animalsrights

down, the soft feathers that start out on geese and ducks -- who need them -- but end up in humans' pillows, comforters, and jackets, but only after we force much suffering on the birds, who are ultimately destined for violent slaughter.

Despite the fact that down and its victims do not generally get as much attention as other animal products and animal victims, animal activists have been stepping up and standing up for these birds noticeably recently. First, Ari Solomon wrote an excellent piece titled "Down with the Truth" at Huffington Post in late September, after listening to a Food for Thought podcast on the topic (which I'm afraid I haven't heard), and last week, my friend and animal advocate Marie from Texas shared a video on Facebook I'd never seen before -- showing the live-plucking. The latter is what reminded me that down still needs to be addressed in this space (thanks, Marie).

As Ari pointed out, people may assume that the feathers fall out, and humans merely collect them. But that's not at all how it happens. Explains Ari,

If you're taking feathers off a bird, there are two ways to do it: you can rip them off while the bird is still alive, or you can rip them off after the bird is dead. The feather industry considers feathers from live birds better quality, hence they're more valuable. So geese and ducks get "live-plucked" 3 to 4 times a year. This happens from the time they are 10 weeks until they're 4 years old. Then they're sent to slaughter for their flesh. Ducks and geese in the wild have a lifespan of 12-15 years.

They suffer through a life of repeated trauma, pain, and suffering, right up until brutal slaughter. And the similarities to (1) wool and "mutton" or "lamb" and (2) leather and "beef" (and, really, dairy and "veal" too, as well as eggs) are notable. The exploitation of and injury to animals for their wool, feathers, milk, and eggs and the killing of animals for their skin are tied up in the killing of animals for food. If you don't eat animals, but you still use down, wear leather or fur, or consume dairy and eggs, you're still a part of the processes. You're still creating demand and paying for these young animals' slaughter. The killing of animals for food is profitable not just because people will buy their flesh and milk -- but also because people will buy the other so-called products and byproducts of these industries. And whatever the animals are initially exploited for, they're always slaughtered in the end.

Back to specifically down: Down-alternative pillows and comforters are widely available and just as comfortable as those that depend on the suffering and killing of geese and ducks. Winter jackets with alternative fills, such as those made from recycled plastic bottles or bamboo fibers, will keep you just as warm. Please, for the birds, ditch the down.

Animal rights activists are pressuring the Indian and Nepalese governments to ban a mass sacrifice by Hindus of goats and other animals after 50,000 were killed in one week in one city alone.
Every 5 years hundreds of thousands of Hindu worshipers make a pilgrimage to temples dedicated to Kali, the goddess of destruction, and also Gadhimai, the Hindu goddess of power.
Many of these pilgrims offer animal sacrifices, mostly goats, to the Hindu god to stave off bad luck.
East Indian governments are under pressure to ban the practice.
One campaigner told the Austrian Times, "There are so many sacrifices now that they have started to affect the country's agriculture. There are whole farms devoted to raising goats for slaughter rather than producing food."
The religious festival, which has been celebrated for the past 300 years is scheduled to take place in the small village of Bariyapur in Nepal close to the Indian border.
For two days, November 24 and 25, the village will "flow with blood" as many travel from India for the world's biggest ritual slaughter of animals, reports AFP.
Animal Nepal is one such group that will pit themselves against Hindu worshipers to stop what they call senseless cruelty to animals and they have also launched an online petition calling on the banning of the practice.
In an interview with AFP, Pramada Shah, director of campaign group Animal Nepal said, "We launched our campaign to put a stop to the gruesome killing of animals in the name of God. Even in the 21st century, innocent animals are facing cruel treatment due to people's superstition."
The campaign to stop the slaughter did receive a boost this year when Ram Bahadur Bomjam, nicknamed "Buddha Boy" by Nepalese media said, "Human beings have turned brutal by offering animal sacrifices to the goddess. This practice must be stopped now."
Bomjam is a young Nepalese man who is believed to be the reincarnation of Buddha by his followers, reports AFP.

Some states in India have outlawed the slaughter making the event in Nepal hugely popular.
The temple of Gadhimai's head priest, Mangal Chaudhary Tharu said in an AFP interview that the last festival in 2004 saw approximately 800,000 attendees with over 400,000 animals being sacrificed, and he expects the crowds to be even larger this year.
Tharu said, "We are not forcing devotees to sacrifice animals. It is an age-old practice and it must continue. The festival will lose its charm and become meaningless if we break with tradition."
The Nepalese government has allotted $60,000 for this year's festival.

