The good news for animals is rolling in thick and fast lately! And the latest is that Surf Coast Shire Council has proposed a ban on circuses with caged exotic animals from performing in their local area :) This will make them the 36th council in Australia to take a stand against cruel animal circuses!
And good on them because animal circuses stink! (In more ways than one.) The life of a tiger or an elephant in a circus is a crappy one. They'll spend most of their time confined to small enclosures, often in isolation, being trucked around from place to place. What's more they can even be abused to get them to perform unnatural tricks. It's just not cool.
One of the Surf Coast Shire Councillors said that the local community was outraged about the treatment of a circus elephant in Torquay several years ago. The elephant was tied to a pole in extreme heat, and was seen swaying back and forth – a sign of psychological distress.
We had animal circuses come to town regularly where I grew up and I was always horrified to see elephants and tigers tied up or locked in cages in my neighbourhood. But back then I didn't realise that it was up to each individual council to decide whether or not animal circuses can set up tent on council land. So if you care about animals, and you're living in a place that still allows animal circuses to perform, you're in a unique position to be a strong voice for animals still forced to perform!
If you want your local council to be next to ban animal circuses send them an email today and explain to them why you think keeping animals in cages and making them perform for 'entertainment' is cruel and unnecessary. Click here to find contact details for your local council.
The other good news is that no matter where you live you can help make a difference for animals simply by deciding never to attend a circus which exploits animals for entertainment.
The bit where the chimp sees the sky for the first time!
Me:
More than 100 ex-lab chimps have started their brand new life at the sanctuary, Chimp Haven, in the US. Locked up for years only to be tested on, some of these chimps had never felt grass under their feet before. Some had never even had the chance to meet other chimps without bars between them :(
Thankfully, in late 2012, the National Institutes of Health announced that it would be retiring all the chimps from a research facility in Louisiana. And with the support of the Humane Society of the United States these chimps have at last been relocated to their forever home at Chimp Haven. Finally, they will get the chance to discover what it means to be free :) They'll spend the rest of their days soaking up the sun, climbing trees and hanging with their new chimp friends, just as all chimps should.
In many parts of the world, chimpanzee research is on its way out – thank goodness! Thankfully, more and more people are starting to realise that animals don't want to be tested on. We recently celebrated another victory when New Zealand banned animal testing for party drugs :) Yay!
Got a good news story for animals that you've heard lately? Tell us about it in the comments.
Yep! STA, a major international travel agent for students and young people, has ditched any tours that go to Tiger Temple, SeaWorld (US) or which include elephant rides. Why? Because animals should be like this;
this;
and this:
Big cats, elephants and orcas have all been known to suffer when kept in captivity and denied a natural environment. An investigation into Tiger Temple revealed that tigers were kept in small cages for 20 hours a day with practically nothing to do. These crappy living conditions meant that many of the tigers suffered severe behavioural problems such as pacing back and forth and chewing their own paws :(
The life of an elephant kept for tourist rides is just as cruel. Elephants in the wild may walk over 40km a day and will form life-long bonds. But captive elephants will be chained for many hours a day and often deprived of social contact with other elephants.
And as for SeaWorld in the US, well imagine living your entire life in a bathtub and you might get an idea of what it's like for an orca in captivity. (I think Jason Biggs expresses his thoughts about this better than I could.) So it probably won't come as a surprise to hear that animals in marine parks can suffer from stress and depression living in captivity. Just recently SeaWorld in Orlando was busted giving anti-anxiety drugs to whales.
Sooooooo... a HUGE high-five to STA Travel for taking a stand for animals and refusing to take part in this cruelty any longer :) This will make a WORLD of difference for animals.
You can let STA Travel know how awesome you think they are for leading the way in ethical tourism by leaving a message on their Facebook page.
Earlier this year, Intrepid Travel also took a stance for animals by taking elephant rides off their travel itinerary :) Want to see other travel companies getting on board the responsible tourism for animals train? Click here to get in touch with Flight Centre today and ask them to cut cruelty from their travel itinerary too!
