Livin’ Veg

The Tragedy At SeaWorld February 26, 2010

A few days ago a killer whale named Tilikum took the life of a trainer at SeaWorld in front of a live audience during a show. He grabbed her, pulled her in the water where she drowned. It’s, of course, a tragedy. Much like it was a tragedy when the chimp mauled that poor woman. But keeping wild animals in confined unnatural spaces has its risks.

This is a sensitive topic.  A woman lost her life. However, I think it’s important to recognize that this is one of the issues with keeping wild animals captive. I’m totally against facilities like SeaWorld. To take a killer whale into captivity, keep it in a tiny barren tank, expect it to do tricks in front of shrieking people and expect it to behave the exact ways we wish, just seems plain idiotic. In the wild a killer whale might swim one hundred miles in a day. At SeaWorld, they swim in circles in a blue tank. In the wild, they might live until their sixties. However in captivity, they will most likely die by their mid thirties. Killer whales live in family pods. They are highly intelligent social creatures. We stick them in a box and expect them to behave. We do it to make money and for the thrill of seeing a large animal up close. We do it because humans are selfish.

Closing these exhibits and respecting these creatures as wild animals seems to be the answer. SeaWorld would lose tons of money, so I doubt they will do that. But perhaps it will prompt an outraged reaction from the public. Nothing is better than public pressure to help close down something as big as SeaWorld.

Scientists Say Dolphins Are “Non Human Persons” January 5, 2010

According to an article in the UK’s Times Online, Dolphins are second to humans in intelligence, putting primates in third place for the smartest species. The specifics of their brains - size and folds and other anatomy stuff I don’t really know a thing about - combined with their complex social structures and self awareness show beings who researchers say should be called “non human persons.” Yes! Non human persons! I like that. They are a people.

The researchers also say that keeping dolphins in theme parks and aquariums should be out of the question for such an intelligent species. I don’t think that intelligence should have much to do it. I believe it’s wrong to capture animals from the wild and place them in captivity for our own fleeting pleasure. But I’m all for another argument against the practice.

Check out the article and read all about the brains and behaviors of dolphins. Pass it along to friends and then watch the film The Cove if you haven’t seen it already.

Former Elephant Trainer Blows Whistle on Ringling Bros. Circus December 23, 2009

The Washington Post published a fantastic article last week on a trainer named Sammy Haddock, a retired elephant trainer who worked with elephants in the circus since the mid seventies. In 1997 Mr Haddock was hired to work as a handler at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s Center for Elephant Conservation.

What’s so special about Mr. Haddock? After working with elephants for 30 years and growing more and more uncomfortable with the training tactics used to turn the creatures into performers, he spoke out against the cruelty. Mr. Haddock released private pictures of the training of baby elephants, spoke about personal stories in which the brutal bull hook was used to beat the elephants, and how the babies are torn from their mothers at an early age. Think Dumbo. That scene that makes people cry.

Mr. Haddock went to PETA with his story and PETA is using it as fuel to come down hard on the circus. Read the entire story here. It’s long but well worth the read. What I love about this is that it’s not an AR person going under cover. This was a man’s livelihood. And even he knew it was wrong.

The Cove Makes A Difference For Dolphins In Taiji!!!! September 10, 2009

I woke up this morning, opened my laptop and saw some fantastic hopeful news! Seriously, I’m still groggy but typing with enthusiasm.

Here is the deal. The film The Cove revealed to the world what’s happening in Taiji, Japan. Every year in that small town 23,000 dolphins are captured, slaughtered and sold for meat. The Cove has caused such a public outcry that, for the moment, the fishermen in Taiji have not yet killed a single dolphin. (Although they still are capturing dolphins to sell in the international dolphin trade.)

An article on the Huffington Post says the following:

The Japanese town chronicled in the award-winning film “The Cove” for its annual dolphin hunt that turns coastal waters red with blood has suspended killing the animals – at least for this week’s catch – following an international outcry.

The western Japanese town of Taiji will sell some of the animals to aquariums as it does every year, but the remainder of the 100 bottlenose dolphins that were caught early Wednesday in the first catch of the season are to be released. In the past, they were killed and sold for meat.

An official at the Taiji fisheries association, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the town abhors the publicity its dolphin-killing has drawn, said Thursday that the decision was made partly in response to the international outcry created by “The Cove.”

Now,  this doesn’t mean that dolphins are saved forever. But Taiji hates the press and the attention so keeping our eye on them now is vital. Go to The Cove’s website and find out what you can do to help! Seriously, what are you waiting for? Go now!

I would read the whole article if I were you. The news is just so darn good! And good news doesn’t come often enough.

What Do Race Horses, Greyhounds and Lab Animals Have in Common? August 26, 2009

If you guessed that they are considered disposable by the people who use them, then you’re right.

In this country there is no system in place that requires the people who make money off the backs of animals to care for them in their retirement years. Basically, animals need a pension plan.

The hard fact is that racing animals is legal. As is testing on animals for reasons such as providing people with botox. But once the race is finished or the test is complete, the animals are either discarded or euthanized. So many former race horses end up in slaughter houses in Canada and Mexico (since the USA outlawed horse slaughter, that’s now where the horses are sent). Greyhounds end up in shelters or euthanized. Just look up greyhound shelters and you’ll see tons of them devoted just to that one breed.

All of these practices are legal. They are not going to be outlawed any time soon. But something can be done to ensure that these animals are taken care of after they have finished being used. Make the people in the industries set aside cash for the care of these animals.