Jay Leno: It's amazing to me -- you mistreat a dog, and you lose your career, and you go to jail for two years.

Chris Rock: Yeah, look at Michael Vick! What the hell did Michael Vick do, man? A dog? A pit bull ain't even a real dog.

thats what these two comedians said
i think thats wrong
i have a sense of humour and can have a laugh
but that isnt right saying that

https://www.bestfriends.org/donate/detail.cfm?sponsor=13620

http://www.bestfriends.org/

WINSTON (AP) — People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wants an Oregon wildlife park to stop using elephants to wash cars.

An Oct. 22 letter from the animal rights group to Wildlife Safari calls the elephant car wash a “gimmick that does nothing to foster respect for endangered species.” The letter urges executive director Dan Van Slyke to discontinue the spring-and-summer attraction.

Lisa Wathne, a Seattle-based PETA spokeswoman and the letter’s author, said the practice is potentially dangerous to the public, and the elephants are forced to wash cars under the threat of pain inflicted by trainers. The organization is particularly concerned with the use of a traditional elephant training tool known as an ankus or bullhook. The device is a rod with a metal hook and spike at one end.

“It’s the threat of the pain that those bullhooks will cause that makes the elephants do what they’re told,” Wathne said.

Wildlife Safari officials contend the attraction is safe, and the elephants are trained using positive reinforcement. In an interview with the News-Review newspaper of Roseburg, general curator Dan Brands said the bullhooks are used as an extension of the trainers’ arms.

“The terminology we use is ‘guides,’” Brands said. “They are not used in an abusive way.”

Brand said trainers modified a behavior the elephants naturally do by offering them encouragement and treats such as carrots or yams.

“These are 2-ton animals,” he said. “You can’t force them to do anything they wouldn’t want to do.”

The park has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which requires zoos to find a way to intellectually stimulate their elephants.

Association spokesman Steve Feldman acknowledged the elephant car wash is an unorthodox interpretation of the requirement, but didn’t see the activity as detrimental.

The oldest and most primitive of Britain's ponies are branded with hot irons as foals in order to identify the semi-feral livestock and prevent them being stolen.

However from this year all horses and ponies have to be fitted with microchips under new EU rules.

Ruling further weakens hunting banAnimal rights organisations say the "cruel" practice of branding must now end. But farmers and breeders say branding in still a necessary part of ensuring the purity and health of the breed.

There are around 400 Exmoor ponies running wild in Britain. The ponies, that are owned by different farmers, are rounded up once a year and new foals are branded.

But Cilla King, of People 4 Ponies, said the cruel practice is no longer necessary since all ponies have to be microchipped from this year.

"They [the ponies] are fighting for their lives when it is their first experience of humans," she said.

However Sue McGeever, Secretary of the Exmoor Pony Society, said branding was important for maintaining the purity of the breed and health of the animals.

She said Europe had given the UK special permission to allow Exmoor ponies to be branded as well as microchipped

"In the moorland situation being able to identify the pony by brand means that we can keep an eye on the bloodline by seeing which mares are breeding. Also there is a problem with ponies being hit by cars or injured and wandering across the moor. We need to be able to read the brand so that the farmer who owns the pony can give it help."

Rex Milton, a farmer who runs ponies on Exmoor, also said it was a necessary.

"It is in the best interests of the Exmoor ponies to be identified correctly. A microchip is impossible to read at 25 metres but it is easy to spot a brand," he said.

i feel so scared at this time of year
i have an aweful phobia of fireworks
but thats not the only reason i hate them
every year there are always stories about animals dying because stupid cruel people think it's a good laugh to put a firework on an animal
and even if fireworks became illigal it wouldnt stop them because people are still able to get a hold of drugs and drugs are illigal
http://www.stop-fireworks.org/animals_and_fireworks.htm

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be
judged by the way it treats its animals”. Mahatma Gandhi

Dog Fighting is a sadistic sport involving placing two dogs in a ring or pit and forcing them to fight until one of them is severely injured or killed. Fighting with dogs is still at large today despite it being banned in the United Kingdom. Dogs are trained to fight from an early age mainly by beating, taunting and starving them. By using other small animals as bait such as cats, rabbits or other small dogs, the fighting dog is taunted and trained to kill, something which dogs do not do naturally unless there is a need for food.

 

The History of Dog Fighting

The use of dogs in organised fights has been around for thousands of years. The Romans, Greeks, Spanish and the French all used dogs to fight in arenas for sport. Dogs were bred specifically to be used for fighting.

