Advancing the Interests of Animals

4/8/12

Orangutans Need Our Help

By: Marilyn Ramos

A couple of days ago, a friend posted on Facebook an article from 2009 that challenged vegans to care about wildlife as much as they do factory farms. Initially, I took issue with the article and my friend’s posting because she is not a vegan and I thought she was criticizing vegans. I commented that: first, I didn’t know any vegans who didn’t also care about wildlife and second, that several vegan companies - upon learning about the horrors of palm oil - were transitioning to other ingredients as quickly as possible.

I realized after re-reading the article and thinking about it that I had two subjects for a blog. The first is about palm oil (the second was about the “plant defense” which is the subject of a future blog). Again, the article was by a vegan writing about the palm oil epidemic and how several vegan products (such as Earth Balance) contain palm oil.

For those who don’t know about the palm oil epidemic, it is a vegetable oil found in at least one in ten products (margarine, bread, chips, crackers, soaps, lipsticks, animal feed, etc.). Unfortunately, the increasing demand for palm oil is contributing to the extinction of orangutans. 85% of the world’s palm oil exports come from the oil plantations of Malaysia and Indonesia which are the only remaining rainforest habitats for orangutans (on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo). These habitats are the same lowland forest that the oil palm industry favors for conversion to palm plantations.

In the past week alone, around 100 Sumatran orangutans have been killed in fires reported to have been lit by palm oil companies in Sumatra.

It is believed that without urgent intervention, orangutans may become extinct in just a few years. Orangutans are Asia’s only great ape. Simply put, palm oil plantations = rainforest destruction = orangutan extinction. A recent report found that almost 90 percent of the orangutan's habitat in Indonesia and Malaysia has now been destroyed. Estimates put the Sumatran orangutan population today at less than 6,600 animals.

Upon reflection, I can see that maybe vegans and other animal advocates may not be giving this emergency the attention it needs. Admittedly, vegans already concentrate on rodeos, circuses, factory farms, animal testing, etc. But do we truly look at alleged vegan products (such as Earth Balance) that may be indirectly contributing to the exploitation and death of animals? Maybe not, but the palm oil situation highlights our need to FURTHER expand our circle of compassion.

It may no longer be okay to just be a vegan who uses products not tested on animals or products that don’t contain animal ingredients. We need to go beyond that.

The good news is that more and more people know about the horrors of palm oil production. Several companies are now working on sustainable palm oil and those companies (vegan or otherwise) who have been using palm oil which comes from Malaysia and Indonesia are looking for other animal and environment friendly sources.

I urge you to read the ingredients in the products that you use. If you see palm oil then:

1) Consider switching to another (vegan) product which does not contain palm oil,

2) Research where that palm oil is coming from,

3) Support those organizations that are trying to save the orangutan or those using sustainable palm oil, and

4) Spread the word to your family and friends because I can’t imagine a world without orangutans.

3/10/12

Animals Today March 4, 2012 – On Location at Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary

On this week’s show, Peter ventured down to the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary in Texas to meet with Director Tim Ajax (and more than 500 monkeys). They discussed the history of the sanctuary, why it is needed, and how they are preparing to receive more than one hundred new residents. The sanctuary is closed to the public (listen and find out why), so this a rare behind the scenes look at a large working sanctuary. The links below are to view two short videos Peter took while there. Make sure to go to the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary website and show them your support with a donation. They are doing great work. And visit the website of Born Free USA, too. Listen to the show here.

3/7/12

Rodeo - Don't Get Taken for a Ride

By: Marilyn Ramos

The rodeo is coming to town soon and they bring with them animal abuse and animal injury. Actually, the gay rodeo is coming in May and, NO, the animals are not gay! The gay rodeo is campier and has events such as goat dressing and steer decorating. However, rodeos – gay, straight, asexual, whatever – are inherently cruel.

Rodeos maim, injure and kill untold numbers of animals every year. Rodeo associations refuse to release injury and death reports, or the record of violations of their so called “humane rules”.

"Do I think it hurts the calf? Sure I do. I'm not stupid", says Keith Martin, chair of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), in an interview about abusive calf roping events.

