States. Without wasting time, several states reenacted their wolf hunting licenses, and wolves were callously shot for sport, dwindling their numbers back down. 45 years of effort, time, and money, nearly erased within months of wolf protections being lifted. Will this be the case for the grizzly bear? Reintroduction is a wonderful thing, especially for a healthy habitat. As we know, every habitat / ecosystem relies on ALL of its inhabitants to properly thrive and the reintroduction of grizzlies is crucial to keep the North Cascades ecosystem thriving for years to come. However, I fear that without necessary protections issued to grizzlies being reintroduced, that they will inevitably face the same fate they faced that originally pushed them to near extinction. This reintroduction must come with crucial protections for grizzlies, otherwise, what's stopping callous hunters from shooting them for fun / sport and plunging them back towards extinction? As I said, if you look at the plight of the grey wolf in the United States, it's clear that without continued protections, there are enough people who just don't care about their survival and would happily shoot and kill them for fun. Will this reintroduction of grizzlies come with guaranteed protections? If not, I fear that we will funnel our energy and resources in to something that is doomed to fail grizzlies and the North Cascades. Learn more about this story by visiting the link at the top of this post. HAPPY VEGA bill aimed at ending animal testing for cosmetics, has been reintroduced in the United States, supported by 5 U.S. Representatives. The Humane Cosmetics Act would target the use of animals in any cosmetics testing, and would prevent needless suffering to animals in the name of novelty products. As it stands, 10 U.S. States have already enacted a ban on the sale of cosmetics tested on animals, indicating support for a country-wide ban. Most importantly, The Humane Cosmetics Act would include;
Cosmetics animal testing is animal cruelty, and nothing less. Animals are bred to be subjected to endless testing until they are euthanized, all in the name of products that are not even necessities. It's not like we're talking about life-saving medication, although I still vehemently disagree with testing on animals. We're talking about lotions & creams, body washes, and makeup, things that we can easily purchase cruelty free. There's simply no excuse for the continued abuse of animals in the cosmetics industry when other humane testing methods are available to us. It's time to finally end cosmetics testing in the United States! Learn more by visiting the original post from World Animal News linked at the top of this post. HAPPY VEGAs the housing crisis continues to make renting / buying properties a nightmare, the lack of pet-friendly rentals is getting more scarce and pet-owners are being forced to surrender their pets in order to find a roof over their heads. Nova Scotia is seeing a surge of surrenders this time of year, and while it can typically be blamed on feral cats reproducing, it's also unfortunately the result of a lack of protections for pet-owners, and a lack of availability of rentals that permit pets. This crisis is forcing families apart and filling shelters with animals that have been with their families for half of their lives, unsure of what they've done to be surrendered.
Canada is definitely in the midst of a housing crisis, this cannot be denied. When you look at this crisis, landlords should not be able to suddenly switch course and force renters out who have pets. Not only do no-pet rentals put families in difficult positions, it causes shelters to swell with surrenders, putting immense financial, mental, and physical stress on shelter workers. More surrendered pets means more resources required, a cost a lot of shelters struggle to keep up with. This cycle causes immense stress on families, tears families apart, and puts insurmountable pressure on shelters to adopt out animals when there is such a struggle to find pet-friendly accommodations. It's not just about Nova Scotia, this is a Canada-wide problem. Landlords are taking liberties and trying to make as much money as possible with as little liability as possible. Landlords could easily take security funds from renters in case of damage from pets, but they don't. They're taking the easier route, the shady route given the current housing crisis. Landlords are knowingly forcing renters in to difficult, emotional predicaments as they weigh the decision of surrendering their furry family in order to find accommodations. There needs to be a conjoined effort between federal and provincial Governments to find a solution to this problem. The housing crisis isn't going anywhere, but shady landlords who abruptly decide to ban pets is a problem that CAN be tackled. There needs to be protections in place for renters with pets, period. Shelters shouldn't have to burst at the seems with surrendered loved ones because landlords are getting away with forcing people out of their rentals. Things need to change. HAPPY VEGThe Refuge From Cruel Trapping Act has been reintroduced in the United States, leaving animal advocates hopeful for a second chance. The bill would seek to ban the use of indiscriminately cruel, body gripping traps on all wildlife refuges throughout the United States. Shockingly, these traps are currently permitted on a whopping 43% of the 567 wildlife refuges around the United States. The Refuge From Cruel Trapping Act will ensure that all wildlife refuges are safe for humans and animals alike, free from being indiscriminately trapped by one of these agonizingly painful, body-gripping traps.
