Did you know that in the 15 minutes it takes you to get ready in the morning, you can make a difference to the lives of animals? And you can start by checking out what's on top of your bathroom counter right now ...

While testing cosmetics and other personal products on animals isn't allowed in Australia, sadly companies are still allowed to import make-ups, shampoos etc that were tested on animals overseas. You can see this every time you hit the shops - Clean & Clear, Dove, L'Oreal cosmetics and perfumes, as well as heaps of products made by big companies such as Colgate-Palmolive and Procter & Gamble (like, Head & Shoulders, Herbal Essences, Oral B) - they've all been tested on animals.

Image from osocio.org

If you think just the idea of testing on animals sounds awful, then maybe skip straight to the next paragraph. The types of tests used are the stuff of horror movies. Rubbing chemicals into eyes; applying corrosive substances onto skin, causing burns and gaping wounds; and the LD50 test - which I don't even want to talk about. Animals from rats to cats to dogs are all burnt, poisoned and even killed in product testing.

Fortunately, there is good news. The EU is hoping to ban all cosmetics tested on animals (regardless of where the testing took place) by 2013. It makes me think that Leonardo da Vinci might have been on to something when he said, "One day the world will look upon research on animals as it now looks upon research on human beings".

If you think animals are beautiful just the way they are, and shouldn't be a part of cosmetic testing then add your voice to chorus of others who are saying "NO!" to animal tests. Also, shoot the pollies a message demanding an end to the import of products tested on animals. You can also use this cruelty-free shopping guide to find out which products you should feel good about using. There are loads of them around!

And don't forget to jump onto the forum to ask other Unleashed members for advice when you're looking for cruelty-free mouthwash or make-up ... anything really! You're bound to get some good tips there. Don't just do what I did recently - not use any deodorant or mouthwash. It was a lonely four years ...

An old saying once went: "Young people should be neither seen nor heard". As you can imagine, that saying doesn't get much play around Unleashed. Every day young Aussies are making a massive effort to be seen and to have their voices heard as they speak up for animals. And that's exactly the way it should be!

Unleashed's Activist Challenge competition is designed to recognise and encourage young people who are making a difference for animals. Last month's winner was Shanii (read her story here), who was chosen from heaps of nominees who are out there making the world a kinder place for animals.

Our newest Activist Challenge winner is ... AllyCat! Ally has been getting active for the animals in more ways than I can possibly count on my fingers (and without them I'm lost). Her story shows how easy it is for anyone to get themselves into gear and start making the world around them safer for countless animals. Leafleting, email campaigning, tweeting for the cause, raising awareness with a powerpoint presentation - even just helping friends make compassionate decisions - every bit helps.

For being a bundle of energy and empathy - Ally is our latest and very deserving Activist Challenge winner! *whistles* *claps until hands are sore* Ally scores an Unleashed prize pack to celebrate the good news.

If you've been out there changing the world for the animals, then we want to hear about it! Tell us what you've been up to, and you could be the next Unleashed activist snagging the prize and the applause!

And remember, young people most definitely SHOULD be seen and DESERVE to be heard!

CONTENT WARNING: If you're too young to remember when Pokemon first went nuts, or if you're squeamish, you might want to tune out now.

Here's a blog to sink your teeth in to! Umm ... or not. A Serbian chef has released a cookbook/great-conversation-starter on how to cook testicles! Which I assume someone would then actually eat.

"Waiter - there's a hair in my testicle soup! Oh ... no."

I don't want to go into the gory details (because I just ate lunch), but the recipes include a Testicle Pizza, and the book also shows the correct way to "peel a testicle", to help beginner cooks get the balls rolling. Har-har-har.

If you think that's pretty wrong, then you probably don't want to know what goes into meat pies in Australia. (I'll give you a clue - it involves rind, connective tissue, nerves and blood vessels). And don't get me started on hamburgers.

But seriously, once you know some of the things animals killed for food go through, the whole idea of eating any part of their body becomes a bit cringe-worthy.