The British Bulldog for example, was used in dog fighting. The dog became popular as a hunting dog as it could catch and hold the fierce wild boar and other large game. The dog began to be used to control unruly bulls on their way to market which is how the dog got its name.

This beast of a dog was unlike the Bulldog of today. Today's Bulldog has a short deformed nose, bowed legs and weak wide shoulders. They have short tails and wrinkles on their foreheads. These deformities would have been detriments to the real baiting dogs of the 1800's. Any dog that was set against an enraged bull had to be pretty nimble to avoid being gored to death.

Bull Baiting was a popular sport in Britain from the medieval period of the 12 th century. Nearly every town in Elizabethan England boasted a bull baiting ring. To make the bull angry, pepper was blown up its nose and it was poked and beaten with sticks. The creature was then tied to a bull ring and set upon by dogs. Spectators would bet on which dog would succeed in getting the bull down by its nose which was its “Achilles” heel and rendered the creature helpless. This sport was historically considered enjoyable entertainment for royalty.

 

Another common sport was Badger Baiting. Badgers would be caught and put into a ring or pit. Dogs would be thrown in and bets would be placed. Unfortunately for the Badger, it has a tough coat, tough skin, and strong bone structure that ensured long and bloody fights. Of course this delighted the onlookers.

Both Badger Baiting and Bull Baiting were outlawed in 1835. On the throne at that time was William IV who had led such a bloodthirsty life that, hoping to gain forgiveness in heaven, he banned blood sports and tried to lead a puritan lifestyle. This did not deter the blood thirsty people who were determined to enjoy their sport.

Fighting moved into the dank and seedy cellars of taverns to become an underground culture. Though dog fighting took place in many countries, it is most associated with the English and for over 600 years the pastime flourished.

The attitude amongst people involved in dog fighting is that, as with fox hunting, they are only following a traditional sport. They claim to love and care for their animals and believe that if it was acceptable hundreds of years ago then they are merely continuting an age old tradition.

One should remember that when dog fighting was legal in England it was also legal to:

Beat and maim wives and children
Kill any animal for sport
Import the decapitated heads of Pacific Islander People to be used in decorating the home
It was also during this era that the British imported African people to be used as slaves

The mentality of British people up to the 1800's was far different to that of today, at least in the majority of cases.

The dogmen involved in the cruel and sadistic form of entertainment state that they care for their animals so much that they seek veterinary treatment when their dogs are injured in a fight. Sounds similar to the kind of man who repeatedly and brutally beats his wife, but then drives her to the nearest casualty department crying about how much he loves his wife. Stating that they love their dogs does not make it any less of a crime or any less horrific to put them into dog fighting pits for fun and profit.

 

The Fighting Dogs

Stemming from the Bull Baiting dogs of long ago, Pit Bull types, Staffordshire Bull Terriers and American Bull Terriers, all hail from these old breed lines. The obvious choice of breed to fight is the Pit Bull Terrier or Pit Bull crosses. Other breeds such as German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Akita 's and Dobermans are also used. Not just any dog can be trained to fight, for example, it's hard to imagine most placid Golden Retrievers participating in such ferocious events.

These Pit Bull type dogs may have an inherited potential to fight but this does not mean that they will fight. Study the behaviour patterns of the wolf or the dog in fight mode. Firstly by nature dogs avoid confrontation and unnecessary battles by posturing, raising hackles, growling and staring until usually one of them will back down. If a fight does break out at some stage the losing animal will roll over and submit. The winning animal immediately accepts the others submission and the encounter is ended. If the two animals were to meet again one would see them perform a ritual dance of posturing and verbal exchanges that serve to reconfirm their relationship within the group. Only if the winning (leader) dog becomes old or injured would the losing dog attempt to overthrow its rival.

In fighting dogs this aspect of normal behaviour has to be eliminated. Fighting dogs must keep on attacking despite receiving submissive signals from its opponent. Likewise both dogs will continue to fight even when they are severely injured, suffering blood loss, torn limbs and exhaustion. This human induced behaviour is called “Gameness”. In all Terrier dog breeds there lies a characteristic of unwillingness to back down. Responsible breeders of such dogs have taken extreme care to breed out these aggressive traits to produce terrier breeds that make wonderful companion dogs. There is a big difference between “Gameness” and aggression and in the case of the fighting dog irresponsible breeding has heightened both traits.

To train the fighting dog and eliminate submissive behaviour the dog is “blooded” by encouraging it to attack and fight other animals. Dogs are stolen specifically for this purpose. The “bait” dog has its muzzle taped shut to avoid the fighting dog being injured. Cats, rabbits, kittens and small dogs make the perfect bait. The fighting dog is beaten and starved to channel its aggression towards the bait. Tools used in this cruel pastime include:

•  Treadmills – to increase the dog's stamina, cardiovascular fitness and endurance.