What I believe to be the biggest problem with these traps on these wildlife refuges, is that these horrendously painful traps are indiscriminate. This means, that unintended targets are also susceptible to being caught up in these traps. For example, species like The Canadian Lynx, a big cat that has potential to plunge towards extinction, have been documented caught up in these traps. Those visiting these refuges risk their children, pets, or themselves being snapped up inside one of these traps. The agonizing suffering that anyone or anything would endure if snapped in to one of these snares, is unimaginable to me. The fact is, 43% of the United State's refuges offer visitors this potential. Banning these cruel traps from public, wildlife refuges is a must. We're imposing devastating cruelty on other living creatures, on public wildlife protected spaces. The Government must recognize that these traps are ineffective in targeting intended wildlife, put endangered or unintended species at risk of being killed slowly, and leave visitors to these refuges at risk of serious injury. Keep the refuges safe for all living creatures and ditch the cruel snares and steel leg-hold traps! HAPPY VEGLolita, the Orca who gained international recognition after news that she was going to be released back in to the wild, tragically passed away this week at The Miami Seaquarium. Lolita passed away after what experts believe to be a renal condition after she took a turn for the worst a few days prior to her passing. This story is beyond saddening as Lolita was on track to taste freedom after several decades trapped in a bathtub at the Miami Seaquarium, only to pass away before she had that chance. Lolita was 56 years old, and spent 2/3 of her life in confinement for entertainment purposes.
In most cases, orca's like Lolita are plucked from the wild, and forced in to confinement for the rest of their long lives. When you consider Lolita's age, that's a literal lifetime of knowing nothing but forced performances and confinement. We are imposing a life-sentence on wild animals for our own selfish desires and forcing them in to a lifetime of servitude. These creatures knew freedom, which makes it even worse that they spend their entire lives confined until they die miserably. The argument that these shows or forced confinement of these species, is in any way educational, is simply our way of justifying the abuse we impose on them. The National Geographic enterprise would be considered educational. We can watch through their eyes how these creatures live and interact in the wild without adversely affecting them. To argue that forcing a wild animal in to confinement and servitude is educational in any way is embarrassing and a grotesque abuse of our ability and power over wild animals. It's time to empty these places and return these beautiful creatures back in to their natural habitats. Lolita's story is tragic but she will not be the last orca to die in a bathtub. We must use her tragic story as motivation to advocate for the release of captive orcas, dolphins, and other aquatic creatures. We do NOT need to watch them doing tricks. We need to release them and free them from the horrors we've imposed on them for our own gratification. HAPPY VEGOne of the biggest hurdles an organization like Mally's Third Chance Rescue faces, is funding. Animal organizations that rely solely on the generosity of donations are often left in a position where they're not making enough to cover the weekly / monthly costs. This lack of donations / funding on a consistent, monthly basis is forcing animal rehabilitation organizations like Mally's to close their doors permanently. A loss of an organization that focuses on helping animals is not a good thing. In fact, Ontario at one point had approximately 200 wildlife rescue / rehabilitation centers, but that number has since dropped to 50 and in most cases, a lack of funding pushed them to shutter their doors forever.
With costs of operation hovering around $20, 000, and monthly donations sitting around $3, 200, it's apparent that a lack of donations and no funding from the Ontario government whatsoever, is pushing Mally's to closure. Considered a "wildlife custodian" under the Ontario Fish & Wildlife Act, organizations like Mally's don't qualify for crucial, life-saving funding that would keep the organization on its feet. Considering the scale of Mally's operations, it's disgusting that Ontario does not offer financial support that would help keep the organization on its feet. Despite these hurdles, Mally's has continued to operate and a recent fundraising event offered a glimmer of hope, but the possibility of a late September closure continues to loom. We need organizations like Mally's to continue their life-saving work for wildlife in need. Without these organizations, injured or sick animals will be neglected and have no hope for rehabilitation. That's why I'm asking all of you to consider a monthly, or one-time donation to Mally's, to help this amazing organization keep its doors open. When you consider a donation, there's no such thing as a donation too small. Every dollar right down to the penny is crucial in keeping Mally's open and operational. Please peep their website below to learn more about the amazing work they do every day and please consider making a donation. As I said, it's up to the community to keep these places open and Mally's needs our help. Let's keep Derek's dream of rehabilitating racoons alive! HAPPY VEGOregon Bans Pet Stores from Selling Puppies & Kittens & Also Bans Cosmetics Testing On AnimalsIn a massive victory for animals, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, signed several bills in to law aimed at improving the state's animal welfare