The good news is that it's easy to avoid these mystery meats, and in the process improve your health, help the environment and save animals all at the same time! By going veg, you'll find yourself in the company of people like Leonardo da Vinci, Missy Higgins and the Incredible Hulk! Which would also make a pretty interesting dinner party. Bags sitting next to Missy!

So next time you're making a pizza at home, perhaps consider one of Ward's Easy Peasy Cheesy Vegan Pizzas, hold the testicles. Wait, that ... came out wrong.

There was a MASSIVE response to the vegan sneaker giveaway we ran through June, with some excellent entries. Unfortunately we can't give everyone a pair of shoes, but thanks to the lovely peeps at vegansneaker.com, there were two pairs to give away.

Supporters were asked to submit their fave animal/activism quote, and the best ones would win the shoes AND have their entry turned into a cover for the Unleashed fb page. So, without further adieu, here are the winning quotes and the special edition covers! Instructions on how to make them your own fb covers are below the images

Quote submitted by Unjay

Quote submitted by Natty76

Download instructions:

1. Right click on the image above and save it to your computer (remember where you save it!)
2. Go to your Facebook profile, hover your mouse over your cover image and click "Change Cover".
3. Select "Upload photo..." and choose the image that you just saved (you shouldn't need to resize if you've copied from us).
4. Finally, tag your friends so they can see that you're 'kicking ass' on your Facebook profile!
5. Oh yeah, one last thing. Drop www.unleashed.org.au into the image description so your friends know where to find heaps more info!

(p.s. You can also pin the image to a board if you're on pinterest. But you don't need instructions on how to do that!)

Thanks again to vegansneaker.com for the prizes. Be sure to check 'em out if you're in the market for some cruelty-free sneakers ;)

In the calm waters of Eilat Bay in Israel, an unusual white figure was seen bobbing in the cold water. Was it a boat? A pelican? No. It was an Australian sheep, swimming for his life.

Sahar, as he became known, had jumped or fallen from the nearby pier where a live export ship was unloading. He was beyond exhausted, and struggling to stay afloat. His fleece was waterlogged, and his thin legs, ever intended for swimming, were paddling fast but failing to keep his head above water.

Were it not for the decisive actions of a 14 year old boy who jumped into the water and raised the alarm, Sahar's life may have ended then and there. But instead, a remarkable rescue operation ensued. The pictures say it all...

The image of a 50 kilogram sheep swimming off the coast of Israel might seem like an odd sight. But in reality, thousands of Australian sheep pass these waters every year. Sahar was just one of tens of thousands of stressed and confused sheep packed onto a live export ship in Australia, bound for slaughter in the Middle East.

Not all of Sahar's companions even survived the boat trip. Some died of starvation onboard as they couldn't get used to eating the unfamiliar pellet feed given on the ship. The sheep that did make it to Israel faced an even more horrible fate: a knife cut to the throat while fully conscious, before bleeding to death on the floor of an Israeli slaughterhouse.

This brutal death is not a one-off or some accident. This practice is accepted by Australia's live export industry without question. Yet it was clear to the people who helped Sahar that he deserved better. "Our thought was that the sheep deserved freedom, that it would be unfair to lead him to slaughter." said one of Sahar's rescuers.

The rescue team was forced to fight for Sahar's life a second time when the sheep importer learned of the rescue and demanded that Sahar be slaughtered along with his shipmates. Fortunately Sahar's rescuers were able to persuade the importer to surrender the sheep into their care.

After veterinary checks and a lot of TLC, Sahar regained his strength and was given sanctuary at a nearby Kibbutz (like a community-run farm). His gentle nature and amazing story made him a favourite with local kids who affectionately describe him as a "celebrity"!

Sahar's extraordinary story is one in a million. Yet he was no more deserving of compassion than the thousands of individual animals who began his journey with him. While we cannot save animals who have already met a cruel fate, we can save others from similar suffering.

With just a minute of your time, you can help rescue other animals from the pain and suffering of live export - click here to help end live exports.

Some things are never going to be fashionable. Fur springs to mind, as do meat-bikinis. However, if you want something that is super-stylish and guaranteed to be a killer present either for yourself (or someone you know, fellas *hint-hint* ), then you can't go past this amazing giveaway!