And if you're an animal lover like me you might be wondering how you can get up close and personal with animals without having to take their freedoms away. Click here for 5 ways to interact with animals without cages. Or leave a suggestion of your own in the comments :)
What do you think is the last thing an animal thinks about in an abattoir? We might have an answer to that question thanks to recent footage from inside Australia's 'biggest' and 'best' pig abattoir – and the answer is pretty haunting.
I'll let this infographic begin to explain the situation ...
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I'm not going to lie, science was never my strong point, but there's something here that just doesn't add up. Let me run this by you and see what you think.
Most of the biggest pig abattoirs in Australia gas pigs with CO2 to render them unconscious, before they are killed and turned into pork, bacon and ham. This is considered the most 'humane' way to kill pigs.
Scientists say gassing isn't too distressing for pigs if the CO2 concentration is NOT more than 20%. Any higher and pigs get stressed – and at really high concentrations they experience panic, terror and may even have violent and painful reactions to the gas.
So that's the science ... BUT what are abattoirs actually doing? Before I tell you the concentration they are using, maybe you can guess. This footage, supplied to 'Aussie Farms', is from inside the 'biggest' and 'best' pig abattoir in Australia:
WARNING: This vision is distressing to watch.
It makes me wonder, if this is the 'best' what is the 'worst'? :( Pigs screamed and thrashed in terror as they tried to get out of the gas chamber. Those who were outside and next in line desperately tried to jump over the walls and escape, only to be jabbed with an electric prod to force them inside the chamber. And this is happening to both factory farmed and free-range pigs.
So here's the most disturbing part: If an abattoir wanted to gas pigs in a way that minimised their suffering they might lose their license for not meeting the Australian Meat Industry 'standards'. These 'standards' say abattoirs MUST use CO2 concentrations of 80% or more. (Yes, you read that right.) At this concentration abattoirs can kill more pigs quicker, but most of those animals are going to their deaths highly distressed or in a state of terror.
Want to help end this cruelty? Great, because the power is in your hands to protect pigs. One simple choice will make all the difference.Make the pledge to take animals off your plate and start saving lives today!
And to help you get off to a great start, when you take the pledge, you'll receive tips on making the switch and some killer cruelty-free recipes from yours truly :)
I'm SO happy to tell you that the New Zealand Prime Minister has said a big fat 'NO' to testing party drugs on animals! Seems like a no-brainer right? But around 18 months ago, the NZ Health Department was considering a plan that would see legal 'party pills' and synthetic cannabis tested on animals. Now that plan has been scrapped!
And the best part is that YOU helped! Thousands of individuals from right here amongst the Unleashed community took action to urge the Health Minister to put a stop to this. *High five!* Thanks to the intense campaigning of animal groups, including our friends at SAFE, and compassionate people like YOU speaking up, countless dogs, rabbits and other animals will now be spared from cruel tests for legal 'party drugs'.
Thankfully, more and more people are coming to realise that animals probably don't want to be tested on and are developing and adopting animal-friendly alternatives. In fact, it looks like India might soon become the first country to get rid of animal testing for drugs altogether!
Are you picturing animals running free right now? Because I sure am :) And I was reminded of a story from a few years ago where 9 beagles were rescued from an animal lab in the USA. What better way to celebrate this good news from NZ than with a video of dogs experiencing their first moments of freedom:
Do you only like stories that have a happy ending? Me too. So don't worry, this one has one.
A long time ago (in dog years that is) I was living in a really bad place. All the other dogs were sad and me too. I was always tied up. I didn't even know what walkies was then. And they kept making me have puppies, but then they took them all away. Every time. I don't like to talk about it much, but after I saw that video of the other dogs in the puppy factory, like I was, I wanted to tell my story.
I was lucky. The puppy factory where I lived got shut down, and I got taken to a shelter. And now I get to tell you the best bit. My story has a happy ending all because one lady made a very nice decision to rescue me from that shelter.