Rodeo handlers bully animals with electric prods, straps, spurs and tail twisting. Rodeo organizers claim compliance with animal welfare rules, but well documented images and videos tell another story. A terrified calf (usually after being kicked, having its tail twisted or his/her body shocked with an electric prod) flees into the ring at high speeds so the "cowboy" can neck-choke him into the ground. Usually, the “cowboy” body-slams the young animal again for theatrical effect. In bucking events, the horses' intestines and groins are cinched so tightly they lurch in response to pain. Animals who won't buck may be shocked with electric prods. Many careen into fences, posts or chutes. Even without physical coercion, the noise, the foreign surroundings and stress of being chased can cause extreme fear in these animals. Are we having fun yet?

"Without torture, there can be no rodeo," says Peggy W. Larson, DVM, MS, JD, a former bareback bronco rider who explains that horses and bulls buck wildly only because they are in pain from rigid flank straps and spurring.

Rodeos promote themselves as a throwback to the “Old West” where they are exhibiting western heritage and ranching/farming practices. However, this is not true. This is a myth perpetuated by rodeo organizers. Events like chute dogging (it's where you get into the chutes with the steer, and when they open the gates and send the steer out, you have to flip him over) and goat dressing have nothing to do with heritage. Besides, just because some things are deemed tradition doesn’t mean it is right. Slavery and women as chattel were once tradition too. It is time to buck tradition and stop animal abuse in the name of entertainment.

There is nothing entertaining when you have to use fear, stress, pain and intimidation to make animals perform, not to mention the stupidity of staking a goat and having two men run out to the goat and place a pair of jockey shorts or some other form of clothing in the fastest time possible. Because being the fastest means you win, the goats inevitably get injured in the process. What’s the point? Where is the fun in man handling an innocent goat and scaring the hell out of him/her? I don’t get it and I never will. You want to show how macho you are? Strap one of those pulley things around your waist and drag an SUV a few yards or throw logs across a river. Intimidating a cute animal and putting panties on him? Not so much…not so macho!

These alleged “cowboys” (many of whom have never seen the inside of a farm or worked on a ranch) VOLUNTARILY put themselves out there and even VOLUNTARILY put themselves in harm’s way. The animals DON’T. The animals are innocent. The animals don’t get to choose for themselves and I doubt they would choose to purposely be maimed, injured and in some circumstances die just so that people with nothing better to do can be entertained.

If we did to dogs what gets done to goats, calves, horses and bulls in rodeos, there would be a public outcry. Rodeos claim to love animals. If you truly love animals, you don’t hurt them. The bottom line is that rodeos explicitly condone and glorify violence and brutality toward animals. That’s bad for the animals, bad for children and bad for society.

Please don’t support the rodeo and maybe, just maybe, it might go the way of other nonsensical traditions.

As a side note, shame on any organization (yes, I’m talking to you Paws & Hearts) who has accepted being a beneficiary of this rodeo. How can you claim to care about animals then profit from the abuse and exploitation of animals? Not cool in my book. They’ll be getting an email from me. If you feel the same then I ask that you call or email them as well.

1/20/12

1/19/12

Animals Today Radio - January 8, 2012 - PA State Senator Andy Dinniman and Joe Dwyer on humane euthanasia legislation. Gary Mansir, with Camp Bow Wow Portland

On today’s show, Lori began with a fascinating discussion about the use of gas for euthanasia of companion animals. Her guests were Pennsylvania State Senator Andy Dinniman, and animal advocate Joe Dwyer. Euthanasia by gas is very cruel and they are working to advance legislation (Daniel's Law) to ban its use in the state. Looks like they will succeed. Senator Dinniman’s website is here. Also make sure to visit Joe Dwyer’s site, Daniel the Beagle, and learn more about what Daniel, who survived a gas chamber, and Joe are doing to end this inhumane practice and also to promote adoptions. (Joe is also an author and motivational speaker – check out his latest book, The Dog Ate My Homework.)

Then, Peter spoke with Gary Mansir, Co-owner of Camp Bow Wow Portland, Maine. This doggie daycare franchise was responsible for getting more than 100 dogs adopted into new homes in 2011. In fact, a big part of the business practice, from corporate to the individual franchises, is aimed at promoting adoptions. Maybe you'll want to open a franchise after listening to Gary and Peter! Take a look at Camp Bow Wow Portland, and you can see all the action on the web cams, too.

Plus, some important news items with Peter. Listen to the show here.