•  A Jenny or Catmill – This is a piece of apparatus that consists of beams reaching out from a central rotating pole. The fighting dog is chained to one beam and the cat or bait is tied to another. The dog races round in circles trying to catch the bait. When the exercise is finished the dog is given the bait to kill and eat.

•  Jump pole – This is a large pole with a spring hanging down. At the end of the spring is some rope or animal hide. The dog jumps up and hangs onto the rope sometimes for hours. This strengthens the jaws and the leg muscles.

•  Heavy weights and chains – These are attached to the dog's neck and dangle on the ground. This builds up neck and upper body muscles. When the dog is not fighting it is usually left with these heavy chains attached.

•  Food supplements and drugs – Fighting dogs are fed supplements such as liver/iron extract, Vitamin B12, Hormones/Testosterone, Repotest and Probolic Oil. They are also fed drugs such as Heroin, Amphetamines and Cocaine.

Generally all fighting dogs are kept in pitiful conditions. They are beaten on a regular basis to keep them aggressive. They are starved and and often live in cages full of their own excrement. They know of no other life and despite having ears torn off and their bodies ripped apart they still will lick their owner's hand. This pitiful plea for affection leads the owner to really believe that the dog “loves” to fight. In the words of a ‘dogman':

“We're not hurting anybody and the dogs love to fight, so what's the harm?”

On fight night, the dogs are taunted and beaten to “fire” them up. They are then placed into a ring whilst spectators watch the dogs tear each other apart with bouts lasting anything up to two hours. Not only do these poor animals suffer horrendous injuries but the losing dog faces a brutal death at the hands of its angry owner. In the ring the dogs receive deep puncture wounds, broken bones and torn off ears. Dogs often die from blood loss, shock and exhaustion. Various brutal methods are used to kill unwanted losing dogs. Some are electrocuted, drowned, beaten to death or killed by hanging. In a way, these are the lucky ones as others are thrown into cages and left to die. Investigators have found animals literally frozen or starved to death after being abandoned by their owners.

It is generally believed that the Pit Bull Terrier has “locking” jaws but this is not strictly true. It stems from a myth that grew due to the dog's tendency to bite and hold, the jaw does not actually lock. They do have extremely powerful jaw pressure and can hold onto another animal with great strength. The Pit Bull is known to be inherently aggressive due to so many being bred specifically for dog fighting, and it is a banned breed in the United Kingdom.

 

The Human Element

Dog fighting is on the increase in the United Kingdom . In Northern Ireland dog owners' pets are being stolen to be used as bait for training dogs to fight. Stephen Philpott of the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (USPCA) says that stolen dogs end up in “dog training camps” and believes that dozens of dogs are stolen each year to supply the camps. Mr Philpott said:

“If a dog goes missing, it has to turn up somewhere. How can all these dogs be disappearing off the face of the earth? There has to be some reason for it…these are people's pets, lying there chained up, waiting to be fed to trained killers”.

In Belfast these dogs can be seen openly walking alongside their owners in public. Children's swings in the area carry the evidence that these dogs are trained to hold and bite. Many of the swings carry bite marks and have huge chunks bitten out of the seats.

Dog fighting is part of a highly organised underworld. The fighting dogs are in the main, Pit Bull type dogs and fall under the Dangerous Dog Act of 1991 which was introduced as a response to people being attacked by aggressive or uncontrolled dogs and to stem the rise in dog fighting. Four dogs are on the list: Pit Bull Terrier, Tosa, Dogo Argentino and the Fila Brasilerio.

Under the act, these dogs are banned from being sold, bred or exchanged within the UK.

Despite being banned, investigators know that this environment of cruelty and violence is supported not only by the criminal element but also by the ‘upper' classes. The professional dogmen have incredible marketing skills and can draw large gatherings of people ready to bet vast amounts of money for the pleasure of seeing dogs being torn apart and savaged. The owners of champion dogs often come from homes with limited social or economic opportunity. By having a winning dog, they gain respect and power within the criminal fraternity. The owner often has extensive knowledge of the nutritional requirements of his dog and the best training methods. Offspring from a champion dog that has won 5 or more fights can fetch thousands of pounds. In fact dog fighting can be an incredible source of income as an average dog fight can net more money than an average armed robbery.