My mum works at a place where they help all the animals and especially the ones in cages. They call the place Animals Australia. I come into the office sometimes and I am a big help, see:
Mmkay I gotta go it's lunch time now. But if you would like to give someone a happy ending like mine, and make sure that you never ever support puppy factories, you can do this very easy thing – adopt your next animal friend from a shelter. You never know, maybe they will be super helpful like me.
P.S. I have an Instagram page. You can follow me if you like @nelliepotatoes. Not sure why potatoes ... mmm potatoes ...
Do you know that song "how much is that doggy in the window?" My grandpa used to sing it to me. But I could never have imagined the real cost of pet shop window puppies ... the hidden suffering that goes on behind closed doors.
A new investigation has revealed the secret ties between one of Australia's biggest puppy factories based in Victoria, and a number of popular pet stores. If you love dogs, this will shock you:
This is the true cost of many pet shop puppies — a life of misery for the dogs left behind. Not just in Victoria either... Puppy factories are still legal across Australia, and the RSPCA estimates that most dogs sold in pet shops come from puppy factories.
I'm not surprised that some of the pet shops in this investigation were caught misleading customers when they were asked where their dogs came from. Who would want to own up to supporting a puppy factory?
The dogs who are used for breeding in these places will never get to chase a ball, run along the beach or get a belly rub. They will never feel the love of a family. Most of them are forced to have puppies over and over again until they can't any longer. Then they're killed.
As someone who has always had dogs in my family, this breaks my heart. It's sadly ironic, don't you think, that the animals in these places have been bred to be "man's best friend" but they are deprived of any human love :(
But there's some good news! It's easy to make sure that you never ever ever ever EVER support puppy factories. Simply make the choice to always adopt your furry family members from an animal shelter.
Animal shelters are overflowing with dogs and cats who desperately need loving homes. Be a lifesaver and make the pledge to always adopt today.
You might even give an animal the love of a family that they've never known! Unleashed's very own Nellie was adopted from a shelter and she had spent the first five years of her life as a breeding dog in a puppy factory. But I'll let her tell you the story herself ;)
Have you ever adopted an animal from a shelter? I'd love to hear your story in the comments.
There's some pretty kick ass mothers out there in the animal kingdom and some of them could use a little helping hand. So here are 5 awesome animal mums and how you can show them some love:
1. Harp seals
Harp seal mums will spend the first 12 days of their pup's life feeding the bub and protecting them from danger without eating anything themselves! During this time, the pup will rapidly pack on the kilos while mum dutifully fades away.
But, once mum has to leave the ice to find food for herself, her pup is in extreme danger of being killed by hunters for his fur. Click here to find out more and how you can take action for baby seals.
2. Pigs
Did your mum ever sing you lullabies? Mother pigs have been known to 'sing' to their piglets :) This is believed to help let the babies know when her milk is flowing so that they can feed.
Sadly, mother pigs in factory farms are confined to tiny cages called 'farrowing crates' where they are barely able to move, let alone interact with their young :( You can help put an end to this suffering. Be a friend to pigs and take them off your plate.
3. Koalas
Koalas carry their babies around on their backs for six months. SIX MONTHS! I hope that baby koala gets his mum a massage voucher every year for Mother's Day for the rest of his life.
If your mum is pretty special, why not tell her with an awesome pressie that she'll love and will help to create a kinder world for ALL mothers :) Click here to shop cruelty-free gifts.
4. Orcas
Orca mums stay with their children for life! Personally, I'm not sure how I'd go living with my mum forever but it certainly shows a strong bond between mother orcas and their calves. In fact, female killer whales live a lot longer than males (up to 90 years!) and some research suggests that this is due to their never ending desire to care for their offspring. Nawww.
Knowing this, one of the saddest parts of watching the documentary Blackfish for me, was seeing baby whales separated from their mothers. It may be distressing to see these whales grieving for their calves but fortunately you can help end this cruelty by not supporting marine parks and deciding to never attend one.
5. Cows
Cows have very strong bonds with their calves. Like orcas, cows have been known to frantically call and search for their calves when they're separated. And most calves in the dairy industry are separated from their mums within days of being born.
