Their Turn - The Social Justice Movement of Our Time Their Turn - The Social Justice Movement of Our Time

Injured Boy Escapes Jaguar Pit; Jaguars Do Not

October 13, 2014 by 1 comment


The News

Though severely injured, a three year old boy who fell into the jaguar pit at an Arkansas zoo on Friday managed to escape. The jaguars, however, weren’t as lucky.

Arkansas Zoo

Arkansas Zoo

Following is video animation of the incident, starting with the boy’s grandfather placing him on the railing from which he fell:

https://youtu.be/wfwu7jGQfzw

Just 18 days earlier, a man in India fell into the tiger exhibit at the New Delhi Zoo and died after being dragged away and attacked by the tiger shown in the photo below.

TOPSHOTS-INDIA-ANIMAL-TIGER-ZOO-ATTACK

Both of these tragic accidents could have be avoided if the big cats weren’t being held captive in the first place.

Your Turn

Jaguars live primarily in the jungles and wetlands of Central and South South America. One jaguar is thought to remain in the Southwestern United States. In the wild, they carve out and mark their territories; they hunt; and they raise their young.

jaguar-in-jungle

Zoos enclosures, such as “the pit” in Arkansas, cannot possibly meet jaguars’ instinctual needs.

jaguar pit

Zoos are cruel, exploitive and unnecessary. They teach children that kidnapping and holding others captive are acceptable behaviors. Learn more about why holding animals captive in zoos is cruel. And take action.


Every Nation is the Worst Offender

October 12, 2014 by 3 comments


Opinion

In moments of frustration and anger, many of us demonize an entire country when we learn about the atrocities they commit against animals, but those feelings are misguided. Only a small percentage of people in any country participate in the abuse, and most are probably unaware. In addition, whatever country we happen to call home is probably committing abuses that are every bit as bad, so why point a finger?  Every nation is culpable:

The French insert tubes down the throats of ducks and force feed them:

Force-feeding of a goose to make foie gras

The Spanish set some bulls on fire and chase others through city streets:

photo: Jose Jordan/AFP/Getty Images

photo: Jose Jordan/AFP/Getty Images

The Chinese skin animals alive for fur:

skinned alive

Americans lasso young animals, wrestle them to the ground and twist their necks at rodeos:

Rodeo cruelty

Canadians club baby seals:

Canadian seal hunt

Africans tear the tusks out of elephants’ faces:

Photo: Mark Deeble & Victoria Stone

Photo: Mark Deeble & Victoria Stone

Australians hack flesh out of sheep to keep insects out of their wool:

Mulesing

Mexicans stab bulls to death to cheering crowds:

bullfight+animal+rights

The Danish drive pilot whales into the shore and butcher them:

Denmark whaling

Photo: Sea Shepherd

The Japanese shoot harpoons with explosives into protected whales and serve animals at restaurants who are still alive:

Photo: sundayworld.com

Photo: sundayworld.com

This list goes on. Instead of vilifying entire countries, which does nothing to help their animals, we should target our anger – and energy – toward those who commit the atrocities and the authorities who have the power to stop them.


In Just One Week, Group Exposes Illegal Abuse at Three University Labs

October 10, 2014 by 1 comment


The News

In the past week,  the organization Stop Animal Exploitation Now (SAEN) has uncovered egregious acts of violence against animals by lab workers at three different universities. In all three cases, SAEN has filed complaints with the U.S. Department of Agriculture asking for penalties and/or for the studies to be terminated.

SAEN animal testing

Here’s what SAEN’s uncovered by combing through records:

At The University of South Florida (USF), lab workers deprived monkeys of water, leading to at least one death.

At Oregon Health & Science Univsersity (OHSU), an animal caretaker was exposed for repeatedly punching a pig in her face, drawing blood. Within a week of her arrival, the pig was killed in a “terminal procedure.”

Protesters block OHSU animal research site in 2010 (photo: Brent Wojahn/The Oregonian)

Protesters block OHSU animal research site in 2010 (photo: Brent Wojahn/The Oregonian)

At Washington University in St. Louis, a lab technician with “a history of rough handling of animals” was exposed for punching a dog with “a closed fist.”

After a busy week exposing the lab abuse and filing complaints, SAEN’s Executive Director Michael Budkie reflected on the individuals for whom he is fighting: “As if being caged in a lab and subjected to painful experiments isn’t bad enough, these animals are often victims of gratuitous abuse — abuse that is rarely exposed because of the extreme measures taken to hide the truth. But SAEN will continue to use all tools available to us to shine a spotlight on these abusive facilities until they’re shut down for good.”

SAEN's recent victories

SAEN’s recent victories

As expected, all three of the universities issued statements claiming that they “place a high priority on the proper care and treatment of research animals” and that “mistreatment of any research animal is not tolerated.”

Your Turn

In 2012, In Defense of Animals (IDA), another organization that works to end laboratory abuses, released the findings of a two year undercover investigation at OHSU. Here’s what they exposed then is consistent with the abuses that continue today:

Please visit www.SAENonline.org to learn more about these incidents and find out what small steps you can take to be a voice for animals who are held captive and used in painful, unethical, redundant and unnecessary laboratory experiments.


Video: Human Breast Milk Repulses the Cast of Friends

October 9, 2014 by 2 comments


Opinion

Each day, hundreds of millions, if not billions, of adults around the world consume food and beverages that are made from cows’ milk, and they don’t give it a second thought. But if you were to ask these dairy consumers how they feel about drinking human breast milk, the majority would probably express disgust about the idea. That reaction was played out in an episode of Friends, where Phoebe tastes the breast milk of Ross’ ex-wife.

Humans been so brainwashed by the dairy industry that we actually believe that drinking human milk, which is intended for humans, is revolting and borderline immoral while consuming cow’s milk, which is designed for calves, is not only normal but appealing.

Cast of Friends Recoils in Disgust as Phoebe Tastes Breast Milk

Cast of Friends Recoils in Disgust as Phoebe Tastes Breast Milk

The dairy industry has also brainwashed us into thinkng that adults should consume milk products. But milk is a drink specifically designed for infants. That is why human and cow mothers stop producing it when their babies stop nursing. And that is also why female cows have to be impregnated over and over in order to continue producing milk for humans.

If human adults want to consume animal-based milk, then we should take it from other humans, not from cows who wail in despair when their babies are kidnapped from them at birth so that we can drink their milk. Or, better yet, buy healthy and delicious plant-based milk products.

plant-based-milks

Say no to udder milk; say yes to other milk.


Our Choice of Words Matters

October 8, 2014 by 4 comments


Opinion

When advocates refer to an animal as “it” instead of “he” or “she,” we reinforce the perception that animals are objects, not living beings. Why do we do that? Bad habit? Because we don’t know the sex? Because that’s what the media does?

homeless dog

How can we expect others to regard an animal as “someone” (who deserves to be treated kindly) as opposed to “something” (which can be discarded) when we ourselves describe animals as inanimate objects?

chicken is someone

The burden is on us to use every opportunity we can find in our daily lives to use “he” or “she” or “him” or her” when referring to an animal. Let’s lead by example.