This may well be the most stylish contest ever run on Unleashed. NSW fashion label malc&andi already prove their generosity by donating 5% of their sales to animal protection organisations (including Animals Australia). Now they're giving you the chance to win one of their very cool, very stylish Lamb Bags. And before you ask - all malc&andi products are completely animal-friendly! Take a look at their website for the full range - there's bags, watches, belts, sunnies...

I'm not gonna pretend as though I'm a handbag connoisseur (I carry my stuff in a bindle), so I'll let the photos do the describing.

Getting your hands on the handbag is simple! Just tell us how you're lending a hand to animals. You could be out leafleting; spreading the word online, taking the pledge to not use products tested on animals ... there's a thousand ways you can be helping animals! If you want some ideas then you'll find 'em here! You can also read about Unleashed members getting really active for animals here.

So to recap:
1. malc&andi sell stylish (and animal-friendly) bags and accessories.
2. You can win one of their handbags.
3. Just tell us how you're helping animals!

Easy-peasy. Entries into the comments below. Comp closes August 17th! Good luck!

The first winner of our regular monthly giveaway has been announced! To refresh your memories: every month you've got the chance to win Unleashed merch simply by commenting on the blogs. How easy is that? And because Unleashed members are both intelligent AND compassionate, it was always going to be hard to pick the best comment for the month.

Here's some of the best for June:

kayne gave us "Omg some people are really wrong", referring to the bizarre ad made by fur breeders in Europe. Can't argue with that.

kat6 was happy to hear about changes to the law in Queensland, and also did her part to help dugongs and turtles: "Yay! A leap forward in the right direction! Fired an email off to the Minister for Agriculture, fingers crossed he can enforce a law to prevent turtles and dugongs being hunted altogether!"

But there can be only one winner, and last month it was 4_da_animals1 with her thoughts on the Norwegian teen heroes who rescued a lamb from drowning!

"It's these kinds of stories that ought to be making the news. Proving to the world that compassion and empathy are both attractive qualities accessible by all, as long as they are willing to open their eyes, if only for a moment, to the impact their choices and decisions have on other species."

Couldn't have said it better myself. Wait ... you're not gunning for my job are you??

Remember, this is a regular giveaway so now we're looking for the best comment of July! The prize for this month is a complete set of Unleashed causebands. They don't wipe sweat off your forehead but they do look pretty cool. To win, all you have to do is tell us what you're thinking by commenting under the blogs.* Have fun!

* We love it when you comment on blogs! We love it even more when your comments are thoughtful, inspiring, or make us laugh!! So just to be clear, this is not about who posts the most comments. It's about who posts what we think is the top comment for the month. You might only post one comment this month. But if it's a cracker, then you could be walking away with the causebands!

Did you know that every hour across Australia, 23 dogs and cats are killed in shelters and pounds? How awful is that?? These poor animals have done nothing wrong, it's just that there aren't enough homes out there for them. To help stop this relentless death toll, July is National Desexing Month.

Check out all the benefits that desexing provides for dogs and cats:
1) less "unwanted" animals winding up in shelters where they may be killed if not quickly adopted.
2) no more leg-humping when guests come round. Aaawkward.
3) less tendency to wander and fight.
4) lower chance of certain types of cancer - which means a higher chance of plenty more years worth of fun together!

For all these reasons, the National Desexing Network (NDN) (organised by the Animal Welfare League of QLD) has teamed up with vets around the country to offer discounts and deals to families who want to help. So if your family (or someone you know) has a cat or dog that should be desexed, let them know that this is the month to do something about it.
Animals Australia is pleased to have provided sponsorship to assist promotion of this initiative.

The other way you can help to save a life is if your fambam is considering welcoming a dog or cat into your lives - adopt from a shelter, rather than buying. Bieber and Hannah Montana can't do it all themselves, you know! There's even an app to help hook you up with a shelter dog or cat!

PS. If you're lucky enough to be in Sydney in July, why not make some time to visit the My Human Family photography exhibition at Pine Street Gallery. The exhibition has photos and stories of rescued or adopted dogs which are guaranteed to brighten your day. Yep - guaranteed!