laws. First of all, Oregon has officially joined over 30 other countries, & 10 other U.S. states in banning the sale of new cosmetics tested on animals. As we know, cosmetics testing is wholly unnecessary and subjects innocent animals to numerous skin, eye, and ingestion tests in search of irritants. These animals often suffer painful lesions / sores on their skin / eyes, and throat, and are left untreated until they are discarded like trash when their usefulness runs dry. These animals are nothing more than products of a laboratory as opposed to being seen as living breathing, and feeling beings. Animal testing for cosmetics is outdated, unnecessary, and blatantly cruel to animals. This is not life-saving medicine, this is beauty products that we're torturing animals for and there are so many alternative testing methods available to us that there is simply no excuse for animal testing. The second bill passed was a ban on the sale of puppies and kittens from pet stores. This bill is aimed at supporting the work of the Humane Society by supporting adoptions of shelter animals and also ceasing any cooperation with puppy mills. Puppy mills are breeding facilities that impregnate female dogs repeatedly in order to profit off of the sale of their pure-bred puppies. These pure-bred animals are alluring and draw pet-owners away from shelter animals who are desperate for adoption. Puppies from mills are known to have health issues that follow their new owners for life on top of living in less than acceptable conditions prior to making it to pet stores. Every time a pet is purchased from a breeder, a shelter animal loses its chance at adoption. Pet stores should only be "selling" animals in cooperation with shelters aide in shelter adoptions. Massachusetts On Track to End Animals in Circus'The Massachusetts Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development, heard testimony this past week on bills that would prohibit the use of elephants, bears, giraffes, primates, and big cats in travelling circus' & shows. The training methods used for animals in circus' are far from humane, with bull hooks, whips, and electric prods all utilized to subdue and force wild animals to perform / learn tricks. Outside of the cruelty involved in training, these animals are kept in small, tightly confined spaces between shows and are subjected to perilous travel between locations for their next shows. Everything about animals in this form of entertainment is nothing short of animal cruelty. Big cats, elephants, bears, whatever, performing tricks, jumping through hoops of fire, or riding mini bicycles, is unnatural and cruel. The things we see them doing in these shows came at a cost and it's one that is not acceptable. Wild animals deserve to live their lives able to participate in wild traits that are natural to them. Being forcibly trained to perform for humans is unethical and bans are long overdue. Massachusetts MUST take the next step and end wild animals in circus' and other traveling exhibits! HAPPY VEGThe Endangered Species Act is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and it's being spent under attack from anti-wildlife politicians. The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held a committee meeting this past week where the Endangered Species Act was attacked with false or baseless claims by politicians who are eager to see the Act modified to benefit hunters and put a nail in the coffin of protected species.
Republicans are often pro-gun, and pro-hunting, which means that protecting species like the gray wolf or grizzly bear is in direct contrast to their desire to allow these animals to shot and killed for sport. When you look at the plight of the gray wolf in the United States, it's evident that Republicans would rather see them extinct versus being protected. The gray wolf was listed as a protected species for 45 years while it was rehabilitated only to be callously delisted by the Trump Administration. After being delisted, Republican led states immediately allowed for wolves to be hunted and in some states, a whopping 90% of wolves were eradicated. Considering Republicans are supposedly about being conservative fiscally, it's interesting that they'd allow the slaughter of a species that money was funneled in to protecting for 4 decades. Extinction is a permanent status. We are literally on track to lose thousands of species in our foreseeable future if we don't work tirelessly to protect them. Slashing necessary funding for an organization that dedicates its time to protecting species from extinction is completely lacking in any logic or compassion. Without the Endangered Species Act, hundreds of species on our planet would cease to exist today. Republicans should be ashamed of their lack of empathy towards the survival of our planet's species in favour of gun & hunting lobbyists. The Endangered Species Act is a necessary organization and without it, species like the gray wolf, pangolin, Savannah elephant, and jaguar would undoubtedly be extinct at this point. Attacking the Endangered Species Act is attacking our planet's species and their fight for survival on a planet dominated by greedy humans. There is no other explanation for why they would want to see it dismantled outside of their allegiance to hunting and gun lobbyists. It's sickening and shameful that they are more interested in pleasing hunting organizations than protecting species from extinction. As I said, extinction is a permanent status and preventing that should be on every politicians agenda. Learn more through the attached link at the top of this post. HAPPY VEG |
Stay educated and remain involved in animal welfare. Together, we can all make a difference!
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