An opinion piece in the NY Times talked about that very issue yesterday. Read it here.

I’m not aware of any campaigns in the AR world to get this done. Has anyone else heard anything? If there isn’t, then there should be.

PS: The dog in the picture is named Kevin and he’s up for adoption. Click here to learn more about Kevin. He’s currently in a foster home in Connecticut getting along famously with cats and kids.

Ringling Bros. Elephant Abuse on Tape July 24, 2009

PETA has just filed charges against Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus for violating Connecticut’s cruelty-to-animals statute.

What did Ringling Bros. do?

…trainers and other employees routinely struck elephants with bullhooks, dug the weapons’ sharp metal hooks into the sensitive skin behind elephants’ knees and under their trunks, and whipped both elephants and tigers.

Circuses really make me feel ill. Carting animals all around the country and making them perform. No one can ever convince me that an elephant can have any quality of life while stuck in a pen, traveling via train and being beaten with a bull hook. I really don’t know how parents think it’s okay to take their kids to the circus for a day of family fun. Perhaps they just don’t know about the atrocities. At least, I hope that’s true. That they just don’t know. In that case, it’s AR’s job (as well as our job) to do a better job getting the info out there. Good job to PETA for getting this on tape.

Read the full press release on PETA’s actions here…

Boston Zoo Closing - May Euthanize Animals July 13, 2009

Update: Click here to see the Governor’s response to this story. He emphatically denies that any animals will be euthanized.

Original Post: People are definitely not the only victims of this recession. Animals (being one of the first expendable “items” in the minds of people) are pushed to the side when money gets tight. The Franklin Park Zoo in Boston is up on the chopping block due to financial cut backs from the city. And now the animals who live there are in danger. Read the full article here… (The picture to the right is from the article.)

They have about 1000 animals and are looking to rehome them but…

The zoo officials, in a written statement that echoed a letter sent earlier to legislative leaders, said they would be unlikely to find homes for at least 20% of the animals, “requiring either destroying them, or the care of the animals in perpetuity.”

20%. My shoddy 11th grade math skills tell me that’s 200 animals in mortal danger. I can’t even express the grief that makes me feel. Not only has the Franklin Park Zoo caged these creatures for the duration of their lives, but now when the animals could finally be “free” they may be killed instead. And when I say free, I don’t mean roaming in the wild, but perhaps at a sanctuary. Wouldn’t that be something.

I’m going to keep my ear on this story and give you any updates I hear about.

The Cove - New Film on Dolphin Trade June 22, 2009

Watching this short trailer made me feel anxiety and anger. It’s about the Japanese whaling industry, dolphins who are killed, or kept in captivity. It was a 2009 Sundance winner. Rolling Stone describes it as, “Sundance is known for documentaries. But this baby, a cross between Flipper and The Bourne Identity, packed the heat…An intrepid America crew slips into Japan and nails the bad guys for doing terrible things to dolphins.”

This film looks fantastic. It focuses on the dolphin trade and shows that (like the average American on the street who doesn’t know about factory farming) the average Japanese person on the street doesn’t know about the dolphin issues. The film  shows how dolphins are captured to be bought and sold for entertainment purposes.

I honestly don’t know if I’ll be able to watch it. It looks like such a stressful film and I’ll probably cry. My husband really wants to see it, so he’ll probably convince me. Plus, I like to give my 10 dollar ticket to films that are doing good. So, we’ll see. For now, take a look at the trailer, and if you can handle the stress (and are not a wuss like me), I say, go see this film. You can learn more here.

What Do You Think Of Zoos - Yay or Nay? March 12, 2009

The other day I mentioned my dislike of zoos, even the good ones like the Bronx Zoo. I’m curious about other people’s opinions. So tell me, do you think zoos are beneficial to animal welfare, or do you think they exploit animals? Leave a comment…

My problem with zoos is that exhibits can’t possibly give the animal anything like a normal life. And most zoos don’t have the money to give the animals much space. In college with my animal rights class, we went to the Bronx Zoo to look around and ask the hard questions. Some of the exhibits broke my heart. Even their primate exhibit which is supposed to be newly designed and amazing, to me, felt awful. Kids were banging on the plastic and the primates were on display like an xmas window at Macy’s.

There is the argument that zoos have great conservation efforts. But there is controversy there too. Does breeding endangered animals in captivity really do anything to help their numbers? And yes, they offer information on habitats and let kids see animals up close. But seeing them in captivity, held there for the benefit of people - I’m not sure that sets a good example. I think it shows kids that animals are here for our amusement.

Anyway, like I said, I’d love to hear some opinions on this…

Keeping Up With The Kardashians Adopt an Ape - Take Action February 27, 2009

Sacrificing the best interests of a primate for entertainment - we’ve all seen it happen. But perhaps not as irresponsibly and idiotically as the stunt being pulled by E! and their show Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

They, in their words, “got a monkey. Her name is Suzy, she is three years old, and she is a handful!”

Primates should not be kept as pets, and giving a famous family one as a publicity stunt will just make more people want to have one in their house. It was irresponsible of E! to let this happen. And the poor girl who has to live with that family…yeah, I’m angry.

A lot of the comments on the photos are negative - people saying similar things as me - that primates should not live in homes, let alone with idiot reality tv stars. Read Wayne Pacelle, President of HSUS weigh in on the Stamford shooting of a chimp who was being kept as a pet and ended up mauling a woman.

Write to E! and tell them why you think it’s a bad idea. Click here and then fill out the appropriate form to tell them what you think.

Via Ecorazzi