I just love seeing a big, burly bloke go all Superman to help an innocent animal, don't you? Well, Damien Mander's story is just that. And it's got buffalos and elephants and snares and rangers and special ops and ... how about I just let him tell you about it:
Wow! What a great question Mander poses to everyone at the end! Now I know, as an Unleashed member, you're brave enough to speak up for animals, so I'd like to pose a different question to you:
What are you going to do this week to make a difference for animals?
We all know Australia exports sheep and cattle for slaughter, but did you know we also export goats? :-(
A new Animals Australia investigation has revealed MORE cruelty in the live export industry, this time in Malaysia, and this time to goats! This is the first footage of exported goats ever released and they are literally screaming out for help.
Animals Australia's investigators witnessed goats being roughly handled, shoved into bags and stuffed into the boots of cars. When these unlucky animals arrive at their final destinations, stressed out and frightened, they have their throats cut while fully conscious.
It is absolutely clear that live export rules aren't working. EVERYWHERE we look in this trade, we find cruelty.
What happened to these goats really makes me sick. Worse still, we've also recently uncovered footage of a poor bull, we've named Jacob, who was one of many animals brutally killed in Egypt .
Want to put your foot down against live export cruelty? Then take action today:
If you're 18+, head here to tell your MP to ban live export.
If you're under 18, click here to tell the PM whats what!
It is a little known fact that goats have been known to show unconditional love, just like a dog. So show some love for goats and together we can make a difference for them!
Run Cow Run is my new favourite phone game. Sorry Candy Crush Saga, I still love you, but who wouldn't want to save this little cow from being turned into steak, and help her rescue other farm animals?!
The creator of this marvellous (and FREE) app, Oren Bengigi, describes it as the game that the meat industry doesn't want you to know about. We think this game is just great and so we picked the creator's brain about where the idea came from. Turns out, it's based on a true story!
What inspired you to make Run Cow Run?
I saw a YouTube video about a cow called Maxine, who escaped from a slaughterhouse and was rescued by a farm sanctuary. I really liked the story and decided to make a game based on the idea of a cow that runs for her life. I was a vegetarian for 13 years and at that time I decided to become vegan and also started developing the game.
What do you want people to take away from the game?
In most games, players identify with the main character. The message I'm trying to pass on is that animals are not a product - they have feelings and needs. During the game the cow escapes and on the way she can rescue other farm animals (pigs, chickens, ducks and goats). They are locked in cages, just like in real life, but the players have the possibility to save them and lead them to a nearby animal shelter. (They also have the possibility to save animals in real life!)
Most people don't know what it took to produce the food they are eating. The meat and dairy industries are cruel and the only way to stop it is by not eating animal products. Nowadays it is very easy to go vegan, there are lots of tasty alternatives and the food is healthier too.
How has the response been so far?
Most of the players like it and say that the cow is very cute. Some are annoyed when the cow is caught by the farmer, but I can't make the game too easy! Our current game ratings are 4.6 out of 5.0, so there aren't many complaints.
What is the cow's name?
Her name is Maxine. And her number is 269, based on this campaign.
You can start saving farm animals NOW. Download Run Cow Run using the links below. It's FREE! (It's also free to save animals in real life. Here's how.)
This week is National Volunteers Week and we would like to say a big THANKS to everyone who has given their time to speak up for animals over the last year.
If you had a chance to sit down with Prime Minister what would you talk to her about?
Unleashed member ecochick (or Leah to her mates) was faced with just that question recently, when Julia Gillard paid a visit to her school. Check out what Leah and her best buds had to say to the PM, and you'll understand soon enough why she's our latest Activist Challenge winner.
Speaking to the PM about factory farmingand live animal exports is fantastic. But the cherry on top is that Leah and her friends challenged the Prime Minister to go veg for two weeks. And she accepted!
I'll be crossing my fingers that Julia tries out my mum's vegan lasagne recipe in her two weeks of meat-free meals.
Mum's lasagne + a few vegan cupcakes to sweeten the deal, and with any luck Ms Gillard could become the next cruelty-free world leader. Bill Clinton and the ex-President of Slovenia (yup - random fact of the day - he was vegan), would be proud.
But now I'm getting off topic... We were talking about future leaders (I'm looking at you Leah). You can find out more about Leah's meeting with Julia Gillard here and show her some love for her efforts here!
Have you been getting active for animals too? Tell us your story and go in the running to be an Unleashed Activist Challenge winner, just like Leah :-)
How many people do you know who have won three Paralympic medals, have their own Mini-Me made out of Lego, and loved animals so much they went vegan while still in their teens? Not many? Well, prepare to meet one - the amazing Sarah Stewart!
Sarah has represented Australia over 150 times in wheelchair basketball, is studying towards a PhD at Sydney Uni and hangs out with pandas when she's in China. She's even been described as a "whirlpool of talent". As a comparison, the only natural disaster I've been compared to was a "blizzard of dandruff". (I haven't worn black t-shirts since.)
Sarah took up wheelchair basketball in her early twenties. At first describing it as "Quidditch on wheels", she now sees it more as a game of chess. She got really good, really quick and debuted for Australia against the United States on her birthday. That's an awesome b'day present!
Sarah has gone on to win three Paralympic medals for wheelchair basketball, and is nice enough to show them to me when we're talking. I ask her if she wears them to parties instead of normal jewellery. "No - they're really heavy! After the Paralympics for a couple of months, I do tend to just carry them around with me. People really like to see them and get a kick out of them so it seems like a nice thing to do."
Sarah went vegan when she was about 18, and did so out of her love for animals. "I didn't like the idea of causing pain and suffering and taking life. I wouldn't want to cause pain to my dog, or kill and eat my dog, so the idea of doing that to another animal just because I hadn’t met him or her seemed quite wrong." Her dog Chandler (who is sitting quietly through our talk) was no doubt relieved to hear that!
I was surprised (and happy!) to hear that one of Sarah's Australian team-mates is vegetarian, and one of her Sydney Uni team-mates is also vegan. (Discover more compassionate athletes here!) Sarah says that her coaches are cool with her vegan meals, and she rattles off a list of good places to get something to eat in Sydney.
Sarah's list of favourite animals is as long as her list of suggested places to eat in Sydney! "I like a LOT of different animals. I do have a bit of an obsession with cephalopods. And I also like bats. And seals . And dogs, and cows, and cats, and horses and wolves and pigs ..." She trails off laughing.
It turns out that Sarah is also a bit of a Lego nut. "Just a smidgen. I've always loved playing with Lego and building Lego ... and I just didn't stop!" She has a MASSIVE collection of awesome Lego, but definitely the coolest piece is her Lego version of herself, in her Australia uniform, name and number on the back and everything. You know you're a superstar when you've got your own Lego figurine!
So now you know Sarah Stewart - Australian Paralympian, lego addict, and vegan! You can connect with her on twitter: @SarahStewartAus and can catch her playing for the Sydney Uni Flames in the Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League when the season starts in the middle of the year (June through to September - no excuses!)
Disclaimer:
We’re supposed to let you know that the ideas expressed here are the views of the individual authors, and may not necessarily reflect the views of Animals Australia or Animals Australia Unleashed. So now you know.
Sarah took up wheelchair basketball in her early twenties. At first describing it as "Quidditch on wheels", she now sees it more as a game of chess. She got really good, really quick and debuted for Australia against the United States on her birthday. That's an awesome b'day present!
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