A New York vet tells the story of one mother cow who proved the strength of her love, when she hid one of her calves after giving birth to twins. The vet suggests that she remembered losing her previous four calves, and probably guessed that if the farmer got his hands on them both, they would would be taken from her again :(
This intelligent and thoughtful mother managed to keep her baby hidden for 11 days before her secret was discovered. What was the giveaway? The farmer couldn't milk her because of course her calf was drinking all the milk she produced.
Sadly, like most mother cows in the dairy industry, she too was separated from her calf. All because her milk was to be bottled and sold for humans to drink. BUT you can help protect calves and their mums from this cruel cycle by giving dairy the flick. Click here to make the pledge today.
There are so many dairy free milk alternatives these days, that I'm like a kid in a candy store at the supermarket. Bonsoy is my fave in coffee, but almond milk tastes great on my cereal. And the best thing about them is that no cows lost their calves for these cartons of milk. Do you have a favourite dairy-free milk?
Wow. Such news. One of the internet's favourite memes might never have been if it weren't for the kindness of one lady :)
This is doge, aka Kabosu.
Like many adoring pet owners, (guilty!) Atsuko Sato wanted to share some pictures of her adorable fluffy friend. She posted this pic of Kabuso on her blog, and BOOM! The internet exploded.
Doge became a student;
And pondered the meaning of life.
There was that scary time when we thought doge was lost;
But then she was found. Disguised as a hipster.
Then there was that time that doge made a guest appearance in the Lion King;
And became an international movie star.
I could go on all day. But I reckon out of all the stories doge has helped tell, the best one yet is that of Kabosu's – the dog behind the meme. Just four years ago, Kabosu was saved from death row by Japanese kindergarten teacher Atsuko Sato. Kabosu was born onto a puppy factory, where dogs are valued purely for the money they can earn and kindness is in short supply.
Thankfully, the puppy factory closed down but that meant that Kabuso, along with 19 other Shiba dogs were abandoned. Kabuso was one of the lucky ones as she was saved by the kind-hearted teacher :) "She was not loved when she was little, so I want to shower her with love as a member of my family," Sato said.
Very awwwwwwww.
Sato started her blog in 2009 to help raise awareness about puppy farctories and why adopting companion animals is so important. Sato has been pleased by Kabuso's sudden fame. "I want more people to know about animal shelters and puppy mills," she says.
Here in Australia, there are more dogs in shelters than there are loving homes for them to go to. Sadly, many will not be as lucky as Kabuso and may be put down. You can help put a stop to this problem in two ways:
Firstly, by pledging to always adopt your companion animals from a shelter, rather than buying from a pet shop. (You never know, your rescue pet might be the new internet sensation.)
And secondly, by spreading doge's message that adoption is awesome:
P.S. Don't worry, Kabuso is not letting the fame get to her head. She'll always be a sucker for a good ol' belly rub :)
Not only is NZ rapper, Trillion, a talented musician, he's a pretty good mind reader I reckon. His song 'Dirty Dozen' gets in the head of a caged chicken and, well, you can probably guess that it's pretty dark. BUT Trillion's track is creating a brighter world for chickens. Have a listen and then I'll tell you about how this song is helping to free chooks from cages:
What did you think? This bit in particular got me in the feels – "I want my life, let me outside, let me live in the light". Seems like such a basic request but millions of birds are denied the simple pleasure of sunlight, spending their whole lives confined to crowded cages :(
Thankfully, it doesn't have to be this way. Over 100,000 battery hens have already been freed from cages by Animals Australia supporters making kind choices this year! (Have you signed the pledge yet? You can do so here.) And Trillion is using his awesome track 'Dirty Dozen' to help make an even bigger difference for hens! Not only by spreading the word about the true cost of cage eggs through his lyrics, but by donating profits from the sale of the song to help animals :) What a good egg! (Geddit? #sorrynotsorry)
Anyone that can rhyme irreverence and benevolence is already going straight to the top of my playlist, but helping animals too? I'm in!Click here to download a copy of the track for yourself and make a donation to Animals Australia's campaign to make battery cages history!
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.
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