In the US , Stephanie LaFarge, PhD, Senior Director of the ASPCA Counselling Services said:

“Dog fighters represent a range of personality types and psychological disorders. Like anyone they are moulded by their environment and begin to develop a system of values early. School life offers them little fulfilment and humiliates them into doing socially unacceptable things in an environment where beating the system is the goal”.

This almost sounds as if dog owners and decent members of society should feel responsible or sorry for these sadistic people. Let us not forget the horrifying torture these innocent dogs undergo and the miserable pain filled lives they lead. In the politically correct society of today it is far easier to find excuses for the criminal behaviour of these people that form the dregs of society rather than see them for what they really are: ruthless, brutal, Neanderthal morons.

 

Dog fighting is seen as a symptom of urban decay, but a substantial human element exists within this culture that stem from titled or professional backgrounds. Audiences can be made up of teachers, judges, solicitors, bankers and businessmen. Their eyes are closed to the sickening blood thirsty aspect. For some of them dog fighting is an art. Veterinarians are known in the circuit that will provide pharmaceuticals and treatment for injured dogs but bear in mind that it is only the winning dogs that may receive treatment. More often than not even winning dogs undergo DIY surgery by their owners.

Dog fighting is symptomatic of other illegal activities and is seen to be a sport enjoyed by criminals who themselves have a history of violence. Guns, knives, drug dealing, gang warfare and robbery are associated with dog fighting because of the huge amounts of money involved. Heavy bets are placed with the winner earning up to £20,000 or more. This form of gambling is popular because it carries less risk of interference from the police. Such adults often bring their children to watch who in turn become desensitised to violence and animal abuse. These children grow up to commit similar crimes as their peers and have no respect for the animals concerned. Despite this being a criminal activity, the law is rarely enforced due to the cloak of silence that surrounds the dog fighting fraternity.

The world of illegal dog fighting threatens society in general. Associated with this brutal activity lies the seedy world of drug trafficking, prostitution and the deaths of innocent animals and people who cause any problems for their activities.

On January 1st , 2007, five year old Ellie Lawrenson was savaged to death by a Pit Bull type Terrier dog in Manchester, UK. The news of this little girl's death horrified the public as the dog had allegedly been bred by the girl's uncle specifically for the dog fighting ring. A police clampdown followed and over 200 fighting dogs were seized in the Merseyside area of England . Ellie's uncle pleaded guilty to owning a dog that was banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act and received a prison sentence.

Society is just beginning to confront this violent culture with the police and animal welfare officers seizing more dogs and arresting more owners than ever before. For the victims of this brutal spectacle, the dogs, rescue cannot come soon enough.

 

Description of a Dog Fight

The spectators crowded into the dank cellar where a makeshift ring had been erected. The mood was one of high spirits as vast sums of money exchanged hands. In the corner behind a table sat the drug dealers. Armed with Heroin, Cocaine, and Amphetamines they peddled their wares to add to the ever increasing hysteria.

Diagonal lines had been drawn across two corners of the ring behind which were the next contestants. At a signal the dogs exploded into action. Like two missiles on a collision course the dogs flew at each other. One dog, Jet, was as black as coal. The white scars that covered his muzzle and body told of past battles. Pitted against him was Bear, a newcomer to the scene but still a strong and fierce brindle dog. Within minutes the dogs had locked. Blood and spittle covered their bodies as they tumbled around in the stained sawdust. Jet caught the brindle round the neck and the dog's jaws gripped so hard that Bear's eyes bulged from their sockets.

The crowd screamed and whistled. This is what they had all come to see. Though blood gushed from a gaping wound in his neck, Bear did not understand the concept of surrender. This natural instinct had been beaten and trained out of him by his owner. With each twist that Bear made in his frantic efforts to dislodge Jet, the wound in his neck grew deeper. Jets jaws were removing his opponents face, exposing teeth, bone and tissue.

The audience hungered for the kill and the cheers and shouts grew more frenzied. For Bear it was all over. As the life left his exhausted body, the crowd were scrambling to place bets on the next bout.

One day, hopefully soon, we really will be living in a 'civilised' society, or at least maybe our dogs will.

If you have any information on illegal dog fighting, you can contact us in complete confidence, and we will ensure your information is passed on to the authorities immediately. Alternatively, please contact Crimestoppers where your anonymity is assured and you may receive a reward for information leading to a prosecution. You may also wish to contact the RSPCA for any dog cruelty you are aware of.

Finally, this article opened with the words of Mahatma Gandhi, and it will end with the same quotation, though it now seems a little more meaningful:

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way it treats its animals”.makes me very sad to see this