Cargill Heiress Donates $6 billion to Animal Rights, Art, Environmental Causes

Heiress Margaret Anne Cargill has bequeathed $6 billion (!) to foundations and organizations that support environmental causes, disaster relief, animal welfare and arts education.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-02-28/cargill-heiress-leaves-6-billion-to-support-art-animal-rights.html

NC Ag Official Keeps Job Despite Pleading Guilty to Obstructing Justice

North Carolina's top consumer health and animal welfare official, a veterniarian named Dr. Sarah Jean Mason, was recently charged with leaking information to the Butterball corporation that the company was being investigated for animal cruelty charges in which ultimately six people were arrested on multiple felonies, and for lying to investigators.  Mason was given a suspended 45 day jail sentence and a year of probation, but amazingly she is keeping her job and license.

Link:  http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/02/16/1858488/state-official-admits-impeding.html

Report from ABC Channel 7 (WLS-TV) in Chicago 'Growing up Vegan'

Here's a very positive and interesting story from ABC News Channel 7 in Chicago about families who are raising vegan children.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/special_segments&id=8560764

Pork Centric Restaurant to Open on Madison's East Side

Wisconsinites apparently love their meat as much as they love their cheese.  A new restaurant set to open on the hip near east side of Madison has a pork-centric menu.  While the restaurant's aim to focus on purchasing its menu items from small-scale, local farms is a good idea, they will certainly not have any vegans dining there.  But since this is Madison, they probably will find plenty of other people willing to go there to eat, "nose-to-tail pork (feet, belly, jowls and ears), rabbit, lamb and venison, as well as seafood (from smelt to octopus)."

Link: http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=36022

Corporate Shill Richard Berman's Attack on the Humane Society

A short advertisement attacking the Humane Society of the United States was dropped during the Oscars last night.  It was paid for by the right-wing, pro-business shell organization called the Center for Consumer Freedom.  This organization receives money from all kinds of big business groups and specifically targets nonprofits who promote things like healthy diets, animal welfare, or stopping global warming.  Of course the center's biggest supporters are industrial agriculture groups which are pro-meat, pro-processed foods, and pro-corn syrup (among other icky things).

Link:  http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/02/27/432747/corporate-front-group-buys-attack-on-humane-society-during-oscar-broadcast/?mobile=nc

Disturbing Use of Animals at Madison Museum of Contemporary Art

I found the art installation, The Erich Weiss Suite by Matthew Barney (see Björk), utilizing Jacobin Pigeons in a room barren of of anything except for their own feces, a shrine to Harry Houdini, and a glass coffin, to be sadistic and cruel.  The pigeons are left to wander the room while people gawk at them through a glass door - their feces are allowed to collect without being cleaned for three months (Note: I am not sure exactly what is being cleaned or how often, but several blogs and newspaper articles on the exhibit refer to the 'accumulation' of feces during the installation - which is what I am referring to).

Here's a photo:

In a previous work, Cremaster 5, he uses pigeons in a film in which they are tied to the artists genitals by ribbons, so in my opinion Barney has some conflicted feelings about the appropriate care and use of 'theatrical animals.'  In the Weiss Suite tribute, I would not be surprised if the use of the pigeons is in violation of local animal care codes - but in any case, it is in extremely poor taste and shows a disdain for the rights and quality of life all in the name of 'art.'

The piece is part of the Harry Houdini exhibit at Madison's Museum of Contemporary Art which runs through February 11 through May 13.

Mark Bittman to speak at Madison's Green Day Event Apr. 21

This is great news for the local vegan and vegetarian community. Lord
knows we need all the help we can get.

Link:
www.thedailypage.com%2Fdaily%2Frss.php?hl=en&c=CLiBjv_Hpa4C&i=-8346472207966
969273&n=1

50,000 Hens in Animal Factory Left for Dead in California

This is the type of thing that gets brushed under the rug with regard to eggs and dairy.   In short, treating animals as commodities and not having enforceable animal cruelty laws will continue to allow this sort of thing to happen.  Of the 50,000 abandoned animals, one third were found to be dead after two weeks of the neglect.  Another third are due to be euthanized.  Can you imagine the inside of this 'farm?'

Link:  http://www.fox40.com/news/headlines/ktxl-crews-clean-up-chickens-left-for-dead-at-abandoned-farm-20120222,0,6273354.story

19th Century Vegetarians Were Proto-Vegans

The Vegetarian Society, whose roots are in England in the 1800's, had a very forward thinking president named Francis Newman who nearly changed the history of vegetarianism by suggesting that people who ate eggs and drank milk were only 'partial vegetarians.'  This was, of course, before there was the word 'vegan.'  Vegetarian Society supporters did not go along with Newman's ideas, however, and that's why modern day vegetarians eat dairy - rather than abstaining, like Newman would have them do.

Link:  http://www.vegsource.com/john-davis/prof-francis-w-newman-and-the-attempted-vegan-revolution-of-1871.html

Lack of Empathy Related to Low Intelligence?

This opinion article by Paula Moore at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) suggests that the same studies that look at empathy and intelligence might also be applied to specieism.  A problem with her argument is that even if one believes that empathy and intelligence can be objectively measured, one also must prove that they they are indeed positive traits.  Perhaps evolution is not dependent on compassion or intelligence - but is, rather, built upon ability to compete and survive no matter the cost to other species or individuals.

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/02/20/4276954/are-speciesists-stupid.html

Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson Response to Battery Cage Letter

I wrote Senator Ron Johnson recently urging him to support federal legislation banning battery cages for laying hens as well as gestation crates for sows.  His response:  This is something that should be left up to states and localities to deal with.

I'm reprinting his letter to me in full.  Note the typos and wording - it looks like it's written by a college student.

Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding the treatment of animals. Animals are an important part of many people's lives and families. Animals often provide companionship and happiness to their owners. Trained dogs can provide services for people with disabilities, guard our homes and even perform heroic feats. 

I agree that we should work to protect animals from cruelty and animal safety efforts must be approached sensibly. I believe that private organizations and non-profits are in the best position to continue efforts to protect animal. Organizations such as the Humane Society of America and the American Society for the Prevention and Cruelty of Animals (ASPCA). should be applauded for their accomplishments In addition to private organizations and non-profits, I believe that state and local governments are best equipped to handle animal related issues, they are closest to each situation in addition to having flexibility to meet their community's needs. As animal issues come before the Senate floor regarding federal policy, I will certainly keep your views in mind. 

Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts. It is important for me to hear the views and concerns of the people I serve. Since taking office, I have received over 400,000 pieces of correspondence and have had over 180,000 participants in live forums and telephone town hall meetings. Please feel free to contact me in the future if I can further assist you or your family. It is an honor representing you and the good people of Wisconsin in the U.S. Senate. 

Sincerely, 

Ron Johnson 

United States Senator

NC Animal Health Official Leaks Info to Turkey Industry Workers During FBI Investigation

The doctor in question, however, has somehow managed to keep her job even though employees at Butterball, the company she tried to protect, are facing multiple felonies for animal cruelty.

Link:  http://vegan.com/blog/2012/02/15/five-butterball-employees-charged-with-animal-cruelty/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+vegandotcomrss+%28Vegan.com+Blog%29

Street Dogs of South Central Los Angeles

This trailer reminds me of the packs of dogs I've seen in Ukraine.

That New PETA Ad is Awful

The title of this post is probably not the first or last time you'll hear it from me.  But this particular one, which I will not link to because I might actually give it more hits or whatever, is really bad.  Domestic and sexual abuse is not cool, and neither is portraying it in a satirical way.  The ad is offensive and PETA should apologize.

New York Times Editors Back Battery Cage Ban

It's great that there are people willing to take a stand for chickens.  It's the right thing to do.

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/15/opinion/more-humane-egg-production.html

Scientists Confused by Mass Dolphin Deaths

You know, this sort of thing does not surprise me at all.  Humankind changes the climate, spews radiation and other waste into the environment at will, and has very little regard for the animal kingdom.  Then... as if by accident, people get all freaked out when animals die en masse.  I don't think we give animals much choice.

Link:  http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2012/02/marine-experts-flummoxed-by-mass-dolphin-strandings.html

New Website Will Calculate Animal Lives Saved by Going Veg

This website is a very in depth look at the direct benefits to animals resulting from not eating them.

Link: http://www.countinganimals.com/how-many-animals-does-a-vegetarian-save/

McDonald's to Require Suppliers to Phase Out Gestation Crates for Sows

This is extremely good news for people as well as the animals they eat.  Gestation crates are a mechanical and barbaric way to treat an animal.

Link: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/13/omg-mcdonalds-does-the-right-thing/

Wisconsin Assembly to Consider Bipartisan 'Windchill Law' Protecting Domestic and Farm Animals

This is great news for Wisconsin's pets and other non-wild animals.  I hope that there are provisions for wild animals as well, but I'll bet it will be harder to agree on the provisions with pro-hunting groups.

Link: http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/222535/

Oshkosh Teen Beats Puppy to Death With Baseball Bat, Receives 6 Months in Jail plus 3 years Probation

Tragically, this is just one of a string of animal cruelty stories in the Oshkosh area.

Link: http://allanimalsblog.org/2012/02/09/puppy-beating-sentence/

Great TEDx Talk from Wayne Pacelle on Factory Farming

Nicholas Hermes Avoids Prison in 2009 Wisconsin Deer Torture and Killing Case

Nicholas Hermes will avoid prison, but gets 3 years of probation, $3,000 in fines, and 6 months jail-time for his involvement in the random killing and torturing several deer with his snowmobile in 2009.  A co-defendant, Rory Kuenzi, has also been sentenced to 11 years in prison for the killings, while a third, Robbie Kuenzi, awaits a jury trial in April.

Link: http://www.rivertowns.net/event/article/id/35197/publisher_ID/13/

Speak Out Against Dane County Trapping on Wed. Feb. 8 Hearing

Trapping is not necessary, nor humane. Please go to Room 357 City County Building at 201 Martin Luther King Blvd. at 5:15 p.m. and join others like the Alliance for Animals to speak out against trapping in our county's parks.

Mother Jones: Most Chickens Crates Never Sanitized

A study described in Mother Jones tells that 80% of chicken farmers do not ever sanitize the crates used to haul the animals from the farms they were raised on to the slaughterhouse.  With 8 billion chickens a year raised for meat in the U.S. alone, that's a lot of fecal matter that is covering our roadways, the environment, and the chickens themselves.

Link:  http://motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2012/01/poultry-industrys-latest-dirty-secret

PETA Offers to Help Wisconsin's Struggling Mustard Museum With Sexy Ad

PETA is long known to use racy and borderline sexist ads to get people's attention.  Check out the ad and make up your own mind.  I don't think it's too bad.

Link: http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/peta-offers-a-helping-hand-to-struggling-mustard-museum-with/article_63646f5c-4e0e-11e1-afdf-001871e3ce6c.html

Another Miserable Groundhog Day for Punxsutawney Phil

Imagine how happy you'd be being paraded in front of cameras and screaming kids after being kept in a cage in a freaking library the other 364 days out of the year.   Our amusement should not be the justification for continuing a cruel or unfair tradition, no matter how old.  Even if you accept this cruel and sad existence for this poor animal, the folklore-based predictions of the famous weather forecasting groundhog are only 39% accurate (Link).  That alone should have people questioning what is so cool about this fake holiday.